Notice of Annual Meeting
10/8/2012
Friends and Neighbors,
We will hold the annual meeting of the Mohican Swimming Pool Association on Sunday, October 21, at 7:00 pm at the Washington Waldorf School located at 4800 Sangamore Road. The agenda for the annual meeting includes reports from the officers and the beginning of the election process for next year’s board of directors. In addition to the items required for the annual meeting, we will use this meeting as the follow up for the August 5th membership regarding the sale of a small fraction of the pool’s land to an adjacent neighbor and for which a quorum was not reached. More details of the agenda follow.
Annual Meeting
The officers currently holding the positions listed below will each present a report of the relevant significant activities and events in the preceding year:
- Treasurer: BILL HAHN
- VP Pool: RICK HALL
- VP Grounds: LARRY JOHNSON
- VP Buildings: ELIZABETH REDISCH
- VP Activities: RICK CALDER
The reports will include a detailed update on the master planning process from Rick Hall, and a detailed update on our finances by Bill Hahn. In addition, we will begin the election process for next year. In accordance with the bylaws, a nominating committee was formed and they presented the following candidates for next year’s officers and board of directors:
- President, CHRIS SAVAGE
- Treasurer, BILL HAHN
- VP Pool, RICK HALL
- VP Grounds, LARRY JOHNSON
- VP Buildings, ELIZABETH REDISCH
- VP Activities, RICK CALDER
New Directors serving a two-year term
- Dani Johnson
- Sophie Leahy
- Russ Schofield
I would like to thank the members of the nominating committee (Jack Conde, Miklos Gaal, Karen Kreutzberg, and Kerry Parsons) for their effort in locating candidates for next year’s board. In addition to those named above, candidates may be nominated from the floor during the meeting. At the conclusion of the nominating process, we will open voting. As we did last year, we will provide for voting in person at the meeting, by mail, and online via the web. The details on how to vote by mail and online will follow in another mailing and will be posted on the pool’s website.
Follow up to Land Sale Meeting
On August 5th, we held a membership meeting to seek approval to sell a small fraction of the pool’s land to an adjacent neighbor. The sale of pool land is a topic which is governed by the “special procedures” section of the pool’s bylaws in Article VI, section 7(b). The August 5th meeting was adjourned before the topic could be decided because the meeting did not meet the quorum requirements. During the October 21 meeting, we will revisit the topic and once again seek approval from the membership for the land sale. According to the special procedures section of the bylaws, for the purpose of this specific decision, the members that participate in the October 21 shall constitute a quorum. The board has recommended that the membership approve the land sale and a more complete description of the issue can be found at the pool’s website (http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=be83907ee8286bc0758905d70&id=0c789c66cc).
If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact me by email or at home: 301 263-9399. Please try to attend and vote. Our community thrives when members are actively involved. I hope to see you there.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA (and soon to be citizen-swimmer)
News and Updates
7/22/2012
Meeting Notice
On Sunday, August 5th, 2012 at 7:00 pm, we will hold a membership meeting at the Washington Waldorf School located at 4800 Sangamore Road. As part of the renovation planning process, the board is recommending the sale of a small fraction of the pool’s land to an adjacent neighbor. Our bylaws require membership approval for any transfer of land and the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the issue and open a membership vote.
The series of events leading to the board’s recommendation is somewhat long and involved. It was heavily influenced by the complex permitting and approval process required by the county and the board’s desire to complete the renovation project on the shortest possible timeline. A brief summary follows.
During one of the many permitting and approval steps, it appears the Montgomery County Board of Appeals may have failed to notify one of the pool’s neighbors, Ron Nessen of 6409 Walhonding Road, of their hearing to consider the pool’s request to proceed with our renovation under an “Administrative Modification” of our Special Exception. That request was subsequently granted and we continued with the process.
Weeks later, Mr. Nessen contacted the Board of Appeals and requested they set aside their original decision and grant him a new hearing on the matter based on his claim that he had never been properly notified of the original hearing. The Board of Appeals agreed. Because this had the potential to cause significant delays in the ongoing permitting and approval process, the pool board decided to enter into negotiations with Mr. Nessen with the goal of convincing him to rescind his request and not seek to interfere with the renovation in the future.
The board’s negotiations concluded in an agreement with Mr. Nessen wherein the pool will attempt to either sell him a 2,200 square foot patch of land that fronts his property or put that land under a conservation easement with the county. In return, Mr. Nessen agreed to withdraw his objections and not interfere with our ongoing renovation plans. The full agreement with maps of the plot in question is available for review on the pool’s website.
The board recommends the membership approve the sale of land to Mr. Nessen in accordance with our bylaws and the terms of the agreement. If you have any questions, please contact me by email MohicanPresident@gmail.com or phone 301 263-9399. I would like to thank my fellow board members, and Rick Hall in particular, for the time spent resolving this matter and the ongoing hard work to keep the renovation project moving forward.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
News and Updates
7/3/2012
The power is back on and the pool is open! Please note, the swim and dive team will be holding a rescheduled meet on the morning of July 4th. The pool will open for general use starting around noon.
Crabs are back!
