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TARA WOODS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

TWPOA Annual Membership Meeting

May 15, 2010

TWPOA Pavilion

Donna Bobbish called the meeting to order.

Nine Directors were present:  Donna Bobbish, Dave Bolden, Bart Cameron, Cherish Dahm, Jim Holland, Dick Lear, Jack Perrigo, Russ Smith and Bob Wilson.

No Director was absent.

Donna Bobbish introduced the newly elected Board of Directors.

Donna then acknowledged three new property owners:

Charles and Ryan Fernett (Lot 11)

Libby and David Sandridge (Lot 67)

Susan and Bob Wilson (Lot 23)

Approval of the Agenda:  Donna Bobbish asked if there were any changes to the Agenda.  No changes were proposed. A motion was made Bart Cameron and seconded by Dick Lear to approve the Agenda.  The Agenda was approved unanimously. 

Presentation on Property and Personal Security:  Bart Cameron introduced Major Donald Lowe, Deputy Sheriff, Louisa County.  Deputy Lowe stated that non-violent crimes were the most common, such as breaking and entering or theft. He offered the following advice to homeowners regarding non-violent crimes:

A.  Don’t leave valuable items in the open.  Fishing poles, fish finders, gas cans or other loose equipment should be stowed in a secure location, not in the open boat.

B.  At home, lawn mowers, jet skis and other equipment left in the drive way are an open invitation to thieves.  Garage doors should be closed and locked.  Car doors should also be locked.

C.  Don’t advertise what you have.  Listing of items for sale is a good inventory list for the thief.

D.  Maintain a file of valuable items.  Photographs, recorded serial numbers, and special identifying marks on property are helpful to police in recovering stolen goods and returning it to the rightful owner.

E.   Keep important documents in a secure location – your office or a bank safety deposit box, for example.  

Deputy Lowe stated that home invasion was one of the most recurring violent crimes and offered the following advice to avoid being a victim:

A.  When at home, keep doors locked.  If you are working in the back yard, keep front door locked.

B.  Don’t open the door for unknown people.  Ask to see the identification card of any person claming to be from the government, a utility company or other business that you have not requested to come to your home.

C.  Invest in an alarm system.  Dogs are also helpful in alerting you.

D.  Stay alert to what is happening in your neighborhood.  Look after your neighbors and call the police if you see or hear something that causes you to be concerned.

E.   If you suspect your home has been broken into while you have been away, back out of the house and call the police.  This keeps you from inadvertently destroying valuable evidence and protects you if the intruders are still in your home. 

F.   Don’t ever let the intruders take you from your home.  Chances of survival are low. 

Deputy Lowe also advised that the Sheriff’s Department offers home inspections and recommendations on how to better secure your home and property.  If interested, call the Sheriff’s Department.

Presentation on Fire Safety:  Bob Wilson introduced Robert Dube, Louisa County Fire Chief.  Chief Dube reviewed the past history of the Louisa County’s effort to consolidate the numerous individual volunteer fire departments (7) and rescue squads (5) that provide emergency service throughout Louisa County.  He stated that 24hour/7 days per week coverage was limited since there were only 34 full time paid employees to cover the 514 square miles of Louisa County.  He stated that the firefighters are also trained in EMT procedures. A pager system alerts volunteers to proceed to the fire station in cases of emergency, but time is still critical in reaching the location of the emergency.  Maneuvering large emergency equipment on the narrow country roads of the county also slows response time.  He offered the following advice to homeowners: 

      A.  Have appropriate (dry powder and water) fire extinguishers available in your home. 

      B  Ensure there are working smoke detectors in your home and establish a battery replacement plan.

      C.  Do not keep flammable material in or close to the home.  Keep all fuel be stored in proper UL certified containers.

      D.  Enroll in a CPR/First Aid course.

      E.  If you can’t extinguish a fire soon after it starts, evacuate the house to protect yourself and family.  A fire will double in size every 2-3 minutes.

      F.  Place fire-resistant mats under grills located on decks to prevent deck fires.  Mats are available at Lowes or Home Depot. 

Chief Dube concluded by stating that CPR classes are offered by the Louisa County Fire Department.  He

also advised that smoke detectors were available from the Fire Department without charge and could be

installed by the department personnel, again without charge.  Chief Dube then introduced Ryne

Conley from the Virginia Department of Forestry. 

Mr. Conley addressed the occurrence of wild fires stating that there were not too frequent in the Louisa

County area.  He indicated that Spring and Fall were the seasons of main concern.  He reminded everyone

of the Burning Law that prohibits burning before 4:00 pm from February 15 through April 30 each year. 

