St. John’s Episcopal Church

Treasurer’s Report for The Chronicle

January 23, 2021

Please note: This report includes actions taken by the Vestry at its meeting on January 21, 2021.

The Finance Committee remains on hiatus pending the recruitment of additional members. We also need to stand up a small Audit Committee, ideally comprised of three members with a background in finance, which would meet only twice a year, before and after the annual audit. I welcome suggestions from the congregation of individuals I might approach about serving on these committees. Please contact me at bobleroy05@gmail.com.

Our Budget Report for December 2020 is available on our website (click here). We closed the year with an operating deficit of -$70,347.40, a positive variance to budget of $15,736.26. The deficit would have been far greater had we not withdrawn a total of $191,000.00 from our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust to apply to operating and capital expenses. Our shortfall in pledge payments to budget in 2020 was -$19,512.20 or 7.4%, a tribute to the faithfulness and resilience of our pledging members in a year unlike any other. 

It is also worth noting that we were able to stay current on our assessment payments to the Diocese of Olympia in 2020, creating an opportunity for us to petition for forgiveness of all or part of assessment payments still owing from 2018 and 2019 totaling approximately $77,000.00.

We are still awaiting documents from Bessemer Trust in New York City regarding a $10,000.00 unrestricted cash bequest and hope to receive the funds in February. We have three additional sources of funds for operating expenses: a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) funds, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) proceeds and our (endowment) account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust.

We have just submitted the paperwork to request forgiveness of our first PPP loan in the amount of  $54,577.00. Since we have fully complied with the requirements for the use of the funds, we are confident the loan will be forgiven. Our application for a second PPP loan in an amount not to exceed $63,367.50 has been accepted and is currently in process. We hope to receive approval next week.

One of the conditions for Diocesan approval of our acceptance of the EIDL loan is we would not spend any of the proceeds until completion of an independent audit, currently planned for some time in the first quarter of 2021. However, with Diocesan approval, we withdrew $15,000.00 of the EIDL money and applied it to operating expenses within the guidelines of the loan program. The remaining EIDL funds, $134,900.00, are currently invested in an Investment Advisory Account with Edward Jones. To-date, the market value of the account has increased $6,290.03 to $141,190.03.

To conform to SBA requirements, the Vestry adopted an updated Resolution on the Acceptance and Use of Proceeds from the EIDL Loan. 

As of December 31, 2020, the balance in our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust was approximately $150,000.00. The Vestry approved the withdrawal of $115,000.00 from this account to apply to anticipated expenses for asbestos abatement.

The Vestry accepted the 2019 Report of Audit prepared by Cynthia Knapp, our Bookkeeper and reviewed in the absence of an Audit Committee by members of the Executive Committee (R.C. Laird, Mark Hampton, Ric Weatherman, and me).

The Vestry approved the 2021 Budget which will be presented at the Annual Meeting on January 31, 2021, following which, it will be posted to our website.

Respectfully submitted…

…Bob Le Roy, Treasurer

Renovation Committee Update for the January Chronicle

"What’s past is prologue." – William Shakespeare

All we’ve accomplished since 2016 – water infiltration investigation, property development study, seismic condition study, design, financing feasibility study, hazardous materials survey, permitting – began with a collective decision to renovate the Sanctuary. We’ve consulted with architects, structural engineers, the Episcopal Church Foundation, and environmental health specialists to thoroughly investigate the condition of the building and guide our planning. It’s a daunting task, given the building’s age, scale, and range of deficiencies, but with God’s help, here we are at last – ready to begin construction!

Asbestos Abatement
At its January 21, 2021 meeting, the Vestry approved engaging the Olympia firm Advance Environmental (AE) to abate 9,000 square feet of asbestos-containing material on the east, south and west interior wall texture of the Sanctuary. The contract value with tax is $114,870. That computes to less than $13 per SF, about 1/3 the price of the second lowest bid, and far cheaper than a phased approach.

Beyond the economics of doing it all at once, the Vestry chose to eliminate for good the health risk and potential liability posed by friable asbestos to building users and renovation workers. Even if we were not renovating the building, we should do this.

