OUR CEMENT POND

A week ago Tuesday I visited our pool facility as usual to bask in the sun, read, and use our Park’s water works. With these continuing water tribulations to which management along with Berry Pools seem inept to solve, I find myself testing the water before going in.

The outdoor hot tub this day tested well enough to use, but the outdoor pool tested zero for chlorine. I tested it twice. A friend of mine said he notified the manager in charge later that afternoon and was told there was an equipment problem and Berry Pools was coming out to fix it. Wednesday after our coffee meeting, I tested the water and again it read zero. I surely thought that management and especially Berry Pools would not let this chlorine problem continue into the weekend, but they did without closing the pool. I tested the water on Friday, Sunday, and Monday with the same results.
Tuesday, the 28th, I tested all the pools and hot tubs. The indoor pool tested fine but nothing else did. I went to maintenance and found only Gino to tell this to. He said he had heard of no problems with the pool but said he would pass this on. I told one of the pool monitors and she promptly made some calls. Within twenty minutes Leo and Oscar who work in the pool area said they solved the problem. They explained that they unclogged the chlorinator. I told them it may be a good idea to check all the hot tubs for the same problem since they didn’t register chlorine this morning. They said they would. Les came out and tested the outdoor pool and spa water and then left.
When asked about the problem at today’s Board meeting, our general manager said that he learned about this on Monday when supposedly Berry Pool’s system detected the problem and was out here fixing it. Strange that this fixed job on Monday was the same problem fixed by Leo and Oscar on Tuesday. Stranger is that Berry’s system didn’t detect that our outdoor pool was unhygienic for at least nine days. This was Berry Pool’s big selling point for having their expensive services. Are we once again being given the usual what sounds good fabrications from management?
Does someone have to die from catching some opportunistic pathogen before we demand some accountability? Does management even stop to think of what sickness or infections may result from fecal contaminations having little to no sanitation in our pool/spa water? What about an ensuing lawsuit, something this Park can ill afford?
Our Village pays through the nose for the care of our pool facility. Apparently what our Village receives in return is a fat nosebleed of questionable water quality, excuses, and lies. This is not an isolated incident but a continuous one. Adding to this atrocious problem is our general manager repeatedly saying the pool facility is in total compliance with State codes when they are STILL NOT. It seems outlandish that our Board President stated our park pays less now for this care than before. A lone person making $8 an hour was doing the same work as what we now have a manager, one and a half pool personnel, two housekeepers, plus the $1295 a month paid to Berry Pools do. It appears our Park is just throwing $1295 a month away for a newly approved Berry Pools service contract.
A better job needs to be done for our Village and soon.


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COFFEE WITH THE DIRECTORS

After the Pledge of Allegiance, VP Halback started with the suggestions and comments from the BOX.
Lot 229 Reta Priest wanted limits set for comments.
Lot 819 wished to have the lights that have been out since the hurricane repaired on the tennis courts. Owner gave a compliment about the newsletter along with the reported $1300 savings. Owner gave an overwhelming compliment on how good our new security guard was to them.
Lot 819 gave a compliment about the newsletter.
Lot 371 Jo Ann Sipp gave a compliment about the newsletter.
Lot 696 Shirley Ritten gave a compliment about the newsletter.
Lot 638 Wanted the can receptacle that helps to pay for our library to be removed because it attracts ants and bees.
SC 2 Catherine DeMalade gave a compliment to the newsletter.
Lot 749 made a request that management start taking care of the volleyball and basketball courts and provides the necessary repairs to make them safe.

Comments made from the FLOOR.
Lot 870 asked our GM when the fire hydrants were last flushed. Our GM would not answer and told this owner to ask the directors and not him. Second thing was the foul sewer type smell he said he still has on his lot and if this problem will ever be solved.
Lot 831 gave a compliment about the coffee comments being left in the library for later reading.
Lot 696 Shirley Ritten complained about paying more for security and that the new security isn’t able to have their own TV, microwave, and refrigerator. She said they aren’t allowed to take breaks nor have lunch hours. She asked the board to save us some money and change companies. A director asked where she acquired her information about they were not allowed to take breaks and received “from the source” as an answer.
Lot 170 said there was an article in a newspaper that the government may provide assistance to solar heating and we should take a look into it.
Lot 406 asked management to clean the front of the Rec. Hall better. She said it looked terrible.

The Board made individual comments on the comments.
The VP gave thanks and said to stay for the workshop.
P. Burke wanted to say a few things and after five minutes a Director Guerra gave a compliment to the golf committee for the flower boxes on hole #15.
Director White talked about the three events scheduled for D&E.
Selba Campbell said to see her if you wish to register to vote.

