St. Chad’s Building Committee

Meeting # 4

6/03/2007

 

Attendees: Larry Babineaux, Susan Carson, Bob Gough, Hal DeHoff, Merri Jean Jones, Bo Keith, Debra Kincaid, Bob Kingsbury, Rich Lahoucq, Eileen Simpson, and Richard Simpson

 

Members Absent: Paul Apodaca, Kitsie Hilaire (who notified Bob G. earlier in the day that she needed to resign), Jan Kingsbury, and Father Brian Winter

 

Handouts: Agenda and Ministries Prioritization Survey Questionnaire

 

1.       Bob Gough, Building Committee Chair, opened the meeting.  Eileen Simpson led the prayer.

 

2.       The committee had no changes to the agenda presented by Bob Gough.

 

3.       The committee approved the May 25 meeting minutes after Richard Simpson moved the minutes be accepted and Susan Carson seconded the motion.

 

4.       a.  Action Item AI 1-5 (Merri Jean Jones meet with Jan Kingsbury and Debra Kincaid to sketch out the questions for the survey of Albuquerque churches.).  Merri Jean Jones reported that she had not received any additional feedback regarding the church survey.  The church survey sub-group will start contacting churches after Jan Kingsbury returns mid-week.  Merri Jean indicated the survey results can be reported on July 15 to the BC3, as stated on the current TimeLine.  Bob Gough requested the results presentation focus on the messages and lessons learned that were gathered during the survey.

 

      b.  Action Item AI 2-2 (Bob Gough make copies of the Lessons Learned from BC1 and BC2 for those who are unable to read the pdf files sent by email.).  Bob Gough has completed copying the BC2  lessons learned for BC3 committee members that needed copies of that document.  Bob invited each committee member to

 

     c.  Action Item AI 2-3 (Susan Carson research the possibility of a bridging loan from a commercial source.) and AI 2-4 (Debra Kincaid call banking industry contact and report finding to Susan.).  Susan Carson stated she had learned that Countryside handled residential loans only.  Susan had also contacted Compass Bank, who handles a lot of church loans via bridging, construction, and various combination loans.  Susan received a credit rating self-evaluation form from Compass Bank and requested input from Hal for some of the items on the form.  It was notes that banks do not give out their lending rates until a package is being set up for a client, but it is estimated that the rates are prime plus 1.  Susan has an appointment set up with Wells Fargo.

 

      Debra Kincaid reported that First Community Bank does church loans, and their stated purpose is to be involved with the community.  Their general preference is to set up a fixed rate for the term of       church/organization loans.  Often a one year construction loan is rolled into a 4 year note.  Debra indicated that Bank of the West and Bank of Albuquerque should be pursued, but not Bank of America which is interested in very large commercial loans.  Debra was given the names of Britton Construction and Joiner  Construction Company as reliable contractors for church construction.  It was commented that banks do not use the term “bridging” loan, but prefer to set up a tailored loan package.

 

Bob Gough indicated that the committee is not at the stage to determine loan rates, but that we should first  assess money available through pledging and bond drives.  Then assistance such as mortgage loans may  need to be pursued.  A loan to bridge the period between the move-in target date, spring 2010, and the end

of the pledge drive, December 2010, may be required.

 

From the information gathered by Susan and Debra to date, the sense of the committee is that loans tailored to our needs are feasible and possible for St. Chad’s.  Under the broad assumptions made at this time, the current timeline is appropriate.  Debra stated that when the time gets closer to knowing the needs, we can put together our own package and present it to three to four banks for consideration.  It would be less complicated to go with one package.  Bob Gough noted that if this is done after the pledge drive, we will have additional information showing parish support for the building project.  Before the end of the building project, there will be one to one and one-half years of pledge receipts available for payment outlay.  In addition, the committee can look at borrowing from the National Church and the Diocese Advancement Fund.  The group agreed with Bob Gough’s conclusion that BC3 can proceed with our overall timeline with reasonable confidence that loans will be available to bridge the gap until all Building Fund pledges are paid up.

