March Update

With a new board comes new hope for new direction, and there was a LOT of direction this month! Generally more off to a positive start this year than last, I think you’ll find a lot of information in this months update. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas, input, or concerns. What follows is a recap of my experiences this past month with CROA:

• The CROA Organizational Meeting was held on Friday, March 1. The first order of business was electing officers and committee liaisons they are as follows:

  • Don McDonald; Board President

    • CCDD liaison

  • Charles Richards; Vice President

    • Covenants Committee co-liaison

      School District liaison

      County liaison

      Mattamy liaison

      Communication Committee co-liaision

  • Eric Oppegaard; Secretary

    • ARC Committee liaison

      CJC board representative

  • Andrew Dugandzic; Treasurer

    • Technology Committee liaison

  • Celia McFadden

    • Special Events Committee liaison

      Service Area Committee liaison

      Covenants Committee co-liaison

      Condo Council liaison

      Master Plan Group co-liaision

  • Katy Shultman

    • Recreation Committee liaison

      Artisan Park liaison

      Communication Committee co-liaison

  • Jared Wise

    • Finance Committee liaison

      Dog Park Committee liaison

      Master Plan Group co-liaison

      Celebration Foundation liaison

      CJC board representative

  • Schedule for board meetings was discussed. The board decided to hold workshops 2 weeks before board meeting for discussion on upcoming board agenda items. The board also discussed having a strategic planning session for the March Workshop.

  • Actions items were to adopt the updated Regions Account Signatories Resolution to reflect the election of 2024 CROA Board Officers. Mr. Wise seconds, and the motion passes unanimously.

  • Mrs. McFadden moved to re-establish the communications committee, Mr. Oppegaard seconds, motion passes unanimously. Katy and Charles appointed as liaisons. 

  • The board discussed reinstating a town architect. Management agreed to contact LRK and Geoffrey Mouen (prior town architect).

  • Discussion was had regarding a joint meeting between CROA and CCDD for the MPAG. The board decided the MPAG and CCDD Liaisons will work together to address the input from CCDD required for the MPAG meeting.

• The Celebration Community Services Board (also the same board and officers as CROA) met on Wednesday March 13. This group approved the 4th of July budget and fireworks vendor.

• A general session Workshop was held by the Board on Wednesday, March 13. Following are a few actions from that meeting:

  • The 2022 audit was approved and the same firm approved to proceed with the 2023 audit.

  • A request was made by Don McDonald to limit email communication to emergency topics only, and leave all questions for workshops and board meetings. Discussion was had, though no specific action was determined as a result.

  • With regard to strategic planning, it was discussed to schedule a day to have a 4 hour workshop to discuss a strategic plan. Mr. McDonald suggested a Saturday, and there was general agreement from the group. Management will work with the board to schedule a date.

  • The question was asked if the management contract should be automatically renewed in October or should the board send out a Management Contract RFP. Discussion was had and the majority of the board stated the contract should not be sent out for RFP. The board then discussed instead of doing an automatic renewal the contract should be renegotiated as a board with Grand Manors. Discussion can be heard here at the 37:35 mark.

  • On the topic of Longmeadow playground, a consultation report was provided. The board instructed management to obtain a safety inspection report so that an RFP can be created for repair.

  • An RFP has been issued for shade structures of Island Village playground, Eastlawn playground and some pool equipment.

  • Management will develop a design-build RFP for bathroom refresh/remodels at Spring Park and Lakeside pools.

• I attended the 2022 Audit Meeting on March 6 as liaison. Here is a recap of that meeting:

  • Jared Wise asked Mike Jackson to chair the meeting in Andrew Benenati’s absence.

  • Matt Gonzalez and Jared Forgacs attended from our audit firm, Gerstle, Rosen, & Goldenberg.

  • Matt stated they feel they were able to issue a clean opinion. Tina Dorn questioned this opinion based on the items they noted as concerns. Matt said we could clear those up on this meeting.

  • Matt recapped the audit for the group. His recommendation was to watch for the FDIC risk exposure. Jennifer pointed out that this has all been done for 2023.

  • Matt recommended that we should get started with 2023 ASAP as we will have tax payments due by 4/15/24, so we should start to get some headway on that.

  • Mike asked what the timeline would be for the 2023 audit. Matt was unable to provide a timeline without viewing the financials. Mike stated that the timeline based on the engagement letter was likely July. Matt said 90-120 days “seemed doable.”

  • Jared Wise referenced the “red flag items” from the audit report, and asked the committee to comment on these items. These were discussed and resolved through understanding.

  • Andrew Dugandzic asked if we need to prepay estimated taxes on our earned interest from our investments. Matt provided guidance with various options on this, to be reviewed by management.

