POA plans renovations

Because of winter weather the February meeting of the Bella Vista Property Owners Association’s Board of Directors was held via zoom on Thursday, Feb. 24.

General Manager Tom Judson showed a presentation of proposed changes to Riordan Hall. The building opened in 1973 and doesn’t look very different, he said. The recent member survey included comments on Riordan Hall; showing support for the changes, especially the fitness center.

The electrical system is in need of updating, Judson said, reminding the board that there was a recent electrical issue that could have resulted in a fire. There is also an issue with missing insulation in the attic.

A conceptual plan shows the fitness center moved to the other side of the building and expanded. The auditorium will have a new multipurpose floor with pickle ball lines included. There is also a large storage area. The stage would be removed but a portable stage would be available.

Construction could begin in mid-September and the building would be closed for nine months, Judson said. It’s not practical to keep the building open during construction, but members would have the opportunity to tour the space at regular intervals.

Judson also had a preliminary plan for a new members service building located in the parking lot between Riordan and the Kingsdale golf courses. The building would also house the water department and feature drive thru service.

Working on both projects at the same time will lower costs, Judson said. The same contractors would work on both.

Board member Jan Simms wasn’t convinced that member services needs a new building. Recent upgrades to the POA’s computer system should decrease the work load and that trend will probably continue, she said. As the average age of the membership goes down, more people will turn to the internet for services.

But board member Jan Hagan said this is a good time to use borrowed funds because of favorable interest rates. It makes sense to do both projects now, he said.

The project may cost up to $4.5 million, Judson said, but so far that’s a rough estimate. Some of those funds would come from a bank loan for $2.5 million. The rest would come from cash flow, he said. By borrowing money, the POA would have cash for regular expenses.

After the discussion, the board

approved the plan.

Five members sent emails to be read during open forum. Other members sent email to Recreation Committee members to be read as well. All supported the proposed renovation of Riordan Hall. One member compared working out in Riordan to the “dingy high school gym of the 70’s.”

Member Mary Schillaci pointed out in an email that board member JB Portillo also serves on the city’s planning commission and believes that may be a conflict of interest if she’s appointed to a board subcommittee for five-year planning. Judson said there is no conflict of interest according to the governing documents since she is serving as a volunteer in both positions. Attorney Doug McCash agreed and said Portillo has an obligation to disclose any issues that constitute a conflict of interest.

Also, Schillaci asked for a clarification on the board’s position on adding trails. The city, she said, recently voted to amend the trails agreement to add some new locations. A recent membership survey showed little support for additional mountain bike trails, she said. Also, the POA had promised to freeze trail spending. Judson said the only new trails are some short connector trails that the board has already approved in open meetings.

Treasurer Stacie Higgins said January was a good month from a cash perspective, but several departments finished worse than budget. In some cases it was due to weather, she said, adding that the golf courses were closed for much of the month.

There were also some timing issues, Judson pointed out.

Higgins said the POA had made a $1.5 million bond payment in January and also paid $50,000 towards the intracompany loan between the POA and the water department.

“Overall, January was a solid month for the POA,” Higgins wrote in her report. “The POA would have liked to start the year with higher revenue, however, the weather impacted several departments. On a positive note, given the traffic we continue to see in F&B, better expense management and existing cash balances, 2022 is overall starting as another solid year despite the small setback.”