February Monthly Board Meeting

 My intent is to report as accurately as I can on what happens and what is said in the monthly meetings. I have put my opinions in parentheses and in bold text so you can separate opinion from fact.

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Guest Time

Request for Information: A guest asked for the meaning of the pink and blue flags around the entrances. The answer from Kim was the pink mark the corner of the property and the blue marks water lines.

Request for Information and Update: A guest asked about replacing the playground gate. He expressed his concern previously that the missing gate is a safety hazard for children who can run into the street but no action has been taken. Kim said the gate was moved to the swimming pool area and discussion began among board members on the appropriate action. Russ said that it’s not a DIY type of project because it’s a custom size so the cost would be significantly more than buying one “off the shelf.” It was suggested that the original gate be put back in place in the playground and a section of fencing be added where it is now in the pool area fence.

(I can’t remember if it was a guest or a board member who said that there is a sign that states that children must be supervised so it’s the child’s guardian at the moment who should be responsible for safety. My concern is that those of us who are in our no-so-mobile years do not have quick enough resources to catch a fleeing toddler. To be denied equal right and privilege to take a child to the playground should not be the policy of the HOA.)

Guest Complaint: A guest who lives near an entrance and adjacent to a beautification area requested an explanation of how her complaint submitted on January 20^th is being handled. She sent a letter to Gwen Miller, Town and Country property manager, a portion of which states:

“I am writing to formally request the immediate removal of a dead tree and multiple dead bushes located in the beautification zone of our community. These dead plants not only detract from the overall appearance of the neighborhood but also pose potential safety hazards, such as falling branches and increased pest activity.

The presence of these dead plants contradicts the HOA’s commitment to maintaining a well-kept and aesthetically pleasing environment, as outlined in our community’s bylaws and landscaping guidelines. The lack of maintenance in this area negatively impacts property values and the overall appeal of our neighborhood.

I respectfully request that the HOA take prompt action to remove the dead tree and bushes and replace them with appropriate landscaping. If a timeline for this work has already been established, please provide residents with an update. Otherwise, I urge the board to address this issue at the next HOA meeting and expedite the necessary landscaping work.

Please provide a written response outlining the HOA’s plan to resolve this matter within 10 days. If no action is taken within this period, I may be compelled to escalate this issue in accordance with HOA regulations and local ordinances.”

The response from Gwen Miller to the homeowner was that she would “pass it on to the board.”

(I don’t take issue with this response since she has no decision-making authority.)

When the guest asked if all board members had seen the letter Kim, the HOA board president, said that she “didn’t forward to the board” and that “they are conducting business only at monthly meetings and not via email” Kim said further discussion would be allowed at the time when beautification zones would be discussed.

(Needless to say, the usual pushback from the board members began. It appeared that none of the board except the president had seen the letter. This is one of the major concerns in our lawsuit against the board, that is, the full board is not always informed of actions, complaints, and other issues which they are responsible for.)

Russ clarified the meaning of the markers at the entrances that a guest homeowner has brought up earlier. Blue flags mark the easement, orange and pink designate property corners according to the surveyor.

Agenda Items:

Committee Updates: Reports were presented for the ACC, Adult Social, Kid’s Social, and Welcome Committees.

(Nothing exciting here except the committees not reported on were Landscape (do we even have one?), Pool, Yard of the Month, and Covenant. What’s up with these, especially Landscape. Landscaping is our biggest budget area. I would think a well-informed committee would be necessary.)

Duties of Harrison Landscape: A list of the tasks for the landscape company was reviewed. A homeowner presented a complaint that Harrison is spraying poison on weeds/plants in a mulched area close to her property and requested that he stop. Chris said that the landscaper does not spray poison behind her house or in the mulch. 

(I complained about poison being sprayed on weeds in the streets and along the curbs. I was told that the growth in the cracks brought the neighborhood down. Poison is poison and it all gets into our water table. It’s not made for human consumption!)

Board Assignments: what each board member is responsible for was reviewed, e.g., who is responsible for each common property and amenity, security cameras, garbage bins, etc.

