Saline Council Approves Fundraising Agreement for Davenport-Curtiss House

Saline City Council approved a funding agreement with Saline Main Street regarding the Davenport-Curtiss house at the June 1 meeting.

According to the meeting packet, one of the benefits of the work group partnering with Saline Main Street would be allowing “donors to make tax deductible donations through an established and trusted community organization.”

Due to work necessary for the house to be open and accessible to the public, the Davenport-Curtiss Work Group, established by Saline Council, have begun brainstorming ideas to involve the community and fundraise. Currently, a benefactor is set to donate $10,000 towards costs for the house, including an upcoming Backyard Barbecue at Davenport-Curtiss.

“We’re packaging it as kind of a barbecue on Labor Day,” Molly Luempert-Coy of the Davenport-Curtiss Work Group said. “Family-friendly lawn games, you know, probably best-of-the-season blooms, an apple pie contest, probably a cornhole competition, just kind of old-fashioned, family-friendly backyard barbecue. That’s what we’re looking at, with the goal of raising funds to help make the site ADA compliant.”

Both council members Janet Dillon and Dean Girbach raised concerns about costs of fundraising and long-term plans for the house.

“I think the only issue that comes down to it is still the concern about who is ultimately responsible, should there be a shortfall in the funding agreement,” Girbach said. “But I would hope that, considering that sufficient funds and things hopefully will be raised or be set aside to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Dillon also mentioned she wanted to ensure the focus of fundraising stayed on the Davenport-Curtiss house becoming a historical landmark instead of additional projects on the house the city might not be ready to commit to at this time. Luempert-Coy emphasized this would be a short-term agreement with Saline Main Street.

“It ends on November 7, which gives us two months after the event to be able to, you know, get all of our sponsorship money in and to be able to return that to the city,” she said.

The agreement between Saline Main Street and the Davenport-Curtiss Work Group was passed unanimously by Council.