Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia
Board of Trustees
Minutes of December 14, 2011 Meeting

Attendance
Trustees present were: Barry Ahrendt (President), Ann Johnson (President-Elect), Linda Brennison (Treasurer), Michael Sullivan (Secretary); Members at Large: Elizabeth Harris, Buzzie Kelly, Walter Patterson, and Bauer Westeren; and Ex-Officio Members Connie Hudson (Finance Committee Chair), Neal Jones (Minister), Don Mohr (Past Co-President) and Pat Mohr (Past Co-President).

Call to Order and Establishment of Quorum
The meeting was called to order by Barry at 6:36 PM. He noted a quorum was present.

Reading and Check-In
Barry read a selection by Marcus Aurelius. All present gave brief personal updates by way of checking in.

Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the November 16, 2011 meeting were unanimously approved, with the addition of one missing word.

Consent Agenda
The Minister’s Report was received on the consent agenda.

Treasurer’s Report
Linda reviewed the budget and variance reports for November. We have an increased shortfall in revenues of $7,769, more than 3% of total revenues budgeted. Overall expenses are coming in as budgeted. Pledges are lagging behind by $4,037, with $85,092 budgeted versus $81,055 received. Other revenues are also falling behind budget projections, including fundraising and plate collections. There was concern and discussion of remedial steps. We will encourage members to catch up on their pledges before year-end for tax deduction purposes. We will also re-evaluate the budget performance next month for further possible actions such as contacting members in arrears and revising the budget.
Linda has submitted the year-end report of members paying less than UUA and Southeast District dues to the Membership Committee, as per the bylaws.

Bylaw Concerning Board Membership
Barry reviewed Bylaw 7.2c requiring the automatic resignation of a Board member for missing 3 or more meetings unless overridden by a 2/3 vote of the Board. He made a motion, seconded by Elizabeth, to retain Buzzie on the Board due to the extenuating circumstances she described. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Executive Session: Personnel Matter
On a motion made by Barry, seconded by Walter, and passed unanimously, the Board convened an executive session for discussion of a confidential personnel matter. On a motion made by Barry, seconded by Ann, the Board voted unanimously regarding resolution of this issue and forwarded it to the Personnel Committee for advisement. Neal will update the Personnel Committee on the Board’s action, which the Secretary will document in a confidential memorandum for the personnel file.

Finance Committee Membership
Barry reported that the Executive Committee met with Connie on December 4, 2011 to discuss the recruitment of additional members for the Finance Committee. Help is needed for developing the 2012-2013 budget, for managing the canvass of pledges for next year, and for coordinating additional fundraising. Ivy Coleman (Board member-at-large) and Robin Scherer (Personnel Committee chairperson) have agreed to develop the proposed budget for 2012-2013. Help is still needed for the canvass and fundraising.

Facility Use Policy
Barry summarized several additions he made to our form for facility rental (Application for Use of Church Facilities). These pertain to protecting UUCC in the event of cancellations, improper use, or damages. Several of these changes had been recommended by our financial consultant, Jackie Breland, CPA. The revisions appear as underlined text in the form in endnote . Neal will implement the changes.

Strategic Plan: Shared Ministry Committee Responsibilities
Neal presented feedback from the Shared Ministry Committee chair regarding the charge the Board gave it last month, to monitor implementation of the Strategic Plan and to write new mission/vision/values statements for UUCC. On a motion made by Don, seconded by Michael, and passed unanimously, the Board recommended that the Committee use congregational input gathered in the past year to develop the statements, and set March 15, 2012, as their due date.

Construction Update
Don reported that construction on the Social Hall renovations and courtyard will begin on January 3, 2012 and is due to be completed by February 23, 2012. Our sewer line from the building to the street recently clogged up. Emergency repairs were made by Gene Love Plumbing at a cost of $770. The plumber told us that the fix was not permanent, and that the sewer pipe–installed in 3-foot sections years ago–needs to be replaced due to age, deterioration, and the effects of roots growing into the line over many years. As the sewer line travels underneath the construction area, it needs to be replaced before construction starts. The Board reviewed 3 bids ranging from $2,822 to $5,800. A motion was made by Don, seconded by Walter, and amended by Barry, to authorize this work by Meetze Plumbing Company at a cost of $2,882, and to use a combination of reserves ($1,000) and line of credit ($2,000) to pay for the work which will be reimbursed by additional fundraising for the courtyard. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Ministerial Search and Transition Process
Pat presented a detailed analysis of the steps UUCC needs to take to transition Neal from a Consulting Minister to our Called Minister now that he has passed his UUA ministerial exams. These are detailed in the memo in endnote . The steps include:
• the appointment of a Ministerial Transition Committee approved by the Congregation with a corresponding amendment to the bylaws
• a subsequent Congregational Meeting to vote to call the Minister
• the Board appointment of an Ordination/Installation Committee
• An installation service and reception.
The Board discussed the timing of various logistics and the anticipated costs of at least $5,000 which will need to be built into the 2012-2013 budget. A motion was made by Barry, seconded by Linda, to direct the Leadership Development Committee to recommend five members for a Ministerial Transition Committee for the Congregation’s approval, and to develop a charge for the work of the committee, in time for the March 2012 Board meeting. The vote in favor was unanimous.

Other Business
• Consideration of several additional spending requests was deferred until the next meeting when YTD budget performance can be reassessed.
• There will be a Congregational Conversation with the Board after the service on January 8, 2012 to discuss finances and the ministerial transition.
• Beginning in March 2012, the Unigram will be published in the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month rather than the 2nd and 4th weeks. This change will allow more timely publication of Board meeting summaries and Congregational Notices.

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:06 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Sullivan, Secretary