Task Force looks to increase POA revenue

Members of a special POA task force, spent their third meeting talking about ideas for both savings and revenue on Tuesday, April 3. The Five Year Financial Task Force, made up of POA staff and board members, along with one former board member and a representative of the auditing firm, has met three times and has at least two more meetings scheduled.

The ideas came from the task force members and the POA staff. Financial Director Dwain Mitchell, who had the job of analyzing many of the ideas, said the task force would consider ideas from any source.

In March, the task force looked at the list and contributed a few of their own ideas. In April, the group reconvened.

A few of the ideas weren’t investigated, Mitchell said, after the meeting.

Some aren’t practical, he explained. For example, holding events on the ArkansasMissouri property would be almost impossible since there is no water available on the land. Another one, selling some common property, would be very difficult because it takes a vote of the entire membership to sell common property.

He didn’t look at adding a restaurant to the Highlands Clubhouse because the restaurant in that building was recently converted to a snack bar-type operation.

Some savings ideas can be implemented right away, Mitchell said. For example, sending e-statements for the water bill and assessment payments.

John Nuttall, a member of the task force, said if all the savings ideas could be implemented, the result might be a half million dollars each year in savings.

Some of the revenue ideas are also promising. Mitchell said he’s still looking at plan for “one-stop shopping” where a member could take care of assessments and unlimited use fees for certain amenities in one trip. He’s also got more work to do on a plan to add lodging at Blowing Springs Park.

Nuttall described the lodging as a series of self contained pods that each contain a bedroom and bathroom. It would be like hotel rooms but each would be free standing and set up near the existing campground.

“It could be a big revenue generator,” he said “and it gives us hotel rooms that we have control over.”

The group also discussed the POA doing vacation rentals. Nuttall said it would be a low entry

cost business.

Finally, the group discussed the possibility of asking for an assessment increase and looked at number provided by general manager Tom Judson for revenue based on increases of $1 to $9 each month on both improved and unimproved

property.

“We have to consider an assessment increase, but we’re not ready yet,” Nuttall said. First, he said, the task force will look at what is needed and any way to increase income. When that’s finished, they will talk about an increase,

he said.

Any changes agreed to by the task force will be forwarded to the board, Mitchell said. The board will make the final decisions.

The Task Force will meet again at 3 p.m. on May 8 in the Country Club Board Room.