Landscape Project
Photo by Robert Cannady
November 8, 2014
TrailMark neighbors - You may have noticed Landscape work (lots of junipers being removed!) that has been taking place in the neighborhood the last several weeks. For those of you who may not have attended prior HOA meetings and have questions on what is being done and why, here is the information you seek!
First a bit of necessary background on the HOA and its committees: The HOA has several committees: the Common Area Committee (CAC), Social Committee, Safety Committee and Budget Committee, and the Design Review Committee. The HOA's committees are comprised of a board member and several volunteers who dedicate their time to serve on the committee. Each committee makes recommendations to the HOA on matters within that committee's subject matter. Ultimately the HOA must exercise its discretion to make decisions on which recommendations can or should be followed. Some committees (CAC and Social) have annual budgets apportioned to them by the HOA, and generally, these committees can spend their budgets as they see fit. These committees make recommendations, on behalf of the community, to the board. The committees do not poll the neighborhood for every expense they incur or every recommendation they make to the board. While the committees most certainly do welcome suggestions (and they try to act on as many as they can) seeking community-wide input on every item the committees work on is simply not a practical or feasible way of conducting business. Some examples of some of the things the committees are responsible for are: Christmas lights at entrance, addition of port-o-let at park, neighborhood events such as concerts in the park, 4th of July event, corn maze, etc., removal/addition of trees/shrubbery. The committees ultimately must make decisions and recommendations amongst the committee members, based upon the input and feedback they have received from the community.
The current landscaping project / removal of junipers: At the request of the CAC, Todd Story the TrailMark Landscape contractor submitted a proposal to the CAC for removal of over-grown junipers, sumacs older nine barks, Aspen trees and other over-grown shrubs on August 5. The total for the 3 proposals was $108,797.40. These proposals were then sent to the HOA for approval. (These proposals will be added to the HOA website for reference within 24 hours).
The HOA board requested a meeting with the CAC to discuss this issue and several other issues affecting the TrailMark community. This meeting was held on August 12, 2014. The HOA board asked the CAC to see if the project could be phased over 3 years. The HOA board was willing and did approve (at CAC meeting on 9/9) a $35,000 increase in the CAC’s 2014 budget to start this project. This amount, along with the $12,000 in unspent CAC budget for 2014, allowed for half of this project to be done in 2014. The CAC meeting on 9/9 finalized the phased approach to the landscape project and agreed to present this phased plan to the full HOA board. Randy Pabst of the CAC attended the HOA meeting 9/11 and presented an update on this landscape project. This is the work that we have seen completed over the course of the last several weeks in the community. It is the HOA board's and CAC's hope that the landscape project enhances and protects property value by attending to 15 year old landscape that has overgrown and was in need of rework to regain a more natural TrailMark appearance.
If you have questions about the HOA or one of its committees, please email the board at board@trailmarkhoa.org.
Also, if you would like to volunteer your time on a committee or run for the HOA board, you are welcomed and encouraged to do so! Elections for 3 HOA board seats will take place at this Thursday's meeting at the TrailMark Learning Center at 5:45. Not sure if the HOA board or a Committee is the right fit for you? Email the board to learn more - OR - View the information on the responsibilities/time commitments of both the HOA board members and the various committee members below!
I hope this clears up any confusion on the landscape project had how the HOA and its various committees work.
TrailMark neighbors - You may have noticed Landscape work (lots of junipers being removed!) that has been taking place in the neighborhood the last several weeks. For those of you who may not have attended prior HOA meetings and have questions on what is being done and why, here is the information you seek!
First a bit of necessary background on the HOA and its committees: The HOA has several committees: the Common Area Committee (CAC), Social Committee, Safety Committee and Budget Committee, and the Design Review Committee. The HOA's committees are comprised of a board member and several volunteers who dedicate their time to serve on the committee. Each committee makes recommendations to the HOA on matters within that committee's subject matter. Ultimately the HOA must exercise its discretion to make decisions on which recommendations can or should be followed. Some committees (CAC and Social) have annual budgets apportioned to them by the HOA, and generally, these committees can spend their budgets as they see fit. These committees make recommendations, on behalf of the community, to the board. The committees do not poll the neighborhood for every expense they incur or every recommendation they make to the board. While the committees most certainly do welcome suggestions (and they try to act on as many as they can) seeking community-wide input on every item the committees work on is simply not a practical or feasible way of conducting business. Some examples of some of the things the committees are responsible for are: Christmas lights at entrance, addition of port-o-let at park, neighborhood events such as concerts in the park, 4th of July event, corn maze, etc., removal/addition of trees/shrubbery. The committees ultimately must make decisions and recommendations amongst the committee members, based upon the input and feedback they have received from the community.
The current landscaping project / removal of junipers: At the request of the CAC, Todd Story the TrailMark Landscape contractor submitted a proposal to the CAC for removal of over-grown junipers, sumacs older nine barks, Aspen trees and other over-grown shrubs on August 5. The total for the 3 proposals was $108,797.40. These proposals were then sent to the HOA for approval. (These proposals will be added to the HOA website for reference within 24 hours).
The HOA board requested a meeting with the CAC to discuss this issue and several other issues affecting the TrailMark community. This meeting was held on August 12, 2014. The HOA board asked the CAC to see if the project could be phased over 3 years. The HOA board was willing and did approve (at CAC meeting on 9/9) a $35,000 increase in the CAC’s 2014 budget to start this project. This amount, along with the $12,000 in unspent CAC budget for 2014, allowed for half of this project to be done in 2014. The CAC meeting on 9/9 finalized the phased approach to the landscape project and agreed to present this phased plan to the full HOA board. Randy Pabst of the CAC attended the HOA meeting 9/11 and presented an update on this landscape project. This is the work that we have seen completed over the course of the last several weeks in the community. It is the HOA board's and CAC's hope that the landscape project enhances and protects property value by attending to 15 year old landscape that has overgrown and was in need of rework to regain a more natural TrailMark appearance.
If you have questions about the HOA or one of its committees, please email the board at board@trailmarkhoa.org.
Also, if you would like to volunteer your time on a committee or run for the HOA board, you are welcomed and encouraged to do so! Elections for 3 HOA board seats will take place at this Thursday's meeting at the TrailMark Learning Center at 5:45. Not sure if the HOA board or a Committee is the right fit for you? Email the board to learn more - OR - View the information on the responsibilities/time commitments of both the HOA board members and the various committee members below!
I hope this clears up any confusion on the landscape project had how the HOA and its various committees work.