| By Ron Burleigh | |
Hi to All-
Wow; it so nice to be able to work around the campus and not be soaking wet. Hopefully, fall is here for good!
Last month I mentioned that we were doing another in-depth look at our utility bill and whether there was an opportunity to save a hundred dollars or so each month. The answer was NO. Our utility bill for the year (Oct ’07 to Sept ’08) was $16,402. This was with using the ‘Time of Use’ program which gives us a big break for using electricity during off-peak hours, but penalizes us at an extremely high rate for use during peak periods. If we would have had “Standard Use” billing for the same kilowatt usage, it would have cost us $19,666, a $3,264 increase or about 20%. The big thing for all of us to remember is that the major cost of using electricity at the church is determined by the max draw of kilo watt hours for any 30 minute period during peak periods. So, during the summer months (Apr thru Oct) the peak hours are from 12 noon to 9 pm and therefore if we have usage during that time it will set the penalty rate for the entire month. If the following week we have an even higher usage (for any 30 min. period) then that becomes the penalty rate for the entire month. Each new month the slate is wiped clean and we start over again. We are looking to see what usage events could be controlled (keep them in the mornings or in Knox, since it is cooled during peak hours) to see if we can reduce our bills. And of course the cost of electricity for all of us has gone up 30% in the last year and then there are taxes too! During winter months we do better since the peak hours are from 8 to 10am and again from 6 to 10pm. And now,
Once around the church…
Church Grounds:
The front hedges on the East side of Calvin were trimmed and shaped.
The motion activated floods lighting the walkway between the Sanctuary and the Center Circle have not been working. They were found to be defective and were replaced.
We lost all the outside lighting between Fellowship Hall and the Chapel; this included the coach lights along the courtyard wall. After much troubleshooting, the circuit breaker was located and electrical shorts isolated. The two coach lamps were refitted with new bulb holders and power is now back on. Center lights on the oaks have been temporarily disconnected, pending the replacement of the rusted out flood light fixtures. A schematic of this circuit was produced so that future maintenance custodians will be able to service it.
Speed bumps. The newly raised speed bumps, which have caused all drivers to slow down when transgressing our parking lots, have been painted with stripes. The painting of the fronts bumps are still in progress. Per the last Session meeting they will be left at their current height.
The drainage system around the West side of Fellowship Hall has become clogged over the years. A new drainage ditch was cut between the two main swales to the drain grate. Thanks to Jack Sprunger for his help in this effort.
As approved by the Property Commission, the oak located next to the Center Circle was removed. This oak was responsible for breaking the concrete walkway that runs by it and also lifting parts of the Center Circle concrete. The old broken concrete was removed last year and new cement poured but it was also lifted by the oak. A Chinese Fan palm located beneath the oak will now receive more light and eventually replace the oak without damaging the sidewalks, etc.
All sidewalks are in the process of being pressured washed. The job is approximately half way complete and should complete by the 2nd week of Nov.
The large cedars (juniper) located between the Sanctuary and the Center Circle as well as the one by the Chapel A/C unit were trimmed and limbs hauled off.
Emergency Lighting inside all Buildings: Each of our buildings contains an emergency lighting system that is suppose to come on when we loose power. I started checking these systems and almost all had dead batteries and would not work. New batteries have been received and will be installed over the next 2 weeks.
The South/West irrigation system was activated and evaluated for problems. Eight (8) heads were broken and replaced and 2 breaks in the line were discovered and repaired. All heads (approx 45) were cleaned and grass cut away from them. Soil was added to each head and the cement donut was dug out and placed up higher which protects the head from lawn mower traffic. The system is now in good shape.
Chapel:
Two ceiling mounted spots had burn bulbs and were changed. They provide direct lighting to the chancel.
Calvin Hall:
A small fan has now been mounted high out of childrens reach and connected into the light switch system. This fan now circulates air in this room whenever the lights are turned on forces the A/C throughout the room.
A design for 2 access railings was submitted to Property and approved. These railings will now be constructed by a local welding contractor and I will install them next to the South facing doorway. These railing will provide that extra level of support for our senior members as they enter and exit the building. ECD is approx 2 weeks.
A bi-fold door was repaired for BCC and a table was modified to shorten the legs to facilitate use by the children.
Fellowship Hall:
One of the large picture windows in FH has been cracked (by a rock). We are currently getting bids to have this window replaced.
Sanctuary:
The thermostat associated with the choir area failed and was replaced. Thanks to Cliff Schmitt for his work in this endeavor.
Bride’s Room/Cry Room bathroom repair and repainting still in process.
A layout was made of the 197 overhead spots. With this layout, the bulbs that aren’t working due to electrical problems in the holder can be identified so I don’t attempt to keep changing them.
A schematic was made of the available circuits on the Chancel. This info was proved to OMEC to support their need to identify available power for the upcoming Concert Series programs.
Manse:
The Manse has/had a significant ant and spider problem. The property was sprayed with a powerful poison, both inside and out to try and eliminate the problem. All rooms were swept to clean up the dead insects/ants.
So, until next time I’ll be seeing you around Riverside.