MEETING MINUTES
Special Board Meeting
July 22, 2026
Art Pick Council Chambers, 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522 Board Members Present Museum Staff Present Claudia Rodriguez, Vice-Chair Robyn G. Peterson, Museum Director Julie Bjork Ann Lovell, Manager of Operations
Mary Carter Toni Kinsman, Sr. Office Specialist
Anna Gaissert Jennifer Dickerson, Curatorial Svcs Mgr Jennifer Gamble
Paula Horychuk
Cynthia Zdilor
Board Member Absent
Luz Negrón Bermo, Chair
Sharon Tennell
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 3:01 p.m. by Board Vice Chair Rodriguez.
PUBLIC COMMENT
1. This is the portion of the meeting specifically set aside to invite your comments regarding any matter within the Museum of Riverside Board’s jurisdiction.
No public eComments received by the 1:00 p.m. deadline.
No in-person comment cards received in Chambers.
No callers or Zoom speaker requests.
PRESENTATIONS
2. Annual review of the Code of Ethics and Conduct
Tola Perkins, Board of Ethics member, gave a presentation on the Code of Ethics. No recommendations were made by the Museum of Riverside Board during the meeting to forward to the Clerk’s office.
3. Presentation on the Brown Act- California’s Open Meeting Law Ruthann Salera, Senior Deputy City Attorney, gave the presentation. The report was received and filed. Note, the presentation mentions of CHB should have been edited to Museum of Riverside Board, but the Brown Act presentation applied equally to the Museum of Riverside Board.
CONSENT CALENDAR
4. Minutes – July 9, 2026 special meeting
Minutes were approved as written.
Motion: Board Member Zdilor
Second: Board Member Gamble
DISCUSSION CALENDAR
5. Discuss the absence of Paula Horychuck from the July 9, 2026, special meeting of the Museum of Riverside Board.
Discussion was held with a motion made to approve the absence of Paula Horychuk as excused. Motion did not pass. Absence will be recorded as unexcused.
Motion: Board Member Carter
Second: Board Member Gamble
Yes (3): Board members Carter, Gamble and Horychuk
No (4): Board members Bjork, Gaissert, Rodriguez, and Zdilor
6. Recommend accession into the permanent collection of five (5) lots of archival and historic items.
A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommend that City Council approves accession into the permanent collection of five (5) lots of archival and historic items.
Motion: Board Member Bjork
Second: Board Member Zdilor
Ayes: All
7. Recommend accession into the permanent collection of seven (7) lots of archival and historic items.
A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommend that City Council approves accession into the permanent collection of seven (7) lots of archival and historic items.
Motion: Board Member Zdilor
Second: Board Member Gaissert
Ayes: All
8. Recommend accession into the permanent collection of twenty-six (26) avian study skins and one (1) mammalian skin A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommend that City Council approve accession into the permanent collection of twenty-six (26) avian study skins and one (1) mammalian skin.
Motion: Board Member Horychuk
Second: Board Member Gaissert
Ayes: All
9. Approve revisions and updates to the Museum of Riverside’s Collections and Exhibitions Management Policies A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommend that City Council approve revisions and updates to the Museum of Riverside’s Collections and Exhibitions Management Policies.
Motion: Board Member Gaissert
Second: Board Member Horychuk
Ayes: All
10. Recommend deaccession from the permanent collection of two (2) Brewer’s blackbirds (A996-67), one (1) Costa’s hummingbird (A1656-44), and a collection of animal bones (A198-1 and A 198-2) from the permanent collection A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommend City Council approve deaccession from the permanent collection of two (2) Brewer’s blackbirds (A996-67), one (1) Costa’s hummingbird (A1656-44), and a collection of animal bones (A198-1 and A 198-2) from the permanent collection.
Motion: Board Member Zdilor
Second: Board Member Gaissert
Ayes: All
11. Recommend deaccession from the permanent collection of one (1) washing machine (A500-219), one (1) clothes wringer (A500-192), one (1) washboard (A1361-1), one (1) laundry boiler (A500-197 A, B), one (1) laundry agitator (A964-33), twenty-four (24) clothespins (A500-187), and one (1) pie safe (A500-188) A motion was made by the Museum of Riverside Board to recommends that City Council approve deaccession from the permanent collection of one (1) washing machine (A500-219), one (1) clothes wringer (A500-192), one (1) washboard (A1361-1), one (1) laundry boiler (A500-197 A, B), one (1) laundry agitator (A964-33), twenty-four (24) clothespins (A500-187), and one (1) pie safe (A500-188).
Motion: Board Member Horychuk
Second: Board Member Gamble
Ayes: All
12. Riverside Museum Associates (RMA) – brief update
No report was made
13. Harada House Foundation (HHF) – brief update
No report was made
14. Board Chair & Vice Chair updates
Chair Negrón Bermo was absent. No Vice-Chair update.
15. Director’s Update regarding the City management, main museum renovation, historic houses, collections, exhibitions and programs, budget, staffing, advisory teams, volunteer and support opportunities, marketing and communications, advocacy, strategic plan, and scheduled Board meetings In addition to the agenda report, Director Peterson reported that the Museum received the 100% construction drawings from the Harada House project architectural design team. The movie for Friday’s Movies on the Lawn has been changed to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Vice-Chair Rodriguez asked if the Museum accepted digital donations to the collections. Director Peterson replied yes, especially primary sources. The majority of the current born-digital collections focus on the local COVID-19 experience. Director Peterson will arrange for two Museum Board tours of the main museum to ensure no quorum for tours. The Topping Out ceremony in late August (date TBD) will be by invitation only, and Museum of Riverside Board members will be invited.
16. Brief reports on conferences, seminars, and meetings attended by Museum of Riverside Board members
Board member Gamble reported that she attended the Museum’s Trivia Night hosted at Back to the Grind Coffeehouse and announced that the Mission Inn Foundation Museum’s America250 free exhibition will be open through the end of July. Vice-Chair Rodriguez visited the Museum’s Dammers butterfly exhibition this spring at Heritage House.
17. Items for future Museum of Riverside Board consideration as requested by members of the Board. Only items that fall within the powers and duties of the Museum of Riverside as set forth in the City Charter and/or the Riverside Municipal Code will be agendized for future discussion
No items presented.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:08 p.m.
The next regular Museum of Riverside Board meeting is scheduled for August 26, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in the Art Pick City Council Chambers Museum Board Minutes 7-22-2026
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