Minutes of September 6, 2023
1. The Woods on 19th HOA Board met at 1840 Villo Woods Ct. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. The meeting was called to order by the President at 7 p.m. Also in attendance were Treasurer Tony Winter, Secretary Lori Rodgers, Architectural Committee Chair Philip DeCoster, and Donna Cook. Vice President E.J. Jamison was unable to attend.
2. The Secretary read the minutes from the July 2023 meeting and they were approved as corrected. They will be posted to the HOA Website.
3. Treasurer’s report:
- The current bank balance is $ 56,945.01. A bill was received by Schonberg Tree Service in the amount of $115 and was paid.
- The owner of 1817 Delaware has not paid any dues for 2023. The amount now due, including a fine, is $450. The president will send a letter to the owner on behalf of the Board informing him that the debt will be sent to the collection agency if the above amount is not paid.
- A second owner may be in arrears, but the treasurer will double check the deposits from earlier in the year.
3. President’s review: :
- Congratulations to the Board for having completed the temporary paving job. This should not need to be redone for another 5-7 years, but then a full milling/paving will be needed, and that will probably cost close to $100,000 by then.
- Irrigation system: The president tested the system this morning, manually turning on the sprinklers in each grid. It is a confusing system. There is an app available for the system but he would prefer the HOA not have to pay for that. All of the sprinkler heads were working, with the exception of 1 grid area. Adjustment of spray/direction is needed for some. The treasurer volunteered to meet with the president and Shawn to determine how everything works. Mowing is done on Tuesdays so the president will ask if Shawn can meet with them about this on Sept. 12.
- The HOA will need to authorize repair of concrete curbing and the sidewalks in 2024. If anyone has experience with such things, please let the president know.
- The president noted that the state of the HOA is still bad in the lack of volunteering and the complaining and selfishness exhibited by some of the neighbors. This creates a burden on those who are stepping up and donating their time and efforts. He is volunteering to help protect his own property values, and would like to see more effort by others.
4. Discussion of raising dues for 2024: Each property (37 homes) is currently assessed HOA dues of $125 per quarter, and the HOA spends about half of that. At the current rate the HOA will not have enough to pay for the more in-depth paving job when it is needed. If dues were to be raised to $150 per quarter – which works out to $9 more per month – that would allow the HOA to be able to pay for major paving, barring any unforeseen large expenditures. in about 5 years. The president reminded everyone that since the HOA is unable to take out a loan the only two ways to pay for things is through special assessments and our dues. Need to have savings. The president made a Motion to raise quarterly HOA dues by $25, for a total of $150, effective January 1, 2024. The treasurer seconded the motion and the motion passed. The president will inform our bookkeeper to put the change on statements for the next billing cycle so that all owners will be aware of the change on a timely basis.
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5. The treasurer received emails on August 25 and again on September 4 from an owner who claims that damage to their fence was caused by the mowers. The Owner hasn’t provided proof, therefore at this time there is no action for the Board to take.
6. Tree followup:
- The president has not sent letters yet, but he noted that one of the owners has taken down their ash tree and a new tree has been ordered. The president will review the current status of trees in the neighborhood and follow up with those owners who haven’t yet replaced their ash trees.
- Bids were received from Schonberg Tree Removal ($2100) and San Marco & French ($1975) for removal of 2 pine trees, removal of 1 ash, trimming the walnut tree, & pruning multiple other trees on common areas. Both companies have done work for the HOA before and both are good, local, and responsive. After some discussion the Board voted to accept the Schonberg bid, as everyone was pleased with their recent emergency tree work. The president will contact them and schedule the work for later this year.
- The Board will need to continue their discussion for tree replacement prior to next spring.
- Several trees on owners’ properties are dying. The Board agreed that some owners need to be reminded that trees on their property are their responsibility to water and care for to help enhance property values, among other things. Specific trees will need to be identified next year.
7. Other business:
- Dog Shit in the Commons Area: The president noted that during his test this a.m. of our sprinkler system,he stepped in dog waste twice, and more than 1 animal seems to have been the depositor. The president noted that there is already a sign posted on the side of the mailboxes reminding dog owners of their responsibility to clean up after their pets but more is apparently needed. After discussing several options (installing a poo-bag station, setting up a camera, or additional signage) the board decided that additional signs placed in various locations would be a good next step. The president has found signs on amazon.com, $10 for 2 signs. The Board approved this expenditure.
- Unleashed dogs are illegal per Lawrence city ordinances. It is also rude and unneighborly, potentially dangerous, and contributes to the waste problem discussed above. There has already been 1 dog death in the neighborhood this year. The Board decided that no official action would be taken at this time.
The meeting was adjourned by the president at 8:10.
Submitted by Lori Rodgers, Secretary
