HeatherRidge
Umbrella Board Meeting Minutes
May 2006
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING,
HeatherRidge
Umbrella Association (HUA), May 23, 2006
These minutes have
not
yet been approved by the HUA Board.
Any corrections, additions, or deletions
will be
made at
the next regular HUA Board meeting prior to official approval.
President Patrick Perry called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Present: Sharlene Hink, Paul Kelly, Gordon Lind, Carol Marker, Jack Nowry, Patrick Perry, and Elroy Wilke (arrived at 7:34 pm). Absent: Owen Hill
APRIL 25, 2006 MINUTES: Jack Nowry made a motion to approve the April 25, 2006 minutes, seconded by Paul Kelly; all Aye, motion carried.
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS:
President Perry introduced
Bob Marcus of Summit Management in Vernon Hills as our Community Manager. Bob
will have remarks during the Management Report. President Perry discussed Bob
Marcus’s credentials and experience in community management.
TREASURER’S REMARKS:
President Perry gave the
report. At this time HUA is operating under budget. Several issues in
reference to the financial reports will be addressed when Owen Hill returns.
There was discussion on the formatting, content, and presentation of reports.
Carol Marker made a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report, seconded by
Sharlene Hink. At vote, all Aye, motion carried.
COMMUNITY
MANAGER’S REPORT:
A Community Manager’s report was submitted in writing and was
available to the audience. Bob Marcus said that his report will be
all-encompassing in June 2006 after he has become more familiar with the
association and property of HeatherRidge. Bob highlighted the different
departmental services that are ongoing to include maintenance and
landscaping tasks, finances, pond cleaning, pools, and personnel record
management. Paul Kelly made a motion to accept the Community Manager’s
Report, seconded by Jack Nowry. It was noted that the new mower lift
specifications had been upgraded to accommodate the equipment it will be
used to service and the Finance Committee has approved that change and the
difference in cost. At motion vote, all aye, motion carried.
PRESENTATION OF
NEW HUA BOARD DIRECTOR:
Speaker of the House of
Delegates, Jim Campbell, introduced Todd Campbell as the new HUA Director to
fill the remaining 3 year term that came open last month. President Perry
welcomed him back to the HUA Board.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Landscape Committee: The committee met
Tuesday, May 9th at 2:30 pm at the CRF conference room. The
committee has received requests for memorial benches or possibly a gazebo,
consideration is being given to the landscape and maintenance issues.
Different styles and construction will be investigated, and the committee
will work with the Maintenance and Landscape Departments. We currently have
a memorial tree program and this could be a new facet of the program, rather
than an HUA amenity that is not currently in the budget. There are several
instances of planting and landscaping that has been done around the townhome
neighborhoods that are in direct violation of the HUA Declaration 3.07 and
the Resident Rules and Regulations. There is an architectural approval
process that protects against unauthorized changes to the common property as
well as damage to trees, bushes, and grassy areas. The committee will deal
with each occurrence and it is documented in the Landscape Report and it may
be explained in the HeatherRidge Happenings. Carol Marker reviewed the work
being done after the drought. There was considerable damage and loss of
trees, large areas of turf were damaged and are being reseeded. Additional
funds were budgeted in expectation of the restoration. Snowplow damage is
also being done as expeditiously as possible considering the heavy load of
planting and mowing. Jack Nowry made a motion to accept the Landscape
Report, seconded by Todd Campbell; all Aye, motion carried.
Finance Committee: Chairman Owen Hill is out
of town and Carol Marker presented the report. Our computer and
technological platforms are generally outdated will be evaluated by an
Information Technology (IT) specialist from Summit Management. There will
be network and software updates and installations that will allow
communication with Summit when they are not onsite; and HUA may have to
update the TOPS and software programs for the budgeting, Six-Year Plan, and
financial reporting systems. Two computers, operating systems, and software
have been replaced and the 2006 budget allocation has been expended. The
next budget should reflect the need for computer, network, and software
upgrades. Jack Nowry made a motion to accept the Finance Committee Report,
seconded by Paul Kelly; all Aye, motion carried.
Security Committee: Gordon Lind held a
Security Committee meeting on May 17, 2006. He has and will continue to
work with the Village of Gurnee on the speed bump issues that have been
raised. Paul Kelly suggested speed limit signs and painted pedestrian
crosswalks that could even have stop signs or “stop if pedestrians are
present” signs. There currently is a speed bump in front of the
StoneyBrook/Cambridge Rec Center, the Covered Bridge Townhome Association
President is requesting a speed bump be installed on Clark Drive between
Leonard and Taylor Drives. The Village of Gurnee highly discourages speed
bumps on private streets and in most cases does not allow them on any
Village streets. Gordon Lind will continue to work with the Village of
Gurnee on responding to this issue. Paul Kelly made a motion to accept the
Security Report, seconded by Todd Campbell; all Aye, motion carried.
