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** Congratulations to winners Mary Bounds and Yvonne Mason whose tickets were drawn for a $25 Visa gift card. **

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

The floor opened for general questions and comments.

Has the concrete leveling project been completed in the neighborhood? Yes. In terms of everything in the common area that the homeowner’s association would be responsible for has been done. The individual, personal sidewalks—no, because that is the property owner’s responsibility. 

A Board of Director’s meeting will be held following the adjournment of this session to appoint officer’s positions for 2024 and cover brief agenda discussions. Members are welcome to attend. 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:44 p.m. 

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis

“DRAFT” watercolor mark denotes unapproved Meeting Minutes.

 

 

 

 

Robert Welcomed the Homeowners in Attendance:

·       There were 29 homeowners present and 13 homeowners represented by Proxy for a total of 42 Voting Members. [Extracts from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…” “The absentee ballot shall be valid for purposes of establishing a quorum.”]

·       The minimum number of the voting Members required to conduct business and constitute a quorum equals 29 [15% of 193 homes].  

President’s Report:

·       Recognition of Board of Directors: Robert recognized the Board of Directors to the Membership in attendance. 

·       Spring Clean-Up: Spring is coming! This week our lawn service contractor begins (a) bed edging in preparation for laying mulch and (b) twig pickup in the common areas and Age Restricted areas.  It was noted that any property owner not under the Age Restricted lawn maintenance contract who might need to ready their yard for the growing season can call the HOA’s contractor direct or hire any outside servicer of their choosing.

The schedule for March – November 2022 season will be updated on the Sleepy Hollow website when the email blast for the Spring Clean Up is communicated. At present, there are no changes in our lawn and irrigation services. However, when our Contractor receives the required certification, they will then be authorized to apply pesticides as part of their maintenance business. In the interim, they will continue to utilize a certified subcontractor to perform those services.

·       Reminder Documented: There are police officers residing within our community who support our neighborhood watch and may also enforce city code violations. If a car is parked on the street in the wrong direction, they can ticket the vehicle. Parking RV/boats on city streets is also a violation and our by-laws spell out the restrictions too. Any questions regarding parking on the streets or any other code ordinance can be directed to the Salisbury City Police Non-Emergency number [410-548-3165] or Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) [Ron Strickler, Director at rstrickler@salisbury.md or 410-341-9550].

·       Tree Trimming – Storm Water Management System: Last fall we contracted tree services to do trimming of the wild willow (native willow) around the front pond and overgrowth in the other ponds. The willows are needed to stabilize the area and keep all the dirt from washing into the pond. When that happens, we must pay to get the dirt taken out of the pond. Note: The cost for completing this trimming project was budgeted as a pay-as-needed line item.

·       Ice Cream Social: Robert announced that the postponed Ice Cream Social has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 14, 2022. Vanderwende’s Farm Creamery’s truck will serve from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. An event reminder and signage will be posted when the event draws near.

·       2022 Community Yard Sale: Robert announced this year’s community yard sale dates. These events will be posted on our website (www.sleepyhollowmd.com), Nextdoor social network, and advertised in the local newspaper. If these dates are not convenient, members may have their own yard sale. We only ask that the signs be removed at the close of the sale.

2022 Community Yard Sale		Rain Date
·       SPRING	May 7th	May 14th
·       FALL	October 1st	October 8th

Vice President’s Report:

·       Architecture Review Board (ARB) Requests: Since October 2021 (last BOD meeting), we have had six (6) ARB requests submitted, reviewed, and approved. 

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Location	Description
1.	10/22/2021	10/23/2021	28060 Cross Creek	·       Window Modification
2.	11/01/2021	11/01/2021	5947 Tappan Lane	·       Shutter Replacement
3.	11/01/2021	11/01/2021	5949 Tappan Lane	·       Shutter Replacement
4.	11/01/2021	11/30/2021	5999 Bell Creek Drive	·       Repainting Shutters and Door
5.	12/13/2021	12/14/2021	6026 Bell Creek Drive	·       Screened Porch
6.	03/04/2022	03/07/2022	6117 Tarry Town Road	·       Pergola and Yardwork

Reminder regarding exterior painting of shutters and doors:

l If you are painting the existing color, you do not need ARB approval.

l  Any variation from the existing HOA approved color pallet, the homeowner must supply the ARB Committee an exact color paint chip when submitting their written request for approval. 

Secretary’s Report:

·       2021 Annual Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Wendy to approve the draft of the March 8, 2021, Annual Meeting minutes and the Additional Annual HOA Meeting minutes dated April 5, 2021. Motion was seconded by Cathy and stands approved as written.

o   Action Item: Karon to remove the DRAFT watermark and add a footnote to denote the date approved. Approved copies will be sent to each Board member and updates posted on the HOA Website.

·       Communications – Email Authorization and/or Changes: As a reminder, should you change your internet provider service which may affect your email address, please remember to let us know. Probably 99% of the HOA communications are transmitted to our membership electronically. Email address or changes to phone number(s) or mailing address should be sent to the Board Secretary at sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com. 

For reference, Sleepy Hollow HOA contact information follows:

● Web Site: www.sleepyhollowmd.com                   ● Email: sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com

● Mailing: P. O. Box 5004, Salisbury, MD 21802      ● Phone: (410) 430-9544

·       2021 Property Sales Activity: There were a total of 22 real estate sales last year. The Sales Summary Mix was five (5) developer lots, three (3) new construction, 13 private homeowner, and one (1) Bank-owned.  The last lot was sold by the developer in March 2021. At year-end, the Sleepy Hollow HOA is comprised of a total of 193 homes (90—Age Restricted; 103—Non-Age Restricted).

After settlement, we send a welcome letter to new residents. In the letter is a Request for Contact Information form which collects contact information and secures authorization for the HOA to send communications via email. Currently, we are missing the contact information for the following properties:

	2021 SALES	Update
1.	6147 Tarry Town Road
2.	5939 Tappan Lane
3.	6033 Bell Creek Drive
4.	6052 Tarry Town Road	Form completed at HOA Meeting
	2022 SALES	Update
1.	6045 Tarry Town Road
2.	28065 Cross Creek Drive	Form received March 7, 2022, via USPS

Homeowners can contact the Board Secretary at sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com to request a duplicate form to complete, or simply send a written authorization to receive email communications, providing resident(s) name, property/mailing address, phone numbers and the email address to which the HOA messages are to be directed.

Treasurer’s Report:

·       HOA Fee Delinquency Recap – Year-End 2021 and Current Year 2022:   In 2021, all assessments were paid in full with exception of one (1) foreclosed property.  For 2022, there are six (6) delinquencies. Delinquency letters will be sent on March 8^th along with an invoice showing the payment due, including late charges. The members will have ten days to pay, or they will be turned over to the collection agency. NOTE: The delinquencies include the one (1) foreclosed property which is in the process of being turned over to the Department of Housing and Human Development (HUD). 

·       2021 Financial Review: The financial reports [Exhibits 5(A) & 5(B)] were included in the Annual Packet sent to all homeowners, showing that the income and liabilities balanced [$247,492.77] and the HOA is in excellent condition.

·       2022 Budget Overview: This year’s Budget and Yearly Budget Comparison [Exhibits 6(A) & 6(B)] were also in the Annual Packet. 

There were no questions posed by the membership on the 2021 year-end reports or the 2022 Budget.

Committee Reports:

·       Welcome Committee: Sue provided an overview of the Welcome Committee that greet new residents to the neighborhood. Each time someone moves into the community, Karon sends the committee chairperson their name, property address and phone number if provided by the settling agent. This allows the committee member(s) to contact the new neighbors to arrange a brief visit and welcome them with a package of useful information about The City of Salisbury and surrounding communities. Sue personally acknowledged the committee members who were present, Dottie Butler, Cathy Jennings, and Judy Jones. Susan Alexander and Barbara Powell are also committee members. The Welcome Committee greeted 17 new residents in 2021.

Isn’t it your committee that also puts the flags out? Yes. An appreciative “thank you” was extended to the committee.                                                                                        

Nominations for Board of Directors: 

The Board is made up of volunteers and we are always looking for new people. You can be a member of the board or a member of a committee without being on the board. Robert expressed the desire to have people come forward who may have knowledge of irrigation, lawn service or trees, etc.  When we get new board members, they observe how things are run and then let the board know how they would like to contribute.

In lieu of a Nominations Committee, a notice was sent to the membership on January 6, 2022, to nominate candidates for three (3) open positions on the Board of DirectorsàOne seat each from the Age Restricted and Non-Age Restricted areas and one (1) seat for the At-Large position. No nominations were submitted by the deadline date.

·       Robert reported that incumbent, Sue Revelle, who holds the Age-Restricted position that expired March 2022, decided to continue as a board representative. The position is for a 3-year term.

·       Robert opened the floor for HOA candidate nominations.

·       In accordance with Article V – Nomination and Election of Directors, at the time the vote is to be taken, and the candidates are running unopposed, there is no need for a formal vote; the matter is decided by acclamation or by unanimous consent.   

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

The floor was opened for general questions and comments.

Where are the committees listed? The Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R’s) established by the community’s governing documents outline some of the recommended committees.

A suggestion was made to publish items that are currently being done by Robert that the membership needs to be aware of so volunteers may come forward.   Robert will be presenting a list to the board at the meeting following the Annual Meeting to discuss disseminating some or all the responsibilities to other board members. 

A member didn’t realize there was a committee for irrigation and expressed a sincere effort to help with that committee.

A member asked for confirmation that The City of Salisbury is responsible for the roads in the community. Yes, that is correct.  If there are any problems, do we just call the HOA phone? No, you would contact The City of Salisbury directly. There is a link on the City’s website where you can report your issue and include pictures. By doing so, activity is tracked, and the City informs the person who submitted the issue of all action taken.

Robert paused a moment to recognize and thank Mr. and Mrs. Keith Bounds for picking up trash during their daily walks. Their personal trash clean-up campaign to keep the community clean and a beautiful place to live has not gone unnoticed and is most appreciated.

