Author: timberwoodparksa

Starting the end of last week property owners began receiving via e-mail and/or regular mail the paperwork for the vote on the proposed clubhouse as well as the absentee and/or proxy ballot for the annual HOA board election. Both issues are very important to Timberwood Property Owners.

Please give serious consideration whether you believe the vote regarding the proposed clubhouse should be for or against. Given the lack of detail, plans, firm budget, design information and so much more that has not been provided thus far as well as the lack of existing funds to pay for this major project in our operating accounts it seems ill prepared for a vote at this time. This is an extremely large decision and if financed as the proposal outlines without much in specifics, property owners are borrowing money which should not be necessary to borrow via our HOA. If due diligence, proper fiscal management and planning had been done for the last 5 years that this current HOA board has been at the helm there could easily have been a large percentage of the funds saved for this large-scale project to be undertaken without financing obligations.

There are instructions about how to return your ballot and for this vote included with the packet you received in the mail. A proxy ballot cannot be used for the clubhouse issue. Please be sure to follow the instructions and return it by the deadline which is November 15, 2016.

ANNUAL HOA BOARD ELECTIONS BALLOTS

Property owners also received proxy/absentee ballots via e-mail and/or regular mail. This ballot is separate from the clubhouse vote. For this ballot, you can provide your ballot to another property owner allowing him or her to vote on your behalf by proxy should you wish to do so. Or, you have the option to turn in an absentee ballot by December 1, 2016. Please be sure to read all the ballot options to ensure you get the option you are wishing to participate with. If your neighbor is taking your proxy to the meeting, please be sure that he or she is attending the annual meeting. Otherwise, your vote will be wasted.

Questions? Feel free to comment back to admin@timberwoodparksa.org !

 

The October HOA meeting raised more questions than answers when it comes to the “proposed clubhouse project”.

The meeting started with a discussion about meeting rules and how discussions would be handled in the future. The President provided an overview of a one-page document which was left out as a handout for dispersal to property owners attending entitled “Timberwood Park Homeowners Association Meeting Code of Conduct”. It outlined 11 items describing how the HOA meetings would be handled in the future, particularly with regard to open discussion by members with the board on matters of importance to them in the neighborhood as well as those items which were or are under consideration by the board.

The next agenda item after the presentation of rules, was approving the 2017 budget. The presentation included the 2016 budget but not actuals and a proposed budget for 2017.  The board voted to approve a budget for 2017 which until the Park Capital Projects category was discussed, seemed pretty standard based on current operation costs. Park Capital Projects is the category which allows various improvements to take place in the neighborhood and is funded to cover those proposed projects. The discussion for this line item was pretty simple. 2017 budget figure for this item was set at $187,500.00. Discussion by the board stated “this figure is being approved for a 25% down payment to build what we see as a median priced clubhouse of $750,000.00.”

Further, discussion continued by the board that the 25% down payment then allows financing to be obtained because that is what most financial institutions require in order to get financing for capital projects. A couple of other line items jumped by a large number from the budgeted 2016 numbers and were discussed for a brief time before the board voted the budget approved.

Discussion then turned to the clubhouse vote. The president spoke about the upcoming paper ballot vote which will take place to either approve or deny the project. He noted that while the board did not need to seek permission from the property owners to proceed with this project, the board had decided there was enough interest and differing opinions about it to warrant a vote by the community. The hard copy October newsletter issue outlines the generalities of the process for this vote to take place. It notes, under the President’s column, that the ballot for the clubhouse vote will come out in the mail around October 24^th. The vote on the clubhouse is separate of the election proxy ballots which will also be arriving around the same time. The article states to read each ballot carefully and follow the instructions carefully.

There is a different deadline to return the clubhouse vote than the proxy ballot vote for the annual board member election.

There is only one vote per household as has always been the case. There are no proxy votes allowed on the clubhouse project so if you wish to participate in the vote on that matter you must send back in your paper ballot to Spectrum who will tally the votes by the end of November (according to the hard copy October newsletter article) and the board will announce the results of the clubhouse vote with the community.

Here’s where it gets a little more confusing, and I was in attendance at this meeting. There were many questions in the audience about this process since we, as a community, still have nothing official in costs, design, how we fund it, etc. to base this large decision on. We have been presented with lots of ideas and generalities, but nothing of substance or concrete.

Discussion began with a property owner asking how a decision of this magnitude could be made without any due diligence being provided by the board to the property owners and community. Further, why didn’t the board just approve a figure like say $25-35,000 to complete research and provide due diligence before asking the community to make such a large decision? The board countered back that this was not giving the board carte blanche but rather allowing the project to move forward.

A property owner question was asked whether this vote would be binding – in other words a vote yes means we move forward and build no matter what is discovered down the road, versus no which stops the project. The President responded yes… it is binding and means we go forward.

