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Writings Related to Lake Forest

Scroll down to see various documents mentioned in this table of contents.  The table is not in the proper order.

Letter To Editor - June 2005

The President Answers - April 2005

Message From the President - April 2005

Letter to City of Daphne - April 2005

Dox Notice Posted at Facility

Letter to Membership August 2004

Letter to Membership - Sept 2004

Removing Board Member Nov 2004

Since 1995

Letter to the editor

 LAKE FOREST TEEN CENTER WAS A WONDERFUL SUCCESS.

From May of 2004 until last week, the teenagers in the Lake Forest area had a facility dedicated to them.  Three young men, eighteen years old each, approached the general manager of the association with an idea for a teen center and he, along with two sets of Board of Directors, showed great courage in allowing them the opportunity to make it work.  The GM gave them the ground rules and the guys complied to the letter.  Naturally, there were skeptics.  One current Board member seemed to make closing the place a centerpiece of his term by presenting objections to it meeting after meeting, month after month.  A couple of other members were skeptical that three eighteen year old boys could run a club like that without incident.  But, the Board gave them the chance and the boys did a marvelous job.

I believe the majority of Lake Forest was in their camp.  There were complaints. One neighbor in particular complained and the Board considered the complaints and acted on them.  Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of the people who lived in the neighborhood gave the club their support.  We know because the young men asked them.  Although there was never an incident, just to be on the safe side we agreed to provide a police officer for one show each week.  If they had more than one show, the young entrepreneurs paid for the officer themselves.  Police officers who worked the shows always gave favorable reviews of the audience and management performance.  Over the course of the year more and more bands asked to play at their venue.  There were rock & roll, rap, Christian, and alternative bands who played at this little club. 

Unfortunately, the boys made a mistake.  Only two of more than thirty bands had song lyrics that were absolutely unacceptable and it took the guys a little while to figure out how to deal with it.  But, deal with it they did.  After thinking the situation over, the young men finally decided to tell the band that they could not play those kinds of lyrics at the teen center. To their credit, the musicians agreed.  When needed, they told bands to tone down their language or to calm down the audience.  One band was too rowdy and although there was no incident, they were barred from coming back.  Our three young managers maintained order and control beyond what might be expected of guys their age.  It’s ironic that on the night their club was shutdown, there were two Christian bands playing at their club, The Dox. 

One of the young men is my son, so I’ve paid very close attention to what the three have accomplished.  They demonstrated character that older adults could use as a model.  They looked their peers in the eyes and said, “Drinking is not allowed here.” They looked their peers in the eyes and said, “You may want to smoke, but it’s not allowed here.” And, once they figured out how to deal with it, they looked the bands in the eyes and said, “This is a teen club, the bad lyrics are not allowed here.”

Perhaps older, more mature managers would have acted more quickly when the first band started playing the offensive material.  However, when all is said and done, these guys have handled themselves very well.  Unfortunately, the kids may have lost a safe place to go that is close to home and free of smoke, alcohol and drugs.  I hope to see it return but regardless how this all turns out, the kids in Lake Forest should appreciate that they had their own club for over a year.  The Lake Forest Board can take pride that they had the guts to give them the chance.  The three young men should take pride in all that they accomplished and learn from the experience.

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The President Answers

It would be so nice if all of our members appreciated what we have here in Lake Forest.  Unfortunately, we have one former Board member who has been writing some pretty ugly stuff all year.  He usually publishes it under a phony name but many of us know who it is.  I thought I would refer to him in this piece as JJM for all his aliases.  JJM has been submitting articles to the Letters to the Editor section of that rag that you find littering your yard every so often.  I had made the decision not to respond to these letters because I truly believe that ten years ago, he would not have been behaving this way.  In fact, the title of his last piece, “Flip Flop Mitch, Now in a Ditch” makes me wonder.  I haven’t had anyone play the rhyme game with my name since grade school.  The whole thing is childish.  I think JJM has other problems and I don’t intend to create more for him.  The only reason that I am writing this is that Ron Scott, one of our Daphne City Councilmen actually repeated one of JJM’s allegations in a recent newspaper story.  I think Ron will learn soon enough not to casually make statements based on unsubstantiated words and actions of others after it happens to him a few times.  

Many of us have wondered why JJM has been so venomous toward yours truly and a few others in Lake Forest.   I’ve been told that he was embarrassed by the overwhelming rejection by the membership of the restructuring proposal last year.  JJM was one of the main proponents of that proposal and his letters have been an attempt to discredit everyone who worked against it.  It appears obvious that he doesn’t intend to stop, so please allow me to set the record straight.

First, Ed Kirby has never said that he was “against any thing that might cause Jake Bodiford to lose his job.”  It never happened.  I haven’t missed a meeting in years and nothing remotely like that was ever said by anyone.  Ed Kirby has worked long and hard for years to improve Lake Forest.  He has earned our appreciation for his efforts and I hope you will tell him that when you see him.  This is not the first time that JJM has heard things that were never said.

The comment attributed to me that, “If Jake goes, I will go” is pure nonsense. Granted, I don’t mind telling anyone that Jake Bodiford has done an outstanding job as the general manager of Lake Forest.  A comparison of the financial state of the association when he first came to now, alone, is enough to prove that.  And, while he was turning us around financially, he was also working with me to return our member privileges.  I am in the first year of a three year term and I have no plans to leave early.   In fact, Jake is retiring this year and I hope be able to help the new general manager get off to a good start, so that we can continue making great strides in Lake Forest.  I was ready to step down when my last term ended, but because of the turmoil surrounding the restructuring proposal last year, other members and the general manager asked me to stay another term to help us get past that thing.

The personal attacks that JJM has launched at our general manager are probably the meanest of all.  His insinuations about an accident Jake had are about as low as one can get.  Let me ask you.  If a Daphne police officer suspected that there was anything out of order at the accident, do you think he would have ignored it?  Do you think he would have turned a blind eye to it?  If you think that, then I suggest that you don’t know many Daphne police officers.  It was an accident, as simple as that.

JJM’s has also made accusations about the general manager’s contract.  The contract gave the GM a 3% raise this year and more time off instead of more money.  If he had agreed to stay another year rather than retire this year as he had planned, there were other benefits.  However, he has decided not to stay that extra year and has resigned effect Oct 1^st.  This contract was approved by the Board of Directors.  By the way the Board did not “retire” the GM.  In fact, he called me and asked that I let him off the hook on a promise he had made to me to stay that extra year.  I agreed. 

The rehashing of the supposed conflict of interest of our attorney in his capacity as our council and that of the city has been refuted repeatedly.  We already have legal opinions that advise us that such is not the case.  If some issue were to come up that even superficially had the appearance of a conflict, he would simply excuse himself from it and turn it over to another attorney.

JJM has made some absolutely ridiculous claims regarding the Lake Forest lake and statements that I was supposed to have made regarding a resolution passed by the Board last summer.  Because the lake is a catch basin for a very large watershed and because City representatives told us that they could get some grant money to fix the problems with the lake if it were owned by the city, the Board of Directors did pass a resolution to offer the lake to the City of Daphne.  No one to my knowledge on the Board of Directors or the management of Lake Forest ever tried to interfere with that resolution.  The whole idea that I would tell the general manager to sit on it is absurd!  In fact, I have just written a letter, my second since the resolution was passed, to the City Council encouraging them to get on with it.  You can see a copy of the letter by checking our website at www.lfpoa.com.  It makes no sense that a member of the Board of Directors would not want to find a solution to the lake problem.  I ran for City Council last year and it also makes no sense that a person running for local political office from Lake Forest would not want to see a solution to that problem for our community. 

Actually, I am less annoyed by JJM than I am with the paper that’s putting all this trash out.  For most newspapers, the Letter to the Editor section is a serious one unlike the “Sound Off’ type pieces.  A legitimate newspaper would never print an anonymous Letter to the Editor.  And, a real newspaper editor would certainly not knowingly allow someone to use a phony name.  Yet this one has done just that.  I think the reason is simple.  The editor lives in Lake Forest and much of the time he has been here has been spent on the delinquent list.  If you have your December 2004 Spectrum around the house, look at the list.  You will find this guy with one of the biggest numbers in the list next to his name.  The general manager worked out a settlement with him in December and we actually ended up writing off a chunk of his debt.  They had a “gentleman’s agreement” that this guy would then start paying his dues like everyone else.  He went over 90 days again in April.  JJM has been sending an advance copy of his stuff to the Board and when we got the last one, I thought, now this ought to be it.  Surely, the BCP won’t print this.  Wrong!  So, I’ve had it.  I don’t want that litter thrown in my yard anymore.  I am told that I need to notify the paper in writing before I can complain to the authorities, so I am sending the following: 

Please do not throw your paper, the Baldwin County Press,  in my yard anymore.

 I am sending that along with my name and address to:

The Baldwin County Press

P.O. Box 3141

Daphne, AL 36526. 

I may send a copy to the Daphne Chief of Police so that he knows that I want it stopped.

Mitch Davis

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Message from the President

It seems like we just turned the new year and we are already going quickly into May as I write this.   A number of great things are going on in Lake Forest and you should know about it.   Financially the association is having a wonderful year.  I just saw the report for March 31^st and we show a $49,450 excess in revenue before depreciation!  That is outstanding!  Right now for the year, your association has earned $93,991 excess revenue over expenses through three months!  To say that Lake Forest is financially stable is the understatement of the year.

On other fronts, we have set aside money for scholarships once again.  If you have a graduating senior, I hope you got that application in to the scholarship committee.  Our youth center at the old Swim & Racquet Club, The Dox, is booming.  This is a fabulous thing.  You association is providing a safe place where our teenagers can go and listen to bands and enjoy a show without having to go through a single red light or get on a single four lane highway.   There’s no drinking or smoking allowed in the facility and as one who had been down there for many of their shows, I can tell you that these kids are behaving well and having fun.  Granted, I haven’t heard much of my kind of music, but I guess my parents didn’t hear much of theirs when I was a kid.  The marina is back up and repaired after Ivan paid his visit last fall and all amenities are firing on all cylinders. 