Does The City of Salisbury have a program where they put out waste containers for people who are walking dogs? Not aware of anything that they would provide free of charge and that they would also take care of. Have seen on television that Animal Control has something, but people put all types of trash in the receptacle. Then there is the issue of who is responsible for disposing of the trash. 

A Board of Director’s meeting will be held following the adjournment of this session to appoint officer’s positions for 2022 and a brief agenda discussion. Members are welcome to attend. 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m. 

Congratulations to Evan Lane and Terri Nichols whose names were drawn at the close of the 2022 Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting! Each were the winner of a $25 Visa gift card. Thank you to all who entered the drawing. A special shout out to Joyce Holland for hosting the registration table and passing out a ticket to each household in attendance and to Wendy Bailey for drawing the lucky numbers.

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis

“APPROVED” watercolor mark denotes Meeting Minutes approved on 6-March, 2023

 

Additional Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting Minutes

The Villages at Sleepy Hollow Homeowner’s Association, Inc.

April 5, 2021

Meeting Location: Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene, 27765 Nanticoke Road, Salisbury, MD

____________________________________________________________

The meeting was called to order by the President, Robert Holland, at 6:35 p.m.

Directors in Attendance:                                                   

Robert Holland (President/Acting Treasurer), Karon Dennis (Secretary), and Sue Revelle (Member At-Large). Absent from the meeting was Wendy Bailey (Member At-Large).

Robert Welcomed the Homeowners in Attendance:

·       There were 20 homeowners present and three (3) homeowners represented by Proxy for a total of 23 Voting Members.

·       Extract from Maryland Corporations and Associations Section 5-206: “(c) At the additional meeting, the members present in person or by proxy constitute a quorum. A majority of the members present in person or by proxy may approve or authorize the proposed action at the additional meeting and may take any other action which could have been taken at the original meeting if a sufficient number of members had been present.”

Quorum present?  Yes, as noted in Maryland Code Section 5-206 (c). 

 

 

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 2020

___________________________________________________________________

 The meeting was called to order by the President, Robert Holland, at 6:31 p.m. 

Directors in Attendance:                                                  

Robert Holland (President/Acting Treasurer), Cheryl Brophy (Vice President), Karon Dennis (Secretary), and Sue Revelle (Member At-Large).

·       Quorum present? Yes 

Robert Welcomed the Homeowners in Attendance:

·       There were 32 homeowners present and five (5) homeowners represented by Proxy for a total of 37 Voting Members. [Extracts from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…” “The absentee ballot shall be valid for purposes of establishing a quorum.”]

·       The minimum number of the voting Members required to conduct business and constitute a quorum equals 29 27 [15% of 182 homes].  

·       Quorum present? Yes

President’s Report:

·       Recognition of Board of Directors: Robert introduced the Board of Directors to the Membership in attendance. 

·       Lawn and Irrigation Service: The Board officially announced that Delmarva Lawn Care, LLC is the new 2020 Lawn and Maintenance Contractor. The community’s scope of work and guidelines remain unchanged; Delmarva Lawn Care will provide the same services as performed by our previous contractor. The new Lawn and Irrigation Maintenance Schedule and their contact information has been updated on our Website under the <Maintenance of Common Areas> tab. Work will commence on or before March 15^th; weekly mowing will be done on Friday rather than Monday. Delmarva Lawn Care is very open to providing bid(s) directly to any homeowner for additional lawn maintenance outside of the HOA contract work.

·       HOA Fee Delinquency Recap:  

·       In 2019, there were 17 Homeowners that were delinquent at the cut-off date. Probably 2/3rds paid after receiving the first late notice and we sent three (3) to collection. At year-end, one (1) paid fully; one (1) made installments and the third was sent to court. 

·       For 2020, there are again 17 delinquencies. Letters were sent and nine (9) of the 17 paid their fees. As of this meeting, eight (8) remitted payment or responded. All outstanding accounts will be turned over to the Collection Agency within the next week. 

·       Spring Clean-Up: The City of Salisbury will be driving through communities looking for violations, such as mold on homes, cars parked on the wrong side of the street, boats parked in driveways. A violation letter will be issued when a code enforcement officer finds a violation on your property. You are given a certain amount of time to fix the violation before it turns into a citation, or a fix and bill.

Question about trash around new construction sites – is that clean-up a City issue? No. Since it is on private property you can call or email the HOA to report the issue so that we can contact the owner/seller.

o   Action Item: Robert to contact owner/seller of Cross Creek properties to request that the contractor maintain a clean and safe environment during the construction period.

Request for Website posting to ask homeowner’s to pick up the “Wicomico Weekly” newspaper left in their driveway or yard. Also, the inside of paper provides the phone number to call if you wish to be removed from the delivery list.

o   Action Item: Karon to post friendly reminder on the community website.

Vice President’s Report:

·       Cheryl reported that as Vice President, she is also in charge of the Architecture Review Board, better known as the ARB. This Board carries out the standards for home maintenance and construction in the neighborhood. When you desire to paint your shutters, replace the door, add a bush, or remove a tree, we would ask that you please write a letter to the ARB advising us of your intentions. It might be a letter of request to let us know you plan to plant a shrub, add a fence, or put up a deck. Recommend that you go your Homeowner’s Book | Declarations of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions | Article VII – Architectural Control which outlines everything you need to inform the ARB about. It is important to remember that the letter of request should be provided before the project, not after or in the middle of the project phase.  We like to come out and visit the property and discuss your plans so that everything is done in a proper and safe manner. In most cases, we would not have a problem with your plan(s). 

NOTE: This information can also be found on the Website under tab <Village of Sleepy Hollow-ARB> | Village at Sleepy Hollow Architectural Control | Architectural Review Board.

·       Architecture Review Board (ARB) Requests: Since October, 2019 (last BOD meeting), we have had three (3) ARB requests submitted, reviewed and approved. 

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Location	Description
1.	10/25/2019	10/25/2019	5957 Tappan Lane	·       White Vinyl Fence
2.	01/08/2020	01/11/2020	6000 Bell Creek	·       Shed
3.	02/08/2020	02/13/2020	5956 Tappan Lane	·       Screen Porch

Secretary’s Report:

·       2019 Annual Meeting Minutes: The Board unanimously approved the motion made by Sue, seconded by Cheryl, to approve the minutes from last year’s March 11, 2019 Annual Homeowner’s Meeting.

o   Action Item: Karon to remove the DRAFT watermark and add a footnote to denote the date approved. Approved copies will be sent to each Board member and also updated on the HOA Website.

·       Record of Executive Session: Karon reported to the members present that since the last Board meeting held in October, 2019, the Board went into Executive Session to review and select a lawn and maintenance contractor and approve the annual budget. A brief summary follows:

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Contractors	Description
1.	12/4/2019	12/05/2019	BrightView Landscape Services, Inc. Classic Lawn Care Delmarva Lawn Care, LLC	·       Purpose of Session: Review the Request for Proposal/Bid (RFP/B) Comparison for the 2020 Lawn and Irrigation Contract covering the period January 1 through December 31, 2020. ·       The Board took action by unanimous verbal consent to accept the proposal from Delmarva Lawn Care with funding to be integrated in the 2020 HOA Annual Budget.    Cheryl motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Sue. The minutes stand approved as written
2.	12/19/2019	12/21/2019	2020 Annual Budget 2020 Annual Budget Comparison	·       Purpose of Meeting: The proposed Annual Budget submitted at the October 2019 Board of Director’s meeting could not be approved. The HOA’s lawn and maintenance contractor did not submit a proposal for a new contract. Therefore, the allotted costs for lawn and irrigation within the proposed budget were invalid. ·       Between October and December, the Board followed up with contractors who had been sent the original Request for Proposal/Bid to determine if they would reconsider submitting a bid. ·       Bids were received and a new company was awarded the one (1) year lawn and irrigation contract. Completion of this task allowed for the compilation of the amended proposed 2020 HOA Annual Budget / Comparison. ·       Upon a full review of the documents, the Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposed 2020 Annual Budget and Budget Comparison submitted on 19-December, 2019. [Refer to Exhibits 6 (A) and 6 (B) in the Annual Packet mailed to all homeowners]   Sue motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Cheryl. The minutes stand approved as written.

o   Action Item: Karon to remove the UNAPPROVED watermark from each of the Executive Session minutes, replace it with APPROVED and circulate to each Board member.

·       Email Communication Blasts: Just a reminder to let the Board know if you change your mailing address, email address or phone number. This will ensure that you continue to be in the network to receive meeting minutes and updates on such things as community activities, lawn maintenance bulletins, sprinkler system timetables, and other HOA news. Email address or changes to phone number(s) or mailing address should be sent to the Board Secretary at sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com. 

For reference, Sleepy Hollow HOA contact information follows:

● Web Site: www.sleepyhollowmd.com                  ● Email: sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com

● Mailing: P. O. Box 5004, Salisbury, MD 21802      ● Phone: (410) 430-9544

·       2019 Property Sales Activity: There were a total of 14 real estate sales last year in Sleepy Hollow, which included seven (7) developer lot sales/new constructions—compared to 12 sales in 2018. Currently, we have 11 homes on the market for sale. At 2019 year-end, there are 182 homes in Sleepy Hollow.

Treasurer’s Report:

·       2019 Financials: The financial Exhibits were included in the Annual Packet sent to all homeowners, showing that the income and liabilities balanced [$244,003.22]. 

·       2020 Budget: This year’s Budget and Yearly Budget Comparison were also Exhibits in the Annual Packet. 

·       There were no questions posed by the membership on the 2019 year-end reports or 2020 Budget.