The pool will once again host a crab feast on July 4th from 5pm – 7pm. We are asking $15 for a crab dinner and $5 for those who prefer hot dogs. The pool will provide crabs and beverages for kids and grown-ups. We suggest you bring a side dish or dessert to share. To be sure we have enough food, please RSVP to events@mohicanpool.com.
This has been a popular event over the last couple of years and I highly recommend it.
6/13/2012
Rafting and Movies Start This Week
The first Raft and Movie night of the 2012 season will be this Thursday, June 14th. Rafting starts at 7:00 pm. Please remember, no boats or hard-bottomed rafts are allowed.
Starting at 8:00 pm, we will show Tangled (rated PG) in the back near the pavilion. “The magically long-haired Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a runaway thief has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world for the first time, and who she really is.” The movie is animated and features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Ron Perlman. Thank you to Rob Sienkiewicz for handling the season-opening movie.
5/19/2012
The Pool is Open – Party Next Weekend
The 2012 season has begun and the pool is open for business. We are planning a season-opening party for next weekend on Sunday, May 27th.
Check back here or watch your email for details.
5/3/2012
The Pool Opens Saturday, May 19th, at 10 am!
It’s shaping up to be a great season. Check here for our hours of operation.
3/6/2012
2012 Member Dues Notices Coming Soon
With the recent approval of the 2012 operating budget we are working to mail out dues notices to the membership for the 2012 season. They should all be in the mail by Friday, March 9th. If yours does not arrive shortly after that, please contact us.
Thanks for your patience.
2/26/2012
2012 Budget and Renovation Finance Plan Approved
The results of the membership vote on the 2012 budget and the renovation finance plan were tallied yesterday and both proposals were approved overwhelmingly:
| 2012 Budget | |||
| Responses | 259 | ||
| Yes | 202 | (78%) | |
| No | 57 | (22%) | |
| Renovation Finance Plan | |||
| Responses | 258 | ||
| Yes | 195 | (76%) | |
| No | 63 | (24%) |
The 259 votes tendered represent what I believe to be the highest voter participation in Mohican history. With the strong turnout and the wide margins of passage, the membership appears more unified and eager to proceed with the renovation than at any time since the initiative was begun.
This is clearly an exciting time for Mohican. However, among other things, the passage of the renovation financing proposal means we now have a great deal of hard work ahead of us to. Please continue to monitor your mailbox and this website for news and for opportunities to get involved.
I would like to thank all those who voted and I would like to thank member Judy Lentz and board member Bill Hahn for their assistance with tallying the final count.
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
2/23/2012
The Polls are Closed
The vote on the 2012 budget proposal and the renovation financing plan has closed. I will be meeting with volunteers to tally the ballots this weekend and will try to publish the results before the weekend is over.
Thank you to everyone who made the effort to vote.
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
2/14/2012
We had a very productive meeting at the Washington Waldorf School on Sunday night, February 12th. Many of our fellow Mohicans attended to hear a presentation from the board on its proposal for the 2012 budget and the renovation financing plan. The group calling itself the First Mohicans was given time to air its concerns and there was a healthy and respectful question, answer, and comment session that followed.
The topic that seemed to generate the most energy was the recent change in policy that reduces the refund paid to exiting members from $2,200 to $1,200 that went into effect on February 3rd. There was a lot of discussion and quite a few differing points of view. It seems members have a variety of ideas about what the fees represent and none of them are recorded in the fabric of our bylaws. While members may disagree about the purpose of the fees, there seemed to be some consensus that the abrupt implementation of the change should be reconsidered.
Accordingly, the board voted recently to change the effective date of the refund reduction to February 24th, 2012. Any members wishing to transfer or sell their memberships must notify the acting membership secretary by February 24th to receive a $2,200 refund. Notice can be made by emailing our acting membership secretary at MohicanPool@yahoo.com on or before February 24th. Alternatively, members can mail a request to the pool’s post office box:
MSPA
P.O. Box 666
Glen Echo, MD 20812
The appropriate forms can be downloaded from the pool’s website. Requests must be post marked by February 24th to qualify for the $2,200 exit refund.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
2/14/2012
The polls are open!
I wish I could write that the pool is open. Voting is currently underway on the 2012 operating budget and the renovation financing plan. To facilitate electronic voting, an email was sent earlier today to the first email address we have on record in the pool’s official database. That database has been updated recently and should be fairly accurate. However, it is still somewhat different than the Deck Talk email list.
We sent only one email voting invitation to each membership. If you were expecting an email but did not receive one, first check with your spouse or partner. If he or she also did not receive one, please contact me. Online voting will be cut off at 11:59 pm on the evening of Wednesday, February 22nd. Please register your online vote before then.
For those members who have not provided an email address to the pool, we mailed a paper ballot that must be filled out, signed, and returned to the pool’s post office box:
MSPA
P.O. Box 666
Glen Echo, MD 20812
Paper ballots should arrive at all local addresses by tomorrow. They must be postmarked by Wednesday, February 22nd in order to be counted. If you would like a paper ballot, you can download one from this website.
Thanks,
–Dave
1/28/2012
Budget and Finance Plan Meeting
Sunday, February 12, 7:00pm
Friends and neighbors,
We will hold a full membership meeting on Sunday, February 12th at 7:00pm to present and discuss the 2012 budget proposal and the pool renovation financing plan. Following the meeting, we will open a vote. The meeting will take place at the Washington Waldorf School located at 4800 Sangamore Road.
