BLUE EARTH– The Blue Earth City Council tackled a loaded agenda on Monday, which included the future of the Blue Earth Community Library’s recently-established Fossil Discovery Center.

On Monday, the Blue Earth City Council voted unanimously to invoke Article Nine of a Fossil Discovery Center Permanent Loan/Display Agreement between Jim Pollard and the city of Blue Earth, thereby closing the Fossil Discovery Center exhibit at the library. According to the agreement, Fossil Discovery Center donor Pollard, who currently has many valuable items on display at the library, will be given 180 days to take possession of the collection.

The council voted to establish a committee to work with Pollard to find an alternative location for the Fossil Discovery Center, and appointed council members John Huisman and Stephanie Walter to the committee. Pollard will also work with city attorney David Frundt to determine which of the collection’s donated items will remain in the city’s possession, and which will be returned to Pollard.

Pollard and the Library Board’s Fossil Discovery Center Subcommittee have been struggling for months to agree upon the extent to which Pollard should be allowed access to and creative control over his collection’s display. The disagreement ultimately contributed to the council’s decision on May 15.

“When I first signed on, the agreement was that you show me the space, leave me alone, and I will build the museum,” Pollard said. “I’m trying to get back what I was given to begin with. That is non-negotiable.”

Several proposals for the collection’s arrangement and maintenance have been traded between Pollard and the Fossil Discovery Center Subcommittee. Pollard’s latest counterproposal listed several non-negotiable demands, such as freedom to make certain aesthetic improvements to the collection’s display space at the library, and the ability to place items in the display space according to his discretion.

City administrator Mary Kennedy expressed several concerns she had with the counterproposal.

“Renovations are not allowed to happen in any other (city-owned) building unless they are authorized or led by city staff,” she observed.

The council as a whole also felt that the Fossil Discovery Center has occupied too much of the Library Board and staff’s time and energy.

“What I do know is that we hired Heidi to be the library director,” said mayor Rick Sholtes. “Nothing in her job description has anything to do with the Fossil Discovery Center.”

Scholtes inquired whether Pollard would be willing to work with the City Council to find a different location for the Fossil Discovery Center, and Pollard responded that he would.

In other business, the Blue Earth City Council:

— Approved Task Order 3 directing Bolton & Menk to perform a feasibility study for extending city utilities to Riverside Heights.

— Voted to proceed with the reconstruction of the six tennis courts at Putnam Park – a roughly $800,000 project.

— Received an update about the possibility of Winnebago contracting with Blue Earth’s Police Department for law enforcement services. Police Chief Tom Fletcher clarified that an official proposal for services has not been offered to Winnebago, and Blue Earth is currently waiting for Winnebago to make a formal decision before pursuing further negotiations.