Chuck Heitbrink, HOA Board Secretary
The Board of Directors had an Agenda Planning and Business meeting on May 24. The following are notes from this meeting:
Members present: Steve Seel, Lisa Onyx, Dan Buescher, Dirk Close, Linda DiPalma, Chuck Heitbrink, and Manager Layne Varney. Jim Anderson joined the meeting via phone.
The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m. by President Steve Seel.
The board reviewed the minutes for the March 22, 2021, Executive Session and the April 26, 2021, Business meeting. A motion by Lisa to approve the minutes, seconded by Dirk. Approved 7/0.
The Treasurer’s Report was given by Jim. He advised the board that year-to-date cash was $1.2 million, and year-to-date, 70 homes have been sold. He also reported that the Contingency Fund now has a balance of $229,000 with a goal of $500,000. He stated that the Reserve Fund had a balance of $705,265, and the revenues year-to-date are $960,680 versus expenditure of $697,394.
The Manager’s Report was presented by Layne.
• COVID-19 Report: The results of the survey are currently indicating over 94% of the residents that have taken the online survey have been vaccinated. Employees will have the option to wear masks beginning June 1.
• Administration: Past-due lot revenue collected in April was $5,718.81, and the delinquency rate was less than .25%. Twenty-six lot owners are making monthly payments for the current year.
Second-half invoice billing is being prepared and will include the Golf Club “Green Up” letter.
During the month of April, 24 homes were sold. In May, four have been sold with two pending.
• Horizon Room: The Cinco de Mayo event was very successful. Bar Bingo was introduced on May 14 to a packed house.
New hours, new menu items, new appetizers are in the works.
New activities such as Trivia, Live Music, Father’s Day Breakfast Special, and Bar Bingo will continue.
• Clubhouse: New vent fan and water valve in the Lapidary Room was replaced.
The tile in the BBQ area has been replaced.
The chairs for the small pool have been refurbished.
AEDs and first-aid kits have been installed.
Handrails on the east end of the clubhouse will be installed. This will require that the stairs be closed during the installation.
Stairs on the west end of the clubhouse to the cart rental area will be painted and striped.
• Common Area Landscaping: Trimming of trees will begin in mid-June, and the palm trees will be in July.
Lights and irrigation replacement is scheduled on a section along Oakmont and Lindrick common area.
• Activities: The Kentucky Derby Party was held May 1, British Invasion tribute band was May 7, and Aqua Fitness classes began the first week of May. On May 29, in partnership with the golf course, a drive-in movie will be held at the driving range, Caddyshack.
• Patrol: Patrol has been dealing with solicitation and speeding delivery trucks. An Amazon driver was caught on video entering the Hunt Highway gate by lifting the barrier arm.
Committee Reports:
Project Review and Planning Committee: The handrails are scheduled for June. The new chairs for the ballroom are in place, and the new awnings are scheduled for August.
Architectural Control Committee: The new paint colors for homes are now finalized and are available for review after the vote today. In April, 26 permits were issued, and so far, 23 have been issued for May.
Finance Committee: The committee reviewed the March financials, and the year-to-date results are very positive. The balance of the meeting was spent updating the five-year Review Study. Layne will be updating the committee in late summer.
Welcoming and Marketing Committee: Plans are underway for an event for the working residents of SunBird. The Welcome Breakfast/Dinner will continue this fall.
Rules and Regulations Committee: Did not meet and will resume in the fall.
HOA/Golf Club Committee: Did not meet; however, Linda gave the board an update on the golf course pumps. At the April 26 board meeting, Dave White, President of the Golf Course, explained there was an emergency issue with the pumps, and they needed to be replaced at a cost of approximately $180,000. A resident asked that a community meeting be held to discuss the issue and brainstorm how the funds might be raised. The following day, approximately 100 to 150 people attended the meeting. For more information on how you can assist the Golf Club, you can contact the Golf Club management team.
The board members provided a mid-year assessment of their progress on their HOA Goals.
• Dan reported that the Resource Development indicated that continued development of indoor and outdoor recreation areas was necessary and that a new bike be added to the Fitness Room along with a clock.
• Dirk reported on streamlining and improving communication. The board has eliminated the Agenda Planning meeting. Committees and groups are using email more. The board has developed a procedure for responding to homeowners’ comments at the board meeting.
• Jim had previously sent the board his report which included five key points:
1. Review of the generation age group of SunBird.
2. Review the top 10 55-and-over community trends.
3. Review five ways technology can improve HOA community experience.
4. Compare how SunBird compares to other communities.
5. Review a list of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for SunBird.
• Linda reported that the Book of Policy had been reviewed and updated, the election section changed to have board member elections in November, and the Board Agenda Planning meeting has been eliminated.
• Chuck reported that the Welcome New Homeowners Breakfast/Dinners will continue due to good attendance, and homeowners had good interaction. The State Parties will continue in the fall, and Block Parties will be encouraged. A Renters Breakfast will be held in November or January to welcome them to the community.
