Those who attended the Annual Meeting on June 14 may recall that two issues came from the “floor” as items of new business. One related to the composition of the Nominating Committee, the process by which the Nominating Committee members are chosen, nepotism, and the lack of diversity in the slates presented for a vote. The Board will consider this issue, using the experience of current Nominating Committee members and input already received from members and will make recommendations in time to be part of the next nominating cycle.

The second issue was a proposal that, since we are not using our building for meetings or services, our parking lot could be used for a temporary encampment of tiny homes to alleviate the homelessness exacerbated by the pandemic. At the meeting, it was recommended that this be referred to the Facilities Committee for a determination of feasibility.

A proposal was submitted on June 24, and was reviewed by the chairs of Facilities Management and Oversight Committee and Safety and Risk Management Committee, and representatives of the Board and Personnel. Thirty-nine areas of concern were identified, questions which would need to be answered before the proposal could go to the Board of Trustees. These included the identity of the lead non-profit organization who would be responsible for ongoing operations and any agreement on how the organization and QUUF would work together; there was no estimate of start-up costs, ongoing budget, or fund-raising plan. There was no determination from the City of Port Townsend regarding zoning requirements and other stipulations they might impose. Many other details remained to be negotiated.

The Board was notified of the request and one sensitive response read “Even if everything would work great, I would not want to have to send them away once the virus is under control. If there is a place to send them in the future, let’s find that place now.” This reflects the recognition that homelessness is a problem in our community, and that we want to assist where we can, just not this way.

Based on the recommendations and concerns of those who reviewed the proposal, we will not go forward with this project. The proposed project is beyond the capacity of QUUF during this time of reduced staff, increased spiritual and emotional needs of our congregants and pandemic uncertainty.