Junior Warden’s Report: March 2022

By Michael Reeves

Michael Reeves

Hi everyone!

A brief update regarding facilities:

Since my annual report in January, a few things have progressed.

Since we have a larger budget for maintenance this year, Peter has developed a database for smaller projects he can complete and projects that could be completed by a contractor. This includes repairing the front doors, painting and repairing cracks in the plaster, repairing the holes that were needed for the heat pump installation in the offices, and repairing the basement bathrooms. Peter has made modifications to the foundation at the bottom of the basement front stairs to allow water to drain out into the substrate. The ultimate goal is to prevent the water from getting into the basement in the first place, but that is a bigger project. In the meantime, the repair should prevent standing water and mold growth.

We have begun to receive credits on our electric bill from the Bristol solar project. When the days are longer, we will see more than enough credit to cover our electric bill during the summer months and have credit to cover the non-summer months.

We were lucky to have locked in our heating oil price back in August. The price is 50% higher today!

Audio-visual equipment was purchased to replace the equipment Joe Plotts was using to zoom our services and Peter’s personal equipment. We are now working to train volunteers to manage the system. We could still use a few extra tech volunteers for this effort, so please step forward if you’d like to be part of the team.

We received a lengthy report from Vermont Integrated Architecture regarding our building structure. While they feel our building is in good shape for its age, there are two major areas of concern – water getting into the basement and thermal efficiency. They have made recommendations which the Vestry is reviewing.

VIA also made recommendations to make the nave more audio and visually useful, including streaming services and meetings and improving lighting and the sound system for those in attendance. We are also looking at making the nave more adaptable for larger choirs, chamber orchestras, and other uses by the parish and community groups. The Vestry will also be reviewing these recommendations.

 Please contact me directly if you have any questions. I am happy to speak with you!