FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.), LAS CRUCES, NM

CALLED SESSION MEETING

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

 

Moderator Reverend Dr. Norm Story convened the meeting at 12:06 PM and opened it with a prayer.

 

Elders present:  Lon Anderson, Lyn Ames, Brad Class, Susan Grandle, Jacqui Jones, Winnie Quinzi, Roger Sellers, Greg Sherman, Stephen Taylor, and Dennis Thomas.

 

Elders Absent:  Corina Armendariz, Blaine Goss, Nancy T. Johnson, and Bill Kuyper.

 

Guests:  Debbie Caldwell, owner of Caldwell Child Care.

 

Establish Quorum: The Clerk of Session established that a quorum was present. 

 

Rev. Dr. Story said that this meeting was called to meet Debbie Caldwell and discuss her plans for leasing part of Branigan Hall for use as a Day Care were compatible with the Session’s vision.  He introduced Debbie to the Session and asked her to give us a short history of her background and then her plans for operating her Day Care in Branigan Hall.  He said that the Session could ask Debbie questions and present their individual concerns after her presentation.

 

Debbie introduced herself and told us that she was originally from Philadelphia, PA and had moved to El Paso, TX with her parents many years ago, she is married and her Husband is a retired Electrician.  She was in the Day Care business in El Paso that had grown to 3 businesses that serviced 120 + children.  The stress associated managing a family business of this size had started to affect her health, so she sold out and the family moved to Las Cruces about 10 years ago.  She said that after she sold her businesses in El Paso she was a Day Care consultant to Jesus Chapel Church for a while.  She is currently operating a 12 child day care business out of her home in the East Mesa area of Las Cruces, with assistance from her husband and her daughter (part-time).  She said that she does no advertising but is constantly being asked by parents with young children if she would accept more children.

 

Her plans for growing her Day Care business is to slowly increase the number of children she will care for to about 40 to 50 children ranging in ages from new born to 4 or 5 years old.  She will not provide any child pick-up services, nor will she take in any children that might be dropped off after school.  She currently provides consistency, structure, and value to the children in her care and their parents.

 

The Elders asked Debbie what her Day Care organizational structure would be, and her answer was:  She would initially be the fulltime on-site Director providing teaching and classroom services. She said that her experience was that at best 1 teacher could effectively handle 10 to 12 children and she currently has 12 children at her home Day Care service, with a waiting list of several more.  As she screens the children and parents who want to come to her Day Care, she expects it will grow to herself and 4 teachers.

 

She was asked if she wanted to use part of the kitchen in Reeves Hall, and she said that she wanted to bring in a refrigerator and would use the facility to serve breakfast & lunch meals.

 

She was asked about her personal faith background and she said that she had been raised as a Catholic, but she had gone to Jesus Chapel and her kids had gone to Abundant Living & she was currently attending Cornerstone, a small Baptist church.  She believes that religion and faith are part of the structure that children need and is comfortable with the lease contract containing a statement of faith.

 

She was asked how many children would be enrolled on the first day of operation in Branigan Hall, and she said 15 children; the 12 that she is currently caring for in her home, and the 3 that are on her waiting list.

 

She was asked why did she come to us, and she said that she had done business with Randy Farmer and in a discussion with him, he told her that he might know of an available location, so he called Norm and with his approval, she called him.

 

She was asked about what she was going to do about additional teachers, and she said that she had 2 people that were ready to go to work as soon as she had an enrollment that needed them.  She said that children needed stability, familiar faces, structure; and they didn’t take change well.  She said that she plans to grow slowly over time, and will continue to be very selective about the children she accepts in her Day Care service, as well as the people she hires to work for her and care for the children.

 

Hearing no more questions from the Session, Debbie left the meeting and went home.

 

Rev. Dr. Story asked for any thoughts or questions from the Session.  A motion was made to move forward with the lease negotiations that would limit the age of the children in the Day Care to Kindergarten and under.  The lease contract price structure would have a flat rate of rent for use of part of our facility plus a separate additional price for the cost of utilities.  The rent should have stair steps that start out at a lower monthly cost and increase to the normal flat monthly rate in 1 or 2 steps over several months.

 

The Session authorized Moderator Rev. Dr. Story, Elder Susan Grandle, and Clerk of Session Carl Connor to negotiate the contract and sign it.  The motion was seconded and approved by acclamation.

 

Adjournment: Reverend Dr Norm Story adjourned the meeting with prayer at 12:48 PM.

 

 

 

 

______________________        ______________________                   _____________      

Carlton Connor                                   Rev. Norm Story                           Date Approved

Clerk of Session                                 Moderator