• Lisa reported that the Safety Task Force had replaced three AEDs and all of First-Aid Stations that were donated by the Lions Club. Training will be held for all employees and the Patrol on the AEDs. Black strips have been added to the stairs to improve the visual location of the steps. Currently, new evacuation plans are being developed.
• Steve reported on the use of electronic opportunities for HOA voting. He anticipated that this could be in place for the 2022 election.
The following residents were recommended to serve on the Election Committee: Barbara Ott, Pat McGonegle, and Joan Bruening. Dirk made the motion to approve the recommendation, and Lisa seconded. Motion approved 7/0.
Project Review & Planning Committee made the following recommendations:
• Replace 11 existing tan tiles embedded in the patio bar with custom tiles built by the SunBird Ceramics Club to coordinate with new exterior paint colors. The cost will be approximately $850 for supplies and installation. Dirk made the motion to approve the project, Linda seconded. Motion passed 7/0.
• Install four upright cabinets on the east wall in the Hopi Room for clubs to use for storage by the various clubs that use the room. The cost of the project will be approximately $652. Dirk made the motion to approve the project, Linda seconded. Motion passed 7/0.
Architectural Control Committee made the following recommendation:
• Approve the new paint colors presented to the board for home exteriors and trim. Dan made the motion to approve the project, Lisa seconded. Motion passed 7/0.
Chuck gave the following timeline report on the activities of Horizon Room Task Force:
On April 13 a comment sheet was submitted concerning a meal they received.
On April 15 Layne, Steve, Lisa, and I met with that group leadership, and they detailed several items they had concerning the Horizon Room.
After the meeting, the following changes were implemented:
• Restaurant hours adjusted and happy hour extended from 2 until 6 p.m. every day, except Saturday and Sunday, 2 until 4 p.m.
• Additional Staff training will be implemented.
On April 23 I put together a Task Force to address issues in the Horizon Room.
On April 29 Steve asked me to attend a meeting of some residents. I met with the group the next day. They had three issues that they wanted addressed:
• Hours of the restaurant
• Food quality
• Management
On May 4 the Task Force had their first meeting. Our purpose is to make recommendations to enhance the dining experience in the Horizon Room. We planned the following:
• Revise the Appetizer Menu and include several new non-fried items
• Review the Main Menu for dietary and healthy choices
• Investigate the possibility of adding a chef or chef intern from the local culinary schools and/or add additional kitchen staff
On May 7 I was to attend another meeting; however, it was the same day another group had agreed to meet with us. Layne, Lisa, and Linda attended that meeting. They addressed their concerns and offered solutions.
I attended the other meeting with the same group I met with a week before. The group reiterated their objectives. I proceeded to address their concerns and comments; however, they are not satisfied with all of my solutions.
On May 11 the Task Force met and discussed several new items for the menu.
• Julie was confident we could make 80% of the suggested items.
• We agreed to work on updating our Appetizer Menu by our next meeting.
May 18 the Task Force reviewed the new Appetizer Menu. We agreed to begin a weekly or bi-weekly roll-out of the new items. This will allow an opportunity to deplete existing inventory and conduct proper staff training. The new Appetizer Menu was created and will be implemented as new items are ready and old inventory depleted. This Friday, May 28, we will introduce a portion of the new menu.
At our next meeting, we will review and restructure the main menu.
In review, in six weeks, we have met with residents and clubs, listened, and implemented several of their concerns.
• Hours of the Horizon Room have been changed.
• Happy hour has been extended.
• Plate presentation has been enhanced with blue placemats, and garnish has been added to the plates at breakfast and lunch.
• Menu changes and additions, to include items that meet dietary concerns, and a broader selection are in process.
• A new Appetizer Menu is complete and will be partially rolled out this Friday at Bingo. Appetizers will be served until 7:30 p.m.
• Menus will be reviewed continually for improvement, and items will be added and deleted as determined by sales.
• Advertising is in process for additional staff in the front and back of the house.
We are excited about the changes that have been accomplished and the changes that will continue to be rolled out as we deplete our current inventory and train our staff. I also would like to thank Lisa Onyx, Linda DiPalma, Fran Hock, Dave DePlois, along with Layne and Julie for their willingness to devote their time and expertise to enhance the dining experience in the Horizon Room.
Layne reviewed the comment sheets. Residents reported:
• They were happy with the HOA and the Horizon Room.
• They were very pleased with the Horizon Room staff and food.
• A satellite dish needed to be moved from a residence; however, according to FCC regulations, it could not be relocated.
• A carport needed to be cleaned up. It is being addressed.
Comments from the homeowners and directors were heard. Homeowner comments will be addressed at the next meeting.
The next Business meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 27, at 10 a.m. in the ballroom.
Have a safe and healthy summer.