Railings at the Batesville/Roper Mountain entrance: The railings were removed in the past by a vendor who did not place them back properly. Maintenance has been challenging since. Suggestions from board members were to repaint, replace them with a different material, or remove them entirely.

(A guest suggested that a community volunteer group be created to clean and paint them. Chris scoffed at this idea saying “that will never work.” It may not have worked in the past but there are some new board members whose attitude toward homeowners is more positive and who appear to be eager to “work with” not “push away” volunteers. It is my hope that this new attitude will triumph.”)

A termite bond for the clubhouse was discussed: There has been no bond for some years. It was decided to issue an RFP to get quotes for termite coverage for the clubhouse and pool house.”

It was decided to not create an official Facebook page for the HOA.

Due to the fact that there is nothing in governing documents about how long holiday decorations can be up, it was decided to not issue violations for not removing holiday decorations but to encourage homeowners to take them down in a timely manner.

The age range for the toddler playgroup was set at infant to under-school age.

Clearance for the drainage ditch at Cresthaven/Glohaven was discussed: Using the plat map of the subdivision, access was identified and the board decided to ask Gwen Miller to issue an RFP to get quotes to clean it out.

(The reaction to the homeowner’s complaint about this drainage ditch, although completely legitimate, showed clearly that the HOA board has “favorites.” The issue presented by the homeowner about plants installed on her property without authorization was delayed again but the drainage ditch issue was deemed to be an immediate concern and they agreed to attack it quickly, get quotes and approve the fix via an email vote, which Kim declared earlier was something they were not doing anymore in the name of transparency.)

Outside pool membership: With input from the swim team leadership, it was decided to leave the cost and number of outside membership to the pool at $375 per year with a maximum of 80 members.

Beautification Zone: Kim gave a brief timeline of the survey, which was done in December, and suggested that a work group be created to propose definition of and rules for these common property areas. A meeting will be held on March 4^th at 7:00 p.m. at the clubhouse to discuss these areas. Homeowners whose properties touch or are near the entrances are those who will be affected by the decisions. There was a lot of scrutiny over the survey (a copy is on the HOA website and when I find it I’ll post a link) and 15 foot distances, measured from where, where easements are measured from, where fences and shrubs should be, etc.

The homeowner who presented her complaint during guest time asked who made the decision to plant on her property and asked why the board had not done its due diligence prior to these plantings. She expressed concerns that she would be fined for the piles of debris and for removing the plants if she chooses to do that. She was told that was told by Kim that “fines would never be an issue and will never be given for items that lack clarity.” 

(Defensive reactions came from board members Chris whose typical response is “that’s how we’ve done it for 30 years,” Carl who with obvious anger said “don’t get over excited,” and Jason who said “it sounds like you are placing blame … time to forget the past and move forward.” Russ reassured the guest that “we’ll look into it.” My opinion is that if we had not brought it up in the lawsuit this issue would have never gotten the attention it needs to ensure the property of homeowners at and around the entrance areas is protected from encroachment.”

A homeowner present at the meeting pointed out to me after the meeting that “the survey shows the beautification zone at 15 inches not 15 feet.  If the survey is wrong, the legitimacy of the surveyor should be questioned to get clarify.  It suggests that the HOA has the brick fence plus 15 inches past it (putting it halfway of the bushes behind the fence.)  No idea why we didn't realize that--I was staring at it during the meeting.  Just shows how the 15 feet idea has been so widely accepted and not questioned.”

Note that this issue is another point in our lawsuit, the unclear boundaries and inconsistencies in HOA management of those zones.

This issue clearly requires stronger, more expert leadership.)

Detention Ponds: Clarity of where the ponds are and who is responsible for maintenance was discussed with no actions taken. There are technically 5 ponds, 2 are connected to others making 3 ponds for landscapers to maintain-Cresthaven, S Orchard, and between Cresthaven and Glohaven.

(Jim Donahue said they do get bushwhacked once a year---that was new information because Chris was adamant that they only do around the edges previously.  Kim said "they only do things above water." And Jim said "there is no water--they are detention ponds, not retention ponds."  Hearing that they do bushwhack was a large departure from the previous message, and Jim sits in every board meeting--why wasn't it clarified before?  The Landscaping document provided didn't mention it.)