Call to Order
Michelle Sullivan Acting Board President, Lot 1826, called the meeting to order, held in the gymnasium at Winston High School, Winston Missouri at 1:00 pm. Additional Board members present were: Robert Walton, Lot 217, Tom Rice, Lot 343, Tony Gronniger, Lot 2281 and Terry Nibarger, Lot 657. Terry Nibarger led in prayer. Brian Holcomb, Managing Director, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Acting Board President, Michelle Sullivan, read the mission statement of Lake Viking. Michelle Sullivan gave a short welcome to the VVA members attending the Annual Meeting.
A motion was made by Terry Nibarger and seconded by Tom Rice to accept the orders of the day as presented on the handout given to members. The motion passed unanimously.
Michelle Sullivan welcomed the VVA members attending the Annual Meeting. Attached is her message given to the VVA membership in attendance at the Annual Meeting.
Good afternoon-
As the interim board president, I would like to thank every one of you for attending today. I would normally start by sharing all the individual things that have been accomplished over the last year and while there have been many great things accomplished, I would like to spend some time addressing the membership on the some of the recent events. There will be an update from the finance & dredge committee today and the other committee updates will be shared in the paper through committee minutes.
As you know, when I ran for office this time last year, I shared with you my love for the lake as my family has been here for over 30 years. My commitment to you was I wanted to see more accountability and communication from the Board, a better understanding of how the operational and financial decisions were made and see more involvement of members with important decisions. For me this is still critically important as we must all be working together to foster our Mission Statement of aspiring to preserve our community and environment for future generations.
Our lake community is nearing its 60th birthday. Over the last several years various boards have been sharing with you about the needs of the lake from infrastructure challenges, to aging lake amenities. Unfortunately, that is not the only thing that has aged. What I mean is the lake has the opportunity to improve how we are making decisions. This includes the need to update our internal operational and financial controls which includes policies, procedures and the steps we take. We can’t continue to run the lake like the good old days.
As you are aware, there have been some major changes to personnel and board members since June. It is important to me and the other board members that we share with you what we can as I know you all have lots of questions and it is understandable.
After the former Lake Manager resignation and the reorganization of the Board members positions and resignation of the former Board President, we have had the fortunate opportunity to welcome Brian Holcomb as the New Lake Manager just a short few weeks ago. Brian comes to Lake Viking with a degree in personnel management and master’s in business administration. Most recently, Brian retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol after serving for many years. Brian has been hard at work getting to know employees and has been working closely with Shad to learn some history at the lake.
As part of the Boards direction, one of the first things we charged Brian to do was start an inquiry regarding policies, procedures and controls to include how employees were working together daily and how in the past they received instructions or worked with the prior management. The internal inquiry is complete, but due to the confidential nature of information collected, we are required to maintain this confidentiality. I can confirm that the Sheriff has been apprised of the inquiry details and we are having ongoing discussions about the findings.
What I can share with you today, is the promise of this Boards commitment to membership. That we will continue to provide oversight and governance of the lake. The problems we have identified that have plagued the lake didn’t happen overnight and it takes some time to fix these. As the board members continue to hear me say, “It is a new day at Lake Viking”.
As shared in previous communications, we are asking our committee chairs to have a more active role at the table. We are stressing to membership that integrity is what carries this board and future boards forward.
I leave you with this thought, as Mark Twain once said, “you’re never wrong for doing the right thing.” But I would add that doing the right thing often takes great courage and integrity.
We are all at a crossroad, we either all work together to make this community that we all love stronger and learn from years of wins and losses, or we continue as a community and kick the can down the road. We understand that you may have additional questions and please know as we can share more information, we will.
Approval of Minutes from the 2023 VVA Annual Meeting
A motion was made to approve the minutes from the October 2023 Annual VVA Membership meeting by Tony Gronniger and seconded by Terry Nibarger. Motion passed unanimously.
Approval of Financials
A motion was made by Terry Nibarger and seconded by Robert Walton to approve the Financials from August 2024. Motion was approved unanimously.
