Glen Acres Property Owners Association

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Message from the GAPOA Board

Hello Glen Acres! First off, the Board has decided once again to cancel the in-person annual property owners association meeting. Although the Covid-19 pandemic situation is improving, there are still considerable risks involved. We are very confident that we will be able to hold the meeting on schedule next year and we are looking forward to seeing you all in person. It is our intention to add a social feature to the annual meeting by hosting a potluck luncheon ahead of the business meeting. We hope members will take advantage of this opportunity to meet neighbors and get to spend time with them in a relaxed and cordial setting. The Board will provide a meat and some sides. If you have ideas or concerns for the Board, we invite you to get in touch with us individually or through the community email address. Contact information for the Board is provided below.

The last year (especially this winter) has been fairly busy with many issues affecting the water system and other aspects of the subdivisions. These are discussed below. We also have some new members to welcome. They are the Davis, Finch and Fleming families. Now that covid restrictions are lifting, we hope to get out and meet these new members and be more neighborly!

As we're sure most of you are aware, the Courtney's house on CR 155 burned up during the terrible cold weather this February. Thankfully, no one was hurt (including pets) but the house was a total loss. The Board much appreciates the emergency responders who battled the blaze during extreme cold.

Best wishes to you all, GAPOA Board

Treasurer's Report (Roger Lindvall)

General Information**

Last Year's Meeting Notes

The Minutes from last year's Annual Meeting were mailed to all members. If anyone needs a copy of those Minutes, please contact any Board member or glenacrespoa@gmail.com.

2021 Board Member Election

This year there were two seats open on the Board as a result of the staggered three-year rotation of Board seats. The seats held by Tim Ballard (Member-at-Large) and Roger Lindvall (Treasurer) were the open ones. The Nominations Committee (Mike Melroy, Troy Branam, and Mark Oliver) identified Tom McDade as a GAPOA member in good standing who was also willing to run for election to serve on the Board along with Tim and Roger. Ballots were mailed out to all members in good standing with a 30-day timeframe to return completed ballots. The ballot instructions included a brief background on each candidate. The Nominations Committee tallied votes that were received by May 18 (deadline for receipt was May 16). The election was very close with a little over half (23) of the members casting votes. The results were as follows: Tim Ballard, 33; Roger Lindvall, 30, and Tom McDade, 29. Therefore Tim Ballard and Roger Lindvall will continue to serve as Board members. The Board greatly appreciates the willingness of these members to serve on the Board. And, the Board appreciates all those members who took the time to vote!

Non-residential Board Member Amendment Election

The Board held an election by GAPOA members regarding the addition of a new Board seat for a non-fulltime member by an amendment of the Articles of Incorporation. Only members living full-time in the subdivision had been eligible before. The measure was approved by the membership by an approximate 75-25 vote in favor. It was later learned that the Restrictive Covenants, which require that Board members be full-time residents can only be amended with a 100 percent vote of the membership.

Wireless Operation and Monitor for Water System

Members of the Board, primarily Roger, met with contractors and Will Winn (our water manager) on several occasions to obtain cost-estimates for installing a remote operating and monitoring system for the GAPOA water system. Currently, a mostly aboveground sensor wire connects the well in CR 150 to the main water tank on CR 155 and controls the operation of the pump to keep the water tank full as the water gets used by households. The wire is subject to breaks caused by falling limbs, etc. A wireless system would not be dependent on a physical sensor wire to control pump operation and would alert the Board via cellphone of problems with the system. Unfortunately, we have learned that these systems are very expensive, costing the GAPOA at least $10,000 to install and would require annual cellular service costs of over $1,000. These costs were considered unjustified and the Board is currently obtaining bids to bury the portion of the sensor line that is currently aboveground to protect it from breakage. We appreciate Will Winn's assistance with this effort.

Water System Issues

The Board, primarily Roger, dealt with a number of issues regarding the water system. The chlorination system had to be repaired and eventually replaced. Bids are being sought to reroute rain runoff at the well house on CR 150. This work was recommended by the State. Several problems resulted from the extreme cold weather this year. A frozen line rupture had to be repaired by Mr. Billy Hull. The float valve in the main water tank was dislodged by ice which kept the pump activated and caused the tank to overflow continuously. Well contractors reinstalled the float valve. Pressure tanks froze due to a heater malfunction and had to be repaired by well contractors. The water line at the Courtney house had to be shut off after the fire. Roger monitored water system conditions several times a day during the severe cold. The Ways, who live near the main water tank, provided invaluable notifications about problems with the water tank, especially during the frigid temps, and this was very helpful and much appreciated. Throughout the year, various leaks were found and fixed. Several of these were on members' sides of the water lines with running toilets being a major culprit. Running toilets generated some very high water bills for some members! Roger coordinated water connections for new homebuilders and responded to various requests from members regarding water line location and other water system inquiries. The Board appreciates the patience of members with the issues that occasionally resulted in water being unavailable at their houses.

In recognition of the considerable time and effort involved in the process of GAPOA administration such as billing, mailings, routine meter reading; coordination with contractors and water manager; and response to water system malfunctions, the Board voted unanimously to waive the basic water fee for Roger Lindvall and commended him on his conscientious and timely attention to the needs of the water system and the association that have saved the GAPOA from costly repairs and potentially serious consequences including water outages and boil orders. THANKS ROGER!

An annual water report from Will Winn, Winn Environmental Tech, LLC, is attached.

Other activities

The Board voted unanimously not to commit to providing GAPOA system water to two lots that were permanently excluded from access to the system by the original developer. There are five numbered lots that were excluded from water in the Glen Acres Mutual Water System Agreement. Running water to these lots would require cost-prohibitive modifications to the water system.

The Board voted with one abstention to deny the request of a property owner to combine multiple lots he owns into two lots. The Board preferred to avoid setting a precedent that could have significant impacts in the future.

Mark Oliver met with an attorney from the law firm of Thurman and Flannigan in Eureka Springs to discuss various GAPOA legal issues. There was no charge for this initial consultation.

A member raised a concern about the GAPOA providing water to residences that are used for vacation or long-term rentals which might be considered commercial use which is precluded in the Articles of Incorporation. Previous Boards have not addressed this issue which is fairly complex legally and a widespread concern. The Board took no action but will continue to research the issue.

Arkansas law requires that all non-profit corporations submit an annual report to the Secretary of State. Several years of missing reports were provided to the Secretary of State's Office and our corporation is up-to-date.

Tom volunteered to donate a 6,500-Watt gasoline generator to the GAPOA if needed for running the well.

Burning Guidelines and Policy

The Board is considering potential policies regarding burning guidelines for GAPOA members on properties within the subdivision. There was an incident when a landowner left a fire unattended and it escaped containment and eventually had to be controlled by the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The Board currently recommends that landowners follow the guidelines developed by the Arkansas Forestry Commission. These guidelines can be viewed by googling Safe Burning Tips for Landowners Fact Sheet Arkansas Forestry Commission. The most helpful landowner tip for burning is to always attend the fire.

Board Members

General email for the GAPOA Board: glenacrespoa@gmail.com