St. Mary/ St. James

Planning Advisory committee

Minutes of September 27, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Gary Loertscher. Attending were: Gary Loertscher, Ken Klink, Doug Waelti, Kay Parish, Rick Francois, Carol Eberhardy, Jim Kniffin, Tim Stadelman, Barb Wachter, Pauline Fahey, Russell Cichy, Carla Wolf, Ann Legris, Tim Blair, Joe Donlin, Mike Warmuth, Gerard Rabas, Joe Stadelman, Jerry Remy, Bob Hoffman, Sheldon Hollis, Joan Hollis, Jerry Ziegler, MaraLee Gabler.

kk opened with a prayer.

Minutes of the September 14, 2004 Building and Grounds subcommittee were passed out for informational purposes.

Minutes of the August 25, 2004 Planning Advisory Committee meeting were accepted.

kk reported that a letter summarizing our project was given to Monsignor Swain. He has received three telephone calls from the diocese. The message conveyed from the diocese was "don't slow down now" and appreciation for the cooperation shown by St. James and St. Marys. kk, Joe Stadelman, and Gary Loertscher will meet with the Diocese Building Commission on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. kk will get more information from the diocese indicating guidelines for combining the parish councils.

Joe Stadelman summarized building changes. The primary adjustment is to position the church at a 45° angle to the rest of the structure. The committee views this as a significant improvement to the overall plan. A preliminary budget estimate was given indicating structural cost of a little less than $4.1 million, furnishings and equipment costs of approximately $190,000, and additional soft costs of a little less than $415,000.

Mike Warmuth, Joe Donlin, and Jerry Rabas presented a comparison of utility costs for the current building and the new complex. They also presented three different scenarios for monthly payments on amortizing a building loan.

Discussion was held about developing a construction recommendation. The pros and cons of building in phases as opposed to building the entire structure were discussed. Carla Wolf presented an updated summary of the building fund. $877,308 is the cash balance. Land is valued at $135,000. $1,454,388 in pledges remains to be collected. Total value of prior deposits, new deposits, pledges, and land is $2,466,697. The primary advantage of building in phases is that we would have to borrow considerably less money. The primary advantages of building the entire project are to avoid the inflationary cost of building the hall at a later date, eliminate the need to upgrade and maintain St. Mary, and provide more flexibility in liquidating the present facilities.

A motion by Kay Parish and seconded by Doug Waelti to recommend to the parish council that we build the entire project (church, chapel, offices/conference rooms, and parish hall) was passed by a vote of 21-2.

Jerry Rabas and Joe Stadelman will prepare an overview of the costs of building the entire project versus building in phases. Joe Donlin and Mike Warmuth will prepare an estimate of the monthly/annual operating expenses of the new facility. The information will be presented to the parish council to assist them in making a final decision.

A motion to recommend a preliminary budget estimate of $136,741 to pay for costs incurred over the next several months in preparing final plans and starting site preparation was made by Jerry Ziegler and seconded by Jerry Remy. It passed unanimously and was forwarded to the parish council for consideration.

It was announced that the Building and Grounds subcommittee has chosen Vogel Brothers Building Company, J.H. Findorf & Sons, Inc., and Roberts Construction Associates, Inc. to be interviewed on October 7, 2004 as potential contractors for the project.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.