AUBURN’S HISTORIC & CULTURAL SITES COMMISSION
Meeting minutes from December 5, 2007
Present: D. Stankus, M. Alberici, B. M. Lewis, C. Tallcot (Downtown Auburn B.I.D.), D. Lamb, S. Harris and J. Kline
Excused/Absent: K. Walker, E. McHugh, S. Tucker, J. McCormick, P. Wisbey, Rev. Carter, P.C. Johnson, B. Anderson,
D. Dempsey, B. Barrett and M. Vanek
I. Approval of the Minutes
D. Lamb read the Commission’s mission and vision statements. D. Stankus made a motion to accept the 10/3/07 minutes, seconded by B.M. Lewis. All were in favor and the motion carried.
Committee Reports
II. Planning & Development Committee
D. Lamb said the Site Directors had not met; nothing new to report. M. Alberici said Jeff Alberici will give a presentation on the “Lessons on Auburn” middle school project at the February ’08 meeting. He hoped all the lesson plans would be in by then, and the promotional DVDs would be ready. He has mapped out the ’08 program, which will focus on the high school curriculum. J. Alberici said he plans to have another 10 plans drafted for this age groups as well. The format would be similar to this year’s program, and they could be packaged the same as well.
III. Marketing Committee
J. Kline said Coburn Design is redesigning the Commission brochure and we need quality images of the sites with people in them. She asked that site directors take photos at the upcoming Holiday Open House. The group present discussed the new cover, which will retire the old montage that has been used for many years. The new version will add an image from the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center. A quilt composition or a patchwork grouping of photos was discussed as a possible layout. The inside will feature a large-scale map, and the amount of copy will be downsized significantly. Please get in touch with J. Kline if you have any other ideas or images to contribute.
J. Kline passed out copies of the monthly report showing inquiry numbers since the last meeting. Numbers have decreased from last month, since the County server was down in November for many weeks. Year-to-date inquiries are 10,981.
J. Kline said things are progressing on optimizing the Commission website. J. Kline is working with WinderUp, a company that offers website optimization packages to increase traffic. In the packet is a copy of their first report. Key words that represent a typical user’s search for Auburn’s attractions were tested in various search engines to see where our website popped up. We didn’t even rank on the first few result pages, so we have a lot of work to do. J. Kline will have another report at the next meeting. Ultimately, changes will be made to our website copy, keywords, tags, etc. WinderUp will also be submitting our site to 40+ US-based search engines and tourism directories.
IV. Community Outreach Committee
M. Alberici said “Passport to History” will start February 1st this year to give students more time to complete the program. It will run through May. Sites will need to pick up their passports at the Chapel. M. Alberici said she would like some help making the school presentations. Potential volunteers were Stephanie Schuster from SMAC and C. Tallcot from Downtown Auburn BID. M. Alberici will follow-up with them soon.
J. Kline said everything is order for Holiday Traditions. The press release and fliers have gone out, the banner is up on Genesee Street and various ads have been placed in Life in the Finger Lakes, the Post-Standard, Skaneateles Dickens’s Program, the Holiday Lights Program, Syracuse New Times, The Citizen and Skaneateles Journal. Articles about the event have run as well. Attendance is dependent on the weather now. (This is the last year for the Holiday Traditions banner, as it is in serious disrepair.)
V. Other Business
J. Kline passed out the Treasurer’s Report and reviewed expenses incurred since the last meeting. D. Lamb made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as submitted, seconded by C. Tallcot. All were in favor and the motion carried.
D. Lamb said Stars Magazine positively reviewed their exhibit “Quilts=Art=Quilts.” Information about the show also ran in Quilter’s Newsletter, a national publication. Schweinfurth is hosting a NYS quilter’s meeting, and they expect lots of overnight guests from different states and even Japan. At the end of February, Schweinfurth is hosting a Leap Year fundraiser.
K. Walker said they have secured all the money needed to finish all the window restorations and work will also start soon on the conference room. Chef’s Night is happening Feb. 7th get your tickets before they sell out. On October 4th CPC is planning a house tour around Hoopes Park, and the Arts Council is going to have artwork on display in the park. Food will be available.
E. McHugh said work will begin on restoring the Carriage House with money received from a NYS Preservation grant and a large bequest from Ruth Carpenter. (Schweinfurth also got a bequest from her as well.)
Unfortunately, Cayuga County Arts Council applied for a Preservation grant as well, but it wasn’t awarded. S. Harris is hoping to have more luck with her Restore NY application, which will help finance work on the Schines’ Theater lobby, marquee and façade. She will know in January.
C. Tallcot said the BID parade was a big success, with lots of side events. They will build on the excitement in planning next year’s, and continue to add new programs.
M. Alberici said we need a Council representative to replace David Dempsey. She approached Gilda Brower, who has agreed. J. Kline will invite her, and the new mayor to the next meeting in February.
M. Alberici said L. Leary has left the Auburn Enlarged City School District, so we need to think about her replacement.
The next Commission meeting is set for February 13th at 3:30PM.
The Commission adjourned at 5:05PM.
Recorded by Jesse Kline
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