Assessment increase election planned for fall
If the assessment passes, there will be no other increases considered until 2024.
The POA board of directors voted unanimously to ask the members for an assessment increase of $10 for improved lots and $2 for unimproved lots. The election will probably take place this fall.
A task force made up of two board members, one former board member and senior POA staff worked on a five-year financial plan, and the assessment increase was one of the group’s recommendations. The amount of the increase for improved lots — lots with a water meter — was based on increases to Social Security payments over the last 17 years. The last assessment increase was in 2001.
The last assessment election in November 2016 drew the necessary quorum — more than 50 percent of eligible voters took part — but the increase did not get the necessary 51 percent of that quorum. During that election, a $9 increase for improved lots received 50.8 percent of the votes or 9,618 votes.
This time, both increases will be combined into a single question, the task force recommended. Also, if the assessment passes, there will be no other increases considered until 2024 — the end of the five year planning period.
Board member Pat Laury pointed out that, when he was first elected to the board, Tommy Bailey was the general manager and the POA had a very healthy reserve fund but work was needed on many amenities. Since Tom Judson took the general manager position, much of that reserve has been spent and amenities have been improved. Now there are only enough funds in reserves to give the POA an emergency cushion. Any new capital projects cannot be undertaken without an assessment increase.
Among the capital projects the board will consider if an increase is approved is a new community center to replace Riordan Hall. The board already has a preliminary design for a center that includes a new indoor pool with a whirlpool, a lazy river and a climbing wall. The indoor and the existing outdoor pools would share locker rooms.
There is also an indoor walking track, a fitness center and a gymnasium with a retractable stage that could be used for a theater production. There’s space for child care, meeting rooms and a catering kitchen.
Another project that will depend on the passage of an assessment increase was discussed at last week’s board meeting when the board took a step towards renovating the Country Club Golf Course. The Country Club has been damaged by flooding several times over the years and the goal of the renovation would be to make it more resistant to flood damage by raising some tees and greens and reinforcing some stream banks.
The board agreed to pay $43,000 to George Golf Design for a master plan so permitting can begin on the renovation project. During the discussion of the master plan, Judson pointed out that without the assessment
increase, the POA would not have the funds to complete the renovation.
Board member Jim Abrahamson wants to consider other task force recommendations before voting to approve. The task force looked at dozens of ideas about cost saving and increasing revenue and narrowed them down to 10. They asked the board to approve five revenue-generating ideas including additional days at the trap and skeet range, rentals of glamping pods (small cabins) at Blowing Springs Park, taking over operations at the marina
instead of leasing the facility, a central sales force and a new vacation rental business. The task force also recommended five cost savings ideas: discontinue accepting American Express; encourage e-billing; encourage e-statements for assessments; connect Kingsdale Clubhouse and Riordan Hall for wireless network access and extend the Internet phone system.
Also at last week’s meeting, the board approved the formation of a new joint advisory committee made up of members of the other joint-advisory committees. The committee will consider projects assigned by the board starting with the repurposing of the closed nine holes of the Berksdale Golf Course.