Meeting Minutes: recorded by Greg Whitesell-acting secretary
(Note: These meeting minutes are an attempt to record as much as possible that took place during the meeting, but not nearly everything said was recorded. As they are not transcribed from a tape, nor are they all inclusive, they are not meant to be direct quotes from anyone or to be used as legal documentation. Rather this is an attempt to provide a degree of transparency of the proceedings and to serve as a casual record for both those in attendance and for those who were unable to attend. There is quite a bit that was said that could not be recorded, therefore, consider the minutes as a bit of short hand with some exclusions. Thanks, Greg.)
Initial RHHA Meeting to discuss the creation of the RHHA, History, Existing Structure, Existing accounts, and to plan for the future, changes, and next meeting, with a time for Q&A from all. 5/17/2009 3pm at 3925 Rhode Harbor Road
In Attendance
Janice Fyanes and Joanne Kowalke
Anita and Joe Herring
Don and Rita Dunbar
Johnny and Tammy Messineo
Joe and Carrie Zambrana
Mike Gillespie
Mary D.
Ray and Jackie Pearl
Carolyn and Ken Polglase
Bob Mongold
Greg Whitesell
Intro and welcome by Greg Whitesell
Carrie Z- History and research. Concerns about new elections…move forward etc.
Q and A to follow.
1982 community created and filed with the county. 1983 covenants filed with county. 20 year…now can be rewritten. They have never been enforced and are not being enforced. Copies to be posted on the web site for all to see. Intent was that community would take over. Control the pier. Now entrusted to the county… solely for eh purpose of the community, not outsiders.
Info about the pier by Joe Later has gotten estimates on the pier.
Carrie Zambrana- Financial report – at 2000, community agreed to move foward at the time with the association. $200 by owner. Interest of about $100 has been made. It has been up, and then went down with the rest of the market. No costs have been incurred to date by the RHHA. No documents files as of yet with the county.
Info found—Estimate on the pier. Talked to County about the pier. County is not interested in the pier. They don’t want it. They want to give it back to us.
Anita Herring – Covenants null and void? Jumping the gun? Yes, they do want to give it back to us. Don Dunbar….Vice President. Incorporated? It has to be incorporated.
Carrie Zambrana—The covenants have been on file…but after 20 years they can be written, and can be written now. But current covenants on file with the county are in effect in perpetuity until they are replaced with something else. No one has been enforcing them and no one will enforce them as they are written. They include things such as no boats in yards and no swimming pools.
Don Dunbar….we can now start from scratch.
Anita Herring– Incorporate with Lawyer?
Carrie Zambrana.= It will increase expenses.
Any one can file the paperwork.
Bob Mongold- $35 form the state. It’s not that hard or that expensive.
Anita- Person from the county will help us to form it. Anita has experience. You can buy the papers and the forms and then fill it out. If it wrong, the county will tell you. County can assign someone to help us get it together without cost.
Greg Whitesell- Maybe we should get as far along in the process as possible on our own, then together decide whether or not we want a lawyer to help us by looking over it and possibly filing it for us.
Mary D. – Covenants are perpetual, but can be changed. Should we assume responsibility, we need to make sure that the pier and everything is insured.
Anita Herring- How can Young’s covenants still be in force?
Carrie Zambrana- Some are absolutely obsolete. Others are still on file. But NEW covenants can be written completely.
Q&A….concerns about being fair. Some people have their own piers. Some don’t want to use the pier.
Don Dunbar. –Discussed pricing between pier and community. We need the community association, and then something like a “dockmaster.” Fees for the pier could be raised separately by those interested in the pier and slips.
Greg Whitesell- Discussed liability costs for State Farm $720 Liability only. Don’t want to cover for anything other than liability. Marc Carella at state farm quoted an estimate of $720 per year with $1million in coverage and a clause to protect the HA officers.
Carrie/Ray discuss the other pier with a boat-house. It’s not our property and we don’t want to extend our liability.
Tammy Messineo – Why an do we need a Homeowner’s Association at all? We don’t want people up in other’s business? Why can’t we not just have a pier association? Johnny Messineo – I’m not interested in the pier at all.
Don Dunbar – I am. I know that having access to the water and having a pier increases the value of my house. When I go to sell it, that is going to help.
Joanne, Don and Ray, Greg—Discussing pier design. Total length can be extended to a maximum of 25% across the creek. We need to redesign the pier. There are 10 foot stand off rules to the property lines. Tax assessment. Tax assessment on the property according to the State and the county is Zero and will always be zero. It is set aside as community recreation area and is has been assigned no value.
Ken Polglase- It’s my understanding that the pier is listed with the county as a Fishing pier only???? We aren’t even supposed to have any boats down there.
