Minutes to 8/2/2014 Annual Meeting

Beddington Lake East Road Maintenance Association
Annual Meeting
August 2, 2014 - 10am
Beddington Town Office, Beddington Maine

Board members present: Peter Aten, President; Marlene Sullivan, Vice-President; Jean Heath, Treasurer.  Not present: Martha LaMarche, Secretary.

Phil White, First Selectman/Town Administrator led off the gathering and provided updates on town business.  Topics included the following:

Dump stickers are available - they are green ones. One per camp owner only.

Taxes – No big increases in spending but there is no reserve account. Over the last three years they have drawn down about 30%. Washington County taxes have increased this year - 2009 they were around $49,000 - 2014 they are around $74,000 - this is a big increase. For school the town has to carry a contingency for 5-6 children. After county costs, school costs are the highest. The municipal budget includes the dump fees. In the last year the taxes have gone from $3.10 per thousand to $4.50 per thousand. Last year Beddington had the lowest tax rate in the state - this year it is 3rd or 4th. Beddington has never been higher than 7th lowest tax rate in Maine.

Once the fund is replenished, tax rates should remain steady.  There are no anticipated major expenses. The only thing that could impact the tax rate in a large way would be an influx of younger families with children. It costs on average $10,000/year per student - special needs children cost more. The town keeps funds set aside to cover 5 K-8 students and 2 9-12 graders.

The permanent year-round population is about 41-43 people.

Those in attendance thanked Phil for his time, and the Association portion of the meeting was called to order at approximately 10:20am.  The Board established that a quorum of lot owners or proxies was present.  Thanks to Marlene Sullivan for visiting a number of camps in person to gather the necessary proxies.

1) Approve minutes to prior meeting
Peter motioned to accept minutes of the prior annual meeting.  Seconded and passed unanimously without discussion.

2) Treasurer's report
Jean reported that the total bank balance was $24,301.75.  Peter motioned to accept the Treasurer’s report; seconded and passed unanimously.

Peter thanked Jean for her work to balance the books, send assessments, deposit checks and send follow-ups.  On behalf of the Board he also thanked all members who pay their dues on time and make Jean’s job easier.
   
3) Road conditions
Lots of rain this spring made for tough conditions.  Peter thanked Marlene Sullivan who took time to personally review the roads with our contractor, Herb Jordan.  They established that additional material needs to be added to the road in several areas.  A big thanks also to Mike Sullivan who filled in not only two washouts but EVERY pothole on the road making for an extremely smooth ride into camp this weekend.
The blueberry company graded the main road right before Herb Jordan brought his equipment into the area, and as a result he did not grade the road this spring.

4) Special maintenance needs for 2014/2015
The group agreed that additional fill was needed, and authorization of that work was within the purview of the Board.

Marlene Sullivan noted that brush on the side of the road was starting to obstruct vision around corners, and the equipment necessary to cut all brush well back was in the area.  Discussion followed regarding the annual trimming done to date with a brush-hog vs. more extensive work.  Summarizing the discussion, Peter motioned to authorize the Board to negotiate and spend up to $5000 on one-time brush cutting to resolve the issue; seconded and passed unanimously.

5) Annual Dues
On behalf of the Board, Peter motioned that the annual assessment for 2014 be set at $25 per lot.  The bank balance has not been reducing as quickly as anticipated, making this reduction feasible.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.  

In light of the relatively few members in attendance, the Board recommended that a default assessment of $50 per lot be set in the event that a quorum was not present at any future annual meeting.  Peter made the motion, which was seconded and passed unanimously.

6) Other business
Barbara Orton noted the hardship experienced by the host of the annual gathering, and motioned that the Association cover their costs.  The Board spoke in favor of this idea.  Extensive discussion noted an appreciation of the event and the effort that the host puts in.  The motion was amended to authorize the Association to repay the host up to $250 in party expenses, subject to review of receipts.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Peter motioned that the Association donate $100 to the Beddington Volunteer Fire Department.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.


At the end of discussion, Peter motioned to adjourn the meeting.  Seconded and passed unanimously.

Submitted by Peter Aten, President