Committee Reports:

·       Welcome Committee: Sue reminded the membership that the Welcome Committee contacts new residents and delivers a gift bag with a Sleepy Hollow mug and a variety of booklets/information about our locality, both City and County. This helps start the relationship with new residents off on a sociable note by extending a nice gesture of friendship. Sue acknowledged the committee members as Dottie Butler, Susan Alexander, Judy Jones, Barbara Powell, and Cathy Jennings. As Committee Chair, Sue express her gratitude for their volunteerism and also thanked Dottie for providing the new bags to put all the gift items in. In 2019, nine (9) new residents were greeted by the Welcome Committee.                                                

Nominations for Board of Directors: 

In lieu of a Nominations Committee, a notice was sent to the membership on December 11, 2019 to nominate candidates for three (3) open positions on the Board of DirectorsàOne (1) seat from the Age Restricted area and two (2) seats for At-Large positions. Also, on the ballot were incumbents Cheryl Brophy (Non-Age), Robert Holland (At-Large), and Karon Dennis (Age Restricted). One (1) nomination was submitted by the deadline date and the candidate, Wendy Bailey (At-Large), appeared on the ballot included in the Annual Packet. 

·       The floor was opened to offer candidates or individuals to express their interests in the available seats on the board.

·       There were no nominations made from the floor. 

·       In accordance to Article V – Nomination and Election of Directors, at the time the vote is to be taken, and the candidates are running unopposed, there is no need for a formal vote; the matter is decided by acclamation or by unanimous consent.   

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

The floor was opened for general questions and comments.

Will the new lawn contractor do yard work for homeowners outside of what is done under the contract? Yes, at the homeowner’s expense. Simply call Delmarva Lawn Care at 410-430-4036 between 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. to discuss what services you would like performed. 

NOTE: Delmarva Lawn Care’s contact information is also on our Website under the <Maintenance of Common Areas> tab.

Irrigation System - New Builds. Installation of irrigation systems for new construction sites are the responsibility of the owner/builder. Robert has been in contact with the owner about the process to contact the HOA when it is time to connect and test the system to the HOA wells. After the connection, the HOA budgets for and maintains the irrigation systems within the community.

What is the HOA doing about the brown patches on our lawns?   Brown spots in a lawn can be caused by many different problems.  Kyllinga or nutsedge are tough to control. Both are invasive and hard to kill and require reseeding after it has been killed. Over-watered lawns provide ideal habitat. Grasses are extremely touchy about watering, insisting they neither have too much, nor too little water. Make sure your lawn drains well and grasses aren’t standing in water for long.      

It is my understanding that night time watering contributes to grass diseases. Will the Board consider changing the night time watering schedule for the irrigation? Watering at night offers the main benefit of reduced evaporation; you conserve water while maximizing absorption without the sun’s constant heat.

o   Action Item: Robert to discuss this issue with the new contractor to see if there is anything we could or should change.

The Website shows that we have to submit triplicate copies for any proposed work we want to have done on our property. Is that still necessary? If you mail your ARB request, we would appreciate the supporting documents to be in triplicate. However, email copies do not need to be in triplicate since they easily copy electronically.

Is there anything that can be done to get homeowners to edge their sidewalks? The City has no enforcement for sidewalk edging. Sometimes just reaching out and asking them to take care of it would work. If the offender is an elderly person, talk to them about getting help to clean their sidewalks. 

o   Action Item: Karon asked to add item to our Spring Clean-Up email blast. 

Several children in the neighborhood are going through the new construction homes. I’ve told them to stay out, but it doesn’t seem to work. Robert acknowledged that this is private property and this activity needs to be curtailed.

o   Action Item: (a) Robert to contact the police officer who resides in Sleepy Hollow to see if he might have an officer keep an eye on the homes under construction. (b) Robert will contact the owner and report same so the builder can try to make the property safe and secure.

There is a manhole on Tappan Lane that is sinking. 

o   Action Item:  Robert will contact City Representative, Tom Stephenson, to report this issue.

NOTE: If you have a smartphone, you can download the City of Salisbury’s App, take a picture and report such things as malfunctioning street lights and potholes that need filling anywhere in Sleepy Hollow or throughout the city.  If you don’t have a smartphone, you can report the issue directly to the Public Works Office at 410-548-3170.  

The foundations on the new construction homes only have brick fronts. Older homes throughout the community have solid brick on all sides.   We have a letter from Bill Martin, Martin & Associates, stating he reviews all the plans for new construction and sub-division plans will be followed by the builder/contractor.

o   Action Item: Robert will reach out to Bill Martin on this issue. 

One of the new homes listed in the newspaper is a Craftsman-type design? Robert reported that the Board noticed that too and immediately contacted the owner questioning the design as it would not blend in with existing homes, nor adhere to the ARB guidelines as expressed in the HOA By-Laws.   The owner acknowledged that it was simply a “generic photo” utilized for marketing purposes only.

A Board of Director’s meeting will be held following the adjournment of this session to appoint officer’s positions for 2020. Members are welcome to attend. 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. 

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis

“APPROVED” watercolor mark denotes Meeting Minutes are approved, as amended, on 5-April, 2021

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Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting Minutes

The Villages at Sleepy Hollow Homeowner’s Association, Inc.

March 11, 2019

Meeting Location: Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene, 27765 Nanticoke Road, Salisbury, MD

___________________________________________________________________

The meeting was called to order by the President, Robert Holland, at 6:34 p.m.

 

Robert Holland (President/Acting Treasurer), Cheryl Brophy (Member Non-Age), Karon Dennis (Secretary), and Sue Revelle (Member At-Large).

· Quorum present? Yes

 

· There were 24 homeowners present and seven (7) homeowners represented by Proxy for a total of 31 Voting Members. [Extracts from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…” “The absentee ballot shall be valid for purposes of establishing a quorum.]

· The minimum number of the voting Members required to conduct business and constitute a quorum equals 26 [15% of 175 homes].

· Quorum present? Yes

 

· Recognition of Board of Directors: Robert introduced the Board of Directors to the Membership in attendance.

· Acknowledgement of Richard Walker: Robert officially announced that Richard Walker resigned as a member of the HOA Board of Directors (3-December, 2018). Richard served on the Board as Vice President and chair of the Architectural Review Board (ARB) and Social Committee. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the community, Robert thanked Richard for his time, energy, commitment and service to the HOA during his tenure.

· HOA Fee Delinquency Recap:

o In 2018, there were 11 Homeowners that were delinquent; one (1) of those included a foreclosure. After dealings with our Collection Agency, we have one (1) unpaid for 2018 along with the one (1) foreclosure. The foreclosed property has been in that state for several years. It is now being handled by a local Realtor with expertise in buying and selling foreclosed houses.

o For 2019, there are 17 delinquencies—again one (1) of those include the aforementioned foreclosure. Letters will go out the end of the week. We anticipate that 2/3rds of those homeowners will respond/pay. The remainder will be turned over to the Collection Agency.

o A status report will continue to be provided at every board meeting for those properties where payment is in arrears.

· Community Bulletin Board Relocation: Weather and moisture issues continue to prevail with the bulletin board, so it has been relocated and mounted on the back of the Clocktower. A new board would cost around $600; instead the insert was replaced and sealant installed for moisture protection at a cost under $200. The display posts will be removed in the near future and the bulletin board will be ready for decoration shortly.

 

· Architecture Review Board (ARB) Requests: Since November, 2018 (last BOD meeting), we have had one (1) ARB request submitted, reviewed and approved.

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Location	Description
1.	12/14/18	3/2/2019	6067 Tarry Town Rd	· 12 x 18 Shed

· The Board is actively seeking persons to participate as a member of the ARB Committee. The Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving all proposed exterior improvements to a property/dwelling that is a part of the HOA. Anyone interested in serving on the committee, can call the HOA Phone at (410) 430-9544, leave your name and phone number, or send an email to sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com. NOTE: You do not have to be on the Board of Directors to be a member of the ARB Committee.

· Spring Clean-Up: The City of Salisbury will be driving through communities looking for violations, such as green mold on houses and on-street parking. Vehicles are not allowed to park on City streets. The police department continues to provide surveillance of criminal activity, but will also be focusing on parking enforcement. If you fit in any of these categories, the city will ticket you.

· Welcome Committee: Sue informed the membership that there are five (5) members on the committee. Judith Jones and Barbara Powell were recognized for their participation. When new residents move into the neighborhood the Welcome Committee deliver a booklet on Salisbury and Wicomico County and a Sleepy Hollow mug.

 

· 2018 Annual Meeting Minutes: The Board unanimously approved the motion made by Cheryl, seconded by Sue, to approve the minutes from the March 12, 2018 Annual Homeowner’s Meeting.

o Action Item: Karon to remove the DRAFT watermark and add a footnote to denote the date approved. Approved copies will be sent to each Board member and also denoted on the HOA Website.

· Compliance with Title 11B of the Maryland Homeowner’s Act: On November 13, 2018, we received an acknowledgement from new Board Member, Cheryl Brophy that she read and understood the terms set forth with the State of Maryland regarding conducting board meetings.

· Record of Executive Session: Karon reported to the members present that the Board went into Executive Session to review and select a contractor for multiple projects since the last Board meeting held in November 5, 2018.

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Contractors	Description
1.	11/6/2018	11/12/2018	Shorescapes - $900 T.K. Construction - $1,500	· Swale continuation Project | Rip rap stone installation (material and labor) for swale/pond grate outfall structure behind 5910 Tappan Lane · The Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposal from Shorescapes ($900) with funding drawn from the HOA Reserve Fund. The minutes of the Executive Session were distributed to the Board of Directors. · Sue motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Cheryl. The minutes stand approved as written with an amendment to identify the $1,500 verbal bid as being submitted by T.K. Construction.
2.	6/11/2018	11/13/2018	J. R. Hoe & Sons – Material only – $1,247.58 T.K. Construction – Installation – $300 Joint Total - $1,547.58 T.K. Construction – Material, Labor & Installation – $1,410	· Installation, material and labor for Trash Rack at Stormwater Management System (Pond #1) located at Bell Creek and Tarry Town Road. · The Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposal from T.K. Construction ($1,410) with funding drawn from the HOA Reserve Fund. The minutes of the Executive Session were distributed to the Board of Directors. · Sue motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Cheryl. The minutes stand approved as written.
3.	11/6/2018	12/13/2018	Adams Tree Care – $5,800 q Clocktower Drive - $2,800 q Van Tassel Way, Tappan & Brouwer - $600 q Fire Fly & Raynor - $2,000 qCross Creek & Bell Creek - $400	· Tree pruning in four (4) common areas · The Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposal from Adams Tree Care for only two (2) areas totaling $3,200: o Clocktower Drive around Clocktower Circle ($2,800) o Cross Creek & Bell Creek up to 28061 Cross Creek ($400) …with funding drawn from the HOA Reserve Fund. The minutes of the Executive Session were distributed to the Board of Directors. · Sue motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Cheryl. The minutes stand approved as written with an amendment to show the approved contractor as being Adams Tree Care.
4.	2/22/2019	3/7/2019	T.K. Construction – Labor, equipment & materials to regrade, lace rip rap, seed 3 areas – $4,100 Shorescapes – Delivery & Installation – $1,650	· Swale drainage work | Rip Rap replacement behind 5950 and 5951 Fire Fly Drive · The Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposal from Shorescapes ($1,650) with funding drawn from the HOA Reserve Fund. The minutes of the Executive Session were distributed to the Board of Directors. · Sue motioned to approve the Record of Executive Session minutes; seconded by Cheryl. The minutes stand approved as written.

o Action Item: Karon to remove the UNAPPROVED watermark from each of the Executive Session minutes, replace it with APPROVED and circulate to each Board member.

