Revised
SALT POND HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The meeting was called to order by acting President Dick
Crawford at
Attendees:
·
Board Members Present: Dick Crawford,
Chuck Gularson, Katherine Coulson, Michael Headman, Ronnie Malone, Don
Praisner, Gerry Buckley and Bill Kester by speaker phone.
·
Homeowners Present: Pat Kennedy, Pat
Hannigan, Pat Pastore, Loeda Stango, Ann Crawford, Gary Clipp, Bill Shephard,
Jim Kennedy, Mary Valdes, Bob Buckley, Bill & Judy Johnstone, Bruce
DeForest, Dave Flickinger, Chuck Young and Jeff Ray
·
Legum & Norman: Donna Hemphill
The first order of business was to recognize outgoing Board member Bev Thierwechter. Dick C. thanked her for outstanding contributions to the community and her tireless efforts since 2002 as secretary of the Transition Team and then as Board President. Without her leadership, he stated that the community would not, at this time, be at the point of controlling the future of the Salt Pond Community and Golf Club. Several other Board members publicly expressed their gratitude for her work.
Dick C. then announced the appointment of Jim Kennedy to the SPHA Board of Directors as a replacement to serve out the remainder of Bev T. term.
Michael H. made a motion to approve the minutes of the Dec. 21, 2007 meeting and Ronnie M. seconded. All approved.
Dick C. asked if any of the homeowners present had issues that they wished to bring to the Board; there were none.
Chuck G. introduced Bruce DeForest as the General Manager of the golf club and suggested that we all get to know Bruce. Chuck G. spoke of the many years experience in golf courses that Bruce brings to the job and felt that, through Bruce’s efforts, we will have a smooth transition.
Legum & Norman Report: Donna H. presented each of the Board members with a copy of a letter sent by Jeff Ray, an attorney and a resident of the Salt Pond, addressing his concerns about the upkeep of our amenities. He expressed concern about letting the facilities fall into disrepair and suggested that the Board either take out a loan or have a special assessment to make the necessary repairs.
There was a lengthy discussion on the condition of the community center roof. Three estimates have been obtained to replace the cedar roof; they range in price from $33,000 up to over $90,000.
The lowest figure is for a shingled roof; the most costly would be to replace the cedar shakes. Dave Flickinger reported that cedar shakes do not have a long life span in these weather conditions and that shingles would come with a 50-year warranty. The question was raised about a metal roof. Donna H. will request quotes on this type of roof.
In the kitchen of the community center, the hot water heater is located in the ceiling above the sink. Since we had the hot water heater for the shower rooms leak and do ceiling damage, the BOD discussed relocating/replacing the water heater in the kitchen. Dave F. explained that Ocean View Plumbing installed a new heater on the floor at a reasonable price and he was able to make the necessary connections. He recommended the BOD do the same for the one in the kitchen and the Board agreed
.
Two estimates were obtained to repair the spa at a substantial price difference. Donna H. will get a third estimate before a decision is made. Bill Loschmann, chairperson of the Recreation Committee, is authorized to sign off on all pool repairs.
Treasurers Report: Chuck G. stated that the December financial statements have not been produced yet by L&N due to extra work required to complete year end calculations. So, a complete report could not be given. He did report that there is one homeowner still in arrears for $1,700 for 2007. Also, we have two CD’s maturing in February, 2008 at approximately 5.2%. These will have to be reinvested; however, the current interest rate has dropped to 4.5%-4.88%. Our goal is to have an audit every three years; but in view of the fact that we have recently acquired both the common grounds and the golf course, we will have another one done this year.
Committee Reports:
· Architectural: There was no formal report, but a discussion ensued about an addition to a home on Bethany Loop that is large and whether or not the intention was to use it as a rental. It was agreed that we need to examine what legal measures we can use to impose restrictions on property owners, especially rental properties, regarding the number of people in the home, where the cars are parked, etc. Paul Zarycki, at a Board meeting in the fall, expressed his concern over the parking of cars on the street and the grass, especially during the peak summer months. He volunteered to look into this matter. Michael H. will follow up with him to ascertain what info he has obtained. It was suggested by Jim K. that we talk to Bob Valihura, SPHA lawyer, concerning what limitations we may have in imposing additional covenants in the community. Bob V. has a copy of the revised Architectural Standards on his desk for review.
· Community Center Rental: no report
· Engineering: no report
· Finance: Chuck G. gave this info during the golf club review.
