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May
4, 2011
Dear Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowner,
I’m disappointed to be writing you with news of Ellyn Dooley’s
resignation from the AOAO Board of Directors (see attached letter).
Ellyn has been a tremendous asset to our association and one of
the hardest working volunteer Board members I’ve ever known.
Her departure illustrates the significant challenge Board members
face in balancing the responsibilities of the AOAO with their
own busy lives. Those responsibilities are often complicated by
the competing wishes of 148 different homeowners. Ellyn always
accepted those challenges with grace and responded with fairness
and self sacrifice.
Please join me with many Mahalos for everything Ellyn has done
for our association ! ! !
The Board will soon start searching for a replacement.
All those interested should email me at jeffkent@interlube.com.
Sincerely,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
Dear
Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowners,
I know this is going to come as a surprise to most of you, but
as of May 1st I am resigning from our Board of Directors. This
has been a difficult decision because I’ve truly enjoyed
working with my fellow Board members and didn’t want to
create a burden for them. But unfortunately, multiple circumstances
in my life are making it difficult for me to perform my Board
duties with the diligence and attention it requires. I promise
to minimize any disruption my vacancy causes and assist our Board
through the transition. It has been a fantastic experience working
with this Board, and that is the part I will miss most.
I am delighted with the great work our Board has done and am proud
to have been part of such a hard working and dedicated team. The
MPL victory and solution to our staffing problems are two huge
accomplishments as well as the work we’ve done on countless
other topics and issues that have resulted in significant progress
over the past couple of years.
Along with the sense of satisfaction brought by these achievements,
being on the Board has included a certain amount of anxiety that
I felt exceeded what one should expect from this kind of responsibility.
While most of our homeowners have been very complimentary and
thankful for our work, the reactions of some homeowners to Board
decisions I felt were inappropriate. Making decisions involving
people’s personal preferences is challenging and it is difficult
to please everyone. Each decision requires exhaustive research,
considering every possible angle to determine what would be best
for the Association as a whole. Until I served on the Board I
had no idea how extensive that process is. Having said that, I
appreciate the understanding and patience expressed by so many
of you, understanding that living in a community setting sometimes
involves making personal compromises. I feel it is important to
bring this up, as it is easy to forget.
In closing, I thank all of you and the Board for the cooperation
and appreciation shown to me over the years. It has been a privilege
for me to have your confidence and support and it has been great
getting to know so many of you.
Mahalo nui loa,
Ellyn
Dooley
March
15, 2011
Dear Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowner, I'm just wrapping up a short,
one week visit to Molokai and I must say that I've never seen
our property look better or the island look greener. Mother
Nature has turned the entire west end into a lush tropical garden.
Occasionally it has been difficult to cope with the volume of
rainwater blessings but our crew has done a great job under
the guidance of our new property manager, Jeff Herman.
The primary purpose for my quick visit was to work with Jeff
and evaluate the maintenance programs moving forward. He is
a tremendously skilled and hard working leader who has had an
immediate impact on the crew and property. Every person I’ve
spoken with is thrilled with “the new guy”. On a
side note…now that we’ve hired our new property
manager, I want to encourage homeowners to direct all grounds
and building maintenance requests to Jeff Herman. Do not make
suggestions or requests directly to the work crew or engage
them in conversations about work routines or practices. It is
very important that all such information flow through Jeff,
not around him. On a related note…please let me take this
opportunity to thank our Board members Bob, Dale, Barb, and
Ellyn for filling in during the time we had no property manager.
Bob especially spent months managing our crew and laid the organizational
foundation upon which Jeff Herman can now build.
During this past week I’ve also conducted my routine follow-up
on the Hotel Lot common area restoration. Work has been complicated
by the weather but is still moving forward with significant
improvement results. There are new plantings, trees, and ground
cover developing in areas previously left barren for over 10
years and it’s heartwarming to watch the changes.
