FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NEENAH/MENASHA

FIRST UNITED METHO= DIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Present:	Sue Prince, Linda Kehl, Matt Woodrow, Barb Rudolph, Victor Metzig, Ma= ry Keepers, Gerry Kaiser
Also Present:	Pastor Bob Hays

1.	Minutes - = MSC Kehl/Woodrow to approve the minutes of the meeting = of March 2011.
2.	Church Cleaning – Squeaky Clean has been cleaning the church for two weeks. Comments received have been positive. That service need= s two people for 15 hours per week or 30 person-hours to clean the church. The custodial position is budget= ed for 20 hours per week and included cleaning in addition to miscellaneous maintenance duties. Since t= he cleaning is being handled at the moment, a volunteer list needs to be developed to cover other maintenance tasks. The volunteers would either make repairs or assess if professional services were required.
3.	East Entry Door – The door on the east side of the main entry isn’t closing completely. People using th= e door on exiting the building need to pull the door shut. A pin in the closer has broken.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Victor Metz= ig will look into repairing it.
4.	Tool Inventory – An inventory of tools in the building was presented by Victor Metzig. The tools are mainly in the outside storage room and the custodian room in the basement.
5.	Security System – ADT Security Services is the current security system provider for= the church. It is a sensor syst= em that covers several key areas. With the departure of the custodian, staff has attempted to work w= ith ADT to change the master security code and get training in the system. Those efforts have been frustrat= ed by a lack of response from ADT. Discussion followed regarding ending our contract with ADT. The church also owns a camera sy= stem that was previously used at The Hub.&nbs= p; It consists of four cameras that are on motion sensors. When a camera is activated, vide= o is recorded which can later be used to investigate. This would be a supplemental sys= tem to an alarm system. This may b= e an issue for the building renovation group.
6.	Lawn Mowing – A volunteer list needs to be developed for lawn mowing. Pastor Hays will begin including= a notice in the bulletin. &nb= sp;
7.	Spring Clean-up Planning – Trustees discussed the spring clean-up. Because of the success of past efforts, this clean-up will primarily be landscaping and yard work. A work list needs to be develope= d. &nb= sp;
8.	Vendor List – Sue Prince will meet with Karen Vlach= akis to develop a list of the vendors used by the church. Karen Cartn= er is assisting that effort by reviewing past invoices. &nb= sp;
9.	Supplies and Equipment Storage – The trustees toured the facility to become familiar with storage locations for supplies and equipment.
10.	The next meeting was scheduled for May 18, 2011, at 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Present:	Sue Prince, Linda Kehl, Matt Woodrow, Lenny Berge, Barb Rudolph, Victor Metz= ig, Mary Keepers, Gerry Kaiser
Also Present:	Pastor Bob Hays

1.	Minutes - = MSC Woodrow/Berge to approve the minutes of the meeting of February 2011.=
2.	Old Snowblower – The old snowblower has been s= old.
3.	Purchase Procedures – Pastor Hays reviewed purchase procedures. For lower cost items, the church= has an authorization list at Krueger’s Hardware. The church also has accounts at Sam’s Club and Werner Electric.&nb= sp; Major purchases need to be approved by the trustees. The person purchasing a major it= em will need the church’s tax exempt number. It is easiest to make these purc= hases using one of the staff credit cards since it can be difficult to get the sales tax exemption if a personal credit card is used.<= /p>
4.	Small Dishwasher for Kitchen – A small dishwasher being discarded by a church member was offered to the church. Afte= r Lenny Berge discussed the matter with Rita Nokes, t= he unit was donated to Habitat for Humanity’s ReS= tore.
5.	Custodial Position – The trustees discussed aspects of the custodial position. The general conse= nsus of the trustees was that the position should not be eliminated but may ne= ed to have duties clarified.
6.	Renting church space to for-profit groups – Pastor Hays reviewed a concern brought forward by the conference regarding the taxable nature of churches that rent space to for-profit groups. FUMC ren= ts two rooms to Weight Watchers which is a for-profit entity. Gerry Kaiser will check into the city’s approach to these cases and, if necessary, the method of determining assessable value. Pastor Hays noted that the rooms rented to Weight Watchers may eve= ntually be needed for child care during the 10:45 service. &nb= sp;
7.	Sanctuary Video Monitor Project – Pastor Hays reviewed a proposed video monitor project for= the sanctuary that would eliminate the drop-down screen and classroom project= or for displaying the service Powerpoint. The existing projector is at the= end of its service life and staff has evaluated alternatives of repair ($525), replacement ($795), projector upgrade ($3,199), and conversion to a video monitor system ($3,920). The current arrangement has obstructed views from the balcony and John Wesley Room and can obst= ruct congregational flow during communion.&nb= sp; The recommended proposal is the video monitor system. It involves installation of two 50-inch plasma monitors on retractable mounts near the front of the sanctuary, a 40-inch monitor on the face of the balcony facing the pulpit= , a 32-inch monitor for the balcony, and associated mounting hardware and peripheral equipment. Screen operation would be in the balcony. This proposal had been discussed with the building renovation committee and was approved since the equipment can be re-used if the chur= ch renovation requires. Pastor= Hays requested trustee approval of the project prior to presenting it to Wills, Trust and Memorials. MSC Pr= ince/Kehl to approve the sanctuary video monitor project= . &nb= sp;
8.	Spring Clean-up Planning – Sue Prince mentioned that she had found a list of projects from the fall clean-up and will circulate that to the trustees.
9.	The next meeting was scheduled for April 20, 2011, at 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Present:	Sue Prince, Linda Kehl, Matt Woodrow, Lenny Berge, Barb Rudolph, Victor Metz= ig, Mary Keepers, Gerry Kaiser
Also Present:	Pastor Bob Hays

