2024 Annual Meeting
The meeting was held at Rondout School on December 18, 2024 at 7:00 pm. The meeting agenda was distributed to all households several weeks prior to the meeting.
CERTIFICATION OF QUORUM
Attendance:
o Board Members: Tina Delatorre, Toni Pastorino, Brian Hill and Dunja Vla.
o Susan Pinsel – Interim Property Manager
o Representatives from 14 households and 4 proxy (sign in sheet is attached)
o The quorum consisting of 43 percent of household present at the meeting was met.
All Board members have introduced themselves.
It was explained why the annual meeting initially announced that it will be held in October 2024 was moved to December 2024.
The intent was to try to make the elections more convenient for homeowners by implementing the online voting and voting in mail. In September it was realized that this cannot be done due to rules set in FCHA by laws, and that voting had to be done in person. To make the announcement for the annual FCHA meeting within the certain time frame, and in proper form also set in bylaws, the October meeting need to be postponed until December 2024 to allow for more time to organize it.
PROPERTY MANAGER REPORT
Contracts with all current vendors will be extended for 2025:
Solache Landscaping was contracted for grass cutting, spring, and fall cleanup.
Nature Scape is the company that was contracted to fertilize and do the weed. control.
Two ponds were treated by McCloud Services.
Fountain at the main entrance pond was installed in spring and removed in mid of October. The fountain will be reinstalled in spring of 2025.
Funds for sealcoating have been allocated since 2019. Considering that walking path replacement project is still in development, this money will be allocated to this project.
FCHA is looking for a new property manager to replace the interim appointed property manager. FCHA would prefer for a property manager to be the person from the subdivision, a homeowner instead of a person from the managing property agency. Per FCHA bylaws the property manager can be compensated.
Property Manager, Joe Scarpino notified the Bord on October 2, 2024 that he is stepping down from this position. He was replacing his wife Kathleen Scarpino since the middle of the summer 2024. Both of them stepped down due to health issues.
Susan Pinsel was proposed and voted by all four present Board members to be an interim Property Manager for the next six months. Susan held this role in the past and is very experienced in negotiating these renewal contracts.
BUDGET - TREASURER REPORT
Proposed budget for 2024 was presented during Board meeting on February 6, 2024 meeting. This budget was approved.
In January 2024, in FCHA Chase checking account was $37,109.80, project reserves (included in checking account) were $4,000 set aside for sealcoating/gazebo in 2025, $400 set aside for fountain replacement in 2030, and in FCHA Chase savings account was $20,018.49. Total amount in savings and checking accounts combined was $57,128.29.
At the end of 2024, in FCHA Chase checking account was $49,171.01, project reserves (included in checking account) were $5,400, and in FCHA Chase savings account was $20,122.29. Total amount in savings and checking accounts combined was $69,293.30.
For 2024 total income was 38,601.49 (association dues were $32,000.00 and interest on income and late fees was $201.49, Board discount pay back was $6,400).
For 2024 total expenses were 26,438.79. Budgeted expenses for the future projects (sealcoating and gazebo maintenance and purchase of the new fountain) were $1,400.
Year end total (income minus expenses) was $10,762.70 under the budget.
All assessments have been collected for 2024.
An incentive to serve on the board approved during the Annual Meeting, on June 6, 2021 was found to be against FCHA by laws and it was revoked on October 17, 2024 by FCHA Board members following the consultations with a HOA law firm. Total of $1,145.50 fees for legal consultations were acquired. Board discount payback was $6,400. All but one Board members have returned money for these discounts (accounted since 2021) during October 2024. The Board member that needs to return the discount was approached with a payment plan and the Board is waiting for its response. The former Board member has since agreed to a payment plan.
NEIGHBOURHOOD CONCERNS
The new FCHA website was created to provide a transparency of the ongoing works and projects in FCHA and Board’s works including meeting minutes from Board’s meetings. The Board met seven times in 2024. Meetings were held on February 6, 2024, March 5, 2024, June 11, 2024, September 3, 2024, September 28, 2024, October 17, 2024 and November 25, 2024.
The website is up and running: https://www.forestcoveneighbors.com.
Bid documents (project manual with bid form and drawings) for the replacement of the asphalt walking path in the entire subdivision were prepared for bid in February 6, 2024, and bids were obtained from two contractors. The third invited bidder has rejected to bid. In July 2024, the lowest bidder has rejected to sign the contract and to do the work. The Village of Green Oaks has agreed to share the cost for this project 50 percent. The project will be rebid in February 2025.
Crossing over Route 176 is a concern and neighbors have added this location on the IDOT hot spot registry as an unsafe crossing. Hopefully, this will result in possibly considering installation of crossing traffic lights.
The quality of mulch applied to common areas was questions. It appears to be of a low quality. Better quality mulch should be provided.
Lights at the subdivision entrance were not working. This might have been due to time change and the timer will be reset.
The question was raised if fountains could be installed in ponds to increase aeration and by doing so to decrease algae growth. This was considered before, but due to lack of electric power around the ponds is not doable.
An online survey will be created via FCHA website so that homeowners can express any concerns and/or ideas related to improvements and beautification of our subdivision.
The next Annual Board meeting will tentatively be scheduled in June 2025, preferably at Roundout School.
Suzanne Tuegel –FCHA President Resignation was received on October 17, 2024. Suzanne notified the Board via email that she has resigned effective immediately. That currently open, fifth Board member position will be up for election filled during the annual FCHA meeting tentatively scheduled for June 2025.
CALL FOR ELECTIONS
The election of the Board Members was held during the meeting. Two board positions were up for re-election.
There were no nominations from the floor.
Three candidates, Brian Hill, Erin Thunholm and Dunja Vla, were running for two open Board positions. All three have submitted their resumes that were available on FCHA website since December 10, 2024. All three candidates have introduced themselves during the meeting.
Election judges that are not part of the Board were selected to count votes.
RESULTS
The voting results were: Brian Hill, 15 votes; Dunja Vla, 15 votes and Erin Thunholm, 6 votes. The ballots and voting counts will be stored for one year.
The board officers for 2025 year are:
Dunja Vla President
Tina Delatorre Vice President
Brian Hill Treasurer
Toni Pastorino Secretary
Susan Pinsel. Property Manager until Spring 2025
NEXT BOARD MEETING
Next Board meeting is scheduled for January 29, 2025 @ 7:00 pm.
MEETING ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.