Karina Bridal, Mount House operations staff, and Jeff Hoagie, the town staff liaison to CELCAB, provided the board with operational and programming updates at the Oct. 23 meeting.

Bridal reported that visitation in October improved after a slow September: “October had great numbers,” she said. Personnel and program highlights included three school or group visits in October (Edison Robotics Club, York Innovation Academy and a Florida Gulf Coast University group), and a Moonlight Market event that drew seven vendors and “approximately 150 visitors,” Bridal said. A virtual lecture titled “Bats of Pine Island Sound” with Mike Mills of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation was scheduled for Oct. 30 and will be shared via the museum’s social media channels.

The Mount House museum building was closed for two weeks beginning Oct. 13 for termite tenting; Bridal said staff removed consumables and packed about 30 boxes of artifacts and documents in advance. Bridal also reported volunteers and staff attending professional conferences: two staff members (Emily and Brianna) were at a collections/storage conference in Montgomery, Ala., and Brianna was a conference speaker on small-museum collections storage.

Bridal described a newly launched volunteer orientation (first‑Tuesday drop‑in sessions) and said the museum needs docents for house and grounds shifts (Wednesday through Saturday). She asked community members to consider volunteer days and said staffing limits affect kayak tours: there were no paid kayak tours reported for the first part of October because the museum building was closed and staff coverage is limited.

On facilities and wayfinding, staff said a directional sign on Connecticut has been installed and two other directional signs are pending; a proposed Dan Hughes Way marker and loop‑road wayfinding were discussed. Board members raised operational concerns about placing signage and changing the loop circulation to route cars through the grounds, citing dust, pedestrian safety and school‑bus drop‑off patterns. Members asked staff to bring options and cost estimates back for future discussion.

Karina and staff presented a draft collections management policy produced under the MAP (Museum Assessment Program) review. The draft was prepared by staff (with substantial work attributed to Brianna) and the board was asked to review it; staff indicated the board will be asked to vote to recommend the policy to town council at a future meeting. Bridal said some items from the earlier staff punch list (started under a prior director) will be incorporated into the draft policy and implementation plan.

Board members also discussed vegetation, garden restoration and options for memorial benches or a small memorial area on the grounds. Members noted prior donations set aside for Mount House projects; staff said they would confirm whether funds remain earmarked and work with the Friends of the Mount House on fundraising and project proposals. Members expressed support for a modest, site‑appropriate approach to benches and signage rather than large, highly visible installations.