From time to time, we will be giving you an update on what is happening around the grounds and the buildings of the Parish. In the middle of August, you probably noticed some activity around the Parish Center and at the entrance to the parking lot. Unfortunately, the sewer pipe from the Center to the street had disintegrated about forty feet from the building and also had been damaged and crushed by some tree roots closer to the street. This necessitated an unbudgeted expense of approximately $24,000. The street and ground were dug up and new pipe from the building to the street were installed and the large tree was removed.
At about the same time, our annual check up and changing of filters for the Air Handlers and Ventilation System was happening in the Church. The inspections uncovered some major issues with the motors that power this system resulting in the replacement or rebuilding of three major units. This project and the residual side effects have resulted in an additional cost of over $ 10,000 of unbudgeted expense.
Currently, you may have noticed work being done on four of the five entrances of the Church. Originally, this was to be cleaned and painted but upon further inspection, the columns and surrounding wood was found to have extensive rot from the rain and weather. The result is the removal of the wood and columns. These are being repaired and replaced with a fiberglass/cement product with a lifetime warranty and the appropriate materials to prevent this condition from reoccurring.
On another issue, we are pleased to have made the switch, almost two years ago (September 2010), to heating the church with gas as we have realized substantial savings (approx 25%) in our heating expenses. As the Church continues to age, twelve years from our renovation date, we are beginning to experience many major repairs. We will continue to update you on the repairs and ongoing projects throughout the year.
