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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemorial Hall Mission Statement I. MISSION STATEMENT: Waterloo Veterans Memorial Hall (WVMH) and the surrounding Soldiers and Sailors Park are publicly owned by the City of Waterloo and have as their purpose: citizen recognition for the service and sacrifice of American Veterans particularly those of the Cedar Valley and those who supported them at home. This building and the surrounding grounds are intended to serve as a meeting place for veteran and civic organizations, a repository of artifacts and documents providing a chronicle of the lives and sacrifices of local veterans, and a place of celebration or reverence on occasions honoring veterans and their loved ones. II. ADMINISTRATION: A. The Waterloo Veteran's Memorial Hall Commission (WVMHC) was formed by Waterloo City Ordinance #4236 and became effective on July 23, 1997. The number of commissioners was established by City Ordinance #4265 on November 3, 1997. The rotating terms of each commissioner was set by City Ordinance #4266 on November 17,1997. The number of commissioners was established through revision of the commission by-laws on 24 November 2022, Chapter 11- City of Waterloo. WVMH is managed by Commission Members that are vetted/appointed by the Waterloo City Mayor and approved by the Waterloo City Council. B. Constitution and By-laws: The WVMHC is governed by a Constitution and By-laws approved by the Waterloo City Council. Copies of these documents are available at the WVMH or Waterloo City Hall upon request. Ill. COMMISSION MEETINGS: The Commission's regularly scheduled meetings are on the 4th Wednesday starting at 5:00 PM of every month except December. The meetings are open to the public. IV. ORGANIZATION: A. Commission Members: Besides the appointed and approved voting commissioners there are also alternates, who are invited to attend meetings, participate on or chair committees, and can vote in the absence of the representing delegate. B. Officers: The Commission has (3) elected officers: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chair, a Treasurer- Secretary. The term of office is one year, nominations are held in October, elections are held in November. C. Committees: The (4) established committees are Building & Grounds, Operations, Education & Historical and Finance & Fundraising. Sub-committees are established as missions and activities dictate. Each committee and sub-committee has a designated Chairperson. Page 1 of 10 D. Hours of Operation: By appointment or pre-set monthly committee/sub-committee meetings: Office Hours: 10 to 12 AM Mondays (except holidays) 1st Monday Artifact sub-Committee 2nd Monday Building and Grounds Committee 3rd Monday Operations Committee 4th Monday Finance and Fundraising Committee E. All activities and events requiring use of the building must be scheduled with either the Operations Chair or the Waterloo City Clerk's Office. Veterans Memorial Hall Office: 319-287-9463 Waterloo City Clerk Office: 319-291-4323 F. Building Security: Since there are no permanent employees on the premises, every organization or individual using the building bears the responsibility to ensure the building is properly secured at the conclusion of their event and prior to exiting the building. 1. Entrances: Exterior doors are to be always locked when the building is not being used. Handicap accessibility is available through the side entrance at the northwest corner of the building. Access to exits must always remain clear. 2. Windows shall be secured shut and passive security devices in place before departing the building. 3. Lights: Prior to securing and leaving the building, check to see if anyone is still on the premises then turn off all lights. G. Building Safety: 1. WVMH is a smoke-free facility. 2. Smoke detectors have been installed for the safety of the building and its occupants. Tampering with or disabling a smoke detector is a violation of city ordinance. 3. Fire Extinguishers: There are 3 fire extinguishers placed throughout the building. A Class E fire extinguisher is in the Courbat Canteen, Class C fire extinguishers are located on the ground floor and the 2nd floor hallways. Fire extinguishers are checked annually by the Fire Department 4. First Aid Kit is located in the Courbat Canteen on the ground floor. When supplies run low notify a commissioner and materials will be restocked by the City of Waterloo. Page 2 of 10 5. Emergency Procedures: As in any emergency the signal to evacuate or take shelter can be initiated by any occupant of the building. When the fire or tornado alarm sounds all personnel should seek immediate safety. a. Fire: 1. In the event of a fire assign someone to CALL 911 2. All occupants shall evacuate the building via the Closest EXIT and remain outside until the "all clear" signal is given. 