Minutes

Terry began the meeting at 5:00 pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Bill Jacobs, Anne Welborn, Brad DeSaye, Keoni Murphy, Eileen Grant

Absent:  Bob Dressler

Staff: Fr. Raj, Jim Wren, Donna Maneely

1. Minutes Approval:

• Bill motioned to approve the June meeting minutes; Anne seconded it; approved.

2. Financial Statements:

• Anne motioned to approve the June Financials; Brad seconded the motion; motion approved.

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Bob reviewed the June bank reconciliation; he will give his report at the next meeting.

4. Pastor’s Report:

• Fr. Raj feels the church is more stable since Covid. Parishioners are supportive and have an evangelization spirit.
• Eucharistic revival: Muriel is leading a class on the Eucharist in September. Our Advent and Lenten missions will focus on the Eucharist.
• School opens next week. The Open House is this Sunday following the 9am Sunday Mass.
• Fr. Raj commented that there are 25 couples currently preparing for marriage in our parish.
• Our World Youth Day pilgrims leave tomorrow -July 27. They return August 7^th.F

5. Parish Manager Report:

• July Collection totals so far: $70k collection, $43K Online giving.
• Ten percent of this Sunday’s collection will go to disaster relief. Half of the proceeds will go to Operation Underground Railroad, which is an organization committed to ending child trafficking and the other half will be held for a future cause.
• Our annual insurance inspection was yesterday. Jim was happy and surprised to see that all the tenants have taken care of their hoarding issues. The only issue brought up in the inspection was a cart left in front of the Preschool closet door, which is easily fixed.
• The floor in the house at 229 Summit is sinking. We will bring in a contractor to look at it.
• The Staff and Council Day of Reflection is Friday. Fr. David Halm is our keynote speaker.
• The $114k bequest from the Viliborghi family has been received.
• Mary from IFA will assist us with reviewing our investments at no charge.
• The Solar panels will be replaced on the parking structure in September or October. This will be completely paid for by the warranty proceeds and donations. Any leftover money will be used to pay Scout Solar to maintain the panels.
• November 4^th is the 5^th Anniversary of the rededication of our church. Bishop Nevares will be saying the Vigil Mass in celebration.
• Jim posted the Director of Catechesis job since Muriel is retiring in June. The position is being expanded to include overseeing and coordinating all the catechetical ministries-RCIA, Atrium, Youth and Hispanic Ministry. We have one applicant already who has a master’s in theology. Interviews will take place this Fall with a start date in January.
• Catholic Community Foundation will be hosting a retirement seminar here on November 14^th. It is open to all parishioners and local parishes.
• Mission Canyon update: It was decided that there are too many risks involved for just one parish to take over the Mission. Jim contacted Catholic Community Foundation and they are interested in pursuing the opportunity.
• The Bishop’s Assessment increased from $173k to $192k for this fiscal year. This will put us over budget. It is only based on revenue, not expenses.
• There have been no issues with the new roof.

6. Old Business:

• Reserve Study: Due to inflation there is a concern about our Reserves. Bill handed out a memo from Advanced Reserve Solutions with four different options for visits and turnaround times for reporting. After discussing, Brad motioned to proceed with Option 4: which states that our report fee will be $2,400 without a site visit. Eileen seconded the motion; motion approved.

7. New Business:

• Several council members commented that PNC bank is not doing well financially. The council discussed the FDIC $250k limit per depositor and the associated risks. Brad commented that Foothills Bank has a sweep account, in which money is swept out nightly and invested. Jim will check with PNC bank to see if it has this option. The council also discussed the possibility of changing banks.
• The 3- and 6-month T-bills are maturing in August. Jim would like guidance from the council. Anne asked if the first motion included rolling it over; only the first time. Jim would prefer not to have to ask each time they mature. Brad motioned to renew the 3- and 6-month treasury bills automatically with the same maturity and revisit it in one year. Anne seconded the motion; motion approved.
• Fr. Raj passed out questions for the book, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist to discuss at the September meeting.
• The Council Social is on August 30^th.

