Members of the POA board of directors heard about a plan that would reduce insurance rates for everyone in Bella Vista by working with the Bella Vista Fire Department. General manager Tom Judson described the plan at last week's work session.
Judson said he was talking to Fire Chief Steve Sims at a Christmas party a few months back. Sims said that the new fire station on Forest Hills Drive lowered the city's ISO rating, giving all residents a break on insurance bills. The ISO rating could go even lower if the Bella Vista Fire Department had a training center.
The POA owns land on the corner of Chelsea and Tudor that is undeveloped, Judson told the board. The site is more than 10 acres and there aren't any close neighbors, he said. The only thing it's used for is occasional illegal dumping which the POA must clean up. It's an area that floods, but that's not a problem for the fire department.
Judson suggested a 25-year lease at $1 a year.
Like other residents of Bella Vista, the POA will eventually see lower insurance rates.
Plans for amenities around Branchwood were discussed. The original plan called for phase two to include an amphitheater, public restrooms in the former maintenance building, a new pavilion and a new playground.
The board talked about funding new playground equipment that would be located in the original playground and a trailhead for the cement walking trail. Since the playground equipment will be accessible for children with disabilities, funds will be transferred out those reserved for ADA compliance.
Board member John Nuttall pointed out that if the hydrology study reveals that the nine holes of the Berksdale course that are currently closed will be too expensive to reopen, the board will need to rethink all their recreation plans. The only alternative to golf proposed for the Berksdale area is a park. The deed to the land prohibits commercial development. The results of the hydrology study are expected to be released in March.
New playground equipment was also approved for Avalon Park, where a new sand beach is due to open this summer. A pavilion and restrooms are already in place.
In 2013, the POA brought in a company to do a complete study of the amenities and determine what changes were most important to the membership. The study included focus groups, open meetings and a thorough survey. The results were presented to the public later that year.
Last week, Judson, who was not employed by the POA in 2013, presented the findings of the 2013 study as a checklist and demonstrated that most of the suggestions are either complete or soon will be.
A few suggestions have not been acted on, in part because they just weren't good ideas, Judson said. For example, starting a POA newspaper is not necessary and annexing the Ark-Mo land into the POA is not possible.
But the POA has completed renovations at Lakepoint, as the earlier plan suggested, and repurposed Branchwood. The early stages of renovating the recreation complex that includes Riordan Hall are budgeted for 2018.
Of the 63 goals listed in the 2013 document, 52 have been accomplished or will be accomplished. The eleven that were not done are not realistic, Judson said.
"This something the board should be proud of," he said.
General News on 02/21/2018