Strathmore Court Homeowners Association
Annual Meeting...April 5, 2016
Approximately 65 residents attended the meeting on 4/5. Board members Gene Dolinger,
Pat Cruz, John Romashko, Helene Singer, Charles Congema, Sharlene Iadanza, Bob Pavlecka,
Phyllis Krilovich were present. (Jong Hsu was absent.) Highlights of the meeting are listed below.
John Hatgis (Management Co.) notified everyone that the required quorum was not reached, so no
votes would be counted tonight. Ballots and proxies will be locked up and another mailing and
an additional meeting will be held in the near future.
John Hatgis responded to several questions that had been submitted by homeowners.
-
Can we stop people from parking around the islands?
No, the streets are Brookhaven Town property.
-
Removal of red flags?
Permission was given from the utilities that placed them
-
Common grounds?
Hydro seeding will be taking place
-
Tree pruning?
No money is currently in the budget for pruning.
-
Burning in backyard?
This is legal, according to the Town Fire Marshall.
-
Gym?
Equipment will be updated.
-
Work Order procedures?
Notifications by email when filed electronically,
more attention to be given to follow up and homeowner notice of completion.
-
Suffolk County law re: smoking?
This affects all multiple dwellings, such as condos, apartments, co-ops, etc.
The law specifies no smoking on common grounds, like our pool, tennis and handball courts,
etc. More information will be shared once the details in the law are clarified.
-
Illegible signatures on proxies?
Ballots may be voided if names can't be determined.
-
Landscaping?
Rear area of Farragut will be addressed. Only one fall cleanup will occur between Nov.
and Dec. This is a budgetary item. Landscaping rates have not increased in many years.
-
Oil tanks?
The DEC controls regulations regarding oil tanks.
None are on common ground and there is no current mandate by SCHOA to replace or
abandon them.
-
Islands?
The islands are not owned by the SCHOA.
-
Mailboxes?
The USPS approved boxes are a homeowner's responsibility.
-
National Grid/Gas?
It is NG's project, not SCHOA. Approx. 30 homeowners have filled out the required paperwork.
Homeowners who are interested must proceed on their own and fill out the paperwork.
It is the Board's responsibility to protect all homes and grounds.
-
Delinquencies?
All legal steps are followed.
-
Broken appliances outside of homes?
Call the Town and/or Maggio's.
-
Communication?
Expect to see improvement in the monthly minutes
and John Hatgis will set up a schedule to meet with homeowners.
The following reports were given:
Board Vice President Pat Cruz reported on meetings with Town Hwy. Superintendent Losquadro.
They researched, created engineering reports, and have allocated $1 million for 2016, $500,000
each in 2017 and 2018 to address areas like drainage, curbs, trees, sidewalks, etc. the islands
will be removed as part of this project, primarily for health and safety reasons.
Paving will occur after that.
Board President Gene Dolinger thanked Board members for their work, renewed his positive belief
in this community, and reminded everyone that Board members receive no compensation whatsoever
for their work.
Secretary Helene Singer reported on this year's recreation activities, including
Pot Luck dinners, Book Club, and Game Nights. There will be a Game Night on the
first Friday of every month, so the next one will occur on 5/6/16.
There is no money at all in the 2016 budget for recreation and the Hot Dog Summer Picnic
will be sponsored by The Management Co. The July date will be announced soon.
Helene also stated her goal to keep communication open and to foster a sense of community in
a positive, non-confrontational way.
Treasurer John Romashko made the annual report of the auditor available. He detailed the
amounts currently on hand, and explained that $147,000 of bad debt was written off in 2015.
There currently are 76 delinquent accounts, with 15 of them accounting for 69% of the debt.
SCHOA has liens and foreclosures pending, and although some funds are recouped, much is not.
Each year we are experiencing an approximate $40,000 shortfall. Last year was a big year of
expenses, with additional equipment added to the playground, major resurfacing of the pool
and cement areas, driveway replacements and sealing, significant tree work, and gym expenditures.
We are trying to do more with less each year.
After the meeting adjourned: Board member Charles Congema stayed to respond to specific architectural
questions. John Romashko reviewed the Audit report and financials with all who wanted to see them.
John Hatgis remained to address specific homeowner questions that had not been submitted in writing.
Sharlene Iadanza, Helene Singer, Bob Pavlecka, Phyllis Krilovich, Gene Dolinger, and Pat Cruz were all
available to speak with homeowners as well.
Respectfully submitted
Helene Singer
Secretary SCHOA
