Home Association Meeting

ODHA Ogden Dunes Home Association 115 Hillcrest Rd, Suite 111, Ogden Dunes, IN 46368 ANNUAL MEETING Monday, February 24, 2025 Meeting Minutes Board Members Present: Maryann Schaefer, Andrew Gurschick, Laura Brennan, Karen Tallian, Phil Hargarten, Jack Hazen, Nancy Ashby Establishment of Quorum Karen Tallian noted that, based on membership numbers, a quorum requires 18 attendees either in person or online. With 30 online attendees present in addition to those in person, a quorum was established. Approval of Meeting Minutes from 2024: The 2024 meeting minutes were made available to all members. Eric Kurtz motioned to approve the minutes; Karen Tallian seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Treasurer’s Report Maryann Schaefer presented the 2024 operations budget. ODHA had 357 paying members, putting membership revenue approximately $2,200 over budget. Summer programs fell short of budget by $1,800, while the soccer program came in close to budget ($5,882 vs. $6,000). The community garden met budget expectations, though Maryann noted necessary future improvements. Overall, the organization ended the year with a net positive of $569 after expenses for summer camp, soccer, park maintenance, tree cutting, legal and accounting fees, and a $10,000 donation to the pavilion project. Maryann also noted ongoing increases in professional and maintenance costs. For 2025, membership rates will remain unchanged. However, mowing and landscaping costs are expected to increase due to additional space around the pavilion. Electricity and water costs are also expected to rise, and summer camp staff wages will increase to cover ODHA’s portion of payroll taxes. ODHA will continue to contract accounting services due to the new 501(c)(3) filing requirements. ODHA is implementing new financial software, Xero, with assistance from accounting firm CLH, CPA. The system will enhance revenue and expense tracking and support improved financial forecasting and reporting. Karen Tallian moved to accept the 2024 year-end financials and the proposed 2025 budget. Laura Brennan seconded. The motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS Community Fund Grants Maryann reported receipt of two grants: • $4,058.88 for a water fountain with a dog bowl and water bottle filler • $1,500 for repairs to garden beds in the community garden. Work is scheduled to begin in the spring. Online ODHA membership/summer camp Software Update: Andrew Gurschick stated that past issues with ad pop-ups and membership sign-ups have been resolved. The software includes a processing fee, which ODHA does not pass on to members. The system now supports summer camp registration and donation collection. Soccer Update: Glenn Seerup shared that two teams—ages 8 and under, and 10 and under—are at capacity, with additional interest that could justify adding more teams. The Kiddie Kickers program for ages 3–5 continues. Glenn announced he is stepping down after 12 years of leading the program. He recommended appointing an ODHA member as a liaison to help transition leadership, noting that without new leadership, the program cannot continue. Summer Camp Update: Deb Pratt will return as program director this summer. Camp rates will increase to $125 per week for members and $150 for nonmembers, with a $50 discount for those registering for all four weeks. Deb will step down after this season and assist with hiring and training a new director. Community Garden: Michael Bill Smith continues to manage the garden. He will contact current members to confirm participation and recruit new members via email and Facebook. Several plots are reserved for donations to local food pantries. NEW BUSINESS 501c3: One of our biggest updates is that we received our 501c3 status on June 28, 2024. We were able to do this because, unlike most other HOAs, we do not require membership, and all members/non-members are able to make use of ODHA property/amenities. The process was arduous and included updating our bylaws. ODHA consulted with naturalist Sandy O’Brien from EAB to assess land north of the pavilion and nearby sand tracks. Restoration costs are estimated at $8,200. The board is also exploring the installation of new tennis courts with pickleball striping and fencing ($117,000–$137,000) and replacement soccer goals ($13,000–$19,500). Given budget constraints, ODHA will seek community donations. Members may contribute cash, stocks or investments directly to ODHA’s investment company. Election of New Officers Board Vacancy One vacant seat, with a term ending in March 2027, was open for nomination. Frank Lani nominated himself. Jim Slawinski seconded. With no other nominations, and confirmation of Frank’s membership status, Karen Tallian closed the nomination. The motion passed unanimously. Board Reappointments Three board positions expiring March 31, 2025 with terms of 4 years, were up for reappointment. • Karen Tallian nominated Nancy Ashby for a new four-year term; Laura Brennan seconded. • Karen renominated Laura Brennan; Pat Maxwell seconded. • Karen renominated Jack Hazen; Maryann Schaefer seconded. • With no additional nominations from the floor or Zoom, Karen called for a vote by acclamation. All were in favor. Officer Elections Karen Tallian motioned to retain the current officer roles: • Andrew Gurschick, President • Karen Tallian, Vice President • Maryann Schaefer, Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Ashby seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Pavilion Update: Andrew expressed his appreciation to the board for the many hours of work dedicated to the project. He noted that the current field house sits on land leased by the town to ODHA in 2002. To accommodate the new pavilion, ODHA requested an additional acre of land from the town. The lease was approved at a cost of $10 for a 40-year term. Thanks were also extended to John Hannon and his engineering firm, Tom Cleland, the general contractor, and Adam Levy, the architect, all of whom donated their services to the project. The pavilion project is a long-standing goal, supported by the town's master plan, which identified the pavilion as the number one priority from resident feedback. Some older residents expressed concerns about the original pavilion location, citing inaccessibility, lack of pathways, and limited investment. In response to community feedback, the final site was selected for full ADA accessibility and to minimize noise impact on nearby homes. The pavilion ramp will have a gentle 1:20 slope, eliminating the need for railings. . The team decided to proceed with the design of a pavilion made of cedar with a black metal roof, including a fireplace and built-in buffets for food storage during rentals. The pavilion's dimensions are 44 feet by 28 feet, with a height of 12 feet. An