It's that time of year again. The Oak Ridge Nominating Committee (Ruth Engel, Syl Gaisbauer and A.D. Robinett) has been called upon to find candidates to fill the slots of four directors whose terms of office expire in May, and for the first time in four years, I will not be one of the candidates.
Inger Lise and I moved to Oak Ridge in December of 1998. I agreed to be secretary of the board in May of 1999, and I became its president a year later.
It has been three eventful years, and I feel it's time to step aside.
During my term of office, we have dealt with the possible creation of a municipal utility district (MUD) associated with a sewer system and continued to wrestle with the best and fairest way to pay for nearby fire protection. I am pleased with our greater use of the Internet and email, and I think we do a better job of listening to each other during POA meetings. I am disappointed that these meetings are not as well attended as they could be, and the work load of running our community is still not being shared equally.
Although I will not be a member of the Board, I will help the new president transition into the job just as Cleo Robinett and Rosalie Meier helped me. Additionally, I will continue to be an active member of the POA.
And finally, as a commissioner for Llano County Emergency Services District #1,
I will do everything I can to insure the best interests of Oak Ridge are served.
Gil Blount
President
Oak Ridge Estates Property Owners Association
Membership Meeting
March 20th, 2003
Minutes of POA meeting - 3/20/2003
President Gil Blount called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM. Other board members present were Steve Gibbs, Tom Graham, Bill Manno and Wilda Meixner.
Gil Blount recommended that since the Minutes from the December 13, 2002 meeting were printed in the winter 2002-2003 edition of the Acorn and posted on the Oak Ridge web site they be considered approved as written unless there were corrections or changes. There were none, so the Minutes were approved.
Wilda Meixner read the Treasurer's report, and although 15 home owners and 17 lot owners have paid nothing for fire protection, we expect to have sufficient funds to pay our annual bill with LBJ MUD in view of the $6,670.14 overpayment credit we received from them. Those who have not paid for the entire year will be billed for the remainder of the year in April. For administrative ease, Wilda recommended changing the fiscal year back to May 1st to April 30th, and her recommendation was approved.
Since more than 30 property owners have still not paid their $20 annual assessment, Dale Hewgley recommended they be written letters reminding them that in accordance with the Oak Ridge deed restrictions, a lien can be placed against their property and filed in the County Clerk's office. Dale's recommendation was approved, and letters will be sent.
Wilda's report also included a very detailed explanation of the calculations used to refund contributions made by residents to purchase Lot 1 in Unit II of Oak Ridge. This very precise process(attached) jointly developed by Wilda, Inger Lise Blount and Larry Crow was praised.
The Nominating Committee consisting of Ruth Engel, Syl Gaisbauer and AD Robinett, agreed to identify candidates to fill the slots of four directors (Gil Blount, Tom Graham, Wilda Meixner and Phil Roth) whose terms of office will expire effective May 17, 2003. As part of their search process, they will ask each of these four if they are willing to run for office again. Gil took the opportunity to say that after four years on the board and three as president, he was not willing to run for a third term.
The Board's proposal to increase the annual assessment from $20 per lot to $100 per property owner (regardless of the number of lots owned) provoked a spirited discussion. The legality of changing anything in the deed restrictions continues to be an issue, and concern was expressed by Les Fenter that the Board has not done a good enough job of communicating how much money is collected on an annual basis and how it is being spent. As a result, a three-person task force made up of Dale Hewgley, Mary Nix and Eddie Wells agreed to help the Board design an attachment to accompany the ballot being used to conduct a vote to increase the assessment. The objective of the one page attachment is to provide full disclosure and help property owners better understand the rationale behind the Board's recommendation. The ballot is expected to be mailed out in early April.
Gil announced that Calvin Lewis agreed to replace Don Reid as chairman of the Architecture Committee, and Bill Terrell will replace Lamar Muston and serve as vice chairman. Roger Harris and Eddie Wells will continue to serve on the Committee. In addition, Shelton Thibodeaux has agreed to act as vacation relief in the event fewer than three members are available to make a recommendation to the Board.
There was no Old Business to discuss.
New Business:
Inger Lise presented two proposals to beautify the Community Center this year. Judy Martin will lead a team to provide window treatments, and Syl Gaisbauer will take the lead to install acoustical tile on the back room ceiling. Both proposals were approved, and the necessary funds (estimated to be less than $1,000) will be taken from the Capital Budget. Inger Lise presented a third proposal to "do something" to the back room floor next year, and that recommendation was tabled.
John Cruce (son-in-law of Janet and Mike Stein) presented his business plan to provide wireless Internet service to interested parties in Oak Ridge. He advised that a critical mass of 35 customers would be required to start-up his company.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Gil Blount,
(acting secretary)
Attachment to the minutes regarding detailed explanation related to the property purchased from thibodeaux.
