HALLOWAY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION TRIANNUAL MEETING Saturday, July 23, 2016 3:00 PM Tres Potrillos Restaurant Party Room Present: 3 trustees (Jack DeWell, Pam Ryerson, John Ritterbeck) Rick Morrison (Blockwatch Coordinator), Residents (approximately 10) Meeting called to order by Jack DeWell at 3:05 PM I. Welcome/Opening Statement Jack DeWell a. Introduced new Board of Trustees chosen at last election: i. Jack DeWell: President ii. Pam Ryerson: Secretary iii. John Ritterbeck: Treasurer II. Community Yard Sale Update Pam Ryerson a. Approximately 10 families participated in the 3 rd Annual Community Yard Sale on June 3 & 4, 2016. b. While this was more than in previous years, it s still a low number. c. We will discuss at the Annual Meeting next spring whether to continue this. III. Driveway Inspections Jack DeWell a. The Board of Trustees is obligated to follow up on complaints sent to them by fellow homeowners. b. All three Trustees will be following up this Wednesday, July 27, on a list of complaints regarding driveway sealing which was sent to them. i. List of homes found to be in violation will be sent to Clayman Property Services for the sending of violation letters. ii. Homeowners who receive violation letters as a result will be given between 30-60 days to comply. c. Homeowner question: which driveways will be cited? i. Jack: only ones in really dire shape will receive violation letters. IV. New Halloway Webpage John Ritterbeck a. The Board has paid Clayman Property Services to put together a new webpage for our subdivision. i. Central repository for our documents. b. Access can be obtained through claymanpropertyservices.com/halloway i. Username: owner ii. Password: halloway178 iii. This information will also be posted to our Facebook site and placed in our next newsletter. 1. Pam: next newsletter will be FINAL one mailed to everyone, other than the annual meeting notice (which is required to be mailed by our rules). All other newsletters will be posted to the website. 2. Homeowners can request paper copies of documents to be mailed to them through June Clayman.
c. Jack: detail of items on webpage d. Homeowner question: will Facebook site continue? i. Answer: yes, as well as Gmail account. V. Fence Project Pam Ryerson a. The Board considers this a top priority! b. Progress so far: i. Pictures have been taken of current fence & its condition. ii. Currently obtaining bids to remove fence. iii. Will be checking with City of Columbus Code Enforcement this week as to whether fence must legally be replaced. 1. If not legally required, the homeowners can vote to amend the Declaration of Covenants, Easements, Conditions and Restrictions to remove section pertaining to replacing and maintaining this fence. 2. This would save money, not only for the fence itself, but also for landscaping, as homeowners could then be required to mow their sections of the easement along Hall & Galloway Rds. 3. This would need to go through the balloting process and be approved by a percentage of the homeowners in the subdivision. c. Homeowner question: what about fence on Crossbrook Blvd. that is falling down? i. Jack: the Board really can t enforce someone else s fence until we fix our own. ii. Jon Schneider disagreed with this, stating that the Board should follow up immediately due to the basic maintenance code. iii. Jack: if it poses an immediate safety hazard, the Board will deal with it; otherwise, it s unfair if we haven t dealt with our own responsibility. iv. This property may be a rental; if so, it s up to the owners to fix the fence. v. Same home also has an unpainted shed. d. Current plan is to have the fence along Galloway Road removed for now until our legal obligations are clarified. i. Parts of the fence which are connected to individual homeowners fences will be left intact for the time being, again until plans are finalized. Nothing will happen that affects an individual homeowner s fence without prior notification. VI. Neighborhood Blockwatch Update Rick Morrison a. A new Neighborhood Blockwatch Coordinator is needed for our subdivision, as Rick is in the process of selling his house. i. New volunteers are always needed as well. b. Suspected drug house on Jolliff St. i. Three arrests were made there approximately one week ago. ii. This had also been a drug house under the previous owners. iii. Hopefully, the latest arrests will end the illegal activity at this address. c. Jack: emphasized that it takes time for the police to act; patience is necessary. i. The Board works closely with the Blockwatch Coordinator to observe and notify police as needed.
