F.Y.I. The Newsletter of Edgewood Townehouse Association
PO Box 5424, Eugene, OR 97405October 23, 2008Important Dates:Annual Meeting: Tues, Oct. 28, 7:30 PM
Next Regular Board Meeting: Tues, Nov. 11, 7 PM(Notices of any special board meetings are posted in the Clubhouse 3 days before date of meeting per Bylaws)
Hospitality Activities:
Monthly Potluck: Sun, Nov. 2, 5 pm
Saturday Morning Social: Nov. 8, 10:30 am
By-the-Brook Book Group: Wed, Nov. 12, 2 pmContents:Board Message
Association News
Reserve Study Digest
[Proposed 2009 Budget omitted]
Board Minutes: 10/20/08
Committee Reports: Grounds; Building
Manager's Report
[Banking Activity omitted]Editor: Gloria Gehrman
Board message:Greetings, Neighbors,
The gray and gloomy mornings are here. Standard time begins - fall back. The election is going to bring us change, no matter who or what wins. And then there's the economy - just where does all that money go that's been lost?But here we are with the same old problems that need to be solved in our own neighborhood.
Our annual meeting is next week, the time to elect new board members, to assess what we have accomplished this year and how we proceed in the next year. The budget (included herein) is our outline of what our community priorities are.
Within this month's FYI you will find a digest of this years reserve study, the first study we have had done. This document outlines 30 years of expected capital expenditures that the Association is responsible for, with some large numbers on the bottom line for each year. Although we have been chipping away at a few things and have done the huge project of shoring up the creek, we still have a list each year that would only be completely satisfied by what the reserve specialist has estimated at $202 per month per unit for capital and reserve expenditures. This does not include our regular operating expenses.
This, of course, is more than probably any of us is willing to pay, no matter how much we love our homes. On the other hand, the responsibility for the common elements lies with the Association and not with the individual homeowner.
So the challenge in building the budget was trying to make inroads on the projects we know need to be checked off the list while keeping the monthly assessments at what would be reasonable, both to current homeowners and potential homeowners.
The proposed budget also includes changes in the operating expenses because our new manager, unlike past managers, is paid an hourly salary and pays us rent on 87 Westbrook and pays for his own utilities. Because Frank has been with us for only a few months, we can only anticipate some of the other changes that he may bring because of different landscaping service options or other repair and maintenance arrangements. (Please see the Notes/Remarks column of the budget for some explanation.)
Please also study the Capital Outlay portion of the 2009 budget. It outlines those projects the Board expects to tackle. It is also a new category in our budget.
Bottom line: The Board is proposing a budget that reflects a monthly assessment of $265 per month with no special assessment in 2009. Here are some of the reasons we have decided on this amount and these projects:
1.) It allows us to work on most, but not all, of the recommended common elements listed in the reserve study. (See pages 3-4 of the Reserve Study Digest below)
2.) The projects chosen represent continuing upkeep (siding & painting) as well as safety issues such as hazardous walkways and railings that no longer meet code.
3.) In 2008, we/you approved a $500 special assessment in addition to our $194 monthly assessment/dues. The total of dollars collected from each homeowner in 2008 will be the equivalent of $235 per month. Therefore, the suggested monthly amount for 2009 is within the range of other increases you may have experienced lately: automobile expenses, health insurance premiums, etc.
Why not another assessment while keeping the monthly dues lower? Here are some reasons:1.) A special assessment tends to hit our pocketbooks in one month, making a large dent in personal budgets. Being able to budget monthly is much easier for most of us.
2.) As we have known and now can see in the reserve study, our responsibilities for ongoing major maintenance do not diminish in one or two years. We will continue to need the increased amount-if we want to continue the necessary improvements.
3.) The uncertainty of having to vote on each and every project above a lower monthly assessment jeopardizes our ongoing stability and makes Association management even more difficult.
