by Wood Creek HOA Management | Dec 4, 2013 | Newsletters
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Greetings Wood Creek Townhome Owners and Residents,
The 2014 Townhome Association Budget meeting was held November 18, 2013. Enclosed please find a copy of the projected 2014 budget. The Board has approved a $5 increase to monthly dues beginning January 1, 2014 bringing the total dues to $155 per month.
This increase will be applied to general maintenance (as opposed to the increase in January 2013 which applied to our re-siding project). Our last increase to maintenance dues was prior to 2008. To stave off the rising costs associated with inflation and materials, the board looked at improving spending efficiency and managed to trim the budget without reducing basic services. We believe we have reached the limit efficiency can offset increased costs.
In addition, 2013 threw the association a number of curve balls. In early January, several Townhome building common area plumbing stacks failed and needed to be replaced (i.e. $2,500). Over the summer, our lawn mower broke down and needed to be replaced (i.e. $3,400). Our Emergency fund covered most of these unforeseen expenses. Had there been no other issues the dues increase would likely be sufficient. However, Mother Nature got into the game as well, dumping approximately 3 feet of snow by May which required increased snow removal (i.e. an extra $3,000 over budget).
Unfortunately, this was not the only additional hit to our budget. In May 2013 the Condo Association, made up of buildings 11 and 12 and headed by then President, Marie Dolembo, and Vice President, Mark Slavin (now Acting President), ceased contributing to the maintenance the Wood Creek grounds. The Condo Associations’ historical and ongoing contribution to the cost of mowing, edging, tree trimming and clean-up of the grounds amounted to 19% of all common area expenses. Upon notification of this decision, the Townhome board President, Matt Jacobs, immediately contacted Ms. Dolembo to open a dialogue. Ms. Dolembo declined repeated requests to dialogue and the Condo Association retained an attorney through which all further communication has been directed. In October the Townhome Association proposed a lease agreement with a deadline to respond by December 1, 2013. The lease agreement was rejected and to date, no counter offer has been submitted.
The result of this decision for the Condo Association means they have rescinded their access to Wood Creek property. Signs will be posted shortly around the grounds alerting Condo owners and their visitors of the new restrictions. Condo owners and their guests will retain the right to use the main access road and will have use of their designated parking lot. They will also retain ingress and egress rights on the land around each building for approximately 30 feet. However, they will no longer be allowed to access the grounds beyond that point. This means the park, playground, basketball court, sidewalks and any parking areas outside their lot. Should you witness any Condo owners, residents or their guests violating these new restrictions please notify Management immediately and appropriate action will be taken.
The result of this decision for the Townhome Association means an income loss of approximately $12,000 to our annual operating budget. The board has chosen to reduce labor hours for 2014 to reduce the loss but this will only save a fraction of the projected year-to-year loss of Condo Association contributions and will require additional dues increases in the near future if additional if operating costs are to be maintained. The Townhome Association has chosen to delay this additional increase and will rely on reserves to allow the Condo Association time to consider the effects of this decision and allow the Townhome Board time to consider all options and responses available. We will formally reconsider the matter sometime in mid-2014 but will keep you apprised of any new developments as they arise. We encourage you to contact Management with any questions or concerns and will give you an up to date report at the March 2014 Annual Meeting.
We continue to hope we can resolve the issue amicably and ask that you provide Condo Association owners, tenants and their visitors with the same courtesy and respect you would show your neighbors regardless of the outcome. However, the Townhome Association intends to strictly enforce access to Wood Creek property. We ask you again to be vigilant and report trespassing or illegally parked vehicles to Management immediately.
Thank you for allowing us to continue to serve you. We regret being the bearers of bad news, especially around the holidays and hope we have your continued support during this difficult time.
May your holidays be bright and filled with family and friends.
Sincerely,
Matt Jacobs
President, Wood Creek Townhome Association
Wood Creek Townhome Association
Board of Directors
by Wood Creek HOA Management | Sep 5, 2013 | Newsletters
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Greetings Wood Creek Townhome Owners and residents,
We hope you have enjoyed the mild Summer this year. We’d like to take this opportunity as we transition to Fall to update you on what’s been going on these last few months.
Change of Meeting Dates: To accommodate board member schedules, board meetings have been changed from the third Tuesday of the month to the third Monday of the month with meetings beginning at the regular time (7:00pm) effective Monday September 16, 2013. A new list of meeting dates will be posted on the office bulletin board for your reference.