Tax, Law, Legislation, Contracts, Insurance, and
Special Issues (TLLCISI) Committee: The TLLCISI Committee met on May 4,
2006. Two handouts are available for residents, note that the article about
the recent TV movie on avian flu was entertainment, not education. Paul
Kelly spoke about the Comcast agreement (through Lynch Cable Resources).
The proposal would include a grant of easement, a service agreement, and a
ten-year commitment of access to the HUA with a one-time reimbursement of
$57,000 to HUA (equating to a return of $5,700 per year for 370 acres, 956
units, and all HUA buildings and grounds). Board members and management
have very strong concerns about the unlimited access to our property,
disruption of utilities, damage to landscaping, and the loose wording of the
agreement. (The matter is further discussed in New Business.) There was
discussion of contracts, bids, and capital improvement scheduling intended
to be used as management tools. This will be considered in the IT
evaluation so that there is not duplication of software products or
programs. Summit Management is currently using an Outlook program with
management modules that can assist in these tasks. A motion to accept the
TLLCISI Committee Report was made by Jack Nowry, seconded by Sharlene Hink;
all Aye, motion carried.
Welcoming Committee: There was a Welcoming
Committee meeting on May 16, 2006, and eleven new residents attended. The
next regular meeting will be on June 20, 2006 at 7 pm at the CRF. The list
of new residents was available for the audience.
OLD BUSINESS: None.
NEW BUSINESS:
Paul Kelly asked about enclosing the dumpsters in
Covered Bridge as they are in Hidden Hills. Bob Marcus will address. Paul is
concerned that the telephone numbers on the billboards cannot be seen,
particularly by traffic traveling north on Route 21. Paul asked Bob Marcus
about the replacement and repair plan for the landscape timbers and retaining
walls that have deteriorated. It was noted that they are included in the
Six-Year Plan, to include those around parking lots and staircases. The
Six-Year Plan is updated every year. Paul mentioned the refurbishment of the
wooden balcony steps and fence at the CBRC had not been completed, it has been
budgeted for in the CBRC reserve plan. Bob Marcus will check on the status of
those tasks.
Carol Marker revisited the Comcast proposal presented by
Lynch Cable Resources. In addition to the concerns voiced in the TLLCISI
Report, a commitment of 10 years in this technological age (that is moving
toward wireless networking) may not be reasonable. Paul Kelly made a motion to
reject the Comcast Agreement Proposal for exclusive rights and access to HUA
property. Carol Marker seconded the motion, all Aye, motion carried. Bob
Marcus will notify Mr. Lynch and our Corporate Attorney Tom Hood.
Organic Sediment Removal Systems contract for ponds
1-4. The original purchase order and proposal has had to be modified to change
the container discharge site to two different sites (from the one site on the
golf course), requiring two custom-made 45-foot discharge containers. The labor
charges remain the same and the Finance Committee has recommended approval (the
cost is well below the $7,500 contract limit). The extra cost is $400. No HUA
Board members objected to the extra cost.
OPEN DISCUSSION FOR HOMEOWNERS: Anne Temby (Hidden Hills
neighborhood) noted that there are many cable and internet providers and
that residents should participate voluntarily and not be forced to subscribe
to one particular provider.
Sam Dent (Covered Bridge neighborhood) asked when
patching will be done on their roadways, particularly Vose Drive. Bob Marcus
will get more location information from Sam and follow up with Maintenance.
Bob Adelman (HighPointe neighborhood) noted that
wireless technology the path now and in the future. He asked for clarification
on the drainage work that was done at Wilbur and then onto Cobble Creek
property. President Perry said that he had spoken with the President of Summit
Management, there was no written agreement, and that the task would be
unfinished if it stopped at the Wilbur roadway. Summit Management manages
Cobble Creek.
Jim Campbell (Cambridge neighborhood) noted that Golf
Visions does track results of coupons and special advertising and uses it in
their marketing plan. He would like to see some of the Six-Year Plan
information on paving or other projects shared with residents. President Perry
said that the Six-Year Plan is always available for any resident to study at the
HUA office.
Joan Karkow (Hidden Hills neighborhood) stated that the
dumpster enclosures are the responsibility of the residential association, not
HUA.
Covered Bridge residents had more comments on paving and
the speed bump. Maintenance will be consulted for the paving and Gordon Lind
has already indicated he is working with the Village of Gurnee about speed
bumps. Clark Drive is scheduled for total repaving in 2007 and Carter Mitchell
said that the gutters and downspouts will have already been installed. The high
petroleum prices could impact the cost of paving and patching as it is used in
asphalt.
Jack Nowry made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Todd Campbell. All Aye, motion carried.
Adjournment at 8:10 pm. Next Meeting – Tuesday, June 27, 2006
_______________________________ _________________________________
Jack Nowry – HUA Board Secretary Cathy McGrath – Recording Secretary
