Sandra Robinson

REALM – UCE Membership Database

Tom Carlton has volunteered many hours dedicated to transferring data and working with Melanie Kitchner to get us closer to our REALM launch. Tom has been working with our Staff Accountant Vickie Doebele to refine reports from Quickbooks to REALM so that our financial reporting and transfers to REALM are in good shape before launch. Adam Gough and Jessica Meis have been working with Melanie to learn reporting of membership information. Next week all administrative staff will begin watching training videos to familiarize ourselves well enough to assist members as we move toward launch. This database will allow members to enter their own personal data, make changes, make pledges and payments and communicate with other groups within UCE, among other features. It has taken much longer than we hoped, but each day efforts continue to make this system work for UCE and provide valuable tracking information. Thank you for your patience. Thank you Tom Carlton and Melanie Kitchner for continuing to devote your time and energy to pulling all of the puzzle pieces together.

Website Insights and Improvements

Staff has been working with the Ministerial Search Committee and others to take a close look at the website to determine where refinements can be made to improve navigation and to make the site more robust. Adam Gough, Congregational Life Assistant and Jessica Meis, Communications Coordinator have begun to make changes based on a spreadsheet Jeanne Kerl assembled and we have been adding to over a period of months. Jessica has reached out to a group of leaders in the church who will serve on a task force to review the Membership Section of the website, providing observations and feedback on how drop downs and features can best reflect the information for congregants and guests who use the site.

Parking Lot

Capital Campaign “Projects Team Leaders” Ann Peterson and Greg Grabowski have been working over the past many months on research and planning of the parking lot & sewers project. We have met with the City Manager of Kenilworth who has had extensive experience with permeable surfaces. Currently Greg and Ann are working with several civil engineers to get RFQs to determine who they will hire to provide in-depth analysis on best methods for upgrading our parking lot. Once the civil engineers do their analysis of the lot and provide best recommendations, whether it is non-permeable or permeable, a town hall meeting will be held. Congregation members will have an opportunity to see the outcome of the studies. The parking lot and sewer work is planned for mid-July through August 2020.

The parking lot, as you know, has been deteriorating rapidly over the past two years. Dick Whitaker, Mike Skilton and I did research two years ago on the sewers and repaving.  Funding was not available to do the extensive work required, so this project was proposed to the capital campaign committee as a priority for funding. It is now a priority project.

Over the past several years repairs have been done on the sewers and five years ago we added gravel and repaved. Patching of the indentations was not a feasible option. It would have been a waste of a few thousand dollars that we felt could not be justified if an overall plan was to be part of the capital campaign.

I had a qualified professional plumbing company come out to review the sewers and do some camera work while they were doing the annual rodding of the sewers. It was their opinion that there is no immediate safety threat to driving over these settling areas and thought the timing of the work next summer would be an acceptable time frame.

Last winter we attempted to block off the icy patches by using brightly colored cones to prevent people from parking where they would slip if ice was on the lot. That did not work well as people parked over the cones. This year we will block off a portion at the south end so that those using the lot cannot park in spaces where there is risk of falling due to frozen water in indented sections.

Kitchen Upgrade – Another important Capital Campaign project is the kitchen upgrade. So many issues exist in our current kitchen. While Endowment has provided funding for new stoves and refrigerators, much needs to be done to upgrade storage, sinks, dishwashers, and other key elements to make this a better functioning and safe environment for UCE and others who use it. Carol Nielsen is the project lead on this work. She and I have been carefully planning together to ensure that the work can be done in a time frame that has minimum impact on rentals at UCE. Since the parking lot will be done between mid-July through August next year we are requesting that the scheduling of the kitchen work be done soon so that the demolition and construction can take place during January and early February to avoid impact on rentals. More information will follow as this project unfolds.

All Capital Campaign projects are being closely planned and monitored by the new Capital Campaign Implementation Committee headed by Janelle Brittain. John LaPlante, Vickie Doebele, Carol Nielsen, CJ Presto, and I serve on this newly appointed Committee to help the CC Leadership Team and Board navigate through the complex funding, scheduling and implementation of so many terrific projects.

Sanctuary Lighting – Once a year, light bulbs in the sanctuary are changed. Very soon I will be renting a scissor lift and we will again do the arduous task of replacing the bulbs 25 feet above the floor. We use LED dimmable bulbs in the track system. The project completion date will be scheduled prior to the Serendipity Auction in November.

