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Board Meeting Minutes August 17, 2010 Present: Crisp, Cadorette, Eggers, Edwards, Kruske, Sisson, Griffin Members Absent: None Guest: Chad Grimes 1. Mailboxes: This was the primary topic of the meeting. The board recently conducted a survey of interest in either keeping the current green post with black mailbox or changing at owners expense to a new proposed vinyl post with black mailbox. Total votes received were 52; with 37 in favor of keeping the current green wood post/black mailbox with 15 in favor of making the change to the vinyl post. The majority carries and the current green wooden post will be kept. HR members will be notified of the results by a hand-carried letter in the near future. The letter will be hand-delivered to save on postage costs. Edwards is to ask Bob Williams for the specifications to the old wooden post/box. He will then make a specs list and include a quarter-inch scale template. This will enable homeowners to make repairs themselves or to pass the correct information to their handyman. This information will be posted on the web site. This information will enable homeowners to bring their mailboxes up to standard in the near future. There are a number of mailbox posts which require repair now. They require regular maintenance and repair because of being made of wood. Bob Williams, the previously approved HR post maker, used very good materials and worked to a high standard which resulted in his assemblies being long lived. Williams no longer performs this function so in the future, each home owner will have to search out his own handyman when the time comes for that. Williams performed this function for the HR HOA for a number of years and his service is appreciated by the board. This subject may be a topic at the October 2010 Annual Meeting and for the 2011-2012 board to take up. Motion was made and seconded to table further mailbox discussion. Motion passed. 2. Lawn Service and Maintenance: A discussion was held concerning submitted bills compared to paid bills. The wall reconstruction effort is complete. That wall project has been a financially large expenditure for the HOA over the last several years. 3. Chad Grimes' Mailbox: Shortly after the board decided to have the membership change to a new mailbox, Grimes bought one for himself and advertised to the HR community that he could be a one-stop-shop in converting to the new mailbox/post. The board then reversed direction and canvassed the membership for their guidance. The proposed new mailbox was not accepted in that vote leaving Grimes with a mailbox that did not meet the HR standard. He provided his original bill of sale from Lowes and asked to be reimbursed. The request was discussed and as he acted in good faith, a motion was made to reimburse him. Motion was seconded and passed. A check will be issued. 4. Unpaid Dues: The total of unpaid dues is $2,439.00 as of August 1, 2010. This is a continuing issue. All homeowners are legally obligated to pay the annual HOA dues on each lot that they own. Liens are routinely placed at Craven County Court against all properties which are in arrears. All outstanding liens are regularly renewed to include applicable late fees. Property liens are public records. Each property owner/home owner has a responsibility to be aware of this obligation and it is in the property owner's financial self-interest to be current. Motion was made and seconded for each board member to select a delinquent property owner and talk with them about the problem. Motion failed. The HOA funds available to the board through your timely payment of dues have been properly spent. If a property owner/home owner wishes to discuss this topic with the board, please contact any board member so you can be put on the agenda for a board meeting. 5. Annual HR HOA Meeting: This meeting is required to be held in October each year specifically for the election of board members. This allows the new board to begin business on January 1 of the following year. The functioning of any HOA is dependent upon the membership participation by individuals offering to stand for election to the board in addition to attending the meeting and voting. All dues and late fees must be officially paid and recorded as such if an individual wishes to participate in the discussion of meeting topics, to vote on any question, or to stand for election to the board. The window is now open for self-nomination as a candidate for the 2011-2012 HR Board of Directors. Winning candidates will serve a two-year period running from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012. Please contact any board member or Ms. Wilson at Management Services if you wish to be considered. The proposed HR budget for 2011 will be presented at the meeting. 6. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM. The next meeting will be held on September 8, 2010, 7 PM at Rob Edwards' home. John Griffin, Secretary **************************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes July 14, 2010 A meeting of the Board of Directors of Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners' Association, Inc. was held on July 14, 2010. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p. m. In attendance: Mary Ellen Crisp, George Eggers, Fred Kruske, Joe Cadorette, Rob Edwards, John Griffin. Absent: Melissa Sisson
John Griffin, Secretary **************************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes May 20, 2010
A meeting of the Board of Directors of Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association, Inc. was held on May 20, 2010. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. In attendance: Joe Cadorette, Mary Ellen Crisp, Rob Edwards, George Eggers, Fred Kruske, Melissa Sisson. Absent: John Griffin Officer / Committee Assignments: The Board agreed on the following appointments of officers for the remainder of 2010: Mary Ellen Crisp – President George Eggers – Vice President John Griffin – Secretary Melissa Sisson – Treasurer The following board members will act as liaisons and/or members of the committees of the HOA: George Eggers will be the liaison with the existing Maintenance Committee. John Griffin will be the liaison and a member of the existing Safety Committee. Fred Kruske will be the liaison and a member of the existing Architectural Review Committee. This committee is in need of additional members. Joe Cadorette will be the liaison and a member of the existing Electronics Communications Committee. The HOA needs to staff an Adjudicatory Panel. Homeowners wishing to appeal violations have an option to be heard by the Adjudicatory Panel. Ideally we would like to have a pool of 10 homeowners to serve on this panel. Three members will be used at each hearing. Each Board member offered to solicit homeowners and submit names of those interested in serving on this panel. It was suggested that we establish a Welcome/Social Committee. George Eggers will check with his wife to see if she would be interested in heading up this committee. Financial Report A current cash flow statement was provided by Management Services. To date, there is approximately $3200 in unpaid HOA dues. Maintenance Committee
Discussion about the recent invoice from Smith Brothers Lawn Maintenance occurred. It was explained that Smith Bros. will now handle the weed spraying for the common area and we will no longer use Southern Turf. Smith Bros. will divide this cost by 12 and add the amount to the monthly invoice. George Eggers provided an update on getting water access at the front entrance. He will follow-up with the County and Lonnie @ Management Services to see who needs to sign to accept responsibility on behalf of the HOA. We do not want to put an individual’s name on the paperwork. Another column on the brick wall has been repaired. We will look at the balance in our account after we pay for the water taps and determine a schedule for repairing the remainder of the wall and having it power washed. An alternate choice of mailboxes was presented. The Board voted to approve this new choice, which is a Mayne Dover Mailbox Post in Granite with a black metal mailbox. We would like to have the entire neighborhood transition to the new mailbox within three years. The new mailbox post is attractive and maintenance free. We will notify homeowners of this change in our upcoming newsletter. Electronic Communications Committee
This committee would like to make cosmetic changes to the website. The Board gave them permission to do whatever they think is necessary to make it more user friendly. However, if cost is involved, they will need to get Board approval prior to spending money. They will request that the tracking information be removed as this is not necessary and will save a little bit of money. Violations The Philippart residence continues to be a nuisance to residences in that area of the neighborhood. Mary Ellen will contact the attorney to see how the Board can handle these issues. Newsletter It was suggested that a periodic newsletter be issued as an additional communication tool to keep homeowners informed of the HOA’s activities. Melissa volunteer to publish the newsletter, with members of the Board submitting articles. We will initially try to publish this quarterly. Miscellaneous A discussion was held as to the possibility of increasing the number of general meetings of the HOA. Currently we have an annual meeting. It was decided that this question will be part of a survey in the newsletter to see if this is something homeowners would want. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 17; however, due to summer conflicts, we might need to reschedule or not have a June meeting. ****************************************************************************
Board Meeting Minutes April 8, 2010 Present: Crisp, Eggers, Kruske, Griffin, and Russ Whittaker as Chair, Safety Committee Committee Reports: Safety Committee--Whittaker, Committee Chair
Maintenance Committee Report --Davis (absent)
John L. Griffin Secretary*/ Board Meeting Minutes February 4, 2010
Present: Crisp, Eggers, Kruske, Griffin Committees Chairs scheduled for arriving late: Whittaker and Cadorette
Open Board Positions:
Board Officers:
Financial Report:
Standing Committee Requirements: All committees are open for members.
