DRUM POINT VILLAGE WEST HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Board Meeting
January 14, 2004
Board
Members Present: Bob Martin
(President), Gene-Ann Pesano (Vice-President),
Herb
Armstrong (Trustee)
Covenant
Members Present: Gladys Pfeiffer,
Harriet Martin
Bob
Martin called the meeting of the Board of Trustees to order at 8:09 pm. Bob
asked everyone to please turn off their cell phones so they do not interrupt
the meeting. He noted that any input
from attendees be held until the new business portion of the meeting and that
the conversations be limited to 3 minutes per person. Bob also wished everyone a Happy New Year.
Bob
Martin announced the names of those who attended the meeting.
Snow
Removal:
Ÿ
Snow removal after early December storm was completed quickly and
without incident.
Financial:
Ÿ
November Financials prepared and distributed to board members
Ÿ
December Financials prepared for distribution to board members and
homeowners at January Board Meeting.
Ÿ
Demand letters sent to several homeowners with past due accounts.
Ÿ
Advised our attorney to send action letter to attorney of a homeowner in
bankruptcy.
Ÿ
Quarterly statements printed and mailed to homeowners.
Ÿ
Completed several condo questionnaires and requests for certificates of
insurance for new sales and refinancing.
Pool
Removal:
Ÿ
Discovery documentation gathered for distribution to defendant.
Web
Site:
Ÿ
Added holiday greeting with animated Christmas tree and menorah at the
top of all main pages.
Ÿ
Added article to home page “Seeking Candidates for Board of Trustees”.
Ÿ
Added article to home page “Seeking Homeowner Proposals for FY2004
Meeting”.
Ÿ
Posted November Financials to the web site.
Ÿ
Added a bit more text under the annual meeting announcement stating that
proxy statements, proxy forms and directions will be mailed in early March.
Ÿ
Re-arranged home page and added TOP bookmarks for easier home page
navigation.
Ÿ
Updated FY2003 financial report on the web site to include post period
adjustments.
Ÿ
Updated current financial reports on the web site at the end of November
and December.
Ÿ
Added December Special Edition Newsletter to the web site and moved old
newsletter to the archives.
Ÿ
Next meeting date changed.
Ÿ
Actions of the board updated and old actions were archived.
Ÿ
Added September’s minutes to the web site.
Ÿ
Added temporary animated holiday graphics to the home page.
Ÿ
Added Candidate Nomination form to web site.
Ÿ
Added initial announcement of annual meeting date and time to the home
page.
Ÿ
Added “Post Dated Checks” rule to the home page.
Ÿ
Removed older articles from the web site.
Annual
Meeting:
Ÿ
Initial announcement of annual meeting mailed to all homeowners.
Ÿ
Candidate nomination forms mailed to all homeowners.
Other
Ÿ
All gutters have been cleaned.
Ÿ
We have received one quote for landscaping of White Swan Way once the
Bradford Pears have been removed. Still
waiting for the other 2 quotes/proposals.
Ÿ
December newsletter written, printed and distributed.
Ÿ
Several holiday decorations were put up at the entrances.
Ÿ
Two Board members went to Scott McFadden’s office and waited 45 minutes
for a scheduled meeting with him regarding the crawl space project. He did not show up for the meeting and we
have been unable to schedule a new one with him.
Ÿ
Various work orders were sent and completed for roofing and siding
repairs on units.
Administrative:
Ÿ
Emails processed: approximately
200 (75% of these are daily correspondence among the Board members)
Ÿ
Phone calls handled: 34
Ÿ
Letters and other inquiries handled: 15
Ÿ
All correspondence related to the Association and its members were
filed.
Gene-Ann
thanked Bob Martin and Gladys Pfeiffer for the decorations that they put up at
the entrances.
Bob
stated that the following positions for the Board are for terms that will
expire in April 2004. Bob Martin made a
motion to nominate Gene-Ann Pesano, Phyllis Ventrello, and Paula Groppe to
their present positions. Herb Armstrong
seconded the motion. All in favor. Bob then asked for any other nominations
from the floor and there were none. Bob
stated that the Board had sent out a notice to all residents, soliciting
nominations for the Board from them. He
stated that he hopes the nominations come in before February so they can be
included in the nomination list.
Gene-Ann
Pesano made a motion to define the proxy form for this year’s meeting as a
Limited Proxy Form, and that this shall be the only type of proxy acceptable at
the FY2004 annual meeting. Bob Martin seconded the motion. All in favor.
Bob
Martin stated that there are six proposals for the FY 2004 annual meetings.
1. Bob stated that, we went through this last
year, we want an expanded definition of snow removal, which will be put into
the proxy statement.
2.
The Board will be asking for $25,000 dollars, to be taken from the
reserve fund, to drill a well. Approval
must be gotten for this from the homeowners.
