HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes.WHLR.20200805.RegularVirtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 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 Assistant City Manager
Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager
Nancy Lesley, Interim Wheeler Director
Jim True, City of Aspen Attorney
Meeting Recorder: Julie Gillespie
DISCUSSION ACTIONS RESPONSES
o Meeting called to order at 3:04 PM
o Approval of June 17, 2020 meeting minutes. Approved
No public comment for Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Any comments can be sent to Chip Fuller via email accessible on Wheeler Opera House website.
Board Discussion (Chip Fuller)
o Arts & Cultural Arts Grant Recovery Program
• Recovery grant process wrapping up; current funding to date provided to organizations -
$220,000.
• Recipients have been variety of community arts organizations with plans for exciting
community activation events and has been a successful project with positive impact on arts
groups.
• Concern for 2021 – providing adequate funding for 2021 arts grant program since that money
was provided for the recovery funding. Rent abatement for Wheeler tenants will affect the
2021 availability of grant funds.
City Attorney Discussion (Jim True)
o Ordinance 50 discussion
• Suggestion to bring to City Council a new ordinance that would coordinate board request for
an update to the board “Roles and Duties” statement.
• CHILDS: question regarding the board makeup – any feeling of keeping the board majority 4
people recommended by an arts council and 3 people with financial, marketing or
Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 2020 - 3PM
Submitted by Julie Gillespie
management background?
• TRUE: this would be a question for City Council to discuss.
• Board vote: motion to update the board ordinance, full board agreement, Richard Stettner
seconded.
• TRUE: this will be added to the City Council meeting agenda.
• MOUNTJOY: previous meeting we discussed adding the mission statement into the duties
along with including our dedication to recycling and energy efficiency into our duties,
mission and goals.
• TRUE: I do not recall what the goals were, currently just trying to get guidance into the
ordinance update.
• FULLER: Amy, I will follow up and make sure this is completed.
Interim Director Update (Nancy Lesley)
o Upcoming fall projects and discussions
• Red Brick partnership with Matt Beilis streaming events: August 12 sing along at Red Brick
Kid’s Camp, songwriting workshop via Google Meet and closing out August 13 with a
livestream concert on Facebook.
• Shel (musical group): confirmed to perform virtually and participate in outreach.
• Arts Thrive: goal to highlight arts and cultural organizations who are currently working to
redefine their mission. Idea to have digital platform to interview and discuss how COVID has
changed their mission, organization, business, etc.
• Historical project: digging into the archives to highlight past artists and guests that have
performed at the Wheeler. Intention to post videos, dates of performances, photos, etc.
• Halloween project: interview past and present Wheeler staff/volunteers regarding the
Wheeler “ghost” and their experiences.
• Streaming from the Wheeler stage: currently discussing how to stream content from the
Wheeler stage, including cleaning protocols, ticket sales, guests/staff in the theatre, etc.
• Meetings with PFM: putting together artists/shows for 2021 calendar. Variety of acts
interested in booking later for 2021. Discussions occurring regarding Laugh Festival and Belly
Up collaboration.
o Rent abatement for Wheeler tenants
• City Council approved rent abatement for Aspen Public House and Valley Fine Art through
December.
• Lack of rent collection will affect 2021 grant funding availability for Wheeler Arts grants.
o WRETT total currently on track compared to 2019; around $4 million total brought in during 2019.
o Construction Update
• Final walk through with current construction project, proceeding with phase II of the project
to focus on Wheeler building masonry work.
Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 2020 - 3PM
Submitted by Julie Gillespie
• FULLER: great to hear about the creative ideas and trying to keep the Wheeler name in the
public eye, suggestion to continue thinking outside the box to stay in the hearts and minds of
the community.
• FOSTER: currently cannot have more than 50% of the staff in the building at one time. Nancy
has come up with a collection of projects and currently working with an organizational
development specialist that focuses on the staff.
• FULLER: revisiting the lighting plan for exterior of the building – during the masonry work
project, could be a great time to discuss the lighting for the exterior. Reference the Hotel
Jerome project that was implemented. Wheeler lighting was going to be looked into within
the next year or two.
• FOSTER: Nancy and I have discussed this, still learning about the City capital projects – what
the schedule is and what has been approved.
• CHILDS: add exterior projection mapping to the lighting discussion. Any update on the
discussion of window replacement?
• STETTNER: can you provide any updates on Wheeler staff resignation?
• LESLEY: one member resigned in the last several weeks and the staff is currently dealing
with everything differently. The Wheeler staff is working with a team building individual to
focus on staff traits.
• FULLER: please keep us updated on any staff changes, any updates are appreciated.
• BROWN: this is an opportunity to create and develop new staff, the departure of existing
staff could be transformative and in his experience so far has been positive with the staff
changes.
