Monday, October 18, 2010
VANDALISM in Amon Plant restoration area -Your vigilance needed!
Someone has been deliberately tearing out and smashing the rabbit guards around our new native plants, stomping plants, and in general wreaking havoc. Lots of damage. Over 40 people from the community worked hard during the hot summer months to keep these plants alive, and this deliberate destruction is extremely frustrating.If you see anything suspicious, CALL the police non-emergency number at 628-0333, then call Kathy Dechter at 627-0950.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
LUAU BLOCK PARTY ~ Saturday, Sept. 11 from 6pm to 9pm on Sitka Ct.
Please wear your hawaiian shirts & mumus, bring your folding chairs, and a side dish to share. The Willowbrook Homeowners Association will have a bounce house and kids games, a sno-cone machine, and BBQ'd food for us all. Willowbrook residents are free, guests of residents are $1. each. Children under 5 are free.
You MUST RSVP by Sept. 6th to ensure there will be enough food. 627-5579
For the night owls, we will have the free OUTDOOR MOVIE on the hillside of 227 Sitka Ct. Hot popcorn will be available,too. Bring your jacket, flashlight (for your walk back home) and a blanket to lay on.
You MUST RSVP by Sept. 6th to ensure there will be enough food. 627-5579
For the night owls, we will have the free OUTDOOR MOVIE on the hillside of 227 Sitka Ct. Hot popcorn will be available,too. Bring your jacket, flashlight (for your walk back home) and a blanket to lay on.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Why Assessments are Going Up
Willowbrook’s annual assessment was determined by a vote of homeowners at the Annual Meeting, held this year on May 11.
At this year’s Annual Meeting, the homeowners in attendance voted by a large majority to raise assessments $50 a year to help pay for replacing the neighborhood’s fence along Leslie Road. This is a major expense that the neighborhood expects to incur in about 5 years.
The agenda of this year’s Annual Meeting, including the matters of assessments and fence replacement, was distributed to the doorstep of every home in Willowbrook two weeks prior to the meeting. This was done to ensure that every homeowner had the opportunity to voice their opinion and vote on these issues.
Here is a recap of the discussion that led to the vote to raise the assessment:
Willowbrook’s fence along Leslie Road is owned and maintained by the homeowners association on behalf of the neighborhood. The fence was built about 20 years ago and has an estimated life expectancy of 20-25 years. A contractor who repaired and replaced parts of the fence last year said that the fence was good for a few more years, but that it will become increasingly expensive to maintain as the wood splits and warps. Even with maintenance and regular painting, it will become increasingly unsightly with age.
At this point it appears likely that the fence will need replacing in about five years.
Fence replacement will be a major expense. There has been widespread agreement at the last three Annual Meetings to start raising the assessments now to build up a fence replacement fund. This spreads out the impact of that expense over many years. This is a common practice among homeowners associations facing major capital projects.
How much will it cost to replace the fence?
Replacing the fence with an identical wood fence would cost about $90,000 in 2009 dollars. However the current Homeowners Board recommends that the fence be replaced by a concrete block wall, not another wood fence. A concrete block wall would cost more initially, but would last longer and require less maintenance. Other benefits of a block wall are that it would cut down on traffic noise from an increasingly busy Leslie Road, and it would project an enhanced image of the neighborhood.
The cost to replace the fence with a concrete block wall is about $125,000 in 2009 dollars. An example of a concrete block wall can be seen on Leslie Road by the Meadow Springs golf course.
The $125,000 estimate assumes that the 2000’ of the fence that fronts Leslie Road directly will be replaced by a concrete block wall. The estimate assumes that the remaining 800’ of fence, which does not lie directly on Leslie but instead borders a triangular enclave of private property located where Leslie Road jogs, will be replaced by another wood fence to save upfront costs. This “interior” wood fence could later be replaced by a concrete block wall fence when it reached the end of its lifespan in 20-25 years.
The final decision on whether to replace the fence with a concrete block wall or another wood fence does not have to be made until the time of the actual replacement. However, to prepare for either case, we are building a replacement fund now.
How was the amount of the assessment raise determined?
Assume an expense of $125,000 due in five years. As was pointed out at the Annual Meeting, $15,000 has already been collected toward fence replacement because assessments were raised $25 three years ago to start accumulating a fence replacement fund. That leaves $110,000 to be raised.
Assume an average of 210 homes paying assessments during those five years (this includes homes likely to be built in the future). $110,000 ÷ 5 years ÷ 210 homes = $105 per home per year. Since the current $150 assessment already includes $25 for fence replacement, it would be necessary to raise the assessment by $80 ($105 - $25) per year to raise $125,000 in five years. However, after some debate at the Annual Meeting, it was decided to raise assessments by only $50 (making the total assessment $200 per year) for the following reasons:
Perhaps the fence will last longer than expected before needing replacement
The $125,000 is just an estimate.
