June 13 AMLD Board Meeting Notes and CASE
Greetings Neighbors!
I was delighted to see so many residents at the June 13th meeting.Your participation and thoughtful insights will be instrumental in shaping the future improvements of our cherished community assets. During the meeting, the board had an opportunity to hear a diverse range of ideas and suggestions on how we can make our pools more accessible and enjoyable for all residents, as well as how to enhance our pickleball courts to accommodate growing interest in this fantastic sport.
Meeting Participants
Director Mike Chaney, Director Paul Hermesmeyer, Director Monique Watford, Director Nikki Hinkle and District Attorney Zachariah Evans were all present.
Director Katherine Hogle was not in attendance, but wrote a letter that was read by Zachariah Evans to the board. She expressed that she would like to kick off our strategic planning sessions on July 19 and July 20 and would like all directors to confirm their schedules with Peyton as soon as possible. Director Hogle shared that she would like to table all discussions on pools, tennis and pickleball courts until the strategic planning sessions. She thanked AMNA for creating their tree planting proposal and sharing it with the community. She also suggested that all board members should share information with Peyton to add to the board packet if they were going to be absent for any upcoming meetings. Director Hogle expressed that the primary focus for the board will be finding a replacement for a new district manager. All other concerns should be shared during our strategic planning sessions.
Community Comments
A Resident shared comments for another resident who was unable to attend the meeting. She expressed her concerns about the high entrance fees for our pools. It is $8 for adults and $7 for kids. At Elizabeth Milburn pool you can pay $3 for adults, $2 for students, $1 for kids aged 4-8 and kids under 4 are free. Austin pools charge $5 for adults, $3 for juniors, $2 for 1-11 and babies under 1 are free. She shared how she invited friends to the pool and they simply couldn’t afford it. The resident would also like for AMLD to offer “toddler time” for young swimmers like other pools in the area. She suggested that AMLD could rent out the tables in the pools for parties during open swim. This is something that she did for her daughter’s birthday party at a Cedar Park pool. She would love to keep her money in AMLD vs having to go to other pools that provide these services.
The resident then expressed her thoughts on the pickleball courts. She shared that you could get more pickleball courts per 1 tennis court if you orient them horizontally. This is how they work at Veterans Memorial Park in Cedar Park where they converted 1 tennis court to 4 pickleball courts and then a year or so later, converted 1 basketball court to 4 additional pickleball courts, for a total of 8 courts. She also shared her thoughts about the roll on, roll off method that is supposed to be followed at VP and is followed at Cedar Park Rec Center. She thinks this is great for single players just wanting a pickup game or players trying to learn by playing with a variety of skill levels. In her experience it doesn't work as well when you arrive with a group of 4 people who want to play together. If she wants to play with friends and this is the one time they can find after comparing 4 different schedules, then she wants to be able to reserve a court and play continuously for an hour with the same 4 people. She also wanted to know if it is possible to restripe the AMLD courts so the 2 tennis courts can be 8 pickleball courts? She expressed that having more courts right away helps tremendously. Then perhaps one set of 4 courts can be reservable. However, the other set of 4 courts will be unreservable and open for anyone who shows up.
Another resident shared her insights and thoughts on the pickleball/tennis courts. She expressed her frustration on how difficult it is to reserve a court at the Lake Creek courts on weeknights. She shared her data from open records requested from the AMLD office.
Tennis/ Pickleball Memberships sold:
2023 Non Resident: 86 (32%) Resident: 185 (68%)
Jan-Mar 2024 Non Resident: 16 (40%) Resident: 24 (60%
Income from memberships:
2023 Non resident: $15,160 (62%) Resident: $9,190 (38%)
Jan-Mar 2024 Non resident: $1,900 (67%) Resident: $930 (33%)
She also shared that she picked a random week to see how many reservations were made by residents vs non residents. It was interesting to note that 21 reservations were made by 11 accounts in one week. The current limit on one account is one reservation per day. She believed that was too liberal a policy and making pickleball reservation in the evening impossible. The AMLD website says a maximum of 4 reservations per week, but she was told at the office the current scheduling software cannot support limiting weekly reservations. Therefore, enforcing the limits is not possible at this time. She would like to see 2 reservations per week with enforced limits to make it fair for more players. She also noted that 32% of the total memberships sold were from non residents, but they represent 68% of the income. She recognized that this makes money for the AMLD, but believes that non residents are not being charged enough. She would like to increase non resident membership fees to more fairly distribute the cost of maintaining our facilities and give more priority to resident members.
Another community member shared her thoughts on the pickleball courts. She would love to see open play nights at least once a month. It would be another way to build community in AMLD, because it would open to anyone to come out and play.
Q2 Review Fiscal Year 2023-2024
Director Hermesmeyer presented the Q2 review to the rest of the board.There were a few budget line amendments that he pointed out for clarification purposes. It was approved by the board.
Anderson Mill Neighborhood Association Tree Proposal
AMNA shared a tree proposal with the board that helps promote a greener and shadier neighborhood. They would like to plant drought-resistant and heat tolerant trees on the El Salido Trail and in the Old Stage Dog Park. AMNA would like to fund this campaign through community-wide donations and apply for grants. They were asking for assistance from AMLD staff to help water the new trees. There were a lot of great ideas and questions that came out of this presentation. Director Hermesymer agreed to meet with AMNA to discuss the budget and to clarify expectations of the AMLD staff. Please check out AMNA’s Website to find out more information about how you can help plant trees or other events that they are sharing with the community.
District Manager Update
Greg Williams has officially left his position as the district manager. The board did approve a Consulting Agreement, which would allow us to discuss AMLD business with Greg Williams. This agreement will help in the transition of hiring our next district manager.