4.) Having enough money to budget systematically for major maintenance, as outlined in the reserve study, puts us at a lower risk of the crisis to crisis management that we have experienced. Yes, we will still have emergencies as 35-year-old pipes and valves break, winds threaten trees, or other structural gremlins strike, but we can try to anticipate and plan better.
5.) The purpose in having reserves, which is built into the reserve study amounts, is that you are planning ahead and using your reserves for big ticket items, such as roofs, and not needing large assessments that really bite into fixed incomes. We have heard about these kinds of assessments in other Eugene and Springfield homeowners' associations. (Please read pages 4-5 of the Reserve Study Digest about "Funding Options.")
6.) As lending tightens up, we can anticipate lenders looking more closely at our financial statements, including what we our setting aside for reserves and how we are planning for capital expenditures. State codes and standard practices have changed since ETA was established. Although in some cases we are "grandfathered" from following these practices and regulations, it may be smarter to adopt the changes than ignore them - if they wind up benefiting us in the long run.
The Board has done its job in producing what we think is a reasonable budget. But now it's up to you - again. The Board can only raise the monthly assessment by 4% without a vote of the membership. Take the opportunity of the Annual Meeting (Tuesday, October 28, 7:30 pm) to critique the budget, state your preferences, and offer any alternatives you think might work. The election on the assessment of $265 per month will be held on Monday, December 1, at the club house, following the rules in our CC&R's.With our nest eggs looking hummingbird size, we know it's a difficult time to ask for more money. Looking on the bright side, we may actually be able to get more done with our dollars during a recession - before inflation hits.
Your Edgewood Townehouse Association Board
Association NewsResults of September per poll:
Only about a dozen people voted in last month's Pet Poll. Half thought no new restrictions were needed; half thought we should have new restrictions. For now, the status quo wins. If you are a pet owner, please refer to existing pet rules to make sure you are complying with community standards.Yahoo! Group:
Larry Hilliard has established an EdgewoodTownehousesEugeneOR group on Yahoo! Larry says, "This is an informal venue for owners and neighbors to share information, post 'for sale' ads and discuss items of interest. It's also a way to keep up with the happenings in the community when you are away. Owner postings will not be edited or filtered." If you have not received an invitation to participate, contact Larry.Arrivals and Departures:
We are saddened to hear of the death of our neighbor John Martin of 145 WW. Our condolences to his nephew, neighbor Bill Skillern of 137 WW. We welcome Charlie and Sue Schroder who will be moving into 54 WW. They have moved to Eugene from New York state. ETA will also be welcoming Shirley Saries and Cathy Gilham, soon to be moving into 175 WW.Look for our new homeowners at next week's annual meeting.
Arrivals and Departures will be featured regularly as news of our present and former neighbors becomes known. Please notify the FYI editor as you become aware of news of note. Our ETA roster of members has been delayed because of anticipated changes in ownership and the prospect of new Board members by the end of the year. If you would like to receive a current copy of the roster before general distribution, your Editor can send you an Excel file in email or deliver a paper copy to your door.
Calling all Vets:
The editor is still collecting a list of neighbors to salute for Veterans' Day-currently 6 men. Please give the editor your name, branch of service, years of service, and where you served. You may call, email, or drop a note at the home of Gloria Gehrman.Because the next FYI will be after Veterans' Day, the list will be emailed to our ETA distribution list in time for the holiday and then reprinted in the November FYI.
Edgewood Townehouse Association
2008 Reserve Study DigestThis Spring, the ETA Board hired Dan Huntley of Reserve Funding by WSSC to conduct our first reserve study. The Board has reviewed the reserve study's recommendations for the last several months, using its conclusions to inform the construction of the 2009 budget.
The Reserve Study and its accompanying Maintenance Plan is available for review at the club house. However, since the documents together are almost 200 pages, we have prepared this summary to help the Association understand the decisions that are before us.
Note: The highlighted portions of text below are taken directly from the 2008 ETA Reserve Study.
