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March 2009 Open "B" Board

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March 2009 Open  "B" Board

SUMMARY OF OPEN B-BOARD MEETING
MARCH 17, 2009 AT HOLLY HALL
(File: MinOpenBMin031709)
(NOTE: This is an open meting where agenda items are presented and explained to the property owners of Holly Lake Ranch (HLR.) Comments and questions from participants are summarized and discussed. The property owners may present additional agenda items during the Open Discussion segment of the meeting, if they make arrangements to get on the agenda. No action is taken at this meeting. Where necessary these agenda items will be brought before the Combined A & B Board meeting for discussion and action. The A/B meeting will be held March 24, 2009. B Board members present were John Sparks, Vice President, Larry Bowman, Treasurer, Jeanette Sterner, Secretary and Bill Beggs. Rob James, the GM was present. Several department heads were also present.

John Sparks opened the meeting. The following items were presented and discussed:

I. Fire Department/Security Discussion. HLRVFD Chief Dan Dolezal and HLR Security Chief Brian South reviewed the procedure property owners should take when any type of emergency occurs, especially a fire or medical incident. Brian said the FIRST thing EVERYONE should do is DIAL 911. That is the MOST expedient way to get assistance. The 911 dispatcher handles the call appropriately. The dispatcher gets a message out to the fire fighters as to what type of fire has been called in, i.e. grass fire, structure fire, etc. As in the recent fire, the dispatch went out as "a structure fire" because a home was in flames. That assists the fire fighters in preparing for the fire and bringing the correct equipment and vehicles to the fire. Dan said that for certain types of fires, especially structure fires, four other fire departments receive the dispatch besides Holly Lake. Dan said all of the local fire departments are on the 911 system of "mutual aide." That is another reason for the importance in calling 911 first. Other emergency units are aware of an incident as well as Holly Lake. Again, these other fire departments can prepare their personnel, equipment and vehicles quicker because of the message received from the 911 dispatcher. Dan is usually first on the scene because he comes in his own vehicle. Many other fire fighters go straight to the scene, depending upon the type of fire and what their duties will be for that incident. Since he is there quickly and he is the Chief of HLRVFD, he is the incident commander for many community emergency calls. Dan added that the cooperation, training, and communication among the various emergency providers are improving all of the time. All responders complete hours of training. In fact, this weekend will be a training session for several fire departments and it will be held at the Holly Lake Fire Hall. Brian emphasized again that if you call the Security Office first, only delays the call to 911. Once the Security Office receives the call they immediately call 911. The delay may be only seconds, but every second counts in an emergency. Brian said that while officers in the Security Building are completing their duties in an emergency, simultaneously other officers are on their way to the scene. Dan said it has been a very busy year already. He gave some tips homeowners can take to help in an emergency. He said the homeowners should put their address on their mailboxes, using large reflective numbers. This makes it much easier to see in the dark. Another fire prevention tip is to clean the underbrush around your homes and vacant lots. The dried leaves, limbs and debris are fuel for a fire. John Sparks thanked both Chiefs for the work they and their crews have done for Holly Lake Ranch and the surrounding community. The property owners gave a round of applause to show their appreciation for all both departments do for the area.

II. Golf Rules and Penalty Discussion. John said there have been a couple of incidents on the golf course and some complaints about certain lewd or licentious behaviors or statements made while playing golf. John said the condition and playability of the golf course was worsening due player's failure to repair ball marks and divots. These issues were raised to the Greens Committee and they formed a Disciplinary Subcommittee to review the situations mentioned above and come up with a plan to help lessen or alleviate some of these behaviors and actions before some more dangerous or threatening incident occurred. They recommended hiring a golf marshal, with authority. John said he is part-time and has been working for almost a year. He said the golf marshal is your friend; a friend of the golfer who wants the golf course to look beautiful. All the golfers have to do is repair their divots with a little sand. They established a guide of "Interpersonal Violations" "Violations of Course of Play," and corresponding penalties. The Greens Committee spent many hours working on the final set of violations. The A and B Board approved the disciplinary rules and penalties. They have been posted in the Pro Shop and dispensed to members of the various golf organizations. You may pick up a copy from the back table or pick up a copy from the Pro Shop. John added that the marshal is doing a good job. He is very generous with "warnings," but if you do not cooperate, you may receive a strong penalty, such as a suspension from the course. John asked if anyone had any questions and no one did.