$50 is less of a jump up in cost over the previous year’s assessment
Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, it was learned that KID easements in the neighborhood’s common areas may affect how much of the fence can be replaced by block wall and how much must be replaced by another wood fence. This is being investigated. If KID easements preclude any concrete block wall, then the new annual assessment of $200 is just about right to raise the $90,000 needed in five years to replace the fence with another wooden fence.
The Homeowners Board is investigating setting up a separate account to hold the portion of the assessments collected for fence replacement. This would help the association better track progress on the fence replacement fund.
If you have any questions or suggestions about fence replacement or the assessment, email the neighborhood association at address given at the top of this website.
At this year’s Annual Meeting, the homeowners in attendance voted by a large majority to raise assessments $50 a year to help pay for replacing the neighborhood’s fence along Leslie Road. This is a major expense that the neighborhood expects to incur in about 5 years.
The agenda of this year’s Annual Meeting, including the matters of assessments and fence replacement, was distributed to the doorstep of every home in Willowbrook two weeks prior to the meeting. This was done to ensure that every homeowner had the opportunity to voice their opinion and vote on these issues.
Here is a recap of the discussion that led to the vote to raise the assessment:
Willowbrook’s fence along Leslie Road is owned and maintained by the homeowners association on behalf of the neighborhood. The fence was built about 20 years ago and has an estimated life expectancy of 20-25 years. A contractor who repaired and replaced parts of the fence last year said that the fence was good for a few more years, but that it will become increasingly expensive to maintain as the wood splits and warps. Even with maintenance and regular painting, it will become increasingly unsightly with age.
At this point it appears likely that the fence will need replacing in about five years.
Fence replacement will be a major expense. There has been widespread agreement at the last three Annual Meetings to start raising the assessments now to build up a fence replacement fund. This spreads out the impact of that expense over many years. This is a common practice among homeowners associations facing major capital projects.
How much will it cost to replace the fence?
Replacing the fence with an identical wood fence would cost about $90,000 in 2009 dollars. However the current Homeowners Board recommends that the fence be replaced by a concrete block wall, not another wood fence. A concrete block wall would cost more initially, but would last longer and require less maintenance. Other benefits of a block wall are that it would cut down on traffic noise from an increasingly busy Leslie Road, and it would project an enhanced image of the neighborhood.
The cost to replace the fence with a concrete block wall is about $125,000 in 2009 dollars. An example of a concrete block wall can be seen on Leslie Road by the Meadow Springs golf course.
The $125,000 estimate assumes that the 2000’ of the fence that fronts Leslie Road directly will be replaced by a concrete block wall. The estimate assumes that the remaining 800’ of fence, which does not lie directly on Leslie but instead borders a triangular enclave of private property located where Leslie Road jogs, will be replaced by another wood fence to save upfront costs. This “interior” wood fence could later be replaced by a concrete block wall fence when it reached the end of its lifespan in 20-25 years.
The final decision on whether to replace the fence with a concrete block wall or another wood fence does not have to be made until the time of the actual replacement. However, to prepare for either case, we are building a replacement fund now.
How was the amount of the assessment raise determined?
Assume an expense of $125,000 due in five years. As was pointed out at the Annual Meeting, $15,000 has already been collected toward fence replacement because assessments were raised $25 three years ago to start accumulating a fence replacement fund. That leaves $110,000 to be raised.
Assume an average of 210 homes paying assessments during those five years (this includes homes likely to be built in the future). $110,000 ÷ 5 years ÷ 210 homes = $105 per home per year. Since the current $150 assessment already includes $25 for fence replacement, it would be necessary to raise the assessment by $80 ($105 - $25) per year to raise $125,000 in five years. However, after some debate at the Annual Meeting, it was decided to raise assessments by only $50 (making the total assessment $200 per year) for the following reasons:
Perhaps the fence will last longer than expected before needing replacement
The $125,000 is just an estimate.
$50 is less of a jump up in cost over the previous year’s assessment
Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, it was learned that KID easements in the neighborhood’s common areas may affect how much of the fence can be replaced by block wall and how much must be replaced by another wood fence. This is being investigated. If KID easements preclude any concrete block wall, then the new annual assessment of $200 is just about right to raise the $90,000 needed in five years to replace the fence with another wooden fence.
The Homeowners Board is investigating setting up a separate account to hold the portion of the assessments collected for fence replacement. This would help the association better track progress on the fence replacement fund.
If you have any questions or suggestions about fence replacement or the assessment, email the neighborhood association at address given at the top of this website.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
City of Richland Waste Collection Schedule
Click HERE for a link to the new City of Richland Waste Collection Schedule.
New Covenants Effective June 18, 2010
The revised Willowbrook Covenants have been recorded with the County and officially went into effect on June 18, 2010.
New Covenants Available for Download
Click on the link to the left to download the new Covenants, approved by the neighborhood in May 2010.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Now that the Revised Covenants are Approved, What Happens Next?
The new Covenants will go into effect when they are officially recorded with the county, along with the notarized signatures that approved the Covenants. We expect that to occur in mid-June.
