Board of Directors Meetings

Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—January 21, 2021
via Zoom
8:15pm

Board members (9 of 11) were in attendance: David Cutitta, Geoff Egnal, Andrea Kiernan, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Maren Matal, Cathy Stocker, Chris Terry, and Steve Volkers

Pool Operations Discussion: In the interest of ensuring that our pool is operated using best practices, the Board discussed its expectations for its pool operator and developed a list based on the experiences of the 2020 season that will be shared with our long-time pool operator, Bethesda Aquatics.

Tennis report: The Board discussed the new keypad on Court #3, and options for enhancing the reliability of its operations. The Board brainstormed about ideas, including adding hard wiring to the tennis court and purchasing solar panels to help power the keypad. David will explore the possibility for investing in a solar panel at a cost not to exceed $700.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—February 10, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

All 11 Board members were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, Cathy Stocker, and Chris Terry.

  1. The Board unanimously approved the minutes of the Board meetings held on December 9, 2020 and January 21, 2021.
  1. The Board discussed making some edits to the contract with pool operator Bethesda Aquatics to clarify expectations and necessary improvements.
  1. At a prior meeting, the Board had already verbally notified Bethesda Aquatics that we plan to renew their contract for the 2021 season. Now the Board has approved the contract, subject to making the edits that clarify the expectations that the Board has discussed.
  1. The Board reviewed all the standard motions and agreed to updates for the 2021 year.
  1. Tennis: Dave Cutitta gave an update on his efforts to get a keypad working on Court #3.
  1. The Board briefly discussed the need to revise the bylaws to address at least one inconsistency. We will attempt to do that this year. We would then need a vote of 2/3 of the membership to change the bylaws.
  1. Financial: For any independent contractors working for the Board, we will request that they let us know in advance if they anticipate that their monthly hours exceed an average amount.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:00pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—March 3, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (10 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, and Cathy Stocker.
Not in attendance: Chris Terry.
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics was also in attendance.

1. The Board approved the February 2021 meeting minutes.

2. Bethesda Aquatics Report (Chuck Montrie)

Bethesda Aquatics has updated the operations manual to include information on how it hires,  promotes, conducts staff development, mentors coaches, and expectations on daily and weekly tasks.

Bethesda Aquatics has completed hiring; it has two more positions that it is going to interview for as an assistant manager; already hired one assistant manager. No more full time hiring. Optimistic that other pools will open and the club pools will watch the numbers, maybe the pool is on a reservation to start and then gets more robust as the summer moves on.

Discussed a limited Handyman Day in May. There are several underwater lights that have to be replaced. Fred Atwood will review the light manufacturer to determine if the pool can make a warranty claim for the light repairs. Rain date for the Handyman Day will be May 15. We can assign families to different spots and social distance.

Discussion ensued about whether the pool can open earlier than 11:00am on Sundays. It was discussed that would require the pool to change the covenant through a court process.

3. President’s Report (Cathy Stocker)

Plans for membership meetings to preview the season

Planning one or two membership Zoom meetings via a Town Hall for Equity Members and Senior Emeritus on March 18 and April 14, respectively.

Discussion ensured regarding the End of Season and Full Season Guest accounts having tennis privileges and whether to limit End of Season Guests to not have tennis privileges or Full Season Guests to have no reservation privileges. A motion was made to approve changes to the grid but the motion did not pass. The Board agreed to create a subcommittee and to revisit the idea at the next meeting.

4. Vice President’s Report (Nancy La Vigne)

The Board reviewed the Standard Motions with updated dates and revisions. Dues deadline will be March 22, 2021. End of Season Guest privileges – only children registered for the teams can be on pool premises when they are in practice. The Board approved a motion to adopt and approve the Standards Motions, as revised.

5. Treasurer’s Report (Julian Kim and Lara Goldmark)

The Board discussed the Conflict of Interest form and it was recommended that the Board add additional language for a de-minimus exception. Julian will propose some language to exempt de-minimus investments. Julian discussed the financial statements and preparation for the tax returns.

6. Tennis Report (Dave Cutitta)

The electronic lock went live on Court 3, posted signs with some instructions and working great with positive feedback.

7. Membership Report (Cynthia Morton and Fred Atwood)

The Committee is working with Linda to get all members’ letters out for the dues.

Discussion ensued regarding allowing Senior Emeritus to use Early Bird privileges and the use of lap lane privileges. Will depend on what the County allows when we reopen. When we re-open we won’t be any more restrictive than last summer and hopefully less restrictive. The Board voiced a preference to be flexible and will be reviewing former communications about Senior Emeritus’ rights and privileges.

8. Social Planning (Chris Terry and Phil Petrilli)

The Committee discussed bringing more food trucks and starting up some food offerings earlier. There is also an opportunity for a book club based on a neighborhood pool theme. The pool is limited on the number of events we can do to 3 adult parties.

9. Swim and Dive Season (Julian Kim, Maren Matel, and Kara Maciel)

The Committee discussed that it was in planning discussions with the Swim Team and Dive Team Reps about a summer season. Working with Bethesda Aquatics on hiring coaches for the swim team. As a Board, we support the exploration of a swim season if the leagues support the competition. The Board has given the teams approval to recommend hiring of coaches and to have a team. The Board will revisit the grid on practice times. We can host dive meets during our regular dive meet times if they can ensure social distancing. We will operate within the framework of the MoCo rules. It was suggested that the teams send a survey to find out whether people may want to enroll and the numbers for morning and afternoon swim and dive times. The spirit of the Board is that we make this work.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:12pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—April 7, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

All 11 Board members were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, Cathy Stocker, and Chris Terry.
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics was also in attendance.

