MINUTES OF MEETING LAKE ASHTON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

The audit committee meeting of the Lake Ashton Community Development District was held on Monday, July 21, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Ashton Clubhouse Ballroom, 4141 Ashton Club Drive, Lake Wales, FL.

Present and constituting a quorum were:

Brenda VanSickle	Chairperson
Mike Costello	Vice Chairman
Steve Realmuto	Assistant Secretary
Debby Landgrebe	Assistant Secretary
Greg Ulrich	Assistant Secretary Also present were:
Jill Burns	District Manager, GMS
Jay Lazarovich	District Counsel, Latham Luna
Alan Rayl	District Engineer, Rayl Engineering
Matt Fisher	Operations Manager
Christine Wells	Community Director

The following is a summary of the discussions and actions taken at the July 21, 2025 Lake Ashton Community Development District Audit Committee meeting.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS	Roll Call
Ms. Burns called the roll.

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS	Public Comment Period
Ms. Burns opened up the meeting for public comments. Hearing no comments, the next item followed.

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS	Review  of  Proposals  and  Tally  of
Audit Committee Members Rankings
DiBartolomeo, McBee, Hartley & Barnes
Grau & Associates

Ms. Burns stated that they received proposals from two auditors; DiBartolomeo, McBee, Hartley & Barnes and Grau & Associates. Ms. Burns noted that the pricing for DiBartolomeo was $3,250 for September 2025, $3,400 for September 2026, $3,550 for Septmber 2027, $3,650 for September 2027, and $3,800 for September 2029.
Ms. Burns noted that the pricing for Grau & Associates was $5,200 for September 2025, $5,300 for September 2026, $5,400 for Septmber 2027, $5,500 for September 2027, and $5,600 for September 2029.
Ms. Burns noted that she had reviewed both proposals and had prior experience with both firms. She reviewed her suggested ranking for the Board. Ms. Burns noted that neither auditor has an affiliation with GMS, they are both independent auditors and there are only three or four companies that provide auditing services for CDDs. Ms. Burns noted that both proposers have returned audits in a timely manner in the past and she wouldn’t hesitate for either company to perform the audit.
Mr. Realmuto asked how bids were solicited. Ms. Burns noted that this was done through a public RFP process that is required for audits. This is a public ad that is placed that proposers respond to. These ads were placed in a newspaper and then we did the RFP to three firms, one of them did not return. Ms. Burns stated that they typically send them to auditors that they have worked with in the past. Ms. Burns stated that her recommended ranking would be that both proposers receive the full points in ability of personnel, proposers experience, understanding the scope of work, and then the ability to require services. They're both completely qualified. The only difference in the ranking is the price; DiBartolomeo is a couple thousand dollars less. Ms. Burns suggested that DiBartolomeo receive 20 points for price, and Grau & Associates received 19 points for price.

On MOTION by Mr. Realmuto, seconded by Mr. Costello, with all in favor, Ranking DiBartolomeo, McBee, Hartley & Barns as the #1 Ranked Auditor and Ranking Grau & Associates #2, was approved.

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS	Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.

On MOTION by Mr. Ulrich, seconded by Ms. Landgrebe, with all in favor, the meeting was adjourned.

Secretary / Assistant Secretary	Chairman / Vice Chairman