Waterford Lakes Homeowners Association

Waterford Lakes HOA Minutes

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

October 2018 Board Minutes


Waterford Lakes HOA Meeting Minutes & News
October 18, 2018

Attendees:    Board, PSG & 16 residents
Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
September Minutes Approved

Treasurer’s Report (Don Ulrey):               Checking:                               $25,952
                                                                        Roofing Reserve:                  $103,870
                                                                        CD:                                          $51,357
                                                                        Profit/Loss (thru 9/30):        +$7563
                                                                        % of budget spent:              71%
Committee Reports:
Social Committee
1.     Holiday Open House Saturday, December 1st from  1-3PM:    We are asking residents with hobbies & talents to display them for your neighbors to enjoy.  We have artists, wood carvers, musicians as well as those with collections and crafts.  Contact Geri Conway (317-268-4353) if you would like to display your talents.  No RSVP necessary to attend the Open House.  Punch and finger foods will be provided by the Board and social committee.
2.     The Men’s Breakfast at Emmy’s is Saturday, November 10th at 9:30am.  Hope to see you there.
3.     Those who have signed up for the trip to the Ayres Tea Room on Friday, December 7th should meet at the Clubhouse at 9:45am. We will leave by 10am.  John Brewer is providing transportation.
4.     The next Ladies Lunch is Saturday, November 10th.  The ladies are going to Greencastle to eat at Almost Home.  RSVP to Janell Miller if you would like to go.  Driver’s will be provided.
5.     Becky Ulrey is organizing a monthly “Game Day” (Euchre, Mexican Dominos, etc) at the clubhouse beginning January.  Contact Becky at 317-272-4069 to sign up.  Both men & women residents are invited to join.
Clubhouse Committee:
Get your reservations into Brandon at PSG (317-837-9860) to reserve the clubhouse during the Holidays.  Dates already reserved include:  11/1, 11/11, 11/17, 11/22, 11/24, & 12/1.  Forms to reserve the clubhouse are on our website.
Architecture & Landscaping Committee:
1.      There have been requests to switch up the sequence of mowing. Those at the end feel the quality of mowing/trimming could be better if it wasn’t getting dark by the time their yards are done. Those in the early hours deal with the wet grass.  We will discuss this with Mr. Sandavol.
2.     The public sidewalk in front of Marilyn & Bill Bank’s home was redone recently.  This had been a tripping hazard.
3.     The leaves are falling a little later this year with the warm weather. We will have 1 or 2 more mows to mulch the leaves. Contact PSG if your gutters need cleaned after the leaves have fallen.
4.     Brandon at PSG is available for home improvement, handyman & landscaping projects if you have any needs.
Rental Amendment Committee:
The Committee will meet with Board, October 23rd, to discuss their recommendations.  You will be receiving a notice for a Special Meeting. At the Special Meeting, there will be an open forum and owners will vote on a resolution for the Board to move forward with a rental amendment.
Old Business:  None
New Business:                       
1.     The next HOA Meeting will be November 15th to present the 2019 Budget for approval.  You will be receiving the budget information with your minutes.

2.     It is Medicare Open Enrollment time.  We have a good resource in our neighborhood.  Gary Holder (178 Lake View Court) is a licensed health insurance agent who can assist you in finding the right plans for you. You can contact Gary at:  317-840-2836 or gholder@healthmarkets.com.

3.     We will be using email more to keep you current on community news & announcements.  We do not have everyone’s email address. You may email Anne at anneinman1@hotmail.com to get on the group email.

