April 20, 2016
There has been a great deal of activity since our last meeting in March. Let me give you a brief recap and then touch on what is coming in the near future.
On March 22 the Board and the Finance Committee held a joint meeting with our firm that prepares our Reserve Study. At this meeting we shared that minor cost items are to be removed from the study, and building sub-systems will be consolidated in order to simplify and condense the study. It was agreed that on April 28, a new inventory/survey of our buildings and equipment will be completed by Randy Browning, Dan Smith, and Jan Danner. The Reserve Study is updated every three to five years to ensure our future funding is sufficient for needed repairs, or replacement of equipment.
We also had a joint meeting with all committees at which each group shared their mission and the current status of the projects they are working on. It is hoped that by sharing info and team building we can provide a more focused and productive management team for La Casa. I would hope that this joint meeting becomes an annual affair.
We continue to see activity and progress in dealing with the wild hog problem. The feeder is in operation well back in the State forest and the trapper now has three traps in that area. He has now removed approx. 10 pigs and should be able to continue with the trapping with success. Today the Board will approve funding for an animal fence to run to our southwest property corner. We are installing the fence with our Maintenance Staff and purchasing the fence in order to minimize costs, We will continue to work on this issue.
We had a meeting with Sarasota County Building Dept. representatives and a La Casa resident who had contacted the county with concerns about the new bocce courts. The complaint revolved around the ADA (American Disabilities Act) and possible building code violations. As a result of this meeting La Casa will now incur additional expenses to correct the items noted by the county. We will also be forced to remove the ramp at the south end of the courts and replace it with stone. There will be additional concrete access pads poured, fences moved, ramps rebuilt, and signage added. We will make every attempt to comply with the Sarasota recommendations.
We closed on the foreclosure of the property at 510 Madonna which had vacant for some time. Our cost to acquire the property was about $38,000. We have signed a contract for removal of the existing structure for approx. $4,500 and demolition should begin in the next few weeks after the contractor secures a permit. The vacant lot is listed at $55,000 and will accommodate a large home if you are interested. I would like to thank our past president Randy Ballard for helping me salvage the lanai windows and doors and cleaning them up. Our intent is to sell the windows, doors, and hot water tank from the home to help defray the cost of demolition. The items are available for inspection at the Maintenance Shop. Bids will be accepted from La Casa residents for the next three weeks and the items will be sold to the high bidder.
Randy King