Annual Meeting & Elections
The Annual Meeting of both the Pond Place Association, Inc. and the Pond Place Tax District will occur on May 18, 2023 at 6:30 P.M. in the Avon Room at the Avon Town Offices, Building 1 at 60 West Main Street in Avon. The meetings will also be streamed.
Association
The Association Meeting will focus on the election or re-election of three (3) members of the Board of Governors. Individuals who own a dwelling in Pond Place may participate. Proxies are permitted. As of this writing the candidates are incumbents Mitch Uzwack, Susan Jansen and Lois Hessert-Blawie and newcomer Jim Downey.
Tax District
The Tax District meeting will focus on approval of the proposed budget and election of a President, Vice-President, Clerk and five (5) Directors. As of this writing I am seeking re-election as President, Mitch Uzwack as Vice-President, Susan Franke as Clerk and the following incumbents as Directors: John Williams, Austin Patenaude, Katia Salokas, Judy Larkin and Greg Weston. Jim Downey is seeking a position as a Director. All residents of Pond Place who are registered to vote in Avon are eligible to participate in the voting.
Tax District Proposed Budget
The proposed budget remains at the same level as last fiscal year, i.e. NO REVENUE INCREASE. The total proposed budget is $307,900.00. The proposed Mill Rate is .011643on a Grand List of $226,445,720.00 We were largely able to avoid any increase because both our management and landscape/snow removal contracts were fixed and multi-year. $30,135.00 is budgeted for unforeseen contingencies such as punishing storms or sewer pipe failures (any part of these funds not used will be moved into our Reserves). $5,000.00 is budgeted for reconstruction of the common walkway serving 4,5 & 6 Owl Courts. $6,000.00 is budgeted for landscape improvements. $30,000.00 is budgeted to restore the Tennis Court and $25,000.00 is budgeted as a contribution to Reserves for road and other fixed asset replacement. Some residents have requested that the tennis court also be lined as a pickleball court; others have objected to this usage. No decision has been made by the Board on this additional use and none will be made until all members of the community are allowed to be heard on this matter and possibly a poll taken. The Board of Directors is recommending approval of this budget.
Association Proposed Budget
The Budget Committee of the Pond Place Association, Inc. will be recommending a $50/unit increase in annual dues to cover legal fees to commence the process of updating our declaration and by-laws, increases in website management fees and property and liability insurance premiums. On the recommendation of our CPAs income from land leases owned by the Association will now be reflected in the budget. Finally the budget provides funding for acquisition of the 3.44 acre parcel of undeveloped land currently owned by The Connecticut Water Company which abuts the south east side of Pond Place near September Way. Offsetting the probable acquisition cost of $26,500.00 is a one time payment expected to be received from Comcast/Xfinity as their obligation under a Community Services Agreement signed late last year. This Association budget will be voted on by the Board of Governors at their May 25, 2023 meeting.
Collections
At its November 2022 meeting the Board voted to adopt the proposed White & Katzman collection policy for delinquent Pond Place Association, Inc. dues. Sad to report, but several homeowners are seriously delinquent in their obligations and their cases will be turned over to our collection attorneys, Rosenberg & Rosenberg of Avon, for legal action in the event they fail to immediately bring their accounts substantially up to date. Please understand that White & Katzman has no authority to defer or compromise indebtedness. The Board encourages everyone to catch up to avoid the imposition of attorney’s fees and costs
Board Meetings
The next meetings of the Pond Place Tax District and Pond Place Association, Inc. Boards will be held on May 25, 2023 at 6:30 P.M via Zoom. All owners and residents may attend the meetings and are invited to make comments. Hyperlinks and instructions for participation will be posted on our website www.pondplace.org the day of the meeting. White & Katzman may also send hyperlinks to the Zoom meeting via electronic mail for those who have e-addresses on file. Subject to pending formal Board approval, all meetings will be held on the 4th Thursday of the month except for November which will be held on the 5th Thursday of the month due to Thanksgiving. Meetings will commence at 6:30 PM.
The Board of Northington Meadow, Inc., which holds title to the Stub Pond parcel, and which is composed entirely now of the members of the Pond Place Association, Inc. Board of Governors, will be holding public meetings transacting Stub Pond business and reporting to the community during the regular Pond Place Association, Inc. meetings to provide more openness and inclusion.
Building Guide Revisions
Members of the Boards and the Design Review Committee have been working to update, expand and improve the Pond Place Building Guide. The fourth and final meeting dedicated to this purpose was held on April 13, 2023. All substantive issues have been resolved and the revised guide is in final stylistic editing. It will be presented to the community for comment in June.
Spring Inspections
Mike Montgomery and Lauren Pizzoferrato from White & Katzman have already begun the Spring 2023 inspections of the community and will be issuing written maintenance violation notices. Those who received correction orders last year which remain incomplete will be subject to potential fines. Please do your part to help keep the community in good repair and attractive.