We had quite a scare last week with the tsunami from Japan sweeping
across Hawaii. Molokai was largely spared major damage and Kepuhi
Beach saw none. However, our emergency response activities were
put to the test and we passed with flying colors. Rodni and
Franz returned to the property at 11:00 p.m. and quickly organized
and assisted in evacuation. Security patrols continued throughout
the night and assistance was again provided to the returning
occupants. Mahalo Rodni and Franz! ! ! !
•Please remember the AOAO Board of Directors meeting
coming up on April 7, 2011. It will be held in Maunaloa
at the community center, starting at 9:00 a.m. All homeowners
are invited to attend and participate.
Following are some bullet points of quick information and reminders
I would like to share with everyone.
•A full report on the Cross Easement dispute was sent to
all homeowners last month. If you did not receive this please
email me and I will send another by U.S. post.
•The swimming pool has been closed for the past week due
to a pump malfunction. Hopefully it will be open again by the
time you receive this letter.
•There are a number of unknown people abusing the parking
limitations on property. Three vehicles seem to be abandoned;
a red 4-door Oldsmobile license # MLZ-080, a red Nissan Sentra
license #MGS-313 and a red Ford Escort license #MGS-409. Please
let me know if you have any idea who owns these. Also, long-term
parking is for homeowners only! We seem to have a couple cars
in our lots that belong to annual vacation renters who store their
cars for 10 to 11 months while they are not renting. This non
homeowner storage is not permitted.
•New meters have been installed on our B.B.Q.s to stop the
main gas flow overnight in order to limit wasted gas when the
grills are not turned off properly. Please ask security for help
if you can’t get gas to flow and they will restart the meters.
•Please remember the new lanai policy limitations and, if
you haven’t done so already, please bring your sunshades
and decorations into compliance. The new policy has made a tremendous
difference in the quality appearance of our resort but a few units
still need to change their sunshades and remove some signage on
the landings and lanais that are in violation. Note: No privately
placed signs are allowed on any exterior wall other than over
the lanais and those must conform to the decoration limitations
in the new policy.
I’m enclosing another blank copy of the homeowner’s
questionnaire. We have yet to receive about 35% of the owners
emergency contact information…if you have not done so already…please
fill this out and return it ASAP.
In closing, let me also report that occupancy on property seems
to be returning to the vibrant winters of years past. Homeowners,
repeat vacation renters, and new visitors are filling our resort
and creating a Kepuhi Beach community filled with Aloha.
Please come join us soon ! ! !
Sincerely,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
October 6, 2010
Dear Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowners,
It is my great pleasure to confirm that the restoration of our
swimming pool is near completion. The repairs are finished and
the water will be treated this week. It may take another week
or so to test the systems and balance the chemicals, but very
soon we will once again have the best “pool with a view”
in Hawaii.
Getting our pool back is a major accomplishment in a long and
difficult struggle with Molokai Ranch (MPL). In many ways that
struggle continues, as most of the Hotel Lot common areas are
still in an advanced stage of neglect. I spent most of September
on Molokai trying to accelerate the restoration process but other
than the pool repairs, not much else was settled. After a series
of very intense meetings with MPL’s management it became
obvious that further enforcement action is needed to force MPL
into compliance with the court orders. Therefore, we are filing
a motion seeking further punitive damages and requesting that
a special master be appointed to oversee the restoration process.
This action should bring multiple benefits starting with an immediate
surge in restoration activity as MPL tries to illustrate to the
court that a special master is not needed. The hearing on this
motion should take place in November.
In direct contrast to the Hotel Lot situation, a tremendous amount
of work has been done this year on the AOAO common areas and the
results are outstanding. Virtually every month a major project
was undertaken on a wide variety of property enhancements.
Grounds:
A
fertilizer and disease control program was implemented, involving
multiple full property applications and sprays.
•All of the gardens were refurbished through the removal
of dead and dying plants and replacing them with over a hundred
new plantings in a wider variety of color and species.
