F.Y.I. The Newsletter of Edgewood Townehouse Association
PO Box 5424, Eugene, OR 97405

December 23, 2009

Important Dates:

Next Regular Board Meeting: Tues, January 12, 6:30 pm

(Notices of any special board meetings are posted in the Clubhouse 3 days before date of meeting per Bylaws)

Hospitality Activities:

Saturday Morning Social: January 9, 10:30 AM

By-the-Brook Book Group: Wednesday Jan. 13, 2 PM

Contents:

Board Message
Association Notes
Board Meeting Minutes: December 8, 2009
Reports: Grounds; Buildings; Website; Operations and Facility Maintenance
2010 Budget Clarifications
2010 Budget (last draft) [omitted]
November Banking Activities [omitted]

FYI Info:

Editor: Dave Compton

Next Deadline: January 12

Board Message

Winter has not yet officially arrived and we have already survived our first cold snap – but by the skin of our teeth! There were some frozen and some broken pipes, but nothing that cannot be repaired.

Residents are reminded to take the following precautions when freezing weather is forecast:

  • Make certain that outside hoses are disconnected.
  • Cover outside faucets with styrofoam faucet covers.
  • Cover vents in the foundation of your unit with styrofoam inserts. Both of these covers can be purchased at a hardware store.
  • At night open cabinet doors which are on outside walls.
  • Leave a pencil lead size stream of water running in your kitchen and upstairs bathroom sinks.

With these simple precautions, hopefully future emergencies can be avoided.

Association Notes

Cindy Conley is moving into Edgewood and has light fixtures from the original building phase. She would be happy to give them to anyone who needs replacement parts ( such as the glass globes ). If interested, contact Cindy at [ ] soon, before she takes them to Goodwill.

EDGEWOOD TOWNEHOUSE ASSOCIATION
Meeting of the Board of Directors
December 8, 2009

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President Bruce Trafton. Those in attendance were Board Members Bruce Trafton, Gwen Acker, Jon Joseph, Doug Cone,Toni Horodysky, Russ Fryburg and Eaton Conant. Suzy Wojcik and Susan Klein were excused. Frank Gaddini, Linda Johnson, Gloria Gehrman, Larry Hilliard and Dave Compton also were present.

Toni Horodysky asked to be heard to compliment Bruce Trafton and Frank Gaddini for the physical appearance of our property.

Director’s Report: Frank Gaddini reported on the facility improvements made in 2009. He also provided a written report. See copy attached. Frank, Doug Cone and Gloria Gehrman have begun the process of exploring ways to maximize our reserve funds investment. They will present to the Board by the end of the first quarter a recommendation for the best financial institutions for our investment. Considerations include (1) financial best return, (2) good counsel (3) convenience and (4) service. At this time major credit unions are the focus of the investigation.

Minutes: Gwen Acker advised of the correction to the November 10, 2009 meeting minutes which adds the name of Dave Compton to those present. Upon motion of Jon Joseph and second by Eaton Conant, the minutes were approved as published and corrected.

Treasurer’s Report: Doug Cone distributed the Profit and Loss Budget vs. Actual prepared by Tish Larsen. Doug Cone noted that both residents who are severely in arrears have been sent a Demand Letter by our attorney. A lien will be filed shortly.

Committee Reports:

Grounds: Bruce Trafton provided a written report which is attached. He will continue to contract services as needed, rather than a year long contract.
Building: Toni Horodysky provided a written report which is attached.
Website: Toni Horodysky provided a written report, which is attached.
Budget: Frank Gaddini led discussion of the Draft 2010 Budget prepared by the Budget Committee consisting of Frank, Gloria Gehrman, Doug Cone and Russ Fryburg. Russ had not been notified of the meeting due to his illness. The Draft Budget was discussed line item by line item. At the present time the budget is out of balance by [ ]. The discussion provided the committee with necessary input to work on the budget and to present a balanced budget to be voted on by the Board at a special board meeting to be held at on December 29, 2009.

Unfinished Business:

Rental of 87 WW: Frank Gaddini reported that repairs are nearly complete and that the unit should be ready for rental on or about December 1, 2010.
Management Planning Calendar for 2010: Bruce Trafton has purchased a large desk calendar to be placed in the office to keep track of projects for 2010.
Certified Audit: A certified audit is in the budget for 2010.
Reserve Study Update: This update will be scheduled for 2010.

New Business:

Rental of 127 WW: Larry Hilliard was present to answer questions. He has previously presented a written document to Bruce, requesting that a rental of his unit be allowed for six to nine months, with the possible extension of an additional three months. Upon motion of Jon Joseph and second by Eaton Conant the request was granted.

Toni Horodysky asked if a snow plan is in place. Bruce Trafton advised that such a plan is in place.

Toni also advised that sales of 50BB and 143WW have closed. Further, our community has been approved by FHA for financing under its stringent requirements.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Gwen Acker ( ), Secretary

GROUNDS COMMITTEE REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2009

A Happy Holiday Season to you All.

Our irrigation system is shut off and the leaky “Back-Valves” have been turned off by EWEB. We are secure for the winter.

Two trees have been cut and removed, either diseased (or) dead. Many low hanging branches and branches over buildings have been pruned and run through a shredder and removed from the property. This was done by a certified and insured arborist.

