Naper Settlement Museum Board

City of Naperville 400 S. Eagle Street Naperville, IL 60540 http://www.naperville.il.us/ Meeting Minutes - Final Friday, August 22, 2025 8:00 AM NEU Naper Settlement Museum Board Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting Minutes - Final August 22, 2025 A. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Scott Wehrli called the meeting to order 8:00 a.m. Present 6- Leanne Meyer-Smith, Lee Quillinan, Scott Wehrli, Mary Gibson, NSMB Erik Long, and NSMB Len Bertolini Absent 1- Julie Schremser B. ROLL CALL: Also Present: Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese, President & CEO; Harriet M. Pistorio, Chief Operating Officer; Alexandra A. Atkinson, Director of Finance; Andrea de la Torre, Project Specialist; Marcie Schatz, Assistant to the City Manager; Raymond Munch, Director of Finance; Present 6- Leanne Meyer-Smith, Lee Quillinan, Scott Wehrli, Mary Gibson, NSMB Len Bertolini, and NSMB Erik Long Absent 1- NSMB Julie Schremser C. PUBLIC FORUM: Mary Lou Wehrli thanked everyone at the Naper Settlement Museum Board for their service and recognized the importance of the meeting. Mary Lou Wehrli stated that the collection of digital history is significant to the organization and that she is here for the meeting to learn about Naper Settlement's Master Plan. D. OLD BUSINESS: 1. Receive 2025 Deferred Maintenance Update on Project Locations, Estimated Cost, and Completion Status. Harriet M. Pistorio reviewed the deferred maintenance of completed, ongoing, planned and unplanned projects. Century Memorial Chapel stained-glass windows are being repaired with plexiglass filling in until complete. The Copenhagen School House flooring is being resealed. 2. Receive Naper Settlement Long Range Development Plan Update on the Community Focus Group Workshops Contributing to a Collective Vision for the Future of Naper Settlement. Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese discussed we have started the Site Plan for Naper Settlement, and we are looking at outdoor space planning, community engagement, economic impact, immersive experience, museum visioning, and project management. Wight & Co. is working with other partners to provide expertise on the proposal for the Site Plan. We had a series of focus groups August 5th and 6th to get the community feedback. Our goal is to ensure the museum thrives in the coming decades. Mayor Scott Wehrli asked if the Naper Settlement Museum Board will see a draft of the Site Plan before it moves forward. Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese answered yes as the process of the plan will go through various committees of the Naperville Heritage Society and then will be presented to the Naper Settlement Museum Board for their approval. City of Naperville Page 1 Printed on 10/22/2025 Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting Minutes - Final August 22, 2025 Once approved it goes on to City Council. 3. Permaculture Garden Information Update on Volunteers, First Donation, Roof Crop Farm Recommendations, Summer Campers in the Garden, and Cloverbud Club Curriculum. Harriet M. Pistorio gave an update on the Permaculture Garden created through a 20k grant from the DuPage Foundation. The garden was planted in the spring, and we are now reaping the benefits and have donated 26 lbs. of squash to Loaves & Fishes and will be donating corn as well. Naperville Future Farmers of America (FFA) have helped us garden each week and Young Men's Service League (YMSL) will help with end of season work. The kids in Camp Naper helped to weed and learn about gardening. We will be planting again in 2026. E. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Receive citywide Board and Commission member training Marcie Schatz went through the 2025 Naperville Board and Commission Member Training for the Naper Settlement Museum Board members explaining rules, participation, and roles for these meetings. 2. Farmer’s Market Update on Revenue, Vendors, Marketing Plan, and Attendance. Harriet M. Pistorio explained the 2nd year of the Farmers Market is bringing in more revenue than last year and has expanded to more vendors. We already have a list of vendors who want to sign up for 2026. The hands on workshops at the Mary & Richard Benck Family Agricultural Center Building are resonating with the attendees. 3. Camp Naper Analysis 2025 Overview of Revenue, Total Campers, Parent Feedback, and Parent Testimonials. Harriet M. Pistorio stated that this year 6 new camps were added to Camp Naper and all camps sold out in the first few weeks. We are looking to increase camps for more attendees in 2026. Feedback received on Camp Naper was 100% positive responses of good and very good. 4. 2025-2026 Naper Settlement Field Trip Guide to Reservations, Field Trip Types and Grade Levels. Harriet M. Pistorio explained we created a brochure to send to all the schools in districts we serve. We accept reservations year-round for schools coming for a field trip. There is a bump in reservations around mid-September when teachers are back in school session. 5. Grants - Applied for Federal, State, Local, & Private to Support Engagement, and Interactive Experiences for the 250th Celebration. Expand Digital Access, STEM Programming, and Capacity Building at Naper Settlement. Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese discussed the 500k grant received from the state for programs of children at risk not able to afford camps, Golden Days City of Naperville Page 2 Printed on 10/22/2025 Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting Minutes - Final August 22, 2025 for seniors to interact intergenerational with kids, and New Horizon for teacher learning. Naper Settlement has also received a 200k grant for Century Memorial's new HVAC equipment. We currently have two grants out for the 250th Celebration of the United States to commemorate American Independence through the arts and to support a digital, humanities-based interactive experience that tells the stories of Naperville's military veterans. Also, a STEM grant designed to give early learners access to STEM programming for young children and parents. The Museums Empowered grant under IMLS allows for capacity building and training of staff. Lee Quillinan asked what is Capacity Building? Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese answered it includes work culture, specific field museum training, project management and how business of the museum gets done. 6. Len Bertolini Appointment for the Naper Settlement Museum Board Has Been Submitted to City Council. Mayor Scott Wehrli congratulated the newest member of the Naper Settlement Museum Board Len Bertolini. He was recommended to the board on behalf of the Naperville Heritage Society and approved by the City Council. F. REPORTS: 1. Receive CY25 Attendance Demographic Tracking Report for July 2025 Harriet M. Pistorio explained we are on target with YTD attendance. We expect to make our proposed 115K attendance for 2025. 2. Receive and Approve Minutes from May 16, 2025, Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting. Mayor Scott Wehrli requested a motion to approve the minutes from the May 16, 2025, Naper Settlement Museum Board meeting. A motion was made by Meyer-Smith, seconded by Quillinan, approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 4- Meyer-Smith, Quillinan, Wehrli, and Gibson Absent: 1- Schremser 3. Receive and approve the Naper Settlement Financial Reports from April, May, & June 2025 Alexandra Atkinson reviewed the NS financials ending June 2025. Operating Revenue is at 69% of the annual budget and 129% of the YTD budget. This was driven by the success of camps in public programs. The learning experiences team has also been working with educators over the summer to drive bookings for the 2025 fall school field trips. On the expense side Naper Settlement is at 88% of the YTD budget. Naper Settlement will continue to close the gap on the expense side as more of the building and grounds projects are completed. The cash flow projections for other rentals show a decrease in the projected amount of $14,000. The projection has changed due to the cancellation of City of Naperville Page 3 Printed on 10/22/2025 Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting Minutes - Final August 22, 2025 Festa Italian, a large-scale rental. The Event Specialist is working to bridge this gap for 2026. Mayor Scott Werhli asked if Naper Settlement increased rental pricing for 2025 and if this increase impacted any rentals? Alexandra Atkinson responded No one left due to the increased rental price. The party that left creating the decrease in rental cash flow did so because it went out of business. Mayor Scott Werhli discussed that Naper Settlement has built-in security with the fence especially now that the city requires events to be fenced in. Mayor Scott Werhli requested a motion to approve the NS Financial reports from April, May, & June 2025. A motion was made by Meyer-Smith, seconded by Gibson, approved. The motion carried by the following vote: 4. Approve the 2026 Naper Settlement Proposed Budget Alexandra Atkinson presented the 2026 preliminary Naper Settlement budget. Naper Settlement staff has been working with the city finance to bring the tax levy between 2.5% and 3%. The planning assumptions for Naper Settlement are in line with the city projections for the 3% COLA and 1% merit pool increase for salaries and the 20.25% increase for medical and 3.3% increase for dental. Naper Settlement non salary and benefit expenses are increasing. Lee Quilllian asked about a line item mentioning John Falk. Macarena (Rena) Tamayo-Calabrese explained that John Falk is the President of Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), and a 37 year expert on museum development. He is a noted international museum expert, and a key note speaker for American Alliance of Museums. His expertise in value focused initiatives is being sought out as part of the long range site plan to ensure that the museum continues to thrive for the next 10 years, and the public to find value in the museum as John Falk will help guide in the Naper Settlement Master Plan. A motion was made by Long, seconded by Bertolini, approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 4- Meyer-Smith, Quillinan, Wehrli, and Gibson Absent: 1- Schremser G. ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Scott Wehrli called the meeting to adjourn at 9:21a.m. A motion was made by Long, seconded by Bertolini, approved. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 4- Meyer-Smith, Quillinan, Wehrli, and Gibson City of Naperville Page 4 Printed on 10/22/2025 Naper Settlement Museum Board Meeting Minutes - Final August 22, 2025 Absent: 1- Schremser Andrea de la Torre Project Specialist City of Naperville Page 5 Printed on 10/22/2025