Harpeth Trace Services Association

Meeting Minutes 06-07-2005

Jan 28, 2006

Harpeth Trace Services Association

President Ken Darby called the meeting to order at 7 a.m. at Le Peep Restaurant. In addition to Ken, directors in attendance were: Mary Ann Dorris, Jim Knapp, Jim Mathieson, Susan Mitchell, Sanford Payton, Steve Roche, and Bill Wainwright. Joanne Katcher, president of Treetops Association, and Steve Kravitz, our Ghertner & Co. representative, also attended the meeting.

1. Ken asked if there were questions about the most recent Balance Sheet (dated April 30 and delivered about May 30). It was noted that our Reserve balance was $81,542.05 on April 30, and that we should have a reserve of at least $100,000 to take care of upcoming planned expenses and to have an adequate cushion for emergencies. Among our planned expenses are:

(1) implementation of 3 drainage projects now underway. One will extend the drain line from Woods Valley parking lot to the edge of the woods near the railroad tracks. Another will install a new catch basin at the intersection of Harpeth Ridge and Harpeth Wood Drives and install an underground junction box to connect a broken drainage pipe at 200 Harpeth Wood Drive. The third is to remove and repair the curb at the second island and install a rip-rap-lined drain from the curb to the edge of the woods (work will be completed within 2 weeks)

(2) pothole repairs (this week)

(3) installation of 5 new light fixtures along Harpeth Trace Drive between the High-rise ?“Y?” and Hickory Trace Place (those lights should be installed in August)

(4) Upgrading our landscaping at the entrance, around the guardhouse, along the main drive, the grassy knoll across from Harpeth Trace Court, and the hill between the two entrances to the upper Knolls condominiums (plan and timetable due in July)

(5) add irrigation (sprinkler) lines to several places so our new plantings can survive

(6) upgrade street signage

(7) curb replacement and street repaving

Our monthly maintenance fee is scheduled to increase to $30 per month on January 1, 2006. Susan Mitchell will prepare a spreadsheet to analyze the effect of different fee amounts, and present her findings at our next scheduled meeting.

2. Steve Kravitz announced that Comcast had agreed to properly bury the orange cable that can be seen lying above ground near the ?“Y?” at the high-rise. He was asked by the Board to have Comcast also clean the area around the old TV tower near 900 Harpeth Trace Drive and remove the tower. If they do not remove the tower, the Board will have it removed by a contractor.

3. Steve was also asked to contact Linda Ford (356-1045), the president of Harpeth Ridge Association, and inform her of the significant erosion caused by stormwater runoff from their parking lot. The erosion is at the end of the concrete drainage ditch on the south end of their property. A contractor we consulted about another nearby project indicated that the problem could be corrected by installing large rip-rap rocks in the eroded ditch.

4. Ken presented bids obtained by Ghertner for killing the exotic vegetation along the downhill side of the walking path. The bid was $120 to apply chemical herbicide to the plants, or $7,500 to apply the herbicide and remove the dead vegetation. The Board decided that these options were unacceptable, and that Steve Kravitz would give the contractor?’s contact information to Sanford Payton, who would meet with the contractor to be sure our desires are clearly communicated. Last year, the contractor cut all the undergrowth in the area mentioned, chipped the cuttings, and sprayed Roundup on the stumps for $1,248. Since the plants came back even thicker than before, we want to spray the plants with Roundup to kill them before we have them cut and chipped.

5. Ken asked Joanne Katcher if she would make the Treetops Association Board aware that water from two stormwater drainage pipes on their property empty water directly onto Jim Knapp?’s property, and the flow has eroded several trenches in his yard. The Harpeth Trace Services Association feels that responsibility for correcting the situation belongs to Treetops, so we would like to get their reaction.

6. Sanford Payton reported that landscape architect Alan Ray has completed his specifications for maintenance of landscape in the common areas. However, those specifications have not been put out to bid because the work should be done in the fall, and after an adequate irrigation system has been installed. Payton also reported that new landscape work is being planned for 5 areas:

(1) Asphalt will be cut back approximately 18 inches from the base of the stone walls on the Hwy 100 side of the bridge and low-growing plants such as Monkey grass will be planted to soften the line between the asphalt and the wall. Some native evergreens such as cedar will be planted behind the wall. Appropriate low-wattage lighting and irrigation will also be installed.

(2) Most of the existing plantings around the guardhouse area will be trimmed to approximately half their present height to eliminate ?“legginess,?” and thicken the foliage. The existing lighting and irrigation will be rehabilitated or replaced, as necessary, and all exposed ground will be planted with appropriate evergreen ground cover. The existing Euonymus around the parking pads will be removed to reveal the grassy hillside behind Wood Valley Condominiums, and to create a safer environment for people who park by the guardhouse. Some of the existing planting in front of the guardhouse will be removed to allow seasonal blooming plants to planted there. Additional low-wattage lights will be installed to ?“up-light?” existing plants and trees.

(3) We will kill and remove as much of the exotic Oriental Honeysuckle as we can from the left side of the main drive (going uphill) along the first hill and plant ?“waves?” of Vinca Major and Euonymus to improve the looks of the drive and stabilize the soil. Low-growing, native flowering trees, such as dogwood, will be scattered along the downhill side of the hill near the walking path.

(4) Fresh topsoil will be tilled into the ?“grassy knoll?” opposite Harpeth Trace Court, and the area will be planted with low-growing native grasses and wildflowers. A few flowering, low-growing native trees such as dogwood will be planted as space allows. The result will be that of a natural meadow, not a manicured lawn. Little, or no maintenance will be needed.

(5) The exotic oriental honeysuckle will be removed from the bluff between the two entrances to the Upper Knolls Condominiums and they will be replaced by appropriate native under-story plants. The face of the bluff will be stabilized with a covering of soil, mulch, and groundcover plants.

A motion was made and carried to add the irrigation requirements to the master plan, as well as snow removal, and to have the plan ready to review at a special Board meeting to be held in July.

7. Ken announced that he plans to assign specific areas of responsibility to each director. This will help divide the burden of work more equally among members of the Board, and ensure that all areas of Board oversight are adequately supervised.

8. Ken also announced that a lawyer who specializes in real estate will soon be selected to review our Rules and Covenants to determine the exact authority of the Board, especially as it relates to our Architectural Committee. We also need to incorporate recent rule changes into our legal documents.

9. Ken also called for recommendations of persons qualified to audit our financial records on a regular basis. He assigned responsibility for gathering specific recommendations to Steve Roche.

10. Jim Knapp and Bill Wainwright volunteered to organize another cleanup day for the fall. They have selected October 8, 2005 for the Fall Cleanup, and will attempt to pick a day for our Spring Cleanups that does not conflict with other major events in the city. Put October 8 on your calendar. About 15 residents joined in the Spring Cleanup, and we had fun, met some of our neighbors, and cleaned up a LOT of trash.

11. Remember that overnight parking on the streets of our subdivision is against the rules, and could be disastrous if a fire truck is blocked by your vehicle. Since the rule is against you, your liability could be high.

12. Pick up after your dogs and try to keep them quiet. It?’s so unpleasant when a resident has to report a neighbor?’s dog to the police.

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

14. The next regular Board meeting will be at 7 a.m., Tuesday, September 20, 2005, at Le Peep Restaurant.

Respectfully submitted,
Sanford Payton