Property Committee
Property Report: Painting, Repairs & Fire Doors
By Steve Cathcart · Property Chair
The Property Committee has been hard at work for the past several months. We are continuing the painting of the south side of the entrance around the windows of the office and Library, together with repainting the curb yellow at the entrance.
We have cut up the fallen tree in the grove, together with downing a dead double tree adjacent to the north rear parking lot — just in front of the outside altar.
The Play Group has hired a professional painter and has painted three of the classrooms a light color. The Play Group, at some point, will paint colorful designs on the walls, to make it more pleasing for young students.
Dave Rulon is now a part-time employee. To supplement his duties, the church has hired an outside cleaning service. That service is responsible for all ten bathrooms, the Library, Shockey Lounge, Office (3 rooms), the Choir room and the Choir Director’s office. They have been on the job for over a month and are doing an excellent job.
Dave Rulon keeping our grounds in good order.
We are in the process of repairing the fountain. The old pump died and we are in the process of installing a new pump.
Last month the Property Committee shampooed the rugs in the following locations: Office, Library and Shockey Lounge.
We are in the process, a slow one, of replacing entrance keys with key cards. It is a slow process, but we will continue it through the Fall. This gives us the ability to keep the building more secure, and to monitor who enters and leaves the building at any given time.
The Kitchen Stove Will Be Fully Operational by September
Earlier this year, your Congregation Council suspended the use of the large stove in our kitchen. We felt, at that time, the expense was too great for the several times we used the stove. In my Annual Report to the Congregation in June, I reported the Council’s decision. Several members of the congregation expressed concern and approached Council at the July meeting. Valid discussion was held, and your Congregation Council reversed their decision. The stove will be fully operational by September.
Welcome to Kim Villani
Kim Villani is the newest member to our group. Her responsibility is the beautification of the church property. She has taken this job by storm and is doing a wonderful job. She deserves a round of applause.
Annual Fire Inspection and Required Fire Doors
Each year, usually around the beginning of May, the Moorestown Fire Marshal visits St. Matthew to perform our annual inspection. Most generally, the Marshal finds a few violations, and your Property Committee resolves those issues within several weeks. However, this past inspection left the Committee with a violation far more serious than ever before. The violation requires St. Matthew to install “fire doors” at the following locations:
- The double doors leading from the gym to the narthex
- The single door leading from the gym to the back door hallway
- The single door leading from the gym to the second floor (superintendent’s office)
- The door from the stairs of the superintendent’s office to the storage room
We are reviewing quotes and expect an outside contractor to install the required fire doors sometime this Fall.