by Buz Whelan

     The sudden resignation of GM Allen Roth came as a surprise to many and a shock to a few. Allen had only been GM for 19 months when he announced he would be leaving. Fewer than two years before he had told the search committee he was willing to commit to a minimum of three years of service to Emerald Lakes. He repeated that assertion to the board when they did the final interview. At least some part of making him the choice for GM was that promise of long service. What happened to change things?

     Mr. Roth turned in his resignation on December 26^th, the day after Christmas. He stated that Saturday, January 25^th, just 30 days hence, would be his last day. Contrast that to the previous GM, Gil Werner, who told the board in October of 2011 that he would be retiring at the end of May, 2012. Mr. Roth’s resignation was surprising, not only because he had been here such a short time, but also because he was giving no time to find and train a replacement. As many others, I wondered why this was so.

     On Thursday afternoon of January 16^th I sat down in the GM’s office to get answers to my questions. In order to ensure candor on the part of the departing GM, I agreed to withhold publishing the results of the interview until he was settled in his new job in distant Colorado. He was going to serve as the general manager of a combination owner/rental chalet and RV community in that state.

     First, the obvious answer to the obvious question: why are you leaving? I’m leaving for a challenging position at a higher rate of pay in a part of the country that is new and exciting (to me)…or words to that effect. There’s no surprise there; it’s exactly the answer I expected.

     The more interesting question, at least to me, was this: why was he looking for another job? Why, with just over a year as GM of Emerald Lakes, did Allen Roth begin a job search? And that is where the interview got interesting.

     At first Allen laughed, a trifle nervously, as if he had been hoping he wouldn’t be asked this. This is where our agreement took shape. I didn’t want some diplomatic, politically correct, but ultimately false, explanation. I wanted to know the real reason or reasons. And so I promised to delay my reporting. Agreement reached, I repeated my question. Allen hesitated, as if searching for the right way to tell me what he was afraid might offend me. I assured him that I could handle whatever he had to say. He sighed, shook his head, and then told me that Emerald Lakes was in deep trouble. We are facing deteriorating facilities, amenities that are running down and capital projects that must be done, but at costs that he doesn’t believe the community is prepared to absorb. He explained, “When whoever it was wrote your bylaws, they had a brain fart (his term). They put the membership in charge of revenue. People who have absolutely no idea what it takes to run this community are the ones who decide how much money we get. It just doesn’t work.” He went on to discuss other communities, comparing those whose revenues are controlled by a board of directors to those whose membership are in control. In example after example, it was clear that membership control eventually leads to deterioration and finally receivership (bankruptcy). He said with some apparent sadness that he doesn’t see how we are going to raise enough money to do what must be done over the next five years. He then went on to describe the current working conditions for the GM.

     “Your current board is essentially dysfunctional,” he said. “You have members whose main goal seems to obstruct any progress. They have no understanding of their proper role, no true understanding of how this association works, and they make it impossible for me to do my job as I see it.” While declining to name any specific directors, he insisted that since I attend the open meetings and board workshops, “You know who they are. I don’t have to tell you.” I had to agree, but since the GM declined to be more specific, I feel bound to leave it to the reader to figure out who he meant. I said to him, “Would it be fair to state that the behavior of these certain board members was an aggravating factor in your decision to seek employment elsewhere?” He laughed and answered with two words. “Big time,” he said.

by Buz Whelan

     Shortly after 9:30am on this cold, snowy January Saturday morning President Alex Leslie called the meeting to order. He began by introducing interim general manager Judy Kennedy and two other representatives of Preferred Management who will fill in until a new general manager is selected to replace departing GM Allen Roth. Explaining that he would keep his remarks brief because a reception for the new arrivals would immediately follow, Leslie turned the meeting over to Treasurer Earl Frank.

     Treasurer’s Report: Frank gave his usual detailed report. He said that year-to-date revenue of $1,284M (M=1,000) exceeded the budget by $33M. He attributed this to increased fees/resale certificates, permits and code and public safety citations of $39,000. Dues collected so far this year of $1,153M are over last year’s same period by $5,000. He further reported that our attorney has collected $125,000 on delinquent dues as compared to $68,000 last year, almost double.

     Total operating expenses of $1,131M, excluding depreciation, are under budget by $96,000, or 8%. He gave a breakdown as follows:

1. Admin costs are under budget by $32,000, with salaries and related benefits under by $24M.

2. Public Safety is under budget by $3,000 with all line items close to budgeted amounts.

3. Maintenance is under budget by $35M due mainly to favorable variances in salaries and related benefits by $22M, lake weed control costs of only $6,000 ($10,000 budgeted) and vehicle expenses of $14,000. Some of this is offset by an unfavorable variance of $6,000 in trash removal.

