Greetings from Kihei Timeshare Owners Association:
ANNUAL OWNERS MEETING: All
of you have received updates regarding the annual meeting in Las Vegas.
As those in attendance can attest, it was a spirited and informative
session. As a reminder the new board was increased from five to seven
members. The current board consists of:
Richard Pearson
President
Don Swatman
Vice President
Donald James Treasurer
Ed Norcutt Jr. Secretary
Lynette Poncin
Member
Mercea Hadigan
Member
Phil Showstead
Member
RESERVATIONS: Now
that the holiday season is upon us, the reservations are already streaming
in for 2004. Please remember that no reservations will be taken
more than one year in advance and those reservations cannot be made
before 9 a.m. Hawaiian time on Monday to allow for balanced access for
all members given our large geographic makeup.All other reservations can be made 24 hours a day 7 days a
week.Also of note, some have asked about our banking
of unused weeks. You may "Bank" any unused weeks
for up to two years, provided you are current on your maintenance
fees. As an example, any units not used in 2003 are good until the
end of 2005.
SALE OF UNITS: Several
individuals asked what could be done to help them sell their
units or rent weeks they couldn't utilize.Ms. Lynette Poncin
is in the process of establishing a format on our website that will
offer owners the opportunity to list their units or extra weeks without
the need of a realtor. Look for this some time in the early months
of 2004.
NON-SMOKING POLICY: The
board recently held a teleconference to discuss areas of concern or
items of importance to the membership. One such matter involves the
past practice of allowing smoking on the lanais of the units. The
units are non-smoking, but with the trade winds being what they are
the smoke still creates cleaning and odor problems in the units. In
order to insure a clean and hospitable
environment for all members, the board has decided that smoking is
prohibited in all units inclusive of the lanais.
Signs will be posted accordingly and a fine of $ 250 levied against
any party failing to comply. The attractiveness of our units is everyone's
responsibility, so please help us by adhering to this change.
2 BEDROOM WEEKS FOR SALE: At
this time there are still some two-bedroom units available for sale.
The price is $ 10,000 per week, plus escrow closing costs;
you can contact Dick Weaver at Oihana Property Management 800-367-5234
for additional details. As most of you know, Ms. Lani Kamaka is your
reservation contact at Oihana Property and she has asked that you
please contact her if you are experiencing any problems with
the website or do not have access to a computer.
INVENTORY BINDERS: In
the near future you will find permanent binders in the units that
catalog the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living/dining areas. These
are intended to help assure that any arrivals will have the benefit
of a fully stocked and user-friendly unit. When you arrive, please
check the inventory list and notify Oihana Property if there
is a problem. We want everyone to enjoy the same pleasant surroundings
as the last visitor.
SUN SHADES: The
newly installed sunshades really help to keep the units cool in the
afternoon.It would be appreciated
if you could remember to roll the shades up in the evening and when
you leave the unit.Sometimes
we get strong winds that could destroy the shades.
MISCELLANEOUS: Some
additional items were discussed, such as putting tile in the
entire living area to avoid wear and tear on the carpeting. Also
we are considering the installation of safes in all units for
added security. These were just discussion topics and we would welcome
any other ideas you may wish us to consider. Please forward your
ideas to me at enorcutt@rothschildagency.com.
LOCAL NEWS: High
winds on November 19th developed off shore and funneled
hurricane strength winds through Kihei.We were fortunate to lose only the top of one palm tree by
building D and some banana trees by the lower pool.The power was out for several hours and battery backups finally
went down.As a precaution we have supplied each unit
with candles, matches and a flashlight.
This
was a rare occurrence, but it served as a wakeup call for better
preparedness.
We
are now celebrities, the light shields we recommended be installed
on the walkway lights have gained some recognition.Given the Islands concerns of light pollution, the Maui News
sent a reporter and photographer to document our light limiting fixtures.This was a joint effort of our Association
and the Condominium Board.Hopefully
our notoriety will lead to more properties following our lead.
THE BAD AND THE GOOD: Recently
there have been major steps taken to lessen the noise created by the
coqui frog.This creature
was accidentally introduced to the Island and has no natural predator.About the size of a quarter, it emits a high-pitched screech that
is very annoying. Citric acid is being used as a spray to help control
the population.
On
the lighter note, there is a lone Monk seal frolicking in the waters
of Makena and Wailea.It appears
it’s attracted only to female swimmers and is known to give “love
bites” on occasion.It has been captured and relocated, but this
kissing bandit may return.We
will keep you posted.
In
closing, I would like to convey our heartfelt sympathy to the family
of Ms. Pat Robins of Tustin, CA who recently passed away. Please
feel free to contact us at any time with news about our members passing,
as we are one large family that shares a wonderful home in Maui.
Seasons
Greetings to everyone and look for our spring newsletter in April.
PRESIDENT’S
COMMENTS
A hearty Aloha to
start the New Year! If it’s anything like the last one, KTOA owners
will have a great one. I received a letter from RCI congratulating
us on earning their Gold Crown Resort designation for 2004. “Kihei
Akahi was selected to this prestigious group of resorts based on a
12-month compilation of exchange guest assessments that include: resort
quality, service delivery, and overall vacation experience, as well
as an on-site evaluation of resort facilities and amenities.” My sincere
thanks and appreciation for this achievement goes to our Oihana Management
staff (Dick, Lani, Nan, Janet, et al), plus our owner volunteers on
the Board (Lynette, Don, and Mercea) along with those at-large who
contributed so much of their time to make our property a “real winner.”
Those
of you who attended the annual meeting in September know that many
positive actions were taken. For those who couldn’t join us in Las
Vegas, you can read the highlights of them in the Minutes. Key among
them was the approval of updated By-Laws designed to reflect the many
changes which have occurred over the last few years. Along with this,
action to add two positions to the Board was approved, along with
election of new officers to fill them. All these actions were taken
to provide a strong foundation to enable us to continue improving
our property as it transitions to a fully subscribed owner status.