ROTONDA WEST ASSOCIATION, INC.
Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes
Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Present: Nick Gizzi, Claudette Romano, George Krabbe, George Burger, Bruce Miller, Ken Guillerm, Pete Traverso

Management: Norene Kugler, Assistant Manager, Dianne Brophy, Deed Restriction Secretary

Others: Joseph Romano, Dayle Tedeschi, James & Diana Chaney, John & Margie Carroll, Ken Hirsch, Bud Nill, Bob & Linda Bondeson, Pat Guillerm, Victor Claussen, Hank & Sue Artz, Don & Ginni Mahon, Lois Burger, David Pulaski, Jim Tibert, John Eisele, Richard & Barbara Kelley, Donna Krabbe, Tom & Donna Gleason, Jim & Jo Courtier, Marilyn Sink, Ruth Sargent, Jay & Linda Lyons, Michael Quinn, Jerry Spangenberg, Richard Duggan, Earl Haas, Walter & Claudette Taylor, Charles Dodd, Steve Superak, Anthony Milano

Call to Order
President Gizzi called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM with a quorum present.

Pledge of Allegiance
All present stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guest presentation
Jim Gallagher is a candidate for Sheriff of Charlotte County for 2008. He spoke to the audience and gave his background, experience and his cell number.

Review of Minutes
The minutes from the October 10, 2007 board meeting were approved as presented.

President Gizzi stated that during the past month many accusations were made by the past RWA manager. Therefore he announced a deviation from the agenda. The Board of Directors will respond to the accusations and answer any questions from the audience. Mr. Gizzi stated that the association is not missing any money and there have been no financial impropriety.

Treasurer Bruce Miller read the following report.

Accounting System Update and Analysis Report
Board of Director’s Meeting
November 14, 2007

Gerry Townsend, a member of the Budget & Finance Committee and a CPA, has been working to resolve the errors in our 21st Century accounting system specifically the “Cash Accounts” with First Community and Englewood Banks. As reported in the SUN Herald Newspaper, there was a discrepancy of approximately $313,000.  The Budget & Finance Committee was aware of this and was actively addressing the problem.  The first thing Ms. Townsend did was to review the December 31, 2006 Audit Report.  All accounts were in balance.  She reviewed each account from January 1, 2007 up to the present time.  She discovered a $266,000 transfer between the checking and money market accounts was done once, but recorded twice in the accounting records.  This action contributed to a large negative balance, thus, Ms. Pittman’s comments to the press of a $313,000 negative balance.  Ms. Townsend discovered this error quickly and as she commented “it jumped right out at you” which then leads to the question “why didn’t Ms. Pittman catch the error, fix it and report it?”  Upon further investigation, recording errors continued to take place throughout the year.  As the year went on, the problem became worse. 

The good news is that Ms. Townsend has been able to reconcile the cash accounts to the bank statements up to the present time.  I asked Gerry to give me a full accounting as to what she found.  She reported the cash accounts had not been reconciled on a monthly basis and that a lack of accounting knowledge, sloppy bookkeeping and not keeping up with the bank reconciliations contributed to the problems. She did not detect any missing funds.  These funds have all been accounted for.  While we have been able to narrow the out of balance gap down to a few thousand dollars, Gerry believes that sometime in March 2007, a change was made in the accounting system to the beginning 2007 balance which was different than the ending 2006 audited balance and that is what may be causing most of the problems.  Gerry is confident she can resolve this and has been in touch with the Association’s CPA, Goeff Lorah, to ensure they were both in sync with their thinking.

Ms. Townsend reports the key to ensuring accuracy in the accounting system is reconciling cash on a monthly basis, comparing actual revenues and expenses to the budget each month, understanding the variances, and making sure all revenues and expenses are posted to the correct general ledger accounts.  I want to thank Gerry at this time for bringing her expertise to the table in helping the association out with a very difficult problem.