The next step is to draw up and sign the contract, then prepare the Sanctuary space for abatement work. All the pews will be moved out so AE can erect a negative pressure enclosure to control air flow and maneuver scissor lifts around in the nave to access the high walls. We expect work to start on or about February 8th and take four weeks to complete. For safety reasons, the Sanctuary will be off-limits to everyone except the abatement crew during that time. Our goal is to complete the work by mid-March in the fervent hope that, if public health conditions permit, we may safely return to in-church worship by Palm Sunday and Holy Week in late March.

Part I Construction
Pending the outcome of the upcoming capital campaign, we will contract with FORMA Construction of Olympia to replace the roof and make structural improvements over the summer. Construction cost is $1.001 million, bringing the total Part I budget for design, hazmat, permit and construction to $1.322 million.

Respectfully submitted,
Lou MacMillan, Chair

Dear friends,

Welcome to the first issue of The Chronicle for 2021, though not the first issue for the month of January. There will be a second issue at the end of the month, in advance of our Annual Meeting, which will be January 31, 2021.

The last month still feels like a blur to me; our parish life has been busy, as has my personal life, working with my sister to attend to the estate of my father who died in December. I continue to be grateful for the outpouring of love and support from so many in our community. You have helped me immeasurably, and I am eternally grateful.

The last month also feels like a blur because of the level of conflict in our nation. I continue to ask your prayers for our country as we all grapple with the chaos in Washington DC and around the country. I ask your prayers for the members of the outgoing Trump Administration, as well as those of the incoming Biden Administration. I ask your prayers for the elected members of our state legislature, who have begun meeting this week, and for the leaders of the other branches of our state government. Pray for the medical professionals who are working to stem the tide of COVID-19 infections, and for those who recover from it.

The world needs our prayers, our care, and our hope, which we have through Christ Jesus our Lord. Let’s keep doing our part, in Jesus’ name.

Blessings,
R.C.+

St. John’s Episcopal Church
Treasurer’s Report for The Chronicle, New Year's Edition  |  January 11, 2021
 
Finance Committee

The regular monthly meeting of the Finance Committee for December was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. With the resignation of Gerry Apple, the retirement from the Vestry of Mark Hampton and Ric Weatherman at the end of this month, and the demands on Sarah Clifthorne’s time with the legislative session which begins on Monday, we need to recruit new members to continue the work of this important committee. If you are interested in serving on the Finance Committee, or know someone who may be, please contact me.

Our Current Financial Condition

Our Budget Report for November 2020 may be found on our website (//n.b5z.net/i/u/6141178/f/SJOLY_Budget_Report_November_2020.pdf). As of November 30, 2020, our year-to-date operating deficit was -$73,499.51, a positive variance to budget of $15,726,71 attributable primarily to our receipt of $60,000.00 from our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust. Pledge payments were down significantly in November to $14,002.90, -$7,978.10 (36.3%) below budget. Our year-to-date shortfall in pledge payments to budget is -$23,760.30 (9.8%).

Unfortunately, given the current levels of giving, personnel costs, and unbudgeted expenses related to buildings and grounds and the upcoming capital campaign,  we continue to generate less than half of what we need to sustain our operations.

We are awaiting documents from Bessemer Trust in New York City regarding a $10,000.00 unrestricted cash bequest and hope to receive the funds by the end of this month. We have two additional sources of funds for operating expenses: the EIDL loan proceeds and our (endowment) account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust.

One of the conditions for Diocesan approval of our acceptance of the EIDL loan is we would not spend any of the proceeds until completion of an independent audit, currently planned for some time in January 2021. However, with Diocesan approval, we withdrew $15,000.00 of the EIDL money and applied it to operating expenses within the guidelines of the loan program. The remaining EIDL funds, $134,900.00, are currently invested in an Investment Advisory Account with Edward Jones. To-date, the market value of the account has increased $4,731.53.

As of November 30, 2020, the balance in our General (Unrestricted) Account with the Diocese of Olympia Master Trust was approximately $149,500.00. 

We have begun work on our Operating Budget for 2021. Again this year, we are engaging leadership of various ministries to provide input on their anticipated revenue and expenses.  We will present a draft of the Budget for Vestry review and approval at the Vestry Meeting on January 21. We will share the Budget Report for December 2020 and the Operating Budget for 2021 with the congregation at the Annual Meeting on January 31.

