FLINTS GROVE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

Re: Minutes of Annual Meeting – April 9, 2008

From: Leslie Press, Secretary

Directors Present: Brian Taylor, Jeanne Kahn, Steve Kelley, Rob Kemp, , Richard Wallace, Leslie Press

Absent Directors:Matt Rogers

The meeting began at 7:30 PM at DufiefElementary School with a 30-minute social period. The official meeting convened at 8:00 PM with a quorum of 27attendees and 24 proxies.

  • Notices: Announcements for the Annual Meeting were mailed to homeowners of record on March 20th, 2008.
  • President’s Report: Brian Taylor introduced the Board members and thanked them for their exceptional service over the past year. Brian reviewed the responsibilities of the Board and encouraged residents to consider joining the Board in the future, particularly those on streets other than Rich Branch, which is heavily over-represented on the current Board. Brian also mentioned that he recently contacted Mark Wilcox of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection regarding the ongoing erosion issues in the community. Mark said our stream was high on the Muddy Branch watershed priority list and the plan to study and address this problem was slowly moving forward. It will likely take several years before the County and Army Corps of Engineers are ready to make the changes that will stop the erosion.
  • Financial Report: Rob Kempdiscussed the change from using an in-house business manager to outsourcing the HOA’s financial work to the firm Association Bookkeeping Services. He explained that outsourcing will cost the HOA less than our previous business manager, and the firm came highly recommended by the Westleigh HOA. He informed the group about the change from Chevy Chase Bank to BB&T, which offered a higher interest rate, and changing the bookkeeping system from a cash basis to an accrual basis.
  • Maintenance Report: Steve Kelley reported that the bridge along the hiking path was treated with an anti-slip coating. In addition to ongoing maintenance of the paths, Steve spent much of the year working with Allentuck Landscaping to work out a snow removal contract, and to create plans for updating the neighborhood landscaping.Steve also commended Rob Kemp’s work to replace the basketball court equipment.
  • Architectural and Environmental Control Report: Richard Wallace spoke about the drafting of the Community Expectations Document and took questions from the audience. Most were curious about why the Board felt the Document was needed. Richard explained that the board was looking for input from the community regarding how the board should respond to homeowner property maintenance issues.
  • Community Relations Report: Jeanne Kahn discussed the highly successful 4th Annual Ice Cream Social held last September. The event was held later than usual in the hope that more comfortable weather would increase turnout. About 100 people attended, and enjoyed the ice cream, clown, and caricaturist. Jeanne also recognized and thanked the FGHOA Area Representatives: Ruth Stuart (Pebble Hill Lane), Francisco Reyes (Flints Grove Lane),Laura Riese (Antigone Drive), Bev Krauss (Flints Grove Drive), and George & Carmen Jocher (Rich Branch Drive & Court).Jeanne Kahn handles Dehaven Court herself.
  • Nominations and Board Elections:Matt Rogers and Jeanne Kahnare leaving the Board, although Jeanne will remain available to help as needed. George Jocher and Steven Meyers were elected to the Board by unanimous acclamation, as were current board membersBrian Taylor, Steve Kelley, Rob Kemp, Leslie Press and Richard Wallace. Board officer positions for the next year will be decided at the next Board meeting at Brian Taylor’s house at 14424 Rich Branch Drive on the 23rd of April.
  • Winners of the $50 gift certificate door prizes wereVickey Lutwak (Pebble Hill Lane), Nely Susanto (Flints Grove Drive), and Steven Slater (Pebble Hill Lane). The proxy ballot door prize winner was Patrick Kane (Pebble Hill Lane).
  • Tree Maintenance Discussion: The Board invitedTom Laws, of Myers and Laws Tree Service, to discuss proper care of trees and to answer homeowner questions about tree maintenance. Tom offered advice on mulching (2 inches of mulch only, which should be replaced periodically), trimming (keep pruning to a minimum, removing the top of the trunk is unsightly and detrimental to the health of the tree), and watering (two inches of water per week for large trees.Place a small cup in the area to be watered, turn off the water when the cup contains two inches of water. He strongly urged homeowners to seek the advice of professional tree specialists (certified arborists) when pruning is needed.

Questions/Comments from Residents:

  • A resident asked that the Board consider adding speed bumps in the coming year. Brian recalled a previous board request to the County for speed bumps on Flints Grove Lane. The speed bumps were rejected but the county installed stop signs at the intersection of Flints Grove Lane and Antigone.
  • A resident mentioned that the intersection sign at the corner of Flints Grove Lane and Dufief Mill was no longer there.
  • A resident asked that the Board provide recommendations for service providers. Brian said he would create a space on the website for recommendations.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM

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