Sunshine Country Club Estates
SEPO Board / Annual Meeting Minutes
(Oct 2018 - Mar 2019 Winter Season)
Go directly to the Minutes you are looking for by clicking an item below.
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc.
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
March 18, 2019
President Richard Shelton convened the Board Meeting at 1:00 PM.
You may lose the Facebook video feed in a few minutes because of a problem with routers. We are working with a computer specialist to correct this situation.
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Members of the Board present: Richard Shelton, Lyn Swonger, Frank Tewell, Mark Owen, John Chajec, Clint Wunderlich.
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Minutes of the Last Meeting: Richard Shelton moved that we dispense with the reading of the minutes from the last annual meeting, as they have been posted in the office. Seconded and approved.
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Treasurers Report: Mark Owen -
Mark stated he was working on reformatting the financial statements to make it easier for future board members to understand, changing the expense statements to a monthly vs. a yearly format and making adjustments to the financials per audit committee suggestions.
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No financial statement available until the accountant completes the 2018 income taxes.
Committee Reports:
Architectural Committee:
Jim Kennedy was questioned at the Architectural meeting about the impact, if any, the failed covenant change had on fences. Dick Shelton explained that the covenant ballot was a clarification of the existing covenant. The covenants remain the same as before the vote.
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Dick Shelton assured the committee that the procedure for Architectural request remains the same as in the past. If the ACC refuses to approve a request, it may then be taken to the board by the homeowner and becomes the board responsibility.
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Neighborhood watch:
Lenore Combs – Front gate code change is still a problem because Alamo Door had not responded to their request for assistance.
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A new light and camera was installed at the entrance to Encore. Per agreement SCCE will reimburse some expenses, no dollar amount was given at this time.
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Note will be sent to HFD and EMT’s, as requested, notifying them we have an AED.
Lenore requested reimbursement of $90 for red envelopes and printing to replace the Vial of Life. Board approved reimbursement.
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Vendor tags – It is the homeowners responsibility, not SEPO, to make sure the contractors have proper insurance and qualification. Homeowner will then give Lenore the necessary information to obtain Vendor tags from her.
Director’s Reports:
Common Grounds I – Frank Tewel -
TV’s have been installed in Retzlaff Hall. Some exercise equipment is not working and parts have been ordered. AC in Reztlaff Hall is still having problems due to bad breakers and they will be changed. Painting in central area will begin in about a month.
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Common Grounds II – Clint Wunderlich -
Clint is investigating Indiana Circle and other street repairs and has not gone out for bids yet.
Common Grounds III – Jerry Utterback -
In Jerry’s absence, Lyn Swonger presented Jerry’s plan to improve the shuffleboard area by adding a brick and mortar fence 70’ length and 24” high with a bid coming in at $3150, or vinyl fence 70’ in length x 36” high at $3320. Mark and Lyn did not think we needed it. John disagreed stating we have a $6000 budget for improving the existing shuffleboard court area. It was decided but no action will be taken without his presence.
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It was also determined that while the shuffle board court can be renovated with the existing budget of $6000, its usage cannot be changed. This is due to the board failing to get resident approval per our bylaws.
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Golf Course – Lynn Swonger -
Golf course equipment is in good shape. This summer, Lyn plans redoing the 4 remaining tee boxes and making a few of the sand traps smaller. He is going to replace the concrete trails that need repair on hole #2 and extend on #7 from the existing path to meet up with the one by the green.
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New Business:
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Pickup truck. It was decided to purchase a pickup truck vs. leasing. $1 million liability policy for a year is $1038, included in that amount is $111 for adding the pick up to our $2 million umbrella policy. Thus we have $3 million liability coverage.
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Suggestion Box:
#1 – no more information meetings. Per our covenants, we are required to have 2. It was decided that January and February, due to the election, will be the only info meetings next year.
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#2 – It was suggested we have a person oversee the use of Retzlaff Hall involving a signed, written agreement in place to prevent theft, damage and condition of the hall and its belongings.
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#3 – The Hopfner’s speed bump request was denied by the board, and they submitted a letter stating any bills they incur to their property due to flooding and traffic will be submitted to SEPO board for full refund. Dick Shelton responded that SEPO is not responsible for damages and will not be refunding any costs incurred due to this situation.
Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 1:55 P.M.
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Respectfully submitted,
John Chajec
SEPO Secretary
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc
Minutes of the Annual Meeting
February 19, 2019
At 1:00 today Jean Lawrence convened the annual meeting. The residents gathered to form a quorum, and Mr. McEvoy declared that we indeed had a quorum.