•A new elevated garden bed was built near the south B.B.Q.
and filled with exotic plants. A second elevated bed is now being
built between building #15 and the AOAO office.
•All of our active and long-term parking lots have been
properly posted. This project is now shifting to security and
other common area signage installations.
West Molokai Resort Condominium AOAO
P.O. Box 58, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii, 96770 Telephone 808.552.2313
www.kepuhibeachresort.com
•The switch out of all exterior lights to lower wattage
and CFL bulbs has been completed.
Buildings:
•Three staircases have been completely rebuilt and many
others were partially rebuilt.
• All exterior apex screens have been repaired and replaced.
The birds had nested in (and sometimes penetrated) these screens
throughout the entire complex. New construction installation now
makes perching and nesting nearly impossible.
•Approximately half of the bamboo cottage lanai partitions
have been rebuilt and the other half should be finished sometime
in November.
•The month of October is dedicated to louver repair and
repainting on all buildings.
New Installations & Purchases:
•This past spring an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
was installed on the internet lanai at our AOAO office (unit #1171).
•New solar tiki torches are currently being installed throughout
the complex.
•New pool furniture is on order for delivery in November.
•The new sunshades are now available for order. The AOAO
is offering a $50 rebate or discount on the purchase of new sunshades
which conform with the new lanai policy. If you wish to participate
in the bulk purchase option, please see the enclosed flyer.
More Great News…No Maintenance Fees in December! Throughout
the completion of the projects listed above, the AOAO Board has
remained frugal with the association’s expenses. This combined
with the arbitration award has resulted in a large surplus in
this year’s operating budget. The Board is confident this
surplus will continue through the rest of this year so we are
planning to declare December as a maintenance fee holiday. Basically
that means on November 30th, all homeowner accounts will be credited
one month’s association dues, resulting in no payment being
required for December.
A number of large projects and AOAO initiatives are currently
in the development stage and will be described and discussed at
the upcoming Board and homeowner’s meetings. Please plan
to join us and enjoy the festivities starting November 11th and
running through November 14th.
If you are unable to attend the annual homeowner’s meeting
please make sure you send your proxy form to Castle by November
11th (another copy is enclosed for your convenience).
Look for more exciting news soon and until then…
Aloha!
Jeff
Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
October
13, 2010
Aloha
Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowners,
Last Friday the electrical contractor arrived at the pool and
began preparing for the restoration process during which new pumps
and filter systems must be installed. On Monday the general contractor
arrived and his crew began resurfacing the pool itself. More workers
will be joining them as the project proceeds and it looks like
they plan to finish the restoration by mid October.
This is wonderful to see and soon we will once again enjoy the
most spectacular "pool with a view" in Hawaii.
Mahalo again for your support and patience during the long wait
! ! !
Sincerely,
Jeff
October
11,2010
Aloha
Kepuhi Beach Resort Owners,
Great News ! ! ! Great News ! ! ! Great News ! ! !
The Department of Health has granted official approval to the
swimming pool repair plan and the contractor now has their permission
to begin restoration.
The preliminary schedule is for the work to be started next week
and completed in mid to late October.
While nothing in this process is guaranteed...I'm very confident
the swimming pool will be open and operational before the end
of October. Watch for more great news on this and other topics
soon.
Mahalo,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
SUNSHADE ORDER
September
13, 2010
Dear Kepuhi Beach Homeowner,
It is getting close to that time of year when many owners begin
planning their return to Molokai. Your Board of Directors are
hard at work preparing for the coming fall season as well as the
annual homeowners meeting. I’m confident everyone will be
pleased with our grounds and the completion of a half a dozen
major projects over the past 10 months. This hasn’t occurred
without numerous complications, the most significant of which
was the huge axis deer population that have overrun our property.
Many nights there are literally hundreds of deer migrating through
our court yards, eating the foliage and tearing up our sprinkler
lines. One night a stampede destroyed one of our new teak benches.
Hopefully Mother Nature will kick in soon to provide wetter surroundings
that can take the pressure off our grounds.
