Will County Gazette

Belinda Basso, a former Board Member of the KidsWork Children's Museum, expressed her disappointment regarding the lack of transparency from Mayor Keith Ogle. This lack of communication, she said, left trustees unaware of the museum’s request for municipal support. Her statement was provided to the Will County Gazette.

"Whether the Village Trustees would have voted in favor or against the proposal, as a Frankfort resident, I am deeply disappointed that the Trustees were not made aware of, nor given the opportunity to opine on, the absorption of the museum," said Basso, Former Board Member of KidsWork Children's Museum. "Adding a $250k+ net revenue stream for Frankfort, in addition to the many other positive impacts, would be something the Trustees should have been apprised of."

The KidsWork Children's Museum, a nonprofit organization attracting up to 40,000 visitors annually to downtown Frankfort, aimed to transition into a municipal entity. According to Basso, this move would have offered a financially self-sustaining partnership with the village. Despite generating between $250,000 and $325,000 in net revenue each year, the museum’s proposal did not reach the Board of Trustees. Basso noted that Mayor Ogle and the village administrator had multiple meetings with museum leaders from 2018 to 2023 but did not advance the request for discussion, leaving both trustees and the public uninformed about this opportunity.

Basso further said that New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann proactively reached out with an offer to construct a new 12,000-square-foot facility and formally integrate the museum into his village. Frankfort trustees were reportedly unaware of these requests from the museum and many contacted museum leaders directly out of frustration over not having been given an opportunity to consider the proposal. The relocation of the museum to New Lenox now signifies a significant loss for Frankfort’s downtown economy and cultural landscape.

According to Patch in March 2023, Basso said: "The KWCM Board has spent several years trying to align ourselves with Frankfort either through the Village, Frankfort Park District or Frankfort Square Park District partnering with the museum." She added that "unfortunately, the opportunity to partner with the museum was declined."

Belinda Basso is also recognized as a former Board President of KidsWork Children's Museum. Founded in 2007, it is Will County’s first children's museum offering hands-on learning experiences while serving as a cultural and economic anchor in downtown Frankfort.