|
*****Annual
Meeting Report ******
Chesterfield
Mews Community Association Annual Meeting
Dues increase not voted on, second meeting to be scheduled There were more than enough members present to have quorum for an annual meeting and to vote on the new candidates for the board of directors, however, quorum requirements for the vote on the annual dues increase was not met, and therefor that issue was not voted on. A second meeting will be scheduled by the board of directors for the purpose of voting on the annual dues increase. Board members elected The four candidates listed on the proxy ballot were all elected to the board with Candace Baker, Michael Epley and John Miller serving 3 year terms, Bruce Pincus a 2 year term. The first meeting of the new board of directors will be Tuesday, May 13, 2008. Tennis Court/ Tot Lot plan unveiled The new plans for the Tennis Courts and Tot Lot were unveiled by Ginny Howden. This project begins on April 22 and is slated to be completed by late May, early June. |
|
***** New Meeting
to be Scheduled ******
Quorum
not reached: In
order to have met quorum to vote on proposal to increase the
communities annual dues, 60% of the households eligible to vote need to
have been present or represented by a proxy. At the time of the
annual meeting it meant that 84 households needed to be participating
in person or by proxy. Only 61 households were represented.
Second meeting requirements: Per Article VI of our Covenants and by-laws, the next step for the board of directors is to call a second meeting to vote on the dues increase issue. It is the boards intention to get this issue voted on. A new meeting will be scheduled to be held within 60 days of the Annual Meeting. The required 30 days notice will be sent out to all members to announce the new meeting once the date and place have been decided. What do I need to do: Keep an eye out for the announcement of the upcoming second meeting. If you have questions about anything relating to this meeting, please contact a board member for information. If you cannot attend the second meeting, be sure to designate a proxy so that your voice may be heard. |
|
The
communities Tennis Courts and Tot Lot, which have been due for
refurbishment are finally being brought back to life. The project
begins on April 22 with the removal of the rusted out fence
posts. Soon after the old tot lot will be removed. Once the
prep work has been done, the tennis court surface will be
repaved. The pavement will have to cure for about two weeks
before it can be painted. Sometime during the curing period,
construction will begin on the new tot lot, which will be situation on
the back right corner (as you enter the gate) of the tennis
enclosure. The remaining cross court space will be marked with
basketball markings, leaving the left tennis court in tact and fresh
with new net posts and net. The new multi-purpose enclosure will
be called Chesterfield aMewsments.
|
|
Discussion from Annual Meeting While
there were unfortunately not enough members represented to have a vote
on the annual dues increase at the annual meeting, there were plenty of
questions from the members who attended. These questions shed
light on many areas of confusion about the proposed increase.
Below are some of the areas of confusion raised at the meeting:
History of requested increase 2005 Proposed Special Assessment At the 2005 Annual Meeting, the community was asked to approve a special assessment and an annual dues increase. The special assessment was for the purpose of refurbishing the grounds and bringing them current as a whole. The dues increase was to maintain the refurbished grounds to prevent a similar situation from occuring in the future. The 2005 special assessment proposal did not pass, however the dues increase did. As a result the budget the board was left with was insufficient to address the task at hand. Drainage issues One element of the proposed grounds refurbishment plan dealt with the miriad of drainage issues that have developed over time on the common grounds of our community. Since these drainage issues stood the chance of negatively impacting individual properties, to board voted to have this part of the plan executed. Remaining issues Since 2005, the common grounds of the community have continued to deteriorate. The vast majority of the trees have reached their maximum life span and have begun to show it. Many trees have been taken down, or lost in storms, while others remain standing, but dead or seriously defaced by the loss of multiple limbs. In addition, there are many trees that have grown in odd shapes that are now becoming noticeable as the trees that caused them to grow that way are no longer there. Besides trees, many shrubs have outgrown their location or are in need of replacement due to well meaning but improper pruning by community members. There are many islands that dot the community parking area that are in need of a cohesive plan. Hardscapes where the trash is put out and in front of mailboxes would further improve the overall look of our common grounds. Next steps After several years of trying the board has come to the final conclusion that there is no way to address all of the communities needs without additional funds. Since the only source of income for the community comes from its members, that leaves the board with two options: Raise annual dues or levy a special assessment, either option would require a vote of the community. The CMCA board of directors voted to ask the community to approve an annual dues increase, bringing our new base dues up to $1,180.00. This dues increase is projected to not only restore the shortfall in the reserves but also build capital to deal with the common grounds issues that can no longer be ignored. |
Trash Removal Reminder. Trash is to be placed in plastic bags and set at curbs for pick-up on TUESDAY. Place your trash on the curb no earlier than 6:00 PM Monday night. Recycling pick-up occurs on Tuesday also. To find out what you can recycle at the curb see the county Residential Curbside Recycling Chart (PDF). |
|
Many thanks to all for participating, 51 replies were sent!! Here is a quick summary: Section I – Special Assessment Issues: 35 of the 45 who voted on April 26th said they supported the assessment, and were most anxious to see work start on the Preventive Arbor Care and Drainage. The main reason given by most of the 11 who voted not so support it was: “Not convinced a special assessment is necessary”. 40 said enough information was available about the special assessment. The 10 who answered no found the info confusing and lacking detail. Section II – Other Community Issues: The newsletter was favored by 45. 46 have internet access from home. 26 never and 22 occasionally visit this web site. When asked to rate the importance of common property needs, the most important rating was given to 1. trees, 2. road repair and upkeep, 3. drainage issues, 4. sidewalk repair and upkeep (in that order). 20 said there were other important issues needing attention, the top 4 being 1. garbage, 2. courtyard and exterior maintenance, 3. security, 4. poop control/clean-up day (tie). Community picnics got 23 votes, Block parties 19, Tennis Tournaments 6 and Home Tours 7. 38 would participate in clean-up days, 28 of whom felt they should happen twice a year (spring/fall). 7 survey participants are original owners. The length of homeownership ranged from 1/2 to 27 years, making the average length of ownership of the 44 who answered the question 14 years. |