Our community meeting in June gave me an opportunity to discuss in detail many of the issues that I write about in this column and, more casually, chat about with members of the Micah community. I welcome your questions--even the hard ones--because they reflect the community's deep care and concern about our well-being and our future. So let me begin by repeating my openness to hearing your concerns, welcoming your input and encouraging your engagement.

Many of the questions raised at the meeting related to the status of our expansion campaign. Because some members have raised a few of these issues during solicitation calls for our capital campaign, I thought it would be useful to set out some "Expansion Plans FAQs."

Q: Costs have increased by about 50 percent. why didn't we anticipate this rise in the cost of the expansion?

A: Our initial estimate of $2 million for the entire project was based on an estimate of slightly more than $1.3 million for total "hard costs" given by UniWest, our general contractor. UniWest based its estimate on the conceptual drawings and the price of labor and supplies at the time. We added $700,000 in additional costs, including professional fees and finishing costs, to come to the overall goal of $2 million for our capital campaign.

The past three years have seen unprecedented increases in construction costs, and incredible volatility in the industry. The reasons for this upsurge are many and include a scarcity of certain materials (e.g., steel in China), the scarcity of labor, increases in fuel costs and a pent-up, upward pressure on prices that was released as a result of these other factors.

A safety-code change also contributed to the bigger price tag. The District fire code imposed a new requirement that called for a sprinkler system throughout the entire building, both the original structure and the expansion space. The cost for this unanticipated work is about $300,000.

Q: Isn't there a way to cut costs and still keep us within our original budget?

A: The board and architects reviewed every detail of the plans and eliminated features that we thought were not essential to the addition. For example, for the facade of the building we substituted less expensive materials instead of brick, and we also changed stone steps to concrete. Through a number of similar changes, we trimmed more than $300,000 from the project. Any additional changes would reduce the usefulness of the building, and thus not be cost effective.

Q: Would we get a better price if we hired a different contractor?

A: A small percentage of the overall cost is attributable to the general contractor. Moreover, using UniWest, which built our original structure, has its own benefits. We expect that the contractor's knowledge of the building will streamline the work and prevent "surprises."

As I write this column, we are still in the process of contacting members for our capital campaign funding. I will report in my next column on the progress of this effort. In the meantime, I thank the large number of you who already have generously increased your pledges.

Turning to other matters, the newly constituted board began its term with a retreat to identify longterm goals of the board and the congregation. The major issues include integration of new members, examination of the religious school, support of the professional staff and development of greater clarity on the role of each component of the Micah community, including the board, the staff and volunteers.

Finances continue to be a key concern. As I discussed in my annual report to the congregation, we anticipate a budget shortfall this year. We have sufficient funds to cover the gap this year, but this onetime fix does not address long-term issues. Therefore, the finance committee, which comprises both board and non-board members, is working with Susie Blumenthal and Leonard Tow in the office to streamline the budget and identify opportunities for cost savings. Together, they already have identified some potential savings, and are exploring additional options. At the same time, our dues committee is discussing how to enhance dues payments in a manner consistent with our values and history. This year's mailing with the dues pledge form is the first step in recasting how we talk and think about dues, and our common obligation to support our community.

Finally, the board elected new officers at its first meeting. Joel A. will serve as treasurer, Debbie B-R. will continue as secretary, Bill N. has been elected vice president and I was asked to serve a third year as president. Already, this year has presented a number of challenges, not the least of which is the expansion, but I am awed by the talent, determination and resourcefulness of the board, and have little doubt about our ability to reach our goals.

[Edited for web publication]