From the Narrative Report [page 1-4]:
"The purpose of this study is to establish a reasonable yearly reserve contribution necessary to meet future expenditures for major replacements or repairs of the common area components of the Association as of the beginning of their fiscal year.
"Reserves for replacement are estimates of that amount of money that must be put aside to repair or replace major items or building components that will wear out before the entire facility or project wears out.
"State law, such as that found in California, Florida, Oregon and Illinois, clearly establishes the fiduciary duty of "boards" and the necessity for adequate assessments including reserve funds. The legislative intent of these acts is to better protect current owners and future buyers of units in community associations. Reserving funds for future repair or replacement of the shorter lived building components is also one of the most reliable ways of protecting the future market value of an individual's investment property from the deleterious effects of special assessments."
More than half of the reserve study is made up of individual pages that focus on each of the individual components that are owned jointly by the Association and for which ETA is responsible. For each of these components or categories, the original cost is estimated, the remaining life and replacement year is predicted, and a future cost is projected. This then feeds into a 30-year projection of expenses that are put into several funding tables.
From the definition section, page 3-4, what is included:
"Reserve Expenses
"These are major expenses that occur other than annually, and which must be budgeted in advance in order to ensure the availability of the necessary funds in time for their use. Reserve expenses are reasonably predictable both in terms of frequency and cost However, they may include significant assets that have an indeterminable but potential liability that may be demonstrated as a likely occurrence. They are expenses that, when incurred, would have a significant effect on the smooth operation of the budgetary process from one year to the next, if they were not reserved in advance. Examples of reserve expenses include:"This is the actual list of categories included in our reserve study, pages 2-17 through 2-100 and accompanying tables. They are also represented in the maintenance plan.
"Further House Bill 2665 makes windows and unit access doors, except for glazing and screening, general common elements, unless Declaration provides otherwise, (Sec 5)."
Grading/drainage, foundations/footings, party walls, concrete stair surfaces, plumbing system, flues (chimneys), sanitary sewage drains, telephone.
[omitted]
The next 28 years projected expenditures are of equal amounts or larger.
How do we fund the above, from page 3-2:
Funding Options
"When a major repair or replacement is required in a community, an association has essentially four options available to address the expenditure:
"The first, and only logical means that the Board of Directors has to ensure its ability to maintain the assets for which it is obligated, is by assessing an adequate level of reserves as part of the regular membership assessment, thereby distributing the cost of the replacements uniformly over the entire membership. The community is not only comprised of present members, but also future members. Any decision by the Board of Directors to adopt a calculation method or funding plan which would disproportionately burden future members in order to make up for past reserve deficits, would be a breach of its fiduciary responsibility to those future members. Unlike individuals determining their own course of action, the board is responsible to the 'community' as a whole. Whereas, if the association was setting aside reserves for this purpose, using the vehicle of the regularly assessed membership dues, it would have had the full term of the life of the roof, for example, to accumulate the necessary moneys. Additionally, those contributions would have been evenly distributed over the entire membership and would have earned interest as part of that contribution.
"The second option is for the association to acquire a loan from a lending institution in order to effect the required repairs. In many cases, banks will lend to an association using 'future homeowner assessments' as collateral for the loan. With this method, the current board is pledging the future assets of an association. They are also incurring the additional expense of interest fees along with the original principal amount In the case of a $150,000 roofing replacement [in our case, this would be about 25% of our roofs], the association may be required to pay back the loan over a three to five year period, with interest.
"The third option, too often used, is simply to defer the required repair or replacement This option, which is not recommended, can create an environment of declining property values due to expanding lists of deferred maintenance items and the association's financial inability to keep pace with the normal aging process of the common area components. This, in turn, can have a seriously negative impact on sellers in the association by making it difficult, or even impossible, for potential buyers to obtain financing from lenders. Increasingly, lending institutions are requesting copies of the association's most recent reserve study before granting loans, either for the association itself, a prospective purchaser, or for an individual within such an association.
