Outside Pool Memberships

Both Sunny and Steve's issues are due to bad management. Bad management leads to poor training and lax attitudes.

I helped build Hurricane Reef and I was there for the training of the first set of lifeguards. I never got certified b/c I was the Area Manager of Wild Animal Safari but due to its close proximity I had to manage Hurricane Reef on many occasions.

Let me tell you, those kids were mostly 16-20. They took their jobs very seriously and there are ways to get our lifeguards to act the same way. The first step is the management company. They need to be put on notice that this isn't acceptable professionalism from the staff.

 

Let me ask this... sorry if this seems like I am not informed, but do the pool lifeguards work for another company that manages the pools? Do we, the HOA contract for this work... is that how it works?

I understand the youth fill the jobs of lifeguards that also manage the front desk, and generally run the pool during the day, but is it not standard practice for them to have an "older" or more experienced person on the job, at least on the weekends as the manager?

I also wanted to add my concern for my experience at the front desk check-in procedures and supervision. It is hit and miss at best and those kids would not know a standard procedure if it bit them.... anyway, I like the idea of putting someone on notice about expected standards of operation etc.

 

The HOA does contract out this job to NV pools. We have had NV as our pool company for as long as I know though we have negotiated with other company's for the contract but none have been able to provide us with the desired services at a comparable price. We are presently in the second season of a 3 year contract with them and I will say that we have been very happy with the company in not only providing well trained life gaurds but also adressing our and community concerns in a prompt and timly matter.
This year we sat down with the managers at each of the pools (who are college students) to make sure they were well aware of our expectatons and the level of profesionalism that we expected from them. Unfortunatly this year thus far we have not seen what we expect from some of them. They are very good at proforming there jobs correctly when myself or Wes (the HOA's general manager) are present but not when others are present which is very disturbing to me. I do have a call into NV pools and am expecting a follow up call on what is going to be done to address several of these issues.
All I can promise is to continue to stay apprised of any situation and continue getting it resolved and will not accept less then what is expected (ie clean bathrooms, attentive guards not only to who is entering and leaving the pool but also the people in the pool as well as keeping busy while on the job)
Any resident that sees and or hears something that they feel is inappropriate or needs to be addressed please email me directly ssdkapinos@yahoo.com or call me 703 723 1984. Since I can not be at all the pools and see everything that is going on if you do see something please let me know. The only way I can address some of these concerns is if I know about them and then I will do what ever it is that I need to to get them addressed

Staci Kapinos

 

thank you Staci, I really appreciate that kind of response. I have your number now and will let you know if I see something that would qualify as needing a response to let you know. I completely agree with and support your answer/approach and think that the best short-term action is to re-inforce the operational expectations etc.

thanks

 

VERY Valid point - I live very close to the SW pool - and yet we could not get in over the holiday weekend at one point we were told 40 other people were waiting. Additionally on the weekends if we do not get there before 11AM, all bets are off. Also the few times I have been there they have NEVER checked my pass.....mmmm

 

I was at Southern Walk pool a few times this weekend. No where near crowded and several personnel in the office area checking passes.
I was at that pool numerous times last year on the weekends and again, it was never near capacity.

 

If the staff at the pool are not checking passes, then how do they have a reliable capacity count? Or is it literally counting while sitting in the chair and estimating?

If the usage numbers are accurate, then does it not really come down to a couple of basic questions? If the average usage across the whole summer is around 50% of capacity, then there is not a problem (as a big picture). However if there is a surge capacity problem, where certain weekends/holidays result in 40 people waiting to get in - the issue becomes one of... do you want to pay extra so that your weekends never reach capacity, or do we live with the status quo and deal with the few weekends where capacity is exceeded?

Now, has anyone complained about the fact that there were 40 people not able to use the pool when they wanted (example)... even though they paid for it? Again, I am just bringing out the question for discussion.

I think the correct point was brought out before. As we, the community evaluate this issue each year, you simply modify the number of additional passes available (due to increased population in Southern Walk) or you "modify" the memberships that are sold and prohibit those passes from using the pools on certain weekends and make that part of the "contract membership". If the majority of the residents (the ones who make their voice heard) are in favor of dealing with the occassional busy weekends and collecting the additional revenue, then so be it...

But if I understand the numbers correctly, if we limit this to residents only, then we will have to raise the HOA fees accordingly?

 

My prediction is that it would be a rare occurance if the pools reach capacity again this Summer. We've lived here 9 years, and although the population of Broadlands has grown, we've never had a problem. Once schools out, vacations start. Some Summer weeks it seems like a ghost town around here. I am for selling as many outside passes as possible. My bet is that the pools weren't over crowded last weekend. Memorial Day weekend this year was very hot, unlike other years when it rains. Also the novelty of the pools will wear off. My kids have reached a point that they rarely go anymore.

 

If we didn't sell pool passes how much would our HOA dues go up?

 

As a Broadlands resident who didn't get to go to the pool at a particular time of my choosing on a holiday weekend I say, where do I drop off my $12 dollar check?

 

Well, I would certainly vote for KEEPING the non-resident passes. Who are we to turn down a significant amount of capital that does not come from our own pockets. So you can pay my $12 too.

 

I vote for the outside memberships as well. I personally don't want my HOA dues to go up.