Capital Campaign Update

We are finalizing plans for our upcoming capital campaign. In early March, we will share a new case statement with you laying out an exciting vision for the future of our church home along with updated information on the scope and cost of the work to be done on the sanctuary, including removing asbestos from the walls, replacing the roof, completing seismic upgrades essential for public safety, and enhancing our worship space. Early gift solicitation will begin on Sunday, March 7; our campaign kick-off will be on Easter Sunday, April 4, and we will celebrate the conclusion of the campaign on Pentecost, May 23. 

Also, we want you to know that we are now accepting gifts to the capital campaign.  If you would like to make your gift online, please go to our website (https://www.stjohnsoly.org/home), click on the “Give Online | Done aqui” button, and select the new “Capital Campaign” option.  If you prefer to make your gift by check, please make the check payable to “St. John’s Episcopal Church Capital Campaign” and mail it to St. John’s Episcopal Church, P O Box 977, Olympia, WA 98507. 

Respectfully submitted…

…Bob Le Roy, Treasurer (bobleroy05@gmail.com)

Dear Friends,

Last year a friend loaned me a copy of the book Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas by Jan L. Richardson. It's described as "a devotional guide for pilgrims awaiting the birth of hope." It's a wonderful, little book. It impressed me so much I asked if I could borrow it again when I thought about writing this letter after our last Vestry meeting on December 17, 2020.

As Richardson says, "The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. It is not possible to keep it from coming, because it will. That's just how Advent works."

She ges on to say, "So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon."

As I reflect on the different aspects of work your Vestry has done over the past few months, I think we (your Vestry) did just as Richardson said about pondering, waiting and wondering. We know more about the condition of our building than we ever have. Through the tireless efforts of Lou MacMillan and his Renovation Committee, we have a greater understanding of the significant challenges of an aging structure as we prepare to address those physical needs. We continue to explore options regarding financing possibilities as we edge closer to seeing the renovation come to fruition.

Difficult, yet essential, steps were taken to address the instances of abuse that have taken place over the years at St. John's | San Juan. Those unpleasant, but necessary, first steps toward healing have been taken. That healing, unfortunately, will not come quickly and is likely to take some time, but we have begun a journey toward restoring health; your Vestry is thankful and proud of all those survivors who willingly shared their stories. Now it is time to move forward with rededication and recommitment to supporting each other.

As we look forward to 2021, your Vestry would like to remind to please return your Annual Pledge Commitment, if you have not already done so. If you have misplaced your Pledge Card, please contact the office for another one, or you may submit your pledge online. Our Capital Campaign will be launched on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021 and will conclude on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2021. Look for more information from Treasurer and Capital Campaign Chairperson Bob LeRoy.

"The season of Advent is a season of preparation, a time of getting ready for what lies ahead." Even though Advent is past, I think Richardson's words are a perfect way to wish you a Happy New Year!

In faith,
Mark Hampton, Sr. Warden

Remembering the feast of Saint Thomas a look from the Gospel of John.

"On the first day of the week, Jesus entered and stood in their midst."

In the Gospel of John, all the characters that appear are symbolic. Thomas is a symbol of those disciples who had difficulties believing or were reluctant to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. With this in mind, the author of the Gospel has constructed a catechesis which revolves around two central issues for our Easter faith – Thomas’ affirmation of faith and the beatitude that he inspires Jesus to say: “Blessed are those who believe without having seen!”

The Easter experience is one that vitally affected the followers of Jesus andtherefore changed their way of seeing Jesus and God. It could be a lack of exegetical perspective to believe that the disciples' faith was based on the apparitions or the empty tomb. Instead, the Gospels tell us that to see Jesus after his death, we must have faith. The empty tomb, when seen without faith, only leads to the conclusion that someone has taken the body of Jesus, as Mary Magdalene believes; the apparitions could make us think that we are facing a ghost.
 

Chapter 20 of Saint John describes the paschal experience of the disciples on the first day of the week, both in the morning and in the evening. John shows two believers who follow different processes: Mary Magdalene and Thomas. A woman and a man represent those who have difficulty accessing faith in the Risen One. They both want to touch Jesus’s body, and both base their conclusions on their own feelings, but ultimately, both want to believe that Jesus Christ has truly risen.