You have a wonderful community with lots of great things to do for all members of your family.  If you aren’t enjoying your share of it, you’re making a mistake.  Golf, tennis, boating, restaurants all make for a fine time and it’s all right here in Lake Forest.  A recent “Sound Off” type article in one of the local papers said, “You can’t tell those people in Lake Forest anything.  They think they live in Eden.” I don’t know if the writer was bragging or complaining but I really think that would make a nice slogan.  “Welcome to Lake Forest.  You’ll think your living in Eden.”  I’m not sure I would go quite that far as to my own opinion, but most of you know that I think ours is a terrific place to live.

Mitch Davis

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This is one Board member who is on record as believing that the association should not take another shovel-full of dirt out of that lake.  Unless someone comes to our aid with the erosion problem, we should take another approach.  For example, we could simply start a low cost maintenance program that would involve lowering the level of the lake periodically and making the accumulated dirt look nice as the lake gradually reduces in size.  However, that solution does not help the problem of flooding.  Nor does it address government’s responsibility to protect the environment or manage water runoff and erosion.   As development has caused the undergrowth on the eastern shore to disappear, the large amount of water that we receive during our heavy storms flows unimpeded toward the lake.  With the lake full of silt, that water has no place to go but backwards.

Last summer Mayor Brown and public works director, Ken Eslava, came to the LFPOA Board of Directors and told us that if we would give the lake to the city, the city could then in turn acquire grants and take action to help solve some of the problems mentioned above. The LFPOA Board of Directors unanimously and wholeheartedly agreed to the proposal and passed a corporate resolution to that effect.  There has never been any equivocation by any Board member whatsoever since that time in spite of what you may have heard.  For whatever reason, at the time of this letter, the Daphne City Council has not chosen to accept the lake.   If you would like to be able to use the lake for flood and erosion control but do not want to own it, then we will be happy to keep it and give you whatever easement you might need to do the work. If you as a City Council do not see the merit in using the lake for erosion and flood control, then we as a Board of Directors will make other plans.  

Frankly, I do not see why there is such a hesitation to take advantage of the proposal.  The Lake Forest lake has been a very successful catch basin for years.  It has proven that it works well.  Everyone, I believe, agrees that it is an excellent tool for controlling the flooding problem. And goodness knows the price is right.   I can only think that there is more information that you may need in order to make your decision.  Our Board member, Mr. B.T. Cocke, is overseeing this project for us.  Mr. Cocke is very knowledgeable of the engineering and legal factors related these problems and having worked on them for many, many years is absolutely committed to finding a solution.  I am certain that B.T. will make himself available to you whenever you need.  If I can be of service to you, please feel free to call me anytime. 

This is a problem for all of us in one form or another and we can all be a part of the solution.  Let’s work together to deliver that solution.

Sincerely,

Michael Davis, President – Lake Forest Property Owners Association

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Welcome to The Dox.  This facility is provided courtesy of the Lake Forest Property Owners Association for your enjoyment.  The Board of Directors has informed the managers of the club that continued use of the building is contingent upon the cooperation of all patrons in complying with association rules.  We hope you have a great time.

Please help us continue enjoying this club by complying with the following rules:

·       This is a non-smoking facility. 

·       Smoking outside the building is permitted. 

·       No alcoholic beverages are allowed in or around this building at any time.

·       Please dispose of trash in proper containers. 

·       Enjoy your visit safely.  Do not participate in activities that might result in someone being hurt.

·       The staff of The Dox has the authority to ask anyone behaving inappropriately to leave the facility and their decision is final.

·       Failure to comply with instructions from the staff of The Dox will result in a call to the Daphne Police Department.

Thank you,

Lake Forest Property Owners Association

Board of Directors

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Removing Henry

I heard from the LF Rumor Mill BEFORE last Thursday’s meeting that there was a movement going on to remove Henry Lawson from the Board of Directors.  Why?  I don’t have any idea.  In fact, as I understand it, a number of people at that meeting were there to support Henry because of this rumor.  I don’t know where such a rumor started and I have no knowledge of any such desire on anyone’s part.  However, if anyone has any such idea, they should consider Section 5.8 of our By-laws stated below.  The removal of a director of the Board cannot be done.  So, let’s move on and get some things done!

Section 5.8. Removal of Directors. A director of the Corporation shall not be removed from office except for cause. In order to remove a director from office for cause, such action must be taken by a majority vote at either the annual meeting of the membership or at a special meeting called for that purpose.

The Board can remove an officer.  So, if the Board wishes to remove the President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, it can do so according to Section 4.10 of the By-laws.  In my opinion, such an action would not be done at an open meeting but at a private Board meeting as described in the By-laws.  To my knowledge, such an action has never been taken.  I can tell you for certain that it hasn’t been done since 1996. I hope that this Board never feels the need to remove one of its officers.

Section 4.10. Removal of Officer. An officer of the Corporation shall not be removed from office except for cause. In order to remove an officer from office for cause, a special meeting of the Board of Directors must be called for that purpose and at such a meeting a majority of the Board of Directors of the Corporation must vote for such removal.

Let’s not get involved in such nonsense.  This should be an absolutely great year and we can get a lot done.  Let’s take care of Lake Forest business by hashing it all out at working meetings and taking official action in a professional manner at our monthly stated meetings.

Mitch

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Dear Lake Forest Member:

You have been presented with a plan that could have a major impact on our community and you need to give serious consideration to the consequences.  Those who proposed the plan have already sent you a letter stating their point of view.  Here is a view from the other side of the issue.  The numbers that I will be using come from our audited financial reports and our own accounting system.

·        In 1996 Lake Forest had a long term debt of $733,000

·        From 1996 – 2001 the LFPOA Board of Directors implemented a massive renovation program that used streamlined operations and financing to restore severely neglected amenities. During that period the following was accomplished:

o       the irrigation system on the eighteen hole course was replaced at a cost of over $400,000

o       a delinquent tax bill of over $330,000 was paid

o       two new tennis courts were built

o       parking lots were paved

o       new lighting was placed on parking lots

o       the nine hole course received a new irrigation system at a cost of around $145,000

o       new roofs were put on buildings

o       stables were rebuilt

o       barns were painted

o       the marina was rebuilt a couple of times courtesy of hurricanes

o       buildings received new stain ( a couple of times)

o       swimming pools were renovated

o       at least four playgrounds were built or renovated

o       the 19^th Hole was remodeled

o       the old Swim & Racquet Club building was restored and is now being used by many of our young people

o       the Country Club was remodeled

o       new air conditioning systems were installed

o       the Yacht Club was remodeled

o       and much, much more.

·        Today, our long term debt is around $440,000 and that is scheduled to be paid off in four years at which time we will be debt free and still own twelve million dollars worth of amenities.

Did you notice that after all of those improvements, our long term debt is $300,000 lower than it was when we started?  How? It was accomplished by using good management to reduce expenses, eliminate unnecessary services and improve operations. Please also note that much of the above will simply be given away if the restructuring proposal passes.

In 1996 a member of the Lake Forest Property Owners Association had to pay a user fee to use any amenity in Lake Forest.  Beginning in 1999 the following changes were made:

·        Our families can swim for free in either of two conveniently located swimming pools.

·        Our families can play tennis for free on our two newest asphalt tennis courts.

·        Our families can play 18 holes of golf on our Lake Nine golf course any day of the week for $5.

·        Our families can launch their boat at our marina for free.

·        Our children enjoy four playgrounds for free.

·        We can enjoy a view from the deck of our Yacht Club for free.

·        Our association gives thousands of dollars in scholarships to Lake Forest children each year.

Do you realize that we will lose ALL of the above if the proposal passes? Does the above sound like something that would be done by an organization in dire financial straits?    Take a look at the table below for our financial performance.  These numbers show our excess of revenue over expenses before depreciation.  These numbers come from audited financial reports for every year but 2003.  We don’t have that report yet.

As you can see from those numbers, rather than being in financial peril, Lake Forest is managing its money in a manner that would be the envy of most organizations.  Furthermore, we have had only one dues increase in over twenty years.   Let me throw another wrinkle into this discussion.  We have a new developer who will finally be building homes in Lake Forest.  Friday Construction bought the undeveloped areas where there are 714 lots ready for new homes.  This does not include the property that that was never platted.  Let’s say they only build on half of them, 357 new upscale homes.  That’s 357 new members.  These are people who will probably be buying in Lake Forest because of our amenities.   That’s $149,940 a year in new revenue.  We can do wonderful things in our community with the additional money.  One might also wonder what the loss of the amenities would do to the prospects of the new development.  Would someone be as anxious to build an upscale home in a thirty year old community without the amenities?  Why should they when they can build in the new phase at Timber Creek?  The new development can breathe new life into Lake Forest and improve all of our home values.

Let me touch on the Faulkner Community College issue for a moment.  First, no one from Faulkner or the State of Alabama has met with the Board of Directors to discuss our giving them your amenities.  As far as I know, they have only talked with Bob Underwood and John Deloney.  Second, if you ran a college and someone came to you and offered to give you free of charge more than a million dollars worth of newly renovated property, do you think you would take it? Of course you would.  Your family and mine can use these amenities now for free.  They are in great condition.  Why would we want to lose them when our organization is in such good condition?  We want to enjoy them!

The question we should consider is who benefits from this restructuring?  Hopefully, the twenty dollars a month is not enough for us to be willing to lose our amenities and possibly diminish the value of our entire neighborhood.  The eighteen hole golf course comes out OK at least temporarily.  Faulkner State makes out great on this deal.  But everyone else loses.  We lose our swimming pools.  We lose our tennis courts.  We lose our Yacht Club.  It is interesting to note that the golf course costs us about as much to operate as the pools, tennis courts and Yacht Club combined.  These guys have tried to stir us up by saying that “We are subsidizing their games.” Yet they are proposing that we get rid of all those other amenities that we are presently enjoying for free and keep the eighteen hole course.  Hmmm.  Does something strike you odd about this idea? 

Yes, our amenities cost us a little money.  But, the quality of life for our families is so much better for having them.  Please vote NO to everything on that proxy.

