Recreation committee meeting

The POA recreation committee met earlier this week. Committee members finalized business for this year and will not meet again until January.
In addition to taking care of regular business, committee members celebrated Joyce Feix’s birthday.
Department director Stephanie Stone reported a change over in the to a time/attendance monitoring system. By capturing this data the department will be better able to evaluate attendance and better meet the needs of patrons.
Stone was happy to report $315,000 for pool repair/replacement is still in the 2011 budget. At this time an exact figure for addressing the pool issue is not available. Data is still be gathered by the pool subcommittee.
She also reported the recreation department open house will be after the holidays in January.
According to Stone the Halloween party at the Coronado Center was well attended. The next event scheduled for children is the annual Christmas party at the Woodlands auditorium lobby.
The recreation department began thinning the overgrown wooded area surrounding the Cortez boat launch but neighbors complained. The neighbors liked the wooded buffer so they didn’t have to see the park area. The department will allow the foliage to stay and act as a natural buffer.
Family Recreation
Steve Seitz reported there were eight family recreation building rentals in October. The facility was closed September 4 but is still available for party rentals.
Pickleball is moving to a fall/winter schedule and will change the time for its training sessions. The cracks in the pickleball courts have now been filled and sealed. The pickleball players have officially requested an increase in playing courts from four to six. They are still not happy with the lighting situation but according to recreation maintenance officials the lights are adjusted as well as they can be.
Fitness Center
Mary Lou Moran reported Gary Vogt hosted a volunteer dinner for fitness center volunteers.
She said the fitness center attendance is about average for this time of the year. Class registration is at normal levels. Visitor pass usage is up normally this time of year and this year is no exception.
Nelson Board and Patricia Reed both won 30-day fitness center memberships at the recent health fair at the Coronado Center. The department also gave away t-shirts at the recreation booth and time to work out with the tennis ball machine. Virginia Ambrovich won the tennis machine time.
Recreation department employees recently finished a CPR class.
The fitness center will be closed Thanksgiving Day.
Tennis
Joyce Feix said the fences are being reinforced around tennis courts before the new nets are put in place. The Tennis Association has paid for the nets and installation.
There were 41 participants in the Riser Ford Tournament.
Three senior teams won in state competition in Little Rock and will proceed to the next level of play in Hilton Head.
The final organized play for the year is an upcoming doubles tournament. The annual Christmas party closes out the year for the tennis players.
Coronado Center
T. J. Smith was absent from the meeting but librarian Margaret Weeter turned in a report. Library usage was down slightly in October. The Food for Thought food drive is going well. The first three weeks of November are devoted to collecting non-perishable food items for a food bank in Hot Springs.
Friends of the Library recently purchased two more rows of shelving for the library.
Ponce de Leon Center
Sue Mefford reported the completion of a successful run of the HSV Players’ Annie Get Your Gun. The auditorium was ready to host the Concerts’ Association Forever Plaid. Membership to the Concerts’ Association is still open on Tuesdays, opening night for each production.
Veterans Day was celebrated in ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on November 11.
The New Christy Minstrel Singers will be in concert at the Woodlands November 18. This event is sponsored by the Hot Springs/Village Symphony Guild.
Fund raising efforts for a new sound system for Woodlands are taking shape. An upgrade of the current system may cost in the range of $150,000 to $200,000. The current system has become inadequate for both incoming shows and productions launched by Village groups.
Beaches, Pavilions, Outdoor Recreation
Bill Etie said the porta potties are gone and the beaches are closed for the winter. The pavilions will close following early November rentals. The pavilions were winterized before closing.
Comments by some members of the bocce ball club have not been favorable to the recreation department. Some members are not happy the bocce ball facility is now visible from the Coronado Center parking lot after brush was removed from the court perimeter. Some of the comments reflected a disgruntled nature, club members want more POA money spent on the bocce ball court. Bocce ball is not a cost center, therefore there are no funds held for bocce ball exclusively. Bocce ball, lawn bowling and pickleball membership dues are to pay for rental of the dedicated facilities for each club. Any maintenance of the facilities comes out of the overall recreation budget.
The lawn bowling storage shed is riddled with squirrels and termites. The building will probably need to be torn down. Replacement of the building is not justified at this time.
Newcomers
Jim Harlow and Earl Mulley reported there were 23 people at the last newcomers coffee representing 13 families from ten different states. The next newcomers coffee will be December 2. There won’t be another newcomers coffee following the early December meeting until late February. This reporter is no longer welcome to cover the newcomers coffee. My accurate reporting has ruffled feathers at the local newspaper.
There were no meetings of the pool subcommittee to report. Plumbing bids were due last week. An Arkadelphia plumbing company warned further pipe damage may result from testing pressure through the existing pipes. Five engineering firms are expected to bid on renovating the current pools or construction of new pools.
Water will remain in the pools to keep them from floating up and causing further structural damage. The subcommittee wants to have a pool package available at the POA board retreat this spring.
The fee subcommittee report took up the most time at the meeting. Building rental fee increases have been made more consistent and will follow a formula in the future. Previously there was not a commercial fee for the patio area at the Coronado Center, now there is one, $55. The only person able to wave or adjust a fee is the facility manager and/or the department director. The space rental fees affect the Ponce de Leon Center, Coronado Center and the pavilions.
Committee members wrestled with what constitutes a commercial as opposed to an individual rental. HSV POA members not receiving a financial benefit from the rental, HSV designated clubs and HSV designated churches will be charged the individual rates. Businesses, non-Village charities and politicians not a part of a regular club meeting will be considered commercial. 501(c)(3) charities with proof of eligibility will be given a 20-percent discount for building rentals from the commercial rate.
The POA recreation committee will meet next on January 10 at 1:30 p.m. in the Coronado Center.