COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Coming together to make the SCCC thrive!

Meeting: September 11, 2024

Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
September 11, 2024 Community Meeting Summary

On September 11, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center (SCCC) conducted a community meeting (following up on a prior meeting) to provide information and solicit ideas on strengthening and expanding its activities. All Board members, the Acting Executive Director, and two SCCC staff persons were present. Four members of the community attended. Given the low attendance, the group formed a circle and discussed ideas.

Below is a summary of comments made:

• There should be a youth programming committee. Board members agreed, and such a committee was formed.
• Need to get young people more involved–but how?  What kinds of music, classes, etc. are desired by younger persons?
• SCCC should reach out on social media.  Staff noted SCCC uses Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Nextdoor and seeks to have its events listed by the Press Democrat and other print media. 
• Young people may be turning away from social media as a means to find things to do. Flyers and posters may be more effective.
• Consider planning more ‘school assembly’ type music/cultural events in partnership with schools.  Note that such events don’t pay for themselves–underwriting or grants are needed, but there is community interest in supporting such events.  The group concurred that this was worthy of specific consideration.  
• A wider geographic reach is also needed. How to pay for more mailers, etc?
• There is a lot more competition for music events and classes than there used to be. 
• The Community Center should foster events that create fellowship.
• Physical facilities should have more ambiance, comfort.
• At concerts, the bar should be in the room, not in the kitchen.
• An attendee volunteered to be a lead on volunteer coordination, provided she gets some help.  The Board accepted her offer.
• The existing signs posted on Hwy. 12 at the town entry should be graphically improved, and be bigger.
• Would the City be open to a community electronic bulletin board sign that announced community non-profit events, City meetings, etc?
•  There should be collaboration between SCCC and the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.  Staff noted that is happening.
• Should SCCC consider a theater program?  Several Board members said SCCC facilities did not lend themselves to a theater program, but classes were always a possibility.
• SCCC should not spread itself too thin or try to do too much–stay focussed on what it’s good at.
• Consider talent shows.  Staff noted such a show is planned.
• Consider a women’s comedy night.  A Board member stated she is working on this.
• Consider a Native American comedy night.  A non-profit in Moraga has had this type of event.
• Consider a poetry slam.
• Consider giving people a choice on how much to pay for concerts–some people may give more than you expect.
• Consider electronic music.  The group was in consensus to pursue this music category and staff will be working on a concept.
• Consider collaborating with the Lost Church on a fundraiser for them.
• Be careful not to give away resources, or conduct events that lose money. SCCC cannot afford to do this.  
• Note that when there are two acts at a concert and an intermission, beverage and food sales will be higher.
• Need more canvassing–posters, flyers distributed.

Board members and staff thanked attendees. The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

Meeting: July 18, 2024

Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
July 18, 2024 Community Meeting Summary

On July 18, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center (SCCC) conducted a community meeting to provide information and solicit ideas on strengthening and expanding its activities.  Most SCCC staff and Board members were present.  Acting Executive Director Tanya Sierra led the meeting.  

Tanya Sierra opened the meeting, introducing SCCC staff and Board members attending the meeting.  She then provided a presentation of ‘how we got here’ summarizing the history of SCCC, the many classes, events, and services offered, the challenges faced by the organization, and actions taken to address these challenges including cost-cutting and revenue enhancement.  She also noted the City Council’s recent approval of six months of limited SCCC funding support.

Below is a summary of comments made by members of the public. It should be noted that some individuals spoke multiple times.  

