Packet

East Shore Unitarian Church
Meeting of the Board of Trustees,
March 2016
Table of Contents
Preparation Notes, Agenda, Notes & Upcoming Events ........................................................................................2
Minutes of Last Board Meeting ..............................................................................................................................4
Policy 2.2 Revisions ...............................................................................................................................................9
Option Papers .....................................................................................................................................................9
Holly House Task Force Ad Hoc Committee Charter ......................................................................................... 10
Finance - Treasurer Report – Ryam Hill ............................................................................................................... 11
President’s Report – Beth Wilson ........................................................................................................................ 13
Director of Finance & Operations – Jason Puracal .............................................................................................. 13
Director of Religious Education – Aisha Hauser .................................................................................................. 22
Minister of Pastoral Care – Rev. Susan Morrisson............................................................................................... 22
Communications & Membership Manager – Nicole Denman............................................................................. 24
Liaison Reports .................................................................................................................................................... 25
Holly House Taskforce ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Facilities Committee ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Grounds Committee ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Auction 2016 ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Beloved Conversations/Racial Justice: ............................................................................................................ 26
Climate Action Ministry Team: ........................................................................................................................ 26
Earth & Social Justice Coordinating Council .................................................................................................... 27
Economic Justice Team.................................................................................................................................... 27
Second Sunday ................................................................................................................................................ 28
UUSC: ............................................................................................................................................................... 28
Women’s Perspective/Women-Helping Women ............................................................................................ 28
OFD and Stewardship ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Gallery:............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Proposed Policy Changes..................................................................................................................................... 29
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 1 of 30
Preparation Notes, Agenda, Notes & Upcoming Events
Preparation Notes
1. Review all items of the consent agenda, be prepared to vote to approve all, or move
regular agenda if discussion is needed (Please alert Beth in advance!).
a piece to the
2. Prepare to raise your hand and volunteer to review and revise our bylaws as needed:-)
3. Read the rest of "Governance and Ministry" and/or review what you've already read:-) We'll be referring to
it in our discussion with Vicky Hardy about the organizational structure of East Shore. Vicky served for
several years as the CEO of Star Island (think Seabeck on steroids....). She has been reviewing our current
structure of committees and teams and has some impressions that she would like to share with us. This is
the beginning of a discussion on how we might create a more cohesive and coherent organizational
structure that is reflective of our vision and mission.
4. Be prepared to discuss the possibility of developing a long-term financial plan. Who, what, where, when?
See several of the Board reports for the reason for this discussion:-)
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 2 of 30
Agenda
East Shore Unitarian Church
Meeting of the Board of Trustees
March 15, 2016
__________________________________________________________________________
Board Host: Marc - Thank you!
6:45
Social Gathering
7:00
Opening Words, Chalice Lighting, Check in
7:15
Welcome to members/guests.
7:20
Approval of

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

Marc/Beth
All
Consent Agenda
Minutes
Agenda
Board Reports (including Liaison reports)
Changes to Policy 2.11 8b,c,g, and h. Removal of Addendum following 2.20
7:25
Formation of Bylaws review subcommittee Beth
7:30
Discussion with Vicky Hardy about
All
Beth/Vicky
 organizational structure, impressions of ESUC's current arrangement
of committees, ministry teams, etc.
8:30
Plan for a long term Financial Plan - Holly House questions, etc.
8:55
Closing Words and Adjourn
Beth
Beth/Marc
Notes:
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April Board Meeting (Tuesday, 4/19) Host: Elaine
May Beacon Board Buzz due April 15: Reed
Upcoming Events for your Calendar:

Sunday, March 20 All church Pancake Breakfast!
Worship Welcomers Schedule:
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3/13
3/20
3/27
4/3
4/10
4/17
4/24
Jack
Ryam
Beth
Tom
Jack
Dave
Reed
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 3 of 30
Minutes of Last Board Meeting
ESUC Meeting of the Board of Trustees – Minutes
Draft – February 16, 2016
February Board Packet
Minutes, Leadership Reports, Consent Agenda:
February Board Agenda
Upcoming Events
Minutes of Last Board Meeting – Jan 19
Open Action Items
Finance - Treasurer Report – Ryam Hill
Dec 31 BFS Summary – Jessie Zhao (final)
Jan 31 BFS Summary – Jessie Zhao
Board President's Report – Beth Wilson
Director, Finance & Operations–Jason Puracal
Director of Religious Education – Aisha Hauser
Summary Report from the Committee on Children
and Youth Ministry – Ann Fletcher
Commun. & Membership Mgr – Nicole Denman
Policy 2.2 Revisions – Board Exec Committee
Discussion Agenda: There were no documents in the
board packet.
Com. + Board Liaison Reports Consent Agenda:
Beloved Conversations – Marilyn Mayers
Climate Action - Marilyn
Earth & Social Justice Coord. Council - Marilyn
Economic Justice - Marilyn
Partner Church Com - Marilyn
Unitarian Universalist Service Com - Marilyn
Women’s Perspective - Marilyn
Personnel Com and the Gallery – Marc Wanless
Facilities + Grounds Crew – David
2015 Auction – Success! – David
Holly House Task Force (proposed) Ad Hoc
Committee Charter – David Baumgart
Holly House Task Force Report – David Baumgart
Closing Words and Adjourn
Agenda, Preparation Notes & Notes
Board Host: Kristi - Thank you!
6:45
Social Gathering
7:00
Opening Words, Chalice Lighting, Check in
7:10
Welcome to Members/Guests
7:15
Approval of:
Kristi/Beth
All





Consent Agenda
Minutes
Agenda
Board Reports (including Liaison Reports)
Approval of PNWD Assembly Delegates:
Dick Jacke, Louise Wilkinson, Aisha Hauser, Beth Wilson
(2 more spaces if you’re interested)
 Policy 2.2
 Holly House Task Force Charter
 Addition of Bruce Sillers & Frans Koning to HH Task Force
7:20
Discussion of issues related to Endowment
Beth
7:45
“Black Lives Matter” Banner Discussion
Beth
8:00
How are we doing? Debrief of current status, current feelings
Beth
8:55
Closing Words and Adjourn
Beth/Kristi
Upcoming Events for your Calendar:
 March Exec Com (Tuesday, 3/1) Beth, Jack, Ryam, Dave
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 4 of 30
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o
o
March Board Meeting (Tuesday, 3/15) Host: Marc
April Beacon Board Buzz due March 15: Kristi
PNW District Assembly (University Unitarian) March 5th (Saturday) 7:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Worship Welcomers Schedule:
FEBRUARY 21 – Elaine, 28 - Marc
MARCH
6 – Ryam, 13 – Jack, 20 – Ryam, 27 - Beth
Opening Words – Beth welcomed the board members. Kristi offered the opening reflection thinking back to the
sermon that Elaine Peresluha, our Interim Minister, preached, 3 weeks ago.
Check-in – The Board of Trustees includes Kristi Brennan, David Baumgart (secretary), Elaine Cox, Reed
Cundiff, (absent) Tom Doe, Ryam Hill (treasurer), Marilyn Mayers, (absent) Jack Slowriver (VP), Marc Wanless,
and Beth Wilson (president). Representing the Staff Leadership Team: Jason Puracal – Director of Finance &
Operations and Aisha Hauser – Director of Religious Education. Our guest was Andy Voss – chair, Endowment.
Review of Board Agenda + Consent Agenda - (see content of Board Packet – all Board members are expected
to review the entire Board Packet prior to the Board Meeting) – Beth asked if anyone requested to move any item
from the Consent Agenda to the Discussion Agenda; we moved the following items:


Discussion PNWD delegates – requested by Beth
Discussion of 4 new Gallery accounts – requested by Marc
Marilyn moved and Reed seconded to approve the consent agenda, Motion Passed unanimously. This included
tonight’s board agenda, the Jan 19 Board minutes as revised, and other items that are explicitly listed in Appendix
1, below. All board members are reminded that Items for the Discussion Agenda are required by the cutoff date
for the board packet. It would be better to have such items for the Executive Council.