We reconvened at 3:00pm for our meeting and the results of our election that will fill three positions.
Debbie Robins moved that we dispense with the reading of the minutes from the last annual meeting, as they have been posted in the office for the last year. Seconded and approved.
Our directors gave us a break down of all that they accomplished in the last year.
Common Grounds I-Pat Harvey
What got done:
1.) Front gate mechanics and wiring. We replaced the Breaker Boxes and most of the wiring in the area. We also replaced the mechanics which move the gate back and forth. We installed a new wireless keypad, a new sensor in the street and siren operated opener for emergency vehicles.
2.) Traffic Study- In response to the request for speed bumps a radar traffic study was performed. The results, and readings were analyzed by a fully licensed professional and those recommendations were followed. There is more that could have been done in marking the intersection but I leave that to my successor. In addition we now have 3 “NO WAKE” signs to be deployed during the next 16 inch rain event.
What did not get done: Indiana Circle. Estimates became more than what was budgeted to do the job well-Rather than spend money on a half hearted job- nothing was spent in 2018 but the budget in 2019 should be adequate to do the job right. There had been 2 half hearted attempts earlier with poor results.
My Real accomplishment: It was in early April that the board made a change in employee assignments. The golf course went from three down to two male employees and the third male employee was assigned to groundskeeper duties. That freed the golf course employees from the distractions of day to day odds and ends. Lalo was assigned as grounds keeper and I was his new boss even though he serviced two other board members as well. Most of you have noticed ho much better the grounds have looked this season. This was the subject of discussion of the most recent Birding and Nature club meeting. A envelope was given to Lalo as recognition of a job well done!
Common Grounds II Dick Shelton
1.) New AC unit in Retzlaff Hall
2.) New pool pump; cleaned and repaired pool
3.) New gate between pavilion and pickle ball court
4.) sealed pavilion area
Common grounds III Clint Wunderlich
1.) Put two drains in for flooding, made sure weeds were sprayed with Lalos help.
2.) Kept track of lots with Valerie
3.) Irene did the work on the memorial garden; I helped as needed.
4.) Set up appointments with Alamo for repairs of the storage gate. Date to be determined.
5.) Still available in the storage lot: 1 lot with shed, 2 small pull thru lots and 1 trailer lot.
6.) Working on ideas for re-vamping part of the shuffle board courts.
SEPO 2019 Election- Official count went as follows:
Section 4.3 Annual assessment- votes for 85
An amendment dealing with fences along the golf course- votes for 175
Community and resident enhancement fee covenant (C.A.R.E.) - votes for 55
New system to manage front gate access- votes for 81
Sunshine Country Club’s Board members for 2019 are as follows:
Dick Shelton, President
Lynn Swonger, 1st Vice President- Director of Golf Course
Golf course
Equipment
Irrigation maintenance
Maintenance area
Frank Tewell, 2nd Vice President- Director of Common grounds I:
Office and Lounge
Pavilion, pool and hot tub
Retzlaff Hall and Sunburst Building
Clint Wunderlich- Director of Common Grounds II
Drainage and irrigation ditches
Streets and grounds
Texas Ave
Jerry Utterback- Director of Common Grounds III
Storage and Shop area
Shuffle board and tennis court
Mark Owen, Treasurer
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John Chajec, Secretary
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors
February 11, 2019
President Jean Lawrence convened the Board meeting at 1:00pm.
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Board members present were Jean Lawrence, Dick Shelton, Lyn Swonger, Pat Harvey and Debbie Robins. John Chajec was absent.
The minutes of the January 7, 2019 were approved by Pat Harvey and seconded by Clint. Motion carried.
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Treasurer John Chajec has sent out the financial reports via the internet. The financial reports had a motion to approve, and was seconded by Pat Harvey. Motion carried.
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Terry Lacy from the Architectural Committee has requested that Kathleen Sumner; a year-round resident, be appointed to the committee. Motion approved and carried.
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Neighborhood Watch meeting will be on the 19th of February.
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Special request to speak at the board meeting:
1.) Mr. Lawrence brought up the problems regarding the memorial committee. As it stands, the only way a resident would get into the memorial book would be to have someone donate in their memory. We think that everyone who passes away should appear in it. It was left that Jean Lawrence would speak with Eileen Anderson, President of women’s club.
