Tom Fink
Staff Writer
CLAREMORE —
Members of the Claremore City Council and Rogers County Historical Society are at odds with what to do with newly available space at the city’s Fire Administration building.
RCHS members are hoping to use the vacated portion of the building to create a museum highlighting “historic Claremore,” while the city is considering using the space to house the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) — an additional cost-saving afterthought to the moving of the fire administration to City Hall, itself, a move made for purposes of streamlining and saving money.
Both sides let their feelings be known last week at the regular meeting of the Claremore City Council.
“The city has received a written request from the Rogers County Historical Society (RCHS) to begin using additional space in the former Fire Administration Building (at 121 N. Weenonah Ave.),” said Cassie Woods, marketing director, City of Claremore. “The building was recently vacated by the fire department and since that time, negotiations have begun to move the State Department of Public Safety driver license testing office there, thereby reducing the city’s cost by $10,000 the first year, and even more each additional year”
Currently, the city pays rent at the south Claremore site in The Market shopping center where the DPS operates in the amount of $1,350 per month — a cost which the city feels is worth paying for the convenience of Rogers County citizens.
“Were we not footing the cost of rent for the DPS, the state would remove it, effectively leaving Rogers County without a DPS site — the other nearest being in Jenks,” Woods said.
“The DPS office would need all of the space in the fire administration building, except that which is already being used for the Lynn Riggs Memorial Museum, so the city will have to decide who they want in this location,” she said. “Staff understands the importance of preserving the area’s history, but feels that in this tough economic climate, the city has a greater duty to its citizens to reduce costs, instead of increasing them —something which would likely be the outcome if the additional space (requested by the RCHS) was granted.”
Despite a one-time cost of $6,000 to make the fire administration building suitable for DPS’ needs, Woods said the annual savings of more than $10,000 to the city would more than recoup this cost.
Rogers County Historical Society President Fran Jones also was present at the Council meeting, addressing the needs and intent of the RCHS.
“The (library) building itself is of historical significance, named for Will Rogers and having been constructed in the 1930’s — something which would not be important in the least to the licensing bureau, with whom the city has an agreement, but of utmost importance to the RCHS,” Jones began. “Currently, the RCHS has a 99-year lease on the adjoining Lynn Riggs Museum —built with private donations — and we feel being given the additional space (of the building) would be the perfect compliment to a Claremore City Museum. This would allow us to feature even more notable and famous citizens from Claremore among our exhibits.”
Jones told Council members the location was of particular importance as it “essentially anchors” the neighborhood which the RCHS hopes will become the city’s “Historic District,” along with the Belvidere Mansion, the carriage house, the Pink House, the (historic) Presbyterian Church and the old high school.
“Our city’s rich history is too important for us not to have a permanent display in a proper permanent home for a treasured collection of Claremore-related memorabilia, photographs, antiques, and historic artifacts,” Jones said. “From a business standpoint, housing a Claremore museum at this particular location will encourage tourists and locals alike to increasingly drive east of Route 66, down Will Rogers Boulevard to find the museum — in the process, drawing business to the downtown district, not to mention the Belvidere (Mansion) and the Pink House when they cross the tracks to the old library.”
After further discussion, it was decided to table the decision on whether or not to approve RCHS’ request, as the city is seeking to partner with the county to potentially share the (rent) cost for the DPS, thereby presenting an alternate solution to both parties.
Councilman Tony Mullenger summed up the feelings of both sides, empathizing with the RCHS position but wanting to be a good steward of city funding.
“These are difficult times for us, for everyone, and if there’s any way that the city can save more than $10,000, we’ve got to seriously consider that,” he said.
“Having said that, it would be a loss for all of us, our children, and our grandchildren, if there wasn’t some kind of museum in Claremore which paid tribute to the city’s past.”
