Minutes of the

MKL Association Annual Meeting

January 29, 2010

 

 

The annual meeting of the Mt. Kemble Lake Association, Inc. was held on January 29, 2010 at the Clubhouse.� The meeting was called to order at 7:38 pm by President Austin Godfrey.

 

Board Members Present:� Rick Barrett, Diane Bonar, Gail Chalfant, Barbara Coe, Austin Godfrey, Don Kuhn, Joyce Murray, Nancy Priscu and Bob Yingling.

 

Board Members Absent: Bruce Scolnick

 

The Secretary indicated that a quorum of 91 shareholders was present or represented via proxies.

 

Copies of the 2009 Annual Meeting minutes were provided to members and were approved with no changes.

 

Detailed reports by the Committee Chairs may be viewed on the website: www.mountkemble.org.

 

Following are the committee reports as presented at the meeting:

 

Beaches and Docks: presented by Don Kuhn

�        State-authorized dredging of the area below the diving board at the main beach provides a 12-foot depth, per State regulations.� Painting of the diving board understructure was done while the lake was lowered.

�        Sand was dredged from the lake and restored to the beach.

�        Beach clean up brought out about 40 residents on May 22 to prepare beach for Memorial Day weekend.� A team stayed on in the afternoon and installed a brick pad under the picnic table.

�        New life rings with 100 feet of rope each were installed at the main beach, the east beach, and the Fishin� Hole.

�        No beach closings; all weekly water tests were in desirable ranges

�        Badges and related swimming and boating rules and safety recommendations distributed to all residents

�        Only one algaecide treatment was necessary during the summer

�        Weed growth on the east and west sides of the lake nearest the breeder pond continued to be a problem.� Three applications of herbicide were necessary to suppress weeds.

�        Application filed with the State to determine whether a permit is required for

Dredging the lagoon.� A permit is required and this is an ongoing project that will be completed in 2010.

 

Don thanked the following members of his Beaches and Docks Committee for their time and effort: Kris Alvey, Nancy Barrett, Roe Bowden, Bill Canada, Terry Dwyer, and Mark Qualben.

 

 

 

 

At the conclusion of the report the following topics were addressed:

�        Don was asked when the next Alum treatment to the lake would be scheduled and he confirmed he would consult with Allied.�

�        Austin indicated the Board was investigating barriers to prevent erosion on the sides of the lagoon in front of the Bierly and Niegel-White properties.

�        Jane Kendall of the MKL Environmental Stewardship Committee announced the ESC will be distributing literature shortly, which will offer guidelines for the environmentally appropriate maintenance of docks with a focus on run-off, as well as other tips residents can use to help keep the lake sound.

 

Roads: presented by Gail Chalfant

�        We had one big snow before the spring cleanup and Chris Backshall�s men handled it well.

�        Our Spring cleanup was Saturday, April 18th last year��we had a nice turnout and all the communal areas were addressed.� This was followed by the yearly summer Beach Patrol.� Although I didn�t have any volunteers; the people I assigned to work did a great job and shuffled assignments when needed, i.e. vacations etc.

�        After several years it became apparent that many pot holes had developed and had to be filled along with the routing of certain drainage areas.� These were identified and then addressed by Chris Backshall�s people; I believe they did a very good job.

�        We experienced a very heavy rain one Sunday in August�this necessitated calling Chris Backshall�s men to clean the roads of debris.� The Bonar�s had their driveway lifted by the force of the water flowing down Alpine Trail.� Paul Fox the Harding Township engineer advised us how to proceed and repair the damage.

�        Fall brought� Trick or Treaters and mucho leaves.� I closed a portion of Primrose for Halloween which is the norm and all seemed to go well��..despite a little drizzle.

�        Fall cleanup was held Saturday, November 21st and we had a banner turnout!� Many new families joined in; so much was accomplished in every area of the lake and it looked terrific!� Chris Backshall�s men began chipping that Sunday afternoon to keep ahead of the weather and it was very much appreciated.

�        John Murray helped me by persuading the New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department �to hold their weekly drill at the lake.� They used their equipment and water from the lake to blow out several drains that flow under the roads, clearing them of debris��the men worked very hard and we made a donation in appreciation of their efforts.

�        Earlier in the year I asked that a complete schedule of activities be sent to Chris Backshall by Karen Sabol.� This will be done on a timely basis��. to keep him aware of our schedule of activities so he can address road issues when needed year round.

�        In closing, I am ever thankful to my committee for their support:� Cacky Bell, Carl Bonar, Jane Dwyer, Carol Irving, Theresa and Ray Jones, Jane Roland and Bruce Scolnick.�

 

At the conclusion of the report the following topics were addressed:

�        Gail discussed the possibility of closing the roads for a 24 hour period this year.� This is a mandatory requirement from Harding Township needed to maintain the private status of our roads.

�        Spring clean up is scheduled for Saturday, April 17th.

�        Betty D�Esterhazy expressed a concern that the practice of closing of Primrose Trail on Halloween has led to increased traffic on Lake Trail West, which is equally as dangerous to pedestrians. The Board agreed to take this under consideration for this year.