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2.) Debbie Robins has asked for approval to install two TVs in the Hall. The units will be used for our enjoyment! It will not be used for personal use. It will be used for group functions where everyone is invited.
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3.) Lenore Combs
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She spoke about the gate code change. (You can find the new code in the 'Resident's Only' section of the Web site.
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She educated us about the envelopes that can be purchased where you can record all your vital info for both human and pets. She will fill us in with more details at the women’s club meeting.
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Lenore also brought up the topic of communication in regards to the donated benches.
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4.) Bob Salmon of 4304 Montana brought up the problem of the stop signs. He would like them all removed at the corner of Montana/Texas/Minnesota. He also said that he can not see past the trees on that corner, but it was measured and the tree in question is 14 feet from the corner and 8 feet from the curb.
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COMMON GROUNDS I - PAT HARVEY:
1.) Replaced rusted Stop sign post on the corner of Minnesota and Texas Ave.
2.) Constructed 3 'No Wake' signs, and came in under budget.
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COMMON GROUNDS II - DICK SHELTON:
1.) Dick is looking into the air conditioner in the kitchen, it was said that the vents were not working.
2.) There will be a gate installed between the pool, pavilion and the meeting room that will lead to the tennis/pickleball courts.
COMMON GROUNDS III - CLINT WONDERLICH:
1.) We have a couple of openings in the storage area.
2.) Clint wants to remind everyone that when their year comes to an end in the storage compound you will have to sign your contract before you pay for the next year's rent.
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GOLF COURSE - LYN SWONGER:
1.) The project on #4 came in under budget.
2.) Lyn will produce a rental agreement for the board regarding the truck.
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President Jean Lawrence has asked our employees to be at the 3:00 Annual meeting on February 19th for recognition. We have decided that it would be in Valerie’s best interest that she attend the board meetings. This will help her in her everyday decision making and communication with all residents and board members.
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A motion was brought to the floor regarding Donations to SEPO…
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Donations to SEPO:
When an individual, committee or organization purchases “something” for SEPO, then ownership becomes SEPO’s unless explicitly noted otherwise. Once accepted by SEPO (either explicitly of implicitly), future maintenance, usage, replacement or removal will be SEPO’s responsibility and expense. If SEPO has ownership, the board will have sole discretion for it's usage and whether replacement or removal is in SEPO interest at that time. There is no guarantee of replacement. If ownership remains with the donor, then future maintenance, usage, replacement and removal will be the owner’s responsibility and expense, however, SEPO may request its removal at any time for any reason or no reason.
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This motion was approved and passed.
FROM THE SUGGESTION BOX:
1.) It was suggested that the library needs a little sprucing up! The office area is so bright and cheery, and we would like to see the same brightness added to the walls in the library.
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2.) It was asked to have a larger cork board installed for the “homes for sale”.
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3.) There was a comment regarding the C.A.R.E program, and that question will be answered at the next meeting when we all vote on it.
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4.) There was a suggestion that Michigan Ave become a one way circle.
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Meeting was adjourned at 2:30
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Respectively submitted,
Debbie Robins
SEPO Board Secretary
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
January 7, 2019
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President Jean Lawrence convened the Board Meeting at 1:00 pm.
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All members of the Board were present.
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The minutes of the December 10th meeting were presented they were moved and seconded as approved.
Motion carried.
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John Chajec shared the financial reports and they were moved and seconded as approved. Motion carried. Clint Wunderlich motioned to have our “CD fund” of $254,917.34 to be labelled as a “Reserve Fund”. The motion was moved and seconded by Pat Harvey. Motion carried. Meaning that the monies in the reserve fund can only be used for replacing a building, fixing roads or any major repair. It can not be dipped into for regular operating expenses. Please visit www.sunshinecountryclub.com/residents-only for total financial reports for 2018 bank totals as of 12-31-2018 and the SEPO over budgeted accounts.
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John Chajec was complemented on a job well done with transparency and all his hard work.
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Committee Reports nothing to report.
Special requests to speak at the board meeting:
Myra Boykin spoke again about her problem with her fence being built on the easement. Pat made it perfectly clear that the fences that are on the golf course now will be taken down when they decide to sell their home. Myra was told if she lived in her home for the next twenty years she could keep her fence, BUT, because she is selling her home now, the fence will need to be taken down. Jean reminded Myra that the board is standing on our decision. We have taken an oath to uphold the Bylaws and covenants.
