Summary of PIHA Annual Meeting (June 2025)

The 51^st Annual Meeting of the Presque Isle Harbor Association is in the books! And it was a great meeting with awesome attendance. A huge ‘thank you’ to all that attended!

The first presentation was regarding the proposed pool project. The BOD secured the services of Shoreline Architects, from Petoskey, to design the new pool area and fitness center. Shoreline had a video presentation of the overall design including the new pool area, wading area, spa and disability entry to the pool and spa. Additionally, the proposal includes an enlarged fitness room, improved locker rooms and new family/disability changing rooms. Those drawings will remain available for review in the clubhouse. Shoreline is setting up a website for all members to access to view the materials that were presented in the meeting. Shoreline answered all questions from the membership. A couple of ideas were presented that the BOD will need to discuss.

Mike Grochola, Chair of the Pool Committee, presented the financial piece of this project. While the actual costs of the project will not be known until the project is formally bid on by contractors, Shoreline has discussed the project with a local commercial contractor in Alpena and the BOD has a written estimate on the installation of the pool and spa. At this point, we have high confidence in the total cost of the project. PIHA is prepared to cover the 20% down payment and closing costs for a short-term commercial building loan with the balance to be assessed to members in a one-time special assessment. The Special Assessment will be based on the present dues assessment methodology of primary lot is 100%, and secondary lots are 50% of the primary fee. Each primary lot would receive an assessment of $900 if paid in full when the assessment is charged. Secondary lots would be $450 if paid in full at time of assessment. The BOD has proposed the payment plan allowing members to pay the special assessment over 3 years but would increase the cost somewhat to $1000 for the primary lot and $500 for the secondary lots. The payments would be split into equal payments over the 3 year period.

Annual Financial Audit: The results of the Annual Audit performed by an independent CPA firm was presented by Vickie Fields. Our auditors again find our association to be in good financial standing. Unfortunately, we did not receive copies of the Audit Report prior to this meeting. Copies will be available Monday, June 23 at the clubhouse. Copies should be available for download online shortly.

The minutes from the June 2024 Annual Meeting were read and approved. Those minutes will be posted to the webpage.

Tim Supinger, Executive Director, presented a report on the Association. The new roof has been completed (except over the pool building). He expects to receive a final claim decision from the arbitration judge by the end of next week.

Committee liaisons presented their reports. If you are interested in joining a committee, look to our website to see the chairperson or the board liaison – contact individual for further information.

The Natural Resources Committee meets monthly with a goal to promote being outdoors and enjoying the beauty we have here in PIHA.

The committee has supported the following:

• Monthly organized trail hikes that normally end with a cook-out, they are posted on the website, FB, and Activities board in the Clubhouse. The upcoming dates are June 28th, July 19th, August 23rd, September 27th, October 18th
• Created a new trail connecting Trails #1 and #2 to avoid the use of Briar Lane, the trail is still under construction but can be used
• Implemented a Trail Hazard reporting mechanism on the website
• Worked with the PIHA Maintenance Department to keep all the trails open
• Worked to clear debris from the Ice Storm on all trails along with many others in the community
• Created the 2025 Summer Trail Challenge to encourage members to get out and enjoy the PIHA trails and to find the hidden tokens for prizes
• Heather Rawlings, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, has agreed to lead both the September and October hikes. Her suggestions are: Ocqueoc Falls, Besser Natural Area, Southern part of Rockport Recreation Area for bats, quarry and sinkholes.
• The hike on June 28th will be to promote the PIHA Trail Challenge
• The committee is open to additional members that would be interested in serving

Communication Committee: You should be receiving a monthly correspondence from PIHA. We communicate via 4 sources:

1) All notices are posted on our website, www.presqueisleharbor.org

2) All notices are posted on our Facebook page

3) Emails go out to all members with a current email on file and

4) All events are on the bulletin board in the clubhouse.

If you are not receiving at least monthly correspondence from PIHA, please verify your email address with the staff and check your spam folder.

Rules Committee: A few updates were approved by the board. There is a definition of ‘domestic partner’ and approved such as ‘immediate family’. In addition, we have defined acceptable fireworks at the campground. The updated rules should be available on our website in a downloadable form within the next week. In addition, you can obtain a current copy from the staff. The required form for any new or changes to the structure on your lot is now available for download with a link in Rule 21 or under ‘downloadable forms’ on the webpage.

Clubhouse, Beach and Pool Committee: The GL Beach House will be staffed daily from 12-8pm through summer. The restrooms at NB Beach House will remain locked. You can get the door code from the front desk.

Awards were present to outgoing board members: Rob Crook, Dennis Fauver and Matt Ulrich.  Thank you for your commitment to PIHA. It is truly a blessing that our board members give freely of their time, education, experience and commitment for a minimum of 3 years.  Thank you so much!!!

The results of the Election were announced before closing the Annual Meeting. The new/returning Board members for a 3-year (2025 – 2028) term are:

Rob Crook: His second 3-year term

Sarah Moe Melching: New member – elected to a 3-year term

Anna Skowronek: New member – elected to a 3-year term.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:05pm

A Note Regarding Lake Esau Lake Levels (2/7/25)

Dear Members,

EGLE has not yet determined the Easu lake level, which means no obligations exist at this time. Moreover, due to our club’s covenants and land rights, selling the property will not relieve
us of any potential future responsibilities regardless of any determination EGLE makes.

I understand that many of you are concerned about the implications of this uncertainty. It sounds like you’re worried that selling the lot now might solve our problems—but the reality is
that even a sale wouldn’t remove our long-term exposure.

Here’s what we know:

• No Determination Yet: EGLE has not finalized its lake level evaluation. There are no current obligations imposed on our property or any property on Easu.
• Covenant & Ownership Details: Regardless of a sale, PIHA retains access rights and could still be held responsible for any obligations.

I want to acknowledge your concerns because they are entirely valid. It may feel like we’re in a catch-22, and you might be asking, “How can selling help when we’d still be on the hook?” What additional information would help you feel more comfortable with our current stance?

To ensure we address all your questions and work together on this issue, we are:

• Monitoring the Situation: We’re actively tracking updates from EGLE and consulting with legal experts.
• Preparing for a Discussion: We’ll be holding an informational meeting [date/time TBA] where we can openly discuss these concerns and answer any questions you might have.

I appreciate your trust and patience as we navigate this challenge. Your feedback is critical—if you have questions now or concerns you’d like us to address at the meeting, please let us
know.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Robert V. Crook
PIHA Board Member
County Commissioner District 5

PIHA BOD Statement Regarding Special Assessments for Grand Lake and Lake Esau

Upcoming Committee Meetings

To view any upcoming PIHA committee meetings, please follow the tab located at the top of the website called “News and Events – Calendar of Events” (or click here) to view any scheduled committee meetings.