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Renew and Revitalize Task Forceby Mother Storm + Tuesday May 28 There's excitement in the air at St. James! Following our first meeting last week, some members of our communications team asked if we could rename our efforts as we move into this project-led, collaborative phase of our work together. So, meet now the "Renew and Revitalize Task Force" (formerly the Capital Campaign Steering Committee). Just this small change reminds me how much better everything is when we work together. Each of us sees something different, catches a slight nuance another might not. The success of our work to revitalize our campus will be that much greater with many hands and different perspectives. We're fortunate to have a wealth of talent in our parish to draw from. If you'd like to get involved, there are many roles--in project management, communications help, making calls to the town and to contractors. Some people on the Task Force have been in the parish many years, and some have just recently joined. There's definitely a place for you! Sign up below and indicate what you're most interested in. And how could you not join this friendly group, pictured above? :) You may even pick up some friends along the way. Members (thus far) are: Rob Fath, Toni Lewis, Linda Killian, Mark Trager, Bill Haffner, Nathan Gallup, Gina Taglieri, Pat Wynne, Tom Finlan, Ocean Mills, Omaira Crane, James Fawcett, and Monica Sganga (Mo. Storm ex officio). |
Volunteer for the Renew & Revitalize Task ForceNext Meeting Monday June 10, 6 pm In Person or Online Join us as we prepare to begin work. All welcome to join in! For more infomation visit:
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In Case You Missed itRenew & Revitalize Meeting Notes from Monday, May 20 The meeting started with introductions, and a reminder from Mo. Storm that, though we'll be making major decisions about our property together--never an easy task--it's essential that this group works together in a spirit of love and understanding. Building community *always comes first.* It was then clarified that this is an *advisory committee* to the vestry. As the elected body of leaders for the parish, the vestry is tasked with voting on expenditures. The Campaign Steering Committee does the research and leg work that helps the vestry make better decisions. Of course, the parish's wishes expressed in the Focus Groups guide both the Steering Committee and the Vestry, who will stick with the agenda as laid out by the parish. Following these introductory remarks/reminders, the following items were discussed. If you'd like more detail about anything, please don't hesitate to respond to this email and we'll direct you to the person who can answer your questions. There are also meeting minutes we can provide; this summary is meant to be briefer and more accessible. 1. HVAC System Bill Haffner summarized the status of the grant application with Blocpower. In order to move forward, they would like us to do an energy assessment, which includes a thorough analysis of our building's infrastructure and, ultimately, a detailed report on the various energy systems and the expenses, near and long term, associated with them: a conventional gas-powered system like we have now, a geothermal system, and a heat-pump system. They would put together an RFP for us and send it out to bid. The financial outlay of such a study would be $5,000-$10,000 dollars for us (the rest paid for by Blocpower and a diocesan grant), all of which would be reimbursed were we to partner with Blocpower on the project. Several members of the committee have both professional and personal experience with these matters. Linda Killian, Mark Trager, and Bill Haffner were identified by the commitee as the most qualified to continue working with Blocpower. Please request meeting minutes (or a discussion with one of them) for more detail. 2. Cash flow and possible project timeline Tom Finlan summarized the finances thus far. To date, we've brought in $475,000. $150,000 of that went towards consultant fees and expenses related to the fundraising portion of the campaign--the kick-off brunch, print materials, graphic designer's fees. Currently we have $327,000 in cash. We should receive an additional $300,00 by December, and by June, another $200,000. The group discussed a possible timeline for projects, based on cash flow and other logistics--planning, permits, etc. The following was proposed for several of the larger projects: Great Hall Ceiling, fall 2024. Masonry work, spring 2025. Boiler/HVAC, summer 2025. Parking lot, summer 2026. The timeline on this last item may need to change depending on the conditions of the Bedell grant. We will be in touch with them this week. 3. Some logistics and professional partnerships moving forward Several members of the committee will begin speaking with the town of Scarsdale about our plans. Additionally, we will work with our landscape architect, Sam Geer, to obtain more granular plans for our parking lot and arrival court. Ultimately a local architect and project manager will be included in the work. The diocese has several recommendations, and members of the committee will soon begin researching which of these might be a good fit for St. James. The committee will meet again June 10, and every month moving forward. Members within the committee working on certain tasks will meet/talk between meetings as needed. |