Minutes of June 5, 2019 Board Meeting Leslie 8:30 – 8:35

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AGENDA October 16, 2019 8:30am – 10:30am

Minutes of June 5, 2019 Board meeting Leslie 8:30 – 8:35

Governance Committee Report Kate 8:35 – 8:45 VOTE Council nominations Conflict of Interest

Treasurer’s Report Bill 8:45 – 8:55

Board/Staff Strategic Retreat Valerie 8:55 – 9:10

Advocacy Leslie, Liz, Valerie 9:10 – 9:25 Freedom Rally King Boston Park Safety

Questions/Comments on Reports Leslie 9:25 – 9:55 Three Parks, Director’s, Development, Communications & Outreach, Brewer

50th Anniversary Leslie, Liz 9:55 – 10:25 Projects, Funding, PR VOTE Art Installation project

Other Business Leslie 10:25 – 10:30

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Board of Directors Meetings Events Board/Staff Strategic Retreat October 24 1:00pm Board 50th Anniversary December 11, 2019 8:30am Kick-off Reception November 14 February 5, 2020 8:30am Winter Party December 13 at 6:00pm April 2, 2020 4:00pm Annual Meeting April 2, 2020 at 5:30pm June 3, 2020 4:00pm Board & Council Dinner June 3, 2020 at 5:30pm October 14, 2020 8:30am December 9, 2020 8:30am

FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting June 5, 2019

The Board of Directors of the Friends of the Public Garden met at UMass Club, One Beacon Street, Boston on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 4:00pm.

Members present: Mesdames Adam, Bordon, Burns, Cox, Enroth, Hastings, Johnson, Mason, Moore, Nessen, Quinn, Swanson, and Messrs. Albright, Burnes, Clendaniel, Mead, and Zick.

Members absent: Mesdames Achtmeyer, O’Keeffe and Mr. Mead.

Also present were Ms. Vizza, Ms. Halpin, Mr. TenBarge, Ms. Abell, Mr. Mulcahy and Ms. Mercure.

Ms. Adam, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:10pm.

Minutes of the March 28, 2019 Board Meeting Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously

VOTED: to approve the minutes of the March 28, 2019 Board Meeting as presented.

Governance Ms. Enroth welcomed Ms. Hastings to the Board. She then referred to the Governance Report which was circulated prior to the meeting. Per the bylaws, she and the Governance Committee recommended two votes to be taken by the Board.

Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously

VOTED: to elect Mr. Brent Shay to a one-year term AND VOTED: to elect the slate of officers, and the appointment of the assistant treasurer, as presented.

At this time, Mr. Shay joined the meeting and was welcomed to the Board.

Treasurer’s Report Mr. Clendaniel referred to the Treasurer’s Report for Board of Directors Meeting, dated June 6, 2019 which was circulated prior to the meeting. There were no changes or additions to the report and he thanked the Board, the Staff, and the donors for their support in keeping the Friends in such sound financial health. Board/Staff Strategic Retreat Ms. Adam and Ms. Vizza reported that the retreat will take place on October 24, 2019 at 1pm and will be immediately followed by dinner. A subcommittee has been formed to design the event and agenda, and feedback from the Board and other stakeholders will be gathered to help inform their work.

PR Communications Ms. Adam reported that the change to Denterlein has been very positive so far. Ms. Vizza agreed strongly and noted that the new team has been very proactive and engaged. There have been weekly calls and there is planned to be a monthly in-person meeting, as well.

Questions/Comments on Reports Public Garden • Ms. Moore reiterated her concern that the Tool Shed remains in a state of dangerous disrepair. Ms. Adam agreed and noted that the Friends will use the 50th Anniversary to focus a light on the building in hopes that the City will step up to join the Friends, and others, to create a comprehensive plan to address both the condition and possible additional uses for the building. Ms. Vizza reminded the Board that the City did complete a needs assessment for the building and that it will be brought up to date and utilized in any potential design discussions. • Mr. Mulcahy noted that many trees in the Garden are affected by a very common, but destructive, water-borne fungus. While the improved irrigation management will help, it is likely that many trees will need replacing. • Ms. Vizza noted that the interim fencing solution has helped a bit with the rabbits and roses issue but a long-term plan is needed. Boston Common • Ms. Nessen would like all Board members to send either positive or negative feedback about the Common to her. • She noted that the hardscape is in rough shape in many areas. • Many trees in the Common are being directly cared for by the Friends. While some trees continue to need removal, replacement plantings are generally on hold pending the Master Plan. Commonwealth Avenue Mall • Ms. Pokorny noted that 14 trees were removed and replaced this spring. All 14 were sponsored. • The Kenmore block master plan is underway and there are currently three possible scenarios. The next public meeting is June 17, 2019. • Fundraising for the Morison lighting is going very well and it is on track to be lit by fall 2019. Overall fundraising for the lighting project is also going well. Director’s Report • Ms. Vizza gave an update on the Downtown Master Planning study and noted that she has met with Rafi Segal about developing a report/tool that would document sunlight and the impacts on the parks of development on all the blocks under the study.

Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously

VOTED: to commission Rafi Segal to create a sunlight study report for the area of the Downtown Planning Study for the Friends for a fee of $28.8K.

• Pilot Bathrooms on the Common are open but overuse needs to be carefully monitored. Mr. Mulcahy continues to be the staff point person for this project, which requires time for both oversight and troubleshooting whenever the bathrooms are open.

Legacy Society • Ms. Cox, chair of the Legacy Society, handed out a list of the 60 individuals who are currently members of the Legacy Society. Planned contributions have ranged from $725 to over $400K. She invites all Board members to consider becoming part of this initiative.

Communications and Outreach • Ms. Abell highlighted the upcoming launch event for the Shaw/54th project on July 10, 2019 which will occur at the monument.

Brewer Fountain • Mr. TenBarge encouraged everyone to attend the Summer Kickoff event on June 20, 2019 at lunchtime. He noted that Capital One bank had signed on as a $5k sponsor for the event.