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Hal Hophner presented the info on the gate. A sticker in the windshield will be read and the gate will open. We will not need a new gate, just the computerized system and a cell box. Maintenance is done by computer. Everyone will have their own number assigned to their home so that people can look you up in the directory. There will be a gentleman come to the information meeting on the 8th of January to answer any questions we may have.
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DIRECTORS REPORTS
By Laws and Covenants: Pat Harvey has put forth an amendment to clean up the wording so that there will not be any more problems with the “FENCE” issue. The amendment to the ACC section B of the covenants will state…”No fence will be constructed or maintained within the rear yard or side yard setback or easement for any lot whose rear yard abuts the golf course”. Remember that this is only for homes that abut the golf course. Motion moved and seconded to amend the wording to ACC section B of the covenants. Motion carried.
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Treasurer - John Chajec:
Please see www.sunshinecountryclub.com/residents-only for up to date financial reports and 2018 over budget accounts.
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Common Grounds 1 - Pat Harvey:
Pat spoke about the speed bumps and stop signs. He mentioned that golf carts are the culprits. Generally speaking we all need to slow down. The board has approved a three way stop at Minnesota/Texas Ave/ Montana. Debbie Robins believes the speed/and stopping problem comes from Minnesota, and would like a three way stop on both sides of Minnesota where Michigan joins. There will also be three “NO WAKE” signs (Texas Ave, Montana and Minnesota) that will be put out in the middle of three streets during times of heavy rain. A full time resident will be responsible for putting the signs in place in the middle of the street. The cost would be aprox 200-300 dollars. Jean will be contacting the irrigation people regarding the south side drainage. If there were a box culvert in there the water would drain away faster. We can not be restricting the water.
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Common Grounds II - Dick Shelton:
Dick is looking into getting an extended warranty for the new air system.
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Common Grounds III - Clint Wunderlich:
Clint still has a couple of spots open in the back area for those of you needing space.
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Golf Course - Lyn Swonger:
The ball washers are painted and repaired; new flags and towels are now being used.
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From the Suggestion Box
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There was a question regarding Resaca water. Just to let everyone know that we are charged by the acreage and by how many spigots we have, not by the usage.
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Who’s responsibility is it to open Library on the weekends? Usually one door is open, feel free to call a board member if the library is locked.
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There has been another request for a wall of honour to honour our veterans of war and other service members. Jean will be contacting you to get that going.
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We will have a busy day at our Annual meeting. As you all know we have three positions to be filled on the board this year. The nominating committee, Buzz Sawyer, Mari Tennant and Vince Smith have fulfilled their duties and have brought three candidates to the floor.
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Grace Clark
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Sandy Gades
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Mark Owen
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During the meeting we had 7 nominations from the floor, they are as follows.
1. Larry Keller: 2016 W Montana Ave. nominated by Pam Lacy and seconded by Dick Smith.
2. Tiffany Prader: 1941 W Montana Ave. nominated by Mr Mckorkle, seconded by Roy Robins.
3. Roy Robins: 4129 N Minnesota St. nominated by Beth Parrish, seconded by Wade Prater.
4. Marian Young: 4345 N Missouri St. nominated by Vic Hillmen, seconded by Dave Olson
5. Frank Tewell: 2021 W Michigan Dr. nominated by John Combs, seconded by Sharon Schaub.
6. Sherri Gardner: DECLINED
7. Jerry Utterback: 1913 W Indiana Cir nominated by Lenore Combs, seconded by Donna Myers
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These are your candidates for the February 2019 ballot! Please get out and vote.
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
December 10, 2018
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President Jean Lawrence convened the Board Meeting at 1:00PM
The Members present were Jean Lawrence, Clint Wunderlich, Dick Shelton, Lyn Swonger, Pat Harvey and Deb Robins. Not present was John Chajec.
The Minutes of the last Meeting of November 12,2018 were approved and all were in favor of this approval.
A conversation took place regarding the replacement of three Board openings. Buzz Sawyer is head of the Nomination Committee and will be contacting you! Please lend him and ear and take this opportunity to apply. We need new people. Jean made sure that people knew that just because a position is up for grabs doesn’t mean that you will fill it. There will be a meeting of all the Board members to decide who will take on what position, and that could mean that the duties may change.
Chuck McEvoy has accepted the position on the Election Committee.
SPECIAL REQUESTS TO SPEAK AT MEETING
1. Myra Boykin has requested to have her letters to be posted on SunshineCountryClub.com web site, under the owners info tab. She feels that all property owners names should be listed too.
