BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, November 27th, 2017
President Jacobs called
the meeting to order at 6:01 PM and Director Low led the group in the flag
salute. All five directors were present (Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, Hayhurst, and
Low). There were no guests in attendance.
The secretary called the auditor,
Paul Kaymark, and put him on speaker phone so all the directors could hear and
communicate with him at the same time. Director Hayhurst began by asking the auditor
if he recommended that an MD & A (management, discussion, and analysis) report
be written. The auditor responded that the first two statements shown in the
audit report, including the balance sheet, offer an adequate comparison between
the most recent two years, and therefore, should suffice as a total summary,
due to the small size of the district. He concluded that no additional written reports
were necessary. The auditor reported that after having visited the secretary at
the office to observe office procedures, and having reviewed all the required
receipts and documentation, he was happy to give the district a clean audit for
the fiscal year of 2016-17. When asked for his recommendation, the auditor also
suggested that the district continue to maintain a reserve of funds, large
enough to cover operating expenses for 2-3 years. Director Hayhurst motioned to
accept the audit report for FY 2016-17, as drafted and presented. Director Low
seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
The consent items were
reviewed. President Jacobs motioned to accept the minutes of the October 23rd, 2017
meeting, along with the financial reports for October of 2017, as presented.
Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
The correspondence file was
offered for review. The secretary called the board’s attention to a flyer
promoting a training workshop offered by the CSDA and LAFCO on Thursday 12/7 in
Rialto, CA. She informed that board that she was interested in attending the free
workshop regarding “Technology and the Public Records Act.” The board agreed
that she should plan to attend.
Barstow Heights Park was
addressed. The safety check list from the City of Barstow was reviewed. There were
no new safety or maintenance issues listed. The report did state that the turf
had recently been aerated. President Jacobs reported that the ground squirrels continue
to be controlled.
President Jacobs reported
that he had talked to another contractor in town and had given him the spec
sheet for the street lamp installation project and that the secretary had
mailed another copy to Zapp Electric also, but no new proposals had been
received. The secretary recently learned that JDR Construction might also be
interested in the job, so she will get the specs sent to John Rowe as well.
The secretary reported
that Unique Landscaping had replied to her email request for an update and that
a new pepper tree to replace the dead one had been ordered and was expected to
arrive within a few weeks. Director Stapp then reported that he and President
Jacobs had replaced the basketball nets at Barstow Heights Park last month, but
then he had just noticed as he was arriving for the meeting, that they now
appear to be falling off again. He will fix/adjust them and continue to check
up on them. President Jacobs then reported that Director Stapp had also discovered
that many of the foundational metal plates/support pads that the framework of
the first set of shade canopies were built upon, are rusted and seriously
corroding. The plates are bolted into the concrete, so perhaps the corrosion
can be cleaned up and a water-proof protective coating of some kind can be applied
to preserve them.
Venner Park was addressed.
The safety check list from the City of Barstow was reviewed. There were no new
safety or maintenance issues reported. The report did state that the turf had recently
been aerated. It also noted that brick pillars in the picnic area were painted
to match the restrooms, due to some recent graffiti that needed covering. The
secretary will make sure that Mark Gerardi knows about the two poles in the
fitness area that are missing their caps and thus, need replacing also.
Director Stapp updated the
board about what he had most recently been told regarding the shade cover
project (three canopies to shade the playground equipment at both parks). The
contractor was currently still working with the County to get the permits approved.
President Jacobs reported
that the trash cans are expected to arrive during either the first or second
week of December. The plan was still that once delivered to JDR Construction, President
Jacobs will contact the City and meet up with one of the groundskeepers to
coordinate and mark where the trash cans will go, taking into consideration
where the sprinkler lines are located, so John Rowe can avoid them during
installation. The secretary will also inquire with Mark Gerardi about the
missing trees and bushes that were supposed to be replaced at Venner park.
The office building and
compound were addressed next. The secretary reported (and the board could see) that
the new countertops had been installed beautifully (a lighter shade of quartz
instead of granite). The plumbing underneath the sink would need to be re-done
completely since the old plumbing was so old and corroded. She anticipated that
the sanding, painting, and new hardware on the cabinets, as well as, new
lights/electrical, and new flooring will be completed within the next month,
most likely before Christmas. The secretary will ask John Rowe about the
possibility of adding an on-demand electric (220 unit) water heater under the
sink and find out how much that would cost.
The general manager had
nothing new to report that hadn’t already been discussed.
President Jacobs asked for
the directors’ reports. Director Hayhurst reported that she had recently
attended the dinner and program hosted by the Association of the San Bernardino
County Special Districts in Hesperia, where Assemblyman Jay Obernolte was the
speaker. She was very impressed with him and enjoyed the evening. She had also just
received a notice from the water company about the new pipeline that was being
laid to connect the new water tank (South of Linda Vista Avenue) starting
November 27th. The work was expected to continue through the end of December. Director
Hayhurst reminded everyone about the City of Barstow tree lighting that was
coming up and Director Low reminded everyone about the festival of lights and
learning coming up at Barstow College also. Director Schendel mentioned some
details about a house that needed reporting to code
enforcement.
President Jacobs asked the
secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated
that there were none. Director Low motioned to pay all the bills, as presented.
Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
There was no new business to
address and no executive session requested. The next regular meeting was scheduled for Monday,
January 22nd at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 6:57 PM.
Submitted
by:
Jen Rubio
Secretary/General Manager
Jen Rubio
Secretary/General Manager