Fr. Raj ended the meeting with a prayer at 5:52 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely

Terry began the meeting at 5:00 pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Bill Jacobs, Anne Welborn, Bob Dressler, Keoni Murphy, Eileen Grant

Absent:  Brad DeSaye

Staff: Fr. Raj, Jim Wren, Donna Maneely, Shelly Cooper

1. Minutes Approval:

• Bill asked what the Diocese needed to approve about the rent increase letters. Jim had asked the Diocese for new lease agreements. He made some revisions, and the leases were provided to the tenants.
• Anne motioned to approve the May meeting minutes; Bob seconded it; approved.

2. Financial Statements:

• Eileen asked for the final cost of the roof: $149,000.
• Bob asked how the $82k youth ministry bequest is accounted for. Jim explained that since it is restricted to Youth activities the funds can carry over. It is reported below the line as other income.  It is also kept on the restricted funds report.
• Anne motioned to approve the May Financials; Eileen seconded the motion; motion approved.

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Terry reviewed the May bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted.

4. Pastor’s Report:

• The school year is completed. The school is holding two 2-week sessions of summer school.
• Fr. Raj reminded the council that Safe Environment training renewal should be completed by September 30^th.
• Fr. Raj is happy with church attendance.
• Lector and Minister of Care training is on June 26.
• World Youth Day is approaching. Two of the youth dropped out due to their work schedules. Their sister will be taking one of their places. The dates are August 1-6. The Claretians will be meeting 3 days before and 3 days after with the pilgrims.
• Eucharistic Renewal
  • Muriel’s class this Fall will be about the Eucharist.
  • Our Eucharistic procession in June was a success; about 250 parishioners attended.
• About 100 parishioners attended the recent Volunteer Dinner.
• Youth ministry is continuing through the Summer with activities.
• Anthony will be helping from July 21-August 21 when Fr. Raj is away at World Youth Day.
• Fr. Raj is pleased with the work on the parking lot and new roof.
• A patriotic rosary will be said at 8am before the 9am Mass on Independence Day.
• A new ministry has formed- Christ in Our Neighborhood. Small groups within the Hispanic community will meet to reflect on the Gospel.
• Fr. Raj visited Mission Canyon in Kirkland today; many risks involved if Sacred Heart were to take it over. Terry asked if the Diocese could take it over. Jim agreed this is the best idea so all parishes could use it but could be a conflict if everyone wanted to use it at the same time for retreats. Jim is researching it.

5. Parish Manager Report:

• June Collection totals so far: $77k collection, $43K Online giving.
• Mark T. McLaughlin has been hired as the contractor for 233 N. Summit. Plans are in the permit process. Catholic Mutual has been great to work with. We will get paid for the missing rent. The previous tenants are interested in moving back in once complete.
• All tenants have been notified of the rent increase and the new lease agreements were delivered today.
• New heaters have been installed at the school, the parking lot has been re-striped, and the church has a new roof.
• The Day of Reflection for Staff and Council members is on Friday, July 28^th from 8:30-3pm. Fr. David Halm will be the guest priest. Shelly and Jim will give a short talk.
• The 3 and 6-month T-bills will be maturing in August. Jim will need direction from the Council when they mature. Bill suggested that Chris Kissel come to speak with the Finance Council to get his advice. Bill will ask him to come to the next meeting.
• Solar: Jim received the proposal from the Diocese on June 27. It was dated June 2^nd and expires June 30^th. We will get an extension since it was sent to us so late.  The cost is less than $100k which will be entirely paid by donations and the Bosch rebate. The new company will be hired to maintain the panels on both the school and parking structure.
• The $114k bequest, which is not designated, was mailed on 6/8 but we never received it. Jim will fill out a lost check affidavit, so it can be reissued.  To balance the school budget, we are allocating some of this bequest to the school.
• CDA: Sacred Heart parishioners donated $145k, which exceeded our goal of $138k.
• Mental health ministry update:  two parishioners, Fr. Raj, Deacon Mark, Jim, and Alma will attend a one-day training on the basics and how to direct people to the resources available.
• Muriel is retiring next year. Jim has updated the job description; expanded it greatly. He is waiting on the Diocese to approve. He will start advertising soon to a larger audience than Prescott for the position.
• A Parishioner thinks that our Church main doors need to be replaced. He was quoted $15k to replace the doors. Jim had received a quote of $25-$30k previously. Jim told him that he would discuss it with the Finance Council. We do not have the budget now, but it is in the Reserve budget 5 years in the future. Eileen suggested we paint them instead.

