Holiday Island repairs mounting

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- Holiday Island is looking at a costly HVAC replacement at its Clubhouse, board members learned at a special work session Monday.

The board may have to shift funds around in its projected budget for 2012 to cover what preliminary estimates are indicating could be upwards of $30,000.

Golf Pro Barry Storie said the heat in the Clubhouse is barely working, and air conditioning is not working.

He said during an ice storm two years ago, one phase of the three-phase electrical system burned out one of the two 10-ton compressors, and it was repaired for around $6,000.

"Earlier this year, the other compressor failed, and that was another $6,000," he said. "Now the first unit has burned out again."

And freon has leaked out of the second unit.

He said the problems will probably continue because the system is "contaminated."

Two local air conditioning firms gave preliminary estimates of $31,000 and $36,000 to replace the entire system. A third firm out of area gave a low figure of $23,000.

All three companies said probably one compressor could be repaired and the other replaced, but everything is out of date since they were put in. New systems have different line sizes, control boards and the new refrigerant now required by law.

The budget has $15,000 set aside for HVAC maintenance and repair.

Chairman Linda Griswold noted the budget also has $25,000 set aside for the district office roof.

She said the old Yacht Club building has a greater need for a roof.

"You could take a shower in a building that has no shower," she said.

She said an estimate for that roof replacement came in at $8,500.

"We could use the HVAC $15,000 and the district office roof $25,000 and do both the Yacht Club and HVAC," she said.

Commissioner Ken Brown said the HVAC at the Barn is "also shot." Three of its four units are down.

Commissioner Ken Ames suggested reviewing the budget line-by-line to see where else funds might come from.

"We are on HVAC, we are not going to review the budget," Griswold said, clearly irritated.

When Ames said his budget comments would relate to the HVAC, she said "Keep it short."

Commissioners directed Storie and DeHart to prepare a formal bid specs package for a complete replacement of the Clubhouse HVAC.

The board also heard DeHart say there have been three applications for the water/wastewater supervisor position. Commissioners discussed conducting preliminary interviews by online video and also reimbursing candidates who need to travel here to be interviewed.

Griswold said the board had received 13 or 14 district manager applications. She and Ames both have spreadsheets that set up a point system for applicants.

Property owners Tony Germani and Dave and Kathleen Bischoff again brought up their concerns about how the recent reassessment of benefits was done and said they would still like their concerns addressed.

Griswold said she is "totally in awe" that elected commissioners were voted in to handle this kind of business for the district and people were not satisfied.

"My personal opinion is that we did everything that was legal," she said. "Tony, Kathy, David, I've read your documents. I just don't know where to go with this. You'd have to get an elected official to request an Attorney General's opinion."

David Bischoff said he believed the board did the best job it could, and the people hired did not do anything intentionally wrong, "but that doesn't mean they did it right."

Ames said he appreciated the work incumbent commissioners Griswold and Bruce Larson did on the issue, but suggested the Arkansas Time Share Act should be reviewed.

The district is facing a $1.9 million lawsuit from Table Rock Landing time-shares over assessments.