April 2009 Board Minutes
Hidden Springs Property Owners Association
Board Meeting Minutes
April 2, 2009
1. Meeting Convened – Board President Roger Van Zyl called the April Open Board of Directors Meeting to order at 6:30 P.M., 2 April 2009, at the Salado Civic Center. The following Board and key Committee members were present:
; Board Members – Susan Goodwill and John Pack were present. Board members
Kathleen and Kenneth Parker were unable to attend.
; Architectural Control Committee – Joyce Pack, Linda Carter, and Chuck Splain were
present. New members Phil Goodwill and Vernon Kelinske were unable to attend.
; Communications Committee – Chairman Tracy Briscoe was unable to attend.
; Welcome Committee – Committee chairpersons Dianne Sikielski and Suzette Boggs
were unable to attend.
; Covenants & Planning Committee – John Pack and Mike Peters from this committee
were present. Tom Bailey, Leah Blackburn, Tommy Boggs, and George Sikielski were
unable to attend.
A total of eighteen (18) residents attended the meeting.
2. Introductions – Roger Van Zyl identified Board and key committee members and asked that all attendees introduce themselves as well.
3. Covenant Amendments Report – Roger Van Zyl
; Roger Van Zyl presented the results of the balloting from the January Annual Meeting
and follow-up actions by the Board to officially register the results. All six of the
amendments (for Covenants and Bylaws) passed. Changes to the Bylaws were
notarized at First State Bank during the third week of March; Covenant amendments
were filed with the Bell County Records Clerk. Changes to Bylaws and Covenants were
posted to the HSPOA website.
; The Board distributed a chart outlining the new composition of the Board and the ACC
and the corresponding term dates for each officer. In accordance with the Amendments,
the Board and ACC expanded from 3 to 5 members. New voting members on the Board
are Susan Goodwill (elected) and Kathleen Parker (appointed by the Board to fill the
new vacancy created by the balloting). New members on the ACC are Vernon Kelinske
and Phil Goodwill (both elected).
; The Board also explained that the amendments changed the annual meeting from the
first Saturday in January to a date in October that will be determined by the Board.
Likewise, the amendments changed the due date of member maintenance fees from 1
January each year to 1 October.
; At this time, the Board handed out a chart showing how the 2009 maintenance fees (that
were collected as of 1 January 2009) will be prorated due to the next billing date
changing to 1 October (per recently passed Covenant and Bylaws amendments).
4. Treasurer’s Report – Roger Van Zyl presented for Kenneth Parker.
Checking Account $75,759.00
Emergency Fund $41,852.00
Total $117,611.00
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April 2009 Board Minutes
5. Status of Maintenance Fee Collection – Roger Van Zyl presented for Kenneth Parker.
Delinquent Maintenance Fees for 2007/2008 (1 Lot) $ (438.00)
Delinquent Maintenance Fees for 2009 (10 Lots) $ (1923.12)
6. Committee Reports
a. Communications Committee Report – Susan Goodwill presented for Tracy Briscoe.
; HSPOA Website – This quarter, the Committee made updates to the website to
include the newly adopted amendments to the Covenants and Bylaws. Tracy also
created upload sites for the new Board of Directors. The board members, and
particularly the secretary, are able to upload meeting minutes and agendas to a
secure location on the site. This change allows for more timely updates to the
website. Tracy also made several updates in support of general site maintenance.
; HSPOA Newsletter – The Spring Newsletter is currently in draft and should be ready
for the printers by 15 April. The Newsletter will continue to carry official business
(board and committee news) and personal interest stories. The Communications
Committee has added a new section entitled “Letters to the Editor” that will appear in
each edition of the Newsletter. Property owners wishing to publish and article should
contact Tracy at tracy.briscoe@hidenspringsofsalado.com or send the article to one
of the Board members. The Board reviews all articles for suitability of content.