Sunday, February 12
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road
Bethesda, MD 20816
Please click the following link to access the full budget, finance plan, and a brief overview.
This is the last major internal hurdle before we can proceed with the renovation plan. I am eager to work with you over the coming weeks to adopt a budget that will meet the membership’s expressed desire for an updated facility.
Thanks,
–Dave
1/22/2012
Design Planning Meeting Saturday, Jan 28
Budget Update
Friends and neighbors,
Approximately 40 of your fellow Mohicans attended the last design planning meeting to review progress and provide input on our facility’s renovation. Together with feedback received earlier in the process we are quickly coming to a consensus on the details. If you have not yet had a chance to comment, please plan to attend the next meeting:
Saturday, January 28
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road
Bethesda, MD 20816
I hope you can make it.
Budget
Since the last membership meeting, the board and subcommittees have been working to develop a budget for the 2012 season which includes a financing strategy for the planned renovations. We are currently working out the final details and hope to send it to the membership for review shortly. If possible, we would like to hold a membership meeting and vote the weekend of February 11th. Please watch your mailbox and the pool’s website for updates.
Thanks,
–Dave
1/3/2012
Budget Update and Design Review Meetings
Friends and neighbors,
As the cold of winter finally rolls in and we don our heavy coats and gloves, I suggest we turn our attention to warmer thoughts and the coming summer at Mohican.
Over the last several weeks (with a short break for the holidays) we have been working to produce a budget for the 2012 swim season and to attend to end-of-the-year details. In addition, committees have been moving forward with planning and pre-work for facility upgrades and finance options. More details on that activity is provided below in an update from Rick Hall.
We will present the budget and the finance options for your approval at a membership meeting later this month. Please watch for the meeting notice.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
Fellow Mohicans –
Now that we have elected our officers for the year we are ready to move to the next stage with the master planning process. At this stage we are planning for a busy spring – leading up to our goal to start construction in the fall of 2012. With that in mind I wanted to write to provide an update on activity and to give you an overview of the plans ahead.
Since my last update we have kicked off the civil engineering work required to support the plan.
- We have completed our Natural Resources Inventory / Forest Service Assessment (NRI/FSD) and submitted it to MD Parks and Planning.
- We have also initiated work on the Storm-water Recovery Plan with the intent to submit that to MD Parks and Planning by the end of January.
- We have initiated work on the Financing Plan with the intent to submit the plan to the membership for approval with the 2012 budget in January.
Going forward the general schedule is as follows:
- Member Design Review and Input – Starting in this weekend. We will hold several open sessions and take any other form of input on the detailed design. Initially I would like to start by scheduling open member sessions on Sunday, January 8 from 2-4 pm (place to be announced) and Saturday, January 14th from 4-6 pm (place to be announced ). A third meeting may be scheduled as well. The current plans are also posted on the web site, and I will take input in any other form that members would like to share.
- Financing Review and Approval – An initial financing plan with three core options will be presented to the membership with the upcoming annual budget.
- Obtain Financing – We will have financing proposals as part of the budget proposal. Once these are finalized we will need to finalize the process with the chosen bank. This should happen in early spring.
- Special Exception Submittal – We are targeting submitting our special exception for review in early February.
- Forest and Storm Water Plans – We are targeting submitting these for approval before March.
- Construction Bidding – We are targeting the bidding process for early summer.
- Construction Permitting – We are targeting this for June which will give us 12 full weeks to get permits for construction to begin in the fall.
There are still a fair number of dependencies in this plan so there is no guarantee everything will fall into place for the fall. However, we are building a plan that will get us to that point. The most important step will be membership approval of a financing plan. If we obtain this and we do not have additional delays in the approvals process we should be able to move into construction in the fall. (We need approval from three bodies – Parks and Planning, the Board of Appeals, and Permitting Services.)
Thanks for the support in the recent board election. I encourage all members to participate in the design review. I believe we have a strong concept, but it can be improved if we can get the best ideas from all our members.
Thanks again, and have a happy new year.
Rick Hall
12/3/2011
The recent vote on amending the bylaws and elections for the board has been tallied. The results are:
Bylaws Amendments
- Question 1: Redefine “family unit.”
PASSED with more than 2/3 of the vote. - Question 2: Long term inactive memberships.
PASSED with more than 2/3 of the vote. - Question 3: Requirements for addressing special matters.
PASSED with more than 2/3 of the vote. - Question 4: Quorum requirements and proxy voting.
PASSED with more than 2/3 of the vote. - Question 5: Methods of notice and voting.
PASSED with more than 2/3 of the vote. - Question 6: Requirements for addressing special matters.
NOT PASSED
Elections for Board of Directors
The following members were elected to the Board of Directors:
- President: Dave Charlton
- VP Pool: Rick Hall
- VP Grounds: Larry Johnson
- VP Buildings: Elizabeth Redisch
- VP Activities: Rick Calder
- Treasurer & Secretary: Bill Hahn
- Director serving the first of a two year term:
– Carol Beehler
– Sue Silverstein
– Teri Tomlin
In addition, Directors Susan Brooks, Peter Kelly, and Sylvia Reis will be serving the second of their two-year terms.
