Northern Light October 2007

Outlined below is a summary of the financial reports presented to members of your Finance Committee and Board of Trustees for the month of August:

           Actual $ Budget
        Received (Expected
August, 2007   and Paid     Receipts &                                                             Payments)

Pledge Income $ 5,773    $ 11,889
Other Income    475        2,974
Total Income    $ 6,248       $ 14,863
Total Expenses    $ 13,716    $ 14,860

Year-to-Date

Pledge Income $ 89,031    $ 95,113
Other Income      13,948     23,792
Total Income $ 102,979 $118,905
Total Expenses          $114,968   $118,880

Total Monthly Income was $8,615 (51.4%) less than what was budgeted.

Year-to-Date Expenses have been 11.6% higher than the income received.

Until next month,
Nancy Remer

Some months, there is nothing to write about and then some months there is too much; this month is one of the latter, so a little bit of several things:

Delco, Delco, Delco…how long have we discussed Delco? [Note to Newer Members: NUUC has been trying to buy the surrounding land from Delco since 2003] As has been the case in the past of our hurry up and wait negotiations, we have re-entered the hurry up stage. In mid-September, Delco offered, in response to NUUC’s April proposal to purchase land behind the church, a drawing outlining 2.66 acres they proposed to sell to us. We readily agreed that while this was a fair offer, the size of the proposal led to another problem. Under Orange Township zoning rules, a church is required to have 5 acres of property (along with 1 parking space for each set of 3 permanent seats). NUUC, as currently configured, is not subject to this 5 acre restriction since the church existed before the zoning rules (a true example of being “grandfathered”). Given this zoning requirement, NUUC would need to seek a variance from the Orange Township Board of Zoning Appeals and would need to do so before purchasing any property. (Note: There are legitimate legal questions as to the legality of this acreage restriction and significant jurisprudence indicating that such a restriction would be struck down by the courts. However, a variance would be a quicker and cheaper resolution, allowing NUUC to buy usable land without a federal case). The Board conveyed these concerns to Delco and has asked Delco to either increase the available acreage or to assist NUUC in getting the variance. We are waiting on their response (and hoping for more acreage).

Presuming that the land and zoning issues are resolved (and they must be resolved before we can substantively address NUUC’s space issues), the Building Exploratory Committee is continuing to consider options for increasing worship and fellowship space for our growing community (131 members as of last Sunday). Part of the process is to consider how we grow and to live our values through that process. As many of you know, the UU Fellowship of Wayne County (Wooster) recently opened their new building and it is the first place of worship in the U.S. to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Counsel (see: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 ). The Building Exploratory Committee is considering whether, and to what level, any new project to address our space issues can achieve LEED certification. This process will involve tradeoffs (e.g. certification level vs. funds available) as well as consideration of preserving our current building while providing the opportunity to reach our congregational goals. Also, LEED certification is just the first part of an ongoing conversation we will be having over the next few months as our options crystallize. The LEED material is both very interesting and very detailed; a good resource for making changes in our assumptions and our actions, changes which allow us as a congregation to more fully live our principles.

When it comes to living our principles, I cannot state how appreciative I am of your generosity during Ingathering. As a special offering, we collected over $1,800 for the UU Church of Blanchard Valley (Findlay) who had lost their church to flooding in August. This far exceeded my most optimistic expectations and again confirms my faith in your generosity and willingness to honor and respect our covenant, both within NUUC and with our larger UU community. As I stated during Ingathering, the Findlay church had no diocese, bishop or national organization to call on, but they had us; and that makes all the difference. I am very proud to be a member of this congregation, and I am so glad that there are so many occasions, both large and small, that remind me of how special this congregation is. Thank you.