Dear Miami Hills Members,

We hope everyone is doing well and that you and your families are finding ways to stay healthy and active under these extraordinary conditions.  We realize it is not easy for any of us as this Covid19 pandemic continues to create hardships and challenges as the weeks go on. Our thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you and your families. 

We want to keep everyone up-to-date on what is transpiring at the club as best as we can.  Much has unfolded since March 16 and the impact of COVID-19 has expanded as we all know. In response, Ohio has implemented actions requiring the extended closure of schools, clubs and businesses. In turn, these developments have required us to make difficult decisions to ensure we are able to serve you, our members, with the same great team and expectations not only for now, but when we are allowed to open.  

As a Board, we have been speaking at length and on a regular basis in regards to what is our best path to follow as we navigate these challenging unprecedented times. We have reached out to other clubs both in our league and from other area swim clubs to see what their current plan of action is.  We would also like to remind everyone that we as a Board and staff are doing the very best we can.  Your nine elected Board members are all volunteers and we are members of the club just like everyone else.  We sit in the very same chaise lounge chairs alongside all of you and we are all bond holders and share the ownership of the club equally.  We mention this because we don’t want anyone to think that any of us have any ulterior motives or hidden agendas that affect our decisions. Our responsibility to all members, as it always has been, is to represent the interest of the club, both currently and in the future, while trying to remain empathetic that this pandemic is affecting every family in it’s own unique way.  

With that said, the Board is in no way trying to capitalize off of the situation, but rather keep our club in a position to function at the highest level once all of this is said and done.  The tricky part is that none of us know when that will be.  

Please know that above all, Miami Hills remains committed to the health and wellbeing of our members and staff. We  will continue to follow all government directed mandates and restrictions as they come to light. While our club is still closed for the off-season, we are anxiously awaiting the day when we can reopen our doors to serve you.  As we stated before, we have not heard that we will not be able to open on time so we are planning on opening as scheduled. We understand that there is a high probability that may not happen, and when we know more for sure, we will announce our contingency plans. 

We appreciate all of the feedback and inquiries we’ve received, and want to address some of your most frequently asked questions. Hopefully this helps to clarify any questions you have as we try to remain transparent with our decisions and policies moving forward.

FAQ’s:

Q: Why are you asking for full dues when there is a chance we may not open on time?

1. The club has continual bills and expenses to pay monthly as well as annually. By collecting full dues, we are able to pay these bills without having to dip into our reserves.  As stated above, we have not been told we won’t open on time, so we are cautiously optimistic as we get closer to May 23 that we will be able to open.. 

Q. What happens if our opening day is delayed until June or July?

1. If there is any delay for opening and we lose days because of Covid-19, we will credit your account for time lost.  That dollar amount would be determined by how many days are lost as it relates to the expenses we still have to account for.  That credit will be applied to your dues for next year. 

Q. What are these other expenses and bills you are referring to? 

1. Our club is a non-profit, but like a business, we are responsible for “operating expenses”: insurance, phone lines, trash/waste services, licenses, utilities, upkeep/maintenance, lawn services, salaries, worker’s comp, taxes, FICA, league fees, etc.  As owners of the club, all members are responsible for making these payments. When dues are collected, a large portion of the money is used to pay these operating bills and expenses. The other portion of the dues, that we refer to as “seasonal expenses,”  is used to pay for services, programs, staff and events (lifeguards, inside staff, maintenance staff, lessons instructors, ladies day, adult parties, kiddie parties, food trucks, swim/dive/tennis teams, etc.)  

Q. What happens to my money if the pool does not open at all this year?

1. If the pool does not open, you will receive a credit back to your account for the portion of your dues that would cover the cost of the seasonal expenses.  The club will retain your portion of the operating expenses in order to pay our bills through next year. 
2. That exact amount can not be determined until we run all of the figures and numbers which we will certainly do if/when that time comes. 

Q. What will the club do in the meantime to help ease our minds while we anxiously await the governor’s next directive by May 1st? 

1. As a Board, we decided to extend the dues payment (in full) to May 15th without any late fee penalty. Any dues paid after May 15th will receive a late fee of $50.00. Dues that are not postmarked or credited by May 21st could result in revocation of membership and forfeiture of bond refund. This gives us some time to see what the government restrictions may look like after the month of April, at which time we will move forward in the appropriate direction. 
2. Please keep in mind dues paid in full are still required.  In the worst case scenario where the governor shuts down all summer operations between now and May 15th, we will adjust the amount of dues that will be owed in order to meet our operating expenses requirements. Again, we do not know that number at this point. 
3. We are currently crunching the operating expense numbers and will be meeting as a Board again in 2 weeks so that if/when we are told to delay or cancel opening day, we will have more details ready for you at that point. 

Q. Are we allowed to defer our payment and take a year off from the club and then come back next year?

1. Unfortunately no, that is not an option.  By deferring your payment, that means we would not collect any of your operating or seasonal expenses fees, which are necessary to keep our club in business moving forward.  Your membership spot would need to be filled by new members from the waitlist. Next year, you would have to wait until another opening becomes available in order to get back in.  
2. This could become an issue if for example, 60 members defer this year and we fill their spots with 60 new members.  Then next year, if we only have 30 openings, that would mean 30 of you would not be getting in for next summer either.  It becomes a very complicated scenario. 

Q. Our family was planning on resigning this year regardless of the current situation. How do we resign our membership and get the bond fee back? 

1. How to Resign a Membership can be found on our webpage under the membership tab.
   Any member wishing to resign their bond must return their original bond certificate. There is a place on the back  to sign as ‘transferor” and date it. Send the bond along with a letter stating your intent to resign and include an address where you would like your refund check sent. Please mail this all to:

Miami Hills Swim and Tennis Club  Attn: Membership/Resignation PO Box 415  Milford 45150
The accountant will process it when received and send the refund check to you for the amount you originally paid for the bond. If you are unable to find the original bond, please send a letter stating your intent to resign. You will receive 75% of the amount you paid for your bond.
If you have any questions, please email the club at clubinfo@miamihills.com.

Finally, we want to thank you for the emails and calls we’ve received during the last two weeks, requesting the opportunity to help and to offer suggestions and insight on the situation.  It has been very helpful to hear the various perspectives as we all are seeing this through different lenses. Rest assured that your Board members, management and accounting team are taking everything to heart and we are doing our best to serve you and the club the best way we are able to.  

As a team, the Board hopes that you have faith that we are doing everything we possibly can.  We think back to last year and the adversity we faced with the leaks in the pool and the water lines of the clubhouse that were damaged.  It took countless hours around the clock for 2 weeks, to get the club open. Somehow, someway, we made a miracle happen It is with this same level of commitment, compassion and pride that we are addressing the current situation and we ask that you trust us that we have nothing but the best interest in mind for every one of our members and the club as a whole.These are challenging, uncertain times for all, yet we remain committed to the entire Miami Hills Family. 

We hope you, your family and friends are safe and healthy, and again, we thank you for being part of the wonderful community we all have established. It is our privilege as the Board of Directors, to serve you.

In health,

Miami Hills Swim and Tennis Club Board of Directors
Andy Wilson – Manager / Paul Todys – President / Shane Ferguson – Vice President / Jaxon Cook – Secretary & Social / Mark Schulte – Treasurer / Jen Bruce – Aquatics / Feliz Hall – Aquatics / Kelcey Davison – Tennis / Shea Lawrence – IT / Joe Winders – Membership / Kevin Metzger – Bookkeeping