A Pocono Country Place Property Owners Association, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting October 17, 2009
The Board of Directors meeting was held Saturday, October 17, 2009 in the E-clubhouse. The President called the meeting to order at 10:19 a.m. The Secretary called the roll. Present were Ms. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Kirk, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mr. Rametta, Mrs. White and Mr. Winter Also present was Mr. Schlaack, Property Manager and Ms. O’Neil, Property Manager Assistant. The meeting was opened with a member comment session. Mr. Mercado indicated there was a rash of break-ins in L section in the early hours of the morning. He indicated people are aware of which homes are vacant which makes them targets. There were 6-8 burglaries and no information was received by him and there are not enough patrols the area to prevent these situations. The Public Safety department and PMRP did respond quickly. These crime waves are a concern. Mr. Armanini asked if the covenants could be changed to not allow rental properties. A covenant change takes considerable time and would require 66 2/3% of the membership approving a change and it was noted that it took Hemlock Farms 10 years to change their covenants. Landlords performing background checks was discussed, and the Association can not force landlords to perform background checks by law as it would be violating Federal guidelines. HUD regulations would need to be changed. Mr. Winter explained that there is an addendum to each lease that gives the Association the power to evict tenants if the landlord is unresponsive to their responsibilities. The Board will get a legal opinion regarding the options regarding not allowing tenants to live in the development by renting from another homeowner once they have been evicted. Mr. Williams asked the following: How much money has been spent on renovations accept the E Clubhouse since the Board has taken office? How many employees have been hired after the hiring freeze was put in place by the previous Board? Do employees drive company owned vehicles to and from work? How much money has been expended to Zavada & assoc. since Mrs. Bowser’s resignation? These questions will be addressed on Monday. Mrs. Carbonari indicated the ramp to the J Clubhouse is still very steep. This will be addressed in the spring when other issues are being fixed. Ms. Kidd asked about the plants that were purchased last year and if all were used. The answer was yes they were used. She asked about the vending machine budget and that will be reviewed. She additionally reiterated her thoughts on breaches of confidentiality and holding individuals responsible for the breach responsible for the subsequent legal fees Motion made by Karen White, seconded by Joe Rametta, to approve the open session minutes for September 12, 2009. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: Mrs. Harris Nay: None Motion Carried. Treasurer’s Report Joe Rametta Mr. Rametta reviewed the financials from the Property Manager’s report and presented the costs to date associated with the E Clubhouse renovations. Mr. Winter asked about the B&A surety figures and if there was a breakdown of tenants/homeowners. Most of the surety is for homeowners and some owners need to be tracked down to return the surety.
Property Manager’s Report Jeff Schlaack Abandoned Properties – the Association is finding ways to deal with this issue. Young and Haros is pursuing the banks/owners.
Collections – this is being done in-house and is going well. Six personal property sales were executed and there are still 10 pending. Mrs. White asked what the process entailed. The auctions are done at the property and either the Sherriff or the Constable comes to remove the property sold. Ithicon – the owner database has been updated and the chart of accounts has been completed. The system should be 100% operational by January 1, 2010. We will operate on both systems temporarily. Tennis Courts – have been resurfaced. Come spring the fence height should be reduced. Pricing for the legal height of fencing will be researched as well as what the legal height is for fencing in the coming months in preparation for work to begin in the spring. K Guard House – a RFI and RFP are needed and an engineering opinion is required for this structure. A structural engineer’s opinion will be required and the K Clubhouse should be done at the same time. Using the drawings for the main gate guardhouse that were already done to see if it will fit into the footprint at the
K guardhouse was suggested. Three proposals should be obtained. Mr. Schlaack interrupted his report so that Mr. Rusbarsky and Chief Yeager could give their departmental updates. Maintenance Report - Mr. Rusbarsky • There was no overtime required for the snow removal in October and the new spreaders on the trucks worked great. Mr. Rusbarsky suggested purchasing two more for next year for the trucks that do not have spreaders. • Street signs have been ordered and the posts are being sunk in preparation. The stop signs will be the priority of this project. More cautionary signs, such as no bicycling, were suggested. This will be reviewed with Chief Yeager as to any safety issues that are identified. • The E Clubhouse bathroom repairs/renovations are almost completed. • It was determined that the green truck known as the “Pickle” would be repainted and split between Public Safety and Maintenance. • We will be calling the line painting company on Monday as they were supposed to perform the work and have yet to show up. • The Activities building with the tarp on it will be addressed on Monday and repaired. • The ramp of the J Clubhouse will be extended to change the pitch and make it wheelchair accessible. • A Maintenance schedule will be distributed at future meetings. • The K boat launch has been cleared. • The main gate exit arm is broken. The arm was moved to the visitor’s entrance as that arm broke. New parts have been ordered and both gates will be repaired when the parts are in. • It was suggested looking into using one way traffic treadals instead of gates at the exits. • There is an issue with a school bus being parked in the J section. If this is seen the school bus company should be notified. • Louvers are being added to K lake to raise the water level.