Prior to being recorded with the county, the President and Secretary of the Homeowners Association must sign before a notary that the necessary quantity of approval signatures was achieved. This will occur at the next Homeowners board meeting, which will be at 7:30 PM, June 8, at 217 Sitka Court. Homeowners are welcome to attend this meeting.
Once the new Covenants are officially recorded, we will deliver a copy to each lot owner. In the meantime you can download a copy of the Covenants showing the revisions.
Link to proposed new Covenants, showing changes from current Covenants
If you have trouble accessing the documents online, please email willowbrookinfo@gmail.com to request an emailed copy!
What will change when the new Covenants go into effect? Practically speaking, not much. The intent of the new Covenants was to restore the arrangements that, until recently, everyone had assumed were already in place.
By the way, as we were gathering signatures, we heard concern from homeowners who have not seen the Covenants enforced with the rigor they expect of their neighborhood. This message is being relayed to the Homeowners Board for action.
If you have further questions, contact Jay Reinhardt of the Covenants Revision Committee at 627-3690.
Prior to being recorded with the county, the President and Secretary of the Homeowners Association must sign before a notary that the necessary quantity of approval signatures was achieved. This will occur at the next Homeowners board meeting, which will be at 7:30 PM, June 8, at 217 Sitka Court. Homeowners are welcome to attend this meeting.
Once the new Covenants are officially recorded, we will deliver a copy to each lot owner. In the meantime you can download a copy of the Covenants showing the revisions.
Link to proposed new Covenants, showing changes from current Covenants
If you have trouble accessing the documents online, please email willowbrookinfo@gmail.com to request an emailed copy!
What will change when the new Covenants go into effect? Practically speaking, not much. The intent of the new Covenants was to restore the arrangements that, until recently, everyone had assumed were already in place.
By the way, as we were gathering signatures, we heard concern from homeowners who have not seen the Covenants enforced with the rigor they expect of their neighborhood. This message is being relayed to the Homeowners Board for action.
If you have further questions, contact Jay Reinhardt of the Covenants Revision Committee at 627-3690.
Revised Covenants Approved!
Congratulations, Willowbrook! You fixed your Covenants.
Approving the revised Covenants required notarized signatures from the owners of 75% of the lots in Willowbrook. To date we have received notarized signatures for 77% (166 of 214) of Willowbrook lots, and we expect this to go higher as builders who own vacant lots in the neighborhood turn in signatures for their property. '
Since the main problem with the old Covenants was its division of the neighborhood into two unequal parts, it was important to achieve approval from both parts of the neighborhood to remove the division.
In other words, it was important that homeowners in both parts of the neighborhood agree that removing the division and giving everyone equal rights and responsibilities was in the best interests of all homeowners, no matter which part of the neighborhood they lived in.
So we are pleased to report that the Covenants were approved by an overwhelming majority of homeowners in each part of the neighborhood.
For example, approval among the homeowners in the new section of Willowbrook was 78%. 26 of the 33 homeowners in the new section signed the revised Covenants. Six said no, and one we could not reach. (Note that this ratio does not include owners of the 11 vacant lots/tracts in the new section – we are still in the process of collecting signatures from them.)
The old Covenants had divided the neighborhood into a Division A (the “old” section) and a Division B (the “new” section). Click here to see a map of the division. The tallies by Division are shown below. Note that we have not yet collected signatures from the owners of vacant lots, and did not try to collect signatures from the non-resident owners of rental homes. So these quantities currently count against approval. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with our drive-up campaigns, and the eight teams who went door to door in their own areas of the neighborhood. Special thanks are due our two tireless notaries, without whom this would have been an expensive effort.
The Statistics:
We thank everyone in the neighborhood, whether they decided to sign or not, for taking the time to make a decision.
Congratulations, Willowbrook!
Approving the revised Covenants required notarized signatures from the owners of 75% of the lots in Willowbrook. To date we have received notarized signatures for 77% (166 of 214) of Willowbrook lots, and we expect this to go higher as builders who own vacant lots in the neighborhood turn in signatures for their property. '
Since the main problem with the old Covenants was its division of the neighborhood into two unequal parts, it was important to achieve approval from both parts of the neighborhood to remove the division.
In other words, it was important that homeowners in both parts of the neighborhood agree that removing the division and giving everyone equal rights and responsibilities was in the best interests of all homeowners, no matter which part of the neighborhood they lived in.
So we are pleased to report that the Covenants were approved by an overwhelming majority of homeowners in each part of the neighborhood.
For example, approval among the homeowners in the new section of Willowbrook was 78%. 26 of the 33 homeowners in the new section signed the revised Covenants. Six said no, and one we could not reach. (Note that this ratio does not include owners of the 11 vacant lots/tracts in the new section – we are still in the process of collecting signatures from them.)
The old Covenants had divided the neighborhood into a Division A (the “old” section) and a Division B (the “new” section). Click here to see a map of the division. The tallies by Division are shown below. Note that we have not yet collected signatures from the owners of vacant lots, and did not try to collect signatures from the non-resident owners of rental homes. So these quantities currently count against approval. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with our drive-up campaigns, and the eight teams who went door to door in their own areas of the neighborhood. Special thanks are due our two tireless notaries, without whom this would have been an expensive effort.
