Members Present: President June Johnsen, Carole Greeley, Janelle Jolley, Barbara Nelson, Bette Noll
Members Absent: Pastor Todd Bertani, Jeff
Thoma
Others Present: Justin Devine (Director of Youth and Education), Diane Metz (Personnel Chair)
June called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. and announced that Pastor Todd was on vacation this week. She opened the meeting with a prayer.
Minutes
June moved that the minutes from the March meeting be approved. The motion was seconded and was passed.
Finance
Report
Janelle provided a Finance Report. (Attachment A) She reported that the budget for this year would permit us to pay Erin Ruml for working 40 hours per week as Parish Administrator, but Erin prefers to work 35 hours.
Reports
from Safe Congregation Task Force and Personnel Committee
Diane provided a report from the Personnel Committee (Attachment B) The report states that this committee had reviewed the safe congregation policy that has been drafted by the safe congregation task force (Attachment C) and that it had recommended some changes in the forms that had been drafted to accompany the policy. Diane informed the Council that the forms are not yet complete, but she approved of the Council voting on the policy now with the understanding that it would vote on the forms at the next meeting. She provided drafts of the forms and explained what changes are anticipated. Carole moved that the Council approve the policy. She said that Justin had requested one change in the proposed policy, i.e. the policy provides that a parent shall fill out a Participant Information Form as soon as his or her child starts to participate in Youth Ministry activities, and Justin would prefer that the form does not have to be filled out until the child is planning to take a trip with the group. Carole amended her motion to reflect this change. The amended motion was seconded and was passed.
Carole moved that the Council approve the Policy and Procedure for Resolving Church Concerns, Grievances, or Conflicts that has been drafted by the safe congregation task force. (Attachment D) The motion was seconded and was passed.
ane said that the Personnel Committee recommended that the Acceptable Use - Information Technology Resources Policy be updated to include mandatory and regular back up of data. There was a discussion about a burglary at the church on the night of Maundy Thursday, when someone broke into Justin’s office and stole his computer and some cash. The Council agreed that regular back up of data is important and that our policy should address this issue.
Diane asked permission to conduct training on the use of the new Operations Manual at the June 2011 Council meeting. It was agreed that this could be done at a Council retreat or at an upcoming meeting.
Preschool
Board report
Diane provided a report from the Preschool Board. (Attachment E) The Preschool Board encourages all members to attend the Youth and Preschool Sunday activities on May 1. The Board needs more members from the congregation. The Preschool had some problems with their facility – the toilets were breaking, the door to the Imagination Room had been broken, and the smoke detectors in the Fireside Room were not working. June said that she would ask the Property Management Committee to handle these problems, and she asked that the Preschool leaders contact her or Property Management immediately about problems like this rather than waiting until a Council meeting.
New
Business
June reported that Cheryl Hurd’s mother had died and that the church would receive a bequest. She said that the church could use the money for any purpose, and it appears that it will be necessary to use the money for repairs at the Preschool and for improving our security. It appears that the burglars entered through the double doors near the Youth Room on the Union Street side of the Community Center Building, and those doors should be repaired or replaced. June and Carole planned to meet with a police officer on Friday morning to discuss the burglary and how to respond to it.
Pastor’s
report
June reported that Pastor Todd always takes a week off after Easter. He had asked that the Council approve the safe congregation policy, and he encouraged all Council members to attend the leadership meeting that he has called on Monday, May 2.
Family
Night
It
was announced that cooks were needed for Family Night on May 4 and 18. June volunteered
for May 4, and Diane volunteered for May 18.
Youth
and Education
Justin gave a presentation on Youth Ministry. He will be giving this presentation to the congregation during Adult Sunday School in the near future.
June led the Lord’s Prayer, and the meeting adjourned at 8:20.
Respectfully submitted, Carole Greeley, Secretary