Now I will attempt to answer the obvious question, “How did this get so far out of hand?”  As stated, Ms. Townsend did address some issues contributing to the problems.  Remember, we were without a manager for over 7 months.  This is not an excuse for the accounting problems but it certainly had a major impact on our problems. 

First, when Mr. Madsen, the former Manager, was released from his position, it was assumed the Assistant Manager was fully trained in our accounting system and could carry the load; essentially continue posting the account receivables, accounts payable, producing reports and reconciling the accounts.  The Board was not aware that the Assistant Manager was not trained to reconcile the accounts.  It appears the former manager, Nancy Leighton, chose to handle the account reconciliations herself.  Therefore, the Assistant Manager was never trained nor had the opportunity to get involved in the entire accounting system.

Second, to make matters worse, Mr. Madsen, who was hired prior to this Board, was not familiar with the accounting system based on the number of errors he made.  In the past, the Manager always reconciled the accounts.  That was the custom prior to Mr. Madsen’s tenure.  He never reconciled one month in the accounting system.  Rather than reconcile the accounts through the accounting system, he used a manual unauthorized way to reconcile.  Our accounting system was never updated to reflect his manual reconciliations.  He did not have the computer expertise the Board and membership was led to believe.

An accounting rule is that the person posting does not reconcile the accounts.  Historically, the Assistant Manager would do the posting and the Manager would reconcile the accounts. 

The Budget & Finance Committee quickly realized the depth of the problem after Mr. Madsen was released from his position.  Not only did Mr. Madsen not have computer expertise he lacked an accounting background that has been so often reported in the press.  The Committee reported the accounting problems and the situation we were in to the Board of Directors. 

Accounting Firms typically advise their clients of any inefficiencies and conditions with recommendations their clients need to be aware of.  Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Townsend asked Mr. Lorah if they produced such a letter.  They do and sent one to the Board last February.  The letter dated February 10, 2007 was faxed to Ms. Townsend.  That letter never reached the Board.  This occurred during Mr. Madsen’s tenure.  Why that letter was never brought to the attention of the Board and Budget & Finance, I can not explain.  This was critical information.  You are welcome to a copy of it. 

Third, during the search for a new manager, members of the Budget & Finance Committee assisted the Assistant Manager.  To soften the Assistant Manager’s work load a board member offered her time to answer phones, keep up with emails, posting meetings and other requirements and requests.  This Board member and co-chair of the Budget & Finance Committee has been accused of micromanaging along with other members of the Board.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Fourth, Ms. Townsend believes there is nothing seriously wrong with the accounting system.  The people working with the system didn’t have full knowledge of how it worked.  She pointed out that while the system works, it doesn’t seem to be the best for the RWA’S Accounting system, particularly, with an association the size of ours. 

Fifth, a new manager, Julie Pittman was hired.  Rather than digging into the accounting problems as requested by the Budget & Finance Committee, she recommended another software vendor.  It was obvious Ms. Pittman did not want to learn 21st Century.  Further frustration and damage continued as a result of Ms. Pittman’s ineptness. 

Sixth, the committee is still in the process of investigating other products that may best suit our needs.  If we stay with 21st Century or elect to go with another software product, the staff responsible for the RWA’S Accounting System must be trained.  

The attitude of this Board has always been to allow the Manager and the office staff to function on its own and not interfere.  While Board members have been criticized for micromanaging the office staff, remember, the Board is responsible for the operations of this Association.  Due to the fact that we were without a Manager, this Board stepped up to the plate to keep the office and operations going, uninterrupted.  It has successfully kept the boat afloat.  In my opinion, the criticism in the press is totally unwarranted considering the circumstances. 

While the Board may not have understood the total complexity of the issues they were faced with they have been diligent in their efforts to try to resolve the problems.  It has been a learning experience for us all. 

While the press continues to report negative comments and putting the Board on the defense, this Board invites the press to publish this report, front page.