While the motions for the structures were being prepared there was an outburst from the membership. Mr. Schlaack addressed section 4 of the By-Laws regarding regular meetings and clarified the stipulations.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “K Gate House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “K Club House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried. Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “J Gate House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “E Club House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
There was a break at 11:31 a.m. and the meeting reconvened at 11:46 a.m.
There was discussion regarding member comment being at the end of the meetings each month. Additionally Ms. Foster felt that members should be able to comment when motions are being discussed. The Board will take this under advisement. A brief discussion to dispel rumors ensued regarding the thought that the Board was whispering at the table so that the membership could not here and that is untrue. Additionally the door in the clubhouse that was locked is locked because of the equipment that is housed in the room. Public Safety Report - Chief Yeager • Chief Yeager presented a review of the issues surrounding the rash of break-ins the previous Friday. This activity is being done by mostly juveniles and there are ongoing investigations by PMRP. It was questioned whether we are finding the parents of these individuals and Chief Yeager explained that Public Safety has to be careful about involvement as they can not interfere with ongoing police investigations as compromising the investigation can result in the case being dismissed. Patrols have been increased in District 2 (Sections J, K and L). Mr. Massaro asked about an “opt in” program that could provide Broadcast emails like a warning system. Chief Yeager indicated that a link is being created on the website that will give additional Public Safety information to residents. • There was a SWAT team in the community recently to serve an arrest warrant. • The use of video cameras and the pros and cons regarding them was discussed and Chief Yeager agreed that they could be a deterrent. • Ms. Tomazzolli indicated that as many break-ins are occurring at vacant homes lights being left on could help. Chief Yeager urged people to call Public Safety if they see any suspicious activity. Mr. Coogan asked how many of the homes broken APCP 10/17/09 Board Meeting Minutes – Page 5 into had alarm systems. The answer is two audible alarms but it is not known whether those alarms are monitored elsewhere. • Mr. Massaro indicated that the Public Safety department offers a home inspection program and will review homes and offer suggestions regarding how to better safeguard your home. • Chief Yeager pointed out that details regarding certain investigations are not given to Public Safety. The fact that Regional does not provide the information should be made public in the newsletter so our residents are aware. • New vehicles now enhance fleet and there is less down time of vehicles for maintenance. Management Report (Continued Mr. Schlaack) • A homeowner challenged the acceptance of the new By-Laws. A legal opinion by Young and Haros was obtained and the By-Laws were adopted properly. • K Lake – the Environmental Committee wants to take the initiates regarding addressing the K Lake issues to the next level and hire a biologist to do a thorough report on the lake’s conditions. FX Brown is the one biologist the Association has been in touch with. Mr. Schlaack will follow up on getting estimates for what it will cost to do a full study of the lake. Ms. Padilla-Riss recommended that money be allocated in the budget for this process. It was clarified that Natureworks treats both lakes currently with water treatments. Ms. White outlined the past issues with the K Lake and indicated that one of the issues is maintaining the water level. A brief discussion of the feasibility of drilling a well to feed the lake was had and increasing the water level will only mask the problem. If wells were used to feed the lake there would be several and PAW would not drill them but would monitor the water meters as they own the water rights. Mrs. White indicated there is an aeration system that some developments use for their lakes that seems to work well and that could be an option for this lake but it was determined that full studies are needed as the existing studies regarding the lake are years old. Before investing in remediation, we should identify the lake’s issues and then look at investing in the necessary systems to restore the lake • Owner Orientation – we are anxiously awaiting Ithicon to start this process. Once started a Welcome packet will be distributed once a month. The welcome packet will be updated accordingly and present the update for approval. • CAI Essentials in Volunteering – this workshop will be next week and the Committee Chairs and Board members will be attending. Anyone interested in attending is welcome to sign up and attend. • LRPFG – the group is awaiting Board of Directors input to see what their scope will be. It was recommended that Mr. Solomowitz’s presentation be put on the website with a narrative as well as highlights on Channel 80 and the newsletter. • Committees were reviewed and the following Committees were changed and members were approved: Recreation Committee: Cindy Rametta, Joe Rametta, Debbie Vines, Kerry Doucette, Peggy Cooney (it was noted APCP 10/17/09 Board Meeting Minutes – Page 6 that Ms. Cooney could not be a committee member but could sit on the committee). Linda Clements is the chair of this committee and Debbie Vines is the secretary. CIC Committee: Cindy DiPasquale is the chair of this committee. Cindy Rametta is the chair of Channel 80. Norma Padilla-Riss will serve as the liaison of the committee. Environmental Committee: Jason Kirk • Owner Information – owner registration will be available for owners only access to the website for information dissemination and will offer better communication for owners. It was questioned whether you need to be an owner in good standing or an owner of record to be granted access. This will be determined.
