In attendance:
Rev. Brian Ferguson x
Chris Stovall x
Rob Davis x
Tovis Page x
Polly Ragusa x
Peter Hartzell x
Dick Edminster x
Jeanne De Shazo x
Jen Barr-Davidson, Finance Committee
| Consent Agenda Purpose: Read and approve information based on the written reports without discussion. Items may be pulled out for separate discussion and approval if needed. Reports should include desired actions for the board, support needed, any concerns and updates relevant to church functioning. Last BOT Meeting Minutes – receivedConnections Coordinator Report – receivedDRE Report – receivedMinister’s Report – receivedFinance Committee Report – received(including quarterly financial report (Oct., Jan, April, July)Personnel Committee Report – N/AEmail Votes – NADick/Peter: Unan. passed. |
| Strategic DiscussionFocus on the strategic issues of the church to provide direction and guidance.Develop our strategy going forward, with the completed strategic goals and proposed budget in mind. Proposed Budget (Jenn B-D)Rental income expected to drop due to our building use, from $6-$5KPledge expected income: $325K currentCOLA thoughts (from the townhall), how is this part of the budget?Staff salary and reviewsWhat do we need to address with the congregation? Brett estim. 5% COLA = $12,500. Impacts payroll taxes, retirement and other indirect costs. 4% COLA = $11,000. 7% increase was to try to include COLA with $337K. 20 hr/week employees would need to health care to be just. Though we can reduce the hours/week for employees. Longer term solution. This not an emergency situation now. The Strategic Plan would move us out of this, with plans for just salaries and benefits.Near term solution: Job market is tight so could lose employees for benefits and salaries. Let’s not make haste throwing out numbers. By fall, we will have had more time to implement our Strategic Planning, investigate what our employees want and need, maybe use a mid-course correction once we know. We don’t know what the DRE is going to look like yet. Salaries and benefits for DRE investigation. Look and make a considered response. This is an honest position to the conversation with the congregation and the employees. Ask employees what they want. We think this is the right budget for this moment. If you look at the numbers we don’t yet have a sustainable budget. We have quite a lot of positive work happening and will plan what we actually need. We have a whole story to take us to a much better financial position. We are thinking of a timeline of about 6 months from now. ACTION: Peter please craft our message from the whole board. Board available after the next couple of Sundays. Stay with the currently proposed budget for next year. Reduce drawdown when possible. Strategic Plan (Polly)Vote to accept the GoalsDiscussion: climate under Goal #3. Does it fit with climate justice? Wording of “justice-seeking, inclusive” UUFRC. without that language, not all can support it. How do these goals help prioritize the work of the Bd? We will come up with how to present to fellowship offline given how late it is tonight.Motion: Accept the 5 goals of Strat. Plan TF: Peter/Polly. 5 for, 1 abstention. Passed.Next Steps. Tabled to May meeting Tie this all together for a message for the annual meeting and possibly chats before that. |
| Operations-Board OversightGive a high level update as needed and address matters needing board attention. Board Reports Items for Discussion – as needed Nominating Committee Update (Polly)Erika Pretell, Julia Mogliev, Jason L-J Program Council Update (Rob). Rental group met with Gigi; and talked about Impl TF for RE OGNS Update (Tovis). Lease starts in a couple months. Maybe adding wording about shared spaces. Need to find an attorney if updating. Tovis will share email with Bd. Task Force UpdatesCovid TF (Dick). Dawn said she would have singing without masks, but we are staying with masks in congregation yet. New policies just sent to congregation.YFC Implementation Team Update (Tovis). See minister’s report. Do we want a Bd liason (Erika would like to be that person, if elected to the Bd). Financial (Dick)Quarterly Budget UpdateInformational: Updated Reserve Plans. FinCom proposing: There is an understanding from Building Cmte this year: , investment in A/V. A/V increase to Building Cmte. < from $18,500 to $21,500 annual contribution. Exterior fences also now in Building Cmte, and some other small changes. an update to Building Reserve Plan, which includes add’l expenditures overall, to $21,500 annual target contribution, major is A/V maintenance and upgrades. Motion: Bd approves the updated building reserve model into the quarterly statements, which now includes the A/V maintenance and upgrades. Peter/Rob: unan. approved. Ministerial Reserve½ time intern, 2 years in a row in a ministerial cycle of 8 years, 2 yr intern, 8 years, 2 yr intern pattern in a 10 year cycle. Increase cost for intern, $3K/annual, total of $11.5K/year for intern. So far, this is not part of our mission, strat. goals though we see clear advantages to having interns: community, minister, UU . Timeline: asap. We want include this in the strategic plan. Motion to accept revised the Ministerial Reserve plan with expected costs for an intern to $11.5 annually. Peter/Rob. unan passed. Approve revisions to Financial Policies.Currently. Expense of $500 or more requires approval of Bd, and checks of $1000 or more requires two signatures.2 signatures: retirement TIAA checks are over $1000. routine items. More than $500 is mostly building committee needs. This was put in to ensure that spending was according to the planning, not more than an individual should decide when to overspend. Motion to approve proposed amended fin. policy increasing requirement from $500 for major expenditures to need prior approval from Bdto more than $1000; and increasing required two signature from $1000 to $2000. Dick/Peter. Unan passed.Approve proposed Budget to submit to congregational vote, with any increased pledging to reduce drawdown to reserves. Tovis/Rob unan. passed. Personnel (Peter). Personnel C. is ready to help with search process for CYF hireNew complicated legislation for child care persons training, criminal background check (full life scan, fingerprints, etc.) This cmte deals with lots of invisible stuff, burden of hiring, handbook, perf reviews, etc. Adds up. Should we look for other congregations to share this burden? Maybe a larger UU congregation to outsource some of this. So much of this is state level, so it makes sense for UU to have state offices for this. |
| Operations-GeneralAddress business that has come before the board. From CUUE-Susie Idzik: approve Debbie Mytels and Joyce Porter as the GA Delegates this summer. There may be a third at some point. Discussion: Motion to approve Debbie Mytels and Joyce Porter as delegates. Peyter/Rob. uanan. CUUE’s T-Shirt Proposal (Brian). postponed to May Things that are going on but I don’t think we need to discuss in person. Any concerns?Annual Report for board—ACTION board report to be reviewed by email, voting process is hybrid (will send update via email)Vote Signs in yard-email discussion. Seems doneRev Ben resignation-Brian and board continue to offer support. Is there a role of us as a Bd to reach out to their bd. Their bd encouraged Brian to support Rev. Ben. Bocce Ball contributions-via email. ACTION. send costs and Chris will send out what is owed by each. |
| Wrap UpPending Actions Action Items Review from the previous board meeting (Jeanne) Board Actions and CommunicationsRecap of board actions from this meeting and communications to the congregation this month (Jeanne) Thank You NotesRecognition and proposals for “Thank You” notesTownhall speakers and AV; Pledge co-chairs, GigiWorkday organizerStrategic TF Next MeetingCalendar Items for April BoT Meeting -Tuesday, May, 31st 7-9:30pm, Sanctuary |
| Closing Circle |
| Adjourn |