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    WALLENPAUPACK LAKE ESTATES
    PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
    BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
    November 19, 2011

     

    The November 19, 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors was opened at 8:08 AM with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Present were President Jerry Beskovoyne, Dan Braun, Gina Florio, Peggy Kostyshyn, Al Cucciniello, Ted Couillou, Jerry LaStella, Advisory Board Liaison George McMullin, and General Manager John Carney.

    The October minutes were reviewed and approved as corrected on a motion by Jerry LaStella and seconded by Gina Florio.

    Before offering his Treasurer’s Report, Dan Braun took a moment to thank both the Public Safety Department and all the members of the WLE community who checked in on his wife so frequently while he was away and in the hospital and made sure that she was well taken care of.

    Treasurer’s Report – Dan Braun

    Monthly Report as of October 31, 2011

    WLE POA Cash in Bank Accounts Totaling: $1,869,895.55

    WLE POA Equity (Cash Basis): $3,180,212.75

    Dues Assessments Collection Rate (Cash Basis): 96.4% on a Budget Year-to-Date Basis (excluding $6,459.41 in pre-paids); $70,807.62 in cumulative annual prior dues (less than one year in arrears); 12 judgments filed, 3 civil complaints reinstated, 2 civil complaints satisfied, 1 prothonotary filing satisfied, total legal collections of $19,990.53.

    Significant individual line item actual-to-budget, cash-basis negative variances from the annual budget as of October 31, 2011:

    ·         Due to the increased price of motor and heating fuels, a total annual cumulative negative variance of approximately $7,500 was realized across multiple departments (holding steady for last four months).

    ·         Maintenance expense in excess of $4,117.69 in Pools/Recreation, pertaining primarily to Beaver Pool.

    ·         Increased frequency of water testing as mandated by the EPA resulted in an approximate $9,305 excess cost.

    Studies and Projects:

    ·         The Finance Committee reviewed monthly financial statements and received clarification of questions.

    ·         The investment accounts of WLE POA (General Repair/Replacement Reserve, Special Assessment Reserve, Contingency, Capital Improvement, and Recreation) have been transitioned to Merrill Lynch/Bank of America.

    ·         Treasurer and Finance Committee are conducting an ongoing investigation of alternative revenue sources to assist in the funding of our community.

     

    2012 Operations Budget:

    ·         Context:  The Social Security COLA for 2012 will be 3.6%. The recent increase in the US M1 monetary supply indicates that international exchange rates relative to the dollar are likely to decline and US inflation should be expected.  In view of the uncertainties regarding the government sovereign debt in the Euro zone, this expectation may not be realized, however the exposure of US financial institutions to Euro zone debt may exacerbate the possibility of US inflation.  Resolution of the US sovereign debt by the Congressional "Super Committee" was not realized and they adjourned without offering any alternative solutions.  US grain reserves (especially corn, wheat, and soy beans) are at the lowest level in 15 years, while China experienced a major drought in the 2011 growing season.  Since China is the USA’s major creditor, the price of grain commodities in international trade will likely rise significantly with direct impact on grocery expenses, including indirectly the costs of beef, pork, poultry, eggs and dairy since these grains are also used as animal feed. All of these fiscal uncertainties will likely lead to a continued reluctance on the part of individuals and corporations to invest available capital, with the result that the economy will not rebound, the job market will be sluggish and the demand for and price of housing will continue to drift.

    ·         The driving factors:  There are only two really big drivers that will cause a necessary increase in the 2012 operations budget and dues increase - employee health insurance and reserve funding.  First - employee health insurance was projected to increase by 11.0% based upon an initial quote from our incumbent Blue Cross/Blue Shield of $227,640.  We could not accept this increase so we pushed Blue Cross/Blue Shield to find another cheaper program and received a revised quote at a savings of $18,211. We additionally solicited a health insurance broker and requested three additional bids.  Second - based upon the reserve allocation vote at the June 2011 Annual Meeting, we must fund a contribution of $238,912.  We will also continue the repayment of the internal loan from the Sewer and Water Special Assessment Fund during 2012 in the amount of $20,000.  Consumable fuels are estimated to increase by approx. $7,000 across all departments.  Sewer and Water is projecting an increase of $11,375, primarily driven by the EPA mandates for increased water testing from our wells and additional maintenance. 

    ·         Marina Fees:  The first section of eight of the marina docks will need to be replaced; as they can no longer have the blue styrofoam floats under them, per PPL, at a cost of $1500 each ($12,000 total).  We will begin this replacement in 2012, and compliance must be completed by 2013.  After a lengthy discussion, the Board of Directors voted unanimously that to assist with the increase in marina costs and fees as detailed in this report, there will be an increase in boat slip dues from $375/year to $392.50/year (an increase of $17.50).  This will cover our costs for the two-year period and subsequently be applied to the increased operating costs of the marina while maintaining our status as the cheapest dock slips on Lake Wallenpaupack.