Lobby Ceiling – Following a waiting period post roof installation to ensure the roof repairs are holding I proceeded with the planned ceiling repair. As you know, there were large areas where water seeped (or flowed in at times) causing damage. The remaining work to be done is replacement of tiles in the lobby. This is a Buildings and Grounds budgeted item.

As part of the Capital Campaign, the remaining upgrades will be done to the lobby. The volunteer project leader is Buildings and Grounds member Johna VanDyke who is working collaboratively with Ann, Greg, and I to accomplish a freshening of our lobby space. This will include new floor tiles for the lobby, wing hallway, bathrooms, office and Room 3.

Please call me or email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org with questions you may have or if you just want to talk about Buildings and Grounds projects you are curious about.

Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director

Update on Parking Lot

Capital Campaign “Projects Team Leaders” Ann Peterson and Greg Grabowski have been working over the past many months on research and planning of the parking lot & sewers project. We have met with the City Manager of Kenilworth who has had extensive experience with permeable surfaces.  Currently Greg and Ann are working with several civil engineers to get RFP’s to determine who they will hire to provide indepth analysis on best methods for upgrading our parking lot. Once the civil engineers do their analysis of the lot and provide best recommendations, whether it is non-permeable or permeable, a town hall meeting will be held. Congregation members will have an opportunity to see the outcome of the studies. The parking lot and sewer work is planned for mid-July through August 2020.

The parking lot, as you know, has been deteriorating rapidly over the past two years. Dick Whitaker, Mike Skilton and I did research two years ago on the sewers and repaving.  Funding was not available to do the extensive work required, so this project was proposed to the capital campaign committee as a priority for funding. It is now a priority project.

Over the past several years repairs have been done on the sewers and five years ago we added gravel and repaved. Patching of the indentions was not a feasible option. It would have been a waste of a few thousand dollars that we felt could not be justified if an overall plan was to be part of the capital campaign.

I had a qualified professional plumbing company come out and look at the sewers and do some camera work while they were doing the annual rodding out the sewers. It was their opinion that there is no immediate safety threat to driving over these settling areas and thought the timing of the work next summer would be an acceptable time frame.

Last winter we attempted to block off the icy patches by using brightly colored cones to prevent people from parking where they would slip if ice was on the lot. That did not work well as people parked over the cones. This year we will block off a portion at the south end so that those using the lot cannot park in spaces where there is risk of falling due to frozen water in indented sections.

Lobby Ceiling – Following a waiting period post roof installation to ensure the roof repairs are holding I proceeded with the planned ceiling repair. As you know, there were large areas where water seeped (or flowed in at times) causing damage. The remaining work to be done is replacement of tiles in the lobby. This is a Buildings and Grounds budgeted item.

As part of the Capital Campaign remaining upgrades will be done to the lobby. The volunteer project leader is Buildings and Grounds member Johna VanDyke who is working collaboratively with Ann, Greg and me to accomplish a freshening of our lobby space. This will include new floor tiles for the lobby, wing hallway, bathrooms, office and Room 3.

Please call me or email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org with questions you may have or if you just want to talk about Buildings and Grounds projects you are curious about.

Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director

This is a period of transition at UCE, but one in which we find ourselves well positioned for a successful year ahead. As we move ahead, I want you to know of staffing changes.

Adam Gough, our AV tech, has joined us part-time as Congregational Life Assistant. Adam will continue to provide AV services, as well as support to the Acting Sr. Minister with membership and social justice work, and to the Director of Lifespan Religious Education, technology support, website support, among other tasks that are clearly articulated in a detailed job description prepared by Eileen Wiviott and me. Adam will work 28 hours per week at the desk of our former ministerial intern.

Melanie Kitchner is doing a great job filling in as the Communications Coordinator position. The day after the position opened Melanie jumped in and made sure we had a newsletter, orders of service and announcements for that Sunday. A job description post has been placed online this week and several resumes have been received.