· Email Communication Blasts: Just a reminder to let the Board know if you change your mailing address, email address or phone number. This will ensure that you continue to be in the network to receive meeting minutes and updates on such things as community activities, lawn maintenance bulletins, sprinkler system timetables, and other HOA news. Email address or changes to phone number(s) or mailing address should be sent to the Board Secretary at sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com.

For reference, Sleepy Hollow HOA contact information follows:

● Web Site: www.sleepyhollowmd.com ● Email: sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com

● Mailing: P. O. Box 5004, Salisbury, MD 21802 ● Phone: (410) 430-9544

· 2018 Property Sales Activity: There were a total of 12 real estate sales last year in Sleepy Hollow—one being a “new build”—compared to 21 in 2017. We welcomed 12 new Resident Owners in our community. Currently we have two (2) homes on the market for sale, plus the one (1) open foreclosure. In addition, we have two (2) “new builds” under construction by Martin & Associates on Cross Creek and Bell Creek. The new builds are great because our HOA assessment is calculated by the number of homes. At 2018 year-end, there are 175 homes in Sleepy Hollow.

 

· 2018 Financials: The financial Exhibits were included in the annual packet sent to all homeowners, showing that the income and liabilities balanced [$211,968.32]. There was some leftover money was used to do tree trimming on two of the four streets that were needed. We hope to complete the remaining trimming through spring. With the minor trimming by our landscaping company and completion of the major trimming, the grounds will be in good shape for some time to come.

· 2019 Budget: This year’s budget was also included in the annual packet. We were fortunate that there was no increase in the annual assessment over the preceding year. It was noted that Member Anthony Santoni prepared a 2018 vs 2019 Budget Comparison which was presented at the November 2018 Board of Director’s meeting. An extract from the November minutes stated: “We will look at including a similar supplemental at the next year’s budget review meeting.” The Yearly Budget Comparison as prepared by Mr. Santoni is appended to these minutes for reference. (See Appendix A)

· There were no questions posed by the membership on the 2018 year-end reports or 2019 Budget.

 

· Brief comments were made by Karon and Robert to encourage the membership to consider joining the Board. Participation can be quite rewarding—there are only four (4) meetings a year and occasionally a need to chair a committee. If there are no members on the Board, the alternative is securing a Managing Agent. This action would impact the budget and potentially be cause for a higher HOA assessment.

 

The floor was opened for general questions and comments.

· Request for Bid – Landscaping. Our current landscaping contract expires in 2020. We will be working on a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a 3-year contract. The RFP will be forwarded to multiple contractors to submit a bid—at least 3, plus Legendary. Anyone desiring to be a part of that Committee should contact the HOA. Any input on the process is welcome. We are anticipating getting the RFP out by May in order to have the scope and details ready for October budget planning. Member Linda Hooker suggested Shorecut Lawn Care, Delmar DE.

· What exactly is Legendary responsible for? I had a dead bush in my yard and they mulched all around it. They are not responsible for any dead bushes unless they planted it within the past year. If it is from when you moved in, they have no responsibility whatsoever for the planting.

· Irrigation and Lawn Service Guidelines. The Board is working on a guideline that will be delivered to Legendary and all members spelling out responsibilities. Looking for a homeowner who might work with the Board as a liaison with the Landscaper. More to follow on this.

· Who originally put the wells in and who is responsible for them? The wells are the responsibility of the HOA and were originally put in by Somerset Well Drilling. Typically, if any work is required on a well, Legendary calls a Board designate (Robert at this time), who calls Somerset. Somerset inspects the well and discloses what action needs to be taken along with the cost of repair. An estimate is sent to the Board designate which must be signed off before Somerset initiates any work order. There are times when Legendary and the Board designate determines it is an electrical problem at which time the Board designate calls an electrician (Mast Electrical Service). Wells are a part of the Reserve Fund allocation.

· The plantings around the pond have gotten quite big. Who is responsible for trimming those bushes? The bushes are commonly referred to “pickleberry bushes.” They are actually native willows. A decision was made in the past with input from Ginny Rosencrantz that they should not be cut down to the ground, but left at a reasonable height. This then becomes a geese deterrent and also hides an ugly pond when it doesn’t have water in it. It is the Board’s responsibility to address the care and trimming of the willows. There will probably be some minor trimming done this year to make the area more attractive, however, it is not planned that they will be cut way back. Legendary cut them in the past under a separate contract, but that contract has since been cancelled.

· A Board of Director’s meeting will be held following the adjournment of this session to appoint officer’s positions for 2019. Members are welcome to attend.

 

 

 

 

Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting Minutes

The Villages at Sleepy Hollow Homeowner’s Association, Inc.

March 12, 2018

Meeting Location: Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene, 27765 Nanticoke Road, Salisbury, MD

___________________________________________________________________

 

The meeting was called to order by the President, Robert Holland, at 6:45 p.m.

 

Directors in Attendance:                                                  

Robert Holland (President/Acting Treasurer), Richard Walker (Vice President), Karon Dennis (Secretary), and Sue Revelle (Member At-Large).

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

Robert Welcomed the Homeowners in Attendance:

·       There were 19 homeowners present, seven (7) homeowners represented by Proxy and one (1) by Absentee Ballot. [Extracts from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…” “The absentee ballot shall be valid for purposes of establishing a quorum.]

·       The minimum number of the voting Members required to conduct business and constitute a quorum equals 26.  

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

President’s Report:

·       Recognition of Board of Directors: Robert introduced the Board of Directors to the Membership in attendance. 

·       Collections Policy for Delinquent HOA Fees: In the past we have been putting liens on property for unpaid assessments. Once the house is sold, we may get funds paid from the sale. If the property goes through bankruptcy or foreclosure, the odds of collecting the fees is lessened considerably and usually ends up to be zero. This can cause substantial assessment deficits in the budget.  Effective with this meeting, we wish to initiate a new collection’s policy. Based on what is currently in the By-Laws and the policy outlined in the Homeowner’s Books, when someone becomes delinquent we forward a letter stating they have ‘x’ number of days to pay; if they don’t meet that deadline, a lien is filed. The policy would change to include turning their account over to a collection agency. The agency being used will be Bay Area Receivables. There is no upfront money for their services when their contract is signed; a fee or commission rate [35%] is paid on all amounts recovered on the HOA’s behalf.

o   Delinquency Recap: There are 18 members who have not paid – two (2) go back to 2014; four (4) are in the Age-Restricted area and 12 in the Non-Age Restricted. Fees in arrearage are well over $10,000. 

o   The Board unanimously approved the motion made by Karon, seconded by Sue, to move forward with amending the existing Assessment Delinquency Policy stating, in part, that we would include using a collection agency and/or filing a lien to collect outstanding fees due. 

o   By unanimous consent, we will move forward with signing the contract with Bay Area Receivables.

o   Action Item: The Secretary will forward the amended Assessment Delinquency Policy to the Membership via email blast within 48 hours. Action Completed: Email blast to membership dated 14-March-2018.

·       Drainage Swale Project: [Definition: A drainage swale is a low tract of land often designed to manage water runoff and increase rainwater infiltration.] At the end of 2017, we addressed a drainage issue in an existing swale located on common areas at Van Tassel and Bell Creek by securing a contractor to provide positive drainage to the pond [Pond #2]. The homeowners adjacent to the swale project were notified and the project was completed successfully in two days.

·       Clocktower Door Repair Project: The Clocktower door [Fiberglass composite door/frame] repairs were completed by year end. The bad spots on the door were sealed, the hardware (hinges and locksets) were replaced and the door/door frame was painted. No longer experiencing water intrusion inside the building. Cost $350.

 

Vice President’s Report:

·       ARB Requests: Since October, 2017 (last BOD meeting), we have had five (5) ARB [Architectural Review Board] requests submitted, reviewed and approved. Currently, requests and inspections are completed by standing Committee Members Robert Holland and Richard Walker. The ARB reviews all exterior alterations on existing properties to maintain property values and ensure proposed alterations and improvements adhere to the rules and regulations set forth in the Declaration of Covenants and any approved criteria set forth by the community. An invitation was extended to the Membership for volunteers for the ARB Committee. If you would like to help, contact one of the board members, call or send your interest by email to sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com. Volunteer your time because you care about your community, your neighbors and your home.  [Refer to HOA Web Site www.sleepyhollowmd.com under tab <Village at Sleepy Hollow-ARB> for specific details on the Committee and submitting requests].  

