POA prepares for new fee schedule
If the POA Board accepts the new fee schedule on Thursday, on Sunday POA members can swim in the Branchwood Pool for free, if they have an activity card. The vote is on the agenda of the Thursday evening board meeting. March 1 is the date that the new assessment fees and the new usage fees — all outlined in the 2020 plan — take effect.
The monthly assessment for March 2020 will be $37 for members with improved lots, but at the same time, the fees to use many amenities will go down or disappear.
According to the FAQ section on the POA website, bellavista poa.com/2020 plan, members with an activity card will no longer pay a to use lakes, fitness/ recreation facilities, beach, pools, and entrance to the gun range. The activity card replaces the photo ID that some members chose to purchase, but it’s actually less expensive. The card is available at Membership Services and costs $30 a year. If two adult members of the same household buy activity cards, up to five minors in the home will also get cards.
Members with a photo ID can
use it as an activity card until it expires. In fact, General Manager Tom Judson hopes many of them will since he expects Membership Services to be very busy selling new activity cards. Those members who paid $38 for a photo ID that has not expired will get a refund based on the number of months left on their cards. Refunds under $10 go into the member’s account.
Refunds are already going out to members who paid an annual golf greens fee, seat lease, private cart registration or annual tennis fees.
The amenities that are now free are also limited to members and guests who have guest cards.
Recreation director Joan Glubczynski said her staff has had some extra training about the new regulations. Members will have to have a photo ID or activity card with them to use the recreation facilities. Members without an activity card can pay a day-use fee.
Some amenities are still open to the public. Those include Kingsdale Tennis Center, all golf courses, Blowing Springs, Metfield Bike Skills Course, Tanyard Creek, all restaurants, and the soft surface trails.
Golf, tennis and Blowing Springs RV Park will still have a usage fee. All of the golf and tennis fees will go down for members with the 2020 plan.
Although lake usage is free, there is still a cost to register a boat for use on Bella Vista lakes. Many of the boat registration fees went down with the new plan.
Some new equipment has been ordered for the fitness centers, Glubczynski said. She’s expecting about a 20 percent increase in usage. But the budget is still tight, she said, so she couldn’t get all the new equipment she wanted.
The pools and the beach at Avalon will probably be busy this summer, she predicted. Last year, members could purchase a family plan for the season for $125. Now they only need an activity card to use the pools.