There was a break at 12:43 and the meeting reconvened at 12:53 Management Report (Continued Mr. Schlaack) • Directives – these were reviewed and approved • Realtor Gate Policy – reviewed and will be reworded and put into effect • Fines – tabled to next meeting • Website – this has been reviewed already • Bingo – this will be moved back to E Clubhouse next week • New Maintenance Vehicles – Ms. Bruno re-read the two motions made during executive session last month to ratify the motions. These motions were reviewed by legal counsel and it was determined that bids were not required for these purchases as they were replacement items. The motions stand as ratified. Motion made by Joe Rametta, seconded by Marc Winter, to purchase two (2) spreaders for $11,400 for the new GMC 3500s, money to be taken from appropriate capital account. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried
• J Waterline – this will be done in the spring. PAW will refund the Association for the water leaked into the ground based on the time the leak was identified. • Pools – these will require renovation in the spring in the form of replacing the decks and repouring concrete. The decks will be made with access panels so we can access the water lines. Estimates will be obtained so this work can begin in the spring. • Bus Stops – the Board needs to provide input. The Environmental Committee has offered its concerns. The North side of the road is felt to be safer. Monroe County Transit Authority will be responsible for maintenance and permits for this. Who will be responsible for accidents at this site? It will depend on who owns the land that the structure is on. A structure would also be replaced at K and L where there is an existing structure. • B & A – tabled for legal opinion • Combination of Properties – the motion needs to be located to determine if it was decided to combine more than two lots. • Security Cameras – Mr. Winter would like estimates on the costs for moveable cameras that can be placed at hot spots and the costs of monitoring. Security of the community should be paramount to the homeowners. The different types of cameras that are available were discussed and some remote areas may require battery operated cameras which could be costly. Dave Hallberg of IT is currently looking into prices for cameras and this information can then be reviewed. There was a discussion of this being a budget item if it is to monitor individual homes and it was stated that they would not be for specific homes. Cameras can not be guaranteed not to be broken, and as there currently are cameras that are not functional it was questioned purchasing new ones if the existing cameras are not used. Ms. Bruno asked how much the association has spent on vandalism of our amenities. Mr. Rametta will have to check this. • Class 6 Properties – if the Association files for tax relief can it be re-classified? There is no law that states such and taxes would not be paid for these properties. The list of these properties must be reviewed and Class 6 classification should be researched. Clarification of commercial property is also needed. Ms. Bruno also requested a list of the foreclosures that Mr. Borden is working on and this can be obtained from Mrs. Lee. The Board voted to move to executive session to discuss outstanding legal, personnel and contractual issues. The meeting was adjourned by the President at 1:44 p.m. Motion made by Karen White, seconded by Joe Rametta, to approved the open session minutes for September 12, 2009. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: Mrs. Harris Nay: None Motion Carried. Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “K Gate House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “K Club House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “J Gate House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried.
Motion made by Marc Winter, seconded by Joe Rametta to have Property Manager get proposals/bids from at least two (2) engineering firms regarding “E Club House” replacement/expansion drawings for submission to township. Results submitted to Board via email for consensus by Board. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None Motion Carried. Motion made by Joe Rametta, seconded by Marc Winter, to purchase two (2) spreaders for $11,400 for the new GMC 3500s, money to be taken from appropriate capital account. Yea: Mrs. Bruno, Ms. Cooney, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Rametta, Ms. Padilla-Riss, Mrs. White, Mr. Winter Non Vote: None Nay: None