Tag Commodore Morris

FROM THE COMMODORE: Dock Reconstruction Progress and Annual General Meeting

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Next week marks the membership Annual General Meeting. It is important that all members come to this meeting to approve the 2016 budgets, elect new Board of Governors members and meet the elected 2016 Flag Officers. It is essential to have a quorum, so please mark your calendars now!

In the meantime, I wanted to give everyone a few updates about the projects we are currently working on before the membership Annual General Meeting.

We are making tremendous progress on the Dock Reconstruction project. The bank loan is in the final stages of closing and we entered into a major purchase agreement for construction of the new docks using our insurance proceeds as an initial payment. If all goes as planned, Docks 1-3 will be installed by mid January, followed by Docks 4 and 5 in May. The team is also working out a transition plan to migrate boats back into their new slips as quickly as possible.

Next week marks the membership Annual General Meeting. It is important that all members come to this meeting to approve the 2016 budgets, elect new Board of Governors members and meet the elected 2016 Flag Officers. It is essential to have a quorum, so please mark your calendars now!

The Board has recommended a 2016 budget that reflects the principles of the financial plan presented at the earlier Special meeting. In addition to meeting our new debt obligations, the financial plan included sufficient flexibility to support ongoing capital projects needed to maintain our club. Therefore a number of projects have been proposed to address some urgent maintenance issues that affect the safety and security of our membership. The proposed CIF Safety & Security project bundle is projected to cost $18,000 and includes the following items:

  • Repair unsafe electrical and wiring issues in the workshop building – $3,000
  • Replace the unsafe and obsolete gas oven in the kitchen – $5,000
  • Replace >10 year old upper level carpet, which is creating tripping hazards – $4,000
  • Replace broken lower level blinds to reduce furniture sun bleaching – $1,000
  • Replace the broken pool lounge chairs, which are causing personal injury – $4,000
  • Install front gate battery backup to enable entry/exit during power failures – $1,000

Additionally, we have observed that our Juniors safety equipment is well below the standard found at other area yacht club junior programs, which puts our juniors at greater risk of personal injury. Therefore it is proposed to purchase a new Juniors Safety Tender boat to support junior instruction and regatta activities. The projected cost of $16,000 will come from existing Juniors Activity Funds, which are booked separately from the other DCYC funds.

Finally, we have also proposed an optional CIF project to replace the remaining pool furniture to match the new loungers, which must be replaced for safety reasons as noted above. This $8,000 project is not related to Safety & Security, but significantly improves the appearance and utility of the pool area, therefore it is presented as an option for the membership to decide if it should be funded.The board has tried to balance our spending as we discussed at the special meeting. We are proposing capital expenditures of 42k this year vs over 120k last year.

2016 is also the 60th anniversary of DCYC! A number of activities are planned to celebrate both the arrive of the new docks and our 60th year, including a subsidized social event to mark this important anniversary. Be sure to come out and be a part of these exciting events!

We look forward to your attendance at this year’s membership Annual General Meeting to learn more about DCYC plans for 2016 and to participate in voting. Be sure to mark you calendar now: November 14 at 10AM. See you there!!!

PER THE COMMODORE: WE HAVE CHOSEN A CONTRACTOR

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THANK YOU!
  • I want to thank all the members that were at the September 19th meeting. We had about 130 people come and listen to the presentations.
  • I want to thank the guys on the dock committee once again. You guys did a fabulous job.
  • I also want to thank Chris Osbourne, nice job on the number part of the meeting.
  • Most important, I would like to thank the members. I appreciate your attention and willingness to support a major rebuilding project. This will set us apart and add a first class marina with the current  amenities that we all enjoy.
The dock committee has agreed to a contract with MDI out of Oklahoma.

They were able to shave off about 60K from the price we were quoted. All the materials and layout remained the same. We are just wrapping up the legal side of the contract. As for the timeline, they will start building the docks in their shop in Oklahoma. We should expect docks 1-3 to be installed by mid January. Docks 4 and 5 will be installed by the end of April..  The delay in 1-3 vs 4 and 5 will give us time to dispose of the old 4 and 5.

We have progress….  Not quite as fast as we would like, but still progress….

Remember we will have our Terlingua Regatta October 16, 17, 18. Please make plans on attending. It is always great fun.

We are getting there, just everyone hang in a little longer.

UPDATE FROM THE COMMODORE: SPECIAL MEETINGS REMINDER

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DCYC logo 2012_Low Res

I want to remind everyone of a very important General Meeting next Saturday, September 19, 2015.  We are calling on all members to attend. In this general session will be voting on a project that has the potential to make our club sustainable for many decades of to come. I want to give all of you a some specific information as to some of the issues we will be discussing on Saturday.

