Board Meeting Minutes

Ocean Grove HOA Board Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2025
Jake Ellis home at 262 Myrtle

Attendees: President/Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Nancy Craig (via conference call), Treasurer Joan Zimmerman, Secretary Jim Wright, member Rod Taylor

Called to order by Jake at 4 p.m.

TREASURER’S REPORT:

The association ended 2025 with a net “profit” of 18,772.50, largely due to lower labor costs with Jake acting as the unpaid manager as well as board president.Bookkeeping costs were slightly over budget, but legal costs were under-budget.We have $497,101.53 in reserves and equity, including 11 unallocated water taps valued at $18,700.

The report and attached balance sheets were accepted on a unanimous vote moved by Jake and seconded by Rod.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT:

Repairs to the stairs in the open space are complete. The final cost for fixing the railing and posts, using treated wood and concrete, was $911. Repairs were done by Andy Emerson at Rusty Trowel.

Jake discussed potential paperwork and labor savings by changing the way we do RV storage lot contracts. We now issue new contracts annually, but could shift to a system where the contract continues until cancelled. The board took no action.

On a unanimous motion made by Rod and seconded by Joan the board authorized Jake to enter a contract of no more than $5,000 for repairs and upgrade of the Adelma Beach access parking area. The project is needed for safety reasons and to make it easier to get in and out of the parking area, which is sunken below the grade of Discovery Road.

Shold Excavating has tended a bid for $4,795.25 to regrade the lot and add 15 tons of gravel to bring it level with the pavement of the road.

EMERGENCY PREPARATION REPORT:

The Emergency Preparation Committee has ordered new medical supplies which, with other emergency equipment, will be stored in a small shed on Pat Nerison’s property across from the dog park on Becker Street. Board members expressed interest in accounting for the shed in a use agreement to be negotiated with the owner of the property.

FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT:

Joan asked if the HOA should hire an investment management firm to oversee handling of reserve funds, including bond investments. The issue was discussed with no action taken.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT:

Jake gave an update on the February 1 start date of our contract for limited administrative services by HOA Community Solutions to comply with changes in state law.

On a motion made by Rod and seconded by Jim the board voted unanimously to implement the contract.

The meeting was adjourned at about 5 p.m.

The next meeting of the HOA board will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 at the Ellis residence at 262 Myrtle.

Ocean Grove HOA Board Meeting Minutes
December 2, 2025
Jake Ellis’ home at 262 Myrtle

Attendees: President/Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Rod Taylor, Treasurer Joan Zimmerman, Secretary Jim Wright, member Laura Souza.

Called to order by Jake at 4 p.m.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT:

Jake reviewed the results of the recent proxy ballot election, noting that he received a few questions from members about HOA rules and regulations that were not being changed or subject to a vote. He said he addressed all the questions and no further action is required.

The board briefly discussed procedures for enforcement of rules, regulations and covenants, and agreed that the manager and board retain broad authority to resolve conflicts and to grant some exemptions in special circumstances, as allowed by our organizational documents. This includes giving HOA members time to address issues or allow specific exemptions to rules.

Jake stressed that no HOA officers patrol the neighborhood looking for violations, and that rules and regulations conflicts tend to rise from neighbor complaints, which are rare.

On a motion by Laura seconded by Rod the board unanimously voted that any exceptions to rules and regulations should be announced before action on the meeting agenda, include a sunset date for the exception and require a formal board vote.

HOA GOVERNANCE:

Jake presented a proposal to hire HOA Community Solutions, a professional management company based in Gig Harbor, to provide bookkeeping and accounting services, and handle increased record-keeping required by new state laws that go into effect next year.

This arrangement would cost about $699 per month and could be cancelled with 30 days notice. In the past, the HOA has paid $1,300 per month for a full-time manager plus the ongoing charge of $225 per month for accounting services.

The board would retain all responsibility for hands-on management of the HOA, including enforcement of covenants, rules and regulation.

Joan noted that the member-approved budget for 2026 includes a monthly $500 amount for management services in anticipation of the new state requirements, and that HOA Community Solutions’ fee would not require a significant budget change.