The first item of business for the new board is to draft a budget for the 2012 season for the membership to approve and the process is already underway. Please contact any members of the board if you have suggestions for new initiatives we should pursue during the 2012 season so we can budget appropriately.
11/21/2011
A membership vote is currently underway to elect a board of directors for the 2011-2012 term and to decide whether we will be amending our bylaws. Some of the candidates for next year’s board have provide biographical information which can be found here.
Voting Online
If you have a valid email address in our official database, you or your spouse/partner should have received a message with instructions and a unique hyperlink to access the online voting site. For households that have provided multiple addresses, we sent the instructions only to the first address on file. The official database is different than the one used for our general email communication and there are a few discrepancies. We are working to clean that up and synchronize the databases.
If neither you nor your spouse/partner received the voting email and you would like to vote online, please contact me at MohicanPresident@gmail.com.
Voting by Mail
If you do not have an email address on file, you will be receive a paper ballot. You can also download a paper ballot from this site. Please fill it out, sign it, and note your membership number. Then mail it to:
Mohican Swimming Pool Association
P.O. Box 666
Glen Echo, MD 20812
We ask that you send in your ballot by Monday, November 28th. Ballots postmarked after November 28th will not be counted.
If you have any questions please contact me by email (MohicanPresident@gmail.com) or by phone (I’m in the book). Please vote and encourage your neighbors to vote!
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
10/29/2011
Fellow Mohicans,
The Annual Meeting o f the Mohican Swimming Pool Association will be held on Sunday November 13th at 7:00 pm in the meeting room of the Glen Echo Town Hall located at 6106 Harvard Avenue, Glen Echo, MD 20812. The planned agenda is:
- Closing reports for the 2011 season
- Presentation by the bylaws committee on proposed changes to the bylaws followed by a discussion and the opening of a vote
- Election of the 2011-2011 board of directors
Bylaws
Several weeks ago, all member households were mailed the full text of proposed changes to the Mohican bylaws. In addition, the bylaws changes and some ensuing discussion have been posted to the Pool’s website.
To summarize, the Mohican board seeks to update the bylaws to: 1) eliminate inconsistencies in methods of notice and voting; 2) adjust what is perceived to be an impractical and unrealistic quorum requirement for voting on special matters; 3) shift the balance of influence and voting authority to active members; and 4) update the language with regard to the definition of household and family.
More specifically we will ask for individual approval on five sets of changes:
- Article V (Members), Section 1(c): Add language to allow us flexibility with respect to more modern household arrangements.
- Article V (Members), Section 2(d): Provide that a member who has been inactive for three consecutive seasons loses “Voting Member” status as of the beginning of the third season.
- Article VI (Fiscal Affairs), Section 7: As it is currently worded, this section requires 201 affirmative votes to undertake certain actions regarding the transfer of land or incurring significant debt. The proposal is to modify section in four respects: (a) break the section into two subparts, one to identify the matters subject to special procedures, and the other to identify those special procedures; (b) change the amount the Board can borrow from $100,000 to $250,000; (c) modify the procedures from requiring an affirmative vote of half the members, to setting a special quorum requirement (half the members).
- Article VII (Meetings), Section 4:
- In Section 4(a), clearly state that a quorum for the special matters noted above is 50% of Voting Members. Further state these meetings are subject to the same quorum rule as applies to all other meetings. This aligns with Maryland non-stock corporation law on the problem of such corporations being prevented from action due to a lack of quorum.
- Add new Section 4(c) expressly providing for votes by proxy.
- Various sections (Email voting): In all places where the Bylaws provided for notice or voting by mail, the language also permits notice or voting by email. The full list of the affected sections is:
- Article V, Section 2(d)
- Article VI, Section 2(c)
- Article VI, Section 7(b)(2)
- Article VII, Section 3(a)
- Article VII, Section 3(b)
- Article VII, Section 5
- Article X, Section
Election for the 2011-2011 Board of Directors
The proposed slate for the 2011-2012 board of directors is:
- PRESIDENT: Dave Charlton
- TREASURER and SECRETARY: Bill Hahn
- VP, POOL: Rick Hall
- VP, ACTIVITIES: Rick Calder
- VP, GROUNDS: Larry Johnson
- VP, BUILDINGS: Elizabeth Redisch
DIRECTORS, serving the first year of a two-year term:
- Teri Tomlin
- Sue Silverstein
- Carol Beehler
DIRECTOR, serving the second half of the term vacated by Francesca Grifo:
- Susan Brooks
Additionally, Peter Kelly and Sylvia Reis will continue to serve the second year of their two-year terms.
In an effort to foster the highest level of voter participation and community support, members will have the opportunity to vote in multiple ways: 1) anonymously by ballot at the meeting; 2) by postal mail; and 3) online. Paper ballots will be made available for voting by postal mail. Following the meeting, an email will be sent to the first email address on record for each member household that has not already voted. The email will contain a uniquely coded link to the online voting system.
