Meeting House Management Committee Agenda 2026-03-02
Monday 2 March, 5.15 p.m., in 7 Victoria Terrace

* Attendance: JP Ascher, Rachael Fitzgerald, Emma Lawrence, Katrina
  McCrea (via Zoom), Laragh Quinney, Henry S. Thompson (HST),
  Andy Tucker

  Prevented: Chris Jardine, Duncan Wallace, Sammi Searle

* Matters Arising

  * YFGM
    *Action* on HST: Ask YFGM for feedback about other venues
    *Done*, no reply as yet.

* Managers' report

  * Fringe update

  * Charity Rate Monday

    Giving it a try

  * Website refresh

  * Heating Survey

    LUPS (sp) report expected

    Mini-heat pump/aircon?

    St. Augs are looking at similar

  * Full-building wiring survey

    EICR 5-year recommendation, we've been doing it, St. Augs ditto
    Agreed, after quote review

  * More thorough lift report

    Go ahead

* Financial Report

  Slides attached as circulated

  Very helpful, could we add comparison with last year overall

* Works to be undertaken: Bow Room

  * Asbestos

    Whole bldg General Mgt survey is out-of-date, needs to be done

    Refurb in the Bow Room and corridor [ref. accessibiity]
    and a few other floor/ceilings
     
    EG very positive for wrt least expensive quote: 942 [both tasks]
    Most expensive also most clued-up: 1200

    Over to Andy

* Central Edinburgh Sunday fee

  AM Treasurer has asked if we plan to change this. It's currently
  £600.  Has been done since 2023 (£512).  So maybe £600.

  Need to know when/how much was last increase before deciding, and
   the Quaker rate idea has been agreed   *Action HST*

* Staff escalation route if they need backup

  The Minutes on this item from 2025-10-20 say:

   Trustees asked us:

    "we need ... an assurance from [MHMC] that staff have an
   escalation route whenever they need backup. ... We are happy for
   trustees to be on a reserve backup list in case no-one from MHMC
   is available."

  All we have at the moment is an informal phone tree: MHM -MHMC via
  HST -Trustees via Martin Ward

  What SCALP gave us was more in the direction of how to behave
  towards the police in a less than full-cooperation way.  But was not
  really quite what we expected/hoped for for _building staff_.

  De-escalation training!  RF to let us know more about this.

  -------

  Staff have a plan they are happy with: Manager contact in TeamUp,
  fallback to c'ttee via phone list (on wall)
  *Action Andy*

* Policy/procedures for early booking arrivals
  
  What is the policy wrt Friends opening the front door when they are
  in the Foyer, there are no staff present and someone knocks or
  rings?

  This may arise if for example someone with a booking arrives more
  than 15 minutes early, a tourist wants to ask questions or look for
  Major Weir...

  This is clearly complicated, and begs the question of how a Friend
  or Friends may come to be in the Foyer without staff.

  This interacts with the "be a welcoming place for SESAM" goal.

  Jonathan Riddell has complained about not being allowed in, naming
  Ken.

  The problem is only in general outside M-F 9-5.  Outside that time
   if the outer door is locked, it will only be opened for events 15
   minutes before a booking.

  After MfW on Sunday if there is an event.

  To be shared with LM once cleaned up.

  *Action Andy* to send guidelines to Katrina and HST, HST to tidy and
   send to LM Clerks

* Sale of Alcohol

  It might be time to test this question with AM, against a background
  of a shift in attitude towards the consumption of alcohol in
  moderation, when the whole of 7VT is being let, and consumption is
  part of having a drink with a show.

* Convenor of MHMC

  HST leaves the Committee on 1 April...

  HST to produce a list of bullet points wrt what the job entails and
send to C'ttee (includes SS and At)

  ?? to convene a meeting of C'ttee (not SS and  to discuss this and how if necessary the
    role could be split

* Date of next meeting

  We need to do a reset on what everyone's blackout days are...

* AOB

* Time without staff