Minutes for June 13, 2005
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DRAFT
Chairman Bruce Bolon called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.
Mr. Bolon requested a moment of silent prayer. Amen
Mr. Bolon led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Ms. Weglein called the roll. Mr. Bailey was excused.
There were none at this time.
Mr. Hunt explained that on the financials the IMS program is not carrying the payroll over into the budget program. Total payroll budgeted for this year was $1,452,075. The District has expended in 16 payrolls to date $762,401. The budgeted average payroll is $55,849. The actual average paid to date is $47,650. Using the $47,650 numbers, staff projects payroll at $1,239,000 for the year. That leaves a balance of roughly $223,075 that will be accumulated in the payroll account at the end of the fiscal year. Mr. Hunt included the hand written backup totals to demonstrate how the figures were obtained. The remainder of the financial, sans the payroll figures, on the operating side of the budget, is correct. The District expended $72,096 by the end of April, which represents approximately $120,000 over the course of a year. This is the amount budgeted for 2005-2006. Auditing and accounting fees went slightly over budget. [$22,000 rather than $20,000] Mr. Hunt referred to page 12, Emergency and Disaster Relief. The District expended $245,996 on the hurricanes that the Board approved through various contracts that was not originally budgeted in this year’s annual budget. Offsetting that is an insurance check for $363,000. The District received $82,000 from FEMA. IMS has been contacted to get the payroll integrated properly.
The calculations for Pool 4 have been extracted from the proposed capital fund. The proposal requires a $15.85 increase in the monthly assessment fee to complete 21 projects within 5 years. It allows the District to place $356,000 in hurricane reserve, and includes the “Clerk of the Works” for capital projects.
Mr. Bleau suggested increasing RV fees $10.00 a month to raise the $40,000 needed to repair the lots. Mr. Nunez suggested taxing everybody $.70 instead of penalizing 350 people for using a facility that collects $70,000 a year for the General Fund with no repairs. Mr. Carillion compared the RV fee in Barefoot Bay with the amount residents would pay elsewhere and cited convenience even with a rate raise. Mr. Glashauser commented he was in favor of letting the RV lots ride.
Mr. Bolon polled the Board for the $10.00 increase in the RV fees. The
Board voted 4-4; the fee will remain as is.
Mr. Bleau asked Mr. Hunt if the T-sponsor signs at the golf course were going to be $250 from each individual and when it would start. Mr. Hunt responded the amount was for each individual and the project would be in place before September 30th. Mr. Bleau commented on vending machine income. Mr. Carillion commented it was $.25 cheaper to get a soda out of the vending machine than from the Lounge. He suggested the vending machine amount should be raised. Mr. Bolon commented soda at Pool 2 from the vending machine is $.50.
Mr. Bleau suggested freezing positions for the Food and Beverage director and the Code Enforcement supervisor. He feels the staff the District has now is sufficient for this budget year. Mr. Carillion commented that charging for ARCC permits would help. Mr. Nunez and Mr. Bleau concurred. Mr. Hunt commented there probably would be no short-term ramifications to freezing the Code Enforcement position. However, freezing the Food and Beverage director position would impact the budget by the $36,000 projected revenues attributed to hiring one. Mr. Glashauser commented the Board should allow the Community Manager to do his job. If Mr. Hunt feels a Food and Beverage director is necessary to raise revenues, the Board should allow him to get on with it. Mr. Carillion clarified that the ARCC permits at $5.00 would just about cover mileage expenses for the inspectors. Mr. Nunez asked Mr. Hunt if he felt not hiring the Food and Beverage director would reduce income. Mr. Hunt explained he was not petitioning the Board to expand the personnel cap. The District would use the same people in Food and Beverage, the current manager would be moved to assistant manager, and on down the line until a vacant position would be eliminated. Mr. Hunt commented that current staff works very hard; the new director would bring on board additional management skills and ideas for innovations. Mr. Hunt feels the District can make more money in this area, provide a good product and give fair value. Ms. Weglein agreed with charging for ARCC permits. Ms. Weglein commented the District needs a qualified Code Enforcement officer.
Mr. Helmerich: My personal opinion is to get rid of the manager we have so far in place and hire a working manager to do the work without having to hire an additional person, but a more qualified person. I feel the persons we have right now are not qualified. Therefore, in my opinion, we can save money if we’re talking $35,000 [as Mr. Hunt just said]. Fine. I’m against it. Find someone more qualified, I’m positive we can do it, and let’s save that money. Why spend it when it’s not necessary? We’re talking $35,000 and it’s just being thrown out the window. How do we know, just because somebody tells us, that this person is capable of doing a job? Somebody could take care of 5,000 people at a restaurant, a bar, or a hotel for that matter. That doesn’t make them qualified to run Barefoot Bay plus I’d like to see a working manager and I believe the manager we have now [the] duties . . . . . . and find a manager at the same cost or less to do the same job.