	Date Submitted	Date Approved	Location	Description
1.	10/28/2017	10/31/2017	6092 Fuller Lane	·       Four (4) Foot Vinyl Fence
2.	12/01/2017	12/04/2017	6109 Tarry Town Road	·       Awning
3.	12/07/2017	12/11/2017	28119 Cross Creek Drive	·       Trees to be planted
4.	12/30/2017	01/02/2018	6045 Tarry Town Road	·       Shed
5.	02/20/2018	02/21/2018	6025 Fire Fly Drive	·       Front Entrance Door

·       HOA Phone: Richard has responsibility for monitoring the HOA phone and calls the number after 4 p.m. daily to pick up messages. Since October 9, 2017, we have received 26 calls. The majority of the calls are in reference to realtor inquiries and the HOA Book. No complaint(s) has been registered where the HOA was at fault for not having done something. Example of normal calls received are how to handle a dog in the neighborhood, questions when it snows or when will the assessment bills be mailed.

Ø The membership expressed concerns regarding the inadequate snow removal done by the City of Salisbury during the last storm. After much discussion, it was suggested that each individual file their concerns or complaints directly with the City of Salisbury. 

·       Social Committee: An overview of the December 9, 2017 “Let’s Go Caroling” event was provided the membership as a fantastic affair. Richard extended “thanks” to everyone who came out when the carolers knocked on their door. We are looking forward to next year’s caroling experience and having more members join in on the fun. 

o   “Spring Thing” Community Event: It was announced that the Social Committee is looking for volunteers to dream up a “Spring Thing” that we could do this year. Simply call the HOA Phone at (410) 430-9544 and leave your name and phone number (or your neighbors!) to get this party started.

o   Welcome Committee: Sue took the floor to discuss the implementation of a new Welcome Committee for the community. Jane Long was recognized for introducing the idea previously and creating a coffee mug with the Clocktower image on itàphotographs taken by Louise Pillars. Contact Sue by calling the HOA phone at 410-430-9544 or send an email to sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com if you would like to be a part of the new Welcome Committee. 

 

Secretary’s Report:

·       2017 Annual Meeting Minutes: The Board unanimously approved the motion made by Richard, seconded by Sue, to approve the minutes from the May 13, 2017 Annual Meeting.

o   Action Item: Karon to remove the DRAFT watermark and add a footnote to denote the date approved. Approved copies will be sent to each Board member and also denoted on the HOA Website.

·       Record of Executive Session: Karon reported to the members present that the Board went into Executive Session on November 3, 2017 to review and select a contractor for the Swale Project which included grading and installation of sod for retention and stabilization of soil on the common areas surrounding properties on Van Tassel Way and Bell Creek Road. The Board took action by unanimous written consent to accept the proposal from Shorescapes ($2,595). The minutes of the Executive Session were distributed to the Board of Directors. Sue motioned to approve the Executive Session minutes; seconded by Richard. The minutes stand approved as written.

o   Action Item: Karon to remove the UNAPPROVED watermark from the minutes, replace it with APPROVED and circulate to each Board member.

·       HOA Website: Payments for Website services have been processed. 

(1) Domain Name Registration renewed for 2018; Valid through 15-January-2019 [$0.00 – $15.99 less $15.99 coupon].

(2) Web Hosting renewed in 3-year increments; Valid through 01-March-2022 [$287.64].

·       Email Communication Blasts: Just a reminder to let the Board know if you change your email address. This will ensure that you continue to be in the network to receive meeting minutes and updates on such things as community activities, lawn maintenance bulletins, sprinkler system timetables, and other HOA news. Email address or changes to phone number(s) or mailing address should be sent to the Board Secretary at sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com. 

For reference, Sleepy Hollow HOA contact information follows:

● Web Site: www.sleepyhollowmd.com                  ● Email: sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com

● Mailing: P. O. Box 5004, Salisbury, MD 21802      ● Phone: (410) 430-90544

·       2017 Property Sales Activity: There were 21 real estate sales last year; 20 new Resident Owners in our community (one home sold twice). In conjunction with information received by local realtors, settlement and title companies, it was confirmed that the Secretary forwards to each new Resident Owner a welcome letter, a Request for Contact Information form (includes email authorization) and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope. All but one new Resident Owner completed and returned their contact information. The information collected is maintained confidentially by the Board Treasurer and Secretary.

 

Treasurer’s Report:

·       2017 Financials: The financial Exhibits were included in the annual packet sent to all homeowners, showing that the income and liabilities matched [$187,326.73]. We have certain yearly bills and similarly the same yearly income, so we have money to pay when due. It was reported that an in-house verification of accounts was completed utilizing the bank statements and QuickBooks printouts and reconciliation reports. Richard double checked them against the bank statements to ensure the numbers corresponded.  The annual HOA paperwork has been delivered to the CPA [Philip P. Wheatley] and we will be getting a compilation shortly reporting on his review of the HOA recordkeeping. There were no questions posed by the membership on the 2017 year-end reports.

·       2018 Budget: This year’s budget was also included in the annual packet. We were fortunate that there was no increase in the annual assessment over the preceding year. There were no questions posed by the membership on the 2018 Budget.

                                                                                                               

Nominations for Board of Directors: In lieu of a Nominations Committee, a notice was sent to the membership in January to nominate candidates for three (3) open positions on the Board of DirectorsàTwo (2) persons from the Non-Age Restricted area and one (1) person for the At-Large position. No nominations were submitted by the deadline date for candidates to appear on the ballot which was included in the annual packet. The floor was opened to offer candidates or individuals to express their interests in the available seats on the board. There were no nominations made from the floor at the meeting, therefore, no election to the board was held. The current Board members’ terms are not expiring this year; however, a Board of Director’s meeting will be held following the adjournment of this session to appoint officer’s positions for 2018. Members are welcome to attend. 

 

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

The floor was opened for general questions and comments.

·       Is there going to be another Community Yard Sale like we had last fall? Yes – the Spring Community Yard Sale is scheduled for May 5, 2018. More details on this activity to follow under separate cover.

·       How should we handle concerns about snow removal? Should we (homeowner) call the City? If the homeowner sees a problem or has a concern that is a City issue, it was suggested that they should call the City of Salisbury directly.

 

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. 

 

 

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis

“APPROVED” watercolor mark denotes Meeting Minutes approved on 11-March, 2019

 

 ==========================================================================

 

AMENDED

The Board of Directors hereby certifies that, by a vote passed by the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting held on 12-March, 2018, the Assessment Delinquency Policy was added to, amended or repealed as follows:

 

Assessment Delinquency Policy

                        

Assessment invoice mailed with minimum 30 days to pay. Assessments are billed annually; are due in full by January 31^st and are late on February 1^st (1^st Mailing).

 

Dues are delinquent if payment is not received by the Association by March 2^nd and will be assessed a late fee of 10% of the assessment amount, or $15.00, whichever is greater and will begin accruing interest at the rate of 18% per annum. Such interest charges shall accrue and continue to be assessed each month until the account is brought current.

 

A delinquent notice will be sent after March 2^nd to members with outstanding balances indicating the above charges and given ten (10) days to bring the account current. A rebilling fee of $10.00 will also be added (2^nd Mailing sent both first class and certified mail with return receipt).

 

If the account has not been brought current within ten10 days of the date of the second letter/notice, the Association or its designee, in the event the account is turned over to an attorney or collection agent, will proceed with filing a lien on the property and/or initiate collection action. All costs for legal actions will be added to the delinquent amount.

 

The Board of Directors will make the decision as to which way to proceed, i.e., either filing a lien or filing a Small Claims Action in District Court. All fees incurred by an attorney or collection agency to recover the delinquent amounts will be assessed to the member.

 

A Small Claims Action will result in a Judgement to enforce possible actions to include: Wage Attachment, Property Attachment, or Foreclosure.

 

Prior to the release of any lien, or dismissal of any legal action, all assessments, late charges, interest, an costs of collection, including attorneys’ fees, must be paid in full to the Association.

 

 

---

2017 

 

Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting Minutes

The Villages at Sleepy Hollow Homeowner’s Association, Inc.

March 13, 2017

Meeting Location: Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene, 27765 Nanticoke Road, Salisbury, MD

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

The meeting was called to order by the President, Gail Fykes, at 6:37 p.m.

 

Directors in Attendance:                                                  

Gail Fykes (President), Kathleen Raffa (Treasurer), Karon Dennis (Secretary), Stuart Reid (Landscaping and Irrigation) and Carol Ann Wright.

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

Gail Welcomed the Homeowners in Attendance:

·       There were 40 homeowners present, four (4) homeowners represented by Proxy and five (5) by Absentee Ballots. [Extracts from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…” “The absentee ballot shall be valid for purposes of establishing a quorum.]

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

President’s Report:

·       Recognition of Board of Directors: Gail introduced the Board of Directors to the Membership in attendance. 

·       President’s Comments: ●Tonight’s meeting was her last on the Board (tenure expires at close). ●There is a lot on the agenda. If we run over, another meeting will be scheduled as soon as possible in order to complete items where we did not have ample time to address in this assembly. ●”Having been on the Board with a couple years of absence when serving on the Board before, I was really impressed with the amount of organization that Marimargaret, Kathleen and Karon have put into this. It will make everybody that serves this Board, and members of the HOA who need answers to their questions, so much more informed and easy to find.”

·       Request for “No Solicitation” signs for neighborhood: Carol Ann provided the following information regarding signage: “No Soliciting” signs can be ordered on-line for approximately $30, inclusive of shipping and handling. Installation of “No Soliciting” signs at the entrances would apply to the entire community, not just the Age-Restricted area – this means no Girl Scout cookies, no church organization/benefits, no Boy Scouts bag for food – nobody can solicit at all. There is another option that residents can get a small “No Soliciting” sign to display at the home. 

o   A motion was made by Kathleen to put “No Solicitation” signs at the front entrance on Sleepy Holly Drive and the back entrance on Cross Creek Drive. The motion was seconded by Carol Ann; discussion followed covering such things as commercial solicitation, enforcement by City Policy and protection, if any, by our posted Neighborhood Watch signs. 

o   A vote was taken by a show of hands – 11 voted for the community signs; the remaining homeowner’s opposed. The motion to install “No Solicitation” signs at our community’s entrances was declined. 

o   The decision of whether to listen to a solicitor is up to the individual households. Any family can still post a “No Soliciting” sign on their property and expect to have their requests heeded by solicitors.