3. A set of drawings for possible evacuation routes will be posted on each floor. b. Tornado: 1. In the event of a tornado, all occupants shall move to the ground floor interior hallway. All doors leading to the hallway shall be closed and people located away from the entrance stairs. 2. Occupants shall remain in the protected area until an "all clear" signal is sounded. c. Flood: In the event of a flood the Building & Grounds Committee Chair shall coordinate with the City Emergency Management. d. Medical Emergency Contact: 911 6. Occupant Capacity: First floor 94, Second floor 166 ANNEX A- Building& Grounds Committee I. Waterloo Veterans Memorial Hall Building: WVMH is a public building available for use by veteran and civic organizations. It is expected that all users and their invited guests treat the building and surrounding Soldiers and Sailors Park with respect and care. WVHMC asks that special respect and care be given to the many unique and irreplaceable artifacts, pictures, and other memorabilia throughout the building. A. Responsibility: Identifying and Reporting on maintenance requirements lies with the Building & Grounds Committee. The Chairman should report any lack of appropriate maintenance to the city. B. Repairs: The Building & Grounds Committee will identify, investigate, and evaluate requirements for ALL repairs. The Chairman will then coordinate with the City Facilities Manager to obtain valid bids for the work involved and make a report to the full Commission. The Building & Grounds Committee will assign a priority to each repair requirement. The Commission must approve all major repairs prior to awarding contracts. Page 3 of 10 • C. Janitorial Services are provided by the city, any discrepancy should be reported to the Building & Grounds Committee D. Keys: Keys shall be properly assigned to deter unauthorized use of the building, to detect unauthorized duplication of keys, and to assign responsibility for lost keys. 4}- 1. Exterior entrance keys: Every member organization of the commission shall have authorization to have a maximum of two (2) keys in their possession to the exterior side doors. The commissioner representing that organization signs for the key as long as they are members of the Commission. Keys shall be assigned and distributed accordingly. Chairperson, Building Superintendent, Artifact Chairperson, City Maintenance Dept., Police and Fire. Each key holder is also assigned a unique password accessing the Black Hack Security system. Password required to de-activate the alarm system. All Key holding members are responsible for securing the front doors and resetting the alarm system, upon exciting the building. 2. Office keys: Office keys shall be copied and signed and distributed one each to the following: The Commission Chair &Vice Chair, Committee Chairpersons and City Maintenance. 3. Storage Cabinet keys: All storage cabinets are keyed alike unless a member organization requests a specific cabinet with a specific key. A copy of the organization's key will be furnished to the Building& Grounds Committee and cabinets subject to inspection by the Building and Grounds Committee. 4. Upon termination of their office or appointment to the commission, all keys shall be turned into the Building and Grounds Chairperson. II. THE WATERLOO VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL GROUNDS: A. Extent of the Grounds: The adjacent grounds surrounding WVMH shall be under the Commissions jur-isdictUnYand responsibility to include the green area bounded by 4th and 5th Streets on the north and south, Courbat Court on the west and the Cedar River flood wall on the east. B. Parking: Courbat Court is a public thoroughfare controlled and maintained by the City of Waterloo. There are 3 authorized spots on the west side of the street. More parking is available across 4th street adjacent to the (old) Courier Building and in the public parking garage directly across from WVMH. Page 4 of 10 C. Flag Poles: The flag poles between the hall and flood wall will be maintained by the Commission. the United States flag will fly 24 hours a day throughout the year. other flags such as the Iowa State flag, POW/MIA flag, or service flags may be flown at other times following strict protocol with the permission of the Commission. The flags will be illuminated during the non-daylight hours. Replacement of the flags due to fair wear and tear shall be the responsibility of the Commission. D. Flag displays: Other U.S. flags will be hung from other poles, attached to the outside of the building and along the flood wall as availability and funds permit. E. Monuments: The monuments are property of the Commission and are part of the WVMH Collection. 1. Fountain Procedure: a. The drain valve in pit, below fountain, must be closed before usage. The valve in kitchen below counter, must be opened to fill and operate fountain. b. The drain valve in pit must be opened to drain water from fountain and prevent damage during winter season. The valve in kitchen must be closed when not operating fountain. 