50th Anniversary Ms. Adam gave a brief update on the temporary art installation that has been approved by the Board for the Boston Common as part of the 50th. She noted that a subcommittee has been formed and they have met with several curators, with the goal of finding an artist and project that will fit all the Friends’ objectives. Ms. Adam said a budget and artist will be identified by the fall. A special Board meeting or phone call may be scheduled in advance of the October meeting to vote on this project.

At this time, many members of the Council joined the meeting.

Ms. Vizza and Ms. Adam welcomed the Council and distributed a Friends of the Public Garden 50th Anniversary goals and themes document to everyone present. They reiterated the plans for each park for the 50th year. • $2.5M will be allocated to the restoration of the two child fountains and surrounding landscape at the Arlington Street entrance in the Public Garden. $1M of this will be as an endowment for future fountain maintenance. • $1M will be allocated to the lighting of the statues along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. • $350K will be allocated towards a public art installation in the Boston Common. • An advocacy project for the Tool Shed in the Public Garden will be launched. • Other items will include: street lamp banners, the use of technology for apps, a BioBlitz in the Common, and a Birthday Party celebration on the Common.

King Memorial Ms. Vizza indicated that “The Embrace” was selected to be the King memorial,and that the location is proposed to be near the Parkman Bandstand. Denterlein has advised that the Friends focus on scale, materials, how the project will integrate into the Park, and the ongoing Boston Common Master Plan process. It will be critical that the Friends continue to articulate their concerns about the project without losing control of the narrative on this very sensitive topic. Many hurdles and approvals for the project are still upcoming and the process at City Hall remains unclear.

There being no other business, Ms. Adam adjourned the meeting at 6:10pm.

Respectfully submitted, Catherine Bordon, Secretary

1 FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN

Governance Committee Report for the October 16, 2019 Board Meeting

The Governance Committee met on September 25, 2019. The Committee has the Conflict of In- terest Policy for all Board members to fill out and return to the Chair of the Board.

The Governance Committee continued to identify candidates for potential nomination to the Board of Directors. The Committee further identified eight individuals to be considered by the Board of Directors as candidates to be invited to join the Council. If the Board approves these eight candidates, the Committee will consider the final number to be invited to join the Council, and we will inform the Board of their decisions at the next opportunity. There are seven members of the Council who will rotate off after two three-year terms. They are: Ron Druker, Jean Egan, Deborah Hale, Leslie Lucchina, Peter Nessen, Julia and Fred Pfannenstiehl.

Candidates for Council:

Deborah Babson Margaret Pokorny has known Deborah for years. Both here in the Back Bay and in New Hampshire, where the both have places in Jaffrey. Mary and Liz met with her this spring. She now lives in the Heritage across from the Garden, in a sizable unit she had com- pletely renovated. We would like to get her more involved with the Friends, and thought this was a good place to start.

Gene and Meredith Clapp live at Charles River Square. They became Leadership Friends in 2016 and made a second $1,000 donation in February of this year. They have won an award for their restoration work with the Beacon House. Gene served as Chairman of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and Meredith was a past president of Hill House.

Tracy Flannery Tracy is a Leadership Friend and has been a docent/tour guide for the last two years. Her spouse’s career (as former CEO at General Electric) led the Flannery family to Bue- nos Aires, Wilton, Connecticut, Tokyo, New Delhi, London and Chicago. Tracy has volunteered for numerous civic and charitable organizations throughout her travels, including serving as President of the Wilton Family YMCA, and Treasurer and Development Committee member of the Wilton Library. While in Japan, she was Treasurer and Teen Mentor of the Tokyo Chapter of Room to Read, a global literacy NGO and Treasurer of Tokyo English Life Line, a mental health advocacy group. While in New Delhi, she and several friends established a new chapter of MAD (Make a Difference) to teach remedial English to over 60 slum children residing near the Ameri- can Embassy School. Tracy spent 15 years in the banking industry prior to her retirement in 1996. David Friedman is the Senior VP Legal and Government Affairs for the Boston Red Sox. He specializes in Government and Neighborhood Relations and was previously served as First As- sistant Attorney General for Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Harvard College, and he lives in Newton with his wife, Jennie and two sons.

Frieda Garcia is a longtime activist in the South End and Roxbury communities. She has a park named after her on Stanhope Street which features art installations. She wrote a thoughtful note 2 to the Friends following the Glory screening about the importance of keeping the Shaw monument in the news and she is a person of color. There is a wonderful Globe article about her: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/12/01/activist-makes-name-for-her- self/aomJNNyre1a8QgjfL8VWLL/story.html

Namrita Kapur is a Leadership Friend with over 18 years’ experience in sustainable finance and impact investing, having led sustainable finance initiatives at non-profits and environmental advocacy at multiple organizations. She currently is working as an Impact Investment Strategist at National Geographic, where she is developing the next generation of their impact investing strategy. She is also an Impact Fellow at a family fund. Previously she was the Managing Direc- tor at the Environmental Defense Fund. She was also a Founding Member of Root Capital, a non-profit social investment fund. She is also a published author and a public speaker. She is flu- ent in Portuguese, Spanish and Hindi. Namrita is a person of color.

Leonard Lee has expressed interest in becoming more involved with the Friends and met with Liz and Leslie. He is a lifelong Roxbury resident. He is the general manager of the Roxbury Her- itage State Park (including the newly renovated Dillaway-Thomas House in Roxbury where the Shaw Breakfast was held earlier this year) and is a person of color.

Clare Selden Rager is an attorney with Foley and Lardner who was recommended by Colin. Clare lives on West Cedar St. and is a Leadership Friend. She sponsored a tree in 2018. Clare regularly assists pro bono clients with the incorporation of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations and applications for federal and state tax-exempt status, and counsels pro bono clients regarding ongoing compliance with state and federal laws governing the activities of tax- exempt organizations, as well as general transactional matters. Clare also volunteers with the Lawyer Clearinghouse.

