C oo s awatt ee Ri ver R es o rt Ass o ci ati on
Ap ril 20 14
C RR A Wel co m es a N e w G e n er a l M a n a g er
After an extensive four month
search and interview process consisting of 75 applicants, numerous
interviews, and a four and a half
hour on-site interview with the full
Board of Directors, the Board was
proud to announce Deborah L.
Friend as the new General Manager during the March 15th Board
meeting. Please note that she goes
by Debbi, and in May, she is getting married so will soon be
known around town as Debbi
Spears.
Ms. Friend was introduced to an
applauding crowd of owners and
shared her experience, credentials,
and background with the audience.
Ms. Friend, a results-driven and
technically savvy professional,
comes to CRRA with a wealth of
experience in project management,
financial planning, and risk management, and a proven track record of creating and implementing
systems that increase cash flow, as
well as decrease costs and improve
productivity. She is extremely
adept at managing multi-million
dollar budgets, restructuring risk
management programs and performing financial forecasting. Ms.
Friend’s educational achievements
include a Master of Business Administration with a concentration
in Finance and Database Design, a
Bachelor of Science Degree in
Computer Science, and a myriad
of Community Associations Institute professional designations.
She holds the prestigious Professional Community Association
Manager (PCAM) designation-the absolute pinnacle of commu-
I n s ide t h is is s ue :
New General
Manager
1
Letter from the
General Manager
2
Thanks to the
Interim GM
2
Board Briefs—January
3
Board Briefs—February
4
ARC Improvements &
Lower Impact Fees
4
Education and Development
Program from the University of
Virginia’s Darden School of
Business—one of the world’s
leading business schools.
Board of Directors Election
Schedule
5
Community Yard Sales
5
Public Safety Information
5
Ms. Friend stood out as the
best potential candidate because of her 25 years of “real
world” experience combined
with the most impressive community management credentials
and educational achievements.
The Coosawattee River Resort
Association welcomes our new
General Manager and wishes
her much success in the years
ahead!
Rule Reminder
6
General Store—Winter
Emergency Contact Information
7
8
Easter Egg Hunt
8
Signing Ceremony—Left to Right, President Bob McCall, General Manager Debbi Friend, Secretary Millie
O’Donovan, and Legal Counsel Ashley Keith.
nity association management! The
PCAM designation is the highest
professional recognition available
internationally to managers who
specialize in community association
management and is currently held
by less than 3,300 people. Additionally, she holds the community
management designations such as:
a Certified Manager of Community
Associations (CMCA), and an Association Management Specialist
(AMS). She has completed the
community management professional development course series
which includes - Risk Management,
Financial Management, Community Governance, Community Communication and Facility Management.
Ms. Friend’s areas of expertise
include: Staff Management, Budget
Forecasting, Cost Control/Reduction, Internal Controls,
Strategic Planning, Financial Statements, Executive Presentations,
Crisis Management, and Operational Streamlining.
She is a graduate of the Leadership
Bob McCall
President, CRRA Board of
Directors
Meet with the GM
The new GM, Debbi Friend
invites the community to come
share their comments, concerns
and ask questions on the following Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.
to 12:00 p.m. at the Water
Tower.
March 29, 2014
April 5, 12 & 26, 2014
May 10, 2014
June 28, 2014
P age 2
L et t er fr o m t h e G e n er a l M a n a g er
“The principal function
of a property owners’
association (POA) is
protect property values
and enhance the life of its
residents.”
Dear CRRA Owners,
I am thrilled and excited to
accept the position of General Manager for Coosawattee
River Resort. The principal
function of a property owners’ association (POA) is to
protect property values and
enhance the life of its owners.
This is done through teamwork between the Board and
Management. A common
saying is the Board sets the
course and management
steers the ship. In the 25
years I have been in the HOA
(home owners’ association)
industry, I have seen this
done well, as well as done
badly. This gives me a lot of
tools to aid the Board on its
current path to improve the
Association. They stressed
that they were on a path to
create a more open and transparent Board, create a strategic plan and to improve overall communications. I am
excited by the energy and
commitment I see in this
Board to do exactly that. I
have been tasked with studying the Association and formulating a plan to help the
Board achieve their goals.
