Common House minutes: 2012-08-25

Minutes:

8/25/12 CH meeting minutes

Present:
Jim, Julie, Becky

Agenda
* Feedback re TS proposal
*office phone
*budget process stuff

TS Proposal Report
At the 8/20/12 community business mtg, Jim presented our first draft of the proposal to lower TS fees. The big picture reaction - people wanted firmer figures on their actual use and the money. Why $200? what was it related too?

Initially, the income from TS went just to our general CH budget. Then, last year it was brought up that if we earmarked it just for maintenance that we *might* not have to pay taxes. So we made that change. This made the discussion confusing because the proposal talked about the utilities budget not the maintenance. Bottom line tho is whatever they pay, it offsets what we pay. How do we move forward?

Jim did some research, for this year, on usage for the CH based on the reservation book.
group, committee or community sign outs
GO = 70 sign outs
TS = 35 sign outs
Individual sign outs
GO = 270
TS = 34
MEALS
GO = 4/week
TS = .5/week
Laundry usage
we still need to do a straw pole of the laundry. Julie will get the numbers from TS, Becky will send out an email for GO. Also post a sign on the door.

We'll compile these numbers for next meeting and try to come up with a rent number that seems fair, but has some info to back it up.

Office Phone
Unfortunately, even though Melisa's payment for the phone is not income because it is just covering her use for the phone, it is raising red flags with the accountant. Adi and Becky are trying to brainstorm ways to get around paying taxes on this, but ultimately we need more advice from the accountant. Will postpone resigning the lease with Melisa until we have an answer (the current agreement will automatically go month-to-month)

2013 Budget process begins!
Adi sent us a great spreadsheet to start from- thanks Adi! Now we need to go thru and see what lines to to increase/decrease. We looked thru the past several years of spending. The ones that change the most are of course utilities and improvements. Jim will contact Deluxe Draperies and Becky will contact Lowes for quotes on getting insulated blinds on the rest of the windows. That will help us set the improvements line items. Also, need to get quotes on ceiling fans. Becky will email elph to see if he can install if we just buy the fans, or if we need to have an electrician come out. The media room and sitting room have NO fixtures in the ceilings currently.

Anyone out there know of a good source for predictions for what the weather will be like for the winter and next summer? Or the cost of gas/electric? Not sure what percentage increase to use this year. In the past, we've done typically 3-5%. If we have another summer/winter like this one, our heat will be less but the electric will be very high again.





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