Budget Review Meeting: In October the Board and Management will review and determine the Wood Creek Townhome budget for the coming year. We invite owners to attend, ask questions and provide feedback to the board about our vision for the community. Do you like the work being done? Do you want to see more? Do you want to see less? Are you curious how your dues are spent? Let us know. If you are unable to attend, contact Management with your questions/comments or to request a copy of the budget. We look forward to seeing you in October.
Termites: In June we had our annual termite inspections. Once again, we are pleased to announce that no termites were discovered in any of the buildings. A BIG thank you to our owners, residents and Meadowlark Manager Sara Rock for making the inspections run so smoothly.
Siding Replacement: Building 18’s exterior siding/fixtures and underlayment were installed and completed by Wempe Brothers Construction. Thank you to Pete Wempe and his crew—the building looks fantastic and marks the 2nd building in our siding upgrade project.
Mower Replacement: In July, our riding mower suffered the last of several breakdowns. The board decided it was time to bid farewell and traded it in for a newer more reliable model. We look forward to freshly cut grass for many more years to come.
Common Area Entryway Reminder: We’d like to take the opportunity to again remind owners and residents as the new school year begins to please clear out your common area entryways. Examples of things to clear off the porch include:
- That old tire or bucket of paint you aren’t sure what to do with (consider recycling them);
- Your Moped/Motorcycle (please park it in your designated parking space);
- The kids’ bicycles and toys (there are bicycle racks for bikes and toys should be stored inside);
- Miscellaneous tools and materials from that project you’ve been meaning to get to (please store these in the basement until you really are ready to tackle it); and
- Anything that blocks reasonable access to your front door (your mail carrier and guests will thank you).
Items generally considered ok to have on your entryway (provided they don’t’ obstruct access) include:
- Potted plants;
- Barbeques (please leave at least 3 feet between the BBQ and your siding when in use to prevent siding damage);
- Tables and chairs
- Seasonal decorations (Halloween props, Christmas lights, etc.)
- Temporary items (if it’s collecting spider webs, it’s probably not temporary)
If you have a concern that something may or may not fall into the above categories, please contact Meadowlark Management and they’ll be happy to review it with you.
Thank you for allowing us to continue to serve you. We wish everyone a wonderful Fall.
Sincerely,
Wood Creek Townhome Association
Board of Directors
by Wood Creek HOA Management | May 1, 2013 | Newsletters
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Dear Wood Creek Townhouse Owners and Residents,
After several feet of snow and a winter that refused to let go, spring has finally (hopefully) arrived and it’s time for a Wood Creek update.
Repairs
In January and February Wood Creek experienced an unusual number of “stack pipe” failures. The stack is the common drain that runs between buildings that individual unit plumbing feeds into. The original stacks in many of the buildings are made of cast iron and slowly corrode over time. As a result, repairs were made on three different stacks. These stacks were replaced with PVC pipe to prevent future corrosion. Thanks to our new emergency fund, we were able to cover these unforeseen expenses. However, we’d like to take this opportunity to warn residents and owners that since the stack pipes are not exposed, it is difficult to determine the performance and state of the these pipes. Therefore, we encourage all residents and owners to report any signs of plumbing leaks to management immediately to minimize repair expense and water damage.
Annual Meeting
On March 15th we had our 2013 Annual meeting at Veritas Christian School. We summarized the prior year and laid out ideas for a number of improvement projects. All expiring term Townhouse Board members were re-elected for an additional 3 year term. Proposed bylaw amendments from 2012’s Annual meeting were re-introduced for a vote due to insufficient voter turnout in 2012. Sadly, voter turnout was again insufficient to establish a quorum this year (a quorum of 50 participating votes is needed to consider a yes or no to any proposed amendment). For those of you who voted in person or by proxy, thank you so much for participating. For those of you who did not vote this year, we encourage you to participate next year. Your vote makes a difference for our community. If you would like a copy of the projects or bylaw amendments proposed this year, please contact Meadowlark Management.
Volunteer Work (The Big Event)
On Saturday April 13, 2013 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, Wood Creek took advantage of “The Big Event @ KU” in which students at KU volunteer their time to give back to their community. Volunteers helped with painting railings, raking and general clean up of the grounds. Thank you KU students!
Siding Project: Building 18
In early April, Wempe Bros began siding replacement on Building 18 as part of our goal to replace all wood siding one building per year with new long lasting vinyl siding. As of this writing, they have nearly completed the south side of the building. Be sure and keep an eye on Building 18 as its transformation continues. We think you’ll like what you see.
