Emerald Lakes Free Press

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, March 25, 2023

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:35 AM. All board members were present. General Manager Darryl Gamble was also present. Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens was absent due to a family emergency. In addition, the meeting was not able to be recorded due to technical difficulties. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President called for a motion to approve February’s open board meeting minutes. It passed unanimously. Whelan stated that he was holding his comments till the Director’s Comments section of the meeting and turned the floor over to the Treasurer.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for February. Currently we are $148K over budget on collection of dues. Dues collected for February were $305K and Year to Date (YTD) $1.6M; Rental income is $649K YTD; Code Enforcement Officer revenue is $150K which is $6K under budget; Access card income is $123K; Bar and Grill income for February was $6.4K and $47K YTD; under income two areas have a negative variance of $270 for Boat/Fishing Permits and $68 dollars for Newsletter Ads; Resale fees are at $19K YTD; Income totals YTD are $2.7M; Total expenses are $2.3M YTD; Administration is $528 YTD which has a negative variance of $63K; Public Safety is $136 YTD with a positive variance of $29K due to being short staffed; Maintenance is $1,057,732 with a negative variance of $102K due to vehicle and equipment purchases; Community Center/Recreation is $391K YTD with a negative variance of $12K; Insurance has a negative variance of $13K and utilities has a negative variance of $3K, which is due to rising costs; Cash Assets are $674 YTD; Reserve Fund, short term is $784K; Long term reserve investment account is $129K. A motion was made by Connie Simpson to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Bob Leon and passed unanimously.

Under Old Business

Whelan called for a motion to approve the preliminary budget. The motion was made by Bill Baehr and seconded by Bob Leon. It passed unanimously.
Whelan stated that the Administration office was being deluged with phone calls about the dues increase. Whelan stated that there will be no increase in the upcoming fiscal year. In the 2024/2025 budget quarterly payments will be $310. And full payment will be $1,240. The increase will be every other year for the next 10 years.

Under New Business:

Fees will be increased for Amenity passes and boat permits. All increases will be $5 per pass/permit.
Pine Tree Island will have a study completed this season. Water will be tested in various places to determine if the beach should be moved. Currently the beach is in an inlet and has become a collection point for bacteria. Testing will also be done at the feeder and ephemeral streams. An independent lab will perform the testing.
Lake maintenance includes a beaver and geese plan. This plan is through the state and includes gathering up and relocating the animals. In addition, weed and lily pads will be treated.

Committee Reports

Connie Simpson reported on the Rules and Regulations meeting. She called for a resolution to allow 2 yard/garage sales per year, up to three days and must be permitted by Emerald Lakes Association and the Township. Mike Camino made the motion and it was seconded by Connie Simpson. It passed unanimously. In addition, the committee discussed the $500 fine for sharing IDs cards with a delinquent member. A member inquired if we could open up water aerobics to outside people. She was told that we cannot sell memberships since this is a non-profit association. The Association would be in jeopardy of losing our tax status.

Bill Baehr stated that 6 appeals were scheduled; however, one individual did not show up for his appeal.

Bob Leon reported on the Real Estate committee that discussions were held on a get together meeting being scheduled in May.

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning (F&P). F&P had a special meeting to review and approve the preliminary budget before the board met for their evaluation. The meeting was held on March 17th. Ms. Whelan stated revenue and attendance for three events that occurred in February/March were $1,111 with 30 people in attendance for Karaoke, $705.75 with 21 in attendance for Trivia and $3,558 with 70 people in attendance for the Winter Luau. Please note that the number of people in attendance does not include individuals that entered using an amenity pass. In the future, front desk staff will scan a guest pass so that more accurate information on attendance can be obtained. The Operating Fund/Expense Report showed that $305K was the total dues and fees collected for the month of February and $1.6M YTD; Public Safety staff is currently at 1 full time and 5 part time members; Rental income is at $92K for the month of February with YTD income at $649K.; Code Enforcement fees were $142K YTD with a negative variance of $3.3K; Bar and Grill income for the month of February were $6,427 while costs were $1,434 for the bar and $1.632 for the grill. The next budget will have a finer breakdown of categories for the bar and grill such as office supplies, equipment, food, liquor, staffing etc; Resale certificates is $1,400 for the month of February which represents 9 homes being sold; Total income has a positive variance of $217K YTD with total income at $2.7M YTD; Refuse collection was $201K YTD which represents a minimal negative variance of $1.5K; total expenses are $2.3M YTD; $784K is in reserves; collections reported for February are $150.6K, where in house collections were $146.2K which represents 97% of collections; YTD collections are $1,047,141; interest on investments is $166.54. The next scheduled meeting of F&P will be held on Friday, April 21st at the Administration building.

Director’s Comments

Bob Leon stated that there are 22 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$299,800 listed for 1 day at 1095 Clover Rd
$440,000 listed for 1 day at 1117 Sioux
$949,000 listed for 1 day at 161 Beaver Dam (Lake front)
$224.250 listed for 7 days at 3114 Red Fox
$559,000 listed for 10 days at 1674 Glade
$405,000 listed for 20 days at 2441 Grey Birch
$226,000 listed for 32 days at 1245 Glade
$535,000 listed for 38 days at 2133 Wild Laurel
$399,800 listed for 38 days at 2437 Grey Birch
$357,900 listed for 43 days at 310 Cedar
$424,900 listed for 46 days at 152 Granite
$420,000 listed for 50 days at 1272 Glade
$439,900 listed for 165 days at 1616 Glade
$399,800 listed for 77 days at 795 Clearview
$375,000 listed for 103 days at 185 Granite
$424,900 listed for 104 days at 1432 Clover
$359,999 listed for 128 days at 1529 Clover
$489,900 listed for 142 days at 1258 Clover
$399,000 listed for 157 days at 2209 Doe
$300,000 listed for 192 days at 116 Yellow Birch
$589,000 listed for 210 days at 222 Arbor Doe
$349,900 listed for 252 days at 227 Hornbeam

Dave Borsos gave a shout out to the ways things were done with the board on the preliminary budget review. The board hashed out the details and there was give and take where compromises were reached.

Bill Baehr stated that the last 3 events bought in more people to the Lodge. It is great to see the bar and grill doing well. He enjoys Trivia night which is a lot of fun.

Connie Simpson thanked Nicole Clemens and Darryl Gamble for last month’s resolution and requested that it be put on the website home pages until the new copies of the Rules and Regulations Manual was printed.

Michael Camino thanked everyone for their hard work.

Buz Whelan wanted to address the pot holes. Since we live above the freeze/thaw line there are always going to be pot holes. The water seeps underground, freezes and expands and creates pot holes. Last year more than 1,500 pots holes were filed. He is asking for the member’s patience and deputizing everyone to report pot holes that are 12 inches across to the office. Whelan further stated that he hears a complaint that calls are not being returned. There will be a new menu on the phone system. If you select option #6, your message will get to the board or appropriate party. Office staff will check the message first thing in the morning and send out the message. It will take approximately 10 days for this system to go into effect.

Chris Claude stated that CEO violations are not a quota. The money is put in the budget based on previous year numbers. In addition in 2018 there was a $245K negative balance in reserves. The board paid off this debt and work to increase reserve funds. Now there is $914K in reserves (this includes the reserves and investment accounts).

Public Comments

Linda Shuey stated that communications with the board should be on the official ELA page and address whatever resolution was determined. She wants a record of her correspondence. She thanked Gamble for cutting down the branches that were hanging over the road but inquired as to when they will be collected. Gamble responded that the detritus will be collected soon.

A woman in the audience had a question/concern about public safety’s schedule. A man came to her door selling solar panels on February 22^nd. He parked outside for hours and had no identification on him when Regional police approached him. She was told that Public Safety’s schedule is not released and that it changes. It is kept secret so that anyone planning on committing a crime will not pick a time when no one is on duty. If she has an issue she should call our dispatch office at (570) 643-3385. She also complimented our Operation Manager at Maintenance, Bob Bulin. He is doing a wonderful job.

Mark Weiss stated that he sent over an article from a Mount Pocono Newsletter where it addresses a need for an emergency fund. In addition, he and his wife are enjoying the pool and the Lodge. The building is sharp as a tack and the showers work. He loved the sign at the indoor pool where it prohibits radios and music unless the individual is wearing headphones. He once had to leave the outdoor pool since someone was playing offensive music out loud.

Hilary Decker thanked staff for addressing the pot holes on Ash Drive.

Ange Noonan stated that when you leave a message on the phone at Administration, you may not get a return call immediately, but they will get back to you. She also stated that the ELA Ladies are having an exercise class at the Lodge on Sunday at 2:00 PM. All are welcome including men. Noonan also stated that the Recreation Club is doing a good job.

Another woman in the audience asked what as soon as possible meant for fixing the pot holes. She lives on Huckleberry and the pot holes are bad. She was told that once the plant opens up next month, we should be able to get material for the roads. They are aware of the issues on Huckleberry and that road may need large rolled section work done.

Scott Thompson stated that a neighbor, living here for 26 years, received a bill for .68 cents. That is ridiculous. He was told that the computer automatically generates those bills. In addition he called dispatch and no one responded. There were two cars parked on the roads right across from each other that were blocking car traffic. Thompson also stated that a neighbor was operating a barber shop out of his home. He reported it before but nothing was done. He was told that we need proof that he is operating a state licensed business. They were told that they would have to send someone undercover to get the service as proof that they have a business on site. Chris Claude stated that maybe we need to look into another dispatch service and told the story of one of our maintenance staff be threaten by a man with a gun about snow from the plow blocking his driveway.

Four (4) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Dave Borsos to adjourn. It was seconded by Bob Leon. Meeting adjourned at 11:08 AM.

Reporters Note: I write these reports based on notes taken during the meeting. I get no special consideration or cooperation from the board. I try my best to report accurately, but occasionally mistakes will be made. I invite correction and have no desire to intentionally mischaracterize any comments or actions.

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Emerald Lakes Special Meeting, March 18, 2023

Mar 20

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 AM. Six board members were present. Chris Claude was absent. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens were also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President introduced the people present at the front table. They were Ann Weaver and Ed Anderson from our accounting firm; Nick Haros who is our counsel from our hired Law firm; Dr Dave Borsos, Treasurer; Dan Glasgow, former President of Association; Darryl Gamble General Manager; also introduced was Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens. Other introductions included the board members sitting at a side table. They were Michael Camino, Bob Leon, Bill Baehr (Secretary and Judge of Elections) and Connie Simpson.

The accountants passed on addressing the audience. Nick Haros thanked everyone for coming in and said that he represents many HOAs. Of those HOAs whose membership controls the assessments (dues), virtually all are underfunded. He requested that since this was a business meeting everyone should conduct themselves accordingly.

Buz Whelan stated that he has been involved in ELA operations for 18 years. He was first elected to the board 16 years ago, in 2007. He has one more year on the board and doesn’t plan on running again. He said that this is not an “us vs. you” situation. We are all in this together. Should you decide to vote yes for the increase it goes to the Association and not the board. The increase is needed because of inflation. All petroleum based products have increased. Items such as asphalt, tar and fuel cost more. Whelan also said that it has been 3 years that the General Manager and Assistant General Manager have had a raise. The board is trying to spend our funds wisely. Whelan always said we were existing on reduced services and deferred maintenance. If an increase is not received services will need to be cut back. The board is trying to maintain the same level of services and keep Emerald Lakes as a premiere community. By being a premiere community we can maintain the quality of life, keep home values up and maintain a safe community. The increases would occur over a 10 year period and would amount to $40 every other year. This increase will amount to $10 per quarter. Whelan said the membership said that when you hit us over the head with a $200 a year increase it is hard to work it into the budget. The membership requested smaller increases over a longer period of time. The board listened.