·       Chairperson Recruitment for HOA Committees (Social and Architectural Review Board): Gail encouraged members to help out with any committee function either as a member or as a volunteer during scheduled events. 

o   Social Committee – Suggested that we reinstate the Social Committee so that neighborhood activities can be enjoyed by the community once again. The purpose of the Social Committee is to organize fun, interesting events for the entire community so neighbors can meet and socialize with each other.  Responsibilities would include the planning of social gatherings such as block parties, fall festivals or holiday parties etc. and to advise the HOA Board on social issues/concerns. Mrs. Rovena Scott volunteered for this committee.

o   Architectural Review Board (ARB) – Seeking volunteers to join the Architectural Review committee whose function is to review plans when a Resident Owner is considering such things as an addition (sunroom), re-roofing, repainting, installing a new landscape (trees) – or altering the exterior of your home in any manner. No volunteers came forward at the meeting, however, interested persons can contact any member of the Board of Directors or email sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com  to apply.

 

Vice President’s Report:

·       Irrigation and Lawn Care: Stuart provided a 2016 Status Review to the Board and Membership on ●ARB Projects Submitted; ● Lawn and Irrigation Analysis and Update; ●Backflow Preventer Issue; and ● the Project Plan Update for a Stormwater Management System, also known as Pond #1. 

o   ARB Requests for 2017: Inquiries include two sunroom additions; Stuart advised each Resident of the ARB By-Law requirements [Refer to HOA Web Site www.sleepyhollowmd.com under tab <Village at Sleepy Hollow-ARB> for specific details on submitting requests]. 

o   Backflow Preventer: The valve on backflow preventer housed in a box on Van Tassel Way froze in mid-January. This fixture is a part of the Fire Suppression Sprinkler System installed in each of the Cluster Homes on Tappan Lane and Van Tassel Way. The City of Salisbury Fire Department was advised of the impairment. With the assistance of Bayside Fire Protection Company of Salisbury (certified/licensed plumber) and Tapman Plumbing and Refrigeration parts were ordered, installed and the system was functioning within two days. The impairment was lifted after the repairs. Approximate costs - $700. Note to Homeowner’s in Cluster Homes (a/k/a Quads): Although there is no ordinance requiring the inspection of in-house sprinkler systems, Bayside recommends checking them every two to three years.

o   Lawn and Irrigation: Since September 20, 2016, 12 issues have been resolved with 13 outstanding.

o   Project Plan - Stormwater Management System – Pond #1: Remediation work at Bell Creek/Tarry Town still in progress as a result of the removal of a plug in the lower drain of the outlet structure. A Project Plan in two phases was forwarded to homeowners surrounding the pond which outlined corrective measures being taken. In the interim, the Board received a violation notice of the City Stormwater Management Codes from the City of Salisbury. Violations sited were:

§ Pond banks are exposed and eroding and require stabilization

§ Pond missing a dewatering device

§ Sediment build-up observed at inlets and outlets

A Project Plan Update was forwarded to the homeowners informing them of the code violations and the requirements to bring the pond bottom to its original design levels. Requests for Proposals (RFP) were sent to four Contractors; no responses were received. One Contractor has since stated he will revisit the request.

§ Comment from the floor that this problem would not have occurred if the plug hadn’t been removed. Stuart directed homeowners to the By-Laws and the proper maintenance of the Stormwater ponds. [See HOA Web Site www.sleepyhollowmd.com under tab <By-Laws> for details under Management of Storm Water Management Facilities – Article I, Section 15 Definitions and Article III, Common Areas and Easement Areas]

 

Secretary Report:

·       2016 Annual Meeting Minutes: Karon confirmed that last year’s meetings were approved on March 7, 2016 and were posted and remain on the Web site. 

·       Working Sessions by the Board: At our last Board of Directors meeting in October 2016, we had 13 homeowners present; the minutes were emailed to the Membership on November 4^th and posted to the Web site and Community Bulletin Board. In those minutes the Board disclosed the following: “The Board stated that they do hold working sessions periodically outside of regular meetings intended for information gathering and general discussion, but not decision making. There is no board action taken during working sessions; no votes by the Board.” On December 13^th we received a letter from the Office of the Attorney General | Consumer Protection Division informing us of a complaint filed by a homeowner where we were holding secret meetings and we were reducing the yearly meetings from eight (8) to three (3). We responded on December 21^st and explained we did hold working sessions as stated in our minutes and we received another letter on January 6, 2017 that clearly stated that we cannot do that based on the Maryland Homeowner’s Association Act. On January 23^rd we wrote a letter, signed by all members of the Board, acknowledging that …

o   We had read and would comply with the Real Property Article, Title 11B - Maryland HOA Act

o   We would not meet in closed session unless permitted under §11B-222 (4), Real Property, MD CODE ANNOTATED, i.e., discussions re legal issues, speaking about personnel or reviewing contracts; Closed session indicates that the meeting is not open to the Homeowners; and

o   A knowledge transfer of the correct meeting procedures would be provided to all future board members.

Note to File: Title 11B of the MD Homeowners Assoc. Act states, in part, that closed sessions may be held for the following purposes: (i) Discussion of matters pertaining to employees and personnel; (ii) Protection of the privacy or reputation of individuals in matters not related to the homeowners association’s business; (iii) Consultation with legal counsel; (iv) Consultation with staff personnel, consultants, attorneys, or other persons in connection with pending or potential litigation; (v) Investigative proceedings concerning possible or actual criminal misconduct; (vi) Consideration of the terms or conditions of a business transaction in negotiation stage if the disclosure could adversely affect the economic interests of the homeowners association.

The second complaint raised to the Attorney General’s office was the number of meetings for the calendar year. Exhibit 4 in the Annual Meeting packet is the 2017 Board of Director’s Meeting Schedule. In our October meeting, we approved reducing the number of meetings from four (4) to three (3). We have since contacted the Cross Pointe Church and locked down two (2) additional meeting dates for 2017 (July 17^th and September 18^th) at cost of $70. A motion was made to increase the number of 2017 BOD meetings from three (3) to five (5). Floor discussion followed.

o   Snapshot of Yearly Meetings and Attendees. 

	2014	2015	2016
# of Meetings	8	8	4
# of Attendees (not including Board members)
October 15, 2015 November 9, 2015 March 7, 2016 (Annual Meeting includes proxies) May 9, 2016 September 12, 2016 October 10, 2016		6 4	26 8 25 13

o   Comment made from homeowner that a homeowner’s attendance should have no bearing on how many meetings the Board schedules – only the Board members need to show up; meetings are for the Board to discuss business—if you read the MD Homeowner’s Assoc. Act—technically homeowner’s can’t say anything at the meetings except for one meeting a year. 

o   Homeowner(s) asked for more communication on issues; the value of having and attending open meetings allows Homeowner’s to hear the Board’s discussions and their rationale on conclusions/decisions made.

o   Wicomico County Library has meeting space at no charge as long as space is scheduled in advance.

o   A motion was made and seconded that the 2017 BOD Meeting Schedule be increased to five (5). Said motion was approved by the Members in attendance.

o   Action Item: The Secretary will publish and post a new schedule on the Web site and Community Bulletin Board.

·       Record of Closed Session: In compliance with the Maryland’s Homeowner’s Association Act, a written record of a Closed Session held on January 14, 2017 to discuss the City of Salisbury violation at Pond #1 will become a part of these Annual Meeting Minutes ~ see attached RECORD OF CLOSED SESSION.

·       2016 Initiative to Update Residential Directory: Over 65 letters were sent out in an effort to secure current email addresses and authorizations to send information via email. Of the responses we received, we still have five (5) that are bad. If you are not receiving electronic communications from the Board, just let us know and we will take action to ensure your information is recorded accurately.

·       HOA Web Site: Restated Sleepy Hollow HOA contact information as being …

o   Web Site:    www.sleepyhollowmd.com

o   Email:        sleepyhollowmd@outlook.com

The domain name “sleepyhollowmd.com” has been renewed for the calendar year 2017. Updates have been made recently to the site, however, it was noted that we are missing the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. A request was made to long-term Residents if there was an electronic version of the recorded document.

o   Action Item: Wendy Bailey will forward a Word document of the CC&Rs to the Secretary for inclusion on the Web site. [Thank you again, Wendy!]

 

Treasurer Report:

·       Year-End Balance Sheet | Profit & Loss – Budget vs. Actual | 2017 Budget | Reserve Fund: Kathleen spoke briefly to the year-end reports which were a part of the annual meeting packet [Exhibit 5(A) and 5(B), Exhibit 6 and Exhibit 7(A) and 7(B), respectfully].

o   2017 Budget: Referencing a question on the floor regarding the budget and the new contract with Legendary, the annual assessment for both the Age Restricted and the Non-Age restricted went up. Since the Age Restricted gets more services, naturally they pay more.

o   2016 Year-End Assets: Total Assets of $180,134.54 matched the total Liability and Equity. 

o   Profit & Loss Budget Performance: Outlines all the expenses for the year (January through December 2016). Doing very well with our money; we try to keep our expenses down. Our insurance hasn’t increased, however, our Auditor has just made us aware of an increase in his fee of $50. This is the first raise in his pricing in eight (8) years. [Note this rise is not reflected in the 2017 Budget.] With respect to our Net Income of $7,578.67 – this money is a carryover used to pay the first month’s expenses, i.e., December bills which we receive/pay in January.

o   Reserve Fund Exhibit 7(A): A correction was made to this Exhibit in February to insert a missing transaction line showing a transfer of monies to our Money Market account. Important Note: The account balance on the original Exhibit was reported correctly; only the line item was omitted during the document preparation. An Amended copy of Exhibit 7(A) is included herein and made a part of these minutes.

o   Reserve Fund Review: Kathleen reported that a preliminary review of the Reserve Fund was conducted by Ani Mathers, a homeowner and professor at SSU with a PHD in Finance. Best practice dictates that a review be conducted every three (3) years to ensure that we have adequate funds to cover any major expenses [largest being the pond, irrigation, and sidewalks]. Conclusion/recommendation was to secure the services of a Project Engineer to officially conduct a study and inspection those items included in our Reserve Fund to ensure we have adequate funding for replacement and/or repairs of those items.

