Mateel Will Soon Seek Input From Its Membership
Mateel board members, Babette Bach, Nate Miller, Megan Gomes, Dusty Hughston, and Bruce Champee, pictured as the board works through a difficult time for the non-profit. [Photo by Kelley Lincoln]
The Board of Directors had attended a board training in January preparing the newest Board Members to take their seats at the table this past Tuesday, February 19th. The current Board Members are Pleasure Strange, Babette Bach, Nate Miller, Megan Gomes, Dusty Hughston, “Digital Dan” Lawrence, Stephen Helliwell and Eryn Snodgrass. Helliwell and Snodgrass were not present this month.
Members of the Community Center will soon receive a letter asking for their thoughts on the update of the Mission Statement. Dusty Hughston said the statement was updated when he first joined the Board about five years ago.
Mateel Community Center’s Mission Statement
Despite the Mateel’s long-standing reputation as a venue for a wide variety of community and world renowned performance art, and its 40 year history of holding both summer and winter arts fairs, Hughston says the phrase “emphasizing the performing and visual arts” was added a few years ago to position the Mateel for a grant opportunity.
Getting more to the heart of the matter, Board President Megan Gomes explained,
When I was a volunteer, I came to shows and appreciated the production aspects…the Mateel offered. And it’s also what I remember from the community centers I had when I was younger. But it doesn’t serve us as a community center. It use to [give] us financial security to serve the community. It no longer does. With the shifts in the community and the economy, it’s good that we shift our Mission Statement so we can better serve our community.
Megan went on to say,
The survey [sent] out [about] a year and a half ago asked things like ‘what festival did you last attend?’ I don’t think we should be asking ‘What did you last pay to come to at your community center?’ That’s missing a point.
The Board sees the current Vision statement as strong and reflective of its current thinking. The Board determined to get suggestions from the membership on their vision of the Mission of the Mateel as the cultural tide changes.
The Board spent a lot of time describing a kid and family friendly vision of the Mateel. Hughston said the Community Center in his childhood neighborhood was open all the time and kids could come in and hang out with friends and use the center.
Tiphane Baptiste volunteered to coordinate and host an after school opportunity for school aged kids once a week on “early out Wednesdays.” The vision included kitchen activities with a focus on home economics and nutrition as well as foosball and physical activity. Hours would be from 2 to 5 pm
Board Member Bruce Champee said he will continue to host the Building and Grounds events on Wednesdays, so kids’ parents also have a convenient way to also be involved with the Mateel.
The Board was asked by an attendee about the status of their loan application. Finance Committee Member and new Board Member Nate Miller said the Committee has completed its list of all the Mateel’s debtors and the Committee is now working on “a narrative” of how the debt arose, what went wrong to cause the issue, what the Board has accomplished thus far toward resolving the matter and what its plans are for the future.
Board Members informally discussed the pros and cons of “encumbering the building” in a loan to consolidate the Mateel’s debts. Dusty Hughston acknowledged that some members have expressed concern about the added expense of paying interest on a loan, but he also said that when surprises pop up, like the Sysco issue last year, Board Members end up “putting in $5,000 at time.” Hughston said it raises “conflict of interest” concerns. Digital Dan added that the “optics” of a single loan payment will be much cleaner as the Community Center moves forward.
The tax debts remain outstanding, and as previously reported, those debts will snowball with fees and interest from the State of California.
In the meantime, the Board puts one foot in front of the other, and the summer shows are moving forward. The Board discussed the sponsors, artists, performers and coordination of the Summer Arts and Music Festival. Tanya Malley is working with the sponsors again this year. And the Board is currently working with their previous Reggae Parking Coordinator Shiloh Cory-Baker as this year’s Festival Coordinator for the Summer Arts Festival.
Board President Megan Gomes said Shiloh will be reaching out to “all past and current coordinators” to request their participation at this year’s Summer Arts Festival.
Reggae on the River plans for 2019 are moving forward. The Board and County and State agencies such as Humboldt County Planning, the Sheriff’s Department, CHP, and CalTrans held their annual meeting with members of the Piercy community in January. A High Times Production representative attended via an internet connection. The Board said agency representatives expressed satisfaction with the Mateel and High Times responses and plans to address community concerns.
Boardmember Babette Bach described the meeting as being “overall positive.”
Bruce Champee noted, “All the officials were there. We got some direct responses from CalTrans and CalFire.”
Hughston said he felt the Conditional Use Permit addressed all the concerns brought forward, and that he feels planning staff are satisfied as well.
The Board voted to discontinue all @mateel.org e-mail accounts for any past employees, board members and volunteers, who do not have current roles with the Mateel. The board believes a past affiliate has sent emails aimed at undermining the Mateel’s relationship with the community.
Board Member Hughston said an attorney has advised them to discontinue e-mail accounts not needed for current official business. And that current employees and board members should only use their @mateel.org addresses for Mateel business to establish clear boundaries.
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?Thank you Kelley that was really informative and thanks for the link.
If the Mateel board wants to broaden their membership base, they should allow anyone to submit input. There are many in the community who no longer are involved, because we are burnt out volunteers. We gave and gave while watching a handful of self-serving individuals use the Mateel to promote and benefit their own agenda. This has gone on for decades. If you really care about the community, bring back the Mateel Meal and feed those who are hungry and have supported you. Many of our local homeless have been your faithful volunteers. Open your door when folks are freezing with no where to go. This is building community.