Mr. Smith: I believe we should leave it up to the community manager. We told him he was allowed to be hiring and firing. I think that’s up to him. He certainly has enough experience through his years of managing that he can pick out the right people with the right aptitudes and credits to their abilities and that’s why we told him he’s the community manager with the right to hire and fire. That’s what I thought.
Mr. Bleau: We are the Board. And we have the authority to hire and fire. And that includes hiring and firing the manager. And if you look down at that paragraph, we also state in there that if it’s necessary we have the authority to hire and fire. And I don’t think it is necessary at this time to hire a Food and Beverage director at $35,000 to oversee our present manager who’s doing the salaries, she’s doing the scheduling ….. doing all the purchasing, doing the bar [the manager tends bar], the manager cooks when the cook is gone. I just don’t understand where we’re going to make another $35,000 in the next year and we’re also going to hire a Food and Beverage director for $35,000.
Mr. Carillion: I go along with Mr. Smith on this. We hired the community manager, we turned over the operation of hiring people for Barefoot Bay to the community manager, and I think that’s the way we should go. If the community manager thinks he can make another $35,000 [or 6] by hiring somebody from outside, I think he should have a chance. I have my thoughts on it, but our policy is to go along with him on the employees, and that’s what I am going to do.
Mr. Bolon commented that Food & Beverage has an assistant in the office. In Code Enforcement there are three secretaries. How many secretaries do we need? We need to evaluate the use of our employees. Code Enforcement needs a supervisor. The grass is too high, and there is still storm debris around.
Mr. Helmerich: I have been ignored many times by the Board. I don’t like it, and I’m letting the Board know it. I’m willing to show the Board my credentials, my abilities, what I know, what I don’t know, and if I don’t know something, be honest enough to say “I don’t know.” We are talking serious money, which is a serious matter, when it comes to bathrooms, Building A, ADA, I don’t know where that figure comes from. The American Disabilities Act – the money there is extremely high. It’s a beautiful day – I would like to be able to get my point across --- before any monies are spent --- people have to realize when how and why. I want to show the people why. We cannot make any decisions until the people here see what I have to tell them, and the Board sees what I have to tell them and show them. I do have my ideas, and I think very good ideas, to resolve the problem. I just need to be listened to. And I’m getting pretty darn upset not being listened to and being overridden by the Board, or totally ignored. [Mr. Helmerich requested that the Board go outside to demonstrate his idea.]
Mr. Bolon requested the desire of the Board. Mr. Nunez commented the Board was not expending money on the seawall, or the pool, or anything else at the present time. The Board was formulating a budget.
Mr. Helmerich [speaking to Mr. Nunez] : We’re going to take expenditures not knowing what it’s going to cost to do what we have to do around here, and nobody wants to deal with the swimming pool area at all. So, at this moment [even] though we’re not spending that money, people need to know that we are going to be spending a lot of money so they can give it some thought before we spend more money for other projects. What I’m saying is, look! It’s not going to hurt. Because if we spend money on other projects we wind up with a situation where we have to borrow money, and we will have to borrow money. [Urged the Board again to go outside.] Then the people will realize when the Board comes to them and says, ‘We need money for this, let’s get this job done’ at least they have an idea we have a major issue. Before we talk about expenditures, let the people know what’s going on. [Mr. Helmerich commented on the core boring that would need to be done on the seawall and in the Pool One area.]
Mr. Bolon explained the core boring issue is contained in an engineering report done about 3 years ago. He said the Board was familiar with the report.
Ms. Weglein suggested that after the meeting those who wished to participate should go with Mr. Helmerich to inspect the seawall and the Pool One area.
Mr. Helmerich: That’s fine with me right now, but I’ve been given a stack of papers, and these papers are 10 years old. You’re well aware of what’s going on, Mr. Bolon. But I have a problem here, and I feel I can get into that because it has a lot to do with our expenditures. But there is theft on the part of the Board. I do think we have to look into that because theft takes monies away and when we take monies away we have no monies to spend on projects we need to spend. For the record, I’m saying I feel somewhere on the Board we have theft. And that’s my opinion. Personal only opinion.
Mr. Hunt: Ok. I’ve got to jump into that. That’s a fairly serious charge, Mr. Helmerich, and if you have any proof whatsoever, and I do not believe you do, then you need to bring it to me.
Mr. Helmerich: Mr. Hunt, I will bring it to you.
Mr. Bolon called for a short break saying, “I don’t know where this is going, but I don’t like the sound of it.”
Mr. Bolon adjourned the meeting at 2:35 p.m.
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