1. The Board approved the March 2021 meeting minutes.

2. Bethesda Aquatics Report (Chuck Montrie)

Bethesda Aquatics reported that it has hired its operations team for the summer season, including two Assistant Managers and many lifeguards, and is working to update the staff manual and provide additional staff training. Lifeguards will have a new guard class on May 22-23 and the recertification class for lifeguards and swim and dive coaches will be the following two days. Certification lasts three years.

The water was turned on at the pool, and Bethesda Aquatics will be doing some plumbing repairs, including replacing all three of the drinking fountains’ valves and repairs to the hot water heater. The Board moved to approve up to $3,000 in repair expenditures. A contractor will come to the pool to conduct the light replacement and the pump inspection on May 7. Bethesda Aquatics asked that Buildings and Grounds speak to a landscaper to add more dirt and gravel to allow the path to become firmer for the chlorine truck when it arrives. The water is also on to the drinking fountain for the tennis courts, but it was discussed that it should be covered which Bethesda Aquatics will handle.

Discussion ensued about MCSL’s exemption to increase the limits on the number of swimmers in the lane to 6 from official swim team practices and meets, which was granted. The Board will continue to monitor County guidance before developing additional health and safety policies before the pool opens.

3. Tennis Report (Dave Cutitta)

The new online tennis reservation system was discussed, and the goal is to have it go live by April 19. Discussion ensued over whether to have someone present to enforce the schedule. It may be possible during some of the peak times, but likely not all of the time. Discussion continued over the confusion about whether the reservation system applied to family or to each member for the limit of two hours per day and no more than three hours per week. The Board agreed that the most practical way is to apply the limits to each member, not the family. The Board discussed that everyone should make an effort to check that the courts are locked and being used properly.

Discussion continued from the prior meeting about extending tennis privileges to Full Season Guest versus End of Season Guest accounts. Motion was made to allow privileges to Full Season Guests but not to End of Season Guests. The motion passed.

4. Membership Report (Cynthia Morton and Fred Atwood)

Cathy gave a shoutout to Cynthia and Fred for work on membership. The pool had 10 [ended at 13] Equity Member resignations so that those spots will be offered to individuals on the waitlist. There were 33 equity members who asked to go inactive for the season. Inactive members cannot come to the pool or use the courts, and they cannot be guests of other members. Linda will be communicating to those families who can be offered Full Season Guest swim privileges. It was decided that the Board will see how many accept and whether there should be a second round of offers. Several Board members were in favor of filling as many of the Guest slots as possible.

For Senior Emeritus accounts, last year, the Board allowed them to have a waiver with no dues payment, or if they paid their dues they could apply it to this year. No waivers will be granted this year. On April 14, the Board is holding a Town Hall to answer questions and on April 15 registration will open. Senior Emeritus accounts will be able to buy up to 10 Daily Guest Passes and use them for themselves. Discussion ensued over when Early Bird will be and who will have access.

5. Treasurer’s Report (Julian Kim and Lara Goldmark)

Julian reported that the Board filed our Form 990 and there may be some tax owed for prior years.  Julian recommended that the Board talk to a CPA who handles MD non-profit returns to confirm what is being filed, and what is needed to file to ensure the Board is doing what it can as part of its oversight role. It was decided that it was worth the investment and to get several bids.

Julian reminded everyone to complete the Conflict of Interest form.

6. Communications (Nancy La Vigne)

It was discussed whether to re-activate the LSFC member listserv, which would be the unofficial pool listserv. The Board supported that idea.

7. Swim and Dive Season (Julian Kim, Maren Matel, and Kara Maciel)

Bethesda Aquatics is considering several great candidates for the Swim Head Coach position. The Board expressed an interest in candidates from the community. For Dive, Sarah Halpern will return as Head Coach.

We are looking forward to Swim Team and Dive Team seasons and getting information on what we need to do as a Board, but expressed a general feeling of comfort with some kind of season knowing it will be different and dictated by what the swim and dive leagues are developing with the county. The Board reaffirmed its intention to participate in both leagues working with the county to have meets. The first meets are scheduled for the week of June 14-20 [Time Trials date is unknown]. Spectators likely will not be allowed at the meets, so discussion ensued about the installation of cameras or other live streaming of the meets. Participants will have to sign waivers, and we will put the language developed for this season in the waivers.

Kara will communicate the Board’s commitment with Swim and Dive reps.

The Board agreed to table any discussion of pool usage until May.

8. Social Planning (Chris Terry and Phil Petrilli)

Chris and Terry will reach out to members to get some food trucks. Some movies are set up the weekend before Memorial Day or on Memorial Day. The pool can sponsor 3 kid events and 3 adult events.

9. Operations (Dave Cutitta)

Looking ahead to Handyperson Days: May 1 and May 8.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:00pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—May 5, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (10 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, Cathy Stocker, and Chris Terry.
Chuck Montrie and Teri Tomlin of Bethesda Aquatics were also in attendance.

1. The Board approved the April 2021 meeting minutes.

2. Bethesda Aquatics Report (Chuck Montrie)
There are a few items remaining to be resolved in order to complete the county inspection:

  • Underwater lights are being replaced (Dave has confirmed the specifications and has an appointment with installers). Should be done in a week.
  • Pump will be evaluated again by the HydraTech firm. The recommended minimum flow rate is 575 gallons/minute; traditionally a 10% differential has been allowed. The pump since installed has tended to run at 550. It is possible the regulations may be interpreted differently this year. This relates to how chlorinated the pool is. The underlying state code has not changed. On Friday the HydraTech firm will give LFSC a diagnosis of what it would take to get to a higher flow rate. If needed, the Board will vote on additional work for the pump – look out for a message from Cathy on Friday.
  • Two small plumbing items in the men’s bathroom.

