On Wednesday, October 20th, 7pm, 18 people gathered, and 11 via zoom, to vote on the following motion presented by Nick Berardi, Chair of Trustees:
"I move that the Rockport United Methodist Church membership herby acknowledges and empowers the duly elected church trustees of our congregation, to act upon our behalf as our legally authorized representatives in the sale of the church parsonage. They are thus authorized to enter into a contract to sell the parsonage; receive bids and negotiate a closing price and date; and to act as representatives of the church in all legal and contractual duties in order to complete the sale of this property."
(see picture above newly painted parsonage)
All voted in favor, by a show of hands, 17 in person and 10 via zoom, to sell the parsonage. (Rev. Don Kraps and Rev. Dr. Steve Bailey did not vote) Minutes are posted below.
All Church Conference10-20-21Meeting Minutes18 in attendance in person (Dan Newman, Kira Holchin, Gail & Dave Stephan, Dianne Hall, Lisa Kay, Scott & Sara Chapman, Diamond Economy, Jim & Diana Leitch, Colleen Lowmiller, Ellen Todia, Lynn & Mike Wilkenson, Susan Shick, Nick Berardi & Rev. Don Kraps), 11 in attendance via Zoom call (Dennis O’Neil, Jim & Sue Spallino, Ernie & Mickey Hopp, Linda Hartford, Bill Eyman, Mark Hausman, David Rice, Larry Nusser & Rev. Dr. Steve Bailey)
District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Steve Bailey, presided over the meeting and explained the purpose of the meeting.
Pastor Don Kraps began with a prayer.
Lisa Kay was nominated to be secretary for the All Church Conference. All voted by show of hands.
Nick Berardi, Chair of Trustees, made the following motion:
I move that the Rockport United Methodist Church membership herby acknowledges and empowers the duly elected church trustees of our congregation, to act upon our behalf and as our legally authorized representatives in the sale of the church parsonage. They are thus authorized to enter into a contract to sell the parsonage; receive bids and negotiate a closing price and date; and to act as representatives of the church in all legal and contractual duties in order to complete the sale of this property.Questions from members of the church included:
What are the pros and cons considered in making this motion?Pros included no unexpected costs to repair the home and values of homes are currently high. Cons included that there will be no parsonage in the future if we have a full-time pastor again and renting the parsonage includes making repairs and painting when renters move out.
Have For Sale by Owner vs. using a realtor been considered?Four realtors have given us their recommended value (average value is $383,500). Trustees recommend For Sale By Owner for a few weeks to see what happens. Attorneys in the church family are willing to handle the sale documentation.
The county has increased the value of homes in Rocky River. Has that higher value been considered?Yes. The estimated value of the parsonage is $375,000.
If the house sells, is it correct that the money needs to be in a fund for five years, untouched? Yes, the United Methodist rules are such so that if a parsonage is again needed, there will be money on hand to purchase one. However, there can be negotiation on that with the District Superintendent for special circumstances.
Six years ago Rockport spent approximately $100,000 for mold remediation for the parsonage.Can we access that investment into the property?That amount, plus any repairs to the parsonage prior to putting it up for sale, is accessible by Rockport (don’t need to wait 5 years to access that money).
What are the considerations if we rent the parsonage? A management company would need to be hired, however, they are very difficult to find for just one property. The property management company gets 10-12% of the gross rent plus the first month’s rent. They also control the maintenance of the property and get a percentage of the repair costs too. In addition, the church would still pay property tax and insurance. Renting vs. investing the net sales amount is about a wash (investing the money with 4% return vs the net rental income). We can make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world with the money from the sale of the parsonage vs. having those funds tied up in the parsonage.
Nick Berardi, on behalf of the Trustees, made the motion to sell the parsonage above. By a show of hands, 17 members in attendance in person and 10 in attendance via Zoom affirmed the motion to sell the parsonage.
Ernie Hopp moved to adjourn the meeting.
Lisa Kay, Recording Secretary
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