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Piece Written in August 2004

By now you should have received your proxy for the annual meeting coming up on October 11^th.  I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about it and, hopefully, you are trying to make up your mind as to what decision is in the best interest of Lake Forest.  Please allow me to give you some facts about the current structure of Lake Forest before we talk about the restructuring plan.  When I first joined the Board of Directors in 1996, the dues were $27.50 a month and there was a $50 assessment charged to us each year.  In other words, on a monthly basis membership would have been about $31.50.  For that money, we earned the privilege of paying our dues, enjoyed the view from the deck of the Yacht Club and could buy a meal at one of our restaurants.  That was it.  Anything else such as swimming in the pools, playing golf and tennis and so on cost extra.  Since that time, the Board has spent millions of dollars renovating all amenities within the community.  At the same time we have consistently returned privileges to our members, so that now for your monthly dues you still receive the benefits above but in addition, your family can swim for free, play tennis for free, launch your boat at the marina for free, and play golf for $5.  The association also provides thousands of dollars in scholarships to your children.  Furthermore, while providing all these additional services and upgrading all of your amenities, the association has shown a profit every single year.  Today our membership dues are $35 a month and we enjoy membership in a Country Club, Yacht Club, and Swim & Racquet Club system with an estimated value of ten to twelve million dollars.

Now we have a restructuring plan that has been presented by Bob Underwood that is supposed to reduce our dues considerably.  The plan seems to change every day, but right now it calls for selling the Yacht Club and using some of the money to build a new clubhouse for the Country Club and the rest to subsidize its operation for some years to come.  Recently, a new wrinkle has been added by proposing to give the Lake Nine of the golf course, the present Country Club building, all the pools and playgrounds and the tennis courts to Faulkner State Community College.  That’s right.  I said give them away.  All those benefits listed above that we receive as members of Lake Forest will be gone.  We won’t own those amenities any more.  We are talking about several million dollars worth of our assets.  Just this year we spent thousands of dollars on new playground equipment for our children.  It’s only been about three years since we spent $145,000 on an irrigation system for the Lake Nine and now we’re just going to give it away.  In return, Bob’s plan will reduce our dues by $20.  He is convinced that we are so desperate to save that $20 that we won’t care that our families will now have to pay the college for all those amenities that we used to own and enjoy for free.  We won’t care that those amenities will now be public and subject to crowds coming in from outside of our community.  If we don’t play golf, then once our pools, tennis courts, Yacht Club and marina are gone, why should we pay any dues at all?  Why in the world should we pay $17 a month so that, according to Bob’s numbers, 250 other people can enjoy their golf course?  Those of you who do play golf, how long do you think that will last?  By the way, those usage numbers are wrong. 

Allow me to suggest to you that to sell ANY amenity of Lake Forest would be a breech of trust with the people of our community who enjoy that amenity.  The whole idea of Lake Forest is that we have a large group of people who share in the support of recreational facilities for our families and as a result, the cost is low for everyone.  And, it works very well.  Let me suggest to you that there are about as many people who enjoy that Yacht Club as there are who enjoy the golf course.  There are even more families that enjoy those pools and tennis courts.  If Bob gets his way, all of those folks are getting the shaft.

I’m probably as annoyed about the way this has come about as I am with the proposal itself.  All year, Bob Underwood has structured his financial reports to deliberately cast the amenities in a poor light.  As treasurer he has reported the “losses” of the amenities as if they were not planned.   Big news, the amenities cost money! Duh?  Remember earlier in this very piece I pointed out that we can swim for free, play tennis for free, and play golf for $5?  When things are free, it’s very hard to make a profit.  However, what really matters is the association’s bottom line.  And, right now even with all of these free services, we have around $100,000 of surplus!  We are not losing money.  We have not lost any money and our association is not going to lose any money in if we continue managing the way we have been.  You wouldn’t know that to hear Bob’s report. 

Over the years, people have complained to me about the bad press that Lake Forest has gotten.  Well, folks, that bad press has never come from your Board of Directors.  Quite the contrary, as president, I have consistently tried to promote our community.  You can lay the bad press directly at Bob Underwood’s feet.  When he founded Y2K, his group repeatedly made outrageous claims about Lake Forest.  I remember the “Selling drugs at the 19^th Hole!” story.  I still chuckle at that one.  Picture, if you will, those senior golfers down there every day dealing drugs.  Ridiculous!  Some of their accusations weren’t so funny.  Such claims as staff and management stealing money and so on, none of which was true, embarrassed the entire community.

If $20 is really that important to you, then I certainly understand and recommend that you vote the way you need to vote.  But, we should all really understand the cost.  Not just in the loss of our amenities, but also the loss in the value of our homes.  Lake Forest is a thirty year old community.  What keeps the values up for us all is the fact that by owning property here, we are members of this multi-million dollar club.  Once we have given it all away to the college, we will simply own older homes in an older community.  Even you people who own rental property in Lake Forest should consider this.  If you compare a house that rents for $1,000 and no amenities with a house that rents for $1037 where tenants can swim and play tennis for free, which do you think is the more attractive for a potential renter?  Frankly, I doubt seriously that a rental house in Lake Forest is vacant long.  With the loss of the amenities, everyone who has an investment in Lake Forest will see their investment diminish.

Let me encourage you to vote NO on every measure on that proxy.  If the size of the Board drops from 9 to 5, Bob already has all the votes he needs to do whatever he wants to do with your community.  Our Board is unpaid.  There is no extra cost to having nine.  Don’t allow the decisions for the future of Lake Forest to be left to just three people.  Also, let me suggest that you show up for this annual meeting.  Do you remember last year when Misters Underwood and Deloney moved and seconded the dues increase?  You don’t know what can happen at that meeting if you are not there. 

Mitch Davis

President, LFPOA

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Since 1995 – millions spent on LFPOA amenities

• Country Club

  1. Extensive renovation of Country Club (ceilings, chandeliers, bathrooms, etc)

  2. Remodeling of all locker rooms at Country Club

  3. New lights for parking lot at Country Club parking lot

  4. New parking lot at Country Club

  5. Stain all buildings several times.

  6. New roof on Country Club

  7. New roof on 19^th Hole

  8. Complete remodeling of 19^th Hole

  9. New A/C on 19^th Hole

• Golf Course

  1. New irrigation system for Forest 18 (over $350,000)

  2. New irrigation system on Lake 9 (over $145,000 and plan is to give it away or sell)

  3. New golf course equipment. (over several hundred thousand dollars worth)

• Yacht Club & Marina

  1. Re-pave drive and parking lot of Yacht Club

  2. New roof on Yacht Club

  3. Rebuilt docks (twice after hurricanes)

  4. Rewired docks (after hurricane)

  5. New playground

• Stables

  1. New roof on barn

  2. New paint on barn and stables

  3. New floor on barn

• Tennis Courts

  1. Two new tennis courts

  2. Major renovation of tennis court surfaces

  3. New Tennis Pro shop

• Swimming Pools

  1. New pumps and filters

  2. New Playgrounds at all pools

• Lake

  1. $40,000 spent on digging out

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Here is what we have.

We have five beautiful amenities, Yacht Club, Country Club, swimming pools, tennis courts & stables that are being properly maintained and operated.  We have an operation that is absolutely in the black with over $100,000 surplus right now.  We have a wonderful recreational community with an operation that works like it is supposed to work! 

The new restructuring proposal works EXACTLY like the original one except that our dues are decreased initially by $16.50 and the value of Lake Forest is diminished.  The operation will STILL be subsidized by dues.    

I am not going to make a recommendation to you on how to vote.  I just want to make sure you understand the certain and potential cost of this action.  What if the assumptions are off?  The original proposal called for the elimination of the pools.  If the assumptions are off and the golf course begins to decline and people start leaving, what happens then?  What will we get rid of next?  A vote for this measure may very well usher in the serious decline of everything we know of as Lake Forest. 

Here is what we will lose.

• The Yacht Club, a wonderful bayfront recreational facility, gone and cannot be restored

• Marina, gone and cannot be restored

  • Dry storage for your boat and launching facilities, gone

• The Lake Nine Golf Course, gone.

  • $5 Golf, gone

  • For those whose homes are on the Lake Nine, what will be in your backyard? Condos? Apartments? An overgrown field?  There’s no way to know.

• The Lake Forest stables, gone.

• Rooms, Yacht Club and Country Club, for your child’s wedding, your parties and your community groups, gone.

• Let’s not forget that the cost reductions for this proposal are being made to a great extent on the backs of our employees.  We should realize that we owe much of our success to these people, some of whom have been with us for over twenty years.

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Letter to the Editor - August 2004

As far as all the other amenities are concerned, their future will depend on how successful management is in operating under the reduced dues revenue.  Golf courses, tennis courts and pools all have maintenance requirements and if the revenue is not there, that maintenance will have to be reduced or the fees will have to be increased.   We have twenty-five years experience to prove that the present system works and ALL of our amenities flourish.  You should seriously consider voting NO to the restructure plan.

As most of us know, some people will always see the glass as half empty.  Last Sunday an editorial was submitted to the Baldwin Register by John Deloney that presented a view of Lake Forest that bears little resemblance to the actual state of affairs within the community.  While he quoted some old numbers about the cost of services within the association, he failed to mention that members enjoy the use of swimming pools and tennis courts without additional fee. Or, we can choose to join some swim and tennis programs provided by the association that provide additional features.  He didn’t mention that we have access to a beautiful twenty-seven hole golf course for very reasonable fees or we can enjoy rounds on our lovely Lake Nine golf course for $5.  Let me repeat. Lake Forest members can play golf for $5! 

Because of all these amenities many of our Lake Forest children have gone to college with athletic scholarships in golf, tennis and swim.  Mr. Deloney also failed to mention that Lake Forest provides academic scholarships to some of our children who have established a record of academic excellence. In the last two years the association has given out $8,000 in scholarships.  Does that sound like something an organization in dire financial straits would do?

Here are some facts.  Since 1996 Lake Forest has spent over two million dollars in renovations.  Most of that was paid for out of association cash flow.  There were some loans taken to cover large projects such as a $400,000 dollar irrigation project on the Forest course and another $145,000 similar irrigation project on the Lake course. There have been no loans in three years. In addition there have been numerous remodeling projects completed within the amenities.  Keeping our members’ amenities fresh and beautiful is exactly the responsibility of a Board of Directors.  To even suggest that Lake Forest took out loans to “keep afloat” is a blatant distortion.  This year the association is right on target to meeting its budget.  In fact, at this point we have a surplus!  If we continue at the rate we are going, Lake Forest will end the year over $200,000 in the black.  And at the same time that this is happening, we are spending over $20,000 on a study to evaluate a proposal submitted by Bob Underwood to dispose of some amenities and restructure the rest.  Lake Forest has had ONE small dues increase in over twenty years!  With the current structure of Lake Forest, there is no reason to believe another will be needed any time soon.  For $37 a month we are members of a major multi-million dollar country club and yacht club.  Our glass is not half full.  It is over flowing!