Mr. Conley then provided the following advice to homeowners: 

      A.  Keep vegetation cut back from the house.

      B.  Trim trees away from the home.  Trim high, keep underbrush clear.

      C.  Mulch can be a fire hazard when placed against the home in flower beds and gardens.

      D.  Home construction materials should be fire resistant.

      E.  Keep wood piles away from the home.

      F.  Keep gutters clear.

      G.  Don’t store items under the decks. 

Chief Dube was asked about installation of Dry Fire Hydrants and their effectiveness.  After some discussion, it was recommended that a survey be done of Tara Woods by the fire department and the results be presented at the next Board meeting.  Funding grants for such installation could be initiated by the fire department during the open grant period which occurs each year in the January/February time period.  Bob Wilson would coordinate with Chief Dube.  This item has been placed on the June Agenda for discussion. 

Annual Budget Summary:  Treasurer’s Report:  Jack Perrigo provided copies of the TWPOA Finance Summary as of May 2, 2010.  Jack indicated that four lot owners still were delinquent in paying their Association annual dues.  Jack stated that two lots are for sale under “short sale” and he does not expect payment until the properties sell. He anticipates that the dues will be paid at settlement as has happened in the past. The other two properties are late and he expects payment without action other than to send reminders.   Jack reviewed the Financial Summary (Attachment A).  He noted that the “Boat Slip Fund” (Item 66) amount owed to the General Operating Fund, had been reduced as a result of proceeds from auctions and contributions.  Jack went on to say that once the Boat Slip Fund was in the “Black”, that he would establish a separate bank account for assets received from auctions that would solely be used for the maintenance and repair of the Marina.

Review of the Minutes from the April 11, 2010 Board Meeting:  Donna Bobbish stated that the April 11, 2010 Minutes, have been posted to the Association website and  approval of those Minutes would be addressed at the June 13, 2010 Board Meeting.

Committee Reports: 

A.    Property Manager’s Report:  Jack Perrigo noted that he had just completed re-decking the Marina’s launching pier.  He also addressed the Marina gate repair status, commenting that he has had some difficulty in communicating with the Ashland contractor.  Jack was uncertain when the gate would or could be repaired.  Jack indicated that if he didn’t have any success with the contractor he would go to Ashland and pick up the gate from the contractor.  Donna Bobbish suggested that a “Plan B” be developed to include possible gate replacement if repair of the gate proved impracticable.  The suggestion was made an Agenda item for the next Board Meeting on June 13, 2010.

 B.     July Fourth Parade and Picnic:  Nancy Lear/Maryhelen Perrigo confirmed the date of 3 July for the Tara Woods Annual July 4^th Parade and Picnic The theme this year is “Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet”.   They encouraged as many people as possible to decorate their golf carts, wagons, bikes lawn mowers, etc and join the festivities.  Hot dogs, Hamburgers, and other picnic fare will be served.  There is no fee for property owners and family.  Guests are welcome at a fee of $2.00 per guest.  Lake Anna Civic Association fireworks will also be that evening beginning at 9:15 pm. 

C.     Newsletter:  Anne Fernandez was absent.   

D.    Summary Status of Marina Reconfiguration Construction:  Jack Perrigo reviewed the history of the Marina Reconfiguration.  Commitments to provide boat slips to non-lakefront property owners exceeded the number of fully useable slips.  Mike Mann’s Power Point presentation at the January 8, 2008 Board meeting proposed several options to increase the number of slips available at the Marina.  At the time, the Board reviewed the proposal and decided to create a comprehensive reconfiguration plan that would provide a net gain of six new slips while doing away with the two slips that were determined to be unusable.  Two committees were formed, the Boat Slip Reconfiguration Committee and the Boat Slip Management Committee.  The Boat Slip Reconfiguration Committee was tasked to develop detailed plans for the reconfiguration of the boat slips.  The Boat Slip Management Committee was tasked to develop a management plan to ensure equitable assignment of the new slips as well as a continuing plan to manage this valuable Association asset  After approximately eighteen months and a $7600 investment (which is being repaid by the proceeds of the boat slip auctions) the original commitment for useable boat slips has been realized.

Comment by Members: 

A.  Jim Duke  (Lot 53) commented favorably on the two presentations given today.  He noted how valuable it was to the Tara Woods community to have local authorities address matters of home security and fire prevention, offering advice as to what home owners can do to protect themselves and their property.  Donna Bobbish stated that the Board would continue in its efforts to bring informative presentations to the Board Meetings. 

B.  Maryhelen reminded everyone of the “Pot Luck Farewell Luncheon” for Harmel Sabourins and family 12:00 pm Saturday, 22 May, 2010 at the Tara Woods pavilion.  They are moving to New Hampshire where Harmel was assigned to open a new Window World.

Comment by the Board: 

A.  Dave Bolden asked the Board members to submit any items for the June 13^th Agenda to him by Wednesday, 19 May.  Dave also asked to meet with Jack Perrigo and Russ Smith after the meeting adjourned.

Donna Bobbish reminded everyone of the next Board of Directors Meeting; Sunday, June 13, 2010, 12:00 pm at TWPOA pavilion.

A motion was made by Cherish Dahm and seconded by Bart Cameron to adjourn the meeting.  Motion passed unanimously. 

Respectfully Submitted, 

David Bolden, Secretary 

Approved, 

Donna Bobbish, President