POA approves proposal to raise assessment rates
On Thursday, the POA board of directors unanimously approved a proposal to raise the monthly assessments. Now members need to approve it as well.
General Manager Tom Judson went over the plan for the board and about 40 people in the audience.
The proposed rate includes an increase of $11 a month for a total of $35 for improved lots and an increase of $2 a month for a total of $18 for unimproved lots. Lots without a water meter are considered unimproved. There are more unimproved lots than improved and many are owned by people from outside the area.
A new fee schedule will be adopted along with the new assessment and it makes many amenities free to members who purchase a $30 activities card.
“We’re pressing a reset button,”
Judson said, adding that some POA fees just don’t make sense. He uses the example of a fitness membership to use the POA fitness centers. It costs more than a membership at Planet Fitness in Bentonville, he said. It will also simplify the fee schedule, for example the number of categories for boats goes from five to three.
Because members complained about nonmembers using the facilities, some of those areas have been tightened up. The use pools, fitness centers and the gun range requires either a membership card or a guest pass.
Golf is still open to the public and Judson said that can’t change. He said nonmembers paid over $1 million for golf last year and the POA needs those funds. Some golf fees changed, to make the difference between member and nonmember rate a little greater. Most members rates went down, for example the annual pass went from $1,920 to $1,660. While nonmember fee for 18 holes went from $50 to $52.
Tennis is also open because there aren’t enough players in Bella Vista to keep the program at its current level. Restaurants are also open to the public.
There will not be a new Community Center, Judson said. The last time the association attempted an assessment increase, it became evident that the Community Center idea was not popular.
The POA will not use the votes associated with the lots they own, Judson said. Later in the meeting the policy that will outlaw the POA using those votes was approved as a first reading. It will be voted on again next month for the second and final reading.
Several members spoke during the open forum. One wanted the board to consider an alternative plan that offered a “Gold Card” for amenity use. Instead of raising the assessment fee, members with both improved and unimproved lots would pay the same fee for a gold card. That would make the price for amenities fair to both types of owners.
Another board member was unhappy with the cost of a private cart registration. In the new plan, a private cart and a season long “seat lease” are the same. Sometimes private cart owners use POA carts rather than trailering their own cart across town, but cart owner Tommy Frietag was not pleased. He said he has expenses with his private cart and by using it, he saves the POA some expenses associated with their cart fleet.
One member described herself as new to Bella Vista and commented that the monthly assessment is much lower than any assessment she paid in other states.
A former board member, John Nuttall, pointed out that a proposed change in the budget calendar would have the election taking place before members saw the next budget.
The budget is usually presented to the board in early November, but a revised calendar was listed as an agenda item last week.
“People will want to see the budget before voting on the assessment,” he said.
When the board considered the timing issue, Judson explained that if a budget was presented before the assessment increase vote, it would have to be two budgets. One if the increase passed and one if didn’t.
The motion to change the already approved budget calendar failed. The budget will be presented in an open session for the fist time on Nov. 14.
The election will begin Oct. 9 when ballots go to members in good standing. On Nov. 19, the results will be announced at an open meeting at Riordan Hall.