Gene-Ann commented that the money that will be saved on water over the
next three to five years will pay for the cost of the well. Bob stated that the monies will be paid back
to the general fund in six years, without interest.
3.
Fred Weintraub asked for a procedure prior to voting for trustees. This proposal will be enumerated later
on. Bob believes that the procedure
would include a short biography of all the candidates that are running.
4.
Fred Weintraub also proposed the notification of homeowners of
exceptions.
5.
Ed Kocher is proposing that the Board sponsor a proposal for a
limitation on personnel injury suits against the association, which is
permitted by state law. Bob stated that this would save the association from
paying for minor slips and falls and could possibly reduce our insurance
premiums. This would have to be approved by the general membership.
Bob
Martin recommended that the Board of Trustees sponsor, or co-sponsor, these
five proposals because he feels they would be an enhancement to Drum Point
Village Association. Gene-Ann seconded
the proposal. All in favor.
Bob
stated there was one more proposal from Fred Weintraub, 37 White Swan Way. This proposal states that he does not want
his social security number, or any resident’s social security number to be in
the possession of the Treasurer or anyone who has access to our records, other
than an attorney. Bob feels that we
need these social security numbers for disbursement of funds and, when and if
there are any suits or liens put on any one of the homeowners. Bob made a motion that this proposal be
brought before the general membership but that the Board of Trustees recommends
a vote against this proposal. Gene-Ann
seconded the motion. All in favor.
Bob
stated that these proposals will be included in the Proxy Statement to be
distributed to the membership prior to the annual meeting.
Gene-Ann
Pesano stated that we are looking to retain Mr. Joseph DeDonato as the
association’s general counsel. He will
take care of such things as reviewing the New Jersey Condo Act and the
association’s master deed for any legal issues, writing letters, etc…Gene-Ann
stated that we have the retainer agreement.
The agreement states that we would pay $170.00 per hour to the partners
of the firm, $150.00 per hours to the associate lawyers, and $65.00 per hour to
the paralegals. This is a little less
than several of the other attorneys that have been looked at. Mr. DeDonato is located in Livingston. Bob asked if Mr. DeDonato has experience in
condominium laws. Gene-Ann stated that
he did. A question was posed as to why
the board is looking at an attorney so far away. Bob stated that it is
convenient for the association’s treasurer. Gene-Ann stated that she also works
near there and sometimes it is easier to meet with someone near where she
works, rather than here in Brick. She
stated that this would mainly be for letter writing than anything else. Bob stated that we could always amend this
and pick someone closer in the future.
There is no time limit on the retainer.
Mr. DeDonato was recommended by the association’s collection attorney from
the same firm. Gene-Ann made a motion to retain Mr. Joseph DeDonato’s firm of
Morgan, Melhuish, Monaghan, Arvidson, Abrutyn and Lisowski, Esq. as general
counsel. Bob Martin seconded the
motion. All in favor.
Bob
Martin made a motion to accept the un-audited financial report and that it be
added to the web site. Motion seconded
by Gene Ann Pesano. All in favor.
Bob
Martin stated that he and Gene-Ann tried unsuccessfully to meet with Scott
McFadden, business manager of Brick Township.
They did meet with the township engineer and they came to a small
agreement with him. He is unable to do anything
without the approval of Scott McFadden.
Bob stated that Scott McFadden is like the Pope…it is tough to get an
audience with him. Last night Bob was
at Borough Hall at a meeting of the Shade-Tree Commission and Harriet was at
the Town Counsel Meeting. Bob was
unsuccessful at meeting with Scott again last night. Bob stated that they will try again to meet with Scott McFadden.
Gene-Ann
stated that this week there was a phone call from a closing attorney for a
buyer for one of the units. That unit
required a document stating that the crawl space was free from mold. The attorney was referred to Scott
McFadden’s office as he is the only one who has a record for that.
Gene-Ann
stated that, even after Bob Martin leaves for Florida, she will continue to
attempt to meet with Scott McFadden.
She informed the board that there is a homeowner who has volunteered to
go with her. She is reluctant to take
anyone until they meet with Scott first.
Gene-Ann suggested that if they are unable to get an appointment with Scott McFadden over the next few weeks then the board members that are present on the property will make up flyers, go door-to-door to all of the Miller units, and see if they could get people to come out to a Town Counsel Meeting. They will let Scott know that is what he can expect.
The
homeowner at 17 White Swan Way would like to install an attic fan. Bob stated that it has been past practice
that homeowners were allowed attic fans to be installed by one of the board’s
approved contractors. Gene-Ann stated
that there is a standard letter for this with the only restriction being that
the attic fan not be visible from the front.
The letter will also include a notice that if the homeowner does the
work himself, he will be responsible for any leaks in that area of the
roof.
The
next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 25, 2004. Bob reminded the board that they should
contact Paul Hayes, a couple of weeks ahead of time to make sure the date is
open.
Bob
made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:34 pm. Motion seconded. All in
favor.