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THE STATE
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY,
NY 12234 |
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TO: |
Cultural Education Committee |
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FROM: |
Carole Huxley |
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SUBJECT: |
Status of, and plans for, the renewal of the State
Museum. Construction of a new
research/collections facility for State Archives, State Library and
State
Museum
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DATE: |
January 30, 2006
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goals 2, 4, and 5
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for
Discussion
The Executive
budget provides authorization to allocate $20 million to the renewal of the
exhibits in the State Museum, using the resources of the
Library, the Archives and the Museum. It authorizes use of $20 million toward
the construction of a research/collection facility. That facility will ensure
the security and preservation of the collections. In addition, the budget establishes a
Cultural Education Trust for these funds. It also establishes a Trust Board,
advisory to the Regents, to oversee the fund and the plans for the renewed
exhibit halls and for the new facility.
Reason(s) for Consideration:
Review of Policy
The Museum,
Library and Archives have moved forward with plans for new exhibit halls and for
a new facility. Now that the Executive budget provides authorization to access
the funding essential to the projects, we will accelerate the conceptual
planning to move immediately when the budget is passed. The proposed ten-member
Trust Board is described in the attached bill language from the Article VII
Bill. While this board is modeled, to some extent, on the Archives Partnership
Trust Board, the proposal does not establish a separate corporate body but,
rather, an advisory board to work with the Regents in achievement of a mutual
goal.
Proposed
Handling
Issues that require Regents
consideration and review:
- Status
of planning for the exhibit halls and for the new facility.
- The
Executive budget proposal, particularly the Cultural Education Trust Board,
its role and relationship to the Board of Regents.
- Advocacy
with the Legislature for passage of this proposal.
At the
meeting, staff will display and explain the detailed conceptual plan for the new
facility and provide the Committee with an overview of the first two planned
galleries in the Museum.
Procedural
History
At its
November 2004 meeting, the Regents approved the feasibility study and conceptual
plan for a new research/collection facility and advocacy to attain the resources
to move forward. For several years
the Regents and staff have advocated for funding needed to renew the long-term
exhibits in the Museum.
Background
Information
The Research/Collection Facility:
The collections of the Museum, Archives and
Library are the essential resources of these institutions and the basis of all
of their services, research and educational activities.
The physical
constraints of the Cultural Education Center (CEC) prevent collections from
being adequately preserved and protected.
Furthermore, storage facilities there do not have sufficient or
appropriate space for collections growth.
The Museum is now forced to store significant collections in a remote
storage facility with poor environmental controls. The New York State Records Center has been in a
critical situation for some time, with record storage at 105%; a state of
affairs compounded by the recent finding of asbestos contamination in the
storage area.
With funding assistance from the Executive,
SED has been able to mitigate the collection storage environment in the CEC, but
not to professional standards. To achieve those standards in the CEC, including
adequate environmental controls (humidity and temperature) and an appropriate
fire suppression system, would be prohibitively expensive. Even if such an investment seemed wise,
the collections have outgrown available space and another facility would be
necessary to lease or build for additional space.
The Exhibit Galleries
Renewal:
The
State Museum’s permanent exhibits were designed
in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. They neither reflect the research of the
past 25 years nor the richness of the remarkable collections of the State
Museum. Integration of new technologies
and improved techniques for interpreting our natural and cultural histories are
needed. In addition, the iconic treasures of the Library and Archives that would
allow the visitor to meet directly with some of the great leaders of our state’s
and nation’s history, cannot be safely shown as a part of exhibits without
substantial environmental and security work.
Museums are
education institutions dedicated to providing opportunities for life long
learning. Museums should be central to addressing science literacy issues,
working with formal education institutions toward closing the gap and serving as
a community resource. This museum,
a research institution with remarkable collections in geology, biology and
archaeology, has the potential to be a potent tool to excite students about
science and to inspire further exploration of the natural world. Renewal of the State
Museum would make that potential a
reality.
Finally,
preliminary discussions with other museums in New
York raise the possibility of ongoing collaborations to better tell
the stories of New
York’s remarkable history and natural history. A part of
the State
Museum renewal should
result in a moveable feast of traveling and coordinated exhibits across the
state.
Recommendation
Staff
recommends that the Regents support the Executive budget proposal to establish a
Cultural Education Trust, enabling the Office of Cultural Education to move
forward on the renewal of the Museum and the construction of a new
collections/research facility.
Timetable for
Implementation
In 2009,
New York will commemorate the 400th
anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the Hudson
River. It is our intention to have two core galleries in place by
then: one providing a sense of the grand sweep of New York’s human history
and its impact on the nation and the world; the second, giving a similar
overview of the much longer geologic, flora and fauna history of this region. It
will also be possible, if the work moves with dispatch, to have the new
research/collection facility in place by then, as well.
Attachments
6 PART K
7 Section 1. The arts and cultural affairs law is amended by adding a
8 new title P to read as follows:
9 TITLE P
10 NEW YORK STATE CULTURAL EDUCATION TRUST
11 ARTICLE 40
12 NEW YORK STATE CULTURAL EDUCATION TRUST
13 Section 40.01. New York state cultural education trust; creation; board
14 of directors; governance.
15 40.03. Powers and duties of the board.
16 40.05. Reports.