Door Prize:      Frank Roselli won the gift card.  He was nice enough to give it to Joe Richardson who couldn’t have been happier. Joe volunteers to distribute the minutes to your door.
Adjourned

Thursday, September 27, 2018

September 2018 Board Minutes


Waterford Lakes Homeowners Association Minutes & News
September 20, 2018

Attendance:    PSG (Susan Keene, Larry Edwards), Board (4), 21 Residents
Call To Order:                          6:35pm
Pledge of Allegiance
August Minutes Approved
Treasurer’s Report:             Checking:                   $27,462
                                                Roofing Reserve:      $103,611
                                                CD:                              $51,357
                                                Profit/Loss (8/31):    $7971
                                                % of Budget:              62%
Committee Reports:

Social Committee:
                       
              Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Saturday, October 13th 8am-10am at the Clubhouse.
RSVP to Geri Conway (268-4353) or Janell Miller (272-7268). Let Geri or Janell know
if you need a ride or would like breakfast delivered to your home.

The Men’s Breakfast at Emmy’s Saturday, October 13th 9:30am is still scheduled.

Over 30 ladies have called in their RSVP for the Ayre’s Tea Room lunch at the State Museum. John Brewer will be providing the transportation.  Janell will have confirmation within the week as to the date and time. Stay tune for more details.

Clubhouse Committee:
A deep cleaning of the clubhouse was done this month. Amazing how much better the carpet looks. We will make a point of doing an annual carpet cleaning going forward. In addition, we cleaned the fabric on the chairs, woodwork, blinds, appliances, etc.  Our next project is to strip the years of wax off the linoleum and hopefully restore the floor to its’ original color. Wish us luck!  New rugs were put down at the entrances to eliminate tripping hazards.
Architecture & Landscaping Committee:  28 residents chose to have Growing Image (Nature’s Choice) aerate their yards this month. Some additional yards will be aerated/over seeded this week. Invoices will be mailed to the home for those participating. 
As weather permits, we will try to spread out Mr. Sandavol’s mowing/trimming services to every other week.  We only have five mows left in the budget for 2018.  We would like to keep a reserve in case it snows before January 1st…Ugh!  The high temperatures and humidity in September has played havoc with the ponds.  Consequently, we received an additional treatment September 18th.  Five roofs have been completed with two more to be done before the end of the year.  We will be preparing the shade garden and entrances for the winter in October.  A special thanks to Joy & John Shew for maintaining the North entrance area again this year.

Old Business: 

New Business:
1.     The Board will meet October 13th with Property Services Group to prepare the 2019 Budget that you will vote on at the November HOA Meeting.
2.     There was additional discussion on a rental ban policy.  Luann Elsbury was adamant that the Committee expedite an amendment and vote.  Sharon Simmons reinforced the fact that it must be approved by 75% of the residents, not a simple majority.  We discussed the fact that we have great renters, many of which have been here a long time.  We want to encourage renters to participate in HOA social events.  See attached statement from the Rental Policy Committee.
3.     Welcome to Frank & Barbara Roselli who purchased 8048 & 8052 Crystal Court.
4.     Betsy Burdge commented on the south entrance light pole flickering. We will get the number off the pole and report it to Duke Energy.
5.     The Board has asked Larry Edwards to get numbers so we can purchase next year’s roofing materials before the end of the year.  With the hurricane, materials will be scarce and prices are increasing.
6.     The Board has asked Larry to line up a different contractor to repair the public sidewalk in front of the Bank’s home on Waterford Court.  It is a tripping hazard.
7.     We are asking Reese Wholesale for an estimated timeline for repairing the Gillespie driveway damaged last summer when roofing materials were delivered.
Door Prize Winner:  Joe Richardson
Adjourned
Next Meeting Thursday, October 18th at 6:30pm
Rental Ban Committee Report:          Protecting Our Community

The Waterford Lakes Community has been around since 1997 and the leadership continues to monitor activities that will preserve the value and the well-being of our community.  In the next several months, you will learn more about the efforts to incorporate an amendment to our Covenants addressing “rentals” both short and long term.

