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 90th 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
