The Mississippi Museum of Art is going to take over Jackson's newly-renovated planetarium when it opens after the Jackson City Council voted 5-1 to approve the contract with MMA last night.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay voted against the contract while Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes was absent.
The city will make an initial payment of $250,000 to MMA within sixty days after the signing of the contract and annual payments of $130,000 to operate the planetarium. The city and museum will equally split any profits. The contract term is three years. Ms. Clay said she supported the partnership but opposed the $250,000 payment.
Downtown Jackson activist Micheal Rejebean applauded the move "I've been a resident of downtown Jackson for 18 years, and during that time the Mississippi Museum of Art has been a solid, well managed institution that understands what it takes to attract visitors. All of us downtown have the utmost confidence in its ability to make the very most out of our new Planetarium."
"We have had a long and fruitful partnership with the city of Jackson so we are excited about expanding that. We look forward to bringing energy from art lovers and planetarium lovers. I think it's going to be a nice fit. It's going to be a nice experience for those who want to visit both."
Ms. Bradley said the museum is considering offering a combined ticket for both facilities. The museum is working with a consultant who has opened planetariums around the country and will soon advertise the hiring of a Director.
Kingfish note: Win-win for Jackson. This should have happened years ago. The people at the Mississippi Museum of Art know far more about operating exhibits, tourism, and marketing than does the city. Of course, some clowns will be screaming for someone to make it make sense to them but that is what they are: clowns.
The video of the vote, transcript, and contract are posted below.
Gemini Transcript
Vernon Hartley: Item 34, excuse me, 31.
Tina Clay: Order authorizing the mayor to execute a Joint Operations Agreement with the Mississippi Museum of Art, Inc. to manage the McNair-Davis Planetarium.
Vernon Hartley: So moved.
Unidentified Speaker: Second.
Vernon Hartley: Been moved and properly seconded.
Kevin Parkinson: Mr. President, I believe this is the item that... that... do we need to... uh... Never mind.
Vernon Hartley: Okay. Any other questions?
Ashby Foote: I got... I got a question.
Vernon Hartley: Yes. Councilman Foote.
Ashby Foote: So, the... the... the city's, I guess... so, when the... when they open up the planetarium, it'll be operational, and the budget will expand, I assume, because of that. what's the budget arrangement between the city and the Mississippi Museum of Art? Do we know what our costs are going to be for, say, the course of a year? Is there someone here to comment on that?
Kevin Parkinson: Somebody may be coming up...
Vernon Hartley: Uh, I think that you have that number? Is there anyone with that number? Anyone from the city, first of all?
Kevin Parkinson: While the mayor is coming up, may I speak to that?
Vernon Hartley: Yes. Councilman Parkinson.
Kevin Parkinson: Thank you. the mayor will be able to speak to the specifics. It's all laid out here. But what I'll say is, it's actually going to be a cost savings for us as opposed to us running it ourselves and that's for, uh, many, many reasons. But we'll be able to operate it cheaper, and it'll be better. I think they're more equipped to do the type of work that, uh, it takes to run a planetarium than a municipal body will. If you look at the top 20 planetariums throughout the country, almost all of them, almost to a T, are run by arrangements such as this, or other non-profits.
Ashby Foote: Yeah, I'm aware of that, and, of course, I was thinking that planetarium we hadn't been spending anything on running the planetarium. We may have been spending money on building it, but I I just wanted to know what the cost was going to be to for the city. And, and I know there was going to be some sharing going on.
Vernon Hartley: Okay, questions for, uh, legal? Can you help us?
Terry Williamson: Uh, yes. So, um, there is an initial payment on the effective date of $250,000. And then there will be a payment, due at the beginning of next fiscal year of $130,000. it's a brand new facility. we wouldn't anticipate that there would be any major capital repairs or anything like that done or needed but those are capped at $5,000. So, if something like that should happen, if an emergency were to occur, and it were to cost, you know, repairs of over $5,000, the city would be responsible for that.
Ashby Foote: So, what you said $130,000, that's to the beginning, but it's more than that per year, isn't it? Wouldn't it be more than that for. I guess my question would be, since we're wrestling with this General Fund situation right now, Do you know what the annual cost would be to the city?
Terry Williamson: the management fee would be $130,000 a year...
Ashby Foote: Well, that's for the whole year?
Terry Williamson: ...beginning the first year, there would be $250,000 due probably out of this year's budget.
Ashby Foote: This year being 2026 fiscal year?
Terry Williamson: Yeah, the exist- yeah, the current year. there may be some way that could be deferred...
Ashby Foote: I'm not worried about that so much. I just want to get a number, that's all.
Terry Williamson: it could be reduced, possibly, as a result of a transfer from JRA as a result of the New Markets Tax Credit transaction.
Ashby Foote: Well, anyway, that's more that's too deep in the weeds for right now.
Terry Williamson: Okay.
Ashby Foote: Thank you.
