VINCENT VERNAY

Repair and maintenance of facilities — planning and support activities under way

The repair and maintenance of church and school facilities is one of the major recommendations of our diocesan strategic plan, “Diocesan Road Map for Pastoral, Program, and Facility Needs 2008-2013.” In a previous Herald article (9/19/08), we discussed the importance of parish communities devoting time and talent to the preservation of parish and school assets. Stewardship of facilities means having parish members serve on the parish Planning and Building Committee (PPBC) or in another capacity that improves comfort and safety and enhances the spiritual experience of all.

To assist parish communities with the stewardship of their facilities and making use of their time and talent, the diocese has made available for all parishes two manuals.

The “Parish Maintenance and Facilities Manual (Volume I)” assists each PPBC with the task of identifying major repair and maintenance issues. The manual is based on the principle that it is important to recognize and prioritize needed maintenance work. Delaying such work only makes future costs higher — the choice is to pay now or pay more later.

It is the task of the PPBC to organize repair projects into a prioritized list with an estimated cost for each project. Sharing this information with the parish community provides parishioners with insight into future obligations and encourages members to share their time and talent in support of projects.

Once the itemized project list is developed and accepted by the parish, the next steps in the process are outlined in “Volume II, Planning Process for Parishes, New Construction, Renovation, Repairs and Maintenance.” This manual provides parishes with guidelines for project description and design, scope of work, bidding and contracting.

Once a parish has developed a general project description, it provides the bishop with a letter of intent. This letter includes sufficient detail to describe the purpose of the project and, if possible, the estimated cost. It is especially important to note in the letter any planned modification to a worship space. Worship space modifications require special attention and may necessitate the assistance of a liturgical consultant and adherence to the guidance provided in the publication “Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship.” A copy of this document is included in Volume II. The parish letter of intent is forwarded to the bishop through the Diocesan Planning and Building Commission.

Upon the bishop’s approval, the PPBC develops a scope of work. It is very important that this document be detailed and complete. The scope of work document provides the detail needed by an architect/consultant or contractor to do their work. The manual then provides guidance for bidding the project to an architect/consultant or contractor. During the bid process, the scope of work may be further clarified through interaction with the bidders. A lack of clarity in the scope of work usually leads to a contested outcome that can cost additional resources because of unnecessary change orders.

Volume II also provides guidance for building green, addressing sustainability issues, and recognizing the special needs of the handicapped. The manual provides samples of letters of intent, scope of work documents, change order forms, and contracts for architects, consultants, contractors and project managers. These samples take into account the variations needed for different design or construction cost levels.

Projects over $10,000 require review by the Diocesan Planning and Building Commission (DPBC) before the project is bid. The commission considers the scope of work, design planning, and the estimated project cost. The DPBC makes recommendations to the bishop about proceeding with the project. Depending on the size of the project and the design criteria, the DPBC may request another briefing by the PPBC with an update of its plans and estimated costs.

A number of parishes are already using the two volumes described above. Parishes that are considering repair and maintenance projects and are not yet familiar with these manuals should contact Vincent Vernay at vvernay@rcchawaii.org. Improving our facilities is a way of saving resources that can be directed to other ministries and a very visible way of implementing our Road Map and witnessing to Jesus.