 

Hal stated St. Chad’s has 112 pledging units, and an annual pledge of approximately $261,000.  Plate income increases the budgeted income to $300,000.

 

  d.  Action Item AI 2-5 (Bob Gough update the TimeLine for involvement of design professionals to September/October 2007.  Use the term “facility requirements” rather than “design features”.).  Bob Gough has updated the TimeLine and emailed the updated version to the BC3. 

 

e.  Action Item AI 3-2 (Hal Dehoff revise the ministries survey.)  Hal distributed an updated Ministries Prioritization questionnaire.  BC3 members are to review and provide comments to Bob Gough, Bob Kingsbury, and Hal DeHoff by this weekend.  The subgroup will meet early next week to work on the structure and exact wording of the questionnaire for presentation to the BC3.   The Ministries Prioritization subgroup will also set up the Town Hall meeting structure.  Bob Gough suggested that the Town Hall would be kicked off with him stating why the meetings were being held, Bob Kingsbury and Hal DeHoff would run the main meeting and ask for the survey to be filled out and turned in at the end of the Town Hall meeting.  The general object of the Town Hall sessions will be to elicit congregational thoughts on ministries.  We would obtain the relative priority from a list of ministries that have an affect on facilities.  Information that has been gathered previously from the Vestry’s mission statement, the Search Committee survey, and the Building Feasibility report from focus groups, will be used.  The BC3 will use this information for translation into facility requirements.  It was noted that more than half of the current congregation was not here when the Search Committee survey was conducted.  All of this information should be articulated during the introduction of the Town Hall session.  It is desired that the survey questionnaire be seeded with questions that broaden ministry ideas in addition to what has been gleamed through earlier surveys and reports.

 

The Town Hall meetings are scheduled to occur July 10 and July 15.

 

f.1.  Action Item AI 3-2 (Jan Kingsbury and Fund Raiser sub-group to contact Jan Hosea about the effects of small fund raiser events before the main kick-off.).  Bob Kingsbury indicated that Jan Kingsbury has not seen the minutes of the previous meeting, nor the action item assigned to her.  Bob Gough reported that Kitsie Hilaire has resigned from the BC3.  Bob will be looking into ways to handle Kitsie’s resignation and how to proceed with the Fund Raising sub-group.

 

During discussion, several suggestions were put forth: 1) Fund raiser events, prior to the main pledge drive kick off, focus on publicity and reduce the fund raising emphasis.  2) Town Hall meetings include a social aspect, such as serving ice cream.  3)  Small fund raising activities during publicity events would help stir interest.

 

f.2.  Action Item AI 1-3 (Richard Simpson meet with Bo Keith, Larry Babineaux, and Merri Jean Jones to study expansion of the current worship space.).  Richard Simpson reported that he and the Expansion Feasibility sub group consisting of Bo Keith, Merri Jean Jones, and Larry Babineaux had met on May 16.  They also met with Don Schlegel, lead architect on previous two building programs, on May 31.  Don is willing to help and will charge for his services.  Don agreed to provide by June 15, a proposal of his deliverable and costs.  Don had indicated he would need two to four weeks to complete the work.  The sub group will meet, possibly on June 16, and have a recommendation at the BC3 meeting to be held the next day on June 17.  Bob Gough suggested Richard contact Don to move up the delivery date for the proposal to June 12, allowing the sub-group a few more days for preparation of the report to the BC3.  Don Schlegel is to present a very early, rough study of the feasibility of expansion.  The report to the BC3 following the delivery of Don Schlegel’s report would be made at the second BC3 meeting in July, July 15.

 

5.       a.  Other Old Business - Publicity.  Bob Gough asked that posters be available as soon as possible to publicize the work of the BC3.  Eileen Simpson stated that she had talked with Harold DeHoff to construct a free standing bulletin board.  Susan Carson suggested having copies of the Building Committee minutes made available to parishioners.  Inserts and notes in the weekly Bulletin were suggested.  Other ideas for communication included use of Legos for building a church model, balloons, hanging posters/etc. from the ceiling or displaying them outside, presenting comments during the announcements on Sundays, getting the Town Hall meeting dates in the Bulletin, make the Town Hall meetings like a party, and holding raffles. Ask that  for every dollar given for breakfast, donate another dollar for the Building Fund.  It was noted that the bulletin boards and posters on easels in the foyer are making the foyer cluttered.  Anything we do should be different in order to be noticed. 

