At its August meeting the Governing Board appropriated additional funds necessary to undertake three significant maintenance projects:

• Making repairs to and painting the steeple. Although the Congregation approved an $18,000 allocation for this work back in 2015, the work had not yet been contracted.
• Repair of water damage to the columns of the Meeting House. Air vents in the columns were inadvertently painted over at one point with the result that moisture has pooled in the bases of  the columns, causing them to rot out. There are steel cores to the columns so the damage isn’t “structural,” but the bases needed to be repaired to avoid further damage to the columns.
• Painting the eaves of the Christian Education Building and the cupola of the Chapel.

The best quote for painting the steeple was received from Kevin Leecock, an experienced contractor who has painted our steeple in the past.  Mr. Leecock indicated that $27,000 would cover all requested jobs (steeple, columns, Education Building, and Chapel) if they were combined as a package.  Additional funds were needed in order to undertake all of the projects simultaneously.

Accordingly, the Governing Board authorized the Treasurer to apply any unspent funds from the December 2015 Major Projects Reserve Fund appropriation for Steeple Painting; the outstanding balance of $1,182.85 received from the insurance settlement for repairs to the Parish House office entrance following an automobile accident; and $7,700.00 from the Major Projects Reserve Fund toward exterior repairs to the Meeting House, Education Building, and chapel.

The $7,700 is within the Governing Board’s authority to appropriate from the Major Projects Reserve Fund without further approval from the Congregation (the cap on that is $10,000).

Most of these projects should be completed in early October.