Pest Control: All Townhomes
Later this spring, Wood Creek will have its annual termite inspection. A date has not yet been determined but generally the event falls in late May or early June. A more detailed notice will be sent to owners and residents once the dates and times are set. Residents will be asked to allow a termite inspector to review the interior of their home. These are ONLY inspections and do not involve any pesticide. Inspections usually take just a few minutes and provide Wood Creek buildings with a yearly warranty against termites. If signs of termites are discovered at the inspection, management will contact the owner to set up an appointment for treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Meadowlark Management and they will be happy to walk you through the process.
Community Yard Sale
The board is considering whether or not to have a community yard sale this year. A lot of work goes into coordinating the event and we need additional volunteers to make it work. We need volunteers for the following:
- Sign Poster: Make and post signs at key intersections prior to the event.
- Refreshment table attendant (3 shifts): Monitor money, food and refreshments in 2 hour shifts (Children are welcome to assist).
- Change makers: Visit individual yard sales and make change (good for those of you who like to browse)
- Traffic Monitor: Wave in traffic and hand out maps to customers.
- Clean up: Break down refreshment table and dispose of trash.
If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering for a few hours on a Saturday morning, please contact management ASAP. If/when we have enough volunteers we will send out a notice with further details.
That about wraps up our Spring Newsletter. See you in the summer!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Wood Creek
Townhouse Association
Board of Directors
by Wood Creek HOA Management | Oct 11, 2012 | Newsletters
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Dear Wood Creek Townhome Owners and Residents,
Summer has given way to fall and cooler temperatures and we thought it high time for a Wood Creek update.
In June, we had our annual termite inspection. All buildings were inspected and with the exception of one possible past infestation noted and immediately treated (just to be safe). No active termites were found. Thank you to management for coordinating this and thank you to residents for helping this year’s inspection to go so quickly and smoothly.
In July and August, with help from one of our very own board members, we added brick trim and an assortment of perennials to both Wood Creek signs.
Also in July and August, maintenance began burying downspouts. This project was somewhat curtailed by the unrelenting heat which made the ground difficult to work with. Instead, focus was shifted to repairing hand railings, trimming trees and general maintenance. This brings us to an important request. We encourage you to please water along your foundations during extended periods of hot weather. Dry, cracked earth contracts, causing foundations to shift and if the ground is not consistently watered and suddenly lots of water in the form of heavy rain occurs, the ground suddenly expands causing soil to shift abruptly resulting in damage similar to what we saw earlier this year to building 20. If we all do our part, we can avoid the expense of bracing shifting foundations.
In other not so fun news, Wood Creek experienced vandalism of its signs and bus stop enclosures in August. The signs and bus stops were quickly repainted, but after consideration by the board it was decided that due to limited use by residents and the temptation for vandalism, the bus stop enclosures would be removed. If you have any suggestions for what (if anything) you’d like to see in their places, please contact management and the board with your suggestions. Likewise, we encourage all residents to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. Help keep our neighborhood safe, secure and beautiful.
Last but not least, the ANNUAL TOWNHOME BUDGET MEETING to determine the budget for 2013 will be held Tuesday November 20, 2012 at the office beginning at 7:00pm. Management will be in attendance and assist in answering your questions and making recommendations for the year ahead. If you plan on attending, we ask that you please RSVP by contacting management so we have enough chairs for everyone.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Wood Creek
Townhouse Association
Board of Directors
by Wood Creek HOA Management | Apr 6, 2012 | Newsletters
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Dear Wood Creek Owners and Tenants,
We hope this newsletter finds you well. Below are a few upcoming events and reminders:
Community Yard Sale – The 2nd annual Wood Creek Community Yard Sale will be held Saturday May 6, 2012 from 8:00am to 12:00pm, and preparations are under way. Take this opportunity to clean out the basement, meet your neighbors and make some sweet cash. Owners and tenants are welcome to sign up. Adults and children are encouraged to volunteer to help sell snacks and pass out flyers. For those participants that RSVP, your unit location will be highlighted on maps which will be distributed to buyers at the south entrance to direct their business to you. In addition, we encourage participants to consider a free will donation or donating a portion of your earnings to the Wood Creek Playground Improvement Fund. If you would like to participate and/or volunteer, please contact management or e-mail Jennifer Conrad at jmeitlconrad@gmail.com. Note: If the yard sale is cancelled due to weather, it will be rescheduled for Saturday May 12, 2012.
Family Movie Night – The Association will host a family movie night on May 18, 2012 at 8:30pm outside at the Wood Creek office. Owner and tenant families are welcome. Snacks will be served so bring a blanket, the kids, and have a night out (relatively speaking). Please RSVP ASAP so we can provide enough chairs and treats. A reminder flyer with the specific movie being shown will be sent out in early May so be on the lookout.
