2014/06/28 Annual MeetingHIDDEN LAKE ASSOCIATION
Membership Meeting
June 28th, 2014
Rossi Hall 10 A.M.
Board members present: President – Ellen Mason, Treasurer – Jack Page, Secretary – Dian Mathews, Directors – Frank Stuckey, Bryan Bruder, Dick Scofield.
I. Flag Salute
II. Introduction of new member: Jeff Schaeffer on Foxhill Rd.
III. Welcome by Ellen Mason, introduction of Board members and brief description of functions they perform
IV. Discussion of Minutes from August 24th, 2013 Members’ Budget Meeting
· Clarification of 2014-2015 budget presentation, of need for new assessment to $500 and vote for the 2014-2015 budget which included the raise in assessment.
· Someone asked why a comment they had made did not appear in the minutes. Ellen explained that minutes need only contain actions, such as motions. Comments are only included if they help explain a discussion.
· MOTION Nancy Chagnon/ Matt Wheeler: We move to amend the August 24th, 2013 minutes to read, instead of “Jack gave…”, to “We voted on the approval of the 2014-2015 budget”. PASSED. Voice vote: yeses and 1 nay.
· MOTION Ken Peate/Roy Morotta: We move to accept the amended minutes of August 24th, 2013. PASSED unanimously.
V. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jack Page
2014 was very challenging fiscally. The fiscal year runs from May 1 through April 30.
The new snow plow contractor quit in the middle of a snow storm early in the winter.
Longtime roads’ contractor chose not to submit bids to service our roads. We ran out of cash late in FY2014. It was a time- consuming project to convert our financial record from Quicken and multiple spreadsheets to Quickbooks.
HLA Bank Accounts: HLA Bank Accounts: Current SBW checking account balance is $83,480.49.
All bills are current and the checkbook is balanced. Current SBW Contingency Fund CD balance is $36,898.93.
Current Past Due is $25,750 with 49 past due members. Bills are due MAY 1 and
Interest accrues from May 1st for bills not paid by June 15th – as per the Covenants.
Current Past Due accounts are turned over to Legal in July. Currently we have judgments against 4 members for bills not paid for prior years’ assessments. Two are making court approved monthly payments (will take a year or more to pay off).
Two have arrest warrants against them. Historically 50% of members turned over to Legal pay upon receiving first Legal Notice. HLA receives none of the Legal fees – our Lawyer does. HLA pays Legal expenses upfront. After a judgment or a settlement HLA collects only after the member pays, which can take months or more. In several recent cases HLA collected the $400 while the Lawyer collects $600+.
Actual vs Budget Review: See handout. FY2012 and FY2013 amount are shown for comparison. Focus on the four blue columns. For reference, the column of green numbers shows the current year’s budget. There was a deficit and it needed to be funded as summarized in the last columns. Income was under- budget. Expenses were over-budget. Budgets are prepared 10 months in advance and approved 8 months in advance. Board members and several other members paid their $500 assessment early.
There was a discussion as to what is an “emergency” so that money can be withdrawn from the Contingency Fund. The Board voted that our plow contractor quitting constituted an emergency. History of what occurred was related by Dick Scofield. (See Minutes of Special Meeting – June 18th, 2014)
Jack ended by stating that he is working on next year’s budget and planning for a HLA savings account and a new funded contingency account (5%).
VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS
ROAD COMMITTEE REPORT – Dick Scofield
First I wish to acknowledge and thank our Road Committee: Marilyn Chambers, Paul
Krampfert, Roy Morotta, and Frankie Scofield.
The Road Committee learned of several problems on our roads.
1. We had too much water on our roads.
2. There was a lack of proper crown or elevation to our roads.
3. We had secondary ditching along many of our roads.
4. The roads have not had the ditches cleaned, possibly since the roads were built.
5. The roads are not made of the correct aggregate mix.
6. The roads were not compacted after grading.
7. There has been no effort to control dust.
8. The way we drive on our roads determines, in part, the condition of our roads. Speed deteriorates our roads. Accelerating up hill on corners contributes to corrugating (wash boarding).
