Board meeting minutes - November 14, 2005 

The Secret Woods November 14, 2005 Board Meeting was called to order by Board President Sallie Wnuk at 6:32 p.m. at the YMCA on Belfort Road.

The following members attended: Bill Bortzfield, Wayne Williams, Valerie Redmond, Linda Evans, Mary Loving and Sallie Wnuk. Residents Byron Delong, Mark Lemmenes, and John Loving also attended.

Sallie opened the meeting by asking Bill to read the October minutes. The minutes were approved as read.

Valerie then gave the treasurer's report. As of November 14, 2005 the neighborhood had a balance of $32,459.09.

Sallie said no new ballots have been received for the proposed amendments to the Secret Woods covenants and bylaws.  The count remains at:

Proposal to waive annual dues for board president, secretary and treasurer: 81 yes, 14 no. 

Proposal to increase the new homeowners initiation fee to $500: 84 yes, 11 no. 

95 yes votes are needed for the measures to pass. Block captains reported they would go door-to-door to collect the remaining unreturned ballots but had not done so as of tonight.

The board discussed the possibility of posting either addresses or lot numbers of the homeowners who have not voted yet at the mailboxes to try to encourage a 100% return rate on the ballots.

Block captain leader Bonnie Cowling talked to the board via a conference call.  She said the city permit for the new neighborhood fence can't be issued until the bids are turned in.

Bonnie also reported that the block captains are willing to handle setting up and executing the holiday luminaries project in Secret Woods this year. Last year the board, neighbors and Scouts from Pack 318 and Troop 159 took on the project.  The board voted to accept the block captains offer, authorizing them to spend up to $500 to plan, organize, and execute the annual Secret Woods luminaries event.

Sallie reported that the Secret Woods volunteer workday went extremely well, generating 107.5 hours of volunteer time.   She also reported on the estimated costs to rebuild the three leaning brick pillars at the neighborhood's front entrance.  Doug's Masonry turned in a bid of $900 per pillar to remove each old pillar and replace it with a new one.

Given the high cost and the concern that the replaced pillars might also begin leaning, the  board agreed to knock down the three bad ones and keep the rest.  The plan is to have them taken down by volunteers as part of the next work day.

The architectural review committee received a request from a homeowner to erect an aluminum garage.  The request was denied, citing the covenants.

The board thanked Treasurer Valerie Redmond for her service.  Valerie and her family are moving in December to Ironwood.  Tonight is her last board meeting.  Pat Parish has volunteered to become the new treasurer.  Valerie agreed to handle transferring the records to Pat.

The meeting adjourned at 7:25pm 

The next meeting will be December  12 at 6:30pm.  Submitted by Bill Bortzfield on November 18, 2005.