III. Road Paving Plan. John Sparks said $204,000 is budgeted for roads and it will be used ONLY for roads. Rob reminded everyone the Roads Work Group had formulated a plan of which roads needed the most attention the quickest. Dave G. and Rik V. have reviewed the plan earlier this year and feel they are ready to begin work once the weather maintains certain warmth. Rob said Dave would probably begin in April with various projects. Generally the road-repaving period is from April through August, when the weather is warm/hot. The audience presented no questions.

IV. Emergency Exit Discussion. John said that one project that will take one to two days to complete is the bridge on the West side. That is if no complications, like weather interfere with completion. Rob said that about 4 feet on either side of the bridge cannot be paved and smoothed out properly unless we close down the bridge. Dave is going to dig out the area and repave the area before and after the bridge so as to have a smoother surface to ride. The bridge will have to be closed for this project and residents will have to use the emergency exits. The Security Office will have personnel posted so people can locate the exits. Rob is going to ask the VFD if they can help out with directing traffic during this time. The maps indicating the exits will be posted and people can obtain copies on the back table. You can pick up maps at the Admin Office during the week. John said this would be a small test of our emergency exits. It was recommended that signage be placed on the Ranch indicating how to get to the Emergency Exits. Rob said that it a good idea and will be done. Some one asked about an emergency exit for Section 6. Rob said the problem is the land between Section 6 and a hardtop road belongs to a private owner. (NOTE: The Admin office will put out notification posters out and a notification in the paper, when the project will be undertaken. This will help residents prepare for the temporary closing of the West Bridge. Residents may want to plan when outside vendors come in around this closing. As much as possible, the Admin office will inform outside vendors, who visit daily, about the closer, i.e. U.S. Mail Service, FedEx, UPS, etc.)

V. Architectural Control Committee (ACC) Court Settlement. Larry Bowman briefly explained the recent legal action. HLRA won a court settlement against a property owner for some serious ACC rules violations. The Association has tried numerous methods of communication to try and get the homeowner to comply and would not. The violations were deemed serious enough to warrant legal action. The homeowners have agreed to rectify the violations and they have to the satisfaction of the ACC. One of the problems was a fence. Another violation had to do with a building that infringed on the "10-foot setback." Rob said that the Association legal counsel said we could not pursue this issue, so it was not addressed in court. Hopefully, one result from this settlement is that other property owners will understand the seriousness of their responsibility to comply with HLRA Rules and Regulations, ACC guidelines and decisions. The ACC is an important and worthwhile organization, whose goal is to help keep HLR a beautiful residential area.

VI. ACC Guideline Subcommittee. John said the ACC formed a subcommittee to standardize guidelines that have been suggested over some period of time. Past members may have established guidelines and later other members may have changed the wording or the requirement. This is an effort to give stability and standardization to the ACC guidelines so as to be a more effective, efficient, and productive committee. This subcommittee will provide a report to the ACC, who will thoroughly discuss and finalize a document to be presented to the B Board.

VII. Aquatic Weed Situation. John said some property owners have expressed concern that the lakes are developing a hydrilla problem, similar to the one at Lake Hawkins. John said that hydrilla is a nasty problem that can gradually take over a lake. John said that Lake Hawkins spent around $100,000 on the hydrilla problem on that lake; a problem we do not want to have. He wanted to emphasize that the lakes of HLR do not have that extensive of a problem, but we do not want to get to that point either. The Recreation Work Group has commented on the problem for several months. Since our lakes are not county lakes, we have to take a sample of the weeds that are growing in our lakes, to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. The department does not believe we have the same type of weed problem as Lake Hawkins. They will recommend the type of chemicals needed to kill the weeds, but have a minimal negative impact on the fish or other wildlife. Clayton W. did some spraying last year from the shore, but he cannot get to all of the weeds from shore. He said he needs a flat bottom boat to spray the weeds. Lucy Germany, who has served on the RWG, offered the use of her boat. Rob said this is one of the projects for Clayton to complete and will do so this spring. A question was asked about the possibility of dredging the larger two lakes. Rob said no action has been taken to purchase any equipment. Dave said the dredge that is for sale needs to be retrofitted, which would cost about $30,000. Dave said the licensing of operators is another expense. Dave and Rob said that the entire process is being reviewed before any plan is compiled. John said it is not an immediate issue to resolve, but it does need to be studied for future planning purposes. John and Dave emphasized this is not a one time project and your done. The extent of residue in all of our lakes will not go away; it will only increase. John Sparks said the Lakes and Wildlife Work Group has several new members and they will review and study this project. He said besides costs of the project, the WG will review how money can be made to offset the costs. For example, Dave has suggested the sand that is removed could be sold.

