From:   Debbie, Ricardo, Dawn, Marston and Paul

Overview:

The management team that keeps our “centerprise” working each day is happy to report that at year end we are in excellent shape and 2019 could well be a record year due to a major new client (University of Colorado) that will be booking daytime use for classes on a long term basis starting in September, which could bring in new significant revenue to the center into 2020.

Paul Nelson handles all the Airbnb rentals which had over 200 guests from all continents in 2018 and generated $76,500 in revenue.   This is a challenging job since with four guest rooms, there are constant emails from clients at all times and day and night. It is interesting to note that several Airbnb guests have become applicants.  

Paul also attended city hearings and helped with getting sections added to the code to cover non-profit use of Airbnb.   Starting Jan. 1, a new set of statutes come into effect regarding short term rentals. Also, a new tax will be added to each night’s rental.  This is charged by Airbnb and paid to the City of Seattle by Airbnb and is $10/night. We do not know if this will have any effect on our volume of rentals in 2019 since rates will increase.   Our Airbnb is still receiving high ratings from guests with 4.8 out of 5.0 average and we continue to have the coveted status of “Super Hosts”. This is due to a spotless, well located site with excellent customer service.  2018 had a busy summer with close to 98% occupancy on our four rooms.

Also, Sherwin O’Bar, our Treasurer, has now placed our Airbnb space on the tax rolls so we will now be in full compliance with taxes due on Airbnb rental space.   We also are now filing a Federal Tax return on this unrelated business income. This is all important to be sure we are in full compliance with all tax laws.

Event Rentals:

Debbie Machado-Santos is now our rental agent.  2018 was a slow year for event rental revenue but 2019 looks so far to be a much better year with several major clients signing contracts.  

Facilities Repairs and Maintenance:

Since our major revenue source is Airbnb, we give first priority to insuring that the four upstairs bedrooms are kept super clean.  In 2018, Owl Painting Co. repaired water damage in the dining room area ceiling and repainted plus painted and repaired the main bathroom.  In December the faucet in the main bathroom had to be fully replaced and now has a fully coded fixture. After getting quotes in 2018, 2019 will be our year to repaint the outside of the building which hasn’t been painted for over 12 years and a bid from Owl Painting has been approved.  The painting should be in May, weather permitting. A loan from the region plus some fund raising and reserves will pay for this $13,000 repair. We hope to do some upgrades on the downstairs kitchen in 2020. In February, we added new black out blinds to the Women’s latihan room (Chapel) which will reduce glare and enhance booking of classes in that space plus save energy.  Ricardo Santos, Debbie’s spouse, has also done lots of little fixes around the building and is an invaluable member of our team.

Twice a month, we have Rosy’s Cleaning Service comes in to clean the building which really helps keep the center very clean.   Also, we had a professional gardening service do a full leaf pickup and weeding plus clear our gutters. A new Subud member Aleta Blakeley  has also assisted with gardening work this winter and will continue into the Spring as needed.   Kudos too to Leandra and Honora for staining the disabled ramp.

Summary:

On behalf of all who work in our “Centerprise”, we are grateful to working for Subud and in harmony together.  The Centerprise is a key element in helping secure the building as primarily a space for Subud and the Latihan plus sharing it with the community and Airbnb guests from all over the globe.   We are all looking forward to serving the center in 2019. We especially wish to thank Jim (acting Chair) and Sherwin (Treasurer) who do an amazing job in supporting all this as volunteers on the committee.  We also look forward to working with the new committee who will be in place by February.