1.	Minutes - = MSC Berge/Kehl to approve the minutes of the meet= ing of November 2010.
2.	Election of Officers - The following officers were elected: Sue Prince as Chair, Matt Woodrow as Vice-Chair, and Gerry Kaiser as Recording Secretary. Sue Prince will also serve as the trustee representative to the Church Council and the Finance Committee.
3.	Air Conditioning Units – Air conditioner installation for Pastor McGregor’s office and the Cup of Job room is targeted for spring.<= /p>
4.	Video Streaming/Sound System Upgrade – The camera was ordered on January 19. The system should be on-line in February. A borrowed camera= was used to tape the Christmas children’s program and the Christmas message.
5.	Hearing Loop – The system has been installed.&n= bsp; It is still being monitored for trouble spots. There is one quiet spot in the J= ohn Wesley Room and one near the aisle. It is working well both upstairs and downstairs. A training workshop has been off= ered, but nothing is scheduled at this point.
6.	Equipment Dedication – With the installation of a number of new systems – video streaming, sound system upgrade and the hearing loop – and the donations that were received, the trustees discussed the appropriateness = of having a dedication to recognize the donors. Pastor Hays will consult with Ra= y Appel on a donor list. &nb= sp;
7.	Use of Building by Outside Groups<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";mso-b= idi-font-family: Arial'> – Pastor Hays provided a brief background on the issue of establishing a policy for the use of the church by outside groups. Information collected to this po= int mainly regard the rates charged for the facility. It appears that o= ur rates are comparable. &nb= sp;
8.	Snow Removal – The volunteer teams are doing snow removal. The existing snow blower isnR= 17;t sufficient to handle the heavier snowfalls, so we should look into acquir= ing a 2-stage snow thrower. Vic= tor Metzig will research and bring a recommendation to = the board.
9.	Treasurer’s Computer Replacement= – Staff has been discussing the needs and capabilities of t= he existing equipment. Their conclusion is that the computer used by Karen Vlachakis= should be replaced, since it is key to the church operation. Staff is explori= ng the possibility of a donation of CPUs that are being taken out of service by a local company. Pastor Hays indicated that he intends to buy the laptop that he currently uses from t= he church.
10.	Microphone Power pack replacement<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";mso-b= idi-font-family: Arial'> – A replacement power pack was ordered on January 19.
11.	Handicap Accessible Restroom on Main level – The board discussed the request to modify the ladies room= on the main level to be handicapped accessible. Gerry Kaiser and Lenny Berge wil= l look at options and bring them to the next board meeting.
12.	Special Church Conference – Pastor Hays informed the board of the church conference t= hat was held in regard to the results of the Facilities Task Force work. At a church meeting on January 1= 2, 2011, approvals were received on the proposals to keep and improve the existing facility and to form a building committee tasked with developing= a prioritized list of projects to update the facility.
13.	The next meeting was scheduled for February 16, 2011, at 5:30 p.m.=

