1 Apr 2008
Trabue Woods Homeowners Association Annual Meeting of Members
Date: April 1st, 2008 Time: 6:45 p.m.
Location: Maranatha Baptist Church • 4663 Trabue Road • Columbus OH 43228
Presentation of information vial Power Point and Speakers including the Board of Trustees, Officers and Attorney Peter Griggs of Loveland and Brosius.
HOA members who signed in:
Jack McGee
Robert Agriesti
Anthony B T Milburn
Greta O Milburn
Steven Guglielmi
Pam Johnson
Lennie R Phipps
Jason McDowell
Teresa Penix
Michael A Schlegler
Janice L Schlegler
Stephen M Ehret
Elizabeth A Ehret
Casey Hoerig
Richard L Wright
Amy R Earley
Melinda Strickler
Laurence Lamb
Beth Lintz
Deborah L Gordon
Roberta Houser
Brian Houser
There were approximately 25 people at meeting.
Beth Lintz opened the meeting at 6:45 P.M. with introduction of the Board of Trustees and Officers and their date of appointment as follows:
Beth Lintz, Board Trustee, President, Treasurer, Sponsor Communication Committee (Appointed in July 07)
Elizabeth Ehret, Board Trustee, Sponsor Social Committee (Appointed in July 07)
Debbie Gordon, Board Trustee, Sponsor Safety Committee (Appointed in October 07)
Mike Schlegler, Officer, Vice President, Deed Restrictions (Appointed in August 07)
Pam Johnson, Officer, Secretary, Chair Social Committee (Appointed in July 07)
Agenda: Ms. Lintz outlined the meeting agenda and spoke specifically about HOA achievements and the Finances as follows:
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§ Increased Communication:
Website: Deed Restrictions, Bylaws, HOA contact information, monthly meeting minutes, proxy was on line, photos of events, calendar of events, HOA Achievements, and much more.
Quarterly Newsletters: Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Lintz completed a newsletter class (self-pay) in order to provide a quality publication for the community. HOA members and residents were encouraged to contact the HOA if interested in writing articles for the newsletter. Community event pictures will be added to future newsletters. The goal of making the newsletters self-sustaining will come from the sale of advertising ($15.00 - $20.00 per advertisement per quarter).
Direct Contact: with residents via Face-To-Face, Email and Phone and those outside the Community (Police, Mayor’s Office, Accountant, Attorney, Local Business Owners)
§ Monthly B&O Meetings: posted on web for review Beth & Pam are in contact with other community organizations to obtain and share best practices. We attended Harrison West’s monthly meeting.
§ Finances: Analyzed & Recorded Receipts, Balanced Check Book, Prepared Budget Covered later in meeting.
§ Many Policies & Procedures Written standard procedures for all to follow to ensure fair and equal treatment of everyone and to assist future Trustees with running the HOA.
§ Maintenance: Front Entrance Landscaping & Lights & Neighborhood Clean-Up. Thanks to Mr. Schlegler for replacing 2 light housings and maintaining our lighting fixtures.
§ Developed Welcome Wagon Program: A Board &/or Officer makes a welcome visit and delivers a basket containing gifts and a current newsletter. The residents names are obtained to maintain our database. Thanks to Christa Wike for preparing these baskets. We’ve had multiple compliments on how professional they are.
§ Social Events: such as our Fall Festival, Community Garage Sales, Christmas Caroling and the most recent Easter Egg Hunt. We will be seeking sponsorship for social events. We want to thank our partners in the 1st Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Maranatha Church, for providing the space and volunteers and food as well as a resident, Tom Kilianski who manages the Drug Mart in Powell, for donating 420 plastic eggs and ½ off the candy. CCM (Beth Lintz’ company) donated money. Pam Johnson will cover Social Events.
§ Deed Enforcements: Focus on Safety Concerns at this time. We have sent ‘Friendly Letters’ bringing an issue to the homeowner’s attention as well as face-to-face meetings. Thanks to many residents who have corrected the violations. Mike Schlegler will cover subject.
§ Property Management: Researched and will be discussed by Elizabeth Ehret
§ Reserve “B” Researched: property located between Trabue Rd and TrabueWoods Blvd Ct. Elizabeth will cover this topic.
§ Sprinkler System: Researched Repair Costs. Around $8,000 to make operable. There is no money in the budget for this. If repair is wanted in the future then a special assessment would be needed or have fundraisers to pay all or part.
§ Removed Water Meters: system had leaks and we cannot afford to repair so we removed the water meters to save money.