PNW District Assembly Delegates
Beth led the discussion about the PNWD delegates – kind of a big deal. I am urging everyone to go and meet
other Unitarians and the Boards / executives of the district. The board approved the following delegates:
Dick Jacke, Beth Wilson, Aisha Hauser, Laurie Wick, Mary Lou Lewis, Louise Wilkinson, (first alt.) Milly
Mullarky
Marc led the discussion of the 4 new Gallery accounts. Jason requested the Board to approve the creation of the
following accounts:
 Asset Account:
o Gallery Checking- 003-000-1118
 Liability & Equity Account:
o Gallery Designated Fund Balance- 003-000-3388
 BFS Accounts:
o Income Account- 003-038-4838
o Expense Account- 003-038-5838
Jason documented in his report that the East Shore Gallery- operates independently with their own bank accounts,
yet under the church’s tax ID code, with no oversight by the church. In order to comply with legal regulations,
the Gallery must be incorporated onto East Shore’s accounting system in a similar fashion as the Endowment
Committee, in other words, they should appear on the ESUC Balance Sheet.
Marc asked if this was time urgent? Jason: Yes – we are in violation of the IRS law since the Gallery uses our tax
ID. The gallery will retain full control of their accounts. Their treasurer, Donna Miller, is just fine with this
account structure. Marc moved to approve and Reed Seconded. Motion passed
Discussion of issues related to Endowment - Andy Voss, chair of the Endowment Com joined the board
meeting. Beth welcomed Andy to our meeting and stated that the Endowment Com has been doing a great job
during the past year.

Ryam: I have been attending Endowment and I wanted to provide an update to the Board. I believe the
Board should be aware of the investing policies of the Endowment, and the alternatives that may exist.
[Excerpt from Ryam’s Treasurer Report:]
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 5 of 30

The Endowment Committee is reviewing their holdings with Kaufman Kampe Advisors, LLC. There are
3 points of interest from this meeting.
o First, they are considering whether the services provided are needed and worth the cost. So far it
seems the charges are within area pricing of other firms and they offer professional advice to
safeguard the church’s funds. More research on alternate possibilities is being done.
o Kaufman Kampe Advisors, LLC presented an annual review of SRI possible investments. Based on
their filters for what funds merit attention for possible investment, no additional SRI investments
were added for this year. The result is that the SRI investment percentage for ESUC remains at 24%
in Vanguard FTSE4Good. I believe the Board should decide if this meets the desired SRI goals of
the church.
o The source of much of the Endowment fund has been bequests from members. The committee has not
offered informational meetings on this in the past few years and does not plan to for some time. Staff
found the old endowment brochure and used info from it to update the new website. The Board
might want to support the committee to do more sooner regarding offering this option to
members and families.
Discussion –The people who manage the fund prepared a report regarding Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
goals. Formerly, we did not pay any attention to SRI goals. In 2015, 24% of the funds were invested in socially
responsible investments which Andy stated was a significant change that was approved by the committee.
Endowment provides an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) which guides our Kaufman Kampe financial advisors
what to invest in. They suggested index funds that have a broad reach with these goals
 Less risk,
 Consistent returns, and
 Less cost
Andy stated that the advisor has a fiduciary responsibility to follow the East Shore Investment Policy Statement.
If we want to focus more on SRI, then we need to change our IPS. Marilyn asked about UUA guidelines. Aisha
does not believe there are any UUA guidelines.
Reed (former member, Endowment) expressed his concerns about whether we should change our SRI investment
practice. “I was losing sleep over it.” He stated that the Endowment Com exists to serve the community and the
Board. However, Reed believes the SRI approach is a poor tactic – and is more like a “window dressing.” Marc
agreed. Our divestment from stocks that are not considered socially responsible would have no impact on those
particular corporations. He was concerned that focusing on SRI investments reduces the focus on other, more
meaningful actions that our community could take.
Reed also stated that increasing the focus on SRI would increase the risk of the portfolio. Both Reed and Andy
stated that if the primary purpose of the endowment is to realize optimum financial returns, then we should not
jeopardize that objective by a high level of risk in the investment portfolio.
Andy – we do not invest in specific stocks, so there is nothing to divest in. Andy was also concerned about the
ripple effects of changing the IPS, the charter, and the financial manager – all of which would likely take over a
year. Andy stated that he is not aware of any member of the Endowment Com, who recommends a change. He
also stated that the Endowment Com has not received any formal request from members of the ESUC community.
However, he was aware that it was a matter of discussion within the Climate Action Com.
Andy and Reed both stated that the committee had considered dismissing our financial advisor because we do not
make very many changes, so our activity may not justify their fee structure. We do not appear to need a full
service advisor. That discussion is continuing.
Andy: our traditional outreach to the congregation is through the Bequest initiative and thru the Grant Process.
However, the Board requested that we do neither “normal” process in the current fiscal year. We did approve the
donation of $41,000 to the Operating Fund, which for us, is a big deal. We would like to resume both processes,
eventually.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 6 of 30
Dave moved that the Board Support the current policies of the Endowment Com. There was no second but there
was a robust discussion. Marilyn spoke to the desire of reviewing the policy while communicating with clarity to
the ESUC community what our investment policy is. Other folks agreed with Marilyn.
Several board members spoke in support of what the Endowment Com accomplishes over the long run. Andy
stated he will report back to his committee the need to begin an open discussion with the ESUC community aimed
at creating a better understanding about our investing policy and the beginning of a discussion about that policy.
Beth suggested that a review of our investment policy could be part of a greater visioning process.
Query About our Fire Codes
Elaine was concerned that too many people were at coffee hour in the North Room for the fire code. Jason will
look into the question if there is a capacity limit to the North Room.
“Black Lives Matter” Banner Discussion
We are now supporting the “Black Lives Matter” movement, BLM, as directed by the SLT. The UUA recognizes
those churches who post a BLM banner or actively advocate for BLM. Marc moved and Marilyn seconded that
we acquire a BLM banner and put it on display. There was also discussion about having portable banners, a
digital sign, and other ways to display the message. Motion passed. Beth suggested the SLT determine where and
how to display the BLM banner and signage.
How are we doing? Debrief of current status, current feelings
We shared with each other about what we are thinking and feeling about our progress. Some folks spoke
positively about what we have accomplished. Other members spoke about some anxiousness about all the things
that have to continue to happen to finish out the fiscal year on a high level. We spoke about the wonderful
accomplishments of the Worship Com. Kudo’s, especially, to their leader, Doug Strombom.
Clarity around the Mgt of space around the campus.
Jason, once again, asked about who is the decision maker regarding the allocation and use of space throughout our
buildings and campus. Failing clarity regarding this request, it makes it really hard for Jason to make decisions or
plan future use of space. He is responsible for operations, but feels like he has minimal guidance regarding
physical space.
Special Congregational Meeting – Sunday Jan 24
It is noted that Dave had previously sent out draft minutes. There was no discussion.
OPEN ACTION ITEMS: (REVISED F EB 15)
What
Who
When / Notes
Provide a definitive list of ministry teams
that are part of the ESJCC and part of the
Economic Justice Com.
Marilyn, Ann
Fletcher
Feb 16 Board meeting
Deferred - Review proposed revised
Finance Com charter.
Ryam, Claudia
Hirschey
Feb 16 Board meeting – May?
Ongoing - Discussion of timeline: future
changes
Beth
Will be discussed in March / April
Emergency Plan – in progress
Kristi, Jason
Deferred?? Status update?? Many items have been
forwarded to Jason.
Read “Governance + Ministry” by
Hotchkiss
Each Board
Member
We have reviewed chapters 1 – 5. March 15: full
discussion planned w/Vicky Hardy.
CLOSED ACTION ITEMS :
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 7 of 30
What
Who
When / Notes
Provide clarity or recommendations about
Jason
whether Beloved Conversations, Black Lives
Matter, and People of Color are ministry
teams.
Feb 16 Board meeting
Continue the analysis of active member
counts
Dec 23 – Jason handed to Nicole. Feb 10: Jason
stated Nicole reported the official count of 502
members to UUA.