§ Kathleen reached out to a private Engineer regarding this project; awaiting a return call.

§ Also spoke to Kevin Twilley with Global Construction, who has offered to work with us on the sidewalks in the common areas. He will walk and measure the sidewalks, provide us their linear footage and evaluate a replacement value. Important Note: Even though Sleepy Hollow HOA owns the common area sidewalks, prior to any work, we need to contact the City of Salisbury who will inspect and notify us if there is cause for concern such as deterioration or hazardous conditions. If their City Engineer recommends replacement, the City will pay for ½ of the replacement costs. The Reserve Fund analysis should take this into consideration.

o   Questions from Floor:

§ When you have an item in the budget (example: spraying for worms) and you didn’t spend that money, where does it go? The money stays in the general fund ~ that’s how you accumulate the $7K at the end of the year. All the money we collect (assessment fees) goes into the Money Market account which earns interest. Each month, a transfer is processed from the Money Market account to the Checking account to cover the bills/expenses incurred for that period. The Checking account is the working book from which to pay the bills; it carries a small balance to cover any incidental expenses that might be presented. All the HOA money stays in the Money Market fund until monthly expenses are processed. At the end of the year, if we have an excess in our fund, the next year’s budget is adjusted by the surplus in the account. We are a non-profit organization; we have just enough money to function as a homeowner’s association to take care of necessary expenses. That is all the money is for; it doesn’t go anywhere else.

§ It would be nice if the Builder/Developer had a line item of what it cost to install sidewalks, ponds, irrigation systems they could give to us. We do not have any of those records to assist us in the Reserve Fund review. Stuart referred to a book called “RS Means” which provides accurate and up-to-date cost information to help owners, developers, engineers, contractors and others to carefully and precisely project and control the cost of both new building construction and renovation projects. 

§ Your budget which is generated on a spreadsheet – does your auditor check the actual bank statements against your spreadsheet? Absolutely. Copies of every bank statement are given to the Auditor year-end à12 bank statements for four (4) accounts along with a flash drive of QuickBooks and visual spreadsheets.

o   Action Item: 2017 Initiative – Schedule and complete Reserve Fund Study.

 

Nominations for the Board of Directors

·       The current Board had five (5) directors and there were two open positions/terms up for election. Ballot nominations were:

1.     Age-Restricted Candidate:              Karon Dennis [Incumbent]

2.     Non-Age Restricted Candidate:      Joyce Lewis [Nomination received after packet publication]

 

The Members were asked for nominations from the floor. 

o   Richard Walker nominated Robert Holland, however, he requested to hold off until after the vote was completed and the floor was opened for additional volunteers for the Board.

o   Jane Long nominated Joyce Lewis for the Non-Age Restricted area and spoke to her credentials.

o   No other nominations were made from the floor. 

o   The Membership concurred that no one was running against either of the two nominated candidates.

o   A motion was made by Jason Harman and seconded by Geoff Harris for the nominations to be closed. The delegation approved.

o   A motion was made by Jason Harman and seconded by Joe Raffa to accept Joyce Lewis and Karon Dennis by acclamation. Motion was approved by the members in attendance.

 

·       Gail opened the floor for volunteers to increase the number of Board Members

o   Question posted: If you are going to increase the number of Board Members, is that increase going to be in the Non-Age Restricted section or the Age Restricted section? They would have to be At-Large. [Note: For clarification, Members who are pulled from the overall membership without consideration of geographic criteria, i.e., Non-Age or Age Restricted area, they are called Members At-Large.]  

o   Statements made from the floor –

§ There should be a special rule made by the Board that says all additional members will be At-Large, and every time that there’s another position that becomes available that they can fill, they can be asked to fill those positions as they choose, or an election held before this committee.

§ If it is the Board’s intent to ask for additional members, then now is the time to do it. We both volunteer; we don’t have to be nominated by anybody.

·       Robert Holland and Richard Walker volunteered as additional members of the Board of Directors. Gail thanked both Robert and Richard for volunteering.

o   Gail also thanked Robert Holland for persevering in getting what has been in our By-Laws straight ever since the HOA/Community took over from the developers. It stated in those By-Laws that they could have separate meetings. Don’t know where it came from; don’t care; it’s gone, and I thank you because you did persevere.

§ To that point, the By-Laws need to be corrected to include the rule.

 

Adoption of HOA By-Laws Amendments:

·       Voting results of the changes to the By-Law Amendments below follows:

o   Article IV Section 1 – BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SELECTION, VACANCY, TERM OF OFFICE

§ In favor – 10; Not in favor – 21

o   Article V Section 2 – NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

§ In favor – 10; Not in favor – 2

 

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

Time constraints did not permit fulfilling this Agenda item.

 

·       Gail thanked everyone for attending the meeting.

·       A question arose about voting for Messrs. Holland and Walker. Gail confirmed that they volunteered for the Board and they were accepted.

 

 

·       Meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.

                                         

 

Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis.

 

Attachments:    RECORD OF CLOSED SESSION [January 14, 2017]

                        Amended copy of Reserve Fund – Money Market Account – Exhibit 7(A)

 “APPROVED” watercolor mark denotes Meeting Minutes approved on 12-March, 2018

 

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Attachment 1: RECORD OF CLOSED SESSION

 

RECORD OF CLOSED SESSION

TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE NEXT MEETING OF THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORORS / ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 13, 2017

 

Time:	Saturday, January 14, 2017
Place:	Reid Residence at Van Tassel Way
Attendees:	Gail Fykes, Kathleen Raffa, Karon Dennis, Stuart Reid, Carol Ann Wright
Purpose of Closed Meeting:	To discuss the response to the City of Salisbury regarding the violation at Pond #1
Section I.D. Permitting Closed Meeting:	Maryland HOA Act § 11B111 (4) (iv) Consultation with staff personnel, consultants, attorneys, board members, or other persons in connection with pending or potential litigation or other legal matters.
Record of Vote:	Board reviewed the response to Mr. Moran written by Stuart Reid and ·       Approved mailing of the letter, as written ·       All Board members to attend meeting with City, if granted

 

Chronological overview presented by Stuart Reid of events leading up to violation by the City of Salisbury

·       10-Oct-2016: Resident Len Johnson filed Lawn and Irrigation Issue reporting high water in pond causing flooding and backup of storm water during heavier rain events

·       26-Oct-2016: Subsequent lawn maintenance update to BOD confirming lower drain of the outlet structure being blocked

·       7-Dec-2016: Notification to affected Homeowners surrounding Pond #1 on plan to restore the pond back to its intended condition

·       9-Dec2016: Pond inspection by the City of Salisbury

·       4-Jan-2017: Letter from Kevin W. Moran, Stormwater Inspector, City of Salisbury, Department of Public Works citing violations  from pond inspection

Other presentations:

·       Brief review of EPA – Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet – Wet Detention Ponds, specifically,

o   Figure 1 – Typical Layout of a Wet Detention Pond

o   Sentence therein: “…the bottom sediments in the permanent pool should be removed about every 2 to 5 years.”

Recorded and submitted by Karon Dennis, Secretary              

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2016 

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Annual Homeowners Association Meeting Minutes

Village of Sleepy Hollow

March 7, 2016

Meeting Location: Cross Point Church of the Nazarene

___________________________________________________________________

 

The meeting was called to order by the President, Marimargaret Reichert, at 7:31 p.m.

 

Directors in Attendance:                                               

Marimargaret Reichert (President), William Weber (Vice President), Kathleen Raffa (Treasurer), and Karon Dennis (Secretary).

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

Marimargaret welcomed the Homeowners in attendance:

·       There were 20 homeowners present and six (6) homeowners represented by Proxy.

[Extract from HOA By-Laws: “The presence at the meeting of Members or of proxies entitled to cast fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes of in the Association shall constitute a quorum…”]

·       Quorum present? Yes

 

NOTE: One (1) additional homeowner was present, but not counted in the initial attendance tally since they arrived after the meeting was called to order.

 

President’s Report:

·       Recognition of Board of Directors: Marimargaret introduced the Board of Directors, who handle all the problem solving issues within the common areas in the development. She further stated that the Board had gone above and beyond to make sure that everything gets done faster; that they endeavor to maintain home assessments at a reasonable fixed sum; that they are not increasing the fees for things that are not a value-added item. The Board Members have done a nice job this year.

 

Vice President’s Report

·       Irrigation and Lawn Care: Spring is coming soon. We will begin our season with the irrigation and lawn care. We will handle this work as we have in the past. If you have any concerns, there is a form on the WEB site you can submit. We have a process whereby we communicate those concerns to Legendary and they will respond to the issues raised. 

o   Coordinator for the Age-Restricted Area:  William Weber

o   Coordinator for the Non-Age Restricted Area: Richard Reichert

 

Secretary Report:

·       Greetings: Karon joined Marimargaret in welcoming the Homeowners to the annual meeting and encouraged them to come to upcoming Board Meetings. Dates of Board Meetings are posted on the Community Bulletin Board and HOA Web site. New Members were also informed that Board Meeting Minutes can be found on the Bulletin Board and WEB site.

·       Email Authorization Form: Karon acknowledged receipt of the Email Authorization forms included in the annual meeting packet and thanked those that updated their profiles. If there are any further changes to submit, we will be glad to email a blank form to Homeowners, otherwise, feel free to contact one of the Board Members, who will also be happy to distribute the form.

·       Environmental Studies and Survey: The Association received a letter dated March 4, 2016 from Mr. Chuck Reed, Sr. Supervising Environmental Scientist / Environmental Services with Delmarva Power. Karon read the letter to the assembly which disclosed that DP&L would be performing a study/survey “on transmission line right-of-way(s) that cross the Village of Sleepy Hollow property. The studies will require DP&L consultants to access the existing right of way and access roads that cross this property.” The study was scheduled to take several weeks, but should not cause any disturbances to residences or their properties. Contact for any questions or concerns can be directed to the HOA phone line (the number can be located on the WEB site) or to Mr. Reed at 302-283-6076.

