...in Lake Wait-Be-Gone! Where the Senior Minister is strong, all the Board members are good-looking, and the Building Committee members are all above average!
Greetings Friends:
Yes, we've all been busy ... meeting, emailing, and generally picking each other's brains electronically and in person. Lots of emails. I think it's the first time that my inbox folder has more messages than my junk folder. That's a lot.
During the last two weeks we've attended meetings with the contractor, the architect, the Board, sub-committees of the Building Committee, sub-committees of the Board, and Rev. Lydia. We're at the Fellowship so much, we're all considering bringing cots and a camp stove and moving into Alcott. It would save travel time so we could meet more. ; - )
I point out how many meetings have occurred and how many emails have be sent out and received to assure you that the Building Committee, the Board, Rev. Lydia and many others too numerous to name are feverishly working behind the scenes to do our due diligence regarding the remodeling of the building. We will make sure that we protect the Fellowship and your investment and we will not move forward until we are sure that all of the i's are dotted and the t's crossed.
Yes, it would be nice if the construction were starting up this month. It's something we've all dreamed about. But until we can get issues with the contractor settled, we must wait. Think of our "wait time" as time spent protecting the Fellowship. Be assured that we are doing our research and we're not moving forward until we've got a plan we can afford.
We are working hard to realize our vision.
Be of good cheer.
David Burrous for the Building Committee
PS: If you have not seen Marky Lloyd's letter to the Fellowship, it's attached below.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings, All:
I'm getting in touch to let you know about a significant action taken by the Board at our October 3 meeting.
Construction Delayed
The Building Committeerecently received the construction bid from the contractor BVUUF has been working with and it was around $750,000 higher
than expected due to a variety of factors. While we were prepared for
the possibility of a bid slightly above our budget, we were shocked at
the number we received, and I'm sure you are as well. Since we received
that information, your Building Committee and Board have been hard at
work discerning our path forward. We are carefully exploring our
options, including working with the architect and builder to reduce the
gap, considering additional financing options, and examining other
possible solutions. As you can appreciate, it will take time to gather
the necessary information, including input from the congregation, and to
reflect on it. Therefore, at Wednesday's Board meeting, we decided to delay the start of construction until Spring.
This means:
1. We will continue to hold Sunday services in our Fellowship building. And on November 4, we will switch to 2 Sunday services.
2. We will hold the October 27 Auction at the Fellowship.
3. The
office staff will move from our temporary quarters in Louisville back to
the building. (This will save us money for later use.)
4.
Committees and groups can continue to meet at the Fellowship for the
foreseeable future. (Remember to schedule your meetings and room
locations on the calendar.)
Of
course, you will have questions about all of this, and the Building
Committee, Construction Finance Team, and the Board want to share with
you what we know. Therefore, we have scheduled an Information and Listening Session on Sunday, October 14, in the sanctuary following the service, to share what we know
at that time, to respond to your questions, and to listen to your
thoughts and feelings. More information about that will follow shortly.
Also, remember to check the Building Committee's blog for up-dates and if you have questions, put them on that blog.
I want
to thank Carol Pranschke, our Office Manager, and Robyn Rathweg, Prue
Larson, and Juli MacKenzie for the superb jobs they are doing managing
the many aspects of our transition--and will now tackle all the details
(including financial) of the move back to our building. They have shown
"grace under pressure," keeping their composure handling all of these
changes. Please thank them when you see them!
And I
also want to thank each of you for all of the time, energy, and
financial support you have contributed to help us reach this point in
our building project. As we move through these changes, let's remember
these words from John C. Maxwell: "Visions don't change, they are only
refined. Plans rarely stay the same and are scrapped or adjusted as
needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan."
As always, your Board and Building Committee appreciate your support as we move through this process.
In community,
Marky Lloyd
Board President
