BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – After the Sarpy County Museum closed its doors, donors who contributed money for a new facility and neighbors with artifacts locked inside the building are demanding answers about what went wrong.
- Sarpy County Museum supporters who contributed to a capital campaign want to know what happened to their money after the facility closed with no progress on a promised new building.
- Neighbors with personal artifacts locked inside the closed museum are concerned about preservation plans, though officials say items can be retrieved and professional storage is being arranged.
- The museum doesn't have possession of the Wimmer Railroad Collection, which was supposed to be a centerpiece of the new facility that donors funded.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
One week after the Sarpy County Museum closed its doors, donors who contributed money for a new facility and neighbors with artifacts locked inside the building are demanding answers about what went wrong.
Russ Zeeb, a longtime museum supporter, finally reached out directly to museum officials.
"I finally wrote them an email and said where we at?" Zeeb said.
His question reflects the frustration of many donors who contributed to a capital campaign for a new museum building planned for 90th and 370th streets. After three years with no progress and the sudden announcement of the current building's closure, supporters are raising serious concerns.
"I donated money, a pretty good sum of money, and now it's not being built," Zeeb said.
Zeeb says he has always supported the museum, but lately there has been no communication about what is happening or what happened to the money he and others donated to the capital campaign.
When asked what he thinks happened to his donation, Zeeb was blunt.
"I don't know, don't have any idea, nobody will give me an answer," he said.
Reporter Greta Goede reached out to Deb Reinard, president of the Sarpy County Historical Society, who told her they still have all the funds from the capital campaign. However, when she asked what the money will be used for since it was donated to build a new museum in Papillion and how much was in the fund, she was told she did not have those answers.
But money isn't the only concern. Neighbors like Zeeb have their own history within that museum — artifacts that can't be replaced.
"What is your plan for preserving, if you're closed and did all that, you got to have a plan on what you're going to do with all that, you can't just close then start working on a plan, it's been three years you don't have a plan," Zeeb said.
Reinard says the museum is working with professionals for the best way to care for the artifacts, including climate-controlled storage. Neighbors can get loaned or donated items back.
She told KMTV the museum will have traveling exhibits around the county and says eventually they plan to build a new building, but they are unsure if it will be on the land the museum owns in Papillion or somewhere else.
Zeeb just wants clearer answers on what's next.
"I'm very upset, I'm very upset with this whole deal, I think it's just been a joke," he said.
KMTV asked if the museum received the Wimmer Railroad Collection — one of the big pieces the new museum was based around — we were told they do not have it in their possession.