17 40.07. Assistance of other agencies.
18 § 40.01. New York state cultural education trust; creation; board of
19 directors; governance. 1. The New York state cultural education trust
20 is hereby established under the jurisdiction of the state education
21 department.
22 2. Powers and duties of the trust shall be exercised by the trust
23 board consisting of ten members appointed as follows: five members
24 appointed by the governor, two of whom shall be from the arts and
166 12272-01-6
1 cultural affairs community, one member appointed by the temporary presi-
2 dent of the senate, one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly,
3 one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate, one member
4 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly, and one member
5 appointed by the board of regents.
6 3. The first chair of the board shall be designated by the governor
7 for three years. Thereafter, the trust board shall elect its own chair,
8 each for three years.
9 4. Initial appointments to the board shall be for staggered terms.
10 Three of the governor's appointments shall be for three years, two of
11 the governor's appointments and the appointments of the temporary presi-
12 dent of the senate and the speaker of the assembly shall be for two
13 years, and the appointments of the minority leader of the senate and the
14 minority leader of the assembly and the board of regents shall be for
15 one year. All subsequent appointments shall be for three years.
16 5. Members may be reappointed and may serve two consecutive full
17 terms, in addition to the terms of the initial appointments, but not
18 more than eight consecutive years. Each member shall continue in office
19 until such member's successor has been appointed and qualifies. Such
20 continuation in office shall not be counted in determining whether a
21 member has served eight consecutive years. In the event of a vacancy
22 occurring in the office of any member, other than by the expiration of a
23 member's term, such vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the unex-
24 pired term, if applicable, in the same manner as the original appoint-
25 ment.
26 6. Board members shall serve without compensation for their work.
27 Travel and meeting expenses may be compensated for members of the board.
167 12272-01-6
1 7. The deputy commissioner for cultural education and the deputy
2 commissioner for operations and management services of the state educa-
3 tion department shall serve as the executive officers of the trust
4 board.
5 8. A majority of the whole number of members then in office shall
6 constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise
7 of any power of the trust board. The trust board shall have the power to
8 act by a majority of members present at any meeting at which a quorum is
9 in attendance.
10 9. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special
11 or local law, ordinance, resolution or charter, no officer, member or
12 employee of the state, or of any public corporation, shall have to
13 forfeit his or her office or employment or any benefits provided under
14 the retirement and social security law or under any public retirement
15 system maintained by the state or any of its subdivisions by reason of
16 his or her becoming a member or chair of the trust board, nor shall the
17 service on such board be deemed incompatible or in conflict with such
18 office or employment.
19 § 40.03. Powers and duties of the board. The board shall:
20 1. Promote the public missions, operations, purposes and functions of
21 the state museum, library and archives;
22 2. Promote greater public awareness, and accessibility to, the
23 collections of the state museum, library and archives;
24 3. Provide the commissioner of education and the regents with recom-
25 mendations to direct the investment of funds to enhance the public
26 display of the collections and exhibits of the state museum, library and
27 archives and to provide a new storage facility for such collections. The
168 12272-01-6
1 board shall ensure that such funds are used in the most efficient manner
2 to discharge the trust's duties; and
3 4. Prepare, and recommend to the commissioner of education, a plan to
4 enhance the exhibits of the state museum to ensure that the visitors to
5 the museum have an appreciation for the rich history of New York state
6 as told through the display of rare, historic and meaningful artifacts,
7 specimens and documents in the state's possession, and through the use
8 of interactive technology.
9 § 40.05. Reports. Not later than February first of each year the
10 board shall report to the regents, the governor and the legislature on
11 the trust's priorities, accomplishments and finances.
12 § 40.07. Assistance of other agencies. The trust board may request
13 and shall receive from any state agency or political subdivision of the
14 state, and the same are authorized to provide, such assistance and
15 information as will enable it to carry out its duties pursuant to this
16 title.
17 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-o to
18 read as follows:
19 § 99-o. Cultural education trust account. 1. There is hereby estab-
20 lished in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commission-
21 er of taxation and finance an account of the miscellaneous capital
22 projects fund to be known as the cultural education trust account.
23 2. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary,
24 the comptroller is authorized and directed to receive for deposit to the
25 credit of the cultural education trust account transfers from other
26 state funds and accounts pursuant to law as well as revenue resulting
27 from fees and/or donations which may include any form of equity, fixed
169 12272-01-6
1 income securities, insurance or any other asset convertible into cash,
2 and earnings thereon.
3 3. Moneys of the cultural education trust account, following appropri-
4 ation by the legislature, shall be available to support the capital
5 improvement projects consistent with the provisions of title P of the
6 arts and cultural affairs law. Expenditures of this account shall be
7 made in accordance with a plan approved by the director of the budget.
8 Any such moneys in such account may, in the discretion of the comp-
9 troller, be invested in obligations in which the comptroller is author-
10 ized to invest pursuant to section ninety-eight-a of this article. Any
11 income or interest from such investment shall be credited to such
12 account.
13 4. All payments of moneys from the account shall be made on the audit
14 and warrant of the comptroller.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect April 1, 2006 and appointments to the
16 New York state cultural education trust shall be made no later than
17 three months following an appropriation made by the legislature for the
18 purpose of the trust.
