Email from Richard Dickson, 1/2/13 - Everyone,
We will hold an emergency Trustees meeting tomorrow at 6 pm at Trinity. Jeff and Vince have been worked with the plumbers today and now have a better understanding of the problem in the line along the back of the parsonage. We hope to have bids from three plumbers to review.
For those who may not know, the sewer initially backed up on Sunday, Dec 30. Snaking of the system was not successful, and three different plumbers have tried to diagnose and fix the problem. Based on the camera scoping today, the line along the back of the house is deteriorating in multiple locations and has several holes in it. The fix will involve replacement of the old sewer line along the back of the house and installation of new connections to the line. There will also be some reconfiguration of the lines, including the drain for the water softener.
This is a major repair and we need everyone’s input and support. We’ll try to hold the meeting to less than one hour.
Thanks,
Richard
Trinity United Methodist Church
Trustees Meeting, December 4, 2012
Attending: Dave Bybee, Jeff Bryan, Richard Dickson, Eric Lybeck, and Cheryl Siedelmann. Vince Esparza and Jane Simmons were not able to attend tonight.
The meeting commenced at 7:30 pm with a discussion of the budget. Scott Taylor, Treasurer, came to the meeting to discuss the financial status of the church budget. Insurance costs for the Church Mutual Policy are anticipated to increase about 10%. Based on expenses for 2012, Trustees asked for the overall insurance budget (8050) to be increased from $9K to $11k for calendar year 2013 (CY13). The maintenance budget for the parsonage (8070) was also increased from $2k to $5k to cover anticipated expenses for electrical, plumbing and other repairs. Other line items in the budget appear to be adequate and will remain at the same level as last year. The Trustees and Treasurer agreed to work closely during the coming year to manage expenses.
Review of Minutes: The minutes from the November meeting were reviewed. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes. Approval was unanimous.
Discussion of Annual Schedule: The Fall Inspections of the parsonage and Trinity have not been completed. The Trinity inspection was scheduled for next Sunday (Dec 9) after the 11 am service. Eric will contact the pastor to schedule the parsonage inspection.
Church Use Requests: A request by the Buzz Group of AA to use Mary Dawson Hall for a Speaker meeting and pot luck on Dec. 8 was received. Based on email feedback from the trustees, the request was approved. Another request by AA Buzz to use the hall on Dec 15 has been withdrawn. The trustees discussed the thermostat setting for use of the sanctuary. If the custodian receives a request to set the temperature higher than normal, he can refer the request to the Trustee Chairman for consideration.
Trustee Budget: The trustee expenses through October were reviewed and discussed. Only about $150 remains in the parsonage budget for CY12. The CY12 budget shows $2500 for the purchase of a water softener for the parsonage and windows for the education wing that has not been spent.
Status of Parsonage Jobs: The washing machine has been repaired. Repair of the light switches in the parsonage have also been completed. No additional cost information on bedroom curtains was available. No progress has been made on the cover for the softener drain in the parsonage basement. The trustees discussed the $85 bill for the chimney inspection. The bill was paid by the pastor at the time of the inspection. A motion was made and seconded to reimburse the pastor for this charge. The motion was passed unanimously.
The purchase or rental of a water softener was discussed. Rental costs would be $25/month from Culligan. When compared to the quote from Lowe’s of about $775 for the purchase and installation of a new softener, the return on investment would be about 2.5 years. A motion was made and seconded to purchase the softener from Lowe’s for $775 from the Capital Reserve Fund. The motion was approved unanimously. Jane and Cheryl will arrange for purchase and installation of the softener.
Replacement of the two cadet heaters and thermostats at the parsonage was discussed. Replacement of the heaters was considered a priority. A motion was made and seconded to authorize up to $500 for the replacement of the heaters and thermostats. Eric will inquire with the electrician about an estimate for the job and make necessary arrangements for the repairs.
Trinity Repairs/Maintenance: Reattachment of the urinal in the upstairs bathroom is progressing. The Trustee Chair authorized the Custodian to contact Rocky Mountain Boiler for repair of leaking valves on two upstairs radiators in the education wing. Eric volunteered to research the purchase of a new timer for the Elm Street marquee. Cheryl will help the Custodian determine if high-output fluorescent lights are still available for the marquee. The doors under the parlor sink keep falling off their tracks. Vince will arrange for their repair. Replacement of the windows in the education wing will be deferred until next year.
The Custodian replaced a burnt-out lamp in the main sanctuary chandelier. He also suggested substituting dimmable-LED lights for future replacements. The trustees discussed the high cost of bulbs and likelihood that costs will come down in the coming years. Richard volunteered to research the cost of LEDs, light spectrum, and compatibility with existing dimmer switches.
The presence of moisture on the south sanctuary ceiling (below the stained glass windows) was discussed. This may be coming from rain against the stone of the building (and not a leaking roof.) Cheryl will talk to the custodian about this condition and the possibility of inspecting the area before winter conditions arrive.
The current function of the sewer shut-off valve in the basement was discussed. There have been no problems with the drains since the storm drains on Elm Street were separated from the sanitary sewer several years ago.
Copies of the draft Trinity Safety Policy were sent to Trustees and handed out at the meeting. Dave Bybee presented the security system quotes received from two local firms. Omni (the current provider of alarm systems in Trinity) proposed two master stations and a tilt camera, with remotely operated magnetic lock for $2,673. Peak Alarm proposed a camera, master and sub-station intercoms, and magnetic locks for $3570. No ongoing charges will be incurred for either system. Questions were raised about the intended security threat(s) the system is intended to address. Jeff offered to contact the chair of the SPRC committee to obtain clarification. The funding source was also discussed, as the Trustee budget has no money for this project. Taking the funding matter before the Church Council was raised as a possibility, once we understand the functional needs of the security system better.
Insurance: Jeff and Richard met with the insurance agent (Tyler Seymour) on Nov. 30, 2012 to discuss renewal of the Church Mutual policy. The forms addressing liability coverage and the sexual misconduct survey were submitted to him. The valuation of the church has increased. The value of the church contents must be a minimum of 15% of the property value. The parsonage value was raised to $251k, but Mr. Seymour suggested keeping it at about $233k. Questions about insurance of the pastor-owned contents were raised. A renter’s policy may need to be obtained, as the Church Mutual Policy does not cover the pastor’s contents. Finally, the value of the hand bells and associated equipment will need to be increased to cover purchases that have been made during the past several years. Policy cost for the next year will be about $8,800 (a 10% increase). Jeff will contact Mr. Seymour to clarify some remaining issues. Jeff will contact the pastor to discuss insurance for the pastor-owned contents of the parsonage.
Memorial Funds: The balance in the memorial fund checking account is essentially the same as last moth ($547.42). Cheryl inquired about the reason for locking the memorial book case in the parlor. There was some speculation, but no clear reason. The general consensus was for Cheryl to have another key made so that she can easily access the book for updates. Cheryl will contact the Treasure about transfer of memorial funds from the general fund into the memorial account. Vince contacted Wells Fargo to determine the correct process for changing the list of authorized users, but this task has not been completed.
There was no other business. The meeting was adjourned about 9:45 pm. The minutes were prepared by Richard Dickson.