On-Line Access and Other System Enhancements
Though the beach and dining season have officially ended, work continues with the installation of programs to allow for member on-line access to their account information. Watch for information related to the authentication process (log-on passwords) in the coming weeks that will grant you access. For the 2014 season, the Club is also reviewing the feasibility of offering E-payments and/or the use of credit/debit cards for member payments. Finally, the Club is also exploring the use of a plastic (swipe) card system for member (food, beverage, clothing, etc.) transactions. More news to come on these enhanced offerings in future Newsletters.
A top priority in the coming months will be to revise the format of our current member statements with the aim of providing a more "friendly" accounting of their transactions.
Member Statements
On the subject of member statements, the Club will be mailing out member statements shortly and I do want to take this time to thank the entire membership for their continued support and effort in adhering to the Club's payment terms. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Treasurer@galileebeachclub.com. with any questions concerning your statement or finance related inquires and we will do our best to provide a quick resolution.
Dugout Renovation Project
As the season comes to a close so does the financial aspect of the dugout project known as "Project Sandy." As previously reported this project still has some minor work scheduled for this coming Fall (flooring, pendant lighting, shutter installation, etc.). In addition, we are still working with our wind and flood carriers to finalize monies due us from the insurance claim. This particular project ended up serving different needs and by no means was limited to just storm related damages but did encompass all of the following: (1) the renovation and repair of the dugout (interior and exterior) /roof/deck/apartment along with the complete replacement of the ancillary kitchen equipment/supplies that were damaged by the storm. The Club was very fortunate to have had essentially all of these costs (except for applicable policy deductibles) covered in the entirety by its wind and flood insurance policy's. It is also worthy of mentioning that in certain cases our insurance carrier was quite "generous" with their reimbursement thus allowing us to upgrade in certain areas (counters and cabinetry). Throughout the project, when aesthetics and functionality came in conflict, functionality did take precedence; (2) as the project developed, the
Club did encounter code enforced compliance costs in the area of our electrical and plumbing infrastructure. This did not come as a total surprise as the Club was over taxing its existing utilities. At the very top of our Capital Priority Rating Chart, sits health and safety to our membership, so these upgrades had to be addressed. Though not covered specifically by insurance (FEMA mandated), we have recently submitted a claim to FEMA for financial relief of these increased compliance costs and are confident that the government will rule in our favor; (3) the Club incurred emergency expenditures for items that were not insurable but did need to repaired/replaced to service the member's needs (moveable pallets, main deck structure, windows (not damaged by storm but upgraded to hurricane resistant glass) and dune repair; and (4) planned replacement of the entire dugout hood exhaust system. Though this item was funded via the 2013 approved capital budget, we have submitted to the insurance carrier (storm surge ruled it inoperable) and are awaiting final determination.
In summary, your Club has positioned itself well to meet the challenges attached to large projects as demonstrated by the handling of Project Sandy. The governance of the Club has made this all possible by having in place a formal system to analyze facilities that includes the evaluation of the requirement for major capital investment. As an added step to this process and to insure that the Club will not postpone the difficult decisions attached to facility enhancement, the Club is embarking on a strategic plan to evaluate how present facilities are meeting the Club's needs. More about this in coming Newsletters.
GBC Gossip
