Seminole Lakes Property Owners Association
Board of Directors Meeting
October 10, 2011
Minutes
Call to Order: Bob Toth called the meeting to order at 10:01 AM at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church.
Establish a Quorum: A quorum was established with the following present: Bob Toth, Fred Eyrich, Al DiSessa, and Bill Murphy.
Also present, was Sherry Danko, from Star Hospitality Management.
Proof of Notice: The meeting notice was distributed and posted as per the Association Bylaws and Florida Statute 720.
Disposal of Minutes: With no additions or corrections, the September 12, 2011 minutes were approved.
President’s Report: No report. Bob Toth thanked those in attendance for coming.
Treasurer’s Report: Al DiSessa reported that September ended with a surplus of $8,137 bringing the year-to-date surplus to $59,816. The combined available balance for operating and reserve funds is $881,890. At the September 27th workshop, the Board came to agreement regarding the 2012 proposed budget which projects no increase in the monthly fees. After meeting with the investment advisors at BB&T and evaluating their information, Al DiSessa recommended it would be in the best interest of the POA to “sit tight” with the current CD and CDAR portfolio. He added that it will likely be two more years before interest rates start to increase.
Committee Reports:
Landscape: Jim Marchky brought the owners’ attention to the beautiful front entrance. He added that one of the new oaks was replaced by Powell’s. The other new trees are doing fine. All were recently mulched. Three Shady Lady trees will be added at the entrance at a cost of $450. They are recommended by both Greenscapes and Powell’s. Claude Crass advised that watering of the new trees must be consistent. The volunteers have greatly contributed to the success of the tree plantings. Jim Marchky discussed his beautification project near the entrance to the golf course. 28 residents have contributed to the shrubs which have recently been planted near this area. Many residents come to this area and wanted to see the neglect alleviated. Jim Marchky noted he was about half done. He also stateed this was not a Board project but just his ans a few other residents.
Newsletter: Bill Murphy gave “kudos” to Ken Ledford for the recently published Grapevine. Bill Murphy also noted that Ken Ledford worked hard to retain the former advertisers and obtain new ones.
Access Control: Bill Murphy reported the Committee will be scheduling a meeting to discuss a number of things including a recent owner’s suggestion for reflective safety belts. He added that a control panel was recently replaced at the guardhouse for the gate/transmitter system.
Maintenance, Lakes, & Roads: Bill Murphy advised the lights at the fountain were working sporadically due to problems with the filter. This matter would be trouble-shooted and addressed. The street spraying for weeds continues.
Covenants: Bill Murphy advised that he and Sherry Danko were making monthly inspections for deed restriction infractions. Letters were being mailed. Owners were encouraged not to take the violation letters personally but just as a reminder to maintain your property at the high level we all want to see.
Management Report: Sherry Danko reported on the current accounts receivable: 11 owners owe for more than one month and 39 owners owe for September. There were 4 AVOs and 1 work order submitted to Greenscapes. Approximately 37 violation letters were mailed in September. Most were for weeds, dirty light posts, and dirty roofs.
Unfinished Business:
Amending the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions: Bob Toth reminded owners that the Covenants are over 20 years old and very outdated. To amend them, a 2/3 affirmative vote of the membership would be required. Past voting patterns indicate that level of voting was achieved only once. At the September 27th workshop, the Board engaged in a conference call with the attorney. He recommended that the POA attempt to change the voting requirement first. If successful, you should then try to amend the overall Covenants. There are a few clauses in the current version which are not written to the benefit of the POA, and may carry potential monetary risk. After speaking to the attorney, the Board will need to undertake further review. The issue is complex. An open meeting with the membership to share details and obtain input may be an option. Additional information will be forthcoming at a future meeting.
Burnt Store Road: Bob Toth reported as follows:
The Jones Loop Road intersection at Burnt Store Road should be closed October 17 until mid-December. Bob Toth also noted that the contractor is working directly with one or more residents who have experienced damage due to the proximity of the work being performed by the heavy equipment. The State has agreed to review the traffic patterns at the Acline Road and Route 41 intersection for a potential permanent traffic light. The temporary light, which does not meet specifications, will be removed near the end of December. The South Charlotte County Coalition, of which Seminole Lakes POA is a member, is supporting the permanent light.