  • After the Audit conversation ended, Mike brought up the presentation of year-end financials to the community. Tina asked if we should use Andrew Benenati’s “summary sheet” to share year-end financials. It was agreed to make this recommendation to the board to have these posted and shared to the community. This document will be presented for consensus at the 3/13 Workshop (no formal vote is required.)

• On Tuesday, March 12, I attended the Special Events Committee Meeting as substitute liaison on behalf and request of Celia McFadden. Below is my recap of this meeting:

  • The first topic of discussion was Future Entertainment, specifically the Holiday Concert:

    • Christmas with the Celts was presented. They provide dancing and singing and music, with a local children’s choir invited to participate. Other options were Gary Levini and Band, and also the Jose Figueroa Holiday Show.

    • Dorie Moyer asked about production needs for the Christmas with the Celts, and it was mentioned that this event would be similar to the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert, and would need to happen at the fields.

    • Nathaniel Cromwell pointed out that the Celts event has a higher cost for production, but also pointed out these costs are well in-line with national averages and what we typically spend for this type of entertainment.

    • The budget for this event is $42,630, and costs for the talent and production with the Celts is $32,000 (band - $18K, stage $14k).

    • It was agreed that this would be a resident-only event. Discussion from this point focused on Christmas with the Celts.

    • Dorie mentioned that this is something we’ve never done before, it gets kids involved (with the choir), it would draw new attendees, and that it is a “variety show” typer of entertainment, with dance, singing, and other entertainment as part of an overall show that is new and fresh and different.

    • Karla Young pointed out that she liked that it was a Christmas show, not a generic show, and this was a better offering for the residents overall.

    • Jared Wise asked if the entertainment costs are $10,000 under budget, what other costs are there? It was explained that the costs of bathrooms, sheriffs, tables, and other labor expenses. Eugene Petriella asked for these items to be defined better. Liz Wargo stated: $2,500 for bathrooms, $1,000 for sheriff, $5,000 for meals, and entertainer hotel and transportation.

    • Liz mentioned the goal for sponsorships was to bring in $15,000 in sponsorships. They already have Mattamy at $5,000. Eugene said he would come to the next meeting with ideas for more sponsorships.

    • There was discussion around the entertainment not wanting to provide Workers Compensation insurance. Jared asked to find out the costs of that coverage to see if we can compensate them for that cost, and then contractually require them to use that money to bind the WC portion of the insurance certificate. Liz will request those numbers.

    • The event would occur on December 19.

    • The group voted to approve Christmas with the Celts.

  • The next topic was the Founders Day Concert:

    • Options included a Queen Tribute Band, Bruce Springsteen Tribute Band, Rock the Yacht style band, and Jose Figueroa Legendary Divas show. Discussion was had on all four.

    • The budget for this event is $39,300.

    • The group decided to not to a tribute band, and will come back next meeting with more entertainment options and also other entertainment for the event.

  • In reviewing past events:

    • The Father-Daughter Dance took place on February 16th with Wish Radio performing, the canopy lights, a garden fairy, mini cupcakes, pizzas (including donations from Dominos), and allergy-friendly options for those that needed accommodations. There were two photographers, extensive decorations, a dance floor. There were activities including a butterfly scavenger hunt, a decorating event, and a take-home activity. In survey results after, 30 responded, 20 gave 5 stars, and the lowest rank was 3 stars. Biggest feedback was that they would pay more to have better food and healthier options (done with pizza.)  They also loved the lights, decorations, music, and carriage photo op.

    • Jazz Under the Stars with Nova Jazz occurred on March 7. They enjoyed food purchased from Reggianos and dancing. There was a checkered dance floor and tablecloths.

    • Food Truck Friday occurred on Friday, March 9 from 5-9p with The Vacationers performing. Renewal by Anderson was present, as an annual sponsor, and Advent Health also. Food options were the food trucks. Nathaniel mentioned that three people told him the band was good at this event.

  • In discussing future events:

    • Spring Fling is on March 30. Mattamy is a sponsor ($5,000.) Deboarh Charin (sp?) and Stanica Realty will both be on site as part of their annual sponsorship. A map was provided showing where all events will take place, with egg hunts separated by age group and field location. There will be an easter bunny, strolling entertainment, bounce houses, and a DJ.

    • The next Food Truck Friday is April 12, with Luck of the Draw Trio performing (returning from February.) Advent Health and Edward Jones will also be presenting as vendors.

    • The Luau will be held on May 3. The price of the meals will be charged to residents at cost. Tickets are on sale now (as of March 1) and will go through April 21. There will be steel drummers as entertainment. Liz offered a “Tacky Tourist” as strolling entertainment, but the group was not interested in this.