Dave Borsos, Treasurer, stated that he has been on the board for 6 years with the last two years as Treasurer. The dues increase is needed and he feels it is well balanced and well organized. He did the math and the increase would amount to .76 cents a day. In the past he remembers when a painting contract had to be canceled because a new vehicle was needed. Borsos also did a comparison from January of last year to this year. The results were that last year costs for utilities were $9,700 and this year costs are $12,242. The cost for insurance was $6,527 last year and this year costs are at $11,653. The cost for Public Safety was $8,020 last year and this year costs are $15,000. The costs for the compactor were $18,331 for the month of January last year and $26,736 for January this year.

Dan Glasgow, former board President stated that he served on the board for 4 years with two of those years as President. He remembers stating to Whelan as he shook his wallet at him that this is the only control that we have over the board. He voted against the dues increase and was told that if he feels that strongly about it, he should run for the board. He ran and he won. Once on the board he saw the conditions of our finances and realized that there were not enough funds. On the board you rely on a group of experts for advice. You plan your actions on this advice. Glasgow also stated that this is the most transparent board. All meetings are recorded and streamed. Also, notes are taken and posted on the website for people that don’t have time to watch the whole meeting.

General Manager Darryl Gamble thanked everyone for coming out. A dues increase always brings out a crowd. He works within the budget and makes the money match with what we are doing. He hopes that people will see that things are getting done. The financials are available at the office and any staff member can answer any questions from the membership. This year we spent a little less than $680K on the roads. The tar and chip work done was disappointing and those roads done in that fashion are on the top of the list to be done this spring. This year a new Kipcon report will be completed to evaluate our facilities. When he took over many of our structures were past their life expectancy. Gamble does not go on FaceBook, but information does trickle down to him. And he is aware of complaints.

Question/Comments from Floor

George Hesser stated that he hopes the increase goes through. He would like to see more pot holes addressed.
Tim Jones stated that you expect me to vote on an increase when work should have been done last year.
Scott Thompson stated that he read about fiscal responsibility on FaceBook. The Community Center reopened on June 30, 2015. What happened to the new tables and chairs, flooring and exercise equipment? After being closed for 2 years there was another reopening on July 22, 2022. Why was the floor ripped up? Why was the front office at the Administration remodeled? Mr. Thompson wanted to call for a motion to table the dues increase. Whelan told him the motion is out of order and that according to Act 180 since a call to meeting was sent out with an agenda, a motion cannot be made. It is not fair to the membership who may have decided to attend to vote on the motion. It also would be unfair to the 159 mail in voters. He was told that work had to be done at the Community Center to bring it up to code. The wiring, carpentry and plumbing was substandard.
Mark Weiss stated that he bought his home here in 2018. At that time the two pools were closed and the Community Center was trashed. He wanted to go on record thanking the board and staff and that he is proud of the community. He voted yes for the increase via proxy mail.
Annette said that she is upset with the AirBNB homes. She feels that they are making a lot of money and should pay more in dues. She stated that a renter drove into her driveway and took out her garage door. She was told that on top of the annual dues, they pay the Association to rent out their homes. They also pay for Associate member passes to use the amenities. She also requested that Buz not to be disrespectful on FaceBook. He should shut his mouth if he can’t say anything nice.
Calvin stated that he was the youngest homeowner in the room, He has been in ELA for 13 years and he feels money is not being spent wisely. Money is being spent on the wrong things. If we have a building or a septic system in distress, it should have been fixed already. He was told that the Administration building is more than 40 years past its life span. The wiring is not up to code and is unsafe.
Adam stated that if you have a problem, you should run for the board. If you have a problem, you should talk to management or the board not on FaceBook. He stated that the board and management are doing a great job and he thanked them.
Carmen asked about the dam that was in a dire position years ago. What will happen if the dam breaks? She was told that the Management Company that ran the Association put us in a hole in 2018. They drained the reserve fund and didn’t put the required money in reserves. This current board paid back all money that should have been in the reserves and built the dollar amount up to $677K. Our dam was inspected in 2021 and it is okay. The reserve fund will help to pay for any issues with the dam. The dams are inspected by the state on a yearly basis.
Marty Nicoll stated that he voted for the dues increase. He stated that it was a modest increase.
Jose Mateo stated that in 1997 this was a vacation community. He stated that if everyone paid their dues we wouldn’t need an increase. He is also afraid of all the rentals. He was told that the Association aggressively pursues delinquent accounts. Many of these accounts are taken to court where we have never lost a case. Our collection rate went from 45%/50% to 74% in a five year period. Delinquent accounts were stopped from buying passes to the compactor. An amenity program was offered to these accounts with settlements being offered. If the member still did not pay their dues their account was turned over to our attorney.
Zack who is a new resident asked for an explanation of the capital reserve fund. He was told that 25% of dues go into this fund.
Alex thanked Nicole Clemens, Darryl Gamble and Chris Claude for fixing the Community Center.

Polls opened for voting.

Bill Baehr, Judge of Elections, asked for the three volunteers who would witness the counting to accompany him into another room. The results are as follows:

132 Yes

93 No

Dues increase has passed.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, February 25, 2023

Feb 26

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:33 AM. Six board members were present. Chris Claude was absent. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens were also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President called for a motion to approve January’s open board meeting minutes. He stated that he wanted it corrected that Connie Simpson was not absent at this meeting, but was present by phone so he would like the minutes to reflect this. A motion was made by Bob Leon to accept the minutes as amended. It was seconded by Mike Camino. It passed unanimously. Whelan gave his opening statement by saying that it is typical in HOA’s to have more than one faction. Not everyone will agree with what is being said or done. He requested that if anyone has suggestions on how to improve or how the board can improve, they are open to those suggestions. They will listen to solutions to see if there is a common ground that they can operate under.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for January. Currently we are running in the black. The numbers as of January 31^st are as follows: dues income Year to Date (YTD) is currently at $1,388,155 which represents a 74% compliance rate; rental revenue is at $556,715 YTD; Access card income is at $115, 110: bar and grill income is at $41,117 YTD with a positive variance of $12,025 YTD; Income totals are at $2,279,675 where total expenses are at $2,174,992 YTD; Total expenses has a negative variance of $179,759. A motion was made by Bob Leon to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Connie Simpson and passed unanimously.

Whelan stated that our compliance rate is running neck and neck with property tax rates. Kathy Leslie Whelan added that as chair of Finance and Planning, collection rates for January were at $31K for in house collections. This figure is 95% of the collections so bravo to Nicole Clemens.

Under Old Business:

The 2023-2024 preliminary budget is currently being prepared. A bylaw change corrected a situation where it made it possible to allow comments from the membership. In the past, the budget was reviewed at the annual open meeting and passed on the same day when the annual meeting was changed to August the bylaw was never changed. State law requires us to have a budget in place at the beginning of our fiscal year which is May 1^st. Our bylaws are now in compliance with State law. A special F&P meeting will be held on Friday, March 3^rd to discuss the budget before it gets to the board. The board will be ready to pass the preliminary budget at the March 25^th open meeting. The membership will be allowed to view and comment on the budget for a 30 day period. The final approval of the budget will happen at the April 28^th open board meeting.

Under New Business

Discussions were held on the proposed dues increase. The reasoning for the increase is to keep up with inflation. The membership in the past has requested that smaller and more frequent increases be implemented so it will be less of a burden for them. The increase will be $40 every other year for the next 10 years, which equates to a $10 increase for the members that pay quarterly. A member from the audience stated that what is to stop a future board from raising dues again before the 10 years has expired. She was told that only the membership can make that change by at 50% plus 1 vote. A member stated that the board will look like liars if a future board looks to put another increase in place within the next 10 years. The board cannot predict what future boards will do. This increase is a solution to a majority of the member’s requests.

Committee Reports

Connie Simpson spoke on behalf of Rules and Regulations. She put a motion forward for a resolution to add under signs on page 17, paragraph #6 to allow private property and no trespassing signs. Mike Camino seconded the motion. It passed 4 to 1 with Leon being the dissenting vote. Simpson added a second resolution to add requirements for yard sales. It was seconded by Bill Baehr. They will be limited to 2 per year, limited to 2 days and must be township and ELA permitted. After discussions on issues such as holiday weekends this motion was tabled till next month. Discussions with the attorney will happen regarding permitting and number of days for an event. Some jurisdictions only issue 2 day permits. A motion was made by Simpson to remove this motion from the table pending further review. It was seconded by Bill Baehr and passed unanimously. A motion by Connie Simpson for a third resolution was presented. This resolution was regarding members allowing other members that are not in good standing to use their guest passes to enter amenities. A $500 fine will be issued to the offending member. This resolution was also removed from consideration by Simpson. It was seconded by Leon.

Bill Baehr stated that there was no scheduled meeting for the Appeals Committee.

Bob Leon stated that the Real Estate committee did not meet

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning (F&P). The meeting was held on February 17th. Ms. Whelan stated revenue for three events that occurred in February were $700 for the Valentine’s Day dinner, $2,084 for karaoke and $550 for the Super Bowl event. She apologized to Bill Baehr for not having the numbers for Trivia night. In the future Clemens will run a report so that the numbers of members attending the functions are available to the committee. Currently dues collected are at 74.14% but it is anticipated that the percentage will increase with the next quarterly dues installment due in February; Rental income is at $15K for the month of January with YTD income at $556K.; Code Enforcement violations were $119K YTD; Resale certificates were $900 for the month of January which represents 6 homes being sold; currently there are 5 part time public safety staff and we are looking to hire more; refuse expenses are at $180K YTD which represents a minor negative variance of $4K; Currently there is $686K in reserves; Interest on investment is $101.42 YTD. The next scheduled meeting of F&P will be held on Friday, March 17th at the Administration building.

Director’s Comments

Bob Leon stated that there are currently 19 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes ranging from $254K to $1.5M.

Bill Baehr thanked everyone for coming out to Trivia Night. Attendance continues to grow. There were a total of 9 teams with over 35 people present.

Mike Camino complimented the maintenance staff for doing a wonderful job. He also stated that he was available to the membership to discuss any issues.

Dave Borsos stated that there were many ways that the membership can communicate with the board. He was not on FaceBook until he got onto the board. Borsos stated that the board is transparent and if you have questions you should call the office.

Public Comments

Linda Shuey stated that she loves this Community. She agrees with some things but also disagrees with others. She doesn’t think it is fair to remove people from the Facebook page so that they are unaware of the discussions. She stated that all comments should be respectful and the board is listed as experts. She wants to help and feels different views should be presented. Her biggest concern is fiscal responsibility. She is opposed to adding new amenities such as a dog park, kayak rental program, electric signage etc. Money should be spent on our current infrastructure. Shuey is worried about the dams. She doesn’t understand why recommended tasks on studies for Clover Bridge have not been completed. She was told by Gamble that the original quote of $65K that was budgeted for was going to cost more than originally quoted. They do not want to put money into repairs if the Clover Bridge needs to be replaced. A re-assessment of the bridge will be done. There is no immediate threat to the membership but over time work will be required.

