Your Council met on Tuesday, Sept. 6 to consider the input from the Congregation on the proposed Restroom Remodel Project. We considered and appreciated comments, questions, and opinions expressed at the two ‘town halls’ held on Zoom as well as other preferences and questions relayed to committee members (Linda Young, David Hertzer, and Eleanor Crump) or to Pastor Celeste.

Council first voted whether to proceed with the proposed project, and then voted on which plan to pursue. Plan BALT won the vote. Plan BALT is the plan that uses both the current restroom space and the cloak room. This combination will provide three toilets for women and one for men in addition to a larger, single-user, handicap-accessible, ADA-compliant, unisex restroom which can be used by anyone.

The concern about how the project would be financed was addressed, and we were assured that the money in the Capital Campaign plus funds from Endowment (which are available for projects not covered in the Annual Budget) are adequate to cover the project. Council and the Endowment Trustees are committed to being good stewards of ACC’s monies.

Next steps include development of working drawings, review of the working drawings by the Sanitary District, and permitting by Contra Costa County. The Committee will then solicit construction bids and select a contractor who can meet our design, budget and timeline requirements. Actual construction will likely begin late May or June of 2023 and likely last about two months. In the upcoming months the Restroom Committee will be looking into decent porta potties for our use during the construction period, working with the schools to minimize disruptions, and continuing to seek input from the congregation, via small focus groups, on details of preferred fixtures, paint colors, countertop materials and other fun stuff.

Council and the Restroom Committee are very grateful for the Congregation’s thoughtful comments, questions, suggestions and concerns.

Faith Abel, ACC Moderator