Call it a rebuilding phase.
The Douglas County Historical Society board is attempting to cure its financial ills and heal wounded public relations associated with 25 percent pay cuts doled out in late August to Watkins Community Museum of History staff members Steve Jansen and Judy Sweets.
On top of that, three members of the management committee that passed the salary cuts have resigned, leaving vacancies on the body that governs the day-to-day operations of the museum.
Debbie White, formerly board vice president, Stan Kern, formerly board treasurer, and Nancy Helmstadter all committee members have resigned within the past month and a half.
Helmstadter said she had been planning to resign for some time; Kern wouldn't say why he left the board; White could not be reached for comment.
David Longhurst, who's since been nominated as committee chairman, said at Thursday's board meeting that restoring staff salaries was not his first priority.
"My priority is not going to be to restore salaries," he said. "It's to make this museum what it ought to be. When that happens, the resources are going to increase. ... Then we'll be in a position to do whatever is appropriate."
Board members have discussed increasing staff salaries incrementally over the duration of the coming year based on quarterly performance evaluations. No final decision has been made.
Salary reinstatements can't happen until the museum begins to see more revenue, said Longhurst, who gave a financial report at Thursday's meeting.
The report showed that the museum's net income has decreased significantly each of the past three years.
"That is not a good trend," he said. "We need to address the problem now. We can't make it up by cutting expenses. We have to make it up by increasing revenue."
Board president Phil Godwin said the board needed to heed Longhurt's warning and be more active in making fund-raising efforts successful.
"He gave us this same lecture three years ago, and nothing happened," Godwin said.
Godwin also urged board members to attend museum programs more often to show the community that the board supports the museum.
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