Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia
Board of Trustees
Minutes of November 10, 2010 Meeting

Attendance
Members present were: Barry Ahrendt (President-Elect), Linda Brennison (Treasurer), Michael Sullivan (Secretary); Members at Large: Ivy Coleman, Marcia Fletcher, Elizabeth Harris, Walter Patterson (partial attendance) and Andrea Pixley; and Ex-Officio Members Joe Long (Past-President) and Neal Jones (Minister). Others present for parts of the meeting were Ann Johnson (Personnel Committee Chair), Alison Thirkield (Finance Committee Member), and Jim Burton.

Call to Order and Establishment of Quorum
The meeting was called to order by Barry Ahrendt at 6:40 PM. He noted a quorum was present.

Check-In
All present gave brief personal updates by way of checking in.

Consent Agenda
The Minister’s Report and Administrator’s Report were accepted on the consent agenda.

Chalice Lighting and Opening Words
Barry Ahrendt read a selection by Victoria Safford about “our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope” (from The Small Work and the Great Work).

Approval of Minutes
Don Mohr offered one correction to the minutes, changing “year-end canvass” to “year-round canvass”. On a motion by Barry, seconded by Pat, the minutes of the September 8, 2010 meeting were unanimously approved as amended.

Strategic Planning Charter and Team
Don presented a proposed charter of the Strategic Planning Team. The purpose of the strategic plan is to guide our congregation in realizing our full potential as a liberal religious body large enough to have a significant and continuing impact on Columbia. The team will develop and carry out a process to define our values, vision, and mission, with congregational input. Suggested deadlines are:
• January 30, 2011 for writing a statement of values of UUCC members and friends;
• February 27, 2011 for a writing a vision statement and revising our mission statement and covenant if necessary;
• March 27, 2010 for obtaining Board review and congregational approval of these statements;
• May 29, 2011 for presenting three to five strategic planning goals for adoption based on these priorities at our Annual Membership Meeting.
Mike Paget reported the recommendations of the Leadership Committee for the composition of the Strategic Planning Team. They are Barry Ahrendt, Lisa Eason, Kevin Meredith, Dean Smith, Janet Swigler, and Bauer Westeren, Members; Mike Paget, Chairperson; and Don Dodson, Strategic Planning Consultant, Rev. Neal Jones, Ministerial Consultant, and Lisa Casey, RE Consultant. A motion was made by Marcia, seconded by Ivy, to approve the charter and membership of the Strategic Planning Team. The vote in favor was unanimous. Mike Paget will convene an organizational meeting of the team as the next step.

Treasurer’s Report
Linda reviewed highlights of our balance sheet and year to date budget report for September 2010. For unclear reasons, some pledge receipts continue to be allocated to the previous year’s budget. For the first quarter of this fiscal year, $34,917 in pledges has been received and applied towards the current 2010-2011 revenues, and $20,836 towards 2009-2010 revenues. Because of this, it is difficult to interpret our budget performance YTD. In view of the importance of being able to assess our budget performance, Michael Sullivan proposed a meeting with the Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair, Bookkeeper, and Secretary to review the allocation procedures and crediting of pledges for a report back to the Board. The Board endorsed this plan. In the interim, progress reports on pledge receipts in the Orders of Service and Unigram will be deferred.
Linda reported back on the feasibility and costs of adding a Pay Pal donation button to our website. There is a fee of 2.2% per donation (nonprofit rate). There was a discussion of whether various types of donations would be accurately accounted for, and it was agreed that we need further resolution of this issue. A motion was made by Pat, seconded by Marcia, to table the implementation of Pay Pal donations. The vote in favor was unanimous.
Linda also reported on a request by Lisa Casey, DRE, for Sam’s Club Membership. There is a $35 annual fee for Business Membership which will include 3 membership cards (which cannot be used for payment). This membership will be in UCCC’s name and can be used for savings on bulk purchases. A motion was made by Pat, seconded by Elizabeth, to establish a Sam’s Club Membership for UUCC at an annual fee of $35. The vote in favor was unanimous. The annual fee will be charged against the unbudgeted expenses line (625107).

Personnel Issues
Don presented the recommendations received from Ann Johnson, Personnel Committee Chair, regarding our custodial position. The Personnel Committee and Building and Grounds Committee are proposing hiring a part-time custodian for 10 hours per week, to be supplemented by a professional cleaning service and a professional lawn care service. This will take effect in 2011 following the retirement of John Squire. The combined costs will not exceed the amount budgeted for custodial services (proposed figures are $5,356 plus FICA for salary at $10.30 per hour; $5,736 maximum bid for cleaning; and $1,225 maximum bid for lawn care). A motion was made by Ivy, seconded by Andrea, to direct the Personnel Committee to present the Board next month with a job description for the part-time custodian position, to screen candidates and make a specific hiring recommendation. The vote in favor was unanimous. A companion motion was made by Andrea, seconded by Ivy, to direct the Building and Grounds Committee to present the Board next month with the bids received for professional cleaning services and professional lawn care services, and to offer a rationale for contracting with their two recommended companies. The vote in favor was unanimous.
In response to a separate request from the Personnel Committee, the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Glenn White to the Personnel Committee, on a motion by Andrea and second by Linda.

Community involvement
In response to a request by Cheryl Soehl, Social Action Committee Chair, a motion was made by Linda, seconded by Walter, to co-sponsor an SC Pride candlelight vigil at the Statehouse on October 20, 2010 in support of all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth who have died because of society’s prejudice. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Liaison Assignments
There was a brief discussion of the role of Board liaisons. A signup sheet was circulated for updating. Currently the assignments are as follows:
Building and Grounds Committee Walter Patterson
Caring and Hospitality Committee Elizabeth Harris
Denominational Connections Committee Ivy Coleman
Finance Committee Linda Brennison
Green Committee* Andrea Pixley
Membership Committee Elizabeth Harris
Publicity Committee* Marcia Fletcher
Religious Education Committee Andrea Pixley and Walter Patterson
Social Action Committee Michael Sullivan
Technology Services Committee* TBD
Worship Committee Barry Ahrendt
* ad hoc committees
(As per the bylaws, there are no Board liaisons to the Leadership Development Committee, Personnel Committee, and Shared Ministry Committee.)

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Sullivan, Secretary