"The fourth option is to pass a 'special assessment' to the membership in an amount required to cover the expenditure. When a special assessment is passed, the association has the authority and responsibility to collect the assessments, even by means of foreclosure, if necessary. However, an association considering a special assessment cannot guarantee that an assessment, when needed, will be passed. Consequently, the association cannot guarantee its ability to perform the required repairs or replacements to those major components for which it is obligated when the need arises. Additionally, while relatively new communities require very little in the way of major 'reserve' expenditures, associations reaching 12 to 15 years of age and older, find many components reaching the end of their effective useful lives. These required expenditures, all accruing at the same time, could be devastating to an association's overall budget"
The Board encourages all interested homeowners to review the entire document to better assess our current position. We will continue to use and improve the documents to better serve our needs, including doing some research on such areas as ownership of the Brae Burn signage and the actual utilities under Westbrook Way and how they are connected to the surrounding properties. For those of you who have served on previous boards and/or lived in the community for many years, you may spot errors or omissions in the 35 years of history we attempted to collect for the reserve study specialist.
We will also be keeping complete documentation on what improvements are done so that future boards can more easily fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities and report to the community.
Thank you for your support and assistance.
EDGEW000 TOWNEHOUSE ASSOCIATION
Meeting of the Board of Directors
October 20, 2008The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President Nick Musgrave. The regularly scheduled Board Meeting was rescheduled from October 14, 2008, as the Board lacked a quorum. Those present included Board Members Nick Musgrave, Russ Fryburg, Gloria Gehrman, Bev Behrman, Toni Horodysky and Gwen Acker. Doug Cone and Michael Landes were excused. Also in attendance were Bruce Trafton, Eaton Conant and Frank Bocci.
Members Forum: Eaton Conant appeared to request that the Board take action to alleviate the noise and odors emitting from his neighbor's residence. A letter will be directed to the owner of the unit.Toni Horodysky reported that the color of the Chapel which is being built at the cemetery next door is agreeable to the Edgewood resident who was concerned that it would be a stark white.
Minutes of the September 9, 2008 meeting were approved as previously published in the FYI upon motion of Russ Fryburg and second by Bev Behrman as there were no objections.
President's Report was presented by Nick Musgrave. The unauthorized parking of a vehicle in the overflow lot has been noted by Ellen Ching. Bruce Trafton followed up and learned that it is owned by a relative of someone residing here and will be moved within two weeks. It is noted that a guest card is not in the window. The vehicle will be reported and towed in two weeks.
The responsibility for maintenance of foundations was brought to the attention of the Board and discussed.
Manager's Report: Frank Bocci presented an oral report. Toni Horodysky moved and Bev Behrman seconded the motion that the Manager's weekly e-mail communications with the Board be posted in hard copy in the clubhouse for anyone who is interested. The hard copy then will be retained as a record. The motion carried. This action was taken at the request of Larry Hilliard, that he be copied on the e-mail list of the report.
Treasurer's Report: The report was presented in written form. See copy attached.
Committee Reports:
Grounds Committee: Bruce Trafton reported on winterization of our property and plans for the Spring. In the future Bruce will get coordinate with Toni Horodysky and Frank Bocci for a joint written report. Bruce reported that his committee has two members besides himself, Eaton Conant and Lee Benton-Williams. Joan Fulton and Susan Smith will be in an advisory position.
Bev Behrman moved and Russ Fryburg seconded, that the Grounds Committee by permitted to mulch and plant on a strip along the sidewalk on the creek side in front of 71, 75, 79 and 83 Westbrook Way. The motion carried. The plants, azaleas, are the gift of Toni Horodysky.
Hospitality Committee: Toni Horodysky reported that new residents have been attending socials and how good it is to have them there. A discussion ensued regarding the printing of new Home Owners Handbooks as our supply is almost depleted.
Building Committee: Toni Horodysky presented a written report. See copy attached.