4. Overall, the Community Center is under budget by $39,000, again due to favorable variances in salaries and related benefits of $23M. Items related to pool maintenance are under by $11,000 and heating and supplies costing $6,000.

5. Revenue for the Emerald Bar & Grill is $49,000 while costs are $62,000 for a net cost of $13,000.

Our reserves fund balance is currently $255,000 after paying off road paving done this past year. As a footnote, Frank pointed out that the New Year’s Eve party put on by the Events Committee made a profit of $407.

The treasurer closed his remarks by stating that he was working on the first draft of fiscal year 2014/2015’s budget and would have a product ready within a week. This will then be considered by the Finance and Planning Committee and finally presented to the full Emerald Lakes Board of Directors. The budget must – and will – be in place for the start of the fiscal year on May 1, 2014.

     General Manager’s Report: In his final report, GM Allen Roth said that ads have been placed in newspapers and on the Community Association Institute’s website for his replacement. He also referred to the PP&L request to expand the right of way along Long Pond Road to accommodate the backup power cabling that is being installed to reduce the number of power outages and shorten their duration. This is the subject of a resolution, passed unanimously a few minutes later in the agenda, to expand the right of way from 10 to 25 feet. This effects three properties near Bus Road commonly referred to as the sales deck.  The GM also used this time to thank the community and the board for their support during his time here. He said he felt his time was well spent, that he learned much here but that a new opportunity had made it necessary to move on.

     Committee Chair Reports: Bob Leon, reporting for the Property Management Committee drew sharp rebukes from several board members on the use of that name. Apparently it is of great importance to them that the committee be named the Maintenance Committee, regardless of the fact that the committee’s responsibilities have expanded to include those of the defunct Architectural Review Committee and the ad hoc Committee for Energy Conservation. Mr. Leon went on to make several recommendations on signage (additional one way signs on Emerald Blvd., removal of stop signs on Clearview at Glade due to sharp incline), on the temperature control in the Community Center (it is not being lowered during periods of disuse as previously agreed), and a strong repeat recommendation that the dangerous and illegal concrete structure on Strawberry Landing be removed.

     Events Committee Chairperson Stefania Johnson reported on the many events her committee has scheduled which can be viewed on the official website. She underscored the St. Valentine’s Day event which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15^th in the Community Center.

     CrimeWatch Chairperson Connie Simpson, supported by former chair Paul Capozolli, requested that her organization not be designated by the appellation ‘committee’ since she did not think it appropriate to hold it to committee membership restrictions (typically 10 members). She and Paul pointed out that the more members we have watching for crime, the better.

     Speaking for the Appeals Committee, Paul Capozolli asked for approval on a rule that if an appellant misses three consecutive scheduled appeals meetings, the appeal is de facto denied. He stated that some members are suspected of using constant missed and rescheduled meetings as a method of delaying justice.

     Reporting for the Emerald Lakes Directors Alumni Society (ELDAS)in place of the ill Pat Galderisi, Buz Whelan suggested that planning begin for a 40^th anniversary celebration, since we are now in that year of the association’s establishment. Whelan suggested that we might have a gala celebration on Pine Tree Beach Island and that it might be a good idea to ask the membership for their thoughts via the Emerald News and website. He also mentioned that alternatively, we might consider celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Emerald Lakes development which occurs three years hence.  Whelan also volunteered that ELDAS members would be willing to serve on the search committee to find a replacement for the GM.

     Reporting as chair of the ad hoc Committee to Revise the Bylaws, Whelan handed out a preliminary protocol for absentee voting. He asked the directors to look it over and let the committee know if they had any problems with the procedure as described. He further asked the board to consider how they would like the proposal presented to the membership. One suggestion, by committee member Bill Henry, was to present the change as an amendment with the procedure established under the boards Policies and Procedures Manual. This would allow adjustments to be made to the process after implementation. If improvements could be made after a year or two of experience with absentee voting, it could be made without having to go back to the membership for minor changes in methodology.

     Old Business: Clause 15. Secretary Carmen Broadnax stated that due to the holidays and other priorities she had been unable to make any progress on the Clause 15 properties, discussed in previous reports here. Watch this space for further developments.