Staffing
Coach applications and hiring are progressing. Bethesda Aquatics has offered the head coach position to Ian Shepel and he accepted. A subgroup of Board members involved with the swim and dive teams will meet to look in more detail at the history of salaries to recommend salary ranges for the remainder of the coaching staff. Bethesda Aquatics will start scheduling interviews with Sarah for assistant dive coaches.

Capacity
LFSC applied for and was granted two waivers – meaning it will be possible to have more than 1 person per lap lane, and also to hold in-water instruction.

Social distancing rules and other restrictions are still in place; LFSC will apply for additional waivers as deemed necessary. Based on square footage, the pool should theoretically be able to handle 200 people, however there are concerns that this may feel crowded and that it will be difficult to enforce social distancing.

Furniture was placed with 6 feet between family groupings. Current guidance appears to require 6 feet between non-household members outdoors. It appears that wading pools are now available. Cathy will be writing to clarify as the logic of the changes to the restrictions does not seem 100% clear or consistent.  (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/reopening/requirements/pools.html)

For now, plans are to open the pool with a limit of 150 persons allowed through the reservation system (double the limit at the end of last year). Bethesda Aquatics will provide additional data to see if it may be possible to raise this limit: (i) count the furniture on the deck, and (ii) check gate records from 2019 gate check-ins to see how many people were actually at the pool during peak times (pre-COVID).

A motion was made and passed to approve $1,200 in extra staffing costs in order to cover the early bird lap swim period. The reservation system will be programmed to handle 2 people per lane.

The reservation system is going through some updates. System will look similar to last year. Each member having seven guaranteed reservations per week will remain, but based on availability, additional reservations will be offered on a walk-up, first-come first-served basis.

Preparation for opening
There will be a lifeguard certification class held the weekend before opening. Possibly additional classes during the week will be held, if there is interest from community members. A number of swim tests will be administered as well.

Cathy will send a Sign-up Genius, to ensure Board coverage during Memorial Day Weekend. Cynthia will coordinate to ensure there is training on the Chrome Book system for checking people in. Cathy encouraged Board members to be trained on the system. This year pictures of members will be needed. Staff meeting is likely to be Friday before opening.

The Thursday before opening, for the Swim Team, there will be a back-to-pool night, with a sign up to ensure social distancing. Swimmers can get sized for suits, etc.

3. Tennis Report (Dave Cutitta)
Two replacement nets are being purchased for the pickleball courts. People seem to find the tennis reservation system pretty intuitive even when using the mobile application. Dave is working with Linda on some server overload issues.

4. Membership Report (Cynthia Morton and Fred Atwood)
Cynthia reported all Equity Members have paid. Offers were made to 111 Full Season Guests. Two of those were adjoining and confronting neighbors. There is high interest in the pool. Thirty-four Equity Members went inactive and there were 11 resignations. Senior Emeritus registration was later this year; this gave the Board the opportunity to address questions they have. Quite a few are renewing for this year. Those dues will be paid by May 10. The number of End of Season Guests has not yet been determined. Will need to be discussed in light of Swim and Dive Team usage, and capacity. One person’s membership application was discovered to have been lost; this will be resolved.

5. Treasurer’s Report (Julian Kim and Lara Goldmark)
Julian reported that we have renewed our flood insurance. The amount is tied to building insurance amount. A motion was made and passed to ratify the expenditure and umbrella package insurance for a total of up to $20,000.

Julian and Lara interviewed three potential bookkeepers. Two of them have the experience necessary. We intend to allow them to take a look, remotely, at what is in Quick Books to get a sense of the level of effort it would take to make the records more consistent and come up with some written guidance for processes. There may be an initial consulting assignment needed which could cost about $3-5000. Objective: to rationalize QBO file and better link with Member Splash. Following that, the selected bookkeeper would only need to work a few hours per month to maintain and reconcile records.

Julian has extended property tax filing deadline until July. Will be hiring someone to work on this. Julian will prepare income statements and balance sheets for the last period.

6. Communications (Nancy La Vigne)
John Crupi is ready to re-activate the LSFC member listserv, waiting until Linda has membership list. On the to-do list is to develop a FAQ sheet.

7. Swim and Dive Season (Julian Kim, Maren Matal, and Kara Maciel)
A meeting to discuss this will be held separately. Swim and Dive Teams are expected to hold normal hours. In addition, they will be invited to hold practice Monday morning on Memorial Day.

8. Social Planning (Chris Terry and Phil Petrilli)
Chris is working on a plan to have food trucks that do pick up only. He is also working on a letter that goes to adjoining neighbors. Chris will check what the electric requirements are for the trucks to see if generators can be replaced with a connection to the pool house. Working on organizing two movie nights in early June. Planning ahead for when county vaccination rate gets above 50% it will be possible to plan a social event.

9. Operations (Dave Cutitta)
Handyperson Day on May 1 went very well! Lots of work done. Looking ahead to May 8, there will be a group of girl scouts participating, there are some gardening tasks left and a number of pool tasks. It will be from 9:00am-Noon.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:00pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—June 2, 2021
At the Pool
7:30pm

Board members (7 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Julian Kim, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, and Cathy Stocker.
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics, Emma (Assistant Pool Manager), Mariel Goetz, and Brian Herberger were also in attendance.