Committee Reports:
New Business: Hughes of MS noted to the Board that “No Trespassing” and “protected by XX firm” signs are being seen in Hunters Ridge. The HR documents make no provision for these signs and Hughes called it to our attention and suggested that we discuss and come to a reasonable enforcement and control of these signs. John L. Griffin, Secretary Received 2/14/2010 Posted 2/26/2010 *************************************************************************** December 2009 Board Meeting Minutes Present: Crisp, Davis, Basnight, Nash, Griffin Guest: Joe Cadorette No Published Agenda General discussion on two main topics: 1. Web site discussion. Mr Cadorette discussed with the the Board the current Web site and where he thought it could be improved. He proposed using Facebook vs. a regular Web site as an option. He personally likes the Facebook approach. General discussion followed. Crisp moved that we establish an Electronic Communications Committee for the HR HOA. Second by Griffin. Motion carried unanimously. This committee will be informal and will have no authority to act for the HR HOA Board. The Committee charter is to discuss the known options for facilitating internal HR communications. The committee chair will periodically present to the HR Board the results of those discussions or proposals as necessary. 2. Next HR Official Meeting. A letter will be sent to the currently identified candidates to ascertain their continued interest in standing for election to the HR Board. Possible dates for the next annual meeting are to be either Jan 7 or Jan 14, 2010 with Jan 7 being the preferred date. The location for the meeting is to be determined. Maintenance Committee report: There are two (2) pillars to be replaced, three (3) pillars need caps, and two (2) pillars need to be connected to the wall better. Motion to adjourn made by Griffin. Seconded by Davis. Motion carried. Adjourned at 8:20 PM. ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* Hunters Ridge Of New Bern Annual Members Meeting 11 – 19 – 09
MINUTES
Board Members In Attendance: Others Present: Mary Ellen Crisp Lonnie Wilson – Management Services Avis Nash Steve Tyson – County Commissioner John Griffin Craven County Sheriff Dept. Reps. Gayle Basnight Meeting called to order by Vice President Mary Ellen Crisp at 7:04 p.m. The Board members and management representative were introduced followed by the introduction and oral resume/summary of each of the candidates running for office. Each candidate expressed their interest in taking a more active roll in the community happenings to keep Hunters Ridge an enjoyable place to live. Request for all ballots/proxies was made to determine meeting quorum. Upon total count, it was declared that a quorum had not been reached. The Board decided to continue the meeting for information purposes only. Membership expressed concern of votes counting of next meeting. Management advised that so long as no document prohibited strictly against such action that best efforts to have the current proxies recognized would be made. Steve Tyson – County Commissioner spoke to the membership advising of the county tax assessment and evaluation process for each home in the area. Tax assessments are conducted at least every 8 years. Mr. Tyson advised that if any homeowner felt the assessment on their property was inaccurate to contact the County Commissioners office and request a re-evaluation. Mary Ellen Crisp presented recent community happenings and events to the membership. Larger items that the Board has been working on are the cleaning and repair of the brick wall and pillars surrounding the community. The phased plan is being worked on in conjunction with an engineer to be certain the integrity of the wall remains in tact. Cost for the cleaning are being obtained to include contractor with own water source and algaecide/chemical treatment to prevent/discourage future growth during interim cleanings as well as to maintain the brick condition. The membership was notified that it is the responsibility of each of the homeowners whose property backs up to the wall to maintain the interior wall free of vegetation. Questions from the membership included which portions of the wall were being addressed. The Board confirmed that all portions of the wall were being placed in the phased plan, with those most in need of repair to be placed with priority. The Covenants of phases 1,2, and 3 were changed in accordance with the documents by a contingent of homeowners who sought out their own legal counsel to do so. The documents were changed and recorded at the record of deeds office and are now a legal binding portion of the Association Documents. Conversation ensued from the membership disagreeing with the manner in which this was conducted. The Board of Directors advised that there is nothing that they are doing to dissolve this action as it was conducted legally. General concern of not being notified was duly noted. The Board agreed to post the changed documents on the website for review. Management advised that a memo would be placed on the annual billing invoice indicating that such a change had been made and for members to preview the site or contact Management Services directly for a copy of the revised documents. One member requested the dissemblance of the website all together and go to regular mailings for all notices, including each monthly set of meeting minutes. Management advised of the cost prohibited nature of the recommended action. The changed section in questions was clarified to unaware members to be section 6. Use Restrictions, now permitting in summation the placement of any combination of 2, trailers, boats, or similar recreational vehicles to be set behind the front elevation of the home. Detective Dan Gardner and County Sheriff Department Officer Bud Bennett addressed the membership by providing an update of area and community criminal activity. Det. Gardner clarified the sheriff department’s role to assist members to know whom to call in different cases. Emphasis on the correlation between declining economy and increase of criminal activity was made. Detective encouraged homeowners to lock and or remove personal valuables from vehicles. Membership inquired about speeding in the community and thanked the officers for their increased visibility. Officers advised that given their resourses and availability that if speeding was the concern that they should probably contact the Highway patrol. Membership was advised of Craven County noise ordinance of 11:00 p.m. If noise persists past this hour contact the Sheriff department. Officers clarified that barking dog noise was applicable at any hour of the day. Det. Gardner advised that it is a good idea to create a community watch program being that neighbors can be proactive in their approached to happenings in the community verses reactive as the sheriffs department is. The questions of what constitutes trespassing was approached, and the sheriffs department advised that the property must be posted, secured, or a verbal request to leave the property must be issued by the homeowners. It is not trespassing to utilities a public access including sidewalks, driveways etc. Members requested how to handle the persons fishing at the pond in the community. Officer advised that the owner of the lot which they were using for access must be contacted to make any complaint. Avis Nash attempted to deliver the annual budget for the 2010 year. The membership decided that they were not done speaking of the document changes, and manner in which all information was handled. Concerns regarding the posting of information, and notification of the community were brought back to the table. All matters regarding posting will be addressed by the Board. The Board would like it to be duly noted that the volunteer whom posts the information and maintains the website does this at no charge to the Association. The Board apologized for the delay in minute posting on the website. Management advised the membership that if anyone was interested in the monthly meeting minutes that they simply needed to contact the Management Office for a copy. Concerns were expressed by the membership regarding all matters currently on the table. John Griffin excused himself from the meeting. Request for volunteers was made by Management for the Architectural Control Committee, the Judiciary Committee, Block Captains, and Safety Committee. Management gave a brief summary of the responsibilities of each committee. Members were given an opportunity to ask additional questions of the Board. No others issues were brought to attention of the board. Meeting adjourned at 9:02 pm by Board member Gayle Basnight. Respectfully Submitted by: Lonnie Wilson, CMCA 11/23/09 Property Manager/Broker Management Services **************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes October 8, 2009 Present: Crisp, Davis, Griffin, Nash 1. Maintenance Committee:
2. Street Captains:
3. Neighborhood Watch:
4. VP Crisp Meeting with Attorney:
5. Member Voting Rights:
6. Annual Meeting (19 Nov. 2009):
7. HOA Dues:
John Griffin, Secretary posted 1/23/2010 **************************************************************************** September 17, 2009 Board Meeting
Minutes
Present: Crisp, Nash, Davis, Basnight, Griffin and Russ Whittaker
1. Financial Committee Report:
The board discussed the monthly report provided by Management Services (MS). There is a need for explanatory notes relating to what is included in certain expenditure categories.
Bills for the masonry work at the front entrance were discussed. There is a small discrepancy in the current bills compared to the same work performed earlier.
Financial report was approved unanimously.
2. Management Services Activity:
Four property liens are in effect. These liens are subject to the recently adopted “Enforcement, Fine and Appellate Procedure”.
Voting Rights issue: Attorney will be asked to provide an opinion on signature validity in the recent Phase I covenant change petition. The Board’s position is that property owners who are in arrears with annual dues are not allowed to vote in the annual meeting or to otherwise participate in official Hunters Ridge HOA business.
Commercial vehicles parked in residence driveways and portable basketball goal structures are beginning to be a problem.
Several letters have been sent recently to property owners by MS.
3. Street Captain/Representative Initiative:
Davis gave an overview. The discussion was mainly concerning the relationship between the HR HOA and the street rep initiative. No formal contact has been made between the two groups. HR HOA has not been asked to financially support the upcoming street rep hosted party on October 24.
