CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou City Councilors unanimously voted on March 25 to let city officials create a separate checking account for donations made to the Nylander Museum.
The action, recommended by city staff, will also allow the Nylander Museum department of the city to use donated funds specifically for the museum and to hold them in a specially designated account.
Mayor Mark Goughan asked how that specific line item would read in the municipal budget, and if the account is for the municipal Nylander board or for Friends of the Nylander, a non-profit auxiliary group dedicated to raising money for museum activities.
City Manager Dennis Marker specified that this would just be for donations to the city Nylander board, as Friends of the Nylander is not a municipal organization and is “separate from the city altogether.”
Councilor Thomas Ayer noted a line item in the general ledger indicating a $2,000 donation to the Nylander, and asked if this was in a separate checking account.
Caribou Finance Director Carl Grant said this was from a one-time donation and that it’s currently in the city’s general fund, not a separate account.
Gail Hagelstein of the Nylander Museum Board said the donation comes from the Maine Memory Network, a website dedicated to Maine history. Anytime an individual purchases a copy of a photo originating from the Nylander museum on the website, the proceeds go back to the museum.
She said the money from purchases made via that website are separate from donations made directly to the museum, and that the museum received several donations during their recent “Dino Days” event.
Hagelstein said the checking account would be used for money added to the donation box or for checks that are made out directly to the museum, and that the museum would spend the money for either programming or for unexpected, last-minute situations such as fixing a piece of broken glass on a display clase.
Councilor Hugh Kirkpatrick asked Grant about the Nylander reserve account, which is separate from the donation line item, and whether staff was recommending the creation of a third account.
“Yes,” said Grant. “It’s like a petty cash checking account.”
Kirkpatrick suggested all Nylander accounts should be more clearly defined moving forward.
Councilor Jody Smith moved to accept staff’s recommendation and said the accounts could be figured out on a later date. Council approved the motion.
Goughan thanked Hagelstein and museum board members for their work and suggested that the Nylander board provide a financial report in a couple of months, which Hagelstein said she could arrange.