    • With regard to Holiday Fest, a date needs to be set. Management recommends Friday, December 6. (The following Friday is FTF, and the Thursday after is the Holiday Concert.) The committee agreed to that date. The event will include Santa meet and greet, interactive winter maze, a Christmas bounce house, an Alpine Tube Slide, and a Christmas house playland.

  • In additional conversation:

    • New festoon lights are needed. Liz mentioned that there is a bit of a delay, pending MPAG results, but it is on the list.

    • Liz reiterated that Committee applications are out, so the group should fill them out if they want to be on the committee again, and that they are due April 2.

• On Monday, March 25, the Board of Directors held a workshop regarding Spring Park Playground. Top Line, Kompan and 360 each presented their designs for Spring Park Playground. Their presentations can be found here. The board deliberated after the presentations and chose to move forward with Top Line, asking them to submit a new design not to exceed a $400,000 budget. (This is because they were told an inaccurate budget by Vigilant Services during the RFP process.) The Parks and Recreation Committee will recommend design elements they would like to see in the design and Top Line will create a new design for Spring Park. The Finance Committee will be requested to confirm the budget amount suggested, and also advise which account(s) the funds for the project will come from.

• I attended the Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 26 as liaison. Here is a recap of this meeting:

  • There was a question from Mike Jackson that the board approved an incorrect audit. Even though the correct audit was posted, the wrong one was approved. Jared Wise will clarify this during the Finance recap of the March Board Meeting.

  • There was some concern about ensuring clarity of the audit details and follow-up. It was decided to conditionally approve the Audit Meeting minutes, with Jennifer Rowe to provide the auditor comments as a recap. These minutes will be approved by the committee over e-mail prior to their term conclusion in April.

  • Reviewed February financials. Andrew had questions about higher landscaping costs that were improvements and ensuring they are coming from the correct accounts.

  • Mike noted that home sales are up. He also noted that water is low, so we need to check on that. Jennifer will look into this and report back.

  • It was agreed that the ledger will be removed from the committee report (always available by request). This will save time and also make the ledger for the Board Meeting packet more up-to-date when it is prepared for the Board.

  • In playground discussions Mike presented the following information regarding two of the vendors:

    • Burke was recently acquired by a capital management company in 2021 (Bertram Capital Management.) They currently have a recall for a defective metal climber product, with liability attorneys pursuing this. They also have local representation, but by a distributor.

    • Kompan has factory-direct communication and do not use distributors, however they are an international organization, which could bring less attention to detail. It was noted that they may overuse rope product in their designs.

  • The committees recommendation is that:

    • Jim Pineau motioned to approve a $400,000 (all-in) budget, with second by Mike Jackson.

    • Frank DiCola also recommended having Kompan provide their best design option at $400K.

    • The committee also agreed that the project should be funded with the balance available from the original reserve amount for this item, with the balance to come from the capital fund.

    • All three recommendations passed unanimously. They recommend both parties are notified to provide bids within a given deadline, within the recommended budget.

  • Andrew Dugandzic brought up the topics of Capital Investment and Apartment Rec. Fees. Brief discussion was had on these topics.

• On Wednesday, March 27, I attended the Dog Park Committee as liaison. Following is a recap of this meeting:

  • The committee discussed 2024 resolution topics. Those decided on were:

    • Specify, source, acquire, and install Dog Park Agility Equipment.

    • Resolve the rock issues in both parks, including reducing area size and changing rock type.

    • Resolve lighting issues.

    • Oversee a maintenance program for the gates to ensure all fencing and gates are working properly, as well as develop a visual partition for park entry areas to prevent dog distraction upon new dog arrival.

    • Review all rules, regulations, enforcement policies and operating procedures of the Dog Park.

    • Work with the Lifestyles staff and the Lifestyles/Special Events Committee and plan at least three dog-related events to showcase the amenity.

    • Work with management and the Technology Committee to develop a monitoring system that tracks documentation of individual dogs with current, up-to-date vaccination records and provide advance notification of residents when required documentation is near expiration.

    • Develop maintenance program to ensure quality control of the chemical weed treatment products being used.

  • There was discussion about issues with the Dog Park booth at the Pups & Pints event. There was signage missing and no Dog Park merchandise available to sell.

  • Danny Mann also offered that the Dog Park committee can participate with a booth at Spooky Soiree with a tent.

  • Sue Davis asked if the committee could promote at the Farmers Market, selling merchandise and promoting the dog park. Jared Wise suggested a business card holder for all “Celebration dog resources” to promote the businesses collectively, as a resource to pet owners.