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Present:	Bruce Stowe, Lenny Berge, Victor Metzig, Linda Kehl, Sue= Prince, Gerry Kaiser
Also Present:	Pastor Bob Hays

1.	Minutes - = MSC Metzig/Prince to approve the minutes of the meeting= of October 20, 2010 as amended.
2.	Air Conditioning Unit Installation= – The air conditioning units for Pastor McGregor’s of= fice and the Cup of Job room have not yet been installed.
3.	Video Streaming and Sound System – Video streaming is targeted to be on-line for the Christm= as Eve service. The sound syst= em upgrade should be done by November 21.
4.	Hearing Loop – Bruce Stowe updated the trustees on the progress of the hearing loop system. The ve= ndor had a positive opinion of the ability of the system to work in the building. About two-thirds = of hearing aids have an ability to tap into a hearing loop system. Churchgoers with a hearing aid w= ill need to activate a coil in the hearing aid to take advantage of the loop system. The hearing loop sy= stem plugs into the sound system. Past= or Hays will confirm with Pastor McGregor that the new sound system will be ready for the hearing loop system. The hearing loop wir= e will be in a figure 8 arrangement under the floor of the church. This will allow it to be used in= the sanctuary and in the Fellowship Café. The only dead space will be in t= he aisles. That impact can be minimized by the table arrangement in the lower level. Lenny Berge replaced a bre= aker box that was causing interference for the hearing loop. The quote for the pr= oject is $3,500. Two gifts have b= een received that will cover the cost. &nb= sp;
5.	Removal of Front Pew – The front left pew was removed in October. No comments have been received.<= o:p>
6.	Snow Removal – Five of the six volunteers from last winter have agreed to help a= gain this winter. One more volun= teer is needed to have the desired three teams of two. Bulletin and service announcemen= ts are being done. A schedule has = been prepared. Victor Metzig will check into the condition of the snowblower. &nb= sp;
7.	Treasurer’s Computer Replacement= – Chris Vl= achakis noted that the computer used by the treasurer shou= ld be replaced. The CPU needs to = be upgraded. Pastor Hays said = that staff wants to assess computer needs to see if the locations of existing computers can be adjusted to provide a newer unit for the treasurer. Staff will develop an inventory = of existing computer equipment including age and use. They will also develop specifications for the equipment that is required and an equipment replacement cycle. &nb= sp;
8.	Microphone Power Pack – The power pack for the portable microphone needs to be replaced. &nb= sp;
9.	Handicap Accessible Restroom on Main level – Pastor Hays brought forward a request to modify the ladies room on the main level to be handicap accessible. Currently, the accessible bathro= oms are on the lower level. Sin= ce that level can be accessed with an elevator, the building is considered compliant. The concern is t= hat the accessible bathrooms are not convenient to handicapped churchgoers, especially if they have an emergency.&nb= sp; The requestor indicated that they would be willing to fund some or= all of the modification. The tr= ustees agreed to see how this could be done.&nb= sp; The matter may need to be addressed by the proposed building commi= ttee. &nb= sp;
10.	Facilities Task Force Update – A mailing will be sent the first week of December with a summary of task force findings. There will also be an announcement of a church meeting on January = 12, 2011, to act on the proposal. The proposals are to keep and improve the existing facility and to form a building committee tasked with developing a prioritized list of projects = to update the facility.
11.	The next meeting was scheduled for January 19, 2011, at 5:30 p.m.<= o:p>

