Friday, May 25, 2007

On the One Hand, One the Other Hand


"Sunset COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CENTER" Sign
E/s San Carlos St. at 9th Av.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.

On the one hand, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) communicated to Carmelites their expectation and intention of decreasing annual city subsidies over time. On the other hand, Executive Director Jack Globenfelt and the SCC Board of Trustees now demand increasing annual city subsidies for fiscal year 2007-08 through fiscal year 2009-10.

References:
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA BUDGET
Community and Cultural (SCC Enabling Grant):
2004-05: $867,000
$762,000 (Enabling Grant) + $105,000 (Start-Up Grant) = $ 867,000
Note: In addition, SCC received $120,000 “Working Capital Advance

2005-06: $ 772,000 (Enabling Grant)

2006-07: $ 713,000 (Enabling Grant)

2007-08: $ 750,000 (Enabling Grant)

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
TRIENNIAL BUDGET
FISCAL YEARS 2007/08 – 2009/10
BUDGET QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q.8. E-12 What are the City's projections for the Sunset Center enabling grant as compared to the Sunset Cultural Center Inc.'s (SCC) requested amounts? What was previously approved by the City in last year's triennial budget?

Response:
Fiscal Year 2007-08--------FY 2008-09----FY 2009-10
City Proposed:$750,000------$700,000-----$680,000
SCC Requested:$750,000----$780,000----$811,200
Previously Approved:$700,000-$680,000----N.A.

On the one hand, City Administrator Rich Guillen wrote in his 24 April 2007 BUDGET MESSAGE FOR THE FISCAL YEARS 2007-08 THROUGH 2009-10 TRIENNIAL BUDGET, as follows:

• "The Sunset Cultural Center (SCC) enabling grant is budgeted at $750,000 for FY 2007-08, $700,000 for 2008-09, and $680,000 for FY 2009-10. Staff is recommending an enabling grant increase in FY 2007-08 followed by lower amounts in FY 2008-09 and 2009-10 based on the previously approved Triennial Budget. SCC will submit a cetailed budget under separate cover regarding their operational needs."

On the other hand, the City is fully cognizant of the fact that Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) has requested enabling grants of $750,000, $780,000 and $811,200 for fiscal years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively. Moreover, the City anticipates extending the original 3 year term agreement for an additional 3 years (“the Renewal Term”) with SCC to manage Sunset Center prior to June 30, 2007.

References:
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
TRIENNIAL BUDGET
FISCAL YEARS 2007/08 – 2009/10
BUDGET QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q.8. E-12 What are the City's projections for the Sunset Center enabling grant as compared to the Sunset Cultural Center Inc.'s (SCC) requested amounts? What was previously approved by the City in last year's triennial budget?

Response:
Fiscal Year 2007-08-----FY 2008-09----FY 2009-10
City Proposed:$750,000----$700,000-----$680,000
SCC Requested:$750,000---$780,000-----$811,200
Previously Approved:$700,000-$680,000---N.A.

AGREEMENT Between CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, A Municipal Corporation And SUNSET CULTURAL CENTER, A California Not-for-Profit Corporation, May 24, 2004

1.5 Agreement Term. The term of this Agreement (“Term”) shall be for a period of three (3) years commencing on July 1, 2004 (“Commencement Date”) and terminating on June 30, 2007, unless terminated sooner in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

1.6 Option to Extend Term. At the end of the Term, provided that SCC is not then in default under the terms of this Agreement, SCC shall have the option to extend the Term for three (3) additional years (“the Renewal Term”), followed by an option to extend the Renewal Term for an additional three-year (3) period (“the Second Renewal Term”). SCC may exercise its option to extend the Term or the Renewal Term, by giving Carmel an updated Operating Budget, as defined in Section 4.4. for the Renewal Term or the Second Renewal Term, and written notice of its intention to extend the Term or the Renewal Term not less than one hundred and eighty (180) days prior to the end of the Term or the Renewal Term. During the one hundred fifty (150) day period prior to end of the Term or the Renewal Term, Carmel and SCC shall negotiate in good faith to establish a new Enabling Grant, as defined in Section 4.4, for the Renewal Term or the Second Renewal Term. If the parties agree upon a new Enabling Grant, and if Carmel approves an updated Operating Budget, the Term shall be extended and the Renewal Term or the Second Renewal Term shall be subject to the provisions of this Agreement, but not including additional options to extend the Second Renewal Term.

On the one hand, the City is committed to expenditures of $1,402,132, $1,297,615 and $1,319,497 for fiscal years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively, for Sunset Cultural Center, Inc.’s enabling grants, debt service on bonds and capital expenditures for Sunset Center. On the other hand, the City is not committed to expenditures for the rehabilitation, renovation and ADA compliance measures for the city’s community center, the Scout House, or the Forest Theatre or the Flanders Mansion.

References:
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
TRIENNIAL BUDGET
FISCAL YEARS 2007/08 – 2009/10
BUDGET QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q.9. E-12 What is the total projected expenditures for Sunset Cultural Center, including the enabling grant, debt service on bonds, and capital expenditures?

