Minutes Index

Whispering Oaks Homeowners’ Association

Minutes From Interim Board Meeting

January 16, 2005

Minutes of the Whispering Oaks Homeowners Association Interim Board

January 16, 2005

The Interim Board of WOHA met at St. Augustine Beach City Hall at 7 pm on January 16, 2005, to report on progress in the transition to a new board.

Board members present were Bill Griffiths, director; Pat Moyer, treasurer; John Ragosta, president; Bill MacDowell, director; Dave Anderson, vice president; and John Blackford, secretary.  Also present were Linda Anderson and Bette MacDowell, of the communications committee, Chris Ragosta, of the landscaping committee; Joe Price (chairman) and Patty Crum, of the covenant review committee; Marty Zydell Architectural review committee (chairman).

The meeting was called to order at 7 pm.

John Blackford read the minutes of the January 4, 2005, meeting.  Dave Anderson made a motion to accept them, and John Ragosta seconded with the amended date of the subsequent meeting (this one, not one on 1/9/05).  This was favored by all and opposed by none.

Next was the treasurer’s report, presented by Pat Moyer.  For details, see “Current Financial Overview for Whispering Oaks Home Owner’s Association.”  Also, she presented the “Proposed Amendment to the 2005 Annual Budget for Whispering Oaks Home Owners Association of Saint Augustine Beach, Inc.” which presents an argument for a monthly assessment of $40 per lot, an increase explained in that document (1).

At this point, Interim Board President John Ragosta made a motion to form an executive committee later in this meeting which will audit and bring to a vote at the next meeting the revised budget.  Officer Bill MacDowell seconded it, it was favored by all, and opposed by none.

Interim Board President John Ragosta then made a motion to open the floor, Officer Dave Anderson seconded it, it was favored by all, and opposed by none.  Communications Committee Chair Linda Anderson was then recognized and asked about the status of lightning rods for the gates.  Treasurer Pat Moyer then confirmed that the proposed, amended budget allocated $1,435 for said rods as indicated on page two of “Proposed Amendment to the 2005 Annual Budget for Whispering Oaks Home Owners Association of Saint Augustine Beach, Inc.”  With that clarified, Interim Board President John Ragosta then asked for input from the floor, waited, and heard none.  Officer Dave Anderson then made a motion to close the floor which was seconded by Interim Board President John Ragosta, opposed by none, and favored by all. 

Per the agenda, next came committee reports.  The first of which being the Architectural Review Committee, Interim Board President John Ragosta reminded those present of the provision in the covenants indicating that plans that have been submitted to the ARC (2) for approval are automatically approved after 30 days.  And, since the former board did not indicate the date of receipt of the Ducette plans in the management transfer, the current ARC is left to conjecture in regards to that project’s time table.  At this point, Patty Crumb mentioned that Bobby Crum did not see the plans as far as she knew.  Nevertheless, Interim Board President John Ragosta made a motion to get Ducette the ARC decision within 10 days (by 1/25/05) which was seconded by officer Dave Anderson, favored by all, and opposed by none.  The ARC then agreed to meet to review and then report results at the next board meeting.  Interim Board President John Ragosta asked both for a copy of the Ducette plans and for permission to attend their committee meeting.  He then made a motion to dispatch the ARC report which was seconded by Bill MacDowell, favored by all, and opposed by none. 

Next came the Landscaping Committee report in which Bill MacDowell stated he planned on laying low until the sign situation is made more concrete, and Chris Ragosta concurred.  Bill Griffith then mentioned he had heard something about the placement of foliage around the lift station pump, and Bill MacDowell then confirmed the existence of shrubbery of some sort in that vicinity in the entry area plans.  He then stated there was no more to report.  Interim Board President John Ragosta made a motion to close this segment which Dave Anderson seconded, all favored, and none opposed. 

Then the only thing the Operations Committee had to report was that it had a meeting planned for 1/17/05 at 7 pm and it would report its findings at the next meeting.  Interim Board President John Ragosta made a motion to move to the next committee report, Pat Moyer seconded it, all favored it, and none opposed it 

The Communications Committee’s Chairperson mentioned Bette MacDowell’s quest for a bulletin board and knowledge of Home Depot’s carrying such boards.  She mentioned that Marlene Griffith had been in contact with people from Makario’s about beach access.  She then mentioned efforts to update the WOHA phone list to include email via a questionnaire in a mail out along with ballot and nomination forms prior to the March 12 meeting.  Dave Anderson mentioned the incurrence of over $200 in postage fees already for snail mail, emphasizing the need for email correspondence.  It was decided the first quarterly newsletter needs to be out by April 1, 2005.  Bill MacDowell made a motion to move on which was seconded by Bill Griffiths, favored by all, and opposed by none.                                                                                        

The Election Committee reiterated its plan to include for requests for people to run for positions on the new board, a form for nominations, and a request for people to sign up for committees.  Officer Dave Anderson made a motion to close, Bill MacDowell seconded it, it was favored by all, and opposed by none.

Moving on, the Covenants Review Committee Chairman Joe Price mentioned out-of-date verbiage concerning the method of Ralph Morris’s withdrawal from his role in WOHA, and he inquired as to the method with which the interim or a new board ought to approach changes in the covenants.  John Ragosta then mentioned the fact that at least 50% or more of WOHA needed to favor the removal of a covenant for it to happen, and Joe Price then mentioned he was aware of that but that his question pertained more to the way a vote would be taken.  The question referred, it seemed, to the possibility of either a dim sum type referendum or a batch vote.  John Ragosta and Joe Price then concurred that the question could best be answered only when specific covenant issues arose.  John Ragosta explained the reason for covenant revision through the example of rules against satellite dishes and by reiterating the general homeowner’s association goal of both providing a friendly place to live and protecting property values.  Those covenants working against those goals should be revised or eliminated.  Bill MacDowell then made a motion to close the Covenant Review Committee’s report which Dave Anderson seconded, all favored, and none opposed.

Next order of business was the establishment of the executive committee to review the proposed, amended 2005 budget.  Under Florida Statutes it is permissible for a homeowner’s association to establish executive committees to conduct business between meetings. Such entities are subordinate to boards and cannot undue any decisions or actions of their boards.  As at least hinted to earlier, it is the interim board’s obligation to carry out all of WOHA’s responsibilities until a new board is elected.  Among those is the need to pass a budget to cover necessary expenses.  Therefore, President John Ragosta appointed Treasurer Pat Moyer and Officer Dave Anderson to the executive committee in charge of understanding and auditing the proposed, amended 2005 budget for WOHA.  This committee will present its findings at a meeting at St. Augustine Beach City Hall, January 23, 2005, at 7 pm.  At that point the Interim Board of WOHA will vote on this budget, and if it passes, the board will then create a schedule for the payment of homeowner dues and begin the creation of a letter to inform greater WOHA of it.  John Ragosta made a motion to accept this plan, Bill MacDowell seconded it, all favored it, and none opposed it.

Bill MacDowell made a motion to adjourn, Bill Griffith seconded it, all favored it, and none opposed it. 

1.  It should be noted that the cost of lowering the hills is not factored into that assessment because the decision to either do so or not will rest in the hands of the next elected board; however, because of a contractual obligation, the cost of the sign is factored in.  It should also be noted plans for the sign have not been approved by the state nor the local building inspector due to wind-rating concerns.  At this point, Dave Anderson has asked the city to stall the approval process until further obfuscation has been eschewed concerning the issue.

2.  Note that the interim ARC is now Patty and Bobby Crum, Judy Berling, and Marty Zydell, chairman.