6. Old Business:

• Budget:
  • Jim’s biggest item of concern is how to recruit more students. Shelly is working hard to do that by advertising on the radio and by print ads. Prescott is a transient community so as new families come; old ones move away.  Word of mouth is the best way to recruit.  We have a good flow of students from our preschool.
  • Jim’s second concern is the Bishop’s Assessment. Jim is frustrated since we pay the Diocese so much, but it is hard to reach anyone there, especially on Fridays and around holidays. Only three employees work in the Building Department for the whole Diocese. Therefore, they do not always get out to inspect projects like the roof, for which we simply submitted photos.  Jim is encouraged that Fr. Matt Lowry has been appointed the Vicar of Northern Arizona.
  • Eileen motioned to approve the 2024 FY budget; Bob seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously.
• New Business: None

Fr. Raj ended the meeting with a prayer at 6:00pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely

Terry began the meeting at 5:00 pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Brad DeSaye, Bill Jacobs, Anne Welborn, Eileen Grant

Absent:  Bob Dressler, Keoni Murphy

Staff: Fr. Raj, Jim Wren, Donna Maneely, Shelly Cooper

1. Minutes Approval:

• Jim questioned the April minutes that stated that Muriel’s replacement will be hired next April as it had been agreed on to hire a replacement in January. Anne suggested it be deleted from the minutes.  Anne motioned to approve the April meeting minutes with the deletion; Bill seconded it; approved.

2. Financial Statements:

• Bill asked if we charge for funerals. Yes, there is a fee schedule in place, but we waive the fee for some parishioners if they are unable to pay. Deacon Pete evaluates and makes a recommendation to Fr. Raj if he feels the fees should be waived.
• Anne asked about school lunch expense. For the past couple of years, the government subsidized lunches so students received free lunch. The school continued to pay but the parents did not. Now that it is no longer free, less students are participating.
• Bill asked about the suspended St. Vincent de Paul monthly donation and if we still contribute to SVdP monthly from the collection. We no longer have a monthly collection for SVdP, and the $900 monthly donation was suspended at SVdP’s request. Jim explained that SVdP asked if the next fiscal year’s budget included donating to SVdP; we lowered the donation expense, but it still includes donating to SVdP. They are working on a plan to offer low-cost dental services.
• Eileen motioned to approve the April Financials; Anne seconded the motion; motion approved.

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Keoni reviewed the April bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted per an email sent to Terry.

4. Pastor’s Report:

• The Sacred Heart of Jesus feast day is on June 16^th; Mass will be said at 5:30pm.
• There will be a Corpus Christi procession on June 11^th after the 11:00 am Mass. It will end with Benediction.
• Preschool, Kindergarten, and the 8^th grade graduations take place this week.
• The Easter mission was a great success. The church was full both nights. Fr. Raj thanked Jim for his hard work in bringing Fr. Sichko.
• The new roof is being installed.
• The new Mental Health ministry is forming. Kate Hald, a parishioner and counselor has volunteered to be on the committee along with Deacon Mark, Alma, and Jim.
• World Youth Day participants will be holding two more fundraising events.
• A new ministry will be starting in the Fall: Christ in Our Neighborhood
• The Light of The World retreat was a success; 23 people participated.
• The Volunteer Appreciation dinner is on June 15^th. Please RSVP by Friday, May 26^th.

