by Jessica Wehrmeyer, Building Committee Chair
Thank you so much to those of you that attended the business meeting last week and for the feedback that you shared.
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss plans and priorities for the building committee. From a maintenance standpoint, there are many concerns that need to be addressed. Our roof and parking lot are in urgent need of attention. The bell tower is unstable and needs to be removed or repaired. Many members have expressed a desire for an elevator, larger restrooms that are handicap accessible, improvements to the mothers’ room, and more. The building committee is working on many of these issues. Soon you will see new flooring going into the fellowship hall and the lower-level hallway and staircase.
Before I took over as chair in July, the building committee had been working on plans for a church addition. This addition would address some of the current facility issues in the church, but not all. At the last business meeting earlier this year, the addition idea was pitched to the church by our previous chair, Henry Schultz, and there was some interest. The church asked the building committee to gather some numbers and present them. So at the November meeting, we brought drawings and a rough cost estimate for a proposed addition.
There was a great discussion, and I think it’s safe to say that we left on the same page believing that the Lord led us to where we need to be. God is good! It is very evident that the church is in one accord: we FIRST need to address the existing issues within our church.
At this time the church voted to not move any further with the addition but to gather bids for replacing the roof and resurfacing the parking lot. Those bids will be brought back to another business meeting on December 11. The church at large also wanted to know what it would look like to take a loan from the Lake Union Revolving Fund (LURF) if we had to. Our treasurer, Jeff Allen, will be looking into this. He will update us at the December 11 meeting.
A survey about our building needs will be available over the next week. If you haven’t done so already, please take a moment to fill one out. On the survey, you will see a list of projects within our church that have been discussed at our building committee meetings. Your feedback will help us to prioritize as we plan for the future. A paper copy of this survey will be available in the back of the church, or you can complete it online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KaiCt5dRmy9v9hFOg2hzuz42wdN_594wLI2QmPJd7rM/edit