2. Hal Hophner would like to see speed bumps placed on Texas Ave and Minnesota St. His water damage was caused by waves of water, people driving to fast through the water. A three way stop was talked about too. Three sets of speed bumps were requested, Hal is going to gather all info and forward it to Jean so that we can make a sound decision.
3. Hal Hophner and Mel Wendel spoke about the front gate. The Question was asked, Why do we have a closed gate to protect the sheds and motor homes where the work shop is, while we have three hundred homes that are not gated. Hal and Mel have three different gate systems. They educated us on the options. Hal and Mel will narrow it down to one option; present it to the board and come up with a game plan to educate SSCC home owners.
DIRECTORS REPORTS
COMMON GROUNDS 1 -Pat Harvey The Carved Log on Texas Ave has been removed, a committee of the Bird and Nature Club is considering what to put in it’s place. A sump pump for Minnesota ditch has been replaced this past month. Please take the time to see if your sprinklers are over watering, this would be so helpful. We purchased a normal walk behind mower for use in places that the larger mowers can’t. Lastly, the visible water along Texas Ave has disappeared!!!!!!!
COMMON GROUNDS II -Dick Shelton The New air unit in Retzlaf hall is up and working.
COMMON GROUNDS III -Clint Wunderlich He is looking for two spots for sheds. Myra Boykin has volunteered her spot and is willing to move their motor home to another spot.
GOLF COURSE -Lyn Swonger We purchased a box blade for $600. Found the problem on #2, and put in a drain.
TREASURE -John Chajec John sent out his financial report and it was approved and carried.
He also sent out a covenant change to be approved by the board and placed on a ballot for the Feb 2019 meeting. The change is as follows:
When this covenant was created, $45 was a 15% increase in the $300 maintenance fees. All covenant changes require a 2/3 majority vote of all lots, one vote per owner to pass. A non-vote is a “NO” vote.
Covenant SECTION 4.3 ANNUAL ASSESSMENT
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Proposed covenant changed:
The annual assessment may be increased each year by not more than 5% of annual maintenance fees per year. Any such possible increases in assessments shall be non-cumulative. In any year following a year when there has been no increase, the assessment may not be increased by more than 5%. The annual assessment may be increased each year by not more than 5% per year.
CURRENT COVENANT:
Annual assessment shall be $300.00 payable $25.00 per month. The annual assessment may be increased each year by not more than $45.00 per year. Any such possible increases in assessments shall be non-cumulative. In any year following a year when there has been no increase, the assessment may not be increased by more than $45.00 that year.
John has also submitted the C.A.R.E. fee covenant for approval by the board and placed on a ballot for the Feb 2019 election. It is a charge for NEW Purchasers at closing; equal to a year assessment fee, to be put into a capital equipment fund for improvements to the community. The assessment proposal will hopefully pass, we can only go for so long increasing our assessments by 45$ the next boards coming in will run out of money soon. This is one way of getting ahead of inflation and gain ground on funds for future improvement.
OLD BUSINESS
Each property owner who has a fence on the golf course that isn’t compliant has been sent a letter. Each letter was the same, explaining that if the fence i s on the easement it had to be removed. A letter of apology was going to be hand delivered to the Burneys because their fence IS compliant. They also had an approved plan in their file that is in the office.
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NEW BUSINESS
We wish to have Valerie be a Notary Republic, we will purchase the package and pay the monthly fee.
SUGGESTION BOX
Two suggestions 1) of “new towels” on the ball washers. Lyn mentioned that they will be repairing some of the ball washers and painting them and that new towels are on that list. 2) People would like to see lights in the fountains on 8/9 pond… They do have lights in them, Lyn is looking into the problem.
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc.
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
November 12, 2018
President Jean Lawrence convened the Board Meeting at 1:00 PM
The Members of the Board present were Jean Lawrence, Clint Wunderlich, Dick Shelton, John Chajec, Lyn Swonger and Debbie Robins. Not present was Pat Harvey.
The minutes from October 22, 2018 were approved.
Architectural Control Committee:
On behalf of Ina Hillman, Jim Kennedy spoke about how important it is to contact the architectural committee when doing any improvements to the OUTSIDE of your property. Even if you are refreshing a stain on your front patio, it is a good idea to make contact for approval. Forms can be found in the library. We would like to supply the realtors (Trinity Reality) with a copy of our By-Laws and Covenants so they are disclosed to the purchasers BEFORE they purchase.
