ST. JOSEPH PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES
MARCH 11, 2007
Attending: Charles Dolan, Maxine Guerrera, Pete Konenkamp, Marty Ledenham, Rosemary Risse, Evelyn Tejada, Terry Trotochaud, Hank Wright, Father Jacques Fabre and Father David McGuinness.
Excused Absences: John Benca, Monica Kucher Mueller, Todd Story and John Timmons.
Pete opened the meeting with a prayer. The minutes for February’s monthly meeting and the called meeting March 2cd were reviewed and approved.
Site/Architect (& site clean-up): Pete said that the family on site of the property requested more time to move out and to clean out their property with a bobcat. They are awaiting a state amnesty period from April 14th to the 21st to remove many tires from their land. Terry suggested that this presents a liability to us as owners and that we should call our insurance agent to ask what activity should be allowed. Pete said that he will ask Father to check with Charles Porter to make this contact and present a report to the present owners who still reside on our property. Pete said that our special use permit has been extended to five years. Terry also suggested that Father contact the closing attorney for the Archdiocese to check our tax status and ensure that we are tax-exempt. Father is to pursue this immediately due to concern that there may be a deadline. Pete said that he will follow up and report at our next meeting. Hank will contact Ray Goff concerning the possibility of salvaging lumber from the existing house before demolition.
Capital Campaign: Pete passed out the Capital Campaign status report dated February 2007. This report will be available on the website.
Finance: Terry said that several items remain to be completed for the audit. He said that there has been no decision made for purchasing a safe.
Communications: Pete said that John Benca and Ed Fechtel have staked the plot on which a ‘Future Site of St. Joseph Church and School’ sign will be erected on the new property. John is pursuing getting the permit and arranging for the sign to be made. There was discussion about including the old or a new Logo.
Amanda Wilson has been given an abbreviated Capital Campaign status report to include in the newsletter. Also included in the newsletter will be the ‘bios’ for the parish council nominees. These ‘bios’ will also be posted in the narthex. The 10 nominees are: Mary Mellein, Don Wendell, David Gomez, Frank Milward, Richard Dunne, Ed Fectel, Jim Degiacomo, Paula Cray, Tom Holmes and Bertie Lopez. The motion to waive the preliminary election was passed. As we consider these candidates Terry reminded us that we are a recommending board.
Maintenance: Pete reported that the drain has been flushed. The purchase of the leaf screen and the installation of the drain pipes has been completed. Adding a curb has been deferred due to the estimate of $4500.
Liturgy: Rosemary announced that there will be a Lenten penitential service on Monday evening, March 26th. Father expressed gratitude and pleasure for the pilgrimage experience that Rosemary arranged for our parish to EWTN and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Alabama. Rosemary offered her portable fire pit to be used on Holy Saturday.
Latinos: Evelyn said that there will be an Easter Vigil in Spanish at 10pm. The English Vigil will begin at 7:30.
School: No report.
Welcoming: Max said that the welcoming packet needs to be approved. Father and Max will meet this week. Hank said he has 55 different ministry-contacts. Didi has all the information to date with approximately 99% of the information stored electronically. Didi still needs the electronic translations for Spanish. Rose in RE will translate.
Max told the council about the formation of a group, Parents in the Parish (PIP). She said that the school parents wish that the priests could be more visible to the children. She said that the group wishes to improve communication between the school and the church and recommended increased use of the Wednesday envelopes to announce church activities and news. She announced the CRHP reunion which will be sometime after the CRHP 6 retreat on April 22. It will be a cocktail party with a cash bar at the Timmons’ home with proceeds going to the Capital Campaign. Hank has the master CRHP list and is currently soliciting a more complete list of emails so that he can announce to all CRHP members the opportunity to sponsor the renovations of the Irish Stations of the Cross. Max also said that PIP’s goals include the formation of different Women’s Guilds.
Father Jacques is to have a Liturgy for the Catholic and non-Catholic school children to celebrate the land purchase.
Father Jacques asked for our recommendation whether to have a Health Screen Fair sponsored by the UGA College of Pharmacy. The plan is to have it on a Saturday morning, April, 21st. It will be open to the entire community but is focused on the Hispanics. All supported our cooperation.
Pete said that John Timmons will report on the Holly Hills “Memo of Understanding” at the next meeting. He reported that the River Basin Center from UGA will be able to have students assist us after the August semester begins. They can make recommendations regarding storm water run-off and flood plain issues. Terry said that Clarke County will do the same assessment. He recommended that Pete be on the Site/Architecture Committee after his tenure with the Parish Council is over this year.
Father said that our next goal is to secure the remaining 10 acres. He would like to defer the topographical survey required by the Archdiocese until we have made every effort to attain this piece of property. Father is planning the reorganization of the Steering Committee with the focus on building by using members with needed expertise.
Pete announced that the next meeting will be April 15th at 7:15. The agenda will include only updates and discussion of the property and counting of the ballots for the Parish Council nominations.