During the next few months,
I hope you will see many
changes that you consider
improvements, such as –
frequent opportunities to talk
to me (a schedule of meetings
is included in this newsletter),
a revision of the website to
make it more user-friendly,
and faster posting of information to the website. In
addition, my specialty is process improvement and cost
accounting. I will be looking
at every facet of the organization, and working with the
staff to determine if things
can be done differently, at a
lower cost and without services suffering.
will be put together. This
action plan will be posted on
the website and in the newsletter. On at least a monthly
basis, the status of the plan
will be updated, so the residents can see how well we are
doing on meeting our targets.
Additionally, data will be
gathered and reported in such
a way that the Board and
owners can see if things are
improving over time.
As they say, Rome wasn’t
built in a day, but there are
plans and change on the way.
I welcome your feedback, so
please come to a Saturday
meeting or send me an email
at gm@crra.biz.
Debbi
The Board is currently working on creating a strategic
plan, and once finished an
action plan (management
goals & projects) for the year
T h a n k s t o o u r I n t er i m G en er a l M a n a g e r
The CRRA Board of Directors
would like to extend its sincere
appreciation to Ms. Katrina Prince
Burrell for filling in as the Interim
General Manager. She served during the November 2013 to March
2014 period, while the search took
place for a permanent General
Manager. During this time, Katrina also assisted the Board in developing the FY 2014-2015 budget. She has over 17 years of experience here at the Coosawattee
River Resort. The Board of Direc-
tors greatly appreciates her efforts and
wishes her continued success.
Bob McCall
President, CRRA Board of Directors
P age 3
B o a r d B r i e fs —J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4
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General Manager Search Update was given, announcing that cover letters and
resumes are being accepted by Express
Employment Professionals for the CRRA
GM position.
An Announcement was made that a Digital Recorder had been purchased for the
purpose of attempting to record the
Board Meetings to be placed online.
The Committee and Departmental reports were read and/or discussed. The
legal updates included information on the
Flint Timber cabin being sold and an
attempted foreclosure had been made on
a few of the lots associated with the Emerald Suit. A petition to the Court was
made to stop the foreclosure as it would
have removed the partial liability for assessments. The petition was granted.
Dave Bennett, Beaver Forest, was elected
to the Board of Directors at the November Board Meeting, although he wasn’t in
attendance. He was seated at the January
Board Meeting.
The Board approved a recommendation /
request from the Amenities Committee
that funds initially designated to be used
for fencing around Foxhound Pool area
be made available instead to be used for
cool decking at the Riverside Pool and for
consideration to be made in the upcoming budget to provide for the Foxhound
Pool Fencing.
Making 2nd and 3rd Streets in EMC one
way was presented for reconsideration
and failed. These streets will not be made
“one way”.
An improved ARC Approval Process was
reviewed in which select CRRA employees could approve certain types of applications in an effort to streamline the approval process.
The search continues for contractors to
bid on the Fish Trap Park Bridge repair.
The ARC Impact Fees were reviewed and
resubmitted to the ARC, Roads &
Grounds Committee, and Finance Committee for further review.
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The Eagle Mountain General Store winter
hours were discussed.
The Fireplace Room Reservation Policy
was discussed.
The POA Telephone Auto Attendant
Greeting was discussed as well as other
options for the telephone to be answered,
at least part time, by a person.
The striping / painting of the yellow and
white stripes on the road is under contract, but can’t be completed until the
weather cooperates.
The Nexus Road Study progress was discussed.
The Budget Committee will be meeting
on Wednesday nights and all day on Saturdays to determine the 2014/2015 Budget.
Mauldin & Jenkins will be conducting the
Annual Audit.
The Annual Meeting Ballot Counting was
discussed
P age 4
B o a r d B r i e fi n g s — F eb r u a r y 2 0 1 4
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An Announcement was made that new
cable for the Digital Recorder had been
purchased for and that a second attempt
would be made to record the Board Meetings.