Carrie Zambrana – No. It is listed as a fishing and crabbing pier. But not a problem. There have always been boats down there.
Don Dunbar – What pier doesn’t have boats tied up to them? That’s not going to be a problem. The youngs always had their boat down there.
Joann – I’m confused about the original property being developed? How is it that it has just been developed?
Carrie Zambrana – The last house was recently built. In 2002 the property where this house sits was subdivided allowing for the house behind this one to be build. The Young’s owned all the property around here and then parceled it off, selling lots to others to be built or building some of the houses themselves.
Carrie Zambrana- On keeping costs down. Thus far we have been able to keep costs down associated with maintaining the common areas. People have volunteered such as Jackie Pearl and Joe on the corner to move the grass down by the pier. Greg has been paying for the electric down at the pier since he moved in in 2002. Johnny and Tammy have been maintaining the area around the sign on the corner at the entrance to the neighborhood. Thank you all for your contributions. And we thank you if you continue.
Carrie Zambrana, Road to Water Pump station…..call county and have them do it. The county will come out and put rock on the road leading to the pump station.
Anita Herring- The county is great about coming out to fix any problems with the roads.
Ray Pearl—I have water problems. County won’t help. I have all sorts of runoff coming from the backyards all around me and the county says that it is the builder’s problem. So I called Steve Young and he said it is the county. So I went out there and did what I could myself and put a 12 inch pipe in my yard to try to fix it. But now, one of the grates out by the street doesn’t have any dirt under it to support it.
Anita Herring….Call county and tell them that septic is running out of the pipes. It’s magic word. They be right out here. It is the county’s responsibility to fix that stuff.
Tammy – I still don’t understand, why we need a homeowner’s association at all. I don’t want people telling me what I can do with my property.
Johnny- I don’t mind helping. But I don’t need or want to pay for a slip.
Don Dunbar – We need to have a Homeowner’s Association, then we need to have the pier fall under the homeowner’s association.
Ray Pearl – It doesn’t matter what you call it. It is going to be the same thing.
Don Dunbar- Out in Manassas, (our son?) you can’t even walk out the door backwards there. We aren’t going to have a bunch of rules like that.
Ken Polglase – ?????
Jackie – You can have a Pier Assoc without having a HA.
Anita Herring – On costs for the pier call–Capital marina?
Mary D.….I want to make sure that the moment we take control of the pier and it is transferred to us that we have insurance before we assume responsibility. I can’t even tell you but I had roommates that seemed to break everything that they touched. They hurt themselves and I feel lucky that they haven’t tried to sure me. At least not yet. I just don’t want anything like that to happen.
Greg Whitesell – looking forward, do we want to continue forming this under the current officers of go ahead and move to elect new ones.
Tammy Messineo – yes….new.
Greg Whitesell – How do we want to do this. When. Who is willing. Ask each member present whether or not they would be willing to hold office and what they would be willing to do. We will make list now. Send out letter and allow for others to enter their names for nomination and election who are not here today. Then the next time that we meet, we will have nominations from the floor and hold elections.
Current List of Willing: (open for others to join)
Greg Whitesell- yes as support but not leadership- yes Secretary
Carrie Zambrana- as Treasurer (yes I have access to all account now)
Joe Zambrana- yes willing as President
Don Dunbar- yes, I’ll take any position
Tammy Messineo- not president, but yes any position VP or below
Jackie Pearl – yes. Not sure what, but I am willing to help.
Anita Herring – Yes, not sure what position right now, maybe VP or below (I want to be on the board of directors)
Don Dunbar- We will also need to have committees.
Ray Pearl- I am willing to help out with maintenance and things like that.
Johnny Messineo- I’m willing to help out any way I can.
Set agenda for Next Meeting:
- $35 kit yes – to file the paper-EVAL
(It is agreed that we will purchase the forms needed to file the papers with the county and asses any costs associated and evaluate those forms to begin the process.)
- YES—make pier better, it is agreed that we should do anything now that we can to make the pier safer, stronger and functional. Jackie Pearl will speak with Marc Carella at State Farm to find out what needs to be done to pier to get an insurance policy on the pier.
- Evaluate the shed and gazebo – It is agreed that we need to asses the gazebo and shed to see how safe they are and what repairs or replacements should be done.
- Elections—Nominations and Elections will take place at the next meeting on Tuesday, June 23, at 7 PM at Rita and Don Dunbar’s house. Meeting in June for Nominations from floor, and floor vote.
- In between now and next meeting a letter will be sent out reporting on this meeting, announcing the upcoming elections and call for nominations, and announcing the meeting on the 23rd of June. The 1983 Covenants will be posted on the web site at http://home.comcast.net/~RhodeHarbor. The meeting minutes, and the new neighborhood contact list will also be posted on the site.