4. Maintenance Committee Report:
Common Area Landscaping Committee (CALM): Bids for the landscaping will be sought, reviewed and a recommendation to the Board will follow.
Mail Boxes: Several alternatives to the current wood design were presented. The committee recommended that the HOA continue with the current painted wood design. Recommendation was accepted and passed unanimously.
Damaged Tree on Brice’s Creek Road: NC DOT policy is that they will remove a fallen tree from the public roadway but will not take the tree away for disposal. The individual property owner (not the HOA) owns the tree and is responsible for tree disposal.
5. Safety Committee report:
Both the Craven County Sheriff and the State Highway Patrol have been called often for disturbances on Wingate. The problems reported include speeding, running stop signs, and excessive noise late at night. The disturbances are a continuing problem. It is a good practice for homeowners to occasionally telephone the two police organizations and thank them for their assistance in general.
6. Web Site Host:
There was a discussion concerning whether the current firm hosting the HR site was adequate.
7. Annual Meeting Preparation:
There was a discussion on the preparation that the board itself must do prior to the meeting. The by-laws may allow for a smaller board than seven. With the advent of MS, there probably is not a need for a seven-member board.
Nominations are needed for new board members. Two current members are completing their terms and will be going off on December 31, 2009. Interested individuals are encouraged to talk with any board member. A more important requirement is for more committee members. The Covenants and Architectural Review committees are two key elements to the HOA.
The proposed dates for the HR HOA (Phases 1 through 4) meeting are November 17 or 19, 2009.
8. The next board meeting will be October 8, 2009 at Mary Ellen Crisp’s home at 7 pm.
Posted 2/11/2009 ************************************************************************* Board Meeting Minutes August 13, 2009 Present: Cranston, Crisp, Basnight, Nash, Griffin Treasurer's Report. Discussed a synopsis of the monthly report provided by Management Services (MS) along with projected expenditures for the calendar year. The actual report as provided by MS will be reviewed at the next regular meeting. Discussion of the costs of the current project of repairing the main entrance brick wall. For planning purposes, a reasonable estimate for the repair of any single column is $1,600. Basnight moved that two more columns be repaired by December, 2009. Seconded by Griffin. Passed unanimously. Basnight moved we accept treasurer's report. Seconded by Cranston. Passed unanimously. Possibility of power washing the brick wall was introduced. Cranston moved that he be authorized to arrange for the wall to be power-washed at a cost to not exceed $800. Seconded by Nash. Passed unanimously. Secretary’s Report. Secretary and Board discussed the desired process for approving minutes. Decision was reached that the draft minutes will be emailed to the Board for review and agreement. After Secretary incorporates the revisions resulting from that review, the final minutes will be emailed to Ms Hughes at MS for file and to Ms Pittman for posting on the Web site. The draft minutes for June and the out of cycle July meeting were read and amended. Amended minutes were passed unanimously. Maintenance Committee report. 1. Mail boxes. Committee Chair recommended that we keep the present mailboxes. Griffin moved that we send the committee report back to the committee to re-visit the issue. Seconded by Nash. Passed unanimously. 2. Damaged tree. There is a storm damaged tree on the Brice's Creek Road side of the brick wall. This is a hazard. There is some disagreement concerning just which party has responsibility for that tree. Cranston agreed to talk with committee chair on this. 3. Common Area Landscaping and Maintenance Committee (CALM) report. This report proposes a process through which the HOA can properly address issues pertaining to landscape and maintenance of the HOA common areas. CALM is a sub-committee of the Maintenance Committee. Discussion of the report which calls for: a master landscaping plan, landscaping maintenance, fertilizer/weed control, and pest control followed. The report is extensive, thorough and should serve the HOA well in the future. Griffin moved we accept the report in draft form and ask CALM to refine the report and continue to move forward keeping the board informed. Seconded by Nash and Cranston. Passed unanimously. Safety Committee report. Safety chair not present. There is one particular residence which seems to be the source of continuing public disturbance. Griffin will talk with Safety chair on this matter. The Safety Committee chair can telephone both the county sheriff and the MS contact when matters are out of reasonable control. Old Business: Lot #13. Cranston asked MS to write the property owner's lawyer a letter concerning the covenant violations. New Business: 1. Phase I covenant changes. MS will be asked to consult with attorney on the validity of the signatures. 2. Covenant changes in general. The board decided to go forward and enforce the revised covenants. We will coordinate with MS to make this happen. 3. The Architectural Review and the Covenants Committees are vacant. Volunteers for these committees are being solicited from the homeowners and are encouraged. 4. Welcome Committee. This is vacant and will be left in that state. 5. Street Representatives. This is a non-HOA concept that has gained considerable interest between all six of the Hunters Ridge phases. An informational meeting was held recently and an additional organizational meeting will be held in the near future. The HOA will keep in touch with that group. Meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM. The next meeting will be at John Griffin's house (218 Barrington Way) on September 10 at 7 PM. ************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes July 14, 2009 Present: Cranston, Crisp, Basnight, Nash, Davis, Griffin Guest: Phil Inman No Published Agenda New Business: 1. General discussion of the amendments to the covenants for phases 3 and 2A. This discussion was informal only and no decision as to future actions was anticipated nor was any decision reached. Mr. Inman's input was appreciated and taken for future consideration. 2. Davis moved that Cranston coordinate with the masonry contractor on a price quote for sufficient material to repair five (5) columns. Motion was seconded by Basnight, discussed and passed unanimously. Old Business: 1. Landscape plan for the front entrance: Gary's Nursery is searching for a copy of the original plan. 2. Covenant violations for lot #13 are unresolved. Next meeting will be approximately August 13, 2009. Adjourned at 9 PM John L. Griffin, Secretary *************************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2009 Present: Crisp, Nash, Cranston, and Griffin Main topic this meeting was to hear a proposal from Ms Lonnie Hughes of Real Estate Plus Management Services. This proposal was for Management Services to perform management functions for the HOA Board under a contract. Extensive discussion. Motion to work further with this company to flesh out any specific details was made by Cranston and seconded by Griffin. Motion passed unanimously. Enforcement and Fine Procedure. Discussion of this document in draft. Current bylaws do not provide for such a procedure. Lawyer. Motion was made by Cranston and seconded by Crisp to retain Gary Clemmons as HOA legal counsel. Passed unanimously. Discussion followed concerning clarification to the covenants over the meaning of "trailer" and TV satellite dishes. Outcome was that the term "trailer" also means camper. Outcome of the TV satellite dish discussion was that any dish of three feet in diameter or under does not require Board approval. Location of any dish in the property front yard does require Board approval. Motion to confirm this decision was made by Cranston and seconded by Crisp. Passed unanimously. ************************************************************************ Board Meeting Minutes March 12, 2009 Present: Pittman, Crisp, Nash, Cranston, Basnight, Davis, and Griffin Minutes from the three previous meetings were approved. General Discussion of property liens: One lien was filed in 2008. The most recent letter from the Board gave property owners until March 31, 2009 to pay their outstanding dues. None of these property owners have paid as of this meeting date. Leo offered to teach any of the Board members the lien process. A discussion was held concerning the structure that is being built on Lot #13. The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) had previously granted verbal approval to the homeowner to build a structure. However, what is currently in the process of being built is not the same structure for which approval was given. The Board determined that the structure is in violation of several covenants. It was agreed that the homeowner should immediately stop construction and resubmit plans to the ARC for approval. These plans must clearly show that this structure is in compliance with all the HOA covenants. The ARC will notify the homeowner of the Board's decision. *************************************************************** Board Meeting Minutes February 26, 2009 In Attendance: Ed Pittman, Gayle Basnight, Jim Davis, Mary Ellen Crisp, Avis Nash, Dick Cranston Absent: John Griffin The meeting opened with a discussion of selecting the officers for the next year. As a result, a motion was made to have Ed Pittman as President, Mary Ellen Crisp as Vice President and Avis Nash as Treasurer. John Griffin was nominated for Secretary and Ed Pittman will speak with him to see if he agrees. The motion was seconded and it passed. A motion was made to accept the minutes from the Annual Meeting. It was seconded and the motion passed. The minutes will be posted on the web site. The minutes from the follow-up annual meeting still need to be transcribed. Covenants Committee The board is in agreement that the covenant violations have gone on too long and a procedure for enforcement needs to be implemented immediately. Violators need to come into compliance. Dick Cranston read a letter from a homeowner who threatened to make structural changes on their property which are clearly in violation of the covenants. They justified their proposal with other homeowners being in violation and nothing is done about it. We agreed that two wrongs certain don’t make a right, but their argument made sense. Dick Cranston agreed to be the board liaison with the Covenants Committee to get things back on the right track. Architectural Control Committee This committee presented a proposal from a homeowner to add a storage area and dog house onto an existing structure in their backyard. After a lengthy discussion, a motion was made to accept the proposal. It was seconded and did not pass. The committee needs to review the plans again with the homeowner and determine what covenants, if any, they would be in violation of if this structure was built. The board agreed that if it violates any covenants, it should not be approved. Finance Committee The Treasurer presented a financial report as of February 25, 2009. It was agreed to file liens on all properties that have not paid their 2009 and/or 2008 dues in full (including late fees) by March 31, 2009. It was questioned as to who made the decision to charge lot owners who have built a home on two lots only fees for one lot, and whether we in fact have the authority to make that decision. Ed agreed to research the issue in the by-laws and/or covenants. Maintenance Committee The pine straw has been ordered by Smith Bros. and will be put down as weather permits. The Maintenance Committee will research mailboxes to see if there’s an alternative to the wooden posts we currently have. The sink hole on Lot 154 has been filled in with gravel. The homeowner will put dirt and sod on top of it, and this will hopefully fix this problem. Miscellaneous It was agreed that we need to get many, many more people involved in the HOA. A suggestion was made to have each homeowner contacted by a board member to solicit interest and get more people involved. