August Resident Council General Meeting minutes

 

Resident Council General Meeting

Minutes for Aug. 1, 2106

The Aug. 1 meeting of the John Knox Village Resident Council was opened by President Jim Ham at 2 p.m. in the Courtyard Community Center.

Joy Devin was congratulated on her 90^th birthday. First time attendee Sandy Hunt was introduced. Sandy is a brand new resident of D Building. Sandy moved here from Independence earlier this year. We welcome Sandy and hope she will bring other new residents from D Building with her next time.

Dr. Dan Rexroth, President and CEO of John Knox Village, commented that much had transpired during his short vacation. Underground utilities are in progress. Dan assured the residents of A,B and C Buildings that the similar labels for the new buildings are for construction purposes only, and other names will be used when completed. Murray Road is now open!

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Finance Committee:

 Chair Gerry Wachsmann reported on the July meeting. Vice President of Finance, Kim Klockenga, presented the June financial statistics. Overall, June stats reflect a small improvement, however, revenues are still below expectation. Net deposits for both Entrance Fee and Lease contracts are below budget. Move-ins are also below budget. Entrance Fees received are $317,000 over budget. The auditor gave us a clean audit with minor adjustments to the final financial report. Occupancy at the end of June: Independent Living – 724; Village Assisted Living – 174; Village Care Center – 271. The tendency seems to be towards more Assisted Living and less VCC. The next meeting will be at 1 p.m. Aug. 31 in the Courtyard Theater.

Health Services Committee: Chair Helen Darby reported the next meeting will be Aug. 10.

           

Sales, Marketing and Communications Committee:  Chair Margie Stowell reported on the July meeting. Director of Marketing, Sales and Communication Marybeth Roberts, gave a power-point presentation entitled “Mapping Out the Future.” It is necessary to look to the future in order to remain competitive and plan for prospective residents. Consideration is given to the need for higher levels of care such as the Village Care Center (skilled care), Village Assisted Living and Memory Care. Entry Fee growth is necessary. We need to reduce Leases and increase Entry Fee contracts, although there will always be a need for Lease arrangements. Because of the age of the Village, renovation versus demolition and new construction is a serious decision to make as many factors enter in to that decision. Buildings are coming down, parts of Shamrock Avenue are closed, all in preparation for The Meadows project. Although it is an inconvenience, at the same time it is an exciting and progressive time for the Village. Financing for The Meadows project is progressing, and the number of deposits is reaching close to the 50 mark. The goal is 56 deposits before the actual construction can begin. Construction of the first Meadows buildings should begin in September or October. The current trend seems to be that people moving to the Village are younger – in their 60’s and early 70’s – and are more interested in high-rise living (such as The Meadows). Marybeth presented the Sales Reports and Statistics through June 2016, and an active discussion followed. The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 18 in the Places Manhattan Room.

Resident Services Committee: Chair Martha Wood gave the report of the July meeting. The meeting was an open forum for members to ask questions of Vice President of Senior Living Maria Timberlake and express general concerns of their own or other residents. Maria commented that an automatic opener for the rear door to the Courtyard Café, and internal signage are both in the works at the new Courtyard buildings. Maria spoke about the construction financing for The Meadows project. There are three phases and a bank loan is being used. 50% pre-sale deposits are necessary for bonds to be issued. The goal is for there to be eight months between the start of actual construction and the first occupant. When both D Building and The Meadows are fully occupied, that will positively affect John Knox Village’s “days cash on hand.” Although parking is a problem now, the new parking lot will be the first thing to be completed. Although it is known that the first 90 days of operation for any new restaurant are generally abnormal, Maria said they are happy with the Courtyard Café and that Places Restaurant business has not been affected. In the next four to six months the Village will conduct an internal survey focusing on each of the four restaurants. Maria emphasized that there is a constant effort made to keep the overall vision and practicality in balance. The next meeting will be Sept. 12 (no August meeting)

Nominating Committee: Chair June Dewsberry reminded all that the committee is on hiatus until September.

Program:
The speaker was Richard Leslie. Richard came to the Village 11 years ago, and has been Event Manager for the Village for 10 of those years. Richard gave most of the credit for the success of his department to his “Team” - Larry, Greg, Steve, Chip and Charles. They do about 25 set-ups and tear downs a day in all areas of the Village. In the Pavilion, events of every kind are held, such as craft shows, weddings, graduations, proms, conventions, chamber of commerce events and elections. Catering for events use the new Courtyard Café kitchen, which ensures fresh and hot food. Richard encourages walkers to use The Pavilion for daily walks when it is very hot outside. It is available, when no event is scheduled, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 10 laps constitute one mile. Recently, the Foundation’s Gala event was held and was the most successful fundraiser on record, bringing in about $200,000 for the Foundation. Renovations of The Pavilion will begin soon and will include new restrooms, paint, floor covering and a new sound system. The Pavilion can be reserved for resident and family events – call Richard at 347-2835 or Agi Bako-Lafave at 347-2999.

            The next General Meeting will be on Monday, Sept 12. (One week later than usual due to Labor Day). The program will be given by Marybeth Roberts, director of sales, marketing and communications.

Respectfully submitted,

June Dewsberry, Secretary, Resident Council