     New Business: The aforementioned resolution on the PP&L Tree Cutting and line installation need for more right-of-way was passed. Next came Resolution #29 which is to contract an engineering study of the Community Center by Falcon Engineering. The study would determine what needs to be repaired and when, prioritizing such elements as boiler replacement, HVAC system replacement, roof repair and any structural deficiencies. The cost would be $4,750. The resolution passed with Directors Glasgow, Frank and Bishop voting yes. Directors Solla and Fitzgerald voted nay with Director Broadnax abstaining.

     Resolution #30 appropriated a maximum of $14,130 for lake maintenance to be performed by Ecological Solutions on a monthly basis from May to October. The figure actually spent could be less depending on the severity of the weed infestation and the amount of herbicide needed. This year’s total was just over $6,000. The resolution passed unanimously.

     Resolution #31 was to appropriate a fee of $372/hr for a diver and support team to perform and inspection on the Pine Tree Lake dam valve, evacuation pipe and dam. Approximately two hours work is anticipated.

     Resolution #32 was originally written to hire Preferred Management for the interim period between the present and the hiring of a new GM. A second part was the appointment of a search committee. A motion to amend the resolution to include a statement limiting committee participation to one member per property made by Director June Solla resulting in an agreement among the directors to sever the two elements. The hiring of Preferred Management was passed unanimously. A somewhat heated discussion ensued on the Solla amendment/restriction. Since it was commonly known that Pat Galderisi and Flo Mauri, former directors, had been nominated to the committee, it seemed obvious to all present that this amendment was directed specifically at them, and was so stated by several directors and members present. An additional part of this was to appoint Secretary Carmen Broadnax as primary liaison to the management team, with President Alex Leslie as an alternate. Considering this appointment separately, Treasurer Earl Frank questioned the reasoning behind not having the board president be the primary liaison. After some discussion a vote reversed the positions, with President Leslie appointed primary and Secretary Broadnax the alternate. The vote was Directors Frank, Bishop and Glasgow voting for the reversal, Broadnax abstaining, and Fitzgerald and Solla voting against. Returning to the discussion on the limitation of one member to the property, the group decided to put off a decision until more research could be done on the rules regarding this. Skipping ahead, during public comments, this author read from the committee regulation manual put out by the board which clearly states that ad hoc committees may be composed any way that best serves their purpose including the membership of employees, directors and others. President Leslie expressed that this settled the question and there was no rule/regulation against the participation of more than one member per property on an ad hoc committee. (A careful reading of the Committee Rules and Regulations will find no stricture against multiple participants from a single property on any committee.)

     Public Comments: John Palmisano asked for clarification on why the bar and grill were losing so much money. Several members thanked departing GM Allen Roth for his service, citing his diligence and openness is dealing with members. Buz Whelan raised a concern about the Emerald News policy of deciding what contributions would be published. He averred that George Haab had approached him with a request to publish an article on the http://www.emeraldlakesfreepress.com because he had been told by a staffer that only one article per person per issue would be accepted. This was adamantly denied by Communications Chairperson Joe Olall and other liaisons and members including Margaret Fitzgerald, June Solla and Carmen Broadnax. All these expressed surprise saying his second article was to be published. Questioned later on who told him he could only have one article per issue Mr. Haab said it was June Solla. Ms. Solla has denied this.

     Mr. Whelan then brought up the issue of the relationship between directors and employees. He stated that he had been told by multiple sources that a director was using a video recorder to surreptitiously record employee behavior. He cited an instance where the director in question was recording in the Community Center and was confronted by a member. When the member was told, according to the report, that the director was only recording employees he became angry and said that his children were being recorded and it should cease immediately. Mr. Whelan pointed out that such recording may be illegal and that further it accomplishes nothing good. Few things could destroy employee morale and loyalty to the association than the realization that they are being spied upon. When Director Solla said this was an accusation against the board that must be supported, Mr.  Whelan responded that it was not the board, but Director Solla that he was citing. When President Leslie was asked if he had heard such information he responded that he had. Ms. Solla denies that she ever engaged in such behavior.

Author’s note: I have multiple sources for my reporting on the video recording of employees by Director Solla, as well as photographing at the trash compactor and in the trash compactor. I fully intend to protect those sources, including from the possibility of retaliation.

Lola Lauri

Just wanted to call attention to two changes I have made in this page.  They are both to the tabs at the top of the page.

The first one is that there is now a tab that links to all the summaries of the monthly open meetings.  Now you can look back for information about each of these meetings without having to search through every post on the blog.

The second is the Nearly News tab.  I have included an archive there as well, so you can easily find all of those easily too.

