Meeting – 06/20/13
A copy of the Agenda is available here.
A special meeting of the Board was held on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the office of Board President, Bruce Wilson. Present in person and by telephone conference were: President Bruce Wilson; Secretary Debbie Director; Treasurer Donnee Ramelli; Vice President Mary Haverback; and bookkeeper Phyllis Donovan. Board member Paul Salditt was absent.
President Bruce Wilson reported on a letter from Mark Rohde, of the Villas West, regarding the relocation of the basketball hoop in the pool parking lot. Some owners in the Villas West had expressed concern over the new location to the opposite side of the parking lot. Board members had an opportunity before the meeting to visit the site and evaluate the concerns outlined in the letter. The Board discussed alternative locations in the parking lot. Each location discussed had safety issues associated with cars and visibility. Bath and Tennis Manager, Maureen Brown had previously evaluated other sites and concluded that the pool staff would not have good visibility for supervision of play if the hoop was relocated to another area of the parking lot. The pool staff currently has a clear line of sight to the basketball area. It was concluded that all locations being considered would generate approximately the same noise level, including the former location. The Board also discussed removing the basketball hoop completely, but concluded that this would not be acceptable to many homeowners. After discussing all alternatives, a decision was made to keep the hoop in the current location and reevaluate at the end of the season. Signs will be posted to allow play from 9 a.m. to dusk, cones and additional signs will alert drivers to children playing. The bushes on the west side will be trimmed for driver visibility. Additional bushes may be planted on the south side to screen the basketball area from the Villas.
Secretary Debbie Director reported that builder Phillip Bradley was making good progress on the pool house punch list. Most items on the list had been completed with only a few remaining. Debbie reported that the pool house was operating well and the residents were enjoying the new facility. Phillip Bradley had reported to her that he checks the building almost on a daily basis and expects the punch list to be completed in the near future.
Treasurer Donnee Ramelli reported on the pool landscaping plan. The Board discussed the plans that have been available for the community to look at for the past several weeks. A decision was made to keep the cherry trees that are currently there and reevaluate the under plantings. Implementing the plan will be delayed until the fall when the weather would be more suitable for planting. Donnee will ask RSC Landscaping to plant red begonias and clean up the beds to improve the appearance of the area for the summer.
President Wilson initiated the beach discussion. Property Manager Steve Houston had reported that trucks had been driving on our beach as well as the state park. Sand over the jetty is so high that the jetty no longer provides a barricade from the park. Steve will contact the park or DNREC to discuss ways to stop the uninvited drivers. The Board discussed the need to lock our crossover at the end of each day so that it is closed to vehicles after hours. Board members will plan to meet this summer with Anthony Pratt, the state’s shoreline manager, to discuss strengthening the dune and managing the beach.
Other business included a request to have a water aerobics class at the pool. Maureen supports the idea and will have the instructor and participants sign a waiver of liability.
Steve Houston continues to develop a comprehensive drainage plan for the community. He has spent the past several weeks uncovering established drainage grates and culverts. Many had become blocked with debris and dirt impeding the drainage of rainwater. Some homeowners have also made landscaping and driveway improvements that buried the drains and culverts. The Board will require these to be reopened as a predicate to developing more comprehensive drainage solutions. Donnee reported that Steve Houston’s work has revealed the need to improve some areas in the neighborhood. The work has exposed the declining condition of some culverts and some may have to be rebuilt. He estimates the cost for improvements to be $10,000. The Board discussed the need to improve and maintain the system, and the associated costs to both the NSBG and homeowners. The recent maintenance has dramatically improved drainage in the community after heavy rains.
The Villas South have asked about the possibility of creating additional parking on the north side of their building, expanding their existing parking spaces. They will be required to submit construction plans that show drainage and no encroachment of the NSBG right of way. Their construction plan will be handled routinely with distribution to the immediate neighbors and Board review. Donnee also reported that he has recently spent some time in the office with office manager Dion Johnson. He recommends establishing a procedure for emergency preparedness that includes input from Steve Houston. Steve should be included in the calls from the Emergency Operations Center when they occur. Debbie participated in the calls last year and it was agreed that she and Steve would continue, if necessary this year.
Debbie commented on the need to produce digital copies of important historical documents such as deeds. Currently Debbie and Dion are updating the affidavits for the properties owned by LLC’s. Bruce stated the need to hire a consultant to locate and identify the documents and develop a digital archive for important legal documents that are now currently stored in the office filing system.