At our monthly meeting in March, the Road Committee decided to put our summer
maintenance out to bid. We developed the bid specifications in April and sent them
out to five road contractors. The roads you are driving on are the result of that work.
Our grader contractor has informed me we are getting wash boarding already. This is
due to the lack of moisture, the way we drive and poor quality gravel. We can even
improve the moisture with the use of calcium chloride, but only you can change your
driving habits. Slow down and don’t accelerate on corners.
In the spring of this year the Road Committee developed the “Five Year Plan” for our
roads. This will take some tweaking before the final version is available.
The Road Committee has completed a survey of our culverts. Of the 74 listed, nine
are crushed or were not installed. Most culverts were installed in the early 1970s.
They were made of galvanized steel and most are rusted out on the bottom. Over
time they will be replaced as part of the capital improvement item of the “Five Year
Plan”.
Please SLOW DOWN and have a happy summer.
Also, it should be noted that last year’s dock removal was very quick with the help of Paul Krampfert, Dick Scofield, Louie Gilman and Steve Burke. We removed and stored the docks, picnic tables and the swing into Rossi Hall.
To date we have sold 75 boat, canoe and kayak stickers, raising just under $2000.
Due to the new docks and other improvements, we now have a few more open spots for
boat owners to use as we continue to grow our community.
Rossi Hall and Dematteo Pool House - Last year’s budget included a savings of $1000 for an insurance that could never be used by HLA and this savings was allotted to the repairs of Dematteo Pool House and Rossi Hall. As I was very busy with other commitments, I asked Mike English and Bob Freitag for assistance in the purchase of a door for the pool house that had a rotted sill plate and sill and was posing a danger. They were able to acquire the door at a sale price of $225. I also purchased a door for the back of Rossi Hall that was on sale at $139.
Bob, Mike and Louie Gilman have installed these doors and spent over two hours repairing the sill at the pool house. I thank them for their time and doing this for me and the rest of the community.
Five new windows are in the process of being replaced in the near future at a cost of $340 and we have purchased shutters for $60. We had some rock left over from mud season and used some around Rossi Hall and fixed the walkway between the pool house and the playground.
Ditching and culvert cleaning – Last fall, Bob, Mike and I cleared the blockages in the two culverts and the ditches that are on each side of the tennis courts. This now allows the water to flow directly to the lake and not puddle up as it has for the past few years.
Swing – Last year we had a swing donated by a member (please acknowledge yourself if you wish to). This year we had stain donated by Jim Newell that allowed us to refresh the appearance of the swing that I see many enjoying from time to time.
Winter cleanup – Due to winter plowing, it was necessary to clean up the dirt deposited on the tar driveway and lawn and in front of the boat racks. This was done at no cost to the Association by a volunteer. Also, the mailbox posts were leveled and the accumulated dirt was removed by a volunteer.
Association Map – I must admit, I am embarrassed that I have not lived up to my promise to fix the map that Doug Henderson has maintained in the past. I will most certainly keep this on my priority list and get this going ASAP.
Gebhardt Tennis Court – I have tied the net up on the tennis court and will look into a new one and other improvements. I have had inquiries from members and am looking into the matter.
Bryan also thanked those who have volunteered at the waterfront.
At this time Ellen thanked Frank and Linda Stuckey for their service to HLA. “HLA runs because of volunteers”.
Frank Stuckey said,” Every one has a gift. We should give back. My thanks to the Board. Call if you need a hand; it’s been an honor.”
Nancy Chagnon recognized all the past officers and volunteers who have helped HLA.
VI. New Business
A. Elections for Board positions 2014
1. Positions open are:
Director
Vice President
Secretary
2. Nominated last year were:
Director – Roy Morotta
Vice president – Pat Bassett
Secretary – Dian Mathews
3. Nominations from the floor:
Director – Frank Stuckey by Bryan Bruder. Declined.
Matt Wheeler by Frankie Scofield. Accepted.
Discussion ensued as to whether Roy running presented a conflict of interest; he is the Pool Manager, a contractor of HLA.
