Watch this quick video to get a complete overview of the new member’s area of the Hidden Hamlet website.
Our Annual Meeting will be on December 26, 2023 at 6pm.
Location: Nubs Nob
Refreshments and heavy hors d’oeuvres.
Dues and Fees
If you haven’t paid your dues, please do so. We are going to be sending out late fees at the end of the December. If you are not able to take care of them right away, please contact Michael Bedells to make payment arrangements.
Short Term Rentals
The board has been working on how to navigate the rental issues in the Hamlet. We will present our thought and we would like to hear the thoughts from the membership.
Hidden Hamlet Board Meeting Minutes
September 27, 2023
Present: Michael Bedells, Brooks Juneau, KC McGovern, Manny Glazier, Tanya Reynolds, Brian Polick, Amy Slameka
Absent: Mike Hall, Christa Chewter. Greg Kris, Larry Sayer
Meeting called to order at 6:05 pm.
Agenda:
- Water tank update
- Snow plowing contract
- “Commercial” short-term rentals, rental committee update… 20 min
- Next year’s budget
- 2023 Membership meeting
- 2024 Fall picnic
- Schedule next meeting
Water Tank update
- Ramsey is working our project into their schedule. Our job will be done between their larger projects
- Michael is coordinating with the carpenter to be available to work around tank installation
- More exact dates will available in Tuesday next week
Snow Plowing contract
- Michael spoke with Tri-County three weeks ago and they promised the contract. We not yet seen the contract.
2024 Budget
- Manny presented the budget for 2024 using the new dues structure.
- It is projected that in 2024 we will have a positive balance of about $10,000.
- Dues cannot be increased every year and the surplus balance is expected to erode by 2026.
- There are two items in the budget that ae hard to predict from year to year: snow plowing and water testing fees.
- With recent lead found in our water the water testing fees are likely to increase.
- The snowplowing fluctuates between $20,000-40,000 depending on the winter.
- A brief discussion about an alternative snowplowing company took place. We will continue with Tri-County for several reasons.
2023 Annual Membership Meeting
- Annual membership meeting will be at Nub’s Nub as usual.
- Manny will contact Nub’s Nub for available dates.
- Usually membership meets on December 26 – least busy day for the resort.
2024 Picnic
- Several Summer picnic were canceled due to COVID.
- We will proceed with restoring Summer picnics starting Summer 2024.
- It was proposed to move the picnic to 4th of July week. With MI schools starting a week before Labor Day, the attendance is likely to be better in July. Several board members agreed with that statement personally.
- Reiterated that the Summer picnic is not HOA meeting of any kind. It is a meet and great opportunity.
- Moving picnic to Independence Day week will be brought up at December membership meeting.
Next Board Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 1 at 6 pm.
The rental policies group will meet on Wednesday, October 11 at 6 pm.
Meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm.
Hidden Hamlet Board Meeting Minutes
September 7, 2023
Present:, Manny Glazier, Greg Kris, KC McGovern, Tanya Reynolds, Larry Sayer, Brian Polick (intermittently due to poor connection)
Absent: Michael Bedells , Mike Hall, Brooks Juneau, Christa Chewter, Amy Slameka.
Meeting called to order at 6:25 pm. (Due to technical difficulties with Google Meet, we had to switch to Zoom).
Agenda:
- Assessment letter verbiage
- Short term rentals
- Budget
Capital improvements assessment letter verbiage
- Assessment of $1100 was approved by the board on June 28, 2023.
- Manny sent an assessment letter from 2008 to be adjusted for 2023 assessment.
- Larry volunteered to make changes to the old letter and send to the board for approval/confirmation.
- Unbuildable lot waivers are to be granted to the lots that received the waiver during the last assessment. No new application required. Last assessment waiver spreadsheet was sent to the executive board. No new lots will be granted the waiver.
- Standing policy from 2008 that if any unbuildable lot is to become buildable $10,000 fee will be assessed before the lot is allowed to tap into the system.
Short-term rentals
- Short term rental group is working on suggestions on how to address the increasing number of properties that are rented as commercial properties – owner does not spend any time at the properties.
- Preliminary recommendations should be ready by the next board meeting
- Suggestion: to invite Sheri Mayrberger to join short-term rental group. xxx is a full time resident and a former board member.
Budget
- Manny sent the proposed budget to the executive board
- He requested that the executive board discusses it before distributing it to the entire board.
Meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm.
Hidden Hamlet Board Meeting Minutes
June 28, 2023
Present: Michael Bedells, Christa Chewter Manny Glazier, KC McGovern, Brooks Juneau, Tanya Reynolds, Larry Sayer
Absent: Mike Hall, Christa Chewter, Greg Kris, Amy Slameka.
Meeting called to order at 6:05 pm.
Agenda:
- Board composition
- Construction projects in Hidden Hamlet
- Board’s ability to assess
- Water Project
- Dues increase
- Board Committees
- Account Receivables
- Members not in good standing
- Membership mailing
Composition of Hidden Hamlet Board
- We have been informed that our current board has more members than stated in the by-laws
- Some board members were added without the membership vote during COVID years.
- Manny stated that he plans to step down at the end of 2023.
- Tanya is to provide Michael with the list of current board member and the dates when they begin serving on the board.
- Board meetings attendance record will also be provided.
Construction Projects in Hidden Hamlet
- Larry has updated the board about current stated of various construction projects in the Hamlet.
- The architectural Committee and 165 Winter Park have come to an agreement after many rounds of negotiations
- The owners of 493 Chamonix Ln. are negotiating with the architectural Committee and Emmet County Road Commission about the required parking on the property.
- 5277 Tyrol Ln is now for sale as is. It is not finished and has several issues before the township zoning. Some, including, the height of the structure will require variances from the zoning.
Board’s Ability to Access
- Currently we have nothing in our bylaws authorizing us to assess the membership nor take out a loan if needed.
- We will have an attorney draw up the proper verbiage to do so and the board will vote on it.
- Proposed verbiage: “From time to time the Hidden Hamlet Association Board may levy an assessment to pay for projects within the association.”
- Verbiage is adopted by the unanimous vote of the board members present.
2023 Water Tank Replacement Project Assessment
- Michael and our accountant proposed the following:
- $950 per property owner
- This should generate $190,950
- The money will be used to replenish the “water fund” to $50,000 and fund the tank project. Total required: $187,000.
Water fund replenishment $35,000
Carpentry $25,000
Ramsby balance $127,000
- Manny pointed out that $950 per property will not generate $190,950 as the association has numbers of unbuildable lots what are not assessed for the water project.
- Excluding the non-buildable lots, the required assessment will be $1100 per property.
- The assessment is approved by the unanimous vote of the board members present.
2023 Dues
- Over last two years Hidden Hamlet is collected $10,000 less is due than needed to pay for operations.
- We have not had the due increase in several year while the costs of all provided services have increased.
- Proposed increases are:
- From $585 to $635 per chalet
- From $85 to $300 per vacant lot
- From $85 to $150 per unbuildable lot
- The proposed increase will eliminate the shortfall but would not provide any additional funds. The dues cannot be increased every year, the proposal was amended to
- From $585 to $700 per chalet
- From $85 to $300 per vacant lot
- From $85 to $150 per unbuildable lot
- After a discussion the dues increase was approved by the unanimous vote of the board members present.
Short Term Rentals
- Phone calls, emails, and registered mail have been sent out to those believed to be abusing the rental rules or have not turned in their rental sheets.
- We need an action plan.
- A newly formed committee will propose procedures, management of the program, and enforcement.
- Current by-laws state: Short-term rental should not exceed the the number of days physically occupied by the owners per year.
- To satisfy the requirement the owner must be physicaly present during the days/nights of occupancy.
- Any change to this rule will be voted on by the entire membership.
- Some suggestions previously made were:
- Rental Permit: $500
- Furnish documentation annually via Airbnb, Vrbo, or a management company for monthly occupancy of rental use and owner use.
- Infractons:
- first, warning not to do it again, written registered mail
- second, loss of rental privileges for 3 months, member not in good standing
- third, loss of rental privileges for 6 months and fine of $1,000
- Fourth and final, Rental privileges are revoked.
- May appeal in 12 months.
Accounts receivables
- Phone calls, emails, and registered mail have been sent out to those that are in arrears to the association.
Membership mailing
The following documents will be sent with the dues invoices:
- Update contact information form
- New dues and assessment
Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.
Contact Tri County Excavating if you are interested in priority snow plowing. They can be reached at (231) 347-5182 or you may contact them by email. Priority plowing is offered for an additional fee if you require snow removal on days other than Thursday or Friday.