Yesterday, the BOG unanimously approved the dock committee’s plan to rebuild docks 1-5.   In addition to this, the BOG unanimously recommended the committee continue to negotiate the best price possible with the two vendors they have selected. It is the feeling of the BOG, as well as the dock committee, that we do not have a viable option other than replacing 1-5. At the meeting next weekend, we will share the scope of the entire project with the membership, as well as answer any questions. We will be asking you to vote on the financing package with includes a small increase in CIF and dock maintenance.

The Board unanimously recommended that everyone share in the cost of the rebuild. It is important to note that the plan approved by the BOG does not include any up-front fees accessed. In the next day or two, we will be adding an event registration for the meeting as well as lunch on Saturday. Lunch is free to members. Please sign up early in as we need a idea of how many people are planning to join us.

In an effort to further clarify the issues regarding the Dock Committee’s plan to rebuild our harbor, we will be holding a brief question-and-answer session in the upstairs dining room at DCYC this coming Tuesday, September 15, from 6:30 to 8 pm. Also note the question-and-answer forum on DCYC.org for answers to frequently asked questions regarding this project.

Best Regards,

Leland Morris

DCYC Commodore

PS: Note that it’s critical that people register in advance so we know how much food to order. Please register today!!

Click here to register

PER THE COMMODORE: GENERAL MEETING, SEPTEMBER 19

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The notices for the general meeting on the 19th are going out the first of the week.

I want to thank the dock committee for the  countless hours they have devoted to this project.  I think you will find we have several decisions that will be simple and a couple that will be a little more difficult. I will have a couple of nights that I will be at the club to answer any questions you may have before the meeting. I will also ask any Board members that want to attend they are more than welcome. We will post those dates shortly.

All I ask is that you keep a open mind, be willing to listen and maybe think a little out of the box….

Leland

COMMODORE’S UPDATE

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Just a quick update.

The dock committee has one bid still out. They are hoping to get that back anytime. We also still have bids out for all the electric work. Once we get those then we can start the process of working the contractors down on the price.

We will have the general membership meeting as soon as we can. This is a very important time in DCYC history. I want to make sure we fully review everything and be assured that you are being presented with the best options.

Sorry it  is taking longer than we like, sometimes you can only push so hard. Continue to hang in a little longer.

— Leland

AS OF AUGUST 25, PER THE COMMODORE

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I have been asked many questions over the past couple of weeks. I will fill everyone in. Maybe it will answer some of the same concerns  you have.

I will be general when talking about the construction of the docks. I will defer to Tim Johnson; he and the dock committee know much more about that than I do.

First of all, things are becoming clearer by the day. We should be able to have a board mtg next week to formalize a plan to bring to membership.

Questions I have been asked:

  1. Why don’t we just take the insurance money and replace 1-3 repairing 4 and 5?

First, we got the maximum amount our policy provides for the docks, 502,237.00. The cost to rebuild 1-3 is over 650k.This does not include electric or water. This will run at least another 25k. In the opinion of the docks guys 4 and 5 are not repairable.

2.   Are my dues going up?

Again, the BOG has not approved any increase. I would think a modest $15.00-20.00 per month increase will be proposed.

3.   Did we have insurance for things other than the dock?

Yes, we had insurance on all the boats, crane and 100K in debris removal. As I have posted in the past, we have been paid back for crane rental, bolts, line, chain, dumpsters, labor (including volunteer hours) and misc. other expenses. We still have around 60K that we will collect on this part of the policy.

4.   Will I have the same slip as before?

Let me address a few dock items. As I said the more technical parts I will leave to Tim.

  • Overall the docks will be the same. We have allotted for a few extra slips that the club will own. We have talked about renting those out. With the new layout it will bring us to the maximum number of slips allowed by the Corps.
  • Should we sign a contract mid-September, it will be about 8-10 weeks before we have docks.
  • As for the anchoring, warranty, material and general harbor questions, Tim will address those.
  • One other thing I will add: Patterson, Beck, Kraft, Meek and Johnson have spent hours discussing, drawing, thinking and questioning each other. I have been at the meetings. They have tried to think of every possible situation. They have bounced hundreds of ideas around. We are in very good hands.

Going forward, we have a big decision to make: Replace all 5 docks? We can certainly do that. We have been approved by the bank. We can get the money and spread it out without impacting the membership dues hardly at all. We can somehow borrow enough money to replace 1-3 and somehow fix and band-aid 4 and 5. Regardless of what we do, borrowing some money will be necessary. The good news is that we will have a vote and the membership will decide.

Remember we are shooting for 9-12 general membership mtg….