Roger Tackeff is the owner of Renaissance Properties. Met with Liz, Leslie, and Beatrice earlier this year with interest in being more involved with the Friends. Roger is Vice chair of the Boston Preservation Alliance’s Board. He lives in Brookline and is a member of the Board at the Fisher Hill Neighborhood Association, but his business, Renaissance Properties, is on Columbus Ave.

Respectfully submitted,

Kate Enroth Governance Committee Chair

FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OCTOBER 16, 2019

Statement of Operations at September 30, 2019 (attached)

Income: Total Operating Income was $199,700 (9%) ahead of budget at September 30.

New Memberships are under budget so far this year because Membership Month was not as successful as in past years. Strong efforts via several different channels in the final months of the year may still help us achieve the annual goal. Renewals are slightly ahead of budget so we expect Total Membership to come in near budget. Designated Contributions came in $118,000 above budget primarily due to the continued popularity of the Sponsored Benches & Trees programs. We budgeted $110,000 for the entire year for the programs and we are already at $203,600 at September 30. We also received a $12,000 grant from Fenway Park for new benches in the Kenmore Mall, which will be installed in 2020. Bequests brought in $60,900, which was comprised of $53,300 from the Estate of Susanne Tompkins, and $7,600 from the Estate of Morgan Palmer. In accordance with our policy, the Tompkins bequest will be transferred to endowment (bequests of $10,000 or above), while the Palmer bequest will go to 2019 Undesignated Contributions. In Development Events the Green & White Ball came in at budget at $600,300 and there is a $25,000 sponsorship that has not come in yet. The Summer Party brought in $28,400, $3,400 above budget. Fewer than anticipated sponsorships for the Making History Day program was more than offset by above budget income for Brewer Plaza Activities and Shaw/54th Memorial Programming. For the second year, we received $5,000 from Capital One for sponsorship of our annual Summer Celebration at Brewer Plaza event in June. Revenue from Duckling Day was nearly $14,000 ahead of budget due to additional sponsorships and great weather. Although Brewer Fountain Plaza food truck revenue is expected to be slightly under budget this year, it will still be almost double our 2016 revenue and triple our 2015 figure.

Expenses: Total Operating Expenses were $117,500 (5%) under budget at September 30.

Total Parks Care spending was $147,600 (15%) under budget.

The Common was $95,800 (28%) under budget. Tree, Soil & Turf Care work will come in under budget at year-end primarily due to underspending for irrigation. We budgeted a $30,000 maintenance contingency for all seven systems but that turned out to be more than necessary. Sculpture spending came in $78,100 under budget due to the postponement of the Brewer Fountain lighting project. Construction was delayed until 2020 due to additional design changes. The Common - Other was under budget because we were not able to find a woodworking artist to do the stump carving project.

The Garden was $65,100 (20%) under budget. As with the Common, Tree, Soil & Turf Care work will come in under budget due to underspending for irrigation. In addition to over-budgeting the contingency for maintenance, the cost of installing the baseline system was lower than expected. Sculpture is slightly under budget due to lower than expected expenses for conservation. Garden - Other is under budget primarily because we did not move forward with the Tool Shed project. -2-

The Mall was $13,300 (5%) over budget. As with the Common and Garden, Tree, Soil & Turf Care work will come in under budget due to underspending for irrigation. Sculpture Care is $22,500 over budget because of the lighting design work for Collins, Garrison and Morison.

Public Programs was over budget by $32,800 (13%). The overspending on Shaw/54th Memorial Programming was covered by contributions while the expense for the discovery phase of the temporary art installation on the Common for the 50th Anniversary had not been anticipated for this year. In Development Events spending on the Summer Party exceeded budget by $3,700 due to the venue move to the Four Seasons but was nearly covered by increased income. Personnel spending was 1% under budget overall mainly because the Parks Care Specialist started in July while the annual salary for the position was included in the budget. That saving was partially offset by the increase in Contract Labor needed during the search for a new Development Associate. Overhead is under budget by 2% primarily because funds for a 50th Anniversary Event Planner were not needed this year. In addition, the change in our Public Relations firm resulted in a lower monthly fee.

There are three months left in the year and we expect the Friends will end 2019 with a large Operating Surplus, which will be needed to cover our ambitious plans for 2020, our 50th anniversary year. Please note that these results do not include the support and expenses related to the Pilot Bathrooms project on the Common. The Friends is acting as the Fiscal Agent for that project so it is not included in our operating budget. In June 2018, we received $1.5 million from the Pierce Charitable Trust for the Pilot Bathrooms, which is posted as a liability on our books. As we pay the project vendors, the liability is drawn down. This year the bathrooms are costing $36,000 per month, a decrease of 30% compared to the $51,000 monthly cost from last year. To date we have spent about $350,000 so we expect the grant money to last much longer than the originally projected 2-3 year period.

Investments

At September 30, our investments totaled $21.7 million, up from $19.3 million on December 31, 2018. Our year-to-date return is 14.5% at September 30. We currently have sufficient cash for our operating expenses over the next six months. 10/8/2019 FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Statement of Operations Budget vs. Actual

January - September 2019

Budget Actual Variance OPERATING INCOME

Support

Membership: New $29,000 $26,783 -$2,217 -8% Renewals $210,000 $213,633 $3,633 2%

Total Membership $239,000 $240,416 $1,416 1%

Other Contributions: Designated $330,000 $448,120 $118,120 36% Undesignated $11,000 $9,057 -$1,943 -18%

Total Other Contributions $341,000 $457,177 $116,177 34%

Bequests $0 $60,919 $60,919 100%

Development Events: Green & White Gala $600,000 $600,257 $257 0% Summer Party $25,000 $28,447 $3,447 14% Young Friends $2,000 $2,670 $670 34%

Total Development Events $627,000 $631,374 $4,374 1%

Public Programs: Brewer Plaza Activities $5,000 $15,002 $10,002 200% Making History on the Common $16,000 $1,250 -$14,750 -92% Shaw/54th Memorial Programming $50,000 $111,600 $61,600 123%

Total Public Programs $71,000 $127,852 $56,852 80%

Total Support $1,278,000 $1,517,738 $239,738 19%

Revenue

Brewer Plaza Vendors $47,000 $46,843 -$157 0% Duckling Day $15,000 $28,952 $13,952 93% Product Sales $900 $300 -$600 -67%

