Timberton Village Homeowners Association

Board Meeting Minutes

(Pending final approval at next board meeting)

Bay Club, 5:30 p.m., Monday, March 25, 2024

1. Meeting was called to order and quorum established at 5:30 p.m. Board members present: Roger Bryan, Chuck Baumann, Teresa Daugherty, John Sweet, David Reineke. Homeowners present: Lydia Kelly, Eva Van Buren, Barb Phillips, Les Phillips, Butch Hamilton, John Auty, Rich Durbin, Carol Durbin.
2. A motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda, and it passed unanimously. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the last board meeting, and it passed unanimously.
3. Welcoming comments by board president Roger Bryan. Roger noted issues, including the upcoming annual meeting and election of board members. There are two members whose terms are expiring. Roger also noted recent issues concerning a cougar seen in the neighborhood and the matter of someone apparently camped in their car at the Timberton Loop trailhead off Timberton Drive (the lower lot). There was a discussion on the need for residents to be aware of their surroundings and take care when outdoors. If people see a problem or concern, they should notify the board.
4. The ARC report was presented by Teresa Daugherty, ARC chairperson. Nothing to report. ARC activity is posted online.
5. The Vegetation Management Committee report was presented by John Sweet. John reported that homeowners will be contacted shortly regarding annual backflow testing. It has also been determined that the county is responsible for clearing downed trees blocking neighborhood streets, but clearing may be done by the HOA in cases of emergency. John has worked out new contract terms with the HOA’s landscaper, Louis Ramirez, for the fiscal years 2024-2026.  In general, John is pleased with the current contractor and would prefer to keep working with him if possible. Louis has been doing the same work at the same rate for four years. The new contract provides for an increase of approximately three percent: the current rate for general landscaping will increase from $1,300 to $1,350; the work at the retention ponds will increase from $1,560 to 1,610; and the one-time annual clearing will increase from $400 to $450. A motion to approve the proposed contract was made, seconded, and approved unanimously.
6. The financial report was presented by Treasurer Chuck Baumann. The HOA has a total of $84,725.99 in the bank, including approximately $55,019 in CDs in the reserve account at Edward Jones. The HOA recently received the first interest installment of $1,474. Chuck also noted that the HOA recently paid the costs for maintaining the HOA website for three years, and that the HOA has received payment from Edgewood HOA for hosting their website. The HOA has recently paid property tax of $82.50. There was a discussion on whether the HOA should invest some of the money in the contingency fund in CDs. It was agreed to postpone discussion until the budget committee meets to work on the next proposed budget.
7. The Volunteer Committee report was presented by Roger Bryan. He noted that the volunteers are available as needed to do work such as light brush clearing in the neighborhood, and that heavier clearing and cutting should be done by paid contractors.
8. New Business.
   1. The board noted that it had conducted the annual insurance review on February 22, 2024. Our insurance agent, Diana Kaspar, met with the board by teleconference and outlined our current coverage and options for increased coverage when our policy is up for renewal in June 2024. Our current policy with CAU provides $2M coverage for general liability and $2M for officers’ coverage. A motion was made to increase the insurance coverage to $6M for general liability and $6M for officers’ coverage. This would be accomplished by reducing the CAU policy to $1M for general liability and $1M for officers’ coverage and then adding an excess liability (umbrella) policy providing $5M general liability coverage and $5M officers’ coverage, for a total of $6M for general liability and $6M for officers’ coverage. This would increase the annual insurance premium by approximately $800 per year. As noted by Diana Kaspar, the costs could increase between now and the time the policy is set for renewal. After discussion, the motion was amended to approve the increased insurance coverage as long as the increased cost does not exceed $1,000. The amended motion was seconded and approved by a vote of 4 to 1.
   2. It was noted that the budget committee will need to meet soon to work out the proposed budget for the next fiscal year to be voted on by homeowners at the next annual meeting.
   3. It was noted that there will be two openings for board members to be elected during the next annual meeting, scheduled for June 24, 2024. Chuck and Roger are both at the end of their terms and will decide whether to run for reelection. An election committee will be needed to solicit volunteers. Additionally, the next quarterly board meeting is set for June 17, 2024, and ballots, the proposed budget, and paperwork regarding the annual meeting will need to be mailed out prior to that. It was agreed that the board should hold a working session prior to plan the annual meeting and member social, finalize paperwork, stuff envelopes, and mail out documents for the annual meeting. We will also need to coordinate with SBCA and obtain the necessary beverage permit.
   4. A summary of the neighborhood greeters program was presented and discussed. All streets in the HOA have designated greeters to contact new residents.
   5. There was a discussion with homeowners concerning recent security and safety issues. Residents noted concerns with the suspicious vehicle parked at the Timberton Loop parking lot. Questions were raised as to whether the lot is owned by TVHA or PLA. One resident was informed that TVHA owns the lot, but the county website lists PLA as the owner. Residents were concerned about the presence of drug paraphernalia and garbage near the vehicle. There was a discussion about a car parked at the upper parking lot at the end of Timberton Drive, and Roger noted that it will be addressed. Some homeowners suggested installing a security camera to monitor traffic at the top of Timberton Drive and installing a “neighborhood watch” sign near the entrance to the neighborhood. The recent cougar sighting was discussed further, with a consensus that there is no need currently to contact authorities. We live in the woods and such things are to be expected, but residents should remain aware of these situations.
9. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn at 6:25 p.m. It passed unanimously.