The Committee and Departmental reports were read and/ or discussed.
Arrangements have been made for contractors to visit the Fish Trap Park Suspension Bridge to analyze and possibly
submit quotes for repairs.
Additions to the Improved ARC Process
and the new Impact Fee Schedule were
referred back to ARC due to additional
questions.
It was noted that the Budget Committee
continues to meet and deliberate on
Wednesday evenings and all day on Saturdays in order to present a DRAFT Budget
to the Board of Directors for approval on
March 15th.
To enable the budgeting process to begin
earlier, Interim General Manager Katrina
Burrell suggested a new schedule of meetings:
two (2) meetings in August (the Annual
Meeting, a monthly Board Meeting for
the Election of Officers);
two (2) meetings in September (a Board
Meeting, a Board Orientation Meeting);
and
two (2) meetings in October (a Board
Meeting , a meeting for the setting of
goals)
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This schedule was supported by the
Board noting that Committees would
then have time and opportunity to organize, obtain information, and deliberate
with the Department Directors, allowing
the Committee Chairs the ability to bring
more complete recommendations to the
Budget Workshops in January.
The Land Received Policy was discussed
briefly stating that it would be discussed
at length next month.
The SWOT Analysis was discussed and it
was stated that the Board would use this
method of planning to evaluate the
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats to and of the Association.
The Reserve Study would be utilized in
this exercise.
Express Professionals received seventyfive inquiries for the General Manager
position. The Committees have reviewed
several resumes and conducted telephone
interviews. Of those, two have been selected to participate in “Skype” interviews. An invitation will then be extended
to visit CRRA and meet with the Board
of Directors.
I m p r o ve d A R C P r oc e s s & L ow e r I m p a c t F e e s
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At the March 15, 2014 Board of Directors
meeting a faster, more convenient and
economical process was approved for
Architectural Review Approvals.
Most projects other than new houses or
projects requiring a variance can be processed in 1 – 3 days.
A new Fee Chart was also approved. It is
located on the website under the documents tab.
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New houses, projects requiring a variance
or any other project not suitable for improved process will be on the Agenda for
the next ARC meeting.
ARC currently meets 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month.
We are always looking for new ways to improve our service to you and feel this will create a smoother beginning for your projects.
P age 5
2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 B o a r d o f D i r e ct o r s
E l e ct i o n S ch e d u l e
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THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 – Noon deadline for accepting nominee applications (online
applications only) http://form.jotform.us/form/31227031972145
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014 – Mailing of Annual Meeting notice with ballots and proxies
MONDAY, JULY 21, 2014 – Deadline for receipt of ballots at accounting firm
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 – Ballots counted by accounting firm
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014 – Nominating Committee to verify election results (tentative date
until verified with accounting firm)
TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014 – Nominating Committee Chair notifies all candidates of election results
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014 – Election results published
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2014 – Annual Meeting with announcement and seating of new
board members
May 1, 2014, noon is the deadline to
turn in a nominee application.
Community
Ya r d S a l e s
will be held every
Saturday in April,
2014,
8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
at The General
Store
Call Jan for more
info:
706-635-1609
PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION
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For actual Emergencies, please call 911.
If you need assistance from Public Safety, please
call 706-276-1060 x 244 for the Central Monitoring
Station.
If you need assistance from Compliance, please call
706-276-1060 x 246.
If you would like information on the House Check
Program, please call Public Safety Director Gail
Williamson at 706-276-1060 x 230 or email her at
gail@crra.biz.
P age 6
R u l e R e mi n d er — Ar t i cl e V I
Us e o f A m en i t i es a n d C o m m o n P r o p e r t y
Section 1. Use of Amenities
VIOLATIONS COULD RESULT IN REVOCATION OF PART OR ALL
AMENITY PRIVILEGES. Property Owners, Renters, Lessees and Holders of Contracts for deed may have use of Amenities. All dues and other assessments must be kept
current.
A. Present a current CRRA ID or a guest pass with a valid picture identification card
when entering the Amenity. Refer to Article IV.
