Stainless/ROI/Pigs
Carol Regan appeared at the meeting on behalf of the Women's Club. She distributed a "Community Center Appliance Discussion Document" that reviews their rationale for the donation of new appliances. Document outlines their thinking in donating household/kitchen appliances versus commercial grade. They have ordered household/kitchen because:
- The granite counter tops & current configuration do not lend itself to commercial sized appliances. (Note, the Women's club donated the counter tops)
- The gas main has been disconnected due to age and condition.
- Cost of Commercial or Pro appliances would require upgrades costing $15-20K.
- Lack of ROI
- Caterers bring their food already prepared.
During discussion it was noted by former mayor Henderson the recurring comments and interest on warmers for prepared food. This was also one of the top priorities noted by former alderman Rittenhouse in a previous review of upgrades for the CC. On deaf ears.
The BOA voted to accept the appliances as proposed.
At least they are consistent. Despite Aldermen White and Hoy as the appointed "overlords" of the CC, there is still no plan for the use and or promotion of the CC. Rather, a continued pattern of sinking money into a facility that bleeds red. ROI? Hard to determine if there is no business plan. You can redecorate and replace appliances but to borrow a phrase in the news today...you can put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig.
9 comments:
I agree with a need for a business and marketing plan. However, with the added improvements to date, the word is that the facility has been rented every weekend until the end of the year.
Sounds like progress in the right direction to me.
Correction to anonymous 9/11/08. I have 4 weekends without rentals for the rest of the year.
any other questions feel free to contact Shawna 816-505-2683
Sounds like we have the demand. Why are we charging less than it cost to get an ROI?
We dont need Marketing plan we need a business plan.
I think the core issue is whether commercial grade appliances are needed. You can charge whatever you want to get a positive ROI. But, in the final analysis, who was the target customer?
Commercial-grade services the caterer, not avg. consumer. Wouldn't think we'd want to shell out extra $ in the tens of thousands to make it easy for the caterer. For the number of rentals, size of venue, and significant infrastructure improvements needed, seems like standard appliances make sense.
Plus, I don't think the city had to pay anything anyway, did they? It was a donation. Why complain? If in the future the City/residents see the need for bigger and better, then we'll have to decide if the extra thousands are worth coming out of our city offers. In my opinion, free is free.
I agree with 9-12 at 6:19am. These items were donated to our community center. The Womens Club did not have to do the improvements they did. They are still charged to use the center like everyone else. However they still spent money on these improvements for the better of our residents. Most of us (residents of this community) that would like to rent the center for a special occasion do not typically need commercial appliances. If we were needing that we would probably be renting a larger venue. Our community center was created for us, not impress outsiders who want to rent and have events catered. It seems over the last few years that has been overlooked. The amount being charged to the residents is crazy. We the residents pay the taxes that are in part responsible for paying the bills there. I understand "the lawyer said this our our council said that" however there are lots of other communities that do not charge such insane fees to its residents for a center that they pay for. Interesting how taxes, fees etc keep going up yet we are always told there is not enough. Kind of like the WLIC how about raise the rates on 1st tier. Seems for what they are allowed to do compared to 2nd tier they do not pay that much more in fees from 2nd tier. We are always seeing someone who wants to change the size on a dock for this reason or that reason. I do not see 2nd tier being allowed to constantly change dock sizes. I'm sure there are lots of 2nd tier people who would like larger that a 4 x 24 dock.
Shawna,
So there are 4 spots open what does that have to do with anon #1 saying progress is being made. You sound ungrateful in your remarks. I am sure the improvements have increased rental. You are being paid to rent the facility one would think you would be happy about the upgrades. Yet you are on here to correct someone over the fact that there ar 4 dates not booked. Then how about you do what YOU ARE BEING PAID FOR, and get them rented!!~~~!!!
To Anonymous 9-14-08 2:28pm
I was just making it clear that the center is not fulling rented for the year. That if someone is still wanting to rent I do have dates open.
I am greatful for the upgrades.
I do not think the upgrades are the only reason for the amount rentals this year. I personally have been the one to double the rents from the year(2006) before I took over. This year I have tripled the rents from 2007.
I do get paid to rent the center. I am doing my job.
To Shawna,
I don't think people calling to rent the center is exactly "YOU" double and tripling the rental. To my knowledge there were seveal successful years prior to you and the updates that anon was speaking of. I do believe the granite countertops I saw last march had a huge impact. I also believe new appliances will also add to that buzz or a nice rental facility. However I too believe when this community center was turned into a community center before your time, it was for this community. I do not believe it was meant to be so expensive most of the residents could not afford to use it.
Shawna, there are a lot of people out there who support you. So don't let people like the above get you down.
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