    ·         Pre-payment discount:  In the past, we have encouraged pre-payment of dues in total for the year by offering a 2% discount.  During normal times, this may be an appropriate enticement, but when interest-bearing bank accounts offer less than 1%, this is overly generous.  To continue to encourage annual dues prepayment but at a reasonable rate, the enticement needs to be reduced to 1%.  We estimate that this will bring an additional $4,300 into the operations account for 2012.  After further discussion, this was approved by consensus of the Board of Directors.

    ·         Campground Fees:  After a lengthy discussion by the Board of Directors, an increase in fees for campground seasonal sites to $800 for Trailers and $700 for Pop-ups will be put into effect, along with an increase in daily site fees to $17.50.  These fee structures are consistent with the lowest campground rates in the region.

    ·         Conclusion/Recommendation:  After reducing projections of increased expenses to a minimum and increasing fees as deemed appropriate, the WLE POA 2012 Operations Budget can only be balanced with a 3.0% increase in dues.  It is, therefore, recommended that the dues assessment for 2012 be increased in the amount of 3.0%.  After another lengthy discussion by the Board of Directors, the unanimous conclusion was reached that all adjusting and squeezing that could be done has been done and that the 3.0% increase in dues for 2012 is both reasonable and necessary.  Therefore, the 2012 dues for an improved lot will be $1,605 (a $47 increase), and $919 (a $27 increase) for an unimproved lot.

    General Manager’s Report – John Carney

    1.      A final draft of the 2012 operating budget has been completed and is being reviewed this month by the Board of Directors.  We continue to work to decrease the proposed 11% increase to health insurance.  Our present carrier has come back to us decreasing the increase to 3% and very soon I will have comparable quotes from other carriers.  The decrease from 11% to 3% translates to a saving of $18,211.

    2.      Due to PPL regulations and our permit with PPL for the length of our docks, and to maintain the current amount of slips, we will need to add additional ramps from the shore to the first dock or use a dock from the shore that does not have styrofoam.  PPL’s measurement starts with the first dock with styrofoam.  Of the 10 docks, eight will need modifications at $1,500 per dock.  Without modifications, we will be forced to cut back on the length of most of the docks and reduce the amount of boats.

    3.      Along with Fran Raimo, we are working on procedures for tree cutting for trees that do not appear dead but may cause harm should they fall, compliance inspections during a house resale, and engineering of storm water.  I have handouts to be discussed at the meeting.

    4.      I have met with the USDA to discuss topics that they are involved with WLE, Goose Program, Deer Management and Beaver Control.  The Goose Program proved to be successful.  We did experience some geese that came in after the program was completed, but with all the lakes around, this is difficult to stop, but overall it was manageable.  With the number of deer being seen, the population has increased, but not to the numbers that culling needs to take place. The USDA recommends that we continue to do yearly surveys to monitor the population growth.  The cost for the two surveys would be $4,100.  We have been monitoring the pond leveler in Section 6 and the beavers have started re-building the original dam. The USDA recommended a combination of continued trapping and lowering the depth of the water between the original and the new dam where the pond leveler was installed.  Continued trapping would be during the trapping season, December to March.  The PA Game Commission will assist with trappers.  They have a list of trappers looking for areas to trap at no charge to us.  In the spring, we will lower the level of the water between the dams.  The very wet year is not helping to keep the water level down.  The pond leveler at times cannot keep up with amount of water coming in.  Two things the USDA mentioned was that when the water level drops, the original dam should be dismantled and a second pond leveler should be added.  Both of these recommendations can be done for a nominal cost.

    5.      We have received very positive feedback from property owners purchasing propane gas from Locklin’s with the reduced fixed per-gallon price that they are being charged, and property owners wanted me to relay their thanks to the Board.  They have already started saving money from their previous delivery.

    Further discussed with the Board, under Item 3, Donna and Fran are working together on a resale packet that will be given to sellers that will have a cover letter on it proposing that a WLE compliance officer will perform an inspection as a service to the homeowner to assure compliance with all WLE regulations prior to sale. 

     

    Also under Item 3, in regard to tree cutting, a comparison is being done of our community to other nearby associations.  In Indian Rocks, no trees less than three inches in diameter can be cut for any reason unless they are dead.  After discussion by the Board members, the consensus is if a tree is healthy, it should be left alone.  If there is a reasonable circumstance for removing it, it should be replaced.  Our rules and regulations already state that the replacement tree should be 12 to 14 feet in height, but it is also the opinion of our Building Committee that in order to keep our existing trees healthy, consideration should be given to maintaining a certain percentage of tree coverage on any given property rather than just replacing one tree for another.