Board members discussed specifics of the proposal with the general concern that the management company would be limited to back-office management with no authority over enforcement issues. Jim also asked for details about any charges for services, such as check processing, that might fall on members in addition to the monthly $699 fee billed to the board. Board members also asked Jake to contact other clients of the company for references.

On a motion by Rod, seconded by Jim, the board unanimously voted to authorize Jake to further explore the management contract with the intent to contract with the company if no red flags are apparent. Jake agreed get answers to those questions and to check references, and to report back to the board with a formal contract in January. If approved by the board at that time, the contract would begin on March 31, 2026.

NEW BUSINESS:

The discussed procedures for approving expenditures by members who send gift baskets or flowers to welcome new association residents. This practice has commonly been covered by the HOA budget, but board members want to clarify that requests for funding should be made to Jake as president and manager before the fact, and that requests for reimbursement without prior authorization may be rejected.

On a motion made by Rod and seconded by Laura, the board unanimously approved its slate of officers for the coming two years. Those officers are: President and Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Nancy Craig, Treasurer Joan Zimmerman and Secretary Jim Wright. Rod Taylor will remain on the board and continue to serve as chair of the Building Committee.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:13 p.m.

The next meeting of the HOA board will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, at the Ellis residence at 262 Myrtle.

Ocean Grove Association 2025 Annual Meeting
November 15, 2025
Jefferson County Public Library, 620 Cedar Ave, Port Hadlock

Members Present: President/Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Rod Taylor, Treasurer Joan Zimmerman, Secretary Jim Wright, board members Nancy Craig, Beulah Kingsolver, Laura Souza; members Dan Nasman, Chrissy Scannell, Karl Jacobsen, Jim Goldberg and Mardelle Hansen. Several other members also attended by Zoom.
The meeting was called to order by Jake at 10:30 a.m.

PRESIDENTS WELCOME AND REMARKS:

For most of 2025 the HOA has operated without a paid manager, with Jake taking on administrative duties in addition to his work as board president. New state laws governing homeowners’ associations that go into effect on January 1, 2026, will make this difficult if not impossible to continue. The new regulations are intended to make HOAs more transparent through more formal public meeting procedures and more detailed record-keeping. The changes are geared to larger associations, and will place a much larger burden on the Ocean Grove manager. Because of this, the board has started gathering information and proposals from
professional HOA management companies that can take on administrative, bookkeeping and paperwork chores while leaving other aspects of Ocean Grove management in the hands of the president and board. Initial research indicates that this approach would be less expensive than the past cost of employing a manager. The board does not yet have a plan in place, but will likely pursue this arrangement in 2026.

MEMORIAL:

On a motion from Dan Nasman and seconded by Laura, the association unanimously approved the following appreciation marking the passing of longtime association resident Eric Lucas, who died in September:
“The Ocean Grove Homeowner’s Association expresses its deep appreciation to Eric Lucas for his long and positive service as a board member and as board president. His leadership led to the creation of a financially stable organization and to fostering a community that is well known for a social atmosphere that defines community in the best way. Condolences to his daughter, Lindsay, are noted.” Dan recounted highlights of Mr. Lucas’s life and journey from childhood in Philadelphia to Jefferson County, where he was instrumental in conversion of trust-held properties to create the Ocean Grove Homeowner’s Association.

BUDGET PRESENTATION:

Treasurer Joan Zimmerman presented the budget committee’s proposed annual budget and revenue projections for 2026 (See attached spreasheets). She noted that:
– Lot fees remain unchanged at $50 per lot per year, as do storage lot fees of $125 per space per year.
– Employing an outside management company should not require a budget increase over what we have paid past managers.
– Legal costs are expected to increase as the association works with attorneys to redraft covenants, rules and regulations and other governing documents to comply with the new state laws.
– The budget reflects substantial savings in insurance costs in light of a reduction in coverage amounts to bring the association in line with others.
– Interest income on HOA bank accounts will be lower because of a change in interest payment calculations at First Security Bank.
– The committee continues to monitor its investments in University of Alabama Revenue Bonds in light of a recent rating downgrade and lower bond returns in general. An association member asked why HOA investments earn less than his mutual fund returns per year. Joan said she was quoting distribution yield, not total annual return seen on mutual fund statements, and that Ocean Grove’s IPS (investment policy statement) signed at Edward Jones calls for “current income providing moderate long term growth and rising dividends.”
The budget was unanimously adopted on a motion by Rod Taylor, seconded by Laura.

