A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Williamsburg Settlement Maintenance Association, Inc. was held on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. at the Williamsburg Settlement clubhouse, 1602 Hoyt, Katy, Texas 77449.
ATTENDANCE
Board Members present were Linda Moore, Don McClelland, Floyd Ball, Dave Ellis, Martin Spears, Walter Smith and Lance Gordon.
With a quorum being established, the meeting was called to order at 5:31 p.m
MINUTES
The Board reviewed the minutes of the October 19, 2010 meeting. A motion to accept the minutes was made, seconded and unanimously approved.
HOMEOWNER CONCERNS
There were four (4) residents present.
A resident stated he was receiving a large number of solicitors. The Board explained that unfortunately there is nothing illegal about solicitors. The streets in Williamsburg Settlement belong to Harris County and there is nothing the Association can really do about it.
This resident also complained that people are cutting through the subdivision at Earl of Dunmore to gain access to Franz road and they are speeding. He went on to say that the constable patrol does make an appearance and he feels that it is a deterrent. Officer Sloan explained that while she does monitor Earl of Dunmore, unfortunately, while it may appear those vehicles are speeding, actually they are not exceeding the speed limit. The Board explained that a request for a traffic signal at Earl of Dunmore and Mason has been requested; however no decision has been made at this time.
Another resident reported that there is a home for sale in the neighborhood and it has a carport which she was lead to believe is not allowed. The Board explained that there are several carports which were erected in the 1980’s and so are “grandfathered” in but no new ones will be approved..
There was also a concern about possums and raccoons. This resident has been trapping them but has one that will not go in the trap and asked for Board advice on how to get rid of it.
CONSTABLE REPORT
Linda Moore, constable liaison, presented the constable report. There was one burglary. Access was gained via a glass door which was removed but not broken. A DVD and a sword were taken. The estimated loss was $100.00.
FINANCIAL AND DELINQUENCY SUMMARY
Dave Ellis presented the financials as of October 31, 2010. The money in the bank totaled $373,456.53. This includes checking, savings accounts and CD’s and is the money to cover both operating expenses and the necessary reserve to fund maintenance and replacement of the Association’s capital assets.
Dave informed the Board that a $50,000.00 CD in the operating account will be maturing December 25, 2010. The highest interest rate offered by SW Securities for a new CD is 0.65 percent and this would be for a fourteen month maturity. Concern was expressed by some members at tying up funds for this period of time in case delinquencies continue to increase more than forecasted. A major concern is that there be no loss of capital in the event of having to redeem the funds prematurely. The Board unanimously agreed to have Dave review the situation and if he feels comfortable with proceeding with the purchase of another $50,000 CD he has approval to so.
He also recommended that $25,000.00 be transferred from the operating to the reserve account. This is to cover the budgeted reserve contributions for both 2009 and 2010. A motion to approve this transfer was made, seconded and unanimously approved
As of October 31, 2010 the delinquency totaled $33, 107.09. This is up from previous years. Dave Ellis did point out the Association is taking all legal steps to collect the delinquent funds.
OLD BUSINESS
Playground Equipment Update
Lance Gordon explained that due to the unavailability of the subcommittee members he had not been able to convene the meeting required to finalize the proposal. Floyd Ball volunteered to take over as chair of the committee and will present a proposal for a vote by the Board at the January 18, 2011 meeting.
Rules for Signs in the Subdivision
The Board discussed the draft Architectural Guideline amendment which expands on Article 17 of the deed restrictions to define the categories of signs in the neighborhood for which the Board is prepared to issue blanket approval. A draft had been circulated by the committee for the Board to review. After due discussion and changes a motion was made, seconded and unanimously agreed to accept the new rules regarding placement of signs at residences.
Alternate Security Subcommittee Report
Martin Spears explained there are two parts to the alternative security proposal. These are the possible installation of security cameras, and moving from use of the Constable patrol to a group of off-duty deputies from the Sheriff’s department. The camera proposal is still in the works and this will be pursued in the new year. The more pressing issue is a decision on the patrol service as the contract with the Constable would need to be renewed by December 1.
Martin presented a draft contract from Paul Wilburn, the deputy from the Sheriff’s department who would act as a coordinator of a small group of off-duty deputies. These deputies would patrol the subdivision in unmarked cars focusing on deterring criminal acts as opposed to following up after the fact. The Association would only have to pay for the hours at which a deputy is actually on patrol, and the rate would be $35.00 per hour plus a 15% management fee. Lance Gordon expects that the patrol would be needed for approximately thirty two hours a week but this could be adjusted upwards or downwards depending on our experience during the first few months. As this approach raises both legal and liability issues, preliminary advice has been sought from both the Association attorney and our insurance agent. To ensure that the Association is fully protected a final contract would be reviewed by both of these parties prior to receiving Board approval.
Following much discussion on the pros and cons of both approaches, a motion was made, seconded and passed with a vote of five to two to move to the use of the off-duty deputies and not to renew the contract with the Constable
Community Events
Martin Spears reported that he had contacted the fire department and they had explained that they had stopped the “Santa on the Fire Truck” parade through the subdivision due to a safety incident several years ago which almost caused the injury of a child who ran too close to the truck. They are now reviewing whether to reinstate the parade. If not, Martin thinks that we could make alternative arrangements with a different fire department. He will pursue the options and seek Board approval via email for his proposal.
Directory Update
Dave Ellis reported the update is progressing on schedule and he is receiving update requests from residents both via use of the form on the web site and his mail. He is currently pursuing the placing of advertisements from residents interested in using the directory to promote their respective businesses, the checks for which are being requested prior to January 15, the closing date for finalizing the directory content. Some advertising spots remain available and a final call for any additional advertisements is being made in the December newsletter.
Hole in Sheetrock in Ladies Restroom
Martin Spears stated that he will have the ladies room sheetrock damage repaired within the next few days.
NEW BUSINESS
2011 Landscape Contract
The Board reviewed the landscape proposal from IMS. As discussed there was no price increase. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously approved to accept the 2011 contract with IMS for a total of $29,590.76.
ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
At this time the Board thanked the residents for attending and adjourned to executive session to discuss deed restriction violations and collections.
Deed Restriction Violations
Deed Restrictions were discussed at this time and the disposition of same. There were ninety-eight (98) violations noted on the November inspection report.
Attorney Status Report
The Board reviewed the status report from the association attorney and disposition of same.
Adjournment
With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. The next meeting will be January 18, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at the community clubhouse.