White and Off-Whites Prohibited for any Purpose in Pond Place
The Board of Governors of the Pond Place Association, Inc. is reminding all homeowners that for aesthetic reasons white pipes, white doors, white windows, white trim, white garage doors, white drip edge, white weatherstripping, white molding, white light and white security camera fixtures are NOT permitted in Pond Place.
White or off white trim and siding colors will NOT be approved by the Design Review Committee.
White & Katzman will be noting properties which are in non conformity with this rule during their Spring 2023 inspections and homeowners will be expected to come into compliance by the Fall 2023 deadlines or face fines.
By way of history, white was never a permitted color for weatherstripping, pipes, drip edge, screens, windows, doors, etc. During the period CM Property Management was managing the community enforcement of the Building Guide and oversight of the exterior appearance of structures and exclusive use areas was at times overlooked and inconsistent. Several homeowners applied off white colors to their structures without permission.
Several homeowners without seeking approval from the DRC, installed white fixtures or piping.
If you received written permission from CM Property Management for a white or off white color application or for installation of a white fixture, the Board may depending on the circumstances delay or defer enforcement.
If you purchased your house during the last few years and when you purchased it something on it was white, and it was not noted as a violation or discrepancy on your Resale Certificate, the Board may depending on the circumstances delay or defer enforcement. All others will be expected to re-stain their white or off white trim, garage doors and doors with a DRC approved color. White windows, weatherstripping, drip edge, molding, garage weatherstripping will need either to be spray painted black or brown or be replaced.
New Land Maintenance Rule
Complaints have been received from time to time about Exclusive Use Areas that are not kept up. I suspect we are all familiar with the an EUA where grass is not mowed, or leaves are left around to blow on their neighbor’s EUA’s after spring or fall clean up period has passed, or no effort appears to have been made to keep shrubs pruned or dead plantings removed or stuff is left all over the place, etc. Homeowners are reminded that the Pond Place Declaration provides in Article VI Section 1 C of the Declaration: “Dwellings and the Land shall be kept in a neat attractive manner and kept in good repair.” Land refers to Exclusive Use Areas including those which encroach on buffer areas. The Board with one abstention codified this passage as a rule on October 25, 2021 and it will be added to the Rules and Regulations of Pond Place as a reminder that there is an expectation EUAs will be kept in a neat and attractive manner. Homeowners who fail to mow their lawns, weed whack as appropriate or otherwise violate this rule will be cited and fines will be levied for non- compliance starting in June. Again, those seeking additional time or who dispute the findings may appear before the Board. Owners who have tenants should understand that delegating these maintenance obligations to tenants will not excuse compliance or remission of fines in the event of non-compliance.
Service Line Maintenance Responsibility
The Board recently requested guidance from the Association’s attorney on maintenance and repair responsibility for water, sewer and gas pipes outside of a dwelling unit or other structure. His written opinion of counsel is posted elsewhere on the Pond Place website. I will summarize it as follows: Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and repair of water and sewer pipes that exclusively serve their dwelling unit. The Pond Place Association, Inc. and Tax District are responsible for those which serve multiple dwellings. CNG currently retains full responsibility for gas pipes that extend from the foundation of dwellings outward. Homeowners are urged to obtain an indorsement to their HO3 or HO5 homeowner’s insurance policy for “service line coverage”. Most insurance companies offer this endorsement for a small additional annual premium. Outside pipe breaks or ruptures can be very expensive to repair. Do yourself a favor and acquire such a rider or endorsement. The Board has been unable to obtain coverage for all exterior service line pipes in Pond Place but will continue to endeavor to do so.
Please furnish your E-Mail Addresses
In order to cut the cost of, document and speed up communication, Pond Place residents and association members who have not already done so should provide their e-mail address to White & Katzman Property Management. FYI it costs more than $2.00 to send a postal communication presently. Bills, budgets, meeting notices, violation letters and similar really important messages will continue to also be sent by mail. Quite a few units still do not have e-mail addresses on file. Let’s improve this statistic, please. Most courtesy messages will only be delivered electronically.
Prohibition on Feeding of Roaming & Feral Animals
The Board enacted a new rule on September 27, 2021 prohibiting the leaving outside of food for feral and roaming animals as follows: “For purposes of health and safety, no member of the Association, members of his or her household, his or her tenants or residents of the Tax District shall leave any food outside the confines of a dwelling unit or in an open garage or shed which may attract or be consumed by bears, coyotes, coydogs, bobcats, skunks, possums, raccoons, roaming dogs or roaming cats. Violations shall be punishable by fine.”
