|
|
December 15, 2009 Annual Meeting Minutes>
TABERNA HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING December 15, 2009
The meeting was called to order by Gene Peele at 7:00 pm. It was determined that a quorum was reached with those present and by submitted proxies. Board members present were: Gene Peele, President, George McNulty, Vice President, Linda Pickens, Secretary, Suzanne Forsythe, Treasurer and At-Large Members Rick Layton, Willis Vincent and Steve Harman.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by John Serumgard.
Opening Remarks of the President:
Gene Peele introduced the 2009 Board of Directors.
On a Motion made by Jack Painter, which was seconded by Clay Carson, the Minutes of the 2008 were unanimously approved.
Gene Peele presented a review of the Board's activities and accomplishments for 2009:
Landscaping: One major accomplishment in 2009 was the request for proposals and finalizing approvals of the landscape maintenance contracts for the years 2010 and 2011. Eight contracts were signed, including the new maintenance contract for Emmen Rd. Beautification was another area of accomplishment in 2009. The Beautification Plan has been an ongoing project for the past three years, with the major landscaping improvements envisioned by the Plan being completed in 2009. Some of the Beautification improvements made in 2009 included a major renovation of the landscaping at the main entrance of Taberna, landscaping the wrought iron bridge at the entrance and another on Taberna Circle and improvements to Emmen Rd. Overall the HOA has spent approximately $73,000 on Beautification over the last three years. Gene noted that the 2010 Budget does include $10,000 toward improving Todd Denson Park ($6,000 allocated) and further landscaping improvements ($4,000 allocated) with the improvements being determined by the 2010 Board. Gene reported that 70% of the residents voted in the Annual Survey that the current landscaping is adequate, with 30% voting that moderate improvements are still necessary. The HOA consulted with Mackilwean Turf Farm on turf maintenance and, as a result, will now mow the areas of Emmen Rd. more frequently in order to improve turf conditions in that area.
Community: Gene highlighted the community spirit of Taberna as evidenced by the "Tabearna Bear," currently on display in downtown New Bern as part of the 300th Anniversary celebration. The Bear was funded by donations from residents of Taberna. In addition, a resident donated a flag pole which was installed at the entrance to Taberna and was dedicated to Veterans on Veterans Day. Lastly, the annual Community Picnic was held this year with almost 200 residents attending. Gene noted that around 200 responses to the Survey were returned and that the input will be very helpful to the Board going forward. The Building and Grounds Committee has already acted on the suggestions of residents and will be installing benches around Taberna Way and Taberna Circle. The current economy is having an impact on the Community as we saw three foreclosures on homes in 2009, although there was minimal impact financially on the HOA. Gene said that maintenance of homes in distress were a concern and that the 2010 Board will be monitoring the situation closely.
Rules and Covenants: Gene Peele noted that over 90 violations of Rules and Covenants were cited and tracked during 2009. He noted that the majority of respondents to the Survey indicated that enforcement of the Covenants was a concern and assured residents that violations are being addressed. The 2009 Board has approved a written procedure for Rules and Covenants enforcement which will be posted on the HOA website so that residents can fully understand how violations are processed. Gene stated that new Parking Rules were promulgated in response to loopholes in the Covenants which hindered enforcement in order to preserve the aesthetics of the Community. Gene also noted that the Board issued a new Rule for "Welcome Home" signs, which takes effect on January 1, 2010 and will be mailed to all residents with the 2010 invoice for Dues. Lastly, Gene noted that Piedmont Natural Gas is in the process of surveying the Community to determine the level of interest of resident in having natural gas.
Gene thanked the volunteers who served as Sub-Association Representative and on Committees for all their hard work. Jim Wilson, Chairman of Building & Grounds Committee, Dick Turner, Chairman of the Architectural Control Committee and Bob Moore, Chairman of the Finance Committee were recognized for their contributions. Larry Alderson was recognized for his work with the Neighborhood Watch Committee. John Reichenbacher was also recognized for his work with the Adjudicatory Panel as was Bob Costanzo of the Wetlands Committee.
Treasurer's Report:
In her opening remarks, Suzanne Forsythe stated there are currently 779 residential lots and 2 commercial lots. There are a total of 66 vacant residential lots, down from 68 last year. The CPA for the HOA is Mona Kay Sadler of Alliance. The HOA maintains a master account and accounts for maintenance and replacement for the four active associations. The funds for each are kept in separate accounts and are consolidated for taxes.
The Treasurer provided the following report on notable financial activities in 2009:
The following reports were reviewed by the Treasurer:
Master Association Revenue and Expense Report for 2009: The Treasurer is projecting that the majority of the line items will end up within budget or better. Revenues should be approximately $192,750, less expenditures of $182,019, for a positive balance of $10,731, versus the $4,840 that was expected per the 2009 Budget.
Balance Sheet - Cash: The Treasurer is forecasting an ending cash balance in our Operational account of approximately $25,000. The current and past Board believe it prudent to carry a certain amount of cash over from one year to the next to alow for any delay in collections or need for early disbursements. By the end of 2010, all of the Sub-Associations should also have this type of cash cushion but only smaller.
