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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes.WHLR.20220511.Regular1 Wheeler Advisory Board Meeting Minutes May 11, 2022 | 3:00 p.m. In Person In Attendance: Wheeler Opera House Advisory Board Members: Amy Mountjoy, Vice-Chair; Dr. Tom Kurt, Secretary; Daniel Benavent; Ziska Childs; Nina Gabianelli; Richard Stettner Absent: Chip Fuller, Chair; Lauren Forman (alternate); Jennifer White (ex-officio, MAA) Wheeler Opera House/City of Aspen Staff: Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Executive Director; Alix Feeley, Business Manager; Jeni Hepler, Ticketing Supervisor; Nicole Levesque, Marketing Manager; Craig Moxon, Production Manager; Maddy Overton, Rentals Coordinator City Council Liaison: Mayor Torre Meeting Recorder: Malia Machado Vice-Chair Amy Mountjoy called the meeting to order at 3:02 p.m. Mr. Daniel Benavent moved to approve the February minutes. Ms. Ziska Childs second. Motion passed unanimously. Vice-Chair Mountjoy congratulated United Scenic Artists Local 829, of which Ms. Childs is a member, for winning a Tony Award for Excellence in the Theatre. Wheeler Updates: Lisa Rigsby Peterson, Executive Director Ms. Lisa Rigsby Peterson updated the Board about programming, the bar, finances, and other general information. She first addressed programing updates, including recent artists that the Wheeler has signed or is planning on working with this season. This included mentions of performances by Corinne Bailey Rae, Bob Kendrick – President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Dance Aspen performances in the spring and fall, The Boy Band Project during Gay Ski Week, and so many more. In addition, she highlighted our involvement in hosting an Italian company called Co mpagnia TPO and our involvement in commissioning them to work with schools in the valley. Ms. Rigsby Peterson went on to s tate that the Wheeler anticipates releasing this year’s season towards the end of August. Ms. Rigsby Peterson then made a brief update regarding the bar operations. Ms. Rigsby Peterson assured the Board that the Wheeler is working diligently to find a solution even if it is not what was originally anticipated. She hopes to have some provisional plans in place within the coming months for at least the major summer events. Ms. Rigsby Peterson moved on to acknowledge the discussion of year-to-date financials as well as the fiscal year financials. It was suggested to push this discussion to the next meeting so that the Board can discuss this more thoroughly. Ms. Rigsby Peterson addressed the implementation of the North Star Program under which each department creates a Compass Plan. She announced that the Wheeler has proposed their Compass Plan 2 to the Strategy and Innovation office and will be talking to the City Manager before it will formally be presented to the entire City Council. She highlighted the four main points of the Wheeler’s Compass Plan which include: 1. diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, 2. finalizing the Wheeler’s vision statement, 3. planning of the Wheeler’s 40th anniversary, and 4. focusing on sustainability. Mr. Richard Stettner asked what the next steps are for creating clear projects that align with these goals. Ms. Rigsby Peterson said that the next steps include having conversations with the Sustainability and Innovation office, Council, and the Board on what the specific language is, how these ideas will be implemented and applied to projects, and finally logistics of carrying out these projects. Ms. Amy Mountjoy asked about the ideas surrounding the vision statement and what types of information the Wheeler is evaluating. Ms. Rigsby Peterson commented that that the feedback and discussion has been about what does success look like and how is it measured – via ticket sales, community outreach, etc. Dr. Tom Kurt brought up the idea of building bridges within our local community with a broad scope of partners. Ms. Rigsby Peterson agreed that building bridges within our community would be a tremendous opportunity to support mental health and other topics and issues as well to get more groups involved. Ms. Rigsby Peterson moved to discuss the rental fee philosophy and structure. She first told the Board that after today’s meeting she is going to get the proposed rate fee schedule for the Board to review, present the Board with comparisons and percentage changes, and create model projections to highlight model impacts of a particular Wheeler rental. This will help the Board in presenting feedback and suggestions moving forward. She asked the Board to think about some foundational aspects as they review the rates. Ms. Rigsby Peterson first asked them to consider that there will be significantly more money coming from the Arts and Culture grant cycle in 2023. While expenses may increase for rental clients the grant pool available to them will also increase dr amatically. It is important to also keep in mind that an in-kind grant of up to $4,500 is available to non-profit organizations through the City grant process which is applied directly to rental expenses. For perspective, she shared that to keep the Wheeler operating, maintained and staffed the Arts and Culture Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) provides a daily subsidy of approximately $8,500. There were a few guiding principles used during the Wheelers evaluation: 1. simplifying the fee schedule 2. baseline recovery cost of labor charges, 3. adjusting for increased cost of goods, 4. adjusting for profit and commercial rental rates to more suitable Aspen rates, and 5. identifying ways to soften these increased on the Wheeler’s nonprofit community partners. She added that