Burlington City Arts Board of Directors — Burlington, VT
Date: 2026-03-09
Time: 12:00

Burlington City Arts Executive Committee Meeting
 March 9, 2026
 Monday, March 9, 2026, 12:00 PM


https://zoom.us/j/95234456037?pwd=T3ZySjdqUDlOTk5DbS9DVDNlaVRxUT09


1. Approve Agenda & Minutes
 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda
 1.2. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes

2. Public Forum

3. Set agenda for March 17 Board of Directors Meeting

4. Capital Campaign Update

5. 405 Update

6. Development Plan

7. Adjournment
 7.1. Motion to Adjourn




 Page 1 of 2
 BCA Board of Directors Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
 Monday February 9, 2026
Present: Lori Rowe, Sarah Rogers, Hannah Lebel, Michelle Buswell, Sara Katz, Laura
McDonough, Billi Gosh, Doreen Kraft

Sarah Rogers called the meeting to order at 2:37
Approval of Minutes
 • The approval of minutes were put off until the next regular meeting of the executive
 committee.

Public Forum
 No one from the public present.

Executive Session
Sarah entertained a motion to go into executive session based on the finding that premature
general public knowledge would place the body at a substantial disadvantage according to 1
V.S.A. § 313(a)(1)(B).
Lori made a motion. Hannah seconded.
The board came out of executive session at 3:30.
Lori made a motion to adjourn. Billi seconded.




 Page 2 of 2

BCA Board of Directors Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
 Monday March 9, 2026
Present: Sarah Rogers, Billi Gosh, Michelle Buswell, Laura McDonough, Lori Rowe, Hannah Lebel,
Rachel Zellem
Absent: Doreen Kraft

Call to order:
 • At 12:04 Laura moved to call the meeting to order, Billi seconded. All were in favor.

1. Approve Agenda & Minutes:
Minutes Approval
 • The committee discovered that minutes from both January 12th and February 9th had not been
 formally approved. Both sets of minutes were circulated during the meeting for review
 • Minutes from both meetings were approved by motion (Lori moved, Billi seconded)
Agenda Approval
 • Meeting agenda was approved (Laura moved, Billi seconded)



2. Public Forum
 No public attendees present for comment

3. Set Agenda for 3/17 Board of Directors Meeting
The committee established the following agenda structure for the upcoming board meeting:

 • Financial Update (Michelle & Sara)
 o Statement available through end of January (February data not ready in time)
 o Budget impact discussion following tax approval
 o 10% budget cut potentially required - details pending department heads meeting

 • Fundraising Update (Billi & Sara)
 o Billi & Sara will share progress toward fundraising targets
 o Sara will share an update on development function reorganization following Joyce's
 departure & future plans for Director of Philanthropy position
 o Rachel to share update on corporate sponsorship and potential for board support
  • Community Room Presentation (Zach and Elena)
 o Usage statistics (who has used the room to date)
 o Future bookings and pipeline
 o Talking points, marketing materials, and resources available for board members
 o Pricing structure with tiers and rate ranges
 o Call to action for board involvement in promotion

  • Sustainability (Sara)
 o Broader philosophical and logistical discussion about BCA's long-term sustainability
 o Budget planning and resource allocation

4. Capital Campaign Update
  No major changes. We received a $200k commitment from Pomerleau Family Foundation. Pledge
  schedule is uncertain.
  Our fundraising focus right now is operations, but we don’t want to signal that the campaign is
  paused. Doreen is leading these conversations.

5. 405 Update
  • BCA must sell the northern half of 405 Pine Street by December 31, 2026 to repay the $2 million
 New Market Tax Credit Loan through Mascoma Bank
  • Michael Metz leading efforts to find a nonprofit buyer. He has conducted tours with interested
 nonprofit organizations, but the nonprofit market is challenging – it’s difficult for organizations to
 find $2 million in current environment
  • No broker engaged yet
  • Critical constraint: BCA Foundation cannot finance the building - must be paid in full
  • Michael Metz working with BCA Foundation Finance Committee to clarify post-sale operating
 expenses for southern portion
  • Financial projections show very tight margins - minimal surplus after covering southern building
 operations
  • This financial pressure emphasizes need for increased community room revenue and other earned
 income

  Adjourn:
 • At 12:52 Billi moved to adjourn, Lori seconded. All were in favor.