The Town of Winamac is looking to preserve its records for future generations. The town council voted Monday to have some of its oldest meeting minutes restored next year.
Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger presented quotes from Boyce Systems for three of the town’s meeting books. The work would include taking the books apart, cleaning and de-acidifying the pages, putting them into Mylar sleeves, and putting them into a binder.
Rather than doing all three books at once, town officials agreed to start with Record No. 4, which covers the years 1897 to 1907. The estimated cost for that single book is $4,200. Books covering the years 1907 through 1922 could be restored in future years.
Council President Tom Murray questioned whether the restoration efforts would be worth the cost. Berger noted that the town is required to keep the permanent records, and they could prove valuable from a historical perspective. She added that the current council minutes are printed on acid-free paper, which should minimize issues in the future.
