Meeting Minutes
November 30, 2022
Virtual Governor’s Meeting @ 6:30 PM
John Williams, Governor
Sue Jansen, Governor
Susan Franke, Secretary, Governor
Austin Patenaude, Governor
Katia Salokas, Governor, Treasurer
Mitch Uzwack, Governor
Unit Owners
Ann Costello
Carol Shaw
Clair Henderson
Greg Weston
Lois Hessert-Blawie
Faith Turner
Michelle Ciment
Malik Khan and daughter
Ganesh Kumar
Property Managers
Michael Montgomery
Lauren Pizzoferrato
Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM
Meeting Minutes of October 2022 approved with corrections.
Resident/Homeowner Questions and Comments – None
Opportunity to be Heard
5 Pond Place – Khan will personally monitor to ensure compliance with trash barrel rule, to limit excessive noise, and proper parking. Property is tenanted. Eviction action has been commenced.
20 Gray Pine Common
Faith Turner appeared and stated she is trying to address the property violations as follows: Ordered a new door (Lowe’s, but no installation date), waiting on estimates for the shed and need to get estimates for taking down trees. Mr. Turner will be cleaning up the leaves. Contractor for shed (Mr. Handy Men of West Hartford) is expected to provide an estimate for power washing, staining, and wood replacement. She stated she is employed as a paraprofessional educator by the City of New Britain.; that her husband is employed as a plant technician in environmental clean up by Trade Be in Meriden; that adult daughter Hope is employed by Amazon at their Windsor facility; that adult son Adam is employed in the consumer electronics department at the Avon Walmart and that adult daughter Taylor is unemployed. No one else is in residence. Board agreed to give homeowner until January 1, 2023 to provide documentation, contracts, receipts, etc. that each violation is being addressed with a fine of $10/day commencing 1/1/2023 in the event of non-compliance. Board will review materials submitted and matter is adjourned until receipt of same. Christopher Rossetti reminded Faith Turner of the severity of the violations and the length of time these violations have been outstanding.
13 Edgewood (not present) violation is three stumps need to be removed. Christopher Rossetti moves to impose a $10 per day fine beginning January 1, 2023 for each day the stumps remain unground. Mitch Uzwack seconds. Motion approved. Violation for removal of 3 healthy trees without DRC approval adjourned to January meeting. Homeowner to be resummoned.
6 Dove Circle (not present) outstanding violation is to re-stain unit, trim, and doors. First cited in May 2021. Christopher Rossetti moves to impose a $10 per day fine beginning January 1, 2023 for each day the outstanding violations are not addressed. Katia Solakas seconds.
The Board will schedule a separate meeting to discuss fine policy going forward.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT by Christopher Rossetti (transcribed as submitted).
Good response from the community for volunteers to plan and execute Pond Place Day. Claire Henderson, in charge of badge issuance, estimates attendance at 110-120 persons. Feedback I received is that all had an enjoyable time. Next year the event should commence earlier as darkness impeded the corn hole tournament.
We will be adopting a community collection policy for foreclosure of unpaid Association Dues in accordance with guidance provided by White & Katzman and Howard Rosenberg, Esq. of Rosenburg & Rosenburg of 111 Simsbury Road in Avon at the 11/30/22 meeting.
The DRC held a meeting on 11/21/22 chaired by Amber Jones to complete the first work through of the existing Building Guide to revise and update it. Due to personal reasons, she has resigned from the Design Review Committee effective today. Lois Hessert has agreed to become a full member subject to the Board’s approval. Steven Gemme has been approached to consider serving as an alternate again subject to the Board’s approval.
A document entitled “Guidance to Realtors, Prospective Purchasers & Renters” was drafted and circulated among the Board members for comment and suggestion for ultimate posting on the new website.
MANAGER’S REPORT
DRC REPORT
Christopher Rossetti moved to elect Lois Hessert-Blawie as full member of the DRC. Mitch Uzwak seconds. Motion approved
TREASURER’S REPORT
Katia Salokas stated reports were sent two weeks ago electronically to board. Nothing further at this time.
NORTHINGTON MEADOW, INC. REPORT (transcribed as submitted)
Still obtaining guidance from professionals on whether a transfer of the Pond Parcel to either the Association or Tax District is feasible without triggering a taxable event for Northington.
Requests have been made to both Nick McMahon of Pond & Lake and Mark Rowland of Life, Inc. for pond treatment proposals for 2023 and also for proposals for both solar and hardwired fountains for both aesthetic and algae treatment purposes but as yet not received.
Query how would you feel about an illuminated pond fountain visible from Route 44?
P.A. 22-83 places much more onerous notification obligations on pond herbicide applications and will likely cause a significant interest in costs.
JH Property Services has cut down and removed the phragmites to the left of the dock in front of 4 Butternut. I coordinated this with the Town Inland Wetland Officer.
The requested annual report of treatment and pond condition has not as yet been received from the Pond & Lake Connection.
POND PLACE WEB SITE PROGRESS REPORT
Uploading 2022 documents in separate folders and will flip the site from the old one to the new one. The edits given to Gena Hamilton are also being made. She will then upload the past 11 years of documents. Should be done within the next couple of weeks. Gena will also contact the hosting company regarding the slowness. John Williams will send the test site to the board again.
OLD BUSINESS
None
NEW BUSINESS
Collection policy approval is for Association dues and fines only. Correspondence received was read to the Board. There were two letters each in partial opposition. Christopher Rossetti moved to approve the proposed collection policy as drafted and circulated. It is seconded by Mitch Uzwack and unanimously approved.
Christopher Rossetti moved to approve the Guidance to Realtors as written, to have it prominently posted on the Pond Place website and to be included as the first page on all Resale Certificates issued by White & Katzman. Mitch Uzwack seconded. Motion approved unanimously.
FYI – Owl Court water shut off – the water company had to shut off the water by cutting into the asphalt and believe it is Pond Place’s responsibility to repair the road. Christopher Rossetti does not want to approve fixing it until we are certain there will be no more work required. W&K will call the water company again to see if there is additional information. Will also check with owner to determine condition of repairs.
Northington Meadows New Business – Susan Jansen stated that pond should be lowered annually to avoid ice damage to the dam. In addition, draining the pond every other year, will help reduce the need for herbecides. John Williams suggested that we contact the dam inspector to determine if this is necessary. Christopher Rossetti moved to be given discretion on the timing of pond lowering/drainage once engineers have been consulted. Mitch Uzwack seconds. Motion approved.
6 Arrowhead – Austin Patenaude requested the W&K books be corrected for the white trim on sliders violation. Mitch Uzwack moves that the violation be voided, but if the sliders are replaced, the owner will follow the DRC process. Susan Franke seconds. Motion passed.
Future Meetings.
The 2023 meetings being held @ 6:30 PM by Zoom on the 4th Thursday of the month, except for November when due to Thanksgiving it will be on the 5th Thursday of the month.
Here are the dates for 2023 as agreed to by post meeting electronic consensus.
1/26/23, 2/23/23, 3/23/23, 4/28/23, 5/25/23, 6/22/23, 7/27/23, 8/24/23, 9/28/23, 10/26/23, 11/30/23
Meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM
Respectfully submitted by Susan Franke, Secretary