Questions were asked by property owners whether there would be some financial details provided, like for example – – 3 budgetary options outlining choices, or remodel vs new build, etc. The board answered no, this was just a vote to move forward yes or no on the clubhouse. A property owner commented that he didn’t feel this was good business practice to vote the board to proceed without basic solid information in place and suggested that the board bring the community back into the process once they had real numbers and details to share not speculation. The board stated the clubhouse would not happen overnight that it would be 6 months just to get the information to proceed. The board then shifted the discussion about the $187,500.00 figure stating it would be used to secure permits from the City, architecture design fees, etc. Wait a minute, not 10 minutes before, the budget approved by the board indicated this figure was a 25% down payment for a $750,000.00 theoretical price of a new clubhouse. So, which one is it?

A property owner stated he felt that the project was not well enough discussed, nor enough detail provided to make an informed decision, much less vote an approval or denial. Another property owner stated that we should just trust the board to make the right decision without further detail provided since we elected them. Several property owners discussed the lack of detail and the lack of information and that this made it difficult to vote the issue effectively. The board indicated it had already spoken with two architectural firms on design and other details and a property owner asked for the names of the architectural firms which the board indicates they have been working with to provide them with some initial detail. The board refused to state the names of the firms. Why? What’s the big secret?

There isn’t enough serious detail provided to be comfortable with voting this sizable issue at this time. The board says one thing, then restates it — like the $187,500.00 figure they approved for 2017 budget and what its purpose is for.   First it’s a down payment for a $750,000.00 clubhouse which we don’t have money saved for and will be financing. Then during the discussion that evening, it becomes the fund to pay for the ground work to build the clubhouse — permits and design fees, etc. In my business experience, design firms typically will provide much initial product and proposal without cost in order to gain the eventual business — so I would not believe it essential to pay for design work initially. Further, unless you are actually building, why would you pay for permits, etc.? Why do we need to finance it? Why the rush to build it/remodel it? Why not save the money for whatever the project becomes before we take it on?

As property owners we all count on our elected officials to do what’s in our best interests. That’s one of the biggest reasons we elect them to their positions. We also put ourselves on autopilot once we elect and assume that the right choices will be made on our behalf because we all have busy lives and have many, many things we are all involved in which demand our attention.

This vote is a serious matter and every property owner should pay close attention to what they are being asked to vote for when they cast their vote and turn it back in. Please give it your attention and provide a well thought out vote back when you receive the ballot in the mail.

SHORT NOTICE!!! HOA MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT!!

TIME CHANGE — 6 PM START TIME – BE SURE TO BE THERE!!

Property owners interested in meeting the candidates running for the open spots on the HOA board this year should plan to attend the HOA meeting scheduled tomorrow night, 6 pm, Tuesday, October 4, at the clubhouse!  The time change was done to accommodate anyone holding a National Night Out event later in the evening.

NOTE:  The Time Change — 6 pm start time!!!!

Hear candidates introduce themselves and speak to the audience!

Additionally, there are other agenda items including further discussion about the proposed clubhouse project. 

If you are interested in the upcoming HOA election as well as the proposed clubhouse project, please plan to attend!!!

Timberwood Park HOA Board Candidate Forum – Ask your questions to the Candidates!

We all know that a less than 5 minute conversation at a neighborhood meeting will probably not give most neighbors all the details they would like to know about potential candidates for the HOA board and our upcoming annual election. So, in the interest of providing an opportunity for ALL candidates to respond directly to neighborhood property owner questions, let’s try opening up a forum for discussion of topics of interest to property owners!

Here are some ideas for questions but please feel free to ask any question you have directly to a specific candidate and hear their answer directly back to you! Hopefully this blog will be re-posted to the various other sites that have been previously re-posting as a means to open dialogue for all candidates with property owners.

Please be sure to post the name of the candidate you are asking along with your question if you are asking a specific candidate for information otherwise it will be assumed that each and/or all candidates may answer your questions. Post your question either on FacebookTimberwoodGroup (the group says it’s closed but that’s because you must join to take part in discussion.  So if you haven’t joined just click join and you will be added as a Timberwood Park resident) or if you don’t Facebook send your questions through a comment back to this blog post TimberwoodBlog , and the candidates will be able to see the questions to answer you directly! Of course if this is going to work, it assumes that each candidate will provide direct contact in some form to themselves to you for your question and answer discussion, via Facebook response, direct e-mail or by blog comment back to a question.

1. As a candidate for the board what is your position about how improvements made to our common areas should be prioritized? And what do you believe is important as your goal/focus on the board on behalf of the community?