The Statistics:
We thank everyone in the neighborhood, whether they decided to sign or not, for taking the time to make a decision.
Congratulations, Willowbrook!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Just a Few More Signatures to Go!
The Center Boulevard drive-up signature effort Monday night, plus the door to door signature collection to date has put us within a few signatures of the goal we need for approval of the new signatures.
We currently have 163 notarized non-duplicate signatures. Technically we only need 161 signatures to make the 75% goal required to approve the new Covenants. However for practical reasons it will be very helpful to have more signatures so than that to achieve the undisputed supermajority needed to put approval beyond doubt. Plus, we want to make sure that everyone has the chance to sign, or at least ask questions and make a decision.
On Thursday evening, May 27, we will be visiting the last few homes that have not had a chance to sign the Covenants. Several people have already told us that they do not want to sign the new Covenants – we respect that, and will not be bothering them.
If you have not yet had a chance to sign, we hope you will consider signing when we come by Thursday night.
If you will not be available Thursday night and want to sign, please call 627-3690 and we can make alternate arrangements for you.
We currently have 163 notarized non-duplicate signatures. Technically we only need 161 signatures to make the 75% goal required to approve the new Covenants. However for practical reasons it will be very helpful to have more signatures so than that to achieve the undisputed supermajority needed to put approval beyond doubt. Plus, we want to make sure that everyone has the chance to sign, or at least ask questions and make a decision.
On Thursday evening, May 27, we will be visiting the last few homes that have not had a chance to sign the Covenants. Several people have already told us that they do not want to sign the new Covenants – we respect that, and will not be bothering them.
If you have not yet had a chance to sign, we hope you will consider signing when we come by Thursday night.
If you will not be available Thursday night and want to sign, please call 627-3690 and we can make alternate arrangements for you.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Status of the Signature Campaign to Fix the Covenants
The signature collection drive on Monday afternoon, May 17, was a big success. Thank you to all who stopped to sign -- we now have 112 signatures, over half the neighborhood!
A total of 161 signatures are needed to approve the new, fixed Covenants. Approving the new Covenants requires the notarized signatures of 75% of Willowbrook’s 214 lot owners.
To obtain the remaining signatures, we will be having a signature collection drive on Center Blvd on Monday, May 24, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM. If you haven’t signed yet, please stop by then to help fix the Covenants. If you cannot make the signature collection drive on May 24 but would like to sign, call Jay Reinhardt at 627-3690 to arrange a time.
We’ll also be going door-to-door on Sunday evening, May 23.
To read more about why the Covenants need to be fixed, and to review a copy of the new, fixed Covenants we hope to approve, see the “Campaign to Fix Our Covenants” below.
A total of 161 signatures are needed to approve the new, fixed Covenants. Approving the new Covenants requires the notarized signatures of 75% of Willowbrook’s 214 lot owners.
To obtain the remaining signatures, we will be having a signature collection drive on Center Blvd on Monday, May 24, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM. If you haven’t signed yet, please stop by then to help fix the Covenants. If you cannot make the signature collection drive on May 24 but would like to sign, call Jay Reinhardt at 627-3690 to arrange a time.
We’ll also be going door-to-door on Sunday evening, May 23.
To read more about why the Covenants need to be fixed, and to review a copy of the new, fixed Covenants we hope to approve, see the “Campaign to Fix Our Covenants” below.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Re-Zoning Petition - Richland Citiy Council May 18!
Please come and support before the Richland City Council our petition to rezone the property behind Willowbrook – to try to help keep traffic in our neighborhood under control.
When: Tuesday, May 18
Time: 7:30 p.m. – we will be heard at the beginning of the meeting
Where: Richland City Hall Council Chamber, 505 Swift Boulevard
When: Tuesday, May 18
Time: 7:30 p.m. – we will be heard at the beginning of the meeting
Where: Richland City Hall Council Chamber, 505 Swift Boulevard
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Annual Homeowners Meeting - May 11!
It’s that time of year again! The Annual Homeowners Meeting will be held:
May 11, 2010, 7:00pm
305 Piper Street
Agenda items to be discussed: major projects, the Willowbrook covenants revision, re-zoning petition, approving the board, and voting on the annual assessment. Hope to see you there!
May 11, 2010, 7:00pm
305 Piper Street
Agenda items to be discussed: major projects, the Willowbrook covenants revision, re-zoning petition, approving the board, and voting on the annual assessment. Hope to see you there!
Willowbrook Newsletter!
Click here to download an electronic version of the Willowbrook Newsletter! Let us know what you think and if you have suggestions for the next issue!
