HOMESTEAD IN THE WILLOWS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Regular Board Meeting July 10, 2023 – Unofficial Minutes
CALL TO ORDER: President, James Keating called the meeting to order at 6:35pm. Present were Vice President, Chris Evans; Treasurer, Kelly McCormick; Secretary, Ginny Karlberg; Member at Large, Michael Garnsey; Business Manager, Katie Kidwell; Tennis Manager, Jill Ellsworth; ACC Manager, Emily Maxfield; Pool Manager, Jenn Thomas; and Social Committee Co-Chair, Kelly Kane. Homeowner Chris Beals attended a portion of the meeting.
MINUTES: The revised minutes of the May 15 regular meeting and the minutes of the June 13 regular meeting were approved as read.
RATIFICATION OF BOARD ACTIONS: Chris moved and Kelly seconded a motion to suspend pool and tennis court privileges from July 7 – August 7, 2023 for Account 689 for violating pool rules and the HOA Code of Conduct. The motion passed unanimously.
HOMEOWNER COMMENTS: Chris Beals had questions for the Board about the Perimeter Fence and suggested the yearly payment to the Perimeter Fence Reserve Fund (currently $91) be postponed for three years until homeowners have finished paying the special assessment if it passes. The Board agreed that could be an option down the road but explained the funding for this project is complicated, particularly with the unknown costs of landscape, utility and traffic control. In reducing the amount of the assessment the Board has very small margins. Mr. Beals then asked about fence height and what would be done if one or two homeowners don’t want to change height but several others do. The Board hopes that neighbors will come together to compromise if they want the existing fence height changed. If neighbors can’t come to an agreement and the Board has to get involved they will but they hope neighbors will cooperate.
PERIMETER FENCE REPORT: Treasurer Kelly McCormick summarized the latest action on the Perimeter Fence. Split Rail Fence Company (SRFC) had a crew become available to install the Trex fence on a section of Easter Avenue where the existing cedar fence was damaged by a car accident. Because of the short notice the Board hand delivered notice to the residents and work will begin on July11. The cost of this section of fencing is fully covered by funds in the Fence Reserve account. A homeowner had questioned why the Board was installing Trex now, before the ballot measure had passed. Kelly stated for the minutes that the fence committee was comprised of five homeowners. She was the Board Liaison. The committee was led by a homeowner with over 40 years of experience running a large construction company. The committee spent hours looking at various fencing options and materials and determined the Trex product as the most cost effective and sensible for the community and the Board agreed they would replace any existing fence that is failing with the Trex product. The new perimeter fence for Homestead will be Trex in Winchester Gray. The ballots are about how to pay for the fence, not whether or not to use Trex.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE: Kelly Kane reported that July 4 went well. The parade has the usual number of participants but the attendance at the pool was lower than previous years. Food Trucks are scheduled for Thursday, July 13. In August the Social Committee will host National Night Out and some homeowners are hosting a neighborhood wide back to school block party. In September the Social Committee is hosing a movie night and Santa visits and Holiday carriage rides are scheduled for December. The committee is working to host a blood drive in the fall as well.
SWIM TEAM: No Report due to a family emergency.
MANAGER REPORTS
- POOL: Front Range Recreation reported on a pool incident at the South Pool and confirmed next steps with the Board. The Board and Jenn also discussed repairing the broken step on the North Pool diving Board and the necessity of keeping the gates closed at each pool.
- LANDSCAPE: Manager Nancy Bauer reported additional tree pruning has finished and that two shrub beds at the the South Pool were planted and mulched. She is keeping her eye on the ash trees and may have to budget for injections to treat them if the Emerald Ash Borer travels this far south. Nancy noticed a makeshift baseball backstop using the bike rack and a table at the south lawn and ordered an actual baseball rebound net and installed that instead, restoring the bike rack to the parking lot. The entry beds were refreshed the week of July 3. Nancy is excited about the Trex fencing to be installed along Easter Avenue. The color will set off the shrubbery in front of it beautifully.
- PICKLEBALL: Manager Jane Robbins submitted a written report. 72 members are now subscribed to the Team Reach app for pickleball. Pickleball is being played at the West Courts. Typically they have about 14 players every Sunday morning. A second pickleball social will be held on Saturday, July 15. Instruction will be offered to new players so please join the social if you want to learn to play! Centennial City Council rep Christine Sweetland has made an appeal to the Centennial City Manager on Homestead’s behalf to allow the HOA to paint the pickleball lines that were planned before the City moratorium.
- TENNIS: Manager Jill Ellsworth thanked Nancy Bauer for removing the pea gravel in the toddler playground and replacing it with EWF mulch. It has made a huge difference and the tennis players are grateful. The Tennis rules were updated to reflect bumping and pickleball. They are posted on the HOA website. While Junior Team Tennis continues through July, pickleball tape should be removed at the West Courts by 4pm on Sunday to allow for JTT matches. In August the tape can remain on the court until Monday at 5pm.
- ACC/TASK FORCE: Manager Emily Maxfield reported that the ACC had processed 20 applications during the month of June but that number is picking up as people complete work cited by the Covenant Review Task Force. Emily had revised the applications and the new ones are posted on the HOA website. The Board and Emily discussed two appeals scheduled for July.
- BUSINESS: Katie reported the progress of collection for the 10% dues increase and the special assessment ballot. Katie and Kelly had met with a homeowner who is a communications specialist in an effort to improve the HOA communications across all platforms. Katie had obtained quotes for some electrical repairs at the South Pool and arranged for the broken mirror in the North Pool restroom to be replaced. The slide at the toddler playground has been damaged by kids riding skateboards down it. Katie and Nancy are sourcing a new slide as it can’t be repaired. The Board agreed to a proposed party on the South Lawn.
FINANCIAL REPORT: Operating expenses for June totaled $105,335 and were comprised in part of $33,741 in trash & utilities; $15,488 in Administrative expenses; $16,774 in Landscape expenses; $37,773 in Pool expenses, and $1,171 in Tennis expenses.
OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business.
NEW BUSINESS: James and the Board discussed the Covenant Review Task Force for ways to improve and communicate with homeowners. No decisions were made. The Board agreed they would change the meeting start time to 4:30pm effective August 14. Managers will report at 5:30pm.
ADJOURNMENT AND CALENDARING: The meeting adjourned at 8:41pm. The next regular Board Meeting will be on Monday, August 14 at 4:30pm at the Business Office.
BOARD ACTIONS SUBSEQUENT TO MEETING:
- On July 11, 2023 the Board voted unanimously to rent the North Pool to the ACES Swim Club the mornings of July 18-20 for their swim club rookie tryouts.
- On August 4, 2023 the Board voted unanimously to liquidate the two money market accounts at Vectra Bank into the Vectra Bank Operating account for reserve expenses.
Takeaways for Herald:
- Perimeter Fence: Ballots are due August 22 at the Business Office.
A split vote doesn’t count – please vote the same way for each question.
- 2023 Dues increase of 10% is due August 1. The amount due is $132 total. Late fees and finance charges are effective August 2.