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Mee= ting Minutes

Wednesday, October 20= , 2010

Present:	Bruce Stowe, Barb Rudolph, Victor Metzig, Linda Kehl, Gerry Kaiser

1.	Minutes - MSC Kehl/Rudolph to approve the min= utes of the meeting of August 18, 2010.
2.	Air Conditioning Unit Installation – The air conditioning units for Pastor McGregor’s office and the Cup of Job room have not yet been installed. Scheduling is in process.
3.	Facilities Task Force Update – The task force has finished their assignment and will be making a recommendation to the Church Council to k= eep and improve the existing facility. Another group will be created to develop a prioritized list of iss= ues that need to be addressed with the facility.
4.	Video Streaming and Sound System – Final wiring remains to be do= ne.
5.	Boiler Issues – A problem has been noted with a compressor. A contractor has been contacted = to evaluate it.
6.	First and Second Floor Toilet Problems – Bruce Stowe repaired a valve in a second floor toilet was malfunctioning. He also adjusted the flow intake= on the toilet in the first floor ladies room. Both are working properly.<= /o:p>
7.	Removal of Front Pew – The front left pew was removed in October. The arrangement wi= ll be monitored.
8.	Hearing Loop – Bruce Stowe provided the trustees with information about hearing loop systems in chur= ch settings. About two-thirds = of hearing aids have an ability to tap into the system. Several donations have been rece= ived that are directed installation of a system in the church. A vendor is looking at the build= ing on October 21 and will provide a cost estimate.
9.	Trustee Annual Report – Bruce Stowe reviewed the annual report. It will be submitte= d to the conference and placed on file.
10.	We Energies Recommendations – Bruce Stowe discussed a building efficiency review made by We Energies. While many good things have been= done, they offered several suggestions: · Change the screen in the faucets to reduce flow. The age of the faucets may be an issue. · The boilers are relatively old, from about 1980. More efficient boilers are avail= able that could provide a $4,000 annual savings. Incentives are also available wh= ich could offset about $4,800 of the initial cost. · The water heater could be replaced with and an indirect water heat= er that uses heat from the boiler system.&n= bsp; There would be about a $70 per year savings. · A motion sensor soda machine, which goes into a non-cold mode when people aren’t around.
11.	Snow Removal – Victor Metzig inquired about = plans for snow removal this winter. Last winter’s program using church volunteers worked well. It was decided to contact the pe= ople involved last winter and to place a notice in the bulletin for volunteers= .
12.	The next meeting was scheduled for November 17, 2010, at 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Board of Trustees Mee= ting Minutes

Wednesday, August 18,= 2010

Present:	Bruce Stowe, Sue Prince, Lenny Berge, Barb Rudolph, Victor Metzig, Matt Woodrow, Gerry Kaiser
Also Present:	Pastor Bob Hays

1.	Minutes - MSC Prince/Berge to approve the minutes of the meeting of June = 16, 2010.
2.	Air Conditioning Unit Installation – The week of August 23 has been targeted for installation of the air conditioning units in Pastor McGregor’s office, the Cup of Job room, and the Harvest Room.<= /o:p>
3.	Facilities Task Force Update - Pastor Hays provided an update on the prog= ress of the task force. The task= met on August 16. They are fina= lizing the research and preparing information summaries. From this a final proposal will = be drafted and presented to the Church council. The proposal will likely include= the recommendations to continue using the existing facility and to appoint a facilities renovation committee to detail the issues that need to be addressed and develop a plan for implementation.
4.	Video Streaming and Sound System – Wiring and electric feeds are= in place. Pastor McGregor is scheduling equipment installation. Projected completion is in October.
5.	Roof Leaks – There have been no leaks in the last several months in th= e Finance Room. A new leak was noted = in the south end of the gathering area. Bruce Stowe found and patched a potential problem location on the roof. This will be monitore= d.
6.	Boiler Issues – The boiler control panel didn’t appear to have power. It was determined th= at this is an intentional feature of the system. There is no power to the panel w= hen the outside air temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
7.	First Floor Toilet Problem – Reports have been received that the toilet in the first floor ladies room is not working properly. This has been checked on several occasions. There has been no success in recreating the malfunction.
8.	A/C for Sanctuary and Fellowship Café – Pastor Hay= s is receiving planning cost estimates to provide air conditioning to the sanctuary and the Fellowship Café. An estimate will be provided usi= ng a conventional system and an alternate figure will be provided for a system using heat pump technology with sensor directed cooling.
9.	Removal of Front Pew – A request was received to remove the front left pew for an October wedding.&n= bsp; Staff are agreeable to the request. The pew will be removed for a pe= riod to evaluate flow and the potential use of the area for wheelchair-bound church members. It will be = removed the last week of October.
10.	Harvest Room – Pastor Hays noted that a number of items from the Hub have been moved to the Harvest room. In addition, Pastor McGregor is working with Eric Mede to create a chapel area to acclimate children to being in the sanctuary. They will use pews that are curr= ently in storage.
17.	The next meeting was scheduled for September 15, 2010, at 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gerry Kaiser

Trustee Secretary