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at Avis Nash’s home. The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m. ************************************************************** Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association, Inc. Follow-up to Annual Meeting February 12, 2009-Minutes A follow-up to the Annual Meeting of the Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association was held at 7:00 p.m. on February 12, 2009 at the Fire House. The purpose of this meeting was to elect the board members for the 2009-2010 term. It was determined that we had a quorum to hold the vote between those present and the proxies received. As a result of the election, the following nominees were elected to the board: Avis Nash Mary Ellen Crisp Dick Cranston John Griffin Those already serving on the board include Ed Pittman, Gayle Basnight and Jim Davis. This now gives us a seven member board of directors. Following the vote, a brief discussion broke out regarding the payment of dues. It was reported that there were 18 lots that have not paid their 2009 dues. Everyone in attendance was in agreement that the board should follow the collection procedures outlined in the by-laws, including placing liens on homes. The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m. *************************************************************** Minutes Annual Meeting – January 22, 2009 The annual meeting of the Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association was held on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at Trinity United Methodist Church. Leo Minervini, President, opened the meeting at approximately 7:00 p.m. He welcomed everyone and introduced Ed Pittman, Board Member. Ed, in turn, introduced the current Board members and Officers Mary Ellen Crisp, Secretary, reviewed the minutes from the last annual meeting of the HOA and explained that the minutes are posted on our web site. A motion was made to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded and the minutes were unanimously approved. Avis Nash, Treasurer, presented a year-end 2008 financial report of the HOA. As of the meeting, there were a total of six homeowners and/or lot owners who had not paid their dues for the second half of 2008 and one homeowner who had not paid dues for the entire year of 2008. The balance in the account at the end of the year was $4,019.42. A homeowner questioned the amount spent on taxes for the lakes and roads. Leo explained these bills were from time periods when the Developer still was responsible for the HOA and were inadvertently overlooked when he turned over the HOA to the homeowners. As a non-profit organization, we will not be responsible for such taxes in the future. Our attorney is trying to have the Developer reimburse us for those taxes. (An expenditure of $716.91 for taxes of the lakes and roads was reported on the Year-End 2007 Financial Report in error. This amount was actually paid in 2008.) A motion was made to accept the financial report as presented. The motion was seconded and it was approved. Next, each Committee presented a brief discussion on their role and accomplishments to date. Maintenance Committee – Jim Davis acknowledged the members of this committee and provided an update on the activities of the Maintenance Committee. The process of repairing the columns in the brick wall has begun. This past year two columns were repaired. In addition, enough additional bricks were purchased to complete three more columns. We will continue to repair additional columns this year based on the budgeted amount, and continue in the following years until all columns are repaired. Lighting was installed to illuminate the flag, as well as a more secure fixture installed to light the monument. We have contracted with Smith Bros. to provide landscaping and maintenance of the common areas for the next year. The Maintenance Committee asks homeowners to coordinate any activity in the common area (i.e., planting flowers, decorating, etc.) with a member of the committee. Covenants Committee – Joe Mauney reported on this committee. The committee has developed a charter and it is posted on the web site. He explained the procedures this committee will follow to enforce the current covenants. Enforcement of HOA covenants is covered by North Carolina statutes, which allows for assessments of fines for violators. This committee needs additional members. Ideally, they would like to have at least one representative from each phase of the subdivision. Architectural Review Committee – Ed Pittman and Bob Williams are members of this committee. Any homeowner or lot owner needs to submit plans of any new house construction, proposal and plans for any additions and/or alterations to the exterior of existing structures or proposal for the addition of any exterior features on the property of existing homes. The committee asked everyone to remind their neighbors of this procedure if they see them making any changes. Additionally, the committee would welcome new members. Leo introduced Gordon Basnight, a member of the Alignment Committee. This committee has spent a lot of time and effort in determining the feasibility of merging all of the phases in the subdivision into one homeowners’ association. The committee performed an in-depth comparison of the covenants for each phase and determined there were only minor differences. They strongly suggest that no merger be considered until all the roads in each phase are maintained by the State. If and when a merger does occur, they proposed to keep the covenants the same in each phase, and adjust the dues of each phase over a period of time to eventually have each homeowner paying the same amount. At this time, the next step is to discuss this with legal representation. The new billing procedure was presented. The HOA will now be billing for homeowners’ dues annually. Invoices will be mailed on January 1st of each year and due by January 31st. If payment is not received by January 31st, a $15/month late fee will be added until it is paid in full. It was determined that there was not enough representation from the homeowners and proxies received to make a quorum. Therefore, the vote for new Board of Director positions will not be allowed to take place. It was explained that we will have to have an additional meeting to hold this vote. The follow-up meeting will be scheduled for some time in February. A notice of date, time and place will be sent out and posted on the web site. At that meeting, the requirement for a quorum will be one-half of the original requirement, which equals 30% or 38 votes. There are currently four positions open for the Board of Directors. The candidates running for these positions were introduced. Those present spoke to the group. Ed Pittman explained the possibility of changing the Annual Meeting to October instead of January. If a quorum was not present at the meeting in October, it would allow time to hold a follow-up meeting prior to the end of the year. That way, the newly elected board members could begin serving the first of the year and their term would coincide with the calendar year. The floor was opened up for questions. A suggestion was made to have some sort of social event for the neighborhood. Eunice Inman, Barbara Cranston and Gayle Basnight agreed to plan a get together for some time in the spring. Leo encouraged those in attendance to get involved in the HOA. Leo Minervini was thanked for his contributions while serving as President of the HOA for the past two years. His work and dedication have been greatly appreciated. The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:30 p.m. ******************************************************************* *********************************************************** Meeting Minutes for 2008 Minutes Board Meeting--November 20, 2008 In Attendance: Ed Pittman, Leo Minervini, Gayle Basnight, Jim Davis, Mary Ellen Crisp Absent: Avis Nash, Dick Cranston, Tim Daly Leo Minervini opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. A general discussion was held with regard to attendance at monthly board meetings. Tim Daly sent the board members an email addressing his absence at meetings. Leo will have a discussion with Tim to determine his commitment to the board and attendance at future meetings. It was suggested that we should institute some ground rules and expectations of board members prior to the installation of new/additional members. Finance Committee Leo presented a hand-out of receipts and disbursements as of November 7, 2008. There is currently a balance in the checking account of $1972.21, with projected bills remaining for 2008 in the amount of $1153.68. Leo will obtain a list of delinquent homeowners from Avis when she returns from vacation. He and Gayle will start the collection process of filing liens against them. They will also determine if repeat offenders need additional liens filed or if the liens already filed can be amended. With regard to specific expenditures, Jim confirmed that there is no duplication of services between the Smith Brothers and Southern Turf with regard to lawn care and fertilization/weed control. The line item of payments to Douglas Love should be combined and indicate what work was done (two columns repaired plus purchase of brick to repair two more). The payments to the Craven County Tax Collector were for back taxes owed by Gerald Anderson. The attorney acknowledged this was a result of an oversight on his part and had previously offered to reimburse us for those costs if we did not receive any type of reimbursement from Gerald Anderson. Leo will follow up to request reimbursement from the attorney. There is a duplication of payment to the NC DOR for filing our tax extension. We are still expecting a refund of $60 from the NC DOR. Leo will contact the accountant to get an estimate of the cost of filing our tax returns for 2008. We will then determine if we want to seek estimates from other preparers. We need to institute and follow a procedure when submitting bills to the Treasurer for payment. A board member needs to authorize payment