Dan Glasgow asked that other members be given the opportunity to speak before a speaker is given over 20 minutes to speak. Glasgow urged the board and Ralph Musto to follow the Rules and Regulations. He wanted to know if the goal was to raise money or for compliance with the rules and regulations.

Alba stated that she found out about her fines through the township. She is being ignored left and right. She has problems with the pot holes on her road which is Red Oak. The milk man stopped delivering her milk since he broke too many bottles. She stated that when you complain you are blamed. Better communication with the membership is needed. Whelan stated that he will look at her road.

Six (6) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Connie Simpson to adjourn. It was seconded by Bill Baehr. Meeting adjourned at 11:57 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, January 28, 2023

Jan 29

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM. Six board members were present. Connie Simpson was absent. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens was also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President called for a motion to approve December’s open board meeting minutes. After discussions and minor changes to spelling and adding titles a motion was made by Dave Borsos and seconded by Chris Claude. It passed unanimously. Whelan further stated that “pursuant to Article V, Section 6 of the Emerald Lakes Association Bylaws, should a vacancy occur, a successor is chosen from the next highest vote tally of the most recent Annual Meeting. Director Steve Kavanagh having resigned and left the community; such a vacancy was created. Therefore, Michael Camino having gotten the next highest vote tallies at the August 20, 2022 Annual Meeting is hereby installed as a director on the Emerald Lake Board. He shall serve until the next Annual Meeting when a director shall be elected to fill the unexpired term”. In addition, since Steve Kavanagh held the secretary board position with Bill Baehr as the backup, Baehr was nominated to fill the position permanently. Chris Claude made the motion to elect Baehr as Secretary. It was seconded by Bob Leon. Baehr was elected unanimously.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for December. Currently we are $112K over budget on collection of dues. Dues collected for December were $63K and Year to Date (YTD) $1.3M. Rental income is $541K YTD. Code Enforcement Officer fines are $5K under budget. Bar and Grill income for December was $4.9K and $37K YTD Income totals YTD are $2.2M. Total expenses are $1.9M YTD. Cash assets are $624K; Reserve funds are $829K; Investment account is $128K. A motion was made by Bob Leon to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Chris Claude and passed unanimously.

Discussions on the bar and grill ensued. The cost for food and drink will be broken down and an inventory on stock will be done weekly to determine what the actual costs are for the food and beverages. In some cases food has to be ordered by the case, so some food is in inventory and will be used at another time.

Under Old Business:

Discussions were held on inviting people into the community that are not member but live in the footprint of the Association or next to our properties. Accurate mailing lists need to be developed.
An electric sign will be installed, most likely at the main entrance. It will be informative on events or information as to issues in the community. A lucite or similar cover will be used to avoid vandalism.
Currently a form is being developed by Gamble, Clemens and Claude. The membership will be required to have their septic systems pumped and maintained on a regular basis.

Under New Business

Discussions were held on a proposed dues increase. There are two large projects that are critical to the Association. The first project was the repair or replacement of the Clover Bridge. The underneath structure is much deteriorated and may in the future be condemned. If it is, traffic will have to be rerouted. This may cause an issue with emergency vehicles and will be an issue for members who use this route often. The second project is the need to replace the Administration building. Currently there are issues with the outdated electrical wiring which causes a fire hazard. While snowing it enters the facility which causes mold, mildew and a host of other problems. The structure is from the 70’s and is in desperate need of replacement. The plan is to have a modular system built. This way staff will only be slightly inconvenienced while the structure is being erected. They will be temporarily relocated to the Community Center (CC). The dues increase is a 10 year plan with increases of $40.00 every other year. If someone pays quarterly, that is $10.00 per quarter. This plan addresses membership comments on having more increases with lower dollar increases. This plan will also help to fund the two critical projects. A motion was made by Baehr to present the increase to the membership and was seconded by Leon. It passed unanimously. Another motion was made by Baehr to have the Special Meeting for the proposed dues increase on March 18^th. It was seconded by Borsos and passed unanimously. It was noted that Claude would not be able to attend this meeting.
2024 will mark the 50^th Anniversary of Emerald Lakes becoming an association. The community was turned over to the Association in 1974. It was incorporated in 1975. In 1999, the Association had a 25 year anniversary celebration so in 2024 to celebrate our 50 year Anniversary a big event will be planned. A brochure will be developed on the 50 year history which will include pictures.

Committee Reports

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning (F&P). The meeting was held on January 20th. Ms. Whelan stated that the committee discussed the two large projects that are critical to the Association and the dues increase 10 year plan. Every member of the committee supported the board’s proposal for the increase. The numbers on the financials show that our collection rate currently is at 72.96% which is very good. Currently dues collected for the first 8 months total $1.3M. Rental income is at $22K for the month of December with YTD income at $541K.; Code Enforcement violations were $112K YTD with a negative variance of $4K; Bar and Grill income for the month of December were $4,900 while costs were $2,976 for the bar and $3,224 for the grill. The next budget will have a finer breakdown of categories for the bar and grill such as office supplies, equipment, food, liquor, etc; Total income has a positive variance of $276K YTD with total income at $2.2M YTD; money was moved from public safety to capital for the procurement of the two vehicles; total expenses are $1.9M YTD; $676K is in reserves; collections reported for December are $67.8K, where in house collections were $59K which represents 94% of collections;. YTD collections are $862.9K; interest on investments is $59.87. The next scheduled meeting of F&P will be held on Friday, February 17th at the Administration building.

Bob Leon reported on the Real Estate committee that discussions were held on continuing projects. Ted Wolski added that the committee is currently planning an event where new and existing landlords get together to meet.

Appeals Committee met and Bill Baehr reported that they held 3 appeals hearings. Two fines were reduced while one fine was held and paid in full.

Chris Claude reminded everyone of the events that the recreation committee has planned for February. They are:

February 10^th is a Valentine Dinner (Movie night cancelled)
February 11^th is Karaoke
February 17^th is Trivia night
February 18^th is a Winter Luau

The first Friday of the month will host family game night, the second Friday will host family movie night and the third Friday night will host Trivia Night. Karaoke will be planned on the second Saturday of the month.

Director’s Comments

Chris Claude cautioned the membership to not push snow into the roadway. It can cause a dangerous situation for motorist.

Bill Baehr stated that there is an issue with people stopping at stop signs. Cars must come to a complete stop. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to reach the intersection should move forward first. If two vehicles reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

Bob Leon stated that there are 19 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$400,000 listed for 17 days at 183 Ash
$420,000 listed for 20 days at 1117 Sioux
$415,000 listed for 21 days at 795 Clearview
$600,000 listed for 37 days at 140 Island
$375,000 listed for 47 days at 185 Granite
$449,900 listed for 48 days at 1432 Clover
$1,559,000 listed for 56 days at 1103 W Emerald Lake (Lakefront)
$359,999 listed for 72 days at 1529 Clover
$422,000 listed for 74 days at 2441 Grey Birch
$305,000 listed for 82 days at 177 Island
$499,900 listed for 86 days at 1258 Clover
$415,000 listed for 101 days at 2209 Doe
$399,900 listed for 106 days at 1708 Glade
$250,000 listed for 108 days at 1782 Glade (Property owner sale)
$300,000 listed for 136 days at 116 Yellow Birch
$589,000 listed for 154 days at 222 Arbor
$349,900 listed for 196 days at 227 Hornbeam
$260,000 listed for 223 days at 920 Cricket
$254,999 listed for 232 days at 2247 Doe

Buz Whelan asked if Leon can report on homes sold and at what dollar value instead of homes for sale. Whelan stated it would give people better idea of the current value of your own home.

Mike Camino thanked everyone and stated that he was happy and grateful to be here.

Buz Whelan stated that he has a personal peeve. He is against a member letting another member uses their guest pass when that member is not in good standing. If you do that you are supporting delinquency. If you take their trash to the compactor, that costs the Association money. Whelan wants to see $500 fines for these infractions. He is requesting Rules and Regulations to address this issue.

Public Comments

A gentleman from the audience stated that some stop signs are hidden due to tree branches and limbs. He was told to report any signs that are hidden to the office. That task is part of maintenance’s routine and there may be an occasion where they miss a sign.

Ange Noonan spoke of the Emerald Ladies and will be posting soon as to when the next meeting is. An exercise program at the CC is currently being discussed. Noonan thanked all that contributed to the rescue of Sage. Sage is a small cat that was hit by a car on Sage Rd. The cat had a broken jaw and needed medical attention. The cost was over $1,000 and a lot of people contributed to her care. The cat is currently in a foster care home and will be adopted out. There is still an outstanding bill at the vet so additional contributions are welcomed. In addition to Sage, the Emerald Ladies have trapped, neutered and returned 8 cats in the community. More cats are planned on being trapped in the Spring.

Hillary Decker thanked the board and management for installing the speed bumps.

Nine (9) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Chris Claude to adjourn. It was seconded by Bob Leon. Meeting adjourned at 11:13 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, December 10, 2022

Dec 11

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:36 AM. Four board members were present. Bob Leon, Bill Baehr and Steve Kavanagh were absent. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager, Nicole Clemens was also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President wished all Season’s greetings. He wished a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Joyous Kwanzaa. Whelan also noted the holiday hours for staff and asked that the membership be mindful of the hours and adjust your schedule for visiting the Administration building or the trash compactor. The Administration building will close at 1:00 PM on Friday, December 23^rd and will be closed all day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It will reopen on Tuesday, December 27^th. The compactor will be closed on December 24^th and 25^th and will reopen on Tuesday, December 27^th. The Community Center will be closed on December 24^th and 25^th and will reopen on Monday. December 26^th. Whelan stated that our staff works hard and are very dedicated and have earned the right to be off. Whelan also reminded members that if they require a plow person, now is the time to contact them before it starts snowing. If you do your own plowing it is a good idea to check out your equipment and have the necessary fuel available. Whelan also stated that if an offhand comment is made at the open board meeting it doesn’t mean that a new policy is in place. That only happens when the board votes on an issue. Office staff seems to be inundated with phone calls when such comments are made. He further stated that staff does not set the policy, the board does, and so all contact should go to the board. The board has public comments at the end of the monthly open meeting and is also available by email.

A motion to accept the November minutes was made by Connie Simpson and seconded by Dave Borsos. It passed unanimously.

Dave Borsos was not able to give a Treasurer’s report for November since the financials are not out yet.

Under Old Business:

Upcoming events at the Lodge are scheduled for:

Santa letter deadline is December 14th
A pajama Polar Express movie night is scheduled for December 16^th. Doors open at 5:00 PM where the show will begin at 6:30 PM.
Santa Event to include a pajama pancake breakfast will be held on December 17^th, at 10:00 AM.
Ugly Christmas sweater night at the Lodge will be held on December 23^rd.
A Masquerade New Year Eve Party will be held on December 31^st. A DJ will be playing music and a special menu is being planned.
January 4^th is the Craft Circle between the hours of 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
January 6^th will be family game night.
January 12^th is Paint and Sip at the Lodge. The cost is $40.00 and due by January 5^th. All canvas and paints is supplied and 2 drinks are included in the fee.
January 13^th will be family movie night.
January 14^th will be karaoke.
January 18^th is the Craft Circle between the hours of 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
January 20^th is the restart of Trivia night.
March 18^th is a St. Patrick’s Day party.
A winter luau is being planned for February. Break out your Hawaiian shirts.

