Wichita ? Members of the Old Cowtown Museum board voted Monday to keep the struggling Old West attraction open, but they have more work ahead to convince local officials they can bring the museum out of the red.

The 21-member board Monday night approved a proposal to slash the museum’s budget, sharpen its mission and reorganize its staff. Museum officials say they hope to be debt-free by 2007.

“They have made a strong, solid commitment to make Cowtown financially stable,” said Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Ben Sciortino, who also serves on the museum’s board. “I hope they are successful.”

Most of the 200 audience members applauded the board’s decision, though the public was not invited to speak at the meeting.

Board President Tim Holt said the proposal only could be considered a “done deal” if city and county leaders kept their financial commitments to the museum. Before signing onto any new funding plans, however, officials said the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County needed to see a memorandum outlining their financial obligations to the museum.

The proposal outlines several changes:

¢ Cowtown would remain open through October. After that, it would close until June, when it would reopen with Friday-through-Monday hours.

¢ School and bus tours of the museum would require an appointment.

¢ Some staff positions would be reduced to part-time positions; others would be consolidated. The museum would rely on volunteer staffers.

¢ The museum would earmark money to preserve its historical collections and ensure public safety.

¢ The museum’s new strategic plan would emphasize financial planning, fundraising and facility management.