1. Bethesda Aquatics Report (Chuck Montrie)

  • Memorial Day was a busy opening weekend!
  • There have been some concerns about the women’s bathroom because water from the showers was pooling near the door and in the center of the bathroom. We could consider heavy duty shower curtains and some industrial slip mats. Cathy Stoker can call the contractors to see if we could add shower doors. The Board agreed to send a reminder to the community about appropriate shower use.
  • The pool guards are receiving a lot of questions about Senior Emeritus and they are being referred to the website. As a reminder, early bird visits, water aerobics, and tennis courts usage, do not count towards the Senior Emeritus’ limit.
  • Membership Splash has been having glitches. Linda has a test account and if someone is not able to enter a guest to a family then the guest will be signed in under Linda’s account for proper contact tracing purposes.

2. Q&A Members

  • A question was raised about children under 12 being together outside and not social distancing. The Board agreed that it is up to the parents, if they want to mask their kids between swimming.  There are no county regulations or MCSL regulations about how many swimmers can be in a pool lane or on a deck. We may have different rules for swim meets because of the integration of the communities.
  • A question was raised about diving board usage and whether there are more than 2 bounces per board. Bethesda Aquatics has instructed the staff that there are no multiple bounces except between dive practices. Bethesda Aquatics instructs all of the guards to enforce this during non-dive practices.
  • A question was raised about calling off adult swim during evening periods? The reason for the adult swim is to allow the kids to be resting for 15 minutes as the national standard. The manager has discretion not to call it if they feel that goal is being met. If there are a small number of people in the pool, generally they will not call adult swim.
  • A question was raised about the Nestling Program. The pool will have a program being held in the intermediate pool for kids who need help learning how to swim. After June 16, we can have two hours in the morning or in the afternoon to accommodate 3 kids per slot up to 40 kids.
  • A question was raised about lap swimming. Many people would like to have reservations but the system is not working well. Right now, we will watch what happens to see if we need a reservation system.

3. Financial Update (Julian Kim)

  • Julian interviewed 2 candidates for bookkeeper and he consulted with a tax return preparer who knows Maryland law, including sales and use tax on things LFSC is buying and reselling.
  • A motion was made to approve up to $5,000 for initial bookkeeping work and periodic payments through this fiscal year that ends in October 2021, and to retain a return preparer for Maryland state filings that would cover October 2021. Motion was seconded and carried.

4. Tennis Update (Dave Cuttita)

  • Planning some youth tennis group lessons through David Robinson. We would do a final review to make sure everyone is a member.
  • A motion was made to associate with David Robinson to be our tennis instructor this summer. Motion was seconded and carried.

5. Dive Team Update (Maren Matal)

Discussion ensued about the dive coach and assistant coach salaries for the Summer 2021:

  • A motion was made to pay the Head Dive Coach a salary. Motion was seconded and carried.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:50pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—July 8, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (7 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Nancy La Vigne, Phil Petrilli, Cathy Stocker, and Chris Terry
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics was also in attendance.

The Board approved the May minutes with one change. Also, the Board approved the June 2021 minutes.

Chuck Montrie sent some funding requests to Julian, Treasurer and Linda Karson, Administrator. Going forward such requests should also be copied to Cathy and Nancy.

Teri and Chuck were asked and agreed to include drinks with low or no sugar for sale at the pool.

The Board discussed the need for more regular and accountable cleaning of the bathrooms. Chuck agreed to institute an hourly cleaning checklist system for the bathrooms and other needs including bringing the flag down each day.

Special thanks to Fred for digging out the non-functioning flagpole and replacing it in time for a swim meet. Also, there were electrical issues with a GFCI in the women’s room and on the deck. Thanks to Fred for obtaining the electrician to fix these.

The trash truck staff are having trouble pulling the full bins across the gravel. The Board discussed that the trash bins would be moved closer to the bridge.

Fred reported a need to replenish the gravel in the alley and reported on bids for gravel replacement. He stated we need 4 inches of compactible stone. Mowing & More and AB Beers each submitted quotes. Discussion ensued on the alley. It is classified as an unmaintained alley. This means that the county owns the land, but they do not do work on it. When the alleys degrade, neighbors generally maintain it. In this alley, sometimes the neighbors have put gravel down and erosion is creating ruts. These ruts are making it difficult for the chlorine truck to get through the alley. Phil raised a concern with the cost of the gravel. Additional information will be gathered, and the vote will be held until next month.

There is high demand for swimming lessons and the guards are receiving some comments about lessons taking up lanes and other areas of the pool. The Board discussed a need to communicate to current guards that if teaching a lesson, they cannot use the entire lane. A protocol for next year will be developed by a group of the Board prior to next season.

The Board confirmed that pool will continue to open at 11:00am.

Cathy said we received a request to remove some of the old chain link fence. Cathy said she would like to pay Grant McNavage to remove some of the fence.

The Board discussed the pool banquet and a need to establish a rain date at the pool to keep the event outdoors.

On behalf of Julian, Cathy stated that we currently have $390,000 in the bank and had $265,000 in the bank at this time last year. Cathy is working with Julian on financial statements. They have retained a bookkeeper to help with QuickBooks. In this transition with new bookkeepers, the Board wanted to highlight that members expressed the need to see financial statements on a regular basis.