Total Revenue $62,900 $76,095 $13,195 21%

Investment Return Designated for Current Operations $558,000 $558,000

Release of Temporarily Restricted Net Assets $400,000 $400,000 Transfers to Endowments -$53,280

TOTAL OPERATING INCOME $2,298,900 $2,498,553 $199,653 9% 10/8/2019 FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Statement of Operations Budget vs. Actual

January - September 2019

Budget Actual Variance OPERATING EXPENSES

Parks

Parks Care: The Common Tree, Soil & Turf Care $177,000 $162,308 -$14,692 -8% Sculpture $140,000 $61,852 -$78,148 -56% Other $31,000 $27,999 -$3,001 -10%

Total Common $348,000 $252,159 -$95,841 -28%

The Garden Tree, Soil & Turf Care $195,000 $162,256 -$32,744 -17% Sculpture $90,000 $84,905 -$5,095 -6% Other $100,000 $72,789 -$27,211 -27%

Total Garden $332,000 $319,950 -$65,050 -20%

The Mall Tree, Soil & Turf Care $166,000 $156,429 -$9,571 -6% Sculpture $55,000 $77,546 $22,546 41% Other $67,000 $67,282 $282 0%

Total Mall $288,000 $301,257 $13,257 5%

Total Parks Care $968,000 $873,366 -$147,634 -15%

Public Programs & Communications: 50th Anniversary (Temp Art Install) $0 $6,000 $6,000 100% Brewer Plaza Activities $85,000 $84,817 -$183 0% Communications $48,000 $48,597 $597 1% Duckling Day $17,000 $14,408 -$2,592 -15% Making History on the Common $16,000 $14,515 -$1,485 -9% Other $4,000 $3,735 -$265 -7% Shaw/54th Memorial Programming $84,000 $114,737 $30,737 37% Young Friends $2,000 $1,957 -$43 -2%

Total Public Programs & Communications $256,000 $288,766 $32,766 13%

Administration: Personnel $275,550 $273,824 -$1,726 -1% Overhead $106,684 $104,065 -$2,619 -2%

Total Administration $382,234 $377,889 -$4,345 -1%

Total Parks $1,606,234 $1,540,021 -$119,213 -7% 10/8/2019 FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Statement of Operations Budget vs. Actual

January - September 2019

Budget Actual Variance Development

Events: Cultivation Events $12,000 $13,265 $1,265 11% Green & White Gala $100,000 $101,468 $1,468 1% Summer Party $16,000 $19,747 $3,747 23%

Total Events $128,000 $134,480 $6,480 5%

Operations: Credit Card Fees $9,000 $8,715 -$285 -3% Donor Software $4,000 $4,126 $126 3% Mailings $6,000 $5,595 -$405 -7% Miscellaneous $1,500 $2,566 $1,066 71%

Total Operations $20,500 $21,002 $502 2%

Administration: Personnel $212,756 $211,423 -$1,333 -1% Overhead $82,373 $80,350 -$2,023 -2%

Total Administration $295,129 $291,773 -$3,356 -1%

Total Development $443,629 $447,255 $3,626 1%

Administration

Personnel $119,569 $118,820 -$749 -1% Overhead $46,293 $45,157 -$1,136 -2%

Total Administration $165,862 $163,977 -$1,885 -1%

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES $2,215,725 $2,151,253 -$117,472 -5%

OPERATING SURPLUS $83,175 $347,300 $264,125 318% Board Report of the Common Committee October 16, 2019

Advocacy • Motor Mart Garage – The proponent submitted an expanded shadow study over the summer that provided more detailed hour by hour new shadow impacts on the Public Garden and the Common. The new shadows details on December 21: In the Public Garden, the extent of new shadows from 9:15 until 11 the new shadows move to the northwest but the area is limited because much of the Motor Mart shadow piggy- backs on existing shadow. On the Common, new shadows run northeasterly with the great extent occurring from 1:30 to 2:30. Though the extent of new shadows is limited and the Shadow Laws don’t include December, the long-term effect is to nibble away at the sun lighted areas of the parks, especially the Public Garden. • Sunshine Protection and the Downtown Master Plan – We have contracted with MIT’s Rafi Segal to develop a shadow analysis that could ensure that future developments in the Downtown will not add new shadow to the Common. He and his team are using complex computer modeling to create basically a shadow tent based on the existing conditions that will delineate areas of the downtown where development can be allowed without increasing shadows on the Common and Public Garden. Our goal is to create a document that graphically and verbally can guide the development community and the BPDA. • Cooperation Agreement between the Friends and the Parks Department – both the Operations Manual which spells out responsibilities for individual maintenance tasks, and the Cooperation Agreement are very close to be finalized. • Sculpture – We are continuing with routine cleaning of the various tablets in the Common as well as other maintenance work, all under the guidance of Sarah Hutt, our Collections Care Manager. Common Maintenance • Tree care – We continued our summer tree pruning program, which enables us to readily identify areas in need of care. By removing suspect material, we reduce the potential host areas for elm bark beetles. Our disease prevention efforts appear to have had positive results this year since we found no evidence of Dutch Elm disease from April to October. • Irrigation – The Friends is now responsible for managing the Common sprinkler system with the result that there were fewer problems this year. There is interest in expanding the sprinkler system to the area close to the Parkman Bandstand where Commonwealth Shakespeare performances are held as a means to improve the turf and installing a “smart system” in the Liberty Mall/Park St. areas. Both the Parks Department and Police Department have requested that we turn sprinklers on at night in order to deter overnight camping in the vicinity of the Deer Park maintenance area. • Off-Leach Dog areas -We continue to rotate the off-leash area; managing them is challenging and hopefully the Master Plan will develop a better system. One problem is balancing the demands and schedule for events in the Common and the time available for turf care. • Brewer Fountain Lighting – Boston Landmarks Commission has approved the plans for the new lighting, which includes new fixtures in the three basins, a new electrical vault as well as electrical outlets in the Plaza itself for various activities. Construction will occur either next spring or fall.

