Committee forwards club-space expansion recommendation and related capital requests, including $30,000 for Clay Club planning

Casey Huda, charter clubs manager, presented the working-group findings on expansion requests from the Clay Club and the Glass Fusing & Enameling Club and described staff and committee consensus on next steps.

Casey said a working group that included representatives from the clubs, Properties and Budget & Finance committees, and staff (including General Manager Steven Erno, Capital Improvement Manager Carl Wilhelm, Maintenance Manager Russ Boston and IT Director Kyle Hockman) met with about 18 participants to study the requests. The group concluded by majority consensus that both the Clay Club and Glass Fusing & Enameling should be considered for expansion but that Photography West should be relocated rather than disbanded. Computers West was excluded from the expansion study.

"Clay club and glass fusing and enameling had a majority consensus from the group tasked with this study that both clubs need an expansion," Casey said. She explained that this is a future project and staff was asked to identify potential locations and accommodations; immediate structural changes were not planned.

The working-group report cited space constraints and safety concerns: Clay Club has limited space for glazing, drying and wheels and a cited shortage of kiln capacity; Glass Fusing operates across two small rooms and raised safety concerns when moving hot or sharp glass between spaces. Maintenance staff were assigned to evaluate compliance and safety standards for glass work and follow up with the club if improvements are required.

Staff and committee members noted budget planning steps: the group recommended keeping $30,000 set aside in the fiscal-year 2025-26 budget for architectural planning related to the Clay Club, Glass Fusing & Enameling, and Photography West. Capital Improvement Manager Carl Wilhelm confirmed the Clay Club $30,000 line and a separate request to regrass two lawn bowling courts are included in the proposed SIP R&R (capital) list; he also said a tennis windscreens project was deferred to a later year.

Several committee members expressed frustration that not all committee members had been included in interim communications; multiple members asked that working-group notes and conclusions be distributed to the full committee after such meetings. Denise and others said they felt left out of earlier discussions; staff said they would circulate the attendees and the report.

Director Chattin asked for committee consensus to move the recommendations and capital items to the governing board workshop; members raised their hands in favor and none opposed, so the committee forwarded the package to the governing board for a final decision and scheduling.

Next steps specified in the meeting: staff to continue operational planning, search for alternate space for Photography West (rentable or on-property), evaluate kilns and other interim accommodations for Clay Club, and report back to the committee and governing board with proposed plans and timelines.