Communications – Nancy will send a notice on what is coming up in the week ahead including a need to close the pool at 4:45pm next week and other news including a new listserv, Trivia night on Saturday, Sunday dive meet, B meet, upcoming food truck, and swim meet on Saturday which is also alumni day.

CLC – EPA complaint about noise from the recent social. A response was submitted that we complied with our guidelines on party end times. A complaint was received regarding people parking illegally at the last home swim meet. This was dealt with pro-actively for the subsequent swim meet.

Upcoming pool party has strong registrations so far. Pool will close at 5:00pm for set up.

Maren asked for discussion on August activities including a tennis program.

Nancy moved adjournment. Motion was seconded and the meeting was adjourned at 9:30pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting
There was not an August meeting.
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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—September 1, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (10 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Cathy Stocker, and Chris Terry.
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics was also in attendance.

I.  July Board Minutes

Minutes were unanimously approved with amendments. 

II.  Bethesda Aquatics Report

The last managers left last week so we are operating with high schoolers who are doing a great job. The pool will close on September 12. Bethesda Aquatics is working on a list of physical items that need attention before next year, including the alley.

A Board member asked whether the older generation does not respect the guards. Chuck does not see it as a problem.

A Board member asked whether End of Season Guests know the rules of the pool or are those shared? Yes, the End of Season Guests receive a copy of the rules in their offer letter.

III.  Board Committee Reports

A.  Operations

Discussion ensued about the “chlorine” truck deliveries during the summer through the alley. A neighbor has expressed a concern about the usage of the alley and its potential impact on the gas line that is buried underneath it. We could ask John Chadwick to do an inspection of the alley and check the location of the gas line that runs beneath the alley. During the renovation we arranged for a new gas line to be installed, which required a lengthy inspection and permitting process to ensure that it was done safely. The Board concluded that we will have Washington Gas come out and check on erosion before considering whether we need to lay more gravel in the alley and provide some recommendations for alternatives.

John Chadwick was our project manager for the renovation and the bathroom, so he was involved in helping us go through the process of permitting for laying the gas line in the alley as part of the renovation. He has been a great partner with Little Falls. We could hire him as a project manager to get in touch with Washington Gas and get their analysis if the pipe is in the proper location and if not, we would ask him to propose potential solutions.

Board members have more recently met with Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) in the alley and DOT confirmed that we do not need special permitting for the chlorine truck to access the alley, and it is just the license of the chlorine company.

In the off-season, let’s talk to the company about the hours for the delivery. We have worked hard to show consideration and being good partners.

Having a new bridge would also address the trash situation. Consider asking John Chadwick to provide a scope of work to include investigating bids for a new bridge along with the pipe in the alley and a bid for the men’s bathroom. The current bridge does not support emergency usage which could be another benefit to new a bridge.

Motion was made to ask John Chadwick to provide a scope of work for an estimate of a new bridge, men’s bathroom, and overseeing the inspection of the alley up to $1,500. Motion passed unanimously.

B.  Membership Review and Pool Usage

A routine audit of the membership usage of the pool was conducted. Some Senior Emeriti have exceeded their pool usage and this will be communicated. The Board will also consider an orientation to inform new families of the rules.

C.  Treasurer’s Report

Shout out to Julian and Lara for the transition to finding a new bookkeeper but also merging our systems to work with Member Splash and the new bookkeeping system.

Discussion ensued about the Profit and Loss Statement from November 2020 through July 2021 which compared against the FY21 Budget.

The bulk of the revenue shortfall is due to decreased revenue from the End of Season Guest and the Senior Emeritus categories. In a number of cases, Senior Emeriti requested that their 2020 fees be applied to 2021, so the club did not collect that revenue this year. With respect to End of Season Guests, the Board agreed that out of concern about COVID-19 and crowding at the pool that a smaller number of End of Season Guest slots would be offered for the 2021 season. Our hope is that we will be able to return to normal levels next year. Swim and Dive expenses will be greater when August expenses are taken into account, and will be higher than in past years as coaches were hired in anticipation of COVID-19 operating restrictions that were lifted right before Memorial Day.

There was some additional discussion regarding long-term finances in light of the construction loan and potential major expenses such as a men’s bathroom renovation and bridge renovations to increase its capacity. Although these are not immediate issues, the club will need to start considering potential capital outlays for presentation to the membership.

Julian is working with a CPA with experience working with other local pools to identify any regulatory filings or compliance items that need attention. One immediate item is an outstanding Maryland personal property return for a prior year, and that is being addressed.

D.  Communications

This Committee report was postponed to the next meeting.

E.  Community Liaison Committee

The Board was notified that a neighbor lodged a noise complaint with local EPA enforcement during an outdoor movie night for kids. The Board responded quickly to the complaint and there was no action taken against the pool as the movie night was an approved activity according to our statement of operations. The EPA official suggested that the pool can track decibel measurements to ensure compliance, which the Board is doing.

F.  Social Committee

Grazie to Chris for another creative programming effort at the recent wine tasting party. We saw so many new faces and the social events have brought new members to the pool and fun for all guests.

G.  Tennis

Men’s tournament will occur the second weekend of October. We finished the Men’s and Ladies’ tennis leagues and had a happy hour at the pool. The Junior Clinics this summer were also a hit.

Pickleball usage has exploded. There is a request for additional painting of a second court but we would like to monitor usage of the courts prior to making any additional changes.

H.  Buildings and Grounds

The Board will reach out to DOT regarding the broken guardrail to find out their level of responsibility as it is located outside of the pool property line.

