Permanent Resident Board Member Change

Eliot Ours has resigned from the board effective April 30 for personal reasons. Eliot was originally appointed to serve out the term of Dick Adams who left the community. He has served for one term. The board has appointed Katie Morvay to fill out Eliot’s term beginning with this Saturday’s meeting. Katie has been active in many committees, particularly the finance and long range planning committees. She will fill the term until the end of September. The next three year term for this position on the board will come open for nomination and election at this year’s annual meeting.

 

BOARD MEETING SAT. MAY 17–2d DRAFT AGENDA

The TAI Board of Directors will meet in Executive Session, Saturday, May 17, 2008, at 8:30 AM in the TAI conference room. The meeting will open to all TAI members at 9:00. Directors unable to attend, please let me know. A draft agenda is presented below. Suggestions for additional items or changes are still welcome. All TAI members are welcome to attend and may make agenda suggestions, and speak when recognized. However, only Board Members may participate in the parliamentary sense, e.g., by making motions, voting, etc. Persons introducing agenda topics should be prepared and, when appropriate, initially have a desired board action in mind. Written handouts are often appropriate

EXECUTIVE SESSION 8:30AM Introduction of Replacement Director

New fiscal year compensation adjustment

———————————————————————————

CALL TO ORDER 9:00

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
TREASURER’S REPORT—J. Mazella
PRESIDENT’S REPORT—P.Shoenfeld 9:25
Correspondence:
Action Items: Satellite dishes; Northface &Yoakum Run Boundaries;

Wes’ Benefit Status, Trail Bench Parts, Contact R.Tindal

COMMITEES/TOPICS
MAINTENANCE–S. Jarrett 9:55
Sale of Old Red Truck
Dry Hydrants
FINANCE—D.Olson 10:25
Current Budget
’08-’09 Budget—Present, Discuss,
Approve
NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS, 11:15
ANNUAL MEETING –- P.Fenwick

PERSONNEL POLICY—P.Shoenfeld
Manual, Drug Testing
SEWER & WATER—P.Fenwick 11:45
OPEN FORUM & LUNCH 12:00PM CONSERVANCY—M.Shoenfeld 12:30PM
Trails, Trees
Ponds & Lakes—P.Shoenfeld
Fish, Sand, Wood Pond Swimming
HISTORICAL RECORDS—M.Shoenfeld, S. Stembel 1:00
911 STREET NAMES/ADDRESSES—J.Brasselle 1:20
COMMUNICATIONS— J. Deupree 1:35
Packets, Database, website, magnets, better communication,
past Presidents, ann.mtg. presentation
SECURITY—Jim Mazzella 1:55
LONG RANGE PLANNING
COVENANT ENFORCEMENT
USF&W
OTHER BUSINESS
ADJOURNMENT 2:15
Brief rest breaks before Open Forum/Lunch and as needed.

Forthcoming Meetings— July 19(Board AM, Membership, Board PM,, August 2, September 20

 

News of next year’s budget

Normally I would post this in the Committee Activities section, but this is probably of major interest to everyone.

The TAI finance committee under the direction of Dave Olson, met yesterday to finalize our budget recommendation for 2008-2009 which we will present to the Board next Saturday.  This is the budget that we will operate under from October 1, 2008 through September 2009.

Our goal every year is to try to keep our operating budget as close to the rate of inflation as possible. There are a couple of reasons why that is hard to accomplish. We provide health care benefits for our employees and we pay the full bill.  As everyone knows health care costs have been rising at more than triple the rate of inflation lately and this year will be no different. Also, the price of fuel has been going up faster than inflation this year and we have to assume the price will continue to climb next year. With 22+ miles of roads to maintain, we use a lot of fuel.

The two biggest issues this year are our roads and our trails.  For most of the last decade we have been neglecting both.  Our roads were last overhauled 13 years ago at a cost of $185,000 (paid for with a special assessment). All we’ve done since then is maintain them, and this past winter we paid the price. It’s now obvious our roads must be rebuilt. Rather than doing it all at once, with an expensive special assessment, the finance committee, in conjunction with the maintenance committee and the Jeff Breunig, our resident road engineer, are going to try to redo the roads a section at a time and pay for it by adding it to our annual budget.  This will result in a marked increase in assessments for the next 4-5 years but we prefer this to a huge one-time special assessment.

The other special need is our trails.  Our trails have also been underfunded for quite a few years and now we must do a major overhaul or we will lose some of them. We got a good start this year using funds from a special - and very generous - private donation, but we need to keep the momentum going with some extra funds in next year’s budget.

Our budget recommendation will be presented to the Board next Saturday for discussion and refinement. All owners are welcome to attend the meeting (held at the office, starting at 9:00 am). You will be allowed to voice your opinion. If you can’t attend and you have a comment you want considered, email your Board representative or send it to Donna at tai@frontiernet.net and ask her to forward it to your Board representative.

Skip Stembel (member, finance committee)

 

Timberline Trail Volunteer Day May 18

Volunteers are sought to walk trails in Timberline and note areas where improvements and repairs might be needed. The first trail day is tentatively scheduled for Sunday May 18. Members who are interested should call Marilyn Shoenfeld at 866 3484.

 

Conservancy Tree Planting Project

Sherman Jarrett and the maintenance staff have recently planted 220 Red Spruce in the conservancy. That adds to the 500 trees planted in previous years in attempt to restore native trees to the conservancy. Sherman reports a 95% survival rate. He is also planting 80 fir trees, donated by the Highland Conservancy, in the enclosure area by Spruce Island Lake.

 

visitor numbers decline

In chatting with Greg White on my way into Timberline Monday I learned that he and his staff felt that visitors had declined considerably. With a little help from Donna we came up with the following statistics for Aprils past

April 2008 – 168

April 2007 – 205

April 2006 — 188

April 2003 – 295

April 1998 – 256

Greg says owners and guests are telling him the drive from wherever has just gotten too darn expensive with the rise in gas prices. What’s your reason?

 

An internet ditty on dirt roads….

Rene Crowl sent this. We publish it as a whimsy and not a statement for or against anything….!!

Dirt Roads <<<<<< CLICK HERE

 

Timberline Utilities Files Motion to Postpone Sewer Decision

Canaan Valley State Park has withdrawn from the Canaan Valley Public Sewer Disrict. As a result Timberline Four Seasons Utilities has asked for a delay of 6 mos on the planning decision. Full details are in the link below.

Motion to Extend the ALJ Decision Due Date, Toll the Suspension Period and Continue Hearing, filed by Counsel for Timberline Four Seasons Utilities, Inc. (fax)

Click here to view associated document.

 

Mountain Top mining in WV

Today’s Washington Post provides a very clear cut (pardon the pun) story on how the increase in electrical demand in DC is also increasing mountain top mining in West Virginia.

The article may be viewed at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/19/AR2008041900941.html?hpid=topnews

 

Planned Rte 33 Wind Farm Representatives in Elkins This Weekend

The Gamesa Corporation plans a 75 turbine wind farm along the crest of Rich Mountain, which crosses Rtt.33 just west of Harman and extends many miles both north and south. The scenic impact at Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods, high points on Timberline, and many of our states most “special”‘places will be great. This is but one of many projects planned for the area, but probably the one that hits closest to home

Gamesa is coming to Davis & Elkins College this weekend (April 19/20) and will have a booth at the “West Virginia Sustainable Fair 2008.” This is an excellent opportunity to meet the Developers and let your feelings be known.

The Sustainable Fair is a wonderful and worthwhile event in itself. The website is

http://www.lapaixherbfarmproducts.com/SustainableLivingforWestVirginia.htm