Why We Want A Rental Policy?
There are two main factors that are driving the effort to control rentals in our community:
1.     To protect/build property value
2.     To preserve a safe and secure environment
What Are We Working On?
The Board has created a special committee to work through the various aspects of this process with our first goal being to present recommendations to the Board and PSG. The second goal is to communicate the recommended policy to our homeowners and residents.  Our ultimate goal is to bring the rental ban amendment to vote in the 2019.
How Will This Amendment Impact You?
Current owners do not need to worry about the forthcoming amendment.  The amendment being discussed, will take effect at time of approval with new/future owners when there is a change of ownership.
We Would Like To Hear from You
Your feedback is important to the committee.  We are planning several ways to communicate the details and progress of this amendment:
·       Monthly HOA meetings & minutes/newsletters
·       Mass email communications
·       Contact Brandon at PSG (317) 837-9860 to communicate your thoughts and questions.
·       Email your questions/comments to the committee at:  anneinman1@hotmail.com
·       We are evaluating how best to include updates on the website (www.psgcondos.com) click on Waterford Lakes.
Share your feedback with committee members:  Steve Cooper, John Shew, Dawn Lowden,     Don Ulrey, Janell Miller, Anne Inman.

Friday, August 24, 2018

August 2018 Board Minutes

Waterford Lakes Homeowners Association Minutes & News
August 16, 2018
Attendance:  27 residents, 5 Board Members, PSG (Susan Keene & Larry Edwards)
Call To Order:              6:40pm
Pledge of Allegiance
Approval of July Minutes
Treasurer’s Report (thru July 31, 2018): Checking:                                           $24,553
                                                                        Roofing Reserve:                              $109,952
                                                                        CD (reserve funds):                          $51,357
                                                                        % of Budget (after 7 months)           53%
                                                                        Profit/Loss to date:                          $7705
Don Ulrey, Treasurer, reported that our CD was renewed in July for 13 months, which was the shortest term offered.  Our rate went from .25% to 2.25%.  He anticipates rates to be even better when the CD renews once again.
Committee Reports:
Social Committee:  
Ladies we are scheduling a visit to the Ayres Tea Room at the Indiana State Museum for lunch in early December. We are trying to reserve the first Friday in December. Reservations must be in by August 31st to Geri Conway (317-268-4353).
Monthly Men’s Breakfast at Emmy’s: Come join us Saturday, September 8th at 9:30am.
Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast rescheduled to Saturday, October 13th   8am-10am.
Cards were sent to Dee Brewer and Sharon Simmons who recently had surgery. We hope you are all recovering nicely.  Dave Miller passed away August 23rd.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Janell.
Community Phone Directory Committee:
You are receiving the updated 2018 directory with your minutes. I want to personally thank Peggy Burke (426 Waterford Lane) for maintaining the database and laying out the directory again this year.  When Peggy moved in 3 years ago, she asked how she could help. And of course, we had some ideas!  Thanks to Nancy Fitzgerald for binding the directories.