Mary Magdalene cries, looks for the corpse, and sees the empty tomb, but in the end, she recognizes the voice of Christ, the Word of God, and gives testimony. Thomas has isolated himself from the community; he doubts and is incredulous. He needs to touch something concrete. He does not perceive the signs of the new life that are manifested, and he looks for Jesus as a relic of a past. Ultimately, however, he recognizes Jesus as the Paschal Christ.

Terrified by the execution of Jesus, the disciples take refuge in a familiar house. They are reunited again, but Jesus is not with them. There is a void in the community that no one can fill. They lack Jesus. Who will they follow now? What can they do without Him? It is getting dark in Jerusalem and also in the hearts of the disciples.

Inside the house, they sit with the doors closed. For the disciples, the closed doors represent a community closed in on itself; it is without a mission or a horizon, and
without the capacity to welcome. No one thinks of going out on the roads to announce the kingdom of God and the healing of life. With the doors closed, it is not possible to approach the suffering of others.

The disciples are filled with fear for the Jews who executed Jesus. It is a community that is paralyzed by fear and that holds a defensive attitude. They see only hostility and rejection everywhere. With fear, it is not possible to love the world as Jesus loved it, nor instill encouragement or hope in anyone. Suddenly, the Risen Jesus takes the initiative. He comes to rescue his followers. He enters the house and stands in their midst. Then the small community begins to transform. They move from fear to the peace that Jesus infuses them with. From the darkness of the night, they go on to the joy of seeing him full of life again. From the closed doors, they will soon pass through the opening of their mission in the world.

The cross and death had brought sadness, discouragement, and fear to the hearts of the disciples. They were there with their hearts filled with fear and insecurity, and
with the doors closed to new discoveries. They are still in the night, in slavery. The day and the strength to demonstrate have not come. That is why Jesus infuses them with the Spirit and gives them the greeting of peace together with the attitude of forgiveness. The new Christian community is founded on the Spirit of God, with peace and reconciliation.

Today the presence of Jesus is proclaimed to us in the midst of his disciples: "He stood in their midst." These are significant words. Christ has never contemplated life as a spectator, from outside or from above. Christ is at the center of our lives and our history. He is in the center of our hearts. He is at the center of our pain, our joy, and our hope. He is at the center of our service and the community in which we celebrate our faith. When two or three come together in His name, He is there in the middle. When two or three work in His name, fight in His name, or suffer in His name, He is there in the middle.

That is why at Easter it would seem that we are already in Pentecost; because at Eastertime, there is an outpouring of the Spirit. Also, at Easter there is a spiritual transformation of the disciples. They go from sadness to joy, from fear to strength, from individualism to community, from death to life. And these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, Jesus today is here in the midst of our life experiences and breathes on us. It is important to think that sometimes we resemble those disciples of the Gospel because of our doubts and fears. But the Risen One makes us partakers of His divine and liberating energy.

By receiving the Spirit of the Risen Jesus, our sins are forgiven because He is the reflection of the loving tenderness of our God our Father. Where there is the Holy Spirit, there can be no hatred, just as there can be no darkness where there is light. Where there is the Holy Spirit, there cannot be slavery because Jesus is freedom. Where there is the Holy Spirit, there can be no enmity because God is love.

The risen life of Christ, that of the Spirit, is new life because the old has already been left in the tomb. We no longer need sacrifices for sin because Christ is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Christ is the forgiveness of sins, living reconciliation, and the permanent source of forgiveness and purification for us. His Spirit is the seal of grace and fire of this forgiveness and this reconciliation.

The coming of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John does not occur in the context of the Feast of Pentecost, but in the context of our encounter with the living Christ. This makes sense, especially if we remember that it is precisely the Risen Christ who empowers the church to carry out its transformative mission in the world.

Thus, in the midst of fear and the storms of the lives of His disciples, Christ is known in three ways: in the communal experience of the people of God, by the people who seek Him personally, and by receiving the testimony of the faithful.

Finally, today's Gospel invites us to be witnesses of the Risen Jesus; to be witnesses is to put your whole life at the service of Jesus’s cause. Being witnesses is having the capacity to forgive and forget; it is to overcome hatred and practice justice. To those who are afraid in the midst of the situation we find ourselves today, the Gospel tells us to have peace and trust. To those who have lost loved ones in this pandemic, the Gospel tells us God and Jesus are at the center of our pain and sadness, giving us their company. To those who look to the future without hope, the Gospel tells us the faith in the Risen One always saves us in the face of whatever our most difficult reality may be.