2. Brick Walk Procedure: a. Brick order forms are available at various locations, including the main fire station and veterans organizations as well as the City of Waterloo Clerk or website. Order forms are to be mailed to WVMHC with payment of$60 dollars. Payment is to be deposited into the brick fund account at the Waterloo City Clerk's office. b. Bricks are engraved and set on the following dates Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. The new names of the veterans on bricks will be added to the brick register twice annually. 3. The fountain and other monuments on the Veterans Memorial Courtyard and grounds are to be cleaned annually. ANNEX B Operations I. WVMH is a facility that recognizes the sacrifices of area veterans. this wonderful old building is intended to serve as a museum in which to study artifacts and as a meeting place. It is not a veteran club but rather a facility which is available for veterans to use. It is also available for City of Waterloo activities. Page 5 of 10 II. Staffing: A. Commission Officers and Committee Chairpersons: See the By-Laws for specific responsibilities of the elected officers of the Commission and the appointed committee Chairpersons. A. Responsibilities: Maintain a calendar of meetings, activities and events scheduled for the various rooms of the building. Provide copies of the next month's calendar to the WBMHC members at each monthly meeting. Post a copy of the monthly calendar near the reception table on the ground floor. II. Events: To honor our veterans, the Commission seeks to make the WVMH available for use in observing important holidays and such other dates or events that would enable achievement of this goal. A. Memorial Day (last Monday in May) B. Veterans Day (November 11) C. The Commission may choose to observe other events as time and talent permits. ANNEX C— Education / Historical Without regard to organization, branch of service or conflict, the WVMHC honors all veterans and commits itself to the faithful preservation of their memory through the collection of historical military artifacts of local, significance and the observance of major holidays commemorating our freedom, county, state, and veterans' service. WVMH Collection: A. Policy: See Appendix 1 (Collection Policy) in ANNEX C B. Storage: The Artifacts Sub-Committee Chairperson is responsible for the proper storage and accountability of all artifacts. To this end the keys to all artifact storage cabinets in the building will be maintained in a locked storage cabinet in the office. Any other locking device found on artifact cabinets will be removed by the Building and Grounds Committee Chairperson. Access to the storage cabinets set aside for the collection will only be done under the supervision of the Artifacts Sub-Committee Chairperson, Chairperson, the Education / Historical Committee Chairperson, or a WVMH Officer. C. The Education / Historical Committee, with the assistance of the Artifacts Sub-Committee, will plan for periodic public exhibits to display portions of the Commission's collection. The committees must present a budget and receive approval from the Commission before any exhibit is allowed to proceed. Page 6 of 10 II. Artifacts Sub-Committee Chairperson Responsibilities: A. Comply with the Collection Policy of the WVMH. (See Appendix A) B. Conduct an inventory of the artifacts and documents within the building, catalog them all, and record them in the collection records. Document, protect and store all items according to accepted professional standards. C. Provide the WVMHC a list of preservation supplies in stock and needed, along with an estimated budget each year at the January WVMHC meeting. D. Provide the WVMHC with a written annual summary report of the progress and stats of the collection. E. Coordinate with the Operations Committee for the planning, scheduling, budgeting, and presentation of collection exhibits and other events that will promote awareness of veterans and WVMH. Appendix 1 (Collection Policy to ANNNEX C— Education / Historical WVMH Operations Procedures A. Purpose: The following guidelines are established by the WVMHC to encourage responsible management and acquisition of the Artifact Collection. B. The Policy will be reviewed as frequently as needed, but not less than every three years. C. The Artifacts Sub-Committee and the Educational/ Historical Committee will make decisions regarding the suitability of potential donated items based on guidelines established herein. D. Objects will not be accepted or otherwise acquired for the WVMH collection unless the following guidelines are met: 1. The objects are relevant and consistent with the purpose and activities of WVMH. Priority will be given to objects of local and regional Interest. 2. Donors must have a clear legal title to the gift. 3. Title to all objects acquired for the collection are obtained free and clear without any restrictions as to use or future disposition. The acceptance of a donation does not, in any way, guarantee immediate or permanent exhibition. Page 7 of 10 4. All objects acquired for the collection will be accessed and catalogued in accordance with the WVMH's accessioning procedure. 