The accounting plan that is currently in place will be defined more clearly after the Treasurer Susan Comstock and I meet next week with our outside accountant, Julie Pierce. Julie has been working with us to prepare monthly bank reconciliations, review deposits, make tax payments and submit tax documents to the state and federal governments. UCE member Vickie Doebele has been volunteering in the office, recording deposits and pledge payments. Vickie is a retired accountant and understands our financial system quite well. If you use the Vanco system for automated pledge payments, we want you to know that Vickie has updated each new pledge amount in Vanco for fiscal year 2019-20. Member Melanie Kitchner has also been helping us by recording payments into REALM as we continue to ready ourselves for a transition from MemInfo to REALM this autumn. As Executive Operations Director I oversee the work of each of these components of finance. More information about our accounting plan will be shared before the start of our new church year early September.

As noted in previous communications from the board, a new part-time Interim Minister will be joining us in the fall. More information will be provided by the board about Rev. Karen Gufstafson.

Please call me at 847-864-1330 x108 or email srobinson@ucevanston.org with questions you may have. Enjoy your summer!

Life at UCE is about to buzz as we will begin set up on Sunday for our annual Rummage Sale.

This event is one of the best examples of how our congregation comes together for the good of the church and practices community work and being together for an entire week. It is always a pleasure for me to have our building filled with voices and activity and know that it is done well and with love.

Remember to bring your donations and sign up to help. There are sign-up sheets in the lobby. Barbara Versino and Nancy Lee, our co-leaders are available to answer questions on Sunday and by email throughout the week.

This is one of important fundraisers to help us meet the needs of our active church. Rentals, Serendipity Auction and Rummage Sale contribute substantially to the financial health of UCE.

Thank you for all of you who have pledged this year. The pledge drive efforts to get pledges in continued weeks after the end of the drive. If you have not yet pledged, please email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org or call the office and Tamiko can fill out a pledge form for you. Your financial support enables us to provide a church home for our congregation as well as all who come through these doors for community events and rentals.

During the week I met with the new Endowment account. I gave her a tour of the building and talked about who we are and what we do. She had looked at our website and was impressed with the level of activity and good work done at UCE. She was taken by the beauty of our sanctuary and its connection to the outside. She was particularly moved by the fact that we have a congregational relations team and that we make a conscious effort to live our values and work in good covenant with one another. At the time she was here many were standing against Racism with many others in the community. These moments underscore the importance and appreciation of our building and our denomination’s work.

There is much work in progress and ahead as we continue with our Capital Campaign. Project plans are underway that will improve our building, update the wing and create a safe, welcoming space for all. Thank you for CC Chairs Martha Holman, Gillian and Dan Lawrence, as well as the many leaders who are on this team. A kick-off celebration is being planned for the day on June 2^nd. More detail will follow.

It is exciting to be a part of all of the activity and forward momentum at UCE. New leaders are emerging, long time members are stepping into significant roles, pledge drive, ministerial search and capital campaign are setting the stage for an even brighter future.

Members and pledging friends will be receiving a letter shortly with information about how you can make your pledge for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. There is so much to be grateful for at UCE, so many programs, a new settled minister on the horizon, community events, social justice work, not to mention meaningful worship which enriches our lives and reminds us to go out in the world and keep striving to make it a better place.  All of this happens through the hard work of staff and volunteers. Our building provides a safe and comfortable place for us to do this good work. All of this requires generosity on the part of members and friends of UCE.

Julie Milner is this year’s Pledge Drive Chair. This year’s pledge effort will be an abbreviated process with a letter and information followed by testimonials and reminders of why everyone should support UCE and raise their pledge. At the end of the drive on March 31 there will be a celebration. The theme is “Engagement”

Watch your mail for your letter and join us each Sunday to be reminded of why financial support is so important to keep the Worship, Music, Religious Education, Great Staff, Social Justice Work, Care of our Building, and the many events and meetings that support why we are in this community.

Thank you for your part in keeping us strong and thriving.

Accounting Update: We have not yet hired a replacement for Razvan Sofronie. I have been handling daily financial tasks with assistance from Tamiko Deville and volunteers Melanie Kitchner, Vickie Doebele. Twice a month I receive assistance from a CPA who does tax forms, checks tax payments and assists with payroll when necessary. We are searching for a 15 per hour a week accounting person. Thank you to Tamiko, Melanie and Vickie for your willingness to assist with these daily financial tasks.

Sunday offering: Please make sure your contributions are noted in the memo line of your checks. It makes accounting so much easier, especially now that we have volunteers assisting with deposits.

Pledge Drive 2019-20 will be done in March. Julie Milner has graciously volunteered to manage this effort and is off to a great running start. Julie presented highlights of her plans at the Board of Trustees meeting last evening. You will be learning more in the newsletter, website and through personal contact. Stay tuned for an exciting pledge drive!!

