CALL TO ORDER
• The meeting was called to order at 7:20 pm.
• The meeting was held at Kinawa 5/6 School and on-line via Microsoft Teams.
ROLL CALL
• Present:
o In person: Pat Daniels, Mike Karagoulis, Lynne Page, Chrislyn Particka, Jean Zwier
o On-line: Kayla Daniels, Kristen Leary
o (Quorum met)
• Guests:
o In person: David Austen, Melissa Itsell, Kathi Rypkema
o On-line: Anita Fox, Max Fulkerson, Cory Pahl
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE 5/14/2024 MEETING
• Chrislyn circulated the draft minutes to the board on 6/2/2024. Mike noted a correction, which Chrislyn made prior to the meeting. Lynne noted a couple of corrections and suggestions, which she stated she would send to Chrislyn following the meeting.
• Pat made a motion to approve the minutes after incorporating necessary changes. Mike seconded. The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Chrislyn noted the approval of new light fixtures for the entrance signs that was conducted via email between May and June meetings. They needed to be replaced due to suspected vandalism.
• Mike and Ken Page will install the lights free of charge.
• Mike made a motion to purchase the lights. Lynne seconded. There were three more yes votes (Pat, George, and Jim), and the motion carried.
[Note: Because voting was conducted via email, the vote was asynchronous. Votes from Kayla, Kristen, Jean, and Chrislyn’s were not necessary for the motion to carry.]
GUEST COMMENTS
• Melissa Itsell attended to give comments on the fence being built at 2050 Sheldrake. [Note: The homeowner’s name was used during the meeting but is redacted from the minutes to protect their privacy. The minutes are posted on the BHOA website, which is available to the general public.] Here is a summary of Melissa’s comments: She enjoys having the family at 2050 Sheldrake as neighbors but feels that their fence is unsightly and does not follow common design principles. She hopes that the fence can be pushed back from the sidewalk. She thinks that neighbors should be given the chance to provide input on projects like fences.
• David Austen attended to give comments on the fence being built at 2050 Sheldrake. Here is a summary of David’s comments: He feels that the workmanship and appearance of the fence is lacking. He also suggested that the ACCE notify homeowners that their projects may require approval from Meridian Township and Ingham County to prevent frustrating situations in the future. He thinks that neighbors should be given the chance to provide input on projects like fences.
• Anita Fox attended to give comments on the fence being built at 2050 Sheldrake. Here is a summary of Anita’s comments: She understands the difficulty of making decisions and saying no, especially when they might make people unhappy. She feels the fence is unsightly and that too many privacy fences cause a closed-in feeling. She thinks that neighbors should be given the chance to provide input on projects like fences.
• Cory Pahl attended to provide information to the board about the request for a partial privacy fence that he submitted.
• Max Fulkerson did not have any comments.
OFFICER REPORTS
President’s Report
• Pat gave a report about the suspected vandalism to the lights on the entrance signs.
o He reported it to the Meridian Township Police department, but did not make a criminal complaint as there is no way to tell who might have caused the damage.
o Lynne asked if it was worth making an insurance claim. There was some discussion about the cost of the lights compared to the deductible. Pat said he would contact the insurance agent.
Vice-President’s Report
• No report.
Treasurer’s Report
• Lynne provided a copy of the draft budget for 2024, which had been sent to members via email prior to the meeting. Changes Pat suggested were incorporated into the draft.
o Anticipating a net loss for the year.
o Lynne made a motion to approve the draft budget. Pat seconded.
There was discussion about National Night Out expenses.
There was discussion about the income received from dues vs. expenses, including when dues were last raised. Mike is doing a lot of maintenance work himself to help keep costs down.
Vote: Kayla, Chrislyn, Jean, Lynne, and Pat voted yes. Mike voted no. Kristen abstained (as she had to step away from her computer). The motion carried.
• Lynne reviewed the cash balance.
• Lynne opened a discussion about the number of unpaid dues and how to approach it. She noted that no liens have been filed recently, but the board has done so in the past.
o There was discussion about how far back to go on unpaid dues to try to collect them.
o Chrislyn made a motion to go back to 2020. Lynne and Kayla seconded.
There was discussion about giving those that have not paid an amnesty period where they will not be made to collect interest as well as payment plans.
Chrislyn also asked for a report from 2020 – current.
The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried.
Secretary’s Report
• No report.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Communications Committee Report
• Kristen reported that some changes have been made to the survey and that it should be ready to send out soon. There was discussion regarding some other potential changes. Chrislyn volunteered to do some additional work on the language used in the survey.
Events Committee Report
• Kayla reported that the garage sale was the Friday and Saturday before the meeting. The special trash pickup was the day of the meeting and the next day.
• Kayla also reported that the food trucks will be starting soon. Elizabeth is working on National Night Out. The committee will start talking about the Halloween parade and a potential picnic soon.
Maintenance Committee Report
• Mike reported that the replacement light fixtures arrived, and he and Ken Page will install them soon.
• Mike also reported that he took Sisu (the lawn care company) around the neighborhoods to show him debris in the common areas that needs to be picked up (e.g., lawn waste that was improperly dumped in the nature park).
• Mike also reported that the pump house in the recreation park has a lot of missing shingles, so needs to be re-roofed. Some wood on it also needs to be replaced. Mike estimated the materials will cost ~$300.
Welcoming Committee Report
• Jean reported that there are three new homeowners to welcome and that she would be circulating an updated handout to the Welcome Committee for input.
ACCE Report
• A report was submitted to the board by Jim via email prior to the meeting as he was unable to attend the meeting. It read:
The committee has received 14 applications and inquiries (11) as of June 4, 2024. 5 were approved, 2 were denied pending compromises. 4 are submitting additional information, 2 were withdrawn, and 1 was denied by Meridian Township.
We are working hard, and communicating with all applicants.
One resident on Sheldrake re-submitted an application to revise his fence project, because the Ingham County Road Commission deemed it a violation of road right of way, and must be moved.
The committee has reached out to the resident multiple times since 6/7 looking to develop a mutually satisfactory compromise to this matter. If any board member is contacted by him, he should be directed to the committee at once.
Audit Committee Report
• No report.
Nominations and Elections Committee Report
• No report.
OLD BUSINESS
• None
NEW BUSINESS
• There was discussion about neighborhood leaders’ meetings and that our Meridian Township community policing contact is Adam Slavick.
• There was a suggestion to add encroachment on outlots as a topic for the July meeting.
• There was also short discussion about the number of members on the ACCE, and potential increasing from 3 to 5 members.
• Pat announced that Okemos schools changed the policy, and now only allow community groups to use the schools for three free meetings instead of four.
ADJOURNMENT
Chrislyn made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Lynne seconded. The vote was unanimous, and the motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:11 pm.
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