5. Parish Manager Report:

• May Collection totals so far: $67k collection, $36K Online giving.
• CDA-we are 94% of goal. There were fewer donors this year: 327 last year and 284 this year.
• A one-day mental health training is being offered by the Diocese if we have at least 5 people. Alma, Jim, and Deacon Mark will attend. Deacons are encouraged to take part in longer training sessions for certification.
• Martha Lamb is leading the newly created Committee on Eucharistic Revival. Muriel’s Fall class will be centered on the Eucharist.
• We are expecting 2 bequests. The first one is $115k from the Viliborghi family. It is a Certificate of Deposit that was left to the Parish. The second is $82k from John and Janet Good for the Youth Ministry. The family is coming to show a video of their parents.
• Jim and Victor will be visiting the Mission Canyon Retreat Center in Kirkland – the owner wants to turn it over to catholic organizations within the Diocese. They will meet the Diocesan Building Director there. It would be used for retreats. Other parishes are being considered as well.
• Jim sent the rent increase letters to the Diocese for approval. The Property Management arrangement will not work due to liability issues. The Diocese wrote an addendum, and it was rejected by another management company. For now, we will keep things as they are. The Diocese will be giving Jim a lease agreement template that we will implement as soon as possible. Rent increases are effective July 1.
• The heater in the school is broken and it can’t be fixed. The estimate is $16k to replace. Bill suggested taking the money out of reserve funds to pay for it.
• Staff changes: Silas, the new custodian, quit suddenly. Isaac, the school custodian gave 2 weeks’ notice for a better paying job. We promoted Christine Matthews, the cook, to take Andrea’s job. We hired a new cook, Violet, who is also taking on custodian duties so she will be full-time. And a new parishioner, Amos, who reached out to Jim has agreed to take the custodian job on the weekends.
• Shelly met with a possible 5^th grade teacher for the next school year.

6. Old Business:

• Budgets: Bill asked why the Vacation expense doubled in the budget for 23/24. Vacation expense was never converted when we changed to accrual basis. Budgets will be adopted at next month’s meeting.
• I Bonds- it may take another 13 weeks before the account is ready to use as we are awaiting IRS approval.
• The 3-month T-Bill matured. It was reinvested in accordance with previous recommendations from the Finance Council.

7. New Business: None

Fr. Raj ended the meeting with a prayer at 5:42pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely

Terry began the meeting at 5:03 pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Bob Dressler, Bill Jacobs,  Anne Welborn

Absent:  Brad DeSaye, Keoni Murphy, Eileen Grant

Staff: Fr. Raj,  Donna Maneely

1. Minutes Approval:

• Anne motioned to approve the March meeting minutes; Terry seconded it; approved

2. Financial Statements:

• Bob motioned to approve the March Financials; Terry seconded the motion; motion approved

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Anne reviewed the March bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted

4. Pastor’s Report:

• Our Holy Week celebration went well; received good feedback and appreciation for the Stations of the Cross
• 46 people were confirmed at the Easter Vigil; 12 baptized
• World Youth Day pilgrims are meeting regularly and planning additional fundraising events
• The Light of the World Retreat is April 29^th and 30^th. 40 people have signed up to attend.
• The Youth retreat at Chapel Rock is April 28^th– April 30^th.
• Confirmation and First Communion is on May 6^th; David Kelash will be administering the sacraments to the children.
• The 8^th grade graduation Mass is May 23^rd at 6pm.
• While Fr. Gaspar is away we have a couple of visiting priests: Fr. Alberto Ruiz is here until April 30^th and Fr. Darrin will be here from May 4^th-May 14^th.
• Staff transitions: Andrea Myers, Administrative Assistant is leaving May 12^th, Christine Matthews, the current Cook will be taking her place. We are looking for a new Cook for the rectory. John Gust, Maintenance Manager, retired; Victor Buitrago assumed his role. Silas McAfee was hired as Victor’s replacement.
• Muriel Rabideau will be retiring next year.
• There will be a Corpus Christi Feast procession on June 11^th at 12:15.
• Fr. Raj requested that the next meeting be changed from May 31^st to the 24^th since he can not attend on the 31^st.

