February 2020

The meeting was called to order at at 8:00 PM on February 4, 2020. Christine opened the meeting with her original song, “On the Road.” Mike A. will do next month.

ROLL CALL

Trustees: Elizabeth Lachowicz, Todd Dennison, Lois DeRitter, Jeff Canter, Dave Heistand, Christine DeLeon, Paul Fisher, Evelyn McNally; Officers: Paul Fisher, Jay Wilensky, Peggy Karr, Jean Scully; Committees: Elizabeth Lachowicz, Sandie Reilly, Gary Pratt, Mike Agranoff, George Otto, Todd Dennison, John Mahon, Evelyn Maurer; Absent: Mark Schaffer, Lindsey Meyer, Leigh Walker, Allan Kugel; Guests: John Lamb

MOTIONS MADE

• • The board agreed to send a letter to the NJ Department of Labor that would disavow our December 2019 inquiry regarding Workers' Comp insurance.

  • The board agreed to formalize an "In Memoriam" section in the newsletter.

  • The board agreed to spend "a reasonable amount" on software tools to help optimize the design of a new and improved folkproject.org.

  • The board agreed to table a motion recommending the merger of the Getaway and Special Concerts committees.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

Peggy sent out the Treasurer's report, including a detailed version which anyone is welcome to examine (as always!) Mike replied with some corrections which will be incorporated.

NEW BUSINESS

Lobbying Committee

NJ Bill S863 has the potential to reclassify the performers we engage from independent contractors to employees, with horrific financial consequences for both them and us (as in raising our costs 30% or more, as we’d have to withhold and file a variety of taxes and fees, pay for a variety of insurances, etc.) It is clear that the added financial burden would put many smaller venues and organizations out of business, and greatly impact performers’ abilities to get bookings. The new lobbying committee reached out to Morris Arts, which in turn put the committee in touch with Arts Pride NJ, an arts lobbying and marketing group that has been working on the S863 issue.

We are planning to partner with them in lobbying Trenton to hopefully get the bill rewritten to exclude performers. We sent them a testimonial letter which they are adding to their proposed package to present to Trenton, as FP would be a poster child for the serious effects of this bill, since we’d have to account for about *250* new “employees” each year. The Board moved into Committee of the Whole to discuss several related issues, and then rose out of the COTW to pass unanimously a motion to send a letter to the NJ Department of Labor, disavowing last month’s our December 2019 letter regarding Worker’s Comp insurance, as it might have impacted our lobbying efforts.

Accessibility of MUF Stage

Disabled members and performers cannot currently access the MUF stage. Jean has received a generous donation of one 6-foot and one 3-foot ramp from FP members Pamela Zave and Yolanda Fundora, but they sadly will not work in the MUF sanctuary. Gary suggested formally meeting with representatives of MUF to begin working on this issue, since we are going to need their agreement, as well as funds, to make changes to the physical space of the sanctuary. As a religious organization, MUF is exempt from the ADA, but we are not; it’s best to get the ball rolling before we receive a complaint. Several ideas were floated, including seeking out a used “Stair-o-lator” to help get folks up and down off the stage. Until such time as changes are made, we can accommodate disabled performers in the Terrace Room.

Death/Serious Illness Notifications

Jay reported on his exploration of how to inform members of the FP community on the death or serious illness of a member, or their immediate family, in a timely way. After receiving input from other board members, Jay has proposed putting a notice in the“In Memoriam” section of the newsletter asking members if they’d like to opt-in to have their names put on such a list for the future. Several members were in favor of a one-time e-mail to the entire list of members to reach a wider audience; however, this was not agreed to.Jay offered to take responsibility to send out the notifications when received. The motion was carried.

Audience Etiquette

Jay reiterated his plea, first voiced in a meeting several months ago, that board members set an example for the rest of the audience by refraining from heckling or making unsolicited comments to performers. He feels strongly that it is generally unwelcome and disruptive to the performer, which was confirmed by several other member/performers.

Web Team Progress Report

John Lamb, Webmaster, presented information on the current state of the ongoing total redesign of the folkproject.org website, and asked for financial support of about $300 to purchase software tools that will allow him optimize the work. There will be some customization possible among the various venues, etc., but also an overall consistent look and feel for menus and other items. Initial reaction to the prototype new site was universally positive, including that it will be optimized for various-sized screens, including smartphones. The board agreed to an outlay of up to $500 for the project, which was then amended to “a reasonable amount” and passed unanimously. The website will be partially editable by the venue chairs in order to fix typos, etc. Evelyn Maurer asked again about making minutes and associated reports more accessible to members, and was referred to Chris Riemer to discuss it further.

Committee Fusion

Last year (2019) several Special Concerts were produced under the auspices of the Getaway Committee, at the suggestion of the then-Special Concerts Chair. The Getaway Committee ran a number of very successful events, including Livingston Taylor, Tom Paxton & the Don Juans, and several “Getaway Day” concerts and workshops aimed at introducing newcomers to the Getaway community. Elizabeth brought forward a proposal to combine the two committees into a new umbrella committee to be called “Special Events,” to be chaired by her and Mark.

The proposal was made because the two committees currently have all the same members, are booking similar levels of performer, and are separate only as to bookkeeping. Revenue would still be tracked individually from each concert, workshop and Getaway weekend, to provide necessary oversight. Getaway would no longer have to be subsidized by money from the endowment or general funds; profits from the Special Concerts would be used for this purpose, and would help keep Getaway prices down and allow us to provide more scholarships and financial support to attendees who need help. The primary goal is to produce special, high quality music experiences while keeping attendee costs low, and provide more scholarships and financial support to attendees who need help The merger would use Special Concerts profits to supplement the funds received from the endowment. Several members spoke in favor of the proposal, while others were opposed, and the motion was tabled until next month’s meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

NEWSLETTER (email report)

Gary noted that folks have not been removed from the newsletter mailing list when their memberships have lapsed. Gary and George will work on this.

HORSES SING NONE OF IT (email report)

Sandie would like to start using Final Cut Pro to improve the quality of our videos.John will see if he can get a copy more cheaply through his sources.

SOUND REINFORCEMENT

Spent about $200 to get some new equipment.

TROUBADOUR BOOKING (email report)

The February 28 show with Poor Man’s Gambit will be great! Both Mike and Jean were very impressed by them at Old Songs.

COMMUNITY SERVICES (email report)

Cards have been sent to FP member Tim Weinrich, who has undergone several hospitalizations, and Cecilia Rowetter, whose mother recently passed away. Evelyn Maurer also asked for any updates or requests regarding the Performer Resource Directory.

ARCHIVES (email report)

EVENT HOSTING (email report)

GETAWAY (email report)

SPECIAL CONCERTS (email report)

MEMBERSHIP (email report)

OPENSTAGE (email report)

PUBLICITY (email report)

SWINGIN' TERN (email report)

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting was adjourned at 10:18 p.m. Next month’s meeting is Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at 8 p.m in the Chatham Summit Friends Meetinghouse, 158 Southern Boulevard, Chatham. All members are welcome to attend!