Tom and
Nicole
Host the Interim Minister the weekend of Jan The Board
22-24
Jan 22 – 24 includes the special congregational
meeting.
Communicate OFD Goal to Finance, OFD,
and Stewardship = $780,000
Ryam moved and Marilyn seconded the motion
during Exec Session, Jan 19.
Tom, Beth
Closing Words and Adjourn – Beth and Kristi
[Meeting adjourned at 9:05pm – next board meeting is Tuesday, March 15]
As your secretary, I welcome your additions, corrections, and comments.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Baumgart
----------------------------Appendix 1 – The Board adopted or supported the following decisions, below, as part of the Consent
Agenda Approval:
Director of Finance &Operations

Bookkeeper
o The Personnel Committee reviewed and agreed to the change in title for Jessie to Accountant
Specialist. Please see revised job description as Appendix A to this report.
From Aisha’s Report of the Director of Religious Education:
Children and Youth Team
Please see Summary Report from the Committee on Children and Youth Ministry written by CYT Chair, Ann
Fletcher. After discussing this at the last meeting of the CYT, I agree with the assessment in the report and
suggest that the Children and Youth Team remain a board standing committee (or at least a Board Religious
Education Committee as stated in the By-laws).
From Nicole Denman’s report as Communications & Membership Manager:
Membership
On February 7th, we had 10 people attend our East Shore and You class, with at least 4 ready to join (one has
already filled out a pledge card!). I will be following up with the rest of the class to see if they would like to join
during the New Member Signing on Sunday, February 28th. It would be great if board members could make a
point to be there to introduce themselves that Sunday. I have also had two people who missed the class, but still
want to learn more information and may be interested in joining this month.
On February 1st, our membership numbers were due to the UUA, which we submitted 502.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 8 of 30
On January 18th I met with Bill Austin, Shirley Worth, and April Atwood to discuss a new group out of
membership to focus on Marketing and Outreach. We will meet again on February 21st at 11:30 a.m., all are
welcome. For our first project, we hope to work with the grounds committee to improve our signage on the corner
of our property at 128th and 32nd.
New Website www.esuc.org
The new website, www.esuc.org, is ready to go live. Jason Puracal and I were able to add PayPal to the website
for online donations to be used with a PayPal account or a credit card. PayPal was chosen over Vanco and Shelby
because they charge no monthly payments and because of name recognition.
From Beth Wilson:
Policy 2.2 Revisions
2.2 Staff Leadership Team
The Staff Leadership Team shall speak with alignment and mutual respect to all parties to whom the Staff
Leadership Team is responsible or over whom it has authority. Accordingly, the Staff Leadership Team members
shall:
1. Include and consult each other on all material issues with a spirit of mutual respect in an environment of
confidentiality; attention should be paid accordingly to recommendations made within the area of a team
member's professional expertise.
2. Active discussion is encouraged and an attempt should be made to reach agreement on means within the
team. If this is not possible, the team shall choose to request Board input either from the Board President.
Board Executive Committee, or the Board as a whole. The Board, keeping in mind Church ends, shall
attempt to help the SLT find resolution through further discussion.
From Marilyn Mayers’ report on the UUSC:
UUSC reports that East Shore members collectively donated $2,057.32 to UUSC’s annual fundraiser, Guest At
Your Table, between December, 2015 and the end of January, 2016.
From David Baumgart’s report on the Holly House Taskforce:
Option Papers
We are now actively soliciting brief Option Papers that will outline proposals for the long term use of the HH
property. A template will become available, soon. The concept is to allow interested members to submit their
proposals with a consistent description that will allow the task force to evaluate the potential benefits and
estimated costs of each proposal. We would be delighted if members of the board or SLT would submit option
papers to describe their own proposals.
Kristi Brennan and Seth Hamilton resigned from the taskforce, stating they no longer had the bandwidth to
support the effort. We propose two new members; seeking board approval on the consent agenda:
Bruce Sillers and Frans Koning,
From David Baumgart’s report on the Auction:
The auction will be held on Saturday evening, November 12, 2016. Please mark your calendars for the 2016
auction.
Appendix 2 – The Board Reviewed &Approved the Holly House Taskforce Charter
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 9 of 30
Holly House Task Force Ad Hoc Committee Charter
Name
The name of the ad hoc committee is the Holly House Task Force.
Authority
The Board of Trustees of the East Shore Unitarian Church (ESUC) formed the Task Force as an ad hoc committee
of the Board.
Purpose
To formulate options for the ESUC Board on the best long-term use of the Holly House property in alignment
with ESUC’s mission and vision and Unitarian Universalist principles.
Accountability and Reporting
The Task Force is accountable to the Board of Trustees, and shall submit a written report at least annually in May
to the Board and the congregation as a whole.
Membership and Administration
The initial Task Force consists of 10 ESUC members, including two co-chairs and a recording secretary (see
attached membership list), whom the Board has approved. Membership represents a spectrum of involvement in
church leadership and activities. The Task Force will meet monthly.
The extended team consists of additional key stakeholders who will receive Task Force minutes and findings, help
with specific tasks as appropriate, and provide feedback and guidance (see attached list of the current extended
team).
Relationship to ESUC’s Mission and Vision
As the Task Force carries out its charge, it will draw on these principles, as well as any update of ESUC’s vision
and consideration of the implications for ESUC’s financial future.
Over the years, the Holly House property, including the original farm house, has served as religious education
space, a parsonage, housing for a refugee family, section 8 housing, and rental property. Currently the house is
providing transitional housing for women under contract through June 2017. In addition, East Shore members
currently maintain a pea patch on the grounds.
Engaging the Congregation
The success of the Task Force depends on continuously and actively learning and incorporating the perspectives
of the congregation. Only by being in step with the congregation will the Task Force be able to formulate,
evaluate, and help to implement future possibilities regarding the Holly House property. The activities and
deliberations of the Task Force will be open and transparent. The Task Force will update the congregation
periodically through the Beacon, starting with the January 2016 issue. Meeting minutes will be available from the
Co-Chairs and Recording Secretary.
The Task Force will also hold periodic town hall meetings with the congregation. These meetings will update the
congregation on Task Force activities, and seek their input. The first town hall meeting will be held as soon as
feasible, most likely in early February 2016. At that meeting, the Task Force will inform the congregation about
its charge, and solicit options about possible uses of the Holly House property.
Timeline - Year 1
November 2015
November 2015April 2016
January 2016
February 2016
Winter 2016
May 2016
June 2016
ESUC Board Packet
Complete membership of the Task Force, select Co-Chairs
Obtain facts on Holly House property and options for its future status
Complete charter of the Task Force
Submit revised charter to the ESUC Board for review and approval
Hold town hall meeting(s) to inform and seek views of the congregation
Report options identified to the Board
Report options identified at the annual congregational meeting
March, 2016
page 10 of 30
Year 2
June 2016Fall 2016
Fall-Spring 2016
Fall-Winter 2016
May 2017
Evaluate options for future of Holly House property
Hold town hall meeting(s) to inform and seek views of the congregation
Report the recommended option to the Board for its approval
Report implementation plan to the Board for its approval and possible vote by the
congregation at its annual meeting in June.
Finance - Treasurer Report – Ryam Hill
February 2016 Treasurer’s Report
Submitted by Ryam Hill, Treasurer
All items are for consent agenda.
Financial Statement for February 2016: This is included here for review. Our income was more than budgeted
and expenses were lower than budgeted for the month. Misc Income looks large this month because it includes
both the Endowment money granted for the year to the Operating Fund, as well as a correction moving retained
earnings from last year into the Operating Fund. If you have questions about a specific entry, please ask.
Other Projects:
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
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

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The policies review team suggest changing the amounts in Policies 2.11, 8b, c, g and h from $5,000 to
$10,000. Also suggested is removing the addendum after 2.20 from the policies.
I attended the Finance Committee, reviewed the monthly statements and their current financial projects.