5. Parish Manager Report:

• Donna updated the council on the Easter and regular collections. Easter-$29,444, plate-$58,174 and Online Giving-$41,408
• Jim was not able to attend the meeting as he was on vacation. He sent a report to the Council:
  • Holy Week, Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday were successful. About 250-300 people attended Stations of the Cross on the Square and another 200 attended at the Church.
  • The roof contract is complete and we have made a down payment. The down payment was paid entirely from parishioner donations and the Diocesan Capital Campaign funds. The roof has been removed from the 23-24 reserve budget as it will be completed this fiscal year. The roof installation will start May 15^th.
  • Jim applied for the $75k  warranty payment from Bosch on the solar panels. We are waiting to receive it in our account. Still no word from  the Diocese on the contract with Scout Solar to replace the broken panels. The contract cost will be offset by the $75k warranty payment.
  • IBonds-after several weeks PNC Bank received the seal for the required paperwork which was mailed to the IRS last week. Once approved we can move forward with the IBonds. Fr. Raj received notice that it could take up to 13 weeks before the account is ready to use.
  • Bill Jacobs proposed a question about the safety of our investments in light of the failure of Silicon Valley banks. Jim sent a request  for information to IFA and BOK and they both provided a response which was sent to the council.
  • CDA-$115,392 which is 84% of goal
  • Fr. James Sichko will be our Easter Mission speaker on May 14^th and 15^th.
  • The Diocesan attorney reviewed the Property Management contract and advised several language changes. He does not believe that the contract protected the parish’s rights and also requested language to be added to protect our religious liberties. The vendor will not revise the contract, so the Diocesan attorney strongly recommended that we not proceed. If anyone is aware of another property management company, please let Jim know.

6. Old Business:

• Budgets:
  • Parish: added the 6% increase to health insurance; health insurance expense actually decreased since one employee opted to drop the insurance.
  • The Parish currently has a surplus of $23k, which we may need to use to subsidize the school.
  • School: health insurance cost increased due to the 6% rate increase
  • The school budget currently has a deficit of $13k. There is nothing more that we can cut and Jim does not recommend increasing revenue projections any more. Radio Ads promoting the school will begin May 1^st and run for 4 months. Bill suggested creating an endowment for the school to help with the deficit. He will contact Catholic Community Foundation.
  • The reserve budget is on hold as we wait for word from the Diocese on the contract with Scout Solar.

7. New Business: None

Fr. Raj ended the meeting with a prayer at 5:45pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely

Terry began the meeting at 4:28pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Brad DeSaye, Bill Jacobs, Eileen Grant,  Anne Welborn

Absent:  Bob Dressler, Keoni Murphy

Staff: Fr. Raj, Jim Wren, Donna Maneely, Shelly Cooper, Fr. Gaspar

1. Minutes Approval:

• Bill requested to change the word “tithes” to “plate collections” in the February minutes.
• Eileen motioned to approve the amended March meeting minutes; Brad seconded it; approved

2. Financial Statements:

• Gaspar explained that even though he is working for the Claretian Order he is still working full time for Sacred Heart, but is only being paid half time even though this is budgeted full time.
• Anne motioned to approve the January Financials; Brad seconded the motion; motion approved
• Brad motioned to approve the February Financials; Eileen seconded the motion; motion approved

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Brad reviewed the January bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted
• Eileen reviewed the February bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted.

4. Pastor’s Report:

• Holy Week begins next week
• World Youth Day is August 1-8 in Lisbon, Portugal. 7 pilgrims from Sacred Heart are attending. Fundraising is ongoing. They are meeting each month for hikes etc. Fr. Raj is also going to WYD. Gaspar is concerned that not all of the pilgrims are showing up for the fundraisers; this has a greater impact on our Parishioners.
• Fr. Raj will be attending the Day of Reflection on April 3^rd at the Diocese.
• Fr. Raj praised the Eucharistic Exhibition; almost 1000 people walked through the exhibit.
• Divine Mercy Sunday is on April 16^th
• 47 people are to be confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass and 10 will be baptized
• The Confirmation and First Eucharist Mass for the Atrium and school children is on May 6^th. Fr. David Kelash will be administering the sacraments.
• Fr. Raj commented that the Youth Ministry and Young Adult programs are doing well.

5. Parish Manager Report:

• Charity and Development Appeal update: $107k, which is close to 80% of our goal.
• March plate collection: $86k and online giving $47k so far
• The Carlo Acutis Eucharistic Exhibit was very successful. The exhibit was kept open late each evening due to the number of people attending.
• Jim met Bishop Dolan at St. Germaine’s while attending Mass there one weekend; Jim asked him when he was coming to Sacred Heart. He replied, ‘soon.’
• Roof status: Jim originally reached out to the Diocese after Christmas. Since then we have had many leaks due to all the rain and snow this winter. We have received 2 bids that were submitted to the Diocese in January. The Diocese had several delays in responding and there was confusion about a resolution being done. This is now close to being resolved and we should be able to schedule the new roof installation soon.
• John Gust is retiring April 14^th; Victor Buitrago will be the new Maintenance Supervisor. We hired Silas McAfee to replace Victor.
• Jim will not be attending the April meeting as he will be on vacation. He will send his report before the meeting.

