POENB Minutes for Wednesday, December 4, 2024

The meeting was held in person at the Eaton’s Neck Firehouse from

7:00 pm to 7:45 pm.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a roll call of officers.

Officer Roll Call

• Tom Kehoe – President
• Ryan Schaefer-Walker – Vice President and Treasurer
• Yvonne Lambertson – Assistant Vice President (Technology, Web and Communications)
• Steve Neuf – Assistant Vice President (Engineering and Special Projects)
• Sally Neal – Recording Secretary
• Nancy Regan – Corresponding Secretary
• Anthony Fusaro – Assistant Vice President – absent

Attendance

There were 14 members physically in attendance, not including six officers.

Tom Kehoe’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as published on the POENB Website was seconded. 

Correspondence – Nancy Regan

1. Bevin Seawall

John Ballow emailed the Board three updates on the Bevin Seawall which are synthesized and summarized below. 

John Ballow is POENB’s designated representative at the Eaton’s Neck Community Working Group (ENCWG).  The ENCWG advocates for permanently repairing the failing Bevin Seawall on behalf of all property owners and residents who live above Bevin Road.

As discussed in prior issues of the Changing Tides (CT), there are on-going discussions as to the scope of “fixing the wall” project.

The VOA, the ENCWG and others have petitioned the NY Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to expand the scope of their existing “Hazard Mitigation Subgrant” proposal to include a feasibility study and full engineering/permitting. 

A full project would entailexamining and proposing changes from PSE&G’s Power Plant to the Seawall and include (1) elevating and rerouting” a 900-foot section of Asharoken Avenue near the Seawall, (2) buttressing/re-building the existing Seawall, and (3) installing five beach groins (e.g., 50-foot rock jetties) and sand perpendicular to the Seawall shore line.  GEI, the engineering firm hired by VoA, has stated it has “no objection” to the full project proposal.

A partial project would focus only on installing beach groins along the Seawall section of Asharoken Avenue.

To date, no decision has been reached regarding the scope of the project.

On November 15, the VOA Mayor stated that he met with GEI and NYS DEC (Eric Star) and received “no push back on using 5 beach groins” as a means of permanently fixing the wall.   At the same meeting, the VOA Mayor mentioned an “emergency plan” (in the event of a breach) was in the works but provided no details as to the cost or completion date.

• Eaton’s Neck Sweatshirt – A member inquired about sweatshirt sales.

• Member Voting for Board Nominees – A member requested to vote by email. Per Article IV – Voting of the Bylaws, a Key Vote (which includes the election of the Board) must be published and delivered to each voting member not less than 10 days prior to the voting session. Additionally, Article IV states that the Board shall have the option of requiring key issue voting to be by written ballot, absentee ballot by mail, proxy or evite and/or the eligibility of each voter certified by a representative designated by the Board.  The request for voting was made and received by the Board on December 3rd so the request could not be granted without violating the Bylaws.

Report from the Board of Directors – Tom Kehoe

Tom acknowledged and thanked Ryan Schaefer-Walker and Yvonne Lambertson for their four+ years of service to POENB as VP and Treasurer and AVP Technology, Web, and Communications and Watercraft Manager, respectively.

Ryan and Yvonne have made multiple IT related financial, operational, and communication improvements.   Although some of the modernization and efficiency changes implemented are not visible to members, Ryan and Yvonne’s efforts are nevertheless extremely impactful.  

Thank you again Ryan and Yvonne for your hard work and thoughtful contributions to POENB’s three-fold mission and its on-going operations.  You will be missed. 

