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March 4, 2022 BFF.fm Special Board Meeting
BFF.fm Special Board Meeting
March 4th 2022, San Francisco
- Review site visit
- Vote on pursuing next steps
Scribe: Clair McDevitt
Present:
- Erika Delgado, Events Director
- Amanda Guest, Chair, Executive Director
- Caryn Kesler, Vice Chair, Creative Director
- Jenn Lemon, Treasurer
- Clair McDevitt, Secretary, Chair of Fundraising Committee
- Brandon Paski, Chair of Marketing Committee
- Ben Ward, Technical Director
Guest:
- Forrest Guest, Station Engineer
At the invitation of the Westfield Center in San Francisco, we visited a space they’re offering as a temporary studio to BFF.fm.
Jenn: would like to see opt-out clauses and other specifics of lease up front and uses that bring in revenue with vendors. This would require a bookkeeper to track vendors, would the activities cover the cost?
Amanda: anticipate subtenant would manage their own finances/transactions.
Jenn: would still need to track for tax purposes/compliance with nonprofit regulations. Dome for events and DJs would be a lucrative option.
Clair: would art/events be less to manage than retail?
Jenn: depends on uses, requires more research. Compliance more straightforward with subtenants.
Eddie: Thinking about activation, and appeal of all ages space that isn’t a bar.
Brandon: Agree with Eddie. Also see potential for back room for broadcasting/ storage and events space. See concerns about money and insurance. Will the novelty wear off?
Jenn: In long term, this could provide money for new space, station growth.
Amanda: This is a big space, not sure we could activate it all without subtenant. Less concerned about rotating events, they’re more straightforward.
Jenn: I’m onboard with the subtenant option as long as compliant. Will need bookkeeper.
Ben: Huge space, lots of storage potential. Less concerned with specific artistic ideas, we have lots of options. I feel like a big question is what is the effort to sustain over time? Who’s going to be in charge? Amanda, or committed volunteer group?
Amanda: Envision subtenant with some of the responsibility for access, opening space.
Ben: all the ideas are great, some we can figure out as we go along, I just want to make sure we have the minimum maintenance to keep this thing alive. Second thought is office and storage if we don’t have resources to fully open the space.
Jenn: Open date required. Amanda will follow up with Nick on requirements for number of hours space is open.
Caryn: I’m on board, questions about who is the user and successfully creating multi-use space. How would DJs use space?
Amanda: Thinking of this as publicly-facing outpost of the station “Visitor’s Center”. We have the opportunity to design a space that brings community in. We will ask DJs, based on current feedback of Ferry Building closing I think DJs want to stay in the Alley, thinking about how else we want to use space, not for regular shows.
Ben: Studio lounge, if DJ wants to do a show with several guests, have friends in for show, have option here to do something different from the Alley.
Caryn: want to make sure we aren’t making assumptions without asking people, DJs and potential subtenants.
Ben: Action item at this stage is to get feedback and assess potential tenants.
Jenn: better to pull together plan rather than try to get feedback on an ambiguous idea. Decide if we want it and then what to do with it.
Clair: The marketing and revenue options are great. Do we have the people to support? Current lease offer is 13 months, can we get two years instead? This would give us the time to set up and activate events.
Jenn: Retail landscape is bleak, Westfield is unlikely to get tenant.
Amanda: Sounds like Westfield is planning for future redevelopment. I think it’s good to try for a two year lease.
Jenn: with renewal option so we’re not month-to-month.
Ben: month-to-month arrangement not compatible with the lead time we need to plan events.
17:45 — Public Comments
Forrest: What doors are closing if we say no? The costs of being here are more variable than any of the studios - electricity, internet, housekeeping and insurance. The storage is good, limitations on bringing stuff into the mall, will take time to wire, set up, etc. If we do this, need plan in two to three years to raise money for refreshing the space.
Jenn: $700-$800 for outside signage, If we do this need to get BFF.fm trademarked.
Next steps: Nick would get Westfield approval, we would get lease to review.
In parallel, we would scope retail tenants, get detail on utilities costs.
Unanimous vote yes to express intention to move forward with Westfield. Amanda Guest made the motion, Eddie Delgado seconded.
The next meeting of the BFF.fm board is scheduled for 6pm on MARCH 17th 2022. See https://board.bff.fm for more information.
- Amanda to ask Nick if there’s a requirement for a number of hours the space has to be open
- Amanda to check with potential retail subtenants on interest
- Amanda follow up on utilities costs
- Amanda and Jenn follow up on trademark
- Board discussion at March meeting to convene small group to determine DJ interest, audiences and possible uses.
- Board discussion (or Jenn and Amanda?) on bookkeeper