No Parking Overnight at Amenity

Hideout Members and Staff Summer 2022 is quickly becoming a memory. We hope this summer has provided a relaxing and renewal time for all of you. We have enjoyed a warm/hot summer, and the Spring rains subsided to allow for wonderful summertime enjoyment. Our lakes and pools were able to stay open except for a couple of short breaks requiring our staff to perform repairs or updates. You can see our staff is constantly upgrading our areas from pickleball courts to roadways and more. We have recently been receiving wonderful accolades from visitors from as far away as New Hampshire. We hope you will enjoy a safe and enjoyable Labor Day, which will conclude our wonderful summer of 2022. Our staff will begin the process of securing our summer equipment and start preparing for the fall and winter that is coming. We ask all our members to let us know if they see areas that may need improvement as we progress towards our goals with the change of seasons. We will continue to work on our stormwater projects, which are many, in an effort to insure better protection for our members and their property. You will observe ongoing work on our facilities and infrastructure, maintaining The Hideout’s reputation as the premier community in Northeast Pennsylvania. By the time you receive this message, the election of two Directors for the Board of Directors will have begun. This is a very important process all members should be involved in. The election to the Board of Directors will provide the direction The Hideout will follow with its policies. These policies have a significant impact on the quality of life for members of The Hideout. Please take the time to review each candidate’s qualifications. This year again, we are proud to offer two methods of voting, either online or by paper ballot. This year we will also have a service marking the tragedy of 911. The Hideout Help a Hero Fund, with the guidance of two of our members, Bob Wiegand and Bill Wagner, will present the 911 ceremony and associated events. We urge our members to participate in these events and continue our pledge to never forget. A special thank you to Bob and Bill, who have for years promoted and organized these and other events honoring our military and public heroes. The Hideout is very fortunate to have two such dedicated volunteers as members. ■

FROM DEBRA TRAMANTANO, FINANCIAL MANAGER Financial Corner

It seems like yesterday we were toasting the arrival of 2022, and here we are, almost at the end of summer! Work on the proposed 2023 budget has been completed, and the budget is being published for Community review. It was a challenging task to prepare the 2023 budget. Uppermost in our minds was how can we minimize increasing dues while sustaining operations. We are facing unprecedented inflation rates. In June, we hit a fresh 40-year record, with consumer prices increasing 9.1% over the last twelve months. Energy costs have increased by 50% on average. Food costs have risen 10.4% from June 2021 to June 2022. Recruiting and retaining staff has mandated raising hourly rates in order to stay competitive with the market. Given all that, the proposed increase in dues for 2023 is a $70 increase for the year. This amounts to $1.35 per week and represents a 3.7% increase in dues from last year. Considering the increases in expenses we have seen across the board and the current inflation rate, I feel this is reasonable, if somewhat conservative. Saturday, Sept 24th, is the Community Budget review meeting. I look forward to seeing you there and answering any questions you may have. ■ Welcome September! This is the month we transition from Summer to Autumn with the cooler temperatures and crisp mountain air. I want to take this opportunity to thank all our employees for a very busy and wonderful summer! To all our Food and Beverage employees at the Clubhouse, Snack Shop, Tiki Bar, and Main Lodge … THANK YOU for the delicious food and great service. To our Public Safety staff … THANK YOU for the boat patrol and for taking care of our community. To our Maintenance staff … THANK YOU for maintaining our beaches, pools, and common areas. To the Recreation staff … THANK YOU for our Kids Camps and summer programs. To our Lifeguards … a big THANK YOU for keeping all of us safe while using our pools and beaches. To all our POA staff and every Hideout employee … THANK YOU too for a successful and wonderful summer season. September is also the month when The Hideout membership will cast their votes for two (2) Board of Directors positions. By the time this issue of The Hideabout is published, we all should have received voting packets by regular mail and/or email. Please read and follow all voting instructions. In a year with so many candidates, I cannot over-emphasize the importance of each individual vote. Whether you vote by mail, electronically, or by dropping your ballot in the locked ballot box at the POA, please be sure your vote is received by 4:00 pm EST on Friday, September 30th. The vote count will be held downstairs at the POA on Saturday, October 1st, at 10:00 am. The results will be announced via email blast. Just as important as your vote for the two (2) Board of Director positions is your PROXY. If you cannot be physically present at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 16th at 10:00 am in the Main Lodge…. please fill out, sign, and return the Proxy form along with your ballot. A quorum of 10% of the membership is required to hold The Hideout’s Annual Meeting. All submitted Proxys are counted and then added to the members who are physically present to ensure a quorum. I am ending this article with the same three words I used at the end of my August article….

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

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