§ Professional Services: Hired Attorney Specializing in HOA and Real Estate who will assist on collection of unpaid dues (67 homes have not paid 07 dues). Hired Accountant to complete the yearly taxes (2006 & 2007 completed). Accountant correcting Quick Books data, reconciling bank statements initially and quarterly thereafter.
§ Dues Collections: A very time consuming task; sent out bills (1,2 and sometimes 3), making copies of all checks and envelopes for the record; if data has changed Pam researches on web and gets the owner and or resident’s data then updates the spreadsheet with name and payment information. We are in the process of setting up a Policy & Procedure for dues collections.
§ For Sale/Vacancies Beth & Pam travel the neighborhood regularly to obtain data on vacant properties & homes for sale. There are approximately 30 rental homes in our neighborhood.
§ Property Management Company Some residents expressed interest in possibly hiring a property management company to oversee our neighborhood. This was researched and will be covered by Elizabeth Ehret.
§ Sound Barrier Wall Not likely to happen. A homeowner, Jack McGee spoke up and stated he has been in touch with several politicians regarding helping us with a sound barrier wall but hitting a road block as well. Pam also researched and stated TrabueWoods sound barrier is slated for 2064 (if funds are still available). We will continue the research and invite anyone interested in helping to volunteer.
§ Sponsorship We need companies and individuals to support our neighborhood by donating goods and services that the HOA may use to pay for expenses such as our newsletter, website, and social events. We also need volunteers to donate their time to assist. Five people cannot do everything that should be done. Please consider becoming a sponsor or volunteer. We plan to raffle baskets and charge a small amount for food at social events for starters. Please share your ideas with us.
§ Committees Please volunteer. Sign up sheets for Social, Safety and Communication are located in the back.
§ Checkbook: has been balanced. Thanks to Pam Johnson for the many hours she spent researching the checkbook and statements.
§ Policy and Procedures Written to provide standardization of practices.
§ Block Watch Officer Paulus is no longer the liaison for Trabue Woods. Debbie Gordon will cover topic later.
Ms. Lintz motioned the start of the meeting. Ms. Gordon seconded the motion. Introduced Attorney Peter Griggs of Loveland and Brosius. Roll call: present was Beth Lintz, Debbie Gordon and Elizabeth Ehret.
Voting per the Code of Regulations/Bylaws, Article II, III. 2.01 Each owner is a member of the HOA and may not terminate that membership 2.02 The owner(s) may exercise 1 vote
3.01 Annual Meeting held last Monday in March or within one month thereafter. Beth Motioned to start the voting process. Mrs. Ehret seconded the motion. Beth motioned to appoint Jack McGee, Robert Agriesti, and Nancy Tucci to count the ballots. Mrs. Ehret 2nd the motion and all said I. There were 7 proxies on line that were printed and included in tonight’s voting.
FINANCIALS:
Community Dues Per Warranty Deed, Homeowners pay for the common expenses: Maintenance & Repair (Landscaping, Mowing, Lights), Professional Services (Attorney, Accountant, Insurance), Administration, Printing, Office Supplies, Postage (Dues notices & Newsletter), Social Events, Build a Reserve Fund.
2007 Expenses
AEP (July-Dec) $413.54
H20/Sewer (May-Oct) $360.22
Insurance $1,337.00
Taxes $519.63
Back Taxes $446.67
For 2008 $72.96
Signs $276.00
Maintenance (Lights) $119.34
Landscaping $7,493.00
Jeremy Dingess (April) $943.00
Paul Dobner (Aug-Oct) $6,550.00
Attorney Fees $9,222.00
Allen, Kuchele, Stoval $250.00
Attorney Baker $8,647.00
Attorney Loveland $325.00
Accountant (06 Taxes) $200.00
USPS (PO Box) $180.00
Website $215.76
Welcome Wagon $300.00
Social Events $565.72
Postage $758.18
(Newsletters, HOA Dues & Bills)
Office Supplies $1,145.77
Paper, Ink Cartridges, Labels, envelopes, etc)
Lap Top Computer $700.89
QuickBooks $160.11
Bank Service Charges $72.00
Misc. $354.00
Total: $24,393,16
Beth stated the costs outweigh the income. With only paying $53.00 a year and our total expenses added up to $64.54 we are basically in the hole 11.54 a year per home.