Recognition of Committees and their Members
All committee members were asked to stand and were recognized for their service to the membership of Lake Viking. Michelle gave a special thank you to these volunteers and VVA Staff members for all they do to contribute to the success of the Lake.
Managing Director Report
Brian Holcomb, Managing Director of Lake Viking addressed the following:
• During the four interviews that Brian participated in while interviewing for the job of Managing Director of Lake Viking, the common theme in the interviews was my Integrity, my ethics, will I treat all fairly and equally and will I be consistent. Brian indicated he has been to a few monthly meetings and the town hall meeting, and I have heard members questioning the Board’s fiduciary oversight of the member’s money.
• Brian indicated the Board has tasked him with conducting an inquiry into the financial controls related to revenue and equipment at the lake, but other things were brought up. One of my observations was there were no bylaws and no written policy and procedures for how the lake was going to manage its assets and resources. Perhaps written procedures existed in the past and they have just been lost over time, but I found no written, consistent directions on how employees are supposed to know the lake’s expectations for the following:
1. Lot Sales
2. Cash Handling
3. Sale of Lake Property and Equipment
4. Social Media Usage
5. Bidding Processes
6. Accounting for Donations of Property and Services
7. Ethical Expectations
• Brian indicated he has seen an inventory list of the lake’s property, but it is not complete so we will be auditing this list for insurance purposes.
• Brian also indicated he has seen a credit card policy and while it mentions official business expenses and personal expenses it does not sufficiently define these terms.
• And finally, the handbook contains errors and contradictions and in a lot of areas the lake is operated in ways not reflected in the handbook.
• In summary, the lack of written policies and procedures for these areas makes the lake vulnerable and complicates efforts to safeguard the lake’s assets. Brian states he will be working with employees and the board to create written policies to better protect the lake association and your money.
Dredge Committee Report
Shawn Hepinstall reported we are a watershed lake and the water which runs off the farm ground consistently brings silt into the lake. Key points of this year’s dredge project include:
• 28K cubic yards of silt was removed during this year’s dredge project
1. Pirate Cove 6K yards of silt removal
2. Three Tubes 11K yards of silt removal
3. Garney 11K yards of silt removal
• 2024 Dredge Project
1. Renting the dredge from Dredge America was a good decision as we came in under budget for the project.
2. We are constantly cleaning silt from the lake so the change will be beneficial in the future.
• 2025 Dredge Plans
1. Silt ponds are currently full
2. Silt ponds will be reconditioned
• 2026 Dredge Plans
1. Yacht Club work will be done on the North Cove and behind the Yacht Club coves which are problem areas
2. Dredge Committee is also looking at the East side of the Lake to determine how/where we could create silt retention ponds. We are moving forward to dredging some of the areas of the Lake which have not been dredged in 50 years.
Finance Committee
• Terry Nibarger reviewed the last page of the member handout which gave information regarding the Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri. This organization works with individuals who wish to donate to VVA an easy and efficient way to make their donations. These donations are tax-deductible and may be designated for a specific project or be general in nature to meet VVA needs.
• Terry Nibarger also called membership’s attention to the section of the packet that is titled Proposed 2025 Dues & Assessments. This shows the Dues & Assessments increasing by $49.50 from 2024 to 2025. The 2024 Dues & Assessments were $1002.14 and the 2025 Dues & Assessments will be $1051.77.
• Doug Winter, Lot 47, asked the question when members own more than one lot what will they pay on the second lot. The answer was they will not be charged #4000 Membership Dues of $75.00 and #4350 Deferred Maint/Capital Project Assessments. Each lot after the first lot will be charged $927.38.
• Martin Wessinger, Lot 611, asked the question, “The bottom line of the P&L report shows a net income of $744,525.03 for the months of January 2024 through August 2024. Are we expecting to spend this amount by the end of the year?” The answer to this question from Paula Hepinstall was yes, we are not expecting a profit at the end of 2024.
New Board Member Election
• Voting instructions were reviewed for the membership. All voting will be done with written ballot
• Ballot Counters are Teresa Waterbury, Tiffany Tadlock, Nicole Gann & Diane Hulett.