Capital Campaign volunteer positions have been filled thanks to CC Chair Martha Holman, Rev. Eileen Wiviott and others who have worked diligently to find just the right leaders. Plans are in progress.  More information will be provided to the congregation shortly. Project leaders are beginning their work now.

Integrated Stewardship Council meets monthly. This is a vibrant team of financial leaders in the church. I am staff lead. Members include Susan Carlton, member-at-large and Secretary; Susan Comstock, Treasurer; Amy Dooley, Endowment; Marianne Griebler, Member-At-Large; Julie Milner, Pledge Drive Chair; Martha Holman, Capital Campaign Chair; Tom Ticknor, Member-At-Large. Last month the group approved a preliminary draft of the 2019-2020 which was then reviewed by the Board of Trustees at their February meeting. A budget presentation will be made at the March 10^th Ministerial Search Committee Congregational Meeting. Changes will be made to the draft as the pledge drive moves forward and other decisions are reviewed prior to the Annual Meeting in May.

REALM Membership Database: Tom Carlton has taken on the role of Project Manager. Tom has made great progress in moving forward on the migration of data from MemInfo to REALM. Melanie Kitchner has been assisting Tom as she has extensive knowledge of the program due to her participation in the data scrubbing during the initial months after data was moved from MemInfo to REALM. We have a ways to go yet before launching our new database, but once we do it will be a great tool for our members, staff and leadership.

Please contact me anytime with questions on finance, buildings and grounds, rentals and administration. I am always available to talk with you. 847-864-1330 or srobinson@ucevanston.org

So much is happening at UCE. Our settled minister search process has begun, 2018-2019 budget process is in full swing (Susan Comstock, Treasurer reports in this issue), capital campaign launch is in progress, and we have hosted an overnight shelter for the past few weeks.

The overnight shelter at UCE has been a very important service to the community by Interfaith Action and area churches and supported by our congregation, volunteers, staff, and our renters. Udumbara has relocated to Room 13 for their weekly meditations, UCE meetings have been held in alternate locations throughout the building to free up Rooms 2 and 3, the choir has rehearsed in the sanctuary. Everyone has been supportive and caring. My favorite, touching moment was related to a concert rental in the sanctuary last week. It featured a pianist and opera singer. As I sat in my office I had the pleasure of hearing their rehearsal. As I left the church, shelter guests began to arrive and wait outside. Some wanted to come in for the concert. They were welcomed in. How wonderful to be able to provide beautiful music and a warm space, even if for the night. Liz and Steven have gone above and beyond the call of duty by cleaning each morning and providing a fresh space each day for those who stayed over. UCE is a very special place where love and care are provided, not only our to own congregation, but others in the community.

Join me in welcoming Pam Means, our new Sunday lobby staff. Pam is a lifelong friend of Elizabeth who left for another calling to work with people with disabilities. Elizabeth has offered to sub for us from time to time, for which we are excited and grateful.

Another bit of staff news…Razvan Sofronie is no longer our UCE accountant. This came after a thoughtful process. We wish him well. At this time I am making deposits, issuing checks and getting us up-to-date on daily financial tasks. On Tuesday a professional accountant recommended by our bank came in to do year-end tax forms, W-2s for staff and filing, as well as payroll taxes. This firm will give us a quote for doing the major tasks each month while we continue to explore possibilities for making sure the accounting position is filled in a timely manner. Our finances are in good order.

Melanie Kitchner has been helpful to me in reviewing statement information and making data corrections in MemInfo. We will proceed with printing and sending statements in the next few days. If you receive your statement and need more information or have questions, my email and number are on the statements.

Wing hallway, lobby, bathroom and Room 3 floors will be stripped and waxed on Sunday evening. It was our hope to wait until the capital campaign as replacement of the floors is on the list of projects. It is not possible to wait until funding and we will proceed with stripping and waxing. Lobby bathrooms will be painted and new toilet stall handrails in the balcony and lower level bathrooms will be installed.

Tom Carlton has agreed to be our new REALM database Project Manager. We are proceeding with getting pledge data into REALM with the eventual goal of launching this exciting database for members to use. It has taken longer to launch than originally planned, but we are making big strides forward toward that goal.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance or can provide more information about Buildings and Grounds, Accessibility concerns, Administration, Rentals or Safety needs at UCE. We have a new Safety Team and several of us will be attending a training tomorrow addressing how to respond and manage a variety of emergency situations.