Rules and Regulation has been started up again with Connie Simpson as the liaison. The committee will be meeting once a week on Wednesday for one to one and a half hours. The committee is first focusing on rules and regulations for yard sales. Our chief enforcement officer cannot enforce township laws but can enforce rules and regulations policies. Tobyhanna Township currently only allows two permitted yard sales a year. Complaints have been received on individuals running yard sales whenever the sun is out. It appears that these homeowners are running businesses and they are not allowed in the community.
The road work for the season is complete since it was difficult to get supplies. The Association has spent $600K this season which is $80K under what was planned. Three speed tables were installed and next year 2 or 3 more will be added. The cost $3,800 each. Lines in the community have been repainted. All dirt roads should be paved next year.

Under New Business

None

Sixteen (16) new members were welcomed to the Community.

Committee Reports

Appeals committee did not meet.

Rules and Regulation meet on Wednesdays and is reported on above under Old Business.

Finance and Planning did not meet this month since the board meeting was moved up earlier and the financials were not completed.

Mike Camino reported on the Real Estate committee. This committee meets every other month. They discussed ways on how to improve operations at the trash compactor and are developing best practices which will be forwarded to the administrative office and the board members. This committee is made up of landlords and residents and they want to focus on problem landlords and new landlords coming into the community. They want to help them get into compliance. They also plan on having workshops two times a year. At their last workshop they discussed the new ordinance that was passed in Tobyhanna Township. They are also trying to bring landlords into the community for social events such as a beer and pretzel social event. Discussions were also held on creating a community garden. The next meeting is scheduled for January 21^st.

Dave Borsos asked for a list of committee members. Whelan asked what experience they had with enforcement of ordinances in Tobyhanna Township. Camino stated that Tunkhannock has 100% enforcement and sends staff out to validate the landlord compliance. Tobyhanna does not have the same percentage verification. They are at 0%. Camino stated that the committee also looks out for the general welfare of the community and thanked the board and administration for getting things done.

Director’s Comments

Dave Borsos wished everyone happy holidays

Public Comments

Connie Simpson asked as a public comment about the planned pickle ball courts. Gamble stated that they are planned for next spring season. The tennis courts at the Community Center will have two pickle ball courts. The nets and equipment will be portable so that they can be put away and stored and/or moved to another location at the outdoor pool. A fence will be erected at the current planned location to separate the tennis/pickle ball courts from the basketball courts.

A gentleman from the audience thanked the board and administration for installing the speed table at Glade and Clearview. It has made a great difference.

A motion was made by Dave Borsos to adjourn. It was seconded by Connie Simpson. Meeting adjourned at 10:25 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, November 19, 2022

Nov 20

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:33 AM. All board members were present. General Manager Darryl Gamble was also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President stated that October’s minutes needed to be amended. A sentence was deleted from the proposed septic policy, the word “variance” was moved under the treasurer’s report and the board members present needed to be added to the report. A motion to accept the minutes with the amendments was made by Steve Kavanagh and seconded by Connie Simpson. It passed with two abstentions from Chris Claude and Bob Leon. Whelan opened his President’s message by mentioning the big party at the lodge that night. The event is called “A White Christmas” and Whelan stated that the decorations were wonderful. He also stated that our maintenance staff is ready for the winter season and was out last night treating the roads. On Friday night the first movie night was held at the lodge. Attendance was low but enthusiastic. The snowy weather probably hindered people from coming out. It was a good trial run and experience for staff putting on the event. Eventually a pull down screen will be added to the lodge so the picture for future movie nights will be bigger.

Whelan also said that next month’s board meeting will be moved to Saturday, December 10^th since there are many activities planned for the kids for Christmas.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for October. The good news is that we are in good shape financially. Highlight of the financials are that dues income is at $972K YTD and is over budget by $103K; Rental income is at $436K YTD and is over budget by $110K; Community Center income is at $139K and is $73K over budget; Total income is at $1.6M and is over budget by $296K. On the expense side we are over budget on Administrative costs by $37K; Maintenance costs are over budget by $106K; Community Center and Recreation is over budget by $25K; total expenses are over budget by 165K. Currently there is $784 in reserves and $129K in the investment account. A motion was made by Bill Baehr to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Bob Leon and passed unanimously.

Under Old Business:

A septic policy is in progress for the Association. Items to be addressed are how to initiate the policy, enforcement of the policy and informing the members. It was discussed that the policy will go into effect on May 1^st of next year and the membership will be notified of the policy with the mailing of the dues. More discussions need to happen on how to stagger the deadline for homeowner to have their septic systems pumped so that not everyone is on the same schedule.
A calendar containing a list of upcoming events at the Lodge will be posted on the ELA website. The scheduled events are:

White Christmas – November 19^th
Polar Express movie night
Santa Event to include a pajama pancake breakfast followed by crafts – December 17th
New Year Eve Party – December 31^st

Once a month events will include karaoke, trivia night, game night. Other events being planned by the recreation club include wine and whisky nights, date nights, mother and child swims.

A dues increase was discussed. Our last increase was three years ago and the increase was $200 per year. The increase plan is to ask for smaller dollar increases over a period of time. Without an increase we are always trying to catch up. In the past we have lived on reduced services and deferred maintenance. The increase would also help to keep property values high. Gamble stated that it is better to be proactive instead of reactive. It is anticipated that the increase will be asked for at a special meeting that will be held at the end of March.
On a side note $594K was spent on the roads this year. $650K was budgeted; however, material for the work was unavailable.

Under New Business

A short term rental (STR) policy, limiting the number of short term rentals was discussed. Currently there are 286 out of the 1,680 developed properties that are registered as STRs. The question as to what percentage should these rentals be limited to. The majority of the members are against STR’s. The Real Estate committee will be asked for their input. In addition, a legal opinion would be obtained to see if a policy can be legally implemented and how would the policy be enforced.

Committee Reports

Appeals committee did not meet.

Rules and Regulation will meet on Wednesday, November 30^th at 11:00 AM in the Community Center.

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning. The meeting was held on November 18th. Whelan stated that for the month of October total dues and fees collected are $65K; dues and fees collected YTD re $975K; currently we are at a 73.35% collection rate; Rental income was $16.4K for October and YTD income $436K; Code Enforcement violations were $86.6 K YTD; Total income has a positive variance of $296K; access card income for October was $1.9K; bar and grill income for October was $5,542; Public safety has a negative variance of $22.3K due the procurement of a vehicle being coded to their budget; refuse collections is at $125.6K YTD and has a negative variance of $45.6K; overall total expenses has a negative variance of $165K YTD, however, our actual income exceeds our total expenses YTD; $660K is in reserves; collections reported for October are $56K, where in house collections were $41K. YTD collections are $651K; interest on investments is $28.22. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Friday, January 20th at the Administration building.

Bob Leon reported on the Real Estate committee was meeting today so he was unable to attend.

Director’s Comments

Dave Borsos stated that he wanted to recognize the recreation club and all the new activities that are happening in the community. He stated that the community is becoming more vibrant and more pleasant to live in.

Bill Baehr gave a shout out to Trunk or Treat and the Veteran’s day brunch. Both events were a tremendous success. He also cautioned the membership to be careful walking on the roads especially when it is dark. Cars need to be more cautious and slow down.

Bob Leon thanked Gamble for the new yellow lines in the community. He stated that there are approximately 28 homes available for sale. Prices on homes are coming down.

Connie Simpson invited people to join them for the Rules and Regulations meeting that will be held on Wednesday, November 30^th at 11:00 AM in the Administration building.

Public Comments

Mary Kavanagh requested that a country night be held at the lodge for line dancing. She also stated that other communities besides ours are having issues with STR’s. She mentioned that they had trouble with the WI-FI at karaoke and was told that staff is working on the issue.

Ange Noonan mentioned that she missed everyone on the board but it gave her time to start up a women’s group. The group now meets once a month on Sundays at 12:30 in the lodge. The group is called the Emerald Ladies and the motto is “Community First”. Some of the ideas that are being planned for next year are Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) for feral cats in the spring and a free library in a box. Folks can take a book and or leave a book, blood drive with the American Red Cross, walking groups, short trips, sunshine group to check on the elderly or those living alone, community wide clean-up events and covered dish events.

A motion was made by Bill Baehr to adjourn. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. Meeting adjourned at 11:45 AM.

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, November 19, 2022

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

Whelan also said that next month’s board meeting will be moved to Saturday, December 10^th since there are many activities planned for the kids for Christmas.

Under Old Business:

A septic policy is in progress for the Association. Items to be addressed are how to initiate the policy, enforcement of the policy and informing the members. It was discussed that the policy will go into effect on May 1^st of next year and the membership will be notified of the policy with the mailing of the dues. More discussions need to happen on how to stagger the deadline for homeowner to have their septic systems pumped so that not everyone is on the same schedule.
A calendar containing a list of upcoming events at the Lodge will be posted on the ELA website. The scheduled events are:

White Christmas – November 19^th
Polar Express movie night
Santa Event to include a pajama pancake breakfast followed by crafts – December 17th
New Year Eve Party – December 31^st

Once a month events will include karaoke, trivia night, game night. Other events being planned by the recreation club include wine and whisky nights, date nights, mother and child swims.

A dues increase was discussed. Our last increase was three years ago and the increase was $200 per year. The increase plan is to ask for smaller dollar increases over a period of time. Without an increase we are always trying to catch up. In the past we have lived on reduced services and deferred maintenance. The increase would also help to keep property values high. Gamble stated that it is better to be proactive instead of reactive. It is anticipated that the increase will be asked for at a special meeting that will be held at the end of March.
On a side note $594K was spent on the roads this year. $650K was budgeted; however, material for the work was unavailable.

Under New Business

A short term rental (STR) policy, limiting the number of short term rentals was discussed. Currently there are 286 out of the 1,680 developed properties that are registered as STRs. The question as to what percentage should these rentals be limited to. The majority of the members are against STR’s. The Real Estate committee will be asked for their input. In addition, a legal opinion would be obtained to see if a policy can be legally implemented and how would the policy be enforced.

Committee Reports

Appeals committee did not meet.

Rules and Regulation will meet on Wednesday, November 30^th at 11:00 AM in the Community Center.

Bob Leon reported on the Real Estate committee was meeting today so he was unable to attend.

Director’s Comments

Bob Leon thanked Gamble for the new yellow lines in the community. He stated that there are approximately 28 homes available for sale. Prices on homes are coming down.

Connie Simpson invited people to join them for the Rules and Regulations meeting that will be held on Wednesday, November 30^th at 11:00 AM in the Community Center.

Public Comments

A motion was made by Bill Baehr to adjourn. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. Meeting adjourned at 11:45 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, September 24, 2022

Sep 25

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:35 AM. Six board members were present. Steve Kavanagh was absent. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager Nicole Clemens were also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President called for a motion to approve July’s open board meeting minutes. The motion was made by Bob Leon and seconded by Dave Borsos. It passed unanimously. Whelan opened his President’s message by welcoming reelected Bill Baehr back on to the board and the newly elected Connie Simpson to the board. He stated that two of the three by-law changes passed at the open meeting in August. He stated that it was ironic that the by-law that didn’t pass, which was to change the percentage of votes needed to make a by-law change to a simple majority, would have passed since the majority of the membership voted to pass the change. Whelan further stated that individual members sometimes have complaints related to maintenance. Unfortunately they can’t fill every pot hole at the same time. Currently, there are approximately 75 potholes being filled weekly. Trash is also a problem and Whelan encouraged the membership to “say something, if you see something”. Do not confront someone throwing trash illegally in the community report it to the Administration staff so that they can take action. In addition, please don’t take your anger out on staff; they are only trying to help.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for August. The good news is that we are paying bills and moving forward. Currently we are $61K over budget on collection of dues. Rental income is $102K over budget. Code Enforcement Officer fines are $14K under budget. Community Center/Recreation revenue is $70K over budget amount anticipated. Income totals are $1.3M year to date (YTD), which amounts to $227K over budget. On the expense side we are $24K over budget on Administrative expenses and $100K over budget on the maintenance expenses. Total expenses are $142K over budget. Reserve funds are $1M. A motion was made by Bob Leon to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Chris Claude and passed unanimously.