 

Treasurer Report:

·       Year-End Balance Sheet | Profit & Loss Budget Performance: Kathleen presented a brief overview of the year-end reports which were a part of the annual meeting packet and also handed out to the Members in attendance. 

o   Year-End Assets – $152,555.87 (Checking/Savings of $172.555.87 less Reserve Fund of $20,000)

o    Profit & Loss Budget Performance – Outlines all the expenses for the year (January through December 2015). That expense is used to do the budget to keep everything in line – hoping that we don’t have to raise dues, or, all being well, we can decrease them because our expenses have gone down.

 

·       Questions from Floor:

o   What is the Storm Water Management - $1,829? – This line item is new this year. There were 10 storm water management ponds laid out on the original plot by Ruark and Martin. We don’t have10 but, since they were laid out on the original plot, we are being billed for that number. Each year we will continue to be billed for that which was an added unforeseen expense.

o   Comment re Pond Maintenance at Cross Creek and Van Tassel – There was a problem with the drainage; work done was not so much the pond, but the inlet going into it. It is still not corrected and needs to be resolved. 

§ ACTION ITEM: Marimargaret will schedule a walk through.

o   How much is paid for snow removal?  Expenditure covers snow removal for the sidewalks from Pemberton Drive along Sleepy Hollow Drive and around the clock tower – $1,060. This work is not done by the City. The sum is paid to Legendary.

o   How can we get the City to remove snow on our neighborhood streets? Kathleen explained that we are not a major highway – we are a third rate city because we are so self-contained. Our neighbors are in the County, so we are a stand-alone city. They take care of the inner city first before they come to Sleep Hollow. Legendary is contracted to do all the common areas (entrance to the Village of Sleepy Hollow from Pemberton Drive and around the clock tower). Homeowners are responsible for their sidewalks and driveways.

o   If appropriate, can we agree to get Legendary to do all the sidewalks and driveways? As an independent Homeowner, you can contract Legendary to do snow removal on your property. For clarification, the request/suggestion is to have Legendary do snow removal on all sidewalks in the entire development. This request would have to be voted on by the members. It was noted by Kathleen that this work would impact the HOA budget and cause the fees to be increased. Some Members in attendance do not have sidewalks and did not want to have to pay to have the work done. The majority of the Members also agreed that they did not want their dues raised.

§ The City sets the rules and regulations. Because we are in the City and we own the property, it is our obligation to shovel our sidewalks and driveways. If you are upset that people are not shoveling their property, you need to call the City, who will notify the property owner that if their property is shoveled within a specific timeframe, they will be fined.

§ Open/vacant lots are owned by Bill Martin. It is his responsibility to clear the sidewalks on the vacant lots. If you call his office, he will respond usually within a few hours.

§ If you have a particular street that the City is not taking care of, call the City to have the snow removed.

o   There is a pretty sizeable Reserve Fund and we are still contributing $20K a year. Is there a goal for what we want that to be, and at some point, we say that is enough? The Reserve Fund is in anticipation of what things will cost in the future. We expected that we would have to put more money into the Fund this year because we had taken out money to put in another well, which was not in the Reserve Fund. As a result, we are now trying to build up the Fund to put in a new well so we don’t have to go to the Homeowners for extra dues. 

§ All monies in the Fund is designated for a certain area, i.e., the Clock tower, sidewalks, pond, irrigation. Irrigation is the biggest expense (irrigation and the repair of irrigation heads). 

§ Because we had some money in the checking account that didn’t earn as much interest, we moved $50K to the CD to increase our interest income. Doing so we could keep the Fund at $20K. We get $500 per quarter in interest on the CD which absorbs that extra cost.

§ We can re-address it maybe in five (5) years, e.g., we have this much money; should we decide not to put in or perhaps reduce it to $10K. Sidewalks in the common areas will start to deteriorate. Homeowner’s sidewalks are their responsibility, but the common area sidewalks are the HOA’s responsibility, which is part of the Reserve Fund.

§ Marimargaret informed the Members that the Board’s predecessors did a lot of work about longevity of various components within the homeowner’s responsibility. They did a 20-year plan; they charted it out – how much money we would need to repair/replace those items that we currently have, to include replacement of wells, the pumps, the clock tower, the storm water management, as a whole. The Board looked at the report last year and came to the conclusion that the monies allocated were still valid and adequate. There is a goal and we look at it every five (5) years.

o   Who is responsible for replacing/repairing the sprinkler heads on your property? It depends on what has happened to the sprinkler head – whether it is due to wear and tear, or someone ran over it with the lawn mower, or someone kicked it. The Homeowner reported that the head was replaced and she was billed for it (occurrence was approximately two years ago). Whenever it is questionable, the Members were advised to go to the Web site and inform the Board. The responsible Board of Director (William Weber for Age-Restricted Area) will investigate any irrigation problem and let the homeowner know their findings.

o   What is the Web site address? The address sleepyhollowmd.com will get you to the Web site. Currently, we are having problems with the site; our account expired. They sent an invoice for renewal to an inactive email address. We never received the bill. When we didn’t pay the bill, they took us off-line. It has taken a while to track down the company and what the charges should be. We are now paid up, but it will take 72 hours to process the payment and another 72 hours before the site will come back online. Expecting the site to be live by week’s end. The email address has been corrected on their records which was the source of the problem. 

§ Marimargaret further clarified that David Shipley had one Web site that he managed. Along with that, we had a host master that had the email address for us. With David leaving, none of the Board members had that expertise. Robert Holland made the Board aware of a company that was very reasonable called Charity Advantage. We looked into the company; their costs were reasonable compared to others, so we went with them. William set the site up and is working with Charity Advantage to change the right-hand side (ads) to be about our community. 

·       Charity Advantage is the Web site

·       William manages the site, and

·       We pay the Host company who has the rights to “sleepyhollowmd”

New Business:

·       Nominations for Board of Directors:  Two openings/terms are up for election:

1.     Age-Restricted Candidate:  Currently held by William Weber

2.     Non-Age Restricted Candidate: Currently held by Kathleen Raffa

Both William and Kathleen have agreed to stay on the Board if that be the will of the Homeowners. 

The Members were asked if there were any nominations from the floor. 

o   Jane Long nominated Gail Fykes, Non-Age Restricted, to complete the term previously vacated by Evan Lane. 

o   Gail was in agreement to serve the remaining term. 

o   No other nominations were made from the floor. 

o   A motion was made and seconded for the nominations to be closed. The delegation approved.

Jason Harman made a motion that nominations for the three (3) positions be accepted by acclamation. The motion was seconded and approved by the Members in attendance. 

 

Open Discussion: Homeowners Concerns/Comments

·       Is there a Welcome Letter/Package sent to New Residents? James Hardy, a new resident on Bell Creek, knew very little about the community before/after purchasing his home, except for the fees that the Realtor said needed to be paid at settlement. Did not know who took care of the lawn maintenance, who to call, what their number was; didn’t know the amount of his annual HOA fees or when they were due until he got his invoice; who are the Board of Directors, etc. Kathleen asked if he purchased the By-Laws and Covenants when he purchased his house. Answer: “No.” There is a notebook (maintained by Kathleen) which contains the documents and other pertinent information; cost of the binder is $30. It is the responsibility of the realtor working with the Buyer/Seller to inform the prospective Buyer and also notify Kathleen of the pending settlement.

o   In years past, there was a Welcome Letter sent to new residents along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and letter for them to return if they wanted to provide their email address to the Association.

o   As a new resident, Karon stated she was aware prior to and at settlement that there was an HOA binder containing all the HOA declarations and other pertinent information; was provided a contact name (Kathleen) and phone number and the cost of the materials.

o   No one is currently walking the neighborhood collecting information on homes for sale; Realtors don’t always inform Kathleen of a pending sale; she does not know when the property is occupied; she secures updated information on the Maryland Web page to see who the new owners are.

§ ACTION ITEM: The Board recognizes that there are inconsistencies, so the Board will carry this issue forward for further discussion.

 

·       Are the trees and shrubs in the front yard of each homeowner’s property maintained and trimmed by the Landscapers?   Yes. It is part of the contract; the work is done without asking the homeowner.  It was reported that Legendary is scheduled to come to Sleepy Hollow next week to mulch, clean flower beds and trim the trees.

§ ACTION ITEM: Kathleen to email Legendary’s contact information to Mr. Hardy.

 

·       New Method of Making Geese Uncomfortable: Jason Harman requested the Association look into adding more cut-out fox/dogs silhouettes on the front pond to help temper the geese. He purchased a cut-out fixture that moves. Since installation, there have been no geese in his back yard. Geese are a problem. Children walking to buses have to walk on sidewalks/streets that are covered with feces. It is not sanitary and it is proven that geese carry Asian flu. Note: This topic is on the Board of Directors agenda for discussion immediately following this meeting.

·       Concerns regarding traffic on Sleepy Hollow Drive: Traffic is getting heavier and many vehicles are speeding through the community. In some cases, drivers are going the wrong way in the roundabout.

o   This is a City issue. The Board contacted the City years ago to find out how to help ease this issue.   Reports of any speeding require (a) Date, (b) Time of day, (c) License plate number and (d) Frequency (how often does it occur?).

§ ACTION ITEM: Marimargaret will call the City again to see if the parameters have changed.

o   Can we stop yard sales? There are too many yard sales in the community / a source of the traffic problem every Saturday morning: People are still going to have their own yard sales; its’ their right. We did have a yard sale years ago in the Age-Restricted area. If a group wants to get together and coordinate a community yard sale, they can bring their request back to the Board. There are things behind the scenes that need to be taken care of prior to the event, such as, Legendary has to be contacted so there are no sprinklers turned on during the hours of the affair.

 

·       Marimargaret thanked the assembly for coming to the meeting and invited them to stay for the Board of Director’s Meeting which follows the adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

 

·       Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

 

 

 

·       Minutes submitted by Secretary, Karon Dennis.

 

 Minutes officially Approved 09-May-2016 at HOA Board of Director’s Meeting