BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV)– According to the city, there is water damage in some areas of the museum but officials did not see any major concerns or safety issues.
- Water damage was found inside the museum, but officials say there are no major safety concerns.
- The Historical Society's lease has been offered an extension to January 2027.
- The city hopes to retain Bellevue-related artifacts to establish its own historical society and museum.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Bellevue officials got their first look inside the Sarpy County Museum Wednesday after a report showed mold and water damage throughout the building.
City officials said they needed to inspect the building themselves to confirm it was safe for volunteers working to remove artifacts. The Historical Society did not allow media inside during the inspection.
After the inspection, officials shared photos showing water damage and leaks in a storage room that holds books and newspapers.
Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said there was water damage inside the museum, but no major concerns stood out that would suggest safety issues. City officials said they will contact the company that produced the report to ask about their specific concerns with the building.
Hike said more could be revealed once artifacts are removed.
"Once they get all the items out of the museum, I think we can tear some of the drywall out and see what's behind the walls because inspections and reports can't see what's behind the walls, so once we get an eye on that then we will know," Hike said.
The original deadline to move artifacts out of the building was June 1, but the city has offered to extend the Historical Society's lease until January 2027 to give volunteers more time to sort through the collection.
"We are still unclear on what they are doing with everything, I think there are several different parties that want different pieces of it," Hike said.
Hike said the city wants to work with the Historical Society during the process and retain items that pertain to Bellevue so the city can establish its own historical society and museum. The city has also offered to help the Historical Society move and organize artifacts.
"We just don't want that history to get lost for Bellevue," Hike said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