The Committee discussed long term financial planning and possible scenarios to base them on. Bob Weiss
presented some information from the Holly House Task Force and it is clear that some of the reports
generated from them will be useful in considering future planning for the church as a whole. Also, the
visioning process the church will soon begin will help guide any planning.
The Endowment Committee did not hold a February meeting, so there was no follow up on the SRI
consideration expressed to Andy Voss, chair, at last month’s meeting. This was postponed to the March
meeting.
The Budget Team met in February and generated a few new budget scenarios, all keeping the total at or
below the approved 4% increase. Based on the results of the OFD, the team will be planning for Town Halls
in April with support from the Finance Committee. The next working meeting will be March 22.
Reviewing and setting up working processes for Ministry teams continues. The Gallery finances are being
integrated in with the full church’s as planned with the wonderful cooperation from their Treasurer, Donna
Nolan.
Preparation for the interim’s arrival and inclusion in pay/benefits is in process, as well as clarifying some
portions of her contract as they relate to the current and projected budget for 2016-17. The plan is to have a
smooth transition.
Further clarification of member pledge types was completed and new systems to track this better have been
implemented. Processes for follow up with all members to help them stay current with their pledging info
are in place and plans for end of the fiscal year completion requests are being developed.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 11 of 30
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 12 of 30
President’s Report – Beth Wilson
March 15, 2016
I attended the PNWD Assembly last weekend and came away feeling that we're doing a great job at East Shore:-)
I attended the workshop on "Nurturing Healthy Congregations" and I think many of us could have taught the
workshop. We are already doing virtually all of what was recommended and we've addressed many of the issues
they discussed - increased anxiety during transitional times, speaking with one voice, the distinction between
secrecy and confidentiality, direct communication, board covenants, non-violent communication - the list goes
on:-) Overall, the assembly confirmed to me that the direction we're moving in is the right one for East Shore:-)
Our March meeting will include a preliminary discussion of our organizational structure. Vicky Hardy, a member
of East Shore and the past CEO of Star Island (a UU/UCC conference center on in New Hampshire) has reviewed
our structure of committee, ministry teams, and other groups. She has some initial impressions that she'd like to
share with us and I'd like the Board to begin thinking about how we might improve our organizational structure
to be more coherent and efficient. The overwhelmingly frequent comment I've heard from from outsiders is
"You have so many committees!". And we seem to keep creating more..... Ideally, our structure is guided by our
vision/mission, and without a clear vision/mission we struggle to stay focused and cohesive. Elaine's arrival will
be a great opportunity to reevaluate our vision/mission, governance structure, long term financial plan and
other strategic planning. I'd like us to begin contemplating possible changes now so that the Board is prepared
to actively consider changes during our interim minister's time with us.
Speaking of which, questions from the Holly House Task Force have highlighted our need for a long term
financial plan. The question of how potential proceeds from a possible sale of the HH property is an important
one, and one that the Task Force feels is beyond their scope. At the same time, I find it highly unlikely that the
congregation would consider selling the property unless we have a clear plan of how proceeds would be used.
At this point, it's not clear that selling the property is the best option and the congregation may well decide to
use the property in another way. Whatever the decision, a long term financial plan will help to guide us and the
congregation in thinking about the longer term financial goals and how to accomplish them.
Finally, the Annual Meeting is fast approaching and I'd love for us to "clean-up" the bylaws that haven't been
revised in years. There are several inaccuracies in them that would be good to correct and this needs to be done
through a congregational vote. I'd like us to form a 3-4 person subcommittee of the Board to evaluate the
bylaws and to propose changes that we can present to the congregation for approval in June. Ideally, we will
have the potential changes identified by our April meeting and can hold a Board Talk or two to help the
congregation understand the proposed changes before the June meeting.
Director of Finance & Operations – Jason Puracal
March 2016
Consent Agenda
Staff issues
 Vacation Days
o Jessie provided to each staff employee an update of how many vacation hours they
have accumulated and how many need to be used before June 30, 2016 or lost per
Personnel Manual policy. Consequently, most staff have started using their vacation
days or have scheduled time off before the end of the fiscal year. We are working
together to make sure there continues to be coverage for the church activities.
 Caretaker Checklist
o The new checklist has been put into practice on a trial basis. The caretakers agree that
the detailed information provides more guidance, and allows non-verbal
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 13 of 30
communication between the caretakers so that our campus is maintained more
consistently and efficiently. They did provide feedback on ways to improve the
checklist- Gina and Dick Jacke are working to implement those changes.
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Emails
o I continue to discover ongoing email overlaps associated with the transition of staff from
the summer of 2015. Some emails are being duplicated on other’s accounts, some
systems we use have the incorrect emails listed as the contact person, some systems
still have ex-employees personal emails listed as contacts. I have corrected all those
that have arose thus far, and am documenting emails/logins/passwords on the master
list.
Unemployment insurance
o I verified with the State of Washington Department of Labor that ESUC, as a
religious/faith based organization, is not required to pay unemployment insurance
premiums to the State.
Rev. Elaine Peresluha
o I have been in contact with Elaine to make her transition to East Shore in April as
smooth as possible. I have:
 set her up with an East Shore email address
 confirmed she will be bringing into the office her own iMac computer
 reached out to the UUA to setup insurance premiums coverage
 worked with her to cover professional expenses for conferences in the near
future
Personnel Committee
o The Budget Team requested the Personnel Committee to investigate the potential for
East Shore to provide a health care allowance to all employees at some point in the
future. As this is a lengthy, complex project, the Personnel Committee has decided they
will draft the parameters of the project to present to the BOT in April. Once clarified
and approved, they will move forward with the investigation.
Maintenance, Repairs, Improvements
 Fire Marshal Inspection
o The Bellevue Fire Marshal came out to inspect our buildings. He noted four violations:
 We must keep a monthly log of inspecting our emergency lights and fire
extinguishers throughout the campus.
 The vegetation around the fire hydrant and hose connection pipe on the island
of the upper parking lot needs to be at least three feet back with a two foot wide
clear path to each.
 The elevator emergency phone and intercom were not working.
 There is an open permit for the installation of the fire control panel from 2013 by
Pacific Fire & Security.
o I have addressed these issues by:
 Having the caretakers setup and log the inspections of the e-lights and
extinguishers per recommendations provided by the fire marshal’s office.
 Grounds Committee and the caretakers worked to clear the encroaching brush
on the island.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 14 of 30
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Schindler Elevator Company repaired the intercom to the elevator, and Comcast
repaired the phone line to the elevator.
 Pacific Fire & Security has been working with the City of Bellevue and the Fire
Marshal’s office to figure out what the pending issues are for the open permit. It
appears that we need to have strobe functions along with our horn for the fire
alarm, and a remote annunciator on the front of the Admin Building. I am
currently waiting on a proposal from Pacific Fire & Security. I will contact Costco
Fire Protection for a second quote.
North Room Capacity
o At the February Board Meeting, the question was raised about the capacity of the North
Room. With the help of the Fire Marshal, we determined the capacity to be 65 with
tables and chairs, and 190 with standing room only (meaning absolutely no furniture in
the room). This information has been posted on the North Room wall.
Electrical work
o The LED lights under the Sanctuary overhang on the south side of the exterior of the
building, and the LED lights on the staircase to the lower parking lot, were not turning
off during the day. The photo sensors for these lights were placed where daylight was
not prevalent, especially during the winter months. I had electricians resituate these
sensors, and now the lights turn off during the day.
o The electricians ordered plates for the Sanctuary floor and should be installed by the
Board meeting.
o Two electrical outlets were installed for the placement of monitors in the Admin and
Sanctuary Foyer.
TV Monitors
o Facilities and Finance Committees approved the installation of TV monitors in the Admin
and Sanctuary Foyer. For the Admin Foyer, we will be using a donated monitor. The
Sanctuary Foyer monitor was discussed with the Gallery Committee as well. Nicole will
be providing and updating the content for these monitors, and the Gallery Committee
was encouraged to provide information regarding their show for the monitor. The
installation timeline will be discussed at the next Facilities Committee meeting. Funds
are being provided by Ace Media Crew and Facilities Reserve Fund.