Directors Reports:
John Chajec-Treasurer: Financial report as follows
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Wells Fargo:
Ck acc -
$44,273.00 (11-12-18)
$58,049.51 (10-22-18)
Cal 1st Nat Bk:
Money Mkt -
$30,639.52 (11-12-18)
$30,606.12 (10-22-18)
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Heritage Bk:
Jum Dep -
$102,128.24 (11-12-18)
$101,989.92 (10-22-18)
1st Ind Bk
6 mo CD
$254,088.62 (11-12-18)
$253,668.50 (10-22-18)
Matures - 2/4/2019
1st Ind Bk
Money Mkt -
$961.20 (11-12-18)
$964.73 (10-22-18)
11/12 Total 432,090.58
10/22 Total 445,278.78 Difference of 13,188.20
Nine residents are overdue on maintenance fees. Invoices were mailed out on 10/31 which included 18% late fees.
We are on budget, John Chajec has been sending out e-mails, keep up to date through sunshine e-news.
By-Laws/Policies and Procedures have nothing to report
Pat Harvey- Common grounds 1:
The front gate has been rewired and because of day light savings, the timer on the gate is having problems it should be resolved this week. The cement bases for the light posts on Texas avenue have been refreshed. The 2019 budget draft should be sufficient for Indiana Circle and to enhance security at the front gate.
Dick Shelton- Common grounds II:
Pool has been drained, cleaned, refilled and the new chemicals have been put in. The total for labor aprox $300.00 plus the cost of refill. The air unit in Retzlaf Hall needs to be replaced, it can no longer be repaired. Aprox cost for a new unit will be $6000.00 incl labour and equipment. Repairs will be done to the door in the pavilion, the cracks in the ceiling are being investigated and repairs will be kept up.
Clint Wunderlich-Storage Lot & Common Grounds III:
Nothing to report
Lyn Swonger - Golf Course:
Cart path extension between 8 and 9 has been done, aprox cost $980.70 saved aprox $2000.00 by doing the path ourselves. Fixed drains on #6 fairway and installed a French drain on 9. A question was asked if the cost of the cart path came from the trail fees? the answer was trail fees are listed as separate income and is usually used for such items, so yes that’s where it will come from. Fountain on #1 lake is going to be fixed Thursday 11/15/2018
Old Business
3 letters have been sent out re: grass barriers being put up
Sent out 4 letters re: fences on golf course
Oct 29th Budget meeting- sent out copies to board members- vote
2019 Budget accepted
See bulletin board in Library or sunshine e-mail for full copy of budget.
New Business
Mel Wendel has declined the position of head of Nominating Committee
We have three Board positions to fill.
Pat is looking into speed bump/ stop signs on the corner of North Minnesota Street and West Michigan Drive. We need to be proactive!!!
Motion to adjourn John Chajec, seconded by Dick Shelton
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Sunshine Estates Property Owners, Inc.
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors
October 22, 2018
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President Jean Lawrence convened the Board Meeting at 1:00 PM.
The Members of the Board present were Jean Lawrence, Clint Wunderlich, Dick Parrish, John Chajec, Lyn Swonger and Pat Harvey. Dick Shelton was not present.
Purpose: This was the regularly scheduled monthly SEPO Board meeting.
Minutes of the Last Meeting: The board had previously been sent the minutes of the following board meetings to review; March 12, 2018 and March 27, 2018 along with the minutes from the executive sessions that followed each of those board meetings. Pat Harvey motioned they be approved. John Chajec seconded the motion. All were in favor of approval.
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New Business -
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SEPO Community E-mails:
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Stan Nelson had informed Jean that due to health issues he would like to turn over the responsibility of managing the SEPO news e-mails to someone else. John Chajec volunteered to take this over and will work with Stan on the transition. John anticipated that this will continue as sepoenews@gmail.com and will include everything currently done.
UPDATE: Since the meeting Beth Parrish has volunteered to take over all of Stan’s current responsibilities: Community E-mails, Web site and Facebook. She has contacted Stan and will work him with on the transition during November.
