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City, Foundation agree to ‘liaison’
by Rick DeClue · News · September 11, 2014
The city’s administration and the Hoover Presidential Foundation agreed on a way to work together despite recent friction between the two organizations.
At its Sept. 2 meeting, the city council approved a letter to Charlie Becker, president of the Foundation’s board of trustees that said:
• liaisons would be appointed by each organization to serve as the main points of contact;
• the Foundation liaison will serve as an honorary member of the West Branch Preservation Commission, in place of Jerry Fleagle, the Foundation’s executive director; and
• joint efforts to put on Hoover Hometown Days and other activities will continue.
Mayor Mark Worrell and City Administrator Matt Muckler said discussions with Becker and fellow Trustee Kenneth Fawcett were very positive.
The decision to use liaisons arose from complaints by Worrell and Muckler about Fleagle.
The issues included overlapping fundraising efforts, the Preservation Commission and a disagreement over the highlighted participation of Acciona Windpower as a major sponsor of the Hoover Hometown Day activities at the same time the company is suing the city in a disagreement over tax breaks.
Those points were raised in a draft letter at the council’s Aug. 4 meeting. The draft letter threatened a suspension of all partnership activities between the city and the Foundation as long as Fleagle remained the Foundation’s executive director.
The mayor requested that draft letter be tabled to allow time to revisit the issue and seek an alternative approach.
Reached after the council meeting, Fleagle said the Foundation will continue its focus on efforts to bring people to town and build exposure for West Branch in support of the community and its businesses. The highlight of those efforts is the upcoming celebration of Herbert Hoover as “the Great Humanitarian,” he said.
The Hoover Presidential Foundation is a non-profit group that supports the Hoover Complex by providing marketing support and raising funds used to further the work of the Herbert Hoover Historic Site and the Hoover Presidential Library-Museum.
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