I believe we are well over the hump.  Our accounting system is intact and will balance out within a few days.  Gerry Townsend is working with the Assistant Manager to ensure we maintain the integrity of the accounting system database.  Reconciliation will occur on a monthly basis.  Training will begin immediately whether we stay with 21st Century or install a new system. 

As more information becomes available we will continue to update you at the Board Meetings, West Ways and the RWA Website.  If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any one of the Board Members. 
Thank you,
Bruce Miller, Treasurer

President Gizzi stated that the Association’s accountant Geoff Lorah of Webb, Lorah & Company, P.L., CPAs is here to respond to the false accusations.

Mr. Lorah said it is ironic and probably heartening that the comments we made in relation to the accounting system are very consistent with what the Treasurer has just said as well as the comments made in West Ways. And these were made independent of knowing what the Association’s management had reported. I hope that provides the members some cause for comfort that the Board and the Budget and Finance Committee understood the problem and were pursuing an answer as expeditiously as possible.

Mr. Lorah then read the following report.

Comments for Board of Directors Meeting, November 14, 2007
Our CPA Firm appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Association’s accounting procedures and our Firm’s role as the RWA’s independent auditors. Our Firm’s policy is not to respond directly to questions, comments, statements, whether factual or fictitious, without the authorization of an appropriate representative of our client. We believe being invited to attend this Board meeting affords us the proper forum to comment on the accounting and audit issues that have recently been raised.

Regarding the Firm’s role as the Association’s independent auditor, the independence rules of the code of professional conduct for certified public accountants have been revised. Primarily as a result of Enron and other business collapses, and the perceived relationships between the business and their auditors, as well as in response to expectations  of investors, these new independence rules require a clear separation between the responsibility for accounting procedures and financial statement preparation and the independent auditors reporting on the fair presentation of the financial statements.

To have the independent auditors involved in the recording of financial transactions and the implementation of accounting procedures is deemed to potentially result in the independent CPA auditing their own work. For those of you who have heard of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, this resulted in publicly held companies having a separate accounting firm to assist with the implementation of accounting procedures and a different accounting firm providing audit services.

Our Firm has had the privilege of proving audit services to the RWA since the management of the Association was turned over to the property owners from the developer. We believe the professional, objective audit services we have rendered have been instrumental in our continued service to the RWA. We have provided independent audit services to the RWA when the Board was controlled by (to use recent newspaper editorial terms)  the “blue” members of the Association and when the Board was controlled by the “red” members of the Association.

Our audit report for the year ended December 31, 2006 once again expressed an unqualified opinion on the fair presentation of the Association’s financial statements. We also had meetings and correspondence with the Association’s management regarding accounting procedures. The Board of Directors and Budget and Finance Committee has been very involved in the Association’s financial reports and accounting procedures. Many volunteers from the Association have assisted in this process. Recently, a knowledgeable and qualified volunteer from your community, who is also a CPA, has provided valuable assistance with the RWA’s accounting process and financial reporting.

In summary, we believe this process is functioning as intended. The RWA’s Board accepted responsibility for accounting functions and, rather than incur the cost of outside consultants, has utilized the expertise of qualified volunteers. Our Firm has been kept informed of the progress being made, but we remain independent of the actual work process. Those who criticize the process, are apparently not familiar with the required roles of the RWA and its independent auditors.

Finally, with an office staff of three paid employees, when the Association has a full time salaried manager, it is generally not possible to have ideal separation of duties and responsibilities for accounting internal control purposes. Therefore, the involvement of the volunteer board members is an important part of this internal control process, and these board members do have a fiduciary responsibility to insure that checks and balances are maintained in this RWA’s accounting and management procedures. It is possible that this involvement of the Board has been interpreted as micromanagement. From the perspective of the independent auditors, this involvement is an important part of the control process.