of any bills received indicating the work has been performed satisfactorily and payment should be made. A motion was made to approve the Receipts and Disbursements as of November 7, 2008. It was seconded and passed unanimously. Covenants Committee The board discussed the revised Covenants Committee Charter. A motion was made to approve the charter. It was seconded and passed. Leo will inform Joe Mauney that his committee should go forward with the procedures outlined in the charter to continue enforcing the covenants. Maintenance Committee The committee is satisfied with the repair work that has been done on the two columns on the brick wall. The contractor is storing the extra brick that was purchased to repair two additional columns free of charge. It was recommended that we continue with the same contractor to repair additional columns. The committee spoke to two engineering firms with regard to the sink hole that is happening on a lot in front of the back lake. It is most likely being caused by a leak in a bend of the underground pipe. They received the names of three firms that could confirm the problem and fix it. It was recommended that we get estimates from at least two of them so that we have a better idea of the cause and extent of the damage and the cost of repairs. The items that were being thrown over the brick wall behind Iverson Lane have been removed. The Christmas wreaths will be put up on the brick walls in early December. Alignment Committee Leo, Ed and Gordon will meet with an attorney to get a legal perspective on the possibility of merging the phases within Hunters Ridge. This will allow us to be better prepared to make a presentation and answer questions at the annual meeting. Board Members We will have either three or four board positions that need to be filled. Leo and Ed have contacted a few homeowners to see if any were interested. Other names were suggested at the meeting. Leo and Jim will follow-up to contact the additional suggested names to see if there’s an interest. Annual Meeting Preparation We will have our annual meeting in mid to late January. The first choice of a date is Thursday, January 22, 2009, with an alternate choice of January 29. Leo will ask Avis to check with her church to see if we could use that location again. It was suggested that we ask for a sound system to be set up so that everyone can be heard better. Leo will check the by-laws to determine the timing of the meeting notices. It was suggested that we send out postcards instead of letters to save postage. It was also decided that we will hand-deliver reminder flyers a few days prior to the meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Ed Pittman’s house. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. *****************************************************************************
Board Meeting Minutes October 9, 2008 In Attendance: Ed Pittman, Leo Minervini, Gayle Basnight, Jim Davis, Mary Ellen Crisp, Janet Johnson Absent: Avis Nash, Dick Cranston, Tim Daly Guests: Gordon Basnight, Joe Mauney Leo Minervini opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. There was a discussion regarding attendance of board members at meetings. Leo will contact Tim Daly to discuss his commitment to the board and attendance at meetings. Alignment Committee Gordon Basnight presented a summary of the work this committee did with regard to combining all of the phases within the subdivision. A motion was made that this committee should proceed with the exploratory process of combining the phases. It was seconded and the motion passed. It was agreed that the next step be to meet with legal representation to make sure the approach is legal. Leo is to contact Jim Ayers prior to next month’s meeting. Covenants Committee Joe Mauney has been trying to grow this committee and would ideally like a cross-section of members from throughout all of the phases. Currently there are only 3 members and there is limited representation. The committee revised the Charter per the board’s recommendations. He will email an update to Susan Pittman for posting on the web. Finance Committee A discussion was held regarding the collection of dues and the amount of late fees. It was agreed that it would be beneficial to have an annual billing instead of semi-annual. It was also agreed that the late fees needed to be more significant than what they currently are (10%). A motion was made to change the by-laws and increase the late fees to $15 per month. It was seconded and the motion passed. Mary Ellen will send out an informational letter to all homeowners informing them of the new procedures. Invoices will be mailed prior to January 1, with a due date of January 31. Maintenance Committee The committee agreed to provide a quote for the cost of pine straw to the board in December for the following year, so that amount can be included in the budget. Debris has been thrown over the brick wall behind the houses on Iverson Lane. Chuck Tyson will contact the homeowner and ask that they clean it up. Going forward, the committee asks that Smith Bros. have total control over the care of the front entrance to include watering. The sink hole on a lot on Wingate continues to be a problem. Ed will contact an engineer to have someone look at it to determine the cause and a possible solution. Miscellaneous It was recommended that we change the structure of the board and have the officers selected from board members beginning with next year’s board. This item will be discussed in more detail at the next meeting. Leo asked Janet to help get documents, etc. together for the upcoming annual meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Location TBD. The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m. ***************************************************************************** Minutes Board Meeting -- September 11, 2008 In Attendance: Ed Pittman, Avis Nash, Leo Minervini, Gayle Basnight, Jim Davis, Mary Ellen Crisp, Gordon Basnight Absent: Janet Johnson, Tim Daly Leo Minervini opened the meeting at 7:00 p. m. Marilyn Philippart, Board Member, resigned from her position at the end of July 2008. A replacement needs to be named. After a brief discussion, a motion was made to appoint Dick Cranston to replace her. It was seconded and the motion passed. Leo will inform Dick that he was chosen to replace Marilyn and will serve as a board member for her remaining term. Mary Ellen, Janet and Dick Cranston met with the Treasurer of Taberna's HOA. A report was given to the Board of how they run their association and what suggestions she provided to help us with our structure. Finance Committee: The Treasurer provided a hand-out of receipts and disbursements as of September 10, 2008. There is currently a balance in the checking account of $3356.40, with projected bills remaining for 2008 in the amount of $2307.36. There are still eight residents who have not paid their dues. Six homeowners have not paid the second half of 2008, and two have not paid at all for 2008. A discussion developed regarding the collection of dues, collection of late fees, recovering court costs and legal fees and the placement of liens on homes. A set monthly amount of a late fee might have more impact than the small percentage we are charging now. It was also suggested that we begin billing annually instead of having the option to pay semi-annually. A suggestion was also made to place liens on the homes of those who have not paid by year-end. Leo asked Gayle and Gordon Basnight to review the current by-laws and covenants to determine what our options are with regard to the billing process, late fee amounts, etc. They will report back with their findings at the October meeting. The Treasurer also requested that all bills submitted for payment be detailed. In addition, she will not make payments or reimbursements for any items that have not been approved in the Budget or have gotten Board approval at a meeting. Covenants Committee: Leo presented a hand-out of "The Covenants Committee Charter" provided by Joe Mauney. The board reviewed it and made comments. It was agreed that this Charter was not specific enough with regard to the procedures they are recommending. Leo will talk to Joe and ask him to revise it. He will also invite him to attend our next meeting. Maintenance Committee: The pine straw has been installed. The lights are in place and are working. Several adjustments had to be made, which had to be done at night, which added to the length of time it took to complete the installation. Smith Bros. indicated they would place seasonally appropriate flowers in the boxes around the sign three times a year for a total cost of $250. It was agreed this expense was not in the Budget and there is not enough money to cover it at this time. Smith Bros. also provided an estimate of additional landscaping in the island, to include bushes around the bottom of the monument which would cover the base that is exposed. The proposed project totaled $1071.00. Again, this does not fit our current budget. The Board will consider this proposal when determining next years' budget. The Bradford Pear trees are extremely dry. It is not known if they will survive, but it is strongly suggested that they receive as much water as possible to increase the chances we won't lose them. There has been frustration with the company that has repaired the first column on the brick wall. It has not been completed to the Maintenance Committee's satisfaction and they have been non-responsive to phone calls. They need to fix the color of the adhesive and fix the top of the pillar to make it complete. There are 12 more columns that need to be fixed; most of them are in need of immediate repair. Due to the amount of funds remaining, a motion was made to purchase the amount of bricks needed to complete 3 additional columns and repair one, with the remaining bricks being stored. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Alignment Committee: Gordon Basnight presented the findings of this committee, which has met numerous times over the past several months. They reviewed the covenants of all the phases in Hunters Ridge and provided a cross reference that makes it easy to compare them. They also provided a comparison of dues and a proposed dues structure that over time would make the dues for all homeowners equal. They also provided a printout of recommendations and conclusions. It was agreed that this was a lot of information for the Board to digest. Each member received a copy of all the documents provided to review after the meeting. A big thank you to Gordon and his committee for all their efforts. Web site Renewal: The invoice was paid to renew the maintenance of our web site for another year. Annual Meeting Preparation: In anticipation of our annual meeting, we will look at restructuring our current Board/Officers. Currently, the board members serve two-year terms. Three of the members' terms expire at the end of the year. We need to consider the timing of the annual meeting so that it coincides with the terms of the board members. Ed Pittman will present some suggestions to discuss at the next meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 7:00 p. m. Location TBD. The meeting adjourned at 9:33 p. m.