• People I have spoken with are shocked at SCCC’s situation–they didn’t know the state of things.  How to better connect and inform?  More canvassing?  Announcements at City Council meetings? What else to improve communication with the community?
• Thank you SCCC!  When El Molino High School closed, many people were surprised and unaware. Communication is key.  Closure of El Mo is having major community impact, as would closure of SCCC. 
• Don’t be alarmist.  Rumors of closure could cause people to cancel events, lose confidence.  Be careful how you communicate about SCCC’s situation.  
• Thank you SCCC. Peacetown is one place to announce SCCC events, I am sure Jim Corbett would support.  Need to be energetic, have signs, do table, everything.  Ask everybody for support including financial.
• Who is in charge of booking entertainment?  Get knowledgeable people in the community to help.  Create a network of people who identify needs and make connections to expand classes, events, concerts.  Use volunteers. SCCC has a great facility.
• I teach classes at SCCC. What she has heard from some attendees, especially young people, is that the venue is not pretty or exciting, and that when younger people have attended events, they feel like they are in the minority in an audience of older people.  Should privatization be considered to inject more resources?
• This used to be a performing arts center-would love for that to return.  Celtic Festival was great.  Should SCCC partner with HopMonk or other promoters?  Classes need to continue.  There is tons of local musical talent.  She is willing to donate more if there’s more performing arts and events/programs for kids.
• I was an instructor at SCCC, and former ED Kim Caruso helped her fundraise.  Some new families with kids are coming into the community and SCCC has an opportunity to serve them, and should liaison with schools.
• I am a dance instructor and have hosted classes at the Youth Annex for years.  Should use social media to get the message out, such as reels of class highlights.
• Talk with local PR person Holly Hanson. She has her finger on the pulse of the community, works for a number of local businesses and knows how to reach people.
• I am the coordinator of the Time Bank-SCCC is our fiscal sponsor.  I have talked with Tanya and Cynthia regarding how to use Time Bank volunteers at SCCC.  There needs to be organization of nonprofits in Sebastopol to collaborate/help each other.  
• I am the ED of the Sebastopol Senior Center.  Agree with the idea of local non-profit collaboration. Agree that musical arts are important.  There is also a growing LGBT older population, as well as a younger group of LGBT persons who have needs; hope to collaborate on ideas for serving them.
• Grants are key, there are many grant pools to tap into.  Also media–radio, press, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Nextdoor.  Need to alert more people.
• Don’t think we are engaging the Hispanic community enough.  LBC’s mariachi classes are a successful example of the kinds of things we should be doing to engage/serve.
• Concerned about alarmism–rumors of closure may diminish support, causing people to schedule their events elsewhere.  Be careful how you communicate.  
• SCCC’s Instagram feed is very good.  Want more bluegrass music at SCCC. 
• Use Nextdoor, Gofundme. Have more bluegrass music.  
• Do you have anybody young here helping with music programming?  
• This place is beautiful, and I recognize that major improvements are not probably going to occur due to floodplain issues, but there are smaller things that can be done to improve the place.
• How well known is the Main Hall’s kitchen facility?  
• Have a monthly sock hop dance to draw in the community and have some fun.
• Like the comments about performing arts, including theater.  How about a ‘Sebastopol’s Got Talent’ event?
• When are board meetings?  Can the public attend?
• Pursue grants, find people who are experts at finding.
• Am ED of Sebastopol Center for the Arts (SCA).  We went through something similar to what SCCC is going through now–it’s very hard.  SCCC is a beloved organization.  She thinks SCCC and SCA can collaborate, and more broadly, Sebastopol can increase vibrancy and vitality, promote tourism through focussing on a community arts identity.
• Build annual events for predictability/engagement.
• Regarding the use of volunteers, she has experience at SCCC, and it can be challenging to find reliable/capable volunteers.  Maybe local nonprofits can collaborate on sharing volunteer lists.
• There is a missing opportunity to collaborate with the High School, some students have to volunteer for academic credit.  She’d be willing to work on that.  
• Like the ‘artistic hub’ idea, as well as more annual events–make the events/place special.
• Colors of this room are dismal, not inviting or exciting. Boring. Raise the vibrations, add color.  Send a message of abundance. We are a community with a lot of resources.
• Consider painting a big mural done by young artists.
• Skate park graffiti wall is a possible example of community talent and artistic expression.
• She is on SCA’s music committee and involved with a number of volunteer projects.  Collaboration and coordination is not easy. We have an excess of organizations, a history of siloing, and inequities in funding.  This community is going through a massive shift.  We need to figure out how to get people to listen and work together.  
• Work with the Sonoma County Volunteer Center.
• Like the mural idea.  Have more hip hop music events.
• Explore collaboration with Soft Medicine here in town.

In the course of community comments, SCCC board members and staff provided information on several issues:

• We don’t just need ideas, we need volunteers, and we need financial donations.
• SCCC is sensitive to communication issues about our situation; we don’t want to alarm people, but do want to inform and get input on how to attract more people to our classes and events.
• We do have a budget that provides for continued operations through 2024, and are working hard on raising revenue and controlling costs.
• Advertising is very expensive–how to reach the most people at a reasonable cost is a challenge.
• We do have younger people involved in music programming.
• SCCC is committed to any new  improvements being removable or flood-proof.
• The kitchen is a ‘warming’ kitchen under Health Department rules.
• If anyone knows wineries, bakeries, restaurants who could donate their goods for events, that would be very helpful.
• We also welcome business sponsors for events and programs.
• SCCC staff have tried to work with the High School but there has been minimal interest from the school or students.  
• We welcome volunteers to help produce special events such as a talent show.
• The public can attend our board meetings.
• We have had some major events with outstanding well-known artists, and yet not always great attendance.  How to get people to attend?
• We need more people on the Board.
• We need people who can help fundraise.
• Don’t have to be on the Board to help.

Tanya Sierra thanked everyone for attending, and said there would be a follow-up meeting in the future to update the community.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. 

Related documents:

Handout & Accompanying Powerpoint Presentation

Facility Improvement Needs

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