Respectfully submitted, Beatrice Nessen, Common Committee Chair Board Report of the Public Garden Committee October 16, 2019

Possibly the most dramatic change in the Garden this summer was the installation of 12 new benches along the Beacon Street Border. Less visible to the public yet more important was our involvement with the “Smart Irrigation” system which is now under the Friends jurisdiction. Individual zones can now be individually controlled by our chosen vendor: Cambridge Landscaping. The improved health of both trees and shrubs plus substantial water cost saving is palpable.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Friends of the Public Garden, Halvorson Design Partnership has been contracted with to assist in design work related to the restoration of the two child fountains and the landscape improvements to the Arlington Street entrance. More to come on this but we are hopeful to be at 100% design in fall 2020, which will allow a 2021 construction. Next fall the Friends will work with BSLA to study The Future of The Gardener’s Cottage.

On July 1 the Friends filled a new staff position: “Parks Care Specialist” and hired Eric DiTommaso. He is already ably assisting the Friends, Bob Mulcahy, and Norm Helie. His main goals for this year include gaining an understanding and assisting in the Friends turf program, finalizing the Garden tree labels, establishing shrub inventory and maintenance protocols for the Garden borders and advancing our mapping capabilities through GIS. To say that his transition is seamless would be an understatement. His professionalism, easy manner, and can-do spirit moves the needle on our ability to achieve excellence.

The tree pruning schedule is now scheduled for every week during the active growing season. The rose beds will be fitted out with new gates to complement the fencing and the out-of-scale yews will be removed to help eliminate a vast colony of rats that have homes amongst its roots. New replacement rose plant material may be planted next spring pending the outcome of our upcoming winter. Both the White and Ether Fountains continue to have weekly maintenance service and have run well all season. The Volunteer Border Brigade under the leadership of Sherley Smith and the Garden Club of the Back Bay has been extended to cover all four sides of the Garden. Eric has played a welcomed role in assisting the brigade by working side by side with the Garden Club.

A modest budget increase in 2020 will help address the problem of compacted soil and desire lines in certain areas of the Garden.

The Parks Department has redesigned new “Keep off the Grass’ signs for the Garden. They have also started to replace the finials on the fencing posts. It is hoped they will also repair and repaint all post and chain fencing. We welcome Josue Altidor, the recently appointed Maintenance Director.

Respectfully submitted, Barbara W. Moore, Public Garden Committee Chair Board Report for the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee October 16, 2019

We have lots of good news this month. We have begun work on the Morison. Under the vigilant eyes and guiding hand of Bob Mulcahy, the infrastructure has been installed to light the statue. We are now waiting for the delivery of the custom fixtures from Germany. We have been told that they are on the way but Bob asks that we still hold our collective breaths until our electrician has them in hand! As soon as the installation is complete and tested we will have an "unveiling". We also began work on the Collins statue by removing some of the failing block planters in order to see what is underneath the decking of the platform. We now know the conditions below the statue and just how difficult it is going to be to install lights into these 7" thick granite slabs. It will be very difficult!

We have also reviewed landscape plans from Weston and Sampson for the Collins and for the Garrison which need to be further approved by Landmarks.

It is our goal to light Collins and Garrison next year.

We met the $100,000 matching grant from the Lewis Family Foundation and are now awaiting word from the Browne and Peabody Foundations. We have a long way to go with fundraising but are on the way to raising $1.25 million dollars for this project. The lighting project will be very generously supported by the Parcel 12 development when we receive a $20,000 community benefits grant when the project actually begins. We also thank Jane Roy who is hosting an event at the Heritage on October 16th in support of this project.

The master planning process for the Kenmore Mall proceeds. A preferred version is being completed and will be reviewed by the public agencies needed to chime in. No date is set yet for the next public meeting.

The grass grew this fall. Eric and Norm's protocol for seeding and aerating and very propitious weather all worked together. Germination on this seeding was very good. There are still some persistent problem areas, but progress is being made. The "smart" irrigation system seems to be working well. We hope next year to be able to calculate and talk about how much water we are saving!

The regular rotation of pruning continues and tree health seems quite good. We have only identified one removal for next year and this space has already gotten a sponsor.

Respectfully submitted, Margaret Pokorny, Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee Chair October 16, 2019

FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN

DIRECTOR’s REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING October 16, 2019 Prepared by Liz Vizza

50th Anniversary

A list of anniversary projects and programs accompanies this Report. A summary of the proposed art installation project for the Common is also included, for consideration and vote by the Board. We have been working to complete installation of the lighting at Morison on the Mall this fall, with Collins and Garrison planned for 2020. Our design consultants are working on child fountain restoration studies, and firmer cost estimates for that project should be available by the end of October.

Boston Common Master Plan

Over 4000 people have filled out the online survey about the Boston Common Master Plan. If you haven’t done that yet, here is the link: https://www.bostoncommonmasterplan.com/. We have also stationed “parklets” in neighborhoods throughout the city to solicit input from people about the Common, a park that is used and loved by all Bostonians. We have heard many comments about bikes, dogs, and safety - in addition to more signage and programmed activities to encourage community gathering. Our first public meeting will take place at Emerson College on October 29, from 5:30 – 8:00, and will be a combination of presentation, time for Q&A, and breakout stations around the room focused on different aspects of the park.

Greater and Greener – City Parks Alliance Urban Parks Conference

In July, I attended the biannual urban parks conference in Denver, where participants from 12 countries and 220 cities shared information, exchanged best practices, and networked. Here is a link to the keynote and plenary sessions – the Mayoral Forum, and Mayor Veliaj of Tirana, Albania, was particularly inspiring. https://www.greatergreener.org/conference/keynote-plenary-videos. A few comments included that this is the golden age of parks. With the rapid growth of cities, people are realizing that the best way to manage that growth is to make more parks. Mayor White of Greenville, SC said that the Department of Parks and Recreation should be re-named the Department of Health and Happiness. That, if you want a city that people actually love, and want to be in, create and support parks.

