The Finance Committee and the Operations Council are beginning the annual budget process. While no item is finalized until the congregation votes in June, we begin to look at our needs with the proposed Building and Grounds budget in February, RE in March, staff salaries in April and the full spreadsheet in May when we will know more of how the annual budget drive is doing.

The Building and Grounds budget includes funds for routine items like cleaning, landscaping, snowplowing, utilities and insurance. We also have funds for repairing heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical and roofing systems that cannot be foreseen but inevitably occur. Then we get down to the items that we have to choose to address or to postpone.

Items we are considering for the coming year, some of which have been pending for years:

• Install a baby changing table in the Parish Hall accessible restroom.

• Replace the nonfunctioning hearing assistance loop in the Sanctuary.

• Replace the remaining leaking sink and counter in the first floor kitchen.

• Add lighting and electrical outlets over the new first floor kitchen sink.

• Remediate the remaining vinyl asbestos tile in three first floor classrooms.

• Replace the water line to the flower room sink which is generations old.

• Add hot water to second floor sinks (lost some years ago to a freeze up)

• Paint the Tower Room, balcony and Narthex in the Sanctuary.

• Replace the bubbler in the classroom corridor, currently shut off because it leaks

The major maintenance budget is expected to be spent on repairing the leaded windows in the Headstart Room and landscaping our new walkways on the Washington St and Highland sides of the building. -Laurel Farnsworth