HOA Board Meeting Minutes
July 19, 2023
The Woods on 19th HOA Board met Wed., July 19, 2023, at 1840 Villo Woods Ct.
Present: President John Rodgers, VP E.J. Jamison , Secretary Lori Rodgers, Treasurer Tony Winter, & Architectural Committee Chair Phillip DeCoster, and Donna Cook.
1. The meeting was held at 1840 Villo Woods Ct. and was called to order by the President at 7:02 p.m.
2. The Minutes of April 20, 2023 were read and were approved as corrected. They will be posted on the HOA website.
3. Treasurer’s Report: After paying for the road repairs we currently have $56,111.64 in the bank & $2,975 in undeposited checks to date. One homeowner is in arrears for first quarter dues.
4. Review of road repaving from June 21: The estimate from MaryCo was $17,488; the total billed was slightly under that, at $17,240. The President hand-delivered the check. Receipt and original bids were turned over to the Treasurer tonight to be kept in the Treasurer’s files. The Board thanks the president for arranging parking space for residents at Positive Bright Start’s parking lot; he went over and thanked them in person for allowing us to use their lot.
5. Review of property owner tree removals: The Vice President reports that she is still looking for a tree to plant in her own yard but should have no problem getting it done before the October deadline. Two other owners need reminding that they need to replant. The Board agreed that a second reminder will be sent to those who have not yet planted new trees that they need to do so. The Board also agreed to send formal second reminders to the 3 owners who have not yet removed their ash trees. Two of the three have refused to receive the certified letters in the past so they will be sent this time via FedEx.
6. Planning for HOA common area tree removals and replacement:
A. Trees that the HOA have removed (ash and others) have not yet been replaced. Planting of new ones may not happen until spring. One of the difficulties is that we do not have a map of the common area irrigation lines. All agreed that the Board members need to know where the off/on valves are, etc. The Board discussed what type of trees to plant, and it was agreed that something other than evergreens are preferable – oaks and maples are always a good choice, as are tulip poplars. Placement of trees in the common area closest to 19th Street should be closer to the street/curb, rather than back by the fence. Board members were asked to think on suggestions and we will discuss a timeline & who to ask for bids at our next meeting.
B. One of the trees in the common area by the mailboxes was damaged in a recent storm and the president has asked for a bid from Schonberg Tree Service regarding removal of the damaged limb. The Board agreed that there is no need to get 2 bids for this type of “emergency” work. Schonberg has also given the HOA a bid for the trimming & removal of other trees in the common areas. The president has spoken to a second company, San Marco & French Tree Service, regarding the trimming and removal, and they will be by in the next few days to give us a bid.
7. Request by property owner to purchase a portion of the common area on Delaware Street: The president was approached by the owners of 1833 VW on the feasibility of purchasing the portion of common property that is behind their house. The Board is concerned that doing so would be a complicated issue (it would break up the current expanse of common area that faces Delaware Street; what would happen with the portion of the irrigation system that is on that parcel of land; how would it affect property taxes, etc), that it could set a precedent, and that the time spent doing the research and filings with the city would be a burden to the Board volunteers. The president made a motion, which was seconded by the treasurer,, that the Board will not consider selling any portion of the common area. The motion was unanimously approved.
8. HOA policy on installation of solar panels on properties: The president and treasurer have both been approached by a solar panel company representative who claims one of our neighbors has expressed interest in placing solar panels on their home. No homeowner has mentioned this to a Board member, but it was agreed that the question raises lots of issues that our covenants and bylaws do not currently address, such as the size and placement of panels, potential liabilities for the HOA, aesthetics for other owners, and so forth. It was agreed that further discussion of potential Architectural Guidelines would take place at the next meeting.
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9. Repair of concrete portions belonging to HOA: Upkeep of each property’s driveway is the responsibility of each owner, but upkeep of the concrete curbing is the responsibility of the HOA. There currently are areas with lots of cracks and major pitting of the concrete, and a portion of sidewalk also needs repair, so this may be the HOA’s next big outlay. Does the HOA have sufficient funds for it? When would be the best time of year to do this sort of work? More work needs to be done on this issue. In a tangential matter, the treasurer noted that the owner of 1809 VW has sent him a bill for concrete repair work done in front of their house last year that purportedly repaired HOA property. The owners want the HOA to reimburse them. According to HOA records, the property owner never requested that this work be done by the HOA nor did they ask permission to do the work themselves, therefore the Board does not have any obligation to pay for their expenditures. .
-9. Other issues:
- The treasurer confirmed, per the president’s inquiry, that the most recent bill from the HOA lawyer was paid on May 22.
- Board members agreed that taking a group tour of the neighborhood to assess the above mentioned issues of irrigation, trees, and concrete should take place in the next few weeks.
- The president noted that the recent repaving is only a temporary fix to long-term road issues and that major repairs may be necessary in the next 5 -7 years and may cost close to $100k by then. The HOA is unable to borrow money. According to the treasurer, we will most likely need to raise the quarterly dues to pay for that, for our current income will not be sufficient to cover that expense. This will need to be a budget discussion at the next meeting.
- The next Board meeting will be held in either late August or early September.
The Meeting was adjourned by the President at 8:20 p.m.
Submitted by Lori Rodgers, Secretary