 

Grounds: presented by Diane Bonar

�        Beach area cleanup and plantings; cleared out undergrowth at trees near parking lot and installed steps down to the beach.� Plan on cutting out more bushes on the left side of the lawn area at the beach between the lawn and Ellen Marshall's house.� Plan on planning flowering trees and low-growing evergreens.

�        Removed tree in the Irving's front yard; was a 3-pronged tree and could have lost one of the three prongs at any time because of rotting.

�        Someone cut a maple tree down at the beach the evening of Road Cleanup on Sat., Nov. 21; people should request to have trees taken down on community property.

�        Made announcement of Dog Park inform meeting on Sat., March 6 at 10:30 AM at the clubhouse.

�        Announced that there is a wind row of composted leaves behind the garden for folks in the community to help themselves to.

�        Announced that there are garden plots available and that interested people should contact her.

�        Diane thanked all volunteers who helped on projects this year, including Mark Qualben, Tim Lukas, John and Joyce Murray, Charlie Priscu, Bill Manser and Theresa and Ray Jones for all the help they give in keeping the garden area looking nice. �She acknowledged that there are people who help out that she doesn't know about and she thanked them for their efforts.� In addition, she would like to thank Bruce Scolnick's help in his continuing to keep the steps cleared of leaves and debris from the Jensen's home and his own house.� Thank you very much.

 

Clubhouse Maintenance: presented by Joyce Murray on behalf of Bruce Scolnick

The clubhouse required a number of repairs and upgrades this year.�

�        We started by changing the ceiling tiles in the kitchen.� A cement slab was installed for the new cedar garbage can containers that were stained to match the deck.� A slate walk was put in from the driveway to the steps and outdoor lighting was added to illuminate the steps and trash containers.

�        Two electrical AC outlets which were not operating were replaced (front hallway and mantel in the main room).

�        A leak was discovered and repaired in the men�s bathroom.� A new toilet was installed in the women�s bathroom and part of the floor was replaced.� A new double vanity and sinks with mixing valves were installed.

�        Due to an increasing leak in the furnace, nine sections of the heat exchanger were replaced along with some adjacent piping.� We expect to get another 15-20 years of use of the furnace.

�        The heating pipes in the basement were insulated for greater efficiency.� Special thanks to Ray Negele for supplying the pipe insulation and for his expert help in the installation.

�        I would also like to acknowledge the committee members who assisted with all the projects this year: Guy Bowden, Terry and Jane Dwyer, Joyce and John Murray, and Jane Roland.� The committee pitched in on all projects.� Please acknowledge and thank them for their contributions.

 

Housekeeping: Joyce Murray

 

�        A new toilet was installed in the Ladies Restroom.

�        New curtains and rods were installed.

�        A vacuum was purchased.

�        Dishes, glasses and serving-ware were counted.

�        New guidelines for clubhouse rentals are on the MKL website.

�        Over the year the clubhouse was rented for a variety of reasons.

 

Water System: presented by Rick Barrett

�        No need for a generator yet this year, but it was used for almost two days last year. Emergency power is a DEP requirement, but the availability of a generator on a rental basis has saved us about $35,000 versus buying one.

�        A leak in front of the Jones's house was recently repaired. The crack was probably caused by rock under the pipe near a joint. The 4 inch main was otherwise in good shape.

�        A shutoff valve was installed for pump house 1 to enable us to repair rusting pipes when necessary without an extended shut down.

�        Controllers were installed in both pump houses to control water levels in the storage tanks. This new system will be more reliable than the prior system and will require less maintenance.

 

Treasurer�s Report: presented by Bob Yingling

Bob reviewed MKL Association and Lakeshore financial reports that were distributed during the meeting and responded to questions from members:

�        Joan Fitzhugh expressed concern over what appeared to be a disintegration of reserve funds.� Bob explained that in fact, this was not the case and reviewed the report in detail to show how the funds were displayed.

�        Phil Van Kirk asked to have numbers next to the line items moving forward, and in general somehow depicting a clearer picture of how monies were being spent.

�        Residents asked to have an overview of insurance expenditures.

�        The Finance Committee is expected to present their recommendations to the community shortly at a special meeting.� A resident asked to see comments from the outpost meetings.� It was agreed that Lori Denson would organize, and distribute or post them while maintaining their anonymity.

�        Several residents expressed concern over the figure representing delinquent dues.� What was the aggregate?� Have the numbers of residents who are delinquent increased over time? Austin explained the process for interest and penalty charges and well as the collection and lien procedures the Board was working on in conjunction with our lawyer.

 

Other Topics:

�        Austin thanked Terry Dwyer for all if his work on the MKL website.� Terry is working on a Most Frequently Asked Questions section to help address common concerns regarding dues, rules, other costs, etc.

�        Three Rules and Regulation are in the process of being revised: 1.) Responsibility for water pipe breaks, 2.) Picnicking at the beach and 3.) Use of community assets for commercial purposes.

�        Phil Van Kirk asked that the private road sign be replaced on the post on Lake Trail West.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.�

 

The Lakeshore Company meeting immediately followed.�

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

Nancy Priscu