Meeting Minutes - March2010
Willowbrook Community Association
Board meeting Minutes
March 9, 2010
Association Members Present:
• Carol Moser
• Chad Mitchell
Board Members Present:
• Christopher Childers
• Jay Reinhardt
• Gretchen Luongo
• Jeff Rampon
• Brenda Birnbaum
• Mark Spinner
• Bonnie Mitchell
Review of Last Month’s minutes:
• Last month (February) not enough members were present for a quorum; therefore, there are no official minutes to approve.
Zoning Petition Update (Chad Mitchell):
• Petition has been submitted to the City of Richland, Chad also has additional signatures that have not yet been submitted.
• There appears to be positive support within the Willowbrook community, however the concern is that unless there is enough push no action will be taken by the City.
• Looking for HOA support and strategy ideas to move forward. HOA reiterated their support of this initiative and discussed strategy ideas.
• Discussed the necessity of being specific about what outcome we are asking to come from this re-zoning request. It was suggested that the request be made to add the re-zoning request to the list of comp plan amendments for this year – specifically to re-zone the land comparable to what we currently have in Willowbrook (lo-density housing).
• Chad will continue to work the issue and will talk to the city about the best way to proceed and get this issue to a decision by either the Planning Board or the Council. Chad will get back to the board on his progress.
• Tentatively plan to use the May 18th City Hall Meeting to show neighborhood support and possibly request a public hearing.
• HOA is willing to use the Blog to update homeowners as information becomes available.
Financial Update (Jeff Rampon)
• Account balance of $39,739.54 at the end of February. (Financial statement attached.)
Assessment Collection (Phil Pinard)
• 16 homeowners are currently outstanding – five are outstanding for the current assessments only and the remaining eleven are multi-year. Next step will be to process property liens on outstanding if payment is not received after final deadline. Interest will be added to outstanding assessment dues.
• Mark Spinner made a motion to post names of the homeowners who are delinquent on their assessments on the website. Jeff Rampon seconded the motion. The motion did not pass.
• Jay Reinhardt made a motion to file a lien on any homeowner who has not paid their assessments by the last deadline given (approximately 1 week from today.) Phil Pinard seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion passed.
Covenant Modifications
• Discussed the need to possibly update the Willowbrook covenants – 75% of homeowners will need to sign a notarized document to approve a change.
• Carol Moser was present to recap how the covenants were originally put in place. The driving factor in setting up the covenants in the first place was to get pressurized irrigation for the neighborhood and to create a vehicle to maintain the common areas such as the landscaping at the entrances to the neighborhood. 75% of homeowners had to sign a notarized document to get the covenants in place. It was a massive undertaking requiring door-to-door and having a notary available during certain hours at her home when people could come by and sign.
• Suggestion was made that we present a straw-man of the proposed new covenant at the Annual homeowner’s meeting in May to generate buy in – then go door-to-door in the spring and summer to obtain the required signatures.
• Need to verify that notoratized signatures are required for an amendment.
• Jay Reinhardt will lead a working group to draft changes to the covenants and determine a strategy plan for getting the updates approved by the homeowners. Working group will meet prior to the next monthly HOA meeting April 13 and will report back to the board for action at that time.
Executive Session of the Board
• Board members participated in an executive session subject to attorney client privilege. Due to the confidential nature of the session, minutes for this session will be kept separately and not published.
Other
• A get-well card will be sent to Carl Higby on behalf of the HOA. Gretchen will take care of this.
• Newsletter and welcoming committee will be agenda items for next months meeting.
Closing
• The next meeting will take place April 13th at 7:30 pm at the home of Gretchen Luongo, 108 Bebb Court.
• Motion was made by Bonnie Mitchell to adjourn, Chris Childers seconded the motion. All approved.
Board meeting Minutes
March 9, 2010
Association Members Present:
• Carol Moser
• Chad Mitchell
Board Members Present:
• Christopher Childers
• Jay Reinhardt
• Gretchen Luongo
• Jeff Rampon
• Brenda Birnbaum
• Mark Spinner
• Bonnie Mitchell
Review of Last Month’s minutes:
• Last month (February) not enough members were present for a quorum; therefore, there are no official minutes to approve.
Zoning Petition Update (Chad Mitchell):
• Petition has been submitted to the City of Richland, Chad also has additional signatures that have not yet been submitted.
• There appears to be positive support within the Willowbrook community, however the concern is that unless there is enough push no action will be taken by the City.
• Looking for HOA support and strategy ideas to move forward. HOA reiterated their support of this initiative and discussed strategy ideas.
• Discussed the necessity of being specific about what outcome we are asking to come from this re-zoning request. It was suggested that the request be made to add the re-zoning request to the list of comp plan amendments for this year – specifically to re-zone the land comparable to what we currently have in Willowbrook (lo-density housing).
• Chad will continue to work the issue and will talk to the city about the best way to proceed and get this issue to a decision by either the Planning Board or the Council. Chad will get back to the board on his progress.
• Tentatively plan to use the May 18th City Hall Meeting to show neighborhood support and possibly request a public hearing.
• HOA is willing to use the Blog to update homeowners as information becomes available.
Financial Update (Jeff Rampon)
• Account balance of $39,739.54 at the end of February. (Financial statement attached.)