New Business:
Architectural Review: Bill Murphy presented the following:
10268 Shadow Run concrete overlay on driveway
10268 Shadow Run install flag pole in front yard
26331 Stillwater new windows on back of house
26352 Stillwater paint house in beige with white trim
26119 Seminole Lakes Blvd install gutter, curbing, and rock
26101 Feathersound paint house in brown with lighter tan trim
10203 Windsong install solar panels for pool
Bill Murphy moved, and Fred Eyrich seconded to approve all of the ARB requests. The motion carried.
Transferring the 2010 Operating Surplus into the Storm Water Management System Reserve: Bob Toth advised the 2010 operating surplus was $51,680. Annually, the membership votes to rollover the surplus to avoid a potential tax liability. At the March 2010 annual meeting, the membership voted to formalize reserves. Ten components were identified, and no additional reserves can be added or deleted without membership approval. Reserve contributions are accumulated using the remaining useful life formula. In January 2011, the Board rejected a motion to transfer the 2010 budget surplus into the reserves. The directors who voted “no” felt the reserve study did not support additional funding. However, it has come to light that the replacement cost for the storm water drainage system is too low. Bob Toth reviewed the system with an engineer from Bonness, Inc., the contractor working on Burnt Store Road. That engineer previously worked on the design of the system while employed with Johnson Engineering Co. As a point of clarification, we only reserve for the system that is on POA property and not that portion owned by the golf course. Although it would be unlikely to need to replace the entire system at one time, the engineer recommended that the current replacement cost be increased. The POA can accommodate for this increase without a change to the monthly fee by funding the increase with the 2010 surplus. The CPA has confirmed that neither the Statute or IRS rules mandate how the surplus is used. Bob Toth moved, and Bill Murphy seconded to approve the increase of the Storm Water Drainage System replacement cost to $281,680 and transfer the $51,680 into the fund. Fred Eyrich asked if an engineering study was done. Bob Toth said no, but the engineer he did speak to previously worked for the firm involved with the initial development of the system. Bill Murphy added the cost of a comprehensive engineer’s study would likely cost close to the amount of the transfer. An owner expressed concern about being responsible for the entire system and felt the Developer should also be held accountable. Sherry Danko indicated she felt the replacement cost of the drainage system should be increased. The motion carried 3 to 1 (Fred Eyrich voted no.)
Landscape Management Agreement: Bob Toth reported the current landscape agreement expires this December. The Board felt it to be in the POA’s best interest to obtain competitive bids for the upcoming renewal. Bob Toth stated that he and Sherry Danko developed a set of specifications. Three landscape contractors, including Greenscapes, will be asked to submit proposals in a pre-determined format. They will be carefully evaluated. The results of the bidding process will be reviewed with the contract being awarded at the November Board meeting.
New Residents: Bob Toth welcomed any new residents who might be in attendance.
Next Meeting: The next Board meeting will be on November 14, 2011 at 10:00 AM at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church.
Comments for Future Discussion:
Fred Eyrich noted the Route 41 detour sign appears to direct the traffic into Seminole Lakes rather than Acline Road and should be moved.
Al DiSessa advised owners he would share the BB&T investment with anyone who might be interested personally.
An owner was pleased with Greenscapes’ responsiveness.
Mention was made of publishing the addresses of those owners who ignored the violation letters. Sherry Danko discouraged taking that action.
Owners were reminded to clean up after their pets.
The landscape committee was thanked for the efforts particularly near the pool and clubhouse area.
It was suggested to re-visit the pool purchase.
It was also noted that the pool appeared to need resurfacing.
In response to an owner’s question, it was advised the Board vacancy was not filled as no owner expressed an interest. It is expected that the March 2012 elections will result in a full board.
Adjournment: With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 11:15 AM.
Submitted by,
Sherry Danko
Sherry Danko
For Al DiSessa, Secretary/Treasurer