KNIGHTS
HILL ASSOCIATION, Inc.
Bridgton ME 04009
Board of Governors Meeting
September 2, 2006
Final
Tom
Kearns, Vice-president
Phyllis
Ginzler, Clerk
Marilyn
Salerno
Peter
Silva
Tom
Tanner
Also
in attendance were 21 KHA members.
(Sign-in sheet attached.)
Collateral that was provided to
members included:
Agenda
Minutes
of June 2, 2006 Board of Governors Meeting
Manager’s
Report
KHA,
Inc. Statement of Account Balances (as of 08-30-06)
KHA, Inc. Check Detail (July 1 through Aug. 30, 2006)
KHA,
Inc. Profit and Loss Budget vs. Actual (Jan.1 through Aug. 30,2006)
Goals
and Objectives for Knights Hill Association, 2006/2007
Outline
of Office and Business Procedures for Knights Hill Association (draft)
For those that do not know me, my name is Pam Ambrose and this is my second year on the board. I was last year’s treasurer and now your newly elected president.
Our new board for 2006/2007 is:
·
Tom Kearns. This is his third
year on the board. Last year he served as president and this year,
vice-president. He has been a member of
KHA for 5 years.
·
Phyllis Ginzler. This is her
second year on the board, both as clerk/secretary. She has been a member of KHA for 26 years.
·
Jeff Whitherell. This is his
second year on the board and is serving as treasurer this year. He has been a member of KHA for several
years.
·
Marilyn Salerno has served on the board for 4 years and has held the
position of clerk. She has been a
member for 25 years.
·
Tom Tanner is newly elected to the board. He has been a member for 20
years.
This is an awesome group of people with many years at KHA and dedicated service on the board. We are very lucky to have them.
Next
month my family and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in the
Knight’s Hill community. I think it is fitting that in this milestone year; I
will be giving back to the community.
As I said last year when I was elected to the board, I LOVE KNIGHTS HILL
ASSOCIATION and as such Dana, my husband, and I have brought dozens of people
to this area, including the two Toms on the board. We built our dream house and
retired here.
Knights
Hill Association is a corporation with community properties and buildings –
pool – tennis- beach – docks - wells
and various lots ----worth in the neighborhood of one to two million dollars.
There are about 250 homes with an approximate average value of $250,000 each
totaling $62,000,000. With a combined total of approximately $64,000,000 in assets and with a
yearly budget of nearly quarter million dollars --- WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY!!
It is pretty amazing and a huge responsibility for us all and especially the
elected board of governors.
Our forefathers and every member, manager and board of governors have contributed to this success weathering many obstacles.
We have made a huge financial commitment when we bought our homes, improved our homes, rebuilt the tennis courts, revamped the Bullwinkle and now our beautiful pool and surrounding area.
This past year at our membership’s request, the board, headed by Tom Kearns, produced a policy book and a manager’s job description. I am very proud of the work we did.
Knowing that I live here full time, and retired, with time on my hands and more importantly with my business and office experience, several board members and other long time fellow members asked if I would accept the nomination of president. They knew the work that now needs to be done is time consuming and mostly procedural.
With
this in mind, I am setting 5 major goals for this board.
1. IMPROVE
COMMUNICATION
Communications between board members, staff
and the membership need to be more often, clearer, and we all need to know that
discussions are kept confidential until made public at the meeting.
2. PROMOTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
Privacy for board members, staff and
membership. Personnel issues will be dealt with in executive session. Issues will be
discussed using the issue and NOT the member name. Issues with board members,
members or staff that may be of a confrontational manner will be handled
respectfully and with tact and if possible with
confidentiality.
3. ESTABLISH CONSISTANT BUSINESS PROCEDURES
Documentation is critical. We will be
voting on the acceptance of many documents on various procedures. In this way,
we can pass this information from board to board and maintain standard
operating procedures. The
manager and staff will know exactly what is expected of them and also have a
smooth transition from board to board.