Ant Control – If Spring weather is here, it means the ants are not far behind. If you would like the area around your home treated for ants at no charge, please RSVP to management by May 1, 2012. Please note this treatment is exterior only. Care will be taken to avoid spraying near bordered gardens. If at any point the ants return during the summer, please contact management to schedule a free retreatment. Limit 1 free retreatment per year.
Roach Control – If you or a neighbor has a roach problem, please contact management to schedule a pest control treatment. There is no charge for this service but interior access to the unit will be required. If it is determined adjacent units need treatment, interior access to those units will also be necessary. Management will provide advance notice to unit owners if access is needed. If you would like to attend the treatment in person, please make arrangements with management. If you do not wish to attend, and no one is available to allow access, please contact management and provide them a key to your unit.
Termite Control – Annual termite inspections will begin sometime in the latter half of May. If you would like to attend the inspection in person, we request that you make arrangements with management. If you do not wish to attend, and no one is available to allow access, please contact management and provide them a key to your unit. As the dates and times are set, additional notification will be sent at least a week prior to the event. Please plan for the inspection accordingly.
Projects – In an effort to make Wood Creek synonymous with efficiency, we recognize some owners, if given the supplies and a little encouragement, would like to get out there and do some minor touch-up projects themselves. If you’re willing to do the work, Wood Creek will supply you with the materials. Please contact Meadowlark Management for more details. (WoodCreekMail@gmail.com or 785-842-5930)
Reminders:
- Special Assessment – Work to repair Building 20’s bowing basement wall has been completed. Please make sure your special assessment payment of $100 is received in full by June 1, 2012 to avoid late fees.
- Rule Enforcement –In order to promote a clean and safe environment for Wood Creek owners and residents, rules will be enforced pursuant to the Wood Creek Declaration and Amended Bylaws. Please also note that owners are responsible for tenant violations. If you would like a copy of the most common violations and fines, please contact management.
- Neighborhood Watch – Attention owners and residents: If you see someone violating Wood Creek Rules and Regulations, please report the incident to management. The Board is ready, willing and able to enforce the rules but we need to hear about the violation before we can act. Likewise, if you see or hear of criminal activity in our community, please immediately report it to the police then notify management.
We look forward to seeing you at some of our upcoming events and hope you have a wonderful spring. As always, if you have questions, please contact management.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Wood Creek Town Home Association
Board of Directors
by Wood Creek HOA Management | Aug 5, 2011 | Newsletters
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Dear Wood Creek Owners and Residents
We hope you’ve been enjoying the summer and finding ways to beat the heat. In our last big notice (Spring), we informed you about some of the rules we’d be enforcing and some new services being offered for the community. This notice is designed to give you an update on what’s been happening since
Pest Control – As Spring arrived, so did the ants. Haley’s Pest Control treated the outside of the town houses (excluding units that declined service). If you’ve had problems with ants in the past, we hope you noticed a significant improvement this year. In addition, if ants have become a problem for your unit since the treatment, please contact Meadowlark Property Management (785-842-5930) and they will schedule a touch up treatment around your unit.
Termite Inspections – In June the board cancelled prior termite contracts with several termite companies. This was done largely due to uneven coverage and price. Some buildings lacked termite coverage and the buildings that did have coverage had varying prices. We chose Haley’s Pest Control as our new pest control provider due to their reputation and years of experience in the business—not to mention their prices being lower than their competitors. With Haley’s, we received a flat rate for each building and full termite coverage from the date of inspection (including coverage for treatment if termites were discovered during inspections). Total savings by switching to Haley’s allowed us to provide both termite and ant treatment services and still save approximately $600 annually from the previous termite warranties. The board would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the owners and residents at Wood Creek for working with Meadowlark and allowing Haley’s to inspect your homes. We are happy to report that all buildings are now fully covered and no termites were discovered (hurrah!).
Guttering – In early July, the last of the town houses were repaired and retrofitted with gutter screens and downspout extensions by Jayhawk Guttering. The project cost a little over $20,000 but will save on maintenance costs over time (i.e., regular gutter cleaning). In addition, by improving the drainage, owners and residents should see a significant reduction in basement water intrusion and flooding during heavy rains.
