2010 Backus House Commons Annual Meeting
Sunday Dec. 26, 11:00 a.m.
Marriot City Center, Downtown Minneapolis
Lafayette Bay Room on the 8th floor.
Present: 1st Gen: Patrick, Char, James, Cindy, Tim, Paul, Matt, Ellen, Kieran, Tom, Mary Ryan
2nd Gen: Alissa, Dana, Andy, Anna, Joe, Brendan, Molly, Peter, Rob, Frances, Martin
Absent: Bill, JP, Joe, Barb
I. Welcome/ Opening prayer
Prayer said by Molly @ 11:10AM
Agenda review PATRICK
Appoint meeting chair PATRICK to facilitate and secretary ANNA to take minutes
II. 2009 Minutes Approval:
Reading of the minutes by group.
M/S Paul, Matt. 2009 Minutes approved: Motion passed
III. Treasurer’s Report
Reading of report by Cindy.
Tim: move expenses regarding bunk bed into the capital improvements category. Patrick: does money from raised dues go to capital improvements category? Cindy: there is no separate capital improvements account. Patrick: should we make a separate capital improvements fund? How much should we put in it?
Ellen: motion to transfer $1000 to capital improvement fund.
M/S James. Motion approved
Tim: capital improvement is expenditure meant to last for 5 years or longer like painting, windows etc.
James: motion to amend Ellen’s motion, a minimum of $1000 will be transferred on January 1st of each year to the capital improvement fund.
M/S Tim. Motion approved
Note: This means that on January 2, 2011 there will be $2,000 in the capital improvement fund.
IV. Elect New Treasurer
Cindy no longer has time to be treasurer.
Ellen makes motion to nominate Tim. Paul seconds.
Tim elected as new treasurer.
V. Old Business:
A. LLC Matters/ Insurance/ Bylaws
-Rick: We got everyone to sign off. Real estate was transferred from each shareholder individually into the LLC. There are two sets of corporate books and records kept at Rick’s and Kieran’s offices. Things need to be done in order to remain a valid LLC. Rick is not attorney for LLC, but rather a woman named Jacqueline from St. Cloud. One of her letters included the requirements to remain LLC.
-Agreed that it is the treasurer’s responsibility to ensure that we maintain the requirements of the LLC.
-Tim: every shareholder will receive a 1099. It is up to each individual to decide to file it with his/her taxes or not. Consult your accountant.
- Matt: his agent advised that everyone should extend their homeowner liability coverage to the cabin for the protection of the LLC. He will submit more information at a later date.
- Total Backus House Homeowners Insurance policy cost for this year was $1,002.
-Kieran: Bylaws state that there are 13 shares/votes. People on the tri represent 3 of the 13 shares. They vote how the owners of that family share would vote.
-Patrick: pointed out that certain shareholders that are not here have given proxies to others (Tim is proxy for Joe and Barb)
B. Review Accomplishments of 2009
Garage Painting
We have Bill, Paul, Tim, Lebo, Nora, Mary Wagner to thank for the beautiful paint job on the garage.
New Pontoon
Matt, Kathy, Kieran and Tom all helped to search for a new pontoon. There were many to choose from. Everyone is pleased with the new pontoon. We thank them for their efforts.
Kieran: suggested we leave the pontoon covered at all times unless in use in order to prevent sun damage etc. James: Canopy? Boat lift? Alissa: look into care products Patrick: directed that a Pontoon Care Committee be established Ellen and Paul: agreed to serve and will make sure pontoon care instructions are written up.
Bunk beds
Cindy: she and Tim worked with the bunk bed man who built and installed them. New mattresses had to be bought to fit new beds. Everyone is pleased with new bunk bed sets.
Gutters/ Rain Barrel?
Paul: We bought gutters that didn’t include leaf guard because Josh agreed to take care of covering the gutters. It didn’t happen. There are no gutters on lake side of house, Josh suggests we add them. Possible capital improvement expenditure for 2011?
Others
Brendan: enjoys cross on side of house put up by Tim and Ryan
C. Presenting of the Trigger Award Patrick
Trigger award presented to Tim or his work in getting things done
D. Greening of Backus progress Report Matt
Matt: no donations received for a new washing machine. He will do some fund raising and look for one at Best Buy. It will cost approximately $600. Kieran: low flow toilet sweats. Patrick: can we add a retro-fit kit? Matt: utility bill has increased. He suggest that people be conscious of light use and plugged in appliances. Alissa: signage/printout reminding people to be energy conscious (directed towards second generation/ guests) Patrick and Alissa will work to raise energy awareness. Ellen: signage doesn’t work (at least for the sheets) Tim: $60 for electric lawn mower to be plugged in all winter. James: I’ll take it home and keep it plugged in during the winter months.