Landscaping & Architecture Committee
We would like to remind you that Mr. Sandavol has the Board’s permission to trim low hanging branches that interfere with his mowing.  We do not want anyone hurt.
We recommend aerating your lawn in September. It is one of the best things you can do for your lawn.  If you are willing to water daily, you may wish to consider over seeding with the aeration service.  Aerating is the process of punching small holes all over your lawn.  The most effective type of aerating is with a gas-powered machine called a core aerator that pulls out small cores of grass and soil.  Air is critical to healthy root growth.  Aerating your lawn breaks through the thatch layer (providing a better habitat for microorganisms), enables the roots to breathe, and improves water and nutrient penetration.  Signs your lawn needs aerating: water puddles after rain or irrigation; water runs off lawn after only a few minutes of watering; worn areas where people walk; parts of lawn just can’t seem to stay moist.  The heavy commercial lawn mowers compact the soil forcing air out.   Eventually, the grass declines and starts turning brown due to the lack of air and water to the roots. The ground in Waterford Lakes is very hard and compact anyway. The topsoil was hauled off by the builder and compacted clay soil (from dredging the retention ponds) was spread around the buildings during construction.
If your lawn is looking bare and worn, it may be time to over seed with aeration. Aeration allows the seed to go 2-3 inches deep in the ground where deep roots can form. The deeply rooted grass takes longer to come up and you will see the benefits in the spring. After over seeding, water thoroughly, but be careful not to wash the seed away.  Keep the grass seed lightly watered for the first two weeks so the seed does not dry out.  The best way to control weeds is to grow a thick lawn. 
Most lawn fertilization companies offer aeration services.  When aerating, be sure to mark your sprinkler heads with flags if you have an irrigation system.
Overwatering your lawn can create problems.  What determines if your grass needs water is how dry the soil. Soil moisture is determined by air temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall frequency and amount, soil-type and overall condition of the grass.  The proper way to water a lawn is very simple: thoroughly but infrequently (wet the soil five inches deep). A lawn can be watered any time of day but it is best to avoid watering in late afternoon or evening.  Early morning is a good time.  Watering every day or even every other day is overwatering. Daily watering keeps the porous spaces in the ground filled with water instead of oxygen, which is vital to the growth of grass.  Without oxygen the root system will be shallow and possibly suffocate and die.  Shallowly rooted grass plants are easily stressed. This in turn makes them more susceptible to disease and insect damage. Roots are not easily visible but they determine the health and beauty of your lawn.  Overwatered lawns often have the weeds that are more difficult to control.  Fertilizer that is applied to an overwatered lawn is washed past the roots before it can be absorbed by the grass plant.  Consequently the lawn will lose color faster.  Setting your sprinkler system once in the spring will ultimately not work.  It needs to be more hands on.  Mother Nature has the final word!
Brown spots in your yard can come from a list of possibilities:  insects, grubs, fungus, heat & humidity, and oxygen deprivation. With the slow release fertilizer that is used, it should not be from the application.
Old Business:
1.     The question was raised about the status of the roofing project. Larry Edwards explained that the 4th unit is scheduled for this month.  Hopefully, Edwards Roofing will be able to complete the 3 other units between September - December.
New Business:
1.      John Shew suggested that the Board consider aerating the yards since this has not been done in about 6 years.  He also raised concern over the quality of the fertilization service we are receiving from Growing Image.  The feeling among the residents is that the weeds are worse than they have ever been.

The Board met with Bridgette at Growing Image following the meeting.  She said “spurge” has been a real problem this year with the weather. Spurge is an aggressive weed with widespread seed dispersal, drought tolerance, and an extensive taproot system.  The pre-emergent, used in the 1st & 2nd application do not touch this type weed.  To tackle this problem, we will be receiving a special application Tuesday, August 28th (30-30-6 slow release nitrogen + iron to help green) with a spurge & mulberry control.  They will follow up with a 4th application the beginning of October (30-0-5 quick release nitrogen).  They like to apply weed killer with a liquid application to adhere better to the grass plant with a granulated fertilizer.  Keep in mind this can be a slow reaction as the weed killer goes down to the roots. It will continue to work all winter and you should notice a big difference in the spring.  Ideally, you should wait 24 hours, allowing the treatment to dry before doing a light watering.

Keep in mind when we kill the spurge there will be more bare spots potentially in your yard.  This is another good reason to aerate and over seed.
 
2.     Linda Osborn suggested that we work on getting a group rate for aeration/ or aeration with over seeding.

The Board has arranged a group rate for aeration services through Growing Image.  If you are interested, contact Brandon at PSG (317-837-9860) by September 10th.  You have 2 options:  aeration only or aeration with over seeding.  Growing Image will use a grass seed mix of tall fescue & blue grass.  They will invoice you by mail upon completion.

                                    Aeration Only                                     Aeration + Over Seeding
Most Yards                $45                                                      $90
Large Yards (corners)          $60                                                      $120


3.     Rita Emge raised the question: What has been planned for the willow trees that are dying around the retention ponds bordering Waterford Lane.  The Board has received quotes to remove the willows.  The estimate is $500 each to cut down and remove the stump.  These are on the list to be put in the budget.  We are currently over budget for trees this year with 4 months to go.  We have to prepare for additional Bradford Pears to split before the year is out.  We may have to spread out the removal of these willows over time. The one on the eastside of Waterford Lane would ultimately be first on the list.
6.   The Board has asked PSG to put an RFP together for snow removal services.  We will begin the bid process to find a company that will provide better quality work/service without tearing up driveways, yards and landscaping.  Considerations will include: the type of equipment, method of plowing, availability, and reasonable rates.  Snow removal is to include driveways, front sidewalks and stoops.