Unfinished Business:
Russ Fryburg reported that a judgment will be entered on October 27, 2008 and further legal action taken at that time for the collection of the account of the resident who is severely in arrears.Nick Musgrave reported that Clara Nistler has been unable to find volunteers to fill vacancies on the Board, to begin service in January 2009. Russ Fryburg has agreed to run for an additional term. Two more vacancies exist.
Gloria Gehrman reported that a copy of a Digest of the Reserve Study is now available and will be included in this month's FYI. Any questions can be addressed at the Annual General Meeting on October 28, 2008.
The responsibility for maintenance of foundations was discussed. 70 Brae Burn has a severe problem with the patio. An engineer will be contacted to determine the cause of the problem. Depending upon whether the report shows that the cause of the problem is (1) undermining by the creek or (2) the land fill under the patio, it will be decided whether the responsibility lies with the homeowner or with the Association.
New Business:
The Proposed 2009 Budget was presented - copy attached. Toni Horodysky moved that this proposed budget be presented to the general membership at the meeting on October 28, 2008. Gloria Gehrman seconded the motion. The motion carried with Russ Fryburg opposing.Toni Horodysky moved and Bev Behrman seconded that a special meeting be called for December 1, 2008, to vote on the proposed budget. The motion carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gwen Acker
Secretary
Grounds Committee ReportCurrent committee: Lee Benton-Williams, Eaton Conant, George Hull, Jerry Wojcik, Chair Bruce Trafton; Susan Smith and Joan Fulton are advisory members, not currently active.
Rexius was consulted and chosen as the best irrigation expert to deal with backflow devices. They will do the state required testing of the valves in the spring and report to EWEB.
Pruning: Azaleas and rhodies cannot be pruned right now because their buds are set. Gray's Gardens and Greer Gardens were consulted. One of the professionals from Greer volunteered to take a look, since she happens to be a neighbor. After a 2-hour walk through with Bruce, she gave some recommendations and also said the place looks great.
Clearview Tree contract: Cancellation of special requests (mostly tree pruning) being considered. Review of the first year of the contract will be done.
Landscaping contract: Although we don't currently have a commercial landscaper, be assured that the Landscape Committee along with Frank is monitoring the ongoing problems with the trees, shrubs, lawns, etc. and devising new methods of accomplishing what is actually needed. Right now, it is difficult to project number of hours needed and therefore dollars required because there has only been a few months experience. We have decreased the budgeted amount for landscape services, but we will be watching the actual expenditures closely. Be assured, there are backup plans in mind in case things don't work out.
Bruce, Frank & Chuck will be doing weekly pruning and clearing of dead brush along the creek during the winter. This is proving to be a fun activity for those involved.
Selective mulching of downed leaves will be done; maple leaves are OK but oak leaves are too acidic.
Future plantings and mulching: With changes along the cemetery behind 2-54 WW building, assessment will be made on some maintenance and replanting next year.
Planting and mulch will be done east of clubhouse next to walkways with donated azaleas from Toni Horodysky and Joann Hale, who will provide maintenance.
Please remember that any plantings, prunings, or landscape changes in the common areas need to be cleared through the Grounds Committee. There are restrictions in terms of where digging takes place, where water is available, or what can be done closer to the creek.
Questions and concerns should be directed to Grounds Committee Chair Bruce Trafton.
Plants Crowding Buildings/Siding:
The chairpersons of the Grounds and Building Committees agree that many areas have plants and soil too close to siding. This may have already caused damage to the siding. There are also some volunteer plants that have grown in the wrong place. As time permits, some plants will be severely pruned, others will be transplanted or removed. Bruce Trafton and Toni Horodysky
Building Committee Report, October 2008
Toni Horodysky, ChairSpoke with homeowner regarding scheduling of patio fence repair which will be done at her own expense. I explained that our focus at this times was on replacing siding on buildings to prevent mold damage. Frank and Chuck expect to do patio fence repair during the winter or early spring, as weather permits.
