This March 26th Board of Directors meeting was very interesting. It started with President Sullivan requesting to discuss some legal matter in an executive session after the meeting.
Our General Manager went through his manager’s report. Some items covered were fines, sand from the pool filter being the reason why the pool were always dirty, and spraying our common areas three times for what he called clover. Director Hansen questioned items in a management report.
The next thirty-five minutes was spent on beating a dead horse about a lock for our boat ramp.
Don Pelletier made a comment on the having of a contractor’s certificate of registration.
Armando gave the usual report of the gazillion thing done in two hours. Director Hansen pointed out that these every two hour job completions were “garbage”. Director Hansen questioned why the shower stall drains were not fixed. Armando said he would check into it.
Les Heier gave his report. Director Hansen asked questions pertaining to his management procedures of the Village Grill. He was also asked if he was obtaining a pool certification. The reply was no.
Director Dodson said she thought he had already been qualified with the course he took. She must have remembered our General Manager saying Les past a pool test last year along with several other employees during a Board meeting.
Our General Manager said you only need a certified pool operator (CPO) on site, and not involved with any duties. He said a certification course doesn’t teach how to test and balance the water or how to take care of the pools. He said it goes into how to calculate water volumes, size of pools, and so forth.
Director Dodson complimented the D&E Committee
President Sullivan said the Golf Committee fundraising and donations totaled a whopping $42729. They have about $16000 left for future cement.
Director Steffensen did a rather great job with the treasurer report. Besides doing the normal report, she addressed some questions mention in this blog and did it without showing any displeasure. She went on to answer thoroughly many pointed questions from Director Hansen and others. She put a tremendous amount of her free time to accomplish this and should be saluted for these efforts.
Director Peterson asked about the new copier and continued with asking questions on the scanning of our records. Subject was tabled.
Appointments were made for Asst. Secretary, Asst. Treasurer, and two positions on the Bridge Board.
Year end reports were accepted.
Motion made to increase permit fees and have the increase put into a road repaving fund. It passed.
Amendment to our building rules was tabled.
Information of contractor’s certificate of registration on permits was passed. It will start in Sept.
Fines for construction vehicles that are parking illegally were tabled.
The never ending pool issue surfaced with a motion to employ someone to train current pool employees. It passed.
Motion to have employee and manager sign off on cleaning the pool and bathrooms passed.
It was requested to advertise in our LIV newsletter for volunteers with them giving their background expertise.
Director McBride talked about Aramark’s contract with our Village and talked about management’s non performance of our common grounds upkeep. The managements excuse for non performance was not being able to hire help. The reply to that was do your job or you will be replaced.
The General Manager talked about an employee leaving us and going to the border patrol. He went on about how the border patrol had reduced their hiring criteria.
Other items touched on was effluent water running through the old sewage pipes on the swing bridge, the cable bids, and phase 3 at our pump station.
The meeting ended with an executive meeting request for a personnel issue and not the legal issue.
Please note, I basically gave the meat of the meeting and not the sizzle. From the beginning of this meeting our management seemed to be under fire from three or four of the Board members. Specific questions and comments were made on management’s performance and procedures. It appeared to me Director Burke became our General Manager’s defense attorney near the end of the meeting. She seemed to become very agitated. It was a very dicey meeting.
In this meeting our gate staff and Village patrol was again referred to as security 6 times by our Board and management.
I’ll save my comments about this meeting for a later article.

The March 19th Coffee with the Directors was a breath of fresh air. It started with the suggestions being read with who wrote them. Questions asked by owners were given an answer right away instead of being passed and lost to management or by expressing “we’ll look into it”. A special thanks to Vice President Young and the rest of the Board.
Most of the items brought up in our open session were the following:
The boat ramp gate was being left open for anyone to use it.
Have a separate room just for Villagers to use their computers.
The problem with the gate staff (they said security), opening both gates at the same time.
What is the progress on switching to another cable company? Answer was waiting for bids.
Vehicles are parked sticking out into the street.
Chicken night tickets that were being sold to a large group at the door.
Office employees mistreating our customers at the Welcome Center.
The board would like suggestions and your input for the LIV’s new web site.
Address the parking of construction vehicles.
It was asked starting an escrow account for road repair.
It was asked that management keep in compliance to the upkeep of our common grounds.
There was a question about our water meters.
It was asked if boats are charged for parking in our parking lot and if so, where is the money is going? There was a question about past improper dredging,
The subject of the need of effluent water was brought up.
An owner was upset by the way management treated him towards managing his rental property.
Quite a while was spent on condition of the pool and training for pool and housekeeping employees. Management said the new employee was on time the first day, but was late the following two.

Workshop
Mr. Perez, who sells for Time Warner, did a pitch for his cable company. Director Dodson said she wanted to get more bids.
Most of the Items discussed I the workshop were the pools, a lift to cut the palm trees, builder rules, pump station pumps, the suggestion box, a siren system, forming more committees, having activities for kids to play golf and tennis, having dances for renters, the watering of our grass, time change for Board meetings, and the mailer received of the homestead tax cap notice. Director Burke took the credit for getting the Laguna Madre Water District to except $5000 for hauling our sewage.