Assessment Collection (Phil Pinard)
• 16 homeowners are currently outstanding – five are outstanding for the current assessments only and the remaining eleven are multi-year. Next step will be to process property liens on outstanding if payment is not received after final deadline. Interest will be added to outstanding assessment dues.
• Mark Spinner made a motion to post names of the homeowners who are delinquent on their assessments on the website. Jeff Rampon seconded the motion. The motion did not pass.
• Jay Reinhardt made a motion to file a lien on any homeowner who has not paid their assessments by the last deadline given (approximately 1 week from today.) Phil Pinard seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion passed.
Covenant Modifications
• Discussed the need to possibly update the Willowbrook covenants – 75% of homeowners will need to sign a notarized document to approve a change.
• Carol Moser was present to recap how the covenants were originally put in place. The driving factor in setting up the covenants in the first place was to get pressurized irrigation for the neighborhood and to create a vehicle to maintain the common areas such as the landscaping at the entrances to the neighborhood. 75% of homeowners had to sign a notarized document to get the covenants in place. It was a massive undertaking requiring door-to-door and having a notary available during certain hours at her home when people could come by and sign.
• Suggestion was made that we present a straw-man of the proposed new covenant at the Annual homeowner’s meeting in May to generate buy in – then go door-to-door in the spring and summer to obtain the required signatures.
• Need to verify that notoratized signatures are required for an amendment.
• Jay Reinhardt will lead a working group to draft changes to the covenants and determine a strategy plan for getting the updates approved by the homeowners. Working group will meet prior to the next monthly HOA meeting April 13 and will report back to the board for action at that time.
Executive Session of the Board
• Board members participated in an executive session subject to attorney client privilege. Due to the confidential nature of the session, minutes for this session will be kept separately and not published.
Other
• A get-well card will be sent to Carl Higby on behalf of the HOA. Gretchen will take care of this.
• Newsletter and welcoming committee will be agenda items for next months meeting.
Closing
• The next meeting will take place April 13th at 7:30 pm at the home of Gretchen Luongo, 108 Bebb Court.
• Motion was made by Bonnie Mitchell to adjourn, Chris Childers seconded the motion. All approved.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Willowbrook By-Laws Posted to the Blog
A link has been created on here on the blog for the Willowbrook By-Laws! You will find in on the left-hand side of the page underneath the Board section.
Monday, April 5, 2010
February Minutes
Due to scheudling conflicts, there were not enough board memebers available for a quorum at February's meeting. March minutes will be approved at the April board meeting and posted here shortly after. Thank you!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Meeting Minutes - January 2010
Willowbrook Community Association
Board meeting Minutes
January 12, 2010
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In Attendance:
Christopher Childers
Brenda Birnbaum
Phil Pinard
Pete Berry
Mark Spinner
Jeff Rampon
Jay Reinhardt
Bonnie Mitchell, Visitor
Administrative:
• Meeting called to order by Christopher.
• November Board meeting minutes were reviewed and approved.
• Linda Warren via e-mail has resigned from the board.
• Bonnie Mitchell introduced herself.
• There was a Motion by Pete and a Second by Brenda to select Bonnie Mitchell to fill the vacant Board Position. The Motion passed.
Financial Report:
• Jeff reported on the association finances, there is $40,935.24 in our account as of 1-12-10.
• There are 17 homeowners that have not paid the 2009-2010 assessment.
Architectural Report:
• Jay representing the Architectural Committee reported on their efforts on plan reviews of new homes and compliance.
• Jay will request an updated quote from contractors for the wall construction by the February meeting so that the information may be circulated to the homeowners prior to the annual meeting in May.
• Pete has salvaged the Willowbrook letters and will take them to a salvage yard/recycler and get the best price for the material and the money will be placed in the Association’s account.
Covenant Violations:• The Board approved hiring a lawyer to begin legal action to enforce the neighborhood’s architectural covenants in a case that has reached an impasse. Assuming the homeowners association wins the case, it is likely that the association’s legal fees to defend the covenants can be recovered from the homeowner who is prompting the action. Were the Board to take no action, the neighborhood might lose its ability to enforce its own covenants.
• Phil will sent out a letter to all homeowners remind us of the neighborhood covenants and city regulations regarding on-street parking.
• Christopher will check on the boat storage occurring on Silverleaf Ct.
Next meeting:
• February 9th 7:30 at Brenda’s. 109 Center Blvd.
Board meeting Minutes
January 12, 2010
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In Attendance:
Christopher Childers
Brenda Birnbaum
Phil Pinard
Pete Berry
Mark Spinner
Jeff Rampon
Jay Reinhardt
Bonnie Mitchell, Visitor
Administrative:
• Meeting called to order by Christopher.
• November Board meeting minutes were reviewed and approved.
• Linda Warren via e-mail has resigned from the board.
• Bonnie Mitchell introduced herself.
• There was a Motion by Pete and a Second by Brenda to select Bonnie Mitchell to fill the vacant Board Position. The Motion passed.
