On Tuesday, the Haines Sheldon Museum board of directors released an official statement about the firing of director Helen Alten.
Alten, who worked at the museum the past six years, was let go abruptly at a June 30 board meeting after members eliminated the executive director position to save money.
“These are difficult times for the Haines Sheldon Museum, made complicated by the pandemic, the borough’s recent budget reduction and the resulting financial exigence,” the statement said. The board determined significant spending cuts were necessary to keep the museum going and eliminated the executive director’s position, the largest item in the budget.
Alten’s wages for the coming year would have been roughly $67,000. Including health care, other benefits and employer taxes, the costs would have totaled just over $100,000, which would have been more than 25% of this year’s museum budget.
The board statement acknowledges that Alten had secured a number of grants to support staff salaries for the fiscal year that began July 1, but the statement said this was not a long-term solution.
“Grants cannot be relied upon for fiscal health; that can only be done by fortifying the museum’s fiscal independence,” the board said. Moving forward, board members will take an active role in managing the museum and improving its financial outlook “through fundraising and development,” the statement said.
The museum will remain open to the community by appointment while the board uses the coming months to plan a transition.
The museum has five board members: president Kelleen Adams, treasurer John Carlson, secretary Lorrie Dudzik and new members Sue Chasen and Kim Chetney.