MOTION: Matt Wheeler/ Steve Mcgerty “ We move that the Board clarify and define “conflict
of interest” with our attorney.”
Discussion centered on the facts that Bryan Bruder and Jack Page oversee the pool and Roy will
work as manager under their supervision.
MOTION: Nancy Chagnon/Arlene DiCorsia “Move to TABLE Matt Wheeler’s motion.” Vote: PASSED unanimously.
Nominations continued:
Vice President – Mikki Falcone/ Nancy Chagnon
4. Ballots were counted by Mike English and Donna Moxely
Total number of members voting: 42
Director:* Roy – 22, Matt – 19
Vice President:* Pat – 32, Mikki – 10
Secretary: *Dian – 37
B. HLA Website – Jack Page has set up a website for HLA:
sites.google.com/site/HiddenLakeAssociation
Jack will post minutes, calendar, the board bios, and pictures
Our HLA e-mail address is:
[email protected]
Dick Scofield will repair the bulletin board by the mailboxes.
Bryan Bruder will put up a bulletin board by the big rock at the
waterfront.
Thank you Jack, Dick and Bryan!
C. Highland Lake Unified Association – Joe VanSchaik
1. Lake Hosts are at Island Pond, the Marina and at the lake
access on Rt. 123.
2. H2O testing samples have been sent to Concord.
3. Weed control survey is underway.
4. He has copies of the newsletter if anyone is interested.
5. The state has sent a Loon nesting platform to Highland Lake. It is in Pickerel Cove.
6. Reminder: Wear a life vest when boating!
MOTION: Mikki Falcone/Nancy Chagnon “ We move that HLA donate $250
to fund the Lake Hosts Program.” PASSED unanimously.
Motion to adjourn: Frank Stuckey/Mike Belanger.
Dian Mathews, Secretary
Membership Meeting
June 28th, 2014
Rossi Hall 10 A.M.
Board members present: President – Ellen Mason, Treasurer – Jack Page, Secretary – Dian Mathews, Directors – Frank Stuckey, Bryan Bruder, Dick Scofield.
I. Flag Salute
II. Introduction of new member: Jeff Schaeffer on Foxhill Rd.
III. Welcome by Ellen Mason, introduction of Board members and brief description of functions they perform
IV. Discussion of Minutes from August 24th, 2013 Members’ Budget Meeting
· Clarification of 2014-2015 budget presentation, of need for new assessment to $500 and vote for the 2014-2015 budget which included the raise in assessment.
· Someone asked why a comment they had made did not appear in the minutes. Ellen explained that minutes need only contain actions, such as motions. Comments are only included if they help explain a discussion.
· MOTION Nancy Chagnon/ Matt Wheeler: We move to amend the August 24th, 2013 minutes to read, instead of “Jack gave…”, to “We voted on the approval of the 2014-2015 budget”. PASSED. Voice vote: yeses and 1 nay.
· MOTION Ken Peate/Roy Morotta: We move to accept the amended minutes of August 24th, 2013. PASSED unanimously.
V. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jack Page
2014 was very challenging fiscally. The fiscal year runs from May 1 through April 30.
The new snow plow contractor quit in the middle of a snow storm early in the winter.
Longtime roads’ contractor chose not to submit bids to service our roads. We ran out of cash late in FY2014. It was a time- consuming project to convert our financial record from Quicken and multiple spreadsheets to Quickbooks.
HLA Bank Accounts: HLA Bank Accounts: Current SBW checking account balance is $83,480.49.
All bills are current and the checkbook is balanced. Current SBW Contingency Fund CD balance is $36,898.93.
Current Past Due is $25,750 with 49 past due members. Bills are due MAY 1 and
Interest accrues from May 1st for bills not paid by June 15th – as per the Covenants.
Current Past Due accounts are turned over to Legal in July. Currently we have judgments against 4 members for bills not paid for prior years’ assessments. Two are making court approved monthly payments (will take a year or more to pay off).