Bud Nill asked Gerry Townsend to give her qualifications. Mrs. Townsend said she had  moved into Rotonda two months ago, permanently. She had just retired, or thought she did! She has been a CPA for over 20 years, has a Masters in Business Administration, was Assistant Controller at Trump Taj Mahal. She has an undergraduate degree in education. She worked for a school system in New Jersey and handled a budget of about 30 million dollars and about 10 employees.

Bids: President Gizzi explained the bid process. When a project is expected to cost more than $5,000 a pre bid meeting date is advertised in a local or trade publication. A pre bid meeting is held for all of the prospective bidders to receive all of the particulars relative to the project to be bid upon. After a prescribed period of time the sealed bids submitted by the vendors are opened at a public meeting with the interested vendors present. The cost to advertise for bids is between $500 and $600, therefore projects that are estimated to cost less than $2,500 do not go out for bids, as this would not be cost effective.

Previous Manager Position: President Gizzi said that in the last search for a manager the RWA hired an employment agency to screen candidates for RWA. The fee for this service is 10% of the successful candidate’s first annual gross salary. The contract with the agency states the person hired would be on a ninety day trial period and final payment would not be made until after the ninety days. Part of the service of the agency is to provide a background check on prospective candidates. The agency did conduct a background check but did not check the authenticity of her degrees. I have checked with other sources and discovered that this practice is not unusual. As has been reported, discrepancies were discovered early on and because of this, the agency only accepted one week’s salary which was due upon the applicant’s initial acceptance. The agency has applied that money toward searching for a new candidate. The Administrative/Personnel Committee has been interviewing potential candidates and this morning recommended to the Board of Directors a person the committee felt was ideally suited for the position. The Board agreed and we are pleased to announce that as of December 3rd a respected member of our community, Mr. Jay Lyons has accepted the position of Manager for the RWA. Jay comes to us with a wealth of experience in that he has spent 28 years managing organizations from 3 to 300 employees and multi million dollar budgets.

Jay Lyons said this is the culmination of a very, very exciting process. Mr. Lyons said he is very interested in what happens with our association and representing the interests of the property owners of Rotonda and also working with the Board of Directors. He has 28 years experience as a General Manager in industry and also was involved in home owner associations, as the president. He also was a real estate broker and general manager here in the Englewood area.  He said he was very proud to be appointed to the position and appreciates the Board’s confidence. 

Mr. Gizzi explained that Mr. Lyons does not have a Community Association Manager’s license at this time. He is applying for the license and will be operating under Norene Kugler’s CAM license.

Treasurer’s Report: Chair Bruce Miller reported that there are 214 delinquent accounts, 143 for 2007. Uncollected funds total $87,663. There is $400,000 in CD’s.

Committee Reports

Election – Chair Sue Artz announced that the annual meeting will be Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 7:00 PM. There will be two speakers. Darcey Nicolosi, is a Charlotte County Code Compliance Officer and Reid Schaefer is from W. D. Sanders Company. Mr. Schaefer is an inspector for Florida Safe Homes Program and will explain the grant program.

Administration/Personnel – Nick Gizzi said the Committee was busy interviewing candidates for the manager’s position.

Aquatic Canal System – The committee met on Wednesday evening October 24th for a committee sponsored special presentation entitled “State of the Rotonda Canal Ecosystem”. Approximately 60 members attended. John Farrell, owner of FloridAquatics was the moderator.

The Charlotte County Extension Agency was represented by John Hunter, John Knezeviec, Rick Renick and Nick Delvett. They described and exhibited plants that would be beneficial to have in our canals.

Bill Morgan from Aquamaster described a program that could eliminate the muck buildup in the canals and also inhibit the growth of unwanted vegetation by introducing bacteria and aeration to our system.

John Farrell explained that although our canals look better than they have in the past, the use of chemicals alone to maintain them is not the best solution. The chemicals that kill the excess growth cause the material to fall to the bottom of the canal where they decompose and create muck containing nutrients which causes the cycle to keep repeating itself. A pilot program is being considered by the Committee and if finances allow, may be implemented in 2008 or 2009.

