By Heather Michon
Correspondent
The LMOA Board of Directors took a first look at some potential changes to the bylaws at their
monthly meeting on Thursday (July 25), including a restructuring of several popular committees.
This restructuring plan does not sit well with at least one of those committees.
“We strongly oppose being demoted from being an advisory committee to a workgroup,” said Wildlife Committee chair Jean Demarco, “and it does feel like a demotion, even if it’s not meant that way.”
Demarco said the Wildlife Committee has been an advisory body since at least 2006 and has maintained an active schedule of public events, outreach, and research into Lake Monticello’s native creatures. Among many ongoing projects, they are working on getting Lake Monticello certified as a National Wildlife Federation Community.
“As an advisory committee to the Board, we provide a unique function,” she added. “The Board needs to have someone to point out the effect of the [its] decisions, and no one else will do that but the Wildlife Committee.”
Later in the meeting, General Manager Tom Schauder said that the goal is to “streamline” committees to make the system “more robust and improve communications between the board and the committees.”
He noted that at one point, the committees involved in roads, building, ground, and preservation had been spread across 16 committees. Now, they have been consolidated under the Lake Operations Committee.
Under the consolidation logic, the Wildlife Committee is an educational group and best suited as a working group under the Community Development Committee.
“We’re not taking the advisory role out of the equation,” he said.
“Committees. We need them, we depend on them, but they’re costly,” said Director Larry Henson. “The more committees you have, the more time is spent, the more money it costs to maintain them.”
He said that this was the very beginning of a conversation that would involve town halls and community input. The board is unlikely to make any final decisions until early next year.
The same is true of some potential changes to other sections of the bylaws.
Director Gary Sellick said most of the changes were minor, designed to simplify the text.
However, three of them were significant changes recommended by legal counsel to bring them into compliance with state laws and regulations: changes to the language around removing a director, implementing assessments, and removing the three-percent annual cap on dues increases.
None of these changes are “set in stone at the moment,” said Sellick.
Figuring out what all this will mean for residents is a discussion that will occur over the coming months.
In other news, after members shared concerns about accessibility in and around the pool complex, Henson said the process was underway to acquire water wheelchairs and increase accessible parking during community events like the Fourth of July celebrations.
Schauder said the golf course, now under outside management, was on track for a break-even year after many years of $200,000 annual losses. “The course has increased usage, we’re seeing increased outside play, a lot of positives coming from the golf arena.”