Non-business Matters
If our meeting time allows, I would also like to recognize Mohican’s hardiest lap swimmers. Many of our members track their progress throughout the summer and in 2010 we had four members rack up over 100 miles each! Sylvia Reis has tallied 2011’s figures and I hope to hear the results at the meeting.
By now most of you realize that our aging facility presents us with some weighty problems and grand opportunities. At the same time, the discussions regarding the path forward at our meetings and over email during the last year have been somewhat contentious. Clearly, there are there are many among us who care deeply about Mohican. I believe that level of commitment will ultimately serve us well in shaping the future of our community.
I hope you can find the time to attend the upcoming meeting and to participate in the discussions. More importantly, I hope you will cast your votes. I look forward to seeing you there.
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
10/16/2011
Fellow Mohicans,
Once again I must postpone the membership meeting planned for October 17th. I received an email from member Susan Dunham requesting the cancellation shortly after the meeting notice was sent. The reasons she gave were, “The notice sent today was not given at least 14 days in advance of October 17. Neither was the notice sent by mail.” Susan is correct. The email notice was delivered on October 7th, 10 days in advance of the meeting, and I canceled the paper mailing when I received her message.
I spoke with Susan at length and explained my feeling that, for the planned agenda (proposed bylaws changes and elections), the membership had been mailed all relevant information in September. Furthermore, with the voting period extended to late October to accommodate voting by mail and online, there would be ample time–in fact, more than required by the bylaws–for the membership to be informed, discuss, debate, decide, and vote. Susan insisted on the need to observe the notice period, so here we are.
Susan is not alone. There are others among the membership who share her position and there has been a focus on the details of the bylaws that is unprecedented in recent years. Going forward, we are going to activate the long-vacant office of Secretary to assist with scheduling meetings, distributing notices, and other communication tasks.
I apologize for the missteps in holding the annual meeting. On behalf of the board, I have been handling scheduling and notices personally for the last several years. With our current level of activity it is clear more assistance is needed. Once installed, the new secretary should allow us to satisfy the needs of our members and our process. As soon as it is feasible, we will schedule and properly notify you of the meeting time, place, and substance. Thank you for your patience.
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
10/8/2011
A membership meeting has been scheduled for Monday October 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Washington Waldorf School at 4800 Sangamore Road. However there is concern the required 14-day notice period was not met and we may have to reschedule. The main items of business are: 1) end of the year reports; 2) proposed changes to the organization’s bylaws; and 3) the election of the 2011-2012 board of directors. Click the following link to find the a copy of the meeting notice.
Bylaws Changes
A week or two back, we mailed out the full text of the bylaws and proposed changes. Recently there has been an email exchange among the some members and the board regarding the proposal. In an effort to encourage participation and we have created a page on this site to facilitate ongoing discussion. Please click on the following to see the proposed changes and some of the ensuing discussion.
5/28/2011
Fellow Mohicans –
We completed the membership vote on the master plan this week, and we have a clear result. We had over 230 members vote on the plan – an unprecedented level of participation in Mohican history. The results indicate the membership has chosen option 2 in both categories (8 lane pool, and new summer season bath house). These options finished with 57% and 55% of votes respectively.
(As both categories contained three options the results were greater than 20% higher than the next option in both categories.)
For those of you who are not up to date on the options, the two selections were:
Pool – We have approved a master plan to replace our pool within the next 5 years with a new 8 lane pool. In addition to the additional lanes the pool will contain an expanded diving well up to current standards and an expanded middle pool set back from the main pool. The new pool will include a number of other code improvements, and will be budgeted at $1.3 million.
Bath House – We have approved a master plan to replace our bath house with a new summer season bath house. The bath house will expand both bathrooms, add ADA accessible facilities, include a limited use elevator, and a new filter room for the pool. The bath house will be budgeted at $1.0 million.
The initial concept drawings for both plans are on the web site. As we move into detailed design we will again look to the membership for input. The final designs will be developed and shared with members as we move towards the actual construction process.
Regardless of how you voted, I want to thank everyone who participated in the process. I particularly want to thank those who provided input and helped us develop all of our options. Moving forward I hope we will all embrace the outcome and work together in planning for the implementation.
As we indicated in the membership meeting, we will now turn to the critical activities of defining the funding plan and establishing the detailed timing for the project(s). With the vote we have established an aggregate budget of $2.3 million and an aggregate time line of up to 5 years. As we move forward in the process we will be looking to our finance committee to develop a detailed financial plan. In parallel to the finance committee work, we will be working to establish the specific timing and phasing for the implementation.
In both cases we will be looking for additional input from the membership. The Mohican board will be working to outline the full process over the next several weeks, and we will share these plans as soon as possible.
We will also be looking for additional volunteers to participate in the process. Among other areas we will need help in the areas of finance, fundraising, and detailed design. If you are interested in participating in any of these areas please let Dave Charlton and I know. Dave will be adding additional members to our planning committees as we move forward in the process.
Coming out of the vote, we already know that the funding plan is particularly critical, and we have already started on two critical activities in this area.
Investigate Land Sales – We have started the process to look at the possibility of selling our lots on Walhonding as a means of generating funding. We are told that the process – including potentially re-subdividing the lots can easily take a year, and as result we are working now to understand the process and to lay out a plan. Once we know the steps, we will publish those to the membership. This will include the timing on a membership vote should we determine that a sale is a viable option.
