In case your assessment letter got lost in the mail...

Greetings Huntley Hills Swim & Tennis Members:

The 2008 season is right around the corner, and we are all very excited about what this year is going to bring! Please take the time to read this entire letter as there is a lot of information here.
With the new-year we have some new board members, and I would like to introduce your 2008 board members:

Spencer Scarbrough Kerri Henderson
Larry Pope Susan Williams
Ashley Kuehne Missy Deberdinis
Jim Aitken John Farrell
Leslie Freymann Cindy Deminsky

The board has varying experience and length of membership at HHS&TC. We have the benefit of much knowledge and past experience at the club coupled with the enthusiasm of some new members. We are all ready to roll up our sleeves, work hard and make this the best year yet!
2007 was a great season for us! Membership was higher than it has been in a number of years. Participation was fantastic, and we all had a great time hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones.

With the new season we have much to do and many tough decisions to make. The topic on most minds is the water issue. I am pleased to report that Governor Perdue has announced that pools will be allowed to operate this summer. There was a huge sigh of relief all across the state!
Over the past several years we have taken on many upgrades to the equipment that you do not see such as motors, pumps & filters so that the pool remains both beautiful and clean.

We were informed by the Dekalb County inspectors that there is work that must be done at our club in order to open and stay in compliance with the current county code as it relates to neighborhood pools. The items that must be addressed are:

• Replace the wooden fence along Plantation. While the wooden fence provides a great deal of privacy it is a safety issue due to the fact that you can not see through it to determine if someone is in trouble when open or closed.
• Replace the main gate. The gate must be self-closing to prevent children from wandering out and potentially going into the parking lot or street without parents’ knowledge.
• Install a fence surrounding the baby pool. At the time that our pool was built, it was in compliance, but now there are standards dictating the proximity of a baby pool to the deep end of the main pool. Our baby pool is too close; therefore, it must be surrounded by a fence of its own.
• Replace the pool deck or surround. The last time that our deck was replaced it was done in a sub standard way, resulting in the cracks and broken areas that you see around the pool. In addition to the appearance, it has become a safety issue that has to be addressed. We have to replace the entire pool deck and make sure that it is done by a reputable vendor with direct experience with swimming pools and the issues associated with that type of use.

That is quite a list! A list that comes with a hefty price tag, and that is what your board is working on now. You may recall receiving several e-mails over the past few months discussing various options for paying for these items.
We had proposed issuing bonds to the members at $1,000 each to cover the needed repairs. The plan was to repay interest annually that would go towards membership renewal. The response that we got back was mostly positive, but not enough members committed to this for it to make sense. It was suggested that perhaps we partly fund the repairs with these bonds and finance the remainder through a bank loan. This is not a feasible option as it would increase expenses but reduce cash flow. That is not a good combination!
It became apparent that we would have to finance the repairs, so we then sent out a survey on-line asking the opinion of the membership as to how to proceed. The options were to increase the annual membership going forward or to have a one time assessment. The results were almost unanimous to have a one time assessment, and that is where we are today.
In order to complete the work in time for the pool opening, we must begin by March 1st. Obviously this does not allow time to collect funds to cover the repairs, so we are in the process of working with the bank on financing. We are putting in place a one time assessment. This will allow us to repay any borrowed funds in a matter of two years. There are two options to choose from. You can make one payment of $250, or if it is better for you, you may choose to break it up into two payments of $150 for each of the next two years. We ask that this be satisfied by April 15th. In order to not have to pay the membership and assessment at once, we are opening the line now so that if you like you may pay the assessment now and the membership as we get closer to the season. The assessment needs to be paid by check. You can mail it to the club at:
Huntley Hills Swim and Tennis Club, Inc
P.O. Box 80141
Chamblee, GA  30366-0141
If you would like, you can call one of the board members that you know and we’ll come pick it up.

We had hoped to have sold the adjacent lot by now to pay for these repairs, but given the current real estate market, that has not been the case. We have listed the property with several different agents and had only one offer. The offer was a “low-ball” offer, and we were advised by professionals that it was not a good idea to accept.
In addition to the assessment we are raising the initiation fee to more closely reflect that of surrounding pools.
As you digest this information please keep in mind a few things:
• Our membership fee has consistently been and will remain below that of surrounding community pools.
• The swim & tennis is truly a part of the community and a gathering place for our neighbors.
• The swim & tennis is an asset that helps all of our property maintain and increase in value. There are only a handful of community pools in this area so it is truly a great feature for the Huntley Hills Neighborhood.
There are several ways to pay the assessment and membership fee. We are keeping this separate from the online membership ability for record keeping purposes
• Mail a check to:
Huntley Hills Swim and Tennis Club, Inc
P.O. Box 80141
Chamblee, GA  30366-0141
• Call one of the board members, and we’ll pick it up

I apologize for any inconvenience and thank you in advance for your support. Please know that we are trying to do what is right for the club and are working in the best interest of the club. Also keep in mind that if something changes and the property sells in the near future that we will pay off the loan first, make any necessary expenditure for repairs or upgrades, and set aside the remainder as a fund to protect against future assessments. Our job first and foremost is to be good stewards of the club property and finances, and that is exactly what we are trying to do.
We look forward to a great season with obvious repairs and upgrades to be proud of. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via e-mail at spencer@huntleyhills.net or via phone at 404-386-9135.

Best regards,

Spencer Scarbrough
2008 President HHS&TC