Tom also acknowledged and thanked several other members who have other committee leadership positions.  These included:

• Gene Caputo – who serves as POENB’s Membership Chair (duties enumerated in Article XI of the POENB Bylaws).
• Greg Hodges and Tom Bishop – who serve as Beach Committee Chairs for PB and VG respectively.  “Beach” is another permanent committee; duties are described in Article XI of the POENB Bylaws.
• Christine Ballow – who serves as the Chair of the Nominating Committee
• John and Christine Ballow – who serve as the Co-chairs of the Planning and Zoning Committee. In addition to the duties outlined in Article XI of the Bylaws, this Committee also serves as POENB’s advocate with government and corporate officials on public welfare issues.   John and Christine’s doggedness and focus made “burying the lines” a reality after EN residents had “lived with” unreliable electrical power and slow corrective response times for 50+ years.   John and Christine are currently leading the charge, with other members of the ENCWG, to permanently fix the deteriorating Bevin Seawall.  
• Nick Cavuto – who serves as the Beach Reservation Chair (booking the property for private parties).
• Ryan Cote – who is a former POENB president and current editor of the Changing Tides.  This monthly publication, which is distributed to all residents, POENB members or not, is the primary communication vehicle to record and disseminate POENB’s official meeting minutes and financials and relay information of interest to all property owners and residents.
• Our Tides Block Captains – who deliver the Changing Tides in all weather, all year long.
• Heather Kennedy Brown – who served as one of the Social Committee Chairs and organized many events.
• Sara Coddington-White – who organized the first Brittania Yacht Dinner.
• Phil Cuiffo and Regina Grasso – who serve as Neighborhood Watch Co-chairs

Treasurer’s Report – Ryan Schaefer-Walker

The Treasurer’s Report (see page 2) includes the Income Statement for the period January 1, 2024 to December 3, 2024 and a partial Balance Sheet as of December 3, 2024.

Revenues for the approximate 11-month period were roughly $74.4K of which $56K was received from membership dues. The remaining revenue was attributed to watercraft fees, Changing Tides ads, social fees, and beach rentals. Expenses were approximately $78.3K. The majority of these expenses were spent on cleaning and maintaining the beaches. 

As discussed at the November meeting, total expenses for the 10 months ended November 7th are higher by approximately $7K ($6,852) due to the line item called “Beach Expenses.”   Total Beach Expenses in 2024 includes beach expenses for fiscal year 2023 and 2024 given the billing practices of last year’s and this year’s landscaper. A reclassification entry was made to record 2023 landscaper expenses in 2023.  

By 12.31.24, POENB also expects an additional $1.7K in revenue to be received. 

Finally, as consistent with prior years, a $3.4K journal entry was made to increase the reserve for future beach expenses.  This capital or “rainy day” fund is set aside to cover large and unexpected expenses related to erosion, weather related or environmental damage, and/or major equipment repairs.

Better practices state that NFP’s should maintain a minimum of 3 to 12 months of their annual operating expenses in their reserve account.  The exact amount is a judgment-based determination by the Board and is impacted by an NFP’s revenue stability (probability of a loss of income) and likelihood of large unbudgeted expenses.  POENB’s reserve amount is significantly lower than better practices recommends.  Per best practices, POENB reserve should be $20K to $80K. Post the transfer, POENB’s reserve is $8.8K.

As of December 3, POENB had approximately $21.9K in its bank accounts.

At the November meeting, a member asked about revenue received from beach rentals (for private events) and whether the amount is more than, less than or approximately the same as prior years.   Sally Neal said that the “Beach Usage Income” for the approximately 10 months ended November 7, 2024 was $1.8K.  This amount was slightly less than 2023 but the amount has ranged from $1,500 to $2,000 over the past several years.  Tom Kehoe posited that the 2024 revenue amount may be less given inclement weather and the need to cancel outdoor events. 

Beach and Watercraft Report – Yvonne Lambertson

1. Since the beach season runs from mid-May to October 1, the two beaches are officially closed.  Please refrain from putting anything ON TOP of the dumpster at PB.  Garbage “resting” on the dumpster will NOT be picked up and will attract vermin. 

• During the off season, members are invited to walk on the beaches and enjoy the water views.  However, POENB’s Beach Rules PROHIBIT animals on the beach, leased or unleashed both on and off season. 

• A member noted that the benches at VG have become “dilapidated” and were “beyond repair.”   Given financial constraints, the Board will approach replacing these benches in two phases.  Phase 1 will be to remove the benches.  Steve Neuf and the Beach Committee Chairs are exploring vendors or other means to remove the benches.  Phase 2 will involve replacing the benches which should happen in late spring once the budget is passed and membership funds are received. 