• Three individuals filed for open Board Member positions prior to the meeting. These individuals each had five minutes to give their reasons for filing to become a Board Member.
1. David Daniel Lot 231 Dave is a Pattonsburg, MO native and graduated from PHS and Missouri Western. He has been a farmer for over 40 years. He and his wife Tina live here at the lake and have a mixed family of three girls and one boy. Dave feels his farming experience gives him a good basis for service on the Board at VVA. He stated the Lake has been a vital part of his family’s history through the years. Dave stated he wants to keep Lake Viking prosperous and he will listen to the members and will provide a voice so they may be heard. He states he will do a good job for the Lake.
• Question for Candidate Lot 5 Whitney What is his stance on Wake Boats? Dave deferred on this question as it is on the ballot for a vote by the membership.
• Question for Candidate How would you work with the new Lake Manager? Dave indicated he has known Brian for many years and he believes he is a man of integrity and Dave stated he feels he will be able to work with Brian.
2. Marvin McNabb Lot 28 Marvin and his wife have been owners at Lake Viking for 24 years and when they retired, they built their home here at Lake Viking. Marvin has served on the Board for three years and served one year as President. He has served on the Building Committee and is currently serving on the Infraction Committee. Marvin stated he feels membership has not been listened to and he is running for the board to give them a vote and a voice. He also indicated he believes Brian Holcomb will be good for the Lake.
• Question for Candidate Lot 1175 Natalie Amalani. What is the biggest failure here at Lake Viking in the last year? Marvins’ answer was lack of oversight by the board over what was happening at the Lake.
• Question for Candidate Lot 5 Whitney Loehnig What is your stance on Wake Boats? Marvin answered that the members will make the decision on this issue.
3. Shawn Schuyler Lot 3085 Shawn is the owner of C&H Plumbing. He has been a lot owner for two years and is a volunteer firefighter and a first responder. He enjoys the lake and states he wants to bring honesty to the lake. Shawn states he will fight for what members believe in to make the Lake experience fun for members. He stated it is all about the members, not about him. He will give a voice to the members and be their backbone.
• Question for Candidate Lot 1175 Natalie What is the biggest failure here at Lake Viking during the last year? Shawn answered he felt is was lack of communication.
• Question for Candidate Lot 130 Joe Cessick What was your biggest surprise as a new member? Shawn answered his biggest surprise was all the drama that he encountered.
4. Dan Wiedmaier Lot 309 Dan and his wife Connie, who is a retired school teacher, have two sons and four grandkids. Dan has worked 30 years as a salesman for underground cable. Dan is a member of the Catholic church. He has served on the Activities Committee and states he really enjoys the lake. His family has history at Lake Viking as Dan helped his father build a house on lot 340. Dan’s goals include: Keeping the Lake healthy, keep the family feeling at the lake, keep fishing at the lake, and serve the membership as a Board Member.
• Question for Candidate Lot 386 Amber Nielsen What do you consider to be a healthy lake? Dan answered that he wanted to ensure zebra mussels were not brought into Lake Viking because of the damage they cause.
• Question for Candidate Lot 244 Ryan Dowis Communication skills, how would he work with Brian Holcomb? Actively participate in communication and follow up on questions/answers to ensure effective communication.
• Question for Candidate Lot 1249 Robert Patch: Wake Buoys—boats go too fast and endanger others using the lake. Dan replied that he felt it would be a good idea to require new members to pass a test on the basic rules of the Lake before they were permitted to put a boat on the Lake.
Board Member Floor Nominations
• Mike Eversole Lot 2422 Karen Poole Lot 3152 made a motion to nominate Mike Eversole for a board position from the floor. The motion was seconded by Becky Weldon Lot 161. Mike is a union carpenter and works with a construction service company. Mike and his family enjoy the Lake life. Mike stated he felt that we need to try something different as the members do not trust the board.
• Question for Candidate Lot 194 Tina Baker What Lake Committee would you join? With his building experience, probably the Building Committee.
