Minutes of the Vestry Meeting - December 14, 2015

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: the rector Kristin Orr; the senior warden Diane Walsh-Madden, the junior warden Anne Edwards; vestry members Bob Burgwald, Rob Carrier, Nichole Dailor, Bob DeOliveira, Patti Pohrte, Ted Stone, Cynthia Turnquest, and Jim Whitfield; the treasurer Debbi Huggett, and the clerk Susan Marquis Absent: Hans Zigmund

Parish Stewardship

Minutes
Anne Edwards moved to accept the minutes from the October meeting. Rob Carrier seconded, and the motion was approved.

Treasurer’s Report
Debbi Huggett reminded the vestry that the 2015 budget had a $4,000 deficit, but it looks like we will end the year with a favorability of $5,000 due to savings in heating, cooling, and snow removal from mild weather and savings from unspent youth and family ministry funds. Jim Whitfield moved to accept the treasurer’s report, and Diane Walsh- Madden seconded the motion, which then was approved on a vote.

Discussion of 2016 Budget
Debbi Huggett reported that there have been 60 pledges for 2016 for a total of $179,000. Ten pledges from 2015 have not yet been received for next year. The dollar amounts of 21 pledges were increased, while five pledges were decreased. There was one new pledge. Some pledges were lost due to relocation and death.
Pastor Orr noted that it is reasonable to expect the revenue for 2016 will be similar to 2015 with the total, including non-pledge offerings, to be about $232,000. We have pared down the operating budget as much as we can over the years. The areas with the largest discretionary spending are programs, salaries, and the diocesan pledge. The vestry should think about the budget in advance of the January budget meeting.

2016 Parsonage Allowance
Jim Whitfield presented the following motion:
Whereas the Rev. Kristin Orr is employed as a minister of the Gospel by the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in Flossmoor, IL, which, although providing a residence does not provide the full cost of maintaining and furnishing such a residence, the Vestry resolves that of the total compensation to be paid to the Rev. Orr during 2016, that $3,000.00 be designated a parsonage allowance within the meaning of that term as used in Section 107 of the IRS Code of 1986. This housing allowance will apply to year 2016 and all future years unless otherwise provided.
Nichole Dailor seconded the motion, and the vestry unanimously approved it.

Information

Rector’s Report
—Pastor Orr will be preaching at St. James Cathedral this coming Saturday, December 19th.
—The Village of Flossmoor will have a zoning hearing on Thursday night of this week regarding a possible housing facility on Leavitt Avenue for people with adult mental disabilities. There is not yet much information. Representatives from St. John’s will attend.
—After many years of devoted service, Sue Buckman has retired from her position as Altar Guild directress, although she still plans to be active in Altar Guild work. Donna Blackburn has volunteered to take over as directress.
—The rector expressed thanks to Jim Whitfield and Harold Keene for their recently completed work on the church lighting project.
—The rector also thanked the delegates to the diocesan convention and noted that she was appointed for a final term as Dean of the Joliet Deanery. 

Upcoming Parish Events
Two Christmas Eve services
Christmas Day service
Epiphany Eucharist, January 6th at 7:00 PM
Vestry-sponsored patronal feast, January 9th
MIQRA diocesan youth event, January 14-16
Annual parish meeting, January 24th at 11:30 AM

Discussion and Decisions

Columbarium Project
—Pastor Orr announced that Bill MacAdam has made a commitment of $10,000 toward the columbarium project and wishes to name one of the additions after his parents, Gordon and Mary Lou MacAdam. There is also a possibility of funding for the other addition.
—There are several broken tiles on the outdoor altar paved circle. The circle is in memory of Barry and Patty Berg’s sister. Although he is now living out-of-state, Barry told Pastor Orr that he is eager to help in physically replacing the tiles.
—Diane Walsh-Madden’s neighbor is a stone mason. She will ask him to look at the current columbarium to determine if there might be an inexpensive way to access the lowest level, which currently is unused. We should have a proposal and cost by the next vestry meeting.
—One of the aspects of the new design is trellis installation to soften the harshness of the architecture of the education wing addition. The trellises would be placed on the walls outside of the guild room and junior high classroom. The vestry discussed concerns about attaching trellises to the walls and whether or not vines would cause damage to the building. No decision was made about this.
—The vestry discussed materials for the garden path and the sidewalk and whether these should be exposed aggregate or some other type of material. No decision was made.
—The vestry agreed that the design is flexible enough to do parts of it over a period of several years as funds become available. Hans Zigmund pointed out that borrowing funds is an option that we may or may not want to pursue with one advantage to borrowing being that there could be lower labor and material costs when more work is done at once.
—To start work on the bench additions we will need specific construction drawings. Pastor Orr will go back to the landscape architect and ask him for an estimate to do the drawings and also ask him about various garden path materials.
—The start time for construction most likely will be during the summer of 2016.

Feast Planning
Diane Walsh-Madden, Anne Edwards, Rob Carrier, and Cynthia Turnquest volunteered to serve on a sub-committee to plan this year’s feast. They will meet after church on December 20th. All vestry members are encouraged and expected to help on January 8th and 9th.

Closing
Following prayer, the meeting ended at 9:27 PM. The next meeting will formalize the budget for 2016 and will be held after the 10:00 AM church service on January 10th.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry

Approved:  February 15, 2016