Cedar Springs HOA Owners Annual Meeting Minutes January 27, 2024

Cedar Springs Homeowners Association

2024 Annual Association Meeting

January 27, 2024

Zoom and In Person

CALL TO ORDER 10;02 in the Windermere Conference Room & on Zoom

Art welcomed homeowners and explained the math error in his first letter. Roofing and painting are both coming up and will be major costs. Proposing increasing dues $25 this year to $400. Trying to only use the reserve account for long-term expenses. A big project this year has been  fencing. 

 

INTRODUCTION OF 2023 BOARD

Donna Cunningham: Windermere Manager

Art Shotwell: President

Bruce Janicula: Landscaping

Cele Westlake: Treasurer

Kippy Strandberg: Member at Large

Joan Mickelson: Member at Large

Simone Caracciolo: Member at Large

Suzanne Metcalfe: Secretary

 

ROLL CALL

Present: Stannert (1801), Thorngate (1802), Caracciolo (1804), Laiche (1806), Weichko (1807), Yankacy (1812), Gauthier (1813), Winge (1817), Cawrse (1902),  Metcalfe/Terrell (1903), Harper (1909), Shotwell/Lamborn (1910), Strandberg (1802 Ct.), Westlake (1804 Ct.), Janicula (1811 Ct.)

Zoom: Guard (1813 Ct.)

 

Proxy: Kezar (1803), Dale (1805), Moore (1907), 

 

Absent:  Petrin (1808), Kudelko (1809), Vorel (1810), Rietzel (1811), 

Yankacy (1812), Mickelson (1815),  Perry (1819), Radke (1901), Petro (1908), Theny (1806 Ct.),

 

APPROVAL OF CSHOA ANNUAL MEETING 2023 MINUTES:

Cele moved to waive reading the March 5, 2022 Annual Meeting Minutes and Simone seconded. Motion passed.

 

PRESIDENT REPORT

Major Events of 2023

●      Fencing

Upcoming Events

●      Roofing and painting

Finances

●      Trying to keep the Reserve Account to long-term and replacement only

●      All other routing expenses to come out of Operating Acoount

Looking for board members

 

ASSOCIATION MANAGER REPORT

●      Property Check ongoing

●      Roof issues: please report to Donna Cunningham. Bell Roofs will be out to look at possible issues.

●      Water Sensors

SECRETARY REPORT

Water sensors

●      Everyone must have one by dishwasher, washing machine, and icemaker/water dispenser on fridge (if have one)

●      Please fill out Water Sensor Form due every year. We will send out to those not present.

●      Check battery every year/ test them

●      A good idea to give a neighbor a key and let someone know when you are out of town. 

●      Art Shotwell has more if you need them.

Contact Information should be updated with Donna Cunningham at Windermere

 

LANDSCAPING REPORT

Bruce Janicula gave an overview of 2023

●      Since 2018, but time to let it go. He bid the position goodbye. Please respect the next Landscape coordinator.

●      We have great vendors, lawn, tree trimming, fence repairs, etc. Please consider using them in the future

●      2023 Overview

○      Removed 2 trees in Court area as well as roots. This was a big expense.

○      Sprinkler replacement was started in 2019 and completed this year. Although this was costly, it has been a good expenditure. Water rates have been reduced and sprinkler heads don’t need to be replaced. 

○      2023 budget was well budgeted, but we spent $9,000 from the reserve. 2024 budget is going to be reduced and that should go to the reserve (without unexpected expenditures). 

○      There was a question about mulch. 3 years ago we changed to 3 phases of mulching. 1st phase: Front and sides facing street, entrance way, islands. 2nd Phase: Backs. 3rd Phase: Court area  We spent $4,840.

●      Lexie thanked Bruce and Linda for their hard work and dedication. 

●      Good word put in for Herberth and his wife as well as all the other vendors.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

Cele Westlake reviewed the 2023 Statement of Assessments and Expenses forms. 3 Accounts: Insurance, Operations, and Reserve. Dues discussion. Our reserve account will start to build back up now that painting is done. 

●      Landscape is our biggest expense. 

●      Insurance 2nd largest. We don’t know this year’s cost and won’t know until February as we renew on March 1st. We estimated $34,000

●      Overall we spent $106K in 2023. We are earning more interest due to purchasing a CD. Hoping to put more money into CDs as we have funds.

●      Reserve started at $31,790 and we ended 2023 with $51,850. We’ve made progress. How can we keep costs down? Looking at using the reserve for only long-term improvements (as opposed to a slush fund) and have moved more money into operations to provide for those unexpected expenses as the year goes on.

●      Cele has a spreadsheet with all expenses. Donna will put these in the portal.

●      Question about reserve study. These are required by state law every 3 years. These are in the portal. Helps for planning. Helps us avoid special assessments. Last study done in 2022. We will do one this year. 

 

2024 BUDGET

●      2 formats, but they amount same.

●      Anticipating raising the dues to $400 and will need to go to $425 eventually. Cost raising due to age of buildings–roofs, etc.

●      Total income $133,000. See proposed budget

●      We removed roof treatment by AllServ. Discussion of roof treatments and chlorine–by the time it comes off the roof, it loses its power. 

●      The board has removed mailbox replacements from the budget. Owners may replace their mailboxes with locking ones if they look similar.

●      Discussed how our dues break down by Operations/Insurance/Reserve

○      Insurance is starting with $3,800 in account. We’re estimating around 10% increase.

○      Reserve account will be $79,00 if we don’t take anything out. But we have some roof repairs coming up. This protects the buildings long-term. 

○      Operations budget is higher because we moved some things that used to come out of reserves into it, and Windermere expenses have also gone up from $700 to $770 per month.

●      This budget has minimum expenditures. 

●      Big thank you to Cele Westlake for all her long hours and hard work. She is very diligent and keeps a monthly balance to compare with Donna’s accounting. 

●      Paul Stannert asked for clarification of budget numbers and suggested that we consider a larger raise in dues to continue the reserve account increase at around 8%. Doug asked about roof repair issues and suggested maybe increasing dues a bit more. 

●      Doug Winge made a motion that proposed dues be increased to $420 starting in March and extra not shown in board’s proposed budget go into reserve account. Paul Stannert seconded. Extensive discussion of upcoming expenses, how to allocate the extra money, avoiding special assessments, and looking at the upcoming reserve study. Motion was revised and accepted by Doug. Motion: Proposed dues be increased to $420 starting in March with the extra not shown in the board’s proposed budget go into the reserve account. Kippy Strandberg called for the question. 17 voted yes. 

AUDIT BALLOT VOTE

●      Audit will cost $2,220. 

●      Kippy made a motion to forgo the audit in 2024 and Simone seconded. Motion passed. 

NEW BUSINESS

●      CCRs need to be updated in 2024.

●      Some homeowners have taken the foam in gutters out. Look into having them all done next time the gutters are cleaned.

●      2024 BOARD

○      President: Paul Stannert

○      Treasurer: Cele Westlake

○      Member at Large: Mary Guard

○      Vice president: Art Shotwell

○      Secretary: Suzanne Metcalfe

○      Landscaping: Windermere Manager

 

THANK YOUS

●      Simone for bringing goodies

●      Bruce for all his hard work on the landscaping

●      Board for all their time and effort

 

Meeting adjourned at 12:10

 

Next board meeting February 16 at 2 PM at Windermere

 

Respectfully submitted by Suzanne Metcalfe