Dry rot in this patio fence is at both the base and upper part. Damage at base is probably due to raised brickwork laid atop the concrete and edged by a metal strip which trapped moisture next to the siding. Upper dry rot appears to be caused by hanging baskets whose weight pulled siding away from the metal cap. Water also entered through around the screws which held the brackets. [A shepherd’s hook is better for hanging baskets.]
Recommended we replace house wall in patios 141-147 WW. Change in the weather allowed us to complete only unit 141 WW this year.
Recommended we replace south-facing wall in patio of 21 WW, which is house wall of 17 WW. This area can be covered with a tarpaulin and completed later in the year.
Units 118 to 152 BB have flat roof between garage, laundry, and over the entrance. These roof are reputed to be quite old, so homeowners should be on the alert for water stains or new cracks on interior walls. The same goes for our one-story units which have a flat roof over the kitchen and family room.
A homeowner complained about appearance of new east-facing wall at 171 WW. She noted that there were two different textures in the new siding and it “looked bad”. I explained that the contractor had to buy plywood made by a different manufacturer because the supplier ran out of the brand found on lower level. Homeowner felt that contractor should have “planned and estimated better”.
A homeowner complained about lack of enforcement of front porch appearance, specifically, carpets glued down on concrete, and pointed to 70 BB, which was just listed for sale. ETA Porch and Deck Rules state “Where carpet is currently installed, it cannot be replaced, but must be removed entirely when it becomes hazardous or unsightly.” The owner of 70 BB does not want to remove it because she fears someone can slip and fall on the concrete. This carpet has some moss growing on it, so I sprinkled some baking soda on the carpet to kill the moss.
Discussed the extensive dry rot in patio walls and cracks in patio foundation of 70 BB with owner. I mentioned that an expert examined the patio some years ago, and determined that shifting and cracks in foundation are due to excessive expansion of the soil within the patio. His report recommended owner add additional weep holes in the foundation. This has not been done.
Owner was familiar with the report but thought it was ETA responsibility and claimed she had been promised repair 4 years ago. I explained my understanding was that since we owned the land beneath our units, conditions due to poor soil under the unit were homeowner responsibility. I mentioned 50 BB had to take care of foundation problems due to a spring at their own cost. She said that she bought the unit in its current condition, but had no recourse because the former owner was deceased. She said that in her disclosure form in listing her unit for sale she stated she knew of no problems for which homeowner was responsible. Since our conversation I learned that 40 BB paid for foundation repairs. Frank Bocci will call in the engineer who worked on the creek to evaluate the problem.
A homeowner complained about appearance of upper window at 157 WW. The window has image of lion or tiger in orange paint on the INSIDE of the glass. The complainant insisted this was “totally unacceptable” and that Building Committee Chair should “do something about this “graffiti" immediately.” This appears to be a Halloween decoration done by a child who lives in the unit. ETA Board unanimously agreed that homeowners were allowed to decorate inside their units as they desired.
Same homeowner complained that the owner at 124 BB has not painted the second floor deck which was replaced “many months ago.” The owner assured me she is planning to paint the railings, and the parts of the deck which are visible to the outside, as soon as she can find someone to do it.
Manager's Report-October 2008A summary of this Summer's siding replacement and painting is as follows:
In short, the painting is now caught up with the new siding put in place save and except 141, which is expected to be completed by October 24, 2008 if the weather predictions hold true. The siding contractor's involvement (Rick Fielder Construction) has been terminated for the year.
After the leaves have fallen, focus on patio fences needing repair and replacement will take place, since those are not weather dependent such as opening up residential areas can be.
A lot of dead limbs have been removed, but there are still a lot to go. It should result in healthier trees with less opportunity for insect infestation and disease, as well as creating less mess and issues with regard to safety from falling limbs. To date, two twenty-yard drop boxes have been filled with cuttings. This will continue over the fall and winter. Three trees have now been removed, including a shore pine leaning precariously over unit 35, and two trees along the cemetery property line. Two trees at the entrance of Willamette and Westbrook Way are scheduled to be removed. Although it's sad to have to remove the large maple, its removal has been recommended by Clearview, and there now appears to be general agreement that less drastic measures are not an option.
