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WALLENPAUPACK LAKE ESTATES The
February 19, 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors was opened at 8:07 AM with
the Pledge of Allegiance. All members were present
with the exception of the Ted Couillou who was absent with an excuse. In
addition were the General Manager, John Carney and George McMullin,
representing the Advisory Board. President Jerry Beskovoyne mentioned the tragic loss of property
owner and former WLE employee Jeanine Maxson, former property owner Joseph
Jones and former Board member Jack McIntyre. The December 18, 2010 minutes were reviewed. A motion was made by Al Cuccinello and seconded by Peggy Kostyshyn
to accept the minutes as read. The
motion was passed unanimously. Treasurer’s Report – Dan Braun Annual (Unaudited) Report as of December 31, 2010 WLE POA Cash in Bank Accounts Totaling: $1,914,626.24 WLE POA Equity (Cash Basis):
$2,875,068.82 A Dues Assessments Collection Rate of 99.2% of budget was achieved
and, in spite of significant proportional shortfalls in budgeted interest and
building fees, an overall adjusted 99.5% of budget revenue was achieved;
overall adjusted expenses were 100.1% of budget; internal fund transfers were
made to accommodate the variances with a resultant reduction of equity on the
balance sheet. Monthly Report as of January 31, 2011 WLE POA Cash in Bank Accounts Totaling: $2,218,796.71 WLE POA Equity (Cash Basis):
$3,253,247.53 Dues Assessments Collection Rate:
100.7% on a Budget Year-to-Date Basis (excluding $159,485.41 in
pre-paids); $17,712.44 in cumulative annual prior dues (less than one year in
arrears) collections were made; Back dues (more than one year prior) of
$10,795.57 and court costs of $801.31 were collected; 9 civil complaints were
settled and 12 were rescheduled. Significant individual line item actual-to-budget variances as of
January 31, 2011: ·
Due to
the number of snowfalls in January requiring snowplowing of the roads, the Grounds
line time consumed more salt and cinders than budgeted and Maintenance consumed
more fuel than budgeted. Total variance
was less than $9,000 in a weather pattern that could not be characterized as
typical. Studies and Projects: ·
Finance
Committee reviewed monthly financial statements and received clarification of
questions. ·
Riley
and Company has begun the audit of the WLE POA finances for 2010. ·
Treasurer
and General Manager met with executives of Riley and Company (WLE POA auditors
and financial advisors) regarding personnel changes, the audit of financial
statements and tax preparations for 2010, budgets for 2011, and the cash-flow
planning study for 2012. ·
A survey
by the Community Associations Institute reflects that in 2010: o
65% of
POAs/HOAs have delinquency rates exceeding 5% (as indicated above, WLE POA is
amongst the 35% exception) o
30% have
delinquency rates exceeding 10% o
10% have delinquency rates of more than 20% Additionally: o
38% have
postponed planned capital improvement projects (WLE POA has) o
31% have
reduced contributions to their reserve accounts, funds that are set aside for
major maintenance and repair (WLE POA has maintained a contribution within the
“constant capability” funding standard) o
23% have
borrowed from the association’s reserve account (WLE has and is repaying that
internal loan from the Sewer and Water Reserve)
·
Treasurer
has gathered comparative information pertaining to dues, assessments, inclusive
services and amenities of WLE and other POAs in the Poconos for presentation to
the Finance Committee and the BOD. ·
The last
remaining Schedule A (WLE Covenants) attached to a lot in Section 6 has been
released. ·
As a
portion of ongoing efforts of the Finance Committee and the Treasurer to
identify and investigate alternative revenue streams for the community, the
Treasurer has established contacts with two cellular telephone carriers to
investigate the revenue potential of cellular retransmission facilities within
WLE. ·
Treasurer
has completed review of the draft regulations of the Delaware River Basin
Commission regarding hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale and gas wells and
has drafted a letter for the BOD’s consideration expressing concern regarding
the potential impact on safe drinking water and financial responsibility for
potential damages to communities, both public and private. ·
General
Manager and Treasurer drafted 2011 Projects Budget, it was reviewed and
commented upon by Finance Committee, and it is being submitted to the BOD for
approval. ·
An
extensive investigation into the “flows” of the Sewer Treatment Plant (domestic
and inflow/infiltration) and the Water System as it relates to projected
capacity requirements is ongoing.