; Volunteers Needed – Due to other commitments, most of the original
Communications Committee members are unable to continue an active role on the
committee. Kathleen Parker and Tracy Briscoe now perform the lion’s share of the
work. If you are interested in working on this committee, please contact Tracy at the
email address above or contact Kathleen Parker at kmparker@clearwire.net.
b. Welcoming Committee – No new report for this meeting.
c. Covenants Review and Plans Committee – John Pack presented the concept for the First
Annual HSPOA Birthday Celebration (currently scheduled for 14 June) to the property owners in attendance. He also distributed an information paper that provided greater detail about this event and included a sign-up roster for the following Subcommittees: Invitations, Food and Drink, Recreation/Entertainment, and Medical Support. At the close of meeting, four property owners volunteered to assist the planners. The handout material describing this event will also be available in the soon to be published Spring Newsletter.
d. Architectural Control Committee – Joyce Pack presented the following update.
Location Improvement ACC Action
; Lot 121 (Long Meadow) Fence Approved
; Lot 126 (Long Meadow) Patio Addition Approved
; Lot 157 (Hidden Springs) Auxiliary Building Approved
; Lot 204 (Indian Pass) Fence Approved
; Lot 267 (Cheyenne Pass) Improvement Time Approved
Extension (Gazebo/Court)
; Lot 15 (Shady Oak) Requested Status
; Lot 116 (Long Meadow) Requested Status
; Lot 173-175 (Crystal Springs) Requested Status
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April 2009 Board Minutes
7. Discussion Topics
a. Park Gate – Roger VanZyl briefed the property owners on the newly installed vehicular access gate installed at the Park. Designed by Kenneth Parker, the purpose of this gate is to limit park access to Association members and their approved guests. Roger explained that the gate is locked with a combination lock. He further explained that the code to the lock has been sent out via email to all property owners having a valid email address. Roger also stressed that each Board Member has the code to the gate and will provide that code to any requestor as long as he or she is a member of the Association.
b. Spring Clean-up – The Board distributed a flyer and the cleanup plan to all property owners in attendance. The cleanup plan will appear again in the Spring Newsletter, to be published in mid-April. Clean-up Day is 25 April beginning at 9 a.m. Barbecue will follow clean-up activities in the Park.
c. Four-Wheelers – Roger Van Zyl cited several examples of pre-teen children driving four-wheelers on the road without adult supervision or helmets. Linda Carter cited examples of the four-wheelers trespassing on her property, as well as that of her neighbors. The discussion did not result in any clear options on how to better ensure the safety of these youngsters and protect private property other than for their parents to get involved. The Board will continue to discuss this issue at its next meeting.
d. Dog Barking – John Pack discussed the recent complaints concerning dog barking in the wee hours of the morning along Long Meadow, Creekview East, and Mission Trail. Pack explained that although the Board would prefer neighbor to neighbor coordination to resolve such problems, dogs barking incessantly at 2 a.m. in the morning are a Board concern that is covered by Section 3.14 (Prohibition of Offensive Activities) in the Covenants. The Board agreed to heighten awareness of this growing problem with all property owners, as the dog population has increased substantially in Hidden Springs over the past two years.
A survey in Section One, which included discussing this issue with several residents, revealed that if one dog begins barking late at night, all others within hearing distance soon join the chorus. The Splains also advised the gathering that the dogs often bark in response to coyotes in the area. Bottom line is that neighborly face to face coordination and exchange of ideas are the best ways to fix the dog problem. However, if the problem persists, then the Board will need to review additional measures available to the Association.
e. Bell County Sheriff – Roger Van Zyl provided the Bell County Sheriff a comprehensive
report of known vandalism and/or theft in the Hidden Springs Community over the past 12-18 months. Sheriff Department called back, apparently with interest, and asked if there had been any other recent incidents of theft or vandalism. Roger provided the Sheriff’s Department with additional information and asked them to swing by the park when doing a drive-through of Hidden Springs. Roger also told them about the new gate and a few days later, the Sheriff (who many of the residents have long known as “Marko”) came by Roger’s residence and asked for the gate combination so he could check the park.
f. Embarq Switch Station – During the March meeting, the Board discussed the unsightly
fence enclosure belonging to Embarq but located on Mike Peters’ property along Long Meadow. Roger Van Zyl called the Embarq local office and asked them to do something about the enclosure’s appearance. Embarq agreed to repair the gate. However, Roger reported that
Embarq didn’t seem overly excited about putting a coat of stain on the fence.
