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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes.WHLR.20200304.RegularLibrary Room, Paepcke Building | Aspen Institute Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday March 4, 2020 - 3PM Submitted by Julie Gillespie In Attendance: Wheeler Opera House Board Members: Chip Fuller, Chairperson Christine Benedetti, Vice Chair Nina Gabianelli, Secretary Ziska Childs Dr. Tom Kurt Amy Mountjoy Richard Stettner Justin Brown Peter Grenney (alternative) In Attendance: Wheeler Opera House / COA Staff: Scott Miller, Interim Asst. City Manager5 Gena Buhler, Executive Director Nicole Levesque, Audience Services Manager Public Attendance: Michael Goldberg, Belly Up Aspen Carolyn Sackariason, Aspen Times Meeting Recorder: Julie Gillespie DISCUSSION ACTIONS RESPONSES o Meeting called to order at 3:05 PM o Approval of February 5, 2020 meeting minutes. Approved Board Discussion (Gena Buhler & Chip Fuller) o Wheeler Director Resignation • BUHLER: Thank you to the Wheeler Board for all of our success and accomplishments. Submitted a contract proposal to provide support through the end of December for programming and producing at the Wheeler. • MILLER: Thank you for a successful and positive five years, best wishes on your next journey. • GABIANELLI: What is the succession plan? • MILLER: No plan in place yet, goal is to discuss a plan with the City Manager and also receive ideas from the staff and board members. City Manager and staff intend to discuss a plan, hopefully with have something finalized by the next April board meeting. • FULLER: Past hiring of Wheeler Executive Director was a six-month process that included members of the Wheeler Board. • MILLER: City has improved hiring process by learning how to target organizations and writing better job descriptions for these positions. • CHILDS: Government run theatre in the US is an oddity, usually theatres have an artistic director Library Room, Paepcke Building | Aspen Institute Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday March 4, 2020 - 3PM Submitted by Julie Gillespie and facility director. For the next hiring process, be sure to include the creative arts community and city government. It would be best to cast a wide net and look deep into performing arts community. • BUHLER: Theatre Projects currently looking into all Wheeler staff job descriptions and results will be sent to the City Manager’s Office. That will be included in the recommendations for the best way the Wheeler should be structured. Most days Executive Director (Gena Buhler) is performing two jobs. • GRENNEY: How will your comments and vision for where things are headed be translated to the next person in this position? • MILLER: We will take input from Gena and the Wheeler Board. • FULLER: Gena’s last day with the Wheeler will be in May. We support utilizing Gena on a contract basis knowing the process is quite long in hiring a new director. • MILLER: City currently has a job opening for Assistant City Manager and our vision is for the ACM to be in charge of the exterior facing division. Ideally the ACM will have experience and skills with cultural amenities. Exterior facing departments include – Wheeler, Parking, Transportation, APCHA, etc. Interior facing departments include – Human Resources, IT, Legal, etc. • BROWN: From the Aspen Music Festival perspective, we are doubtful there will be a successor in place by the end of August. Requesting to have interim structure for the upcoming summer season – we need a partner and an active power from the city to help provide support. Specifically, when there are urgent and timely times, we need someone who is empowered by the city to help support AMFS. • CHILDS: Can you keep us informed as the hiring commission is being put together? • BROWN: What are your thoughts on the freight elevator being successfully completed? What is the timeline of the Theatre Projects conclusion? • BUHLER: Elevator project is a key item to completed and latest date to be finished is May 21. The new ticketing system launch will commence on May 1. All capital projects will begin after Aspen Film Shortsfest. Theatre Projects providing a draft report by mid-May and staff interviews are planned for end of March. They are contracted to be finished no later than July 1 to potentially have that information for recruitment, budget, etc. • GRENNEY: Question for Michael Goldberg – what is your feeling about the next Wheeler Executive Director? • GOLDBERG: The accomplishments we have made in the past five years as collaborators (Belly Up & Wheeler) did not occur at the Wheeler prior to Gena Buhler. We have worked together to establish what is best for the community. By product of the collaboration has been the music community’s understanding that the separate venues cannot be pitted against one another. We are hoping we set the tone of collaboration that is carried on with the next Executive Director. • FULLER: The board is fully aware of the Belly Up and Wheeler Relationship, we support Library Room, Paepcke Building | Aspen Institute Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday March 4, 2020 - 3PM Submitted by Julie Gillespie continuing the growth of this community relationship. • KURT: Any thoughts on providing deals for locals? • GOLDBERG: Initially offered discounts to locals