Clubhouse renovations abound

N Work includes project at LakePoint, Highlands and Country Club.

Good news abounded during POA Board’s work session last week.

During the Thursday meeting, Property Owners Association general manager Tom Judson said the LakePoint Event Center should be ready for it’s May 3 opening. There are 50 events under contract for 2017, including nine weddings. Three weddings have been booked for 2018.

Renovations are well underway at the Country Club, with both the accounting offices and the golf operations office moved out so that space can become the pro shop. The restaurant and bar will also be updated and will be run by POA personnel. The new space will open in August.

At the Highlands, renovations are complete and the staff is waiting on an alcohol permit, which should arrive within a few weeks. The dining room at the Highlands will become a community room, with the bar serving a limited menu.

Also the Pay Less, Play More promotion has been extended until year’s end because it’s been very successful, Judson told the board. The program allows members who chose to pay an annual

fee for unlimited use of specific amenities to buy a second annual fee at half price. For example, members who paid the annual greens fee for golf can also sign up to use the fitness centers and pay only half the fitness center fee. Most of the members who took advantage of the program did not choose to pay for a second annual fee last year.

Golf Maintenance Director Keith Ihms reported to the board that he can buy a new four-wheel-drive pickup truck to replace one wrecked in a traffic accident by spending money already in his capital budget. He negotiated some

savings when he purchased equipment early in the year. That money and the insurance settlement will buy a new truck, he said.

The ongoing effort to update the POA governing documents will be complete this month when the board of directors votes on some 20 minor policy changes, Judson said.

The intent of the project was to modernize and to standardize the bylaws and the policies that govern Bella Vista. Changes range from very minor changes such as replacing the term “POA” with “Association,” to more sweeping changes such as deleting a policy that governed merchandising and leaving that up to the general manager.

The final policy changes will be voted on at a second reading on Thursday. One

change will not take effect immediately. Because the POA is currently holding an election for three seats on the board, the policy that deals with the election committee will not take effect until May 18, when the election is over.