The brief financial statement presented to all members shows considerable financial improvement. In fiscal 2007, the center had a deficit of $118,649.64. This year that deficit has shrunk to $12,734.69. That would go away, too, if and when People Productions and Dimmick Ranch make good on their promise to pay the MCC for losses incurred in relation to the struggle over who owned Reggae on the River.
”The checks in the mail,” outgoing board president Garth Epling quipped at the beginning of the meeting. He said that the MCC’s lawyer had been in contact with Tom Dimmick and People Productions and the status of the $250,000 those two entities agreed to pay the MCC is tied up in escrow. Epling said he didn’t know what the escrow was related to, or whether or not it was property being sold, but he had spoken with Dimmick who continues to be reassuring.
At some point, he said, the MCC board may take a “legal
Justin Crellin characterized the year just past as moving the MCC away from its former dependence on Reggae on the River. He called 2008 their most productive year in a long time, with 28 in-house productions. Part of the success of the past year, he said, was due to the general underwriting of nine unnamed individuals. He said also that events provide the MCC with two-thirds of its income. Crellin said that proposed Community Park events were “unlikely” in 2009. He said also that the center is considering adding a low-overhead film and lecture series to its events.
Katz Boose reported that 19 private parties or for-profit entities had rented the hall during the past year. A total of 18 non-profits had held events at the hall. The interests represented by the hall users are very diverse. It costs $5,000 to cover one month of operation of the hall and the Mateel Meal served 4,600 meals this year.
”What we’ve done in this last year is maintain,” she said, “and we’ve also reached out to others.”
Board member Joe Hiney gave a report on hall maintenance. The roof is sound but swallows have nested in the hall’s brick chimney. The board is planning on developing a bare piece of adjacent property that they own so it can be used for outdoor events.
In spite of the difficulties encountered the last time the MCC formed an alliance with a private corporation, Hiney expressed a hope that there would be a “marriage with the community park.” This was a sentiment also voiced by other board members, including former board president Bruce Champie. In a pre-meeting conversation with park neighbors who are also MCC members, Champie said that the board is not happy with having the Summer Arts Fair at Benbow Park because the cost keeps going up and there is too much policing of marijuana use at the fair. The park is seen as a more “pot-friendly” location for the Summer Arts Fair.
Three board members -- Garth Epling, Heather Kornberg and Elena Worley -- announced that they would be stepping down from their seats on the board. Nominations were accepted from the floor. Doug Green, Andy Burnette, Margaret Friedman, Sue Maloney, Rainbow Mountainwalker, and Rio Anderson were nominated. Kathryn Gillette nominated herself. Doug Green declined his nomination. Nominees have until Nov. 19 to confirm their willingness to run and to submit a campaign statement. The election will be conducted by mail.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, someone asked what the membership could do to encourage Dimmick and People Productions to pay up.
”If you see them, you might mention it,” Epling suggested.
Another speaker suggested that if they do get the settlement, they do their best to hang on to as much of it as they can. This was an idea endorsed by the board.
The board is also conducting a survey of interests and opinions among the membership. Survey forms were handed out at the meeting and are also available from the hall office.
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