A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Williamsburg Settlement Maintenance Association, Inc. was held on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 5:30 P.M. at the Williamsburg Settlement clubhouse, 1602 Hoyt, Katy, Texas 77449.
ATTENDANCE
Board Members present were: Chris Cox, Dave Ellis, Jim Calvert, Ed Shipley, CO Holt and Chase Wier.
Also, in attendance was Cindy Bojé representing Crest Management, along with Sheriff Deputy Chad King.
With a quorum being established, the meeting was called to order at 5:30 P.M.
SECRETARY REPORT – APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes for the May 15, 2018 Board Meeting were presented and a motion was made, seconded, and unanimously carried to accept the minutes without change.
HOMEOWNER CONCERNS
There were three homeowners present at the meeting, but only one had a concern. The homeowner discussed how hot the playground structure gets when the sun is out. The homeowner inquired if the Board has considered installing a shade over the structure. The Board stated that they priced a shade for the playground back in 2015 and found the price to be prohibitive but stated its willingness to revisit the subject. The homeowner offered to assist in obtaining new quotes for the Board’s review.
SHERIFF PATROL REPORT
Deputy King and CO Holt, our security liaison, reported that there were no unusual problems during May and our community continues to enjoy a very low crime rate. A copy of the monthly sheriff report was included in the meeting packets.
WELCOMING COMMITTEE REPORT
Chris Cox presented the welcoming committee report submitted by Michael Wood. In the month of June, there were a total of 14 visits, 8 contacts, and non-contacts were visited twice. It was reported that the welcoming committee of Michael and Jo Wood received a good reception from the new residents who appreciated the outreach.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Dave Ellis presented a detailed report on the May 31, 2018 financials. As of this date, the money in the bank totaled $788,114.10. This figure includes checking, money market accounts and CD’s which are the funds required to cover both operating expenses and the necessary reserve to fund maintenance and replacement of the Association’s capital assets. The delinquency total as of May 31, 2018 was $17,937.12.
OLD BUSINESS
Community Events:
a.
Veterans Parade – After some discussion it was decided that this year the parade will be held on Saturday November 10th. CO Holt will request Young Life volunteers for this event.
b.Garage Sale – The date for the next garage sale will be October 20th.
c.National Night Out – The date for the 2018 National Night Out is October 2nd. Further information will be released at a later date.
Cul-de-sac Islands Report - Dave Ellis discussed the cul-de-sac islands inspection report with the Board. Dave briefly mentioned the meeting that he, Jim Calvert, and CO Holt attended with MOC to understand the options for connecting to the water supply, backflow preventer choices, recommendations on battery-operated versus mechanical sprinkler valve controllers and options for their location bearing in mind the need for safety and security. Dave reported that MUD 61 will install water supplies to 4 cul-de-sac islands as part of phase 1 of the re-piping project and these will be the first islands to be considered for renovation. The cul-de-sac subcommittee will next meet with the landscaper and arborist to develop detailed recommendations and prices to submit for the Board’s consideration.
Board Vacancy - The Board appointed William “Bill” Petry to the Board to fill the position vacated by Lisa Zirot following her resignation. Bill will serve on the board until April 2020.
NEW BUSINESS
Responsibility for Fences Bordering Recreation Facilities - The Board discussed the research it had conducted regarding a recent fence inquiry. Crest Management has looked at past records and verified that as the fence around the recreation facilities is owned by the respective homeowners and thus is private property the Association is restricted from using homeowner monies to repair it.
Texas Pride’s Petition for an Increase in the Price for Recycling Service - Dave Ellis discussed the notification letter from Texas Pride regarding a, hopefully temporary, surcharge on its price for the provision of recycling services. This is due to the increased cost that the recyclers now have to pay China to accept recyclable material. The major issue is China’s tightened environmental requirements which have resulted in the rejection of material contaminated with food residue and the inclusion of non-recyclable items that residents are putting into the recycling bins. China is now also taking a more aggressive stance as a result of the growing trade war between it and the United States. The Association was given two options; 1) accept an increase of $0.83 per house, per month to offset the recycling processing cost. This would total an additional cost of $4,427.22 for 2018 if it becomes effective in June as is being requested, or 2) temporarily suspend the delivery of recyclables to a recycling facility with the material being sent to a landfill until it is economically feasible to reinstate recycling.
Dave will question Texas Pride on the basis for the $0.83 figure and petition it to delay the effective date of the increase. After a discussion, a motion was made, seconded, and carried to accept option 1 with the condition that if the recycler’s costs decline, the surcharge would be immediately rescinded or reduced. Also, the Board would retain the right to evaluate other trash disposal options as the Association establishes the budget for the following year.
Possible Re-ordering of Board Meeting Business - After attending a legal seminar hosted by Crest, Dave Ellis discussed with the Board the option that some other HOAs use of reordering the meeting and having the executive session prior to the open session. This would allow a summary of the decisions reached in the executive session to be immediately presented to the residents in attendance. There are pros and cons of both approaches but after discussion it was decided that we should retain the current format.
ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION – With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned into executive session at 7:14 P.M.
Delinquencies – Eight accounts remain on the trash suspension list.
Deed Restriction Enforcement – Jim Calvert reviewed the Enforcement Action Report with the Board. After reviewing it, Jim stated there was no action to be taken at this time.
Attorney Action Report – The Board requested that Crest close file 2530105025 with the attorney’s office, then send “self-help” letter.
ADJOURNMENT
There were no homeowners present to hear a summary of the executive session. The next meeting will be held on July 17, 2018 at the community clubhouse.
With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:33 P.M