On the eve of Thanksgiving I am focusing on the many projects on my desk and all that is happening around me. Tomorrow I will stop, enjoy the day, and experience gratitude for my life, my loved ones, friends, this congregation, and for the privileges and blessings I enjoy. I will be out of the office beginning tomorrow Thanksgiving Day until Tuesday, December 4.

It is hard to know where to begin with my updates to you on buildings and grounds, administration and rentals.

Building and Grounds

Parking Light Lights: The preliminary news on the parking lot lights is not good. For weeks I have been trying to get these repaired. It seemed it was electrical, then it was suggested it was the bulbs. I had the bulbs replaced, yet the lights continue to fail. Today Mike Corrigan and team were out to do further exploration. There is no power going to the poles. It will be a costly and timely project to go under the parking lot to replace potentially rusted pipes that carry electricity to the poles. Mike is continuing to look into the matter and will send recommendations to me Friday or early next week. It is possible that we may need to install temporary lighting along the building where there is electricity, shining light on the lot. We will also explore whether it is possible to attach solar powered or battery powered lights on the existing poles as a temporary measure.

 Roof: Replacement of the wing roof is now complete.

Automatic Doors: Installation of automatic doors at the main west entrance will take place at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 28. Julia Takarada, project coordinator and I will be present for this installation. The following day the security system will be put into place. Lobby staff will continue to be in place throughout the remainder of the fiscal year.

Entry cards will replace keys. More information will follow to help us navigate through this new process. Ultimately, it will be a great improvement for accessibility to our church.

Tree Trimming: A few weeks ago several trees on the southeast lawn were trimmed away from the building, the roof and throughout the area. Dead bushes and volunteer trees were removed. This was necessary for the health of the trees and to prevent damage to our sanctuary and wing.

Snow Removal: A contract has been let for the winter snow season. I interviewed a second company in Evanston but the proposal came in at more than three times the current provider proposal. The contract calls for Zero tolerance. During the season when it rains and freezes, the southernmost section of the parking lot will be closed off to parking to prevent falls on black ice. Water tends to collect around the drains, freeze and when covered with snow can be hazardous. The sewers are planned for repair and restoration during the upcoming Capital Campaign.

Capital Campaign – A town hall meeting on the Capital Campaign will be held in Room 3 after the service on Sunday, December 9. At that time congregants will see sketches and learn more information, including costs of proposed projects.

Accessibility and Inclusion: A monthly meeting of the A & I team is held. I, as lead of the Buildings and Grounds Team attend each meeting. This month Rev. Greg Stewart joined us. Robb Geiger joins the team now as he has replaced Dick Whitaker as co-lead on Buildings and Grounds Team. A current project being undertaken by the A&I team is the installation of grab bars in one of two stalls in each the boys and girls bathrooms in the lower level. Vickie Doeble is project coordinator for this item. She and I met yesterday to take measurements and discuss on installation and design. Vickie is doing more research on this product.

Administration

Staffing: Religious Education Assistant Margaret O’Connell will be embarking on her student teaching semester and will be leaving UCE. We have known this for some time, but now the time is near. Elizabeth Edelen, our Sunday morning lobby staff is leaving in December as well. Elizabeth has begun to work more hours working with special needs individuals and it is taking her away from us on Sunday mornings. We send these two individuals off with a warm thank you and our best wishes on their new endeavors. We celebrate them.

Database: Our new REALM database continues to be under construction headed by Brian and Carol Nielsen. Melanie Kitchner has worked hours with Brian and Carol to transfer the data, scrub the data and prepare the database system for eventual launch. Razvan Sofronie is currently working to send member donations and pledge information to REALM by uploading files from Quickbooks. More information will follow from the REALM Team as they get closer to making the software available for congregant individual input and participation.

VOIP Phone System: Carol Nielsen has done extensive research on a new phone system which was intended for the Capital Campaign. Because the costs are so reasonable and phones are included, staff has decided to move forward as it is less than we are currently paying for our multiple land lines. There are many new exciting features, including an app that will allow staff to answer calls remotely as well as a more efficient method for answering and transferring calls internally. This system includes a conference and video calling feature. We will maintain a land line for our emergency phones in the LULA and Lift to the balcony.