Motion was made to authorize expenditure up to $2,000 to repair and replace the guard rail if required by Montgomery County DOT. Motion passes unanimously.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:01pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—October 6, 2021
via Zoom
8:30pm

Board members (10 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, and Cathy Stocker.
Chuck Montrie of Bethesda Aquatics was also in attendance.

I.  September Board Minutes

The minutes were unanimously approved with amendments. 

II.  Bethesda Aquatics Report

Chuck informed the Board that Bethesda Aquatics will be ceasing operations in the next couple of months, so it will not seek to renew the contract when its term is over at the end of November. The Board expressed its strong gratitude to Chuck and Teri for all of their hard work and commitment to LFSC over the past many years.

In terms of current maintenance issues, the plumber completed the draining of the pump house and will check it this weekend. We will do our best to tape up all the toilets and urinals. The bathrooms are no longer usable. We have a list of items to be done before opening next year: the flow rate problem in the main pool and the need to hire HydraTech to get advice, battling the wood chips from the parking lot, baby pool pump has been leaking (potentially a bad seal), the drinking fountain valves, pump room door jams, other door jams, sharp tile line in the well, pool vacuum needs to be replaced, one bad underwater light, and a replacement for the women’s room handicap shower handle.

Discussion ensued to bring in HydraTech now because the pump is still in place. The search for a new pool operator was also discussed. Lara, Cynthia, and Nancy will serve on a committee to search for a new pool operator.

III.  Board Committee Reports

A.  President’s Report

Cathy met with John Chadwick to manage the infrastructure issues. He divided the proposal into the three aspects of project management: (1) public alley, (2) men’s locker room, and (3) a bridge replacement.

Discussion over the proposal ensued with a question regarding the men’s bathroom and refiguring that side of the pool house for access for people with limited mobility. We already have a blueprint to renovate the men’s bathroom and to install a unisex ADA bathroom and shower.

A question was raised whether we should solicit more bids on these projects. It was discussed that while we may be able to get bid proposals for some of the projects, we may not get one for all three of them. For this proposal, we are not asking John to manage a competitive bid process; we are asking him to do the research to allow us to send out good RFPs.

Nancy moved to approve all three proposals, Cynthia seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

John received a quote for about $350 to remove the guardrail.

There was a good and positive meeting with the Swim and Dive reps for next summer and we can discuss that at a future meeting.

We need a Nominating Committee for our new Board. We can finalize this at our next meeting so that we can put a slate together in December for our Annual Meeting in January.

B.  Operations and Buildings and Grounds

We have had a few alarms go off overnight at the pool and there could be a malfunction in the camera in the dive well.

Following up on the vote to contribute to the gravel, the neighbors are asking for additional money to finish the project which would cost another $225. Cathy moved to provide the additional money and the motion passed unanimously.

Potomac Tree Services submitted a bid following confirmation that the tree is dead and the cost to remove it will be $1,800. We asked for an additional bid for cutting back the trees from the tennis courts. The Board will seek a second bid from Arbor Care to remove all the dead trees.

Dave moved to approve up to $2,400 for removal of the red oak, clearing back the trees, and clearing the path. Cathy seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Dave moved to approve an amount not to exceed $1,000 to remove the tree located inside the pool. Lara seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

C.  Treasurer’s Report

Julian filed a Maryland personal property return and reviewed it with the outside preparer. For a minimal fee, they will prepare one outstanding income tax with the IRS and possibly with Maryland. We went back four years to ensure that everything has been filed. The CPA will review a list of items and meet with Julian to discuss best practices going forward.

The financial statements were circulated in advance of the meeting. We have about $260,000 in cash which is better than where we were last year. We are paying part of the principal of the loan. We would need to come up with a menu of capital outlays for the membership versus paying off the loan.

There are communications with Solar Solutions to compare our cost savings due to the solar panels, and we are getting the credits for that and the rate we are getting.

D.  Communications

Discussion ensued about mandatory orientations for new members to make the life of the membership easier. We had fewer questions from members over the course of the summer. We could consider a happy hour for new members next Summer, especially with a new operator coming in.

Cathy will draft a wrap up communication for the end of season which will include a save the date for the Annual Meeting as well as putting out a call for Nominations for the Board.

The Board will reach out to John Crupi about the status of the LFSC Listserv.

E.  Tennis

The Board received a proposal from David Robinson for him to provide services to the tennis club.  He will clean and maintain the courts free of leaves and keep them from gathering around the perimeter to avoid decay; he will host an event once per month; and in consideration he would be allowed to use the courts up to 3 times per week to provide lessons to non-members and would have secondary priority over members’ usage. He could also walk on a court 3 times per week if it wasn’t being used. We could consider this on a 6-month trial basis.

The Board is also addressing some concerns with the locks on the courts.

Dave moves to accept the proposal with David and will draft an agreement for a 6-month trial basis. Lara seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The men’s tennis tournament is this weekend with 24 people signed up. We have the courts booked the entire weekend. Shout out to Phil for providing Taim gift certificates for the winning team.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 pm.

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Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—November 3, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (8 of 11) were in attendance: Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Phil Petrilli (for the first half of the meeting), and Cathy Stocker.

I.  October Board Minutes

The minutes were unanimously approved.

II.  Board Member Reports

A.  President’s Report

The damaged guardrail at the bridge has been removed.

The Board has contracted with John Chadwick to collect information about improving the safety of the alley, renovating the men’s bathhouse, and replacing the bridge. He plans to have a report to the Board the first week of December in advance of our next meeting.

Discussion ensued about a proposal to build an enclosure for the garbage cans near the bridge. It is not burdensome on staff to get into the garbage can enclosure and it can prevent others from dumping their personal trash there.

