The William Way LGBT Community Center’s board discussed the soon-to-be-completed elevator at its public meeting May 19.
Board members who attended the meeting, held at 1315 Spruce St., included secretary Eric Ashton, treasurer Judge Ann Butchart, Al Besse, Deb Francesco, Leon King, Moira Mulroney and co-chairs David Michelson and Emilie Carr.
Board members Stephanie Gross and Liz Reasey did not attend.
Executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg reported that construction on the elevator is on schedule, and that the shaft and the engine room for the project are done. He added that the elevator is expected to be finished in time for the center’s Building Bash on June 6.
Goldenburg and Michelson introduced the center’s elevator-use policy, which the board voted to accept as written. The policy states the elevator is for those who cannot easily use stairs and for those moving heavy items vertically.
Goldenburg also introduced Deb Hinchey as the center’s new volunteer coordinator and said he’s still looking to fill the positions of senior programs coordinator and oral history project coordinator.
It was also announced that Jon Wexler, director of facilities, is leaving the center after the Building Bash.
Goldenburg reported the Indigo Ball is now 90-percent sold out.
He also announced that the center received $1,200 in memoriam donations on behalf of former PGN advertising director Joel Weiner, who died last month, and one of the new doors in the center’s corridor will be named for him.
Francesco was honored for her work and fundraising efforts for the center, and awarded with a lifetime membership there.
Chris Kraus, a project consultant for Campbell Soup Company, was on hand to receive a certificate of recognition from the center on behalf of Our Pride Employee Network, serving the company’s LGBT employees. OPEN received the award for funding the painting of the center’s archive exhibition area.
Upon accepting the certificate, Kraus surprised the board by presenting the center with a $1,000 check from Campbell’s Nourishing Our Neighbors program.
Goldenburg reported that the center’s membership is up by 1 percent, from 1,015 households last year to 1,026 this year, and that Cornerstone memberships decreased 5 percent, from 83 last year to 79 this year.
Center tenant occupancy was at 71 percent for the month of April, the same figure as in the prior month.
Furthermore, the center received $3,464.98 less than expected in rental revenue for the month of April, largely due to office vacancies and fewer-than-expected room rentals, said Butchart, who delivered the center’s financial report. Grants were significantly more than expected due to elevator funding, and program revenue was slightly higher than expected.
Total income for the month was $126,737.61; the projected income was $53,757. Total income year-to-date is $590,704, which is $269,379 more than expected.
Expenses for April totaled $40,843.56, which was $3,727.44 less than anticipated. This was primarily due to reduced personnel expenses because of staff vacancies.
For the year to date, expenses totaled $303,393.24, which was $20,524.76 less than expected.
After the adjustment for the elevator construction costs, $88,815, the net income for the month was a shortfall of $2,920.95.
For more information, visit www.waygay.org.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].