Terry Williamson: So, yeah, 250, and, and should there be an operating profit, that would be split 50/50 with the museum.
Ashby Foote: Okay.
Vernon Hartley: Councilwoman...
Tina Clay: I think it's a good idea, but I'm against the 250 up front. So, if I vote no, you know that it's not because of the arrangement, it's because of the 250.
Brian Grizzell: Madam CFO, has the line item been identified where this money will be coming from?
Tina Clay:, not the line item. We have not located the line item that we will pay it from, but it will come from the General Fund.
Brian Grizzell: Okay. And it's there? Taking a long time? So, $250,000 initial and then $130,000 per year? And the money's there?
Terry Williamson: Yes, and it's a three... and it's a three-year, renewable for an initial three years.
Vernon Hartley: Are there any other questions or comments? Not? All in favor? Opposed? Abstain? All right. What was that? 5-1. Okay, very good. Uh, let's go on to the next...
18 comments:
Do you think that felon Chowke Antar Lumumba will be invited to the opening gala?
Make it make sense JXN is like a 100x worse alex jones. He also blocked me. The conspiracies he makes up are insane
KF, It looks (sounds??) like a few of the comments above in the transcript as being from Councilwoman Clay actually came from the clerk/deputy clerk; not sure but it would make more sense that way. Not sure Councilwoman Clay has enough sense (knowledge) to have been able to provide that information.
Wasn't that how the Zoo was run before it was transferred to the city?
Tina Clay is the new stooge I guess. She wakes up every morning and is like "hmm how can I be wrong today?"
Kennuff Stoke been quiet lately...
There used to be a grey-haired lawyer on Jackson stations running ads. This was twenty years ago. He always started off by saying: "Let's talk facts, folks". Well, let's do.
a) What's the demographic percentage of black folk in Jackson?
b) What percent of that number is impoverished or near the poverty line?
c) Take a shot at guessing the number of impoverished black folk who might visit a cultural venue like an art museum.
d) What are the homicide, burglary, assault and robbery numbers in Jackson?
e) Given a, b, c and d, who will brave the streets of downtown Jackson to visit the venue?
Potential visitors to our capital city make decisions based on safety. Period. the zoo, art galleries and the planetarium will never survive solely on school field trips arranged by Councilman Stokes.
Above commenters entertain with zoo as an art project. Weed grown animal prison is not art. The State regulated site North of Lakeland on Ridgewood could be a magnificent and safe location for an Arts Museum.
All the uh's & um's sound like a Beavis and Butt-Head transcript.
Isn't it time for a new slogan for Jackson?
6:22 - no one is building anything in Jackson until they get the shooting, store robberies, and killing stopped.
Who in the hell is coming down there with all the bullets flying?
It’s simple safety and economics.
5:19 this is not how cities work. The museums aren’t limited to just the citizens of the city. And the demographic makeup matters not at all, especially when it’s the State Capital and home of many other museums and historical sites. You’ve just made a silly point. And it is just a hilarious notion that you have to “brave the streets of Downtown Jackson” as if there aren’t Capitol Police and cameras everywhere. When was the last time a random civilian or visitor was attacked walking E Capitol St. or Pearl St.? I mean really? Kids have field trips down there all the time and people from all over go downtown to visit and eat. No doubt crime is bad statistically speaking in Jackson but too many of y’all won’t even give places in the CCID a chance. Lots of business owners and good people that don’t like the bad shit either but are trying to make things work and turn it around. You would be perfectly safe to visit the Planetarium and I encourage everyone to do so when it reopens.
8:11pm you been to Fondren lately?
If these people cannot manage air conditioning this is all a fail .. one more note …has anyone seen the trees that have not been planted outside the new fence by palm bridges .park ... what a waste !!
Thank god they are renaming Pearl Street for a Frank Melton ?? What a waste of money ..
No. The difference is a non-profit of interested citizens ran the zoo. MMA is a professional organization that is in the business of running museums as well as promoting them
The idiot klansman at 5:19 states that the Museum cannot be financially viable because there are too many black people living in the City of Jackson and that nobody from outside of the City of Jackson will ever visit the Museum because they will inevitably be attacked by dark-skinned hooligans.
I have two more facts to talk about:
f): how long has the City of Jackson been majority-black? and
g): for how many decades has the museum, continuously operating in a majority-black city, proven you wrong?
You can be dumb, or you can be stupid, but you cannot be both. You have proven yourself to be both. I suggest that you stick to content that matches your intelligence/maturity level--I'm sure Miss Rachel will be a good fit for you.
I've taken my family there three times. Twice with my son, we saw the Pink Floyd & Led Zeplin Lazer Light Show. Fantastic. And the whole family for the Dinosaur show. And my wife & I attended the Rock & Roll of the 18th Century show at the Opera!...I'm Dating myself now, right?...Anyway something would have to drastically change before I would take my family back downtown at night again...
6:22--judging by how far in the sand that your head must be to make that post, the only thing "simple" about your statement is the person making it.
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