DOCUMENT COMMITTEE PRESENTATION:

Jake noted that some association members have expressed confusion over the recently approved changes in rules and regulations, thinking that four amendments reflect policy changes

By way of clarification, Jake explained that two – regulation of fireworks and noise – simply add applicable county regulations to ease enforcement by the board. Another only incorporates a form to be filled out by homeowners renting their properties within current association regulations. The only new regulation is a ban on short-term rentals within the association. These Air B&B-style transient rentals make it difficult to enforce quality-of-life regulations, and could prompt the association’s insurance carrier to increase rates or drop coverage entirely.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m. on a motion by Rod seconded by Chrissy Scannell.
The final association board meeting of 2025 is scheduled for 4 p.m. on December 2 at Jake’s home, 262 Myrtle St.

Ocean Grove HOA Board Meeting
September 9, 2025
Jake Ellis’ home at 262 Myrtle

Attendees: President/Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Rod Taylor, Treasurer Joan Zimmerman, Secretary Jim Wright, Board members Nancy Craig, Beulah Kingsolver, Laura Souza, and Safety Committee chair Basha Berl

Meeting called to order by Jake at 4 p.m.

Minutes of the June 10, 2025 board meeting were unanimously approved on a motion by Jake seconded by Rod.

PRESIDENT/MANAGER REPORT:

Jake reported that he is looking into accepting electronic payment of annual lot fees. No board action was taken.

Jake suggested inviting the association’s insurance agent to a future meeting to discuss ways to provide liability coverage that would allow continued community use of the privately owned Dylan’s Dog Park.

SAFETY COMMITTEE:

Committee chair Basha Berl reported that about 50 people attended the September 6 community preparedness fair. Ocean Grove will also participate in the October 15 Great Washington Shakeout mock emergency radio drill.

The committee is working toward a goal of having at least one association-provided
emergency radio per street and will test an emergency response reporting system in coming weeks. It is also working to better organize disaster relief supplies and will distribute preprinted signs that can be posted on doors by residents needing emergency help.

Board members suggested broadening the radio network by including members who have their own radios (particularly boaters) by circulating the channels to be used in the event of a disaster.

BUDGET COMMITTEE:

Joan presented a proposed 2026 budget (see attachment) to be put up for a membershipwide vote at our December annual meeting.

Highlights include slightly higher investment income and reduced expenses with Jake serving as unpaid manager as well as president of the association; lower bookkeeping costs; and reduction in emergency preparation costs.

The proposed 2026 budget received unanimous approval on a motion by Laura, seconded by Rod.

Joan renewed her concerns about the need to diversify investment of association funds in light of bond market uncertainty. About $100,000, or about a third, of the association’s current cash and investment reserves are in University of Alabama general revenue bonds that are losing value. She is monitoring the investment and said that we may need to divest and diversify before the bonds mature in 2042.

Jake raised the issue of enforcing a penalty for late payment of annual lot fees. The board is authorized to charge a $10 per account late fee but has not done so in the past. The board discussed imposing late fees and rolling them into the following year’s assessment but took no action.

DOCUMENT COMMITTEE:

Jake reported on committee plans to separate the association’s rules and regulations from its bylaws, and to move the current manager’s job description into the bylaws. This is largely a technical change to comply with recent changes in state law and to make it easier to provide Realtors with information they need in regard to home sales.

The change was unanimously approved on a motion by Nancy seconded by Jim.

The committee also proposed changing association rules to ban short-term home rentals of less than 30 days as the practice makes it difficult to enforce association rules and safeguard quality of life for members.

Board members expressed concern about homeowner property rights, but generally agreed that short-term rentals tend to be problematic for communities.

Jake reported that two homes within the association are currently used for short-term rentals some or all of the year, and neither is in compliance with county regulations, in any event.

The board unanimously approved prohibition of short-term rentals, with the understanding that Jake will work with the two homeowners to ease them into compliance with the ban, on a motion by Joan seconded by Rod.

BUILDING COMMITTEE:

The board discussed a letter from Michael Lavache asking for an exception to covenants regulating home construction standards.