Under Old Business:

The membership is coming out and seems to enjoy meals and drinks at the newly renovated Lodge in the Community Center (CC). A healthy meal of a chicken Caesar salad was added to the menu. We are operating in the black but still have some start up costs that are forthcoming. We have competent staff but there will be some training. We are getting terrific feedback on the food and the operation is running smoothly. We procured hand held units so that the servers can input the customer’s orders at the tables where the kitchen and bar staff will be notified immediately. The outdoor pool has closed so the indoor pool will be getting new hours. The indoor pool will now be opened on Tuesdays and may be opened for extended hours during Football Sundays which is due to start up on October 2^nd. A calendar containing a list of upcoming events at the Lodge will be posted on the ELA website. The scheduled events are:
Craft Circle – October 5th
Fall Festival – October 8^th
Bulk Trash Day – October 15th
Sip and Paint – October 18^th
Trunk or Treat – October 29^th
Adult Halloween Party – October 29th
Veteran’s Day Brunch – November 12^th (may kick off monthly brunch)
White Christmas – November 19th
Santa Event – December 17th
New Year Eve Party – December 31^st

(Whelan talked about the White Christmas event to be held on November 19^th. It will be a ticketed event. Elizabeth Knecht is a chanteuse and will be performing for the evening. He is working with Bob and Lola Lauri on this event. Darryl Gamble and Nicole Clemens are also on the production team. Tickets will be $12.00 in advance and $15 at the door. The pool and building will close at 5:00 PM on that date and will reopen at 7:00 PM. The show will start 8:00 PM.

Discussions were held on the bacteria issues at Pine Tree Beach. Eric Bergstrom from the Fishing Club has identified two problems. The first is that rain weakens the chemicals that are used in the lake. The second is that when you kill the lily pods on top of the water, more sunlight makes the underwater weeds thrive. Bergstrom feels better communication with our hydrologist, Joe Gallagher, is key. Next year Pine Tree Lake will be treated on a timelier basis and spraying will happen earlier. In addition, our Fishing Club will be advising Gallagher of any issues that they see. Bergstrom recommended that an ELA staff member should accompany the state water tester to see how and where they are testing the water. Randy Kopp suggested that research needs to be done to identify where the bacteria is coming from. He also stated that the Fishing Club will have better lines of communication with Gallagher.
The Ad Hoc committee to develop a septic policy met for the first time this month. Their goal is twofold. The intent of the policy will be to protect the health of the lakes and the members. They are currently looking at township regulations as well as other HOA septic policies. There is nothing concrete at this time but homeowners will be required to have the septic systems pumped on a regular basis. This policy will apply to all homes in the community.
An invitation to join ELA will be sent to all homeowners living within our footprint who are not currently members. If they join they will be able to use amenities and trash compactor.
The Chief of Security for ELA is currently being trained by our Chief Enforcement Officer. He is currently helping out with some of the responsibilities.
Since the electric service at the main entrance is inadequate, and the mail house has renovations in the future, the electric sign installation at the entrance is on hold. The sign that was at the Administration building was moved to the CC. Whelan thanked all the members that volunteered their time and labor with the landscaping work that was completed at the Main entrance. The volunteers were Pat and Eric Bergstom, Cathy and Dave Borsos, Randy Kopp, Steve Gottfried and Ken and Linda Shuey.
Dam and valve operation instructions/seminar in Harrisburg will be available for our maintenance staff as well as Eric Bergstrom of the Fishing Club. Our emergency evacuation plan has been accepted by the state. Our dams are checked on a daily basis with the exception of Sunday. All information collected is submitted to the state.
Discussions were held on building the reserve funds. Discussions included rolling money over into investment accounts or an emergency account. Since any money in this account is used as a safety net, that money has to be available to the Association and not put into an account that has penalties for early withdrawal. Further discussions will be held at the next workshop.

Under New Business

A Lodge/Pool brochure will be developed and will be included in the letters that will be going out to the individuals that live in the community but who are not members of the Association. See above for further details.
Sunday football will begin next Sunday in the Lodge. The bar and kitchen will be opened. The grill will have a limited menu.
Current Event lineup is listed above under Old Business.

Committee Reports

Appeals committee will meet on October 1st. They are currently looking for new members.

Communications committee will put out a newsletter next week. Whelan invited all directors to write articles for this publication. The publication will be available in the kiosks at the mailboxes as well as the CC and Administration building.

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning. The meeting was held on September 16th. Whelan stated that for the month of August there is a positive variance of $27.9 K on dues income. Total dues and fees collected were $807K. Rental income was $121K, YTD income $395K; Code Enforcement violations were $45.7K YTD; Total income has a positive variance of $75K; access card income for August is $38.7K; public safety currently has 4 part time and one full time Chief of Public Safety. An additional part time staff member will be hired; management presented to the board a policy for private event rentals at the Lodge; resale certificates is at $2,100 for the month of August. The represents 14 sales at $150 each; amenity repair has a negative variance of $13K YTD due to work at the front entrance and at the compactor; refuse collections is at $80K YTD and has a negative variance of $5.6K; total income has a positive variance of $227K where total income YTD is $1.3M; overall total expenses has a negative variance of $142K YTD, however, our actual income exceeds our total expenses YTD; $892K is in reserves; collections reported for August are $191K, where in house collections were $173K. YTD collections are $480K; interest on investments is $10.54. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Friday, October 21st at the Administration building.

Bob Leon reported on the Real Estate committee that they met via WebX. They are requesting a survey to be completed on the short term rental landlords on how they dispose of trash. The committee is concerned about the large bear population in the community.

Director’s Comments

Bob Leon reported that there are currently 58 short term rental (STR) houses on our lakes. As of this date there are 285 STRs. The breakdown is as follows:

8 homes on Deer Lake
4 homes on Lower Deer Lake
14 homes on Pine Tree Lake
21 homes on Mountain Top Lake
10 homes on West Emerald Lakes
0 homes on East Emerald Lakes
1 home on a pond by Powder Horn Drive

In addition, Leon stated that there are 30 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$465K listed for 1 day
$329.9K listed for 2 days
$299 listed for 9 days
$320K listed for 10 days
$440K listed for 22 days
$525 listed for 24 days
$399.9K listed for 26 days
$599K listed for 28 days
$499K listed for 30 days
$323K listed for 31 days
$425K listed for 31 days
$496.6K listed for 37 days
$250K listed for 38 days
$298K listed for 44 days
$339.9K listed for 50 days
$5359.9K listed for 57 days
$349.9K listed for 70 days
$465K listed for 84 days
$415K listed for 87 days
$239.9K listed for 87 days
$269.9K listed for 94 days
$450K listed for 95 days
$255K listed for 97 days
$1.3M listed for 97 days
$649.9K listed for 98 days
$419K listed for 105 days
$279.9K listed for 105 days
$300K listed for 179 days
(Auction) Island Drive
(Auction) Granite

Bill Baehr gave a heartfelt thanks to everyone that voted for him and thanked them for their confidence in them.

Public Comments

None

Thirteen (13) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Bob Leon to adjourn. It was seconded by Connie Simpson. Meeting adjourned at 11:35 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Annual Meeting, August 20, 2022

Aug 22

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

by Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 AM. All board members were present as confirmed by the roll call of the board conducted by Buz Whelan, President. Whelan also introduced General Manager Darryl Gamble, Assistant General Manager Nicole Clemens, Greg Malaska from the law firm of Young and Haros and Ed Anderson from the accounting firm of William Owens and Co. Whelan announced that the meeting was being live streamed and will be in accordance with Robert Rules of Order except where our by-laws govern. Whelan asked for confirmation of quorum from the Judge of Elections, Steve Kavanagh. Kavanagh confirmed quorum that well over 100 ballots were received by proxy voting. Finally Kavanagh called for anyone that was running from the floor to come forward. No one came forward.

Whelan started his President’s message by stating that his message and the general manager’s message were included in the special edition of the Emerald Lakes Newsletter. He stated that a lot has been accomplished during the last 4 years that this board and management team have been together. Some main highlights are the installation of a new and customized industrial strength dehumidification system for the indoor pool; new duct work, mold remediation, apron resurfacing, reconditioning, sandblasting and repainting of indoor pool; rebuilding the inner structure including the ceiling and support beams of the indoor pool; installation of under water, color changing lights in the indoor pool; pine needle trees were removed, landscaping including the grinding of stumps was completed at the outdoor pool to protect the filter system. The community center which was built in 73/74 was completely renovated. Everything was either replaced or upgraded. Two by-law changes were passed, one allowing the membership to vote by proxy voting and one that allowed for quarterly payments.

Whelan stated that in the coming years the board wants to attack the problem at Pine Tree Lake. They are working together to try to devise a solution to address the beach closures. Currently Chris Claude is heading up a team to develop a septic policy that will be applicable to all member septic systems. In addition there are currently two fun projects that are being implemented. They include a kayak rental program where the fees for the rentals will pay for the program and a lake toy that will be deployed off of Main Beach. The toy will be a blow-up floating raft that has a slide for individuals to slide into the lake.

Whelan explained the three by-law revisions that the membership was being asked to vote for. The first change is to adjust the procedures for membership review of the preliminary budget. It is state law that an approved budget needs to be in place by May ^1st, the beginning of the fiscal year. This change will made the preliminary budget available for review and comment for 30 days to honor the spirit of the by-law. The new change will correct this bylaw. The second change will address that the polls for the voting period at the annual open meeting be adjusted to state that polls will be opened for 30 minutes or until all votes have been cast. Currently, it stated that the polls shall be open for 30 minutes but since direct proxy voting has been implemented that time is no longer needed. Last year after all votes were cast, there was a 25 minute waiting period that occurred before the ballots could be counted. The third change is to return to the simple majority vote for a by-law change (50% plus 1). Currently, 2/3 votes are needed to pass a by-law change. That means that a no vote counts twice as much as a yes vote. Our current way of voting gives an unequal weight to a no vote.

The floor was opened for comments. Joe Olall of White Tail Lane stated that our nation works on a 2/3 votes when it comes to the Constitution. Why do we need a simple majority? Whelan stated that the Constitution of The United States is the supreme law of the land. Emerald Lakes by-laws are procedures for our Association.

Polls opened for the by-law ballots.

Whelan addressed a housekeeping issue. He asked the board members if they had a chance to read the minutes from last year’s annual meeting. They responded in the affirmative. Bob Leon made the motion to accept the minutes. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. It passed unanimously.

Two volunteers of the Year were recognized at this Annual meeting. They were Pat Bergstrom and Cathy Borsos. These are two strong women who work hard with their husbands on projects and events in the Community. They include the butterfly garden, renovations at the front entrance and the fishing rodeo.