2007 HOA Dues Data:
Paid: 311 homes (82%) $16,840.88
Unpaid: 67 homes (18%)
Current Bank Balance: $11,052.18
Amount of dues per percentage of homes that pay (comparison of actual 2007 fees and 2008 Proposed Dues (with an increase of 5%) for 378 Homes
% of Homes $53/year $55.65/year
That pay ($4.42 /mo) ($4.64/mo)
100% 20,034 21,035
95% 19,032 19.983
90% 18,030 18,931
85% 17.028 17,879
80% 16,027 16,828
75% 15,025 15,776
70% 14,023 14,724
* 80% homeowners paid 2007 dues
2008 Estimated Budget (Estimates based on the numbers we have from 2007 & 2008)
AEP ($85/mo) $1,020
H20/Sewer $ 150
Removed meters to save money
Insurance $1,405
Taxes $ 82
Maintenance $ 200
Lights & Gas for mowing
Landscaping $6,700-$10,000
Attorney Loveland $11,000
Dues collections, Deed Restrictions & other legal needs
Accountant $2,000
Tax prep, Correct Quick Books & quarterly audits
USPS (PO Box) $ 48
Change from USPS Store to Hilliard P O will save $132.00
Website $ 225
Social Events $ 750
Fundraisers, Donations to cut costs
Welcome Wagon $ 750
Approximately 30 homes/year
Postage $ 900
Bulk Mailing saves approx. 0.25 per mailing ($0.41-$0.42 verses $.0155 & $0.165)
Office Supplies $ 350
Total: $25,580-$28,880
A question from audience was about attorney charge of $11,000.00. Is that actual? No it is just an estimate. Costs would be reduced if homeowners would pay dues. There would be no need to utilize the attorney to collect outstanding dues. The HOA negotiated a reduced fee for collection letters. Collection of 2007 outstanding dues are underway.
Current Bank Balance: $11,052.18 (03/25/08). The financial records were made available for review.
2008 HOA DUES Totals and Projected Deficit (378 Homes)
% of Homes $55.65/year Deficit
That pay ($4.64/mo
100% 21,035 4,545
95% 19,983 5,597
90% 18,931 6,649
85% 17,879 7,701
80% 16,828 8,752
75% 15,776 9,804
70% 14,724 10,856
Increase 2008 Dues by 5%: Beth motioned to raise the yearly dues 5% (from $53.00 per year to $55.65). Mrs. Ehret seconded motion and everyone else stated I.
Beth introduced Elizabeth Ehret who covered the following items:.
Business Judgment Rule It is not possible for this Volunteer Board and Officers to perform all the duties and tasks considering the limited resources. Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize. We have prioritized safety & communications. The Board Trustees is responsible for maintaining the common areas, collecting yearly dues, paying bills, enforcing Deed Restrictions and much more. The HOA is a non-profit business
Special Warranty Deed Restrictions and Enforcement
- Deed Restrictions protect the values of the community assets. This includes your home.
- Restrictions are part of all property deeds (whether you were aware of this or not).
- Maintain baseline standard for each house. $6,048,000 total property value of neighborhood.
- Average Home price 160,000 x 378 homes=$6,048,000 total property value of neighborhood.
- Decrease of 20% ($1,209,600) since 1999.
- Enforcing Deed Restrictions costs time, money and legal fees.
How can you help the HOA and Your neighborhood?
-Select Topic for your request
-Select Violation from existing list
- Report your “Service Request Number” to the HOA-we will follow up if necessary.
- Thank you for assisting your HOA!
Elizabeth introduced Mike Schlegler who covered the following topic:
Deed Enforcement: Please Remember the Business Judgment Rule - 1st Priority Health & Safety Issues:
Commercial Vehicles: (Neighborhood is Residential not Commercial)
- Commercial: (10,000 lb GVW)
- Semi Trucks: big, hard to see around, pavement not thick enough to handle increased weight.
Automobiles: parked on both sides of narrow streets, 30’ from corner or fire hydrant (City Code).
- Hard for City Services (snow plows, garbage trucks, etc) and school busses
- Adults, children & animals walk through neighborhood
- Private Property: not visible on a property for longer than 30 days if not drivable (City Code)
Recreational Vehicles: (boats, RV/campers): 72 hour limit/30 days
Above Ground Pools: (may be no larger than 12” in height, must be emptied daily)
Dog waste: contaminates ground, may pass intestinal parasites and infections to other animals and people, City Code to pick up after your pet on public property and in right-of-way
Tall Grass & Weeds: invites bugs & small rodents who can be carriers of diseases.
A manicured lawn & landscape shows pride! No longer than 12” per City Code.
Debris: jack skids, ladders, scrap wood, metal fencing, old newspapers, etc. again, harbors bugs & small rodents….
Block Watch: We want to start the Block Watch Program. Please contact Debbie Gordon. Turn your lights on at night.
