Neighbors: The Parks Committee has worked for a year and a half to come up with a budget and plan that meets the maintenance needs at the beach and that answers the concerns of our neighbors.
We have reduced the annual fee significantly from what we had originally envisioned: to $50 per year per household per year. We have increased the pontoon fee to $450, payable in two installments.
We know there are some passionate voices in favor, some passionate voices still against, and many people who are relatively neutral. We want to hear from everyone, not just the particularly vocal voices.
We want the *DEMOCRATIC PROCESS* to prevail in terms of moving forward. Please cast your ballot on whether you will support the $50 increase in fees to support the park, or not.
THE PROCESS: The Estates will vote at our meeting on 6/25 or by Proxy for people who can’t attend the meeting. The Bluffs Association is not having a meeting. Bluffs homeowners can still vote on the Association fee increase of $50. We hope you do so either by dropping off your ballot or by stopping by the Estates meeting on 6/25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center. There are vote forms on the sign on the road and one can be brought to you by sending an email to the Parks Committee. Proxies and ballots can be dropped off at 10630 Indianola or 10727 Strawberry Hill Lane.
===== Archived message from May 21, 2013 follows =====
The Park Committee has worked very hard taking input from everyone,
getting quotes for expenses and doing many iterations of the budget. We
appreciate the many encouraging comments that helped us as we continued
in the work to keep our neighborhood beautiful.
SUMMARY: There is a new budget online. The ‘short story’ is that we’re
asking everyone to approve a $50 increase in the Association dues
targeted to our beach for deferred and ongoing maintenance reflected in
the budget. We will increase the pontoon lottery to $450, with the
option for the winners to pay part at the lottery itself, and part in
August. The pontoon slips are not at the cost of a full marina since we
do not have marina amenities (security, lights, etc.) Also, the
resolution for vote will be very specific on managing the funds
including transparency in the budget preparation and reporting on
expenditures.
COMPARISONS: A number of people asked what other neighborhood
associations pay. Attached is information for 28 local subdivisions.
The average is $219 a year. If the 1 most expensive and 1 of the least
expensive are excluded, the average is $185 per year. Portage Lake has
a common beach much like ours with a boat moorings, lakefront and
non-lakefront houses, and there, off-lake homes pay $225 annually and
lake-front pay $200. They don’t have a pontoon lottery. So our
proposal is *FAR* below the average Association fee, and our pontoon
owners pay more.
VOTING: The Estates Association in the neighborhood will vote tomorrow
at our Annual Meeting. The Bluffs will need to schedule a vote, so we
will ask the Bluffs board president to do so. More on that process later.
****ESTATES RESIDENTS*****
Please try to attend the meeting so we can record your vote. If you are
unable to attend, you just need to give your proxy to someone else.
The Park Committee is happy to answer any questions. (Except Jeff White
whose wife is having a baby *today*!)
Mary Eileen McLaughlin
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Park Budget, v21, June 2013 – SPREADSHEET
Park Budget, v21, June 2013 – PDF FILE
Brief History Plan – 2013
Detailed Beach History and Plan – 2013
Access Committee Role and Responsibilities