7.     Anne Inman led a discussion on the pros and cons of having a rental restriction policy. Randy Simmons, who has gone through this process in Florida, cautioned us on the challenges of enforcing rental policies and potential costs for legal services.  Overwhelmingly, the residents in attendance were in favor of amending the Covenants to include: a rental ban, grandfathering provisions, hardship exceptions, short term rental ban (AIRB&B), and lease provisions.  The Board has created a special committee, chaired by Anne, to work through policy specifics, tracking, enforcement, challenges, resident/owner education, roll out and voting.  Recommendations will be made to the Board and PSG.  You will be kept informed throughout the process.  Ultimately our attorney will draft the Amendment.  Current rental units will be grandfathered so don’t panic!

8.     The Biology Dept. at Franklin University has obtained a federal permit to do research on the migration of mallard ducks in urban areas.  Since we have a lot of ducks in residence, they have chosen Waterford Lakes as one of their sites. They have set up a trap along the Dan Jones retention pond to trap and band ducks for about 2 weeks with Board permission.  The trap is set daily for an hour and the ducks are immediately released after being tagged.  This is being done in the counties surrounding Marion County.  Too bad it isn’t the geese being trapped!
Door Prize Awarded:  Martha Bosma Winner!            Meeting Adjourned:          7:30pm


Next HOA Meeting Thursday, September 21st at 6:30pm





A Message from the Board
An essential element of HOA lifestyle is that individuals must sometimes subordinate their wishes to what is in the community’s best interest.  In HOA’s, owners give up certain rights for the HOA’s benefit at time of purchase.  You might call our HOA a “common interest community”.
The Board made a commitment to residents, when the HOA assessment was increased from $125 to $150/month in January, 2017, that fees would not be increased again for some time. We took on the roofing project with the understanding there would not need to be a special assessment.  The Board is very cognizant of the fact that many residents are on fixed and limited budgets.
The Board is juggling many priorities and challenges with an aging community that demands more maintenance, more repairs, and more upkeep.  At the same time, we committed $6000/month of our budget for the roofing project through 2025/2026.  We have a long “wish list” needless-to-say. As our community ages, healthy reserve funds take on more importance.  A strong volunteer effort saves resources.  
The Waterford Lakes HOA Declaration of Covenants is very specific as to the responsibilities of both homeowners and the Association.  We are a planned unit development (PUD) not a condo community.  In a PUD, you own your lot not the Association.  The Covenants state, “each Owner shall be responsible for maintaining and keeping his or her Lot and all improvements thereon in a good, clean and sanitary condition, and shall do all work, thereon, which is not required hereunder to be performed by the Association including the interiors of patio areas and patio fences.”
The general duty of the Association is “maintenance, repairs, replacements and upkeep of the Common Area”.  “In addition to the maintenance of the Common Area, the Association shall provide exterior maintenance upon each Lot hereunder as follows: paint, repair, replacement and care of roofs, gutters, downspouts, and exterior building surfaces.  Such exterior maintenance shall not include glass surfaces, screens and screen doors and window fixtures and hardware, patios, and such other items the Board of Directors may designate as long as such items of exception shall apply to all units equally.”  The Covenants also says the Association is responsible for lawn maintenance including mowing, fertilization and trimming. It shall not include the care and maintenance of shrubs or trees that were not originally planted by the Declarant or flowers or other plants on any Lot.
A Checklist is in the 2018 Community Phone Directory that lists the responsibilities of the Owner and Association.
We are a Community that cares about each other and everyday someone extends a helpful hand to help another neighbor.  We see the value of our homes increasing and Waterford Lakes has become a much sought-after Community.