Lower parking lot
o The caretakers did a great job working to clean up the lower parking lot and storm
water drainage, all prepping for the re-grade. We have contracts in place, the funds
available, and the crew standing by. We are waiting on the City of Bellevue for the
permit. Thus far, we have passed 4 out of 5 inspections by the various departments
within City Hall, so hopefully will be able to move forward with the project shortly.
Fix-it Team
o Admin Building Doors
 The repair to the Admin front door that Chris performed did not hold- the door
began to lean away from the hinges and would not properly shut. Jerry from the
Fix-it team was able to repair the screw holes and thus the door is now back in
place.
o Thresholds
 Jerry also installed carpet thresholds for Dianne’s and Jessie’s offices.
o Accountant Specialist Dropbox
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 15 of 30
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There is a security issue with the money drop box for the Accountant Specialist
in that thin arms can reach inside to retrieve any deposits left. Jerry is
investigating a fix for this issue.
o Admin Foyer Table
 Jerry is building a table for the Admin Foyer monitor.
Holly House Shed
o Grounds Committee and the caretakers have been reorganizing the Holly House Shed.
This will allow greater ease of access and safety for all who use the space.
o The gutters of the shed have not been re-installed. I have reached out to Dave
Baumgart to follow up with this issue as he led the team that installed the new roof. Ppatch is gearing up again for spring and would like to utilize their rain barrels.
Holly House Roof
o The Sofia Way did clean the roof and gutters of the Holly House per our request.
Spring Hall
o We received another complaint by the Pacific Northwest School of Music regarding their
piano in Spring Hall. They brought in someone to tune it and found, once again, garbage
inside the piano lid, and screws missing to the cover of the keyboard. As this has been
an on-going problem, we are now keeping Spring Hall locked except for when there is a
registered event for the space. Spring Hall Kitchen remains unlocked.
Website
o We launched the new website and it is a significant improvement over the old. It is still
a work in progress, and we encourage Ministry Teams and Committees to reach out to
Nicole with content and photos.
o As we are receiving feedback on the new website, Nicole has asked the website
committee to meet quarterly to review the feedback as well as an overall review of the
website systems, structure, and functionality.
o After vetting several options, we have decided to purchase an ACS software package.
Currently, we are looking at installing a facilities scheduler, online contributions module,
and a people module. These will replace Service U and Icon systems currently in use. It
will take some time for setup, training, data transfer and transitioning, however it
should significantly help with information flow among staff, as well as to congregants.
With this in place, we will be able to de-activate our old website.
Signage
o The Gallery agreed to assist us with our signage projects and asked Grounds Committee
for a referral to a landscape architect. The person referred does not specialize in
signage, thus Gallery is still searching for a professional to help. They would like to have
an overall plan for all the signage on our campus so that there is uniformity rather than
a hodge-podge of different signs. Whatever ideas generated will be communicated to
the other groups involved on the project.
Pest Control
o Our quarterly pest control was completed at the beginning of March.
Finance
 February end of period report
o We continued a strong trend of higher than expected income and lower than expected
expenses for the month of February. Please note that the income is significantly higher
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 16 of 30
than expenses ($54,861) for the period due to the disbursement of the Endowment
Fund and the transfer of the surplus from last fiscal year from the balance account to
the operating income account. Nevertheless, our pledge income was higher than typical
for this time of the year ($51,425 compared to an average of $33,682). We are in great
shape financially to date, and on track to meet and exceed our targets for the year.
Please see attached Appendix A- Financial Charts for more details.
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Taxes
o The Department of Revenue responded to our request for a Binding Ruling, however
was unclear in their statement. We have asked for clarification. We also submitted the
necessary documents for DOR to advise us how much we owe on the parking lot rental
and are waiting for a response.
Ministry Team Accounting
o East Shore Live
 I met with the Committee and spoke with them about forming their own
Ministry Team rather than operating under the Chalice Players. They also agreed
to change their operating procedures so that we are in compliance with legal
requirements. They deposited all their cash, and all monies are now flowing
through the church. I still need to research the legalities of the alcohol sales
during events.
o East Shore Gallery
 The Treasurer of the Gallery provided her accounting of income and expenses,
along with the bank statement, to Jessie by March 5 th as requested. There are a
few discrepancies which has prevented Jessie from including the Gallery in this
month’s financial reports. Specifically, they are making deposits every 2-3
weeks, and thus we would need to set up a petty cash account for them, which is
untypical for a designated account. We will request they deposit weekly, and
Jessie can assist in this process. The Gallery accounts will be reflected in the
March end of period reports.
Operating Fund Drive
o I defer to Jack and Tom’s reports as Co-Chairs of this Committee for further details, as
well as Nicole’s report, who is playing an instrumental role and helping to improve the
process.
Endowment Committee
o The Endowment Committee did not meet in February, however the annual distribution
was transferred to the Operating Fund at the beginning of February as reflected in the
end of period report. This amount was higher than the expected amount totaling
$41,669, the three-year average year-end market value. These fund were distributed
earlier than normal, and 100% came to the Operating Fund due to our budget needs for
this fiscal year.
o The disbursement from the Endowment Committee to the Operating Fund did raise
questions regarding our accounting practices. On our balance sheet, there are two
accounts listed for the Endowment Fund: Schwab Money Funds & Schwab Investments.
When we asked the advisors which account the monies were transferred from, they
responded that they only have one account with Schwab. We now need to research
what is the history and use of the two accounts. It is important to note that typically the
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 17 of 30
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Endowment Fund account was only reconciled annually. We started receiving copies of
their bank statements in December 2015 per our request, however Jessie has not had
the time to reconcile the accounts as of yet. It is on her to-do list for the month of
March.
Budget Team
o The Budget Team met at the end of February. New scenarios were presented and
discussed. More conclusions were reached, and there are still areas that need
clarification. The next meeting is scheduled for end of March, and Town Halls will be
scheduled for April.
Ministry Teams & Committees
 Holly House Task Force
o I did not attend the February HHTF Meeting as I chose to attend the Bryan Stevenson
event in Seattle hosted at the same time. The HHTF did finalize their Options Paper
outline, and has assigned members of the Task Force to research some of the options
thus presented. Their webpage is now live under esuc.org/connection/membergroups/holly-house-task-force. They are planning for more outreach to the
congregation through an eblast and April Beacon article.
 Grounds
o Grounds Committee is considering how to use the $2,000 donation they received from
Bob Garthwaite. They are proposing improving drainage, adding pavers, and seating to
the area outside the North Room. There is discussion of “selling” the engraving of the
pavers to ESUC Members for memorials, quotes, what East Shore means to you, etc.
The proposal has not been finalized.
 Economic Justice Ministry Team
o I attended the Economic Justice Committee Meeting at the beginning of March.
 They have a large event coming up April 3rd regarding Juvenile Detention. Due to
the efforts of Louise Wilkinson, there is a panel lined up with some great
speakers both supporting and opposed to the proposed new King County
juvenile detention center to be constructed in Seattle. Consequently, they have
moved from Spring Hall to the Sanctuary. They are still working on their
messaging to advertise the event both internally at ESUC and to other UU
congregations in the area. Louise did, unfortunately, leave the country for two
weeks, so we requested she leave a point person. This raises the question of
process for Ministry Teams planning large events, which I will bring up with the
ESJCC.
o Another workshop on Restorative Justice is planned for April by the Seattle Restorative
Justice Center, and several more East Shore members are planning to attend.
o I have asked the Economic Justice team to add more content to their board in the North
Room.
 Climate Action Ministry
o I attended the Climate Action Ministry Steering Committee Meetings.
 They hosted a CENSE event that brought in close to two hundred people, many
not from East Shore. We were blessed in that the main speaker thanked East
Shore for hosting at no cost, however there was a lost opportunity in CAM
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 18 of 30
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distributing materials and making a 1 minute pitch about their work/ESUC to the
group. See follow up below under ESJCC.