Mr. Lavanche wants to place a 400-square-foot “tiny home” on a lot he has purchased on the south side of Cape George road between Swanson and Kruse streets.

Ocean Grove covenants state that “The ground floor area of the main structure, exclusive of one-story open porches, carports and garages, shall not be less than 800 square feet for a one-story dwelling, nor less than 600 square feet for the ground floor area of… a multi-story dwelling.”

Board members expressed a general reluctance to make exceptions to covenants. No formal action was taken but Jake was advised to respond to the request by pointing out the building footprint restrictions.

NEW/OTHER BUSINESS:

The board unanimously approved, on a motion by Jake seconded by Rod, a new schedule for quarterly board meetings to comply with new state requirements. Unless otherwise announced in advance, regular board meetings will be held at 4 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month in January, April, July and October.

The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote on a motion by Jake seconded by Rod at 5:50 p.m.

Ocean Grove HOA Board Meeting
March 11, 2025
Beth MacBarron’s home

Attendees: Jake Ellis, Laura Souza, Jim Wright, Beth MacBarron, Joan Zimmerman, Nancy Craig.

Meeting called to order at 2:08 p.m.

The agenda was unanimously approved on a motion by Laura seconded by Jim.

Minutes of all meetings since October 22, 2024 were approved on a motion by Laura, seconded by Jim, with Joan abstaining.

Administrative Issues:

The board discussed several minor changes for record-keeping:

– Meeting minutes going back two years and minutes of future meetings will be organized in a binder, along with regular committee meeting reports, maintained by the board secretary. They will also continue to be posted on the association’s website.

Manager’s report: (Jake)

Jake, serving as interim manager, reported action on one homeowner complaint and receipt of two others in the past month.

– He briefed the board on the status of pending complaints about 13 vehicles (nine defined as inoperable junk vehicles) and loud noise at 212 Huntingford St., which is currently a rental home. He has contacted the out-of-state property owner, who has promised to deal with the tenants.

The board unanimously approved a motion by Jim, seconded by Laura, to authorize Jake to take appropriate legal action to enforce covenants if the situation isn’t resolved by March 15.

– He is working with the homeowner at 195 Kruse St. to resolve a complaint about the number of cars parked in front of the home. Currently there are five, with two inoperable. No board action was taken.

– He received and took no action on a general complaint about on-street parking, which is not regulated by the HOA because streets are maintained and regulated by the county. The complainant was advised to call the Sheriff’s Office.

– He is negotiating an agreement with Patricia Nerison to have the association assume management of and liability for the continued use of the dog park on her Swanson Street property. The park would be named Shel’s Dog Park in memory of her late partner, Michelle Mueller, who established it.

– State Farm will send policies and documents reflecting a cost of $3,380 for $5 million in liability coverage for directors and officers, a savings on what we had been paying for $12 million for a broader package from the Community Association of Underwriters.

this is reduced coverage from 12 million for a complete home owner package

from CAU ( Community Assin. Underwriters) Included additional coverages.

– Jake reported that he spent six to eight hours in the previous four weeks on HOA management duties.

Finance Committee Report: (Joan)

– The HOA is operating close to budgeted levels, with payment of annual dues and RV lot rental fees coming in at normal pace for this time of year. About half of annual dues have already been received. Two RV lot rentals remain outstanding.

An email reminder will be sent out close to the April 1 payment deadline to save on postage.

The association has $428,910 in current assets, with $400,450 in our Edward D. Jones account earning 3.76 per percent.

Emergency Preparedness Committee Report: (Jake)

Jake is exploring the possibility of creating an HOA emergency notification group text system. No board action needed at this time.

Document Committee Report: (Nancy)

Nancy reported that the committee is working on proposed amendments to clarify and update association governing documents such as bylaws and rules and regulations, which can be amended by the board, and Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CCRs) that require a membership vote.

The board discussed potential changes to the rules and regulations in light of recent vehicle and noise complaints:

Association rules for noise enforcement mirror county ordinances, which generally limit loud music and other activities from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Enforcement is left to the sheriff, who lacks resources to respond to complaints in a timely way. The board discussed adding a layer of enforcement by allowing the HOA to impose fines for noise violations but took no action.
State law governs removal of junk (inoperable) vehicles, with the Sheriff given authority for enforcement. Association regulations also authorize the board to hire tow companies to remove junk or abandoned vehicles from private property, but do not specify standards procedures for doing so.

