ANNUAL HOMEOWNER MEETING MINUTES May 9, 2022
Board Members Present: Ty Tyler, Patti Bruno, Maryanne Harbit, Luann Parnell
The HOA Board would like to thank everyone who attended. It was a good meeting, and having more members present helps us to understand what homeowners want from the HOA Board and allows us to make better decisions on your behalf.
Topics discussed:
- Fountain Maintenance
We have all enjoyed the fountains that have been on the ponds for the last 7 or 8 years. While they are very attractive, there are several reasons that we need to switch from fountains to aerators. Our pond pumps have been plagued with muscles and their accompanying barnacles. Roger Greaker has worked diligently to keep the pumps and fountains running over the years, but has become a monumental task over the past year or two.
We reached out to the local Clemson Extension office who had some recommendations for us. First, our ponds are not shallow, and with a depth of 6-8 feet, aerators will oxygenate the ponds better and keep them (and the fish) healthier. Secondly, once we purchase the aerators, we will have to use a special treatment on the pumps themselves to prevent the damage from the muscles/attachment of barnacles. Lastly, we will have to work with our pond management company to minimize these muscles. Fountains cannot maintain these ponds like they should be maintained.
- Budget
The Landings Run HOA works hard to keep our annual fees as low as possible. We are
operating within the budget established for each year and have not raised our rates for at
least five years. Much of the work for the neighborhood is done by volunteers, as you
have probably noticed the work that goes on at the front entrance, and as mentioned
above, the pond pump management. Our current dues are $185.
There are a few outstanding HOA fees due. The bills historically have landed in
December each year, and this year we moved the due date to March, which we thought
would help folks get through the holidays and make it easier for some to pay. Fines began (10%) per month on May 1 for dues yet unpaid. In the past we have had to utilize small claims court in some cases to collect the annual fees, but would like to avoid having to do this again.
Some members suggested exploring ways to enable electronic payment methods, and if it makes things easier for homeowners, the HOA Board will look into this.
- Covenants and Restrictions
The Covenants and Restrictions are our neighborhood rules, and they exist to help maintain a safe and attractive neighborhood. The HOA Board has the responsibility to ensure that these rules are followed. In recent months, the HOA has received a number of letters asking us to address certain issues, and we have taken those requests seriously, and most of the issues have been resolved. We will continue to send letters as necessary.
- Safety
Safety is a recurring theme. As traffic on Whipple Road has increased since the high school reopened, our visibility for exiting the neighborhood at the front entrance has been impaired on both sides by the bushes at the sides of the entrance. So far, we have been able to make improvements on the left side and are very grateful for the help of the homeowner there which has ensured better safety for us all.
Speeding cars in the neighborhood is a safety problem. There is a posted speed limit of 25 mph, and the HOA will ask the Mt. Pleasant police to help enforce the speed limit. Some years ago, we approached the town about speed bumps and they advised us that they could not install speed bumps in Landings Run.
The number of small children in the neighborhood has increased in recent years, and while we encourage cars to park in the driveways as much as possible, cars still do park on the main street. At certain times of day, like sunset, actually seeing the road with the sun in your eyes while driving into Landings Run makes us vulnerable for a tragic accident. We ask all homeowners to be careful to watch for children and drive at or below the posted speed limit.
- Proposal to switch to LED streetlights for neighborhood safety
The existing streetlights in Landings Run are 30 years old. They are the fairly dim Sodium Vapor lights. In the last two or three months, there has been at least one middle of the night sighting of non-residents wandering through the neighborhood, potential efforts thwarted by an observant homeowner. There have been other sightings over the years.
Dominion Energy currently bills every homeowner for streetlights on a monthly basis. The cost is $2.26 per month and the fee is incorporated into your monthly electric bill.
The HOA Board has been in contact with Dominion Energy about alternatives to the 30 year old lighting and learned that they are able and willing to switch our lights to LED lights. If they do this, the fee no longer will show up on your electric bill, but will go to the HOA each month. We have a couple of options for switching to LED lights if homeowners are interested. The HOA Board is willing to purchase the actual light fixtures from our Capital Improvement Fund. What we need to decide as a neighborhood is if we want to stay with the relatively old fashioned Colonial appearing traditional lights – the same as our 30 year old fixtures, which is essentially cost neutral, but provides better safety, or for about two extra dollars a month per household, convert to a more contemporary fixture. The homeowners who were present at the meeting showed enough interest, that the HOA Board will move forward with Dominion Energy to get a firm quote from them for the 11 fixtures in Landings Run for both the traditional and contemporary fixtures. Once we have that quote, we will send the proposal to the homeowners for a vote. If we get a majority vote for the new fixtures, and have a better idea of which fixtures homeowner’s prefer, we will move forward on this as our major project for this year.
- Little Library Box
A suggestion was made for the HOA to purchase or build and install a small outdoor street library for sharing books. All homeowners present were in favor of that suggestion, and it was proposed to place the box at the second pond. The HOA will pursue this suggestion.
- New Board Members needed
One seat is currently open on the HOA Board. Anyone who is interested in being an HOA Board Member is encouraged to send a brief synopsis of your interest and qualifications to Landingsrun@gmail.com. Being a Board Member is a voluntary position and we need five members in total when decisions have to be made and/or votes are needed. The cost to manage a neighborhood with a Property Management Firm would add several thousand dollars to our operating budget every year, potentially raising our individual HOA dues by approximately $100 a year. Please let us know if you are interested by writing to Landingsrun@gmail.com.