potrero view
Photograph by Nicki Dugan

Photograph by Nicki Dugan

Open seating at Starr King Openspace.

March 2010

New Starr King Board Promises Transparency, Accountability

By Mary Purpura

Last spring a nine-member board was elected to manage Starr King Openspace, the 3.5 acres of community owned, hilltop green patch that stretches from 23rd and Carolina to 24th and De Haro streets. Many of the newly elected had been galvanized to become involved because of a proposed development at 1321 De Haro Street. For decades the property was a single family residence. When it changed hands in 2008, the new owner announced plans to demolish the existing structure, replace it with a three-unit building, and retain the right of easement allowing cars to pass through the adjacent Starr King Openspace to the units.

Potrero Hill residents who love the hilltop oasis expected the then-Starr King board to oppose the project. When that opposition didn’t materialize, community members insisted on the election of a new board.  The reconstituted board quickly mounted a campaign to minimize the proposed development’s adverse impacts on the Openspace.  Last fall, the San Francisco Planning Commission ruled that 1321 De Haro Street couldn’t build a garage facing the open space – a victory for the new board – instead requiring cars to enter the building on De Haro Street.

“We had no idea what we were getting into when we were elected to the board,” said Starr King board president Caroline Bird. “We knew the organization needed help,” agreed Starr King board member Richard McDerby, “but we didn’t know it needed CPR.”  Bird, McDerby and their board colleagues inherited a complicated tangle of poorly kept or nonexistent records; expired insurance; lapsed nonprofit status due to negligence in filing appropriate forms with the Registry of Charitable Trusts, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Secretary of State; and as much as $100,000 in missing funds.

The severity of the problems was revealed gradually. “We had a hard time scheduling meetings with a representative from the former board after we were elected,” said McDerby. “The transition took months. Frankly, to this day, it’s incomplete: We still don’t have records of former board meetings.”

The mailbox key and financial records were especially hard to secure.  “We understood pretty quickly that we had no liability insurance on the open space,” said Bird.  Members of the new board put up $3,000 of their own money to cover insurance costs, as they didn’t have access to Starr King funds.  And without the mailbox key the new board was kept in the dark about many of the complex issues facing them. “The Secretary of State had sent two registered letters to the Starr King mailbox in March and April of 2009 warning that the organization was about to lose its nonprofit status. We didn’t understand all that until months later.”  Re-instating nonprofit status and straightening out tax responsibilities would have normally triggered fees and penalties. “Through [Board president] Caroline’s hard work, a lot of those penalties were waived,” explained McDerby.

According to Webb Green, a current board member who also served on the board ten years ago, “The old board stopped functioning as a board in 2002. It rarely held meetings, and never held elections.” Jane Fay, who served as Starr King board president for five years, resigned in early 2001 when the board became “dysfunctional. I couldn’t get the board to agree to move forward on issues that seemed important for the community. I didn’t feel we were being effective,” she said. “But between the time I left and the election of the new board, a lot of good has been done too,” including taking conscientious care of the open space, removing non-native plants, introducing native species, and putting a stop to the dumping that was once rampant in the space.

Both Fay and Green recounted that various board members resigned until one person was left with control of the mailbox key, bank account, and paperwork.  “Given the legacy we’ve inherited,” said Bird, “we’re really committed to being open to the community and operating with complete transparency.” To that end, the new board has designed a series of procedures to ensure accountability.  The board president holds the organization’s checkbook, but two other board members have sole authority to sign checks. The organization has two secretaries, each of whom has a mailbox key. When one of them gets the mail, that person sends an email message to all board members, reporting what was collected. Anything having to do with the group’s finances is immediately passed along to the treasurer. “This way,” explained Bird, “another set of eyes reviews finance-related mail before it moves on to the treasurer.” Anyone on the board can receive a donation check made out to Starr King Openspace. But cash contributions must be received by at least two board members. Donations are then passed on to the group’s treasurer, who makes a financial report to the board at every monthly meeting.

“We’ve taken a two-tiered approach to managing this organization responsibly,” said Bird. “We’ve established internal mechanisms to keep the organization running effectively and honestly, but we also consider community oversight and involvement essential.” The group has held two public meetings since the 2009 election, and has made presentations at the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association and Democratic Club.  Board members staffed information tables at last year’s Potrero Hill History Night and the Potrero Hill Festival. “Our monthly meetings and monthly workdays are open to the public,” said Bird. “We want the community to become involved in Starr King committees, fundraising, and stewardship.  We’re not so much looking for volunteers, as for community partners in the care of Starr King Openspace; this special piece of land that we all own together.

“We’re very aware of the unique challenges faced by the Starr King board,” said Tony Kelly, Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association president. “They are fiercely dedicated, and we support them wholeheartedly.” The Boosters have contributed $1,500 to the organization, and another $1,500 has been offered as a matching grant if the Starr King Board can raise $3,000 from the community. 

“Once the community learned about the threat that the proposed 1321 De Haro Street development posed to the Openspace, they were very responsive,” said McDerby. “We’ve been very pleased with the outpouring of practical support—financial and otherwise—from the community.”

Starr King board members have launched an inquiry into the matter of the missing funds. Because of the sensitive nature of these proceedings, the board has requested that the View hold-off providing complete coverage of the issues, a request the paper has elected to respect.  “As a community newspaper we need to balance our readers’ right to know with the potential harm that could be done to our neighbors and vulnerable organizations by prematurely disclosing legally-tinged news,” said Steven Moss, the View’s editor and publisher.  “The board has committed to providing the paper and the community with the whole story as soon as it’s able.” According to McDerby, the organization is exploring all available possibilities to recover Starr King’s lost funds.

“The current board had nothing to do with past shenanigans,” said Moss. “The board needs—and deserves—community support right now.” In a monetary demonstration of that support, the View will match every dollar raised by the Openspace in March, up to $500.

   

 

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