anonymous donor fully funded the new bathrooms, which were not part of the original plan for the pavilion. The pavilion can comfortably accommodate 80 to 100 people. The decision to proceed with the Pavilion project was based on the community's support and funding through donations, with no reliance on tax dollars. Bathroom Design Overview The new bathroom facility will include a men's room with a urinal and toilet, a women's room with double vanity and two toilets, a janitor's closet, and a family restroom that is fully ADA compliant with a baby changing table. It was decided that the bathroom facility will be available for summer programs and rented events, ensuring accessibility during these times. The bathroom building will be climate controlled, with HVAC and heating, and will have hot water, which the current bathrooms do not have. The bathrooms will only be open during soccer programs, highlighting operational limitations due to maintenance costs. Site Plan: The site plan showed the location of the pavilion on the north side of the pitch. This location allows for proximity to the roundabout with handicapped parking. There will be a path with chevron pavers that lead to the pavilion – with donation bricks intermingled throughout. There will be benches along the path and grassy areas for people to watch the field from a higher vantage point. There will also be a patio area. Support columns are set two-feet in, allowing 5-feet to get into the pavilion and access the bathroom. The plan was designed without the need for a retaining wall. One of the reasons we needed to lease land from the town was the condition of our current septic field. Over 22 years, it had gotten grown over and was no longer usable. John McQuestion with Soil Solutions pulled 8 core samples to see where we could locate the septic field. One of the first areas near the water fountain would have interfered with the soccer field. Another spot was where the new bathrooms will be placed, which leaves the current selected spot which needed to be cleared. Ecological Restoration Discussion Laura Brennan, a board member who is a restoration ecologist who has worked to restore areas around the town for the last 23 years, indicated that the clearing was done to protect the investment in the structure and for engineering purposes, with around half of the removed trees being non-native invasive species such as tree of heaven, mulberry, and Siberian elm. The environment that did exist wasn’t healthy with a dense tree canopy and little diversity in the understory. The individual whose company did the land clearing is a certified arborist. There is a plan to restore the area using native landscaping and trees, with a focus on pollinator-friendly species to enhance the habitat and provide educational opportunities for residents.. Because we need a mounded septic system, if everything works out, ODHA is proposing a sledding hill that can be enjoyed by residents it that space. It is a safe space without anything to hit. Because the area needs to be clear for the septic system, the project aims to restore the space to a prairie or savanna without trees which will not require mowing, thus saving costs. The board agreed to work with landscape architects to develop a detailed plan for the restoration and stabilization of the area. Laura indicated that the engineers and landscape architects aren’t concerned about erosion because tree roots and trees at the top of the dunes were left intact. While there isn’t concern, there is a plan in development with the landscape architect using hydro seeding and erosion comfortable blankets/fabric. Scott Kingan asked Laura to talk about what the town’s natural tree covering would be. Laura indicated it would be 20-40% coverage (oak savannah) vs. the current 60-80%. Budget Overview for Project The project is fully funded through donations, with a total of $528,000 received and over $16,000 accumulated in interest and investment income. Including in-kind donations, we have over $628,000 accumulated. The budget for the pavilion is $380,000 and for the bathroom is $100,000 (before clearing for septic) with additional costs anticipated for site preparation and tree removal. Andrew went through the budget and costs to date highlighting that $50,000 of the bathroom donation has not been received, bringing total revenue toward the project to close to $700,000. Event Planning The board will be conducting a competitive analysis of other event spaces to determine pricing and rental terms for the Pavilion, which will be available for events. The Memorial Day town celebration will still take place during construction. The pavilion will be delivered a week after Memorial Day and we are hopeful that it will be completed in time for the Labor Day games. The team is excited about organizing more community events, including story time with Santa, chili cook-offs, cooking classes, movie nights, etc. Design Considerations Nancy Ashby discussed working with Betsy Marvelis on the furniture – picnic tables – that will be in the pavilion ensuring that it does not have an industrial look and is visually  appealing. It was decided that the interior lighting will be minimized to maintain the aesthetic. PUBLIC COMMENT A question was taken from the floor about wheelchair access to the interior of the pavilion. Andrew indicated that the bathroom, pavilion and pavers being roughly the same height with the floor being concrete. Brenda Spape, 3 Cedar Court, asked to see drawings of the pavilion again. Andrew indicated that the height from the ground to the bottom of the roof line is approximately 12 feet, with structural beams being closer to 12.6 feet. The design includes five columns for support, which were modified to four to accommodate a double gable design. He also highlighted that the fireplace is placed behind the woodwork so we don’t have to cut into framing. Brenda also asked if we were going to have ceiling fans. Andrew indicated that we are not, as it would not fit the aesthetic, and the structural supports from the roof do not allow space. She also asked where the sledding hill would be and Andrew indicated it would be to the left side of the current field house in the area that is cleared for the septic field. There were no additional questions from Zoom or the floor. Donation Process and Community Engagement The donation options include in-person donations via check or credit card at town hall, and online donations through the Ogden-Dunes website. Specific donation tiers include: $250 for a 4x8 brick, $500 for an 8x8 brick, $750 for a 12x12 brick, and $2,500 for a bench with a plaque. Donations of $5,000 and above will receive naming rights near the pavilion, which is fully funded by a single donor. Karen Tallian moved to adjourn. Maryann Schaefer seconded. All were in favor.