There have been some positive developments on the Hotel common
area topic. We just received the Department of Health approval
for reopening the pool. I’m quite confident we will be swimming
by the end of October.
We also keep racking up legal victories with the receipt of the
signed judgment registered in state court. Now there are no appeal
options left to MPL (The Ranch) and this should yield a more cooperative
attitude from them. We also received an award of an additional
$12,500 legal fee reimbursement along with the judgment. I am
back on Molokai for much of September and will be meeting with
MPL to finalize and document a more comprehensive Hotel common
area restoration plan.
I expect to have a great deal of positive news to share with
you over the next 8 weeks. In the meantime, please see the enclosed
information about the annual homeowners meeting coming up on November
13, 2010. We hope you are planning to attend. If so, enclosed
are reservation forms for the various events which must be returned
timely. However, if you are unable to attend, also enclosed are
proxy ballots which can be returned as described in the self addressed
stamped envelope.
If you haven’t attended the annual festivities in the past
please try and join us this year. The only thing better than coming
to Molokai is to do so when your fellow homeowners are there to
enjoy good times together, celebrate the success of our AOAO and
share the aloha spirit.
Aloha,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
July
20, 2010
Dear Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowners,
I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting news about the
re-opening of our swimming pool. I’m sorry I’ve not
written to you sooner but I keep hearing that progress will be
made shortly, which constantly leaves me trying to decide whether
it’s better to write with no news or wait for another few
weeks.
Unfortunately, the pool repairs are still stuck in the Maui County
permitting process. The repair plans and permit application were
submitted the beginning of April. The Department of Health (DOH)
came back with additional questions the beginning of June and
a full response was provided within days but nothing has been
heard since. I wish I could blame this delay on the Ranch (MPL)
but they seem to have little influence over the process at this
stage. The point person at DOH has just returned from vacation
so hopefully progress will be forthcoming soon. Please rest assured
that we are following up and pushing on a continuous basis. Your
Board understands the rental difficulties caused by this uncertain
situation and I know the delay has been frustrating and costly
for all our owners.
On a more positive note, I just received word that the circuit
court judge signed the final judgment officially entering our
arbitration award as a civil judgment in the Second Circuit, State
of Hawaii. This opens the door to further enforcement options
and enhances our leverage on MPL’s restoration activities.
MPL has 30 days to challenge this action but it’s unlikely
they will do so as it would be futile and only cost them more.
Although the legal process is moving very slowly, we continue
to win virtually every motion and hearing along the way. Earlier
this year I described the situation as similar to being half way
through a football game but already knowing the outcome. That’s
still true but playing out the second half is more frustrating
than I expected because the delays seem so senseless and unnecessary.
The restoration of the Hotel Lot common area continues with more
and more being brought back but the irrigation system is a disaster.
Now that summer is drying the property out, the Ranch workers
are trying to keep up with an irrigation system that leaks more
water than it sprinkles. These leaks not only slow down the restoration
but also impact our own water pressure and supply because the
systems are somewhat intertwined.
I wish I had more to report. I contact MPL and/or our lawyers
at least twice per week for updates or to instigate some action,
so sooner or later I will have good news to share with you.
In addition, the Board is at work on a major staffing overhaul
and a variety of initiatives including revamping the lanai policy
as well as numerous property enhancement projects. We continue
to replace old shrubs and plants with new ones, with the goal
of adding more color and interest to the look of our grounds.
We are upgrading the maintenance plan for our buildings to include
vacuuming and cleaning the landing carpets on a regular basis.
There are staircases being reinforced and lanai pads being replaced.
And, as always, we continually chase plumbing and electrical issues
as they arise.
We very much appreciate your support and patience as we navigate
our way through this complex set of circumstances.