in the hospitality industry but the Belly Up has no subsidy. The ticket price is a reflection of what Belly Up pays for performances. How do we pay for these acts and still stay in business? Bring in up and coming acts to the venue, those shows can be provided for free but that is impractical for larger shows. • ZISKA: What would your criteria be for the next Wheeler director? • GOLDBERG: Someone with lack of an ego, transparency, experience, trust, commercial experience. Does the board have any guidance for me? • FULLER: Initially skeptical about the Belly Up and Wheeler relationship but has been an obvious benefit and based on trust. We understand the Belly Up is a free market entity and the Wheeler is a city entity. • GRENNEY: How can the Wheeler continue to collaborate with the Belly Up? • GOLBDERG: Continue with transparency, dialogue and communication. Example of Robert Earl Keen at the Wheeler and OAR performing at the Belly Up. The community had the ability to hear music at two different venues. Director’s Report (Gena Buhler) o Aspen Laugh Festival Review • Trevor Noah performance provided the best festival coverage for what the Wheeler was doing for the festival. • Last page of packet includes the final ticket sales. • One goal for the event is to support community of comedians throughout the festival. • 15% over our ticket sales budget, Trevor Noah sold out quickly. • GRENNEY: Any demographic data from ticket sales? • BUHLER: Attendance from decent amount of front range population, we can include demographic information at the next board meeting. Next goal would be to expand Colorado Comedy night and Snowmass for more free comedy. We did not implement any on mountain comedy per direction from CMO. This would take the festival to the next level. Request support from the board and to continuing pushing for this. Goal is the keep the quality and continue maintaining the growth of the festival. • CHILDS: How does the Wheeler budget work? • BUHLER: Wheeler operates on a fund balance budget with separate expense and revenue pools, but total net comes together at the bottom to either add to or decrease the fund balance. We try to make sure majority of dollars are spent within the Wheeler. • CHILDS: Has the method of subsidizing shows been used in other events? • BUHLER: Yes – Aspen Mountain Film Festival, Aspen Laugh Festival, educational events, etc. Library Room, Paepcke Building | Aspen Institute Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday March 4, 2020 - 3PM Submitted by Julie Gillespie o Aspen Public House • Bill has submitted the Aspen Public House financials which the finance department is currently reviewing. APH did not hit their break-even point for the year. Finance department performing an audit due to the restaurant having three different bookkeepers. • Bill shared that December and February have been tracking higher than last year for sales. • FULLER: Request to bring Bill in front of the board at least twice per year. o Budget Requests - Spring Supplemental (See attachment) • Moving forward with the request to have three additional temporary staff members added to provide a more stabilized work environment for the team. Currently do not have budget authority to continue longer than a six-month position. • APH Grease Trap request – APH neglected to clean out the grease line every month and were out of code with a broken pipe. The Wheeler will pay for the monthly inspection but will be billed to the restaurant. • Theatre Projects Phase II request for $35,000 to finish up feasibility study. o Deadly Weapons Ban Operational Requests Update • No response from City Manager Sara Ott regarding supplemental request for security coverage. • Did receive communication back from Police Department in terms of risk of the venue and suggestions regarding the weapons ban. • If the Wheeler becomes a banned building, we would need six weeks to work on implementation. o Exterior Lighting & Signage Plan • Requested a discussion with Philip Supino regarding what the Wheeler could apply to the outside of the building. If the board agrees, we can use the Hotel Jerome as an example and request for additional signage. • We would likely bring in a consultant to provide an example of what we should do. Capital budget requests now due in March and currently trying to figure out what the estimate would be for this future project. • Board agrees and supports this project. o HPC Meeting Review & Next Steps • Positive discussion regarding the entire solar plan which is moving forward per HPC and no issues with being able to se solar panels from the street. • Bendon and Adams have been a great support throughout entire process and provided City Council with a presentation discussing worldwide building icons that currently have solar panels. Library Room, Paepcke Building | Aspen Institute Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday March 4, 2020 - 3PM Submitted by Julie Gillespie o Future Meeting Schedule Review (Chip Fuller) • Continue the discussion regarding the Executive Director search at the next meeting. • Due to Gena Buhler’s last day with the Wheeler in May, discuss potentially having a May board meeting. • April 8 April 22 | Regular Meeting, Quarterly Financial Update • May TBD • June TBD o Meeting Adjourn ed at 4:34PM by C hip Fuller Motioned by: Chip Fuller