Two have arrest warrants against them. Historically 50% of members turned over to Legal pay upon receiving first Legal Notice. HLA receives none of the Legal fees – our Lawyer does. HLA pays Legal expenses upfront. After a judgment or a settlement HLA collects only after the member pays, which can take months or more. In several recent cases HLA collected the $400 while the Lawyer collects $600+.
Actual vs Budget Review: See handout. FY2012 and FY2013 amount are shown for comparison. Focus on the four blue columns. For reference, the column of green numbers shows the current year’s budget. There was a deficit and it needed to be funded as summarized in the last columns. Income was under- budget. Expenses were over-budget. Budgets are prepared 10 months in advance and approved 8 months in advance. Board members and several other members paid their $500 assessment early.
There was a discussion as to what is an “emergency” so that money can be withdrawn from the Contingency Fund. The Board voted that our plow contractor quitting constituted an emergency. History of what occurred was related by Dick Scofield. (See Minutes of Special Meeting – June 18th, 2014)
Jack ended by stating that he is working on next year’s budget and planning for a HLA savings account and a new funded contingency account (5%).
VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS
ROAD COMMITTEE REPORT – Dick Scofield
First I wish to acknowledge and thank our Road Committee: Marilyn Chambers, Paul
Krampfert, Roy Morotta, and Frankie Scofield.
The Road Committee learned of several problems on our roads.
1. We had too much water on our roads.
2. There was a lack of proper crown or elevation to our roads.
3. We had secondary ditching along many of our roads.
4. The roads have not had the ditches cleaned, possibly since the roads were built.
5. The roads are not made of the correct aggregate mix.
6. The roads were not compacted after grading.
7. There has been no effort to control dust.
8. The way we drive on our roads determines, in part, the condition of our roads. Speed deteriorates our roads. Accelerating up hill on corners contributes to corrugating (wash boarding).
At our monthly meeting in March, the Road Committee decided to put our summer
maintenance out to bid. We developed the bid specifications in April and sent them
out to five road contractors. The roads you are driving on are the result of that work.
Our grader contractor has informed me we are getting wash boarding already. This is
due to the lack of moisture, the way we drive and poor quality gravel. We can even
improve the moisture with the use of calcium chloride, but only you can change your
driving habits. Slow down and don’t accelerate on corners.
In the spring of this year the Road Committee developed the “Five Year Plan” for our
roads. This will take some tweaking before the final version is available.
The Road Committee has completed a survey of our culverts. Of the 74 listed, nine
are crushed or were not installed. Most culverts were installed in the early 1970s.
They were made of galvanized steel and most are rusted out on the bottom. Over
time they will be replaced as part of the capital improvement item of the “Five Year
Plan”.
Please SLOW DOWN and have a happy summer.
- WATERFRONT/RECREATION AREA REPORT – Bryan Bruder
Also, it should be noted that last year’s dock removal was very quick with the help of Paul Krampfert, Dick Scofield, Louie Gilman and Steve Burke. We removed and stored the docks, picnic tables and the swing into Rossi Hall.
To date we have sold 75 boat, canoe and kayak stickers, raising just under $2000.
Due to the new docks and other improvements, we now have a few more open spots for
boat owners to use as we continue to grow our community.
Rossi Hall and Dematteo Pool House - Last year’s budget included a savings of $1000 for an insurance that could never be used by HLA and this savings was allotted to the repairs of Dematteo Pool House and Rossi Hall. As I was very busy with other commitments, I asked Mike English and Bob Freitag for assistance in the purchase of a door for the pool house that had a rotted sill plate and sill and was posing a danger. They were able to acquire the door at a sale price of $225. I also purchased a door for the back of Rossi Hall that was on sale at $139.
Bob, Mike and Louie Gilman have installed these doors and spent over two hours repairing the sill at the pool house. I thank them for their time and doing this for me and the rest of the community.
Five new windows are in the process of being replaced in the near future at a cost of $340 and we have purchased shutters for $60. We had some rock left over from mud season and used some around Rossi Hall and fixed the walkway between the pool house and the playground.
