The Wasilla City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance Serial Number 25-1 to accept and appropriate $19,109.84 from Museums Alaska Incorporated and the Rasmussen Foundation Collections Management Fund for a Wasilla Museum project called "Caring for Family Treasures: Wasilla Museum Training and Community Outreach."

Curator Bethany Buckingham Follett described the award and the work the conservator will perform. "She will come in, she will help with the restoration of those pieces, fixing, you know, shattered silk ... she's teaching staff as she's fixing them so we will obtain that information," Buckingham Follett said. The curator said the grant covers restoration of a prioritized set of collection items, purchase of reusable supplies and a community outreach program that will teach residents how to better preserve family artifacts before donation.

The ordinance was read into the record, the public hearing was opened and, with no public testimony, the council moved to adopt the ordinance. Councilmember Johnson moved to adopt and Councilmember Velock seconded; the motion passed with no objections.

Buckingham Follett said the training will allow museum staff to perform more routine conservation work in-house and run outreach classes for residents so donated items arrive in better condition. She described textile, fur and hide work as examples of material types the conservator will address and said the project also purchases supplies that will support ongoing care of the museum’s collection.

The appropriation will be recorded in the museum’s collections-management and outreach budget; staff said they will return with any required implementation details and reports as the project proceeds.