Message from the President - September 2004

In the last month there have been a number of letters written to the press in an attempt to sway opinion in our community.  These were letters that played free and loose with the truth to put it mildly.  Fortunately, though, we don’t have that many malcontents.  At our monthly meetings, the Board of Directors usually only has to endure three.  They are the same three, month after month and they have yet to make a single positive contribution to the meetings.  One of them, Nick Smokey, has even put his name up for election to the board.  Heaven help us!

It’s one thing to come to the board meetings and spew forth, but it’s something else again to embarrass the whole community by writing to the press and spreading this hogwash.  That is what happened in spades this month.  Rod Drummond, John Deloney and Nick Smokey all wrote articles for that paper that you find in your yard from time to time.  The editor is Ben Cruitt.  If you can’t quite put your finger on why you know that name, try looking in the delinquent list section of this paper.  You can make up your own mind as to whether anything written about Lake Forest in his paper would be unbiased.  Mr. Drummond apparently is completely convinced that everyone in Lake Forest hates its association and few use their own amenities.  Since the only amenity that Mr. Drummond seems to enjoy is the monthly “fuss at the Board” meeting, I can see how he might have that idea, because there really are very few who come to those.  But, one would think that at least occasionally he might drive by a pool and see all the families out there playing.  He also writes that Lake Forest has consistently “operated in the red”.  Nonsense! The state of Lake Forest is no secret.  You can see the financials any time you want.  Just stop by the club and the nice lady there will let you look at them.

I am not going to dignify any further the ramblings of any of these people.  I’m just going to close with a few facts.  FACT:  Lake Forest is excellent financial condition. This has been verified by an annual auditor’s report every year that I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors.  FACT: Every year that I have been associated with the Board, we have made significant renovations and improvements to our amenities. FACT:  Every year that I have been President of the Board, we have returned privileges or added new benefits for our members.  For example, it was my Board that provided free swimming.  It was my Board that provided free tennis.  It was my Board that provided $5 golf. And, it was my Board that created the Lake Forest Scholarship Program.

We have a great thing going in Lake Forest.  Let’s not take it for granted.  Those who would scrap it all are deadly serious and they don’t care what they have to say to get it done.  You’re going to see much more misinformation over the next couple of months. Be alert! 

Mitch Davis

President, LFPOA

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Memo to Board - July 2004

For well over a year, some board members have been unhappy with the performance of Dr. John Deloney on the LFPOA Board of Directors.  At the organizational meeting last fall, several of you pulled me aside and said that you did not want to support him for the position of Vice President.  I said at the time that because Bob Underwood supported him and because Bob was working well and cooperatively with the rest of the Board, that should go ahead and let him stay in the position.  Since then some have approached me on several occasions to suggest that he be removed because of his actions and statements.   I promised you that I would not desert my post as President and that I didn’t think Dr. Deloney would do much harm.  Well, I was wrong. 

In spite of all our efforts to reason with him, Dr. Deloney has shown nothing but contempt for this Board of Directors and all who serve on it.  He has repeatedly confused decisions that we have made and publicized his confused version to the public.  He is convinced that this Board is deliberately acting against the best interests of our members. He has made it obvious that in spite of our objections that he will go to any media out there to spew his poison.  In almost all organizations, only the president or some other designated spokesman speaks to the public on matters pertaining to the organization.  However, in our organization there appear to be several voices.  His latest diatribe has been the report that he submitted to the Spectrum for publication and then again to the Baldwin Register as a Letter to the Editor.  Even though his report is a gross and deliberate misrepresentation of the state of the association, I did not prevent its publication in the Spectrum.  I did submit an answer to clarify the issue and ease the fears of our membership.  This Sunday, it appeared in the Register doing more damage to the reputation of our community.  If anyone on this Board believes the message that was presented by that letter, we all need to have a heart to heart talk.  I am preparing a Letter to the Editor of my own to respond but the damage is done.  It will take a week for my reply to make the paper.

This has been the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.  I now agree that while we can’t stop Dr. Deloney from making more outrageous statements, we can make it clear that he does not speak with any authority for the Board.  He signed his letter as Vice President of the LFPOA. The title conveys an image of authority. 

I intend to put this on the agenda of our next working meeting.  My suggestion is that Dr. Deloney be removed from the office of Vice President.  If you agree, then I believe we can take the action at that meeting.  If I find that we cannot, then we can take the action at the next stated meeting.  This is very unfortunate.  I hope we can get it behind us as gracefully as possible without cause undue grief to Dr. Deloney.

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Response to Deloney Piece - July 2004

There’s so much wrong about the above report that I won’t even try to go into all of it.   However, I do want to let you know what is happening here.  First, let me say, as the auditors said in that report to which Dr. Deloney referred, that the Lake Forest Property Owner’s Association is in a very strong financial position.  The program is working EXACTLY as it was originally intended.  All those “negative cash flow” items that he mentioned represent services that are provided to the membership.  For example, our members enjoy free swimming, free tennis, $5 golf, if they so choose.  We have reasonably priced restaurants, a beautiful yacht club and country club.  Our association gives out scholarships to our children.  We, who live in Lake Forest, have an arrangement that would be envied by most families in the country.  And at the same time that the association is providing those services, we are showing an excess of revenue over expenses of over $100,000 so far this year!  We could very easily expect to see a $200,000 surplus by the end of the year. Things are going great!  Absolutely none of the bullets at the bottom of Dr. Deloney’s report are reasonable!

Let me address the loans that he mentioned.  You may not be aware of it but in the last ten years the association has spent couple of million dollars in capital improvements to make your clubs even better!  Why was it done?  It was done because it was needed!  We have not borrowed anything in three years because the improvements have been made.  We don’t need to borrow any money.  Last year Bob Underwood and Dr. Deloney pushed through a very small dues increase.  It was appropriate and it was reasonable.  It was also the first such dues increase in over twenty years.  As a result, this year for the first time in twenty years there will not be an assessment.  Nor is there any reason to expect to see an assessment anytime soon.  Furthermore, there is absolutely no reason that this association will need any kind of dues increase for many years to come.  This association owns assets conservatively valued at over eight to ten million dollars and our total debt is only around five hundred thousand.  We bring in over two and a half million dollars a year in revenue!  You and I should only wish that our personal debt to asset or debt to revenue ratio was that good! 

So, what’s with the poor mouth reports?  For years Bob Underwood has advocated selling the Yacht Club.  For years he has advocated restructuring the association. Such an action, in my opinion, would have the affect of disenfranchising our members so that we would lose all of those benefits mentioned in the first paragraph.  I have other ideas about the affects of such an action but will save those for later.  This year Bob presented those ideas to the Board of Directors for action.  He made it clear that he was going to pursue the actions regardless of what the board decided.  So, as president, I authorized a study of the restructuring proposals by an outside auditor.  And, as requested by Bob, I authorized the appraisal of the Yacht Club for the purpose of considering its sale.  I know that Dr. Deloney has been telling everyone that “no one has suggested selling anything.”  However, that is exactly the proposal that’s on the table.  Why did I authorize those studies?  Because without them, we would all be spouting opinions and not facts!  I do not think the restructuring proposal is feasible.  That is only my opinion.  I will wait for the report just as everyone else will and when it comes back we will present it to you.  By the way, in spite of all Dr. Deloney’s rhetoric about association spending, he has not said a word about the fact that these studies are costing the association over $20,000!  Believe me when I say, we would have never spent that money if those proposals had not been made.

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Thoughts from the President - June 2004

June 1, 2004

 From time to time it helps to do a little inventory of our lives to remind us of just how blessed we are. I find myself doing just that almost every day regarding my home and family and I don’t mind telling anyone who will listen that I am a very happy and grateful man. 

I couldn’t help but think about this again today after having discussion with a couple of people regarding Lake Forest.  I admit that I was taken aback by a certain cavalier attitude on the part of one person for the pleasure that many of our members receive from some of our amenities.  Naturally, the discussion revolved around the cost of membership and what we as members receive for our contribution.  One of the parties in the conversation was making the point that “we need the 18-hole golf course and we need the tennis courts.”  The expansion of that was that “we don’t need a Yacht Club, the 9-hole golf course, the pools or the stables.”  It always bothers me when someone says “we don’t need”, because what that is really saying is that “I don’t need.”  When we are given the responsibility of making decisions that involve the quality of life of other people we need to try to expand our view of things beyond our own personal needs.  That is what most of the men and women who serve with me on the LFPOA Board of Directors strive to do. 

Often I hear, “Let’s look at this place like a business.”  Well, it’s true that like any business we must look at the association’s bottom line and make sure that the revenues are greater than the expenses.  But as board members we must look at more than that.  No one bought a home in Lake Forest because they were interested in the business side of a recreational community.  There are many reasons for buying in Lake Forest but, I’m pretty sure that’s not one of them.  Maybe they just found a nice home that they liked.  Maybe they recognized that this is a safe community that is convenient to almost everywhere of interest.  Many of them bought because they would be members of a club that provides quality amenities that their family can enjoy for a lifetime.  When we compare the cost of that membership to other things that we use every month or to what we pay in the sales taxes that are used to provide city services, we can’t help but realize that the cost is cheap.

So, what makes Lake Forest stand out over any other community in the area?  Notice I said ANY other community.  Remember that should anyone ever suggest to you that you could get more “bang for your bucks” anywhere else.  You cannot.   So here’s the short list. 

 As a member of the Lake Forest Property Owner’s Association…..

 •     We have three swimming pools and we can enjoy two of them for FREE or we can choose to join the other for a less crowded, more private swim for our family. (The City of Daphne has no swimming pools.)

•     We can play tennis on any of SIX tennis courts.  We can play for FREE on either of two hard courts or the really serious tennis players can choose to join all six, including four soft courts.  (The City of Daphne has two courts which do not even compare to those we have in Lake Forest)

•     We have a Yacht Club that provides a wonderful place to relax, dine, or just watch the sunset over Mobile.

