Pond Place Tax District. Meeting Minutes
May 26, 2022
Virtual Director’s Meeting @ 7:00 PM
Mitch Uzwack, Vice President
Katia Salokas, Director & Treasurer
John Williams, Director
Judy Larkin, Director
Susan Franke, Director & Clerk
Greg Weston, Director
Amber Jones, Director
Susan Jansen, Director
Ann Costello
Judy Larkin
Carol Shaw
Gwenn Claire
John Day
Charlie Wall
Gary Gianini (past Vice-President)
Michael Montgomery Lauren Pizzoferrato
Christopher King, CPA
Meeting called to order at conclusion of Pond Place Association Governors meeting at 8:35 PM.
Approval of minutes of January 24, 2022, February 28, 2022, March 28, 2022 and April 27, 2022 was deferred.
Susan Franke announced election results as follows:
Mitch Uzwack, Vice President
John Williams, Director
Judy Larkin, Director
Susan Franke, Director
& Clerk Greg Weston, Director
Amber Jones, Director
The Budget of $307,900, representing an 8% decrease year over year was passed 36- 17. Authorization to fund construction of a children’s playscape up to $40,000 from capital reserves was defeated 36-15
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Greg Weston and Judy Larkin were welcomed to the Board.
Updates were provided on the status of the common area fertilization, pesticide and herbicide treatment project, the catch basin inspection and cleaning project, the road repair, patching & crack sealing project.
Christopher Rossetti reported he had met with Randy Kirk from Avon Heritage Landscaping, who was last years low bidder for tree removal and stump grinding, to obtain a proposal to cut down several dead, dying or dangerous trees on common areas and grind out some stumps on common areas. Updated proposal is awaited.
Presentation of Audit Findings
During the Association meeting earlier, Christopher King, CPA, presented the Tax District Audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
Deficiencies were noted as follows: 14 invoices totaling some $140,675.82 had been paid without any evidence they had been approved by the President in violation of state law; CM Property Management’s off site back-up for their electronic records is not cloud based; late fees were not recorded by CM and when stated were recorded in the tax line and not separately stated in the general ledger; the District still lacks an accounting manual; the Treasurer failed to review any bank statement prior to their reconciliation.
President’s Response:
Christopher Rossetti reminded all that he and Katia Salokas took office after the period covered by this audit and that CM Property Management has been replaced. Regarding the specific concerns raised by the audit Rossetti said Strongroom system is now in place through W&K which necessitates approval by the Pond Place president before any invoice can be released for payment. Approval process is documented and the
invoice itself scanned and retained. All bank and brokerage accounts have been updated such that Rossetti and Slokas are the authorized signers and statements are now being sent directly to Katia as Treasurer who is reviewing them prior to reconciliation by the management company. Katia Salokas has started work on an accounting manual to guide the bookkeepers at W&K. Such a document will in due course finally be created. Starting on 1/1/2022 W&K will be tracking interest on delinquent tax district accounts. Computing and posting interest that accrued prior to that date will be more difficult to address. A search for a company to conduct such a review is underway. W&K’s backup is cloud based. Thank you, Chris King!
Katia Salokas pointed out that CM has not as yet provided the trial balance information from CM for the period 7/1/21 to 12/31/21. Rossetti said this will be re-requested.
Old Business
Christopher Rossetti reported the Clover Court Privacy Fence Replacement was promptly and satisfactorily completed. He reported he had met with interested residents of September Way, Pond Circle and Morningside Court on May 23, 2022 and specs for the sundry 2022 landscaping projects were being finalized.
Rossetti reported that he had received an inquiry as to whether a private playscape on a EUA was permitted, had discussed the same with Amber Jones and was referring it to the Design Review Committee for study and recommendation to the Board.
New Business
Rossetti polled the members of the Board present to ascertain whether any of them might have received the General Ledger Trial Balances for the period 7/1/21 to 12/31/22 from CM. None so indicated. Rossetti stated he would re-request this information from Michael Famiglietti by e-mail.
A memo from Jeffrey McChristian dated May 23, 2022 on possible waiver of tax district interest on delinquent accounts and changing the application of payments received to principal first followed by interest was discussed, the memo itself having been previously shared among the Board.
Rossetti reported that Ford & Paulekas would compute delinquent interest on all tax district accounts transferred to them for collection, potentially eliminating the need to engage someone to do this.
Rossetti moved to award an honorarium to former board member Charles Wall and in response to queries as to the appropriate amount reported that he had been given $200, which he declined, in the late 1990s, after his service as President, Judith Larkin suggested $500.00. Susan Jansen then said Gary Gianini, who was also leaving the
board, should receive a like sum…that all board members should be treated equally. Rossetti pointed out that Wall had been of service to the community first on the Design Review Committee in the 1990s, thereafter also on the Board of Governors, then as an officer and finally as acting President whereas Gianini’s service was quite a bit shorter having only joined the board several years ago. Larkin then moved to award Wall $500 and Gianini $200. The motion was properly seconded with all present voting in favor of same except Jansen.
Meeting adjourned (quite late).
Respectfully submitted, Susan Franke, Clerk