Integrated Stewardship Council: ISC met during October and November. Current updates on Endowment and Capital Campaign, as well as the financial health of UCE is discussed. All minutes are shared with the Board of Trustees and can be found in my report on the bulletin board outside Room 2. This is a strong, thoughtful team of people including Susan Comstock, Treasurer; Amy Dooley, Endowment Chair; Ann Peterson, Capital Campaign Chair; Tom Ticknor, Member At Large; Marianne Griebler, Member at Large; Susan Carlton, Secretary and Martha Holman and Jeanne Kerl as alternating Board Liaisons. I am Staff Lead for ISC.

Denominational Affairs:

 Large Church Gathering: On the Thursday, November 8, UCE was host to the Regional Midwest District Large Church Gathering. This group is comprised of Sr. Ministers, Assistant/Associate Ministers, Executive Directors/Administrators, Religious Education Directors, Music Directors, Membership Directors and Social Action Directors. We gathered at 8:30 a.m. for coffee, bagels and mingling. At 9:00 a.m. we shared information about the day and then broke into affinity groups according to our positions. These sessions provide an opportunity for each of our staff to share information, to review guide questions and gain a better understanding of each other and our work.

After lunch we regrouped in the sanctuary for a program on racial justice. Two presenters hired by the district provided a presentation by Pastor Givens and Reverend Horan on how to plan for and create inclusive, multi-racial/multi-ethnic staff teams with productive relationships.  The program concluded at 4 p.m. Leadership of the Midwest Region were exceptionally grateful for UCE hosting this important day of fellowship and learning.

Denominational Support: a new formula for calculating congregational dues will be in place for the upcoming fiscal year.  The Annual Pledge Fund of the UUA and Region will no longer be based on the congregation’s membership number, but rather certified operating expenditures. Eileen and I sat at a table with a representative of the UUA APF staff. We have received preliminary information on what our dues will be. Eileen and I are seeking additional information on the calculation of our amount. This topic will be shared at many levels, including and especially the Integrated Stewardship Council. Decisions will need to be made to determine our level of support as it relates to our Budget Working Group process starting in December.

Rentals: On Sunday, November 11 Chicago Area Peace Action Council held their annual fundraiser in our Sanctuary. On the day after Thanksgiving CARE Fair sets up for their annual fundraiser on Saturday, November 24^th. This group has rented from UCE for more than 15 years now. On Thursday December 6 thru Saturday, December 8 Udumbara will hold their Rohatsu Sesshin in room 2. On Saturday, December 1 a local resident memorial will be held in our sanctuary.

Our grounds are more beautiful than ever as the hush of autumn is upon us. The color of the leaves range from yellow to red to orange. This week trees were trimmed away from the building and off of the roof. We can now see our south lawn from the wing and sanctuary.

This week Bartco Construction began replacement of our wing roof. This project was well researched. The Buildings and Grounds leaders hired a consultant to help us navigate the complicated world of roof materials, processes and best practices for installing a new roof that will protect us from leaks and last well into the future.

We required administrative approval from the City of Evanston Preservation Council which was issued today and is now visible on the window at the main entrance.

The automatic doors for the main west entrance permits from the City and Preservation were let in early October. Julia Takarada revised the doors order to meet the preservation request. I signed the revised contract and the doors are now ordered. Corrigan & Frese are working together to schedule the electrical work.

The feasibility study for the proposed Capital Campaign has been completed. A report was given to the Capital Campaign Planning Team as well as the Board of Trustees.

Next week the team will meet to review the projects planning spreadsheet. These documents will be shared with the congregation and more information will be provided. Congregants were invited to fill out a survey or participate in a personal interview with the consultant Steven Pratapas. There are many significant projects included in this list, which include repair of the drains and repaving of the parking lot, among other improvements to our aging annex. If you would like more information feel free to email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org. Ann Peterson is chair of the CC Planning Team and you could contact her as well.