Reserves: The Master Reserves now total $96,389 for the Asset Replacement Fund and $50,790 in the Operations Contingency Fund. The Operations Contingency Fund was set at a $50,000 principal level and interest has accumulated resulting in its current balance of $50,790. No further additions will be needed into this account except to replenish for any appropriate usage.
2010 Master Dues: The Board has reduced the 2010 dues payable to the Master Association by 6.5 percent. The 2010 Dues will be $220 for most homes in Taberna; $249 for Lake Lehman properties; and $243 for commercial lots.
Sub-Associations: Each of the Sub-Associations is expected to be within its respective Budget by year-end 2009. Beginning January 1, 2010, invoicing for all Sub-Associations will be done on a quarterly basis for consistency purposes. Those that are currently billed semi-annually will be billed every quarter in 2010 and thereafter.
In negotiating the landscape maintenance contracts for the Sub-Associations, the Board was able to reduce the 2010 due for all Sub-Associations:
Gene Peele thanked Suzanne for her five years of service to the Board as its Treasurer.
Election of the 2010 Board:
There are four current Board members whose terms expire on December 31, 2009. They are: Steve Harman, Gene Peele, Rick Layton and Suzanne Forsythe. (Rick Layton served the remaining one year of Bob Costanzo's term.) George McNulty introduced the slate of candidates for the 2010 Board which was included in the ballots distributed to all residents: They are: Russ Packard, John Serumgard, Jim Dugan and Rick Layton (who is now running for a full two-year term). There were no nominations from the floor. By acclamation, the slate of candidates for the 2010 Board were approved.
Questions From the Floor:
Q: Do we know what construction activity was taking place outside of the main entrance to Taberna?
A: We were conjecturing that it was sewer construction possibly going as far as Havelock. Also, there were drainage issues being addressed along the frontage adjacent to the Dunkin Donut property.
Q. Is there any news on the Railroad easement in conjunction with construction concerning the Taberna Townes? (Neil Fraiser)
A. Gene reported that no new information was available as to the litigation currently underway between the builder, the railroad and Weyerhaeuser. Gene noted that prices for the currently built townhouses had decreased significantly from $340,000 to around $260,000. Despite the recommendation from the real estate agent that the Builder consider renting the existing townhouses, the builder is not inclined to do so. It is also likely that the result of the litigation could entail the moving of the entrance road into the development and, therefore, the Board would need to continually monitor the developments of the situation.
Gene also mentioned that currently no easement agreement concerning the fence along the East Carolina Bank property has been signed, the Banks representative have assured that the fence will remain and that an easement will be forthcoming whenever construction of the bank occurred.
Q In light of the compliments concerning the Beautification efforts in Taberna, should not the B&G Beautification budget remain at $20,000 annually? (Ed Gorzalski)
A: Earlier Boards agreed to fund between $75,000 to $100,000 for beautification over a three to five year period. The 2009 Board felt that the beautification plan was substantially completed in 2009. There remains a handful of small projects which can be completed in the future. However, the Board reviewed these efforts in 2009 and agreed that further enhancements to landscaping should be more defined and their costs projected before being included in future budget.
For 2010, a small number of areas need to be addressed, and the Board believes sufficient funds are available for these projects. For example, there were recommendations that the Taberna Townes be better screened. However, at this point in time it is difficult to know what construction or changes to the area may occur. The Board believes it is prudent to await the changes to the original plan for the Townhouses and that more study and review is necessary prior to committing resources to this project.
Q; Wouldn't it be prudent to keep the Budget the same in 2010 as in 2009 to take into account any unforeseen expenditures? (Ed Gorzalski)
A. We have enough cash within the budget that allows the Board flexibility and, additionally, the Board has discretion to spend down the cash carried over but only in a compelling case.
Q. I am a new resident but vacant lots are not well maintained. (Rudy Wagner)
A. Our covenants established the standard for the maintenance of vacant lots. This is a problem that continues to stay with us. The Board, however, increased the mowing frequency from three to four 4 times per year and changed the interval between mowings.
Q. Will the Board continue its open door policy to our new Mayor and Alderman as they have in the past? Especially since one of our new Alderman is a Taberna resident? (Phil Buffa)
A We have always reached out to our local representatives. An example being the entrance area by the 4-way stop signs that was being damaged by cars and trucks. The City offered a most unattractive solution to the problem, so and we are placing stakes along the grass areas to prevent cars from driving on the grass. Gene will reach out to our new Representatives to develop a permanent solution to this problem.
There were no more questions from the floor.
Gene then introduced the Secretary, Linda Pickens, who reviewed some additional information on responses to the Survey of homeowners. Linda reported that a vast majority of residents have a favorable opinion of Taberna as a Community and of the HOA management. One issue that was a concern to a majority of residents are the dead trees along Taberna Way. Linda reported that many residents had handwritten in comments and those comments were transcribed for the 2010 Board to review. Many excellent suggestions were provided on improving communication, which the 2010 Board will consider implementing. Additionally, the 2010 Board will cull through the comments and suggestions, as well as the responses to the questions in the Survey to develop specific goals for 2010.
Jim Wilson then told the residents that the trees along Taberna Way were being replaced at no cost to the Association.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 pm.
Approved by the Board of Directors:
By: /s/ 01/06/10 Rick Layton, President Date
|
Crime Watch | Questions To The Board
© Copyright 2010, Taberna Homeowners Association.