Candidate speeches followed next. The floor was turned over to Bill Baehr who stated that he has been living in Emerald Lakes for three and a half years and loves it here. He has served on the board for the last three years and has seen vast improvements over the years. During Baehr’s tenure on the board there have been many accomplishments. The two pools are opened and fully functional, roadways have improved. Bath houses have been remodeled, maintenance has done a tremendous job, tennis and basketball courts are up and running, the main entrance is getting a facelift, the butterfly garden was installed. The biggest accomplishment is the renovations at the Community Center. Baehr stated that the Community Center was like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Baehr stated that there is more to be done and over the last three years he has learned much where he can serve the Association better. He is proud to be a board member and hopes that he can continue with his service.

Michael Camino stated that he bought his property 3 ½ years ago. He moved his family here from Delaware. He wants to bring the same enthusiasm to the board as he does in his business. He feels he is younger and can bring technology expertise and progress to the board. Camino wants to see Pine Tree beach opened and he feels that he can be the voice of the people and bridge the gap between the board and the people.

Connie Simpson wants to bring a female view to the board. She stated that Emerald Lakes is a great place to live and that she only owns 1 house. She wants to work with the board on future projects, try to get pot holes filled earlier, make sure that all roads are paved, and make sure that everyone’s septic system is checked out so that we can have clean drinking water. She is happy that more security has been hired but we need to have an attendant at the lakes to check badges. She would be pleased to work with the board and is asking for votes.

Guest speaker, Greg Malaska from Young and Haros stated that Nick Haros was unable to attend. He had two daughters to move back to college this week. He stated that things were quiet this year with the Association. We currently have one active legal case that is being handled by another counsel. Hillary Decker of 3002 Huckleberry Rd called out what case. She was told that it was a breach of contract case. As a side note and as reported in earlier articles that I have written and posted here, the issue was with a contract we had with our last trash hauler. The contract that we had, had an automatic renewal each year with no method of termination. Our current contractor, Mascaro, assumed all legal responsibilities with the termination of that contract. In addition the Association has saved thousands of dollars since the new contract with Mascaro has been in place.

Ed Anderson was representing William Owens and Company. He stated that in his financial opinion our audit report for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2022 contains no material errors. Our operating cash is $1,409,051; members’ assessments collect in advance is $760K; $26.9K is in resale certificates; Rental fees are $578K; total revenues were $2.6M where total expenses were $2.1M; $324K went into road work and paving; $269K went into Community Center repair; $129K went into dam/bridge work; $465K is in reserves. Question from Buz Whelan of 254 Beaver Dam Rd was directed to the accountant. He asked in his opinion, where does he think our dues fit in with other HOA’s that are comparable to ours. Anderson said that our dues are low. When dues stay stagnant, associations may fall behind in major repairs. Costs go up and if you want to maintain your association and amenities and keep good staffing your expenses will go up. Member comments from a gentleman from the audience, “Where does rental money go? He was told that it goes into the operations fund. Ms. Skubish made a statement that since rental income is up, we should never ask for a dues increase. She was told that her reasoning was incorrect. Michael Camino stated that the rental program costs $2,800 on top of dues and that the landlords are taxed heavily.

Polls opened for financial ballots

Treasurer report from Dave Borsos stated that we are heading towards the best of times based on the numbers as of July 31^st. Income exceeds expenses year to date. Income is at $826K while expenses are $736K. Rental income is $274K. Bar and Grill income was $8,400 while snack shack income was $2,700. Current cash assets are $1,334,292.16. Reserve fund is $659K. Bob Leon made the motion to accept the treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. It passed unanimously.

Polls opened for Director ballots.

After ballots were cast the floor was opened up for questions and comments.

Pat DeVito stated that she has been on Emerald Lake Drive for a while and there is a lot of trash on the roads. Signs should be posted identifying fines. Can a camera be installed?

Response: It is expensive to install cameras especially since electricity is needed for recording. Our maintenance staff goes out often to pick up trash.

Ms. Skubish stated that since rentals have gone up so has trash in the roadways and lake. She has taken bottles out of the lake. She feels that this is a huge problem.

Ernie Biondolillo stated that he has been a resident since 1987 and loves this community. He lives in the Estates and he picks up trash or reports it when he sees it. His concern is a home that has 6 to 7 cars in the driveway that do not move, so they may not be registered.

Hillary Decker also has concerns over trash and is not in favor of her money going towards kayak/boat rentals. She stated that Pine Tree beach is polluted and wants to know how much money it will cost. She also inquired about who will unlock boats, how many keys, do we have lifeguards, who authorized this because she didn’t get to vote on it.

Response: She was told that many of the membership are in favor of this program and want to utilize the rental boats. The program should pay for itself. The boats are not only for rental properties but for the whole community. A new swimming area will be on Pine Tree Lake based on recommendations from Joe Gallagher, our hydrologist, and test results. She was also told that Pine Tree beach is not polluted with garbage. A committee with Randy Kopp, Eric Bergstrom and other members of the fishing club will be trying to identify what is causing the bacteria in the lake.

Carmen Brodnax asked that according to the by-laws, the board has to ask permission from the membership and needs approval to use money.

Response: Approval from the membership is required for borrowing of money.

One member inquired about a pickle ball court.

Response: We are currently looking to install a pickle ball court at the tennis courts at the Community Center. It will not be up and running this year but it is anticipated to be up and running next year.

Eric Bergstrom stated that he is the president of the fishing club and that Pine Tree Lake is not polluted. There are no dead fish floating around. The lake is stocked for the fishing rodeo and the bass are getting bigger. Turtles and frogs are also thriving.

Ms. Skubish feels that chemicals are not the way to go to control the weed issue on the lakes. Natural remedial options should be explored.

Scott Thompson inquired about the cost of insurance for the boat rental program and what were the plans for boat rescue.

Response: We do not have a cost on insurance at this time but the cost to add the dog park was a small dollar amount. As to boat rescue, all parties renting kayaks will be required to wear life vests.

Donna Jennings agreed that an organic method should be used for weed control on the lakes.

Randy Kopp has some of the same concerns as Hillary Decker. When he kayaks on Pine Tree lake he sometimes fills his hull with trash. Further outdoor activities may increase the trash.

Mary Kavanagh stated that she is on Finance and Planning and found out that our lakes are tested daily. We need 30 days of clear testing and if on the 30^th day there is a high bacteria reading, the beach cannot open. The 30 day clock starts again. She stated that the board is trying to identify the problems. They need our support and not bitching. Give them a break.

Andrea Brown stated that there have been a lot of improvements but there is still a lot that needs to be done. She walks in the community and picks up trash. She feels the onus should be on the owners of the properties to pick up the trash. She wants to keep the community clean.

A question was asked about what we are doing about speeding on Glade Drive. Nobody stops at the stop sign. It is a hazard. It will cause accidents. Can we install speed bumps?

Response: Speed bumps cannot be installed at stop signs. Temporary speed bumps do not work and damage the roads.

How can we install sound barriers along the highway on Glade Drive?

Response: We cannot do it. Reach out to local or state representative. The state or federal commission has to install barriers.

Written questions:

Why do long/short term rental properties have to pay an associate member fee?

Response: The number one obligation of board is to the members. Rentals put an additional burden to the community. An owner, that rents their property, still has access and rights to use the amenities.

According to the Treasurer, income exceeds expenses. Why would we need a dues increase.

Response: We need to build up our reserve fund. Currently, it is under $600K, while engineering studies have recommended that it exceed $2M.

Results from By-law Revisions voting:

Revision for procedures for membership review of the preliminary budget. (passed)

109 yes (80 mail in votes and 29 in person votes)

25 no (11 mail in votes and 14 in person votes)

Adjustment of time for polls to be opened during the voting period. (passed)

122 yes (83 mail in votes and 39 in person votes)

12 no (8 mail in votes and 4 in person votes)

Return to the simple minority rule for a by-law change. (failed)

69 yes (50 mail in votes and 19 in person votes)

64 no (40 mail in votes and 24 in person votes)

Financial Resolution # 1 (Passed)

Distribution of Surplus Operating Funds

Approvals make clear to IRS that the members of the Association authorize the Board to decide how to apportion any surplus.

121 Yes (80 mail in votes and 41 in person votes)

13 No (10 mail in votes and 3 in person votes)

Financial Resolution # 2 (Passed)

Apportionment of Annual Assessment

Approvals make clear to IRS that the members of the Association authorize the Board to decide how to split the assessment between the operating and capital budgets.

119 Yes (78 mail in votes and 41 in person votes)

12 No (9 mail in votes and 3 in person votes)

Director Seat Results

Bill Baehr – 94 votes (68 proxy votes and 26 in person votes)

Connie Simpson – 72 votes (45 proxy votes and 27 in person votes)

Michael Camino – 68 votes (50 proxy votes and 18 in person votes)

Bob Leon made a motion to adjourn. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh.

Meeting Adjourned at 1:26 PM.

Immediately following the Annual Meeting adjournment, a reorganization meeting was held in executive session for the selection of board officers.

The results:

Buz Whelan – President

Chris Claude – Vice President

Dave Borsos – Treasurer

Steve Kavanagh – Secretary

Bill Baehr – Secretary in training

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, July 30, 2022

Aug 1

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:33 AM. All board members were present. General Manager Darryl Gamble and Assistant General Manager Nicole Clemens were also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President called for a motion to approve June’s open board meeting minutes. The motion was made by Bob Leon and seconded by Steve Kavanagh. It passed unanimously after one correction was made. Whelan opened his President’s message by stating that there were a few questions from the Membership at Meet the Candidates that were not asked so he was going to go through them. 1) Since septic systems affect lakes, how many Short Term Rentals (STR) are lake front? Whelan stated that that information is unknown but Bob Leon offered to go through the STR listing and identify all lakefront homes and the lake that they are on. Are there any cash transactions? Answer is yes. 3) Are amenity passes sold to the public? Answer is no. 4) Can we control the bear population by eliminating garbage cans? Answer: We do not control the bear population. It is the providence of the Fish and Game Commission. 5) Do you believe there are unaccounted funds? Answer: no. All financials and the budget are available to the membership. In addition, we are audited annually by an independent auditor.

Whelan continued with his message by stating that we are not the only community that is experiencing lake closures. Geese may be part of the problem. A hydrologist will be taking water samples at all lakes by homeowner properties. In addition, heavy downpours stir up the lake bottom which could add to a heavy bacterial count. On Pine Tree Lake the beach is in an area where water is slow moving so that also may contribute to the poor reading. Whelan said that Chris Claude will be heading up an ad hoc committee to develop a septic policy. Currently, septic policies of other communities and townships are being evaluated.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for June. The good news is that we are over budget on dues income, public safety income, bank interest and rental revenues by $83K. Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) revenues are under budget by $7,562 due to high grass fines were turned into warnings. Bar/Grill revenue is down by $3,631 due to stocking of alcohol and food for the soft opening that occurred on July 1^st. On a whole total income is over budget by $75K year to date (YTD). Under maintenance expenses we are over budget by $57K due to unanticipated repairs on mowers and other landscaping equipment. In addition, two additional mowers and a closed trailer were purchased. An open trailer will also be procured. Our current cash assets are $1.3M. Reserve funds are $666.5K. A motion was made by Steve Kavanagh to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Bob Leon and passed unanimously.

