MINUTES OF
SAOA BOARD MEETING
PLYMOUTH, VT AUGUST 30, 2014
Meeting of the SAOA Board was called to order by President, Bill Michels at 8:10am. Those in attendance: Mike Canning, Rich Pulie, Mary Michels, Catherine Mennenga, Demitry Bochkov, Glenn Cratty, Bill Cherico, Glenn Coifman, Andrew Spencer, Paige Platt, Joyce Cooper.
Minutes of the July 5, 2014 SAOA Board Meeting were moved for acceptance, seconded and unanimously approved.
AGENDA
Treasurer Mary Michels reported that August 14, 2014 Financial Balance Statement has been posted on the website. Fund Balance is $128,737.57 and expenses are in line with budget. Income is under budget due to reduced interest income and assessment income that will not be coming in until late in 2014. SAOA has budgeted for an SAOA assessment in 2014 and recommends that the assessment invoice be sent in December and due January 2015 for $200 reduced to $175 if paid by January 15, 2015. The purpose of the assessment will be to restore the SAOA Reserve Fund balance to $130,000 and fund operating expenses for 2015. Treasurer’s annual report is attached and posted on web site.
Water Board Report: Ron Coifman and Andrew Spencer reported that owners on Common Water System have been asked to check on location of well providing their water. Common well may be located on neighbors property. Water board continues to work with Jim Nielsen to document wells location, age of pump and casing and keep records of maintenance and repairs of existing wells. Expenses are currently under budget but questions remain about high electric costs. Hawk Common Water System (HCWS) reserve fund balance is $14,320. One owner on HCWS had requested permission to drill private well on property and no longer use water from the HCWS due to low water pressure. HCWS is working with engineers, ARC and owner to determine location of proposed well. SAOA board requests that HCWS reserve fund balance be placed in an dedicated account and not be comingled with HRI accounts. Water Board annual report attached and posted on web site.
Waste Water Board Report: Glenn Cratty reported that annual inspection of Waster Water System (required by state of VT) has been completed and the entire system was in good to very good condition. There are no mandatory fixes but a short list of suggested minor maintenance which will be done over the next 12 months. It should be noted that all of these repairs are discretionary and that and will be performed to minimize cost. Tank pumping and repairs occur primarily in September and October and thus these expenses will be incurred later in the year. Owners on the HCWWS should not pump out their tanks or do repairs to system as that is covered in their annual fee. Hawk Common Waste Water System (HCWWS) Maintenance Reserve Balance is $18,000 and the annual per bedroom assessment is budgeted to be $167. SAOA requests that HCWWS reserve fund balance be placed in a dedicated account and not be comingled with HRI accounts. HCWWS report is attached and posted on the web site.
Architectural Review Committee: Bill Cherico reported that 2014 has been a quiet year on home projects and only one large garage/guest suite addition has been constructed this year. The Architecture Committee has been working with HRI and the game warden concerning the recent problems with bears damaging garbage sheds. The committee has purchased four bear proof garbage and located them strategically around the resort to determine effectiveness. They have approved two container providers and posted the information on the SAOA web site. They are considering offering owners the opportunity to participate in a volume discount on the individual purchase of a bear proof container. It should be noted that these containers are larger and do not fit in most existing Hawk sheds. Architectural Review committee annual report attached and posted on web site.
Nominating Committee Report: Mary Michels reported the following proposed nominees to be elected at the SAOA Annual meeting scheduled for August 30, 2014. Proxy ballots have been sent to all owners.
Three year term expiring 2017: Catherine Mennanga, Glenn Cratty, Joyce Cooper
One year term expiring 2015: Peter Ragan
Water Board: Ron Coifman
Wastewater Board: Glenn Cratty, Glenn Pachianna
Architecture Committee: Bill Cherico
Returning Board:
Term Expiring 2015: Bill Michels, Ralph Glassberg ,
Term Expiring 2016 Paige Platt, Mike Canning, Rich Pulie
Website: Mary Jane Cratty
Owner events: Anne Cherico, Mary Jane Cratty
Communications: Paige Platt reported that owners have been selective in opening their Constant Contact SAOA e-mails and some owners never open them. Items such as the TAX issue have had a higher open rate. Continuing to work with Web Site administrator to update owner contact information. New owners need to be contacted soon after purchase of property with a “New owner information” e-mail which contains information on Water, Wastewater, Common Lands, Roads, and Architectural review guidelines. This needs to be developed and sent out to new owners.
Trails : Dimytry Bochkov reported that Marshland Bridge has once again been repaired and trails have been marked with blazes. Geocash boxes have been placed on some trails and several group hikes have been enjoyed by owners. Washouts on trail behind Wedding field will be addressed and the committee will determine which trails will be dedicated to which uses ( eg. cross country skiing, walking, snowshoeing) during the winter.
New Business
Property Management Contract Owners have expressed concerns about the Hawk Property Management contract and Hawk not meeting contractual obligations. Amenities have been reduced at the resort and as a result, Hawk is not offering some of the amenities that are in the contract. House inspections between owner visits was a concern as well as which Hawk employees have access to the owner’s homes. SAOA should suggest that owners with security systems check to determine who has security codes for their residence and make changes if the owner deems it necessary. SAOA will establish a committee to work with HRI on an updated contract that would address owners concerns.
Fiduciary Responsibility: Concerns have been raised about Hawk infrastructure accounts. Clear transparency and separation of infrastructure account funds from HRI funds will once again be requested. Mike Canning will contact HRI concerning this issue. SAOA will also look into a possible timeline for HRI turning over administration of those accounts to SAOA to ensure that reserves are being properly administered and that accounts and collections are being properly addressed to ensure the safety of the funds for all accounts. SAOA will request bank statement to show that accounts are not being mingled with HRI funds.
Meeting adjourned at 9:10am.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Michels