City Manager’s Office Update (Diane Foster)
o Current Wheeler lease tenants
• Full rent abatement from July – December for both Aspen Public House and Valley Fine Art,
approved by City Council.
• Valley Fine Art – requested a lease extension but no current provision in contract for an
extension. City Council allowed for a 2 year lease extension, wanted to allow the tenant to
have a flexible exit option.
o Wheeler Executive Director Search | Update
• End of July – issued an RFP for a recruiter. RFP was sent to 10 recruiters and feedback from
the Wheeler board was helpful.
• FULLER: can we receive a copy of the RFP?
• FOSTER: we will get the RFP to the board in 2 weeks. We are currently ahead on the
recruiting process.
• *See attached - board and staff Wheeler Executive Director survey results*
• FULLER: what is the status of updating the job description and position profile?
Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 2020 - 3PM
Submitted by Julie Gillespie
• FOSTER: that will be a result after this completed survey portion. Many comments from the
board stating we do not need to change much. One focus area for this position is providing
clarity on direction for this position. Goal is to utilize a recruiter to run this hiring process
from beginning to end.
• FULLER: will the recruiter be responsible for the final job description? The Wheeler board
requests to stay in the loop.
• FOSTER: we will work with the recruiter on this and we will keep the board involved.
Currently discussing salary and housing is reserved for this role.
• FULLER: please reference the spring City Council meeting – City Council agreed with the
board to keep the current level of activity going at the Wheeler, this should be included in
the job description.
• FOSTER: our goal is to make sure people understand the expectations.
• KURT: Theatre Projects study suggested splitting the position into two separate roles.
• FOSTER: we have discussed reorganization internally, but right now will not be making that
change to the recruitment process. We would like to have the new director come in and
discuss their vision.
• MOUNTJOY: will anyone from the board be on the RFP committee?
• FOSTER: we have not finalized that yet; Jessica Roberts in HR will be running the
recruitment.
o Theatre Projects Study
• FOSTER: there is the option to have Theatre Projects present this final report to the board
and provide the opportunity for the board to ask questions.
• City staff struggled with some of the report considering it was only one recommendation but
requested additional information from Theatre Projects about why they are making certain
recommendations. Sought out additional consultant, Duncan Webb, to ask his opinion.
• FULLER: board would like to have Theatre Projects team discuss the report and provide the
opportunity to ask questions and make comments.
• STETTNER: our understanding was a presentation by Theatre Projects was included in the
pricing, we should take advantage of this option. Was the analysis of staff salaries and
payment removed from the presentation or was it not completed?
• FOSTER: The City, at the time of this study, was also looking at a compensation report and at
this time we do not want a full analysis done.
• FULLER: was the City hiring a consultant to do a city wide compensation study?
• FOSTER: yes, but this has been put on hold.
• STETTNER: Wheeler Opera House is an anomaly but part of the city. Whoever has been hired
to review the compensation and salaries should review the Wheeler and provide an
evaluation.
• CHILDS: suggest you refer to a consultant who works in the theatre industry, focus on
Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 2020 - 3PM
Submitted by Julie Gillespie
someone who specializes in this type of venue. We should be looking for an Executive
Director now.
• FOSTER: goal is to move fast on hiring, evaluate the salary and look for someone with a
depth of experience.
• CHILDS: the Theatre Projects final report seems like a completely different scope of work,
was hoping to be provided some technical review of the space – discussion of new fly
system, work on orchestra pit, fire curtain, technical aspects to be reviewed, etc.
• STETTNER: can we request the first report from Theatre Projects?
• FULLER: board would like more time to read and review the report and we would like to
have Theatre Projects present at the next board meeting. First impression – good
information provided, a lot of conclusions without supporting data that make it hard to give
recommendations. We thought a major part of the report was to discuss staff compensation
and changes in staffing, but hard to have that discussion without any comparisons to the rest
of the industry.
• GABIANELLI: what are we doing for December and January? Any updates on Eventbrite?
• LESLEY: potentially cancelling the contract. We have a new rep with Audience View and are
currently working on moving towards a touchless payment system.
• GABIANELLI: we put a lot of research into the Eventbrite RFP. Is Audience View still meeting
our needs? Aspen Show Tix is a huge revenue generator for the Wheeler, so a ticketing
system is an important piece.
• LESLEY: we cannot keep dragging out the Eventbrite contract and we will continue with
same Audience View service.
• BENEDETTI: question regarding the Theatre Projects report – what is our eventual goal with
this report? To advise City Council, new Executive Director? What do we hope to do with it?
• FOSTER: this is good information for the new Executive Director and provides helpful
information about what a successful Wheeler Opera House looks like.
• CHILDS: we should look towards the leaders in the industry and research ways people are
moving forward. If the Wheeler could be the option for us to get content out there or for the
public to utilize, that would be ideal. This is the time to integrate the film and live
performance community.
o Construction Update Request
• GABIANELLI: request to view the work done on the building this summer?