The board discussed the need to amend the rules to add procedures for disposal of towed vehicles and for cost recovery, as well as potential limits on the number of vehicles allowed to be parked in driveways or other areas visible from the street. The board took no action but recommended the committee continue refining proposed enforcement protocols without attempting to limit the number of working vehicles per household.

New Business:

– Jake proposed that his duties as both president and the interim manager be formally combined, eliminating the need for a paid manager. This arrangement would be contingent on the president becoming a non-voting board member and the addition of one more voting board seat to maintain an odd-number of directors.

While unpaid, the president/manager’s cost for liability insurance would be covered by the association.

Nancy noted that this form of HOA governance is common across the state and is allowed under our governing documents.

Jim suggested that the responsibilities of the position should come with an extremely modest monthly stipend to both recognize the labor involved and cover small out-of-pocket expenses without adding to accounting costs. This follows past practice of paying a flat monthly amount to the manager to cover the cost of gasoline used on official business.

The board unanimously approved a motion by Jim seconded by Joan asking that Jake prepare a formal written proposal to be circulated before the next regular board meeting and discussed at that time.

– On a motion by Jim seconded by Joan the board unanimously approved expenditure of $350 for membership in the Washington State Community Association Institute, which provides education and resources to homeowner association members and professional managers. The membership covers the association, the board and the manager.

On a motion by Beth seconded by everyone the meeting adjourned at 4:16 p.m.

Ocean Grove HOA Board SPECIAL Meeting
January 14, 2025
3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Jake Ellis’ home at 262 Myrtle

Attendees:

Board members Jake Ellis (president), Rod Taylor, (VP), Jim Wright (secretary), Laura Souza, Beth MacBarron and Beulah Kingsolver, Joan
Zimmerman. HOA contractors Candace Mangold and Chrissy Scannell.

Called to order by Vice President Rod Taylor at 3:30 p.m.
The agenda was approved by a motion from Rod and seconded by Jim.

New Business:

Laura moved with Rod seconding to appoint Joan Zimmerman to the position of HOA treasurer, replacing Laura. The vote was unanimous.

As previously requested by the board, Candace presented her job description to the board in response to a request at the last meeting. In the past, the HOA employed Dan Nasman as a manager, but at his retirement last year the position was replaced by a service contract arrangement. Candace and board members had expressed a desire to clarify responsibilities and consider any necessary changes.

Candace has identified several duties that are not currently written into her job description, such as running the annual meeting’s Zoom connection, liaising with Realtors and title companies seeking information about HOA regulations, and helping to produce a monthly newsletter and other member outreach initiatives.

Candace has also requested a change in her compensation to reflect a $1,200 annual premium for manager’s and director’s insurance that in the past covered Dan as an employee, but now is her responsibility as a contractor.

Chrissy shared the Memo of Understanding for Services she provides for management and accounting support for information.

After lengthy discussion, the board unanimously approved a motion from Joan, seconded by Beth, for Candace to draft a similar MUS and forward it with details about contractor insurance requirements to the board this month.

Committee Reports:

Building: Rod

Rod reported that Jefferson County has no issues with our greenbelt stairs and we are free to replace the hand rail without further review.

Documents: Jake

The board held an informal discussion about the ongoing effort to reorganize HOA CCRs and bylaws to reflect mainly minor technical amendments recommended by our attorney to conform with state law.

Jake and the document committee plan a series of general open membership meetings and comment periods covering any changes, organized by topic, in coming months.

HOA members will receive ample public notice of each meeting and will have the opportunity to propose any changes before the revised documents are put up for a membership-wide vote at our annual meeting, in November.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on March 11, 2025, at the Ellis residence.

Ocean Grove HOA Board Meeting

October 22, 2024

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Jake Ellis’ at 262 Myrtle

Attendees: Candace Mangold, Jake Ellis, Laura Souza, Jim Wright, Rod Taylor, Beth McBarron, and Beulah Kingslover

Called to order at 2:00 p.m.

Agenda was approved for discussion by a motion from Laura Souza and seconded by Jake Ellis.