The Nominating Committee will put out the call soon for people to submit their names for a slate of candidates for the election of new Board members at the Annual Meeting. The Bylaws require us to get the ballot out in advance of the meeting. In the past, the Board has used an electronic voting process with paper ballots available to anyone who requests one. The Annual Meeting is usually held in person at Westbrook Elementary. The Board set a tentative date for the Annual Meeting for Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 7:00pm.

Discussion ensued about a policy around swim activities, lessons and camps. This summer many kids (and their parents) were requesting swim lessons. We also had some people running activities at the pool without the Board’s permission. It was discussed that having a well-articulated policy on swim lessons and spacing in the pool and a policy about people seeking permission from the Board to have a particular program would be beneficial for next summer. The Board needs to approve any activities that happen either in the pool or the tennis courts. This policy is probably something that could be incorporated into the next revision of the Bylaws or in the standard motions. In terms of swim lessons, we could develop a sign-up sheet for those people who wanted to give swim lessons. Those who offer lessons should be lifeguard certified with a current certification. Members had concerns about how many members were using the lanes for lessons and they couldn’t use the lap lanes. We could have lanes reserved for private lessons. The pool manager could be the person who manages that process. Some concerns were expressed about fairness regarding who can provide lessons and also not to allow lessons during the busiest time of the day. The Club’s role should be in allocating capacity and balancing usage. It was discussed whether only members could give and receive lessons and also whether non-members who were on the waitlist could receive lessons.

Discussion ensued regarding adding an FAQ to the website to answer some of the common questions raised each year. It was proposed that at our next Board meeting, we have a short business meeting and then brainstorm some common questions for the website. Nancy will reach out to Linda on developing an initial list in advance. It was determined that the Board should finalize the membership grid and the associated benefits and refresh the Board book prior to the new Board starting in 2022.

B.  Vice-President’s Report

Nancy has started the process of getting bids for a new pool management company. A couple of other pools just did re-competes in the past few years, so they know the prospective bidders and can share contact information with us.

Swim reps should begin to advertise for the Head Coach and invite applicants for all coaching levels.

C.  Operations

Discussion ensued about a proposal from HydraTech regarding increasing the flow rate of the pump in the pool by maintaining the current pump and adding a bigger impeller that can move more water to regulate the flow and pump at different speeds. This solution is less expensive than replacing the pump.

Replacing the pump could be a risk because we would need to change out all of the plumbing and because it does not have the flexibility that this variable impeller would provide. Right now, we have no way to vary the amount of water that can be moved.

Dave moved to authorize this expense of approximately $9,100, and to not wait until Spring so that it can be tested during the winter season. Nancy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Discussion ensued about replacing the underwater light but that needs to be put on hold until Spring so that it can be tested when the pool cover is off. A motion was made to purchase two lights with one as a back-up; Nancy seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

D.  Communications

Discussion ensued about the LFSC Listserv. It is a quick and easy way for members to communicate with each other without using Member Splash. It was proposed that John Crupi can activate it and announce it at the Annual Meeting.

E.  Tennis

The Women’s Tennis Tournament is being held this weekend.

Dave will coordinate with David Robinson to commence the trial six-month court maintenance agreement as discussed at last month’s meeting. A neighbor complained about his use of the leaf blower to clean the courts for safety, and David was asked to keep the noise in line with the sound restrictions.

F.  Buildings and Grounds

Kevin Clair came out on Wednesday and will be sending an estimate about tree maintenance.

G.  Treasurer’s Report

Julian circulated the September financial statements. The fiscal year ends in October. We will have some expenses over the winter season, but we have some reserves to spend on the operational fixes that have been approved by the Board.

Julian will work with Nancy to put out the call to members to participate in the audit with the plan to kick it off at the beginning of December to be signed off on by the Board before the Annual Meeting.

H.  Amendment to Statement of Operations

Discussion ensued about whether the Board wanted to make any changes to the statement of operations which would require a petition and a hearing and informing the confronting / adjoining neighbors. The idea is to extend the season on the weekends and into September on the weekends.  Some indicated support for opening earlier or later in the season but not opening earlier on Sundays. Maren will reach out to see who wants to be on a subcommittee. It was noted that any changes to the statement of operations would impact the potential RFP for the new pool operator.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:01pm.

___________________________________________

Minutes of LFSC Board Meeting—December 1, 2021
via Zoom
8:00pm

Board members (10 of 11) were in attendance: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, and Cathy Stocker.

I.  Approval of meeting minutes

The November Board meeting minutes were approved unanimously with minor revisions.

II.  Board Member Reports

A.  President’s Report (Cathy)

John Chadwick completed the three feasibility studies we requested.

  1. New Bridge – Estimate of $129,040 for replacement of the current bridge, including design work, Geotech study, permitting fees, testing and design, removal of existing bridge, and installation. In addition, we’d have to hire an attorney for legal work/permits and pay John Chadwick a project management fee. Total would probably come in well under $200k. We will ask follow-up questions to ensure that the new bridge could handle the weight, width and length of EMS, trash, and chlorine vehicles (including turning radius onto the bridge) and how long it would take to complete the process, inclusive of permitting process.
  1. Men’s Bathhouse – This estimate came in at $260,450 – a bit less than anticipated based on ballparks we received at the time of our renovation.
  1. Upgrading the Alley – We asked John Chadwick to research how deeply the gas pipe in the alley currently used by the chlorine truck (and if needed EMS vehicles) is buried and what would be involved in laying the appropriate kind of gravel to keep it safe from disruption. It appears that the gas pipe is deep enough to be safe as is, but the Board will ask Washington Gas to come out and confirm that for us. John Chadwick estimated that it would cost about $2k to lay appropriate gravel in the alley, which is less than other bids we obtained, likely because of his ability to obtain gravel at wholesale prices.

