August 13, 2020 Council Minutes

Holy Trinity Council Meeting

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Held online via ZOOM

Present: Tim Krick, Cristina Dolcino, Judy Evans, Linda Edwards, Rebecca Schrumm, Paul Karl (had to leave after ~40 minutes for prior commitment), Julie Moore, Krissy Thistleford, Dave Smith

We gather in God’s Name Opening Prayer

1. Blessings
2. Thank You Cards
3. Meeting minutes July 16, 2020 – approved online

We celebrate and Give Thanks for the Past

1. Secretary Report

● Office: Saturday AA held their first in-person meeting on August 8, under the tent. About 20 people attended, and the group leader says they received appreciative responses about the meeting.

2. Treasurer Report

● See attached report.

3. Pastor’s Report

● See attached report.

4. Ministry Team Reports    
    a. Serve the Lord – Paul

● Caring Connections: Cheryl Brigham is not yet back to driving after her surgery, but is continuing to be active in making phone calls and emails.. ● Social Ministry: Jessica Feeley is recovering from her recent foot surgery, and will be available to start her Chair duties shortly. b. Grow in Faith – Julie ● Faith Formation: Team is looking in to various ideas for adult forums in the fall. ● The upcoming National Lutheran Youth Gathering has been pushed back to 2022. c. Come Together – Rebecca ● No report.

We Seek God’s Direction for our Church

1. Update of Seacoast Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition – Dot Kasik

● The SISC is an interfaith group of 25-30 people who are working to help resolve the legal statuses of immigrants in our communities. Dot will talk to Russ about doing an adult forum about the group and their work.

  1. Update on property work: storm effects, wiggle room, tree removal ● Property: ○ Dave Smith is hopeful that all damage due to the storm will be reimbursed by insurance. ○ Fire Alarm System: Architect has completed his work (~$2500, pending bill, from capital funds) creating drawings the Fire Protection engineer needs to develop construction documents for our new replacement system. ○ Fire protection engineer started work Tuesday. 50% paid up front (of the ~$6500, from capital funds) to develop the construction documents for the new system. ○ Fire Alarm System contractor, Hackworth Services, will give us a proposal for the new system after the engineer completes the construction documents. Based upon Hackworth's discussions with the fire department, we are assuming the new system will have to meet current fire code requirements. We are attempting to get the fire department to put this position in writing. Hackworth will not provide a cost estimate for the new system until he sees and reviews the engineers construction documents. The Hackworth estimate will hopefully be available in early September. ○ Main electrical distribution panel issues (in the basement work room): Dave Mercer would like to engage an electrician, Alltek Services of Barrington, NH to replace this panel and include power surge protection to minimize possibility of another instance of damage to electrical equipment. The cost estimate is ~$1200 (to be taken from capital funds). ■ Motion/Second/Approved: To approve the purchase of the suggested new electrical panel. ○ Property team is repairing rotten wood near the exit by the Wiggle Room. When complete, they will be pouring new concrete steps for the two emergency doors there and at the emergency exit near the choir area. Costs for this work will come from property budget. ○ Dave Mercer would like to hire a tree removal service to take down the dead elm tree by our entry drive (the one with the yellow safety tape around the trunk). He has one bid at $1000 and is having trouble getting additional bids. This tree is a safety problem and should be taken down before winter. ■ Motion/Second/Approved: To approve the $1000 bid to take down the elm tree. ○ Dave Mercer is waiting for a quote from a paver to clean out and seal cracks in our paving and should be done to slow normal degradation of the paving, with the hope of getting it done before winter, with funds from the property budget. ○ The refrigerator in the conference room was without power for several days and cannot be salvaged. It will be trashed, with no replacement planned.

    1. Forward Leadership – visionary process initiative/community meeting - NE Synod ● Forward Leadership is a yearlong discernment process, (6 meetings of the team), for churches to look at where they are as a congregation and where they want to go in the future. It was suggested that now, with the world in such flux, might be a good time to engage in the process. ● Applications are due at the end of September. Pastor will gather more information about exactly what it might look like this year and report back next month. Further discussion tabled pending that information.
    2. Discussion about taking congregational vote given Constitution statements and COVID-19 restrictions ● The wording of our constitution is such that we could hold electronic meetings, as long as they are live (not pre-recorded). This is not necessarily a process we would want to follow during normal times; however given the special circumstances, and under the guidance put out by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office Charitable Trusts Unit, it is possible. ● Another church which Pastor talked to did the following, at the recommendation of a lawyer recommended by the Synod: ○ Hold the conversation on Zoom. Small votes (approving minutes, etc.) were held over Zoom. Large votes were tabled following the discussion of them. Once everything had been discussed, people drove to the church, were handed a ballot, voted on all the tabled measures, drove home. Votes were tabulated, then everyone got back on Zoom to hear the results and adjourn the meeting. ● The above process allows for confidential voting, which voting through Zoom does not. Our constitution would also allow us to use a voting app that people could download, which would allow for confidential voting without driving to the church. ● Council will continue the discussion next month.
    3. Information/discussion about Church policies connected to COVID-19 restrictions ● Will revisit again next month.

We Look to the Future

1. Discussion about video-audio upgrade for services

● This will probably be a big enough amount of money to require a congregational vote before proceeding.

2. Upcoming calendar review (next two months)
    a. Council meetings: Sept. 10, possible special meeting Sept. 24, Oct. 13
    b. Zoom meeting or alternative option?

Closing Prayer