After months of uncertainty, Glenwood Springs City Council at its Thursday meeting awarded the Glenwood Historical Society the funds it requested — mostly.

The Historical Society and Frontier Museum already receives $60,000 from the city annually, and this year the society requested an additional $60,000 from the budget for each of the next two years. 

City Council members were hesitant in funding the society until they were able to find more alternative funding methods to be more self-sustaining. 

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Although no one on Council vocalized any intent to withhold the fund, they did want the organization to find more avenues for funding before Council was willing to approve the funding. 

Council voted and approved the $20,000 at the meeting on Thursday to be awarded without stipulation. 

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Up to $20,000 can be matched, but only to donations of $1,000 or less, to help incentivize multiple long-term donors instead of just a couple of wealthy large donors who might not donate again in the future. 

“This can be so the Historical Society can attract and broaden their donor base,” Councilor Jonathan Godes said. “It would be pretty easy to ask one or two wealthy donors for a one-time donation and take advantage of the city’s match, but that will not create the diversity of donor base needed to have a healthy funding stream.”

The last $20,000 would be for a consultant, chosen by the city and the Historical Society for an organizational assessment.

“The city and Historical Society would select a contractor jointly, and the contractor would be paid directly from the city,” Godes said.  

The organizational assessment would require a one-, three- and five-year organizational and fiscal roadmap, City Attorney Karl Hanlon said. 

Godes did clarify that the periodic check-in would allow for Council, the consultant and the Historical Society to evaluate if more funding would be needed. 

Councilor Sumner Schachter was the only member who did not vote in favor of the motion, hoping Council would stick with the Financial Advisory Board recommendation for awarding the full $60,000 for the next two years, and having Council review the funding again in 2025.

“It still does get you to the $60,000, but it does put in some incentive to the organization to do extra fundraising,” Councilor Shelley Kaup said, explaining Council’s reasoning behind the stipulations.

Post Independent city and business reporter Cassandra Ballard can be reached at cballard@postindependent.com or 970-384-9131.