Jeep's care at issue addressed
Pat Collins spoke at Tuesday's Butler City Council meeting in response to claims that the Butler Historical Society is not maintaining a historic Bantam Jeep in its care.
John Pro, president of the Butler Old Stonehouse Car Club, brought the matter to council in August. He spoke last week about the Jeep.
“The big concern was that the historical society has this Jeep in a building that nobody can see it,” Pro said.
“It's in disrepair, they don't bring it out to show the community, and I'm talking not just Butler, but I'm talking the whole area.”
Collins, historical society director, brought a maintenance log of work that has been done to the vehicle to the meeting, including oil changes. She said that the last parade in which the Jeep was driven was in 2016. Shortly after, it had mechanical issues.
Since then, Collins said, the society has worked to identify the problem with the Jeep. It was found that a new fly wheel was needed, and Collins said that after extensive searching, she found one in Wisconsin.
She said that the society is in the process of acquiring the fly wheel so it can be installed and the Jeep can run again. Collins noted that in the meantime, the Jeep on occasion has been pushed outside the Sen. Walter Lowrie House, where it is kept, so people can see it.
Andy Menchyk, the society's president, commented on the dual obligations to maintain and showcase the Jeep.
“That's a difficult balancing act, because sometimes there's wear and tear when showing these items to the public,” Menchyk said.
Pro had mentioned at a council meeting in August that the society had asked for $10,000 in exchange for showing the Jeep at the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.
Collins said that the letter with the $10,000 was in response to a request by the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association to show the Jeep, as well as other exhibits from the society.
She said the society was not set on a dollar amount and the $10,000 figure was a proposal to get a dialogue going with the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association. She noted that the association did not initially respond and that there was no transaction, nor was the Jeep shown.
Collins said any money gained from such a transaction would have been used to pay the salaries of society employees who went out with the Jeep on its display, as well as for upkeep and maintenance of the Jeep.
Menchyk said members of the society met with members of the Friends of the Bantam Jeep Association on Monday to discuss the Jeep. He said the association indicated a willingness to pay to fix the Jeep.
“I think we reached a handshake agreement that we're going to work together to move forward in having the Jeep ready for 2018,” Menchyk said.
Pro said that in 2000, he and his son used their own money to help get the Jeep in good running condition, and he is disappointed it is not functional. He also said the car club wants to own the Jeep.
“We would like to have the Jeep so that we can put it back in running condition,” Pro said. “(We want to) take it out to the public, show it at all these events so people can see this vehicle.”
He said one possibility is for the city to reacquire the title. He said the city would have to pay to insure the vehicle since the title would be in its name, but that if the city was unable to pay, the car club would foot the bill.
Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson said the city does not have any plans to take action regarding the Jeep.
