ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH BOARD MEETING
April 9, 2003
Minutes
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Board
Officers |
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Schneeman,
Pam |
President |
Present |
Wetzel,
Ed |
Treasurer |
Absent |
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Sibert,
Tom |
V
President |
Present |
Middleton,
Mike |
Secretary |
Present |
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Board
Members |
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Brunso,
John |
Exp 2003 |
Absent |
Page,
Fern |
Exp 2003 |
Absent |
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Mendonca,
John |
Exp 2003 |
Present |
Vinicor,
Susan |
Exp 2003 |
Absent |
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Gosling,
Mary |
Exp 2004 |
Absent |
Neves,
Susan |
Exp 2004 |
Absent |
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Hansen,
Carl |
Exp 2004 |
Absent |
Schrementi,
Jim |
Exp 2004 |
Absent |
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Hammond,
Jerry |
Exp 2005 |
Absent |
Rand,
Leon |
Exp 2005 |
Present |
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Murphy,
Jane |
Exp 2005 |
Present |
Rempel,
John |
Exp 2005 |
Present |
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Others
Present |
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Clear,
Bruce |
Minister |
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Clear,
Nancy |
DRE |
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Miller,
Jean |
Co-op
Preschool |
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DeForneaux,
Virginia |
Alliance |
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Atwater,
Rich |
Building
committee |
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Pam Schneeman called the meeting to order at 7:09 pm.
Article 6, Section 6 of the Operations Manual establishes a quorum to be 9. Because only seven members were present members will be polled via e-mail on important motions.
Minutes of the March 12 Board meeting were tabled
Northeast presented a proposal to run a 12-day summer program from July 1 to July 25. The program is open to 3-6 year olds. It was noted that no one would be in the office on Tuesdays. Several people present praised the program.
The Minister’s Report and the Religious Education Report were both delivered.
The President presented the Property Management Report. The results of a city inspection are that we need a wooden enclosure around the dumpster and that the Mothers Day Out sign needs to be moved because it is in the right of way (telephone poll to road). The enclosure is being quoted and the sign has been taken down.
The Alliance proposed hiring a person part-time to clean the kitchens and charging $10 to groups using the kitchens. It was pointed out that there is $5000 in the property management budget for housekeeping. There is also a housekeeping committee that has a monthly clean up day. It was also suggested that the custodian might do extra duties for extra pay.
A representative of the Building Committee submitted a proposal to ask the congregation for $15,000 for a financial feasibility study and $20,000 for repairs to the small windows on the south wall of the sanctuary. The funds will be drawn from the endowment with $5,000 to $7,500 coming from an approved grant. Cost figures will be available by the end of the week.
The chosen contractor wants to work with an architect whom is a member of this church. The architect is hesitant due to the possibility of conflicting interests.
A discussion ensued about the goal of the feasibility study and how to convey that clearly. Another question discussed was how to effectively present this proposal to the congregation
Timing is an issue so the President will e-mail the motion to the board for approval. The seven members present approved of asking, on May 18, the congregation for $35,000 from the Endowment for the financial feasibility study and the window repair.
The meeting adjourned at 9:01
Addendum 4/18/2003
Following is the e-mail request to approve motions brought before the board and the results.
4/12/2003 From the Board
President to the Board Members
Board Members -
We did not have a quorum to
conduct business this past Wednesday night. We needed 9 members, but
there were only 8 in attendance. The 8 members in attendance all voted
unanimously to approve the below motions, all of which are time sensitive and
cannot wait until our May meeting. If you were not at the April Board
meeting, please email me back with your vote on these motions. If you are
voting yes to all of them, simply hit reply, and type yes. There is no
need to itemize your votes, unless you are voting no to something. I
would prefer not to receive a whole slew of mails debating these issues.
Thus, if you've got questions or concerns, please call. Your best bet is
to reach me at work at 636-8000, ext. 240. (I will be here today,
Saturday, until at least 2:00 p.m.) Thank you.
-- Pam Schneeman
Motion #1 -- A motion is
made that the Northeast Co-op Preschool be authorized to conduct its
"Summer Fun Program" at the church in July 2003.
