Board Meeting ~ 3-27-14

All Board Members Present

President Mary Pracht made a valiant effort to start the Board meeting on time.

February Board minutes were approved unanimously.

Disc Golf was approved with Faye Taylor voting No, Ken Benck abstained

Board Resolutions:  Last year 5 motions were never turned into resolutions. Faye Taylor suggested these motions become resolutions.

o       Line of credit- Suzie Combs made a motion to extend the line of credit for $125.00 à approved unanimously

o       Fire Duesà A request will be presented to LHFD to speak to DH Community at a Town Meeting

o       Ballot Boxà is included in the new Nominating Committee Guidelines

o       Golf Carts à ???

o       Banner – posting of signs at the Front Gate à ???

.

Treasurer John Porter presented the 2014-15 Budget for approval à passed unanimously.

John Cummings made a motion for H2 status for a property on Hail Court à passed unanimously.

Diane Jones moved the Nominating Committee Guidelines be accepted à  approved unanimously.

Back Hoe was approved unanimously for 60 months lease purchase. See Town Meeting Notes 

• John Porter expressed his concern that the Finance Committee needs to review this issue.
• Finance Committee members, Jack Watson & Mary Gage conveyed their approval of this 'lease/purchase'.
• Pending the outcome of concurrence with the Finance Committee... 

New Business

Dumpster Day is May 9th & 10th

Agenda meeting - April 17th

Town Meeting - April 24th @ 6:pm

Board Meeting - April 24th @ 7:pm

Lions Club is working on its new sign and should be ready by our Annual Fishing Derby.

Final Day to get your name & number in the Phone Book is April 10th

Meeting adjourned - total time 25minutes

Notes provided by,

Diane Porterfield

adianerdh@att.net 

Town Meeting ~ Thursday, March 27, 2014 ~ 6:pm

Board members Present:

President Mary Pracht                     Diane Jones

Vice President Joe Claflin               Suzie Combs

Secretary Faye Taylor                     Ken Benck

Treasurer John Porter                      Larry Hibbs

John Cummings

President Mary Pracht opened the meeting by introducing the various DH committees

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New Diamondhead Phone Book

Phone Book

The Lions Club is in the process of compiling the new phone book.  If you choose to have your name, address & phone numbers added to this wonderful resource, you must make this choice known before April 10th.  The POA office will not provide your contact information without your expressed consent.

Please contact Faye Taylor at: derota38@gmail.com 

Yard Sale

Youth Committee 

Now Taking Donations

For Our Annual Yard Sale

For Pick Up or Drop Off 

Information:

Contact Kathie 609-5124

Friday April 11th

           & 

Saturday April 12th

Financial Highlights ~ 2-28-14

Click on the picture to enlarge

This is a condensed form of the 2014-2015 Budget that has been approved.

Diamondhead Police Log ~ February 2014

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Guidelines for Nominating Committee ~ 3-27-14

 This proposal was passed unanimously at last evening's Board meeting ( 3-27-14)
These are the procedures followed during the election of Board Directors each year.

3-30-14 Please Note:  Bob Jones sent me the 'final' version of the Nominating Committee's Guidelines.  See Below

 GUIDELINES FOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE

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Beautification Committee ~ Gail Porter

March 27/2014 Town Meeting Report-Diamondhead Beautification Committee

The committee met on March 7/2014.

Treasury Report- $2032.47

Sadly, the committee lost a valued, dedicated, long term member, Mr. Dean Hartwell.  His life is an inspiration for our community because of his neighborly, relentless efforts to improve our community.

March 19^th- Work on median weeds and placed pots.  Storage shed contents were moved to the Santa Shack.    Thanks to John P. for assisting with the move and to Eddie G. for making a place for deer overflow.

Median weeds are to be sprayed by maintenance also.

DBC’s purpose per our charter is to advise the BOD and GM in regard to beautification and environmental enhancement of the community.  Our short term goal recommendation to the Board requesting installation of a Sprinkler System maintenance project needed to maintain the community’s landscape investment

 ($12,000 +) fulfils this directive.  The Board removed the sprinkler system from the 2014-15 budgets.

Next Project:  Spring fountain decorations, more clean- up, and planting when warm enough.

Fund Raiser:  Pancake Breakfast preparations are underway.  PB Date: Saturday April 19^th (7 A-11 A). 

Prizes include- door prize and table decorations.    Raffle of a golf bag is also planned. View the golf bag & buy your raffle tickets at the Pro Shop or buy at the door April 19th ($1 each/6-$5/13-$10). 