• Yvonne also noted that small watercraft (kayaks, paddle boards, canoe) assignments are made every two years so members do NOT need to remove their boats this year. 

Nominating Committee – Christine Ballow

Per the by-laws, POENB’s Board positions run from January 1 to December 31.

Christine noted that Anthony Fusaro withdrew his name from consideration from the 2025 POENB Board. Tom Kehoe thanked Anthony for his years of service to the community.  Heather Warrington was nominated “from the floor” in the role of Assistant Vice President. 

Therefore, the Board nominations for 2025 are:

• Tom Kehoe – President
• Steve Neuf – Vice President
• Sally Neal – Treasurer and Recording Secretary
• Nancy Regan – Corresponding Secretary
• Michael Cohen – Assistant Vice President
• Paul Dippolito – Assistant Vice President
• Heather Warrington – Assistant Vice President

This slate of officers was elected unanimously by an in-person hand vote.

New Business – Tom Kehoe moderating

1. POENB’s 2025 budget will be presented at the January membership meeting and will be voted on at the February meeting.  Please see discussions during the November meeting about POENB’s financial situation. 

• POENB Documentation Storage – POENB is a 501(c)(4) organization domiciled in NYS.  As such, it is required to have legal and governing documentation readily available and stored in a secure location.  These documents include but are not limited to (1) Plat Map (of the POENB geographic region), (2) Articles of Incorporation, (3) Deeds to the Beach Properties, (4) Bylaws, (5) other rules and regulations (e.g., beach, social) passed by the membership, and (6) key official correspondence with state, county or town officials and corporations.  Copies of the Changing Tides, since POENB’s inception, are also considered to be part of the required documentation since they contain the official minutes and financials of the organization. 

However, because POENB does not have a physical address (only a PO Box in Northport), it does not have a secure central repository to store its legal and governing documents. 

Some, but NOT all, documentation is digitized and included in the database associated with the POENB website. 

Members noted that over the years it has become a “common practice” for officers to store selected documents and correspondence in their homes.  As a result, key documentation is physically fragmented, and some may be missing. 

Therefore, the Board is embarking on an effort to (1) gather governing and legal documents and/or (2) store the physical copies in a centralized and secure location (or digitized them). 

Previously, POENB had asked if it could use one of the filing cabinets at the ENFD.  However, that request needs to be approved by the 12 fire districts in the Town of Huntington   Other ideas were to store the documents in a safe deposit box at Chase (where POENB maintains DDAs).

• Capital Fund for Beach Improvements – A member suggested embarking on a Brick Fundraising Campaign.  Brick fundraising is a fundraising tactic where a (NFP) not-for-profit establishes a brick walkway or other surface and finds donors who are willing to donate a certain amount in return for being allowed to engrave one of the bricks with their name or message.  As many members may realize, part of the walkway at VG contains engraved bricks with names of donors. 

• Disaster Recovery Discussions in the event of a Bevin Seawall Breach – Chief of the Department, John Pokorny, stated that representatives from ENFD met with multiple parties who would be contacted and involved in responding to a potential Bevin Seawall breach. 

These parties included Bill Raisch from the VOA, SC Office of Emergency Management (OEN), Stephanie Bontempi SC Legislator, USGC, TOH Fire Marshal, TOH Maritime Services, and NYS Department of Transportation (DOT), among others. 

While no decisions were made, there was robust information sharing and all parties agreed to continue talking. 

Chief Pokorny also stated that if the Seawall was breached, Northport Fire Department (NFD) would receive the first call since VOA contracts with NFD to protect VOA properties.  Nearly immediately after NFD is called, communications would be sent to SC OEM, ENFD, TOH Department of Highways, TOH Fire Marshal, and NYS DOT.

• PSEG – Christine Ballow noted that there was an “electrical flicker” on EN during the early evening hours on Tuesday, December 3rd.  She urged all residents to immediately call the PSEG hotline – even though the loss of electrical power lasted only a few seconds. PSEG needs residents to provide input so that the source of the problem can be identified and the outage recorded. 

Next Meeting

Next month’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7:00 pm at the EN Firehouse.  The primary focus of this meeting will be the presentation on the 2025 budget.  All members are encouraged to attend.