Since there were some questions concerning how reimbursements were calculated on the lots, Wilda Meixner prepared the following:
Monies contributed by members of the community and the POA were used for the purchase price plus costs such as survey and plat into four lots and the payment of taxes. As a non-profit organization, the price received when the lots sold could be no more than the amount spent. Costs were allocated according to lot size. In each instance, the lot purchaser was responsible for all closing costs.
| Total contributed by 79 members of the community | $73,791.50 |
| Total contributed by POA | 1,753.79 |
| Total Collected | 75,545.29 |
| Price paid for the lots | 71,206.58 |
| Cost of survey, plat and taxes through year 2002 | 4,338.71 |
| Total Cost | 75,545.29 |
| Lot | % of whole | Selling price | Returned to contributors | Returned to POA |
| B | 24 | $18,095.00 | $17,726.00 | $369.00 |
| C | 17 | $12,810.00 | $12,528.00 | $282.00 |
| D | 28 | $21,200.66 | $20686.43 | $514.23 |
Example of repayment of $1,000 contribution. 1.3552% of $73,791.50
| Lot B | |
| 1.3552% of $17,726 =check sent to contributor for | $240.22 |
| Lot C | |
| 1.3552% of $12,528 = check sent to contributor for | $169.78 |
| Lot D | |
| 1.3552% of $20,686.43 = check sent to contributor | $280.34 |
| Lot A | |
| when this lot sells, there will be a check for | $309.66 |
| Total | $1,000.00 |
We hope this clarifies the issue.
During the weekend of Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd, the restrooms were vandalized. Since the vandals knew the combination to the bathroom door lock, it is likely that they were Oak Ridge property owners. If you have any information about this incident, please advise one of the POA Board members. As a result of the vandalism, only the party using the Center will be given the combination to the restrooms. The combination will be placed on the door of the electric box inside the Center. We will also have a sign made for the restrooms stating "FOR USE BY COMMUNITY CENTER ONLY" Those who host Community Center activities will be responsible for cleaning the restrooms after the meeting or function. This means that those of you using the boat ramp, and your guests, will need to go back to your homes to use bathroom facilities. A graphic description of the incident was sent out by email. If you don't have email and would like a copy of the incident report, please contact any of the board members.
A special "thank you" to Noeline Harris and Cleo Robinett for a wonderful ladies luncheon in February and Shirley Wells and Sandra Thompson for hosting the great lucheon in March.
Thanks again, Noeline, Cleo, Shirley and Sandra.
Sandra Thompson has agreed to be the new editor of THE ACORN. I have had fun doing it, and it sure has helped having THE ACORN posted on the web. If you still are receiving THE ACORN by mail, please let us have your email address so we can keep you informed of what is happening in the community. It sure helped the POA financially and also reduced the time it takes for the volunteer to copy and mail THE ACORN.
I hope you all will help Sandra do her job, by sending information to her that may be of interest to the community.
Inger Lise Blount
The POA meetings for 2003 have been scheduled as follows (note the day change from Fridays to Thursdays)
MARK YOUR CALENDERS
New None Change None |
None
While Ivy Parizek is on a temporary assignment, Cleo Robinett will be the contact person to reserve the community center. Her phone number is 598-4263.
New House on Lot D Oak Ridge Drive (Meixner)
| Architectural Committee: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calvin Lewis | 598-9632 | (Chair) |
| Roger Harris | 598-5586 | |
| Shelton Thibodeaux | 598-5354 | |
| Bill Terrell | 598-6374 | (Deputy) |
| Eddie Wells | 598-6288 |
REMEMBER TO CONTACT ANY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO PUT UP A FENCE, REMODELLING, ADDITIONS ETC.
In December we closed on the 3rd lot at the entrance of Oak Ridge Estates. The sales price included taxes and expenses on the lot, so the POA has been reimbursed forthose expenses. Our residents (79) have received their share of what they put in.
Thanks to everyone that made this happen.
Dear Neighbors:
Working on the theory from camping days that you leave your campfire cleaner than you found it, I became involved in our local school reform movement first as a volunteer, two years ago as Marble Falls HS PTO secretary then last year as chorale booster organizer and president.
Why MFISD when our tax dollars go to Llano ISD? Marble Falls HS is fifteen minutes closer so our family paid out-of-district tuition for our daughter. As with any organization, the closer I got to the workings of the district, the more apparent became its problems. Then when a friend new to the MFISD board remarked that what MFISD needed was a good audit, I went online last summer and found the Texas School Performance Review ("TSPR").