Shaw 54th Memorial

On October 15, we are planning an event called Shaw 54th: Restoring the Memorial and the Dialogue on Race. Several interpretive programs will be unveiled that day along with remarks by the Partners on the event theme. Reconstruction will begin in spring of 2020, given the delays with NPS review of contractor bids and the government shutdown last winter.

Pilot Temporary Bathrooms, Boston Common

While a great success, the second season of pilot bathrooms has been as time consuming for Friends staff as last year. Many issues crop up during the week and weekends, which need immediate attention. We estimate that an average of 800 people use the facility every day, and will evaluate operations again at the end of the season, the end of October. Recommendations for more bathrooms are a given for the master plan, and we will need to figure out where as well as what design to consider to maximize safety, given we will not have the kind of security presence we are providing for the pilot program. We have recently begun to find needles in the bathrooms and someone needed help last week, who was passed out in a stall. We have alerted both the Rangers and Police.

King Memorial

King Boston and the City are working to formalize their relationship with an MOU, and the design team has met with the Parks Department and Weston & Sampson. Bob identified a slight relocation option for the Memorial that would minimize the need for grading changes and would protect existing trees, which we illustrated and shared with Parks. Our recommendations for scale reduction and pavement changes along with the proposal for a new location were given to the King Boston design team by the Parks Department. The Executive Committee met with Sean Curran, a legislative affairs consultant who has offered to assist us pro bono in facilitating dialogue with African American leaders in the city about the monument.

Boston Freedom Rally

We celebrated a major success this year, with the Boston Freedom Rally permitted for only one day. The organization hopes that their good conduct will result in being permitted for two days next year. While they improved in managing their trash, there was overnight camping which was a clear violation of park rules.

MOA/Parks/Friends Partnership Plan

We have minor edits to finalize for the Memorandum of Agreement, and staff are close to completing the (66 page) Operations Manual that will be an Appendix to the document. We hope to schedule a Signing Ceremony with the Mayor this fall.

Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Vizza FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN

Development Narrative Report for the October 16, 2019 Board Meeting Prepared by Mary Halpin, October 7, 2019

Revenue Report Please see attached revenue report spreadsheet for detail of all revenue received by September 2019. Membership revenue is tracking ahead of 2018, however renewals are up and new membership gifts are down. The Spring Appeal was very strong bringing in $80,379, very close to the $81,000 in 2018. For the second year in a row, we were able to do a more high-touch mailing to our $1,000+ donors which included personalized letters and also the addition of a spring newsletter. In 2017, the Spring Appeal only brought in $46,000 so these donor-centric initiatives are helping.

Membership Updates Save the Dates for Letter Signing Week – *October 21-25*

End-of-year Renewal Campaign: We will once again conduct our annual renewal mailing at the end of October, hoping to, once again, exceed our goals. Please help us personalize as many letters as we can at the office during letter signing week. Thank you! A sign-up sheet will be passed around at the Board Meeting. Our schedule is slightly reduced by the Board retreat taking up the afternoon of Thursday, October 24, but we hope you will still find time to come in during other days of the week because the notes are really helpful! We can accommodate earlier or later appointments if needed (8:00 am or 5:30 pm).

New Member Outreach: Each year Board Members are very successful in reaching out to neighbors in November and December and have brought in many new Members to help exceed our annual goals. Help is needed once again to reach our even more ambitious goals of 300+ new members and $65,000 in new Membership contributions. 1-2 new members per Board member will make a huge difference! Please contact Mary with names to add to our mailing list or for individual assistance if you would like to send custom letters to friends or neighbors or design your own email campaign.

Bloomberg and Matching Gifts Each year, Friends Council Member Anne Mostue applies to her employer, Bloomberg, for a grant to honor her volunteering with the Friends and we receive a wonderful $5,000 gift! Many companies have matching gift or similar volunteer matching grants programs. If you work for a company please check to see if your employer has a similar employee benefit or other grant program that the Friends may qualify for.

Commonwealth Avenue Mall Statue Lighting & Landscape Improvements Thanks to the efforts of Margaret Pokorny, Matt Sidman, and Tom Lewis, we successfully raised enough funds by September 1 to obtain a $100,000 challenge grant from the Lewis Family Foundation. To date, $251,000 has been raised with several requests pending. The overall goal for the entire project is $1,250,000. If all goes according to plan, the Morison will be lit this November! The Garrison and Collins projects will be completed as part of the 50th celebrations next year.

Events Summer Party –July 17 at the Four Seasons We had 200+ guests decked out in their finest summer cocktail attire. The event raised $28,500 compared to $26,000 last year, thanks to our lead sponsor for the event the Cambridge Trust Company ($7,500) and our very successful raffle which brought in $1,900. Leadership Friends & Legacy Society Reception 62 of our top donors and Legacy Society members attended a lively reception at the Chilton Club on September 16. Special thanks go to Chris Anderson for sponsoring us at the Club.

Corporate Support Once again, we had a great year for corporate sponsors for Duckling Day, raising a record of $14,000 in support from KinderCare, Capital One, Santander, Compass Realty, Target/Vineyard Vines & the Advent School.

Capital One was also our lead sponsor ($5,000) for the Brewer Summer Celebration event and we received a $1,000 anonymous sponsorship as well. Cambridge Trust sponsored the Summer Party again ($7,500). Weston & Sampson sponsored our Members Reception ($2,500).

We are always seeking new sponsors for events. Please let Mary know if you have ideas for corporate sponsors for any of our events.

Tree and Bench Sponsorship Program This continues to be a very popular program. The newly refurbished benches along the Beacon Street border are receiving rave reviews from the community and several are already sponsored. The annual goal for this program is $110,000. To date, we have raised $204,000!

