St. Mary Parish Financial Council (PFC)
Johnson City, TN
Minutes for January 28, 2021
Attendance (via Zoom)
- Father Collins
- Current PFC members: Joe Ann Lawson, Kathy Maile, Terry Maxheimer, Michele Yaroma, Daniel Tejada, Marie Wilson (Notetaker)
- Other: Becky Frye (school principal), Maureen Raible (parish bookkeeper), Thomas Edwards (Pastoral Council Liaison)
Minutes from prior meeting, October 29, 2020 – Motion to accept by Terry and second Joe Ann and Kathy. Passed.
Pastoral Council representative / liaison to Parish Financial Council.
- Collins introduced Thomas Edwards as the representative to the PFC from the Parish Council.
Parish Financial Council representative / liaison to the Pastoral Council
- Daniel has accepted this position as well as the administrative chair of the PFC responsible for sending meeting notices and other communications.
Parish Finance Council Norms – new norms and roles from the Diocese of Knoxville
- Follow up from prior PFC meeting
- The parish is now publishing quarterly statement
- These new norms were an update to diocesan handbook. The update was sent only to new priests.
- Marie shared that she contacted some St. Dominic Parish Financial Council members to benchmark how they are structuring the PFC there. It’s similar with the frequency of meetings being quarterly.
Review of the financial statements
- Maureen’s highlights
- Interest earned is quite a bit lower this year. Diocese has lowered our interest earned from 0.5% to 0.3%
- Sources are revenue are down. Believe it’s hampered by Covid. Deeper cut than what was contemplated in the budget
- Christmas collection – historical memory is $3-4k, last year was >$8k, 2020 was $2.5k. it is 50-50 split with Diocese.
- Expenses – delaying maintenance because income is down.
- Communication grant from the Diocese – used to buy streaming and camera equipment
- Discussion and Q&A:
- CARES Act income – March 31 is ‘anticipated’ date of receiving funds through the Diocese. It is not reflected in this statement. There remains great uncertainty on amount and timing
- What / if any action to be taken from this point forward to address future potential gap between income and expenses?
- YTD – expenses are curtailed about the same amount that revenue is down. Excellent indication that everyone is ‘reigning in’ expenses, aware that revenues are down.
- Significant fund raising events are not possible
- Outreach letter to the parish is to be sent at Easter – remind connection to the parish (purpose is not to ask for money)
- Collins indicates that the curtailed expenses haven’t negatively impacted parish operations. Not really extreme measures.
- Youth Group has been phenomenal this year. No trips but adapting to Covid restrictions, staying engaged and growing together in faith. Costing less money than trips.
- These type activities and visibly active school keep energy around church.
- Outreach idea in the works: Staying in touch Lenten challenge.
- Offering of Financial Peace University class is in the development. Parishioner Pam Morgan is seeking to facilitate
- School notes
- Walkathon had great success. It was a great surprise to meet the goal. Couldn’t go out into the community.
- Collecting payments from last year are mainly collected, only $2k outstanding.
- Delinquencies of this year are being formally followed up this month. Currently at $17.5k delinquent (relatively low).
- Tuition assistance $250k, up $41k prior year and up again this year $21k to $293k.
- Collins and Becky are engaged closely with Sedona from the diocese on
- A lot of donations in Lifetime support $48k!
- Miscellaneous category in the school accounts – money was budgeted from the Cares act $14k from Johnson City School. It was reallocated and it made us as a school lose our share. JCity schools did a great job trying to help Becky and staff to make it up. 160 students were budgeted, actual is 156. 27% budgeted scholarship perspective.
- Many people generously donating time, substitute teach. Teachers being out of school is more than prior years – and people are stepping up and helping.
- Our regional health department has been phenomenal with weekly meetings and just the facts! A lot of teachers have had opportunity to be vaccinated.
- We hear and see so much positive about how St. Mary school has managed this situation!! We thank the teachers and staff!! Suggest that our parish community tell them how much we appreciate this and acknowledge their commitment and agility. Lots of thanks to school families too and their sacrifices.