2. As a candidate for the board what is your position about the need to set aside reserves (savings separate of operating or expanding capital) for regular maintenance and repair of already existing amenities and improvements?

3. As a candidate for the board what is your position on building a new $1M clubhouse?

4. If you are in favor of the new clubhouse, why do you believe it is needed?

5. If you are undecided about the new clubhouse build, how do you see the potential process moving forward to determine whether or not it should be built?

6. If a new clubhouse is warranted, what steps would you take as a board member to move forward with the project?

7. As a community of approximately 2600 homes (pop approximately 13,000) what other improvements do you believe Timberwood Park will need in the next 5 years?

8. How would you prioritize these improvements, including the clubhouse?

9. Do you believe the clubhouse project if warranted should it be financed or should monies be saved in order for the project to be completed without a debt obligation?
10. Why do you believe you would be an asset to the board?

You have other questions? Ask them to every candidate or one candidate here and let’s work on getting a personal answer from the individual whom you are asking the question!

I have heard over the past few months, that there are a few individuals in the neighborhood who seem to be interested in determining who writes the “blog” on Timberwoodparksa . I’ve even seen some really interesting comments from people who I neither know personally nor know me personally as a result of re-posting of the TimberwoodBlog on other social media sites.

For those of you who don’t know, which I believe is a rather small percentage of owners in the neighborhood, the owner and manager of the Timberwoodparksa web page as well as the blog is Cindy Griffin. I have been providing the web page and the information contained on it for approximately 5 years to the neighborhood, at my own expense, as a means to answer the many, many questions the neighborhood, property owners, contractors, builders, realtors, new potential buyers, etc. always ask as a result of them not being able to find answers easily and readily when they needed them. Because I continue to receive so many requests for information and help after turnover occurred and even today, it was easier to funnel answers through a web page that carried a great many of their questions on the site, but also gave them an opportunity to ask and receive an answer to the questions even if only to refer them to our property management office or the board.

The board, who has indicated blogs and social media sources that have been posting factual information to the neighborhood should not be trusted because you don’t know who the author is has known and still knows to this day that I run this web page and the blog and have since day one of its inception. Ask timberwoodnews@gmail.com (Karen O’Neil) how many emails I have forwarded to the board from this website and blog for their follow-up and /or response. From requests for homeowner approval packets for improvement projects, to complaints from property owners about violations, to homeowners who have been waiting for 5 weeks without response from either Spectrum or the board for approval of an improvement project, or someone who needed to do a transfer of ownership because they were selling their lot or home, or someone who had a question about how to get a gate card to the park, etc. they have received many, many requests forwarded from this website. So, nothing could be further from the truth than that there is some personal agenda in play here – fact: I have been advocating on behalf of property owners in our neighborhood and getting answers for their questions and concerns wherever possible for years now.

Further, check with the board and they should be able to tell you that I assisted with ideas — at their request — on how to rein in the overcrowding and over attendance at the Halloween event of non-Timberwood residents by providing guidance from the time that I was on the board as to how we managed the event with off duty sheriff’s deputies to control traffic and entrance to the park and wristbands and coins which we used at the time to manage the same event (we didn’t have controlled gate card system then…lots of cards existed that weren’t for property owners). I am not working against the board but rather advocating on behalf of all property owners.

Anyone who gets the blog does so because they subscribed to it. If the blog gets re-posted on other social media sites, I do not control that, the individual who posts it does. The web page and all the detail provided on the web page were developed to provide ease of access for basic questions that are repeatedly asked over and over. It continues to evolve based on what I see and hear are neighbor’s needs and what will hopefully help make life in Timberwood Park more enjoyable as a result.

So for those of you who wish to send personal attacks to me, please remember this:  You don’t have to agree with anything on the website or blog. You don’t have to read it. The comments posted on other social media sites reposting the blog do so for a conversation to take place. Not to torpedo a specific individual or throw personal attacks toward someone you don’t know.

So please stop the comments reflective of some agenda you think is in play. I have no interest in running for office. I did my fair share to bring this great neighborhood an opportunity at self-governance on a budget of $25,000 a year for 5 years with a voluntary association (and actually if I think about it we started with far less as I think we had about a 100 members when we started @ $25.00 per member annually). While we didn’t have much money, we still managed to put on the social events like Music in the Park, Picnic in the Park and so much more but you are correct to state that we couldn’t make improvements to our amenities—there was no money available to do so. We also managed to get the neighborhood to turnover – allowing for the place we are now at being able to make improvements and enhancements to our neighborhood common areas and provide amenities which property owners would like to see in their neighborhood going forward.

I love living here too. I want to continue to see the best for my neighborhood and as such will continue to advocate on behalf of it. My interest in providing information to the neighborhood now is to do just that, provide information! It’s up to you what you do with the information you receive.