July/August 2005 Issue
Page 2

BOARD/MLS OFFICE RELOCATION

All members should be aware that the planned widening of US 33 ( Main St. ) will adversely effect our property and ability to do business at our current location.  At the least, the widening will eliminate all of our current parking space and limit our access. In addition, your board has assigned a task force to investigate, analyze and recommend options related to this situation.  These options may be to expand and renovate our current facility or may be to relocate our operation to a new facility. 

July 14, 2005 Update :

The Building task force submitted a proposal and recommendation to the Board of Directors for review this morning. The proposal provided the Board with back ground documentation showing how the task force reached their recommendation.  The task force looked at several options. Initially, they looked into working with our existing building and lot feeling it would make the most sense.  However, after reviewing what was needed to stay here and what we would have invested in the building when the project was completed, the task force felt it may not be the best decision after all.  They kept it on the table but they began to investigate existing buildings for sale and narrowed the selection down to two buildings. They did a non-financial and financial analysis on both properties and on renovating the existing Board office to help determine their recommendation.  The task force reached their decision and made a recommendation to the board to pursue the purchase of one of the properties. Both MLS and ECBOR voted to adopt the recommendation of the task force so they will now move forward to begin the purchase process.

The Board would like to wait until negotiations are completed before releasing the particulars to the membership. We know the membership understands this position since negotiating properties is a part of your profession. Please stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

Lock Box Update - Should the MLS swap the old boxes for the new Iboxes or should we keep the old boxes and just add the new Ibox as needed?

The MLS finance committee recommended to the MLS Board of Directors that the new IBOXes be incorporated into our inventory as we need to purchase lock boxes instead of swapping all the old for new. The primary reason the finance committee came to this decision was cost. To purchase all new boxes to replace the old boxes would cost over $134,000. To move to a lease program for the new lockboxes would increase the cost of the keypads for each agent for the remainder of the current contract. If the MLS signed a new contract for six years the cost would still be added on to the cost of the keypad although it would be less than the cost of billing it for the remainder of the existing contract. The MLS Board of Directors approved the recommendation of the finance committee, therefore, the new IBOXes will be in use as soon as the next order is received. We have completed the audit and are in final stages of the internal Supra conversion that changes the management of the keypads and lockboxes from a desktop system sitting in the MLS office to an Internet based system.

PARAGON DESKTOP SOFTWARE

A new version of the desktop software is currently being beta tested. Because of this the MLS decided to wait for the latest version before accepting delivery. Therefore, the desktop software will be received at the MLS office August 29, 2005. The MLS will offer training on the 30th and 31st of August to any member who did not attend the recent classes. A training schedule will be put together and sent out to members within the next 10 days.

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