Financial Report:
• Jeff reported on the association finances, there is $40,935.24 in our account as of 1-12-10.
• There are 17 homeowners that have not paid the 2009-2010 assessment.
Architectural Report:
• Jay representing the Architectural Committee reported on their efforts on plan reviews of new homes and compliance.
• Jay will request an updated quote from contractors for the wall construction by the February meeting so that the information may be circulated to the homeowners prior to the annual meeting in May.
• Pete has salvaged the Willowbrook letters and will take them to a salvage yard/recycler and get the best price for the material and the money will be placed in the Association’s account.
Covenant Violations:• The Board approved hiring a lawyer to begin legal action to enforce the neighborhood’s architectural covenants in a case that has reached an impasse. Assuming the homeowners association wins the case, it is likely that the association’s legal fees to defend the covenants can be recovered from the homeowner who is prompting the action. Were the Board to take no action, the neighborhood might lose its ability to enforce its own covenants.
• Phil will sent out a letter to all homeowners remind us of the neighborhood covenants and city regulations regarding on-street parking.
• Christopher will check on the boat storage occurring on Silverleaf Ct.
Next meeting:
• February 9th 7:30 at Brenda’s. 109 Center Blvd.
Meeting Minutes - November 2009
Willowbrook Homeowners Association
November 17, 2009
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In attendance:
Mark Spinner
Phil Pinard
Pete Berry
Jay Reinhardt
Brenda Birnbaum
Gretchen Luongo
Approval of October meeting minutes
Motion was moved by Jay , seconded by Phil and approved by all to approve October minutes and post meeting minutes on the Willowbrook website.
Financial Update
• First round of late notices have gone out, we are up to 177 received. Phil is making contact with those outstanding.
• There are 30 assessments that are outstanding for the second year in a row.
Architecture Committee Report (Jay Reinhardt):
• Damage to Willowbrook Entrance: Job is complete. Jay will contact masonry and see if we can get the old letters back. The new sign is flush against the wall, the same as the other entrance.
• Landscaping: Fall trimming and clean up has been done. Jay will confirm that the sprinkler blow out has been done. Discussed removing grass and changing to a more desert friendly (zero-scaping) landscaping. No decision made. Also discussed adding more plants to empty places along the Leslie wall.
Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) (Pete Berry):
• Pete Berry will attempt to find out what annual bill will be.
Leslie Fence Replacement:
Discussed various methods to finance the wall replacement such as getting a loan, special assessments, and or raising dues.
The expected life of the current fence is about 5 years. WHOA previously determined it would be best to save money over the next 5 years to raise the money for the fence. Numbers need to be run to to determine exactly how much is needed.
Question raised: Could we talk to the city to see if they would take on some of the financial burden of the fence due to the sound?
Covenant Violations:
• No new violations requiring attention at this time.
Motion to adjourn Jay all second.
Next meeting will be on at 7:30pm, Tuesday, January 12th at the home of Jay Reinhardt at the home of the Jay Reinhardt, 202 Rocky Mountain Court at 7:00 pm. There will be no December meeting.
November 17, 2009
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In attendance:
Mark Spinner
Phil Pinard
Pete Berry
Jay Reinhardt
Brenda Birnbaum
Gretchen Luongo
Approval of October meeting minutes
Motion was moved by Jay , seconded by Phil and approved by all to approve October minutes and post meeting minutes on the Willowbrook website.
Financial Update
• First round of late notices have gone out, we are up to 177 received. Phil is making contact with those outstanding.
• There are 30 assessments that are outstanding for the second year in a row.
Architecture Committee Report (Jay Reinhardt):
• Damage to Willowbrook Entrance: Job is complete. Jay will contact masonry and see if we can get the old letters back. The new sign is flush against the wall, the same as the other entrance.
• Landscaping: Fall trimming and clean up has been done. Jay will confirm that the sprinkler blow out has been done. Discussed removing grass and changing to a more desert friendly (zero-scaping) landscaping. No decision made. Also discussed adding more plants to empty places along the Leslie wall.
Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) (Pete Berry):
• Pete Berry will attempt to find out what annual bill will be.
Leslie Fence Replacement:
Discussed various methods to finance the wall replacement such as getting a loan, special assessments, and or raising dues.
The expected life of the current fence is about 5 years. WHOA previously determined it would be best to save money over the next 5 years to raise the money for the fence. Numbers need to be run to to determine exactly how much is needed.
Question raised: Could we talk to the city to see if they would take on some of the financial burden of the fence due to the sound?
Covenant Violations:
• No new violations requiring attention at this time.
Motion to adjourn Jay all second.
Next meeting will be on at 7:30pm, Tuesday, January 12th at the home of Jay Reinhardt at the home of the Jay Reinhardt, 202 Rocky Mountain Court at 7:00 pm. There will be no December meeting.