Most of the roofs and gutters with significant leaf and pine-needle debris have been cleaned at least once, some twice. I expect that will continue through December, and I've had good results thereafter with minimal accumulation through most months thereafter until late summer.
The pool has been treated in an effort to attempt to remove the staining, and that process will continue over the winter.
The lawn has been fertilized for the winter. A general overview of my approach to the lawn care is as follows:
1. I'm cutting the grass higher now because:
2. The water schedule for next year will change. This summer, it was set for every day except Sunday. According to Scoff's Lawn Care, frequent watering invites disease, shallow root development. The recommendation is 1 inch applied per week, one day per week, or, at most, delivered over two days, which will likely be the need because of the clay soil and the fact that some of the watering stations include both lawn and plants which have conflicting water requirements.
3. The mowing schedule will be according to the needs of the lawn, not a schedule. During heavier growing seasons in the early spring and early fall, that means it may need to be mowed twice a week in the spring and fall, as opposed to once a week in the summer when growth is slower. The idea is to only take, at most, a third of the grass off at one time so as not to put the lawn in shock, leaving enough blade keep the lawn healthy and able to regenerate. That can only happen if you mow according to the needs of the lawn, not the schedule of the lawn care provider.
4. A schedule will be developed incorporating five fertilizations a year. Again, the theory is more frequent feeding keeps the lawn healthier by not starving and stressing it for long periods of time between feedings. Different fertilizer formulations will be needed at different times of the year, which I'll develop in concert with the Landscape Committee.
5. Lawns need at least 4 hours of sunlight each day to grow. In shady spots, I'll be looking to work with the Landscape Committee with an eye towards raising the canopies of the trees to allow this to happen for healthy lawn, or if that's not possible in certain areas, looking toward some other ground cover.
After conferring with various sources, trimming will continue to take place with everything but the azaleas since the buds have set for next year.
The irrigation system has been tested and passed with respect to the backflow valves. The system from the gate valves to the sprinklers will be winterized, meaning the pipes cleared of water, in an effort to minimize the time and expense for replacing numerous broken sprinkler heads and lines that needed to replaced last year.
Besides the leaves falling, primary focus coming up will be on replacing damaged gutters and downspouts, clearing out the creek bed, and reconstructing dry-rolled bridge elements at the clubhouse.
I hope that most of the homeowner requests that have been submitted have at least been contacted. I now have them cataloged, and I appreciate your patience in pulling up with my prioritizing them as I have, which has allowed me to maximize my time and to take advantage of the quickly shortening daylight time to get as far as we can regarding structural and safety issues. The good news is that in about 60 days, the daylight hours will be getting longer, and I look forward to making even greater progress.
I am in the process of preparing a schedule for Spring home inspection where about 20 minutes per residence will be spent inspecting the exterior siding, patios, doors, roofs, gutters, chimneys so that a work schedule can be developed and prioritized based on worst cases being addressed first. Hopefully, this time spent will increase our efficiency and decrease owner frustration and the need for work requests, as well as allowing for better use of financial resources. This year, given that I came on board late, there were more than a few occasions where the initial planned siding replacement and painting schedule was revised as more urgent dry rot cases came to the attention of the Building Committee or me.
Formal homeowner requests are down significantly (about 3 in the last two weeks), which I hope is an indication that we are making progress in addressing homeowner concerns.
There is a lot of work yet to be done, but I'm confident we're gaining on the backlog of requests I inherited, and if your request has not yet been addressed, please be assured I haven't forgotten about it. I'll try to be more specific in my next report about the types and numbers of requests that have been addressed, and those yet to be addressed.hank you again for your patience.
Very truly yours,
Frank E. Bocci, Jr.
[Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and street addresses have been removed for privacy reasons.]