Fox Point Update: August 2020 Edition
- On August 3, 2020
President’s Letter
By Mike Moran | Email
Happy summer!! I hope everyone is finding a way to enjoy the summer despite very challenging times for all. Be Positive, Think Positive, and do something nice for someone you know!! We will all get through these very challenging times safe and with a smile on our faces!!!
The pool has been a success and we have been working diligently to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the pool and that the pool is a safe place for everyone to enjoy. The staff continues to follow a strict protocol in terms of cleaning and they are doing an excellent job ensuring that we have a safe place to swim during the summer months. If you get the opportunity, please let the staff know that you appreciate their extra efforts!! Positive reinforcement of their efforts is always a great way to motivate people.
If you have not noticed, the pool house was renovated over the winter and I think the result was a success. We had hoped to have a grand opening or at least crack a bottle of champagne over the bow as we opened it up but unfortunately, current challenges did not allow for such an event. Hopefully, we can have a grand opening next spring as we open for the 2021 season.
The pool house project is another example of how our association has been able to simply “write a check from savings” to renovate one of its capital assets instead of having to take financing on the project. We have had some great people work on our past Fox Point Homeowners Association Boards and as a result, we have been able to save the necessary funds to pay for the replacement of many of our larger assets within the past few years. You may not realize it but as an Association we have quite a number of assets that we own and need to maintain that include Lake Louise, the pool, the pool house, the tennis court, the playground, two vacant lots, the boat dock area, miles of shoreline, Flint Creek, acres of garden beds, three entrances, large entrance brick walls, multiple miles of asphalt paths, one pool house parking lot, one boat dock asphalt road, too many lights and lamps to count, half a mile of 8’ wood fence along Lake Cook Road, thousands of trees, nine cul d sacs, and tens of thousands of flowers and bushes just to name a few items. I am sure I have forgotten a number of items, but this gives you an idea of the vast number of assets we own as a neighborhood.
We need to continue to be diligent in our saving for the future and for the replacement of each of these assets as they reach their useful lives in 5 or 10 or 20 years. There are a lot of new neighbors in Fox Point and I can’t stress enough the need to continue to save as an Association, so we are financially secure for years and decades ahead of us.
All hard assets have a projected useful life, thus remaining useful life. Some assets will last longer while others will wear out sooner than projected. Maintenance matters.
Our Annual Dues fund two primary purposes, funding ongoing routine operations /minor repairs and an amount that approximates annual depreciation of assets that fund future major repairs and replacements. For example, the wood fencing along Lake- Cook Road had a projected life expectancy of 20-25 years, upon installation, depending on ongoing maintenance. For this reason, 1/20th of the projected replacement cost needs to be set aside each year to ensure that there are adequate funds to take care of business when it becomes necessary to do so.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and stay healthy!! If you need anything from the board, please let us know and we are happy to assist. You can always find our contact data on the Fox Point website or in the directory!! Do not forget to sign up for Nextdoor if you are not already on it or the Fox Point Facebook page.
Be Positive, Think Positive, & do something nice for someone!!
Social
By Rena Slovick Email
It’s All in the Hips – Fox Point Annual Golf Outing
The annual Fox Point Golf Outing will take place on Saturday, September 12th at Palatine Hills Golf Course! Choose from 9 holes, 18 holes, or dinner only.
Tee off times are as follows:
18 Holes: 12 pm
9 Holes: 2 pm
Your registration fee covers golf, a cart, prizes, and a buffet dinner afterward outside. Dinner will be served around 5 pm and includes 3 different entrees, side dishes, and dessert. Drinks are not included in your registration fee, but the bar will be open.
Please RSVP by Saturday, August 29th. When you sign up, please indicate the names of those you wish to be paired with.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c48a8a92fa4fa7-foxpoint27
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email Tim Twitchell at tntwitchell@comcast.net.
It’s Not a Cup, It’s Actually a Tumbler
Jealous of your Neighbor’s sweet Fox Point Red Yeti Tumbler? Fear Not! The Yeti Tumbler has returned! Tumblers are 20oz. and will be Black (#barringtoncolors) etched with the Fox Point logo in Silver. The Red is currently unavailable to be customized.