AS OF AUGUST 22, PER THE COMMODORE

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Here is how we stand as of today…  As most of you know we have settled  with the insurance company. They have agreed to pay the maximum amount of our policy. We hired a clean up crew to dispose of the steel part of the old docks that were on the shore. We still have a ton to remove and dispose of, but things are improving.

  • We now have access to Docks 4, 5 and 6 from the shore.
  • The jib crane is being serviced next.

I will keep you updated on the progress.

As for the dock rebuild:  The dock committee has narrowed down the process to two companies. We have sent in detailed plan  with a similar layout to what we had. The condition of Docks 4 and 5 has made us have to get prices to replace those also. We want to make sure that we cover all the bases.
 ~
Please keep 9-12-15 open for a special membership meeting. We are shooting for that date to present the plan the board has approved.
 ~
In the meantime, we are setting up a forum on the web page to ask the dock committee questions in advance. Tim Johnson has agreed to monitor that section and address questions and comments from you. The dock committee has thought of hundreds of problems and concerns over this process. I continue to think we are in great hands with these guys.
As you know, you may contact me anytime to voice your concerns…
Leland Morris

AS OF AUGUST 17, PER THE COMMODORE

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Just wanted everyone to know… We are still waiting on the insurance company.  We are starting to dial it up a bit with them.  Still do not think we have any issues. We just need to get it done. Dock committee is still in the  final stages of nailing down the rebuild project. Hope to have more details in a day or so. I just wanted to keep everyone in the loop….

 

AS OF AUGUST 12, PER THE COMMODORE

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Just wanted to keep everyone in the loop…

We are still waiting on the final word from the insurance company.  It has been sent to an engineer the insurance company has hired. We are thinking we will hear anytime. 

The dock committee has narrowed the choice down to two companies.  The final plans have been submitted, and we are trying to have a meeting with each company the first of next week.

We are hopeful that we can present the plan to the board on the 22nd. I am still hopeful we can have a membership meeting on the 29th.

I just want everybody to know, they are not waiting on us. If you have been by the club in past few days, you will have noticed that we started taking the docks apart that were pulled up on shore. We have filled one 30 yard dumpster and another is on the way.  We should get the trash picked up by this weekend.

Just hang in there… 

 

AS OF AUGUST 5, PER THE COMMODORE:

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I just wanted to update everyone on the latest information we have…

  1. We have sent copies of the bids we have to replace the docks to the insurance company.  I would think we should hear from them the end of the week or first of next week. We did receive our check for the amount we previously submitted. Again as I have said before, we do not expect any issues with the insurance company. However, until it is done it’s not…
  2. The dock committee had a meeting  Monday. They have come up with a list of questions for each company that has sent us a proposal. They are in the process of getting those questions answered. They are taking great care in the process. They want to make sure that when they recommend a solution it is the best one possible.
  3. We have ordered a engineer report on the soil in the harbor. Again we want to make sure the anchoring system chosen will work best with the soil conditions. 
  4. If you have not  been to the club in a couple of weeks, you may not know that some of the old docks are now on land by the dry storage.We had someone starting to remove the debris. The person we had decided it was a little to much for him. We are looking for someone to replace him. We will get the old stuff out as quick as we can. 

I want everyone to know that we have plan.It is not moving as quickly as we would like. Most things do not. 

Our time line is this: We are thinking that the dock committee will have a recommendation to the board by the 22nd. We will know more in the next week or so. If that does occur, we would have the membership meeting on the 29th of this month. 

Appreciate everyone being patient. Please keep going to the web for updates. This is all subject to change depending us getting the information.

 

AS OF JULY 31, PER THE COMMODORE:

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Just wanted to update everyone on how the process is going. 

We are still waiting on a couple of dock company proposals. They promise they will have them to us shortly. Try not to get frustrated. The dock committee is on this, they will have recommendations to the board and we then will have a membership meeting. I am still thinking the weekend of the August 22  for the membership meeting.

Some good news, on the insurance front. We are still in the final stages of resolving the settlement amount for the docks. They have paid us for the money spent in our clean up efforts. They also paid us for hours members spent working at the club. Thanks to everyone for your time. Hang in there. 

Feel free to call me or email me with comments or questions. 

Leland

 

AS OF 11 AM, JULY 24, PER THE COMMODORE:

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Just wanted to update everyone on the dock rebuild…  

We have 2 proposals and expect a 3rd maybe today. The dock committee has a meeting set up to discuss the proposals and our options. It is moving a little slower than we thought, but not too bad. We have been in contact with our insurance company this week. After the dock committee reviews the dock proposals, we will send our summary to the insurance company. Hopefully we will have the insurance sign off by next week on the amount we will be provided to start the rebuild. Just wanted everyone to know we have a lot of moving parts. Things are progressing, even though you may not see it. 

