BOCA WINDS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 4, 2011
Board Members Present: Ginny DeMattei, Fran Neiman, Paul Pontrelli, Charlene Maville,
Michael Docks & Dominic Potenzini
Board Members Not Present: Linda Giannini & Vincent Knight
Also Present: Paul Valyo, Community Management & Construction, Inc.
Mr. Pontrelli opened the April 4, 2011 Board Meeting at 7:00 pm and welcomed all Board Members and Homeowner Members in attendance. There were approximately 20 Homeowner Members in attendance.
MINUTES– The March 7, 2011 Board Meeting Minutes were reviewed by the Board. Mrs. DeMattei made a motion to approve the Minutes as prepared. Mr. Potenzini seconded the motion and the March 7, 2011 Board Meeting Minutes were unanimously approved by the Board.
MINTO HOMES PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH PARCEL– Mr. Pontrelli introduced John Carter and Dirk Neuman from Minto Communities (Minto) and stated they were here to present their latest/revised site plan for development of the Church Parcel and to answer questions regarding the revised development plan. Mr. Neuman informed the Members that Minto had recently sent a letter to all Boca Winds and Ashley Park homeowners explaining the revised site plan and also included answers to many of the questions that homeowners had regarding the proposed development. Members acknowledged that they had received the letter and information sent by Minto. Mr. Neuman also stated: Minto met with Palm Beach County staff, West Boca Community Council, Loggers Run, Boca Winds and Ashley Park Homeowners Associations and discussed their proposed development plans. After receiving feedback from the county, homeowners and parties affected by the development, Minto has revised the original development plans by reducing the total proposed Units from 59 to 44 with the lots sizes now 65 feet wide by 130 feet deep minimum, increased from 55 feet wide by 120 feet deep. A Palm Beach County Workforce Housing regulation would have required Minto to build smaller less profitable homes with the 59 Unit site plan so they reduced their total proposed Units to 44 so they could now build larger/more profitable homes on larger lots. Minto plans to increase the 5 foot county required PUD Landscape Buffer to 10 feet wide where this buffer backs up to existing homes in Heritage Square and Ashley Park. Minto will construct a 5 foot minimum PUD Landscape Buffer around the existing lake adjacent to some of the homes in Heritage Square where the code will require 3 foot shrubs planted 2 foot on center and 1 tree every 30 feet. The PUD Landscape Buffer adjacent to the lake will be placed as close as possible to the existing lake so the homeowners facing the lake will see less of the shrubs because they will be planted just outside the lake maintenance easement, somewhat on the downslope towards the lake. The home sizes will now be slightly larger from approximately 2,500 square feet to 4,000 square feet. There will be 4 total house plans to choose from, 2-two story plans and 2-single story plans.
Minto no longer plans to develop and build homes along the Riverside Drive right-of-way or the triangular piece of property near the Hillsboro Canal owned by Bay Winds.
Mr. Carter then answered some questions regarding their revised plans. Mr. Carter stated there will not be a berm constructed surrounding the lake and an aluminum fence will no longer be installed surrounding the lake. A chain like fence will be installed at the north and south sides of the property adjacent to existing homes in Heritage Square and Ashley Park. Mr. Carter stated Minto contacted the Palm Beach County School Board and were informed there is capacity for additional students in the closest schools.
It was noted that the Riverside Drive right-of-way would still be owned by the county for possible future construction. Minto is discussing with West Boca Community Council and Palm Beach County the possibility of turning the right-of-way into green space so Riverside Drive will never be constructed south into Broward County.
Mr. Neuman stated the approval process and engineering would take approximately 12 to 18 months; site development would take approximately 6 months; sales and build-out would take approximately another 24 months; the entire process would take approximately 4 years. A temporary chain link fence will be installed around the perimeter of the existing lake during excavating/deepening of the lake.
The Board thanked Mr. Carter and Mr. Neuman for presenting their revised plans for development of the Church Parcel.
It was mentioned that the proposed development would not be a part of the Boca Winds or Bay Winds Homeowner Associations.
SECURITY – Mr. Petraglia informed the Board that regular Sheriff Deputy Patrols were continuing in the community every day except on Sunday. When school stops for the summer a private security officer will patrol both swimming pools. Mr. Petraglia presented some crime prevention tips from the Sheriff’s Department. Soliciting in the community was discussed and ways to try to control or eliminate soliciting.
WEBSITE – Mrs. DeMattei stated she will scan and post on the Website the Minto revised site plan for the Church Parcel. There was nothing else to report.
BAY WINDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Mr.Ristau informed the Board that Bay Winds has been dealing with lake problems for the past year. These problems included Hydrilla and algae growing in the lakes. The Bay Winds Board just approved the purchase of approximately 15,000 algae eating Blue Tilapia for all of the existing Bay Winds Lakes to be installed at the end of April. The Tilapia will reproduce but may also be eaten by the Bass in the lakes. Mr. Valyo stated the Tilapia will control the algae in the lakes but will not eliminate algae from blooming. Algae blooms occur due to hot weather/warm water, Phosphorus run off into the lake from fertilizers and grass touching the lake water.
Mr. Ristau also stated the Bay Winds Board looked into the possibility of installing Triploid Grass Carp in the lakes but these Carp may eat the Littoral Zones plants and the fencing/barriers that would keep the Carp out of the Littoral Zones are unsightly and will not be installed. Three lake bottom circulators will soon be installed in the Boca Falls lakes that will help reverse the ageing process of the lakes in these areas. Sonar to control Hydrilla growth in the lakes was installed at the end of March.
BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE – Mrs. Petraglia stated that all of the exterior improvements to the Clubhouse are now complete and the last phase of the re-landscaping will be complete soon. New signs were just installed around the exterior of the Clubhouse stating “No Skateboarding, Bicycle Riding, Rollerblading and No Scooters”. A large planter will be installed near the entrance steps to keep delivery trucks and vehicles from dropping off and picking up party supplies for the party rentals. The Board thanked the Committee for their hard work and stated the exterior of the Clubhouse looks very good upon completion of the improvements.
WEST BOCA COMMUNITY COUNCIL (WBCC) – Mr. Rongione was not in attendance at the Board Meeting so there was nothing to report.
COMCAST NEGOTIATIONS - Mr. Pontrelli stated the Committee consisting of himself, Ken Ristau, Nick Rongione, Allen Hertz and Jose Gutman met with two representatives from Comcast on March 28th to discuss questions and concerns from the Committee. At the end of this meeting the Committee agreed that Comcast would be the cable TV provider of choice. However, on March 29th, Comcast sent an email to Boca Winds stating they would offer only one of the following to Boca Winds – 1) signing incentive of $100 per Unit or $80,100; 2) 12 month reduction of 10% (80) of the homeowners in Boca Winds due to their delinquent payment of homeowners assessments. Previously, both of these incentives were included in the proposed Agreement. However, this morning Comcast increased the $100 per Unit signing incentive to $120 per Unit ($96,120) which almost completely offsets the Boca Winds loss in the 12 month reduction of billing for 80 delinquent homeowners.
Mr. Pontrelli then stated he received a new revised Agreement with Comcast today and he thinks a vote should be taken to accept the Agreement now before Comcast again decides to remove or lower incentives to sign the Agreement. Mrs. DeMattei stated she has not yet had a chance to review the Agreement and would like to see the latest Agreement with all changes/revisions and also time to review this Agreement before she would agree to vote on accepting the Agreement.
President, Paul Pontrelli then called for a Special Board Meeting on Thursday, April 7, 2011, 6:30 pm at the Boca Winds Clubhouse. The six (6) remaining Board Members agreed to the Special Board Meeting as called by Mr. Pontrelli. Mr. Valyo was directed to email all Board Members the latest/revised Comcast Agreement in the morning for their review to vote on the acceptance at the April 7th Special Board Meeting.
OLD BUSINESS – There was nothing to discuss.
NEW BUSINESS– Mr. Pontrelli stated he had an issue he wanted to discuss with the Board. Mr. Pontrelli stated he had spoken with a Broward County police officer that lives in the Boca Winds community. This homeowner was sent a violation letter from the Association for parking his marked police vehicle on the street, in the cul-de-sac of Little Palm Lane. Mr. Valyo stated he sent the street parking violation letter after he received an anonymous letter from a Waters Edge resident complaining about the police vehicle parked on the street. Mr. Pontrelli stated in the past the Boca Winds Boards has allowed police vehicles to be parked on the streets to act as deterrents to crime. Mr. Pontrelli then asked the Board if they had a problem with allowing police vehicles to be parked on the streets in Boca Winds. Mr. Docks stated that the Street Parking Rule and Regulations do not allow any vehicles to be parked in the streets so he is not in favor of making exceptions for police vehicles. Mr. Pontrelli stated the Street Parking Rule and Regulation could be modified to allow marked police vehicles to be parked on the street. Mr. Pontrelli then stated if the Association did not enforce this “no parking on the street” regulation for all vehicles parked on the street than action against this police vehicle could be viewed as selective enforcement.
The Board discussed this issue and Mr. Pontrelli’s suggestion and the Board decided not to take any action with this issue at this time.
Mr. Pontrelli informed the Board that he received a phone call from the Sun Sentinel asking for his comments regarding the proposed Minto development of the Church Parcel. Mr. Pontrelli informed the caller from the Sun Sentinel that he would not comment on the proposed development until the Boca Winds Board had a chance to discuss this issue and form an opinion as a Board for the Association. Mr. Pontrelli then stated Mrs. Linda Giannini, Board Member from Waters Edge, was quoted in the Sun Sentinel regarding the Minto Homes proposed development. In Mr. Pontrelli’s opinion the statements furnished by Mrs. Giannini were premature and she should have waited until the Board as a whole formed an opinion regarding the development of the Church Parcel. The Board agreed with this opinion.
Mrs. DeMattei made a motion to prepare a Board Resolution stating that if an individual Board Member is contacted by a newspaper regarding any issue requesting an opinion to ask the newspaper to contact the Property Manager. The Property Manager would then contact the President of the Board for a possible response to the issue or question. The Motion was seconded by Mrs. Maville and unanimously approved by the Board.
MANAGEMENT REPORT AND FINANCIAL REPORTS – Mr.Valyo informed the Board there were 168 Violation Letters sent in March. There were no community problems to report. The shrubs were fertilized in March with Lesco 7-1-7 slow release fertilizer. Landscape water restrictions are in effect now for two days per week watering. The common area landscape may suffer due to the dry conditions and only two days per week watering.
The cash in the Operating Account is low but it usually is at the beginning of a quarter due to quarterly assessment payments.
Delinquent Assessment Reports as of March 29, 2011 – Mr. Valyo recommended Association foreclosure on three delinquent accounts. These three delinquent accounts that are not in mortgage foreclosure are Barish, Lichtenstein and Walker. The Board discussed these delinquent accounts and decided not to begin Association foreclosure at this time.
February 2011 Balance Sheet and Income and Expense Report – Mr. Valyo stated the association is under Budget through February but the operating cash is low at this time.
Mrs. Maville made a motion to adjourn the Meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Potenzini and unanimously approved. The Board Meeting was adjourned at 8:34 pm.
Minutes Approved By:
___________________________________________ ____________________________
Ginny DeMattei Date
Secretary