VII. VIII. IX. ii. Rick: communication between the Blockwatch Coordinator and the Liaison Officer is often brief and vague, as the officer doesn t want to say anything that may jeopardize the case or resultant court proceedings. iii. Pam: reminder that anonymous tips can be sent to CPD via their website. iv. Rick: our Facebook site is also a helpful tool for neighbors to warn each other quickly. Easement Jack DeWell a. Problem: homeowners forgetting to maintain the easement between fences at backs and/or sides of properties. i. Severe problem developed in easement at the end of Nasby Dr., Jolliff St., and Chidley St. ii. A huge mess formed, including 6-foot-tall weeds, junk, and animal nests. iii. We paid for Boyd Mowing to clean up the mess. iv. Homeowners in that area have been notified via mail that they are responsible to maintain the easement area and will have to pay for the cleanup if this happens again. Violation Process Jack DeWell a. The current violation process is time-consuming and a lot of work for the Trustees, who volunteer for this position and all have jobs and families. b. Beginning in January 2017, the Board has voted to turn over the violation process to Clayman Property Services. i. Clayman will drive through the neighborhood once per month and look for violations. ii. List of violations will be sent to the Board for approval. iii. Clayman will send violation letters and follow through to ensure issues are addressed. c. John: this process will be more fair and impartial, and it allows Clayman to cover all potential violations, not just focusing on one at a time. i. New process also removes accusations of bias. d. Jack: homeowners can still call Clayman Properties to review violations. e. Homeowner question (Jon S.): will this process be as effective? i. Jack: we don t know yet but we ll see. f. Jack: This new process will cost the homeowners more money in annual fees. i. Rough estimate: approximately $10.00/lot/year; however, this is only a rough estimate and could increase. ii. Homeowner comment: it s worth the extra money if it stops the negative comments on our Facebook page. Board Accomplishments Jack DeWell a. Since the new Board was elected in April 2016 (the last three months): i. Over 40 Emails have been responded to, ii. Over 65 violation letters sent out (trash cans, dead trees, etc.), iii. Four Board meetings held, iv. John and Pam attended free training sessions, v. One newsletter published, vi. Several Design Review Board forms reviewed and approved, vii. Several roofing questions answered following late April hailstorm,
viii. Sponsored Community Yard Sale, ix. Started new fence project, x. Started Rule Book project, which will take several months, xi. Over 20 individual meetings with homeowners, xii. Easement area (Nasby/Jolliff/Chidley) cleaned up, and xiii. Performed property maintenance at an abandoned home on Jolliff St. 1. Will try to obtain reimbursement from bank once home enters foreclosure, but can t guarantee this will happen. X. Questions and Answers Board a. Jack: if homeowner has a personal issue (i.e., violation letter), homeowner has the right to schedule special meeting with the Board to address concerns. b. Homeowner question regarding roof colors i. There is no rule regarding roof colors in Deed Restrictions. ii. All roof colors so far have been approved. iii. No problems with roof colors as long as the color chosen isn t ridiculous. c. Homeowner question: is there a rule regarding siding colors? i. Again, Board doesn t believe such a rule exists. ii. If homeowner has a question, he/she should complete and submit a Design Review Board form just to be safe. 1. It s free, quick, and easy! iii. Homeowner: is there a rule stating houses next to one another must have different color siding? 1. The Board doesn t remember such a rule. iv. Homeowner in question plans to replace siding with a similar color to what she had previously. 1. Board: this shouldn t be a problem. d. Homeowner: how can we be good neighbors to fellow homeowners who may be elderly or need assistance? i. Board is willing to work with any homeowners in this situation as long as they communicate with us. ii. Suggestion (Rick M.): a Community Beautification Day when we all gather to help one another. 1. Pam had suggested a similar idea when she became a Trustee. 2. Jack: concern that only Trustees would show up to help. iii. Homeowner suggestion: St. Cecilia Catholic Church on Norton Rd. solicits projects for their youth service corps every spring. 1. The weather must be dry on that day. 2. Homeowners don t need to be members of this church to apply for assistance. 3. We may look into this next spring. e. Homeowner concern (Rick M.): people blocking mailboxes with their parked cars. i. Post office will NOT deliver mail if mailbox is blocked! ii. Pam to post reminder in next newsletter. iii. Jack: notify me if your mailbox is blocked; I will personally walk over and ask homeowner to move vehicle.
XI. f. Homeowner concern: streets are swept each Thursday, but can t get streets as clean when cars are parked on the street. i. Pam to mention this in next newsletter. ii. Also, reminder to be posted on Facebook page. g. Homeowner concern (Jon S.): cracks in asphalt throughout subdivision, some of which are getting bad. i. Jon S. submitted this to city department. ii. Jack: also submitted request for speed bumps on Crossbrook Blvd. to city. iii. Reminder: the Board has no authority with the city! We have to wait for them to act. h. Homeowner complaint: trees overhanging sidewalk. i. Suggestion to bring trimmers with them when they walk. i. Homeowner question (Rick M.): will city grind stumps and replace trees in easement that they removed due to ash borer? i. Again, this is a city issue. ii. Complaints can be lodged with the city via its 311 website. j. Homeowner complaint: uneven sidewalks in a couple of areas. i. This is considered the responsibility of the homeowner to address. ii. Very expensive to fix. Closing Comments Jack DeWell a. Overall, our neighborhood is in good shape. i. Property values rising. ii. Houses in neighborhood are selling faster. iii. Even a couple of realtors have mentioned the improvement. iv. Credit given to Jon Schneider and the previous board for their hard work. v. Increased communication has also helped. b. If you don t want to follow the rules, don t buy a house in a deed-restricted area. c. Note: town hall meetings and newsletters to now be held triannually (three times a year), rather than quarterly. Meeting adjourned by Jack DeWell at 4:07 PM. The next meeting will be scheduled in November. Notification of the next meeting time and place will be given on our Facebook page and in the next newsletter.