This community-wide event raises money that goes directly back into our community for much needed beautification projects.  Community support is vital.

Pancake Breakfast Prices - $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 12 and under. 

Pancake Breakfast –PAY AT the Door ONLY/Saturday, April 19^th-7A-11A. (19th is also Children’s Egg Hunt).

DBC next meeting: Tuesday, April 8 @ 4:00 PM.  Town Report by G. Porter, Chairperson 2013-14.

Public Relations Committee ~ Gail Porter

Town Meeting PR Committee-Report/March-2014

The committee met on Thursday, March 13^th

PROMOTIONS IN PROGRESS & UPDATES

·        Articles focusing on/promoting DH are appearing in area newspapers more frequently.

·        A  DH promotional ad was also placed in the Sentinel Record Mail Away Edition

·        A Realtors Tour is being coordinated with plans to occur in May.

·        DH participated in St. Patrick’s Day Shortest Parade on Bridge St. / Hot Springs.  Two Golf carts were decorated with a ST. Patrick’s Day Theme and a big DH Sign was on board. Beads, candy, and discount golfing certificates were thrown to the crowd.  Many thanks go to PRC member, Sharon Perisho, for coordinating this promotional event.  Getting into the parade is no easy task and Sharon managed that as well as great St. Patrick’s Day Theme Decorations. (View the Focus online for pictures & details).

·       The slogan contest that asked entrants to create a slogan that promotes DH in a way that inspires others to become residents of DH kicked off the first week of January and ended February 28^th. 

·       Thanks to all who participated in the contest.

Entries were cut in half. Name halves were separated from the slogan halves to assure non- bias judging.  Entries were put in the office safe at the end of the contest.

 There were a total of 27 entrants.   All slogans that were submitted were considered.  A consensus was reached on one of the slogans, then; the slogan box with entrant names was opened to match slogan # to name #.

Ms. M. A. Wood, a 5 year resident, won the slogan contest. 

The winning slogan:

SCENIC STAYCATION LOCATION-DIAMONDHEAD GATED COMMUNITY

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Diamondhead POA PR Committee-2013-14

Agenda Meeting ~ March 20, 2014

Board Members Present:

President Mary Pracht                    Diane Jones

Vice President Joe Claflin              John Cummings

Treasurer John Porter                     Suzie Combs

Secretary Faye Taylor

General Manager James Turner

Board Members Absent:

Larry Hibbs

Ken Benck

            Meeting began with a presentation by Nominating Committee member, Bob Jones.  Bob proposed changes to the written procedures to reflect actual alterations that have been implemented:

• No Ballot Box will be available in the POA office.
• All Ballots will be sent to a 3^rd party / Accounting Firm in the envelope provided.
• Last day to apply for a Board position is April 30^th
• Anyone interested in running for the Board should obtain a copy of the By-Laws, Bill of Assurance & the Ethics Statement.

Click here to view Nominating Committee's letter to the community. 

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The Nominating Committee Wants You!

The Diamondhead Community continues to welcome many new property owners each year.    We thought it might be helpful to inform them of the process used to elect members to the community’s Board of Directors as well as to refresh the memory of those of us who have been property owners for a few years.

The Diamondhead Board of Directors is composed of nine property owners; each director serves a three-year term of office.  The Diamondhead Property Owners Association By-Laws require that each year three new members be elected to serve on the Board.  These newly elected members will replace the three members of the existing board whose terms are expiring that year.  This process attempts to guarantee a certain level of corporate memory is preserved by ensuring there are always 3 members with 2 years experience and 3 members with 1 year of experience on the board at all times.  Of the three newly elected directors, two must be resident property owners, while the third position is considered “at large”, meaning that either a resident or non-resident property owner can fill the post. 

Each year the President outgoing Board appoints a nominating committee.  This committee, chaired by the Board’s Vice-President, is responsible for seeking out qualified candidates to be nominated for each open position in the upcoming yearly election.  There is no limit to the number of candidates who can be nominated.  The only requirement is that each nominee must have been a Diamondhead property owner for at least one year with all dues and fees current and not under suspension of privileges.  The close of the business day on the last work day prior to May 1st is the deadline for nomination of candidates.  After that date, nominations are closed. 