Several rental contracts were negotiated and completed this week. $9,000 in deposit income resulted from these new contracts. Our rental program remains strong and contributes significantly to our operating budget. On Saturday, October 13th Curt’s Café held their annual fundraiser in our sanctuary. They were pleased with all of their interactions with our church from beginning to end. It was gratifying to witness the jaws dropping when we walked into our sanctuary before discussing a contract. They knew on the spot that this was where they wanted their event to take place. Liz Kennedy and Steven Eason set up the event. Food for Thought (family of Curt’s Café) catered.  Liz was present as lobby staff and helped in many ways to make all go well. I attended and had the pleasure of hearing how much Curt’s Café appreciates the Unitarian Church of Evanston, and I returned the gratitude for being in relationship with this valuable organization. Thank you to all of you who support Curt’s, to our social justice teams, to the individuals who meet for coffee both south and north. You support does not go unnoticed.

Last Sunday the Democratic Party of Evanston held their annual dinner in our sanctuary.

On Sunday evening Filam Music will present a concert. More information is available in this newsletter as well as a flyer in the lobby.

There is never a quiet moment at UCE. As I write from my balcony office there is the clamor of set-up for Mothers of Multiples as they prepare for their big resale event at UCE tomorrow. Rentals are important to UCE as they provide additional income and an opportunity to share our space with others in the community who are doing good work. Over the summer we provided space for Beth Emet who held 39 services, 13 weekly soup kitchens and 4 bar/bat mitzvah services and parties at UCE. On October 13 Curt’s Café hosts their annual fundraiser in our sanctuary. In October the Democratic Party of Evanston hosts their annual dinner. Each week there are men’s groups, a grief group, and other rentals in various classrooms. Just this last week we had a last minute concert rental that brought 200 people to our sanctuary.

It is a joy and honor to hear the excitement when others in our community walk into our sanctuary and are thrilled they will be holding their event here. Each experience for me is important, each contract negotiation holds meaning. Our rental program provides more than $60,000 in annual income for UCE.

Thank you to Liz Kennedy Eason, our Sexton and Steve Eason our Custodian for cleaning and setting up our church for these rentals, as well as the many meetings, activities and services held in this building. This summer they juggled set ups for our Buddhist meditation group, Beth Emet and UCE happening all in one day or evening. It’s a busy place.

Over the past few months a roofing contractor has been working with me and our Buildings and Grounds co-leads. There was an in-depth review and inspection of the roof going down as far as the underlying base materials of the existing old roof. The contractor pulled together all of the required documents for sending requests for proposals (rfp) to various roofing contractors. The documents outlined recommended materials for our aged roof, including recommendations for a tear-off and roofing materials to be used to provide a long lasting quality roof for our future years.

The consultant evaluated hundreds of detail and material specifications and had to adapt well over a dozen details to meet the unique requirements presented by the Church’s hybrid steel and concrete construction. He also developed a design to fill in the “well” at the roof’s northeast corner to eliminate an awkward drainage configuration. It has been no simple task to figure out the best approach for a quality permanent solution for this roof.

Unfortunately, we are in great competition for roofing contractors as the building industry is strong currently and individuals and companies are spending money to upgrade their buildings.

Each of the five contractors who bid had work before we had an opportunity to respond to the bids. As we speak additional contractors are being sought. One option has been proposed by one of our choice contractors. That is to seal the roof with a protective coating for the winter season and resume work in the spring. These details are being worked out this week. It is our hope to get started before cold weather sets in. This has been a challenging, time consuming process that has required weekly communication with our consultant and our team.

The automatic doors have been delayed due to a review process in the permitting process. The goal for installation was ingathering or near the beginning of the church year. However, as construction projects can go, there were delays and hoops to jump through that were not expected. Mike Skilton and Julia Takarada provided revised drawings of the doors to meet requirements of the City of Evanston Preservation Council, thus an administrative approval has now been granted. This permit is ready. The second hurdle is the building permit which will be let as soon as our electrician and the door contractor have satisfied the City’s request for information. The electrician just called me to confirm that he is providing that information today. Julia is working with Stanley, our door contractor, to connect with the Building Department. Once that is done I will re-sign the contract based on the changes made for the Preservation Council and Julia Takarada will order the custom doors.

Patches have been made to the parking lot and will continue to be made. It is not wise for us to do a complete resurfacing of the lot at this time. Once the Capital Campaign goes forward funding will hopefully be approved for a complete upgrade of sewers below the surface, additional substructure materials built up, and then a new blacktop surface with restriping.

Thank you for your patience as we strive to make improvements to our aging building.

If you have questions or want to talk with me at any time regarding administration, finance, buildings, rentals or other topics, feel free to visit my office or email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org