Annual Meeting

I thought I'd left annual meetings in my retirement dust.  Not quite.  Yesterday's Presque Isle Harbor Association annual meeting attracted 70 property owners to the PIHA clubhouse for hot dogs, financial statements, and talk about the present and future of this recreational housing development.  My house isn't in the Association.  However, last year I purchased an interior (not on water) lot.  That makes me a PIHA member and provides access to its facilities.  Those include the clubhouse swimming pool, hall, and exercise room, tennis courts, swimming beach, boat launches on Lake Esau, Grand Lake and Lake Huron, trails, picnic areas — and let's not forget this all-important connection to the internet!

PIHA's clubhouse is the hub of social life around here.

A board elected by the membership runs the show.

Last year's financial statements indicate that PIHA is holding its own despite a grim economy and the failure of some property owners to pay their dues.  Annual dues are only $139 per lot, so the burden is hardly onerous.  However, each year PIHA is forced to chase non-payers over hill and dale, and even through small claims court and collection on judgments.  A particular burden the past few years has been one property owner, a commercial real estate company, which bought up 100 lots on speculation and then went bankrupt when the housing market collapsed.  Loss of that dues income has created a real hardship, including the cost of legal representation in Florida, where the belly-up company is located.

Steve, PIHA executive director (left) and the Association's
auditor answer questions about the annual statements.

Members pay close attention to financial chatter. 

With financial matters and officers' reports put to rest, discussion turned to comments from the floor.  Some members expressed concern that ATVs are using Association trails, even though such use is prohibited.  Our wet spring has left many trails muddy.  Off-road vehicles dig deep ruts into the mud, making life difficult for walkers.  Morley, head of the men's group which maintains the trail system, promised to do what he can.  He noted, however, that a couple years ago, when large boulders were placed across one trail to discourage motorized access, a person or persons unknown came in at night with heavy equipment and made off with the boulders — probably in order to sell them for landscaping!  Lesson: If you build a better mousetrap....

Morley asks members to let him know when fallen trees
block trails, so his chain saw crew can go to work.

Sharon, a Kauffman neighbor, is recognized for her three
year's service on the Board — and her reelection!

From everything I can see, PIHA is solid and well-run housing venture.  Some township residents gripe about "summer people" having too large a hand in local affairs — but these same people voice no complains about the tax revenue generated by PIHA property owners.  Without the Association, this part of northeastern Michigan would be dead in the water. •••