Tom Jackson from Rosella Erosion Control described a novel method of vacuuming muck from the canals and placing it into permeable textile tubes along the shoreline, so there wouldn’t be the cost of transportation to remove the muck.

After questions and answers, refreshments were supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Farrell.

On Saturday November 10th a workshop was conducted by Norb Zoltowski and Bob Winter on how to economically make tools for use in cleaning debris from the canals. Approximately 20 members attended. There were demonstrations using the tools from the shoreline and from the RWA boat.

The next meeting date is November 28 at 3:00 PM.

Beautification/Mowing – Chair Claudette Romano gave the following report. The Beautification/Mowing Committee met on Thursday, November 8 at 2:00 PM. Due to budgetary constraints, the “Renovations” to the Oakland Hills Marina have been placed on hold. At the October Board meeting, permission was granted to place a Pre-Bid meeting ad in the newspaper. The ad was in for one day when I was requested by the Board to cancel the remaining days this ad was to run. The RWA office received at least four calls from contractors wishing to bid and also four additional contractors dropped off their cards at the office wanting to bid on this project. This would have been an opportune time for this “Renovation” to take place. Discussion ensued pertaining to right-of-way permits. Art Richards read the email from Tara Musselman.

The following motion was passed by the Committee to present to the Board of Directors:
Motion by Claudette Romano that on behalf of the Beautification/Mowing Committee, I am requesting that the Board request Tara Musselman to call an MSBU meeting sometime early in December to discuss Object Markers on Rotonda Boulevard West and all other bridges in Rotonda West. Seconded by Ken Guillerm and approved unanimously.

The Committee is waiting to hear from Lang Capasso or his Assistant to set-up a meeting pertaining to the Sun’s newspaper boxes. This needs to take place before the end of November. An email was received from Lang Capasso stating that he has contacted Golden Eagle and the Sarasota Herald newspaper to come to some agreement. I emailed Mr. Capasso wishing him luck and a good outcome to this meeting.

Linda Harrison discussed the Christmas Parade which will take place on Sunday, December 2 at 3:00 PM. RWA is still waiting for a “Hold Harmless” letter from the Rotonda Elks. Linda also mentioned, there will be “NO” port-a-potties available along the parade route.

The Committee is providing complete fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner for twelve Rotonda West families. The families range from three members to eight members.

Budget and Finance – Chair, Bruce Miller gave the following report. A Bank Day Workshop was held on Friday October 19th. The committee met with 2 banks, Busey Bank and Colonial Bank. The purpose is to have a year-end “Bank Day” to see what other banks have to offer that Englewood Bank may not be offering.

Busey Bank offers a courier service, remote check scanning, and would work to maximize the RWA’s earning capabilities.

Colonial Bank deals with many HOA’s. They offer a lock box service, free checks, no minimum balance requirements, tiered interest rates, online bill pay and remote check scanning.

The committee held a workshop October 23rd with the Board to discuss the proposed 2008 budget. During that meeting the board agreed to put a moratorium on spending for the rest of this year as well as 2008 until we have a chance to see if the assessment funds are arriving on a timely basis. Therefore, I as a representative of the Budget and Finance Committee, make a Motion to put a moratorium on all non-essential spending effective immediately and until such time the Board feels 2008 assessments are coming in on a timely basis to adequately support the 2008 budget. Seconded by Pete Traverso and approved unanimously.

The Budget & Finance Committee recommends the Board approve the 2008 Proposed Budget as presented.

