A Board of Directors Meeting was held on Monday, February 26th, 2024 at 06:30 PM in the former Cellars Restaurant at the Church Point Manor. All Board of Directors meetings are open to HOA members of record.
Please note that although the address for the Church Point Manor is 4001 Church Point Road, the entrance to the Cellars is actually around the corner on Meeting House Road.
Agenda
- Call to Order Board of Directors Meeting / Establish Quorum
- Homeowners Forum
- Approval of Minutes January 22, 2024
- Financial Report (December, 2023)
- Better Clarification on Treasurer’s Report
- Committee Reports & Charters
- Social Committee (activities & dates)
- Landscaping Committee
- AREC
- Communications Committee
- Managers Report (no verbal reporting necessary as report follows agenda)
- Unfinished Business
- Draft 2024 Budget
- New Business
- Tree Removal – Arborist
- Executive Session: As needed – Review Delinquency & CCR History Report. Additionally, review of other items of confidential nature as needed.
- Adjournment
Documents
Minutes
Called to order at 6:35 pm. A quorum was confirmed.
Board members present:
- Gary Lauck, President
- Michael Gen, Vice President
- Amit Badiye, Secretary
- Don Degner, Treasurer
- Jill Albright – Select Representative
Homeowners’ Forum
Question about fines for breaking rules – Don discussed the $900 limit on fines and that we are looking for alternate solutions such as using a collections lawyer.
About 16 violations are still unresolved – unpaid fines for issues such as rusty railings and soffits that need to be replaced.
Secretary’s Report
Motion for approval of the January 22, 2024, minutes. Motion made by Don Degner, 2nd by Jack Timms, motion approved unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report
The 2023 Budget ended the year in the black.
Financials
Numbers from Raymond James funds
Strong Room was activated – Don is responsible for approving all invoices.
Preferred Vendor’s list – Select began creating the list and it will be added to the website.
Pond next to the Tap House – Responsibility
Concerns about maintenance upkeep of common areas for the pond – the board found documents that show CP HOA has responsibility for maintaining impoundment easement that holds retaining pond built by developer. This was signed by the city, HOA and the developer for maintenance of bridges and pond. We are responsible for both bridges – but since the restaurant uses the north bridge, they are currently maintaining it.
The association is responsible for maintaining operation of the fountain in the pond for aeration, but it is plugged into and powered by the restaurant’s electrical grid.
Theoretically, the association doesn’t own any of the property surrounding the pond. The homeowner next to the pond actually owns it, but city code states that the homeowner has no rights over the property (ponds and bridges) but requires that the pond and bridges be maintained by that homeowner. As previously mentioned, it was agreed upon years ago that the association would take responsibility for upkeep in lieu of the homeowner. Select is having the lawyer look into who would be liable if someone was injured on the property.
Pond maintenance
2023 pond maintenance cost was $2,986.00.
Solitude is contracted to maintain the pond year-round – inspects/checks on the pond and submits report every two weeks. The company is also contracted to release 2,500 minnows into the pond yearly for reducing the mosquito population. This is scheduled to occur soon at a cost of $663.24 this year.
The pond has lost depth over the years – it used to be 5’ and may need to be dredged at some point. The city has plans for increasing the size of the pond discharge pipe for escape water and will probably need to increase the size of the drainage culverts leading into the pond which means that the city could also possibly dredge the pond. The city does not take responsibility for privately owned ponds, but it in this instance it is required to maintain the drain culverts and the pond because the Thoroughgood neighborhood also drains into it.
Budget
The Budget committee met on Monday, Feb 12th at the Lodge in Bishops Ct. It was attended by Kevin Gildea, Jessica Cox, Johan Goossens, Don Degner and Dave Vaughn. The budget was approved unanimously for recommendation to the board of directors.
The 2024 Homeowner Assessments will be $150 per quarter (up from $125 in 2023). Homeowners will be reimbursed/credited $50 next quarter.
A letter will be going out to highlight the new budget, as well as explaining communication updates added to the Church Point website.
The BrightView scope of work was increased in a correlation with increase in pricing this year.
