City will not oversee proposed museum at restored Mill

September 02, 2005
Santa Paula City Council

Although a tenant is actively being sought for a local historical building, the city is not considering operating another museum, a council member told a citizen at the August 1 meeting.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesAlthough a tenant is actively being sought for a local historical building, the city is not considering operating another museum, a council member told a citizen at the August 1 meeting.During public comment, Jess Victoria said that Santa Paula is on its way to being “heavy on museums... all are fine, but unfortunately they are the luxury of culture and moneyed people.” Another museum, specifically one located at the now vacant Mill, would be a “burden on Santa Paula to subsidize,” he noted. “I don’t think the oil museum (the City of Santa Paula California Oil Museum) is paying its own way... we’re short on money and I don’t think we should be looking at other museums.”One proposed museum site - the long-vacant former county fire station at the corner of 8th and Santa Barbara Streets - would probably be better filled with city staff, noted Victoria. “It would be a smart financial move to put an elevator in there and move one of the departments; we now are paying for a rental (Public Works has a leased building on North Mill Street); move them into that... in the long haul it would pay for itself. As it is now, the city is leasing on Mill Street and, even with the cost of the elevator,” such a move would make financial sense.
Councilman John Procter, chairman of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, told Victoria that the future of The Mill is not a city decision. “It’s in the hands of the Ventura County Transportation Commission,” which now owns the building, noted Procter. The deadline for Request for Proposals for a museum use of the building was the result of wanting to “do something smart at VCTC... find out who the tenant is before doing improvements,” noted Procter.The VCTC Board will be considering the proposals at a September meeting, and Procter told Victoria that he is encouraged to attend and offer his opinion on the best use.“My point is that I don’t think the city has any money” for additional museum operations, said Victoria.“The city will not..., VCTC is on the hook” for any future plans and uses for The Mill, noted Procter.



Site Search

E-Subscribe

Subscribe

E-SUBSCRIBE
Call 805 525 1890 to receive the entire paper early. $50.00 for one year.

webmaster