Deed Enforcement Mr. Schlegler indicated the above ground pools may be an insurance issue. A member from the audience requested clarification and confirmation that this is not an HOA insurance issue.
Satellite Dishes: does not apply to < 1 meter and erected or installed to minimize visibility from front of street
Window Air Conditioning Units: No units on any window facing the street
General Clean Up: please clean up old newspapers, flyers, etc. from neighborhood including vacant homes to maintain a clean appearance throughout the neighborhood.
Mike introduced Debbie Gordon who covered the following topic:
Block Watch Program
- Officer Paulis no longer our community liaison. Working with CPD to restart Block Watch Program
- Leave your porch lights on and/or invest in motion-detector lights.
- Report any suspicious activity to the CPD 645-4545.
- Contact Debbie Gordon to get involved.
Debbie introduced Pam Johnson who covered the following topics:
House for Sale: 24
House that are empty: 9
Rental: 30
Recent Home Sales
List prices Sale price:
Nickerson $131,000.00 $110,000.00
Gaffney court $138,500.00 $132,500.00
Onaway Court $139,000.00 $139,000.00
LaForge $146,600.00 $145,000.00
Funding Social Events Our goal is to eventually have the Social Events pay for themselves by charging a small amount for food and drinks during events, securing sponsors to donate goods and services to raffle or auction off. Everyone was encouraged to contact the HOA with other suggestions.
Most Recent Social Event:
3/15/2008 Easter Egg Hunt was a success. Actual Cost: $69.94 ($75.00 donation from local business, Powell Drug Mart donation of 420 free plastic eggs and ½ off Easter candy). This was a savings of $146.00. Thanks to Christa Wike for assembling the baskets for the children and Maranatha for co-sponsoring this event.
Future 2008 Social Events:
Community Garage Sale Friday June 20th and Saturday June 21st and Sunday June 22nd (Sunday was suggested by an attendee). Time: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. If interested please email or contact Pam Johnson.
- All houses involved will be shown on a map at front entrances.
- May charge for food at park. Hot Dogs, Chips, Cookies, Drinks for $1.00 or $1.50 to help cover the cost of advertising.
- We will have balloons and helium available for the small fee of $.25 per balloon.
Event will be in local neighborhood papers, the Columbus dispatch on Sunday or During the week Thursday and craigslist.org.
Landscaping Contest May 11th-July 4th (pictures will be taken the weekend of July 4 and the gift will be presented and announced on the web on July 12th.
People interested can enter the Landscaping contest.
- Plant flowers, trees, shrubs in your front yard and notify a member of the HOA (via email, phone or feedback form) of your interest.
- Pictures will be taken of your home and pictured on our website for voting by the community. The home with the most votes wins a gift to be announced.
Doggie Run/Spring Fling June 14th, Saturday
- Doggie Run: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Spring Fling: 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Entry Fee will be charged for Doggie Run
- Food and drink will be provided for a very small fee
- This event will be more like a picnic type of event with variety of contests. More details to come. Please contact Pam if interested in helping.
National Night Out August 5th, 2008, Tuesday from 6:00 p.m.-until 8:30 p.m
· Community gets together and has block parties to support efforts against crime in the neighborhood. This would be supported by block watch and social committees.
Community Garage Sale Friday August 8th, Saturday August 9th, and Sunday August 10th, 2008. Time: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
· This garage sale will be funded by residents.
· Participants will split the cost of the advertisements.
Fall Festival September 28th, Sunday Time: 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Food, Games, and talent events
- If interested in volunteering or joining in the talent event contact the HOA.
Best Decorated Holiday House contest winner will be decided and awarded gift certificate on December 13th during Christmas Caroling. Pictures will be taken of your home and posted on website for voting purposes. Contact the HOA with your interest in participating.
Community Christmas Caroling December 13th Saturday. Music, hot chocolate, coffee and baked goods will be provided. If interested in any social events, please contact Pam Johnson at: 614-878-6818 or pkjohnson 1960@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Ehret then addressed the topic of Reserve Lot B
This 0.702 acre lot is located between Trabue Rd. and Trabue Woods Blvd. The value listed on Joseph Testa’s website $3800.00. This lot cannot be built on and requires the HOA to pay taxes and maintain the property. An adjacent home to the lot has expressed interest in purchasing the lot and has stated he would erect a fence between our development and the property. Elizabeth sought member’s comments and the consensus was to sell it.
Announcement of Vote for 2008 HOA Board Trustees by Beth Lintz:
26 Votes for Elizabeth Ehret
25 Votes for Beth Lintz
24 Votes for Debbie Gordon
The floor was opened for Q&A. No questions were asked. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
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