VIII. Emergency Sirens. Someone asked about installing emergency sirens. Rob said this issue was researched last year. The cost would be over $40,000. A lady mentioned that Brookhaven obtained their sirens from a military base and were cheaper than if you bought them anywhere else. Rob said the other "down" side of this issue, is where to place them so all could hear them. You would need more than Brookhaven. Secondly, Rob said people want the siren, but not near their property because of the intense noise they emit when they are tested or utilized in an actual emergency. (Note: The VFD Chief mentioned that same concern last year.)

IX. Catering Fee at Holly Hall. Rob said that only HLR property owners could use the three buildings for functions. Those are Holly Hall, Lodge, and House. The refundable fee to HLR clubs and organizations to use the Holly House or Lodge is $100 for the year. At the end of the year, the money is refunded as long as the organization cleans the buildings according to HLRA posted standards. Since most of these clubs and organizations meet monthly, the club pays a one-time refundable fee. This cuts down on Admin time to process a monthly fee and then refund the money after the monthly function. The charges for the Lodge and House have been questioned because those who use these buildings always clean them up. The problem is the buildings are used frequently, with one club coming in right after another club. If one did not clean the area up properly, it might not be clear as to who was at fault. Hopefully, maintaining the fee for these two buildings will prevent more problems then if you removed it. If you use the Hall, you pay a non-refundable fee of $10. This is for paper products and electricity. You have to pay a refundable $200 fee for clean up. If you clean the building according to specifications, you get the $200 back. Rob said people who rent the Holly Hall for "closed" activities; there is a fee of $250. On top of that, Rob said a policy was made to charge $200 if the function is catered and Fore Seasons is not the restaurant serving the meal. Rob said the catering business is a big business. If Fore Seasons does not get the catering job, they lose that money plus they lose business at the restaurant because fewer people are dining there because of the event. Rob said if you want to have a closed function and have it catered, the charge would be $450. If you use our restaurant for the catering, the fee will only be $250. Rob said if you have a wedding and you use a caterer you really like, $200 extra fee is not that much when you compare the costs of other facilities. Rob said you could pay over $1,000 for usage of a hall in some facilities. The goal is to help make the restaurant successful because we all want the restaurant to do well. The intent of this policy is to encourage people to use Fore Seasons for their catering needs. Jimmy, Andy and Diane feel they have good food services and would like to promote their business. Someone asked if this was legal. Rob said it is and he checked with other Homeowner Associations to see what their policies were. Rob was asked to define a "closed function." Rob said it is a function where people are invited to attend say a family reunion, birthday party, a wedding, etc. Now, there are some organizations, like the Chess Club, where only a few come, but everyone CAN come to their event. He said the card playing groups usually have the same people there every time, but they do not restrict who comes. Some one asked how many "closed" functions do we have. Rob said about one a month. A lady said she recently attended a wedding here and she thinks the rental fee is very reasonable and it is wonderful that we have an on-site caterer.

There was no further business. A motion was made by Larry Bowman to adjourn. Bill Beggs seconded the motion. The motion passed.
The meeting was recorded, cataloged by number 031709 and available in the Office of the Administrative assistant by appointment.
Submitted by Jeanette L. Sterner, Secretary

Last Updated on Friday, 27 March 2009 01:56  

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