DULUTH (AP) -- The head of the Lake Superior Zoo says it's a common question: What's new at the zoo?
The Duluth zoo's future may depend on coming up with a good answer.
"People always want to see something different and new," said Sam Maida, executive director of the Lake Superior Zoological Society. "That's a challenge -- trying to keep up what you have while trying to find the money to bring in something new."
The challenge has taken on some urgency because of Mayor Don Ness' plan to turn the zoo over to the private, nonprofit society by year's end to help reduce the city's budget deficit. The zoo posted a $617,368 loss last year.
"The mayor feels that the city can no longer afford to run a zoo," said Lisa Potswald, the city's chief administrative officer. "I agree -- it's not a mission-critical function for a city to run a zoo."
ADVERTISEMENT
There's no talk at this point, though, of closing the zoo. Last year a national zoo planning firm recommended that the Duluth zoo go to a public-private partnership like what Ness has proposed. The city would continue to own the zoo, but the society would operate it.
Schultz & Williams said zoos in Houston, Kansas City and Seattle have successfully moved to such arrangements.
The zoological society was formally established in 1959 to help with the operation and improvement of the zoo. It runs the zoo gift shop, concessions and ticket sales, raises money for capital projects, provides education and outreach programs and organizes special events.
Being successful will require bringing in more money -- from donors, event sponsors, grants and visitors.
Zoo attendance has declined in recent years: from 128,000 people in 2001 to a few more than 100,000 last year. Attracting more visitors will require offering something new. While the zoo won't have money anytime soon to build new exhibits, Maida said, it may be able to modify some. Or it could follow the lead of some zoos and bring in new animals for a season.
"We'll be looking at that this winter," Maida said. "We'll see what's out there, where we could put them, where they would fit in. That will send a signal to the people that the zoo is in the process of renewing itself and worthy of their support."
Another challenge is a maintenance backlog. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums pulled the zoo's national accreditation in 2006, saying Duluth had "severely" underfunded building repair and maintenance. The costs of addressing the AZA's concerns were estimated early last year at nearly $2.4 million, costs that are expected to increase by 5 percent for each year the work is delayed.
Duluth-area legislators were unsuccessful at getting $2.2 million in state money for maintenance inserted into this year's bonding bill.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Not all projects get funded every year, but they get in a queue," said Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, DFL-Duluth. "So if the city came back (in 2010) and said 'This is our top priority,' it is very likely that it would get funded."
Another funding possibility is the proposed 3/8 percent sales tax increase on the November ballot. "If that passes, the zoo would get a dedicated amount (perhaps more than $200,000) out of that every year," Prettner Solon said.
The city and zoological society have until late fall to develop a plan to submit to the City Council and the society's board of directors, Maida said.
In the end, he said, "the success of the zoo will be based upon the people who visit the zoo and members who support the zoo. They are really in control of the situation."
___
Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com
