Lost Plantation HOA. Annual Homeowners Meeting. 13 January Meeting Location: Lost Plantation Golf Course - Clubhouse

Transcription

1 Lost Plantation HOA Annual Homeowners Meeting 13 January 2013 Meeting Location: Lost Plantation Golf Course - Clubhouse Meeting called to order: 6:30 p.m. Attendance: Name Position Held Present Y/N Christine McGlynn President Yes Angie Davila Vice President, Amenity Chairperson Yes Cynthia Elmore Secretary Yes Jennifer Norton Treasurer No Danny Jones Board Member, Landscaping Liaison Yes Richard Levey Board Member, ARC Chairman Yes Kim Griffin Bookkeeper Yes The following homeowners attended: Tom Newburn Bonnie Watson Gretchen and James Franklin (new, need welcome packet) Thomas East Dana Flood Ron Clary Kevin Exley Russ Metroz Previous meeting minutes shall be posted to the Lost Plantation website once approved. Decisions:

2 - Homeowner Forum Concerning the Landscaper Change: -Kevin Exley recommended formalizing performance communications with vendors whereby contractors be given written notice with thirty days to correct an issue and if there is failure to honor a contract then terminate it and move on. He expressed a need to hold vendors accountable and document performance concerns in the monthly meeting minutes for the benefit of record for residents. He also recommended more transparency between the board and the homeowner community, especially with regard to major changes. Kevin suggested naming block or area captains to report back on what needs attention in their area at the monthly meeting, and that he would like to see our community come together more. -It was noted that the homeowner participation in the Association is lacking. -Dana Flood inquired as to whether Earthmark will be carried into 2015 or if we will be proceeding with The Greenery. We are signed to begin the new contract in February It was noted that the final determination would be an outcome of this meeting. -Kevin Exley noted that he considers The Greenery as a higher tier landscaper and inquired about the cost impact. The board responded that while there would be an increase in the cost of the landscaping contract, the bid was not the highest. It was also noted the Earthmark s bid was significantly lower than any of the bids that were received. He also asked whether Earthmark was given the opportunity to rework their bid to reflect the actual cost to care for the community properly, assuming that we were not paying enough to accomplish the intended job. The board noted that Earthmark was not being held accountable for any scope of work outside of what was agreed to in writing in the current landscaping contract. Earthmark was given the opportunity to revise their bid for 2014, and The revised submissions were not significantly different from the originals. Russ Metroz lives near the Lockner entrance has had to deal with trimmings dumped into his yard by Earthmark. -Thomas East Has worked with The Greenery professionally and remarked that the experience was positive. Mr. East mentioned that in his line of work, if a small local bid comes within 10% of a larger bid, they are offered the opportunity to match the price and be awarded the contract. Community/Social - Dana inquired about a social agenda for the neighborhood, and suggested a Polar Plunge to be held in January at the pool. Christine McGlynn indicated that the decision would be dependent on the Health Department s willingness to allow us to hold such an event outside of the normal operating season. Dana will send additional suggestions for social activities to the HOA.

3 -A number of attendees agreed that more social interaction would help to unite the community. Dana, who organized the 2014 Light the Night golf cart parade, mentioned that the parade could be bigger if runners, bikes and other vehicles were allowed to participate. Kevin Exley mentioned that the parade has been bigger in prior years. He also suggested a fund committee which could collect and disburse charitable funds. Christine McGlynn indicated that as a non-profit we need to be careful about maintaining the intent of our organization and the respective segregation and handling of any funds. Christine suggested that it would be better accommodated as an interest of a group of residents as opposed to being a formal initiative of the Association. - Kevin mentioned holding a movie night at the pool Christine McGlynn indicated that it would require purchasing a license in order to be compliant with copyright law, and that any liability falls on every member of the Association. Playing a DVD for a group would be a violation without a license in place. It can certainly be considered for next year, as the cost of licensing would not fit in the current year budget. Ron Clary Pool was improved, but cleanliness needed more attention last season with regard to black mold around the top of the pool. Who is the vendor for 2015? Weed Pools (Incumbent). -Kevin Exley asked if there has been talk of combining associations with Willowpeg and Williamsburg. Christine McGlynn responded that there has been talk over the years. The primary reasons for not merging are that Williamsburg is still under the control of the developer as they have undeveloped frontage and the promised amenities for the community have not yet been constructed, and Willowpeg has no desire to merge as they want no involvement with Lamar Smith (still holds votes for their lots), not wanting to install sidewalks and uniform mailboxes, and the general unwillingness to enforce their covenants would not be beneficial to Lost Plantation. Without robust resident participation in the Association, combining the associations would add more work and not afford enough benefit to justify the move. -Thomas East is concerned about the level of maintenance of the builder lots they were only cut twice last year. Snakes have been a problem. Will they be fined? Yes, they can be. To date no fines have ever been levied, however, if we begin to levy fines it must also apply to homeowners to be fair. The Board has approached the issue with the City of Rincon and it is addressed as part of the City Nuisance Ordinance. -Gretchen Franklin introduced herself and her husband as new homeowners in the community and noted that they have not yet received a welcome packet of community information. A welcome packet was promised and will be delivered. Regular Business Financials Current expenses, budget performance and the year-end financial outlook were reviewed; there were no concerns. The account balance at month-end December was $101,114. $93,171 was the projected year end balance. Several expenses budgeted for 2014 will be realized in The accounts receivable list was reviewed. The current receivables total $7,521, attributable to 13 homeowners; liens

