The Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and Onondaga County Officials appear to have put a disagreement over revenues and control behind them. County Executive Ryan McMahon and Friends Interim Director Andrew Brazill confirmed a new Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by both sides.
We are excited to move forward with a renewed spirit of collaboration that allows our team to focus on what they do best: supporting this world-class facility and the incredible animal care staff,” said Brazill, “This agreement honors the trust our donors and members place in us as stewards of their contributions, ensuring their support directly benefits the Zoo’s mission.”
Brazill explained to county legislators the non-profit group provides valuable management for successfully running the zoo.
“We serve a loyal member base of some 10,000 member households. Furthermore, the Friends manage a dedicated roster of volunteers who provide thousands of hours of service annually assisting with guest education and special events, a massive in-kind labor force that the county does not have to fund,” he added.
The MOU agreement was at the center of a quarrel in which zoo officials charged the county with trying to solicit a million dollars of their funds to pay for the county’s aquarium project. The County, in a proposed MOU, also sought a higher percentage of revenues collected by the Friends.
Those issues appear to be resolved with no zoo donation to the aquarium. “The Rosamond Gifford Zoo thrives because of the strong partnership between Onondaga County and the Friends organization,” McMahon said in a release. “This MOU ensures that we continue building on that success in a way that protects taxpayers, strengthens operations, and supports the many exciting projects planned for the Zoo’s future.”
However, a disagreement over gift shop and food revenue is not solved. Friends of the Zoo Vice Chair Megan Thomas hopes to avoid the County putting out an RFP to find an outside operator for those concessions. “Importantly, the Friends gave a portion of gift-shop revenue back to the county,” she said. “But then, we reinvest the remining portion back into the zoo. No private entity could ever do such a thing.”
Still, the execution of the MOU allows the Friends of the Zoo to continue operations.
Such collaboration will be needed, as the zoo plans new exhibits and educational initiatives, while also needing to hire its next Executive Director.