Real change comes from the bottom up not the top down I asked for a cup of water but I am only thirsty for the truth I asked for a plate of food I am only Hungry For a Moment you are what you give away and if you give yourself away you become many in abundance
Get down low LOL yes the floor is really important for all of us to walk on
“Hughston said he felt the Conditional Use Permit addressed all the concerns brought forward, and that he feels planning staff are satisfied as well.”
Are you saying the County (planning staff) are all on-board with all the unpermitted activities and attractions that were not included in the “Conditional Use Permit” or the approved Plan of Operation for Reggae on the River 2018? i.e. addition of more than 15 commercial food vendors and food trucks in unapproved locations, using 7 unapproved commercial 20 to 40 kW generators onsite at different locations, including the river bar, unapproved onsite refueling of all gas or diesel generators used by food vendors and attractions, unapproved South Beach Stage and Bar located on the river bar with amplified music until 4 am, serving and the sale of alcohol onsite not included in the ABC permit location on the river bar, changing and adding potable waterlines and waste water lines to unapproved locations for food vendors, no ADA access to the stage and permitted buildings or unapproved use of 55 tons of chemical dust suppressant called Dust Off!
The MCC was created by a black market underground economy community and the current MCC Board is still operating the MCC as if nothing has changed…
But the floor, think of the floor.
I predict that the mateel was done two years ago and what’s left will be done in two more came from the dust and we’ll go back into the Dust many will not walk on that floor ever again
Let’s go back to the Law of Attraction:
Stay positive, be honest, ethical, and focus on service. Good things will come to the Mateel!
I am glad to see the Board evolving, and my advice would be to abandon the Reggae festival entirely and manage what you have with care. Feed the needs of the community and worry less about commercial productions. Fundraise responsibly, sponsor wholesome activities, and grow the Mateel organically.
Rock and roll shows had their day, and the Mateel Center is not Winterland, you are not Billy Graham! Good music will be attended, wholesome activities for families will benefit, and feeding the needy is appropriate. Sponsor community picnics and crafts shows. Be safe, be good, best of luck working out the chaos that was left to you!
I predict that the Mateel can be saved.
Will they be making the “narrative” public?
How come KMUD never reported on the “annual meeting with members of the Piercy community in January”? Not one word. It was my understanding there was a complaint about the all night and morning after parties past the music cut-off and people could hear the after party music 6 miles away. I guess the MCC didn’t want to disclose that information? Did you ever pay the CHP? As of the Piercy meeting, they had not been paid.
The board believes a past affiliate has sent emails aimed at undermining the Mateel’s relationship with the community.
What does that mean? Can you give an example?
Board Member Hughston said an attorney has advised them to discontinue e-mail accounts not needed for current official business.
And who was the attorney representing, High Times or the MCC?
It would seem someone has a damage control problem and the MCC wants to cover it up, just like what happens at Reggae on the River…
Great contribution @ The Entropic Empath as those are my thoughts and feelings exactly. We have an opportunity to redevelop the Mateel into what everyone wants it to be.
And what about the water testing from the South Fork Eel during Reggae? It was required the river be sampled and tested twice a day (morning and afternoon) above and below the event site, every day of the event. Any reason this was not completed?
The language in the permit states:
“The 2018 River Water-Monitoring Program will be the same as in previous years. Water quality samples will be collected from the upstream and downstream property lines before and after the event as well as each day the concert event is occurring. During the event, water quality samples will be collected from the
upstream and downstream property lines in the morning and afternoon by a qualified professional. Water-quality constituents will include bacteria, turbidity, and temperature. All water samples will be transported to an accredited laboratory for testing under a chain-of-custody and analyzed in accordance with EPA Standards. Tabulated results will be submitted to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.”
“The River Water-Monitoring Program will perform environmental sampling to monitor the water quality of the South Fork Eel River before, during, and after the concert event. Results of 2018 River Water-Monitoring Program shall be reported to the Regional Water Board annually by December 1st, through 2023. Reports shall summarize data collected and presented in tabulated format including any mitigation measures necessary to address identified water quality concerns. Water quality monitoring results from previous concert events shall be provided to our office. The reports shall be submitted to the following email address: [email protected].”
And what about the South Beach and Center Beach after parties down on the river bar @ Reggae, sponsored by the MCC! These attractions were advertised by the MCC, High Times and Future Productions (Eryn Snodgrass) and serving alcohol without a permit!
Its too bad and sad the MCC has never included protections for the South Fork Eel River and wildlife habitat in its values and mission statement; since the MCC continues to benefit and lease events on the South Fork Eel, which directly and indirectly effect the water quality and wildlife habitat of the South Fork Eel watershed, of which its name, in part, is included. When was the last time the MATEEL ever gave back to the South Fork Eel River community of wildlife habitat?
Ed Voice- Thank you! I appreciate that you keep driving home these points about the treatment of our river and its wildlife. They live there! In my opinion- formed in the years between Rock-n- Reggae and now- Reggae has become an environmental disaster and a tragic sell-out for $$$. Talk about Babylon!!
They would not listen they’re not listening now perhaps they never will
The MCC does not represent the whole community, which includes the community of wildlife and aquatic habitat in the South Fork Eel watershed. Let me ask you, could they get away with Reggae on the Mattole River? Hell No! Could the MCC get away with dumping over 40,000 gallons of raw septic wastewater into leach fields next to the Mattole River as they do at Reggae into the SFER? Hell NO!
For a culture that likes to beat their chest about permaculture, living in harmony with nature and are water neutral; actions speak louder than words! “Do as I say, not as I do” should be the MCC vision and mission statement.