Old Business: HOA Insurance Policy

At the last board meeting it was discussed that the current premium for our CAU/Travelers policy seemed signiﬁcantly higher than previous years and it was decided that Rod Taylor and Candace Mangold would shop around for a better rate. The new quote from State Farm was shared with the group. The annual premium under State Farm for the basic limits of coverage required by state law for our board members, volunteers, and shared spaces, came in at a 1/3 of the price of our current policy.

The motion was made by Laura to cancel our current policy and move our business to State Farm. This was seconded by Jake and the board approved the motion to save the HOA a signiﬁcant amount of money by moving our business to State Farm.

Candace will work on next steps to move our policy.

Introduction of Beulah as a potential new board member. Shared Beulah’s bio and discussed the board positions coming open this coming year.

Committees:

Emergency Preparedness: Jake Ellis

Jake continues to research options for the community to upgrade our ﬁre hydrant capabilities. Current hydrants and their placement is not designed to mitigate a large scale”

“ﬁre. We’ve been looking at ways to help provide a more robust hydrant system, but it doesn’t appear to be something we can feasibly do.

Building Committee: Rod Taylor

The committee has had 2 recent building reviews to approve. Both were small and well within the building regs for our community.

A request for a cat fence was also approved for a potential homebuyer interested in a home for sale.

Finance Committee: Laura Souza

A review of the budget for 2025 was done by the board. A motion was made by Laura Souza to reduce the RV lot fee to $120 per year. Current rate is $150 annually. Lot due reduction from $80 per lot to $50 per lot.

The motion was seconded by Jake Ellis and the board approved unanimously for acceptance for the reduced rates.

A brief discussion was had concerning the funds in our 1st Security CD that matured in September. The monies remain in the CD while Laura and Finance Commmittee member, Joan Zimmerman met with Stephen Skylar from Edward Jones for recommendations on how best to invest the money. Mr. Skylar recommended putting the monies into the Franklin Fund that our other investments reside within.

Laura is going to do some more research before bringing the recommendation to the next board meeting in December. Laura and Beth McBarron will be working on this topic and will bring forth a motion at the next meeting.

Documents Committee: Jake Ellis sub in for Nancy Craig

The bylaws updates have been provided by our attorney. The only change that was brought forth as a motion is to update the ﬁscal year in the bylaws to January 1 to Dec. 31. Jake brought forth the motion, it was seconded by Jim Wright and approved unanimously by the

board. The bylaws have been changed to reﬂect the new ﬁscal year.”

New Business: Jake Ellis Community Directory

Requests from community members asking for a community directory for Ocean Grove. The discussion was had about an opt in/opt out option for creating a directory for those that opt in to share their contact information. No resolution or motion was made.

Bike Lanes for Cape George

Interest was discussed in adding a bike lane to Cape George as part of the future county planning project. Jim Wright is interested in representing Ocean Grove about this topic before the county and encourages others who are also interested to contact him if they would like to petition for this at upcoming county planning meetings. You can email your interest in this project to Jim Wright at hipoplus@gmail.com.

Birds and Bees

There’s been an uptick in interest by potential homebuyers via realtors to clarify our language in our bylaws/covenants concerning the ability to have chickens and bees. A discussion was had by the board discussing the language that currently states no more than 3 chickens are allowed per household, coop plans and rodent mitigation must be brought before the board and the board has to provide approval prior to a homeowner having chickens. There’s no current mention of beekeeping limitations.

Jim Wright shared some research from the City of Vancouver, WA about their beekeeping restrictions to a maximum of 2 hives per 10,000 sq ft lots.

The board discussed changing the language concerning chicken keeping to 3 chickens per lot with no more than 9, maintaining the coop plans and rodent mitigation and board approval prior to any chicken approval.

Jim Wright and Candace Mangold will work on a draft of proposed changes to the current wording and bring before the board for a decision in December.

Meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m. approximately.

Next board meeting will be held on Dec. 3 from 2-3:30 p.m

Ocean Grove Board Meeting

July 23, 2024

2:00 p.m., Jake’s home

All Present: Mary Eggert, director; Rod Taylor, vice president; Jake Ellis, president; Beth MacBarron, director; Laura Souza, treasurer; Shellie Mueller, secretary; Jim Wright, director; Candace Mangold, manager.

