FORT WORTH -- Last year, the City Council agreed to loan up to $3 million to the Fort Worth Air and Space Museum Foundation to help produce a temporary exhibit.
With little to offer as a guarantee of repayment, that temporary exhibit was offered as collateral.A year later, after the foundation failed to repay any of the $2.53 million it borrowed, the city was prepared to repossess the exhibit and spend $500,000 from the city's airports gas lease project fund to pay the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to care for the exhibit for one year.But when Mayor Betsy Price expressed concerns, the City Council on Tuesday held off on the vote for a week. Under the proposal, the city would also pay another $10,000 for storage of the exhibit until it is transferred to the museum."I wanted to find out: What is our $500,000 going to do?" Price said. "What's the plan here? I'm just very uncomfortable going forward with that expense with something where we already have $21/2 to $3 million already in it. "We have to be very careful about carrying this forward without justification that it's what the citizens want."The exhibit, Ascent: When Dreams Defy Gravity, ran from May 28 until Sept. 5 at the museum and the value of its contents has been appraised at $3 million, according to the city.Councilman Jungus Jordan, who brought the item before the council in January 2011, said the exhibit has educational and historical value, adding the city needs to support aviation along with the museum.But Jordan said he had qualms when the city approved the loan."In retrospect, I had problems with the issue," he said. "We did what we felt was prudent a year ago on this and in an attempt to promote science and history. "Our hope was some of the community would come forward with contributions to promote this issue. At the time we voted, we had the hopes it would be repaid. We also asked staff to give us an exit strategy. And the exit strategy was repossessing the museum piece."Councilman Dennis Shingleton said he could support the mayor waiting for a week to vote on the issue but added that he favors spending another $500,000 and going forward with the plan."I think we ought to support it," Shingleton said."I'm with Jungus. We have an obligation that's more than just an aviation piece. I think the science and history museum is one enhancement we need to maintain."The city has supported the idea of an aviation museum for years.In 2008, the council spent more than $300,000 for Lord Cultural Resources to assess whether the city could support an air and space museum. Then in 2009, the Fort Worth Air and Space Museum Foundation was created as an offshoot of the Mayor's Aviation Museum Task Force.Mayor Pro Tem W.B. "Zim" Zimmerman, who is chairman of the foundation's board, did not take part in the discussion during the pre-council meeting and recused himself from last year's vote on the loan.Bill Hanna, 817-390-7698Twitter: @fwhannaHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
