Vestry Minutes
Tuesday April 21, 2026
Present: Rev. Bob Carlson, presiding; Rich Gabrielson (2); Deb Marrer (2) Brian Erle (1); and Maui Palmiter (1)
The meeting opened at 11:00 with Vestry reading a portion from Noonday Prayer.
The minutes from the March, 2026 meeting were approved.
Finance Report:
The March Finance report was submitted by Cathy Smales. We received a generous monetary gift from Joan Mueller's estate which we put in the EverBank account. The Vestry all agreed that the idea of putting the money in some sort of endowment was not favorable. We are going to ask Ted Wolf to get quotes for the two large projects that still need to be done at the church. (furnace and partial roof replacement) Other options would be to use these funds for upgrades to the rectory, or putting it aside for future rector salary. Cathy is still working on streamlining reimbursement for the Cranmer Fellowship expenses, and has added a new line item (6850 - Rectory Bills to be Reimbursed)
Property Report:
Town of Union Code Inspection:
The Town of Union code re-inspection has been moved to the end of April, but we have made the required repairs.
ABC Fire Inspection:
All fire extinguishers have been inspected on 4/15 and are in working order
Sink in Sacristy:
The sacristy sink was leaking underneath into the big cubby. Pat Baker (Plumber) was called and they found that the large bucket underneath had a hole and needed to be replaced. Deb was able to find an extra bucket and also a piece of wood for support underneath the bucket. Fortunately, only one small pipe fixture was needed, and they will send a bill for the part and labor.
Jubal Request:
Jubal requested approval for his brother to visit and help paint the bedroom in the rectory with the approved paint color. He also asked for front door keys for all the boys. (which Deb made for them)
Trash Removal:
Debra Gabrielson got a trash hauler to remove the old organ and had asked if there were any other large items to be taken. They were able to remove the large copier, a mattress and other miscellaneous items.
Groundskeeping:
Timothy cut the grass for the first time this year, and there were clumps of wet grass left on the sidewalk near the church. Brian spoke to Timothy so he knows what is expected in the future. The Vestry discussed this and have come to the realization that we may have differing understanding as to what is “acceptable” (and what is obvious to us may not be obvious to them). Brian is willing to oversee the boys and guide them through these new learning experiences. Timothy Dreher will continue to do the grass trimming, but will talk to them about the hedge trimming which is part of their agreement. Deb will discuss their idea of planting flowers at the rectory.
Old Business:
Ministry Safe:
All Vestry members, along with Craig, Debra and Sarah still need to complete the Ministry Safe online program and receive their bi-annual certification from the Ministry Safe website. The Vestry agreed that we would all try to do this by the May Vestry meeting. Deb will help Craig with this using the church computer.
Old Business:
Synod (May 27-29):
Reverend Bob, Joyce, Rich and Deborah G. will all be attending Synod as delegates this year. Joyce will be an alternate delegate for St. Andrews.
New Prospect for Vicar:
We will be having a Zoom meeting on 4/22/26 with Reverend Michael Bridge from Michigan. We have all put together some questions for him and are looking forward to getting to know him a little better.
Memorial Services for Marlene Arnold and Barb Lounsberry:
Rich will ask Diane Ruocco if she could be the point person for Marlene's memorial service. Dates are TBD in May and June, and will be church services only.
Vestry Retreat (5/15 or 5/16):
Some ideas were discussed about the benefits of having a Vestry retreat (either on Fri. 5/15 or Sat. 5/16, 9-12 am) Different ideas were discussed with themes of unity, forgiveness and grace. Rich suggested the Family Systems Theory which most are not familiar with. Reverend Bob thought that perhaps Matt and Ann could be brought in for discussion also. We have all experienced the loss of our rector in different ways, with different feelings and experiences. I believe we all want to move forward in love, but are feeling stuck with past issues. We thought that a retreat would be beneficial, and will continue to pray about how to move forward, and who should lead the retreat.
St. Andrew's Picnic:
We would like to have another outdoor picnic after Sunday service either 6/7 or 6/14. We will discuss this more in the next month or so.
Meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m. in prayer.
Minutes submitted by Maui Palmiter, Vestry Clerk