Motion was made to bring the bridge project (package of information, firm estimate, and how financed – whether a small assessment and/or paying out of our reserves – perhaps split over two years) to the membership at the Annual Meeting provided that the answers to our additional questions to John Chadwick give us confidence to proceed.

Motion passed unanimously.

Nominating Committee and Annual Meeting – Wednesday February 2 at 7:00pm. Need to pull together the nominating committee and slate of candidates. Cathy and Cynthia are ineligible to run again given they have already served two back-to-back terms, so will be stepping off. We expect to have at least five slots open meaning we need at least eight candidates in accordance with the bylaws.

Bylaws Changes – the Board discussed that any changes to the bylaws need to be shared with members by December 22, six weeks ahead of the Annual Meeting. The Board will circulate some suggestions about potential changes with each other so that we can have a separate communication with the membership on that. We may decide that the next Board forms a committee to update the bylaws thoroughly if we don’t have the time to do so for this Annual Meeting.

Next Board Meeting – All agreed on the need to have another meeting before the Annual Meeting on February 2, 2022, selecting a tentative date of January 19, 2022.

B.  Vice-President’s Report (Nancy)

Pool Management Company Selection Process – Board members shared that the RFP was prepared and informed by examples used by neighboring pools along with our existing Bethesda Aquatics contract. Chuck Montrie and Linda Karson were also helpful in answering some clarifying questions. We identified six prospective bidders, all of whom received the RFP today; two have already confirmed receipt and expressed interest. Bids are due on January 5 and a selection will be made by January 31, 2022.

Potential Expansion of the Pool Season – Members asked about the possibility of expanding the season. The Board is in the process of examining the feasibility of doing so, both financially and in the context of county approval process. They observed that most of the neighboring pools have longer seasons. The RFP for a new pool management company will enable us to assess the costs associated with expanding the pool season, which will inform whether and how we bring it to the membership for a vote.

C.  Operations (Dave and Phil)

  • Replacing broken pool light – Dave ordered one light assembly to replace the broken light in the pool so we have it on hand and ready to install in the spring. Need to obtain assurances from the company that supply chains are good so that we don’t end up in a position that we can’t open because another light stops working.
  • Security system status report (Phil) – There’s a problem with having to replace the batteries in the Arlo cameras frequently. We had a backup camera for the bridge which is now missing. We’re also missing a ton of rechargeable batteries. Need to purchase more rechargeable batteries or look for a hardwired system or one that uses lithium batteries that don’t require constant recharging. The Arlo cameras are supplemental – they aren’t a part of the security system but rather serve as a second pair of eyes. With limited activity at the pool at this time, we are probably okay. The security cameras which are motion detected and hardwired are the ones that can detect pool break-ins and those are fully operational.

D.  Tennis (Dave)

  • Fall tennis tournaments – discussed at last meeting – huge success, great feedback from members.
  • Leaf blowing of courts – we have been using an electric blower which is quieter than gas and we haven’t receive any noise complaints. The courts are fairly clean – most of the leaves have already fallen and been cleared.

E.  Membership (Cynthia)

  • The Board needs to review the privileges grid and decide about posting it to the website. The document started as a cheat sheet for Board members to get our heads around all of the member and guest categories, associated dues (including late fees and due dates), and benefits. Board members agreed that it’s important to have transparency – once posted, people will rely on it as the rules of membership so it needs to be accurate and we need to be open to enforcing it. It should be updated with the Standard Motions each year, with the new Board approving it. Cynthia offered to review and clean it up and then have it ready for the new Board to finalize in 2022.

F.  Building and Grounds (Maren and Dave)

  • Tree maintenance – The tree removal and trimming work is getting done tomorrow. They will also clear the ingrown path near the tennis courts, remove another dead tree that was in the public alley right of way and was since moved, the dead ash tree on the berm in the corner where the old diving Board used to be, and some additional pruning. Potomac Home Services came in with a highly competitive/economical bid.
  • Chuck was in touch with Fred and Maren to share a list of pool maintenance issues that we’ll need to attend to during the winter months. The Board agreed to reach out to Chuck to see if he is willing to serve as a consultant to handle some of these issues prior the start of the new pool management contractor. Chuck had already generously volunteered to give Board members a tour of the issues this Saturday morning at 10:00am. Motion was made to contract with Chuck as a consultant for an amount not to exceed $5k, paid on an hourly rate to handle such issues from now through February 28, 2022 (assuming new contractor will start on March 1).

Motion passed unanimously.

G.  Treasurer’s Report (Julian and Lara)

  • Review of financial statements – Julian reported that we have plenty of cash on hand despite some lagging refunds that need to be sorted out. At the next Board meeting he and Lara will a report on our entire FY expenses compared to the budget.
  • Audit planning – We have plenty of volunteers for an audit – we will get that rolling in the next few weeks. We will also be doing an audit of the Member Splash entries.
  • Tax returns – Julian reviewed our tax returns over the past four years and submitted a missing federal return and a missing Maryland business property tax return. We will use a professional to prepare the pool’s 990 for next year. It’s not clear that we have applied for a sales tax waiver – we need an exemption certificate.

H.  Adjournment – 10:01pm.