Are Harmer’s Cost Savings Steps Creating Danger for the Owners?

Harmer has established a card system for the Fitness Center at the Club House.  Owners will purchase an entry card.  There is no longer any way to enter the Center from the front door.  Instead you will be accessing the Center much as you would to go to the outdoor swimming pool.  This means that you will be walking down to the back entrance, using a door card, and entering a facility that has no attendant. 

This seems to create risk for the average owner.  What woman is going to the Center at 5AM or 9PM when it is dark and walk that lonely stretch to enter an empty room.  We have been told that security cameras will monitor the room, but no other facility opens or closes at these hours.  What if someone over exerts and has a health problem?  Are we to be comforted that if someone is accosted or has a medical emergency that later their grieving family will be able to watch a video recording of the crisis as it happened? 

Harmer says that this is being done to save on the heat in the upstairs room.  This sounds like very poor judgment on the part of the manager or maybe he cannot assess risk because he always feels safe because as a law officer he can carry a gun.  Was the Board ever consulted and how much did this great techie entrance card system cost us?  Once members point this undue risk out to the manager, does the Association then face liability issues when something happens? 

Harmer keeps looking at nickels and dimes savings that always seem to deprive the owners of AV amenities.  Maybe it is time for him to look at cutting down on office expenses such as a projected annual telephone costs of $20,000, office supplies of $20,000, or cutting down on his “techie” expenditures.

Margaret Elliott, Editor

Re: AVPOA Election Process Article in the April Cider Press

This Cider Press article quoted the bylaws regarding our election process.  What it did not mention is that our ballots are deposited in a small ballot box in the main office and because it is too small the box is emptied periodically.  When it is emptied the ballots are alphabetized and placed in a file drawer somewhere in the office.  What happens to your envelope then? If you were known to be anti the establishment your vote could simply disappear.  If there were not enough known establishment votes then the names of non voting members could be used to control the outcome of the vote.  Other control means are probably used, but these are examples of what will eventually be presented in Court in the current lawsuit. 

No wonder that those who control AV will not even consider having a third party collect the ballots and deliver them just in time for counting the ballots?  Of course the Court hearing being delayed and no attempts at mediation by the defendants are a year will have passed and the ballots will have been destroyed.  Time that is purchased with your AV dollars seems to allow corruption to continue through the natural consequences of time; owner apathy, destruction of documentation, and the deaths of defendants and plaintiffs (Jane Engles, Earl Owens, and Steve Elliott).

Margaret Elliott, Editor

Committee Highlights

Budget and Finance Committee:   (March 2009)   Bob Sichel is Chairman and members are, Dick Anderson, Bob Blue, Betty Cea, Moe Cea, Margaret Elliott, Judy Fagert, Bob Meldrum, Dick Myers, Marlyn Reiser, Kathy Riley, Nellie Robinson, and Angie Ward. 

The December financial draft was review and approved.  The audit will be done in April and there is one change to be made and maybe more after the audit.  Next the February financial statement was reviewed and approved.  Around $145,000 was removed from the 2009 Repair and Replacement rather than carrying it over.  If something breaks, it will be repaired or replaced.  Most projects have been eliminated.  There will be CH access control at the Clubhouse.  This was budgeted for $8,000.  Floral Valley automatic HVAC has been budgeted for $23,000.  Dredging will be considered.

Editor’s Note:  Those changes that might need to be made after the audit sound like some more of Meldrum's, Sitchel's, Dumaree's, etc. “Corporate Finances”.  It was enlightening last year when we learned that corporate financing was just a fancy term for ignoring mistakes!

Property Committee (April 6, 2009)   Judy Fagert and Julie Arnold are Co Chairmen and members are Ed Arnold, Mary Cornett, Margaret Elliott, Chris Gustafson, Sharon Harper, Sharon Holmes, Jim Jennessee, Fran Kovach, Vince Marcellino, Kay Myers, Lorraine Stanson, Don Ward, Carol Webb, and D.J. Young.

Last month’s minutes were reviewed and approved.  The first item under Old Business was that there has been no clarification yet on the use of the new and expensive message boards.  Next the committee was told that no Cleanup Day had been scheduled because permission to do so had not yet been granted by the Board. 

Harmer reported that access cards will be issued for the Club House.  The Club House has been basically split in two:  the downstairs Fitness Center and the upstairs room that is presently used for rentals, club meetings, and committee meetings.  You cannot gain access between the two areas.  Harmer said that long term maximizing use of this room is to send the committees and clubs to Floral Valley so that the heat and AC can be turned down in the upper level.

Editor’s Note:  Though Harmer denies that the Club House upstairs room will be just be slated for rentals it does sound like the owners are on the brink of seeing the use of another amenity taken from them….welcome to Harmer Valley!

Next Harmer said that he is shifting staff so that there will be a maintenance man on second shift and this will help eliminate calling staff in after hours. Following this he stated that the staff has plotted out a one and a half mile loop path in the FV woods and that very little work will have to be done to establish this path. 

Harmer said next that the Board decided on the removal and relocation of the flag pole previously located in front of the Administration Building. 

After forewarning us that reservation lists for beach facilities will be posted in the restroom buildings at the beach and fee will be charged for the facilities, Harmer said that he has spent money for changes to our website so that committee minutes can be posted there.

Editor’s Note:  While I was listening to Harmer’s report and money saving ideas I watched one of his immediate family members walk by the desk and did not see the adult with him sign in or pay a dollar (Harmer is not an AVPOA member) on his way to the pool.  While Harmer is seeking every way possible to make the owners pay more, he is giving free fitness and swimming facilities’ usage to the employees and their families. 

While participating in the Floral Valley inspection, it came to my attention that guards are wearing street clothes while on duty and that although we already had kitchen facilities at FV, the guards’ pool room has been furnished with a refrigerator, microwave, etc.  Maybe a savings on utilities would be to unplug these unnecessary appliances! 

Next month the Property Committee will inspect the Marina and Maintenance Building.

Lake Committee (April 6, 2009)   Bob McLaughlin is Chairman and members are Bob Blue, Curt Campbell, Maurice Cea, Margaret Elliott, Judy Fagert, Bill Gordon, Roy Landskroner, Bob Neumann, Sally Slonaker, and Carol Webb

Last month’s minutes were read and approved.  Old business mentioned was that the April 22^nd Fish Club Casino trip still has vacancies and that the Buddy Bass event is scheduled for May 2.  There has been nothing new learned about the proposed dredging and Lake Patrol has started organizing.  New Business was: the rain level in March was down one and a half inches and this has affected the lake level; the jetty to protect the swimmers has been completed at Davis Beach; and the annual lake water testing will start next month.

Margaret Elliott, Editor and Publisher

April 8, 2009