Fundraising – As the summer season is the ideal time to start fundraising, we are also moving to outline a fundraising plan. We are currently forming a fundraising committee, and we are looking for any additional members who are interested in helping with this process. Our goal for this summer will be to raise a significant sum towards an up-front payment on our plan, and no doubt we will be bringing our ideas to you as this develops.
Thanks again for everyone’s participation in the process. After our upcoming board meeting we will have more to share. In the mean time I will be posting the concept plans at the pool.
Please let me know if you are interested in getting involved.
Rick
Mohican Master Plan Committee
Voting Closes Monday, May 23
Preliminary voting on options for the master plan has been underway for nearly a week and will close on Monday, May 23rd. If you were sent an email with a link to the voting website, please be sure to go online to register your vote today. The system will stop accepting votes at approximately 11:59 pm on May 23rd. If you are planning to vote by postal mail, your vote must be postmarked by May 23.
It may take some time to tally the postal mail votes but we will publish the results as soon as possible.
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
5-14-2011
Opening Day Picnic
The pool opens Saturday, May 21 at 10 am. Join us later in the day for hamburgers and hotdogs from 5:00 – 7:00 pm to celebrate the opening of the season. To be sure we have enough food, please RSVP to events@mohicanpool.com by Thursday, May 19th.
On behalf of the board, we look forward to seeing you there!
–Dave
5-2-2011
Master Planning Update
In preparation for the upcoming special meeting on the Mohican Master Plan, we have now published the full work of the Design Committee to our website. We encourage you to review this information before the meeting on May 16th.
The information includes:
- The options we will be voting on in the meeting.
- A financing strategy which talks to the means of funding and paying for the changes – as well as the specific impact on each member.
- A summary of the findings of the Design Committee.
In addition we have also posted a great deal of background information including:
- ADA Accessibility and other code requirements.
- The results of the assessment of the pool.
- A history of the changes to the pool.
- The activity of other neighboring pools.
As always please feel free to contact me directly if you have additional questions.
Thanks for your input throughout the process.
Rick
Richard Hall – Mohican Design Committee
5-2-2011
Master Planning Update
We will hold a special meeting of the membership of the Mohican Swimming Pool Association on Monday, May 16th at 7:00 pm in the meeting room above the Glenn Echo Post Office at 6106 Harvard Avenue, in the Town of Glen Echo. There is limited parking available on the surrounding streets and there is a large lot at Glen Echo Park. I understand they have recently installed an elevator to access the meeting room.
The purpose of the meeting is to review, discuss, and begin voting on master planning options developed through the process approved by the membership weeks ago. As was outlined in the recent mailing by Rick Hall, Chair of the Master Planning Design Committee, there will be a number of options provided for consideration and we are planning a two-stage vote. The preliminary vote will narrow the number of options and the final vote will determine the membership’s choice. The preliminary voting period will begin at the meeting on May 16th and will continue for one week via mail and electronic methods. The final two choices will be announced at the close of voting and subsequently we will open a new voting period to determine the final choice.
The committee is working hard to finalize the options and develop supporting material for your consideration. As is required by the bylaws, official notice for this special meeting with a more definitive statement of purpose will follow shortly. Supporting material will be posted to the pool’s website at mohicanpool.org as soon as it is available, so please check the website often.
I hope to see you there.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
4-7-2011
Master Planning Update
Second Listening Session: April 12th, 7:30 pm, Little Falls Library
The design committee has reserved the meeting room at the Little Falls Library on Tuesday, April 12th at 7:30 pm for a second listening session. The charter for the design committee is to present a range of options for the future of the facility which encompasses all the input received from the membership. As with the previous listening session, this meeting will be one of the best opportunities to share your thoughts on options and priorities for enhancing and maintaining Mohican.
If you cannot attend, please contact one of committee members to share your ideas via email or perhaps to arrange a phone call or an alternate meeting. The members of the committee and their email addresses are:
Rick Hall (Chair) – rhall[AT]g4analytics.com
Elizabeth Redisch – Elizabeth.Redisch[AT]verizon.net
Chris White – chris[AT]3zs.us
Karen Kreutzberg – Kreutzberg6[AT]yahoo.com
Judy Lentz – jdlentz[AT]verizon.net
Sue Silverstein – sue[AT]tristateinc.net
I hope you can make it.
–Dave Charlton
4-4-2011
Master Planning Update
Mohican Members,
The last two weeks have been busy for the Master Planning Design Committee, and I wanted to bring the membership up to date on our progress. This update includes:
- Summary of Member Feedback
- Progress Report and Activity of the Design Committee
- Upcoming Schedule and Process
3-22-2011
Master Planning Update
As was reported previously, the membership voted to move forward with a master planning process. In accordance with the plan, we have established a design committee and they have begun working in earnest to solicit input and begin developing options.
Please visit the Master Planning Process page for regular updates.
3-15-2011
Master Planning Process Passes Vote
The ballots have been tallied and the membership has voted to proceed with the master planning process. The count was 115 in favor and 29 against.