6. Anthony Dirks Lot 1250/1926 Anthony Dirks was nominated from the floor by Mary Hibler 1222 for Board Consideration. Mr. Dirks stated he was recently approached and asked to consider becoming a Board Member. Mr. Dirks stated he feels the Lake needs younger members on the Board.
• Question for Candidate Lot 194 Tina Baker What Lake Committee would you join? Mr. Dirks responded that he has served on the Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of the Fire Department here at the lake.
7. Christina Lindsay Lot 429 Christina was nominated by Brad Mitchell Lot 1707 and was seconded by Martin Wessinger Lot 611. Christina is a Pharmacist and spent 20 years working for CVS Pharmacies. She has since worked for a family office overseeing Human Resources, Legal Issues and Finance. She served on the Missouri Pharmacy Board for eight (8) years where she worked with constituents to make rule changes/modifications in the pharmacy industry. Christina defined her view of Board Member vs. Managing Lake Director stating the Board Members facilitate change while the Managing Lake Director make day to day decisions.
• Question for Candidate Lot 194 Tina Baker What committee would you serve on if elected? Christina answered that she would like to serve on the Handbook Committee.
• Question for Candidate Lot 220 Jody Odette asked how would personnel issues be handled. The Managing Director would exhibit trust, he would inspect the situation to find all the facts and would verify these facts. The final decision on employee matters would be run through the Board for final approval.
With no additional nominations from the floor voting instructions to only vote for three (3) board members were given to membership. Voting was by written ballot and were collected in ballot boxes. Ballots were counted by the four (4) counters whose names are noted above.
Board Member Voting Results
Results of the Board Member Election Voting
Christina Lindsay 154 votes serve 3-yr term
Dan Wiedmaier 133 votes serve 3-yr term
David Daniel 106 votes serve 1-yr term
Anthony Dirks 74 votes
Marvin McNabb 53 votes
Mike Eversole 50 votes
Shawn Schuyler 13 votes
2025 VVA Board Members
President Michelle Sullivan
1st Vice President Terry Nibarger
2nd Vice President Dan Weidmaier
Secretary Christina Lindsay
Assistant Secretary Tom Rice
Treasurer Robert Walton
Assistant Treasurer David Daniels
Wake/Surf Boat Rule Amendment
• A Ballot regarding the proposed changes in the Wake Board Rule was distributed to verified lot owners attending the VVA Annual Meeting.
• A discrepancy was brought to light that the language which was published in the paper did not exactly match the language which was published in Condo Control.
• The VVA Board adjourned to an Executive Session to discuss this discrepancy and appropriate action to address this problem.
• The VVA Board returned to Open Session and announced the Wake Boat amendment would not be voted on in the October 6, 2024 Annual Meeting.
• A motion was made by Terry Nibarger to table the Wake/Surf Boat discussion until a special meeting can be scheduled. The motion was seconded by Robert Walton. Motion passed unanimously.
• A special meeting to vote on the Wake/Surf Boat Amendment will be scheduled and membership will be notified of the date and time.
2025 Dues & Assessment Results
• The 2025 Budget as published and presented at the VVA Town Hall Meeting was presented to membership for a vote. Members were instructed to vote either Yes or No on the proposal.
• Voting Totals for the 2025 Dues and Assessment Budget were as follows:
Yes 124 Votes
No 68 Votes
The 2025 VVA Dues & Assessments Budget passed.
The VVA Annual Meeting was adjourned at 3:45pm.
Adjourn
A motion was made to adjourn to Executive Session at 3:00 pm to discuss legal, personnel, and Board organizational matters. The motion passed unanimously.
Attendance
A sign-in Attendance Sheet is on record at the Office for reference. Let the record show that these minutes are a record of the business transacted at this meeting and are a sampling of the discussions. Comments and discussions are not reflected in whole or as actual quotations in the minutes, nor do they reflect all comments by members.
Respectfully Submitted
Michelle Sullivan,
Secretary Board of Directors,
Viking Valley Association