· Insurance: Chuck G. reported that Dick Malone did an excellent job in obtaining coverage for both the community center and golf club. A company from Baltimore, HMS, was able to provide us better coverage and save over $10,000 than our present carrier. HMS and the Board are still considering an umbrella policy, upping the liability coverage.
· Landscaping: no report
· Newsletter: Michael H. reported that the newsletter is now at the printer and should be mailed before the end of the month. It contains much information on the acquisition of the golf club and other timely events. Once again, Michael H. reported that Dick O’Leary did an excellent job in preparing the newsletter.
· Ponds & Wetlands: no report
· Salt Pond Plaza: There has been nothing filed with the state for the start of the project. Chuck Young spoke about the article that appeared last month in the Delaware News Journal about the developer, Mr. Zimmerman. From the article, it would appear that the SPHA cannot expect frequent communication and cooperation from him. The condition of the property is becoming an eyesore; it was decided that our landscaping company will be asked to mow around the perimeter of the property until such time as construction begins. Gerry B. will contact Chris Brown about this arrangement.
· Transportation: no report
· Calendar: There were slight changes made to the “Tasks for the Calendar Year” that Katherine C. will address. Michael H. suggested that the Board review all contracts ninety days prior to renewal. Chuck G. has copies of all contracts and will take care of this.
· Communications: See discussion re: blog under New Business.
·
Community Center Maintenance: Michael H.
reported on the condition of the commercial refrigerator. Charles Smith, a Salt Pond resident and
former General Manager for
·
Recreation: Bill Loschmann reported on the
committee meeting which is recommending charging a $1 use fee to all non-Salt
Pond residents that participate in the athletic activities in the club
house. The water aerobics program has
been charging this additional $1 fee for some time so a precedent has been set. A discussion took place as to whether or not
this $1 fee should apply to all non-residents using the facilities, i.e. the
Thursday Golf and Bridge groups. A
motion was made by Dick C. that from Feb 1-June 30, all non-Salt Pond residents
be charged an additional one dollar fee ($1) for the use of the
facilities. This would apply only to the fitness programs under
the auspices of the Recreation Dept. Michael H. seconded this motion; Katherine
C. opposed. A discussion of fees for
other groups was tabled for further discussion at a future meeting.
·
Golf Club: Chuck G. gave a report about the January
4th closing and stated that it went on for six and one half hours and was
laborious. Details of the closing will
be in the SPHA newsletter. He stated
that the Board paid 1 /3 of the $2.075 land and building portion at the
settlement and paid the entire $225,000 business and equipment portion. At the
present time, the Salt Pond Golf Club has over one million ($1,000,000) invested
in PNC Bank. Per request of the seller, The
Pro Shop inventory was not part of the acquisition and had to be purchased
separately. The seller stated that it
“was all or nothing” at the price he had prepared. In the Board’s opinion, the price was too
high and some of the merchandise was outdated. So the Board voted not to
acquire the Pro Shop inventory. The
developer removed all items from the Pro Shop on the day of settlement. Gradually,
Chuck G. reported that we have been able to replace the inventory at a better
quality and much reduced savings. Rates
will not be raised this year and golf club members will pay one dollar ($1) less
for the cart rental. Dick C. discussed
the brochure that has been designed by the Marketing Committee and the talents
of Hugh O’Neill. The brochures will be distributed in the spring to all
realtors and neighboring establishments.
There will be 6,000 brochures in all.
Chuck G. stated that, in all decisions, Art Whaley, the pro, and Bruce
DeForest, the general manager, have been included.
·
Legal: Jim Kennedy will handle the legal issues
for the Board and on Wednesday he, Bev T. and Dick C. will meet to
transition. Jim K. stated that there are
still some environmental issues to be dealt with, but they should be resolved
in the near future.
· Planning & Zoning: No report
Old Business:
· Bethany Woods development, situated on the other side of the drainage ditch along McCoy’s Way, could possibly begin construction in March 2008. Rick Judge, the developer, stated that he did not want to annex the development to be part of the Salt Pond; but he would like to discuss permitting the nineteen homes to have access to Salt Pond recreational facilities at an annual fee/price. This topic will be discussed and negotiated in the future.
New Business:
· All locks on the pro shop, snack bar, and maintenance facilities have been changed.
· Dave F. announced that there is now a storage closet for all Salt Pond records and papers in the pro shop.
· Michael H. volunteered to take the minutes for the February meeting.
·
Michael H. and Gary Clipp addressed the Board
concerning a community blog
Gerry Buckley, Secretary