B. The use of Amenities will be suspended if dues, assessments/fines are delinquent
for any lot owned by multiple lot owner. By way of example, if an owner has three
lots the dues and assessments/fines must be current on all three lots to receive gate
access devices or guest passes for any of the lots.
C. Property Owners whose account(s) are in good standing will not be allowed to
bring delinquent Property Owners into any Amenity.
D. The Property Owner is responsible for the conduct of their family members and
their guests while using the Amenities.
E. Users of the Amenities are subject to the CRRA Rules and Regulations as well as
the posted Amenities Rules.
Section 2. Amenities Limitations
A. The CRRA reserves the right to limit the number of persons (Property Owners and
their guests) at each Amenity and to charge a reasonable admission.
B. Reservations are necessary at some Amenities. Property Owners should check with
each Amenity to determine the current.
Section 3. Destruction of CRRA Common Property
A. Anyone who willfully destroys CRRA Common Property will be subject to a fine
plus cost of repair, restoration or replacement as well as the possible filing of criminal charges. All Property Owners or Contractors doing work in CRRA will be subject to the Architectural Guidelines and possible Damage Claims in accordance with
Article II.
Section 4. Littering, Firearms and Use of Alcohol/Drugs on CRRA Common
Property
A. Anyone who willfully litters Common Property will be subject to a fine plus cost of
cleanup.
B. Consumption or possession of alcohol or illegal drugs will not be permitted while
on CRRA Common Areas including parks and recreation areas. This prohibition
shall not apply to the transporting of legally acquired alcoholic beverages on any
CRRA road or private functions held at the Water Tower Conference Center.
C. No Firearms of any kind are allowed in or on CRRA Amenities or Common Property. This prohibition shall not apply to the transporting of legally acquired firearms
on any CRRA road.
D. No device which shoots or propels projectiles including, but not limited to BB
Guns, airguns, paintball guns, etc. are allowed on Common Property with the exception of water gun
Volu me
, Issue
P age 7
Winter Menu
Winter Special
Monday Special
Tuesday Special
Wednesday Special
Thursday Special
Friday Special
Patty Melt on Texas Toast
w/ Chips & Tea
Chili & Grilled Cheese
Chili Dog w/Chips & Tea
Philly Cheese Steak
w/Chips & Tea
Cheeseburger w/ Chips &
Tea
BBQ Sandwich w/ Brunswick Stew
$5.49
$5.99
$4.99
$5.99
$5.49
$5.99
Sides
Potato Salad
Chips $.50
Large (8oz) $1.75
Breakfast Biscuits
Egg
$1.60
Bagels
$1.00
Bacon or Sau-
$1.90
Cream
$0.39
Sausage Gravy $2.50
Add Cheese $0.30
Add Egg
$0.60
Small (4oz) $.99
HI GHlig hts &
F ootnotes
C o os awattee R ive r R es o rt
As s o ciatio n
Call procedure for Emergency outside of business
hours:
634 Beaver Lake Drive, Unit 5160
Ellijay, GA 30540
Examples of emergencies that you should report to the Public
Safety Department of CRRA: water leak, tree across road, road icing,
and similar issues
For an emergency like these please call the Public Safety Central
Monitoring Station (24 hours a day): 706-276-1060 x244
Phone: 706-276-1060
Fax: 706-276-1061
Information you will then need to provide:
◊ Type of Emergency
◊ Location of Emergency
WE’RE
ON T H E
WEB
W W W . C O O S A W AT T E E . N E T
◊ Any of Details you have of the Emergency
◊ Your Name
◊ Your Phone Number
◊ Your Lot Number
◊ Your Address
At any time that you call the POA at 706-276-1060, you may enter the
extension that you wish as soon as the automatic greeting begins.
HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE
COOSAWATTEE
EASTER EGG HUNT
SATURDAY APRIL 19th
FISHTRAP PARK
10AM SHARP
The Easter Egg Hunt will take place
Saturday, April 19th at 10 a.m.
KIDS
BRING YOUR BASKETS
CANDY AND PRIZES