Saxonburg council approves museum curator’s resignation
SAXONBURG — Borough council voted to formally accept the resignation of Saxonburg Museum curator Fred Caesar during their meeting on Tuesday night, May 21.
The museum announced Caesar’s resignation through its social media pages the previous day. The resignation is effective May 29.
Caesar said he is resigning over the possibility that the museum may have to turn to the public to finance its operations in the future. The resignation comes as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Friends of Saxonburg Museum, is in talks to take over the museum’s operations from the borough.
“Fred, over the course of his tenure, has graciously donated his time, talent, passion and efforts to make our Saxonburg Museum a real treasure for our community,” said council president Aaron Piper. “Although Fred will be greatly missed and leaves big shoes to fill, we respect his decision to resign and wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his next passion.”
There was no specific mention of talks between the group and the borough. However, Piper gave a brief statement on the future of the museum.
“The best way that we can show our appreciation for all that Fred has done for the museum is to take up the torch and continue to build on his successes,” Piper said. “Details are forthcoming, but we’re looking forward to continuing to preserve and showcase the rich history of our community.”
Before accepting Caesar’s resignation, the council discussed the following items.
– The council accepted a bid of $89,017.74 from Grahamboys LLC for the siding of its municipal building on West Main Street. Of that cost, half would be paid by the borough, while the other half would be paid by the Saxonburg Area Authority, as both entities share the building.
Grahamboys won out over two competing bids, of which one was thrown out due to incomplete documentation. Borough manager Steven May said the siding work will start in six weeks and take about one week to finish.
– The council also awarded a contract for the paving of Alwine Road to Shields Asphalt Paving, who bid $46,099.70.
– The council discussed the possibility of expanding the Historic Architecture Review Board from seven members to nine, although no action was taken on that issue. As noted during the meeting, the borough’s bylaws already allow for a maximum of nine members on the board.
The Historic Architecture Review Board was established in 2018 to determine whether or not additions to the borough’s historic district are historically appropriate.