  • Brayan Senquis reported there are some gate issues maintenance is working through. Exquisite will be stepping in for the gap between Prince & Sons for landscaping. There is also an issue with the fire hydrant, that Brayan and Danny will put together some options for replacement, with pricing options.

  • Paul Battaglini asked for a status about the rocks, and Brayan stated that since we are changing landscapers, this has fallen through the cracks. In fact, the bid wasn’t even correct for what was requested. So the request is to have Exquisite provide a price to get this done as soon as possible.

  • Regarding the lights, there is concern that we are still having issues. Danny will walk the field with Jared and meter the lighting output. This information will go back to the committee to discuss in April. Matthew Blake asked to have the bids for both the original specified lights and the installed lights to be provided for review.

  • The next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at 3:30p.

• The March Board Meeting was held on Wednesday, March 27. Resident comments included tennis (heavily), playgrounds, and Island Village Amenity Center. Exquisite Landscaping also spoke to thank residents for their participation and help with the butterfly garden. Following are some notable action items from this meeting:

  • February financials were reported with a $2,000 surplus. Landscaping was a bit high, and maintenance was higher than expected due to some elements needing repair. Income was high because of revenue from the Father/Daughter Dance. Balances as of February were roughly: Operating: $312,000; Reserve: $200,0000; Capital: $3,500,000.

  • A reserve study was approved to update our current document.

  • Top Line was selected as the apparent successful vendor for Spring Park Playground, to be tasked with providing a new design based on recommendations from the Parks and Rec Committee, at a budget cap of $400,000 to come partially from reserves and the balance from capital, as set by the Finance Committee.

  • All committee appointments were extended to April, 2024.

  • A town architect was reinstated, with Geoffrey Mouen being awarded a consulting contract, with a quarterly review of the costs to be monitored by the Finance Committee..

  • Grand Manors will be posting results of their survey to the website.

  • The board will conduct a review of Grand Manors elements of the survey that needed improvement, with the assistance and coordination of Gary Hudspeth.

  • Longmeadow playground will undergo a repair/replacement of various elements, with an RFP to be issued shortly.

• On Thursday, March 28 I attended the Celebration Foundation meeting as liaison. Following is a recap of that meeting:

  • The group welcomed Jared Wise as the new liaison to the group.

  • Dr. Johnson did an executive summary of the organizations financials.

  • The Foundation recently performed a bank switch, similar to CROA, and this was discussed briefly.

  • Kathleen Sipio updated everyone on Community Impact, the Spirit Closet at the K-8, the Concert Series, and the Porch Parties as announced at the CROA Board Meeting.

  • Program managers provided updates on Celebration Lifeling and Thriving in Place.

  • Jared Wise stated he didn’t have a prepared report for this meeting (as it was his first) however provided updates on the Playgrounds, MPAG, and made a point to ask for volunteers for committees to join CROA, as this group was widely active in volunteering.

    • There were many questions about the status of the 851 building. Mr. Wise noted that the MPAG has this as a large focus, and that just last night the board directed management to proceed with an RFP for an architect to give guidance on the rehabilitation of the facility.

      • Kathy Gordy asked what the plans were for the building; and Mr. Wise responded that the current plan is to rehabilitate it and make it more useful for all.

      • Paul Kinser inquired as to what the scope of the RFP would be; and it was restated that MPAG would help guide this decision.

      • Kathleen Carlson asked when the RFP was issued, and Mr. Wise restated that we haven’t gotten to that point yet, as it was only voted on last night.

    • Michele Muray inquired about the change with liaisons providing the updates, stating that she noticed that she noticed the Technology Committee liaison spoke, and if this meant that the Foundation Executive Director would be allowed to speak in the future. Mr. Wise stated that this would be discussed by the Board.

    • Dr. Johnson suggested that Mr. Wise be prepared to make it a priority to update the Foundation on the 851 Building status.

  • Principals from both the K-8 and IV schools both spoke about their capacities and future rezoning.

So what’s my take on this month? On the downside, there is a movement to limit discussion that could be affecting planning and operational topics, with many board members not participating in general conversation to keep the organization moving forward. There is also a bit of a technology malalignment that is adding (or perhaps detracting) from the conversation. But aside from that, there is VERY positive conversation happening. There is engaging yet respectful debate on topics. And there is a general understanding of perspective and differences that did not exist in 2023. As far as March is concerned, there is a positive direction occuring; which is good, because as the Master Plan Advisory Group reaches its concluding report in July, there will be much to discuss and many decisions needing to be made, with action to be taken. This board definitely has the experience. I believe it has the diversity needed as well. Will it have the confidence and conviction to act in the best interest of the homeowner members of CROA? Stay tuned…!