I hope these changes make your experience here even better.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions for the future of ELFP.

Kathy Colford

What a sweet day the Cooking Club experienced on Friday,
February 15th!  We took a trip down to Stroudsburg to take a Cake Decorating
class at Kitchen Chemistry on Main Street.  Owner Lisa Diemer, had 2 round cakes
for us to make a decorated, double-tiered cake of our own.  We had the
opportunity to color our frosting and then we were instructed on using a piping
bag and a spatula to spread the icing.  We were then given a tip on how to use
fine water mist to make our cakes look smooth and professional.  It was fun
spraying our cakes with water and seeing the difference of the cake’s texture.
We were given piping bag tips to make star and shell borders and the option to
write a message on our cakes.  Lastly were the fondant flowers.  That alone
could have been its own class!  It’s amazing how an expert can turn a rolled

Resident Kathy Colford invites you to join the cooking club.

Ginny Kellerman is looking forward to seeing you at the Cooking Club

piece of fondant into an elegant flower.  For us, 15 minutes later, we managed
to figure out how to make what somewhat resembled flowers.  It was fun and we
had quite a few laughs.  We ended up with a variety of themed cakes such as
Valentine’s, St. Patty’s Day, Spring, Cancer Awareness, and a blue and pink
pregnancy cake make by a member who is pregnant and will find out if she is
having a boy or a girl soon.  We look forward to more demonstrations and more
good times.  Keep your eyes open for future trips.  Any questions or
suggestions, you can reach Kathy Colford at (570) 643-7778 or Ginny Kellerman at
Ginny725@ptd.net.

Buz Whelan

Dinner at the Whelan’s. Yum!

Ingredients:

4 Lamb Shanks, 1 – 2 lbs ea

4T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3” ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Serrano chili, seeded, chopped

1 onion sliced very thin

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2t ground cumin

2t ground coriander seed

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

2 pinches saffron(or more if you can afford it)

1t oregano

3C turkey stock

2 16oz cans peeled tomatoes

12 dried apricots, sliced

S&P to taste

Garnish: sliced toasted almonds, chopped parsley, 20 green and black non-pitted olives

Method:

     Preheat oven to 325. Place EVOO, onion, garlic and ginger in heavy pot or ossa buco pan over medium heat, stir, cooking until softened. Add carrots, celery & spices, cook about 5 min stirring constantly. Add turkey stock, tomatoes with juices, & apricots and bring to a boil. If you used a pot, transfer to deep pyrex dish (or baking dish/casserole). Place shanks in sauce so about ¼ is above sauce. Place in oven, uncovered. Cook, turning about every 40 minutes so you get even browning. When browned to your satisfaction, cover and continue cooking. After a total of about 3 hours, meat will be falling off bone and sauce thickened. Remove from oven, skim off fat and plate, 1 shank per serving. Garnish each with almonds, parsley and olives.

Serving suggestion: plate with your favorite herbed mashed potatoes to soak up the fabulous sauce.

From WNEP –

Monroe County

PA 115 between Brookmont Drive and Gilbert Road in Chestnuthill Township was closed due to a downed utility but is now open;

PA 191 north near Browns Hill Road in Paradise Township is closed due to a downed tree and utility wire;

PA 191 between Lower Swiftwater Road and Cranberry Creek Road in Paradise Township is closed due downed trees and utility;

PA 191 between Wooddale Road and PA 447 in Stroud Township is closed due to a downed tree and utility;

PA 191 between Wooddale and Creek roads in Stroud Township was closed due to downed trees and utilities but is now open;

PA 314 between Upper Swiftwater Road in Pocono Township and Ski Haven Drive in Paradise Township is closed due to a downed utility;

PA 402 between Resica Falls and Courtright Lane in Middle Smithfield Township is closed due to downed trees and utility;

PA 423 between Main Street and Sterling Road in Coolbaugh Township is closed due to a downed utility;

PA 611 between Broad Street and I-80 in Delaware Water Gap Borough is closed due to debris in the roadway;

PA 715 between US 209 and Effort Neola Road in Chestnuthill Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Cherry Lane Road between Laurel Lake Road and Birchwood Road in Pocono Township is closed due to a downed tree in utility wires;

Cherry Lane/Clubhouse Road between PA 715 and Cherry Lane Road in Pocono Township is closed due to downed tree and utility;

Lower Swiftwater Road between Bush Road and PA 191 in Paradise Township is closed due to a downed utility;

