Your Board met three times in November. At the regular meeting on November 15, we:
• approved the salary and job description for a new Director of Lifespan Faith Formation at BVUUF as proposed by the Religious Education Search Transition Team and authorized that team to begin the search process.
• discussed the increased cost of the building and the bidder’s request for a non-binding Letter of Intent that would allow construction to begin immediately and agreed to consult with an attorney before acting on that request.
• agreed that the Board should play a larger role in setting the goal for the annual pledge drive and discussed actions to address lagging pledge payments
• discussed and began refining Board goals for 2018-19
• discussed the need to ensure that safety and security procedures are better understood by all members
• approved a Consent Agenda that included:
o Minutes of the October 18 Board Meeting
o October Treasurer’s Report & Future Building Funds Reports
o Building Project Income & Expense Sheet
o Moving the balance of Reverend Lydia’s 2018 compensation package from housing allowance to salary (at her request)
o Rescinding the requirement (approved by the Board on September 20) that funds transferred from Racial Justice and Social Justice Action funds to the Gilbert Fund continue to be tracked separately.
• recognized the special contributions of Juli MacKenzie and Carol Pranschke to the success of this year’s Auction
At two special Board Meetings (with members of the Building and Capital Campaign Committees present) and at a Building Committee meeting attended by most Board members, your Board continued to analyze issues associated with increased building costs and how to best move ahead. The results of those discussions (and probably another special meeting in December) will be presented to the congregation during Information Sessions on December 9, and in a Special Business Meeting on December 16 the congregation will be asked to vote on a motion the reflects the recommendation of the Board and the Building Committee.