Please comment with your address and we will drop off your orders. Reach out to Rena Slovick (remschmi@gmail.com) with questions. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c48a8a92fa4fa7-foxpoint28
Save the Date:
Fox Point Annual Garage Sale (Social Distance Edition) will be Saturday, September 19th, 2020 from 9 am – 3 pm
Secretary
By Tim Gall | Email
I hope everyone is enjoying their bright orange 2020 Fox Point Directory! Please look over your homeowner information and if you want any changes in future printings please reach out directly to me or remember to fill out the Contact Form/Census that will be circulated with the annual assessment letter next spring.
Common Grounds
By Jay Roberts | Email
Hi Everyone!
I hope everyone is staying cool and getting a chance to enjoy our neighborhood pool and new pool house!
I am sorry to report this month that I’m delaying work for now on the monument walls. As most of you hopefully know, this is a big project and the more I learn, the more certain I want to be with our direction. This does not mean that we will not proceed at some point, but it could be in a different direction. The reason for the delay is that the scope of the job continues to grow. The main issue is that once we removed the dirt at the base of the wall, we found bricks so damaged that the only measure of repair would be a full brick replacement. This changes the cost and what we have in the current budget to repair. The second challenge is that every wall is different in its degree of damage. I am looking at other alternatives and choices that could hopefully preserve those structures, be cost-effective, and be a long-term solution that will last for many years.
I will continue to give updates each month as I learn more.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Stay safe!
Lake
By David Jobes | Email
Pollinator Garden Install:
Great news, the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club contacted us about installing a pollinator garden by the east entrance to the boat dock area. Sometime in August, the plan is to begin planting over 350 native plants to the expanded flower beds that currently exist on the east entrance and both sides of the driveway. The generosity of the Rotary Club is deeply appreciated, and we look forward to creating a natural beauty to the area. We will be looking for a few volunteers to help us plant the flowers, so if interested please reach out to me, my contact info is in your recently published Fox Point directory. A big thank you to the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club!
Boat Storage System:
As this was being published, we are also nearing the repair to the boat storage rack system. For everyone’s safety, we deemed it imperative to provide repairs that should see us through the eventual replacement of the storage system. Our overall plan remains to enhance the use of the area, including a new storage system to go into place sometime in the future. We are currently in the planning stage of the overall redevelopment of that area as well as the long-term health of the lake. We will keep you posted.
Pool
By Criss Chang | Email
We opened the pool on June 29 under a new set of rules related to COVID-19 and so far, this neighborhood’s summer-time amenity has been able to provide a place of relaxation and enjoyment for Fox Point residents. We had a few hiccups regarding the online booking system and availability of limited reservation space, but the issues have been addressed and the process has stabilized. I hope you all have had a chance to spend some time at the pool during this warmer than usual summer we’re having.
Our focus has shifted to preparing for an extended season beyond Labor Day. With the prospect of continued stay at home activities including school, sports and work, there has been more interest in keeping the pool season open beyond the typical end date. We are evaluating staffing availability and the appropriate hours of operation for the extended plan.
As a reminder, please continue to follow the Pool Rules to maintain a safe and healthy environment. The pool lifeguards have been diligently cleaning and sanitizing and reminding us of the rules on a daily basis. It is a collective effort by all pool attendees and staff that allows our pool to remain open.
Tennis
By Mark Johnson | Email
Hi neighbors!
The weather has been accommodating for an enjoyable summer of tennis – the courts continue to be busy with lessons and with those enjoying social tennis.
As I’m writing this letter, it doesn’t look like we have that much rain in the forecast, so I suspect we’ll continue to have good utilization. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any ideas or suggestions that may improve our tennis experience.
This year’s Biltmore / Fox Point tennis event may be in jeopardy due to COVID-19 concerns. Biltmore’s tennis director proposed that we make the decision the first week of August, so please read Next Door for any updates around that time.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Mark