Pandemic Assessment & Response Committee Charter

First UU Pandemic Assessment and Response Committee Charter

Sunset: When the World Health Organization determines the pandemic is over or one-year from establishment, whichever comes first. At sunset, Board can suspend / renew / reappoint as appropriate

Composition: 9 members of the congregation plus 2 non-voting Board members. Staff to provide input / support on ad hoc basis. Committee empowered to add additional ad hoc members as needed.

Lens: While performing its role, the committee should consider the Lens of Future Church: what do we want to look like after the pandemic? How are we different? How can we be better and stronger and more inclusive?

Reporting: workplan submitted to the Board in July, preliminary recommendations to Board in August with first full report to Board by second Thursday in September: discussion and actions to be determined during September Board meeting. On-going monthly reports as pandemic ebbs and flows with continual renewal of risk assessment and appropriate activities with an eye to the future.

Scope: the committee will address the following considering full and partial opening of church activities

  • Small group programming during pandemic: approaches to energize and engage our community
  • Childcare, youth groups
  • Limits on group size with various opening scenarios
  • PPE, and social distancing requirements
  • Kitchen use
  • Risk assessment of sustained closure, partial, and full opening
  • Types of activities that merit partial opening
  • Procedure for determining partial and full opening
  • Cleaning procedures and protocols for various opening scenarios
  • Cost impacts for various opening scenarios
  • Community spread thresholds that trigger partial / full opening and shut-down
  • Reference information and sources for guiding decisions and risk assessment
  • Congregational composition with respect to disease impact and outcomes
  • Options to enable blended in-person and remote meetings that permit socialization across individual risk tolerance levels
  • Insurance / liability
  • Monthly re-evaluation (more or less) depending on pandemic situation; expected to be dynamic