(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Joliet City Council has held off from giving money to a local museum after questions were raised about museum management.
The Joliet Area Historical Museum has been looking for a $250,000 grant from the City of Joliet to help fund the museum for 2024. At the start of this week's City Council meeting, though, former volunteers questioned the museum's management — specifically, dropping 13 museum staffers and volunteers since spring 2023.
Historian Mary Beth Gannon was one of those let go.
"It's a poor mismanagement of money over there and a loss of potential resources," Gannon said.
Gannon and fellow former volunteer Kara Phillip indicated the museum could raise some money by charging a nominal fee for some of its tours and programs, and therefore not have to ask taxpayers for so much.
"We don't have to give the money to somebody that is mismanaging it and just canceling tours and getting rid of volunteers," said Phillip, who suggested she'd like to, one day in the future, be allowed to volunteer for the museum.
Museum board president Quinn Adamowski was also at the City Council meeting. Although he did make a public statement, he would not address the accusations.
"Disregard the disparaging comments we just heard," Adamowski said. "I'm not going to talk about staffing tonight because you don't do that in public. Period.
"Yes, there is a grant on the agenda for consideration but with respect, we don't report to you. We're an independent organization, and if these folks have a problem with the way that we're acting, that's fine. They're entitled to feel that way."
The Joliet City Council narrowly voted to put off, until February, its decision on whether to give the museum $250,000 until it could find out more about what's going on.
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