VOH Board Meeting
August 17, 2014
9:00am Fitness Center
Present: Steven Hill Linda Flannery, Dave Halla, Fran Hamilton, Dick Garvey, Vicki Garvey
Called in: Kent Ellis
Working Budget Meeting for 2015
Each line item in the 2015 operating budget was reviewed and discussed by the board and management company.
The Management Company recommended and the Board voted to reduce the Fitness Center hours starting the end of September for the winter hours. The new hours will be 7:00am to 3:00pm. This will result in a savings of $3,200 for 2015.
The Board will use Hood Ellis for review of the contract with the new management company. We want to make certain that the contract encompasses all pertinent management company responsibilities & deliverables so as to ensure that the fee is consistent with the budget. There are funds for 80 hours of training in 2014 for the new management company. Discussion on heath insurance, payroll taxes and vacation hours for the new management company was begun. They will not be employees of VOH, but contractors, so they will be responsible for those items. Interviews of all management company candidates have been conducted by the board – and final interviews and the selection will be made in the coming weeks.
Existing Directors and Officers insurance to cover VOH against potential lawsuits will remain if effect for 2015 & beyond. Vicki is looking into a liability policy for employees. .
The Board voted to approve Tim Leah’s Contract for the next 3 years.
The Board voted a 2% annual increase in owner assessments to cover inflationary increases we are experiencing each year in the operational & capital budgets. The Board viewed gradual increases of 2% (additional $32 per improved lot and $23 per unimproved lot) as preferable to larger increases taken at a later date. This is in agreement with recommendations made by VOH’s accountant/auditor.
Trash roll back will go to 5 months (May 1 – September 30). Roll-back on Sandcastle Drive and High Dune Loop was missed one Saturday this year so the company will perform roll-back services the Wednesday after Columbus Day weekend and after Thanksgiving weekend to make up for the missed week. We will also contract with Bay Disposal for a refuse bin to be placed in one of VOH’s parking lots in order to help with off season trash – any owner, guest or renter who needs to dispose of items during the off-season when roll-back service is not provided will be able to deposit their trash in the container.
Streets & Parking Lots Maintenance/Repair Strategy (2014 to 2017)
Dick and Larry will complete crack-filling on Lakeside Drive and Ocean Hill Blvd West during the 2014 off-season. The management company wrote a detailed road strategy for asphalt overlay of all streets & parking lots in VOH which was presented to the Board. The road strategy breaks down the project into three phases with Phase I beginning in 2015, followed by Phase II in 2016 and Phase III in 2017. A thorough discussion of the strategy was had and the road strategy was adopted with the addition of funds for milling street edges in order to provide smoother transitions between streets & driveways. In 2015, the following roads will be asphalted: Sandcastle Drive, Head Wind Way, Stillwind Court, High Dune Loop and the Oceanfront Parking Lot. Phase II (2016) asphalting includes: Ocean Hill Blvd-W, Bluewater Court, Lakeside Drive, Fairwinds Lane, Lakeside Pool Parking Lot, Tennis Court Parking Lot, Lakeside Court, Crystal Lake Court, North Lake Court & Clearwater Lane. Phase 3 (2017) was proposed to include: Ocean Hill Blvd-E, Ocean Hill Court, Windance Lane, Windjammer Court, Homeport Ct-W, Homeport Ct-E, Fourwinds Court & the Tasman Parking Lot. Timing of Phases 2 and 3 may be reversed depending on SAGA’s house construction schedule so as not to create undo wear & tear on the west side streets (especially Lakeside Drive and Fairwinds Lane) due to use of those streets by heavy construction vehicles during build-out of SAGA’s vacant lots. The board will have an open discussion at the fall meeting with any Sandcastle Owners with questions on that Street (note: Sandcastle Drive will receive 1st priority in 2015 – Phase 1 including elimination of low pockets on the east side of the street in which rain water accumulates – such elimination will enable rain water to shed from the east to the west side of Sandcastle where it will then flow to existing storm sewer catch basins on the west side of the street). Newer streets (Lost Lake Lane & Bear Foot Path) will be scheduled for edge milling & asphalt overlay in the year 2020 (Phase 4), and SAGA’s new cul-de-sac (Stillwater Court) that was paved in 2014 will be scheduled for asphalt overlay in approximately year 2035 (Phase 5).
Drainage ditches, culverts & settlement ponds need regular upkeep and, therefore, a new line item in the operational budget of $5,000 has been added to 2015 budget which is expected to be a recurring expense each year. The paths, including the westside paths need to be cleared and maintained at least four times each year as well. Funds in 2015 have been allocated for this purpose.
Fitness Center – The Fitness Center Roof will undergo additional repairs (replace ridge cap and vent stacks boots) before the end of 2014. In 2015, the Fitness Center will undergo significant maintenance including repairs to interior cracks in walls/ceilings, interior painting and exterior staining (the latter to include porch railings and deck boards. In addition, the carpet in the workout area will be replaced with rubber mat flooring which is a more appropriate, longer lasting flooring surface for gym equipment. The addition of two new pieces of equipment (elliptical & dip machine) have also been budgeted for 2015. It is expected that the new mat flooring will allow for more optimal placement of the exercise equipment. The equipment manufacturer will be retained to provide a recommendation for a more efficient layout of both existing & new exercise apparatus.
4 metal poles for the Sports Court fencing have been ordered and will be installed this year.
Repair to cracks in the Sports Court surface will be attempted during the 2014 off-season. Replacement of the south section of the tennis courts’ chain link fence that was cut-through by vandals has been budgeted for pre-season 2015.
It was noted that the $36,000 in seriously past due assessment obligations (three property owners with seven lots) made it impossible to contribute to the Reserve Fund in 2014. At the recommendation of the management company, these past due obligations were forwarded to legal for collection last year. A Confession of Judgment has been awarded by the Court against PRSTS (4 lots) and a Default Judgment has been awarded against Coastal Capital Partners (2 lots). VOH is in the process of pursuing foreclosure on Lot 014 as no other debt (mortgage-free) is owed on this lot with the exception of approximately $2,600 in back taxes.
Based on the management company’s consultation with the County’s CAMA Officer, beach access boardwalks and dune-walkovers can be painted, stained or treated with a preservative. These wood surfaces are subject to rapid ultra-ray deterioration from the sun which can be blocked with a full-color stain – thereby extending the need for repair/replacement by several years. The Board requested that the management company implement this staining initiative before the end of 2014 – instead of incorporating in the 2015 Budget.
The board voted to approve the budget with only a few revisions which Vicki will make in preparation for the 2014 annual meeting mailing.
Meeting was adjourned at 12:00 noon.
Linda Flannery