6. Old Business:

• I-Bonds: The Diocese has passed a Resolution that we can invest with Treasury Direct. We are waiting on our bank to obtain a seal to attach to the paperwork. Once this is completed, we can start investing.
• Rentals:
  • 233 Summit-we should have the architect plans next week and hopefully start in early Spring. Bill asked if Catholic Mutual will cover the loss of the rentals during the renovation. Yes, they will.
  • Jim met with property management agency, Community Real Estate: they will rewrite the rental agreements, inspect the houses, refer maintenance issues to our maintenance department, collect rent, advise tenants when rent is late, etc. Their fee is 10% of rents. Jim gave the information to Dennis Naughton at the Diocese; he is supportive of the concept. We are waiting to hear back from the Diocese.
• Budgets: We have not received any information about benefit increases from the Diocese.
  • Parish changes include rent income increase along with 10% property management fee and salary increases
  • School changes include raising number of students due to anticipated marketing strategies and salary increases
  • RCIA-added an additional Director to begin in January as Muriel is retiring in June 2024.
  • Jim is planning to have a new Reserve Budget to review in April; waiting to hear from Scout Solar about the solar panels.

Fr. Gaspar ended the meeting with a prayer at 5:25pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely

Terry began the meeting at 4:35pm.

Fr. Raj opened the meeting with a prayer.

Present: Terry Brennan, Brad DeSaye, Bill Jacobs, Eileen Grant-via phone

Absent:  Anne Welborn, Bob Dressler, Keoni Murphy

Staff: Fr. Raj, Jim Wren, Donna Maneely, Shelly Cooper, Fr. Gaspar

1. Minutes Approval:

• Bill motioned to approve the November meeting minutes; Brad seconded it; approved

2. Financial Statements:

• Bill motioned to approve the November Financials; Brad seconded the motion; motion approved
• Brad motioned to approve the December Financials; Bill seconded the motion; motion approved

3. Bank Statement Approval:

• Terry reviewed the November bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted
• Eileen reviewed the December bank reconciliation; no discrepancies noted

4. Pastor’s Report:

• Lent begins tomorrow-February 22nd; Masses will be held Monday-Thursday at 5:30 pm during Lent
• Confessions are held on Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays and more confession times may be added toward the end of Lent.
• Stations of the Cross will take place each Friday of Lent at 6pm in Spanish and 7pm in English.
• A Liturgy Meeting is scheduled in March.
• A Congress is being held for the Eucharistic Renewal in 2024. We hope to have ten parishioners attend.
• All the clergy from the Diocese will be attending a conference in June led by Amazing Parish. The conference will discuss how to make parish life fruitful and vibrant.
• Eight parishioners (including Fr. Raj) along with two Claretians are preparing to attend World Youth Day in Portugal this summer. Tickets have been purchased and another $6-7k needs to be fundraised.

5. Parish Manager Report:

• Charity and Development Appeal update: we are half way to our goal of $138k
• Solar panels update:  Bosch is not able to supply the panels. They have asked that we take the $75k offer instead. We haven’t received an estimate yet for panels. There is money in restricted funds to help with replacing the solar panels.
• Roof update: the church roof needs to be replaced; we have had numerous leaks.  Two estimates have been received and we plan to use Arrow Roofing. We have money from the Diocesan campaign and parishioner donations to help pay for the roof. We are waiting on final approval from the Diocese. Arrow Roofing estimates the project will take about 2 weeks depending on what is going on at the church, i.e. funerals.
• Jim had planned to travel to Lake Havasu to help Our Lady of the Lake Parish with their finances. It did not work out so he held a conference call with them. He answered a lot of their questions and made some recommendations. The Pastor would still like him to go there to meet. Jim plans to assist them with a needed capital campaign.
• Two bequests are in progress- one is slated for non-school youth programs. We cannot reduce the budget as of yet since we do not know when it will be finalized. The other is a $1,000,000 bequest for the school to be received at an undetermined time.
• Good Friday Stations of the Cross: We now have to schedule this within a certain time frame, pay an administration fee and a $1,500 deposit. Jim argued that we only use the sidewalk so we shouldn’t have to pay the deposit and Fr. Raj wrote a letter disagreeing with the deposit. We will still pay the deposit since it is an important event.  Yavapai County will be in charge of this directly next year, which concerns Jim.
• T-Bills:  The process to set up this investment has been difficult. BOK Financial did not invest the money until February and we started the process in November.  The Diocese required a resolution which was not initially known.
• Bishop Dolan made some changes to the reporting structure: Doug Pritchard now reports to the CFO, which makes more sense.
• Eucharistic Miracle exhibit by Blessed Carlo Acutis will be here March 17-20^th. Volunteers are needed to help with exhibit.
• Jim completed performance reviews for parish staff.