• FULLER: it would be useful for the board to review the finished Wheeler construction
projects.
• LESLEY: we will try to get the board a tour of the Wheeler construction updates.
Virtual Wheeler Board Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes | Wednesday August 5, 2020 - 3PM
Submitted by Julie Gillespie
o Future Meeting Schedule Review (Chip Fuller)
• September 9 | TBD Regular Meeting, Agenda TBD
• Moving forward, Wheeler Board meetings to occur second Wednesday of every month
o Meeting Adjourned at 4 :54PM by C hip Fuller
Motioned by: Chip Fuller
Wheeler Advisory Board meeting
August 5, 2020
AGENDA
Call to Order (Chip Fuller)
Approval of Meeting Minutes June 2020 (Chip Fuller)
Board Discussion (Chip Fuller)
Other Topics TBD (Members to email requests to Chip Fuller by August 4th at noon)
City Attorney Discussion (Jim True)
Ordinance 50
Interim Director’s Report (Nancy Lesley)
Operations and Programming update
City Manager’s Office Update (Diane Foster)
Wheeler Tenant Update
Executive Director Search update
Theatre Projects Report
Future Meeting Schedule Review (Chip Fuller)
September 2 | Regular Meeting
October 7 | Regular Meeting
Adjournment (Chip Fuller)
Board Discussion
City Attorney Discussion:
Ordinance 50
Interim Director’s Report
City Manager’s Office Update
Wheeler Tenant Update
Executive Director Search update
Theatre Projects Report
Wheeler Tenant Update
•Rent abatement for July –December 2020 for
Aspen Public House
Valley Fine Art
•Valley Fine Art Lease
Grant lease extension for 2 years; lease concludes on
November 30, 2023
Tenant was granted more flexible termination clause
Wheeler Executive Director Search Update
Survey Results
Q2. What are the three most important professional
attributes for the Wheeler Director to possess?
Q3. Which of the following values are most important for
the Wheeler Director to embody?
Q4. What experience is most important for the new
Wheeler Director to have?
Q6. Of the leadership competencies below, which are the
three most important for the Executive Director?
0
0
1
5
6
8
11
11
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Great listening skills
Passion for public service
Customer orientation
Ability to easily build relationships with others
High integrity
Drive for high-quality results
Passion for the arts
Commitment to outstanding management
Figure 2. Weighted Total Points for Professional Attributes
(Board)
0
0
0
2
4
11
14
16
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Great listening skills
Customer orientation
Passion for public service
Ability to easily build relationships with others
Drive for high-quality results
Passion for the arts
High integrity
Commitment to outstanding management
Figure 2. Weighted Total Points for Top Professional
Attributes (Staff)
0
3
6
6
6
7
14
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Commitment to equity and inclusion
Focus on building trust
Support of innovation
Commitment to the Aspen Idea (mind, body, spirit)
Commitment to collaboration
Commitment to team building
Commitment to excellent service
Figure 4. Weighted Total Points for Values (Board)
1
5
7
8
8
9
10
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Commitment to the Aspen Idea (mind, body,
spirit)
Focus on building trust
Commitment to collaboration
Commitment to excellent service
Support of innovation
Commitment to equity and inclusion
Commitment to team building
Figure 4. Weighted Total Points for Top Values (Staff)
0
0
0
2
6
8
9
14
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Experience collaborating with non-profits
Experience with an advisory board
Public sector experience
Experience budgeting
Experience managing a high-performing team
Experience producing and/or booking events
Experience working with elected officials
Experience running a complex organization or
department
Figure 6. Weighted Total Points for Experience Areas (Board)
1
1
2
3
3
8
15
15
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Experience with an advisory board
Experience budgeting
Public sector experience
Experience collaborating with non-profits
Experience working with elected officials
Experience running a complex organization or…
Experience producing and/or booking events
Experience managing a high-performing team
Figure 6. Weighted Total Points for Top Experience
Areas (Staff)
1
1
2
2
3
4
4
5
9
14
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Ensures Accountability
Collaboration
Demonstrates Self-Awareness
Balances Stakeholders
Business Insight
Instills Trust
Builds Networks
Strategic Mindset
Builds Effective Teams
Drives Vision and Purpose
Figure 8. Weighted Total Points for Leadership Competencies
(Board)
0
0
1
2
3
4
8
9
9
12
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Business Insight
Builds Networks
Balances Stakeholders
Collaboration
Ensures Accountability
Strategic Mindset
Demonstrates Self-Awareness
Instills Trust
Builds Effective Teams
Drives Vision and Purpose
Figure 8. Weighted Total Points for Top Leadership
Competencies (Staff)
Theatre Projects Report
•Cover Memo
•Theatre Projects Report
•Webb Management Services Review
Future Meeting
Schedule Review