Important: Please keep the Annual Meeting dates in your calendars
and plan to attend. The annual festivities begin with a potluck
Thursday, November 11, with entertainment being provided by DJ
and Lono. Friday and Saturday will be the Board Meeting and the
Homeowner’s Meeting as well as the Golf Tournament, Table
Top tournament, and Crafts Fair. It is a wonderful time to meet
new neighbors, share good food, and enjoy the beautiful entertainment
and aloha spirit from the island. Official notice and registration
details will be sent to you in September.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
June 14, 2010
Dear Kepuhi Beach Resort Homeowner,
Enclosed are rough drafts of two documents the Board of Directors
have been working on.
The first is an AOAO lanai policy that was developed after gathering
the thoughts, opinions and suggestions of our homeowners through
the lanai survey conducted earlier this year. From those results
it was quite clear that the association membership overwhelmingly
want the lanais more controlled than they have been but not as
much as the rules currently call for. The Board has spent an enormous
amount of time trying to find the right balance that will protect
the appearance of the property but allow for homeowner’s
personal expression and enjoyment of their individual lanais.
The Board was very careful to tailor the policy so nearly all
items the membership majority wanted restricted are restricted
and those items the majority wanted permitted are permitted. Please
take the time to compare this draft lanai policy to the survey
results (also enclosed).
The second document is an updated set of House Rules. Most rules
are unchanged but some needed updated language to reflect changes
in AOAO policies as well as state and federal law.
Important: These two documents are only drafts. The Board has
not adopted either. We want to first get your feedback before
moving forward. Please carefully review and consider them, then
mail or email the Board with your comments and/or suggestions.
All input must be received by July 15, 2010 in order to be considered
before production of the next draft.
Mahalo in advance for your input!
Sincerely,
Aloha,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
Click
on the link below to see the Lanai Policy Draft
Lanai
Policy DRAFT
May
18, 2010
Dear West Molokai Resort Homeowner,
The Board of Directors held their spring meeting on Molokai on
April 12th. During that meeting we set a goal of making our property
look 15 years younger by this November’s annual meeting.
Most of the Board were on property for extended stays and a lot
of work was accomplished.
• Many new plants were installed, replacing the old and
dying throughout the property. This included 4 new fruit trees.
• The entire grounds were fertilized.
• The parking lot sign project was completed.
• The entire irrigation system was tested, adjusted and
repaired.
• An Automated External Defibrillator was purchased and
installed on the AOAO office lanai (unit #1171).
The minutes for the April 12th meeting with attachments are enclosed.
The most striking information to report is the incredibly strong
financial position of our AOAO. Our reserves are now 100% fully
funded and we continue to run surpluses nearly every month. Add
to this the $75,000 award from the arbitrator and full reimbursement
of our legal fees and we are in a very healthy situation.
The down side is the swimming pool has not yet reopened. The strategy
is still to reopen it on a temporary basis for 4 or 5 months while
permitting for the full restoration is working its way through
the county. Unfortunately, even the temporary permit is taking
longer than expected. Currently we are waiting for the Department
of Health to give the plan their blessing. That could come any
day and once achieved it shouldn’t take more than 30 days
to reopen. The Hotel Lot landscaping restoration is progressing
slowly but surely. I will be returning to Molokai in mid June
to offer face to face encouragement for MPL to fulfill their common
area obligations.
There are a lot of improvements underway and many more planned.
Please join us the second week in November at the annual homeowner’s
meeting during which we will celebrate our rejuvenated and restored
shared piece of paradise.
Aloha,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
January
22, 2010
Dear
West Molokai Resort Homeowner,
It has been a month since our stunning arbitration victory, and
we are beginning to see small indications of activity around
the Hotel Lot. We have yet to receive any firm plan or commitment
on time frame so we are likely looking at a long
restoration process. Obviously reopening the pool is our primary
objective and MPL has started to clean it up.
It is still unknown what repairs will be needed and how long that
will take. I will be on property the first week of February
to investigate the situation and begin a photo catalogue to document
the restoration process. A lot of you have been
writing with questions that I can not answer yet. I hope to know
more soon so please be patient with me for a little while longer.
