Lightner Museum set to reopen todayKATI BEXLEYkati.bexley@staugustine.comPublication Date: 06/05/07
Chris Koons received a "traumatic" call at 6 a.m. Saturday and has been cleaning the St. Augustine Lightner Museum ever since.
"When I saw the water, I thought, 'incredible,' " said Koons, the weekend manager, of the waterfall cascading down the museum's walls and over exhibits during Saturday's rain storm.
The museum's roof was being repaired, and water poured into the museum Saturday, causing massive flooding.
Museum director Bob Harper said he's not going to point fingers at who's accountable -- either the roofing contractor or the city.
City Commissioner Errol Jones was willing to point fingers, though, and they go toward the city. It's to blame for its failure to fix the roof for at least three years because it didn't have the money, he said.
In the past, Jones had tried unsuccessfully to gain support from the four other commissioners to raise the millage rate, or taxes, to maintain its historic buildings.
"We praise ourselves for not raising taxes in years, but we have to face up to reality," he said. "It's nothing to be proud of in light of the things we've neglected to take care.
"The city is doing the best we can with what we've got. But we can't keep saying, 'I think we can live off the same amount we had last year.' "
Tim Burchfield, city chief administrative officer, said St. Augustine's millage rate hasn't been raised in 10 years, and it's dropped six times during that decade. He said the Lightner building's entire roof should be replaced, but that would cost more than $2 million. Instead, the city replaces and repairs sections of the roof as money comes in.
This is the second phase of the Lightner Museum's roof repair, which together is more than $100,000, Burchfield said.
"We just don't have money laying around to replace the (entire Lightner building's) roof," Burchfield said. "We can't afford that."
Jones said that's an excuse.
"When you say, 'We don't have enough money,' you should then say, 'So, what are we going to do about it?' " he said.
The city has already lost to other projects for state and federal grants to replace the roof, Jones said. He said the city now must look at next year's budget to see if there's a way to get the money.
City Manager Bill Harriss, who oversees the budget process, was out of town Monday and not available for comment.
City staff is sifting through details to determine who is at fault for the Lightner Museum flood. Contractor McCurdy-Walden, of Jacksonville, has already had its insurance company contact the city, Burchfield said.
McCurdy-Walden did not return calls for comment.
Koons, museum weekend manager and weekday volunteer, worked with six other volunteers on Monday to ready the building to reopen today.
"This museum is such a treasure," she said. "The building itself is a treasure. We have to take care of it."Click here to return to story:http://staugustine.com/stories/060507/news_4637077.shtml © The St. Augustine Record
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