Our charge as the Building and Grounds Committee is to maintain the Meetinghouse and its grounds in order to provide a safe and pleasant environment for Meeting activities. We try to address identified needs and problems in a timely manner. There is a "To do" sheet in the kitchen where people can post tasks that need B&G attention. Most of the work of the committee is done on the monthly workday, usually the first Saturday of each month. We work from 9 AM to noon, with a potluck for fellowship at noon. We try to send out an e-mail reminder before each workday listing what is to be done so that people can come prepared with tools and materials. People who are not formally on Buildings and Grounds are welcome to come join us at workday to see what we are about and to contribute to our efforts. Paul Motz-Storey serves ably as a technical consultant to the committee.
The Building and Grounds Committee had a fairly productive year: we painted and put up molding in the 1st floor bathroom, we put up additional fluorescent lights in the nursery, we had a tubular skylight installed upstairs, we painted the middle room upstairs, and we added 2 new grounded electrical outlets upstairs. We also had the main sewer/water line out to the alley fixed and replaced at a cost of about $8000. Some minor accomplishments this year included running a telephone line to the archivists' corner, replacing 2 bare bulbs in the basement with new light fixtures, painting the trim in the west room upstairs, and cutting down 2 dead maple trees. We also had the windows professionally washed.
Projects left to complete in this budget year include adding some ceiling fans and having the sound system installed to improve meeting room acoustics. The necessary equipment for the sound system was back ordered but should arrive at the end of January or in February. We will coordinate installation at that time. Our plans for the next year include re-pouring the concrete footing for the fire escape, replacing the linoleum in the kitchen and a bit of paint here and there.
It is important to note that our building is growing older and there are needs that will have to be addressed in the next several years. These needs include: 1) replacing or covering the hardwood floor in the meeting room. The wood is so thin that it perhaps can only be refinished one more time without nails being exposed. Replacement is probably 4-5 years out; the probable cost of replacement is about $10,000. 2) a new roof - current roof was put on in 1991, so it's 19 years old. Probable cost about $10,000. No leaks or problems right now. We plan to have the current roof evaluated soon to get a better assessment of its condition and replacement cost. 3) kitchen steps - redoing whole concrete. Currently it is holding up fine. 4) Interior plumbing - it's reaching an age where it could start to have problems. We can replace the older pipes piecemeal when we have problems. Estimated at $200 a year, to a total of possibly several thousand. All of these items are just FYI at this point; we'll do our best to keep on top of things.
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