I am  not quite to the point to set up a membership meeting yet. I would expect it to be somewhere around the middle of August. We will give as much notice as we can. We just need  to have all the info to present. Things are becoming a little clearer day by day.   

Remember, if you have anything for me, you can email or call me.  


Leland

 

AS OF 9 PM, JULY 19, PER THE COMMODORE:

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I just wanted to everyone aware of club status as of this weekend. 

We have received one of our proposals. We are expecting a couple of more this week. This will give the dock committee enough information to start reviewing. 

I have added two people to the dock committee:

David Meek and Tim Kraft have agreed to lend their knowledge. In these guys we have former Commodore, Harbor Master and Fleet Captain.They will be working along with David Patterson, Chance Beck and Tim Johnson. If all goes according to plan, we will have a special membership meeting in the near future to discuss new dock plans and get your vote. 

The  picture should be much clearer in the next 10-14 days, hang in there……

Very Important: from this point forward the minutes from the BOG meeting will be posted on the web under the“Members Only” link.  It will allow you to review all the up to date information and decisions made by the board. Thank you all for you hard work and tolerance during our dock rebuild.

 

AS OF JULY 11, PER THE COMMODORE:

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Great news for DCYC regarding our Corps of Engineers lease:

Just thought everyone could use a little good news… The lease renewal is up this month.  It runs us about 8k per year to lease the property. The good news is the CoE has come back with a 10 year lease for the same money as we are paying now… Maybe they felt sorry for us. Anyway very good news….

And even more good news:

Lake Lewisville has finally receded to 531.71 feet, 3.48 inches below the flood pool. We are now back in the high end of our conservation pool range.

 

AS OF JULY 7, PER THE COMMODORE:

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Let’s Keep Things Positive

Just wanted to keep everyone updated. It has been three weeks since the docks broke loose. I appreciate the big turn out Saturday. I think the band, fireworks, food and activity at the club was perfect timing.  I know the place does not look the best at the moment. I do however think we need to remain positive. We have many things that are going in our favor.

  •  No one was hurt
  •  We are insured
  •  We have  many qualified  people working to obtain the best replacement docks

The docks will be rebuilt, similar to wrecking a car. You obtain estimates, hammer it out with the insurance company. REBUILD, and that exactly what we plan to do.  

Dock plans have been submitted to 4 dock companies. We should have pricing within a couple of weeks. Let’s do not borrow trouble, we need to be patient. Let it play out a little….

 

AS OF JULY 5, PER THE COMMODORE:

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Here is how we stand as of today.

  1. Dock committee has four proposals being submitted. We are hoping to have them all between the middle of the month or the week after. This will dictate the direction we will head. At that time we will continue our talks with the insurance company. We are at the hurry up and wait stage.
  2. The dock moorings  are doing well under normal conditions. We did have a issue the other night when the winds jumped up to over 45 mph….
  3. We do have work ahead as we try to stay in front of the receding water levels. 

 Thanks for everyone’s hard work…

 

AS OF JUNE 24, PER THE COMMODORE:

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I just wanted to update all members  on a few issues.

We have had mtgs with our insurance company. The good news is that we are covered for our damage. It does look like we will reach the maximum on our policy.We are very hopeful that  prices to replace the docks are within that range.Mtg have begun with several dock building companies.  We are hoping to have proposals  no later than 7-31. I think we can have them sooner than the end of July.,but that is worse case… Tim Johnson, still needs help whenever you can. The boats are secure and clean up continues, so we need some help. Lisa Wilder is helping out by keeping up with where boats have been moved. I appreciate all her hard work.

The amount of people that have turned out to help around the club has been outstanding…  Come on out ..  Things will be getting back to normal soon…

 

AS OF 4:30, JUNE 19TH, PER THE COMMODORE AND DCYC LEADERSHIP TEAM:

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To the DCYC Membership:

As you know, our club now faces a difficult recovery, but a manageable recovery. You should be aware that your leadership team and several dedicated members are doing everything possible to address the harbor issues we now face. Here’s where we currently stand:

1.         Our insurance adjuster is flying in from California this weekend to assess the damages.

2.         With the help of Randall Massey and Chance Beck, we have hired a dive team to reinforce our break water. 

3.         With Tim Johnson’s direction and with help from numerous members, work is underway to reinforce Docks 3 and 4.

4.         Dagny Boaz and Lisa Wilder are reaching out to dock owners on Docks 1, 2 and 3 to offer options on dealing with the misplaced boats. 

5.         Keep in mind the Board and many other members are meeting daily to actively address issues as they arise.

6.         We have started investigating companies to rebuild the docks.

Most importantly, we need to work together and weather the storm.The process is going to be long, but the wheels are turning on all fronts.

Thank you for your patience. Commodore Leland Morris & the Board of Governors