WORK SHOP
Director White questioned if she needed Board approval for the Park’s upcoming three events. She explained also that the windows in the indoor pool have never been clean all year along with the weeds that need to be taken care of and that the border tile in the pool needs to keep clean.
Director Steffensen talked about the pool committee putting together a list of recommendation for an identification program. She said this is a need because in 2007 they sold 3300 wrist bands to non owners that used our facility. Things discussed were having at hand year round pool monitors, security, and more.
Negative things were said about Securitas by P. Burke and it was to be one of the issues discussed when they have a meeting. P. Burke gave her lengthy summation about people in general, their culture, children and so forth. There were stories told about children be rowdy in and around the park. This went on for over thirty minutes.
Our gm brought up his solution to hire life guards to monitor and take chemical reading. He rambled on for ten minutes about this until he made another suggestion to find money in the budget or the take out of the insurance money to hire certified life guards. He said we are going to have to have paid positions for this. Director Pelletier was not in favor of that. P. Burke wanted the pool committee to put together solid directives and regulations for owners and non owners to go by.
P. Burke announced there will be a meeting at 11:30 with Securitas.
Director Halback along with owner Jerry Fleckinger have analyzed the Village Grille records-procedures and have come up with their take on what may help the restaurant from continuing the tens of thousands of dollars in losses. They brought up many examples of what would improve the restaurant, two being some remodeling and adding a full time restaurant manager while open. P. Burke asked to have an action plan started which would include Dir. Halback, Karen Pelletier, our gm and hospitality manager. Our gm said we could use some of our insurance money for this. P. Burke said the budget can be amended.
Director Bergsma explained he has found a system to best meet our Park’s web conferencing means. This system would include parties having e-mail notifications of upcoming meetings along with any absent directors being able to interact, and owners being now able to view meetings live or review from an archive at a later date. It was expressed these not be available to the general public such as U-tube. Cost for this service was determined to be less than hundred dollars a month. The gm’s wife said this would solve a lot of the gossip issues and that people would be on their best behavior if they were on camera. After discussions about possible director absentee abuse it was decided to administrate the free trial run available to see it functionality.
Director Gagan expressed the need to have a patrol boat manned by Aramark employees to go around our canals with the goal to clean up the water ways and cut down on damages to boats from its debris. He also wants identifying stickers that match up trailers to boats entering and leaving our Park.
Our GM said he got a verbal $2000 discount on a new motor for the Park’s 5 year old $30,000+ skid loader that will only cost LIV now around$9000 instead of $12,000.
Repair work is to begin in the arts and crafts room next month.
Our GM said that no one has complained before and gave the reason why for nine months the tennis court lights were not put up. He said they have to use this skid loader to do it or pay Rubio brothers $50-$100 to do it. The Board said to get Rubio Brothers to do it for them.
Our GM said he never kept the volleyball or basketball up because nobody has come to us in the five years he’s been manager to complain about it. He said he rarely sees people use these amenities. He added if he is going to do this, why aren’t they moved where they belong, in another area.
The shuffle board and horse shoe pits were said in need of attention.
He was asked by P. Burke to provide the board with info on all this and the re-location sites so they can make a decision.
After this owner our GM didn’t want to talk to earlier from lot 870 had left the meeting, our Gm now wanted to make a correction and give his side of the issue pertaining to the smell. He basically said this owner wouldn’t call him when he had this smell and he could do no more for this owner. P. Burke told our GM get someone outside the Park to come in and see what they can find.
Our gm said the solar panels comment today was brought up by him to the Board three years ago and told the board then the payback would start after three years.
The GM criticized security for not making a report when it was said they caught some kids who didn’t know their lot number and supposedly damaged a pool table. He said he wants to see the report on this. He went on to criticize security on what they don’t do.
Our Gm said our insurance agent said the current insurance company insuring the Directors and Officers will no longer do business with our Park after June and that our insurance agent is currently trying to find a company that will replace them.
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PAYING FOR CRAZY?

Rick May, our Village insurance agent of twenty plus years made an appearance at our March Coffee with the Directors. He came there to plant the seed of an insurance premium increase in July.

In wondering how the insurance company feels about insuring our Village, one might envision them shaking of their heads and catching that glimpse of awe and bewilderment on their faces. You might imagine seeing dollar signs for pupils as they read our new insurance contract or just be in a state of trance pondering if they are the crazy ones instead of their clients, with insuring a place now better known by locals as the “Village gone wild”?

Several lawsuits seemed to be a result from poor oversight. One such oversight was a verbal instead of a written rearrangement in the method of paying Arroyo Cable. Simply speaking the Village was not paying the bill the way it was expressed in the contract. All the following boards allowed this to continue and with having nobody enforcing the “no” satellite dish clause, the lawsuit was just a matter of time. That time came when our Village cancelled their services.

Another oversight was when the Village was serious in buying the land beyond the Sea Cottages. Our Village reportedly filed a land easement right-of-way to this property with the Cameron County Office. When it was decided not to purchase this land, the board neglected to remove what they filed. The Cowen Group ultimately procured this land and of course they feel they should be allowed to use this right-of-way on file, thus the pending lawsuit.

Our insurance agent reported a lawsuit filed against our management and to many owners, this is one lawsuit too many. Management actions never seem to require much in a need for accountability, so little is known about the particulars.

Any of these bone head lawsuits above should have some effect towards this impending increase of the Park’s insurance premiums come July.

Many owners seem to feel that none of these above affect a premium increase as much as the grand daddy of all the bone head lawsuits, the one that was filed by Leroy Mulch and Reta Priest against six active board members. The apparent purpose of this lawsuit was to keep these six from requiring our general manager be held accountable for his actions and to thwart any attempt for his removal. Last heard, this lawsuit has cost Villagers well over $20,000 and thousands more yet to come. Villager’s contribution to this lawsuit has been high, but it is only a fraction to what it has cost the insurance company. With that being said, should not our insurance company feel compelled to charge our Village dearly in light of what many have viewed as an act of sheer lunacy?

We also have two lawsuits against our Village involving the bridge that is on a separate policy. At the 5/19/08 Bridge Board meeting it was said to have went up about 33% ($8000 a month to $12,000).

Owners still wonder why Leroy Mulch, Pat Burke and Mary Steffensen, as a group, made no effort to sit down and hash out the differences with these six other directors months before this costly and senseless lawsuit started.

We should not forget to thank those who have contributed to this higher insurance bill when our Village receives it come July.



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APRIL SUGGESTIONS
We would love your suggestion that will improve our Village. Suggestions may be viewed by those visiting. We will renew the display each month. Anonymous are welcomed. So throw one in the box.

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