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Retention Pond –
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Jim Schaub asked to speak to the board about his concerns relating to the retention pond. He called the area a mosquito ranch. He claimed the retention pond was overflowing in the west fenced area used by pet owners due to the city flushing the hydrants of 320,000 gallons of water a month. The board informed him the primary reason for the flooding was the large amount of rain this summer and that the flushing will be reduced as our residents return and begin using city water. A heated discussion followed with Mr. Schaub accusing the board of causing the problem and the board saying it was due to heavy rains. Concerning Mr. Schaub’s issue with mosquitos in that area – Lyn Swonger said we were putting pods in the retention pond to kill the mosquito larvae. The state of TX has also had traps in the area and have not found any mosquitoes that cause zika, malaria etc. Mr. Schaub was not pleased with the board’s responses. He then accused the board of being anti-pet and left the meeting.
UPDATE: After the meeting Pat Harvey met with the "Operations Manager" for Harlingen Water. He said the valve has been closed since June 15th, which means there has been no city water put in the pond for the past 4½ months.
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Rights of residents who don’t own the home they are living in –
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The following needs to be reviewed by our lawyers for clarification.
- We have a homeowner who doesn’t live in the house she owns but is letting her mother live there. The daughter wrote to the board asking to assign all rights to her mother regarding the property. Per the Covenants the mother already has right to all Estates amenities as if she were a renter. What the daughter is asking is that her mother have the right to make changes to the property via the Architectural Committee. The board does not believe, per our Covenants, that anyone other than the Owner of the property can vote or request changes to the property. The board will follow-up on this with our lawyer, Randy Freeble.
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This led to a discussion of the fence which the mother requested be put up this summer via the Architectural Committee and was rejected. She appealed the decision to the board. The board also rejected it and subsequently put a moratorium on any new fence requests until the board returned to the Estates this fall and could research the issue. However, the mother put up the fence anyway. The board agreed at the meeting to notify the property owner of their non-compliant property. And following a grace period to Dec. 1, 2018 the owner will be fined $5 per day until the property is brought into compliance. Any unpaid penalty balance at the end of each non-compliant month will be accrued at 18% per annum. As per our Covenants and By-Laws we have the right to put a lien on the property. Pat Harvey made a motion to proceed with the above and Clint Wunderlich seconded it. The motion was unanimously carried.
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Fences – There was a discussion of other properties that have fences in violation of the Covenants. 4165 N Missouri has a fence which was never submitted to the Architectural Committee for approval. There are two other fences in violation which were previously approved but should not have been. The board decided that in order to not propagate the non-compliant property to an unsuspecting purchaser, the owners must correct the non-compliancy before the property can be sold. We will send a letter to these residents who have non-compliant fences telling them they can keep the fences as long as they are here, but must remove them prior to selling to a new owner. We will not process the paperwork until the fence is removed.
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Fruit and Unkept Lawns – There were two instances this summer of either fruit on the ground or unkept lawns. Valerie notified Jean and the property owners were each given two weeks to remedy the situation. One was contracted out and the other was done by our employees and the residents were each billed $75.
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February Board Election – We need new board members in February. The terms of Jean Lawrence and Pat Harvey will be up and there will be an opening as the result of Dick Parrish’s resignation. Jean will see if Mel Wendel will chair the nominating committee again. If not, the board will need to find someone to chair it.
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Director’s Reports:
a. John Chajec – Treasurer:
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Financial Report - The balances are as follows:
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Wells Fargo Checking - $58,049.50 (Bills are paid from here)
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California First National Bank - $30,606.12 (Transfers are made from this Money Market account to Checking)
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Heritage Bank of Minnesota - $101,989.92 (Jumbo Deposit)
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First Indiana Bank - $964.73
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6 mo CD due in February - $253,668.5.
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Total Cash Balance - $442,278.78
It was noted that spending is very close to what was budgeted. John has sent out e-mails to all residents on how we are performing to budget on our various accounts. If anyone did not receive those e-mails or has questions they can contact John. The work John has done and continues to do has corrected many of the discrepancies in the accounting in order to help better manage the spending. Overall spending should be within budget for 2018. Clint Wunderlich made the motion to approve the Financial Report through the end of September. Lyn Swonger seconded the motion. It was approved unanimously.
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2019 Budget – The board needs to have a budget planning session before the Nov. meeting. It was set for Monday, Oct. 29 at 1 PM in the multi-purpose meeting room. Prior to this meeting John needs to have in writing from each board director any changes in the budget or new equipment not in the 2018 budget. The following are some items the directors are currently aware of.
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Clint –
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He has been requested by homeowners to put additional benches in the Tennis/Pickleball courts area. Lyn said Clint could take a couple from the golf course as they have too many.
