CENTERVILLE -- The group who will help determine the fate of the Whitaker Museum has finally been assembled. The Centerville City Council approved at their March 6 meeting the names of the five appointees Mayor Ronald Russell recommended to fill and organize the new Centerville Museum Board. Though the newly chosen members have yet to confirm their appointments, all expressed interest in joining the board last fall.

"We've got a great group," said Russell. "I'm very hopeful that they'll confirm their appointments."

Two of the residents chosen for the museum board are former Centerville Mayors. Priscilla Todd served in the position from 1994 to 1998, and fellow board member Frank Hirschi followed her by serving as mayor from 1998 to 2002.

Other board members include Rebekah Barton, the newest member of Centerville's Historic Sites Committee, and Richard Henrichsen, a former historical interpreter in Colonial Williamsburg and member of the Utah Historical Society.

Rounding out the board will be Paul Thomas Smith, a former member of Centerville's Historic Sites Committee who has also worked on several historical and restoration projects with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

One of the museum board's first duties will be to organize themselves, setting agendas and choosing a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and regular meeting times. Russell said that he predicts that the board will start holding meetings in early April.

According to the ordinance that created the board, the Centerville Museum Board will then be responsible for recommending and overseeing programs, policies, financing funding, and essentially all over administrative decisions involved with Centerville's Whitaker Museum.

The most pressing issue facing the new board is the fate of the Whitaker Museum's 1960 annex, a decision the city council had been holding off on making until the museum board members could weigh in.

"I'd like to see the board take a look at the architect's report on the Whitaker Museum, hear a presentation from him, and make some recommendations to the city council," said Russell.

The architect's report, completed by Bountiful architect Rod T. Mortensen this January, recommended against tearing down the 1960 addition because of structural issues that would threaten the rest of the building.

"Removal of this addition is such a substantial change," said Mortensen in the report. "It would be costly and dangerous to the rest of the structure since it would be invasive to the existing structure in so many ways."

The board is expected to come to a decision about the Whitaker addition over the next few months.