4. ASSESS
the CURRENT and FUTURE NEEDS of
KHA STAFFING and hours required to run our corporation in a FISCALLY
responsible manner. This will
be the hardest to obtain as we have staff in place and they will have to adapt
to the changes we set. It is OUR responsibility, our membership requires it,
and to match Knights Hill Association needs to the staff and hours, now and in
the future.
5. CONTINUE THE UPKEEP AND IMPROVEMENT OF KHA
COMMON PROPERTIES.
This has always been ongoing and we have done a great job and will continue this process.
We
will discuss the action items needed to obtain these goals and this will be a
lot of work and will take the entire year.
It is very ambitious and I have already spent a lot of time. I am willing and able to do what it takes
and I am confident my fellow board members, committee members and staff will do
the same.
Now
for the meeting format:
I
am going to run our board meetings in a fashion that has been used in the past.
This can be changed at any time, if it does not work. The board will conduct
uninterrupted business using the agenda as guideline. From time to time the
board will ask members for advice or history of an issue.
Members
who are present and who wish to speak, and those written requests will be
recognized after new business.
I
am very enthusiastic about the coming year as are my fellow board members. We
expect our KHA staff to project the same.
LET’S
BEGIN………..
Pam Ambrose substituted for treasurer Jeff Witherell who was absent due to a family illness. She certified that the financial information was accurate and that KHA finances are in good order. Tom Kearns made the motion to approve the treasurer’s report with Phyllis Ginzler seconding. The motion passed.
Committee Reports
1.
Building. Dan
Weygandt reported that he has received five requests: one new house and 4
additions or sheds. Pam Ambrose took
the opportunity to thank Dan for his summary report that he presented at the
July Annual Meeting.
2. Waterfront/Docks. Steve Fisher suggested that the
Association communicate to members that they are responsible for the removal of
canoes and kayaks from the beach area by Thanksgiving weekend. Steve also suggested that we ask for
volunteers to help eliminate or reduce the “natural” milfoil (weeds) in the
lagoon area during the Columbus Day weekend.
A question was raised as to the legality of removing vegetation from the
lagoon. KHA member Charlie Leverin
offered to check with LEA on the rules governing weed removal. The suggestion was made to re-look into a
motorized fountain in the lagoon area to continually stir the water and the
Board agreed to look into this.
3. Dockmaster. There was no dockmaster report.
Manager’s Report (included in its entirety)
Manager’s
Report
August
31, 2006
General
Business:
My
cell phone got wet and needed to be replaced.
When I contacted AT&T for a replacement, they were unwilling and
unable to replace this phone. They were
only willing to change our service over to Cingular. We tried this service in the past and it did not work well in
Bridgton. As such, I switched carriers
to Nextel.
Two
of the pump motors servicing the pool needed to be replaced. One was covered under warranty; the other
was an original motor from the former pool and was not covered by warranty. The third pump required repairs to the
piping and replacement of the multiport, which controls the different functions
of the pump.
The
pool is scheduled to be closed on 9-11-2006.
The
tennis courts are tentatively scheduled to be resurfaced starting 9-05-2006.
Thank
you to both Price Hutchins and the Croteaus for the painting of the jungle gym.
Certified
letters were sent to two owners who had unregistered cars in their yards.
Water
Business:
New
water gates were installed at the intersection of Fox Crossing and East Pondicherry
heading west. Another gate was
installed half way down the hill on East Pondicherry. A third gate was installed on Whispering Pine Lane. A fourth gate was replaced on Algonquin
Lane. This gate was leaking and had
been hit last winter by a town truck.
Water
valves were replaced to the Durrell and Silva Residences on Fox Crossing as
well as the Langevin home on Moose Pond Drive.
Riser repairs were completed to the Holden Residence.
A
water leak was repaired on Whispering Pine Lane on a vacant lot.
Two
Risers were relocated out of a driveway on Moose Pond Drive to a safer location.
Discussion ensued regarding the standard procedures for enforcing the Declaration of Property Restrictions and Easements by-laws and policies. It was agreed that the SOP would be
1.