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Shuffleboard Courts – The board discussed converting part of the courts to a Bocce Ball court and/or Bean Bag Toss. The remaining shuffleboard court(s) and the sun shades are in need of repair. Clint will start investigating all of this.
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Lyn - He has a need for several tasks/equipment:
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Repair four tee boxes for around $5200.
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A backhoe attachment for the tractor for multi-purpose use.
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A new greens mower at about $12,000 - $13,000.
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A new zero-radius mower. (current one is 13 yrs old)
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Need to increase the electrical budget to reflect what we are actually being charged.
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Pat – There was discussion about the circular end of Indiana Circle and the need to either repair it correctly ($30,000) or just leave it alone as it will not get any worse.
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Past due Maintenance Fees - John has sent out notices to a few residents who are past due on their maintenance fees. Per our Covenants an 18% per annum penalty will be charged to homeowners not paying on time.
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Liens - Two homeowners have been notified of the following; (1) A lien has been placed on one property along with the 18% per annum penalty, (2) There is one additional property which we may place a lien on unless payment is made promptly.
b. Dick Parrish – By-Laws & Covenants: Dick reported that everything is current and posted as of this meeting. He has received a couple of Covenant change suggestions for consideration for a vote at the next Annual Meeting. He will pass those questions/suggestions on to whomever takes over his board position.
c. Pat Harvey – Common Grounds I:
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The front gate has a new Gate Operator from Alamo Door. We have a new breaker box and proximity sensor for opening the gate when ‘leaving’ the estates. The silent operator (yelper) is now installed to allow fire and medical vehicles to sound a siren and open the gate.
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The change to our employees’ work responsibilities has been working very well. The board decided at the end of March to; (1) terminate the contract for mowing ditches, (2) have one of our employees (Lalo) dedicated to common grounds and (3) have only two employees (Manny and Joe) primarily focused on the golf course.
d. Dick Shelton – Common Grounds II:
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Dick was not at the meeting but it was reported that when the pool temperature was turned down slightly this summer from the 92 degree setting, residents complained so it was turned back up.
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Jean will contact Dick Shelton to see if he has any projects he is contemplating for next year.
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e. Clint Wunderlich – Storage Lot & Common Grounds III:
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The flower beds in the Memorial Garden have been completed.
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One of the drains in the storage lot was repaired to help alleviate standing water. He needs to repair a couple more.
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Clint had been keeping up with weed control in the storage lot until the recent rains. He will get back to it after the rains stop. Several board members commented on the noticeable improvement.
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John Chajec asked if anything could be done to reduce the amount of mud drug out of the storage lot by vehicles after it rains. Clint had some ideas and will pursue this.
f. Lyn Swonger – Golf Course:
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The course is in decent shape and four of the tee boxes have been repaired.
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Manny is studying to take a test in order to obtain a license required by TX to purchase and apply chemicals to kill crabgrass etc. The state has shut us off from purchasing chemicals other than Round-Up. Joe will also take this test. Lalo will need the same study materials in Spanish. The board approved that purchase at the meeting.
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Low-rise sprinklers have been installed on the north side of #4 fairway to alleviate the problem of the previous sprinkler over-spraying residents’ homes. The big sprinklers were moved in 60 feet from the property lines. The three affected property owners agreed to pay for half the cost, which was $100 per resident. The same thing was done on #6 and the resident split the cost.
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A walk-behind weed eater was purchased for $300. It is much faster for trimming around curbs, ditches etc.
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Some landscaping and sprinkler work was done around the putting greens. The stone wall was rebuilt and solar lights were added along the path to the #1 tee.
g. Jean Lawrence – President:
Jean conveyed to the residents via the Facebook livestream that the board had to let one of the employees go this summer due to job performance. All guidelines were followed with three separate letters for things not being done correctly. The board followed the Handbook. Subsequently Joe Castillo was hired in late July to work with Manny on the golf course.
3. Committee Reports:
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There were no Committee Reports.
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Architectural Committee - Jean expressed a desire for the Architectural Committee to report on activity from the summer. The board had decided over the summer to place a moratorium on any new fence approvals until it was decided how to proceed with certain requests. We still have some issues in this area. The Architectural Committee will be asked to attend the next board meeting.
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Neighborhood Watch – Lenore could not make the board meeting but will give her report at the Informational Meeting on Oct. 23.
Adjourn: Pat Harvey moved to adjourn and go into executive session. Dick Parrish seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 pm.
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Respectfully submitted,
Dick Parrish
SEPO Board Secretary
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