Building and Grounds

The focus of the Junior Warden is the sacred and beautiful grounds that serve as the physical framework of our church community. It is not the work of a single person, but instead a close collaboration with the Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee, the Parish Administrator and our skilled Sextons. In addition, the mission could not have been remotely possible without a number of volunteers who gave their valuable time, immeasurable talents as well as personal treasure.

Highlights from 2010:

• Resurfacing/repartitioning of the parking lot with new curbs and signage
• High efficiency boilers to replace the old unit, including re-zoning of control
• Keeping the City of Mission from scarring our grounds with a bike path
• North-side retaining wall and new playground fence
• New west door and entrance
• New soffits and gutters
• Re-roofing and repair to the Old Scout Shed (Matt Allen’s Eagle project)
• High efficiency air-conditioning units in Nave (not completed)
• Design for new circle drive and expanded Memorial Garden

Moving forward, the list of needs includes:

• bringing the church into the current century with respect to our audio and video capabilities
• insulating above Spencer Hall
• adding a few more areas to the HVAC system
• finishing another retaining wall on the playground
• addressing the drainage issues in the basement playground exit
• adding electronic access control to the three principle exterior doors
• improvements to the BBQ pit area

In 2010 we took a small step closer to fulfilling the urgent need of budgeting for a maintenance reserve fund. For the 2011 budget year the Finance Committee designated $25,000 towards this goal. Unfortunately, due to revenue constraints the Vestry had to make several expense cuts to that proposed budget, eliminating this seed money to this dedicated fund. In an effort to keep the maintenance reserve as a top priority, these cuts were made along with a pledge to revisit the issue mid-2011, with the intent of adding this back into our expenses provided we are in a position to do so. It is my sincere hope that we will be able to do this for 2011 and set aside a minimum of $25,000. Though we made some big strides in 2010, our sacred structure is over 50 years old and we will continue to be surprised with mechanical and structural needs that will certainly require our attention. Even a well-built and meticulously cared for edifice such as ours cannot continue by grace alone. We must be proactive in our giving for a budget that will allow us to sustain one of the most architecturally captivating places in our local community.

Want to help or have questions?
Junior Warden: Mike Treas, miketreas@hotmail.com
Building & Grounds Committee Chair: Dan Bednarczyk, DrB@kualumni.org
Parish Administrator: Jim Albrecht, jim@stmaa.com