•     We have a marina where we can take up a boating hobby should we choose.

•     We have stables where we can board our own horse right here in the community!

•     If you are serious golfer you can play a great Forest 18-hole course for the best price around.

•     For those of us who want to play really cheap, we can play a very nice Lake 9-hole course TWICE for $5. (The City of Daphne has no golf course.)

•     We have an association Architectural Committee on the lookout to protect our property values.

•     We have a Country Club where we can rent a ballroom for those wonderful family events like the child’s wedding or just a party with friends.  We can also use that Yacht Club above for those special occasions.

•     We have a 19th Hole Grill where we can get a great sandwich or other short order item for a very reasonable price.

•     We have a driving range where we can try to figure out how to hit that little ball.

•     We have a scholarship program that this year is giving $1,000 scholarships to five of our members to help them continue their education.

When someone says “we don’t need”, I wonder if he or she just hasn’t seen how many of our neighbors take advantage of some or all those things above.  I’ve watch players moving along that Lake-9 golf course like jet airliners lined up to land at the Atlanta airport.  I’ve seen the many, many members who come up and play tennis on those two hard courts.  I’ve seen the children playing in that pool.  How can anyone who has seen that say, “We don’t need?”

Mitch Davis

President, LFPOA

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State of Lake Forest

 Lake Forest has been in the news quite a bit lately.  Some of the publicity has been favorable and some leaves something to be desired.  So, allow me to bring everyone up to date.

Yes!  The developer that we have heard so much about for thirty years has sold out!  Finally someone is going to build new homes in that huge undeveloped area.  The new company is the Friday Construction Company out of Mobile. They are still doing market studies to determine the best products to put in the three large undeveloped areas within Lake Forest, so I don’t have any specifics to give you just yet.  Rest assured that you will know about it just as soon as I find out and can get it to the web site.  The Board of Directors has already been working with the new developer in order to help them make a success of the project.  We also cleared up a few loose ends from the original sale of the amenities to the Association.  For example, ownership of the parking lot at the Swim & Racquet Club was never transferred to the Association.  It now belongs to us by virtue of an agreement with the new developer.  There were a couple of other small issues that were worked out at the same time.  We intend to assist Friday in any way we can to promote the new development.  Those of us who bought from Diamondhead in the old days remember the kind of gee whiz tour they used to give a potential buyer to sell property.  We anticipate the same kind of positive promotion of the subdivision from Friday.

What does the new development mean to us?  For one thing, it means that within a short time there will be several hundred new members paying dues which will help the Association to continue making improvements to services and amenities and keep fees down.  There will be more families actually using the amenities, which will also improve our operating revenues.  It also will bring a new life to an aging subdivision.  While there are between two and three hundred homes bought and sold in Lake Forest each year, there have not been many new ones built in the last few years.  The new homes along with the planned intensification of Architectural Committee enforcement of deed restrictions should go a long way to providing a badly needed facelift for Lake Forest.  This can only help improve property values for all of us and greatly improve the appearance of our neighborhood. 

Is there a potential downside?  There could be.  In a recent Letter to the Editor in the Baldwin Register a fellow from Fairhope criticized the new development because of the potential environmental hazard it might present to the lake and bay.  Naturally we all appreciate someone from Fairhope worrying about our lake.  We just wish that occasionally someone besides our own Association would help us do something about it since much of the problem comes from sources outside of Lake Forest.  However, we are very concerned with the impact the new development will have on erosion.  In fact, in a related story the new developer originally asked that they not have to answer to our architectural committee.  They wanted to have their own architectural control.  In meetings and subsequent contract it was made clear that everyone who builds, rents or buys in Lake Forest must comply with the guidelines established by our Lake Forest Architectural Committee.  All plans for construction anywhere in Lake Forest including the new areas must be submitted for approval.  Someone will inspect on behalf of the Architectural Committee as always and infractions will have to be corrected.  Please understand that we have absolutely no reason to believe that the new developer will not do everything they can to prevent erosion.  In fact, I am sure they will.  I just want to make it clear to all members that the Board of Directors fully intends to honor our commitment to enforcing deed restrictions for the new development just as always.

Another potential problem that could result from the new construction is the additional stress it will add to our neighborhood with increased traffic.  This is one area over which the Association has little control.  What we are really going to need is for our city councilpersons to start “bringing home the bacon.”  Ridgewood Drive, in particular, is a mess.  It has needed repair for a long time and with the increased traffic, the need is even greater. 

Another issue that has made the newspaper recently involves matters of budget.  In particular, the matters of employee bonuses, retirement and insurance were topics of editorial.  Bear in mind that we are really talking about employee compensation in whatever form.  Wages is just one of those forms.  We have around forty-five employees in Lake Forest.  Let there be no misunderstanding; no one who works for Lake Forest is over paid!  In fact, a recent survey of fifteen Alabama country clubs showed that in compensation among general managers, our general manager ranked in the bottom three. Our general manager is the highest paid employee in Lake Forest. The pay ranges of our other employees also reflect that same conservative pay scale.  I, for one, don’t believe an organization can buy good employees with wages alone.  In fact, if pay is the only measure of a good job, we would lose the good employees every time someone came along with more money.  If you look at our roster of employees you will find that our turnover rate is incredibly low. Why, because we try to show our appreciation of our employees’ efforts in other ways.  Make no mistake about it.  Lake Forest employees do a wonderful job for our Association and its members.  The Board of Directors did approve Christmas bonuses for our employees this year as we have done for many years.  A better name would be gifts.  Furthermore, the only reason we were able to give those gifts was because revenues that were due the Association arrived in time so that we had the cash available.  Full-time employees of more than a year were given Christmas gifts equal to a week’s pay.  Of our approximate forty-five employees, only about twenty are full time.  The remaining part-time employees and full-time employees of less than a year were given small gifts of varying amounts.  There was no one who received $2,000 as stated in the Letter to the Editor.  The individual was mistaken on that one. 

Lake Forest does provide medical insurance for its full time employees.  In my opinion, we wouldn’t be much of an organization if we didn’t.  The medical insurance we provide is for the employee only for most employees.  We only provide dependent coverage for three or four key personnel and that is under review.  I wish we could afford to provide dependent coverage for all our employees.  Medical costs have gone through the roof in recent years and those costs are particularly hard on people who are in the income range of most of our staff.  Unfortunately, the cost of dependent coverage to the Association is prohibitive.  I would like to see us come up with some way that we could at least subsidize that coverage for all of our employees.  That will be among the issues that the Board will be discussing in the course of the year.

Lake Forest also participates in a 401K program with our employees.  We match an employee’s contribution dollar for dollar for up to 6% of the employee’s salary.  For example, if an employee earning $20,000, which would compare to most of our employees, put his or her entire salary into the 401K, the Association would contribute $1,200.  Obviously, no one is putting their entire salary into a retirement program.  In fact, people earning $20,000 would have a difficult time putting the maximum matching contribution of $1,200 into a retirement program.

All of these programs, Christmas gifts, medical benefits, retirement contributions, reduced prices for food, etc. are all designed to make Lake Forest a good place to work.  In all they still mean that our employee compensation program is very conservative.  Yet, our retention history suggests that this is a good place to work.

Finally, allow me to address the new dues schedule.  This year for the first time in about twenty years, we had a dues increase.  That increase was greatly overdue.  The Association has been using the assessment tool as a means of covering increased costs over the years instead of having minor periodic increases.  THERE WILL BE NO ASSESSMENT THIS YEAR.  When the assessment that we have been paying every year but one for the last twenty years is factored in, what you and I will be seeing is what amounts to a $3.34 per month increase.

In closing let me say that the state of Lake Forest is great.  We have a beautiful, shaded, safe community with plenty of wonderful amenities and access to other services and shops close by.  In fact, let me disclose the truth about a popular urban legend around here.  That legend states that realtors try to direct buyers away from Lake Forest.  That legend is just not true.  Just a week or so ago I was looking at homes with someone interested in moving to Lake Forest.  The realtor who was showing the house had no idea who I was or that I was associated with the Board of Directors.  During the tour she said, and I quote, “A home buyer gets the best bang for her bucks on the Eastern Shore by buying a home in Lake Forest!” 

Have a wonderful new year!

Mitch Davis

President, Lake Forest Property Owners Association

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Editorial - October 2003

A series of amendments has been submitted for consideration to the members of the Lake Forest Property Owner’s Association.  All association members have been given information about those amendments and will have an opportunity to decide whether or not they think that they are needed.  Then at the annual membership meeting this month we will be able to vote for or against incorporating them into the by-laws.   The amendments were presented to the Board of Directors in early September and to the rest of the membership very soon thereafter.   Simply put, the purpose of the amendments is to make it possible for the Board of Directors to function more effectively for the benefit of the community.  However, anytime a change is suggested, it seems that there are some who must immediately make their objections known in the Sound Off or Letters to the Editor.  As a member of the board, I listened to the original proposals and I have been reading and listening to all of the opinions, objections and suggestions that have been made since.  I am convinced that the motive and goals of the individual who wrote the amendments were honorable and necessary and that most of the proposed amendments are fine.  At the same time, some of the objections to one or two of the amendments are reasonable and well founded.  On the whole, I still hope the membership will support the proposals.   All the members have received a proxy and, if they are unable to attend the annual meeting, can either mail them in or drop them off at the country club.  Those members who have lost their proxy may pick up another at the Lake Forest Country Club. 

Actually, there is nothing all that earth-shaking going on here.   Most of the letters to Sound Off and elsewhere have verged on being downright silly, which is usually the case with that particular feature of the Register.  For example, in one of them the writer said that he or she was a “citizen of Daphne, who just happened to live in Lake Forest.”  I’m not sure what was meant by that, but in response all I can say is that person made a very wise decision when he or she decided to buy a home in Lake Forest.  He not only gets the benefit of the services and amenities provided by the city such as excellent police and fire protection, a library, ball fields, parks and many other things, but he also receives benefits that others in Daphne do not get such as swimming pools, tennis, covenant protection, very low cost golf, and more.   An editorial in another local bi-weekly paper amounted to little more than sour grapes from a suspended member.    

