Bill Mitchell: Lighting/light
bulbs to CFL/LED, post-survey, looked at bill; incandescences cost much; CFL's cheaper than LED's (80-100kw hours) which have
high upfront cost (2 1/2 yr. payback -- after that, nearly free); CFL's have disposability issue because of the mercury.
Further analysis needs more data.
Kim Agee: Fayetteville
Public Library is switching to LED
Lowell: Kathy had conversation
with a fellow about how children in classrooms where there are LED's and chickens under LED's both have better performance.
Bill: Would like to help; need better analysis for LED cost
comparison. Will help get the count into a spreadsheet and make it more usable.
Christine: LED's weren't compatible with the dimmer switches.
Bill: In some instances, they've made improvements. Motion sensors are also
a cost-saver.
Lowell: Needs from
Vestry?
Bill: We need to understand what the cost
is.
Kim: Access to the electric bills.
Ellen: We also need to know how much it is going to
cost to convert.
Kim: We'll come back with
an estimate on how much it's going to cost, what the return will be, and a timeline.
Greg: I move we give them the electric bill.
Ellen & Shea: second.
All in favor. Passes.
Suzi: Need winter bill to get accurate cost.
Rolf: Gaia guild doing this assessment for free is a great deal, considering
what some of the larger churches are paying the management companies.
Suzi is pretty sure the Gaia guild already has a copy of the energy audit.
Lowell: Go forth with vigor!
Kim: Bottled water and styrofoam are two other issues. We need to minimize
this. Need an official statement from Vestry. At the Diocesan Convention, there was already a statement about
minimizing (or eliminating) the use of bottled water.
Ellen: Styrofoam
is used at Community Meals. It's cost-prohibitive to replace with something else.
Kim: Styrofoam is bad for the environment and health (he elaborated). Would
like a statement from Vestry to make St. Paul's a styrofoam-free facility. There are probably several in the Gaia Guild
who would like to look into underwriting the cost for replacement containers.
Suzi: Community Meals received a gift that might underwrite such an endeavor.
Lowell: Get rid of styrofoam in 6 mos.?
Suzi: How to get rid of current supply?
Kim: You have to throw it away. It can't be burned. It's best to make
sure it makes it to a landfill. You might as well use it.
Lowell: It makes me nervous
that Community Meals people might take it home and microwave it.
Bill: Will find out how
styrofoam might be used in another way, as in for packing materials.
Loyd: Make a motion that we go styrofoam free in 6 mos.
Linda: Second.
Most in favor. One
nay. Passes.
Lowell: Encourage all those in favor to look into underwriting costs
of renewable/sustainable.
Thanks extended to all in Gaia Guild
for the work they do.
Loyd: It helped to bark at people as they
walked by on election morning, not letting them pass by.
Rolf: We had over 300
ballots. Had a spreadsheet set up. Voting age? (16 or 18?)
Linda: Canons say to vote, one has to be 18, confirmed, and a unit.
Lowell: A very anachronistic canon. May look at diocese
changing that.
Suzi: You're also supposed
to be a giver of record to run. We need to look at our book, too.
Suzi: 364 pledges; $869,943; $12,000 for sure to come.
At some point we have to put a number in to make a budget.
Rolf: What do we need
to keep at the current level?
Suzi: $950,000 is
our budget. $1.something million is our operating budget Didn't use any of our endowment money from last year.
But do think we'll get more.
Martha has been calling.
Shea still has more to call. Suzi confident we will get more.
Suzi: Will do financial/budget training, but am waiting for computer switch-over
after the first of the year, integrating all parts of the church financials/accounting. Mainly this is to help vestry
understand the in's and out's, especially that there is no "carry-over."
Lowell: At the
party last night, met lots of interesting people. A fellow who went to Servant Leadership is offering a pledge this
year.
Charlie's proposal, sent via attachment from Suzi.
Lowell:
Everything about the proposal is usable in a new organ.
Loyd: After talking
with Charlie, understand that we do indeed need the new console. Make a motion that we accept the proposal to raise
money for the console.
Lowell: Charlie believes he and
the choir can raise the funds. $25k already standing.
Shea and Rolf second.
Rolf recommends that we get a "united way" thermometer to gauge fund-raising.
Dale: Should we wait until January, until after the pledge-drive, before Charlie requests money
from choir/congregation?
Lowell: That would probably be wise.
Shea: Proposal says it will take about a year to build it. Is he going ahead
and starting the payment?
Loyd: Charlie said there might
be some pledges coming in over the year. About $30k has to be paid upfront, another third halfway, and then the balance.
Linda: If the money isn't raised, would vestry be responsible?
Lowell: We will not sign a contract unless the funds are available. Motion
is to accept the proposal to raise the funds, not sign a contract.
Greg:
Not a proposal for the leather yet?
Lowell: No. That would have
to come with the rebuild.
Ellen: Linda Kelly agrees with him.
Lowell: With these upgrades, there will be more settings for the different organists
to program.
Shea motions to allow Charlie to raise the funds after
January. Ellen seconds. Passes.
