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Board Minutes for April 16th, 2009 |
Key: MSP = Moved, Seconded, Passed
Board Members Present: Chuck Lundstrom, Fran Brazzell, Ed Savard,
Marion Leonard, Jan Dowling, Bill Hoffman, Linda Selsor
Minister Present: Rev. Diane Dowgiert
;Members Present: Carolyn Cooper, Judy Dare, Micky Dowling,
Margot Garcia (Treasurer), Carolyn Saunders (Financial Sec.), Pete Velonis (FC),
Mary Wiese (ET), Peggy Smith
The meeting was called to order at 6:43pm by Fran Brazzell, on April 16th, 2009.
Agenda:
Budget: by Carolyn Cooper
- The FC has prepared a budget that is $1,300 deficit.
- We are asking the staff to have unpaid work days.
- How do the costs for each of the staff members look today
- $286K
- %1 reduction $2.8K.
- They hit upon %5 reduction overall.
- Mary has agreed to reduce to 38 hrs per week.
- Mary will reduce 5% on her budget to be split up between Mary and her staff at Mary’s discretion.
- Similar for Music.
- LFD and RE similar to Music.
- Office help is at minimum.
- No Sunday custodian.
- Custodian will work 5 days one of which is Sunday.
- Question: Are we still in line with UUA fair compensation guidelines?
- Yes, hours have been reduced but not the hourly wage.
- Question: ET has looked at it, any input?
- The ET is pleased with the budget.
- It seems like the most workable plan.
- It will take diligence on the staff’s part.
- If cuts appear in the future the furloughs will be revisited.
- Budget was based on pledges of $300K
- We are within $500 of that.
- We’ve done well.
- Last year we had a $12K shortfall from the previous year.
- Question: How do these cuts play into the budget?
- They are currently incorporated in the budget before you.
- The interest payback on the endowment was removed.
- Room usage is really $46K which will create bit of a surplus.
- Question: What was the result of the request for pledge increase?
- This is the first balanced budget in a number of years.
Any more questions?
- Comments:
- This budget doesn’t address the significant issues that can place us into a good position for the future.
- Our income has been less than our expenses?
- Our staff is out of balance.
- The office staff is our face to the community.
- A full time office admin is very important.
- Currently Mary fills in the gaps in office staff.
- More central, defined RE leadership.
Motion (Bill Hoffman) – The BOT send the budget back to the FC with the instruction to alter the staffing plan to reduce the cost of adult programs by approx 2/3, to increase the hours of the office administrator and to establish a budget item for employing a professional RE director.
Seconded (Ed Savard).
- Comments:
- We currently have a professional RE director, currently in the role of Lifespan Faith Development. This is different from the past, but has been the model for the past few years.
Amendment – Review this over the coming year and develop a plan.
Agreed (Bill Hoffman and Ed Savard)
- Comments:
- It needs to belong to the strategic plan.
- It needs to belong to the staff.
- Lets take a look at it, but not for this budget.
- This should be part of the vision and directed by the board.
- ET has created a priorities list for staffing.
Amendment – The BOT will address this plan over the next year and incorporate it into the Strategic Plan.
Agreed (Bill Hoffman and Ed Savard)
- Comments:
- The ET is charged with implementing the strategic plan, this subject should be part of that.
- We’ve put ourselves in a staffing position that stresses the budget every year. We should have a staffing that allows us to have a surplus to use towards our strategic plan.
- History – In the past there was a minister, office administrator and an RE coordinator only.
- LFD – has enhanced our offerings here at the church.
- For this round of the budget, staffing balance is not an option. Next year however it should be addressed.
Motion Rephrased.
MSP - Move that over the coming year the BOT address a staffing plan and the balance of staffing with consideration for being able to sustain the budget and the balance between youth and adult programs and administration.
Further Comments:
- There is no line item for a cash reserve.
- There should be a $20K cash reserve to cover the ups and downs every year.
- The line of credit was taken out to address the ups and downs in cash flow.
- We are paying the line of credit off this year.
- We did budget interest for the line of credit.
- The budget has come a long way since last year during the difficult financial times.
- Have an expense growth rate less than income growth rate.
- This will create the cash reserve.
- It is very important to consider that over the past few years our expenses has been less than the budget. The down side is the income is also less than the budget.
- We really need to look at our line items.
- Look at alternative options to budgeted items.
- These are things we can do to save money.
- We will be looking at actuals as compared to budget. Just because we save money in one area we can’t spend it elsewhere.
MSP – Adopt the budget as presented, and present it to the congregation for a vote.
Final comments:
- The projections of our ability to borrow and the growth of membership and income never came to fruition.
- The younger members are helping the congregation grow in the correct direction. They are involved, their children are in RE, and they contribute good pledges.
Next Step:
- What should be done with the budget at this time?
- The budget should be consolidated into a format for the general members.
- Major categories to a couple of pages.
- Put it on-line for review.
- Send it out by eMail.
- Put some copies out for people to pick up.
Meeting adjourned at 7:41pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Lundstrom
Board of Trustees
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NURTURE
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