A
phone call from the manager making the member aware of the issue.
2.
A
certified letter re-stating the issue and required remedy. It will also specify the consequences of
non-compliance.
3.
Refer
the matter to the KHA attorney (needs Board authorization)
Tom
Tanner voiced an objection to the policy regarding unregistered cars. It was pointed out that this was not only a
KHA policy (no unregistered parked cars in KHA), but was also part of the KHA
Declaration.
Tom
Tanner made the motion to approve the Manager’s report with Peter Silva
seconding. The motion passed.
The
Board then thanked manager Bill Hancock for his efforts on improving the water
system.
Old Business
1. Annual Meeting Follow-up.
· Signage. Price Hutchins completed the task of creating and placing signs at the pool and beach areas.
· Tree removal. Bill Hancock removed the tree at the dock area.
· Dock removal. It was confirmed that KHA did not use volunteer firemen in the past to help pull the docks.
· Jungle gym. Price Hutchins worked to finish the jungle gym at the pool. It is now a safe and attractive asset for the children.
· Noise ordinances. Bill Hancock will look into the town ordinances governing noise and report back to the Board.
· Beach chairs. The Board will look into adding beach chairs during the coming year.
· Mosquitoes. Bill Hancock will look into alternative methods for ridding Knights Hill of mosquitoes, and report back to the Board.
2. Boat slips. Bill Hancock alerted the Board that, once again, the waiting list for dock space has grown to 10 members. The Board re-iterated the need to enforce the dock slip policies to ensure consistency.
3. Cover for the Children’s Pool. Phyllis Ginzler made the motion to approve the expenditure of funds for a cover for the children’s pool. Peter Silva seconded and the motion passed. The cost is $1,323, including installation.
4. Purchase of lumber for docks. The Board informed the members that they had approved the expenditure of funds for the purchase of lumber for the dock area. During the summer, KHA member Scott Russell alerted the Board to the availability of a substantial amount of lumber at half price. The Board, through e-mails and phone calls approved and authorized Bill Hancock to spend $1,673 plus the cost of gas to haul the lumber to Knights Hill.
5.
Tennis Courts.
The tennis courts will be re-surfaced on Wednesday, Sept. 6. The courts will be closed for a week to
allow the surface to thoroughly set.
Bill Hancock will post signs to that effect
New Business
1. Appointment of Committee Chairs. Dan Weygandt agreed to continue to serve as Building Committee chair. Also, Steve Fisher and Cindy Orr will serve as co-chairs of the Waterfront Committee.
2. Milfoil, etc. Charlie Loverin spoke about the damaging “zebra mussel” milfoil. To date, there is no zebra mussel milfoil within KHA. There is a natural milfoil that is harmless. Charlie took this opportunity to inform the members that he works with Police Chief Taft on the neighborhood watch force. As such, he offered to look into noise/nuisance ordinances and police response to complaints. He will also look into the rules governing fire pits. Pam Ambrose reminded the members that the KHA emergency phone line is for water system emergencies only and not as a substitute for calling town police/fire. Tom Tanner informed the members that he had looked into our fire response capability. He said that Bridgton has adequate response capability through its volunteer fire department and equipment.
3. Mailboxes. KHA member Dana Ambrose met with Bridgton postmaster to propose moving individual mailboxes located on Knights Hill Road to a safer location. The postmaster reviewed the request and agreed to urge Portland authorities to allow members to move their mailboxes to Morgan Lane (near the pump house) by October 1. (Homes to the west of Knights Hill do not receive mail delivery to their homes as of yet.) Norma Gelles requested that the Board obtain legal addresses for all KHA members. The Board agreed and referred the task to Bill Hancock.
4. Fall projects. The following projects are slated to be completed this fall:
· Sanding and staining the deck facing the tennis courts.
· Canoe and kayak removal
· Weed removal
· Provide first aid kits at Bullwinkle and Poolwinkle (to be available during KHA events.)