Reserve Study
The most recent Reserve study showed that the contribution to the reserves should be funded to $8,600. But due to increased responsibilities, it was raised to $12,000.
A reserve study is required by law to be conducted at least every 5 years and requires a HOA to maintain a savings account to help prevent reliance on assessments. In 2011, the board removed soft scaping out of the reserve study and funding due to the inability of creating a lifecycle and replacement value for trees and bushes. By Virginia HOA code, reserve funds in the budget can
only be used for items in the reserve study for replacement or repair, and since soft scaping did not apply, it had to be set up in a separate account.
A motion for the new budget to be adopted was made by Don, 2nd by Mike, unanimously approved.
Committee Reports and Charters
Landscaping Committee
Jack Timms and Don Degner walked the Thoroughgood path today with Brightview and noted numerous trees that need to be removed, as well as dead trees on the carriage path that arborists have informed should be taken down. The board left more money in the budget for addressing those trees this year.
The Landscape committee will put together an action plan with the arborist for dealing with the overgrown trees and shrubbery located at both entrances to the Mews, as well as old, dead and dying trees along the carriage path and common areas separating the Church Point and Thoroughgood neighborhoods.
Jack and Don met with Sarah, the manager at Brightview, to discuss working together. Brightview plans to keep the committee informed of when they are showing up, how many people will be on the crew, and what they will be doing. The committee will provide feedback on the completed job.
Landscaping – Dave Vaughn co-chairs with Tanya Mann. The committee members met with Brightview and looked at the common areas behind bishops court where the tree fell down.
There is a new link on the website to report tree/landscaping issue – the committee will then investigate and take appropriate action. After a report is submitted and the correction is complete, the homeowner will receive a survey to provide feedback on the outcome.
Flowers at the entrances – Brightview has labor covered in the contract and will be purchasing and planting flowers in May at the waterside monument, both neighborhood entrances, and the bridge.
Brightview is coming out with a new software package for reporting purposes – and will try it first with Church Point.
Some Church point residences are dumping their leaves/debris in the common areas – Brightview will be taking pics of infractions in the future and will send to the CP BoD. Need to make announcement to homeowners to inform their contractors to stop doing that.
ARC
Nothing to report.
Communications Committee
Johan Goossens presented the information.
AREC remains in paper form on the Select website. The second form (Formal Complaints process) also remains in paper form on the website.
Reporting landscaping issues in common areas – after filling out the form, it automatically goes to the landscaping committee and board members. Jill wants to be included too for landscaping, and violations such as dog poop, excessive noise, etc. The board will also be adding a form for rating/reviewing contractors used by homeowners. If you can’t find the right link on the website, then use the search button.
Opt in/Opt out – email notification system. There are signs at the entrances on the day of the monthly meeting, but we also want to share that information ahead of time too. This function will also include general notifications, social events, announcements, and newsletters.
Mike Gen made a motion to accept and provide funding for the opt in/out system. It was 2nd by Jack Timm and unanimously approved.
Johan will begin writing the newsletter – needs president input, AREC, budget committee, communications committee, social committee calendar. Johan will also be working on a new handbook.
The goal is to make the website the go to place for 100% of information in the neighborhood.
Social Committee
The committee did not meet this past week but should meet soon and will have a calendar of events to put out by the next meeting.
The board discussed the upcoming “Holi” holiday (festival of Colors) at the gazebo possibly on March 25 by Indian homeowners: final date TBD. All are welcome.
Manager’s Report
Managers’ report was discussed. Ms. Albright invited questions from the board and homeowners. Information previously requested from Mr. Garrett has still not been received. Ms. Albright will investigate and provide answers.
Unfinished Business
Tree removal was voted on earlier in the meeting.
Motion to proceed with both tree removal projects made by Mike, 2nd by Jack. Signed the 2024 contract with Brightview.
New Business
None
Motion to adjourn the meeting to executive session by Michael Gen, seconded by Don Degner with unanimous approval at 7:52 pm.
Adjourned from executive session at 8:20pm
Motion to approve Jack Timms AREC made by Don Degner, 2nd by Mike Gen. Unanimously approved.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25pm