Minutes of the Vestry Meeting - August 18, 2014

Formation

Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving & Prayer Requests
The vestry assembled in the church for evening prayer at 7:00 PM followed by offered prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.

Attendance
Present at the meeting were the rector, Kristin Orr; the senior warden, Bill Bestow; the junior warden, Diane Walsh-Madden; vestry members Nichole Dailor, Bob DeOliveira, Steve Hofer, Gale Michael, Patti Pohrte, Ted Stone, Jim Whitfield, and Hans Zigmund; and the clerk, Susan Marquis. Vestry member Mark Moxley and the treasurer, Debbi Huggett, were absent. Two guests were present at the meeting, Dan Pohrte and Sebastian Koprowski, both of whom are architects from Product Architecture Design.

Stewardship

Minutes
After a motion by Bill Bestow and a second by Gale Michael, the vestry approved the minutes from the June 16th meeting.

Treasurer’s Report
Gale Michael moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Jim Whitfield seconded, and the motion passed.

Rector’s Discretionary Account
Prior to the meeting, Pastor Orr distributed to the vestry, a copy of the Rector’s Discretionary Account Report for the second quarter of 2014. Hans Zigmund moved to accept the report followed by a second from Bob DeOliveira. The motion was approved.

Information

Rector’s Report
--Pastor Orr expressed thanks to the senior warden for overseeing the parish while she was on vacation.
--A thank you note from the Diocese regarding the parish contribution to Places of Grace and Gladness was received and shared with the vestry.

Wardens’ Reports and/or Reports from Parish Organizations
Bill Bestow reported that all of the sidewalk coach lamps have been repaired and are functioning thanks to the work of Jim Whitfield and Harold Keene.

Upcoming Parish Events
--The annual Blessing of the Backpacks, which marks the beginning of the new school year, will be held during the 10 AM service on August 24th.
--The annual Ministry Fair, during which parish organizations have displays and representatives to explain their ministries and offer ministry opportunities to parishioners, is scheduled during coffee hour on September 7th.

Discussions and Decisions

Lighting Project
Most of the materials needed for new lighting in the sanctuary are here. Jim Whitfield and his crew will install the lights in the upcoming few weeks. A donor has covered the $1,500 to $2,000 expense.

Radiator Work
The radiator valve work in the education wing has been completed. The approximately $2,600 expense has not yet shown up in the financial reports.

Lift Project
Architect Dan Pohrte described the differences in lifts based on their types of drives and provided a handout that compared hydraulic versus screw drives. The hydraulic drive is a bit faster, but its main advantage is its ability to move the platform both up and down using an auxiliary battery power system in the event of a power outage. The two types are similar in price, the hydraulic being about $500 more.

Pastor Orr reported that she checked with the treasurer about funding, and found that the project could be largely paid for through memorial and accessibility funds. We also have other undesignated reserves, or we may be able to supplement with some congregational involvement. The cost of the lift plus construction costs appears now to be about $110,000.

Following a discussion, Jim Whitfield made a motion to accept the proposal for the hydraulic lift [submitted by Chicago Elevator & Lift, Inc.]. Steve Hofer seconded. Hans Zigmund amended the motion to state that the project would first be paid for through the memorial fund and secondly through the accessibility fund with any additional costs to be approved by the vestry. The motion passed.

Mr. Pohrte submitted requests for contractors’ bids, and two bids came in. Both bids were higher than anticipated, with one bid significantly higher.

At the vestry’s request, he will check to see if there are any parts of the bids that could be self-managed, that is, things that parishioners could do such as painting in order to cut costs.

Steve Hofer made a motion that we move forward with the Pathmann Construction Management proposal [which was the lower of the two bids we received from contractors] with the final contract negotiated to include the option of some self-managed work to be done by St. John’s, with any additional costs to be approved by the vestry, and with the work to be paid first from St. John’s memorial fund, and then from the accessibility fund. After a second by Diane Walsh-Madden, the motion was approved.

Steve Hofer volunteered to announce the lift project progress to the parish at the 8:00 AM service next Sunday, and Bill Bestow will make the announcement at the 10 AM service.

Closing
The meeting ended at 8:55 PM with prayer. The next vestry meeting is scheduled for September 15th.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry

Approved, as amended:  September 15, 2014