The reason developers create deed restricted communities like Lake Forest, Timber Creek, and Rock Creek with amenities is that they sell lots.  The reason why people buy homes in those places is to be able to enjoy the quality of life offered by such communities.   To suggest that most of the residents do not want to be a member is just not reasonable.  Why would anyone buy a home in such a community in the first place if they didn’t want to be a part of such an arrangement?  Not everyone uses every amenity.  That much is true.  However, there is such a wide variety of amenities to enjoy in Lake Forest that there is something for everyone.  This writer rarely plays golf.  In fact, if the reader has all his or her fingers, then he or she can count the number of times I’ve played golf in over a quarter of a century on his hands.   But, I do like the quality of people that move to this community for its golf.  Having most of them around enhances the quality of life for my family.  I do play tennis.  I do enjoy watching the sunset from the Yacht Club.  I do enjoy a sandwich at the 19^th Hole.  No one in my family uses the pools much anymore but when the children were younger, we enjoyed those pools very much.  And, back then there were members whose children had also grown up and who also no longer used those pools but who, through their support of this association made it possible for my children to swim.  Just because my family is no longer into swimming doesn’t mean that I no longer feel a responsibility to support those pools.  Quite the contrary, I feel a great responsibility to continue supporting all of our amenities. Those amenities and the association of property owners that owns those amenities have made Lake Forest a wonderful place to raise a family.  Ours is a nice community.  It is really a well kept secret because if everyone along the coast knew what a great deal a home in Lake Forest is, we’d have to beat them off with a stick.  Fortunately, we have a few people who feel obligated to go to the papers and really misrepresent the community so that those that don’t know any better often go another way.  

The amendments that have been presented for our member’s consideration will actually impact us very little.  No one is going to raise dues to $50 a month.  No one is going to slap us with a giant assessment and no one is going to go out and borrow a huge chunk of money for the association for any reason.  If any controls were lost because of any of the amendments, this board member promises to work to have them put back.  And, I believe that the rest of the Lake Forest Board of Directors will support me on that.  Lake Forest is a beautiful and safe place to live.  And, in spite of anything anyone may write in the Sound Off, it is so because of its amenities and its association of property owners.

Mitch Davis

President, Lake Forest Property Owner’s Association

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April 22, 2003

Tonight, Mitch Davis on behalf of the Lake Forest Property Owner’s Association made a presentation to the Public Safety Committee of the Daphne City Council regarding several problems submitted by Lake Forest members.  The committee was kind enough to allow the presentation and agreed to follow up on the requests.

The first pertained to the main entrance (Highway 90) of Lake Forest.  A number of people have complained that the intersection is dangerous because of the heavy traffic that has resulted from the increase in businesses along that stretch of highway.  Some members would like to see a red light put at that spot.  The first call made was to Ken Eslava, the public works director for the City of Daphne.  Mr. Eslava, also a resident of Lake Forest, said that Highway 90 is under State of Alabama jurisdiction.  He reported that because of other such requests, the State had done a study of that intersection and determined that a red light was not needed.  Mitch said that may be true for some hours of the day, but during the morning and evening rush hours, the intersection is hazardous.  When the issue was brought up again tonight, City Councilman Bob Kehr said that the study had been done before the recent build up in business and the matter might be worth a second look.

The second matter presented pertained to the very dangerous traffic congestion that occurs on Lawson Rd at the entrances to Daphne High School and the Eastern Shore Christian School during the morning and afternoon hours.  The Lake Forest representative suggested that directional lights be added to the red lights at the intersection of Lawson Road and Highway 13 and the crossing guard be moved to a location between the two schools.  One committee member was concerned that such a move might endanger pedestrian students who crossed the street at that intersection.  Mitch suggested that the lights, themselves, should solve that problem and insisted that the real danger was at the two driveways as drivers try to leave the two schools.  Chief of Police Joe Hall said that the Police Department would study that situation and try to find a solution.  It was also recommended that the police officer at the intersection if Highway 27 and Lawson Road might stay a little longer at those hours.  Several members present pointed out that Highway 27 is a Baldwin County road and the County should be covering that intersection anyway.  It was noted that the City of Daphne police direct traffic at the Highway 27 intersection because Daphne citizens were at risk.  He said that at one time the County and City shared duties at the intersection but the County had stopped participating.  Councilmen Kehr and Greg Burnam suggested that the LFPOA petition the Baldwin County Commission for a red light at that intersection.  Mitch agreed to follow up with the County.

The final issue brought before the Public Safety committee was the poor condition of Ridgewood Drive.  The street is over thirty years old and is in serious need of a complete re-paving.  Councilmen Burnam and Kehr said they would present the issue to Ken Eslava because, they said, it is a Public Works problem.

The meeting went very well and the committee members present were very polite and seemed genuinely interested in helping us find solutions to the problems mentioned.  Councilmen Burnam and Kehr are also Lake Forest residents.

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Comments from the Communications Chairman

 More on Architectural

A recent Comments article discussed one of the dilemmas faced by members of the Architectural Committee as they work to execute their responsibilities for the property owners of this community.  That one had to do with out buildings.  A number of you responded to that article and most of those responses were positive on the side of serious enforcement of the covenants.  It occurs to this writer that the biggest problem we have on this issue is simply that many of our members are not aware of the covenants or the determination of the Association to enforce them.  So, in this piece from the communications chairman some of those rules will be presented.

 Most of you are probably aware that the covenants bar the storage of boats on property within Lake Forest unless hidden behind a fence.  But, are you aware that the same rule applies to motor homes, travel trailers, utility trailers and other types of water craft such as wave runners?  The rules also prohibit putting automobiles out in front of our homes with “For Sale” signs on them.

Did you know that the covenants require that every home in Lake Forest have covered storage for at least one automobile?  A number of property owners have enclosed the garage or carport on their home in order to add more living space.  While that type of remodeling may be approved by Architectural, the approval always requires that other covered storage be constructed to replace the one that was enclosed.  Now, over the last thirty years there have been occasions when enclosing a garage was approved by some previous committee without the requirement of the replacement storage.  However, that has not been the case for the last six or seven years.  This requirement, like all other covenants, is there to protect the value of all of our homes.  So, if you have enclosed your garage, please don’t be upset when you get a letter from the committee informing you that you will have to build that replacement.

The covenants for Lake Forest, like those of most all deed restricted communities, require that most changes made to property within the community be approved by the appropriate body, which in this case is the Architectural Committee.  This includes any kind of structural change to the property as well as significant changes to landscaping, which includes the removal of trees.  It has been the policy of most of the recent committees to maintain a somewhat loose stance toward the removal of trees.  However, because of some recent actions in which some beautiful old Oak trees have been taken down, the committee is re-evaluating that stance and may be taking a more careful review of such requests in the future.

All fences constructed in this community must be approved by the Architectural Committee.  The rules limit the total height of any fence to six feet and a fence cannot extend beyond the front of a home. The material and type of fence will be evaluated before approval will be granted.   Also, no fences are allowed to be constructed on homes adjacent to the golf course, although this policy is presently being reviewed by the Architectural Committee.

These are a few of the conditions placed on us as property owners by the covenants of this community.  If you are planning some remodeling or other change to your property, it would be prudent to submit the plan for such change to the Architectural Committee beforehand.  Doing so will surely prevent some disappointment or aggravation to you and the volunteers who serve on our Architectural Committee later.

2002 Speech

I am firmly convinced that the long-term quality of life of the community of Lake Forest is tied very closely to the health and well being of this association of property owners.  Any reasonable person will agree that property values and overall quality of life are higher in a community that enjoys the kinds of amenities we are fortunate to have.  It is only the association of property owners that can insure that those amenities are properly maintained and continue to serve the membership to a high level.  It is only the association that has the organization and resources to enforce the covenants that will guarantee that our home values remain high for years to come, even in an aging community.  And it is only the association of property owners of such a large subdivision that can provide a voice to local government.  It is a voice that individual citizens can never hope to match in terms of its ability to impact the actions of that local government.

The board of directors of this association, in my opinion, has several primary responsibilities including:

·                 Making sure that the common amenities are maintained at the highest level of quality that the available resources will allow.

·                 Constantly evaluating ways that the association can provide better service and more services to its membership.

·                 Aggressively enforcing those all-important covenants.

·                 And, working closely with local government to bring other benefits to the community such as improved erosion control, police and fire protection, and more effective utility services.

We are very fortunate to live in the community of Lake Forest.  It is a quality community. It is a safe community. And, it represents far and away the best home buy in the area.  Some of us have lived here a long time. So long, in fact, that now we have children starting their own families right here in Lake Forest.  Our association, with right leadership, can insure that this community keeps that high standard of quality for generations to come.

I will greatly appreciate your vote and support for another term as a member of the Lake Forest Property Owners Association board of directors.

Mitch Davis

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Lyrics of Music Played at the Dox

The band demographic at The Dox is not characterized most accurately by Roman Gabriel Todd’s Beast Rising Up Out of the Sea. A wide variety of bands were featured at The Dox that are considerably different both stylistically and lyrically, including local Christian bands A Perfect World, And the Dead Were Judged, and Nothing In Between. The following lyric samples better reflect that the The Dox is not about shock value blasphemy or causing any trouble; rather it is about creating a safe place where young people can find a voice, a place where they can find connection with a diverse community of peers, a place where they can feel free to express themselves when the rest of the world is pushing them aside.