Under Old Business:

The Annual meeting is scheduled for August 20^th and will be held at the Lodge, aka Community Center (CC). Whelan apologized for the two typos in the mailing and stated that a revised ballot was sent out to the membership. He said that if anyone didn’t receive this second mailing they should call the office or they can vote in person at the meeting. There will be a special newsletter prepared for the annual meeting so that the President and Managers message will be short. Whelan hopes to see as many members as possible at the meeting and invited all to stop in to see the newly renovated Lodge.
Since the bar and grill opened, the gross intake was $23K. This figure includes the sale of amenity passes. The 8 nights the bar and grill was opened brought in over $18K in revenue. Darryl Gamble is working on a graph that will identify expenses and income at the CC. In addition, the pass through at the bar was busy. Whelan stated that the onion rings were outstanding.
Ad Hoc committee to develop a septic policy and will identify how often a home site needs to be pumped and inspected. This policy will apply to all homes in the community. See above for more details.
Beach closures/Water Testing – The hydrologist will be focusing on Pine Tree Lake. 94K gallons of water must be released daily to flow down the mountain. As of today we have had 30 days of successful testing so the DEP will be called in to test for reopening.

Under New Business

The recreation club is meeting next Saturday and will be discussing various options for replacing bingo. All bingo licenses for HOAs were pulled by the Liquor Control Board. Currently CAI is working on getting an exception pass for all HOAs.

Committee Reports

Appeals committee will meet on August 6^th.

Communications committee put out a newsletter on Friday the 29^th and it is available at the kiosks at the mailboxes as well as the CC and Administration building.

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning. The meeting was held on July 16th. Whelan stated that for the first two months of this fiscal year this is a negative variance of $7.6K on dues income. Total dues collected were $275K. Credit card income which was just reinstated was $1,805. We charge a 3% fee for credit card usage. Whelan also stated that for this last month rental income was $33K, YTD income $247K; Code Enforcement violations were $22K YTD; Total income has a positive variance of $75K; public safety currently has 4 part time and a newly hired full time Chief of Public Safety. An additional part time staff member will be hired; amenity repair has a negative variance of $38K YTD due to work at Pine Tree beach bath house; refuse collections is at $40.8K YTD and has a slight negative variance of $897; vehicle maintenance repair has a negative variance of $10K YTD due to work being done on an older vehicle; total maintenance expenses has a negative variance of $57K; overall total expenses has a negative variance of $25K YTD, however, our actual income exceeds our total expenses YTD; $666.5K is in reserves; collections reported for June are $54K, where in-house collections were $45K. YTD collections are $219.6. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Friday, August 19th at the Administration building.

Director’s Comments

Dave Borsos would like to see reserves moved to the front burner moving forward.

Bob Leon would like to see parking lot striping at the Main Beach lots but was told that due to the configuration of the lots it makes it very difficult. We do not own any property by that beach so the lot cannot be expanded.

Bob Leon stated that there are 30 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$359K listed for 1 day
$199K listed for 1 days
$299 listed for 6 days
$265K listed for 8 days
$449K listed for 11 days
$449 listed for 11 days
$225K listed for 11 days
$380K listed for 18 days (owner)
$170K listed for 20 days
$350K listed for 21 days
$485K listed for 28 days
$320K listed for 28 days
$850K listed for 29 days
$415K listed for 31 days
$249K listed for 31 days
$550K listed for 37 days
$269K listed for 38 days
$450K listed for 39 days
$255K listed for 41 days
$1.3M listed for 41 days
$675K listed for 42 days
$419K listed for 49 days
$280K listed for 49 days
$300K listed for 56 days
$350K listed for 64 days
$378K listed for 65 days
$339K listed for 77 days
$388K listed for 78 days
$629K listed for 123 days
$288K listed for 214 days (Auction)

Chris Claude reminded everyone of the cornhole tournament being held later on that day.

Ange Noonan thanked all who supported her while she was on the board. She is not rerunning for her seat but she is looking forward to exciting times ahead. She stated that the board members volunteer their time, and it is time consuming and takes a lot of dedication. It is time for her to pursue other ventures. The rest of the board wished her well and thanked her for her service.

Bill Baehr gave a heartfelt thanks to Ange. He stated that she loves this community and is also an animal lover who looks out for their welfare.

Public Comments

Annette attended her first meeting. Her comment was that public safety doesn’t treat the young drivers with respect. They should talk properly to them. She also questioned if everyone in the house was entitled to picture IDs. She was told that each household in good standing was entitled to 10 IDs/passes. In addition, she requested that the CC be opened on Sundays.

Mary Kavanagh stated that DJ Krazy Ken was a success but not enough tables were available for the crowd that attended. She also suggested that we post a calendar to identify events.

Kathy Leslie Whelan asked if the CC will be available for rentals. She was told that it will happen soon. They will not infringe on the pool hours and they are currently working on a pricing structure.

Thirteen (13) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Steve Kavanagh to adjourn. It was seconded by Ange Noonan. Meeting adjourned at 10:50 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, June 25, 2022

Jun 26

Posted by emeraldlakesfreepress

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

The meeting was called to order at 9:34 AM. All board members were present. General Manager Darryl Gamble was also present. After the pledge of allegiance, Buz Whelan, President asked for any discussions on May’s minutes. He had two corrections which pointed out that there are “no private signs” and “no offensive political signs”. He called for a motion to approve May’s open board meeting minutes. The motion was made by Bill Baehr and seconded by Bob Leon. It passed unanimously. Whelan opened his President’s message thanking the Fishing Club and all other volunteers for another successful Fishing Rodeo event. He stated that it was so much fun to see the kids get so excited when they caught their first fish. Whelan further stated that there will be fireworks in the community although they are not allowed. It is very difficult to catch an offender since you have to catch him in the act. He advised that anyone that had a dog that was negatively affected by the noise should try to take precautions by finding them a safe room and possibly getting medication from their vet. He also reminded the membership that any boat on our lakes must be registered. The fee is $10 per boat. Finally Whelan said that due to illnesses in the office the Administration building will be closed today so the deadline for submitting your intent to run for the board has been extended to the end of business on Monday.

Dave Borsos gave the Treasurer’s report for May. He stated that this is the start of our fiscal year so the actual numbers and the year to date numbers are the same. The good news is that we are over budget on dues collections by $100K. In addition, we are under budget in Administration, Public Safety, Maintenance and the rental program. We are over budget in Public Safety by $200 in expected revenue and Code Enforcement Officer collections by $7K. Since we are behind in the number of staffing for public safety we are under budget by $9,800. Currently we have $670K in reserves and $1.5M in cash assets. A motion was made by Bob Leon to accept the Treasurer’s report. It was seconded by Bill Baehr and passed unanimously.

Under Old Business:

The mailing for the Annual meeting is almost complete. There will be three by-law changes to be voted on. The first change is to adjust the procedures for membership review of the preliminary budget. In the past the budget was presented to the members at the spring meeting where they had about two hours to review and comment. It is state law that an approved budget needs to be in place by May ^1st. This change will make the preliminary budget available for review and comment for 30 days to honor the spirit of the by-law. The new change will correct this bylaw. The second change will address that the polls for the voting period at the annual open meeting be adjusted to state that polls will be opened for 30 minutes or until all votes have been cast. Currently, it stated that the polls shall be open for 30 minutes but since direct proxy voting has been implemented that time is no longer needed. Last year after all votes were cast, there was a 25 minute waiting period that occurred before the ballots could be counted. The third change is to return to the simple majority vote for a by-law change (50% plus 1). Currently, 2/3 votes are needed to pass a by-law change. That means that a no vote counts twice as much as a yes vote. Our current way of voting gives an unequal weight to a no vote.
In an attempt to prevent beach closings a dogs and geese proposal at Pine Tree Island will allow dogs to run free from dawn to 10:00 AM. A subcommittee composed of Gamble, Baehr and Whelan has developed rules and regulations for the membership which will be posted at the beach. Clearance has been obtained from the zoning officer, dog warden, attorney and insurance carrier. A gate and shed will be erected at the entrance by the bridge. Whelan further stated that this morning The Hideout posted a beach was closed due to E-Coli so it is just not our community that has this issue. In addition, Arrowhead Lake has a Geese Committee that uses starter pistols and loud noise to control their population. Whelan accepted a motion from Bob Leon to change our rules for Pine Tree Lake to allow dogs to run free from dawn to 10:00 AM. It was seconded by Bill Baehr. It passed with 5 yes votes and 1 no vote. The no vote was cast by Ange Noonan. This proposal will be on a trial basis. This plan will go into effect once the gate is installed at the bridge on Pine Tree Lake.
Septic testing will be performed by Joe Gallagher, who is our hydrologist, around the perimeter of Pine Tree Lake to determine if a home on the lake is having septic issues.
Positions at the Community Center have been filed and a soft opening will happen on July 1^st at 5:00 PM. The positions filled are a Recreation Manager, a cook and a bartender. If you attend please note that this opening will hopefully iron out any wrinkles in the operation so please be patient.
Water Safety will be enforced on our lakes. Life vests will be required for everyone on water vessels. Children 12 and under will be required to wear a vest where adults will have the option to wear or not, however, a vest must be on the vessel for their use. Members of the fishing club have volunteered to patrol the lakes and identify and report on anyone not following this rule. Anyone refusing will be asked to leave the lake. Fishing club members were issued vests identifying them as members of the lake patrol. In addition, anyone who did not register their boat will not be issued a spot on the boat rack.
Road maintenance is currently under contract and will begin shortly. Gamble will try to notify the membership of where work and when work will be preformed. Glade Drive will be paved for consistency while the other roads will get a two step process. The longevity of the road and the cost is better. Main Beach parking lot was done with this two step process last year on a trial basis and it has held up well. Gamble anticipates covering a lot of territory and may be able to add in some roads. The area in front of the compactor will also be expanded to accommodate a new badging hut. Any member not in good standing will not be able to gain access to the compactor area. The board will be given a list of all roads that will be paved.

Under New Business

A subcommittee composed of Chris Claude, Buz Whelan, Darryl Gamble and Nicole Clemens will meet to develop a septic policy that will require all members to have their septic system inspected and pumped on a regular basis. Research will be completed to see what other home owners associations are doing. This policy will also be beneficial to the homeowner since it costs between $20K and $30K to replace a system.
On the unofficial FaceBook page a question came up about fireworks in the Community for the July 4^th weekend. Currently other HOA’s such as Arrowhead Lake and the Hideout are having festivities for the holiday weekend which includes shooting off professional fireworks. On July 25th of 2009 our Association did have a festival day which was ended with a fireworks display. The day included activities for the kids, a dump tank, a bouncy house, music and food. The day ended with a fireworks display which costs a fraction of the cost since it wasn’t done on the holiday weekend. A rider was added to our insurance policy and permission was obtained from the township. According to our Public Safety team they estimated over 2,500 people in attendance. This amounted to $2 per head. Next year the board would like to plan a festival day in Emerald Lake so that people can feel good about living here.
Basketball courts on Glade by the Administration building and all tennis courts will be having special brackets installed so that if they need replacements it can be done easily.
A shack will be built for a pool attendant at Pine Tree Beach. Eventually there will be food and possibly a portable unit that can easily be used at all the outdoor amenities. A pavilion was also discussed which can be rented out to the membership for events.

Committee Reports

Chris Claude stated that the Appeals committee went well. There are usually six cases heard per month.

Chris Claude reporting on the Real Estate committee stated that they had a number of recommendations for the board. Claude is currently waiting for this list.