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Minutes Board Meeting -- June 12, 2008 In Attendance: Ed Pittman, Avis Nash, Leo Minervini, Gayle Basnight, Jim Davis, Mary Ellen Crisp, Tim Daly Absent: Janet Johnson, Marilyn Philippart Leo Minervini opened the meeting at 7:00 p. m. Attendees confirmed they had read the minutes from the previous meeting that have been posted on the web site. A motion was made to accept the minutes as written. It was seconded and the motion passed to accept the minutes as written with no changes. Leo reported that Janet is out of town and unable to attend the meeting. She has met with a member of Taberna's homeowners' association. She will provide a report at our next meeting as to how they handle their delinquent accounts and covenants violations. Susan Pittman has agreed to maintain the web site. Leo will give her the necessary software and train her. Treasurer's Report: Avis reported that there are 68 homeowners who pay their dues semi-annually. Invoices for second-half dues will be mailed out asap, with a due date of July 15th. The wording on the invoices needs to be specific as to due date and on what date a late payment will be assessed. Avis also provided a current financial statement of income received and disbursements made. Jim Davis requested that a detailed report be provided on the disbursements. It was agreed that Avis will bring her ledger to subsequent meetings which will include detail on payments made. Leo reminded the Board that $10,000 needs to be kept in a separate capital improvement account, as outlined in the annual budget that was approved by the Board. Money can be deposited into that account twice a year, when dues are collected. It was suggested that at our next meeting in the Fall, we need to re-word the invoices to encourage more homeowners to pay annually instead of semi-annually. Liens: Six liens were filed with the county for non-payment of first half dues. Four of those six homeowners subsequently paid their dues and the liens were released. It was suggested that another agenda item for our next meeting needs to be deciding what process, if any, will follow for those who have liens against their property but still do not pay, and also if we should try to recover any costs/fees associated with the liens. Covenants: Joe Mauney is still trying to develop procedures for addressing covenant violations and enforcement. He is frustrated that he is not able to have a committee meeting as the members have been consistently unavailable. The fines for violations are specifically identified in the North Carolina statues. Fines can be up to $100 per day for each violation. It was suggested that we allow the Covenants Committee to put a procedure in place, with the fine being used as the last resort. Landscaping/Maintenance: Pine straw has been ordered and will be installed when it's received. It was reported to Progress Energy that several starters were burned out. It is believed that they have all been repaired. The Maintenance Committee received an estimate from M&W Electric of $2300 to install lighting on the monument and the flag. They received another estimate from Romero's which came in at a total of $740 for three lights, installed. The Committee recommended to the Board to have the work performed by Romero's A motion was made, seconded, and it passed. Jim will notify the electric company to proceed. Brick Wall: Doug Love Masonry located brick that matched the wall. In January, they gave an estimate of $1870 to repair one column. The price has increased ~ $200 to $400 due to additional delivery costs. A discussion was held regarding saving money on the delivery costs by ordering all the brick at once and storing it. Since it was already agreed to do just one column and see how it turns out, that is the procedure we will stick with. After one column is finished, a decision can be made on how to proceed with the remaining ones. Dick Cranston is the liaison with the masonry company. Jim Davis will notify him to proceed as previously approved, including the additional costs. It was also agreed to power wash the outside of one wall. Potential Merger of Phases: Jim Davis and Ed Pittman reported that the Potential Merger Committee has met several times. They have had discussions on the merits of combining the various phases into one and have been trying to address all issues. At this point, they are developing a spread sheet of all the covenants for each phase. This will allow the Committee to easily make comparisons of the commonalities and differences between each set of covenants. Once this is done, they plan to discuss it with representatives from the other phases, and then possibly discuss it with an attorney. Tim Daly then presented a "Homeowners Association Merger Proposal" to the Board. He met with Gene Dunn on June 9th and developed several solutions to eliminating the phases within the subdivision and having the entire development controlled by one homeowners' association. A heated discussion followed on several topics. Tim was not aware that there was currently a Committee looking into the same issues. He claimed to have approached Mr. Dunn as a concerned homeowner, not as a board member. Jim Davis invited Tim Daly to join that Committee and attend their next meeting. A major issue seems to be with the fact that the homeowners in Phases V & VI do not contribute to the upkeep of common areas, which they have access to and that this isn't "fair". It was suggested that until the proposed merger matter is settled, the committee ask Gene Dunn if he is willing to use a portion of the dues he collects to help pay for such expenses. It was agreed that the Potential Merger Committee approach Gene Dunn immediately to see what he's willing to do. Miscellaneous: Leo led a discussion on the current structure and terms of the Board. Currently board members serve a two-year term. At the end of this year, terms expire for Leo, Janet and Marilyn. It was suggested that some sort of restructuring needs to be done so that board members are also officers. We might also need a Chairman of the Board. Ed Pittman and Gayle Basnight agreed to look into the matter and discuss it at the next meeting. A motion was made to end the meeting and reconvene in September. It was seconded and carried. The next meeting will be at 7:00 p. m. on September 11, 2008 at the home of Tim Daly. The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:50 p. m.
