Board Member Terry Boyd introduced Richard Toplak from FES, who attended remotely. In June, Boyd, who is also a member of the Swim & Tennis Committee, had introduced FES’ preliminary proposal to replace all of Westchase’s current pickleball and tennis lighting with LEDs at no cost to the community. The board requested more information on the proposal, so Boyd invited Toplak to answer their questions.
According to Toplak, LEDs last longer and use less energy than the current halogen lights, so the transition should result in a substantial cost savings to the WCA. If Westchase agreed to sign a contract with FES, the company would change out all of the community’s lights at their own expense. In exchange, FES would receive 75 percent of the community’s energy cost savings for a 15-year period, and Westchase would get the remaining 25 percent. FES would also cover all future maintenance of the new lights moving forward, Toplak added.
Board President Shawn Yesner asked how the company would calculate which portion of the association’s current electric bill covers the lights. Toplak responded that the WCA would provide FES with the current wattage of each light, the cost of the energy, and hours of operation, and the company would use those figures to calculate the cost. FES would then use the same formula to calculate the cost of the energy used by the LEDs and determine the difference between the two numbers.
At the end of the original 15-year contract, the WCA could either renew the agreement or buy all of the equipment for $1, said Toplak. Yesner asked how long the conversion would take, and Toplak told him it takes about 30 to 45 minutes per fixture. FES does not replace underwater or fountain lighting, he added.
Dan Haigy, chair of the Swim & Tennis Committee, reported that the committee was getting bids from other companies to replace the lights and planned to present their findings at the August board meeting.
Treasurer Michiel Oostenbrink shared that he had received May’s financials on July 9 but was still waiting for June’s figures. The WCA was under budget by approximately $80,000 year-to-date, but he explained that several large expenses (including those for summer camp) had not yet hit.
Yesner asked when the budget process would begin, and Community Manager Debbie Sainz said that she had already started working on it. The board is scheduled to approve the budget at its September meeting.
Dale Sells presented the Government Affairs Committee report. He met with a representative from Hillsborough County Neighborhood Relations and reported that the county plans to fund the proposed crosswalk on Linebaugh Avenue. There is no timeline in place, however.
The county completed the Davidsen Traffic Study and does not plan to extend Montague to Citrus Park Drive, said Sells. Sidewalk repairs (other than those in the Bridges and Fords currently underway) and the resurfacing of Linebaugh are not currently funded, but residents may report problems in specific areas or potholes and a ticketing system is in place to address them as they arise.
The West Park Village permanent access marking project was due to begin July 22, Sells reported. He and Charles Stephens will handle the Frontier telecom removal project moving forward; removal in the Fords is complete, and removal in Radcliffe is slated to begin in August, said Sells. GAC Chair Rick Goldstein added that county officials know that the WCA is opposed to the addition of the crosswalk.
Facility Manager Dwight Kilgore presented a proposal to institute a twice-monthly board game night for residents at the activity room beginning in December. Yesner asked whether there would be any costs involved, whether from purchasing games or increased staff costs. Kilgore said that games had been donated and no additional staff members were necessary. Oostenbrink moved to approve Kilgore’s proposal, and all board members present voted in favor. Michele DelSordo and Jim Brinker were not in attendance.
There will be another minimum wage hike in September, reported Kilgore. He said he wanted to submit a procedure for determining raises and scaled increases based upon his employees’ job performance and certifications. Oostenbrink said he liked the idea of merit increases, but wanted to wait until the board had a better idea of the overall financial impact increased wages would have on the budget. The other board members agreed.
Kilgore said he had researched recreation management software and presented the board with three options he felt would best solve existing administrative challenges. Yesner reminded him that the community could have a new property management contract soon, and questioned whether the new contract might encompass some solutions, thereby eliminating the need to purchase new software. Oostenbrink mentioned a communications app that could help as well. The board opted to further investigate possible solutions before agreeing to buy the software.
An organization that is hosting a charitable swim asked Kilgore whether they could post an event flyer at the Westchase pools. WOW President Mary Griffin, who was in the audience, suggested that the organization purchase an ad in the monthly magazine in lieu of posting their flyer, and board members agreed.