Attached are the draft minutes of our November Board of Directors
meeting. Since then we
have undertaken a lot of activity.
• Ellyn has initiated a new crew task list and a process
for monitoring quality and project completion.
• New signage for the parking lots has been purchased and
will be posted in the next few weeks.
• New B.B.Q. grills and “rocks” have been installed
and a more thorough cleaning procedure has been instituted.
• A new clothes dryer and hot water boiler have been installed.
• 38 of the Ranch coconut trees which hang over our common
areas were trimmed (paid for by private donation).
• A Sun shade was installed on the internet hotspot lanai.
• The Board has instituted an owner notification system
for utility outages where power or water will be turned off for
more than 24 hours. Mike Jennings will notify Ellyn Dooley and
she and Barbra Kyte will call the owners
in that building to inform them of the situation.
• The Board drafted a long list of repairs in November which
is well on its way to completion including; lights,
B.B.Q., building, plumbing, and ground repairs.The Board continues
to investigate and work on various
homeowner suggestions made at the annual meeting and we expect
to report more on those in the coming months.
A lot of great things have happened and many more are coming soon.
The rebirth of our resort is beginning
and we all share a brighter future in paradise.
Aloha,
Jeff Kent
President, West Molokai Resort AOAO
September
10, 2009
Aloha West Molokai Resort Homeowners:
Re: Annual Meeting of your Association (November 14th, 2009).
To update you on the litigation between the Ranch and the AOAO,
the arbitration hearing occurred without further continuance on
August 31st, September 1st, and September 3rd. Both sides presented
their cases through five witnesses each and hundreds of exhibits
that were entered into evidence. The formal proceedings are now
over but closing arguments will occur during the next few weeks
through a series of written filings back and forth. Once those
are submitted, the judge will likely take up to three weeks to
issue a ruling so we are looking at sometime early to mid October
for the final result.
The hearings went as well as we could have hoped. Our case came
out very strong where the Ranch’s case was weak and convoluted.
Jeff feels hopeful that a victory is coming for the AOAO but how
big a victory is still being decided. A full report on our success
will be provided sometime in October with further discussion at
the Homeowner’s Annual Meeting in November.
Those planning on attending the Board and Homeowner’s Meetings
in November will be pleasantly surprised by a few changes mostly
as a result of requests made at last year’s Homeowner’s
Meeting. First, the board has purchased nice Adirondack chairs
placed strategically on the grounds as a beginning toward resort
enhancement. A new, large aesthetic bench will have been installed
in between cottages 5 and 6 so owners and guests who are unable
or prefer not to walk to the beach for sunset can sit and enjoy
the view. Those attending the meeting may be able to participate
in discussing other ideas that will be presented to ‘beautify’
our grounds in addition to offering enhanced opportunities for
socializing, outdoor game areas, and more.
Another item implemented from last year’s meeting is the
opening of the internet hotspot on the lanai of the AOAO office
(1171). Two tables with several chairs have been set up with plug-ins
available for several computers. Quiet hours must continue to
be observed. To keep noise to a minimum, Skyping or other loud
conversation will not be allowed. This will be disruptive to the
surrounding neighbors. How to get set up and access the system
will be described later.
Most importantly at this time, please find enclosed the information
for the board meeting, homeowner’s meeting, and additional
events’ calendar. We hope you are planning to attend. If
so, enclosed are reservation forms for the various events which
must be returned timely. However, if you are unable to attend,
also enclosed are proxy ballots which can be returned as described
in the self addressed, stamped envelope. The board thanks you
for all your support throughout a most difficult year and looks
forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the annual meetings
in November.
Mahalo nui loa,
Kepuhi Beach Resort Board
AOAO Board
Mike, Ellyn, Jeff, Barb, Dale, Bob
AOAO Crew
Jeff, Chris, Franklin, Ivan,Hermie, Rodney,Franz
P.O. Box 58, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii, 96770
Telephone 808.552.2313
www.kepuhibeachresort.com
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