Venetian eSplash 1.25.2015
Dues Statement Date Correction; Facilities Upgrades and Plans; Board Voting Update; Future Board Planning; Movie Night Projector; Early Lap Swim Extended; 6&U Swim Team Participation; Master Plan “Venetian Oasis”; Future Events
Dues Statements
Last eSplash reported that your dues payment must be postmarked by March 1st to avoid the late fee. Since March 1st falls on a Sunday, the deadline is Monday March 2nd for dues payment postmark.
Facilities Upgrades and Plans
The Board has been busy in the “off-season” considering upgrades and repairs necessary to keep our pool in good shape.
- Dance Hall shutters have been repaired
- Double-Door Gate installed for vehicle access above volleyball court
- Bids have been obtained and are being considered for exterior paint of all buildings
- Bids have been obtained and are being considered for replacement of the toilets and urinals in the bathrooms
- A Furniture Committee is looking at repairing existing chairs/tables/umbrellas that are worth repairing and buying some new similar chairs/tables/umbrellas of the type that has held up the best over the years.
Board Voting Items
- January: Approve extension of early lap swim on Fridays in August and through Labor Day
- January: Approve pursuance of Equity Line of Credit at lower rate than existing, outstanding loan
- December: Approve “V-Oasis” Bid (see below for details)
- November: Allow 40 mile challenge to have a dedicated space in kiosk at entrance for notifications and information
- November: Maintain Dues and Discounts at current amounts (no changes or increases)
- July: Approve funds to remove dead trees, brush, and overgrowth in the area of the V-Oasis
Calendar and Shared Drive for Future Board Planning and Execution
New board members have to learn their responsibilities from past board members/committee chairs and while this goes rather smoothly, there is currently not a sole repository for this information, which would be useful for future boards regarding planning and execution in addition to recording of history. The Board is putting together a calendar of events, activities, and planning dates regarding when notices should be sent and planning should begin etc., that would be accessible to all Board members/committee chairs in a single location. The idea is to use a shared drive such as Google drive.
Movie Night Projector
Last year, our Events Committee Chair – Michele Hicks, planned to show some updated children’s movies but her laptop did not sync with the pool’s movie projector. An updated projector is being considered.
Early Lap Swim Extended
Doug McNaughton of SwimAtlanta attended the January meeting and offered a proposal that was brought to him regarding adding Fridays to the early morning lap swim which is currently offered Monday-Thursday and is popular among our lap swimmers. The Board approved adding Fridays to the early morning lap swim in August through Labor Day.
Age 6 and Under Swim Team Participation Trending Down
Swim Team coach Heidi O’Shea attended the January Board meeting and reported that the number of children participating in the age six and under (6U) group has been trending down over the last couple of years. It was felt that this is most likely due to the fact that because the wait list is in the 6-year range, by the time families with young children become eligible for membership their children are older than six (6). It was proposed that children of families on the wait-list be allowed to join the swim team to address this trend and allow these children to participate while in this age group. The Board thought that we should gather children’s age information of the current membership and consider how to respond to this proposal.
Master Plan “Venetian Oasis”
The master plan committee made a proposal to the Board last year in April to re-capture and develop the piece of the property west of the pool that borders N Parkwood Rd. The Master Plan committee called this area the “Venetian Oasis.” This has been an on-going discussion point throughout last year and no voting on it took place until July when the Board voted to go-ahead with spending funds for Phase 1 to clear the area.
There is a creek back there that has to be crossed, but the existing bridge is in good structural shape with the exception that the boards need to be replaced and a railing installed for safety. There is a shelter and fireplace back there as well. The area is overgrown with dead trees, brush, and kudzu and the first phase of the project would be to clear the area, which as stated above, was voted on in July and has been completed. An associated benefit of the removal of this overgrowth should help with the reduction of insects, etc.
The proposal was favorably received by the Board with the general consensus that re-claiming some of the pool property is in the interest of the membership and it was felt that this area could be used for parties and gatherings or just to experience a little nature and shade while spending time at the pool. Details for managing this area are still being formulated, but it was felt that reservation of the area would be handled in the same way the deck is managed. Supervision at non-reserved times should be handled by parents in the same way the volleyball court or other areas away from the pool is managed.
The next phase involves construction to fix the shelter, replace the treads on the bridge and add a handrail and cap and a steel handrail cable. Electricity would be brought to the shelter with a buried cable from the pump house and ceiling fans and lights would be installed including 3 waterproof GFCI outlets. A final bid was presented at the December Board meeting and was approved by the Board to fund the project. A V-Oasis workday is being planned for sometime in March; this would be a good time for interested members to see the project. Stay tuned for further information.
Future Events
Saturday, Feb 7: Dues statement should be in your mailbox
Monday, Feb 9: Board Meeting, 150 E Ponce DeLeon Ave
Monday, Mar 2: Dues Deadline
Monday, Mar 9: Board Meeting, 150 E Ponce DeLeon Ave
Monday, Apr 13: Board Meeting, 150 E Ponce DeLeon Ave
Saturday April 25: Work Day (Rain Date Sunday April 26)
Saturday May 9: Opening Day
Submitted by Nick Cortese, communications@venetianpools.org