Simplified: The Sioux Falls City Council is looking to make sure getting rid of the taxidermy collection at the Delbridge Museum doesn't set a precedent of regifting things that had previously been given to the city. That's why they're asking for an audit of other existing gift agreements to make sure they know what's been promised.
Why it matters
- The motion to conduct the audit came mere moments after a painful – but ultimately unanimous – vote to surplus the taxidermy collection that's been on display for 40 years (and has had an uncertain future for the last year and a half).
- Councilor Miranda Basye successfully brought an amendment to the surplus resolution to ensure the zoo will create an interactive exhibit as a tribute to the legacy of the Delbridge Museum.
"There's a lot of heart, history and legacy in this collection," Basye said, adding that the vote to surplus the collection was one of the hardest she's had to make.
- Basye, along with Councilor Rich Merkouris, brought forward the motion to look at other gifting agreements with vague or undetermined timelines. The Delbridge family initially donated the taxidermy collection to the city in the 1980s, and there was quite a bit of council discussion over whether the city could give away something it had been gifted and agreed to maintain "permanently," as Councilor Curt Soehl said.
"Really, this is a stain on the zoo, and it's going to be for some time," Soehl said. "There's been some discussion on what 'permanent' means. That pains me to see ... we're going to take a lot of negative impact going forward for this vote."
Tell me more
Looking for background on how we got here? I've got you:
Why you can’t say goodbye to the taxidermy before it goes to college
A collection of about 150 taxidermy specimen that’s been well-loved by Sioux Fallsians for decades has been saved from disposal. Now, it’s a City Council vote away from heading off to the University of Notre Dame.
Megan Raposa
Why the Brockhouse collection may soon have a new home (or two or three)
A city work group tasked with finding a home for the specimen received interest from six different nonprofit organizations, who said they’d like to restore some or all of the pieces.
Megan Raposa
So, what happens next then?
Merkouris said he anticipates it'll take about three months for the internal audit of existing gifting agreements.
- The goal, he added, is to look at previous agreements as a way to strengthen future ones. Ultimately, it's about making sure donors are still willing to give gifts to the city without fear that they'll be regifted.
"I want to make sure that philanthropy remains the secret sauce of Sioux Falls," Merkouris said.
