If $5 is too much for a swim, maybe $3 is a bargain.
After recently rejecting a proposed $5 per day fee for guest use of the Northside swimming pool, the Seven Lakes Landowners Association [SLLA] Board of Directors agreed during their Monday, February 11 Work Session to put a $3 per day fee to a vote.
In previous years, SLLA members have been able to purchase four guest passes for a $25 annual fee that allowed their guests access to any of the Association's amenities. Over the past year, a number of Board members have expressed concerns about a large number of guests using the stables and the pool.
A $5 per day guest fee was proposed but rejected during the Wednesday, January 30 SLLA Open Meeting. That vote left guest use of the pool in limbo, Treasurer Conrad Meyer explained: “There is no charge for the pool right now. Stables are covered, and the guest pass covers everything but the pool. Come May, there will no pool charge for members or non-members.”
In addition, some other proposed restrictions on guest use of the pool were left hanging. Recreation Director Bob Racine said, “Two things that we didn’t include: A resident sponsor must be present for non-residents to use the pool, and passes can only be purchased by resident.”
As the Board discussed what might be an agreeable price for guest use of the pool, resident George Temple offered a suggestion: “The $20 you approve for trail rides is approximately half of what the association spends for that trail ride. If half is a good number, then might I just recommend you charge $3 for pool use, and that’s half the number.”
“I was one of the ones that voted against the $5 per guest number," Meyer said. "It seemed too high to me. In January we talked about a number between $2 and $3 per visit.”
Racine agreed that residents could purchase guests passes at $3 each -- or a package of ten passes for $25. The board voted three-to-two, with President Bob Darr and Director Chuck Leach in opposition, to take up that proposal at the Wednesday, February 27 Open Meeting.
Budget Town Hall February 21
The Landowners Office will be sending residents a letter this week encouraging them to attend a Thursday, February 21 Town Hall Meeting on the FY 2013-2014 budget, and the proposed dues increase it is expected to contain. The meeting, to be held in the North Clubhouse, will begin at 6:30 pm.
“Obviously, the purpose of the meeting is to make a case for a dues increase based upon our financial status of where we are," President Darr said. "This will be the most important meeting we are going to have in my two years on the board. What is our responsibility in continuing to grow and be financially fit? It’s an extremely important meeting. I know from talking to folks that they think that we don’t need it [a dues increase] -- that they won’t vote for it either way. I am encouraging them to come and look and see those numbers, and then make an informed decision.”
Meyer suggested a format for the meeting: “Walk through a number of topics and lay things out as we understand them. Make a pitch of what our proposal is, and our community gets to vote on whether they support the proposal or not. We can lay the information out as clearly as possible, and let the community decide.”
The budget is nearing completion, with only minor tweaks left, Meyer reported, adding that the budget committee does want to review the budget one last time, but was ready to proceed to the Open Meeting for approval by the Board. The Directors unanimously approved moving the budget to the February 27 Open Meeting for a vote.
Weighing whether to include a copy of the full budget in the Annual Meeting packet mailed to each member, the board heard from Manager Sohl that it would cost 22 cents per page. That prompted a consensus among Board members that the packets should include only a budget summary.
“I would be in favor of a real condensed version,” said Darr. “We have meetings each month where we show it all -- and also at the town hall meeting.”
A hard copy of the complete budget will also be made available to any resident upon request.
Making the Stables Stable
A proposal to construct two run-in sheds at the stables prompted a discussion of whether the Association should use excess stall capacity in the barn to board horses for private owners.
Run-in sheds are three-sided structures set in the pasture to provide horses free access to shelter from the elements. The cost of building two sheds in the SLLA pasture would be offset by the income derived from boarding horses.
“We currently have the right size working herd to meet our needs," Darr explained. "We will have four, five, or six stalls that are available for boarding. One of the concerns that I share with all of you is the liability of those particular animals being on the ground. We need an agreement that covers all things that are involved with that legally and have our own lawyers check it out.”
Darr complimented Stable Manager Kate Pennington on her thorough accounting. "She is a knowledge person," he said. "Her goal is making the stables an institution that is financially secure.”
“I think this needs very careful review," Darr said. "If a boarded horse is injured, can the owner sue for negligence? I am not saying it is not a good idea, but it must be investigated completely. I don’t think it can be done at the Open Meeting."
Meyer agreed that it was premature to move the proposal to an Open Meeting. “We would have to change the bylaws to board horses," he said. "We need to review everything before we can act. Labor involved in keeping horses needs to be added in. I think there are still a lot of questions.”
Racine worried that making room for boarded horses could limit use of the stables by members. "Is this going to reduce riders?" he asked. "You are limiting the number available for residents.”
“We created quite a firestorm in the community when we started talking about this,” said Ritter, referring to considerable stables-related controversy that rose last year. “We put out to pasture a couple of horses, and then we quickly went out and bought more horses. I don’t know what the number should be.”
The board decided it would best to have Stable Manager Pennington available to discuss some of the issues.
Timing of Sign Replacement Debated
Moore County's Public Safety Department has asked the Association to replace nearly eighty street signs that have incorrect names or misspellings, creating problems for emergency responders.
Leach said that, while walking his dog, “I started looking at signs. Many are rotted-out from the bottom and in the middle. The thought came that we ought to replace all these signs. Many are hard to read -- especially at night.”
Board members discussed replacing the signs and spreading the expense over a two-year period. One unknown variable is how long it will take the SLLA maintenance crew to replace each sign.
“My concern all along has been everything our small maintenance crew has to do,” said Leach. “Our maintenance crew is really busy, especially in the Summer.”
“I think it would be a mistake to order all the signs,” he added. “I think we should order fifty of the signs that the County has recommended replacing, to get the break in price, and figure out how long it takes us to do that.”
Meyer said the Finance Committee would need to discuss how to pay for the signs.
“We don’t have deep pockets," he said. "If we spend all the money, then something else is going to be pushed aside. I like the idea of replacing the ones that need to be replaced this year and start replacing the others the next year.
Year-Round Savings
Meyer recommended replacing the manual thermostats that are standard in all the Association's buildings with programmable thermostats, a project estimated to cost $1,100. The resulting energy savings would cover the cost of the thermostats in two years, Meyer explained.
Leach said, “I come into these buildings in the Summer, no one is in here, and it's freezing. I would be in favor of programmable thermostats.”
Summer Camps
The premature announcement of a Summer Stables Ride Camp prompted a caution from Director Racine that Summer camp proposals must first go to the finance and recreation committees.
He pointed out there were many questions that must be addressed before a camp is approved:"What are they are after? Are they going to want to use just the club house? Are they going to charge for the camp? Use our facilities to make money?”
Roads Cracking
Board Member Steve Ritter reported that some of the newly-paved roads are cracking and crumbling. He said that a representative from the paving company came out and looked at the roads.
“She said, structurally, we do not have a problem," Ritter said. "Once Summer comes, the heat and hot weather will take care of itself. The bottom line is: if we can wait until then to see what happens to that, they will stand behind their workmanship.”
Code of Ethics
The Board discussed briefly updating SLLA Board’s Code of Ethics, but Director Racine said, “I think we should postpone this. It is nothing that is urgent that has to go to a meeting right away. We should postpone it and bring it back.”
President Darr, who will leave the Board after the Annual Meeting in March, agreed with Racine and, in good humor, said: “Kick this can down the road. I am out of here.”
Bad Debts
Community Manager Sohl recommended writing off as bad debt $3,000 owed on two foreclosed properties. The board approved moving that matter to the February 27 Open Meeting.