In accordance with the process proposal, a design committee has been formed and will begin the process of soliciting input from the membership right away. In addition to the open meetings discussed previously as part of the proposal, we are also preparing a membership survey. Please check the Master Planning Page of this site for updates.
2-23-2011
Meeting Notice: Agenda Changed
This is a reminder that the next full membership meeting of the Mohican Swimming Pool Association will be held on Saturday, February 26th at 4:00 pm in the conference room of WC&AN Miller located in the lower level of the Shops at Sumner Place (below Safeway). Parking is available on two levels. Please note, the agenda has been modified.
One of the planned agenda items had been a discussion and vote on proposed changes to the bylaws. However, the bylaws committee has had a series of unanticipated delays. The result is that the final draft is not yet ready. Therefore, to provide all members with adequate time for discussion and deliberation, we will be postponing the vote. The revised agenda is:
- Discussion and vote on a commitment to extend the master plan for the ongoing maintenance and development of our facility. This may include the pool, the pool house, and other areas.
- Discussion of proposed adjustments to the bylaws.
The intent of the board with regard to the master plan and the bylaws has not changed. Below you will find the issue summaries I provided in the earlier meeting notice.
There are some exciting possibilities ahead as we consider what kind of future we want to plan for our community pool. I urge you to attend the meeting, join the conversation, and help shape that future.
I hope to see you there.
—Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
Extension of the Master Plan
The changeover in board personnel last fall brought some new perspective to our views on planning for our facility. There is a strong feeling that, while we need to do something about the bathhouse we cannot act without taking the pool itself into consideration.
Our swimming pool–the very basis of our organization’s existence–is now over 50 years old. We know it currently suffers from minor leakage and erosion. Also, there is a possibility there may be more serious structural decay below the concrete.
In addition, the design of the pools–and the dive well in particular–are not in keeping with today’s best practices. By making necessary modifications over the years to remain compliant with safety standards and county code we have always passed our annual inspections. However, some of these approvals have required us to be “grandfathered” in. As a single example, I have been told the depth of our dive well is sufficient but the floor area that rises to meet the main pool is closer to the diving boards than currently recommended.
Finally, with the increase in members with young children, the growing popularity of lap swimming, team activities, parties and special events, there are days when members feel there just isn’t enough open water to go around.
As a result, the current feeling among the board is that before we move forward with any pool house renovation plan we should stop to consider the health and long-term direction of the pool itself. The concern is that it would be unwise to invest in a new pool house if the main pool may need serious repair. Likewise, if the membership supports expanding the pools in some way, we should avoid any choices with the pool house that would limit pool expansion options. Keep in mind, our property is topographically challenging and buildable area is limited. Our ability to finance upgrades may also be limited. Before we consider completing the current master plan with a pool house enhancement and potentially limit our future physical and financial options, we should expand the master plan to take into account all desired longer-term maintenance and enhancements.
Therefore, the board has begun discussions with pool design experts to: 1) assess the structural health and longevity of the pool; 2) study options for expanding swimming space and meeting current code requirements; 3) explore options for entertainment add-ons. At the meeting the board will be seeking membership approval to extend the master plan for the ongoing maintenance and development of our facility. Should the membership choose to pursue this option, plans for the pool house will likely have to be altered.
Adjusting the Bylaws
As we consider upgrades to Mohican–which seem to have significant popular support–it is highly likely that we will not be able to proceed without bank financing. It has long been the opinion of the board that the bylaws’ current exceptional requirements for membership approval of incurring significant debt are effectively a permanent obstacle to progress. Unlike all other membership votes on fiscal matters, incurring debt requires a majority of all members to approve. That requires 201 affirmative votes. To the best of my knowledge, in recent history total voter participation has never reached 201 votes let alone 201 votes on a single side of an issue. It is the board’s belief that this is an unreachable number under any realistic circumstances.
Therefore, we commissioned a bylaws committee to examine the issue and recommend a change that would require stronger than normal membership support before incurring debt (in keeping with the spirit of the current restrictions) while also being practical. The result of the committee’s efforts will be provided for your review as soon as they are available.
2-13-2011
Meeting Notice: Completion and Extension of the Master Plan; and Bylaws Modifications
The next full membership meeting of the Mohican Swimming Pool Association will be held on Saturday, February 26th at 4:00 pm in the conference room of WC&AN Miller located in the lower level of the Shops at Sumner Place (below Safeway). Parking is available on two levels.
The main items of business are:
- Discussion and vote on a commitment to extend the master plan for the ongoing maintenance and development of our facility. This may include the pool, the pool house, and other areas.
- Adjustments to the bylaws.
Committees are still finalizing materials for the proposed enhancements to the master plan and the final language of the proposed changes to the bylaws. All final proposals will be provided to the membership as soon as they are available. A general description of the current proposals is provided below.
To give all members adequate time to evaluate the proposals and in keeping with Mohican’s bylaws, we will allow electronic and mail voting in addition to the option to vote in-person at the meeting and we will keep the vote open for at least 14 days after the final materials have been provided. Instructions on how to vote electronically or by mail will be forthcoming.
Extension of the Master Plan
The changeover in board personnel last fall brought some new perspective to our views on planning for our facility. There is a strong feeling that, while we need to do something about the bathhouse we cannot act without taking the pool itself into consideration.
