How to get the attention of facilities management

[mariamiles]

I was moved into a new ward at the beginning of the year and they meet in a different building. I am still learning details, but apparently the condition of the building is so bad that people were/are getting sick. They moved everyone out last summer to do mold remediation, but that did NOT include removing the carpet. This is an old member-built building with a basement. The Primary meets in the basement and that is where the issues are the worst. It is bad enough that many members refuse to have Primary callings because they don't want to get sick. There is also a rodent infestation that is not going away despite having hired a pest control company. The building is not ADA compliant and has a host of issues with that.

It seems that there have just been band-aid solutions over and over again for this building. How do we get the attention of facilities management? We are in MA and I've been told FM for this area is based in PA and is not very responsive. Is there a different route to get this moved up the chain and get the proper attention?

[Mikerowaved]

That sounds pretty serious. Your FM Group is right in Boston. The person in your stake that interfaces directly with them is the Physical Facilities Representative (PFR), who is normally a member of the stake high council. Your bishop or stake president can either give you his contact info, or can pass your concerns on to him. My guess is both the PFR and FM manager are aware of the situation, especially if the building's undergone prior work to try and address these issues.

As far as ADA requirements, the building only needs to meet the then current code at the time it was first built, or if it's undergone major renovation. I have a building in our stake that has no wheelchair access to the rostrum. As the stake technology specialist, and a paraplegic, I'm well aware of places I can't access, but I'm also grateful for the many I can.

[russellhltn]

Ultimately, I'd think this is something the stake president needs to deal with. Either going to FM or talking with the area rep to put some pressure on them.

[mariamiles]

russellhltn wrote:
> Ultimately, I'd think this is something the stake president needs to deal
> with. Either going to FM or talking with the area rep to put some pressure
> on them.

I would love for the Stake Presidency to solve this and I have spoken with the counselor who is over buildings. He downplayed the issues but also said that FM is slow to respond and/or not fixing issues. Further, no one in the stake leadership attends this building and so we are out of sight out of mind. Meanwhile, we are dealing with the issues and are the ones facing health risks.

[russellhltn]

If the stake presidency isn't backing it, then I'd think any appeals from within the system are unlikely to work.

[garystroble]

Public buildings are probably subject to local and state health codes in your state. It is doubtful that church buildings are exempt. By not acting, they are potentially exposing the Church to liability. Since the issues are known to both Church leaders and FM employees, the Church could not be heard to say they were not aware of the problems. You might mention these things to the FM manager as well as the Stake Presidency Counselor.

[russellhltn]

The key to this is to collect objective facts and not feelings/perceptions or other things that are too subjective.

[BrianEdwards]

We are in the North America Northeast Area like yourself, although under a different FM Group. The FM Groups have been consolidated in recent years and so yes, they are charged with a lot of responsibilities, and have "too much" on their plates. But I can speak from personal experience that a Bishop (or Branch President) can indeed successfully communicate directly with the FM Group, although it may take a bit of persistence.

I have a copy of a FAQ (year 2020) from the Meetinghouse Facilities Department that unfortunately I cannot find anywhere through searching, so I won't post it. But it does state that once a year, the local FM will arrange a brief meeting with all bishops and branch presidents (not only the agent bishop) to share information, and ask if there are any special needs. And I believe the Facilities Manager generally intends to personally visit each building at least once a year, in addition to any other inspections. It may be true that these types of meetings or visits may not be able to take place for all FM Groups, but the underlying intent remains that Bishops should have recurring (annual) contact with the FM Group. And if your Bishop is able to directly communicate with the Facilities Manager, I have found that they are genuinely interested in addressing fundamental building issues like what you describe. I would hope/expect your Bishop would be able to set up a time in the "near" future where the Facilities Manager would meet the Bishop at your building, and they could review together the various issues.

Obviously the step from "being aware" to "acting" may be another bridge to cross, but getting the FM Group to meet with your Bishop at your building should be achievable. Others may have different experiences, I can only speak to what I have seen for myself and others in our Area.