The list of candidates is formally announced to the membership in the May issue of the Focus.  Additionally, each person is introduced to the community at “Candidates Night”, held on the third Thursday of June.  Approximately the first work day in July, the ballots are mailed to property owners whose dues and fees are current.  Mailed ballots must be postmarked prior to midnight, July 31^st.  Ballots are counted in early August. The winners are formally announced and take their place as members of the Board at the annual meeting on the last Saturday evening in August.  Once the new members are seated, the new board retires to an executive session and selects the officers for the coming year.

Even though Candidate’s Night in June seems far away, it will be here before we know it.  Since candidate resumes are due to the Nominating Committee in April, now is the time for each property owner to decide to get off the sidelines and put their energy, enthusiasm and expertise to use by becoming a candidate for one of these open positions.  If you’ll just stop and look around, you can see that The Diamondhead Community is a wonderful place to live.  Now more than ever, our community needs dedicated and aggressive leadership so that we can continue moving forward.  

If you are ready to serve your friends, neighbors, and community, or if you need more information, contact the DPOA office or call one of the following committee members:

Joe Claflin                  304-2017

Jim Hannon                655-2691

John Combs                282-1014

Bob Jones                   276-3778

Letter to DPOA Directors

March 8, 2014

Diamondhead Property Owner’s Association

245 Independence Dr

Hot Springs, AR 71913

Re:  Property Owner ‘s Association Dues

Dear Sirs:

The owners of lot M21590 (also known as 145 Diamondhead Drive, Hot Springs, AR 71913) withdraw any prior authorizations to initiate variable monthly debit entries to the bank account provided Property Owner’s Association (POA) personnel.  Electronic   withdrawal from our personal bank account  for the 2013-2014 period (April, 2013 – March, 2014) is no longer  authorized and must cease effective March 16, 2014. 

It is our intention to withhold dues payments to the Diamondhead POA until such time as we are satisfied that the POA Board of Directors is acting in the best interest of the entirety of the community and not a select group of property owners.  It is our opinion that the POA Board of Directors has not fulfilled its mandated fiduciary responsibilities.   Since we purchased our property in 2004, we have fulfilled our responsibility of promptly paying our POA Dues.   In the years since that time, we, and many other Property Owners, have expressed our concerns regarding a number of issues that directly reflect the inability of the POA Board of Directors to adequately or competently manage the funds, facilities and personnel of this community. 

 In 2005 there was a 100% dues increase.  In 2013, the decision to remove Fire Dues from our total annual dues was illegally enacted by the Board of Directors.  This resulted in a dues increase as fire dues have since been billed separately.   The approval of an additional fee of $50 for Capital Improvement Special Assessment continues to  demonstrate  the POA Board of Directors’ inability to perform their fiduciary responsibilities and act as good stewards of the monies and responsibilities entrusted to them. 

It is unfortunate that our names will be added to the ever-growing list of Diamondhead Property Owners who no longer pay their POA dues.  However we strongly believe this small act of defiance will motivate property owners who have otherwise remained mute and apathetic to become more active and outspoken to right the egregious wrongs perpetrated upon them by a tyrannical board of directors.

Sincerely,

Kimberly DeFilippis and Jerald McAnear Sr

145 Diamondhead Dr

Hot  Springs, AR 71913

Steve Manning for LHFD Board

The Annual Board Meeting for Lake Hamilton Fire Department is this Sunday, March 9th.  Elections will be held for new Board directors.  2:pm - Station 2 - Highway 290

 Steve Manning is a candidate for the LHFD Board
          Click on picture to view Mr. Manning's profile

Steve Manning is highly recommended by Suellen Simpson

Suellen Simpson is the wife of our late Fire Chief Matt Simpson

Each Diamondhead Member now has one vote!
                    Make your vote count !
                           
Come listen to both candidates for this Board position to make your own choice.  2:pm Sunday

Diamondhead Roads ~ by Alan Thornton

Possum Run - picture taken 2-26-14

Let me begin by saying that I have absolutely no motivation in wanting anything other than the well being of Diamondhead.  Diamondhead failing equates to all of the residents losing.  I have invested more than the average resident so my concerns are equally greater.  Speaking at a "Town Meeting", in my opinion, has proven to be a farce if you really believe it will do any good.  That is why I am now posting my opinions in this format where time is not a concern.  Perhaps it will have a positive effect on residents who have become apathetic and we can once again have a community that we want to live in because we feel  our opinions count.

The "Board" would have many believe that I-neighbors is something they ignore.  No they don't.  They are reading this right now and pray that the residents of Diamondhead will shut-up and let them ignore our By-laws and Bill of Assurance.

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