HCMI Board Meeting February 20, 2025
In attendance:
Scott MacPherson, E.D.
Jennifer Myszkowski, President
Carey Baker, Clerk (remote)
Daniel O’Sullivan, Treasurer
Ismary Santiago (remote)
Gloria Caballero
Jayne Melendez
Not in attendance:
Keishia Archeval
Vinnie Bonilla
Mike Hines
Carolyn Rogers-Harris, R.I.P.
Call to order: 6:35pm
Accept prior meeting minutes – January 23, 2025
- Motion to accept prior meeting minutes Dan
- Second: Ismary
- Vote is unanimous, the motion carries.
- The studio is experiencing increased activity with three youth programs currently running and a fourth expected soon. In-studio productions are rising, and the event schedule is set to ramp up from March, reaching full capacity in April, May, and June.
- Regarding the Event Manager position:
- The starting pay scale should be between $48,307 and $50,241, based on the organization’s pay equity philosophy.
- This range accounts for annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) since 2017 and maintains a ratio where the lowest full-time salary is at least 67% of the highest.
- Additional updates:
- An MOU with the Council on Aging secures $75,000 for Digital Navigators, extending the position by 4 months.
- The 2025 budget has been updated with two significant changes:
- Decreased insurance line due to staff changes
- Added $400 to contract labor for bookkeeping services
- Western Mass Arts Hub is likely to become a fiscally sponsored project, with potential for future collaboration.
- Three channels are now online:
- Channel 12: Educational content (school department)
- Channel 15: Government programming
- Channel 23: Public programming and Spanish language meeting content.
- HD simulcasts are available for channels 12 and 15 (1072 and 1075). Channel 23 will be added soon.
- Some transmission issues with new encoders are being addressed by cable provider engineers.
- After stabilization, the three channels will run in parallel before removing analog broadcasts. Marketing efforts will be needed to inform subscribers about the channel number changes.
Old Business
- Review 2025 committee assignments
- Marketing/Development Committee:
- Marketing update
- Ticketing – recouping funds
- Membership update
- Newsletter and linking our news and events to it
- Presence of Board at events in our space
- Grants and other fundraising
- Sponsorship
- Update board page
- Facility & Technology Committee:
- Check-in on sign repair
- Replacing BoxCast for video hosting
- Building Insurance
- Egress from the studio during shows, people on ramp, etc.
- Cornice repair and other improvements
- Personnel Committee
- Current staff check-in
- Managing the event space
- Diversity:
- Establishment of youth advisory committee
- Diversity statement update
- Latest anti-racism consultant actions
- Finance Committee:
- Update re: MOU with the city
- Budget update
- Editorial Committee:
- Editorial requests
New business
- Evaluating financial relationships
- Bookkeeper
Motion to Adjourn
- Motion to adjourn Gloria
- Second Ismary
- Vote is unanimous, the motion carries.
Adjourn 7:58 PM