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Minutes Board Meeting –May 8, 2008 The board meeting of Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners Association was held on Thursday May 8, 2008 at the home of president, Leo Minervini. Present: Janet Johnson, Leo Minervini, Gayle Basnight, and Ed Pittman Absent: Tim Daly, Jim Davis, Avis Nash & Mary Ellen Crisp. Note: Tim Daly and Mary Ellen Crisp had notified the President previously that they were not able to attend. The president opened the meeting at 7:05 p.m. and it was confirmed that the second Thursday was still a good night for board meetings. Minutes: - Minutes from the last April meeting were read and approved by the board. Sirens: - The discussion of sirens or other tornado alert systems was discussed and the fact that Craven Emergency Manager did not support that approach. He recommended that residents would be better off purchasing NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) radios that can be programmed to alert residents if an impending storm approaches Craven County, or any other area that they are concerned about. Radios can be purchased for $25 - $50 from electronic stores like Radio Shack. Insurance: - Leo is still pursuing a reasonable Insurance program for 2008 that gives us Liability, Indemnification and Umbrella coverage for the HOA. We recently added additional coverage for liability now that we own the lake bordering Barkside Lane. Maintenance: - The maintenance committee had been given the approval to install Pine Straw and repair of one Pier on the Common Wall at the entrance of the subdivision. To date that work has not been started. The repair of a hole(s) in the lake to maintain the lake level was discussed and it was decided that before we pursue this approach we would want to get the company that did the engineering for the piping systems connecting the lakes to review the design and recommend what we may do to keep the lake level stable. At the same time we need to look into the sink hole that has developed in the piping system on Wingate Drive. Leo Minervini & Janet Johnson will look into this issue. Board Structure: – It was decided that we should gradually organize into a structure where all officers are members of the board and hold the additional officer positions. We had been operating somewhat in that fashion when there were only 3 board members and 4 officers in the past. These changes would normally take place when folks ended their terms and officers appointed from the board would take place at that time. The By-Laws will be looked at to determine if they need to be changed to reflect the suggested structure. Capital Improvement Projects: – The front entrance lights and lights on the flag need to be pursued as one of the improvements needed at the entrance of hunters Ridge. Leo will pursue getting a volunteer to look at that work and report back to the board. Tommy Lamm, who has been taking care of our entrance flags, was suggested as someone to take over this task. Late Dues: - There were six residents who did not pay their dues after bills and personal contacts by board members did not yield payments. The HOA filed Liens on the property of those six residents for the dues plus a 10% late fee. As of May 8th, 2008 one of the six residents paid up, and the lien will be dismissed on that property. As payments are received liens will be dismissed appropriately. The billing process that the board decided on will be as follows:
Board Assignments: - If board members or committee members accept assignments from the board, it is expected that those folks will report back to the board at the next monthly meeting with progress or problems that require additional board action. Some activities seem to drag on too long and our residents expect us to pursue activities promptly on behalf of everyone. Covenants Committee: - The covenants committee is developing their charter to more clearly define how we will operate as an association and how we will proceed with violations. When it is complete they will submit it to the board for final approval. It is generally felt that we all bought into a sub division and invested a great deal of money on our homes because of its attractive appearance and the fact that if properties were maintained properly our investments would be secure. The covenants are clear and lay out what is acceptable and what is not as far as nuisances on lots are concerned. Each resident is encouraged to review the covenants they received at closing or they can refer to the web site where each covenant is listed. Joe Mauney, who is heading up this activity, needs some dedicated residents to help out. Leo Minervini will discuss our legal options with our lawyer to see what is available to us when residents refuse to comply with the covenants. Leo & Janet will review the Taberna process to see how other HOA's deal with this topic. Safety Committee: - Janet Johnson will follow-up with the safety committee to have them discuss speed limit signs and other signage we feel we need for safety. Each resident is also free to report speeders, etc. to the Craven County Sheriff anytime we see violations occur. The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 PM. **************************************************************** Minutes Board Meeting –April 2, 2008 The board meeting of Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners Association was held on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at the home of president, Leo Minervini. Present: Jim Davis, Tim Daly, Janet Johnson, Leo Minervini, Avis Nash, and Ed Pittman The president opened the meeting at 7:10 p.m. We discussed dates for board meetings and the decision was made to have meetings on the 2nd Thursday monthly. There was a discussion on the structure and responsibilities of board members. Leo explained that according to the By-Laws, any two (2) or more offices may be held by the same person, except the offices of President and Secretary. Officers must be members of the Association. Ed Pittman suggested that the Officer positions should be selected form the elected board members. This item was tabled for a future meeting and further discussion. Avis Nash disseminated the names of homeowners who have not paid dues. A discussion ensued as to the handling of delinquent dues and it was agreed that board members should speak with the identified homeowners before proceeding with legal action. Leo provided updates on the following items:
Three expenditure items were presented for discussion and approval.
The board approved the purchase of the pine straw, a maintenance item and the repair of the wall, a capital fund item. A discussion followed on postings and policing of the lake, boating on the lake and existing covenant violations. Jim Davis stated that the lake has 2 holes that could be fixed for approximately $100 - $200 that would increase the water level. Leo will check with Joe Mauney on the status of his plans to address covenant violations. The other items need further research and will be addressed at the next meeting. Jim Davis reported on the committee findings. They discussed the positives and negatives of merging with the other phases. They will be meeting to review all three covenants, street lights and right of way before meeting with Mr. Dunn. The committee hopes to speak with Mr. Dunn about giving a parcel of land for recreational use. The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:40
************************************************************************ HOA Meeting Minutes Follow-Up Meeting – March 13, 2008 A follow-up to the annual meeting of the Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association was held on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the Township 7 Firehouse on Brices Creek Road. Leo Minervini, President, opened the meeting at approximately 7:00 p.m. He welcomed everyone and explained the purpose of tonight’s meeting was to vote on additional board members for the HOA. The current board had previously decided to increase the number of board members from three to seven. They felt it would benefit the HOA to have input/direction from more homeowners, in addition to lessening the load on the current board. At the annual meeting in January, there were not enough homeowners present to satisfy the necessary quorum to hold a vote. Therefore, we called this follow-up meeting so that we can proceed with the voting. Janet Johnson, Vice-President introduced the candidates who were on the election ballot. They were Gayle Basnight, Ed Pittman, Tim Daly, Dick Cranston, Randy Gibson and Jim Davis. Each candidate gave a brief summary of their reasons they wanted to become board members. An opportunity was given to make additional nominations from the floor. None were given. Mary Ellen Crisp, Secretary, announced that the minutes from the annual meeting held on January 24, 2008 were now posted on the web site. We want to encourage homeowners to access important information on our web site and use it as our main communication tool. Some homeowners indicated they had not received the minutes. It was explained that they are not being sent out via an email, but that homeowners must access the web site and read them there. Jim Davis inquired as to who volunteered at the annual meeting to be part of the committee that will assess whether or not to join Phase V into our HOA. The others who volunteered to join Jim in this effort are Dick Cranston and David May. Leo told everyone that there are sign-up sheets in the back of the room for anyone who is interested in becoming involved on any one of the committees. Avis Nash, Treasurer, presented an updated financial report of the HOA. Currently there are 11 homeowners who have not paid their 2008 annual dues. Leo indicated that a more detailed discussion on that subject is on the agenda for later in the meeting. It was determined that the number of homeowners present plus the number of proxies received constituted a quorum, so we could go ahead with the voting. Those present cast their ballots, and the board members and officers collected the ballots and proxies and tallied the results. Janet Johnson announced that our new additional board members are Gayle Basnight, Ed Pittman, Jim Davis and Tim Daly. These new members will serve a two-year term. We look forward to having these additions. Various committee members present gave updates on their respective committees. Joe Mauney spoke on behalf of the Covenants Committee. He is looking for volunteers to join this committee and would like representation from all areas of the neighborhood. He outlined his vision of the role of this committee and provided his phone number to the audience so that those interested could contact him. Ed Pittman spoke for the Architectural Control Committee. He indicated that since the last meeting they have approved plans for two new homes on Barkside Lane. More and more folks are contacting Ed and his committee when they are planning changes and repairs indicating that folks are cooperating and willing to comply with the established norms for Hunters Ridge. Jim Davis updated the members on activities from the Maintenance Committee. He has submitted plans from the Smith Brothers on spreading pine straw at the front entrance. Additionally he has received a price for removing the tree that was hit by lightning recently. Since our insurance coverage is for liability only, we will have to bear that expense. He also has received a preliminary bid to add permanent lighting at the front entrance and flag pole. He answered questions on the repair of the brick walls and is waiting on the Board to approve these expenses to proceed. A discussion developed around the use of the HOA’s web site. A homeowner felt that it was a waste of money and should immediately be shut down. The general consensus of those in attendance was that the web site is useful. The board/officers feel that it should be the main communication tool between the HOA and the residents. There were significant start-up costs in developing it, but the ongoing maintenance is minimal. In the long run, it saves considerable money in printing and mailing costs, as well as the time and effort needed to produce paper copies of all communications. In addition, it provides timely communication so that the homeowners are kept informed of current issues. At the conclusion of the discussion, it was agreed that the web site is beneficial and will remain up and running. We will continue to look at additional ways to use it. Leo continued the meeting with updates on various issues. He is currently reviewing the liability policy the HOA currently has for the common areas in Hunters Ridge. Since the HOA now owns one of the lakes in the neighborhood, he inquired with our current provider about increasing coverage. To do so would almost double our premiums, so he is in the process of getting quotes from a different company. He will present his findings to the board to decide if it’s beneficial to change providers. It was suggested that we use the firehouse as a permanent meeting place for all future meetings. It was also suggested that meetings occur more frequently. Leo said that when the board meets, they will determine a meeting schedule. Leo also informed those present that he was still looking into determining whether the HOA had any recourse for the property that is located at the end of Stony Brook Drive. That area was originally slated for a pool/clubhouse for use by the residents of Hunters Ridge. The land was sold without the HOA’s knowledge and it is believed there are currently plans to build four single family homes on the land. Our regular attorneys have a conflict of interest in pursuing this matter, so he is scheduling a meeting with a third attorney and will keep the residents informed. Lastly, a discussion was held on the issues of delinquent dues. As Avis previously mentioned, there are currently 11 homeowners who have not paid their 2008 dues. All residents were sent an invoice in January, and those who had not paid were sent second notices in February. None of those delinquent have contacted the board to give an explanation as to why they have not paid. It is the position of the board/officers that we should pursue necessary legal action against them. It is not fair to those residents that do pay. It is also a huge burden on the treasurer to follow-up on delinquents, as well as an increased expense on the HOA. It was agreed by those in attendance to do whatever is necessary to collect. There were varying opinions as to whether or not we should post the names of those delinquent on the web site. The By-Laws state that the HOA does have the right to publish names; however, we have not done that as yet. Leo canvassed the room for any other comments. One homeowner suggested that the firehouse should provide a warning siren when there’s eminent danger of a tornado or hurricane. It was decided that she should bring this suggestion to the Maintenance Committee and have them research the issue with the firehouse or other agencies. There were no further comments and the meeting adjourned at approximately 8:10 p.m.