School House Road between Wooddale Road in Price Township and Manzanedo Road in Middle Smithfield Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Cherry Valley Road between Kemmertown and Glen Brook roads is closed due to a downed utility;

Cherry Valley Road between Glen Brook Road in Hamilton Township and PA 191 in Stroud Township is closed due to a downed tree and utility;

Business Route 209 between Neola Road and Green View Drive in Hamilton Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Clearview Avenue between Cayuga Way and Westbury Drive in Stroud Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Cranberry Road between Wigwam Park Road and Chipperfield Drive in Stroud Township is closed due a downed tree in utility wires;

Hollow Road between Frutchey Drive and Hidden Lake Drive in Middle Smithfield Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Upper Smith Gap Road between Mountain and Mount Eaton roads in Ross Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Gilbert Road between US 209 and PA 115 in Chestnuthill Township is closed due to a downed utility;

Fiddletown Road between Kunkletown and Meixsell Valley roads in Eldred Township is closed due to a downed tree;

Sugar Hollow Road between PA 115 and State Road in Chestnuthill Township is closed due to downed trees and utility;

Hamilton South Street between Meadow Lake Drive and US 209 in Chestnuthill Township was closed due to a downed utility but is now open;

Hamilton South Street between Kunkletown and Anchorage roads in Ross Township is closed due to downed trees;

Neola Road between Pennsylvania Creek Road in Hamilton Township and Twin Pine/Neola Church Road in Jackson Township is closed due to a downed tree in utility wires.

OWNER FILES FOR VARIANCE TO BUILD ON 5720 CLOVER ROAD

The Tunkhannock Township Zoning Hearing Board will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. at the Township Municipal Building located at 1557 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA. The purpose of the hearing is to consider a variance from Township Zoning Ordinance 2012-127, Article XII, 1207(A) for unique physical circumstances or conditions. The property is in R-1 zoning district of the Township and is located at 5720 Clover Road, PIN#20634404613114, Tax ID# 20/C/1/432.The property is owned by Christian Charity Foundation.

By Buz Whelan

     Emerald Lakes Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on September 22^nd in the Bingo Room of the Community Center. Attending were President Al Leslie, Vice President Millie Bishop, Secretary Carmen Broadnax, Treasurer Earl Frank and directors Joe Miller and Dan Glasgow. Director John Cress did not attend, nor did GM Allen Roth, who is on vacation.

     President Al Leslie reported that the TOPS program would be fully functional by October 1^st. He also apologized for the half-time closing of the Community Center during the Giants-Cowboys NFL season opener, which had been heavily advertised as the first football night of the season. He vowed that would not happen again. Al also reported that the board, GM and association attorney are working on the West Emerald Lakes rental problem. What was once a two bedroom home is now a multi-room party house rented for weekends. Partiers are often loud and abusive, shouting profanity and setting off fireworks at all hours. According to Walter O’Neil who leads a group of area homeowners, the quality of life has been seriously compromised. Mr. O’Neil has done extensive research on his own and is sharing the fruits of that with the board. His group has also hired an attorney of their own to help with the problem.

     With the GM absent the board president continued with the manager’s report. First up was the report by the DEP that their examinations have turned up no contamination outside the original complainant, Joanne Barron of Cricket Lane, who has found oil in her well water.

     Waco, Inc. is the successful bidder (of 5) for road repair work. Moving on, there is a leak in the evacuation pipe leading from the Pine Tree Lake dam valve, and the degree of severity is not yet known. Al further reported that the guardrails on the Cedar Road bridge over the Pine Tree Lake spillway have been painted, as have the boat racks and walls and ceiling in the Community Center.

     Treasurer Earl Frank reported that the budget is within acceptable margins across the board. He does not publish a variance report because the variances are, in his judgment, insignificant (below $5,000).

     Reports completed, the board began working through the agenda. The first item, the admin office septic system, has been completed. The recently submitted Kipcon Report, a reserve study, has been judged insufficient, with few specifics. Kipcon has been notified and a more complete report has been demanded. Much ado was made about finishing the tiling of the CC, which has already been approved. The project is now on hold. New drapes and tablecloths have been installed. On the road repair project the board resolved to formally accept the Waco bid. Spot Engineering will oversee their work.

     Under new business a motion to assess a fine of $25 for non-registration of boats was made but removed from the table for further consideration, which will also include further consideration of the registration fee. A motion to enact a curfew for all under the age of 18 was also removed from the table while the possible legal exposure on the association liquor license was researched. A motion on signage was likewise suspended, after being judged incomplete by some directors.