Meeting Minues - October 2009
Willowbrook Homeowners Association
October 13, 2009
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In attendance:
Chris Childers
Mark Spinner
Pete Barry
Jeff Rampon
Jay Reinhardt
Gretchen Luongo
Approval of September meeting minutes
Motion was moved by Jay Reinhardt, seconded by Jeff Rampon and approved by all to approve September minutes and post meeting minutes on the Willowbrook website.
Financial Update (Jeff Rampon,)
• This year there has been approximately $21K in expenses. So far, approximately $23K in assessments have been collected which should put us up about $5K at the end of the year.
• April agenda – discuss plan to finance fence replacement.
o Consider additional costs required to correct any damage to landscaping that occurs during fence replacement.
o Consider alternative of replacing wood fence section by section to spread the cost out.
Architecture Committee Report (Jay Reinhardt):
• Damage to Willowbrook Entrance: Statefarm Insurance has completely reimbursed cost of contract work. Southpaw (contractor) is waiting for the brick to arrive from Canada. In the meantime, Southpaw has torn down wall. Brick should arrive end of this week, next week wall will go up; following week letters will go up.
• Landscaping: North of Willowbrook Place, where Leslie was previously widened, there was landscaping damage incurred by electrical contractor--- after several visits from the contractor, and several failed attempt, and with the city’s help, the sod is being fixed.
South of Willowbrook Place, the sprinklers and the sod have been repaired. This issue was related to the work of an entirely different contractor. There is a 3 foot wide depression by green electrical box near Center, will watch for now.
Website:
• Looked into having two banners with website address printed to hang at the Willowbrook entrances when new information is posted – estimate for vinyl signs -$130 for 2 signs.
• There was concurrence that this is probably too much to pay for this purpose. Since there is no pressing need for the signs now, further discussion was deferred to a future meeting when the need again arises.
Re-Zoning Petition:
• Reviewed proposed petition for rezoning. Add wording that explains initial planning has changed – relocating the planned arterial so that there will no longer be an arterial to support high density housing. Chris Childers will email and board will vote by email to approve within the next couple of days.
• Point of Contact information will be added to the bottom of the petition.
• Aim to collect signatures prior to November 15th.
Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) (Pete Barry):
• Water is off, or soon to be off.
• To date, there has been no bill related to August outage. Pete Barry does not think there will be any bill for this under the current billing plan, but will contact KID to find out if there will be any additional costs.
Motion to adjourn
• Next meeting will be on at 7:30pm, Tuesday, November 17th at the home of Gretchen Luongo, 108 Bebb Court.
October 13, 2009
**Please refer to the Minutes & Documentation section of this site to download the full minutes, including the referenced attachments.**
In attendance:
Chris Childers
Mark Spinner
Pete Barry
Jeff Rampon
Jay Reinhardt
Gretchen Luongo
Approval of September meeting minutes
Motion was moved by Jay Reinhardt, seconded by Jeff Rampon and approved by all to approve September minutes and post meeting minutes on the Willowbrook website.
Financial Update (Jeff Rampon,)
• This year there has been approximately $21K in expenses. So far, approximately $23K in assessments have been collected which should put us up about $5K at the end of the year.
• April agenda – discuss plan to finance fence replacement.
o Consider additional costs required to correct any damage to landscaping that occurs during fence replacement.
o Consider alternative of replacing wood fence section by section to spread the cost out.
Architecture Committee Report (Jay Reinhardt):
• Damage to Willowbrook Entrance: Statefarm Insurance has completely reimbursed cost of contract work. Southpaw (contractor) is waiting for the brick to arrive from Canada. In the meantime, Southpaw has torn down wall. Brick should arrive end of this week, next week wall will go up; following week letters will go up.
• Landscaping: North of Willowbrook Place, where Leslie was previously widened, there was landscaping damage incurred by electrical contractor--- after several visits from the contractor, and several failed attempt, and with the city’s help, the sod is being fixed.
South of Willowbrook Place, the sprinklers and the sod have been repaired. This issue was related to the work of an entirely different contractor. There is a 3 foot wide depression by green electrical box near Center, will watch for now.
Website:
• Looked into having two banners with website address printed to hang at the Willowbrook entrances when new information is posted – estimate for vinyl signs -$130 for 2 signs.
• There was concurrence that this is probably too much to pay for this purpose. Since there is no pressing need for the signs now, further discussion was deferred to a future meeting when the need again arises.
Re-Zoning Petition:
• Reviewed proposed petition for rezoning. Add wording that explains initial planning has changed – relocating the planned arterial so that there will no longer be an arterial to support high density housing. Chris Childers will email and board will vote by email to approve within the next couple of days.
• Point of Contact information will be added to the bottom of the petition.
• Aim to collect signatures prior to November 15th.
Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) (Pete Barry):
• Water is off, or soon to be off.
• To date, there has been no bill related to August outage. Pete Barry does not think there will be any bill for this under the current billing plan, but will contact KID to find out if there will be any additional costs.
Motion to adjourn
• Next meeting will be on at 7:30pm, Tuesday, November 17th at the home of Gretchen Luongo, 108 Bebb Court.
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