The Texas School Performance Review, what I call Texas' best-kept education secret, is an award-winning* program providing a model to the nation as a clear path to local education reform. As Comptroller Carol Keeton Strayhorn says, TSPR's purpose is "to drive more of every education dollar directly into the classroom with the teachers and students, where it belongs." The Texas average is 51 cents, meaning barely half of the money Texans send to their schools is actually used for classroom instruction. We here fare even worse: Llano ISD only spends 47.5 cents on classroom instruction. More on where the rest goes later -- although you probably already know if you've read the local papers this past year.
The Texas School Performance Review, operating out of the State Comptroller's office in Austin, has saved Texas taxpayers over $600 million since its inception in 1991. Under its manager, CPA Betty Ressel, TSPR has formulated a dozen comprehensive protocols for TSPR audits. For example, bus experts examine districts' bus systems, food experts look at food service, etc. But the questions TSPR auditors ask are not just financial. They want to know about community involvement and of course quality of education delivery.
Along with Marble Falls friends we lobbied first the MFISD board then Strayhorn and Ressel to bring TSPR to MFISD; last December the Comptroller announced that TSPR would be coming to Llano ISD this spring and MFISD this fall.
Over 90% of TSPR's recommendations to districts are adopted. Student test scores almost always go up.
What are the returns? Seventy dollars for each dollar the TSPR audit costs, on average. In Marble Falls, for example, the $50-100M total will yield an estimated $3.5 to $7 million return in savings to taxpayers.
What will the TSPR audit cost MFISD and LISD? Usually, districts pay 25% of the total cost. But because neither MFISD nor LISD asked, this year's TSPR audits of MFISD and LSID are free to these districts.
Rather than merely having a low fund balance (reserve), LISD is suddenly in a $1.3 million hole -- this after a building spree that resulted in among other things a high school designed to accommodate 2,000 students at a time when only 500+ students are enrolled; there are only 1885 students in the entire district. On the other end of the spending spectrum, there's the famous meal in Dallas costing $617.37 for three board members, their spouses and LISD Superintendent Jack Patton during a trip to the Texas Association of School Boards convention; it was the issue of receipts for this meal (which Patton initially refused to deliver) that led to Patton's arrest and indictment -- which according to the Texas Attorney General's office was the first such arrest for violations of the Texas Open Records Act. This arrest and indictment came out of Public Records searches conducted by Llano parents and citizens. Patton has now been arrested a second time.
And it now appears the $1.3 million deficit is ballooning to $3 million before our very eyes.
Here are some statistical markers: Llano ISD ranks 75th by wealth in Texas school districts, meaning it's in the top 7% -- whereas it's in the bottom 20% in percent spent on instruction.
It was sad to watch at last month's board meeting as the board agreed to cut 35 teachers' positions. No mention was made of cutting administrative positions or cutting back on trustee or administrative spending. Worse, the board rescheduled the public participation section of the agenda to the very end -- after they made the teacher cuts, not allowing any public input before making that decision.
There appear to have been few controls on LISD spending at all levels.
As Lord Acton said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." This mess occurred in the dark with little apparent oversight by the citizenry; our continued and increased presence will bring certain light.
I'm going to start attending LISD board meetings and welcome passengers. The regular board meetings are the third Monday of each month, at 5:00 p.m. although the April meeting is on the 28th.
I hope the next time Llano ISD has a "first" it's because a student has won a Fulbright or is an Olympic athlete, something to bring honor to our area and our tax dollars -- rather than disgrace.
All the best.
Peyton Wolcott
April 10, 2003
* 1999 Innovations in Government Award from Harvard/Ford Foundation; only ten are awarded annually.
Bobbie Walker is our "Welcome to the Community" person, and delivers the "Welcome Packets" to all of our new residents. Included in these packets is important information you will want to receive about Oak Ridge Estates. These include Articles of Incorporation, Applicable Restrictions, Bylaws, Phone Directory, and other interesting information. Oak Ridge is growing, so please help Bobby identify new comers so we will not miss anyone.
Contribution of material for THE ACORN would be more than welcomed by the editor. Please call 596-8142 or email Inger Lise Blount with any local news you might have or any other items which would be of general interest to our community.
| Gil Blount | President | 830-596-8142 | |
| William Manno | Vice-President | 830-598-8257 | |
| Ed Steiniger | Secretary | 830-596-1323 | |
| Wilda Meixner | Treasurer | 830-598-4577 | |
| Steve Gibbs | Board Member | 512-469-7474 | |
| Tom Graham | Board Member | 830-598-7337 | |
| Phil Roth | Board Member | 830-598-5670 |
NEW LOCK COMBINATION FOR THE BOAT DOCK
*** 1002 ***
(Effective March, 2003)
Please remember the boat launch and restroom facilities are for the exclusive use of property owners and accompanied guests.
Saturday, MAY 17th (Starting at 5:00 PM)
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