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HISID passes golf cart fee amendment

By Kathryn Lucariello, Holiday Island editor

The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) Board of Commissioners passed its "golf cart fee" amendment on second reading Monday after more discussion and comments by the public.

Amendment 4 to Regulation 26 on amenities actually has three components, pointed out District Manager Kevin Crosson, but the most controversial is the golf cart fee.

A property owner has several options. Cart owners can pay the $130 annual fee and designate two individuals to use the cart or pay a daily fee of $10, which covers up to two riding family members. Non-cart owners can pay $5 a day if they ride in a leased cart or a cart with a paid fee.

Companies can pay the annual cart fee and designate two employees/individuals to use the cart, while others must pay the $10.

Guests who pay a greens fee do not have to pay a cart fee.

Monday the commission struck a requirement that property owners must ride in the cart with guests paying a greens fee exempt from paying a cart fee.

Chairman Boyce Williams said the district had received five letters from property owners protesting the new fees.

Commissioner Dick Lytle dissented on the change to that section, but in the end, commissioners unanimously approved the amendment.

The other two changes set a $25 reservation deposit for renting district facilities and a twilight golf fee of $25 on the 18-hole course with play times set seasonally.

John Dolce, president of the Holiday Island Homeowners Association (HIHA) brought a request to the board for help with placing an entrance sign at the Highway 187 entrance to Holiday Island and the Stateline and County road entrance. These signs will direct visitors into the community.

Dolce said HIHA, with the help of district Roads Superintendent Kenny DeHart, has found some triangular stones measuring about 5 feet high by 4 feet across and about 4 inches thick to set upright.

HIHA has secured prices from stonemason Bruce Wright to engrave them. Dolce said he was even willing to underwrite part of the cost personally if it goes over HIHA's budgeted amount of $1,500.

He is asking the district to move the stones to Wright's shop for engraving, then move them to the site location and set them.

DeHart said given the rocks' dimensions, they are "pushing" the capability of the district's backhoes to handle the weight. The district might need to rent a crane, he said.

He said cost of concrete to make footings is only in the range of $200-400 per stone.

Wooden signs such as the district office's would cost in the range of $3,500-4,000, a cost commissioners were not willing to entertain.

Commissioners did not vote on the request but said the district can get further information about costs and requirements for the job for consideration in the future.

In other business, HISID:

Approved the second phase engineering services contract with McGoodwin, Williams & Yates, Inc. for wastewater treatment plant improvements. Crosson noted the $234,000 portion of the contract for detailed design and preparation of construction plans could go up if the district cannot obtain an agreement with Missouri to discharge phosphates at 1 ml/L. Missouri has changed its requirements to .5 ml/L maximum. The district would have to relocate its discharge pipe into the Arkansas portion of Table Rock Lake.

Approved the architectural agreement with Morrison Architecture for the Recreation Complex Facilities Review and Master Plan. The contract amount is $17,000 for the review, including field measurements, and a CAD document showing a limited master plan.

Heard Crosson give the financial summary for the first quarter. Income was $684,000. Expenses were $776,000, for a net loss of $92,000. With capital expenditures of $182,000, there was a total net loss of $274,000. This loss is under budget, however. The district expected to lose $707,000, but some capital projects have been delayed until succeeding years. Crosson noted the $776,000 in expenses versus a budget of $592,000, and said the difference is because the auditors included the total depreciation for the year instead of just the monthly figure. He is working with them to change it.

The next district meetings will be held as follows: May 17, work session and May 24, business meeting, both at the district office at 9 a.m.

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HISID passes golf cart fee amendment

The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) Board of Commissioners passed its "golf cart fee" amendment on second reading Monday after more discussion and comments by the public.

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