Siding/Concrete – With the seasonal addition of James Ochs, a contractor specializing in siding and concrete, repairs at Wood Creek have been in overdrive. Mr. Ochs has replaced large sections of siding on several buildings in the last few weeks. You may have also noticed a fresh 20 foot section of sidewalk near Building 15 and brand new curbs in front of building 7 and 3 that had been in desperate need of repair
Window Trim – Our resident handyman Genaro Fernandez has been out in the blazing heat working on the grounds, mowing, painting, helping James and fixing window trim. Our thanks to both for all the hard work and for all they’ve accomplished
Towing – Parking rules are being tightly enforced. Vehicles parked in yellow zones (or vehicles parked up on sidewalks!) are receiving notices to move. This is both a fire code violation and creates a “choke-point” making it difficult for vehicles to pass. One or two inoperable vehicles have also been notified to move and have done so. In addition, we’d like to remind owners and tenants that non-designated spaces (i.e. visitor parking) are not intended for storing a second, inoperable vehicle. If your vehicle is collecting dust and spiders, you’ll be asked to move it off Wood Creek property.
Parking Stickers – In March 2011 management handed out parking stickers for owner/resident vehicles. The board considered this a pilot program and received several inquiries regarding design improvement and privacy. At this time, the board is reviewing these concerns and working to improve the stickers. Once we have made the changes, we will reissue them to owners and residents. In the meantime, if management does not have your vehicle information on file, please contact Meadowlark Property Management at WoodCreekMail@gmail.com or call 785-842-5930. Please provide your full name, unit number, whether you’re a tenant or owner, vehicle make, model, color and plate number.
Speeding – Recently, both board members and owners attending regular meetings have noted vehicles traveling through Wood Creek at a high rate of speed (30-40mph). This is extremely dangerous. We ask owners and residents to adhere to posted speed limits (10mph) for their own safety as well as for the many children and pedestrians throughout our community. In addition, even if you are following posted limits, please be mindful of your surroundings. Last month a vehicle jumped the curb and crashed into the creek. Thankfully, there were no injuries to the driver or any pedestrians.
BBQ– On July 9th the Board and Meadowlark Property Management hosted a BBQ in front of the office. We had a nice turnout and took the opportunity to discuss the upcoming Community Yard Sale while sampling a wide variety of side dishes. Thank you to the volunteers and to everyone who brought a dish.
Community Yard Sale – On July 30th Wood Creek hosted its first Community Yard Sale to help raise money to improve our playground. Our board Secretary Jennifer Meitl did the lion’s share of the planning and organization for the event. Ads were placed in the Lawrence Journal World, Craigslist and several Lawrence online bulletin boards. Signs went up at key intersections. By Saturday morning we had 15 units signed up as well as several volunteers to man lemonade/snack stands, hand out maps and make sure sales ran smoothly. Our last minute preparations complete, we waited and held our breath.
We were not disappointed. Turnout was PHENOMENAL! We had a steady stream of people throughout the morning—some driving from as far away as Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The lemonade stand made close to $100 for our playground fund while pledges from participating owners are still being collected and counted. The most repeated phrase in speaking to owners and sellers was “When can we do this again?” After the sale, Meadowlark collected items left by the street to be donated to a local charity. Based on the community interest, and provided we have enough volunteers to repeat it, the board plans to make the Wood Creek Community Yard Sale an Annual or Semiannual event. Thank you to all the volunteers, participants and Meadowlark for making the day such a big success. In addition, if you weren’t able to participate but would still like to make a donation to the Wood Creek Playground Fund, Meadowlark will accept cash, check or money order. Please make checks payable to the Wood Creek Community Association.
Board Meeting Date Change – In the interest of accommodating board member schedules and easing management workloads, board meeting times and dates have changed:
- Condo Board meetings will be held the second Tuesday of the month at
6:00pm beginning August 9, 2011.
- Town House Board meetings will now be held on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm beginning August 16, 2011.
We hope to see you there.
Board Member Vacancies – We currently have two available seats on the Town House Board of Directors. These seats are by board appointment so if you are interested in becoming a member and making a difference for your community, please e-mail Meadowlark WoodCreekMail@gmail.com and be sure and tell them a bit about yourself, your availability and what you hope to accomplish as a member.
Volunteers – Maybe becoming a board member isn’t for you but you still want to help. The association needs your ideas and your talent. We need computer savvy volunteers to help update our website once it’s up and running. We need volunteers to organize social events. We need volunteers to research community improvements. We need…YOU! Please call (785-842-5930) or e-mail Meadowlark (WoodCreekMail@gmail.com) and let them know what you’d like to help with.
Thank you and have a wonderful rest of the summer
Sincerely,
The Wood Creek CSA
Board of Directors
