Tuesday we were treated to a well run succinct and moderately informative HOA meeting. Kudos again to the Board. Here are a few key points:
- Compliance is beginning in earnest. The current hot button will be tree trimming along sidewalks.
- The ARC has a checklist for submissions to the Committee which should streamline the architectural review process. There is also a booklet of approved colors available. Contact Associa or Deb McSherry for details.
- There is a new reserves study out. The Board has not yet reviewed it. Hopefully it will be discussed at the next meeting.
- A new contract was signed with security company, Stonegate. It provided for reduction in greeters and hours. It foresees NO coverage in the late evening/morning hours (10 pm-6 am?). We have some concerns with this and believe the original plan had the Vineyard gate (only) manned 24/7 for responses to security and mechanical issues. This should be looked at and discussed further. Owner/resident input is welcome.
- The golf course was discussed briefly. The Golf Course LLC came back to the HOA in June with a request to reopen discussions. So far there is nothing new to report. Discussions are ongoing.
- We are very disappointed that, though promised, no treasurer’s financial report was given. I our view this is a critical component for continued transparency. The question was asked as to how much is being spent on legal fees for the golf course issue. The answer was $19,000 YTD.
The meeting had an average attendance. Only a few homeowners spoke.
As always,comments are welcome.
I’ll offer some additional perspectives on the meeting. About 50-60 homeowners were in attendance and only 3 spoke. Normally most or all of the homeowners leave after the Homeowner’s Open Forum.
The remainder of the meeting which involves committee reports, reports from the Secretary and Treasurer, report from the Community Manager on the List of Tasks being addressed, and review and approval of all the business items by the Board occurs after all the homeowners leave and go home. Some of the business items for this meeting included: Discussion of updating all the cottages, Removal of Pear trees in the Villas, Approval of a new Stonegate Security contract, Review of new draft procedures for the Greeters and a discussion of how to get more homeowners to sign up on Town Square.
Typically, all of the Board’s business has been transacted after all the homeowners leave. However, this time one of the speakers explained that the business portion of the meeting was conducted AFTER the Homeowner Open Forum and homeowners were welcome to stay and observe. Result………………16 homeowners remained for the entire meeting which meant more homeowners were involved as the Board conducted business. That is healthy for all of us.
Town Square: It appears that the Board intends to use Town Square as the primary tool to communicate with homeowners. However, the Board revealed that less than 200 homeowners are enrolled in Town Square. This presents a big problem since there are almost 600 homes in Morgan Creek and about 1200 homeowners. Therefore, right now, a lot of homeowners are NOT being informed of new rules, regulations, procedures and news of what is happening in our community. The Board and Associa need to figure out how to get more homeowners enrolled or communicate in multiple ways in addition to Town Square. The bottom line is that it is the Board’s responsibility to inform all of us regarding what is happening in this community. At the same time, it is the responsibility of every homeowner to stay informed
At the end of the meeting, Board Member James Shelby resigned due to family obligations. James was the liaison to the Security Committee.
The Board will be searching for a new Board Member to appoint to fill the remaining term of this vacant position
$19,000 for YTD legal fees would be a welcome answer but that seems highly unlikely given the back and forth. Financials should be shared asap.
The Pear Tree Project was approved by the previous Board in 2018. The trees to replace the pear trees was based on County Requirements and Updated Tree list. The ARC should have that list to review for the current board. It was decided on a staggering schedule based on the budget at that time. Did the current Board review the prior information available to them? Major requirement on removal was also based on the trees causing the damage to homeowner residents, sidewalk lifting, etc.
The Walgera gate remains open again
Anyone and all can enter.