· Marilyn Salerno proposed starting a Social committee to promote KHA events. She has offered to continue to organize a round-robin tennis tournament.
5. Goals and Objectives 2006/2007. Pam Ambrose reviewed a proposed list of goals and objectives for KHA during the 2006/2007 year: (printed in its entirety).
1.
IMPROVE
COMMUNICATION
The
communication between board members, staff and the membership needs to be more
often, clearer, and we all need the assurance that discussions are kept
confidential until made public at the meeting.
2.
PROMOTE
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
Privacy for
board members, staff and membership will be respected.
3.
ESTABLISH
ORDINARY AND CONSISTANT BUSINESS PROCEDURES
Documentation
is critical to keep procedures consistent from board to board, unless voted
otherwise. Written procedures are guidelines for the staff to perform their
work and make for smoother transitions from board to board.
4.
ASSESS
KHA STAFFING AND HOURS
Assess and
assign KHA staff and hours for our current needs in order to keep operating our
corporation in a fiscally responsible manner.
5.
CONTINUE
THE UPKEEP AND IMPROVEMENT OF KHA PROPERTIES
Assess and
assign KHA staff and hours for our current needs in order to keep operating our
corporation in a fiscally responsible manner.
ACTION ITEMS
* Indicates in
progress ** Indicates completed
Phyllis Ginzler made a motion to accept the Goals and Objectives 2006/2007, seconded by Tom Kearns. The motion passed.
Member Requests or Comments
·
Ted and Pam Nusbaum raised the issue of noise
coming from the rental property next to their home on Arrowhead Lane. Renters caused a nuisance due to the noise
of ATV’s being raced in the driveway for hours on end, into the night. Discussion ensued about the role of the
manager and of the Bridgton police, neither of whom responded to the Nusbaum’s
complaint. Ted and Pam referenced the
“Good Neighbor Policy” in the KHA Policy Handbook and asked how it should be
enforced. The Board agreed that this
was a violation of the policy and that the procedure should be as follows: 1) direct communication between the
homeowners. The Nusbaums should speak
directly to the owner of the rental property and alert him to the conduct of
his renters. 2) If there is no resolution, the board will send a letter to the
homeowner referencing the “Good Neighbor Policy” and ask the owner to please
work to abide by these policies. 3) In cases where there is a public nuisance,
the police should be called. Because
the Nusbaums got no response from the Bridgton police, Charlie Loverin has
offered to bring up the matter with police chief Taft. Pam Ambrose also offered to intervene with
the owner of the rental property and speak to him about his renters.
·
Bob Gelles brought up the issue of a back-up
propane tank for our water system in the event of a failure. Bill Hancock said that he has spoken with
the gas company on ways to improve our preparedness. This item will be added to our October meeting agenda. Bob also asked for an “official” KHA
bulletin board with no commercial ads – KHA business only. The Board agreed that this is a priority.
·
Norma Gelles proposed an amendment to our
by-laws to create a Budget committee.
Board member Tom Tanner disagreed saying that the Board has the
responsibility to establish and monitor the budget and there is no need to
change. It was pointed out that the
treasurer actively participates in the budget process and that the Board
approves the budget each year. The Board agreed with Tom and tabled the
issue. Norma also asked the Board to
consider asking the membership to vote on renewing the KHA, Inc. Declaration of
Property Restrictions and Easements as required by 2008. Pam Ambrose asked Norma to prepare a brief
presentation and it will be placed on the February meeting agenda.
·
Ted Nusbaum alerted the members that there is a
pack of coyotes in the north end of Knights Hill and for members to watch their
pets.
·
Steve Fisher asked when the debris at the jungle
gym at the pool would be removed. The
Board asked Bill Hancock to take care of it.
Also, Steve asked if there could be a way to stop tracking dirt from the
jungle gym into the pool.
Tom Kearns made the motion to adjourn, and Phyllis Ginzler seconded. The meeting adjourned at 10:45.
Respectfully submitted,
Phyllis Ginzler
Recording Clerk and Secretary
September 7, 2006