One of last year’s most controversial issues has returned at City Hall.

St. Joseph policymakers thought they put the museum fight behind them last summer when the city signed a contract with St. Joseph Museums Inc. to let the group run the city’s museums. One year later, the City Council will weigh the controversial issue yet again.

The council will vote Monday on a four-year agreement that will allow St. Joseph Museums Inc. to operate, maintain, improve and supervise municipal museums — including the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion — until June 30, 2013.

The contract will remain essentially the same as the one-year deal the city and SJMI agreed upon in 2008, with 25 percent of the $400,000 contract directed to the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

City staff informed the council of four changes June 3 during a work session.

The first change would have required SJMI to obtain council approval when it moves artifacts between museums.

Mayor Ken Shearin suggested there was no point in having a contract if the city didn’t trust SJMI to make decisions. He also disputed the idea that any museum other than the Wyeth-Tootle could be considered a municipal museum.

“When the voters of St. Joseph approved the museum tax back in 1948, there was no question where the money was going because there was only one municipal museum in town,” Mr. Shearin said. “I sincerely doubt those people had the foresight to know their money would be spent on a nature center by the Missouri River.”

The mayor then excused himself from the meeting because he felt his presence would disrupt the proceedings.

The council voted against the proposed change, stating that it would have added an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.

“We offered this as a courtesy to the city, but if you want to take it out, go ahead,” SJMI board member Clark Hampton said.

The other three changes established guidelines for how the city and SJMI would deal with changes to the museums’ budget throughout the fiscal year.

The council approved the changes, but only after city staff assured them the Museum Oversight Board would still review all SJMI expenditures.

Local attorney Joe Morrey disputed the contract’s legitimacy on grounds that St. Joseph Museums Inc. is operating private museums, not municipal museums.

City attorney Lisa Robertson said the museums were municipal. City Manager Vince Capell then told Mr. Morrey the meeting should focus on the contract itself and that the City Council and staff was not willing to discuss court rulings.

“I’m sure you’re not. That would untrack the whole discussion,” Mr. Morrey said.

Museum opponents say the Missouri Constitution prohibits the city from using public funds to operate private museums. City staff members have repeatedly said their practice is legal because they have a contract that stipulates the services that must be rendered for the money.

“I know some people in the community are not happy about this, but we have to take baby steps,” council member Bill Falkner said. “This is the first baby step in the right direction.”

The council narrowly approved last year’s contract 5 to 4.

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.