| 2008 President's Report
Barry Ross, President,
WVA Board of Directors
As stated in the March 2008 edition of the Reflections, your Board of Directors has decided to discontinue the dinner reception at the annual election on April 2, 2008 in order to offset the expense of new legislation that requires that associations retain an independent inspector of elections. However, as your President, I want to explain to you what the WVA has done during the past year, and what lies ahead.
We are a community of approximately 10,000 housing units with a resident population of approximately 31,000 people. Woodbridge is known throughout the country as a model planned community.
Maintenance is a big part of keeping Woodbridge in top-notch condition. Renovation of several facilities has taken place over the last year. The North Lake Beach Club has been renovated and the lagoon has been resurfaced. The roofs at Briarglen, Echo Run and Windjammer have been replaced. The pool at Woodflower was converted to salt water.
Our landscaper has been busy installing plants throughout Woodbridge. This includes geraniums, petunias, begonias and hibiscus.
Homeowner pride in the community is reflected in the number of Architectural Committee home improvement applications. There were 1,673 applications submitted and over 95% were approved. The major categories of home improvement were windows, garage doors, exterior paint, air conditioning and lighting.
Another indication that residents like living in Woodbridge is that we have a more than 99% payment rate for dues. The dues coupled with income from facility rentals, escrow transfer fees, recreational activities and other sources give us an annual budget of approximately $7.9 million dollars. Our major vendor expenses are approximately $1.14 million for utilities, $1.13 million for landscaping and $253,000 for insurance. Particularly noteworthy, is that we have over $4.9 million in our reserve fund as of December 31, 2007. This was all accomplished with relatively low homeowner dues of $69/month, in 2007. I am pleased to report that the fiscal year ended with expenses 3% below budgeted levels. Very few government agencies, businesses or individuals can report such good results.
The Recreation Department is probably the most interactive with our residents. It has provided a wide variety of successful events as well as ongoing programs.
We have everything from Camp Woodbridge to Comedy Night to concerts on the lake to cooking classes. Our clubs, which include gardening, golf and tennis, can be favorably compared with many local city programs. Our excursions include the Rose Parade, Pageant of the Masters, and the Getty Center.
We are planning several new activities, such as excursions to see Phantom of the Opera and Wicked.
In the past, if you wanted to reserve a tennis court, you had to visit the WVA office and put your name on a reservation form. Your Board has implemented a program to allow you to make your tennis court reservations on-line. If the program works well, the Board will consider expanding the program to include other activities.
Future Challenges
Although we have accomplished a great deal in the last year, there are always challenges ahead. There are four such challenges that I wish to mention.
Last year we celebrated the WVA’s 30th anniversary. This means that many of our homes, facilities and common area amenities are approximately 30 years old. Over time, aging takes its toll. In order to make Woodbridge the best that it can be, we will be required to spend money on renovation and remodeling.
Another challenge concerns the development of the Great Park, the Tustin military base and all the housing, commercial and industrial projects recently approved or about to be approved by the City of Irvine. These projects will impact Woodbridge in terms of traffic, population, pollution and community resources, such as recreational facilities, schools and police and fire services. We will need to monitor these projects and voice our concerns in order to reduce the adverse impacts upon Woodbridge.
Another challenge is the impact of the general economy. As the general economy has declined in the past year, we have felt its effects in Woodbridge, with increased non-payment of dues, often accompanied by bankruptcy and/or foreclosure, fewer resales, less home improvement applications and lower property values. These conditions are expected to become worse before they become better.
Another challenge will be the departure of our outstanding Executive Director Bob Figeira. Bob has been the Executive Director since the inception of Woodbridge 31 years ago. Bob has always done and is currently doing an excellent job in administering the personnel, programs and policies of the WVA. Bob has notified your Board that he will be retiring at the end of the year and we must find a replacement. Finding an appropriate replacement will be perhaps the greatest challenge faced by your Board this year.
I want to thank my fellow Board members, Carolyn Smith Driscoll, Bill Mavity, Dale Cheema, Dick Fenner, Don Davis and Bob Woodings for their support and teamwork. I also want to thank Bob Figeira and his capable staff for their excellent performance.
It has been my pleasure to serve as your President for the past five years and as a member of your Board of Directors for the past fifteen years.
|
 |
Annual Meeting Results
The 32nd Annual Meeting and Election of the Board of Directors was held on April 2, 2008. The results of the election are as follows:
South Lake Area
Bill Mavity ………………….1749
Gene Sokolski …………….2227
North Lake Area
Don Davis …………………..1798
Robert Woodings ………….1486
The names in red denote election winners, who have been elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors.
Minutes from the 2008 Annual Meeting |