     

    Regarding the engineering of storm water, also under Item 3, one of the biggest problems historically is that we have never had any elevation regulations.  Most of our roads have parallel ditching now, but those that do not are a continuing problem.  To help alleviate this situation, the Board feels that any submission of plans for new construction must also contain a plan for water runoff prepared by the construction engineer for approval by WLE.  This request will be taken back to the Building Committee.

     

    Under Item 4, the Board discussed whether the cost to perform two deer surveys in 2012 is necessary, or whether since the population has not increased significantly and no culling will be done, we could forego that expense and realize a $4,100 savings against our 2012 budget.  The decision was unanimous to suspend the surveys for a year.

     

    Building Committee – Al Cucciniello

    Trees were a topic of discussion again, as was storm water runoff and the Letter of Continuing Compliance for home resales as already noted under the General Manager’s report and the subsequent discussion by the Board of Directors.  Metal roofs were also discussed, and the fact that they, too, must be in compliance with WLE regulations regarding roof colors for shingled roofs.

     

    Marina – Al Cucciniello

    All matters pertaining to the Marina were previously discussed above as part of the Treasurer’s and General Manager’s reports.

     

    Sewer & Water – Ted Couillou

    No formal report this month, but mention was made of the importance of the available water line insurance and how best to encourage all WLE homeowners to purchase it.

     

    Maintenance – Ted Couillou

    Maintenance is currently clearing our walking trails, and they did an excellent job of removing the docks this year.  Where they have been stacked for this winter will allow for easier access and return to the water for next season.

     

    Advisory Board – George McMullin

    It was the general consensus of the 25 people attending this month’s meeting that the Advisory Board is an important part of WLE and should continue to meet on a monthly basis.  The meeting date will remain the same.

     

    Security – Jerry LaStella

    The new required band width frequency for our radios has to be in place by January of 2012.  Police calls are down.

     

    Citation Dispute Committee – Peggy Kostyshyn

    There was no CDC meeting this month.

     

    Neighborhood Watch – Peggy Kostyshyn

    All emergency equipment has been cleaned and is ready to use.  Thanks for the 911 memorial wreath.  There were no incidents during Mischief Night.  Thanks to the Board of Directors for providing the former Beaver Pool snack shed as the new Neighborhood Watch building.  The interior has been beautifully restored.  The Committee is also requesting that a latticework fence be installed around the exterior of the building to keep out animals.

     

    Recreation – Peggy Kostyshyn

    The Swim Team had a net income for 2011 of $4,577.  Christmas lights are going up around WLE.  More will be put up on November 16th.  Ornaments will be put out after Thanksgiving, and the MCH will be decorated on December 2nd.

     

    The Board of Directors’ suggestion that no tickets be required for children’s events in WLE was discussed.  The Committee feels they need to keep ticket requirements in place for all events, even those for children.  In order to prevent any future unpleasantness between property owners and administration personnel regarding event tickets, the phone numbers of all three Recreation Co-Chairmen are available in the office and should be given to anyone with last-minute ticket requests so that they can speak directly with Recreation.

     

    Lunch with Santa (11:00 AM), and Winterfest (12:00 PM -4:00 PM) will be held on Saturday, December 3rd at Kasper Lodge.  There will be a horse-drawn wagon with entertainment on board ($2.00), a bonfire to roast marshmallows (free), hot cider, soup and hot dogs to keep tummies warm ($1.00), and Christmas trees and wreaths for sale, along with other holiday vendors.  The tree lighting will be at 7:00 PM, followed by hot chocolate, cookies and entertainment afterwards in the MCH.  Before going to the MCH, stop by Kasper Lodge for a wish lantern ($4.00).

     

    Joe Mongalieri has requested that our red barn be named Jocko’s Place and a sign put up in the third stall, which was Jocko’s home.  Approved by Board consensus.

     

    First Right of Refusals – None

     

    Correspondence

    Letter of response from John Carney to Property Owner

    Letter from Property Owner to Carney was reviewed and the Board of Directors requested John to reply the Board’s response to Property Owner.

     

    Old Business -

    Cleanup & Repair of Section 4 (Tennis Lane) – Underway

    Beaver dam – Ongoing project (See further details above under Item 4 of this month’s General Manager’s Report.)

    Ice Machine – Still researching prices

     

    New Business

    Property located on Eskra Road, not part of WLE, but the possibility exists there are WLE water and sewer lines running underneath this property.  The property owner has requested permission to tie into these lines, but the preference would be to just relocate them instead.  First, there will be a resurvey done of the property to see exactly where the lines are located, in case the initial survey might be incorrect.

     

    Motion to adjourn, Peggy Kostyshyn.  Second, Al Cucciniello.  Meeting adjourned at 11:41 AM.  The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be December 17th at 8:00 AM.

     

    Respectfully submitted,

     

    Marge Kenny

    Recording Secretary

     

     

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