Summary
To: Planning and Zoning Board
From: Gay Lancaster, Town Manager
Date: 6/9/2025
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Subject:
Title
Town Historian and Archivist Role
Summary:
The Town entered into an independent contractor agreement in July 2024 for Town Historian and Archivist services. This role has proven to be a strategic and timely initiative aligned with both the Town’s centennial celebration and its broader historic preservation goals. Originally funded through management internship allocations set aside in the FY 24/25 budget, this position has already demonstrated considerable value and community impact in a relatively short time. As we near the expiration of this funding in December 2025, staff is seeking input from the Planning and Zoning Board to consider the importance of continuing this role.
Items to Consider:
1. Unprecedented Community Engagement and Support
The response from residents has been overwhelmingly positive. Interest in our town’s history has surged, with the public eager to contribute their own family histories and participate in centennial programming. This role has served as a vital liaison between the past and the present, deepening the town’s identity and sense of place.
2. Significant Progress with Tangible Outcomes
The Historian has already made substantial headway in several areas:
o Digitization of archives, making them more accessible to staff, researchers, and soon to the public.
o Compilation of a comprehensive town history, filling critical gaps in our institutional memory.
o Documentation of centennial events, preserving a historic milestone for future generations.
o Securing a historical marker through the Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board.
3. Strategic Alignment with Long-Term Goals
The town’s strategic plan outlines historic preservation as a core objective. This role directly supports this priority by:
o Ensuring proper stewardship of our historical resources.
o Informing planning and zoning decisions with historical context.
o Promoting public engagement and education, which can have lasting cultural benefits.
4. Ongoing Work
The scope of historical research, archival maintenance, and community engagement is far from complete. Without a dedicated professional, the momentum we’ve built risks being lost, and many high-impact initiatives may stall or be abandoned entirely.
End
Body
Previous Commission Action: Adoption of the Strategic Plan in February of 2021 which specifically identifies historic preservation objectives and action items.
Expenditure Challenges: Not currently projected to be funded in FY 25/26 Budget.
Recommendation: Staff is seeking the board’s recommendation for potential continuance of this role.