Results are being shared with the BOD as information becomes available. Major
Project Wish List Amenities (Ranked Per Survey Results)
Additional Amenities in no particular order (Not ranked highly in
survey) Additional Tennis Courts Convenience bldg (rest rooms) at Tennis Lane Expansion of MCH Community Garden Plots Gazebo/Cabanna (suggestions at Ginessee Park and
vicinity of the tot lot beside Kasper Lodge) Create a park area in the vicinity of Deer Field
Ct, Fawn Hill Ct, and Commanchee Cir Other Major Projects Replace Snack Bar at Beaver Pool Security bldg/garage Convenience bldg (rest rooms) at new ball field Convenience (rest rooms) bldg at Marina Expand West Gate Parking Lot Section 6 Central Mail-Box Building(s) Water Point at Marina Cover over generator at Pump Station 6 (Beaver
Lake Parking Lot) RV/Boat/Trailer Parking Lot Dog Run/Park By consensus the Board
of Directors approved the 2011 Projects/Capital Budget after having been
reviewed by the Finance Committee. It is available to interested property
owners at the Administration Office. Preparation
on next year’s cash flow projections will begin next month. The schedule for the replacement of Rockledge
Pool is in need of adjustment. It was originally slated for 25 years which is
now too long a time frame. Estimations will be prepared for possible
replacement in spans of 5 and 10 years. In
addition, it was noted that alongside with the replacement we will need to
expand the size of the pool. There will be much thought and care put into the
pool and surrounding area to keep the character it has now. Dan
noted that currently the “wish list” remains just that, a list. He suggested a 5 year timeline, depicting
which of the items can be considered/projected/planned for within those 5 years
due to financial constrictions. In
an ongoing effort to maintain minimal dues increases, the Board is looking into
alternate means of revenue. By
consensus, the Board has approved a $25 storage/usage fee for small boats
docked at the interior lakes in WLE. Boats will be allowed to be stored as of
First Sat. of April NOT to be placed
before 8 AM. With
the Association in need of a new wood chipper, the question arose as to whether
we needed to invest in a new one or rent one for short stints which would be
much more cost effective. Dan
presented a chart showing what a few of the other local POAs offer and their
costs compared to ours. It establishes that the basic cost of living in WLE is
of better value then other communities having similar amenities. The
Board is being preemptive in looking to ensure that there will be no chances
for any drilling for natural gas in Section 6 that would adversely impact the
quality of drinking water in our community. General
Manager’s Report – John Carney 1. Since
the December meeting, quite a bit of time was spent on finalizing the operating
budget and preparing for the annual audit. The audit has been completed and we
have received a draft copy of the financial statements. 2. Both
the Maintenance and the Sewer & Water Departments have had a busy winter
season and are to be commended on their performance. The Maintenance Department has done an
excellent job on snow removal operations especially taking into consideration
the very difficult winter we have been experiencing. Although we have managed
to dodge the bigger storms that some other areas have seen, the multitude of small
storms we have experienced required constant attention. With the new meter
system, the Sewer and Water Department has been able to dramatically reduce the
amount of time it takes to locate water leaks mostly due to a freeze. The
majority of these leaks occur either within a house or in the waterline between
the road and the residence. Freezes taking place inside a home can be avoided
by proper winterization. In regards to experiencing frozen waterlines outside
of the residence, obtaining waterline insurance through WLE will greatly reduce
the repair costs. 3. Dan
and I met with Debbie Borger and Scott Miller from Riley and Company to review
our financial practices, 2011 budget and the Association’s Replacement Study. We
also took some time to discuss the delegation of responsibilities left open by
the retirement of Sandy Aleckna, our bookkeeper of 32+ years. Paul Kuhn of our
accounting department will be assuming many of her duties. 4. A
webcam has been purchased for placement on location in WLE. Depending on its whereabouts, property owners
will be able to monitor weather, road conditions and/or an activity taking
place at a WLE amenity. 5. Lake
Ariel Post Office is requesting that we add 4 parcel boxes to the Main Gate
entrance and 2 to 3 at the West Gate entrance. The cost per box is $900.00. We
will look into alternate ways to obtain additional boxes at a reduced cost. Marina
– Al Cuccinello 8
additional boat slips and 2 wave runner/jet ski slips are being added to the
Marina for the 2011 season Building
–
Al Cuccinello There
is no Building Committee Meeting until April. A
draft for the Building Committee Charter was reviewed. A
motion was made by Dan Braun and seconded by Jerry Lastella to approve the new