 They are planning a worship service for April 10th with a panel discussion
afterwards. The topic is indigenous rights and the relation to climate justice.
They are coordinating with several UU churches in the area.
Earth and Social Justice Coordinating Council
o I attended the Earth and Social Justice Coordinating Council Meeting at the beginning of
March. I requested they spread the word to all social justice ministry teams:
 who are hosting events to outside groups. The Ministry Teams should have
literature available regarding their work, and they should be ready with a 30second to 1 minute elevator pitch to welcome the group, explain what the team
is/does, and what East Shore is about. Dianne is also spreading this request as
Ministry Teams reserve space for events.
 that there are now tables available in the Sanctuary Foyer before and after
service on Sundays. There are a total of four spaces available, and reservations
are first come, first serve through Dianne.
 they should contact Nicole to update their webpage about their group and for
publicity for any events.
o I sent a copy of the current fiscal year operating budget for all Ministry Teams to ESJCC
so they can use this information when discussing budgets with each social justice team
during outreach.
o Although the ESJCC does not have a Chair, they did chose two contact persons and
authorizers for distribution of funds per my request. These are Ann Fletcher and Jenny
Hall.
Black Lives Matter
o The City of Bellevue escalated the inquiry regarding permit requirements to hang a Black
Lives Matter banner on the SE corner of our property all the way to the City Attorney’s
office. They responded saying that normally banners are only allowed temporarily for
two weeks, however they would give us one month without a permit. Consequently, we
purchased two banners and hung one on the SE corner of our property (SE 32 nd St & 128
St. SE). The second is a backup in case the first is vandalized, and can be used in the
meantime during the flashstances on Sunday morning. We are waiting to see if the City
fines us for leaving the banner up in hopes that it will generate some publicity for us.
Farmigo
o At the request of Essie Hicks, Chair of P-Patch Committee, I met with a representative of
Farmigo. Farmigo is a community sourced agriculture (CSA) aggregator. They partner
with local (300 mile radius), organic producers to provide produce directly to
consumers. They have a website and phone app that allows customers to order their
produce on Sundays, and have it delivered to a nearby host location for pickup on
Wednesdays. This system without a store front allows them to give $0.60/$1 back to
the producers, and greatly reduce the waste normally associated with the food supply
chain. They have approached us to become a host site, and there is some financial
incentive to do so (10% back on weekly orders over $500). It seems to be a good fit,
however there are some minimums and efforts needed on our part. I will continue to
evaluate this potential with P-Patch, the Facilities Coordinator, and the congregation.
Bryan Stevenson
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 19 of 30
o I attended the Bryan Stevenson event in Seattle at First United Methodist Church. He is
the author of Just Mercy, a book that was discussed by the Economic Justice Ministry
Team over 3 sessions. As the topic was Bryan’s work on fighting wrongful
imprisonment, it was near to my heart. It was advantageous to see his speaking style in
person. Several members from East Shore were also in attendance, and I am excited to
see their passion around the topic.
Discussion Agenda
None at this time.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jason Puracal,
Director of Finance & Operations
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 20 of 30
Appendix A- Financial Charts
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 21 of 30
Director of Religious Education – Aisha Hauser
Consent Agenda
Children and Youth Team
During the past few weeks I have been planning for the Our Whole Lives program for two groups of elementary
ages, K-1 and 5-6. Two groups of trained OWL leaders planned a teacher information meeting and not enough
parents attended to make the classes viable for the spring. We plan on offering the classes in the fall and take a
break from offering the junior high age OWL next year. I may look into offering the high school age and adult
OWL programs next year.
I will begin planning for next year’s RE program in the coming weeks.
Attendance averages:
2013-14 - 79
2014-15 – 73
2015-16 – 77
Youth Programs
The youth led a wonderful service on February 28th. Thank you to those of you who attended and supported the
youth. Tizita, along with Nancy Barnes and Doug Strombom, helped the youth organize the service. Tizita is
working well with the youth and the other youth advisors.
I will be attending a small youth conference in Seattle the weekend of March 11th. It is a social justice based
conference with about sixty youth in attendance. I have been asked to lead a workshop on identity.
Lifelong Learning Programs
Dianne and I met about changing how we present adult programs. We both came to the conclusion that with
our new website and more effective ways of communicating, we will no longer have an adult programs guide
published four times a year. Instead, each month we will update the programs and events offered to the
community. This way, we have a more dynamic calendar and guide reflective of upcoming events and classes.
Previously, the guide would have many classes and some would be cancelled due to lack of enrollment and one
month into the new guide, it would seem outdated. We will solicit for classes on an ongoing basis throughout
the year.
Adult programs winter quarter 2016: 179
General
I have been asked to be part of a consulting team made up of two UU ministers who serve congregations in the
south and east coast. I will be offering my services on a sporadic basis throughout the year. I do not anticipate
that this will interfere with my work at East Shore.
Respectfully submitted,
Aisha Hauser, MSW
Minister of Pastoral Care – Rev. Susan Morrisson
Board meeting, March 16, 2016 Report of February-March activities
Please check to see if your current contact information is on the ES Contact list. I don’t have access to a phone
number for Reed Cundiff, yet he will be my Board support for the worship meeting in April. I know I could get it
by emailing him. I also believe every Board member information should be current on the office directory list.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 22 of 30
Persons with Care Needs:
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One personal hour long conversations with visitor, some spiritual concerns.
referrals of concern forwarded to me. I was able to follow up with phone calls.
Hospice Home care visit once a week continues.
Other referrals coming in from members. The process of contacting me, then contacting the Connections
Team for support, and adding an LPM as needed is working very nicely. I also choose to see the referred
person myself, depending on circumstances.
I follow-up from time to time to see how things are going for persons perviously referred
Deaths Noted in Congregation:
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I contacted family to provide pastoral care as needed. Others in congregation were connected to provide
added support. Plans for memorial were discussed.
A sudden death occurred. Members of the congregation who were personally connected to partners
provided the service. I contacted everyone to offer any help or support.
I connected with family to make connections and let them know of East Shore services provided.
I was away for part of this time, 5 days in Phoenix. Rev. Karen Taliesin stepped in while I was gone.
Pastoral Care Monthly Meeting:
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New members in distress were noted and assigned.
Considering better ways to serve some members by moving them to the Caring Connection Team members;
emphasizing contact, but not deep listening.
Sermon, Creating Personal Safety Nets. Two sessions have been offered for followup. Led by one of our lay
pastoral ministers.
Circles Of Caring:
Established and functioning well
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“Grief circle.”
“Adults caring for aging parents.”
“Women’s Friendship Group.”need more
members
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“Parkinson’s support group”
“Men’s group”
“Widows group”
will be adding a new group, “Cancer survivors”
Communication:
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Caring Connections: Two training meetings have been held on Sundays. Concern: This is such a popular
time, that not everyone can attend a training — considering some Internet modality for group connections.
Pastoral Care Corner in Sanctuary weekly presence gives congregation members a constant place to connect
on Sunday mornings.
Staff And Congregation Leaders:
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Attended staff meetings two times. Very helpful for procedures and requests. Sometimes pastoral care
requests come through the office. They have a process for referring to me.
This is also a time to increase awareness of problems, then solutions. It is helpful to understand the staff
viewpoint!!
Respectfully,
Rev. Susan Morrisson
Minister of Pastoral Care
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 23 of 30
Communications & Membership Manager – Nicole Denman
March 2016
Consent Agenda
Membership
On February 28th, we had 7 people sign the membership book. They include: Manny Brown, Molly Clark, Mike
Donofree, Leatha & Michael McKenzie, Karin Pierce, and Aimee Woolwine. This is a great, active, diverse group,
who I believe will be a great benefit to our membership. On the updated new member form, I asked them to put
checkmarks next to activities they would like new information about. I then shared their names, emails, and
phones, with the chair of the corresponding committee. I have heard from some chairs they have gotten a good
response. Also, one of the new members will be a new office volunteer!
Visitors have been steady, with some already interested in the next East Shore and You Class, which I hope to
have in the late spring. Our membership team continues to reach out to visitors with information.