Kathy Whelan spoke on behalf of Finance and Planning. The meeting was held on June 17th. Whelan stated that for the first month of this fiscal year this is a positive variance of $82K on dues income. Total dues collected were $280K. Credit card income which was just reinstated was $1,167. We charge a 3% fee for credit card usage. Whelan also stated that for this last month rental income was $213K; Code Enforcement violations were $8.9K; Total income has a positive variance of $202K; public safety expenses have a negative variance of $984 due to the procurement of uniforms, lap top stand, first aid restocking and flares: amenity repair has a negative variance of $21.8K due to work at Pine Tree beach bath house; refuse collections has a positive variance of $1.4K for the month of May: total maintenance expenses has a negative variance of $19.6K: dam expenses were $4.5K for the dam regulation fee: Community Center phone charges were $735 which includes fees for Blue Ridge and Direct TV: May expenses were $188K; $670K is in reserves; collections reported are at $165,584 where $151K was collected in house: Sunrise collections collected $5,475, where they currently have 133 accounts totaling $2.6M; interest income for the month was $1.09. A recommendation by the committee was to start discussions at approving additional authority/responsibilities to public safety staff since it is difficult to hire staff due to their limited resources while in the Community. Public Safety staff cannot carry pepper spray, tasers and batons. Research needs to be conducted on training and insurance costs. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Saturday, July 16^th.

Director’s Comments

Chris Claude stated that he is all for water safety and the lake patrol and less concerned about fines. He also feels that the main thoroughfares in the Community should be paved with tar while the secondary roads can get that two step process. Finally Claude mentioned the Recreation Club that will work to plan activities throughout the community. The first event will be a corn hole tournament and be held on July 30^th. Other activities being discussed are a movie night, Wiffle ball and a Nerf course for kids.

Bill Baehr reminded everyone that our roads are dark at night and people should dress in reflective clothing and carry a flash light so that they don’t get hit by a car. Steve Kavanagh added that you should also walk facing traffic on the left side of the road so that you can see an oncoming vehicle.

Bob Leon stated that there are 23 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$180K listed for 2 days
$550K listed for 2 days
$270 listed for 3 days
$450K listed for 4 days
$275K listed for 6 days
$1.3M listed for 6 days (Lake Front)
$675K listed for 7 days (Lake Front)
$340K listed for 11 days
$420K listed for 14 days
$280K listed for 14 days
$420K listed for 15 days
$300K listed for 21 days
$350K listed for 29 days
$392K listed for 30 days
$350K listed for 32 days
$350K listed for 32 days
$359K listed for 42 days
$398K listed for 43 days
$549K listed for 46 days
$420K listed for 72 days
$359K listed for 73 days
$330K listed for 88 days
$265K listed for 179 days (Auction)

Dave Borsos stated that home pricing has really escalated in Emerald Lakes.

Public Comments

Jason and Stephanie who have been living in the community for three years thanked the board for doing a good job. This was their first meeting that they attended.

Louise Leon also thanked the board for their hard work. She also stated that she is working on a fund raiser for Clymer Library. She stated that safety equipment is a good requirement; however, if it is not used properly it could be dangerous. She wanted to join the Appeals committee and doesn’t understand why she was thrown off. She also wants to join the Recreation Club. Leon also asked if we were hosting a cleanup day in September and was told yes. She also inquired about starting Crime Watch up again. Leon said that water aerobics has 10 to 12 members and the first male joined the group. On July 9^th they are going to the Pocono Flower Show and will be going to a Child’s Nature something.

Leon was told that if she would like to try to resurrect Crime Watch she is free to do so but must realize that it is a lot of work. Crime watch can only observe and report and return the occasional dog that gets loose. She was also told that director’s spouses cannot be on the Appeals Committee because anyone that is unhappy with the results of their appeals has the right to further appeal to the board and that could be a conflict of interest since her husband is on the board. The board also has the right not to hear the second appeal if they feel that the member got a fair hearing.

Cookie Litwienski asked if we are now allowing live stock. She was told no and that she should contact her township if she identifies a property with live stock, since it is against their rules.

Mary Kavanagh stated that she had a dog that was terrified during fireworks. They purchased a special vest for him that made him feel he was being held and it calmed him down significantly. Kavanagh also requested to have the yellow lines put back on the roads and was told that relining will be done after the paving is completed. Kavanagh stated that she witnessed a member being abusive to the compactor attendant and requested that pictures of their license plates be taken. She was told that the hut that will be located at the front of the compactor should resolve that issue since any member not in good standing will not be given access to the site. Finally Kavanagh mentioned that when she worked in the prison system they used bean bag guns to control the prison population and perhaps we can allow our public safety team to carry these guns. She was told that that was not up for consideration since that could kill someone if you hit them in the head.

Marty Nicoll has owned property for two years in Emerald Lakes His home is a short term rental and he agrees with developing a septic policy for the membership but stated that it has to be for the whole membership and just not certain STR properties. He was told that there is only one set of rules and they apply to all.

Three (3) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Chris Claude to adjourn. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. Meeting adjourned at 11:14 AM.

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, June 25, 2022

By Kathy Leslie-Whelan

Under Old Business:

The mailing for the Annual meeting is almost complete. There will be three by-law changes to be voted on. The first change is to adjust the procedures for membership review of the preliminary budget. In the past the budget was presented to the members at the spring meeting where they had about two hours to review and comment. It is state law that an approved budget needs to be in place by May ^1st. This change will make the preliminary budget available for review and comment for 30 days to honor the spirit of the by-law. The new change will correct this bylaw. The second change will address that the polls for the voting period at the annual open meeting be adjusted to state that polls will be opened for 30 minutes or until all votes have been cast. Currently, it stated that the polls shall be open for 30 minutes but since direct proxy voting has been implemented that time is no longer needed. Last year after all votes were cast, there was a 25 minute waiting period that occurred before the ballots could be counted. The third change is to return to the simple majority vote for a by-law change (50% plus 1). Currently, 2/3 votes are needed to pass a by-law change. That means that a no vote counts twice as much as a yes vote. Our current way of voting gives an unequal weight to a no vote.
In an attempt to prevent beach closings a dogs and geese proposal at Pine Tree Island will allow dogs to run free from dawn to 10:00 AM. A subcommittee composed of Gamble, Baehr and Whelan has developed rules and regulations for the membership which will be posted at the beach. Clearance has been obtained from the zoning officer, dog warden, attorney and insurance carrier. A gate and shed will be erected at the entrance by the bridge. Whelan further stated that this morning The Hideout posted a beach was closed due to E-Coli so it is just not our community that has this issue. In addition, Arrowhead Lake has a Geese Committee that uses starter pistols and loud noise to control their population. Whelan accepted a motion from Bob Leon to change our rules for Pine Tree Lake to allow dogs to run free from dawn to 10:00 AM. It was seconded by Bill Baehr. It passed with 5 yes votes and 1 no vote. The no vote was cast by Ange Noonan. This proposal will be on a trial basis. This plan will go into effect once the gate is installed at the bridge on Pine Tree Lake.
Septic testing will be performed by Joe Gallagher, who is our hydrologist, around the perimeter of Pine Tree Lake to determine if a home on the lake is having septic issues.
Positions at the Community Center have been filed and a soft opening will happen on July 1^st at 5:00 PM. The positions filled are a Recreation Manager, a cook and a bartender. If you attend please note that this opening will hopefully iron out any wrinkles in the operation so please be patient.
Water Safety will be enforced on our lakes. Life vests will be required for everyone on water vessels. Children 12 and under will be required to wear a vest where adults will have the option to wear or not, however, a vest must be on the vessel for their use. Members of the fishing club have volunteered to patrol the lakes and identify and report on anyone not following this rule. Anyone refusing will be asked to leave the lake. Fishing club members were issued vests identifying them as members of the lake patrol. In addition, anyone who did not register their boat will not be issued a spot on the boat rack.
Road maintenance is currently under contract and will begin shortly. Gamble will try to notify the membership of where work and when work will be preformed. Glade Drive will be paved for consistency while the other roads will get a two step process. The longevity of the road and the cost is better. Main Beach parking lot was done with this two step process last year on a trial basis and it has held up well. Gamble anticipates covering a lot of territory and may be able to add in some roads. The area in front of the compactor will also be expanded to accommodate a new badging hut. Any member not in good standing will not be able to gain access to the compactor area. The board will be given a list of all roads that will be paved.

Under New Business

A subcommittee composed of Chris Claude, Buz Whelan, Darryl Gamble and Nicole Clemens will meet to develop a septic policy that will require all members to have their septic system inspected and pumped on a regular basis. Research will be completed to see what other home owners associations are doing. This policy will also be beneficial to the homeowner since it costs between $20K and $30K to replace a system.
On the unofficial FaceBook page a question came up about fireworks in the Community for the July 4^th weekend. Currently other HOA’s such as Arrowhead Lake and the Hideout are having festivities for the holiday weekend which includes shooting off professional fireworks. On July 25th of 2009 our Association did have a festival day which was ended with a fireworks display. The day included activities for the kids, a dump tank, a bouncy house, music and food. The day ended with a fireworks display which costs a fraction of the cost since it wasn’t done on the holiday weekend. A rider was added to our insurance policy and permission was obtained from the township. According to our Public Safety team they estimated over 2,500 people in attendance. This amounted to $2 per head. Next year the board would like to plan a festival day in Emerald Lake so that people can feel good about living here.
Basketball courts on Glade by the Administration building and all tennis courts will be having special brackets installed so that if they need replacements it can be done easily.
A shack will be built for a pool attendant at Pine Tree Beach. Eventually there will be food and possibly a portable unit that can easily be used at all the outdoor amenities. A pavilion was also discussed which can be rented out to the membership for events.

Committee Reports

Chris Claude stated that the Appeals committee went well. There are usually six cases heard per month.

Chris Claude reporting on the Real Estate committee stated that they had a number of recommendations for the board. Claude is currently waiting for this list.

Director’s Comments

Bob Leon stated that there are 23 homes for sale in Emerald Lakes. They are:

$180K listed for 2 days
$550K listed for 2 days
$270 listed for 3 days
$450K listed for 4 days
$275K listed for 6 days
$1.3M listed for 6 days (Lake Front)
$675K listed for 7 days (Lake Front)
$340K listed for 11 days
$420K listed for 14 days
$280K listed for 14 days
$420K listed for 15 days
$300K listed for 21 days
$350K listed for 29 days
$392K listed for 30 days
$350K listed for 32 days
$350K listed for 32 days
$359K listed for 42 days
$398K listed for 43 days
$549K listed for 46 days
$420K listed for 72 days
$359K listed for 73 days
$330K listed for 88 days
$265K listed for 179 days (Auction)

Dave Borsos stated that home pricing has really escalated in Emerald Lakes.

Public Comments

Jason and Stephanie who have been living in the community for three years thanked the board for doing a good job. This was their first meeting that they attended.

Cookie Litwienski asked if we are now allowing live stock. She was told no and that she should contact her township if she identifies a property with live stock, since it is against their rules.

Three (3) new members were welcomed to the Community.

A motion was made by Chris Claude to adjourn. It was seconded by Steve Kavanagh. Meeting adjourned at 11:14 AM.

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Emerald Lakes Free Press

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Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, March 25, 2023

Emerald Lakes Special Meeting, March 18, 2023

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, February 25, 2023

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, January 28, 2023

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, December 10, 2022

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, November 19, 2022

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, September 24, 2022

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Annual Meeting, August 20, 2022

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, July 30, 2022

Emerald Lakes Board of Directors Open Meeting, June 25, 2022

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