1. Total amount of the 2008 Budget is $1,087,029
2. $1,087,660 divided by 7997.5 lots = $136 yearly assessment (9 County lots removed)
3. This is a 15% increase from $119 to $136 or $17 a year increase. This equates to $1.42 a month or .33 cents a week or 4.7 cents a day.
4. No projects have been budgeted
5. Beautification, Property and Aquatic/Canal projects have been put on hold.
6. This budget is a “must have” budget to keep the operations going – no wish list – no frills
7. $80,415 has been allocated to a line item named “Unanticipated Expense” to be used for Building repairs and Aquatic/Canals
8. A 3% inflation factor has been built in
9. Uncollected assessments estimated to be 192 lots
10. Estimated $41,748 of unanticipated revenues are not included (Transfer Fees, Interest, RMC Applications, Credit Card Fees, Fining Fees)

Motion by Pete Traverso to accept 2008 budget with an annual 2008 assessment at $136 per lot. Seconded by George Krabbe and approved unanimously.

Pete Traverso said a “Thank You” to Bruce Miller and the Budget & Finance Committee for their hard work.

Community Relations – The Community Relations Committee met on November 7 at 3:00 PM. Discussion was held on the purposeful delay of the West Ways in order to respond with the facts concerning Mrs. Pittman’s erroneous statements to the press. West Ways was mailed to all members yesterday. Editor Don Mahon presented the format for the next West Ways. Along with this discussion, Don announced that the next edition will be his last as editor. Each edition requires 60 to 70 hours of work. Don says that after 6 years, enough is enough, and now it is time to devote to family and activities. Don, we thank you for all your great work and look forward to your next and last edition. The next item of discussion was our Web Site and webmaster Ken Hirsch asked for more pictures to place on the site. He was assured they will be forthcoming. Linda Harrison reported on the progress of the Christmas parade and assured the committee that it was a go. Many participants have signed up, so we look for a successful parade.

Compliance – The Compliance Committee did not meet.

Deed Restrictions – Chair George Burger reported that the Deed Restriction Committee met on Tuesday, November 6 at 9:00 AM. The Committee has been working on the first rewrite of the Deed Restrictions. In the next 4 to 6 weeks the Committee plans to have it ready to go to the Developer for approval.

Motion by Pete Traverso from the Deed Restriction Committee to recommend to the Board of Directors to allow Mr. & Mrs. Meredith of 12 Broadmoor Road a hardship pass to live in their motor home in the driveway for forty-five (45) days due to the flooding of their home. Seconded by Bruce Miller and approved unanimously.

RWA Properties – Chair George Krabbe gave the following report. The Properties Committee met on October 22, 2007. Chairman Krabbe reported an Epson 77C Media Projector was purchased as part of the office equipment. Purchase of all other office equipment was put on hold until after the first of the year.

The rules governing the use of the Rotonda West Association Community Center were read and approved by the Committee and are now posted in the Community Center. The rules are as follows:

1. The RWA must approve the availability and use of the Community Center and any fees must be paid in advance.
2. The organization or renter using the Community Center during non business hours is responsible for opening and securing the Center. This includes turning fans on low, turning off all lights, and making sure all doors are locked.
3. The organization or renter is responsible for:
   
   Cleaning all areas used:
   Kitchen: Sink, counters, and stove must be cleaned. Clean up any spills on the floor.
   Meeting areas: Replace tables and chairs to their proper places. Vacuum if necessary – vacuum cleaner is located in the closet between the rest rooms.
   Empty trash cans when food is discarded, place trash bags in the dumpster located behind the Center. Replace plastic liners in cans (liners are in the women’s rest room in the vanity cabinet).
   
4. All food and containers are to be removed from the refrigerator and kitchen area.
5. Noncompliance to the above rules may result in loss of privileges and/or a clean-up fee charge.

Residential Modification – Chair Pete Traverso asked Dianne Brophy to give the report. There were 17 approvals for the month of October. Re-roof 3, repaint 2, pool 1, pool cage 1, storm shutters 2, solar panels 2, fences 5, and driveway apron 1.