Save the date for the 2020 Green and White Ball The 2020 Green and White Ball will be held on Friday, May 1, 2020, once again at the Four Seasons hotel. Special features will be added to celebrate the Friends 50th! Our wonderful co-Chairs are: Kate Enroth, Tess Atkinson, Sarah Donovan and Lisa Taffe. FY 2019 Development Report prepared October 7, 2019 by MH Jan-September 2019 Annual Membership 2019 Actual 2018 Actual 2019 Budget % 2019 Goal 2018 Comments New $26,783 $39,885 $65,000 166 300 187 # of gifts, not actual people. Renewals $213,633 $181,274 $545,000 335 1000 287 We are behind on new members this year. Total Membership $240,416 $221,159 $610,000 39% 501 1300 474

Other Contributions: Designated Boston Common: Common Canine $3,260 $2,500 $20,000 19 2 Common Support $2,500 1 2 Common Mitigation $27,666 $52,000 3 2 Total Boston Common: $33,426 $2,500 $72,000

Public Garden Ether Fountain $25 0 1 Garden Mitigation $81,909 $104,303 $129,000 3 4 Heritage on the Garden Garden Support $6,050 $2,825 4 5 $3,500 in gifts to support new rose bushes Total Garden: $87,959 $107,153 $129,000

The Mall Mall Support $17,001 $22,700 $10,000 3 4 Mall Statue Lighting $106,005 $0 $0 54 0 Total Mall: $123,006 $22,700 $10,000

All Parks: Sponsored Benches $111,079 $70,000 $40,000 6 7 Sponsored Trees $92,500 $97,625 $70,000 13 16 Lees Sculpture Endowment $17,682 44 0 Joan Lee Memorial gifts Total All Parks: $203,579 $167,625 $110,000

Total Designated: $447,970 $299,978 $321,000 140%

Undesignated: Corporate $3,294 $8,175 $6,000 6 9 Corporate sponsorship gifts are shown in event revenue. Gifts $5,763 $310,614 $10,000 31 52 Includes $2,441 in PG Tour Donations Bequests $60,919 $56,250 $0 3 3 Unrestricted bequests-Tomkins and Palmer Total Undesignated $69,976 $375,039 $16,000 Total Other Contributions $517,946 $675,017 $337,000 153%

Development Events: Green & White Ball $600,257 $630,618 $600,000 146 163 Event total: $625,257; waiting for one more sponsorship Summer Party $28,447 $26,595 $25,000 165 155 Young Friends $2,670 $2,650 $3,000 60 73 Total Development Events $631,374 $659,863 $628,000 101%

Public Programs: Shaw/54th Programming $111,600 $500 $50,000 6 1 Berensons, Jonas', Hostetters, Museum of AAH, Merrifield & Davis Making History Day $1,250 $1,500 $16,000 1 1 Duckling Day $28,952 $4,970 $15,000 340 82 Total of $14,000 in sponsorships included, most ever! Brewer Plaza activities/event $15,002 $5,000 $5,000 8 1 $6K for Summer Celebration; remainder from promotion fees Product sales $300 $449 $500 9 7 Total Public Programs $157,104 $11,919 $86,500 Total Events & Programs $788,478 $671,782 $714,500 110%

GRAND TOTAL INCOME: $1,546,840 $1,567,958 $1,661,500 93% FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Communications and Outreach Report for the October 16, 2019 Board Meeting Prepared by Susan Abell

Communications

The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial Restoration continues to dominate our communications work, dealing with project delays, event changes, and interpretive program support. We will be unveiling a new logo for our 50th Anniversary year of celebrations, it is a lovely modification of our regular logo.

Marketing/promotion

E-news, e-blasts, and advocacy: At the beginning of the summer, we worked closely with our partners (NPS, the City and MAAH) to plan, and then unfortunately cancel the Launch of the Restoration of the Shaw 54th Memorial event on July 10. Because of the long-embargoed process to select the contractor, we re-scheduled the event to October 15 and re-named it The Shaw 54th: Restoring the Memorial and the Dialogue on Race to announce the firm and project timeline. We will be unveiling the Augmented Reality app developed in partnership with Emerson College and Hoverlay, Inc. which includes a virtual Memorial and four holographic stories about the 54th Regiment, the artist, the dedication, and the monument's social and political role, narrated by historian Emmett Sykes, author and CEO Carol Fulp, and Professor Ted Landsmark.

Since converting to MailChimp in August as our new email marketing tool, the key engagement rates such as open and click rates have increased by 5-10%, with a newer interface and modern design capabilities allowing us to create more engaging email communications. Mail Chimp has a clean intuitive interface, audience data, marketing channels, insights, and analytics all in one place to help us achieve our goals of steady growth, a high open rate, a healthy click-through rate, and a very low unsubscribe number.

Media: We are enjoying working collaboratively with the Denterlein team, with Friends’ staff and each Denterlein team member contributing to our public relations plan with press pitches, article placement, interview opportunities, and social media support.

We got exciting city-wide coverage for Making History on the Common. Liz Vizza was featured in a WBZ TV segment, “Students Bring History Alive On Boston Common,” and articles in the Beacon Hill Times, North End Waterfront News, Sampan, and five hyperlocal Patch sites (Boston, Beacon Hill, Jamaica Plain, North End, and Roslindale).

Key coverage for the Boston Common Master Plan include stories in the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, MassLive, Curbed, Bloomberg Radio, and through the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism’s MassVacation blog. We are also anticipating two Boston Business Journal pieces in the coming weeks and months: a joint Op-Ed about the Master Plan process, co-authored by Liz and Commissioner Woods, and a “5 Minutes With” feature on Liz.

In the year of programming around the Shaw 54th Restoration project, Denterlein has helped publicize the screening of “Glory” by amplifying the event through digital calendar listings and policy-oriented newsletters (namely State House News Service, MASSter List, and POLITICO’s Massachusetts Playbook). -2-

Publications: The two annual newsletters continue to be very successful marketing and donor communication tools. The fall newsletter is in production now and will be mailed with the fall renewal campaign thanking our members and informing them about the work we are doing. The combination of print and electronic formats has proven to be a very effective means of communication.

Social Media

Since hiring our new PR firm, Denterlein, we have begun to adjust our social media techniques strategically, bringing our direct work in the parks to the forefront of our online presence.

