UTPB, museum negotiations

 Discussions between UTPB and the Presidential Museum and Leadership Library are continuing even as an initial deadline passes today.
   UTPB President David Watts met with Presidential Museum board president Juan Alcantar Wednesday to discuss progress on talks that would reopen the museum under library control, possibly through the John Ben Shepperd Leadership Institute. Watts said the Oct. 15 deadline was not intended to be the must-finish date for negotiations.
   “Nothing about the 15th was particularly critical. Business on both sides needs taken care of, and we are working to get it done,” he said.
   Alcantar said he still is confident negotiations will move forward enough to meet a goal date of ultimately tying up final details by Nov. 1.
   “Things are moving forward, and it looks like it will happen,” he said. “The museum is happy with how things are doing in terms of the care of the collection after a transition.”
   Under Texas law, a university can’t operate a museum, but it can operate another entity like an archive, something Watts said the museum already has with its JBS Leadership library.
   The museum costs roughly $160,000 a year to operate and has accrued some debt due to financial struggles over the past couple years. Museum curator Lettie England said she’s hopeful the museum will reopen.
   “Though negotiations aren’t complete yet, we are still at the table,” she said.

 MUSEUM TALKS
   >> Negotiations continue between UTPB and the Presidential Museum and Leadership Library as a self-imposed negotiation deadline hits today following a letter of intent to negotiate in September. The agreement between UTPB and the Presidential Museum and Leadership Library means the museum may reopen as an archive or similar institution operated by the university. The museum closed in August after seeing a significant drop in financial support and the museum couldn’t receive financial help from the city and other area institutions.