Des Plaines History Center slashes staff, hours after city cuts its budget

The Des Plaines History Center is slashing hours and staff after its subsidy from the city was cut by $116,000 to $40,000 for this calendar year.

The history center as of this week will no longer be open on Mondays and Tuesdays and will be open only on the first and third Sundays of the month instead of every Sunday. Three part-time positions and one full-time position have been eliminated, leaving three full-time employees. Salaries for those employees have been cut 10 percent. Programming cuts and fee increases also are being implemented.

The Des Plaines Historical Society announced the moves in an e-mail early Saturday. Society members were notified in a letter mailed Thursday.

On the positive side, the society has already generated more than $65,000 in donations this year compared to an average of $50,000 a year in donations, and the park district has upped its contribution to the society by $14,400 to $87,600.

Volunteers have stepped in to do more of the work, but their availability on a regular basis and their level of expertise varies, said society Vice President Elizabeth Makelim in an interview.

"It's kind of a dire situation," Makelim said.

Employees were cut through attrition as two left due to health reasons, one for another job and one to return to school.

"I'm very happy we didn't have to lay anybody off, but that puts a lot of stress on the remaining staff members," Makelim said.

In budget talks last fall to plug a deficit of more than $5 million, the city had initially considered cutting all funding to the society, which maintains and runs three historic buildings: the History Center, the Kinder House and the Fisher-Wright House.

When the society realized the depths of the city's financial problem, it said it would work to be more self-supporting, but sought $124,500 to ease the transition. The city settled on $40,000.

"Everybody is struggling financially. The city had to do what it thought was necessary and prudent," Makelim said. "They do view us as a valuable asset in the community."

In other cost-cutting steps, the society is reducing the number of events and increasing fees for all programs including home school programs, school day-off adventures and afternoon adventures; increasing fees to members and nonmembers utilizing its archival research facility; and continuing its popular coffee talks only when a program sponsor is found. Coffee talk participants have agreed to cover costs for the remainder of this year, so that program is safe for the time being.

Other options for balancing the budget include taking money from reserves and selling property, such as the Fisher-Wright House, but neither is desirable, Makelim said.

The society has increased its membership by 101 so far this year and is averaging more than 200 volunteers a month. It raised $12,500 with its party last spring celebrating the city's 175th birthday, Makelim said.

The board is forming an advisory group to identify potential donors and foundations, and taking other steps to bolster the organization in hopes the cost-cutting initiatives will be temporary.

The society has invited people to share ideas, concerns and questions with the staff and board at an ice cream social 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, on the Kinder House lawn.