Minutes 05/19/2009

First Unitarian Church of Cleveland

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

May 19, 2009

Board Members Present: Esther Bockhoff, Steve Sanford, Wendy Macklin, Kim Littell, Tom McKenna, Maureen Harrington, Ray Gonzalez, Barbara Bradley, Deanna DiPetta, Chuck Segal, George McGaughey, John Gibbon, Ann Millette

Staff Present: George Buchanan, Daniel Budd, Doug Aubin

1. Opening: Wendy called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. Wendy noted that she had received notice from Kevin Ortner that he has resigned from the board. The board extends its gratitude to Kevin for his board service. George provided the opening words, followed by the reading of the board Covenant.

2. Approval of 4-21-09 Minutes: The minutes were amended and approved. The Board minutes are on file and are posted in the church library and are also available on the church website.

3. Open for comment / new business: No visitors were present.

4. SLT Reports: Doug presented the administrator’s report. George presented his Minister for Religious Education Report, and Daniel presented his Parish Minister’s Report. These reports are on file and are posted in the church library as is a copy of the current church operating budget summary.

Highlights from Doug’s report: Per the board’s request, Doug and Esther developed two budget shortfall scenarios (5% and 10%) in the event that the forecasted revenues fall short. The 5% scenario would mainly involve B& G and church committees with reduction of outreach initiate to 08-09 levels. The 10% scenario would involve staff salary reductions and wages to 08-09 levels with OMD and UUA dues being kept steady. For YTD fiscal year 08/09, a total of $ 21,666.57 has been collected from the Sunday offering. By end of year, collections are expected to exceed that forecasted for 08-09. These offerings are noted in the “Making a Difference” column in the newsletter. New rentals include Behind the Wheel Driving School. Pledge total to date is at $473,000 and we are still on pace to reach the $490,000 goal. The church auction brought in over $10,000.

Daniel highlighted his report, which reviewed his activities both within the church and in the wider community. His report included an insert of a report from Fern Jennings, our Music Director, entitled “Five Year Review of the Music Program of The First Unitarian Church of Cleveland under the tenure of Music Director Fern Jennings.

George highlighted his report, which focuses on the success criteria and key program goals of the YRE program. George handed out a draft document of YRE procedures, developed based on the broad principles and limitations that are part of our policy based governance. George also handed out a document containing the current 2008-2009 Youth Religious Education Program, which reviews the current curriculum as well as sections on expectations for parents, the RE calendar for 08-09, and the current YRE Committee. He noted the church garden, under the coordination of Paul McClain, is off to a good start.

George also presented the SLT response to church communication issues that were raised at the previous board meeting and which centered on questions in three areas:

Question #1: The view was expressed that the current church website is not being kept properly up to date. The Board’s question to SLT is whether the SLT thinks this is a legitimate concern for Board/SLT linkage.

SLT Answer: SLT and church staff have had difficulty from time to time keeping the website information up to date. A primary measure of the effectiveness of the website would be its value to newcomers and potential newcomers with focus then on the importance of keeping the current newsletter on the site, as well as updated information related to worship services, music events, community forums and YRE events. SLT agrees that staff performance in updating the newcomer related website information is a legitimate monitoring item in the Board/SLT linkage and recommends that if the board wants to monitor and measure SLT and staff effectiveness in keeping the site current in these areas, that the Communications Committee do the monitoring with Doug then presenting the results each months at the Board Meeting. The board discussion centered on the option of just one individual (a paid webmaster) updating the website. SLT will investigate the costs of such as option and report back to the board.

Question #2: The view was expressed that our current electronic communication system is not as good as it might be with concerns in two areas: a) the lack of publicity and use of the informal electronic systems of the First Unitarian Facebook group and the First Unitarian yahoo group and b) the underperformance of the current formal email system (ACS, Outlook Express).

SLT Answer to a): SLT notes that both groups have posted information in the order of service for several Sundays since the last Board meeting as well as in the church newsletter and the church staff is supportive of requests for any other reasonable way to publicize these groups to the congregation.

SLT Answer to b): A formal email system is needed as ACS fails in areas such as an all church email. There are technical problems with interaction between the current web hosting and ACS. Board discussion centered on the need for technical advice and there was agreement that technical advice is needed and Doug will pursue this. One low cost recommendation was contacting www.techsoup.org.

Question #3: Concerns were raised that the combination of email weaknesses and PBG implementation issues around inadequate SLT reporting to the Board had hindered the flow of communication to the congregation.

SLT Answer: The SLT would ask what specifically the Board would like SLT to do differently in its reporting to the board. As this is a Board / SLT Linkage issue, Tom suggested that we defer the issue and discussion to later in the meeting when the Board / SLT Linkage policies concerning Board monitoring of SLT would be discussed and approved.

5. Consent Item: Daniel presented both a proposed policy for both appointing delegates to OMD assemblies and UUA General Assembly and a proposed policy and process for absentee voting by delegates. There was discussion, some changes made, and a motion was made and the policies approved. A copy of the approved policy is on file and will be posted in the church library with the May board minutes. To ensure that the church achieves its maximum allotted delegates and delegates votes, 8 board members (Esther, Barbara, Tom, Chuck, Wendy, George, Maureen, and Ann) volunteered to serve as back-up for absentee voting should there be a shortage of delegates from the congregation.

6. Treasurer’s Report: Esther presented the month to date operating budget summary, noting we are in good financial condition with our overall operating margin of roughly $ 12,000. We are running behind YTD in pledge income. The stewardship campaign has raised $473,000 and is on target to raise $490,000 in pledges. There was again some discussion on the current operating budget surplus and if it persists, what to do with it. There was strong consensus that any surplus be put into a reserve fund and that we communicate this to the congregation at the annual meeting. The investment fund balance as of early May is approximately $1,219,000

7. President’s Report:

a. Annual Meeting Planning: Wendy gathered ideas from the Board regarding important agenda items to report at the Annual Meeting, which included a brief communication on the approved PBG policies, an update on social outreach, green sanctuary and church garden, reporting of any operating budget surplus going into reserve, and mention of current flat membership growth, encouraging the membership to bring potential new members to church.

8. Announcement of 2009-10 Executive Committee: Kim announced that Chuck would be serving as secretary of the board, Maureen would be vice president, and Barbara Bradley would serve in the place of Wendy at Executive and Board meeting to represent institutional memory that would ordinarily be provided by the past president (Wendy is moving to Denver). Esther will continue as treasurer.

9. Durall Working Group Report: Maureen presented a progress report from the Future Search Durall Strategic Planning Task Force which met on 4-25-09. Members of the task force include: David Kantor, Mary Ellen McNulty, Edie Phillips, Susan Alcorn, Laurie Albright, Alison Bashian, Barbara Bradford, George Buchanan, Daniel Budd, Ray Gonzalez, Maureen Harrington, Kim Littell. The progress report included various proposals for implementation that would help increase member commitment to the five elements of meaningful membership. Implementation of various proposals would be the fall of 2009.

10. PBG Task Force: Tom reviewed the proposed Governance Process Policies (GPP) as well as the proposed Board-Staff leadership Team Linkages Policies (LNK). There was discussion and a motion made and approved unanimously to approve the policies as amended. A copy of the approved policies will be on file and posted with the May Board minutes in the church library.

11. The June reader will be Steve. George provided the closing words and the meeting was adjourned at 9:12 pm.