The Board of Directors did make the decision to forego appointing an interim position at this time. Instead, our dedicated staff will continue to fulfill their responsibilities until a suitable replacement is hired. This decision will be revisited if we can’t hire a district manager in a timely manner.
We are actively seeking a qualified individual to fill the role of District Manager. Your input is invaluable to us during this process. If you know of any viable candidates or are interested in it yourself, please fill out the application. Please send your questions and comments regarding the distinct manager to the Personnel Committee- Director Hogle or Director Hermesmeyer.
Pools
This is an agenda item that I put on to be discussed at this meeting. I was able to share that our daily entrance fees cost double the amount to City of Austin pools and triple the amount to Cedar Park pools. I shared the example that it cost me, as a City of Austin resident, a total of $12 for myself, my 12 year old, 10 year old and 8 year old to enter the pool. At a City of Cedar Park pool it would cost me $8. It costs $29 to enter an AMLD pool.
I began to wonder if AMLD was offering hours and services that justify that kind of price difference. I created the comparison sheets for the board to analyze the closest City of Austin and City of Cedar Park Pools to AMLD. I specifically picked these two pools because just like our pools, they are also run by taxpayer money.
I shared what I noticed when I began to compare the City of Austin and City of Cedar Park Pools to our AMLD pools.
They both offer lap lanes during open swim
They both offer lap lane only swim times during the hours when working people can attend
Cedar Park is open 7 days a week
City of Austin is only closed 1 day a week
City of Cedar Park offers tot time for 5 and under
They both offer morning and later evening swim times throughout the week
In a nutshell, our two closest competing pools are offering more services for less money. I asked the board to please share their thoughts on our pools and services that we offer.
The board voted to table the discussion. I voted against this decision, because summer is happening right now. This is when we could have potentially made more money for the district. It will be brought up again in the strategic planning sessions.
Tennis and Pickleball Courts
I love all the ideas that have been circulating around the pickleball and tennis courts. The courts are clearly bringing neighbors together and residents to meetings. I suggested we create some kind of document or survey to have tennis/pickleball players fill out when they get their new key in August. This would allow AMLD to get some data on how to shape any changes that could come to the courts in the future.
The board voted to table the discussion until the strategic planning sessions.
New Meeting Time
The board did approve changing the meeting time for our meetings. They will still be on the second Thursday of each month. Starting in July, our meetings will begin at 6:30pm. This change will help accommodate the schedules of our community members and board members more effectively.
You Are Invited
Our next AMLD Board Meeting will be on July 11 at 6:30pm!
I will unfortunately not be able to attend the July meeting. I will be in another state visiting family, but I will be back in time for the strategic planning sessions.
What is next??
Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to carefully reviewing all suggestions as we move forward with planning and implementation. Together, we can continue to make our neighborhood an even better place to live, play, and thrive.
Once again, thank you for your active involvement and enthusiasm for improving our community. I look forward to updating you on the progress of these initiatives and continuing to work together for the benefit of all residents.
Please continue to reach out to all the board members with your ideas or concerns.
Nikki Hinkle: Hinkle@amld.org
Katherine Hogle: Hogle@amld.org
Mike Chaney: Chaney@amld.org
Monique Watford: Watford@amld.org
Paul Hermesmeyer: Hermesmeyer@amld.org
Extra News!!
Capital Area Suburban Exchange(CASE)
Did you know that David Harper helped found CASE? I learned this when I became a member of the board. CASE is an annual conference for Central Texas MUDS and Limited Districts. It is a wonderful opportunity for board members to learn about the most up to date information regarding legislation, effective practices, community involvement and technology.
I’m excited to share with you some valuable insights gained from my experience at CASE. I would also like to point out that all five board members braved Tropical Storm Alberto in order to enhance our knowledge and skills in various aspects of community governance. It was worth the trip in order to help serve our community!
Here are the highlights from the sessions we attended:
1. Meeting Structure and Efficiency
We learned effective strategies to streamline meeting procedures and ensure productive discussions.
Implementing new tools and techniques to improve decision-making processes.
2. Connecting with Our Community
Techniques for fostering stronger relationships with residents and encouraging greater participation in neighborhood initiatives.
Ideas for organizing community events that promote unity and engagement.
3. Emergency Management Preparedness
Key principles and best practices for developing and updating emergency response plans.
Ensuring our community is well-prepared to handle unforeseen events.
4. Deed Restrictions and Compliance
Understanding the importance of deed restrictions in maintaining our neighborhood’s aesthetic and property values.
Clarifying common misconceptions and addressing residents' concerns.
5. Utilizing AI and Cybersecurity
Exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance neighborhood security and management processes.
Best practices for safeguarding sensitive information and protecting our community from cyber threats.
Moving Forward Together
The knowledge gained from this conference will undoubtedly benefit our community as we continue to strive for excellence in governance and community engagement. We are committed to implementing these insights effectively during our strategic planning sessions.
Join Us for a Spectacular July 4th Celebration!
It’s time to come together as a community and celebrate our nation’s independence with fun activities, delicious food, and great company. Please mark your calendars for this exciting FREE event:
Date: July 4th, Time: 10am-2pm Location: Harper Park
Event Activities:
Inflatable Games
Petting Zoo
Face Painting
Balloon Making
Laser Tag
Obstacle Course
Vendors
Food and Refreshments: We’ll have Fairy Freeze and Top Taco food available for purchase.
Reminder
As an AMLD Board member, I want to remind everyone that this newsletter is not the official notes from the meeting. These are my personal thoughts on the items that were discussed at the meeting. Please see the link if you would like to see the official notes from the past board meetings. Meeting Minutes