The Cloister as A Business Operation

In early years management and bookkeeping for the Cloister at St Henry facility was simple, collect HOA monthly fees, pay bills relating to ongoing operations and pay the monthly Comcast fee.

But now we have two categories of expenditures, routine operating expenses and capital expenses(such as new roofs, street repaving, retaining walls and other repairs to our infrastructure) This leaves us with challenges in budgeting, and supervision and monitoring of outside contractors.

The value to The Cloister property is approaching Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) The property was developed in 1984, some buildings are 32 years old with the newest building built 25 years ago. Original Cloister homeowners did not face expensive maintenance and repair projects  such as roof replacement, street paving,  and exterior repair and painting during the first 10 years of the life of the Cloister complex. Thus we relied upon unpaid volunteers from among residents.

Initially a small group of, sometimes reluctant, mostly inexperienced volunteers formed the Architectural Review and Maintenance Committee to manage the simple housekeeping matters. We have reached a critical point in  budgeting with management of large infrastructure maintenance and repair projects like jacking up and supporting an entire Cloister Condo building, replacing sunken driveways, rebuilding walls, and maintaining the storm water drainage system.

We home owners have been hit with huge monthly HOA fee increases. Yet we assume that management of this major facility can still be conducted with unpaid volunteers on what we call the ARMS Committee.

We are sadly mistaken……

It is time that we reduce the responsibilities of the ARMS Committee and hire on-site management and monitoring for our large, expensive infrastructure repair and maintenance projects and capital spending. Or should we idly stand by while the ARMS committee attempt to manage a $50 million dollar facility and a one million dollar per year budget?

Revised……Please HOA Board….Enough Already

Special Note:  I have had a considerable number of people contact me to ask why I did not include John Eley on the list of those I would support in the upcoming Home Owner Association elections. John and I have talked extensively about how financial reporting and resident communication with the HOA Board can be improved and strengthened. Frankly if there is anyone who should be on the HOA Board….it is John Eley.

Speed bumps have now been extended curb-to-curb across our Cloister streets preventing any safe way to walk in our community. Driveway flares as part of sidewalk construction make the sidewalks virtually unusable while the extended speed bumps make the streets dangerous to pedestrians and those using bicycles, walkers or wheelchairs.

The entire community is infested with stop signs, speed limit signs, speed bumps(existing speed bumps have been extended from curb to curb while all new ones extend completely across the road), driveway flares instead of level sidewalks.

I went out for some fresh air recently and found my self completely trapped with speed bumps and driveway flares preventing my safe access to the Cloister neighborhood. Six speed bumps now block my way from our home to the Clubhouse. Four speed bumps block my way to the walk leading to the handicapped entrance to St Henry Church. Two bump barriers block my way to the hilltop Healthcare Center at West Meade Place where I did volunteer work with patients in the Therapy room. I can’t do that anymore.

I’m asked that the HOA leave a small 36 inch space between the curb and the beginning of each speed bump for my wheelchair. The current HOA Board ignored my request and I am now trapped in my own home. There is a total absence of communication between the HOA Board and residents, and the board seems to lack any financial responsibility.

This is what I will look for in our new board of directors:

• Improved communications between Board and residents through:
  • a detailed agenda posted one week prior to a board meeting covering what will be voted on.
  • Opportunity for resident input prior to a board meeting on any issue, rather than after the meeting when resident input is useless since all issues have already been voted upon.
• Standard Financial reporting
  • An Operating Budget covering normal expenses by line item
  • A Capital Spending budget covering physical improvements to the property
  • Detailed listing of Capital Reserves and planned physical improvements
  • Monthly reports of actual vs budgeted spending
•  A Board that will restore safe access to our streets for the residents who have physical handicaps

We now are having a HOA Board Election for  four new board members.  The monthly news letter listed candidates running for the HOA Board. All of them are well qualified but I will vote for those who will support what I look for on a Board. These are who I am voting for based on the candidates statement.

• Brenda Butler
• Evonne Cain
• Ann Green
• Sue H. Hegland

 

Any comments?