Mr. Traverso stated that there was an unauthorized residential modification to the waterfront property at 101 Broadmoor Lane. A dock or a boardwalk was built and severe landscaping and terracing on the rear yard and the canal area. The “canal area” is between the rear lot line and the water’s edge and is under the authority of the Rotonda West Association. The owner came to the Residential Modification Committee after the fact. A cease and desist order was sent by Certified Mail to the owner. The owner has to comply with engineering reports, surveys, etc. There has been no response at this time. This is a major, major change in the topography behind that house. George Burger said that there are County permits that are required, especially for building on a canal. There are no County permits in place.

Rotonda West Street & Drainage Advisory Committee – Chair Claudette Romano gave the following report. The Committee met on Monday, October 15 at 2:00 PM and an update on drainage issues was given. Many issues still remain in limbo. We will meet on Monday, November 19 at 2:00 PM at which time I would like to discuss bringing our problems to the next MSBU meeting. My understanding is – there is close to $2 million dollars in our MSBU which is not designated for any specific projects. Rotonda West residents have paid into this MSBU and monies spent in Rotonda West. Rumor has it that eventually, there will only be three MSBUs. This means that we will join with other MSBUs and monies may be co-mingled. Before that happens, we need to fix our drainage and get the water off the streets and out of the swales.

The damaged guard rail on Cape Haze Bridge that was hit by a car was replaced by the County yesterday. The curbing in that area was also damaged at the time of the accident.

Unfinished Business
Mrs. Romano said she has mailed 100 to 150 letters to owners of overgrown vacant lots, asking them to have the lot cleared. The response from the owners has been good. Ecological Clearing has cleared 33 lots.

New Business
George Krabbe informed the audience that the West Charlotte County Civic Association, Inc. General Membership Meeting is Monday, November 19, 2007 at 9:00 AM in Unit 2 of the Tringali Center. The public is invited and urged to attend. The speakers will be Tom O’Kane, Director Charlotte County Public Works and Tara Musselman, MSBU Representative, Charlotte County Public Works.

Members Input
Joseph Romano asked President Gizzi if we have a copy from the Rotonda Elks of the Hold Harmless needed for the Christmas parade.

John Eisele asked when the Gazebo is scheduled to be decorated for Christmas, so he can have the grass mowed. Mr. Gizzi responded it is on November 24.

James Cheney said he had circulated a petition against the proposed dirt mine in Pine Valley and collected 70 signatures from people who live near the dig area and along the truck route. The hearing was May 18. Mr. Cheney said the trucks hauling the dirt have caused road decay and damage to a canal bridge on Rotonda Circle.

Bruce Miller said that during the construction of the Pinemoor Golf Course their lanai was covered with dirt everyday for 2 ½ years. It was awful and very frustrating, but now it is a beautiful golf course view.

Gene Bird said the damaged support cable to a power pole has not been replaced and the pole is now leaning. He asked the association’s assistance in resolving this problem.

Gerry Townsend thanked the Board of Directors and the members of the Budget & Finance Committee for the hours spent working on the budget. She said one of the neat things about this community is the “spirit of volunteerism” within the community, because she comes from the northeast where that doesn’t happen too often.

John & Maggie Meredith thanked the Board for their understanding during the difficult time since their house was flooded.

Charles Dodd said he is very concerned about the drainage system. The temporary structures that were put in place by earlier developers, on the ends of the canal outlets have not been maintained. There are good structures at Buck Creek and White Marsh. The others are a mess. He said there is leak in the canal system. It is losing water at the rate of 250 gallons per minute. Mr. Gizzi said the County has offered their help.

Directors Input
Claudette Romano read the following letter. To the Board of Directors - Due to health problems, I regret to inform the Board that I can no longer work in the RWA office as of Friday, November 16, 2007. I will continue to work with the A/P Committee, and Chair the Beautification/Mowing Committee, and the RWA Street & Drainage Committee.

Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.  The next scheduled Board meeting is the Annual Election at the Tringali Center on December 6, 2007 at 7:00 PM.

Norene Kugler
Assistant Manager