Pre-Meeting Conversations. Before the meeting officially begins, attendees discuss seating arrangements and moving chairs so everyone faces the main table. Members remind each other to sign in and handle proxy forms. Casual conversation covers topics like walking routines, the ongoing trail construction, and missing attendees. Several residents notice that Zoran is absent because he is currently on a motorcycle trip to Sturgis and will soon be moving to Serbia. A side discussion arises about the rules for hiding trash cans, with some owners noting that their units at the outer edges do not have patio gates or back garage doors to easily conceal the bins.
Call to Order and Introductions: Chris Cheeley calls the Black Bay Village Owners Association (BBVOA) 2024 annual meeting to order at 5:00 PM. The board establishes that a quorum has been met with at least 24 owners present or represented. The attendees introduce themselves, including Patty Henman, Carol Kemp, Judy Lambus, Donna McJunkan, Bobby Toliver, Betty Helms, Steve Razer, Alisan Armstein, Doug Weatherhold, and Joleen, the property manager. The meeting minutes from the previous year are presented, and Donna moves to accept them; the motion is seconded and approved unanimously.
Financial Report, Roof Replacements, and HOA Dues Chris provides an overview of the HOA's finances, stating that the association is in solid shape with $122,671.37 in reserve funds. He explains that while this is a strong foundation, the reserves are currently only at about half of the $230,000 optimal level recommended by the reserve study. The primary financial concern is the impending need to replace five roofs—the four original "founding" buildings and the clubhouse. Replacing these 18-year-old roofs will cost over $40,000 per building, bringing the estimated total to over $250,000. Last fall, the HOA spent $2,500 on minor patching to extend the life of the roofs, but they will likely all fail and need full replacement in the next four to five years.
To build the reserves and avoid a massive special assessment down the line, the board has implemented a 10% increase in HOA dues for 2025, raising the monthly fee from $236 to $260 starting January 1st. Chris notes that the HOA's operating costs have increased across the board, including a 20% hike in insurance premiums, and the dues must reflect these rising costs. A resident notes that fees used to be much lower, but the board explains that fees were artificially lowered to around $140 years ago, and the HOA has been playing financial catch-up ever since. The HOA also previously drained funds by maintaining a clubhouse pool that cost $3,000 a month before the community agreed to drain it and fill it with concrete.
One resident argues that the roofs were damaged by windstorms and should be covered by insurance. The board counters that insurance companies are currently canceling condo policies over claims, and submitting a $250,000 roof claim would likely result in policy cancellation or exorbitant premium hikes. The board also clarifies that the HOA is responsible for all exterior maintenance, including siding, gutters, landscaping, and snow removal, which relieves individual homeowners of those direct costs.
Parking and Snow Removal Rules Parking is a major topic of debate, especially with the approaching snow season. Chris states that there can be zero street parking during snow removal, as plows need the narrow streets completely clear. A new rule has been introduced, limiting daytime street parking to a maximum of two hours to prevent the streets from looking like a parking lot all day. Some residents complain about neighbors with large trucks and multiple vehicles who park in common areas, making it difficult for others to back out of their garages. Chris encourages neighbors to communicate and resolve minor parking disputes among themselves, but he warns that chronic violators who block snowplows or ignore rules will receive difficult-to-remove warning stickers on their windows, and eventually, their cars will be towed.
Clubhouse Maintenance The discussion shifts to the clubhouse, where a resident asks for clarification on booking procedures after a scheduling conflict occurred. The board reminds everyone that reservations must be written on the physical calendar located in the clubhouse. Additionally, the board agrees to dispose of a broken treadmill that has been sitting unused in the clubhouse, citing the liability risk of people getting injured on it.
Landscaping Concerns Residents express frustration that many plants, including rhododendrons and spireas, died during a severe winter cold snap of 17 degrees below zero. One resident complains that the landscapers, Roots Up, failed to prune dead limbs in the spring, which could have saved the plants. Chris and Kathy recently walked the property with Joe, the owner of Roots Up, and feel optimistic that the company will perform better moving forward. Joe has promised to replace dead bushes with hardier options, like "pencil" plants, that can survive the harsh winters. Jolene asks residents to send photos of dead plants or landscaping issues to her so they can be officially documented and forwarded to the landscapers.
Gates and Security Upgrades The board discusses the community gates, noting that a driver recently hit the keypad post, breaking the concrete pad beneath it. The driver's insurance paid for the repair, and Larry, the gate technician, poured a new pad. Larry is currently upgrading the internal mechanisms of the back and exit gates, which should be completed in October. Residents report that neighborhood children frequently reach through the pedestrian gate to unlock it from the inside and ride their skateboards into the community. The board considers changing the lock on the pedestrian gate from a key system to a digital keypad to prevent unauthorized entry. For winter snow plowing, Patty volunteers to monitor the weather and manually open the gates at night when it snows.
Other Business
- Garbage Cans: Chris requests that residents stop leaving their garbage cans visible from the street, calling it "trashy". He asks residents to store their bins in their garages or behind their patio gates. Some residents push back, noting they do not have patio gates and lack garage space, but the board suggests they request a smaller trash can from Waste Management to save room.
- Dryer Vents: A resident mentions that their dryer thermostat broke due to a plugged vent, despite having their ducts cleaned in June. Chris warns the community that plugged dryer vents are the number one cause of house fires and advises everyone to ensure their roof vents are properly maintained, though interior vent maintenance is the homeowner's responsibility.
- HOA Communication: Residents ask if they can set up a general HOA email account to avoid being charged hourly management support fees when contacting Jolene. Jolene clarifies that she performs administrative work and funnels complaints to the volunteer board, and the management support fees are already built into the budget. The board decides against a separate email, noting they wouldn't check it as frequently as Jolene does.
- Farewell for Zoran: The community agrees to host a farewell gathering at the clubhouse for Zoran before he moves to Serbia in mid-October.
Board Elections and Adjournment: Because Zoran has officially stepped down from the board, nominations are opened to fill his vacancy. Barbara makes a motion to elect Harold to the board, which is seconded and passed unanimously by acclamation. Harold will serve a two-year term as Vice President and Treasurer. The meeting concludes with residents exchanging phone numbers and contact information.