Building Committee Charter. The motion passed unanimously Sewer
and Water and Maintenance – Ted Couillou In
Ted’s absence, The Board reviewed the reports for the two departments. Security
– Jerry Lastella Jerry
mentioned that Rocky should look into the possibility of leasing the security cameras
from a company that will also do maintenance on them. Prices for such will be
researched as an alternative to an outright purchase. Legal
and Administration – Gina Florio The
Employee Handbook still being reviewed. Recreation
– Peggy Kostyshyn Free
karate classes are being offered for kids. The instructor is donating his time
and Recreation will be donating some mats and equipment. Upcoming
events (subject to change) The
Easter Egg Hunt is slated for April 23, St Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance, A
Hillbilly Wedding, and a Black and Blue Ball. The Wally World Players is
currently discussing the possibility of another production. Beer
sales can be included in events but all proceeds must be listed separately (as
their own line item). Christy Navarra will not be returning as the Summer Recreation
Coordinator for personal reasons. The Board acknowledged the great job she did
last year. The
swim lessons offered every year had proven somewhat troublesome. Property
owners sign up and then fail to show up. Perhaps charging a nominal fee would
help alleviate that problem. Citation
Dispute Committee – Peggy Kostyshyn No
meeting to report Neighborhood
Watch – Peggy Kostyshyn No
meeting to report Mid-March
there will be a meeting to begin the planning of WLE’s 40th Anniversary
Celebration. Kathy Sollenne is looking for photos from the Associations “early
days” an anniversary DVD being produced for the occasion. There
was some discussion in regards to the WLE Museum. Since there is no ideal place
to house it, perhaps it can be made to be more of an exhibit. It can be set up
at certain functions and/or meetings such as Meet Your Neighbor or the Annual
Meeting. No
minutes were submitted from committees Correspondence A
letter to a property owner from John Carney regarding their lots A
follow up letter to the same property owner from John Carney A
letter to the Recreation Tri-Chairpersons from John Carney and the Board of
Directors regarding an increase to the Recreation budget A
letter to the Board of Directors and John Carney regarding plowing A
letter from property owners to Maintenance (via WLE E-mail) thanking them for
the excellent job they do in regards to snow removal in the Association Right
of First Refusals 3
were reviewed Old
Business We
have received a Release and Termination for the last property in Section 6 that
had Schedule A attached. At 12:00 noon Jerry Lastella was
excused from the meeting A
colored map indicating 3 routes for the Section 7 walking trails was handed
out. It is ready for distribution as well as posting on the WLE Website. A full
sized sign showing the map will be posted at the entrances. It will also state
that the trails are open “dawn to dusk” and seasonally (April 1 to Oct 31st.) A
property owner has requested that a street light be placed on the corner by
Kasper Lodge as they feel the area is too dark. It is not felt that one is
warranted at this time. We need to maintain the country setting that WLE prides
itself in. New
Business Rescue
Alive: we currently have a trailer housing equipment for rescue if someone
should fall through the ice on one of the lakes. We need people who are specifically
certified in this type rescue. One Security and all Maintenance vehicles have
hitches attached so if the trailer needs to be moved in an emergency situation,
we already have the capability. There was some discussion as to donating the
equipment to the Lakeville Fire Department which is very interested in it. They
have also made mention that they would make it a point to train some of the
volunteer firefighters who resides in WLE in this type of rescue. The
penalty associated with water leaks was readdressed. The current penalty is
based on man hours spent on discovery coupled with the water loss. With the new
system in place at the Water & Sewer Department, leaks are discovered much
quicker than they once were. A flat fee of $350 is now under consideration. The
ongoing problem with excessive water use was discussed. A membership vote to
begin charging for excess water usage will be considered. The
charters for the Election Committee and Nominating Committee were finalized and
approved. A
motion was made by Dan Braun and seconded by Peggy Kostyshyn to approve the
charters for both the Election Committee and the Nominating Committee.
The motion passed unanimously The
committees will be asked to schedule an appointment with the Board to review
and implement their charters as soon as possible as the 2011 elections are
closing in. A
Motion was made by Peggy Kostyshyn and seconded by Al Cuccinello to adjourn the
meeting. The
meeting was adjourned at 2:03 The
next meeting is scheduled for March 19th at 8:00 AM in the
Administration Building. Respectfully
submitted, Nancy
Settepani Executive
Assistant
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