Save ECPACMeeting Report 02 Jul 2012

Met at Cocos Restaurant on Fletcher Parkway

next tuesday, may be on the city council agenda. next monday, Centennial Celebration planning meeting.

Ivars report

• Talking to arts groups around town.
• working with the sign company -- will be coming up with rendering by Monday.
• Suggests a supplement with letters from supporters.
• Suggests a catered open house to solicit renters.

Diane Jacob

• Write letter and speak at next county BOS meeting July 10.

Everyone call / email Doug Williford, City Manager. Tony Ambrose as well. Call Tony tomorrow. Contact Scott Alevy.

Ben Kalasho, Miriam Raftery.

What will we do with Centennial Celebration Meeting:

• Flier that we worked on before -- Ivars and Nadine will work together on it.
• Have a call to action... call city manager and ask them to bring the theater back.
• form letter or postcard to city manager, etc.
• Stand-up poster for a table at

Start presentation

Slide 1: Save ECPAC

• 1142 Seat Performing Arts Center
• Closed for 2.5 years.
• Consultant said $4.3 million upgrades needed.

Slide 2: History

• Built in 1975-1977 using $800K from Grossmont Cuyamaca College budget.
• $2.1 million construction budget
• Mayor of El Cajon joined with Mayor of La Mesa to raise $400K for seats, sound, lights.
• Originally 1200 seats, modified to 1130 seats plus 12 wheelchair locations.
• In 1990, Grossmont College hired a new manager for the theater who changes the venue's name to "Theater East" and focused primarily on educational presentations.
• 1993 - College hired the Christian Community Theater (CCT) to manage the theater
• 1995 - Property transferred to the City of El Cajon for $1.
• 1997 - Management turned over to the Arts Center Foundation
• ACF folded and turned over to CCT / Art Beat Management, 2005 after Blue Ribbon Commission.
• Closed Jan 2010. GCCA was allowed to complete their contracted engagements.
• 2010-03 - Consultant Kurt Swanson submitted a plant to remodel the theater for $4.3 million.
• 2012-03-13 - El Cajon votes to negotiate to demolish the theater and replace it with a hotel.
• 2012-03-26 - Save ECPAC committee formed
• 2012-04-23 - Toured the theater and resolved the likely cost to reopen the theater: $250K for roofing, painting, unknowns.
• June 21 - Submitted plan to the City of El Cajon.

The following is from the prior meeting, for reference.

Released proposal to the city

• Had several reporters at the event.
• UT Reporter is following, will release a story when we do a presentation (Is on vacation).
• Spent 1.5 hours with the City Manager after scheduling a 15 minute meeting.
• Not enough people have contacted him about the theater.
• Said there is some opportunity to improve the house lighting with help from SDG&E.
• He says the city needs to have some skin in the game -- a set subsidy that is not a surprise at the end of the year.
  • Maybe have a set maintenance subsidy
• Made a clear statement that many of the renters would have a hard time making the commitment to come back to the theater given the history of shaky support and commitment by the City.
• We haven't tried the HVAC
• GCCA: Live On Stage says GCCA is rebranding themselves.
  • Lost 50% of their membership when they moved to Joan Kroc
  • They don't trust the city council. City first said that GCCA would have to sue Art Beat Management.
  • Executive Board is leery of actual commitment of the city council. The don't have a good history of supporting the arts.
  • Changed a performance date due to "Emergency Repairs" and forced the GCCA to change their date in September in 2007.

• La Jolla Chamber Orchestra has always wanted to play at ECPAC.

• Followup:
  • Should reach out to Tony Ambrose -- He is the scheduler.
  • Need to generate a power point presentation for a future workshop with the City.

• July 9 is a meeting at the Ronald Reagan Center to review the activities for the centennial.
  • Two weeks from now will not be able to have our meeting.

• Ray looked into theatrical lights. $25K for hardware / $25K to install.
  • He can come back and look into the lights in more detail.
  • Cyc lights can be LED.
• Piano review
  • did not bring piano up to the stage.
  • Gaffers tape all over it.
  • Probably very humid down in the basement.

• Fire Marshall can tour the theater.

• City Council 3pm Tuesday June 26 -- Tomorrow.
• Corporate Sponsorship? -- Wait until we have some agreement with the city.
  • Conversations with Borona, Viejas, Sycuan, etc.
  • Taylor Guitar / Deering Banjo.

ACTION ITEMS

• Send out request for people to communicate with the City Manager and City Council to save the ECPAC Theater and that the ECPAC Foundation is the right way to go.
• Need to talk to Tony Ambrose and invite him to the meeting & find out about the schedule -- contact through Williford.
• Ivars is meeting with the sign company, making a proposal for a sign to be placed near the freeway.
• Ivars just got the report from the piano people.
• Meet with rep from California Center for the Arts -- subsidy is a difficulty.
  • Would not be able to present the same sort of mix we are thinking of.
  • Ivars has already had a long conversation with him.
• Need to have a letter from the GCCA that they are interested in the theater, but they are concerned about commitment, etc.
• Contact Clayton Anderson again about referral to an attorney that can help.
• CPA -- need to have one on the board.