Explanation: The program is
identical to what the Board approved last year. The program runs 12 days
during the month of July. The Preschool is licensed and insured.
The Preschool will be paying rent based on the same rate they pay during the
regular school year. The Preschool will pay an additional $5.00 per day
to cover increased water utility costs associated with their water play
activities.
Motion #2 -- A motion is made
that the Board recommend to the congregation that it vote "yes" to
the following motions to be presented at the May 18, 2003 congregational
meeting:
a.
That the congregation authorize the expenditure of up to $15,000.00 from the
Endowment to be spent for the Capital Campaign Financial Feasibility Study.
(This money would not be paid back to the Endowment.)
b.
That the congregation authorize the expenditure of up to $20,000 from the
Endowment to be spent for urgent repairs to the small windows along the south
wall of the sanctuary. (This money would be paid back to the Endowment.)
Explanation for part
"a": The Building Renovation Committee has obtained a revised
building renovation plan based on the results of the survey put to the
congregation earlier this year. Martha Easter Wells, our UUA consultant,
believes that the next step is to conduct a financial feasibility study to gage
how much money we could likely raise in a capital campaign - which is important
to do before the church would sign any contracts with architects or
contractors. The purpose of the financial feasibility study is to,
basically, educate people about the revised project, excite them about the
project, and gage how much money they would be willing to contribute to make the
project happen. The purpose of the financial feasibility study is not to
ask people for money - that happens during the capital campaign. Martha
says that in her experience, churches that do not first conduct a financial
feasibility study almost never have successful capital campaigns. She has
even gone so far to say that she will not work with us on a capital campaign,
if we decide to forego the financial feasibility study.
Martha's fee to conduct the
financial feasibility study is $12,740.00. We have obtained a matching
grant from the Indianapolis Center for Congregations in the amount of
$7,500.00, which was given to us to pay consulting fees. We have already
spent part of this money. Whatever is left of that grant money (the
precise dollar amount, I do not know, but we will get a report for the May
meeting) would be allocated to pay Martha's fee. The remainder of the money
necessary to pay her fee to be taken from the Endowment. Thus, we
probably will not need the full $15,000; however, we want to ask for that
amount to insure that we've got enough and don't have to call a special
congregational meeting later to ask for more. We would not pay this money
back to the Endowment for two reasons: (1) our grant requires us to spend
matching money (i.e., at least $7,500); and (2) it is believed that this is an
appropriate expenditure of Endowment funds to insure the future of the
congregation and its building.
Explanation part
"b": The small windows in the south wall of the sanctuary have
been identified as an urgent repair. The window frames are in such a state of
deterioration that water is leaking into the south wall of the sanctuary and
causing further damage. It is felt that this repair cannot wait for the
capital campaign, which may not happen for another year and a half to two
years. It is proposed that the congregation fix these windows immediately
and then pay the Endowment back out of the funds raised during the capital
campaign. Some hope that the congregation will view the window repair as
a positive step in moving forward with the overall building renovation project
and, thereby, help garner support for the other renovations.
Motion #3 - A motion is
made that in the event the congregation does not vote to approve a financial
feasibility study at the May 18 congregational meeting, the Board approve an
expenditure of funds from the budget surplus from last year to reimburse Martha
Easter Well's plane ticket and hotel fee for interim travel to Indianapolis.
Explanation: Because of
scheduling conflicts later in the summer and the desire to move forward with
the financial feasibility study as soon as possible, Martha plans to travel to
Indianapolis in early May to lay the ground work for the study. The
Congregational Meeting is not, however, until May 18. We expect that the
congregation will approve the financial feasibility study, but if for some
reason it does not, we would need to reimburse Martha's travel expenses, which
are expected to be in the range of $400 to $800.
That's it.
-- Pam Schneeman
************************************
4/16/2003 From the Board
President to the Board Secretary
Mike -
All of the motions presented at the
last Board meeting have passed. All who responded to my email said
yes.
-- Pam
Submitted
Mike Middleton, Secretary to the Board