COMMENTARY: The 2007 Annual Meeting of Sunset Cultural Center, Inc.

Carpenter Hall
Sunset Community & Cultural Center
W/s Mission St. between 8th Av. & 10th Av.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.

THEN...nearly 3 years ago, the mayor instigated the formation of Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) and expedited the signing of a contract with SCC to manage the Sunset Center for 9 years (2004-2013) without a community consensus of support for nonprofit management of Sunset Center.

AND NOW...SCC Board Members and Executive Director Jack Globenfelt are oblivious to the dearth of community support for SCC as evidenced by only 15% of all tickets purchased by Carmel residents and less than 15 individuals present at the 2007 Annual Meeting.

THEN...in 2004, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. pledged to reduce the city’s subsidy to SCC for the management of the Sunset Center over time.

AND NOW...at the Annual Meeting, SCC Chairman Perry Walker stated that SCC requires an increased city subsidy in the form of enabling grants to increase utilization of the Sunset Center. This position is contrary to their expectation, as stated on their web site, that by “actively developing new programs and adding to the number of Presenting Partners, SCC intends to increase the number of nights that the theater is used. This effort should reduce Sunset Center’s long-term dependence on City funds.”

THEN...the SCC presented the Sunset Theater under their management as a theater attracting audience members from “the Monterey Bay area, and beyond.”

AND NOW...after nearly 3 years managing the Sunset Center, SCC Board Members and Executive Director Jack Globenfelt realize the Sunset Theater is a Monterey Peninsula theater; of all the tickets purchased, 15% are purchased by Carmel residents, 15% are purchased by Salinas residents and 70% are purchased by others living within a “50 minute drive” of the Sunset Center.

THEN...SCC promised special dispensation to historic user groups to keep historic user groups at the Sunset Center.

AND NOW...SCC Board Members and Executive Director admit the increase in rental rates forced the majority of historic user groups to find other venues for rehearsals and performances.

THEN...SCC anticipated all of the historic user groups would remain at Sunset Center.

AND NOW...as a result of the exodus of historic user groups from the Sunset Center to other venues, SCC reluctantly realized that SCC had to become Presenters, an unanticipated task.

THEN...SCC’s mission was to “unleash the economic potential” of the Sunset Center by “maximizing” the use of the Sunset Center

AND NOW...SCC’s mission has changed from “maximizing” to “optimizing” the use of the Sunset Center.

SCC Chairman Perry Walker stated at the Annual Meeting that they (SCC) wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for the support of the “city council and mayor and city government.” Neither Chairman Perry Walker, nor any SCC Board Member, nor the Executive Director, mentioned the support of Carmelites. Hence, the mayor’s, SCC Board Members’ and Executive Director’s concern is not the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea or Carmelites, rather their sole concern is increased utilization of the Sunset Center, requiring larger and larger city subsidies over time. Needless to say, no data was presented in terms of past utilization rates or future utilization rate goals and the estimated amounts of subsidies anticipated to achieve the utilization rate goals.

Conclusion:
While Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) bears responsibility for the management of the Sunset Center, the mayor and city council bear responsibility for all of the city’s assets, including the Scout House, Forest Theatre, Flanders Mansion, et. cetera. And while it is now anticipated that SCC will ask for ever increasing subsidies from the city (taxpayers) over time, the mayor and city council should recognize the current financial imbalance between city financial resources dedicated to the Sunset Center vis-à-vis city financial resources dedicated to the Scout House, Forest Theatre, Flanders Mansion, et. cetera. In recognizing the current egregious financial imbalance, the mayor and city council members should hold the city subsidy to SCC to its current level of $713,000/yr or less for the next contract period (Fiscal Years 2006/07 through 2008/09) and budget significant amounts for long overdo maintenance, rehabilitation, renovation and ADA compliance for the Scout House, Forest Theatre and Flanders Mansion. For the mayor and city council members to do otherwise would be to betray their fundamental responsibility to Carmelites as our elected representatives; and that is, their responsibility to manage ALL of the public’s assets for the benefit of ALL Carmelites!

Addendum:
Sunset Cultural Center, Inc.
Executive Director: Jack Globenfelt
E-mail: jack@sunsetcenter.org
Telephone: (831) 620-2040.

Board of Trustees
Perry Walker, Chairman *
Sarah Brown, Vice-Chair, Personnel *
Jim Price, Building & Grounds *
Katherine Bucquet, PR & Programming
Steven Hillyard, Finance & Building & Grounds
Dee Adolph, Marketing & PR
Michael McMahan, Treasure, Finance * (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)
Karen Kadushin, Finance and Governance * (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)

Trustees with an asterisk (*) have served since July 1, 2004; each Trustee serves a maximum of two, three-year terms. 1/3 of the Trustees shall be Carmel-by-the-Sea residents and1/3 shall be Monterey County residents.

City Council
Sue McCloud, Mayor (Present at 2007 Annual Meeting)
P.O. Box M-1, Carmel 93921
Phone: 624-7310
E-mail: smccloud@ci.carmel.ca.us

Mike Cunningham (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)
2900 Franciscan Way, Carmel 93923
Phone: 626-8845
E-mail: mjc1820@msn.com

Paula Hazdovac (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)
P.O. Box 3164, Carmel 93921
Phone: 625-2480
E-mail: pjhaz@hotmail.com

Gerard A. Rose (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)
P.O. Box 6516, Carmel 93921
Phone: 625-1124 (Home) 624-3228 (Office)
E-mail: gfitzrose@aol.com

Ken Talmage (Absent at 2007 Annual Meeting)
P.O. Box 1526, Carmel 93921
Phone 624-2462
E-mail KKTalm@aol.com