Harpeth Trace Services Association

Meeting Minutes 04-17-2007

Feb 12, 2008

Harpeth Trace Services Association
April 17, 2007, Board Meeting Minutes

The Board Meeting at LePeep restaurant was called to order at 7:00 a.m. by President Steve Roche. Other Board members present were: David Arens, Bob Brooks, Mary Ann Dorris, Stephen Helmey, Sanford Payton, Linda Shoun, and Suzanna Spring. Joanne Katcher, president of Treetops, attended the meeting and Rick Eatherly represented Ghertner & Co.

Board members reported on their areas of responsibilities:

Accounting ?– Suzanna Spring: Suzanna reported that she and Joanne Katcher had spent hours trying to balance the month-end figures supplied to us by our management company, Ghertner & Co. She reported that the monthly imbalance is small, and is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. She requested a meeting with Rick Eatherly, our Ghertner account representative, to resolve the issue.

Budget ?– Ken Darby: Ken Darby was not at the meeting, so no report was given on how our actual income and expenses compare to our Pro Forma Budget. Later, Ken reported that we are in excellent shape and that our Reserve Funds are earning more interested than was originally projected.

Drainage ?– Bob Brooks: Bob reported that he and David Arens had met with Al Greif who lives at 616 Valley Trace Court and looked at the drainage problem Mr. Greif had reported. Mr. Greif reported that a wet-weather creek behind his house caused flooding and erosion of his property and he requested that the Association correct the situation. After review, Bob and David determined that the creek and the source of the water are on private property. Therefore, the Association has no authority or responsibility in the matter. However, if Mr. Greif and other property owners want to remove debris from the creek and place it at the curb, it can be picked up by a chipper truck that is scheduled to come through the neighborhood on Monday, May 14.
Bob reported that he is aware that Brian Nursdad, 425 Valley Trace, has a drainage problem, but Bob has not been able to contact him.
Bob has also volunteered to organize a Neighborhood Cleanup Day for Saturday morning, May 12. If you would like to meet some of your neighbors AND help spiff up the common areas, this is your chance. Meet us at the guard house at 9 a.m. that morning. Bring some gloves and maybe a yard broom or clippers. Plastic bags will be furnished. We?’ll pick up and pile up until about noon. Come help us.
Steve Roche reported that the Davidson County Sheriff?’s department will pick up debris left at the curb if they are contacted. Bob followed up on that information and has arranged for the Sheriff?’s chipper truck to come through our neighborhood on Monday, May 14. If you have limbs and other yard debris at the curb that day, it will be picked up.

If individual homeowners want to have the sheriff?’s department pick up debris free at other times, they may make arrangements by calling Deborah Pittman at 880-3897.

In addition, Bob has arranged for Metro Beautification and Environ?¬ment Commission to supply gloves, T-shirts, and plastic bags for our Spring Cleanup Day. Homeowners can call their Customer Service number (862-8750) any time to schedule a free pickup for non-hazardous bulk items such as lawn mowers, refrigerators, or washers and dryers. Call them if you have questions or want to schedule a 5-day window for a pickup.

Irrigation ?– Mary Ann Dorris: Mary Ann reported that our irrigation system is scheduled to be turned on and tested Friday, April 20.

Landscape ?– Sanford Payton: Sanford reported:
1. Vinca Major has been planted and mulched on Knolls bluff.
2. Approximately $500 worth of damage has been done to plants by electricians during our lighting project. After the electrical contractors have finished their work, a detailed list of damage and estimated cost of repair will be prepared. Responsibility for landscape damage was excluded from our contract with the electrical contractor.
3. Some brush trimmings have been piled in the common area behind 524 Harpeth Trace Drive. The Board asked Ghertner to send a letter to the property owner requesting that the debris be removed.
4. The work previously approved for the area around the guardhouse has not been done because of the on-going electrical work. After the lighting project is complete the work will be done.

Lighting and Signage ?– Stephen Helmey: Stephen reported that the installation of our new street lights and wiring from the bottom of the hill to Harpeth Trace Court is complete, but because of a mixup, Nashville Electric Service has not yet connected power to our new system. That should be done soon. There are still details to be resolved concerning backfill of trenches, touch-up paint, and some general cleanup, but the entire project should soon be completed.
Stephen reported that he has received some requests to replace the 13 streetlights at the top of the hill, and that he has a bid to do that work. However, he asked that the matter not be considered until our new lights have been turned on and we see how they work.
Rick Eatherly reported that Allen Lawrence, owner of the company that installed our street signs, has agreed to remove the peeling paint from our signs and poles and to chemically treat the metal so the new paint will adhere properly. Mr. Lawrence has promised to start that project the week of April 16-22. The Board asked that Rick call Mr. Lawrence at least weekly until the work is actually completed.
The Board asked Ghertner to send a letter to the owner of 780 Harpeth Trace Drive asking him to cut the cane he has planted. The cane should stop at least two feet behind the streetlight pole.

Streets and Curbs ?– Linda Shoun: Linda reported that she has arranged for a new ice-melt product to be used on our streets in the future. This will allow us to discontinue our practice of buying ice-melt pellets in advance and storing them in the High-rise garage. In the past, we have paid to de-ice the drive and parking pad of the high-rise in return for the storage space. In some instances, access to the ice-melt was blocked by parked cars, which delayed de-icing our streets.
Rick Eatherly reported that the latest coat of graffiti has been removed from the abutments of our entrance bridge. The anti-graffiti coating we recently applied allowed the latest graffiti to be removed by a pressure washer.
Linda reported that the dumpster parked in front of the new homes being built on Valley Trace was in violation of Metro codes and had to be removed from the street. Homeowners should be aware that dumpsters must be parked completely on their property.
Linda reported that some trees and other plants within our subdivision have grown out over the streets and restrict traffic flow, block vision, and scratch vehicles. She has asked Ghertner to write letters to owners of property where these situations exist and ask them to trim the trees so no limbs extend beyond the curb for a height of at least eight feet.

Legal Matters ?– David Arens: David pointed out that some of our Association rules are too vague to be very effective. For example, one rule states, ?“No pets shall be permitted in the Common Areas unless accompanied by their owners and except on a leash. The Association may take appropriate measures to insure compliance with this provision.?” David said that no definition of ?“appropriate measures?” is contained in our rules, and that recent examples show that our measures do not ?“insure compliance.?” As a result, he suggested that we should define ?“appropriate measures?” that will insure compliance, or remove those words from the rule.
In addition, he pointed out that it is very difficult to find our rules in the thick legal documents that apply to the six separate associations in our subdivision. He suggested that we separate the rules from the rest of the legal text and condense them into a more user-friendly document.
The Board asked David to provide specific recommendations on this issue at our next meeting.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 by President Steve Roche.

The Board asks you to remember that overnight parking on the streets of our subdivision is against the rules, and could be disastrous if a fire truck or other emergency vehicle is blocked by your vehicle. Since the rule is against you, your liability could be high.

Pick up after your dogs, especially when you are on the walking path, and let?’s try to keep those dogs quiet during the night. Remember, it is against Metro and HTSA rules for a dog to run loose. If such a dog bites someone, or causes other damage, legal action might result.

Our website is www.harpethtrace.org. We have a lot of information there.

The next regular Board meeting will be at Le Peep restaurant 7:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 2007.

Respectfully Submitted,
Sanford Payton, Secretary