4 have been applied against those homeowners with long standing debts in an attempt to recover monies owed to the Association. Kim updated the AP list with addresses. It was noted that several homes are vacant. Kim recommended that we will look into working with a different attorney for the coming year, as the current attorney s turnaround time is slower than desired. Beth Hillis lives within LP and may be contacted. Kim noted that PayPal is set up for receipt of 2015 Association dues, and suggested noting the dues due date in the newsletter. It will also be posted on the Facebook events calendar and on the website. Pool -Christine will have Weed Pools stack the chaises in the breezeway to protect them and to clear the deck for pressure cleaning before pool season opens -Christine requested approval of $300 x four pools for county pool permit renewal. The board approved unanimously. -The spa heater has a service light lit. It is suspected that the propane tank has run empty. Angie Davila will call Sheppard Propane to have the tank filled. There is a $250 budget for propane. -The spa bubble motor needs to be repaired or replaced. Christine will work with Weed Pools to get an estimate and get it taken care of. -The cantilever umbrella for the kiddie pool needs to be replaced. Danny and Richard will look at Lowe s. - The ring buoys at the pool are dry rotted and will need to be replaced. Christine will ask Weed Pools to get them through Savannah Brush. -There is budget to replace the signs at the pool. No smoking and vaping needs to be addressed. Cynthia Elmore will see what language is being used with the SSU as an example. -The drain line from the restrooms needs to be scoped to determine the cause of the backups. Roto Rooter or Jenkins Plumbing have the ability to scope. Danny will check Angie s List. -Danny will look into option for a cigarette butt receptacle for the smoking area, and a way to secure it. A metal unit is preferred because plastic receptacles can catch fire if there is inadequate water/sand inside. -The barbecue at the pool needs new metal grates. Kim may know someone who can fabricate them she will look into it. -We need to get Two Maids Plus on board for cleaning the pool restrooms.

5 - We need to look at options for security service at the pool for the upcoming season. AP Security was used in 2014, however, there were concerns about their insurance being kept current and their billing practices. -We need to get a pool committee together. Jake Peavey volunteered during the annual meeting. -Jennifer Norton will be stepping down from the board; she is relocating outside of LP. We will need to find another person to take her position. Christine McGlynn will cover the treasurer role until the position has been filled. Once a treasurer has been determined, we will need to go to the bank to sign the card for check signers. Landscaping -Danny and Richard met with the City and The City will address the grass by the tennis courts once they determine that the drainage project is complete. The City will look into the grass along Ft. Howard and let us know what, if anything, the City will do to restore it to original condition. - The City will repair reported potholes with cold patch. They have instructed City employees and police officers to call in potholes; resident may contact City Hall. Richard and Danny gave them a list of potholes in LP that require repair. -Christine McGlynn met with Mark Zorbo of Earthmark to discuss the decision to not renew Earthmark s contract for landscaping maintenance for Each party presented their views on why the relationship should or should not continue. Mark was asked to submit a revised proposal that addressed the cost of goodwill items and also to include the cost of the effort required to maintain the neighborhood landscaping at the standard that the Board expected. Mark did remit a revised proposal along with a list of recommended projects. The board discussed resident feedback on Facebook concerning the 2014 Board s decision to change landscaping contractors, the subsequent discussion during the open forum portion of this meeting, and the outcome of the meeting with Mr. Zorbo, the condition of the landscaping in the neighborhood, and the performance of Earthmark. The board decided that it was in the best interest of the community to move forward with the change to The Greenery, citing reputation, references and all of the factors that were considered during the vetting process. In consideration of homeowner feedback and board experiences, more attention will be paid to documenting contractor performance and the minutes will be more reflective of any concerns. Danny Jones made a motion to proceed with contracting the Greenery for 2015, Richard seconded the motion; the board agreed unanimously. -The Lockner Rd. entrance is flanked by live oak trees which were planted in the right of way along the yards of the first four lots some years ago by the Association in lieu of sidewalks. Three of the homeowners, whose lots hold the trees, are dissatisfied with the trees in their yard and/or the way they are maintained. One homeowner likes the trees, but desires that they be shaped and trimmed on a regular basis. The Board agrees that there is asymmetry in tree size and shape between the two sides of the road, due in part to some homeowners taking the initiative to trim them. The homeowners are also concerned that the trees will only continue to grow larger, becoming more of a nuisance. Danny Jones

6 consulted with the Greenery on the matter and it is their opinion that live oaks should not be shaped, but simply trimmed up to avoid interference with the passage of roadway traffic. The issue of inadequate maintenance of the trees should be addressed with the new landscaper coming on board. The Board will get estimates for the removal of the trees and the option and cost can be presented at the annual meeting of homeowners for consideration in It was noted that the live oaks in the central median are not of concerns as they have fairly uniform shape and are root bound, limiting their growth potential. The next meeting will be held on 10 February 2015 at the Lost Plantation Golf Club. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Danny Jones will update the entrance signs with the next meeting date and covenant restricted community. Danny Jones made a motion to adjourn the meeting; Christine McGlynn seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned was adjourned at 8:44 p.m. -