For Householders, Blainroe Estate                           

From Terry Neill, chair – Blainroe Estate Management Company board

June 15^th 2022                       

BEMC status update

This is a status report following the June meeting of the board of BEMC.

June meeting of the 2022 BEMC board

The June BEMC board meeting took place via Zoom on June 14^th.  A week later than usual as a consequence of the Chair being foolish enough to contract COVID.  (A bad idea.)

Amanda Collins, Pat Hinkson, Philip McEnroe, Katie Mooney, Gordon Murray, Terry Neill, Craig Whelan and Robert Patton attended.  They were joined by Marie Byrne, Bernie Nelson, Billy Nelson and Anne Nugent.

The agenda covered relatively routine items – but good progress was reported in several area

1. Water system update

• Billy Nelson reported that the two new wells recently approved and planned have now been brought online – meaning a 30% increase in Blainroe’s Water Capacity. Absolutely vital as the summer population arrives.
• An issue with a broken water pipe has highlighted the dangers of building/digging work proceeding without a detailed understanding of underground piping/utilities. It is vital that anyone undertaking work contacts BEMC to be fully aware of underground pipes – and that they are fully insured for any damage.
• Sewerage infrastructure issues around Monk’s Glade had been investigated and the board agreed that a permanent solution should be designed and implemented

2. Finance

Robert Patton reported on Finances.  There are no issues of concern and the board awaits the summary financial information for the April year end.

3. BEMC Document Management

Pat Hinkson and Craig Whelan reported on their project to upgrade BEMC document management systems.  The board accepted their recommendation that Microsoft Teams be the software platform. The next step is a design, policy and change plan to support implementation – to ensure that legal requirements are met and that the system is ‘user friendly’.  Like all good systems the policies and practices will cover retention policies, version control and an effective archiving and librarian function.

4. Landscaping/General Management

Bernie Nelson’s monthly report is attached. Bernie’s report highlighted several areas and issues which needed to be addressed.  The board discussed issues and priorities and asked for a comprehensive plan and costing for providing permanent, quality investment – to ensure that we don’t find ourselves doing ‘expensive short term ‘patches’’.

Householders should note the work on the Beach Area.  Really important for supporting the enjoyment of a real asset .. it is important that Bernie’s work does not go ‘unsung’

5. Blainroe Social Plans

Amanda Collins provided the list of social events which she and the team have been organising. The initial list will be available at the ‘summer launch’ on Friday 17^th.  Much great work by a number of people … with more events to be added in due course.

The meeting closed at 8:15pm

Attachment

Blainroe Estate

Landscaping & General Maintenance Report

May / June 2022

Date:               12^th June 2022

Landscaping

We are currently in peak grass cutting season with all areas of the Estate cut on a weekly basis.  Met with Avondale end May to review site activities and agreed priorities for coming weeks as follows,

• Grass cutting across all areas of the Estate as per contract
• Manual trim the entrance hedges during the bird nesting season to keep it neat & remove overgrown briars
• Weed removal, edging & trimming along roadways & house boundaries
• Cutting of the football pitch weekly in the high season
• Weeding & mulching of flowerbeds
• Summer cutting of greater Paddock area
• Hand mowing of the playground weekly and removal of hostile weeds

• We have removed the lavender planting from around the name stone at front entrance, the area was cleared of weeds and sprayed to slow regrowth. Best options for future planting are under consideration by the Landscaping group

• We currently have a wonderful display of Alliums in the flowerbeds & at the playground

• Quotes requested from Avondale for the removal of unsightly tree stumps around the Estate

Biodiversity

To mark World Bee Day, 25^th May, we planted the bank at Herbst’s field with wildflower seeds, also planted some Bee friendly shrubs near the green shed.

General Maintenance Activities

Sewage Issue at MG

We had a further incident with the sewage overflowing from the manhole in Monks Glade, Kelly Drain service removed the blockage and performed a CCTV survey of the drain.  The findings show that the sewer drain is damaged and not draining properly and holding water across the length of the survey.  The defects are graded as 5 which means that the drain has already collapsed, or collapse is imminent.  This needs urgent attention to prevent further blockages.  Recommendation is to replace the damaged sewer approx. 40 meters.

We are currently Investigating what remedial works are required and all associated costs to resolve this issue

Beach Area

We carried out a general clean-up of the beach area in preparation of the summer season, tasks included,

• Cutting back the undergrowth along the bank & walkway
• Spraying weeds to reduce further growth
• Power washed the walkway to the beach & removed moss & debris deposits
• Cleaned the picnic area and furniture
• Cleared the sand build up from the shower
• Washed & sanitized the handrail

This work involved the hire of a power washer

Note: before starting the work, we spoke with the Golf Club President and asked him to set up a meeting between Golf Club representatives & BEMC to discuss shared responsibilities / interests regarding beach, picnic area, gate management etc. during summer season.

We also took the opportunity and power washed the name stones round the Estate, seat at flower bed & road signs etc.

Sewage treatment plant

We had a major clear out of the briars & undergrowth around the sewage system and the access route to facilitate maintenance & safety of workers in the area.

Kelly’s emptied the septic tank during a dry spell at end of April, however the truck got stuck in wet ground when exiting. This demonstrates the difficulty we have with access to the site especially during winter months.  This could become a serious problem if urgent works were required.

Recommendation:  Install a Hard-Core pathway to facilitate access, also to put signage in place to identify BEMC system & a safety sign?  (Authorised personnel access only).

Other planned maintenance activities include:

• Playground – the wooden equipment, climbing frames & seesaw are looking very shabby and require moss removal, painting & UV protection

• The Fence at both sides of Monks Glade Bridge has further deteriorated and is in very poor condition with missing lats, exposed rusty nail, it requires urgent works to repair / replace.

• Fencing at Paddock, some sections are badly deteriorated

Big Bin Collection 2022

• Proposed date Saturday 20^th August