With the Operating Fund Drive and the Search Nominating Committee, I am hearing from people who have
moved away from East Shore. Some going back to old church homes, others who are asking to be removed from
membership with no explanation. After both groups are done reaching out, I hope to clean up the membership
database and have an accurate number.
A cleanup will be essential before we do a database conversion to ACS. I will make sure we keep data for past
members in an excel sheet, in case anyone returns, but I do think having a cleaned up database that is not
cluttered with “potential members” who have not been seen in years would be great.
Communications
I have begun evaluating the bulletin boards in the RE building outside of Spring Hall. One of those boards will be
designated for outside East Shore events while the other will be designated for events happening at East Shore. I
have received good response from the changes in the North Room.
I also hope to have up and running in the next week or two, the screen in the Administration Building. The TV
was donated, and we will have the TV on a ledge that is being built. This screen will have upcoming events and
large announcements, similar to the ones that you find on the screen in the RE building. I am also looking
forward to the addition of the screen in the Sanctuary lobby, which will be installed by the Facilities team.
Website
The new website, www.esuc.org, is getting fairly good reviews. I have reached out to the Website Committee to
see if we can meet on a quarterly basis to discuss suggestions/changes that are requested by members that
would require a change to the design of the site.
I am looking forward to getting the new software, ACS, which Dianne will be able to use for scheduling. This will
allow us to put all the events and calendar on the new website, which will allow us to say goodbye to the old
website.
Marketing & Outreach
I have been working with a small group of Bill Austin, April Atwood, Becky Davie, and Shirley Worth to discuss
marketing and outreach. We ordered a generic ESUC banner which can be used for events or at the Black Lives
Matter corner. Working with Jason, two Black Lives Matter banners were also ordered. One is on the corner of
32nd and 128th.
Our group is also one of a few that are working with Facilities to build a new sign on our property. I believe a
solid, bright, well-lit sign can get the attention of those driving by the church every night.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 24 of 30
Operating Fund Drive
We mailed out pledge cards to all those who have not yet pledged, and are getting a great response. Currently,
118 people have responded, with 112 pledges (6 people responded with no pledge). We are also at $387, 140 –
nearly halfway to the pledging goal! I had to combine information from several sources, but believe I now have a
clear worksheet to collect pertinent data from and build upon. This will not only make the pledge drive easier in
the future, it will also help with keeping track of membership. I am hoping this information can be converted
into the new database.
Worship Numbers
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February 7: 135
February 14: 163
February 21: 138
February 28: 135 (this was a multigenerational service, but children were not counted – I have asked ushers
to begin counting children in the future in these services)
March 6: 142 (Stewardship Sunday)
Respectfully submitted by,
Nicole Denman
Communications & Membership Manager
Liaison Reports
Holly House Taskforce, Auction, Facilities Com Update for the
ESUC Board meeting scheduled for February 16
Prepared by David Baumgart, Board Liaison
Holly House Taskforce
Our taskforce is now meeting monthly. Our next meeting is Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm in the pastor’s office
/ conf room. We now have about 20 folks listed as members of our extended team. I have made arrangements
with Nicole to have all our minutes and significant documents available on the new East Shore website:
www.esuc.org . From the Home Page Navigate as follows:
* Click on Connections
* Click on Member Groups
* Click on Holly House Task Force
* Scroll to the bottom of the Introductory page to find a list of posted documents.
Option Papers – Due April 15
We are now actively soliciting brief Option Papers that will outline proposals for the long term use of the HH
property. A template has been posted on the new website and is labelled “Option Forms”. We have requested
that all option papers be brief and be submitted by April 15, 2016. This will allow the taskforce to be prepared to
brief the Board at the May 17 meeting on submitted options and what appears to be a short list of feasible
options that are well-aligned with the East Shore mission. This request will also be the subject of an April Beacon
article.
We would be delighted if members of the board or SLT would submit option papers to describe their own
proposals.
Our task force is now:
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Bob Weiss and Lee Dorigan are co-leaders
Abbie Birmingham David Baumgart (secretary)
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 25 of 30
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Vic Bloomfield Jason Puracal (Dir of Finance & Operations)
Jane Sisk Mary Anderson
Bruce Sillers Frans Koning
HHTF Charter – Silent on Financial Planning
The board approved the initial charter in February. In recent communications, it has become apparent that the
task force has questioned to what degree they are responsible for suggesting the appropriate use of any
proceeds or income associated with the various options that may be suggested. In fact, many of the members of
the task force would like to see long term financial planning under active consideration by the Board, or by the
Finance Com, or by an appropriate task force. Beth Wilson, who attended the Feb 24 meeting of the task force
will include this question on the agenda for the Board on March 15.
Facilities Committee
[Please refer to Jason Puracal’s monthly report.] Note: our Facilities income shows a $4,351 surplus while our
Facilities related expenses are $12,302 less than budget.
Grounds Committee
The next workday scheduled by the Grounds Com is Sunday, March 28 following the worship service. David
Faassen has resigned his position as chair of the Grounds Com. As of mid February, we were soliciting
nominations for the new leader of the Grounds Com. On an interim basis, Ruth Edwards has agreed to be the
focal point for communications with Grounds.
Auction 2016
East Shore's annual auction is going to be led by JoAnne Way as our chair person.
The team is planning their first working meeting in May. We have reserved Paul, our favorite auctioneer, once
again. The auction will be held on Saturday evening, November 12, 2016. Please mark your calendars for the
2016 auction.
Respectfully submitted,
David Baumgart – Board liaison for HH Taskforce,
Facilities, Grounds, & 2016 Auction
------------------------------Earth & Social Justice Liaison Report for
Board’s March 15, 2016 meeting.
Prepared by Marilyn Mayers
Beloved Conversations/Racial Justice:
Sunday morning vigils continue to be held at 8:30 am before East Shore’s weekly church service. The next
Beloved Conversations session has been deferred until the fall.
Climate Action Ministry Team:
CAM sponsored a community event for CENSE (Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy) on
February 19th. About 200 people attended. Speakers focused on Puget Sound Energy’s controversial plan to
build a 230,000 volt transmission line through five Eastside cities which would take down thousands of trees.
CAM hosted its third “Climate Awakening Breakfast” on March 6th. The topic for conversation focused on the
relationship between climate change and social justice and why we are more drawn emotionally to one or the
other. About twenty people attended including four from University Unitarian Church in Seattle.
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March, 2016
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CAM organized an evening forum on Energy Efficiency and Solar power on March 14th. The idea was to share
practical information about solar installation and an update on legislation related to alternative sources for
energy.
East Shore members are encouraged to attend the next in a series of lectures hosted by University Unitarian
Church in Seattle. On April 5 at 7:00, Dave Peterson, Professor in the School of Environmental and Forest
Sciences at the UW will be talking about: “How NW Forests Will Respond to Climate Change.”
CAM is involved in organizing the April 10th service focused on bringing in Native American voices to highlight
the impact of climate change on Native communities.
In the afternoon of the same day, a related workshop is being planned hosted by East Shore to which UU
Churches around the Puget Sound area are invited.
A Climate Citizens Lobby session is scheduled to be held at East Shore the morning of May 14th. More on this
later.
May 14th is also the date for the 25th Penn Cove Water Festival in Coupeville, Whidbey Island. This is an event in
which Native Americans race traditional canoes. Last year over 300 participants, mostly youth, paddled. East
Shore members are invited to attend and volunteer along with Unitarians from other Washington UU
congregations!
Earth & Social Justice Coordinating Council
The Friendship Dinner held on February 22nd here at East Shore to welcome the local Muslim community was
well attended and received. Imams from the Islamic Center of the Eastside in Bellevue, the Muslim Association
of Puget Sound in Redmond and the IMAN Center in Kirkland came and spoke. The NW Regional Director of the
Pacifica Institute also spoke. More people came than anticipated-about 100-120 adults came and about 15-20
children.
Pacific Institute has invited East Shore Board members and congregants to attend an evening breaking of the
Ramadan fast in June or July. More details to come.