 

      Hal noted that there are already donations to the Building Fund being made. 

 

      The estimates used for Building Fund pledges was set at half of the current operating fund pledges for each of the three years of a Building Fund drive.  The Building Fund kickoff is not to conflict with the fall Stewardship campaign for operating fund pledges.

 

      Publicity and the Fund Raising Sub groups should work together closely.  Publicity and the involvement of the congregation are important for the success of this project.

 

      Rich Lehoucq suggested a theme for this project for further consideration, “Growing with the Spirit”, which was revised to “Growing in the Spirit”, and favorably received by the group.

 

      Eileen Simpson agreed to create a poster for the upcoming Sunday.  Suggestions for the poster included pictures of churches, BC3 minutes, rudimentary drawing of a sanctuary, and use of the phrase “Growing in the Spirit”.  Rich Lehoucq suggested that his wife, Leslea, might be able to create the sanctuary drawing.

 

      Bob Gough agreed to insert a few sentences in the Bulletin every week.  He will include dates of the Town Hall meetings.

 

b.  Other Old Business – Archive Structure.  Bob Gough requested that the archive structure be revised to include the separation of the three-pronged finance plan: pledging, borrowing, and fund raisers.  Eileen Simpson will notify BC3 members of the revised archive structure.

 

c.  Other Old Business – Other.  The BC1 and BC2 files, located in the Choir Room filing cabinet, do not require further reorganization.  The files are open to anyone’s use.  Copies of the previous construction project drawings, located in the cleaning room, are also available.

 

It was suggested that “Building Committee” stickers be added to name badges of committee members, similar to the Vestry stickers currently used.  Bob Gough will ask the Vestry next week if there are any objections.

 

It was agreed that using web pages for the Building Committee is a good idea.  Hal will work on web pages for the current web site.  These can be moved over to the new web site easily.  Bob Gough will send information to Hal to be used on the Building Committee web site.

 

Eileen Simpson will contact Jannetta Lamort to set up a BC3 email address.  This address is to be used for any emails sent to all BC3 members and for any communication that should be archived/saved.  When the BC3 email address gets set up, Eileen is to notify Rich Lehoucq, who will in turn send an email to everyone with instructions on when/how to use.

 

6.       a.  New Business – Report to Vestry on 10 June.  Richard Simpson conveyed that last month’s report to the vestry went well.

 

Bob Gough agreed to report the upcoming Town Hall meetings to the vestry as well as to verify use of the name tag BC3 identification.

 

b. New Business – Input to The View by 15 June.  Bob Gough stated that the next month’s newsletter article will emphasize the Town Hall meetings.

 

c. New Business – Other.  Bob Gough agreed to make comments about the Building Committee during next Sunday’s (June 10) service announcements.

 

7.       The next meeting will be Sunday, June 17 at 11:30.  Debra indicated she would not be able to attend the next meeting.  Susan Carson will be absent for the July 1 meeting.

 

 

 

ACTION ITEMS

 

AI 2-1.  All BC3 members - Review the updated Ministries Questionnaire and provide comments to Bob Gough, Bob Kingsbury, and Hal DeHoff by this weekend (June 9/10). 

AI 4-1.  Eileen Simpson – Create and display a BC3 poster Sunday, June 10.

AI 4-2.  Bob Gough - Insert a few sentences in the Bulletin, including dates of the Town Hall meetings.

AI 4-3.  Bob Gough - Send information to Hal DeHoff to be used on the Building Committee web site.

AI 4-4.  Eileen Simpson – Contact Jannetta Lamort to set up the BC3 email address.

AI 4-5.  Bob Gough – Make announcement about Building Committee/Town Hall meetings at services on Sunday, June 10.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Eileen Simpson

6/04/2007