May 2022 Meeting Minutes
Date: May 18, 2022
Board Attendees: Matt Marino, Keith Turgeon, Cindi Post, Julia Renn, Bob Mallow
This meeting included a large homeowner turnout.
Previous Meeting Minutes: N/A. March meeting did not have quorum.
Old Business:
2022 Board
Elected new board and added Terry Hackbart and Ken Manley as at-large members.
2022 Members
Last year’s members are happy to stick around:
Matt Marino: President
Keith Turgeon: Vice President
Cindi Post: Treasurer
Julia Renn: Secretary & Website
Wendy: At Large
Bob Mallow: At Large
Terry Hackbart: At Large
Ken Manley: At Large
2022 Budget
Reviewed 2021 Actual. We came in $3000 under budget. The only line item where we ran over was treating the pine trees for the moth infestation and spraying and mowing teasel
2022 Budgeted Dues - We will collect $38K from homeowner dues this year.
Scheduled expenditures - We are anticipating spending $38K to cover our usual expenses and account for inflation. (This budgeted amount was approved by all homeowners present)
Savings: We anticipate having about $50K in savings reserve at the end of the year, if we do not do any spending except repeating what we did in 2021. It was determined by majority vote that we would like to finish the year with 1/2 of next year’s expenditures in the bank (~$20K). This allows us to spend $30K on necessary repairs and improvement projects.
Fence
We discussed options to repair the fence and agreed to repair in same style and replace all parts, not just the ones that are broken.
We will target the section between the 2 entrances on 60th to maximize impact of the repairs.
Although we have mounted volunteer efforts in the past with poor participation, we have agreed to try to complete these repairs using volunteers this year. We had 20 homeowners volunteer to install the fence. Julia will contact those volunteers to plan a fence repair day in August or Sept when materials become a little more affordable.
Rocky Mountain Supplier Products is where we have been getting our quotes.
Motion to obtain quotes and spend up to $20K on materials: one homeowner opposed because he would like to hire labor. The motion was approved.
New Business:
Communication:
Board acknowledges that, although we have really been trying, communication hasn’t been meeting the needs of a number of homeowners. We asked for feedback about how we can better get the word out.
Current Communication Schedule:
Annual Dues letter contained annual meeting schedule. Schedule is also posted on this website.
On the first of each month the website is updated with meeting notice
Weekend/Monday before the meeting we distribute a print flyer door-to-door in each resident mailbox/under their mat.
Received a homeowner request to put up a physical sign at entry way, put up 2 weeks before
Julia to send meeting notices to Frank Biasi and he will put on Next Door
If you have additional feedback/requests, please reach out to info@thetrailshomeowners.org or fill out the contact form.
Yard Waste:
The yard waste chipping piles are getting used in ways that aren’t consistent with how they were originally conceived, probably due to lack of education for new neighbors. Homeowners living next to them would prefer that they weren’t there.
We’ve decided to amend the practice to allow homeowners to pile BRANCHES in a single TBD location on a single day preceding the arrival of the dumpsters. A chipper will be ordered to chip them that day, and the mulch will be removed since people do not appear to be taking it.
Julia will order signs outlining these rules for the former dumping sites.
Motion suggested to discontinue the two branch piles, reject the request to create one on 60th, and allow branches to be placed in one spot on the day that dumpsters are brought is passed.
Spring Cleanup (June 25-26)
Homeowners present agreed to hold spring cleanup June 25-26. Julia will work with Keith to create a sign-up genius for the day’s activities, and homeowners will sign up for the activities they agree to complete.
Team Leads
Keith Turgeon: Ditch clean (Middle)
John: Ditch clean (West Side)
Matt Marino: Ditch clean (East Side)
Composting:
Rylee Devitt presented her proposal to introduce composting to our neighborhood, and the proposal was received with a lot of interest. There are some outstanding questions like location, watering and turning, pest mitigation, and dumping prevention. We will form a committee to determine how to move forward. We are also investigating haul away services for industrial composting.
Covenants
-Chickens: The families with chickens circulated a questionairre throughout the neighborhood to gauge willingness to strike chickens from the prohibited list of animals in Article VII section 5. 86% of homes visited were in favor is in favor of removing the clause prohibiting chickens and changing the language to align with the Jeffco standard (6 chickens and no roosters)
There were some open questions:
what is the $ for the atty to review the updated covenants?
what if any requirements (like getting neighbor approval?)?
A motion was put forward to mail a ballot so that homeowners can vote on striking the word “chicken” from the existing article. The motion passed.
The board will draft wording for a ballot and circulate. The ballot will include the proposed new language for the article, as well as JeffCo regulations so that homeowners can understand the rules which will govern chicken owners. We will also include some pros and some things to consider.
The meeting was adjourned.