Our swimming pool–the very basis of our organization’s existence–is now over 50 years old. We know it currently suffers from minor leakage and erosion. Also, there is a possibility there may be more serious structural decay below the concrete.
In addition, the design of the pools–and the dive well in particular–are not in keeping with today’s best practices. By making necessary modifications over the years to remain compliant with safety standards and county code we have always passed our annual inspections. However, some of these approvals have required us to be “grandfathered” in. As a single example, I have been told the depth of our dive well is sufficient but the floor area that rises to meet the main pool is closer to the diving boards than currently recommended.
Finally, with the increase in members with young children, the growing popularity of lap swimming, team activities, parties and special events, there are days when members feel there just isn’t enough open water to go around.
As a result, the current feeling among the board is that before we move forward with any pool house renovation plan we should stop to consider the health and long-term direction of the pool itself. The concern is that it would be unwise to invest in a new pool house if the main pool may need serious repair. Likewise, if the membership supports expanding the pools in some way, we should avoid any choices with the pool house that would limit pool expansion options. Keep in mind, our property is topographically challenging and buildable area is limited. Our ability to finance upgrades may also be limited. Before we consider completing the current master plan with a pool house enhancement and potentially limit our future physical and financial options, we should expand the master plan to take into account all desired longer-term maintenance and enhancements.
Therefore, the board has begun discussions with pool design experts to: 1) assess the structural health and longevity of the pool; 2) study options for expanding swimming space and meeting current code requirements; 3) explore options for entertainment add-ons. At the meeting the board will be seeking membership approval to extend the master plan for the ongoing maintenance and development of our facility. Should the membership choose to pursue this option, plans for the pool house will likely have to be altered.
Adjusting the Bylaws
As we consider upgrades to Mohican–which seem to have significant popular support–it is highly likely that we will not be able to proceed without bank financing. It has long been the opinion of the board that the bylaws’ current exceptional requirements for membership approval of incurring significant debt are effectively a permanent obstacle to progress. Unlike all other membership votes on fiscal matters, incurring debt requires a majority of all members to approve. That requires 201 affirmative votes. To the best of my knowledge, in recent history total voter participation has never reached 201 votes let alone 201 votes on a single side of an issue. It is the board’s belief that this is an unreachable number under any realistic circumstances.
Therefore, we commissioned a bylaws committee to examine the issue and recommend a change that would require stronger than normal membership support before incurring debt (in keeping with the spirit of the current restrictions) while also being practical. The result of the committee’s efforts will be provided for your review as soon as they are available.
In summary,
- please pay attention to your mail, email, and the Mohican website to stay informed
- please discuss the issues with your fellow members
- please attend the meeting to share your views and participate in the discussion
- please vote
I hope to see you there on the 26th. As always, feel free to contact me with questions: MohicanPresident@gmail.com.
Thanks,
—Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
11-4-2010
Meeting Notice: Budget Approval and Pool House Q&A
The next full membership meeting of the Mohican Swimming Pool Association will be held on Monday, November 15th at 8:00 pm at the Brookmont Church, 4000 Virginia Place, in the Brookmont neighborhood. The main items of business are approval of the proposed budget for the 2011 season and a discussion of our pool house.
Budget
Notable capital items for the proposed budget include:
- upgrades to our security alarms and monitoring systems
- ongoing acquisition and replacement of chairs and umbrellas
- acquisition of a PA system
- replacement of a worn diving board
- funding for continuing to pursue pool house improvements subsequent to a membership vote
The board is proposing a $100 capital assessment and a 3% increase in membership fees to pay for 2011’s proposed expenses and capital items. For complete details, please review the full budget which includes notes on specific line items.
Pool House
We have reached a point where we need a decision from the membership on how to proceed with improving the pool house. In the next several days, we will launch a membership survey that, among other things, will solicit your input on the topic. During the November 15th meeting we will present the results of the replacement study and hold a discussion of the survey and related issues. The goal is to provide the membership with information and the opportunity for discussion necessary for a decision on overall direction. That decision will be made by a membership vote at a subsequent meeting in early December.
Please make an effort to fill out the survey when it is available and I recommend you attend the meeting to register your opinion and participate in the discussion. If you have any questions, please contact me at MohicanPresident@gmail.com.
Thanks,
–Dave Charlton
President, MSPA
October 16, 2010
Lap Swimmers Rack Up Miles
From long-time member Sylvia Reis comes this report on Mohican’s most active lap swimmers.
“Many swimmers using the lap lanes at the pool keep track of their progress. This year they have tracked 912 miles in the pool! Every swimmer who documents fifty miles a summer receives a certificate. I can attest to the fact that they look impressive on a refrigerator door. “
—Sylvia Reis
| 2010 mileage | ||
| Carol Beehler | 155 | |
| Suzy Gebhardt | 145 | |
| Joe Gebhardt | 100 | |
| Sylvia Reis | 100 | |
| Tundi Spring | 95 | |
| Anne O’Shea | 75 | |
| Xenia Shroff | 73 | |
| Jeff Goode | 64 | |
| Kris O’Shea | 55 | |
| Jeri Watson | 50 |
