Members present: acting Board Marilou Moschetti, LeAnn Bjelle, Bruce Fihe, Susan Penney, Joan Vierra, Amy Chirman; and Jen Dyer, Events Committee member
The current meeting facility contract with County Parks for use of the Aptos Village Park Community Center will expire at the end of this year. Currently the Guild has three more meetings scheduled at this facility in September, October, and November. The November meeting will be a presenter via Zoom, and the December meeting will be a holiday gathering at a member’s house TBD.
Concerns about renewing the contract for this location include mold in the building, poor internet reception, and parking issues.
A review of and visit to other local available rentable facilities has shown the Santa Cruz Friends – Quaker Meetinghouse (QMH) at 225 Rooney St., just off the inland side of the Hwy 1. offramp at Morrissey Blvd., to be the best option for the Guild to rent meeting space. Benefits of the QMH facility include:
- Central location near highway
- Easy key access (key lockbox on site)
- Large, attractive meeting room with comparable light to the Aptos location
- Stage with automatic screen
- Handheld microphones provided and Guild Bluetooth mics should work with their PA system
- Strong wi-fi
- A side room for workshop breakout sessions
- Padded chairs that are partly set up and more chairs available that can easily be added
- Kitchen
- Outside patio
- Two bathrooms
- Approximately 40 dedicated parking spaces
Adjustments to use of this facility, if rented by the Guild, include:
- ONLY water for drinking and no food or “wet use” is allowed in the main meeting room (it is the QMH “sanctuary”)
Cost to rent the QMH is approximately the same as the Aptos site, slightly more when the side room is also used. We have been paying County Parks ~$72 per month for 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. use of the Aptos facility one time per month and have pre-paid, to guarantee our use of the space, through November of this year. A 50% loss of remaining rent paid is required by the County if the Guild cancels any of our booked use.
QMH will cost $20 per hour and with no eating in the building, Guild members gathering for lunch following meetings would occur outside the building, shortening our rental time by half an hour or more, so $70 for a 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. window of time for the main room. The side room would rent for an additional $10 per hour, as needed.
QMH requires a Building Use Agreement with no pre-payment required and rent can be paid monthly, but the Guild would like a 12-month, renewable commitment. Jen Dyer will check with the QMH contact person to see if this is possible.
It is possible that eventually storage of Guild Library could be on site at the QMH. The Guild Board will pursue this option.
Based on the ability of the Guild to come to a rental agreement with the Santa Cruz Friends – Quaker Meeting [House], the acting Board proposes to relocate Guild meetings and workshops to the QMH location following the September in-person meeting at the Aptos location. In person Guild meetings would commence at the QMH effective October 2023.
A motion was made and seconded to rent the QMH effective October 2023 with an annual commitment to that location per the regular, ongoing, Guild meeting schedule. A vote of the acting Board was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned 5:45 pm