President Shawn Yesner called the Oct. 12 WCA Board meeting to order and turned it over to Government Affairs Committee Chair Rick Goldstein, who was seeking approval for three appointments to his committee. His request to appoint Greg James, Lt Col John Frazier and Director Terry Boyd passed unanimously.
Treasurer Michiel Oostenbrink thanked former WCA Treasurer Dale Sells for his assistance with his transition into the position. He reported the association is approximately $36,000 over budget to date, largely due to overages in legal fees, utilities, and the Facilities payroll.
He added that the WCA funds invested through Bank OZK are doing well and asked whether he should continue to reinvest the funds for the same amount of time as the CDs mature.
Yesner recommended Oostenbrink take the same approach Sells had taken.
In his GAC report, Goldstein said he’d met with Westchase resident Lauren Frazier and had been in contact with county officials regarding a proposed crosswalk from West Park Village to Westchase Elementary. The county is currently conducting transportation studies in the area, and Goldstein said he won’t have an official update until those studies are complete.
He then addressed the work TECO has been doing in Glenfield and Wycliff, reporting that they have torn up residents’ lawns and placed port-a-potties in yards with no notice. Goldstein said he planned to follow up with TECO to address homeowners’ complaints.
Vice President Michele DelSordo asked Goldstein about the status of the signs and striping in West Park Village. She wanted to ensure WPV residents knew they would have to cover the cost of the signage and wanted to work closely with the CDD throughout the process. Goldstein said he would follow up with CDD Manager Sonny Whyte.
Director Jim Brinker mentioned that the sidewalks on Tate Lane need to be restored after being covered during a construction project that ended prematurely. Goldstein agreed to contact the county to resolve the issue.
Goldstein also reported former GAC Chair Eric Holt had arranged for State Representative Pittman and County Commissioner Cohen to speak at the October and November VM meetings respectively, but those visits had been postponed. He noted that both officials preferred to speak on specific topics, as opposed to simply addressing the VMs.
Brinker made a motion to appoint Russ Crooks and Dyan Pithers to the RFP Committee and remove Blakley Echeverry. Director Jack Maurer reminded the Board they aren’t permitted to vote on items that aren’t on the agenda. The Board approved Crooks’ appointment and Echeverry’s removal (both of which were on the October agenda) and tabled Pithers’ appointment to November.
Maurer then presenting a rough draft of the scope of work for bathrooms at Countryway, including specifications for plumbing, flooring, walls, stalls, countertops, electrical work and more. Maurer said the scope of work protects Westchase by holding contractors accountable.
Audience member Joe Odda asked Maurer for a projected timeline. Maurer said he estimated it could take three to six months, based on the availability of materials.
Goldstein asked whether both restrooms would have changing tables, and Maurer confirmed they would. Regarding the West Park Village bathrooms, Yesner reminded the Board that the pool deck repairs had to be completed first.
In her report, Association Manager Debbie Sainz said she had worked with Facilities Manager Dwight Kilgore to select a digital timecard program called Buddy Punch.
Kilgore said he’d planned a winter season Escape Swim Challenge to encourage residents to swim during the off-season. Swimmers would need to cover a total distance of 175 to 201 miles over the course of four months.
Yesner then shared that further investigation into USTA insurance revealed it was only required for tournaments. Because the Westchase adult team only participates in matches on site, the policy is unnecessary. The Board unanimously agreed to cancel the policy.
Yesner also reported that aquatic fitness instructor Linda Senkowicz requested an extension of her program through February 2024. Classes are currently held at 9 a.m., which requires Kilgore to hire a lifeguard for an additional hour. The Board agreed Senkowicz could either move her classes to 10 a.m. or cover the additional staffing cost. The Board approved the extension and authorized Sainz and Kilgore to negotiate the contract with Senkowicz.
Sainz said she’d compared the cost of transitioning the tennis court lights to LEDs versus replacing the existing halogen light bulbs. The LEDs would cost tens of thousands of dollars more than replacing all of the existing halogen bulbs at one time, she reported.
Oostenbrink asked about the life expectancy of halogen bulbs versus LEDs, and said he’d prefer to make the decision after the strategic review of reserve items. Kilgore confirmed that no lights are currently out, and the Board agreed to put the matter on a future agenda.
The board agreed to host its Reserve Study Workshop on Tuesday, December 5.
Editor’s Note: Turn to page 66 for coverage of the Voting Member meeting.