“Clearview Tree Specialist” (our monthly contracted pruners), were here December 3rd and trimmed all of the Rodies, Azaleas and other shrubbery between the mail boxes across from 185 WW all the way down and around137 WW. They also pruned and limbed in and around the front of 171WW.

Later in the month they will be working the area around 10 BB up and around 50 BB.

The Grounds Committee has tracked “Clearview’s work on the entire grounds on a monthly basis, for over a year now back to 2008.

Again, we move them from one side of the creek to the other every month. This way “Braeburners” and “Westbrookwayers” get equal treatment.

Leaf Blowing will continue through January, and I’m sure you all will agree this team of “Marlon and Sons Landscaping” have done an outstanding job!

Future:

We look forward to a new budget and a new year. The grounds committee will put together another monthly plan for the year 2010.

Thank you all for your great patience. The Grounds Committee appreciates your support.

Respectively Submitted,
Bruce Trafton ( )
Grounds Committee Chair

Building Committee Report, December 2009
Toni Horodysky ( ), Chair

Our construction projects have finally ended for 2009. What a year is has been: we replaced about 450 sheets of siding this year, compared to about 140 sheets in 2008!

We painted siding, replaced gutters and downspouts, garage personnel doors, wooden walkways, and railings. The work was spread throughout the complex.

This past month we cleaned roofs and gutters and started roof moss removal.

There are still many projects remaining on our “to do” list which will have to wait until next year, but we can be pleased with what was accomplished to date. Thank you for your vote setting our dues at a level that allowed us to have work done to keep ETA a safe and attractive place to live.

Edgewood Townehouse Association Website, December 2009
Toni Horodysky ( ), Webmistress

Edgewoodhoa.org had 57 visitors who looked at 91 total pages during the time period November 9 to December 6.

Operations and Facility Maintenance Report
FRANK L. GADDINI ( )

With this report, I wish to extend my sincere good tidings and cheer for the holiday season before us. This past November has been busy, noisy, but very productive in regards to our facility maintenance. For a period of time, it seemed as if the cacophony of noise from blowers, motors, and hammers was unending; but, as winter approaches, our work will relocate indoors to the sounds of conversations, debates, and the planning of our Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 activities. Since September we have managed to complete just over 190 of approximately 240 discrete jobs at our beautiful and stately site. These jobs include the following facility improvements:

* The major dry rot repair at sixteen townhouses.
* The replacement of 10 personnel garage doors and the Pool Equipment door.
* The replacement of 48 gutters and downspouts at various townhouses.
* The repainting of 14 townhouses.
* The repair and/or replacement of 4 wood walkways and decks.
* The replacement of 200 feet of handrail.
* The maintenance of our two bridges and masonry fence.
* The upgrade to photo-electric management of our exterior lights.
* The cleaning and treatment of 62 roofs.
* The management of autumn leaf fall.
* As well as numerous and various minor repair jobs, pruning jobs, and tree abatements.

Yet, there is still more to address, but these jobs will have wait until our new Fiscal Year 2010. I have also recently become engaged, with the help of volunteer association homeowners, in reviewing many of our policies, business practices, and financial relations to ensure that we are in compliance with laws, good business practices, and the best management of our finances. These reviews will be the focus of my attention over the winter season. Over the winter season, I will be seeking more volunteers from our homeowners association to serve on committees to critically review and update our By-Laws and Rules. If you have an interest, expertise, and time please email me at [ ] so that we can review the scope of the work and time frames. Our findings, suggestions, and updates will be presented to the Board for their promulgation of the change process.

During winter season, I also plan to assess the facility maintenance work we completed in FY 2009 to plan for the best timing and deployment of our FY 2010 work. I believe it is in our best interest to deploy these projects during the spring and early summer, so as not to conflict with summer vacations and family visiting time. Conducting these projects early also often affords us the best value for our dollars spent, because contractors charge more when there is greater demand for their time and service. Moreover, completing our major maintenance projects gives us more time to thoughtfully reflect on the work of preparing the FY 2011 budget, rather than feeling pressured at the eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute to complete this important task. Finally, it also assures us quiet time during the late summer and early autumn, before the hum of leaf blowers begin to echo throughout our south hills valley.

Happy Winter Holidays.

Some 2010 Budget Clarifications

Attached you will find the last draft of next year’s budget, based on the $245 per month individual assessment for ETA. The Budget Committee has presented it to the Board, who will be giving it a final vote on December 29.

General comments: We started out 2009 with some budgetary unknowns resulting from a change from contracting for most work, prior to Frank Bocci, to having ETA employees performing all work projected. With the hiring of Frank Gaddini we have gone back to hiring qualified, bonded, licensed contractors for our property with our ETA-paid director specifying projects for bid, then hiring and supervising the contractors. That means scheduling our projects in a calendar year that begins as soon as weather permits, with the possibility of simultaneous projects being completed.

Many of the capital projects below are multi-year projects, given our budget limitations. Once completed, however, they should require only routine maintenance for the extended life of the common element listed.

[Budget information omitted]

Budget Committee participants: Doug Cone, Gloria Gehrman, Frank Gaddini, Bruce Trafton (emeritus).


[Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and street addresses have been removed for privacy reasons.]