A Perfect World

”Me You Dance”

All My Life I’ve Been Searching For Something
Something Only Found In You
All my life I’ve been hoping for something real
Something that I could feel
All My Life I’ve Been Wondering if You were there holding my hand
All my life You’ve been right there holding my hand


Wondering where You were
Looking for more than this
Knowing that we will fail
Remembering that You will always be there

The Ska'dfathers

“Elvis and Marilyn”

 

Vintage is another word for dead and gone

Nostalgia is a disease

Antique is a synonym for meaningless

God help us, help us please

I do not serve a god of plastic faces

I do not serve a god of porcelain vases

We've seen it all before, and we'll see it all again

There's nothing new under the setting sun

Today is just as good as yesterday

(Hebrews 11:13-16, Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, 7:10, Matthew 22:32)

The Hormones

”Not at home”

Wish I had something to say but I don't
Ain't got the words today so I won't
Get any better then this I try but I sink
To miss the point again

My sins can't be forgiven at will
I've had way more than my fill
Of all these lies I just can't win
So I guess I shall leave while I still can
I've got to crawl because I can't stand

Just say it can't get any worse than this
The truth can't be less obvious
Lies pile like mail when I'm not at home
I've never felt so not at home

Got time to kill I feel no pain
I'm not insane (how boring)
Wish I had a life to lie about
Not enough to bother snuffin’ out


The Libyan Hit Squad

”The Sun Song”

Hey everyone
Gather around
I want to tell you tale of a town
Full of green grace and white picket fences
Golden retrievers and beautiful women
Jinkle Jankle the ice cream man
The kids run to him as fast as they can
Dad mows the lawn while mom is doing chores
Completely oblivious to what life has in store
So sit back
Relax in the sun
Your lazy afternoon has only begun
The sky is broken by a moment by clouds
You hear the neighbors scream the band is too loud
But you don't care because today is your day
So sit back and let the sun lead the way
Sit back and relax in the sun
Your lazy afternoon has just begun
Relax the sun loves you

 

Bring Back the Guns
”Dry's Future”

12345
Keep the dream alive
Keep the dream alive
Keep the dream alive
Keep the dream alive
12345
Keep the dream alive
Keep the dream alive
Keep it alive
Keep it alive
Keep it
Keep it


 

Spider Fighter
"A Second Glance"

On center stage lights camera
Start your day off just like the ones before
Without a second glance
Then it starts to hit you that it's not what
You expected

Caught up in the rush of the world
With everything I have to do

And nothing I really want to
Caught up in the rush of the world
So much to say in the process of

If you're looking for answers

You will find them here
You still don't get it
If you're looking to me you’re just losing sleep

Stop pretenses of everything that you know

Or at least what you the puppet you did
If you’re looking for answers you will find them here

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Note Handed To General Manager

The following document was handed to our general manager by Dr. John Deloney at the working meeting of September 1, 2005.  It basically lays out the reason that a number of members of the LFPOA Board of Directors have been under attack in one of the local, free papers since the annual meeting of 2004.  Some of the opposition, who are angry and disappointed at the loss of their restructuring plan that year, have made revenge their number one goal for 2005.   I find the situation really sad.  Dr. Deloney, for example, has had a distinguished career in education.  He has rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous.  He had at one time influence with many political leaders.  And, now he seems to have spent a year consumed with hatred for a few people because of his perceived embarrassment at that meeting. The motion to remove the Board members that year was made by representatives of the Save Lake Forest Group and not by any members of the Board of Directors, although it is certain that some members of the Board agreed with the sentiment.

Mr. Chairman, almost one year ago, you dragged members of this board in front of the annual meeting and had read certain charges against them. This item was not on the agenda; however, it was published in the house organ as “don’t leave early because remember that your dues were raised by a motion not on the agenda. Well, we have a surprise coming up at the end of the meeting. It was at this point that a prearranged statement of charges were read and voted on.” To show your intent you or your representative had ballots ready for an immediate vote.

Thank you, Mr. President for showing us how it can be done. Now it’s our turn. It goes with out saying that in doing it the way that you did, you violated the Federal rights of the Board members who were so charged, and laid the LFPOA open to a Federal Court Case for such a violation.  By way the Statue of Limitations has not expired on your act. Every person has a right to know the charges against him and to be able to face and question his accusers.

By putting your case on the agenda, the person and/or persons making the charges are simply meeting the requirements of the law. To do less would open the way for a Federal Suit by you because they did not follow the law.

It can be said, with reasonable certainty, that any effort by you to circumvent this process will be met by “Horatio at the bridge”.

Mitch, in the 1ight of this new information, why don’t you just resign now. I know from experience that it feels so good to resign even after unfounded charges have been leveled against you because of some ones blatant misuse of his power, And as Jake Bodiford would say,” Mitch, call him out of order”.

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The President Responds to Attacks

Tonight, September 1^st, the general manager handed me an anonymous note from a former Board member.  Many of us believe that he has spent the entire year writing outrageous pieces for that paper that you find in your yard every other week.  He has never used his own name in those letters either.  He prefers to hide behind silly pseudonyms like I.C. Stars.  He will not admit actually writing the stuff, but he’s been heard to say, “I aided and I abetted and I contributed, but I won’t say I wrote it.”  What nonsense!  In this one he lays it all out.  It is get-even time for the boys who lost in their bid to give away the amenities last year.  I.C. is mad because the group who fought to save Lake Forest also moved to remove him from the Board.  Naturally, he blames me for that.  It is true that I did support the group in their efforts to preserve our community and I still appreciate, so much, all of their work.  It is also true that I was on the phone with their leader the day of the meeting trying to talk him out of making the motion to remove the two board members, but I.C. does not know about that. 

I have been sick all year of having to read the seemingly endless accusations month after month.  In fact, I had planned to write a blistering response for this month’s Spectrum.  Then, Katrina hit.  Now day after day I watch the misery that our neighbors only slightly to the west are having to live through.  Very many of them have lost everything, and very many of them have lost their lives.  When I put all of that into perspective, I realize that those assaults to my little ego are just trivial.  I realize how blessed we all are here in Lake Forest.  Ours is a wonderful community.  We have nice homes with great amenities that our families can enjoy.  We have many nice neighbors and this time we were mostly spared from the terrible hurricane.  When you have a community with over nine thousand people, you are going to have a few I.C.s in the bunch.  They are a very small minority.  Most of the people I meet in Lake Forest are decent and considerate.  So, I will forego the blistering response. I will just make a few statements of fact.

        I never tried to block efforts to solve the lake problem.  Quite the contrary, Bryce Cocke, others, and I have tried for years to find a solution.  To suggest that the former mayor and I were in some sort of collusion to delay action on the lake is ridiculous. 

        I never told anyone to allow my son and his friends to run the teen center.  The boys approached the general manager with their idea and he agreed to let them try to make a success of a teen center.  He never discussed it with me.  He made them come up with an agreement and insisted that each boy’s parents sign acknowledging that they were aware of the plan.  My signature is there with the other parents. 

        I never ordered the general manager to make repairs to the teen center.  On an inspection of the building I found mold in a damaged wall.  I told the general manager that I thought we should close the place.  He insisted that we wait until he had some professionals check it out and make a recommendation.  The building was used not just by the kids but also by people who use the swimming pool including the Lake Forest swim team, other children and parents.  He found that he could make repairs that would solve the problem and had the support of the Board of Directors.

        The rest of the charges are too ridiculous even to address.

  I have spent years trying to make Lake Forest a better place to live.  When I was first appointed to the Board in 1996, a member only had the privilege of sitting on the deck of the Yacht Club to watch our beautiful sunsets.  Everything else cost extra.  Here are a few things that happened while I had the privilege of serving as President of this association.

        Members in good standing have free access to our pools again for the first time since the property owners took over the amenities.

        Members in good standing have free access to our tennis courts again for the first time since the property owners took over the amenities.

        Members in good standing are able to play golf on the Lake Nine for $5.

        The Lake Forest Scholarship Program was created for children of our members.

        The list goes on.

Over the years with the efforts of other Board members and other presidents, Lake Forest has been rejuvenated.  The amenities are in great condition and the association is financially strong.  I am very proud of what we, as an association, have accomplished.  Now, there are some who think I should be booted off the Board because of the libelous material that has been written.  Well, they can have at it.  I have done the best that I could for our community.  I fully intend to stay for the rest of my term.  However, I have heard that they plan to make a motion for my removal at the annual meeting.  In fact, the note that I received guarantees it.   If they can come up with the votes to do it, then I will go home and let the next generation take over.  Maybe they can do the job as well as this generation has done it.    My opinions and record are no secret.  You can check my web page, www.mitchdavis.com, to read much of what I have written in the past and make up your own mind.  Please come to the annual meeting.  It should be a short one. This is your community and you cannot leave its future to chance.

Mitch Davis

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Resignation

From Mitch Davis

Date:      10/23/2005

To:         Lake Forest Property Owners Association Board of Directors

From:     Mitch Davis

As per my last conversation with our attorney, the motion to remove me from the board failed because it failed to receive a majority vote of the all members who could vote by proxy or in person.  There were 748 votes cast of which 119 were for my removal.

There are three issues to consider here: 

1.      The vote failed to get the majority.

2.      Every single “cause” listed was untrue and there will be plenty of testimony to prove that.

3.      No reasonable person would think that a few disgruntled members could bring up an issue from the floor at the annual meeting that would change the structure of the association without the entire membership having an opportunity to vote on it.

If this were required to be resolved in court, there is no question but what the motion would be thrown out.  At the very least, a special meeting would be required for a vote of the entire membership.

However, for at least three years my family and I have been subjected to an unrelenting series of personal attacks.  When several of those who supported the restructuring of Lake Forest joined the board, the serious attacks began.  Month after month, after month, after month they or their supporters took turns at those of us on the board who did not agree.  When that measure lost last year, the attacks accelerated.  Then, week after week outrageous accusations were directed at my family and me that were without merit.  They wrote in Cruitt’s paper using pseudonyms and more came to the meetings to continue the charges.  To put it mildly, I’ve had enough.

Lake Forest doesn’t need this and I can promise you that I don’t need it either.  So, I am resigning.  I firmly believe that anyone who would volunteer to serve Lake Forest, as all of you have done, have the best interests of the community at heart.  I wish you success and you have my prayers that you never have to go through what we have gone through for these last few years.

Mitch Davis

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Rebuttal of "Causes"

Cause 1.     Mr. Davis has repeatedly sought to allow a close family member to use corporate property for personal gain.  In particular, Mr. Davis has allowed his son to operate a for-profit club on property owned by the LFPOA.  Mr. Davis did support and vote in favor of this arrangement.

The statement in line 1 suggests that I deliberately set out to cause the LFPOA to turn over use of a facility, the teen center, to my son.  The fact is that I did not suggest, promote or even discuss the arrangement with the general manager.  My son approached me with an idea to turn the derelict Swim & Racquet Club building into a teen center.  I told him that the general manager was the person responsible for such things and that Board members had no authority to make any kind of arrangements like that.  I suggested that he and his friends take their idea to the general manager.  The next time I heard about it was when my son told me that the GM had agreed.  The boys worked out a plan and presented it to the general manager who modified it and added a second page, where the parents of the boys could sign indicating that they were aware of the plan.  In addition, two Boards also agreed to the teen club.

