ORDER-2017-153 : Reauthorization of the Beebe Estate Revolving Account # 2750 for FY2018

Transcript (~7 min @ 26:36)

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▶ 26:35 Peter D. Mortimer: The next budget we have before us is the BB estate. Is there any appeal to combining this with order 2017-153 in currency on the revolving account? Moved by Alderman Zwirko. Second. Duly seconded by Alderman Forbes. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, hearing none, so we will also take reauthorization of the BB estate revolving account number 2750 for fiscal year 2008. Welcome Ms. McKenna, please proceed.

▶ 27:08 Speaker 1: I hope everybody here is familiar with the BB estate and had time to admire the new paint job that we were able to undertake last year, courtesy of the grant. colors which I hope people are aware are actually the historic colors of the estate we actually worked with a historic preservation consultant prior to the taking on the paint job to actually do some color sampling and matching to figure out what the original colors were of the estate and do some other analysis of some small tools like nails to figure out when certain pieces went on to the estate but as I hope you've had time to admire the outside we We had a couple of unexpended funds from that grant that we're able to do a couple of improvements inside last year using that as well. We're able to repaint the main double parlor, which is the large space in the BB estate, and also upgrade a small storage room into a small kitchenette, which helps with our ability to continue to promote the BB estate as a good event space and continue to promote it for rentals.

▶ 28:15 Peter D. Mortimer: Thank you very much, Ms. McKenna. Are there any questions, comments, or motions from any aldermen?

▶ 28:21 Speaker 2: President Kahn, please.

▶ 28:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is another level funded budget, and the trustees of the BB estate are all volunteers as well. It's $7,900, and this is money that goes to the upkeep and maintenance of the building, and also pays the utility bills for the building. Correct. And there's really nothing else in this budget other than maintenance funds and energy costs.

▶ 28:47 Speaker 1: Correct. Therefore, I would move to recommend the bottom line of this budget.

▶ 28:50 Peter D. Mortimer: President Pond has made a motion to recommend for passage the bottom line of this budget. And if I may infer the conjoined revolving account as well, sir?

▶ 29:00 Speaker 1: Yeah, are there any changes to the revolving account for this year that are proposed, Mr. De La Russo?

▶ 29:10 Speaker 3: No, the final is the exact same amount as last year.

▶ 29:18 Speaker 1: This is a revolving fund that receives donations and the money from rental of the facility and they're plowed back into building issues as well. Correct, and to take a spoiler, other maintenance issues. This year we're actually planning to use some of those revolving funds to continue repainting many of the spaces downstairs to freshen those spaces up. And to do a little garden replanting and refurbishing.

▶ 29:41 Peter D. Mortimer: Thank you. Thank you, President Kahn. President Kahn has made a motion to recommend the budget to the BB estate and the adjoining revolving account. On discussion, we have Alderman McAteer-Margolis, please.

▶ 29:52 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you for-

▶ 29:53 Peter D. Mortimer: Excuse me, was there a second on the President's motion? Second. Seconded by Alderman's work, please proceed, Alderman McAteer-Margolis.

▶ 29:59 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thanks for coming. Can you tell us, do you have any idea how many rentals you have during the course of the year? there's a lot going on there and I've frequented it many times but it seems like there's always kind of something can pop it up it kind of fluctuates we have a lot of showers we have a lot of tea parties there's been a caterer out of Arlington that has done a lot of events and has promoted us as an event space and we've done a little cross promotion on our website and so we've actually had a little uptick in tea parties we do not rent it out really in July or August we've got one rental lined up this July because there's no central AC so it's not very appealing I don't have a number in front of me but it's been fairly steady is it something that you've as a board considered over the years whether you would add any air conditioning downstairs we have not entertained that function in the last two three years since I've been on the board of trustees it would you know it doesn't it would be a lot of invasive work and I doubt it would be something we would consider unless we were doing a very major overhaul and you might not really get a good return on it in terms of your investment yeah and we'd have to do a lot of changes to hide some of that ductwork well that that's great that's it's a lovely it's a lovely venue for many of the events that I've attended there and I imagine the fact that you've added that little kitchenette has sort of increased some of things like the tea parties and the showers and the in the catering events it does it has has made it a friendlier space to use caterers or people setting up have a little space to

▶ 31:53 Speaker 1: put stuff sink to wash in it's you know there's no stove or foot you know there's a tiny fridge it's just a place to lay stuff that's a little bit out of way and it's actually been really real helpful asset to have if people were interested in finding out more about renting it they could go to BB yep we do have a refreshed website and we do have rental information on there along with pictures capacity floor plans and people reach out to us and can take

▶ 32:24 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: little visits and tours to figure out if it's a space that they'd like to host their event at and you do still share space with the Council on Aging in the back and also it's against violence upstairs which is a tenant of the

▶ 32:45 Speaker 1: building correct yeah and hopefully next year in our cycle of painting we'll be able to move up to the conference room that's actually utilized by some of our of tenants and can be utilized by the city as well to freshen that space up a bit.

▶ 32:58 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Great, well, thank you for your dedication to the building and to the whole board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

▶ 33:04 Peter D. Mortimer: Thank you, Waldron, MacMaster, Margolis. We could use some of that air conditioning in here tonight, I think. So President Connors made a motion to recommend this budget for passage with the commensurate revolving account, duly seconded by Alderman Zwirko. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, hearing none, this budget will be recommended to the full board for passage. thank you very much for your presentation miss McKenna have a great evening thank you you're welcome the next budget we have before us is budget six one one it is the library in the amount of nine hundred and ninety thousand seven hundred fifty six dollars and sixty five cents we have the director of the Melrose Public Library Linda Walsh in attendance this evening to tell us about the library budget good evening good evening this has been a