- Consistency of the school and youth group have been fabulous! Great for our parish and the broader community to see this witness and example of staying true and adapting positively.
HOME Campaign Funds
- ~$320k is / will be in our account
- We’ve accomplished 2 of 3 parish designated goals to date. (paid debt and paved parking lot)
- Downstairs bathroom, kitchen and elevator are the final goal.
- We do have handicap accessibility to the downstairs because of extended driveway
- Collins suggests starting with a bathroom and then see how much money remains after that. As of 2016, Pat’s estimate for
- elevator was $250K and would consume ½ of driveway
- $170k bathroom estimate. Expense and difficulty is sewage access. Would tie in best on the sacristy side. Not sure if it includes a shower. In Greeneville new hall – they have showers where the doors can lock with a key – to only be used at times needed. One comment – this number seems kind of high.
- These are old estimates.
- Discussion: bathroom is the next most important item. Would show well and visibly that we would move forward. Better for minors / youth staying downstairs, not having to go upstairs. Also reviewed at PPC .. Food Pantry sometimes clients have to go and we send them upstairs. General consensus agrees with the idea of prioritizing the bathroom as a first phase
- Procedure: Collins can decide on his own since consistent with designated use of the funds.
- Communications so everyone is aware what’s happening and can celebrate / participate
- Normal bids process
- Bishop aware and involved in contracting
- Suggestion: put together an overall plan for the space in the basement. Use the Home funds for this planning. Ideally we will build it step by step.. but by having an overall plan will ensure that we are working to an efficient and optimized plan. Recommending a cohesive plan versus a piecemeal plan. If we are starting with $170k for the bathroom, there is money left to spend on the planning first. Especially think ahead for the kitchen… may be cost effective to rough in these things at the same time as the bathroom. Plus, planning the space. Probably have parishioners who can contribute to this with their expertise.
- Sounds like a multi-function space is contemplated. Might be wise to start with consideration: what do we anticipate the function of the space to be going forward and then design forward.
- The parish long term planning committee is not yet formed. Create a dream / vision for the parish campus, prioritize projects, do something (designated uses first). Let’s demonstrate we have a plan as opposed to a series of random events.
- Could some of the leftover Home money (after bathroom, rough in kitchen utilities, and basement plans) be used to hire long term planning consultant for the entire campus? We believe so – it’s in scope of the concept of the elements designated to be built in the downstairs.
- We need to show good stewardship of this Home Campaign monies.
- People may be more willing to donate to the vision, real plan including how the new spaces will be used .. versus ambiguous.
- Thank you for this conversation. Will also open to the parish forum on February 8.
Quarterly statement
- Action: Maureen will send out the prior quarter version for our refresh.
- Question about formatting, improving for clarity. Give your feedback via email if any changes suggested.
- Action: Maureen to draft the second quarter statement to the parish within the next couple of weeks
Fire Panel Update
- Moving forward! To begin installation soon.
- Five years ago, replacing the fire panel was in the works but resistance of some sort from the diocese on the contract with the vendors. Now it’s broken and the work with the diocese is picked back up.
- Fleenor service selected.
OSV Opportunity for raising funds / collections:
- OSV reached out with a new program suggestion that Fr Collins is considering. Claiming they will make our offertory go up. Terry will sit in on the call with Fr. Collins and OSV. Thank you Terry.
- Last time OSV program was not successful (~2019). Follow up was poor. Would have been better with some different up front prep. And maybe a bit of timing.
Georgia property – Deadline is end of March. Hopeful to close a deal!
PFC Membership – Remind that Kathy, Joe Ann and Marie are all in the 3rd year on the council. Fr. Collins will speak to each about intentions to stay on, and begin the recruiting process as needed.
Parish events upcoming
- Parish Forum on February 8
- Lenten Day of Recollection on stewardship (broad definition of full engagement) – March 13. Begins after 8:30 am Mass, at 9:15 am, ending with a Holy Hour and confessions. Will be live-streamed
PFC Next meeting: April 29, 2021 at 6:15 pm
