Here are the results of the Dot Voting for Budget Priorities that was held on February 26 and March 4. 
113 members, representing a quarter of UUCB membership, participated.

These priorities and their costs will be considered by the Stewardship Team and the Coordinating Team in developing the budget that will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval by the congregation at the May congregational meeting.  We recognize that it is a challenge to translate our desires into the funds required to achieve our objectives.  If each of us gives our fair share, than we can be successful.  May it be so!

# of votes

Priority Statements

61

Achieve fair compensation for our ministers and all UUCB employees.

58

Build a strong building reserve fund:  Explore capital campaign to fund facility projects.

52

Support RE and Family Ministry in this year of discernment by funding FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) position.

43

Continue to green our facility:  Explore expansion of solar panels to produce our own electricity and sell back to PG&E.  Explore wind power as an alternative energy source.

37

Continue our support of causes that reflect our principles:  UU Legislative Ministry projects, expansion of outreach and social justice activities.

35

Increase efforts to grow the church by adequately funding staff to coordinate membership efforts.

21

Enhance our music program by funding for bells and providing compensation for rehearsal pianist.

15

Continue to support use of technology and social networking tools at UUCB.

11

Support leadership education for the Board of Trustees.

7

Support educational opportunities for youth in our partnership church in Transylvania.

Cynthia

Submitted by Cynthia Asprodites on behalf of the rest of the Coordinating team: Cynthia Asprodites, Anne Greenwood, Margaret Gudmundsson, Bill Hamilton-Holway, and Beth Pollard.

RE Discernment Process  The recommendation on this year's staffing (2012/13) is in process: Marcus Leifert will have a second year of internship with 1/3 of his time as an RE Intern to provide continuity for the program.      The other 2/3 of his time will be as a community minister intern with an emphasis on entrepreneurial community ministry. Amy Moses Lagos (currently the intern at Mt Diablo UU) will be the Family Minister at 18 hours per week and Sherry Prud'homme will be an RE Consultant   at 6 hours per week providing experience in teacher training and curriculum.  This will add up to the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) that is available for the RE program.

The CT feels that the recommendation on long term discernment perhaps lacks clarity, and a process for communication with the congregation needs to be established.  The Board is charged with beginning a congregational educational process, in line with their linkage efforts.  The RE discernment task force recommends hiring an RE professional for the following year, rather than calling a minister. That means the congregation would not vote on a candidate (who still could be a minister).  Rather, the CT/RE Committee would recommend, and the Board would vote on the choice. The person(s) [1 FTE] would be supervised by one of the co-ministers. The congregation needs to learn about the various possibilities for such hiring, funding, and supervising, and a timeline for a search process needs to be established.

Margaret

Submitted by Margaret Gudmundsson on behalf of the rest of the Coordinating team: Cynthia Asprodites, Anne Greenwood, Margaret Gudmundsson, Bill Hamilton-Holway, and Beth Pollard.

This year our tradition of Dot Voting continues.  The priorities established assist the Coordinating Team in developing our operating budget for the next fiscal year, 2012–2013.

By the time you read this article, the priorities will have been selected, but we thought we’d give you a review of how we did with last year’s priorities.

Achieving fair compensation for our ministers and all UUCB employees continues to be our top priority.  The year before last, we managed a 1% salary increase for staff, and this year a 1% salary increase for our ministers.  We were not able to raise staff salaries this year, but we avoided furloughs.  We still have a ways to go to achieve fair compensation.  We offered choice in health care coverage while reducing health care costs.  We have funded an increase in time for our business admin-istrator, from 16 to 20 hours a week, and we have hired an office assistant 15 hours a week, which has allowed Alisa to shift some of her office time to focus on membership and volunteer efforts.  Though we have not mounted a campaign to increase membership, our RE and Family Ministry program has shown growth in participation, and intern ministry next year will continue to support the program.

We continue to support causes that reflect our principles and values through such activities as the Harmony Walk, Thanksgiving Food Drive, UULM projects, and social action related to immigration as a moral issue.  With respect to greening our facility, we have upgraded our ability to monitor electricity usage, but we do not have the capacity to expand solar panels at this time.  We now have a line item in our budget for a building reserve fund, which is important as we explore meeting critical facilities needs.  Finally, we funded a full financial audit as mandated in our bylaws.

Living up to our mission and our priorities is a continual process.  We thank you for all your support.

Cynthia

Submitted by Cynthia Asprodites on behalf of the rest of the Coordinating team: Cynthia Asprodites, Anne Greenwood, Margaret Gudmundsson, Bill Hamilton-Holway, and Beth Pollard.