Last week, on February 9, the community held it’s annual meeting of members. On the agenda were a recap of the pool and park season for 2022, the financial review, a vote on a fees increase for 2023, and the election of the board members for 2023. There were lots of new faces at the meeting, and some really excellent questions – so I would first like to thank all those of you who came to the meeting for your first time! I also wanted to thank those that continue to keep showing up to meetings, it’s really encouraging to see familiar faces, and to see all the great support you provide from year to year – so thank you!
The meeting opened at 7:30 at the Library with a recap of the pool season. Highlights included; updating lifeguard salaries to stay competitive with nearby pools and the North Olmsted rec center. The board believes that the increase helped us to retain lifeguards, and also avoided any reduction in hours for the season. The pool was open full days, all season, minus a few weather related closures. This was remarkable – given the lifeguard shortage across the country. We look forward to seeing some new faces on the chairs this summer – and hope some of our most-reliable guards will be back! There were a few updates to facilities including repair and replacement of the cement as you enter the park by the tennis courts, and one large section along the pool fence. These were the major repairs for the season. Other small cosmetic repairs and replacements were made to facilities.
Additionally, last summer, we added WiFi to the pool area, and with that came a set of cloud-based security cameras that operate 24/7. We felt that adding WiFi as a part of our phone service would serve the community, and also provide an opportunity to add the cameras. This proved to be fruitful in addressing some late-night break is and other activity in the parking lot. Guests of the pool, and working parents appreciated the WiFi access. We look forward to utilizing that service for more community events like tailgating, movie nights, and more!
The socials last year were awesome! We highlighted the very popular 4th of July parade (by Bretton Ridge Women’s Club) and the cookout party that followed that day. Also highlighted STEAM Club, and the family camp out at the park. The Fall Fest – was a big hit, with Halloween-themed movies and treats. All brought great weather and good attendance. Hopefully those traditions continue!
The financial review included a high level overview of the membership and financial status. Currently, we are sitting at 97% of homes ‘in good standing’. This is a remarkable number – and has required a tremendous amount of work on the part of our membership chair, Carolyn, and the homeowners in the neighborhood. We thank everyone for being on time with payments, and getting caught up when necessary. It makes a huge difference in being able to plan for the future when we know everyone pays their fair share. Once the membership was reviewed, we moved on to a discussion of the financial state of the organization. The full report was passed out to all in attendance. If you would like a copy, please reach out via email (board@brettonridge.com) and we will send you a copy.
The good news, is that the organization is strong, and is on a good financial footing. We were able to meet all of our obligations last year to keep the park and pool running, and to pay our staff – even despite significant increases in supply costs, and labor costs across the board. Moving forward, however, we realize that costs are trending upward, and inflation continues to drive costs up. To meet that need, the board passed a budget that increased by 15% to meet these costs. As a result, the membership at the meeting was asked to review the budget, the increase, and then vote on the increase to assessment fees. Keep in mind, assessment fees have not been raised since 2014. After some questions about the budget, we reviewed the resulting increase to assessments based on the budget. A vote of the members at the meeting was taken to increase fees, and passed 29-8. The assessment fees will increase by 15% at all levels. For the 2023 year, Full Membership will be $345 (from $300). Associate Membership will be $195 (from $170), and Senior Membership will be $170 (from $150).
A copy of the budget for the year, and the fee structure will be mailed home with first invoices in the next few weeks. Be on the lookout for that, so you can see exactly where all the money collected will be spent.
After the increase to the fee structure was voted upon and passed, the board members were elected for 2023. All seven board members from 2022 agreed to run again, and no new members submitted an intent to run. A motion was made to re-elect the board to another term in 2023. Your trustees are the same as last year, all their contact info is listed on the right site of the website’s home page. Thank you to the board for all your hard work!
Looking forward, one of the big projects we hope to complete this year is some serious work on the drainage and the playground equipment at the park. We have a unique opportunity to work with the two schools in our area that are closing (Forest and Spruce) to acquire some of their playground equipment. We will be working with a playground contractor to finalize the scope of work, and the equipment we can get – but this represents an amazing opportunity to add to our existing aging system, and replace some unsafe or outdated pieces. This is going to be an exciting summer! Stay tuned for more on that project!
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35pm.
As always, if you have constructive feedback about what you would like us to address, please feel free to reach out to the board members listed on the website, or email all of us at: board@brettonridge.com . Look out for invoices and the annual budget, hitting your mailboxes soon.
Thank you as always –
Jon Jarc
HOA President