Response:
Fiscal Year 2007-08----------FY 2008-09--FY 2009-10
Enabling Grant:$750,000------$700,000----$680,000
Debt Svc.:$568,847-----------$567,015----$569,715
Capital Expenditures:$83,285-$30,600------$69,782
TOTALS: $1,402,132-----------$1,297,615--$1,319,497

On the one hand, the City’s Community Activities and Cultural Commission voted 4-1 at their regular May meeting to “pursue the possibility of permanently moving the Homecrafters Marketplace back to Sunset Center starting in 2008.” On the other hand, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) has publicly stated that “it has no desire to host the sale (Homecrafters Marketplace) in future years” despite the fact that Homecrafters Marketplace took place in the Sunset Center parking lot for three decades prior to its move to Ocean Avenue during the renovation of the Sunset Center.
(Source: “Commission wants Homecrafters Marketplace moved back to Sunset,” Mary Brownfield, The Carmel Pine Cone, May 11, 2007). Ergo, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) expects the support of Carmel-by-the-Sea taxpayers, yet SCC will not extend itself to the community by honoring the tradition of having Homecrafters Marketplace at the Sunset Center.

On the one hand, Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) Board of Trustees represented the Sunset Theater as a world class, state-of-the-art theater which would attract patrons locally and beyond. On the other hand, SCC’s Executive Director now admits their audience in within a 50 minute drive of Carmel-by-the-Sea and only 14% of all tickets sold are to Carmel-by-the-Sea residents.

On the one hand, the “crown jewel” of Carmel-by-the-Sea is named “Sunset Community and Cultural Center.” On the other hand, the non-profit group managing the “Sunset Community and Cultural Center” omitted “Community” from their organization’s name, no doubt signaling a commitment to culture, but not to community.

Additional References:
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
CALIFORNIA
DRAFT BUDGET
FISCAL YEARS
2007/08 THROUGH 2009/10

Capital Improvement and Capital Outlay Budgets
FY 2007-08 Thru 2011-12

Revised FY 2006-07
Capital Outlays (2006/07)
$ 7,500 Sunset Center Crest Sound Console

Revised FY 2007-08
Capital Improvement Outlays
Sunset Center Walkway Lights E/s adjacent Carpenter Hall $5,250
Sunset Theater Monitor Syst, Speakers $18,000
Sunset Theater Fall Arrest System $18,000
Sunset Theater Sound Syst & Exhaust (for film events) $42,035
TOTAL Sunset Center: $83,285
TOTAL Capital Outlays: $ 284,412

Revised FY 2008-09
Capital Improvement Outlays
Sunset Ctr Theater Monitor Syst Speakers $ 9,000
Sunset Theater Replace Tables $5,300
Sunset Theater Stage TV Monitors $11,200
Sunset Theater Lobby TV Monitor $5,100
TOTAL Sunset Center: $30,600
TOTAL Capital Outlays: $230,990

Proposed FY 2009-10
Capital Improvement
Sunset Ctr Theater carpet replacement $ 69,782
TOTAL Sunset Center: $69,782
TOTAL Capital Improvement: $387,307


CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
TRIENNIAL BUDGET
FISCAL YEARS 2007/08 – 2009/10

DEBT SERVICE
Sunset Theater/
Principal----------------Interest------Admin.Fee----Totals
FY 2005-06:$175,000---$389,710---$2,220----$566,930
FY 2006-07:$185,000---$383,410---$2,300----$570,710
FY 2007-08:$190,000---$376,847---$2,000----$568,847
FY 2008-09:$195,000---$369,915---$2,100----$567,015
FY 2009-10:$205,000---$362,515---$2,200----$569,715

Total City Debt Service:
FY 2005-06: $773,929
FY 2006-07: $759,673
FY 2007-08: $641,882
FY 2008-09: $640,049
FY 2009-10: $642,749

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look. Sue McCloud, the de facto ringleader of SCC, was no Duane Clarridge clandestine CIA operative during her years with the CIA, nor has she been or is she a Rudy Giuliani-like mayor of New York City.

She has enjoyed too many years of the secrecy culture of the CIA and knows how that culture can hide all matter of incompetence. She will make all kinds of excuses for the SCC’s performance, or lack of performance, because she is too invested in SCC, to the detriment of Carmel.

Anonymous said...

The on the one hand, on the other hand descriptions represent an interesting case study in the characteristics or diagnostic criteria used for narcissistic personality disorder. It is well known that SCC is for all intents and purposes the mayor. And again, the mayor appears to be the epicenter of all the preceding and current events; controlling, intolerant of others’ viewpoints, unaware of other’s opinions and the effects of her behavior on others.

For example, the mayor’s intimate knowledge of SCC’s operations and people make the city’s budget answer of decreasing subsidies to SCC over the next 3-year period disingenuous and misleading. This is symptomatic of the criterion of being interpersonally exploitative or taking advantage of the public to achieve her own ends of continuing to prop up SCC with taxpayer dollars.

The mayor’s and SCC’s attitude towards the Homecrafters is another symptomatic criterion of arrogant and haughty attitude coupled with the inability to recognize feelings and needs of others, another criterion.

In 2004 at the start, the mayor’s and SCC’s grand promises to the public about audience draw and professional management of the Sunset Center were symptomatic of another criterion, a grandiose sense of self-important. That grandiose sense of self-importance continues to this day without commensurate achievements i.e. broken promises to the public, most noteworthy, to Carmel taxpayers.

Even today, after 3 years of SCC management, the mayor, and to a lesser extent the SCC board, seem preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success for SCC’s management of the Sunset Center, even though the pragmatic results suggest otherwise. And the mayor’s attitude that she is indispensable to the “success” of the Sunset Center because of her “specialness” is telling as is her sense of entitlement i.e., unreasonable expectations of automatic compliance and agreement with her expectations and actions with regard to more and more tax dollars funding an entity which is not to the benefit or liking of the community.