CORTEZ – A proposal to shift the oversight of historical properties from the Manatee County Clerk’s Office to the Sports and Leisure Division was contested by those in the historical community at a Sept. 12 Manatee County Board of Commissioners meeting. It didn’t stop a majority of commissioners from voting in favor of the change.
Properties affected by the change in management include the Florida Maritime Museum (FMM) in Cortez, Manatee Village Historical Park, Manatee County Historical Records Library, Manatee County Agricultural Museum, and Palmetto Historical Park.
“Have we had any complaints that these properties are presently not being run adequately under the clerk’s office?” Commissioner George Kruse asked. “I don’t understand why we’re doing this.”
Commissioner Amanda Ballard said she felt “we could do better.”
“It seems like it’s been rushed in here,” Kruse said. “No one can tell me why we’re doing this except the opinion that quote unquote it could be done better. Somebody has to tell me why we’re doing this today. And not being presented to us in a manner that we can actually make an intelligent vote on this?”
A motion to approve Historical Resources to be managed under Sports and Leisure Services Department was made by Commissioner Ray Turner and seconded by Commissioner Mike Rahn.
Manatee County Deputy Director Sports and Leisure Services Molly White narrated a PowerPoint presentation at the meeting.
“We feel there is an opportunity to have a more impactful reach to our residents and visitors by moving these locations under the management of sports and leisure services. This will create a streamlined marketing approach and increase in growth in programs and initiatives to better serve our residents,” she said.
More than a dozen speakers who were not in favor of the change spoke, including Cindy Rodgers and Karen Bell representing two Cortez-based non-profits dedicated to the historical preservation of the fishing village.
“The Historical Society was founded in 1984 to document the history of Cortez, educate the public on the living history of our working fishing village, and protect the important historic resources of our National Historic District. Due to the community’s historic preservation efforts, Cortez is a popular tourist destination,” Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) president Cindy Rodgers said. “One of the things that ties the history together for both residents and visitors is the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez. The museum opened in 2007 and has developed into a valuable educational resource.”
CVHS has co-sponsored multiple public events with the FMM.
“We’ve observed a high level of professionalism, creativity and commitment on the part of the staff,” Rodgers said, adding that Manatee County’s historic resources are well-run.
“We are particularly appreciative of the Manatee County Historical Records Library, which has painstakingly preserved and cataloged all of the key historical resources under the county’s purview,” she said. “It makes sense that the county clerk’s office, which is responsible for maintaining most of the key public records for the county including deeds, marriage licenses and construction documents, has the expertise and experience to successfully manage our historic records and resources.”
She expressed concern about the proposal to “uproot the Historic Resources Department” and move it to the Sports and Leisure Department.
“The PowerPoint suggests that management and public use of our historic resources would improve under this sweeping change in administration,” Rodgers said. “That is an interesting perspective and one that deserves a full public airing if commissioners and others have concerns about the current situation.”
She asked for commissioners to defer action until there is a full public accounting of the costs and benefits of such a change.
Karen Bell, a board member of The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), also spoke in support of the FMM and recounted some of its history.
“We met with Ernie Padgett, who was the county administrator at the time, and we asked him if we could write a grant to purchase the Maritime Museum, which at the time was the 1912 schoolhouse. Bob Sailors lived there – he had died and his estate was willing to sell to us,” Bell said. “We put together a grant application in 10 days, submitted it, we were in the top 10 and we were awarded the money. So, the funds to purchase the Maritime Museum came from the state of Florida and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage. We put $20,000 into the purchase.”
Bell told the commissioners the importance of sharing that story.
“That’s our museum,” she said. “That’s our history. We have our families’ artifacts in there. So, for this to be brought upon us with no notice, nobody even shared with us that this was a consideration. It’s hard for me to understand how that can be when we have a partnership with county. So please, take time before you do something drastic. It works well.”
Bell said people from around the world visit the museum and stop at AP Bell Fish House as the last stop during village walking tours.
“It’s so different from what they see in other places in Florida,” Bell said.
The motion passed by a 6-1 vote with Kruse in opposition.