Ditching and culvert cleaning – Last fall, Bob, Mike and I cleared the blockages in the two culverts and the ditches that are on each side of the tennis courts. This now allows the water to flow directly to the lake and not puddle up as it has for the past few years.
Swing – Last year we had a swing donated by a member (please acknowledge yourself if you wish to). This year we had stain donated by Jim Newell that allowed us to refresh the appearance of the swing that I see many enjoying from time to time.
Winter cleanup – Due to winter plowing, it was necessary to clean up the dirt deposited on the tar driveway and lawn and in front of the boat racks. This was done at no cost to the Association by a volunteer. Also, the mailbox posts were leveled and the accumulated dirt was removed by a volunteer.
Association Map – I must admit, I am embarrassed that I have not lived up to my promise to fix the map that Doug Henderson has maintained in the past. I will most certainly keep this on my priority list and get this going ASAP.
Gebhardt Tennis Court – I have tied the net up on the tennis court and will look into a new one and other improvements. I have had inquiries from members and am looking into the matter.
Bryan also thanked those who have volunteered at the waterfront.
At this time Ellen thanked Frank and Linda Stuckey for their service to HLA. “HLA runs because of volunteers”.
Frank Stuckey said,” Every one has a gift. We should give back. My thanks to the Board. Call if you need a hand; it’s been an honor.”
Nancy Chagnon recognized all the past officers and volunteers who have helped HLA.
- COVENANTS – THE BOARD
- Jack told us that he has been in communication with our HLA lawyer who has drafted two letters concerning covenant violations. The first is a notice that the member is in violation of our covenants. The second is a reminder to address the issue. Then we will take legal action. We will have to “pick our battles”.
- The Covenants committee will meet and work on policies to help the Board enforce the covenants.
VI. New Business
A. Elections for Board positions 2014
1. Positions open are:
Director
Vice President
Secretary
2. Nominated last year were:
Director – Roy Morotta
Vice president – Pat Bassett
Secretary – Dian Mathews
3. Nominations from the floor:
Director – Frank Stuckey by Bryan Bruder. Declined.
Matt Wheeler by Frankie Scofield. Accepted.
Discussion ensued as to whether Roy running presented a conflict of interest; he is the Pool Manager, a contractor of HLA.
MOTION: Matt Wheeler/ Steve Mcgerty “ We move that the Board clarify and define “conflict
of interest” with our attorney.”
Discussion centered on the facts that Bryan Bruder and Jack Page oversee the pool and Roy will
work as manager under their supervision.
MOTION: Nancy Chagnon/Arlene DiCorsia “Move to TABLE Matt Wheeler’s motion.” Vote: PASSED unanimously.
Nominations continued:
Vice President – Mikki Falcone/ Nancy Chagnon
4. Ballots were counted by Mike English and Donna Moxely
Total number of members voting: 42
Director:* Roy – 22, Matt – 19
Vice President:* Pat – 32, Mikki – 10
Secretary: *Dian – 37
B. HLA Website – Jack Page has set up a website for HLA:
sites.google.com/site/HiddenLakeAssociation
Jack will post minutes, calendar, the board bios, and pictures
Our HLA e-mail address is:
[email protected]
Dick Scofield will repair the bulletin board by the mailboxes.
Bryan Bruder will put up a bulletin board by the big rock at the
waterfront.
Thank you Jack, Dick and Bryan!
C. Highland Lake Unified Association – Joe VanSchaik
1. Lake Hosts are at Island Pond, the Marina and at the lake
access on Rt. 123.
2. H2O testing samples have been sent to Concord.
3. Weed control survey is underway.
4. He has copies of the newsletter if anyone is interested.
5. The state has sent a Loon nesting platform to Highland Lake. It is in Pickerel Cove.
6. Reminder: Wear a life vest when boating!
MOTION: Mikki Falcone/Nancy Chagnon “ We move that HLA donate $250
to fund the Lake Hosts Program.” PASSED unanimously.
Motion to adjourn: Frank Stuckey/Mike Belanger.
Dian Mathews, Secretary