Thank you, Tomas Apostle, because you remind us that many times we are like you; many times we doubt what God can do for each one of us, but we also thank you because even though we sometimes lack faith due to fear, God always tells us, "Peace be with you," and then we can resume our path of faith and recognize Jesus
in our brothers and sisters, in the bread, and in the wine and say, "MY LORD AND MY GOD!"
 

My dear friend Thomas, thank you for inviting me to be a witness of Hope.

Welcome to The Chronicle, our monthly newsletter for St. John’s | San Juan. An incredible amount has happened since I last wrote for The Chronicle! I’ve traveled around the state on sabbatical, visiting some truly gorgeous places, and also spent a lot of time in reflection and contemplation, wondering about where God is calling us as a community, and how we can respond together.   I’d like to focus on some of that reflection this month.

One of the great luxuries of my sabbatical time was being able to spend a whole week by myself at Angie’s family cabin outside Leavenworth, on the banks of the Icicle Creek. I only went into town twice that week (mostly for groceries and books at the local bookstore), and otherwise spent the time at the cabin reading. I read the entire Chronicles of Narnia, which I hadn’t read since I was a young teenager (and which I’m hoping to read with my kids now that they’re getting old enough to really appreciate them), and a lot of poetry (which I enjoy tremendously), as well as reading a number of books on race in America.

My sabbatical time coincided with a continuing conversation about race in the United States that was inaugurated by the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, and was accelerated this summer by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I’ve written elsewhere of how personal the strife in Minneapolis has been for me; it’s my home, and many of my closest friends still live there today. My sister and I both used to live mere blocks from the Third Precinct, the building the policed abandoned during the unrest, and which was subsequently burned down (by young men, most of whom were white and causing mayhem). Good friends of mine opened a (wildly successful) pie shop on March 14 just a couple of blocks from where Floyd was killed (I only mention the day they opened because it’s so incredibly unlucky that they opened a storefront business just weeks before the whole world shut down due to COVID-19).

Jim Wallis, the founder of Sojourners and a public theologian and author, has described racism as (and even named one of his books) America’s Original Sin, and it’s hard to disagree with him. Racism has been part of our national narrative since the founding of the United States; while it’s true that the only time the word “slavery” is used in the US Constitution is in its abolition in Amendment XIII, it’s still clearly evident in the original document, including the three-fifths compromise in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3, in which three of every five slaves is allowed to be counted toward the population of a state for the purposes of federal taxes and apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives.

Racism has only one beneficiary: white people. We are the ones who have benefitted from it since the founding of our nation. And it is our problem to fix. As the US saw in the years following the Obama administration, electing a Black president did not cure our country of racism, not did it prove that we had finally conquered it. In some ways, we brought racism into the light to really examine and begin dismantling. At the same time, it has shown us how far we have yet to go.

The overt, recognizable expressions of racism I denounce, and I know that you join me in doing so (as do most people of faith). But if we leave unexamined the more subtle ways that racism, white privilege, white supremacy, affect our community and those we love and support in Jesus’ name. As a multicultural community of faith, if we don’t wrestle with racism and work actively against it, we will never be able to truly become the Beloved community that God continually calls us to be.

This work will be uncomfortable for some of our members. If antiracism work were easy, I suspect our nation would already have done it. But this work is important precisely because it is hard. We can’t live the promises of our Baptismal Covenant fully without working against the insidious power of racism. And by persevering in this work, even though it can be uncomfortable and difficult, we will make the Reign of Christ real on earth now.

The Outline of the Faith (commonly called the Catechism) in the Prayer Book defines the mission of the church as “restor[ing] all people to unity with God and each other,” which is pursues “as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.” (P. 855 of the BCP in English, and p. 747 in Spanish). These conversations, as uncomfortable as they may be, will help us all take part in pursuing the reconciling mission of the church, to the glory of God, and for the good of all creation. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all in the months to come.   