The Boston Common Master Plan announcement and programming has given us an excellent social media response, with consistently high engagement and a partnership with OnlyInBoston netting over 100,000 engagements. The Shaw 54th Memorial project provides consistently high interaction metrics, with the Facebook event tool instrumental in sharing programming and project updates. Our social media growth has been consistent with other similar-sized non-profit organizations, and we will continue to work with Denterlein on ways to increase our social presence and boost engagement.

Instagram: Instagram is the visual identity of the three parks within the digital landscape, personifying the beauty and history of the three parks on a high-profile, interactive, engagement driven platform. As of reporting time, we have 5,367 followers, a 4.5% increase over the previous period. Impressions totaled 114,252, and the account netted 5,829 direct engagements (likes, comments, follows, clicks). Our account reaches over 900 individuals daily. Our Instagram stories, newly added this past year, continued to be hugely successful, totaling 18,839 impressions this period, up 119% from the last report.

Twitter: Twitter remains the voice of the organization on the web, sharing news, advocacy updates, and related community events to a large network of government officials, reporters/journalists, non- profit organizations, and members of the public. As of reporting time, we have 4,386 followers, up 4% from last reporting period. Organic impressions totaled 129,100 and the account netted 2,367 direct engagements (retweets, quotes, favorites, and link clicks). We reach around 670 individuals per tweet, and sent almost 200 tweets through the last reporting period. The Master Plan announcement gained a whopping 47,000+ impressions throughout the local community.

Facebook: Facebook continues to be pivotal in sharing event updates and announcements, along with photo recaps of past events. As of reporting time, we have 3,088 “likes” on our Facebook Page, with a gain of about 100 individuals to our network since last reporting period. Impressions totaled 69,045 and the Facebook page generated 3,910 direct engagements (likes, shares, comments, link clicks). Our links were clicked over 850 times, a 78.6% increase since last report. We reach about 543 individuals daily with our posts, with a net yield of 5.7% engagement through our events, updates, and photo albums, slightly higher than standard for our industry.

Outreach

Making History on the Common: On Monday, June 3, over 1,000 Boston schoolchildren from grades 3-5, gathered on Boston Common for the 10th Annual Making History on the Common, the most interactive field trip in Boston, turning America’s oldest public park into an outdoor classroom!

Young Friends Fundraising Social: A successful event at The Yard at the Liberty on September 12, added to our “friend-raising’ goals for the Young Friends. We added Meg McCafferty as a third co- -3- chair, and the entire committee is very dedicated and working on future events. Our Winter Party is planned for December 13, at the Union Club on the top floor.

Untold Stories of the Public Garden Tours: The success of our Untold Stories of the Public Garden tour program continues to grow, with 20 volunteer guides giving about 50 tours to over 500 locals and tourists. Private tours prospered this season, with many organizations joining us including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the South Korean Forestry Delegation.

Video: After the success of the 2019 video about Boston Common, we are hard at work on the 50th Anniversary video using the same videographer. We are working to complete the latest video in time to be unveiled at this year’s Green and White Ball. This video will feature the history, significance, diversity of the people who use or visit our three parks as well as the importance of greenspace to the health of people and the environment.

New Events: Over 100 individuals enjoyed two free screenings of Glory under the stars on the Boston Common and a second indoor at the Bright Family Screening Room, Emerson College, hosted by the Partnership. Thanks to Boston Parks and Recreation for the outdoor movie screen! FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN

Brewer Plaza Report for the October 16, 2019 Board Meeting Prepared by Steve TenBarge

It was a very fun and eventful season on the Brewer Plaza this year! We provided Berklee College pop-up concerts on four Saturdays during the summer and people were dancing on the Plaza. The weekday lunch crowd continued to appreciate the usual solo piano performances. Our two food truck partners, Bon Me and Cookie Monstah, did well again this season and would like to return next year. Cookie Monstah added a gourmet shaved ice truck to their fleet and it does very well on warm weather days.

Roaming Hunger, a marketing agency located in Hollywood, California that utilizes food trucks for promotions, reached out to us earlier this year regarding activations on the Plaza. Since then, we have had five successful daily promotions – one for Hood’s squeezable sour cream product, and four for Caulipower’s cauliflower-based pizza. This month we are having a sixth promotion for Delta-Amex – their truck will be giving away warm gourmet pretzels. The Parks Department has allotted us two food truck spaces on the Plaza and our Agreement allows us to put any permitted food trucks on those spaces. Our two food truck partners were very cooperative and took turns giving up their spots for the promotions. We charged Roaming Hunger a daily rate of $1,000 so these activations brought in $6,000 in additional income.

In August, Sony Pictures filmed a fun scene on the Plaza for a Kevin Hart movie and paid us a $3,000 fee. The film is called “Fatherhood” and it will be released in April 2020. (The scene was shot four days before Kevin Hart’s bad car accident.) Combined with the daily rent from our two food truck partners, the additional income from Roaming Hunger and Sony will help cover 75% of Plaza expenses this year, up from 25% when I became the Plaza Liaison in 2015.

In June, we held our new annual Summer Celebration on the Plaza. The weather was beautiful and many people enjoyed the free Bon Me sandwiches and Cookie Monstah cookies & gourmet shaved ice. We hired a steel pan band made up of Berklee faculty members and they were a big hit. Capital One sponsored the event with $5,000 in support, which covered more than 50% of the event expenses. Going forward, the Summer Celebration will take place on the day of the Frog Pond opening, which is always the last Thursday in June each year.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 25, 2020!

Programming the Plaza is a very important (and very public) aspect of our work. I worked several Coordinator shifts this season and the job is more difficult than it seems. It is not just the physical aspect of the job but also the daily interactions with guests that make the position challenging. In addition, the nature of seasonal, part-time work does not lend itself to retaining good workers year after year. So in order to try to minimize the risk of losing our two valued Coordinators, we are upgrading the position next year to “Plaza Ambassador.” The Ambassadors will receive a generous increase in their hourly pay in addition to a free monthly T-pass plus half-time pay when the Plaza is closed due to rain or excessive heat.