Our Parking Lot
I recently learned from a long-time parishioner that our parking lot hasn’t been redone in the 45 years she’s aware of. That’s a long time! And it helps me understand why it’s in such bad shape. (Our Catholic Mutual insurance inspectors regularly tell us to get it done, so as to reduce trip hazards.)
As I understand it, we’ve been patching it and patching it and patching it. That’s better than nothing, but it’s time to redo the whole thing. That’s the consensus of our Facilities Committee and Finance Council.
Right now, we’re still researching asphalt contractors. We have one bid so far, for about $90K. By the time you read this, I hope to have a 2nd bid for comparison.
If all goes well, we’ll schedule the work during the summer, when school’s not in session.
And by “all goes well”, I mean the process to pay for the repaving. We expect to use available cash in combination with financing from Catholic Finance Corporation. That’s how we were able to replace roofs on the school and Parish Center last year.
By “available cash”, I’m not referring to everything in our bank accounts. We have a dedicated savings account, and we regularly add a portion of the charter school’s rent payments to that savings account.
Speaking of the charter school, we’re close to renewing its lease for one year. That’s all we can ask for at this time, given that our current proxy* approval from the Archdiocese expires in 2025. Come July, we will begin negotiations for a new, longer-term lease—which involves Archdiocesan proxy approval.
*Proxy approvals are required by the Archdiocese for leases and major projects. They were instituted years ago, because some parishes went bankrupt for lack of adequate financial oversight.
Thank you for your support, and have a great week!
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