********************************************************************** Minutes Annual Meeting – January 24, 2008
The annual meeting of the Hunters Ridge of New Bern Homeowners’ Association was held on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at Trinity United Methodist Church. There were approximately 38 homeowners from Phases I – IV in attendance, along with 1 homeowner from Phases V – VI who attended as a guest.
Leo Minervini, President, opened the meeting at approximately 7:05 p.m. He introduced the Board members, Officers and guests for the meeting. He then reviewed the Agenda. This meeting is to include voting on additional Board of Director positions. Leo explained the rules for such vote; i.e. there needs to be a quorum of 60% of the members present or represented by proxy to be able to vote. We would need 75 members either present to voting by proxy.
Mary Ellen Crisp, Secretary, presented the minutes from the last informational meeting of the HOA, which was held on April 19, 2007. A motion was made to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded and the minutes were unanimously approved.
Avis Nash, Treasurer, presented a year-end 2007 financial report of the HOA. As of the meeting, there were a total of two homeowners and/or lot owners who had not paid their dues for the second half of 2007 and one homeowner who had not paid dues for the entire year of 2007. The balance in the account at the end of the year was $4,086.03.
A homeowner questioned the amount spent on taxes for the lakes and roads. Leo explained these bills were from time periods when the Developer still was responsible for the HOA and were inadvertently overlooked when he turned over the HOA to the homeowners. As a non-profit organization, we will not be responsible for such taxes in the future.
Another homeowner questioned the amount spent on the web site and questioned who authorized such expenditure. It was explained that the cost of the web site design was $1500; however, in subsequent years, the annual cost of maintaining the web site will be approximately $215. The Board of Directors authorized the expenditure, as is their responsibility according to the By-Laws.
A discussion broke out as to why Phases V and VI are not part of our association and why they do not contribute to the common expenses of the neighborhood. Leo explained the Phases V and VI are still under the control of the Developer of those phases. When and if the developer chooses to give up control and turn it over to either the homeowners or requests to join the HOA of Phases I through IV, a decision will have to be made as to whether we want to accept them. There are several issues involved in merging them with us; i.e., a different dues structure, a different set of covenants and by-laws, who maintains the roads, etc. It was also explained that the developer usually does not turn over control until the area is 80 to 90% complete. That does not seem to be in the near future for Phase VI. It was evident from the discussion that homeowners in Phases I through IV would like to see some contribution from everyone who lives in the neighborhood to help pay for the common expenses that benefit all homeowners.
Leo introduced Trooper Magana of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. On behalf of the Safety Committee, he was asked to speak to the residents on the topic of safety issues. He is also a resident of Hunters Ridge, Phase V. Trooper Magana explained that since the roads in Phases I through IV have been turned over to the State, the State laws apply to those roads and law enforcement will be enforcing such laws. These include the 25 mph speed limit, obeying the stop signs, littering, seat belt usage, cell phone usage, child restraints, parking, etc. He also reviewed safety rules regarding bicycle helmets, scooters, golf carts, pedestrians, etc. Trooper Magana concluded by reminding the residents to take advantage of the State’s services when it comes to keeping our neighborhood safe.
Next, each Committee presented a brief discussion on their role and accomplishments to date.
Architectural Review Committee – Ed Pittman and Bob Williams are members of this committee. Any homeowner or lot owner needs to submit plans of any new house construction, proposal and plans for any additions and/or alterations to the exterior of existing structures or proposal for the addition of any exterior features on the property of existing homes. The committee’s responsibility is to review and approve or deny such submissions in accordance with the Covenants.
Welcome Committee – Sandy Garrett represented this committee. In addition to welcoming new homeowners, the Welcome Committee has obtained a supply of sympathy cards to send to family members in the event of a resident’s death. Please keep her informed of residents in need of such condolences.
Safety Committee – Russ Whitaker represented this committee and thanked Trooper Magana for his informative presentation.
Covenants Committee – Russ Whitaker also reported on this committee. He reminded the residents that the purpose of this committee is to enforce the covenants that are currently in place. The previous chairman has resigned and Joe Mauney has agreed to head up this committee on an interim basis.
Maintenance Committee – Jim Davis provided an update on the activities of the Maintenance Committee. The met with the landscapers and determined a pruning, edging and mowing schedule for the year. They are looking into handling a tree that was struck by lightning. The DOT will not cut it down, so they are looking to the insurance company to see if it can be handled through them. The Maintenance Committee has also discussed many options in dealing with the deteriorating brick wall at the entrance. At the request of the Board, they had an evaluation performed by an engineering firm. It was determined that the columns in the wall did not include any expansion devices, so over time of heating, cooling and expanding, it has cracked and is falling apart. The obtained a proposal from a masonry company that estimates a cost of $1870 per column to repair. They suggest that they repair one column to determine if it fixes the problem. Then they will look at the possibility of repairing the remaining columns.
Leo introduced Brian Taylor, the attorney who represents our HOA. Brian explained the difficulties in running an HOA and acknowledged we were experiencing growing pains. He commended the Board for all the hard work they have done to date and all the accomplishments they have made. He explained that the covenants were written by the Developer and are a legal document filed with the county. The same goes for the Covenants covering the other phases of Hunters Ridge. There are indeed issues to be considered when determining whether these phases should join each other, and Brian said he would be happy to help us if and when we need it. He also explained that he handles a lot of real estate closings, and if the HOA has a legal issue with a homeowner whom he has represented in a closing, it would be a conflict of interest. He would not be able to represent the HOA nor the homeowner.
It was determined that there was not enough representation from the homeowners and proxies received to make a quorum. There are 36 eligible members present to vote and we received 21 proxies, for a total of 57. We needed 75. Therefore, the vote for new Board of Director positions will not be allowed to take place. It was explained that we will have to have an additional meeting to hold this vote. The meeting will be no less than 30 and no more than 60 days from tonight’s meeting. At that meeting, the requirement for a quorum will be one-half of the original requirement, which equals 30% or 38 votes.
Nonetheless, Leo asked each candidate to introduce themselves. They included Gayle Basnight, Ed Pittman, Randy Gibson and Jim Davis. Les Coddington and Tim Daly were not able to attend the meeting. There were no nominations from the floor.
Leo then provided an update on recent activities of the HOA.
While discussing the budget, a homeowner reminded the Board that if we continue to fly the American Flag at night, a light should be put on it. It was agreed that when we decide on a permanent fixture to light the monument at the entrance, we will also get a light to shine on the flag.
Leo explained to the homeowners the current situation with the section of land at the end of Stony Brook Drive, which was platted by the original developer of Hunters Ridge to be the club house/recreation area. A different developer who now owns that section is looking to build 4 to 5 houses. We currently have an attorney looking into whether or not we have any entitlement to that section or if we have any other type of recourse.
The floor was opened up for comments and questions. Homeowners made the following suggestions:
The Board acknowledged these suggestions and will consider each of them. They will have a response at the next meeting.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:15 p.m.
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