County committee approves funding acceptance for Missouritown Living History Museum improvements

The Jackson County Budget Committee recommended perfection for Ordinance 6015, which appropriates $104,928 from the undesignated fund balance in the 2025 grant fund to accept a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation via the Kansas City Monuments Coalition for restoration and preservation improvements at the Missouritown Living History Museum.

Diane Kimsey, Parks and Recreation staff, told the committee this is "also year 1 of a 2 year award" and that the grant will fund ADA accessibility work on the Webb House, completion of what would have been the house kitchen, HVAC installation to preserve interiors, and interpretive panels focusing on the lives of enslaved individuals associated with the buildings. "The funds will provide ADA accessibility to the structure, finish what would have been the kitchen for the house and provide HVAC to the building to help preserve the interior and provide a climate controlled area for guests," Kimsey said.

Committee members asked whether prevailing-wage rules apply; Parks staff confirmed prevailing wage will be used for the project. Manny Abarca also asked whether the grant came directly from the Mellon Foundation or through the Kansas City Monuments Coalition. Kimsey said the award is through the Kansas City Monuments Coalition, which the county described as affiliated with UMKC; she added the coalition received a two-year allocation (two separate $2 million disbursements) and the county applied for funds for each site.

Several committee members praised the projects and asked about possible additional county activities tied to the county bicentennial. Kimsey said staff would "take a look" at broader anniversary-related programming opportunities and declined to outline any specific county-wide plans at the meeting.

The committee moved and seconded a recommendation for perfection on Ordinance 6015; the clerk announced the ordinance "will be recommended for perfection." The county said term-and-supply contractors will complete the work; specific contractor names and project schedules were not finalized in the discussion.