5. The appraised value of a donation is the responsibility of the donor. Donations are tax deductible on Federal Income Tax returns, however, the acceptance of an item at its appraised value does not imply the endorsement of the appraisal by the WHMHC or the City of Waterloo. 6. Acceptance of items on loan to the Commission is discouraged. Objects may be accepted on loan by a consensus of the Artifacts Sub-Committee and the Education / Historical Committee. Terms of the loan must be made in writing and must specify the intended use of the items and the period of the loan. The WVMHC is not responsible for the loaned Item(s). 7. Objects in the WVMH collection will not be loaned out to individuals or institutions if they are rare, singular, exceptionally fragile, or valuable. Objects not meeting these criteria may be loaned for a specified period to responsible individuals or institutions with the approval of the WVMHC. 8. Objects in the collection will be retained permanently if they continue to be relevant and useful to the purposes and activities of the WVMH. Proper storage preservation and use must be available as a condition of permanent retention. Removing objects from the collection will only be considered when the condition, storage, preservation, and use can no longer be maintained. a. Objects may be removed from the collection only by approval of WVMHC. b. An adequate record of the conditions and circumstances under which objects are removed and disposed of will be made and retained as part of the WVMH"s records. c. Consideration will be given to disposing of artifacts by: 1) Donating to another tax-exempt public institution wherein they may serve the purpose for which they were acquired by WVMH. 2) Donating to a non-profit organization or institution which serves veterans. 3) Selling the object in a manner which will best protect the interests, objectives, and legal status of the WVMHC and the City of Waterloo. 4) Destruction of the item due to instability and threat to the collection, building or any person working in proximity of the item. 9. The general public will not be admitted to any collection storage areas without the permission of the Artifacts Sub Committee Chairperson or Education / Historical Committee Chairperson. Page 8 of 10 ANNEX D TREASURE/ FINANCE/FUNDRAISING As a veterans appointed commission operating within the City of Waterloo governmental framework, WVMHC shall abide by all city ordinances pertaining to the management of public funds. WVMHC The operating funds are based brick sales, WVMHC fundraiser events, grants, or donations. II. Treasurer: See Commission By-Laws for specific duties. III. Finance/ Fundraising Committee: The purpose of this particular committee is to attain t funding resources a n uct' nt applications that support the objectives, goal, and support the ob. ctives, oals,,pnd o erational expenses of WVMHC. The fundraising activities are be o ated with t Commission Members, so that they can either be present at, pa 'cipate, or assist. A. Proposal for fundraising should be submitted in writing to Veterans Memorial Hall Commission with a proposed budget. B. All events that are designated to raise funds for Memorial Hall must be approved at a scheduled meeting. vents ha are de i nated to r 'se ds iftemori all must-la., approved at a sche d meeting. IV. Financial Accounts: A. On behalf of the WVMHC the Waterloo City Clerk/Financial Officer, will deposit and maintain all monies raised by or donated to the WVMHC. The balances (deposits and withdraws) of all funds will be reported to the Treasure who will report to WVMHC each scheduled monthly meeting. B. All monies will be deposited in the appropriate WVMHC designated line-item accounts. (by motion approval) These funds are to be made available for use at the discretion of the WVMHC with (majority approval). C. All payables from WVMHC designated accounts must be approved by the WVMHC and a receipt submitted to the city for reimbursement. D. Individual entities can raise, hold, and disperse monies on behalf of WVMH and with the Page 9 of 10 majority consent of WVMHC. A WVMH account will be established with the Waterloo Community Foundation. The funds will be applied to specific prearranged WVMH projects. Resolutions for reimbursements using the funds must be approved by the WVMHC and forwarded to the City of Waterloo for a request for reimbursement directed to the Waterloo Community Foundation. E. All donation funds received should be identified separately on the Treasures Report with the name and address, so a corresponding letter of appreciation can be sent on behalf of the WVMHC. CHECKS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO: 'VETERANS MEMORIAL HALL' F. Public Tax supported funds are set aside by the City of Waterloo to be utilized for building & ground restoration, maintenance, and utilities. These specific funds are not at the discretion of WVMHC. However, recommendations can be made. Page 10 of 10