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Winter 2000 Newsletter
Happy Holidays to Willow Creek Residents!
As the new year approaches, we wanted to inform you of happenings pertaining to the homeowner's association. As many of you know, we normally have one annual meeting at the Westfield Public Library in January. We felt that having meeting more often would be better and even things out. The following meeting plan was set up:
- Meetings 4x per year at the public library (or somewhere else given the library's current closing)
- Meetings would be on the 3rd Monday of the month
- The months would be January, April, July, and October.
- The January meeting would be the annual meeting where officer elections would take place and any financial reports would be given.
- The next meeting would thus be January 15, 2001. The remaining 2001 dates would be Apr. 16, July 16, and Oct. 15.
Therefore, the next public meeting is Monday, January 15th, Union Bible College Gymnasium, 7:00-8:00p.m.
Some other decisions were made about meetings:
- The meetings will be led by a facilitator. This is done so that the meetings are conducted in a timely manner and that side-topics do not waste other's valuable time. Also, since the meetings are open to the homeowner's in general, this will keep the topics organized.
- Notes will be taken at the meetings. All action items will be made clear, with distinct deliverables and follow-up plans written. These will be posted on the home owners association web site.
Form of Governance
Originally we had five board members, and for year 2000 it became three. It was decided that to even out the workload, we should go back to having five board members, with specific job functions and responsibilities. The following guidelines are proposed for the form of governance for the home owner's association:
5 Board members
- President. Leads board, makes sure team is functioning properly.
- Treasurer. Is responsible for collection of dues and payments of bills.
- Secretary- responsible for communications, publising newsletters, etc.
- Groundskeeping Director. responsible for settings up and maintaining contracts for groundskeeping, lighting, maintenance of pond, etc. Contracts and payments must be coordinated with the treasurer.
- Community Liason Director. Responsible for contact outside of homeowners, e.g. legal matters, communication with department of streets, town hall, etc.
At least one board members shall be from the phase 4 (Grassy Branch Road) section.
Sub-committees
Positions for both board members and voluteer teams would be solicted for the job; instead of asking for help in general, we would ask specifically. For example "we are looking for someone to lead the Welcome Host/Hostess team".
There may be sub-committees set up to address various events and topics. Since there are many who are willing to help with various activities, these teams are formed as either on-going or one-time-only teams. Sub-committees are responsible with coordinating and communicating with the board. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Architectural committee: approval of property enhancements such as fences.
- Summer Picnic: a seasonal team to help put together a summer picnic. Communication activity should be coordinated with the secretary.
Web Site
The homeowners association will maintain a simple web site. The following information will be made available:
- A copy of the covenants and forms
- Meetings times and minutes
- Dues and due date; late payment schedule
- A "FAQ"- Frequently asked questions and answers
- Links to www.westfieldtown.org etc.
- A list of homes for sale (only if the homeowners wishes to have it posted).
- email links to board members
As the new year approaches, please consider how you can help next year with some of the above positions!
Your Association Governing Board