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HOA Meeting Minutes for September 25, 2017

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Written by: Joe
The Glenmore Woods Homeowners Meeting was held on Monday, September 25th at 7:30pm. The was at the home of Joe Sturonas. The meeting minutes follow: 
 
Glenmore Woods Home Owners Association
Home of Joe Sturonas 
September 25, 2017 7:30pm
The meeting was 1 hour
The Agenda for the meeting follows:
 
 
  • Landscaping Update
  • Status on Native Restorations buckthorn clearing
  • Hazardous tree removal in common area status
  • LCFP border markings along trail status
  • Elect President and Treasurer
  • Pond Maintenance Status
  • Investment strategy for reserve fund
  • Additional business
  • Next meeting date
 
Board Members: Sue Ebert, Roy Ladd, J.V. Proesel, Martin Cadwell, Joe Sturonas
Home Owners: Justin Beger, Michael Fein, Jerry Herb
 
  • Review Budget
    • Current shortfall due additional pond maintenance and missing assessments. 
  • Landscaping Update
    • Action Item: Sarah to follow up with Mariani on what they spread on the lawn because it killed a vegetable garden
      • Turf treatments include Trimec as a broadleaf weed control, Harrells Polyon Fert 30-0-8 for fertilizer and an insecticide called Acelepryn.  This is coated onto the fertilizer granules to suppress insect activity.  The weed control or the fertilizer could have hurt the vegetable plants if it drifted onto them.
    • Ash treatment completed
    • Mariani Renewal
      • Much less complaints than last year, but still areas that need improvement. 
      • Action Item: Sarah to check into renewal pricing
  • Status on Native Restorations buckthorn clearing
    • Action Item: Joe to verify if Native Restorations seeded in areas 2 or area 3
      • Natives Observed: Green dragon, mayapple, jack in the pulpit, red trillium, wild geranium, poke weed, virginia water leaf, wild strawberry, black raspberry, jewel weed, solomon’s seal and various grasses and sedges.
      • Non-Native Observed and Treated: honeysuckle, buckthorn, fireweed, smartweed, garlic mustard, thistles, mullen, sweet clover, deadly nightshade and burdock.
      • Overall both areas are in really good shape. There are many natives thriving there both from the sites original seed bank as well as from our seeding. The non-natives that are in these areas are manageable and are perfectly normal for a site in this stage of restoration.
  • Hazardous tree removal in common area status
    • Bad areas reported:
      • Mr. Pershad at 28520 Oakhaven
      • Mr. Nielson at 28550 Oakhaven Ct
      • Mr. Willis at 28578 Scarborough Dr
      • Mr. Caldwell at 28584 Ashford Ct
    • Photos taken of affected areas
    • Action Items:
      • Joe to get estimate for clearing all addresses except for Willis (needs to be resolved with LCFP, because those trees are on LCFP easement). We are looking for the most economical way to clear the trees, including burning the trees on site if possible.  
      • Roy to get the vendor name from a Neighbor for additional estimate 
  • LCFP boarder markings along trail status
    • Action Item: Sarah to trace who collects Skokie Drainage Tax. Advise with LCFP, that LCFP now pays that tax. Seek back payment from LCFP for the 21 years we have been paying tax on Outlot C.
      • The drainage tax is collected by the County.  Outlot C costs just under $100 per year.  The land is owned by Glenmore Woods, and is thus, GW is responsible for the tax.  LCFP would not pay it unless they are the owner of the land, and considering they have the easement that allows them control, why would they want to own it? Does not look like there is a way out of this for GW, but something we need to discuss when we have our next formal meeting.
    • Action Item: Glenmore Woods felled the dead trees in the interest of safety, not knowing Glenmore Woods was not responsible for Outlot C. Either LCFP does the cleanup, or we do the cleanup. I think this is just a conversation with Erik. Sarah to setup up meeting with LCFP and HOA Board
    • Action Item: Sarah to talk with Erik pending
  • Elect President and Treasurer 
    • Sue Ebert nominated Joe Sturonas for President, Joe accepted. Sue motioned to appoint Joe President, Roy seconded, motion carried.
    • Joe Sturonas nominated J.V. Proesel for Treasurer, J.V. accepted. Joe motioned to appoint J.V. Treasurer, Roy seconded, motion carried.
  • Pond Maintenance Status
    • Ponds will be over budget by about $650 due to having to have the outlet cleared out again.  No complaints this summer at all about algae.
    • Action Item: Joe to check with Sarah on renewal. 
    • Action Item: Sarah to check to see if there anything we can do to prevent the need of clearing the pipes every year?
  • Mulch for common area status
    • Completed
      • Action Item: Due to thin spread and heavy rains, mulch will need to be applied in common areas again in 2018. Make sure to get depth of spread in the contract. 
  • Investment strategy for reserve fund
    • Action Item: Sarah to advise if the HOA can consider more aggressive investment vehicles than CD’s
      • This has been a series of dead ends, which has finally turned into something doable.  The CDs available at the local banks are still not paying much.  The CDs offered on line have better rates, 1% or more, but are only issued to an individual.  An entity such as an HOA cannot buy them.  Sarah is working now with a lady that works with Ameriprise.  She can open an account for GW and can offer the following:  3 mo. CD 1.05%, 6 mo. CD 1.15% and 12 mo. CD 1.20 %.  There isn’t anything better right now than CDs that protect the principal, and that is a requirement for HOA investments.
      • The question is how much can you invest?  Maybe we could take $20K from checking and add it to the $60K or so in savings.  The CDs would be laddered so that something would mature every 3 or 6 months to allow us greater flexibility.  This is also recommended right now since the belief is rates will rise, not fall.
      • For Sarah to proceed, she will need to know who will be the new President as that person will need to sign some documents.  She will also need to know how much total we want to invest, and if we want maturity dates every 3 months or every 6 months.
      • In order to make every 3 months happen, we’d buy a 3 mo. CD and a 6 mo. CD.  When the 3 mo. Matures, we’d replace it with a 6 mo. so going forward, one or the other is maturing every 3 months.  If you want a 6 month maturity frequency, we’d by a 6mo and a 12 mo and then do the same thing.
      • Action Item: Justin Beger to see if Alliant Credit Union can support HOA for financial vehicles
      • Action Item: Sarah: A question came up regarding any tax liability for an HOA's that might gain money on interest?
  • Additional business
    • Ponds
      • Given the fish kill that happened 2 winters ago, a suggestion to restock the ponds with large mouth bass came up along with some questions. 
        • Action Item: Sarah, Do you know of people to restock ponds with fish? When is the best time to restock ponds with fish? Is there a type of fish that could help with algae? What would it cost for a couple dozen large mouth bass?
    • Buckthorn eradication
      • Action Item: Joe to get quote for areas 1 and 4 from Native Restorations
    • Roads
      • Action Item: Joe to ask Village of  Green Oaks regarding the repaving of the roads in Glenmore Woods?
    • Tree Branches Blocking Street Lights
      • Action Item: Justin to trim tree branches blocking street lights
  • Next meeting date
    • October 30th 2017 at 7:00pm
      • Action Item: Sarah, could you please see if you could reserve the Mariani Conference room?