*We need new lawn mower for 2011
E. Annual Purge of junk progress report
Paul: Not much junk was removed. Chaise lounge chairs were removed from deck at the opening and were not replaced. Tim: they were dirty and moldy. Barb purchased replacement chairs. Paul: they’re ¼ as comfortable as the originals. If you remove something, you need to replace them with a similar item. The old ones weren’t even that dirty. Also, when you open butter, make sure there are no other butters open. A pound of butter was thrown away.
Patrick: made a motion to create policy to consult with at least one tri member of intent before purging anything big. The item with a note needs to be left in garage explaining what was done. Replace promptly.
M/S by Paul and Rick. Motion approved.
Rick: we need to start compiling a Backus House policy handbook.
New Business:
A. Upstairs Window Replacement Report
Kieran: Josh said it would cost more to repair the rotten windows than it would be to simply replace them. Futher, he recommended a gutter on the lake side. Lack of a gutter is causing rot. Home Depot’s bid to replace all windows except those in streetside bedroom was $5,028 (that is replacement of 6 upstairs windows). Doing 1 or 2 windows per year will end up costing more in the long run. Tim: rotting of casement around windows will continue
B. Sheet inventory issue
Ellen: A few years ago, she donated new sheets to Backus and sewed on labels explaining that they should not be removed. The plan was for sheets to be used and stored in boxes underneath the bed. This did not work. Emily bought new bedspreads which are now missing Tim: it’s obvious we have thieves among us. Rick: You’ve gone too far. They may have just taken them home to wash and forgotten them.
Mary Dunn: motion to make bed linen accountability program (BLAP) sheet filled out at the end of each stay that confirms that sheets are in their place. Sheets should be left at the end of the bed.
M/S: Paul. Ellen and Paul will set up the program. Motion approved.
Opposed: Matt
C. Non-payment of Loan to Mary Q. Moore for Pontoon
Ellen: motion to default on the loan from the Mary Quinn Moore estate given that she is no longer alive to receive the payments. We will notify the other members of the LLC that aren’t present.
M/S: Paul. Motion passed
Opposed: James
D. Priorities for 2011
Broke into 5 groups to discuss priorities for 2011
Group 1: Dana, Brendan, Matt, Ellen, Frances
1) replace one window that needs the ladder to open
2) improve safety of swingset
3) replace shaggy brown carpet on stairs
4) outside hammock, apply to remodeling TV show, get a functional keyboard
Group 2: Char, Paul, Kieran, Joe
1) gutter
2) energy efficient washer and dryer
3) windows (get a loan)
4) recliner, kitchen table and chairs, yellow chair, dock, furnace, wi-fi
Group 3: James, Molly, Martin, Tim, Cindy
1) gutter
2) windows
3) washing machine
4) carpet, furniture, dock
Group 4: Peter, Andy, Rick, Mary Ryan
1) gutter
2) windows
3) dock
4) wood fire sauna
Group 5: Rob, Alissa, Patrick, Anna
1) *Raise dues $100/share/year
2) gutter
3) (pay for windows altogether in 2012 after capital improvement fund has sufficient funds)
Summary of group discussions:
Gutters: top priority
Windows: 4 divergent thoughts on how to pay for them
Incremental: Ellen: we pay as we go and we don’t pay interest
Loan: Paul: loan from someone in the family at a reasonable interest rate. Tim: the American way is to take out the loans now and let the second generation pay for it.
Increased dues: Rob: taking out a loan doesn’t change the problem that we are always lacking money. There will always be things that need to be paid for.
Do nothing: Kieran: we should wait it out
After a discussion of the priorities for 2011, it was agreed that we should improve the gutters and establish a capital improvement plan committee (consisting of the tri and possibly Paul, Rob and Tim) that will come up with a ten year plan of the improvements needed in the Backus House and their estimated costs.
E. Elect new Triumvirate member
Motion by Tim to nominate Kieran
M/S Paul
Motion approved.
F. Recognize Mary Ryan’s service to the Triumvirate Paul
Mary was thanked for her service
G. Set opening and closing dates Patrick
Opening: Two stage opening
May 14th and 15th
May 21st and 22nd
Closing:
Motion by Paul: October 21st, 22nd, 23rd (EM)
M/S Ellen
Paul: Backus Week Calendar Meister
Dana: Agreed to set up an online calendar
H. Other:
Tim: Sailboat needs to be covered and anchored
I. Closing comments by Alissa
Adjourn.
Note: Backus II Meeting will immediately follow this meeting Tom