FY 2020-2021 Audit Available
The Association and Tax District FY 2020-2021 audits conducted by King & King, CPAs are now available on our website. The FY 2021-2022 audits are in preparation.
Speed Limit
Kindly respect the 20 MPH speed limit on all Pond Place roads for everyone’s safety, including pets.
Trash Barrels
There has been improving compliance with our trash and recycling barrel rules. Residents are reminded that trash and recyclable barrels must be kept in the garages or sheds except on the night before (currently Tuesday nights) or the day of (currently Wednesdays) pickup. Those who do not have garages or sheds are expected to place their barrels out of public view. It is not acceptable for those with garages or sheds to store their barrels outside. Please comply and help to keep the community sightly. Except for a handful of residents, the community is in compliance with these rules. Habitual violators will be subject to fines for non compliance.
Those members who opted out in writing last year from community wide trash and recyclables service through Paine’s will be treated automatically as continuing their opt out without further action on their part. Members who purchased after 6/30/2021 or previously failed to opt out are NOT eligible to opt out in the future. Those who wish to receive service should contact Mike Montgomery or Lauren Pizzoferrato at White & Katzman, not Paine’s.
Design Review Committee
Owners and residents are cautioned that virtually any change to the exterior of a dwelling, garage or shed, including re-staining, requires written prior approval of the Design Review Committee. The Exterior Modification application form is available at www.pondplace.org .Those who have applications pending are advised that the committee has been reviewing and voting on applications electronically to expedite processing. Association members are urged to read the Pond Place Building Guide carefully to assure that they have submitted all necessary information and documentation required. It has been my experience many do not do so which will cause delays in approval. Insurance documentation is only needed if the Committee so requires after their review of the application. Color approvals now require submission of swatches. Most modifications of the exterior of your dwelling, garage or shed require prior approval of the Design Review Committee. You act at your peril if you execute an exterior modification without prior approval. Applications and correspondence should be sent to White & Katzman by uploading through the PILERA platform or by e-mail or snail mail to the attention of our manager, Michael Montgomery.
Residents or owners are welcome to contact me with issues, complaints, concerns or for guidance.
Christopher J. Rossetti
(860) 678-0889
Management Contact Information
POND PLACE PROPERTY MANAGER
Mr. Michael Montgomery
Managing Agent
P: 860.291.8777 x107
E: Mikem@wkmanage.com
POND PLACE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Ms. Lauren Pizzoferrato
Assistant Property Manager
P: 860.291.8777 x122
E: Laurenp@wkmanage.com
POND PLACE ACCOUNTING TEAM
Ms. Cheyna Fortson
Accounts Receivable
P: 860.291.8777 x128
E: cheyna@wkmanage.com
Reminders
Trash & Recyclables pick-up: Paine’s picks up trash on Wednesdays weekly and recyclables on Wednesdays bi-weekly on their B-Week schedule with one day delays for certain specified holidays: Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving during 2023. The schedule is posted on www.pondplace.org Your barrels need to be on the curb by 6:00 AM on Wednesday mornings and should be returned to their sheds or garages before sunrise the day after. Should new residents or owners wish smaller or larger barrels than those inherited from the prior owner or tenant they should contact White & Katzman, not Paine’s. Likewise any requests for special pick-ups or complaints regarding non pick-ups should be routed through White & Katzman.
Persons who have fallen into arrears on their obligations to the Pond Place Association or the Pond Place Tax District are reminded their delinquent amounts will be carrying a high rate of interest. It is in their best interest to get these arrearages paid off.
Unpaid FY 21-22 dues and taxes are now DELINQUENT and are being turned over for collection.
Unpaid FY 22-23 Dues to the Association are now DELINQUENT and are being turned over for collection.
FY 22-23 Taxes to the Tax District are due in two installments, the first half (like town taxes) on July 1st and the second half on January 1st, 2023. Taxes become delinquent if not paid by the 31st of the month in which they are due and will carry retroactive interest at 1 ½% per month (18% per annum) until paid; these unpaid taxes are now DELINQUENT and are being turned over for collection.
Your land lease payment (if you have not already paid your lease off) is due in the amount of $50 on the 1st of every month. Those who are not delinquent may prepay an entire year in the amount of $519.11 and take advantage of a significant savings.
Land Leases in arrears on July 1, 2022 will carry retroactive interest at 3% from the date of delinquency with respect to all delinquent payments from due date. Those more than 6 months delinquent will be referred to the Association’s attorneys for legal collection.
Taxes in arrears are currently carrying a rate of 1.5% per month retroactive to the date of delinquencies. Those 6 months or more delinquent will be referred to the Tax District’s attorneys for legal collection.
Delinquent Association obligations carry interest at the rate of 12% per annum from date of delinquency. Those more than 6 months delinquent will be referred to the Association’s attorneys for legal collection.
