HomeMy Public PortalAboutCrosby Property Advisory Committee -- 2022-08-16 Minutes ICA
MINUTES OF THE CROSBY PROPERTY COMMITTEE
DATE: Tuesday, August 16, 2022
TIME: 11:00 AM
PLACE: Remote Teleconference
PARTICIPANTS: Diana Lamb (Chair), Cate O'Neill, Peter Lombardi,
Andy Evans, Mark Flaherty, Richard Archer, Adam Kibbe
Agenda Items
1. Call to Order - Chair Diana Lamb called the meeting to order at
approximately 11 AM.
2. Declaration of a Quorum - Diana declared that a quorum is
present.
3. Meeting Participation Statement - Diana read the participation
statement.
4. Recording Statement - Diana read the recording statement.
5. Welcome New Committee Members - Mark Flaherty and Adam
Kibbe introduced themselves and were welcomed to the
committee.
6. New Clerk - Diana nominated Mark Flaherty to be the new clerk. It
was seconded and passed unanimously.
7. Approve Old Minutes - A motion to approve the July 2022 minutes
was made and seconded. Approved unanimously. There were no
public comments.
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8. Property Manager's Report - Richard Archer discussed the
following issues:
A. The summer tours have been expanded and this has been very
successful. The number of visitors is up.
B. A recruiting drive has added 8 to 10 new docents.
C. The recent heat wave was challenging. But the grounds still look
good. The heat has sometimes caused some cutback in the work
of the volunteers.
D. Recent use of social media in a marketing campaign has also
caused the number of visitors to rise. The mansion's website is
being updated and redesigned. The domain is changing to WIX
which the town of Brewster will also use. The town's website will
have a link to the mansion's site.
E. Fall projects include carpentry and cleaning/maintenance of
gutters
F. A new carpet is currently being installed in the function room.
G. The committee complimented the work being done on the
mansion by Richard and the volunteers.
H. Peter Lombardi discussed the need for an AC system in the
function room. This is not simply for the comfort of users. An AC
system would solve the problem of excessive condensation and
improve maintenance and longevity. Should the committee
request a capital improvement from the town this fall? Richard
will seek information about the approximate cost. But this will
eventually have to go through the town's bid process.
9. CPC Repairs - $80,000 in grant money from the Community
Preservation Committee (CPC) is available for repair of the
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mansion's chimneys. Richard is seeking masons to do an estimate.
He will apply for an extension from CPC.
10. Rental Fee Schedule - The committee discussed the rental fee
schedule that Richard had forwarded prior to the meeting. Peter
suggested a minor clarification about the number of hours in a base
rental. Another change was made concerning weddings paying
$200/hr for going overtime rather than the $125/hr charged to
other users. The committee voted unanimously to recommend the
amended fee schedule to the town.
11. Guidelines for Events - The committee discussed changing the
guidelines for a limited number of events held at the mansion.
A. Richard explained that the curfew of 8 PM was a major
stumbling block to renting out the space for weddings. The
mansion would be a much more desirable venue with a later
curfew. Many couples are searching right now for a venue in
summer 2023 and some are specifically waiting to see if this
might be changed.
B. Diana explained the genesis of the current 8 PM curfew about
twenty five years ago when the neighborhood was very
concerned about noise and traffic.
C. Peter outlined the finances of the mansion for the benefit of the
new members. The mansion is self sufficient broadly speaking
taking in and spending about $70,000 each year. He suggested
that the committee add an agenda item for September to flesh
out these financial details.
D. A consensus as follows was reached and passed unanimously:
• All music is inside the function room and ends by 9 PM.
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• Everyone must be off the property by 10 PM.
• All parking will be on the lower lot.
• There will be at most two events per month that go beyond the
previous 8 PM curfew.
12. Haunted House Planning - Richard is working in conjunction with
Brewster Rec and the Nauset HS Drama department to stage a
haunted house in the mansion during the last two weekends in
October. More details will be made available for the September
meeting. For now:
• Spooky and scary but not over-the-top messy - lots of magic
• 5 or 5:30 to 8 PM
• Tix at $15 per person with timed arrivals to prevent crowds
• Ages 7 and up with parents required for 12 and under
• Groups of 6 to 10 with two guides (one at each end)
13. Friends 'Report - There will be a meeting soon after Labor Day to
discuss how the summer season went.
14. New Business - none
15. Next Meeting - September 20, 2022 at 11 AM
16. Adjournment - The motion passed at 12:43.
Respectfully submitted, Mark Flaherty
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