The ESJCC intends to organize follow-up events to the Friendship Dinner later this year. One idea being bandied
about is to host a summer picnic at South Lake Sammamish park. The ESJCC gathered lists of many attendees
for help in publicizing future events. The ESJCC discussed ways to address logistical issues raised during the
Friendship dinner if we hold future events.
Congregants are encouraged to attend the series of interfaith “Standing Together” events hosted by the Muslim
Association of Puget Sound in conjunction with other interfaith groups. The next one is on Sunday March 20th
from 4:00-6:00 at the Newport Presbyterian Church.
Congregants are also encouraged to attend the City of Bellevue’s Neighborhoods Forum on March 16th at 7:00 at
Bellevue City Hall. The topic: “A Dialogue with our Muslim Neighbors”.
ESJCC members have begun conversations with ESJ teams to find out more about their plans and needs for the
upcoming year. ESJCC plans to encourage ESJ teams to highlight their work in the sanctuary foyer periodically.
The ESJCC is planning a Spring Kick-off for MAY 15th to celebrate the work of ESJ teams at East Shore. Teams
will highlight their successes and introduce themselves to Rev. Persluha and connect with one another.
Economic Justice Team
Seven people from East Shore are planning to attend a Restorative Justice workshop on April 2nd. Three people
from East Shore attended a similar workshop in January. The idea is to bring restorative justice into our church
community as an approach to conflict resolution.
The team is organizing a symposium here at East Shore on April 3rd on issues related to juvenile detention.
Panelists include speakers from the Innocence Project at the UW Law school, King County Juvenile Justice Office,
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
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and Unleash the Brilliance (A diversion program for youth in trouble with the law), Seattle Restorative Justice
and Rev. Terry Stewart, Director of the Youth Chaplaincy Coalition. The symposium will explore alternative to
juvenile detention.
Second Sunday
The congregation donated $1,466.65 to Planned Parenthood for the Second Sunday collection in February.
Barakat, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing education for women and children in Afghanistan, Pakistan,
and India, has been selected to receive East Shore’s 2nd Sunday offering in March.
UUSC:
An additional $128.40 was collected during January and February for UUSC’s Guest At Your Table campaign
resulting in an updated tally of $2,185.72.
UUSC/UUA are highlighting the month between World Water Day (March 22) and Earth Day (April 22nd) as
Climate Justice month.
Women’s Perspective/Women-Helping Women
As a sponsor of Seven, a play about violence against women shown at Town Hall on March 6th, East Shore was
allowed to have a table in the foyer to showcase East Shore. We provided brochures about East Shore generally
and Women’s Perspective activities. East Shore also appeared in the evening’s program.
WP women gathered in February and put together over 92 packets of feminine hygiene items for the ongoing
Day4Girls project.
At the Women’s Retreat (March 11-13), a special collection was held to support Barakat, an organization that
WP/WHW has supported for some years.
WHW members continue to provide meals to Sophia Way regularly on a monthly basis.
Liaison Report for
Board’s March 15, 2016 meeting.
Prepared by Tom Doe
OFD and Stewardship
I had a discussion with Amanda Strohmbom about Stewardship and there are no current updates. There
will likely be the next connection team leader meetings in June.
The OFD has officially started with over $350,000 in pledges so far. Next event: Pancake Breakfast March
20.
Liaison Report for
Board’s March 15, 2016 meeting.
Prepared by Marc Wanless
Gallery:
I attended the gallery meeting on 3/6. The Gallery is on board with installing a visual display board on the
panel that currently holds information about East Shore and the UU tradition in the foyer. Timing to be
worked out with Earl and the Ace Media Team. The display will have information regarding east shore, the
service, etc. during periods where the sanctuary is in use, and the rest of the time will display gallery
information. This was viewed as a win/win by the Gallery and the ACE Media Team. I have not had an
opportunity to speak with Jason and Nicole to see how that fits in with their needs, but at the least it's a
step in the right direction. The current gallery show, "Pieces" will conclude on 3/13. It has been an
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March, 2016
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exceptionally successful show! The next show, "Art & Science", will begin on 3/20 and should be a fantastic
assortment of pieces from diverse artists. The gallery discussed the new accounting requirements and
were understanding of the requirement. They will be providing reports to Jason and/or Jessie moving
forward. Finally, the team has questions about the new website format and the placement/visibility of
their page. They feel that the gallery is difficult to find with the new format and had questions about the
formatting of their specific page. I took an action to speak with Nicole and/or Jason to understand what
processes exist for modifying content or layout. My recommendation is that we develop a one-pager for
this that can be provided to all groups so that Nicole is not inundated with requests.
Personnel
Due to a work requirement I was unable to attend the Personnel Committee Meeting on Monday,
3/7. Jason Puracal did attend and you can find more detailed information in his report. The major
takeaway is that a request has been made of the Personnel Committee to investigate the implications of
ESUC adding a health care allowance to staff salaries in the 2017/18 year. An allowance was added for this
purpose two years ago, but re-evaluating how this is working for all of our staff members is probably
appropriate now that we have some time under this arrangement and since most of our staff has turned
over in that time frame. This could have significant budget impact, so I will keep the board informed. At
this point, the direction is simply to investigate. Please review Jason's report for further information.
Proposed Policy Changes
3/16/16
2.11 Financial Condition and Activity With respect to the church’s actual ongoing financial condition and
activities, the Staff Leadership Team shall not cause or allow the development of fiscal jeopardy or material
Policies - Page 6 deviation of actual expenditures from Board priorities. Accordingly, the Staff Leadership Team
may not:
1. Expend more funds than have been received in the fiscal year to date, including allowing cash to drop below
the amount needed to settle payroll and debts in a timely manner;
2. Fail to inform the Board of any unexpected or undesignated income;
3. Fail to settle payroll and debts in a timely manner;
4. Allow tax payments or other government ordered payments or filings to be overdue or inaccurately filed;
5. Acquire, encumber, or dispose of real property;
6. Fail to appropriately pursue unpaid pledges after a reasonable amount of time;
7. Fail to aggressively pursue unpaid non-pledge receivables after a reasonable amount of time;
8. Receive, process, or disperse funds under controls insufficient to meet generally accepted standards. These
standards shall minimally include the following:
a. All disbursements must be within board approved budget levels
b. Up to $5,000 $10,000, checks will be signed by two authorized signators
c. Over $5,000 $10,000, checks will be signed by
(1) either Board President, Vice President or Treasurer and
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March, 2016
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(2) a Staff Leadership Team member d. Emergency disbursements can be made by
authorized signators, with immediate notification to Board President and
Treasurer
e. All contracts must be within board approved budget levels
f. All contracts must be reviewed by Finance Committee after execution
g. Contracts up to $5,000 $10,000 may be signed by one Staff Leadership Team member
h. Contracts (including all mortgages or instruments of indebtedness) over $5,000 $10,000 must
be signed by Board President, Vice President or Treasurer
i. One Time Authority: Board may establish separate contract and disbursement policies for
capital projects to insure timely, effective management of project.
(March 20, 2012)
Remove Addendum (following 2.20) from policies (rationale, no longer relevant):
ADDENDUM: SANCTUARY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
The following policy was adopted by the Board on March 20, 2012, to cover the Sanctuary Improvement Project:
Delegation of Authority for Sanctuary Project Consistent with board policy, the following delegation of
authority is established for the Sanctuary Project
Delegation of Authority
Contracts and change orders must be within approved budget and contingency.
Final contract bids must be reviewed by the Sanctuary Committee prior to contract signature.
Contracts up to $10,000 must be signed by one of the following (Court Olson, Dave Baumgart)
Contracts over $10,000 must be signed by one of the following (Court Olson, Dave Baumgart)
and one of the following (board President, Vice President or Treasurer)
Contract change orders, modifications to work or schedule changes must be approved by one of
the following (Court Olson, Dave Baumgart)
Use of the project contingency requires approval of two of following three individuals: Board
President, Vice President or Treasurer.
ESUC Board Packet
March, 2016
page 30 of 30