g. Directory Update – Roger Van Zyl covered this issue for Kathleen Parker. He described the purpose of the directory and cited its worth as being only as good as the currency of the
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addresses and phone numbers listed. He encouraged residents to contact Kathleen to get a personal copy of the directory and to review their information to see if it is accurate and current. If not, please notify Kathleen of changes that are needed. He also encouraged the ACC to provide information to Kathleen as soon as possible concerning addresses they learn about when property owners initiate requests for construction.
h. Open Forum Discussion – Roger Van Zyl announced that Board would now take
suggestions and discussion on new topics from the residents. The following topics were discussed:
; Board Registration with Title Company – Mike Peters suggested that the Board should
update the Title Company and other organizations on the names of current officers in the
Association. Mike said he is still getting calls from the Title Company because apparently
their records show him as the Secretary/Treasurer. Board agreed to update as soon as
possible.
; Annual Donation to Salado Fire Department – Mike Peters and others suggested that the
Board should consider making an annual charitable contribution to the Salado Fire
Department, on which we depend for fire suppression in Hidden Springs. The Salado
Department is a volunteer organization that can use the additional funding. Others
reported that residents could join one of the many fire prevention associations for $60 per
year and be entitled to free ambulance service. Several resident recalled similar
arrangements in Oregon and the Splains mentioned a county in East Texas where this
practice is observed. The Board agreed to investigate the possibility of doing something
along the lines of Mike’s suggestion to improve the community’s relationship with the
Salado first responders.
; Timely Removal of Garbage Cans – Several residents commented on the fact that some
families who put garbage out for pickup near the roads on Friday morning leave the cans
near the streets throughout the weekend. This results in an unkempt appearance of the
neighborhood and during high winds, often creates a safety hazard as the cans are blown
onto the roadway. The Board agreed to heighten community awareness on this problem
and to seek additional measures if the problem persists.
; Warning Siren – Dale Christiansen, who first proposed a siren for the community in the
January meeting, provided additional information on why a severe weather warning
system is needed. He mentioned that he is discussing these systems with Kurt Strong,
who is an alderman for Salado and is urging the council to purchase and install a system.
The Board agreed that we need to research this issue as soon as possible, because we
are entering the summer months that typically see severe weather such as tornadoes and
damaging hail. One resident offered that the State Emergency Management Agency
sometimes uses state funds to install these warning systems in strategic locations.
; First Response to Hidden Springs Emergency – The Splains mentioned that the map of
Hidden Spring on file with the Fire Department, law enforcement, and EMT servicers
(several of them in the area) needs to be updated to clearly show ALL of the houses and
accurate addresses. The update should also indicate those houses that have swimming
pool, a possible source for water if the fire department is fighting fires in or around the
Hidden Springs Community. Additionally, Judy Splain suggested that blue markers be
placed in the center of the road in front of houses having pools. This signal would greatly
assist firefighters in finding a pool and using it as a source to replenish their tankers. Judy
Splain also suggested that the Board heighten awareness of all residents to the need for a
lighted address sign in front of their homes near the road. Judy, a Williamson County
EMT, discussed difficulties she has had in making an ambulance run to houses in
Georgetown not well lit or identified at night. Lack of ready identification and poor
directions can cost precious minutes in an emergency situation. The Board agreed to
work all of these suggestions and report back to the membership.
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April 2009 Board Minutes
; Wildfire Danger – Several residents discussed the issue of the drought and potential for wildfires (grass and brush fire) igniting in Hidden Springs. Such a fire could pose significant danger to multiple homes and other structures before sufficient fire fighting equipment could be deployed to the community. This discussion also addressed the need to identify existing water sources such as the swimming pools but also to investigate the cost of constructing large refillable water tank(s) for replenishing the tankers used by a responding fire department. The Board has looked at this issue in the past but no serious action has been taken because of the initial cost. The Planning Committee is researching the tanks now and preparing information for the Board.
; Rotary Club Flags – Chuck and Judy Splain suggested that our members might be
interested in joining the Rotary Club. For an annual membership fee of $30 per year, the Club will install a flag pole/stand on the resident’s property and display the US Flag on six different occasions throughout the year. Judy remarked that this is truly an impressive visual experience when you have a half dozen, dozen houses, or even the entire community, participating in this program. Roger asked Judy to provide more information on this program so that it can be made available to others who are interested.
8. Adjournment – Discussion ended at 7:50 P.M. Roger Van Zyl thanked everyone for
participating and announced the date of the next Board meeting (7 May).
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