the Wheeler has a fiscal responsibility to use the RETT funding responsibly for the benefit of the community and the longevity of Wheeler operations. Mr. Benavent inquired about if there would be an increase in the in-kind grants to account for the increase in rental rates. Ms. Rigsby Peterson responded that the Wheeler does not see a need in increasing in-kind grant funding especially with the significant increase in RETT funding available. Mr. Stettner suggested that a cover page with the national averages of increase of labor, rental fees, product costs and other informative talking points be added to explain to clients that the increase in prices is following market trends, and to remind them of how subsidies are keeping the rental prices moderate. In addition, these talking points will hopefully overcommunicate the main points and eliminate misinformation. Maddy Overton highlighted that most of these logistics g et fleshed out during the contracting process. Ms. Rigsby Peterson responded by saying that information on comparable rental rates within the Aspen area will be provided in the rental packet as examples and background information. All agreed that considering increased rental rates is reasonable at this time. Ms. Rigsby Peterson also said that the Wheeler will be proposing to eliminate the 5% box office commission fee for nonprofit organizations that present their work at the Wheeler. In addition, Ms. Rigs by addressed the idea of creating a straightforward day rate without piecemealing charges to rental clients. She suggested that this new structure would also include and differentiate a rehearsal day rate which has not existed prior. Ms. Rigsby announced that the Wheeler would like to have a Monday-Thursday rate and a Friday-Sunday rate. 3 Dr. Kurt inquired about the Aspen Music Festival’s Opera and Musical Arts schedule this summer and if there were other less expensive and entailed programs that could use the space during the less busy days to provide entertainment and activities for the community throughout the summer. In addition, Dr. Kurt suggested that the Aspen Music Festival’s rehearsals should be open to the public at a lower cost and/or free to encourage more involvement and participation in the quieter summer months. Ms. Rigsby Peterson addressed the comment and updated the Board about the Aspen Music Opera’s schedule for the summer, highlighting that the Wheeler’s schedule is dependent on the flexi bility of the Aspen Music Opera. Ms. Rigsby Peterson added that she would be happy to ask about the Music Festivals structure and if they would be open to allowing an audience to view their rehearsals. Ms. Rigsby Peterson went on to inform the Board that the Wheeler will be suggesting a new and simplified box office fee that more realistically takes into consideration the operational costs and special ticket requests. Finally, Ms. Rigsby Peterson introduced the idea of having a per ticket handling fee instead of a per order handling fee. Currently there is a per order handling fee of $5.00 for every full order placed. The proposed season package structure will incentivize people to buy multiple tickets at once because they are going to get a ticket discount and a discounted order fee, rather than a per ticket fee. Robust conversation ensued about ticket operations including discussion about the Wheeler Wins program, papering the house, and ticket purchasing preference and accessibility. Ms. Childs asked about if there would be a form that would calculate the costs for rental clients. Ms. Rigsby Peterson said that we will not provide a general calculating form, because labor is the largest cost and can vary based on the demands for each performance. Vice-Chair Mountjoy inquired about how client fit and successful execution is measured and determined. Ms. Rigsby Peterson went into depth about the criteria she uses to consider if a group is the right fit for the Wheeler including physical limitations, acts that align with the Wheeler vision among other considerations. The main goal for the Wheeler is to understand if the vision is possible and can be executed at the highest standard. Ms. Rigsby Peterson went on to give specific examples. Regarding these technical limitations for clients, Ms. Childs asked if there was a master list of requests that could be altered or fixed so that the Wheeler could better accommodate these requests in the future. Ms. Rigsby Peterson responded by saying that it is a broader conversation and that if there are reoccurring themes that are requested, they should be considered for a proposed capital project. In addition, a tech packet with information of the nature of the theatre is on the website and is currently being updated. Board Discussion | Future Discussions and Important Topics Ms. Childs inquired about if there are any personal development programs in place for staff. Ms. Rigsby Peterson confirmed that conversations between staff members and their respective supervisors are already happening to identify learning and growth opportunities. Future Meeting Schedule Review Next week a proposed fee structure will be in the works and will be sent out a week after Memorial Day for the Board’s review. The fee structure will be discussed at the June meeting before being proposed to City Council. Pete Strecker is planning to join the June or July meeting to discussion to provide background and information for the RETT conversation the board will conduct in order to make a recommendation to City Council. At that time, he will also be available to answer any questions board members may have about the financial statements of the Wheeler. Dr. Kurt moved to adjourn, Ms. Childs seconded, and the meeting concluded at 4:32 p.m.