From: Lillian Jewell
To: City Council
Subject: Agenda Item 12E-Chapman House Assessment
Date: Tuesday,August 6,2024 1:34:23 PM
Attachments: imacte001.png
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Dear Honorable Council Members,
This is to provide feedback as a resident of Shell Beach regarding the Chapman House item on the agenda.
First,thank you for the report and bringing this item to the Council and the community for review and discussion. It is good to have the background on what has been happening with the estate. Clifford Chapman donated the estate to the City because he wanted the citizens of Pismo Beach to enjoy the property as much as he did in his lifetime. He loved the property and selected the City in his bequest to ensure it would be protected and used for the benefit of the local residents.
As a resident of Shell Beach, I am aware of the mixed feelings of the neighborhood on the estate,the cost to maintain it per the report, and the challenges to generate revenue in a manner that does not over-burden local neighbors but in a manner that generates adequate revenue to maintain the property for the community's enjoyment, as intended by Mr.
Chapman. There is also some feeling that the estate is always fenced off and closed to residents and is not accessible for the intended uses. I realize there have been ADA concerns and understand that work has been done to the property to address this. I would like to know more about the status of the ADA work. The Chapman Foundation's website says that ADA work is completed and that they expect to be able to start scheduling access to the house in 2025. Please confirm this status at the upcoming Council meeting for our global community understanding, as it is so important to the future planning and potential revenue generation strategy to know whether or not access to the house can finally be achieved.
I'd like to express my support for keeping the estate while developing and implementing a management plan that increases revenues to sustain the City's ownership of this amazing property. I concur with the Report's conclusions with regard to:
• Centralized Data Management—The report recommends "Develop a centralized system for managing income and expenses related to the estate, ensuring compliance with the Distribution Agreement and streamlined accounting." It further states "By providing this detailed income and expenditure analysis,the City of Pismo Beach can better understand the financial dynamics of the Chapman Estate and make informed decisions regarding its operation in the future." It seems critical to address these recommendations in order to make the informed decisions in managing the estate going forward and the financial reports of the Chapman Foundation seem to be a necessary component of this process.
• Reestablish the Commission/Board for Estate Management-The Distribution
Agreement required a Board of 7 members appointed by the City Council to manage the Estate, including a member from SBIG,the SLO Arts Council,the SLO Symphony, a neighborhood resident, a Cal Poly horticulture/Garden Club representative, and the City's Community Development Director or his/her designee. The report mentions that this Board was folded into the Chapman Foundation. If the Foundation is acting as this management Board, it seems it should have the representatives called out in the Distribution Agreement on this Board and should also have public visibility into the management decisions being made and the financial records of fundraising income and estate expenditures. Whether this Board is reestablished separately again or within the Foundation isn't key,the key is that a managing Board needs to be reestablished and responsible for the active and consolidated management of the estate and the finances associated with it going forward in order to increase the potential for success and for full visibility for informed management.
• Fundraising and Grants—I further express support for the Strategic Recommendations in the report:
D. Strategic Remmmendatiom
L Increase Event Utilization and Fees
o Action:M a)dm ize the use of the esWe for events and increase fees for private events. o Benefit: Increased revenue will help cover maintenance costs and save for unexpected repairs_
o Calculation: Increase fees for private events by 50 . and other events by 20%.
Adjusted income:$324r440.80
2. Cost-Effective Improvements
o Action: Prioritize high-impact, low-mst improvements to enhance the property's usabilityand attractiveness.
o Benefit:I mpFai es the property's fu nrtiona lily without sign ificant additional oasts_ 3_ Alternative Funding and Grants
o Action:Applyfor grants,seek partnerships,and organize fundraising campaigns_ o Benefit: Reduces the financial burden on the €ity's budget and provides additional funding for improvements and repairs.
4_ Community Engagement
o Action:Engage with community member3 and stakeholders to understand their needs and preferences_
o Benefit: Ensures that the improvements align with community values and increase the property's utilization_
I would not recommend increasing City costs by hiring additional staff at this time, rather I would encourage consideration of re-establishing a volunteer Board and active volunteer management team that can bring accounting,fundraising, grant writing, and property management expertise to the equation of managing this beautiful asset for the community, and then setting evaluation of progress and success annually to reevaluate if these management endeavors can lead to greater success in raising the necessary funds to maintain this property, not as a fenced in white elephant, but as a wonderful asset to the community as Mr. Chapman envisioned.
The more people get to participate, access, and enjoy this property,they more likely they are to contribute to fundraising to keep it available for the public and the non-profits that have
used it for many years for their annual fundraising events.
Thank you for your consideration of this feedback(and yes I would volunteer to help).
Zak" Z), �Cwa
Shell Beach Resident
(Esparto)