Blessings,

R.C.+

Not long ago I lit a candle for Ben Louden in the rear of the sanctuary, a small act of ritual observance, but enough to help focus my thoughts and evoke lots of memories. I'd met Ben some thirty years ago, and though I hadn't seen him for a while I knew this last year had been challenging. Even though his passing was expected the news came as a jolt.  

It's that old impermanence, slapping me upside the head again. I want to believe that things will stay as they are, that everything will be okay, but things don't necessarily stay the same and sometimes curve balls come our way. Either we accept the realities of life and death or live in denial--except that denial doesn't work very well. One way or another grief is inevitable, descending upon us like heavy weather; though the intensity of our sadness diminishes over time, it returns with anniversaries and birthdays and other sentimental seasons.

His passing brings to mind the help he gave to others, his love of reading, the wonderful cookies he baked, and the stories he told--particularly one about a boyhood misadventure back in his native Ohio. Though it was hilarious in the telling, I'm sure it couldn't have been very funny when it happened.

He and his brother had acquired an old wreck of a car and were thoroughly pleased with their good fortune--that is, until they began to tow it home and discovered it was full of bees who didn't care for travel--you can imagine the complications. I can picture him telling the story, so tickled he kept interrupting himself with laughter.

Lighting the candle brought so much to mind--memories of him saying and doing things "for the right reasons," organizing meetings, mentoring other men, and more. There was a constancy to Ben that marked him as a man worth knowing, and I am truly blessed to have known him.

With the coming of autumn, elements of the Part I renovation project are falling into place. (We could all use a bad pun about now, right?) With God’s help, we continue to move steadily through this long, slow process, despite the pandemic, economic downturn, and much uncertainty. Here’s the latest:

Building Permit

We have our building permit! It expires March 31, 2021, so by not later than mid-March we will write a letter to the city’s Planning Department to request a one-time extension, as previously planned, to carry us into the warm weather construction season.

Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) Abatement

You’ll recall from previous reports that we found a considerable amount of ACM in the Sanctuary’s interior wall texture, as well as in the roof tar seams (but not the roof shingles). The ACM must be removed before Part I re-roofing and seismic upgrades can begin. Contracting for ACM abatement directly, rather than as part of the larger Part I construction contract, will save us money.

We have invited three asbestos contractors – Rhine Demolition and Dickson Company of Tacoma, and Advance Environmental of Olympia – to bid on removal of ACM from the roof tar and interior walls. We will ask them for three price quotes:

1. Cost to abate all roof tar ACM (about 500 LF) and only minimal wall texture ACM (about 1,240 SF) from the east, west and south interior walls;
2. Cost to abate all roof tar and all wall texture ACM (about 9,000 SF) from the east, west and south interior walls;
3. In conjunction with #1 above, a ROM estimate to abate the remaining wall texture ACM (about 7,760 SF) one year from now (November 2021) from the east, west and south interior walls. 
   We can only expect a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate for the scope of work in #3. ROM estimates cannot predict future pricing with high confidence due to the many cost variables of construction, such as the rate of inflation, construction bid climate, and the potential ongoing disruption to supply chains caused by COVID-19 pandemic. While less reliable the farther out one projects, ROM estimates can help us better understand the likely cost impact of deferring most ACM abatement work until at least late 2021 or beyond.

Our plan is to conduct a site walk-through for the interested contractors this week or next, with a firm due date for bids in early November. After evaluating the bids, the Renovation Committee will forward them with an award recommendation to the Vestry as early as its November meeting for consideration. Of course, the decision to contractually commit to this work will depend on funding and require Vestry approval. The actual work can be completed in about one-two weeks’ time.

Contract for Pre-Construction Services

We have begun talks with FORMA Construction about engaging them contractually as our general contractor for Part I construction. Initially, we can contract only for pre-construction services – preparatory things, like more accurate pricing based on approved permit plans, current economic conditions, and most efficient means and methods of construction – for a fixed price. Then, if the capital campaign raises the necessary funds and the Vestry approves, we can add the Part I scope of work and its dollar cost to the same contract. FORMA often structures contracts this way to reduce the risk exposure for both contracting parties. It’s a prudent way to best position ourselves for a successful construction project.

Please let me know if you have any questions on these topics, or other questions related to the renovation.

Respectfully submitted,

Lou MacMillan

Chair, Renovation Committee