Old Business:

Reminder to remove invasive species from your property: scotch broom, chervil, tansy ragwort.

Quarterly newsletter in spring will have an educational piece about invasive species. First edition will go out in August for a late summer newsletter.

Insurance: Rod, Laura, and Candace are researching and discussing with two insurance companies, and will bring their findings to the board at the next meeting.

Collection of dues: Only one person is still delinquent; thanks so much for ponying up, everyone!

Committees:

Emergency committee: Currently working on organizing a new date for the Ocean Grove Emergency Fair on August 24th from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Becker Street in front of the dog park. This is location the community would gather in times of emergency for organizing resources and distributing information. The emergency committee will work on relaunching the Map Your Neighborhood project. Cost of a new hydrant for Kruse St. is $80,000, according to the PUD.

Documents committee: the Board and the Committee will schedule a Zoom meeting with the attorney to ask questions and get answers about how to structure our Covenants, Bylaws, and Rules/Regs. Jake will arrange it.

Financial committee: Laura reviewed the Ocean Grove Balance Sheet as of June, 2024 and answered miscellaneous questions.

New Business:

The Board had a discussion about enforcement of the Covenants.

Jake talked to the Jefferson County Public Works regarding mowing easements and was told that they would respond to our request for them to mow the edges of the streets as soon as they can. He also spoke to the PUD about mowing the septic field.

The PUD tells us that Kruse St. won’t get fiber optics until the PUD gets its next chunk of funds to pay for it. There is no money to include it with the currently budgeted areas.

The annual meeting will be held this November. Planning is underway.

Beulah Kingsolver has volunteered to be our Social Committee chair, yippee!!

Next meeting: Tuesday, October 22nd, 2:00 at Jake’s house.

Ocean Grove Association Board Meeting Minutes
June 10, 2025
Jake Ellis’ home

Attendees: President/Manager Jake Ellis, Vice President Rod Taylor, Secretary Jim Wright, board members Beulah Kingsolver and Joan Zimmerman.
Absent: Laura Souza

Meeting called to order by Jake at 4 p.m.

ACTION ITEMS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE:

– Approval of minutes of the March 11, 2025 board meeting.

– Acceptance of the resignation of board member Beth McBarren and appointment of Nancy Craig to fill out the remainder of her term.

– Clarification of rules and regulations regarding the RV storage facility to allow proration of fees on a case-by-case basis and allow for refunds for unused months when an association resident moves. This has been past practice but it was not spelled out in the bylaws.

– Formal incorporation of the Jefferson County Noise Ordinance and restriction of fireworks and shooting within the association, specifying that the board can take action to enforce county regulations with fines if necessary.

– Adoption of a form to be used for mandatory reporting of the lease or long-term rental of an association member’s home to the association manager. The requirement remains unchanged but bylaws did not specify how a report should be made.

– Appointed Paul Sammons to the newly created volunteer position of Ocean Grove Master Gardener under the auspices of the Building Committee.

– Authorized contract negotiation for provision and regular maintenance of a portable restroom at Adelma Beach during June, July, August and September, at an estimated cost of less than $500.

PRESIDENT/MANAGER REPORT:

Jake reported on changes in state law that will affect the association’s budget process. The new law requires that the agenda for the annual meeting in January be circulated 14 days before the annual meeting in January where it is presented for member adoption.

He also reported that two past complaints about inoperative vehicles parked in the association have been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

SAFETY COMMITTEE:

Committee chair Basha Berl reported that the next community safety fair will be held at 11 a.m. on September 6, with emphasis on fire safety procedures, emergency response planning and shelter-in-place recommendations. The cost of the event is covered by a $1,500 budget previously set by the board.

BUDGET COMMITTEE:

Joan reported that five association members have not yet paid their annual lot fees for 2025. Jake will follow up with them.

Joan also discussed the possible need to diversify investment of association funds in light of bond market uncertainty. About $100,000 of the association’s $431,580 in current cash and investment reserves are in University of Alabama general revenue bonds that provide a good return, but prudent management in the future could involve shifting to other investments before their maturity in 2042. The board agreed to monitor the situation but took no action.

The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote at 5:54 p.m.

The next regular board meeting is set for 4 p.m. on September 9 at Jake’s home.