Property Management - Occasional Papers - The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

Don’t Rain on my Parade: An Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

From the Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Diocesan Property Manager: Photo by Tanya Paquet on Unsplash Some of you may know that the insurance premiums went up in 2023. Part of the reason for the increase from Church Insurance is that several of our congregations made large claims last year which influenced all our rates. Most of the large claims were because of water damage to buildings and furnishings. Some of the water damage came from broken pipes, or leaking

Maybe Later: The Challenges of Developing and Keeping a Maintenance Budget for Churches

From The Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Diocesan Property Manager: Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash The phrase “Maybe later” was coined by the nicest and kindest member of a tour my wife and I took to China shortly after I retired. It was her way of putting off vendors importuning her to buy their wares without offending them. It never worked, of course, as they failed to get the indirect refusal embedded in her polite speech. That phrase became

Try to Remember Because Institutional Memory Matters: An Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

From The Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Diocesan Property Manager: Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash In the 1960 musical comedy, The Fantasticks, the opening song is entitled, “Try to Remember.” It is a song about nostalgia and remembering. It was made famous by the Brothers Four and other popular singers. The third verse says this: “Deep in December, it’s nice to remember the fire of September that made us mellow, Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow,

Monetizing Church Properties: Some Guiding Principles, Occasional Paper on Property Management

“Monetizing Church Property: Some Guiding Principles” Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series The Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney Property Manager Monetizing church property seems to be a “hot idea” these days as congregations seek to off-set rising costs and flat or declining pledge bases. Mostly, the idea revolves around using the land that churches own in different ways to create an income stream for the congregation. While care must be taken to avoid loss of

Autumn Leaves: Getting Ready for Winter, Occasional Paper on Property Management

Autumn Leaves: Getting Ready for Winter Occasional Paper on Property Management Program, Diocese of Olympia The Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Property Manager Image Credit: Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon / Getty Images Some of us are old enough to remember this classic ballad, “Autumn Leaves.” Written in 1945 for a French film, by Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prevert, the words were translated into English by Johnny Mercer and many versions were offered by artists like Nat King Cole, Doris Day, and

On Working Smarter, Not Harder with Church Property: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

Carl Barks was one of the earliest and most productive of the cartoon artists who worked for Walt Disney. He was known as the “Good Duck Artist” for his renderings of McScrooge Duck and many of the other “bird” characters shown in Disney cartoons. He lived to be 99 years of age and only became well known for his cartoon work late in life. He coined the phrase, “work smarter, not harder.” That phrase has become a meme and has

Irrigation Systems or Irritation Systems: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

The title of this occasional paper reveals the bias of the author. I dislike irrigation systems in general. While I acknowledge that watering plants during the dry summer we experience around here is important for healthy plants, the value of those weeks of needed watering is outweighed by the annoyance factor of irrigation systems that fail only when the weather is hot and dry. They seem to work fine in the rainy season when they are not necessary. Even more

The Cheapest Way to Save Energy and Care for Creation – Insulation: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

The verb “insulate” is derived from the late Latin word, “insulatus” which means to be an island. It denotes being separate from something, with having a space between two things. It can also mean having material that prevents forces or energies from moving from one place to another. Some materials, like Polar Fleece, prevent cold from getting close to our bodies. In scientific terms, to insulate is to protect something from other forces. We are insulated from electric shocks by

To Look as Fresh as Paint – Protect and Beautify: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

Humans have painted things from the time when they first created things. Humans have painted themselves before they created things. To paint is to adorn and beautify but also to protect and preserve. It is deeply embedded in our human consciousness. Cave paintings date back thousands of years. The earliest known sculptures were painted. The interiors of ancient temples and churches were painted. The exteriors of stone buildings were painted. Paint has the properties of protection and beautification. A thin

Eye of Providence or Spy Among Us – Cyber Security Today: Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

The “Eye of Providence” is a symbol that appears on the Great Seal of the United States. It is meant to depict the benevolent Eye of God watching over the affairs of the United States. It is an ancient symbol known in many cultures. But there is now in the world a very real “eye of providence” and its intent toward human beings is less benevolent. As of 2022, there are 6.7 billion smartphones in the world. 83.7% of the

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