Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church

Resources Working Group Meeting Minutes

October 15, 2007

Present:            Ross Bartels (presiding), Mark Duff, Susanne Haas, John Hanson, Jeff Hickstein

Absent:             Gayle Bintliff, Amy Hasbargen, Judyth Bigelow, Kermit Kramer, Michele McCreery, Steve Maurelli, John Bergford, Jr., Marty Carlson, Denise Wilkens

Materials Presented:     Parsonage Task Force Report 2004, Parsonage Task Force 2005, Resources Working Group Report July 2007

Agenda:            Open meeting

Ross called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.

Ross stated that this was the first meeting of this group since the July, 2007 Congregational Meeting, where the Group presented its findings to the congregation, but no recommendations or options were presented for action at that time.  He has scheduled 3 meetings this fall with the primary purpose of involving as many members as possible in the conversation about our resources, especially what to do with the Parsonage.

The group discussed where we are currently with respect to our resources and what needs to be done.  The group confirmed that one of the main goals is to present an "actionable item" regarding the parsonage decision at the January 2008 Congregational Meeting.

The group identified 3 goals to achieve by January 2008 (in no particular order):

1. Increase involvement of the congregation in the discussion about the stewardship of our resources, especially the parsonage
2. Present at least two options of what we can do with the parsonage at the January 2008 Congregational Meeting for the congregation to vote on
3. Present options that support the stated mission direction, presented by the Mission Working Group in July 2007, of supporting the youth at LOTI, the neighborhood and at-risk youth in the community

Communication

The group decided to present "temple talks" on the subject frequently during Sunday services.  Mark Duff volunteered to talk on Sunday October 21^st.

The Resources Working Group Report from July 2007 was included in the LOTI Link but not posted on the Web site (www.loti.org), due to some potentially sensitive financial information contained therein.  Ross offered to edit the report and have it posted.

Jeff is still facilitating the communication for the Mission Project and will work with Bob Vaillancort and Marlene Wilson to make sure that all pertinent information is posted on the Web site and distributed.

The Mission Working Group and our Youth Intern, Michael Vinson, are to be contacted and invited to sit in or join the Resources Group to coordinate the needs of the mission with our resources.

Decision Process

In order to create a consensus of the congregation around such an impact-full and potentially divisive decision as what to do with the parsonage, the group discussed some steps that need to be taken.  They include:

• Listing all possible options that have been identified and any more that can be conceived of in one document
• Resolving any differences of opinions about tangible items such as property value, zoning and code regulations, costs for renovation, etc. by thoroughly researching and documenting issues and using expert third parties for estimation
• Agreeing on a set of principles and selection criteria to apply to options that are being considered
• Using the selections criteria to eliminate options from the list until we have our final set to present to the congregation

Ideas

Susanne asked what had happened to the option of selling the parsonage and buying the property to the West of the church, which is currently being rented.  It was noted that this could prevent any possible future disputes over the ally (we would still need to resolve the alley issue for the parsonage property).  This option was presented in the 2004 Parsonage Task Force.

Other ideas for the parsonage included a neighborhood youth center, a child care facility, expanding the Kenwood School Starfish tutoring program and creating a "multi-use facility" that could be used for many purposes.  Discussion ensued about how flexible we could make a facility if we don't have a pretty good idea what its intended use is.  The group decided to involve our Youth Intern and the Mission Working Group in the discussion.

One idea for using the Fellowship Hall is to have dinner theater with local kids putting on the plays and having it serve as a fundraiser.  This was done in years past at LOTI.  It would require repairing the stage, building a removable "thrust stage" addition, sets, curtains, lights, and possibly sound equipment.

Principles

Jeff presented some guiding principles that he had developed from a Building and Property Action Team perspective, prior to the Resources Group being formed.  They are:

• If possible, we must use available space in the church building before using space in the Parsonage (i.e. classrooms)
• We will obey all city zoning and building codes (this has not been the case in the past)
• We will pull permits for all work that requires them (this will limit the about of volunteer labor we can use)
• Any cost estimates must be verified by one or more 3rd parties who will back it up if we proceed (i.e. bids)
• Any funding estimates (that may be used to plan a project) should be accompanied by identified sources and, if possible, pledges or deposits
• Any decisions do not cause undue strife with our neighbors

After some discussion, 2 more were added:

• The church building must be well-maintained before investing in additional properties
• The resources should be leveraged for "best use" that supports our mission

Note:  These principles were not voted on and are subject to further discussion and modification.  The quicker we can agree on them, the quicker we can make progress on selecting options.

Estimation Methodologies

The group discussed the fact that there have been a wide range of estimates about property values and costs for properly-related work.  Jeff asked for recommended methodologies for estimation that we could all agree on.

For property value in case of a sale, Susanne suggested that we use the common practice of setting up a realtor walk-through, where several realtors are invited to inspect the parsonage at the same time and provide a range of sale prices including "priced to sell" and "priced to market".  Since we are not necessarily going to sell the property, this may not be practical.  Instead, the group agreed to invite at least three realtors with Lake of the Isles selling experience to give is their valuations and take the average.

As for construction/renovation costs, it was agreed that we will use known contractors to provide bids and take and average or pick a bid that seems reasonable, and from a reputable firm, if there are wide discrepancies in the bids.

Action Items (due by 11/18/2007)

• Mark will do a temple talk this Sunday
• Ross will compile a list if all known and conceivable options for the parsonage
• Mark will contact the owner of the property West of the church and inquire about interest in selling it
• Jeff and the Building and Property Action Team will:
  • Compile a current list of maintenance items and estimated costs for the church
  • Have the parsonage inspected for code compliance and other livability issues
  • Obtain bids or good faith estimates for all work required to be done to the parsonage for use as a single family home
• Susanne will work with Bob Vaillancort to create a detailed inventory of available space in the church including utilization percentages and schedules of each available room

The next Resources Working Group meeting will take place on Sunday, November 18, 2007 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. in the Fellowship Hall.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Hickstein

Interim Secretary