Since our Spring Report, our Facility Manager and the Building and Grounds Committee completed the upgrade to our existing security and fire alarm system and the new roof on our Sanctuary and Nursery wing of the South Building. We have now replaced the original roof on all of our existing buildings over the past three years. In reopening our Sanctuary to full capacity, our Facility Manager repaired and cleaned all of our Sanctuary chairs. Many are beyond further repair and we will need to start planning for future replacement. We received the gift of a new, handcrafted bench, in memory of John Jardine, long time Elder at Grace, from his family. The bench was placed in the lobby next to the North Building access doors. The Committee also provided matching funds to Sam Malinky’s Boy Scout Project, the construction of a Ga-Ga ball pit near our Pavilion for our youth to use for games, as well as some new picnic tables. The Committee also continued to monitor our utility costs and look for ways to reduce our energy usage.
Our parking lot islands continue to be cleaned and mulched by the volunteers watching over them and they look great. We still have some islands available for landscape adoption, if anyone is interested in taking responsibility. Anyone interested in volunteering to mulch, weed and add seasonal flowers to beautify the churchyard landscape areas, please contact Mike Arthur (Facility Manager) or the church office.
Our Financial Report shows that we remain within our allotted operating budget of $31,050 for the Fiscal Year ($23,577.20 costs to-date for the first 10 months of our Fiscal Year) and we should have sufficient funds for the remaining FY (ending 8/31/2021). We are also within our utility budget of $39,296 ($29,117.47 costs to date in this FY). With the repayment of some of our project funds, borrowed during the Advance Campaign by the Session, the Committee has a little over $21,200 remaining uncommitted in our major project reserve savings account and, with the addition of $10,000 from the Session this Fiscal Year, we now have $47,228.74 in our emergency contingency fund. Our Future Growth Building Fund has grown to $34,096.65 through individual contributions from our Congregation.
With the monies provided through the Future Growth Building Fund, we have started our next expansion project. Mike Arthur, along with volunteers (Tom Kauth, Jay Pearson, Brian Ezell, Bob Wheeler), are now constructing the new storage room on the second floor of the South Building contained in our Master Plan. Our architect has also prepared plans for our “porte-cochere” (driveway cover) at the access door of our North Building. In reviewing the plans, the Committee felt the design would cost more than the funds available, based on the current cost of materials. Therefore, we contracted with a local structural engineer to review our plans and offer suggestions for cost saving. As a result of this extra design step and the possible shortage of funds, the construction of the “porte-cochere” has been pushed back until next year.
Questions on any Building and Grounds project can be directed to Mike Arthur (Facility Manager) or any of our committee members; Holly Pfeifer, John Tullis, Jay Pearson, Robert Jones, Dave Brown, Fred Janssen, Dona Kauth and Ray Harbeson (Chair). New Committee Members or Building and Grounds email advisors are welcome at any time. Please contact Mike Arthur, Ray Harbeson or any of our pastors, if interested in volunteering.