It’s Been a Hot Summer
Karen Ransom, Board President
I received an email from our Director of Administration and Finance on July 28th entitled “Office AC is…well…kaput!” The high temperature that day was 96°. The average high temperature from that day until August 24th when the air finally came back on was 88°. That’s a long, hot 4 weeks for our staff and volunteers in the office.
So, first off, I want to acknowledge and thank our staff for their tenacity and creativity in dealing with this situation and still getting their work done. I want to thank our DAF, Chris Rivera, for thoughtfully and thoroughly researching our options for fixing vs. replacing the unit, and how to pay for this unexpected expense, then doing the work necessary to make it happen.
The good news is that our 22 year-old AC unit only had a life expectancy of 14 years. We managed to get an additional 8 years out of it! But clearly it had to be replaced. And it’s not the only piece of equipment we own that’s past its prime.
Our Building and Grounds Committee, taking over the good work done by the Campus Management Task Force, is holding a list of capital projects which we need to seriously consider in the near term. Ensuring that our buildings remain functional by replacing our boiler, dealing with water intrusion caused by gutter and drainage issues, along with painting needed to seal wood to prevent further rot, are part of it. In our current reality, these kinds of issues are becoming “normal” in the life of our aging church buildings.
Other items, such as audio visual upgrades in the Sanctuary and Lower Hall, beautification of the Sanctuary, and investing in our parking lots affect the rentability of those spaces, especially for weddings. There are many serious situations, expected and I’m sure unexpected, that we need to be prepared for in order to remain good stewards of our facilities and create a campus that supports our vision of ourselves. None of these, however, can be covered by our annual operating budget.
We need to ask ourselves how these projects tie into our mission for racial justice work within and outside our community. How do our buildings and their functionality support our transformational work with our children and youth? If we are to realize some of our great revenue potential, we will first need to invest in our space and our staff.
And so I am excited that the board is considering launching a “mini” capital campaign this year to fund these and other projects. I am excited to engage the congregation in this mission-critical work to alleviate some of the stress on our buildings. I am excited to make good on the board’s covenant with the congregation to lead TJMC-UU towards fiscal solvency. And more importantly, I am excited by the possibilities this work will open to us to shape our lives of joy, action, and spirit and attract and welcome new souls looking for what our liberal religious community has to offer, moving us forward with our great work in the world.
The board goes into retreat on September 3rd to work on our leadership vision and annual goals. I look forward to deciding on our commitments for the year, including this campaign. We welcome you to ask, engage, and share with us your ideas, your energy, and your excitement about this coming year.