6. Old Business:

• I-Bonds: Diocese agreed to approve the formal resolution as an exception to invest in I-bonds. We are waiting for Bishop Dolan’s signature to go forward.
• Rentals: 233 Summit had a fire on New Year’s Eve. The house has been cleared out and we are going to rebuild. We are working with Catholic Mutual. Everything will be covered by insurance including lost rent.  Since it is in an historic district, the roof has to look similar to the old one. The tenants would like to move back in once it is rebuilt.
• Jim spoke with a real estate agent to get average square footage rental prices in Prescott. They run between $1.80 and $2.00 a square foot so we should raise rents since we are under charging for most of the houses. Bill suggested hiring a property manager to take care of collecting rents and maintenance requests.  Fr. Raj was not sure about hiring a manager. He is concerned about a conflict of interest with our Catholic values. But he would agree to it if the Diocese approves. Jim puts in a lot of time with this so it would be nice to have a property manager. Brad agreed that we should have a property manager. He spoke from experience as he has a rental. He will share his property manager information with Jim. The cost is 10% of the rental income.

7. New Business:

• 2024 Budgets: Jim explained that we left some of the budgets out of balance so the council could see the issues we are facing. The school, in particular, will have a hard time balancing.
  • Shelly explained that it is hard to bring in new families; it is a transient town. ESA -Universal Vouchers- brought in a few new students. CEA can only be used for tuition and if using ESA, a student cannot use CEA. Fewer families will use CEA next school year and so the CEA revenue budget has been reduced. Kindergarten is not fully funded with ESA so those families may use CEA and if a student needs services from the public-school system, they cannot use ESA. Shelly also explained that ESA charges a 2.5% fee.
  • The school did not have a Gala this year and Shelly cannot find anyone willing to volunteer to chair it.
  • Shelly feels that Kindergarten will be full so the school will hopefully start building from the bottom.
  • Brad asked Shelly how she recruits students: word of mouth, chamber of commerce, St. Germaine’s, St. Catherine’s, advertise in bulletin. Brad suggested adding information about ESA which should appeal to families. He also suggested running radio ads in June and July. He offered to help Shelly.
  • Shelly is hoping to get the 400 club up and running again and is putting it in the budget. She would also like to increase the number of Bingo nights. She would like parents to take it over. Bill suggested asking the Knights of Columbus for help with Bingo.
  • Preschool is having budget issues, as well. The Catholic School’s office is not recommending taking Quality First money due to changes that do not align with our Catholic beliefs. It will be difficult to get more students without having scholarships from Quality First. ESA will cover preschool tuition for any child who will turn 5 by 12/31/23.
  • We have not heard from the Diocese yet about benefits or parish salary increase recommendations.
• Bill recommends increasing the reserve transfer to $20k per month from the current $18k next fiscal year.
• Jim briefly spoke about the Blue Cross and Blue Shield hospital issue. Our insurance is not being accepted by the hospital in Prescott which may cause problems for some of our employees if they need to be admitted the hospital or have a doctor affiliated with the hospital.
• Bill asked if there has been any discussion about reaching out to our parishioners to increase the collection plate. Jim explained that we need to find the right time for it. With CEA and the CDA going on right now it is not a good time; maybe at Easter since attendance is high.

Fr. Gaspar ended the meeting with a prayer at 5:48pm.

Respectfully submitted by Donna Maneely