President's
Report 1. There was a great turnout for the first Meet the Candidates session. The YC room was pretty crowded. Unfortunately there was not enough time for those with second questions to ask them. 2. By now the community knows that the Board has terminated the services of another manager. The reasons are not made public to protect the person who is leaving. 3. By now all of you should have received your packet of information for the Special Meeting and the Annual Meeting to be held on March 6 at 7 pm in the YC. The Board was required by AZ law and our Bylaws, Article III, Section 5, to inform residents that a special meeting must be held based on the petition submitted by more than 25 percent of the Voting Membership of VL The petition was to amend the current Bylaw, Article IV, Section 1, to increase the size of the Board for 5 members to 7 members. The signed petitions were given to the Election Committee to verify names and addresses of those who had signed. According to our attorney, based on State law, a notice had to be sent to each lot owner no later than January 13, 30 days after the petition was delivered to the Office. To save $663.39 in postage to mail just the notice of the meeting, the Election Committee decided to send the ballot to vote for or against the increase in the number of Board members and the ballot to elect two new Board members at the same time. Joe McCord, the originator of the petition, has questioned the legal fees charged to VLPOA for the petition, which at the end of December were $2277, not quite the $2300 I stated at the Saturday Forum, because I rounded off the amount. Joe asked why a simple ballot on which Voting Members could check yes or no was not sufficient. Changing a segment of our governing documents requires those voting on the change in Bylaws to have the proposed wording for a Bylaw change on the ballot. This unfortunately involves our attorney. The Board drafted a letter in response to the petitioners and asked our attorney to add, correct, or revise the draft. You know that the lawyer is going to change it. After Board review, the letter returned from the attorney was given to Joe McCord. Yes, legal advice is costly, but the Board wanted to ensure things were being done legally so there would be no challenge at the end of the process as is still being done by a member of the Concerned Citizens 2 group regarding the recall issue. The letter sent to Joe also stated that only two positions could be filled. Again, based on our Bylaws, the Voting Members have a right to do cumulative voting, Article IV, Section 6. In order to comply with this Bylaw, the ballot would have to state that four candidates were to be elected. The Election Committee could not do inform residents that four candidates were to be elected because the petition to increase the size of the Board had not been approved by the Voting Members. Thus, only two candidates can be elected and announced at the Annual Meeting. If the petition to increase the number of Board members passes, then, per our attorney, the Board can appoint two individuals to serve for one year. The appointment of two individuals will be for one year. 4. Verizon building and tower: I contacted Gordon from Verizon and in an email dated January 14, (he also works on Sundays) he said the new antennas should be installed by the end of January. I am assuming the new antennas on the faux palm tree will be smaller. According to another email I received two days ago, the tower should be in operation by next Tuesday. Verizon has made payments each month since they began and these payment have been deposited into our Reserve Fund. 5. Last year at the January Board meeting, I presented all that was done in the previous year in the way of maintenance and upkeep at Ventana Lakes. Then at the Annual Meeting I had nothing to share, so I will report on things done in 2006 at that time. 6. On the agenda for today is a request for Board approval to change the irrigation system from Beardsley to Ventana Drive W along the west edge of Lake 7. At the present time the irrigation system that was put in place by the builder many years ago and modified slightly by Scapes continues to irrigate not only the grass, but also the metal fences. The fence extends across four homeowners’ yards and is in need or welding repairs before it can be painted. However, there is no use in repairing the rusted areas and then paint the fence until the irrigation problem is corrected. 7. In relation to other fences around Lakes 3,4,5,6 8 & 9 in Ventana Lakes, there are very small areas of rust scattered throughout. These small areas could easily be brushed and repaired by the homeowner at very little cost. Some homeowners have done this or have painted the entire fence. There are not enough fences around the various lakes that would warrant fence painting for an entire section. In 2004 a number of individual fences were painted and not an entire section of homeowners’ fences in a given area. Several homeowners who paid half of the bill in 2004 to have their fences painted called the Office because of concern that their fence was again rusting. I called the company who painted the fences to check the fences in question. There was only a two year warranty on the painting which expired in April 2006, but the company was willing to send someone to check the fences anyway. A member of the Landscape Committee took the company representative around on the golf cart. The fence rep found nothing in need of paint. What was found that bird droppings in some areas had left brown rust-like spots. Homeowners need to hose off their fences to wash away the bird dropping to help keep the fence in good condition. 8. A small group of residents started a security patrol group. The Board has informed them that they can not be sanctioned by the Board because of liability issues. Although the intentions of the group were good, our Association insurance does not cover this type of activity. The organizer of the group was informed that if the group wanted to continue to drive around on their own in their own, unmarked cars, they do so at their own risk. 9. The changing of one tennis court into four pickle ball courts in underway. When I met with Kevin from Southwest Sports on Monday, he thought he would have the work done by the end of January. This should be good news to those waiting to play pickle ball. 10. A new telephone Directory for 2007 is almost complete. It will need to be proof read and several volunteers will be needed to do this. There will be a charge for the Directory. However, the price has not been determined as yet. In addition, the Supplement that accompanies the Directory has also been updated and it too will soon be available. 11. New paint book for homeowners who are planning on re-painting their homes will be ready by February 1. The old paint books may still be used, but only for those who are doing touch up work such as painting the trim or pop outs or painting a new garage door. The old books may not be used to re-paint the entire house. 12. Bids are being sought to do repairs on 250 feet of common area on Lake 9. The dirt is washing into the lake and a retaining wall is being suggested. At the time bids are being obtained for this block work, I am suggesting that the company doing the bidding also include cost for a monument (block and stucco) that can hold a sign indicating Ventana Lakes. Residents have suggested this and would like the sign to be at the corner of 104th and Beardsley. Any suggestions form other residents? Please drop off your sketch and idea in the Office by March 1. 13. The latest email I received for our attorney is that March 20th is when the mediator can meet with both sides in the Shores issue. Both parties now have to agree on the date. This concludes my report Submitted, Lois Owen
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