MEETING OF DREAM HILLS URBANISATION COMMITTEE HELD AT LA CASITA FRIDAY 22ND JULY AT 10.00 a.m.

Present: Stefan, Christine, Angela, Chris, Maggs, Jeff, Tid, Gerry & Mick.

Apologies: Peter & Linda.

Previous Minutes were waived.

MATTERS ARISING:

1.     Pools & Pool Maintenance Co.: The maintenance of the Pools, particularly the bottom pool continues to deteriorate.  The problems with the bottom pool are exacerbated by the inadequately sized water-pumps originally installed.

The committee visited several pools in other Urbanisations to, (a) view the performance of alternate maintenance contractors and (b) to request quotations for the maintenance of our Pools, the Pool Garden Areas and Private Streets.   Detailed hereunder are their responses.   I.V.A. it is not included in these quotations.

Option (a)   The Pools & Pool Garden Areas                  700 Euro per month

Private Street Cleaning                                                  1,000 Euro per month

The pools would be checked daily - Monday to Saturday during the Summer period and in Winter as required.   Private Streets cleaned 3 days per week.

Option (b)   The Pools & Pool Garden Areas

Summer Period  (1 June-30 Sept)                                   712 Euro per month

Winter Period                                                                  356 Euro per month

Private Street Cleaning                                                   300 Euro per month

The Pools would be checked daily - Monday to Saturday in the Summer Period and as required in the Winter.   Streets to be cleaned 2 days per week in Summer, 1 day per week in Winter.

Option (c)   The Pools & Pool Garden Areas                     1,350 Euro per month

Private Street Cleaning                                               1,300 Euro per month

The Pools to be checked daily between 15th June to 15th Sept., then twice weekly for the remainder of the year.  The streets cleaned daily from Monday to Friday.

Option (d)    This Option relates to the hiring of a full time maintenance man for the Pools, Garden Areas and the Street Cleaning costing 1,500 Euro per month.

The maintenance man would work an eight hour day – Monday to Friday.

The existing contract for the Pools, Garden Areas and the Private streets costs 1,600 Euro plus I.V.A. per month.

After a lengthy debate and with the President abstaining, the Committee decided unanimously to cancel the existing maintenance contract immediately.  Again, with the President abstaining, the Committee agreed unanimously, to proceed immediately with Option (b).    (Since the Committee meeting, discussions with the contractor on Option (b) revealed some anomalies in his quotation.   These are currently being clarified and will be advised to Residents in the next communiqué.)

2.     Land Between the Pools: We still don’t know if we will be able to acquire this land from the Local Authority.   If successful, one suggestion put forward was to consider building Tennis Court/Courts in the relevant areas.   There have been, apparently, regular enquiries from tennis enthusiasts.   However, any proposals relating to the possible use of the Land would have to be made at the A.G.M.        

3.     Planters: Feedback on the new Planters has been very positive.   Residents are reminded that the purchase and maintenance of the planters are their responsibility.

4.     Signage & Urbanisation Plan : We still await the approval of the City Council relating to the acquisition of some space at the roundabout for the placement of the Plan. We may get an answer in late Sept/Oct. With regard to the signage, there will be six signs indicating the Main Street, together with the individual signs for the private roads. A sample of the signage will be viewed by the committee in September. The placement of the various private street signs generated considerable debate. Basically there are four installation options.   They can be secured directly to the walls, or on a metal post concreted into the ground, or on a metal post bolted to the ground, or secured to a low concrete plinth.   Final decision to be made in the autumn.

5.     Budgets:  The Quarterly Performance Budget will be available at the next meeting in September. In the Budget Projection for the current year, an amount of 13,000 Euro in General Expenses was queried.   It was explained that this was purely a projection based on the previous year’s expenses.   Also, at present the chlorine is being added to the Pools directly in tablet form.   Apparently this is now illegal.  Automatic Chlorine-adding machines will be introduced this financial year at a cost of 511 Euro for each pool plus installation costs.

Any Other Business:

Several letters were received ranging from a complaint that the Pool Guard from the top Pool was missing in four occasions, to a request that the Urbanisation Maintenance Fee be charged annually instead of six monthly.   There was also a request to close the bottom pool due to an ear infection and general condition of the pool, and a letter advising of a dangerous exit with limited visibility on to the Main Road. In the latter case the Residents were authorized to secure a mirror to one of the street lights, cost of the mirror to be reimbursed.   Waiting for a response from the Local Authority was considered fruitless but will be pursued.

The Committee will investigate  proposals to upgrade the security of the mailboxes for the next A.G.M.  Outgoing mailbox to be chased up.  

Resident car parking is not a committee problem.   Police has been informed concerning three abandoned vehicles.

Problems relating to dangerous or unruly dogs should be reported directly to the Police preferably advising them of the owner’s house numbers.

It was agreed at the Meeting that should any Committee member wish something specific to be added to the Minutes, that they would indicate this during the meeting.

Although water conservation is an ongoing issue in Spain, during the Summer it is a critical one on the Costas. Please do not hose-down your patios every day.   Please use the commercial car jet wash bays, which are very economical with water.   You doing your bit helps conservation, not complaining about the guy next door or the tourists!

If you would like to take part in an Art Club (all levels) and / or a Chess Club to be located at La Casita please register your interest by letting Tid (586) know on 966798847.

The Committee would again emphasize that second or third hand complaints or requests will not be addressed.   The same is true for anonymous correspondence.

If you wish to make a comment, request or complaint, please do so to your appropriate committee member.  Or, if you prefer, submit a signed note or letter with your house number.   The current Committee Members and their areas of responsibility are outlined below.  

COMMITTEE MEMBER                                

RESPONSIBLE FOR
   

Peter(833) & Chris(859)                                 

1 – 5 and all 800’s

While Peter is recovering from surgery, his referrals will be handled by Chris (859)

Angela(32)                                                          

6 – 109

Christine(133)                                                    

110 – 229

Mags(269)                                                          

230-272,377-383 & 388-422

Linda(303)                                                          

273 – 320

Gerry(327)                                                          

321 – 376, 384 – 387

Jeff(266)                                                         

423 – 499

Tid(586)                                                             

500 – 588

The meeting concluded at 13.00 

Next meeting Friday 2nd September 2005 at 10.00 a.m.

Mick.  30/07/05