Cause 2.     Mr. Davis has, through the operation of the club, neglected his duty to protect the assets of the corporation.  Without Board approval, Mr. Davis signed an agreement on behalf of LFPOA agreeing to indemnify his son, and the other operators of the night club known as the “The Dox”.  The agreement MR. Davis signed states this:  “The operators will not have any liability for injury to anyone visiting the facility nor to damage to anyone’s property including that of patrons or the LFPOA.  That personal injury would be covered by LFPOA.”   In other words, if someone was injured at the club, the LFPOA was responsible, not Mr. Davis’ son, or his son’s partner.  In addition, if Dox employees or guests destroyed LFPOA property, the LFPOA would have to pay for the damages.

I did not sign anything on behalf of the LFPOA.  The agreement was signed by the general manager.  I signed the second page of the agreement with the other parents indicating that I was aware of the arrangement. 

We have three bars in Lake Forest where on any given night some adults may have a few too many and get into some pushing and shoving match and then drive home in a diminished state.  It has happened before.  We have three swimming pools where almost every day during the summer children are running and playing and rough housing around those pools.  A bunch of teenagers listening to bands hardly constitutes a risk when compared to these other amenities.  There was never an unusual risk to the assets of the corporation.  To be on the safe side, the Board of Directors received assurances from its insurance agent and its attorney that the association was protected from liability.  Furthermore, the Board required that a police officer be on duty whenever the kids had a show.   The kids were having fun and behaving themselves.

In a recent paper I found in my yard it was said that firearms and automobile accidents down there create a serious risk for the association.  None of that ever happened!  Why do they stop there?  Why not warn us of a teenage Al Gaeda cell operating in the teen center or, perhaps, teenage clone research which would create more of the evil little teenagers?  Of course none of that happened either.  It is unbelievable the depths that these people are going to.  The only thing that could even remotely be considered an incident in over a year, occurred when a couple of members of a band got into a squabble.  The young managers stopped that one and never invited the band back.   The only other incidents involve a so-called adult.  One property owner who lives near the teen center apparently went down there and confronted some kids in the parking lot.  When they reacted as kids might do with some kind of a gesture, by his own admission, this guy jumped in his truck and went after them.  Now if you want to talk about liability, think about that one.  He reported that three kids dressed in black attacked him!  Let’s have a little common sense here.  This guy says three teenage ninjas attacked him.  Why?  Why would they pick his house? 

When the boys found out about this individual’s complaints, they went house to house introducing themselves to the people in that community.  They explained what they were doing and asked if there was anything they could do better.  They received 100% support.  Then, one of these adults started searching the Internet and found the lyrics of ONE band out of over thirty that were terrible.  They have used that one band’s lyrics ever since to smear a bunch of kids and their club.  Never mind that there are other lyrics out there from some of the Christian bands that also played down there.  Those lyrics don’t help their case.  What they apparently don’t know is that after that band played, my son was very concerned. He told me about it and I told him that that kind of music was inappropriate in Lake Forest.  The three boys then told that band that they could not play that kind of material in the Dox and to the band’s credit, they agreed.  All of this occurred before the Board closed the place down.  Had the kids been given due process, we might have known the whole story before making the decision.  There may have been some immature behavior around the Dox but it wasn’t on the part of the three young men who were running the place. They always behaved with maturity and dignity throughout the entire time.  I wish I could say the same for some of the adults involved in this issue. 

The only instance where anyone who uses any facility in Lake Forest is required to accept liability is the operator of the Lake Forest Stables.  The reasons for it in that case are that the association maintains no authority over how the stables are to be operated.  It is solely the responsibility of the operator.  Furthermore, the stables represent an unusual risk for liability due to the interaction of patrons with horses.   The general manager maintained control of the teen center, monitored its use and gave instructions to the young men as to how it should be run. 

Cause 3.     To further assist his family member in his business, Mr. Davis caused the LFPOA to expend in excess of $10,000.00 to improve the facility for use as the Dox.

Item #3 is a blatant accusation of theft or diversion of corporate assets for personal use.  My son told me that there was a hole in the sheetrock in the hall of the teen center/swim building.  I went down to look at it.  After examining the hole, I told the boys that we could fix it ourselves.  I cut out a section of the sheetrock so that we could patch the wall.  When the section was removed, I found the inside of the wall covered black with mold.  I told the boys that I did not think that the building could be used by anyone like this.  The following Monday, I called the general manager and told him what I had found.  I told the general manager that I thought the building should be closed.  The general manager told me that the problem might not be as bad as I thought.  He also told me that the LFPOA needed that building for use by the swimmers, swim team and others besides the teens.  The general manager assured me that he would have the building inspected.  Later, the general manager called me and told me that he had found a solution to the problem.   The GM said that he was going to have the walls removed and the whole building inspected for mold.  He said that the cost of repairs was within his authorized limit and that he had scheduled the work.  I did not cause the LFPOA to spend any money at all for the benefit of a family member or The Dox.  My attention to the matter, in fact, removed a potential health risk to patrons of the pool, Swim & Racquet Club building and The Dox.

Cause 4.     With Mr. Davis’ knowledge, The Dox operated without a business license and in violation of City codes.  The renovations were completed without a building permit, the operation of the club was improper in a residential zone, the Dox had no business license, and paid no taxes.  Furthermore, the income produced by the Dox went to the operators, including Mr. Davis’ son, and there was no control or audit procedure in place.

A copy of the boy’s business license is attached.  The teen center was not in violation of any City codes.  The repairs to the facility did not require a building permit.  The teen center was a former Country Club.  It later became a Swim & Racquet Club used for parties and events for over thirty years.  Its use as a teen center is entirely consistent with its previous use for over three decades.  Regarding taxes, the boys were told by the Sales Tax division to stop submitting their monthly statements because they were not making enough money.  They were told that if they ever did start to see some profit that they should resume making the monthly reports.  It is possible that they had not renewed their business license yet for their second year.  However, that is not the responsibility of the LFPOA.  Furthermore, at the time of the closing of the facility, the boys had spent more money on its operation than they had made.  They were doing it for fun, not for profit.

Cause 5.     When Mr. Davis was confronted with these FACTS, he continued to press to allow his son’s use of the premises to continue, even voting to keep the Dox open.

There were no facts in the charges, just innuendo and distortions of the truth. Yes, that is true.  Those boys had successfully done something that the association had been failing at for years.  They had created a successful teen center that was one of the few places teenagers could go in Daphne and that was a safe and enjoyable place for the kids to enjoy.  No alcohol or smoking was allowed and it was monitored by some Board members, parents and, of course, the police officer. I, along with several other Board members, voted against closing it without due process.  Accusations were made against the teen center and the operators. To this day they have not had an opportunity respond to the charges before the Board of Directors.  Had these been adults and not kids, we would be in court right now for not providing that due process that everyone has a right to.

Those boys behaved with integrity throughout the episode and those who have tried to use this thing to smear a bunch of kids, my family and me should be ashamed of themselves.

When I originally joined the Board of Directors, I had one ambition; to make sure that every family that supported this association with its dues received benefit for doing so.  We have people running for the Board who have barely been here a year.  They have no idea what we have been through together.  They may assume that our members have always been able to swim, play tennis and enjoy $5 golf as part of their membership.  They may think that we have always given out scholarships to our Lake Forest children.  They may not know that every single one of those privileges was returned while I was president of this association.  I am very happy with what we have accomplished over the last nine years.  If Mr. Dubose wants to turn me out and the membership supports him, then so be it.  Otherwise, I fully intend to finish out my term on the Board.

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3/8/2006

Yesterday on the Sounds of the Grapevine a contributor made the following request.  “Someone please tell me what the "Slate of Five" has accomplished in 6 mos.”  Today, a director responds and in the process points out a perceived problem with the previous board.  Earlier, a director lamented at the perceived failure of the previous board to repair the docks.  Last month it was reported that a director criticized a former board president in an Improvement Committee meeting.  There seems to be a trend here.  It is the opinion of this writer that it is non-productive for the board to base its own worth on the perceived shortcomings of another board.  Sooner or later the membership will make its own decision about the worth of the current board based on its own performance. 

What previous boards accomplished or failed to accomplish in years past cannot be changed.  Their records are also not easily distorted, because there are financial reports, independent audits and written records showing what services were provided to the membership.  The only thing that might not easily be shown about past performance is the quality of the amenities at that time.  However, the financial records will indicate what was spent on the amenities, which by extension should provide an indication of that quality.

Before long the opposition will begin to mount its campaign to put members on the next board.  My hope is that they will approach the task by using facts about services provided and financial numbers to make their case.   Hopefully, they will choose not to base their campaign on innuendo and misstatements of facts about the current people who occupy the current board.  Lake Forest has had enough of that.

As to the performance of the current Board of Directors, the verdict is still out.  We have seen credit being taken where, perhaps, it has not been deserved.  For example, Roger Davidson has single-handed proposed the Adopt-A-Median program and carried it forward to the City of Daphne’s Beautification Committee.  The Lake Forest Board of Directors had nothing to do with it.  Roger and his family along with other residents have been scouring the medians cleaning things up and the board had nothing to do with that either.  Public Works Director, Ken Eslava, who happens to live in Lake Forest, is taking on some of the public works problems in Lake Forest as part of his job.  The LFPOA Board of Directors has nothing to do with it.  The City of Daphne’s City of Council President lives in Lake Forest, but has never asked for or received anything in the form of assistance from the Lake Forest Board of Directors.  We have already been told what the board has accomplished in repairing the docks at the marina, apparently not much.  However the Lake Committee chairman has been actively working on the Eastern Shore Watershed problem and there may eventually be some help to the lake as a result.  That is good to hear.  It does no good for the president to wonder what to do about some missing shingles and stained ceiling tiles.  That is pretty simple.  Fix them.  However, the contributor’s request from yesterday is still not clear.  So, rather than spending their time trying to create a perception of former boards, the LFPOA Board of Directors might consider getting some work done that they can report to the membership instead.

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