Dear Neighbors,

We sent you an email several days ago relating to the letter you received from the Town of Londonderry regarding proposed zoning changes and informing you that the Planning Board will hold an informational/planning workshop on March 13, 2019 at 7:00PM in the Moose Hill Council Chambers

As we informed you several days ago, we met with Planning officials from the Town of Londonderry and were led to believe that the planned changes would have little or no impact on our community.

However, upon further investigation we found that the Route 102 Performance Overlay District, of which we are a part, affords us certain advantages such as increased setbacks and protections from certain forms of obnoxious businesses. The elimination of this Overlay District would also eliminate some of these protections. Based on this additional information, we are now advising you to attend this workshop.

Prior to the March 13 workshop you may want to inform yourself. To that end, we are providing the following links:
Proposed Zoning Changes
http://www.londonderrynh.org/Pages/LondonderryNH_BComm/Planning/CommercialZoning/
Existing Zoning (See 4.6.6 Performance Overlay District – Route 102 Corridor)
http://www.londonderrynh.org/Pages/LondonderryNH_PlanEcoDev/plandocs/zoning/zoning

As mentioned in our previous letter, we are still pursuing having Hickory Woods rezoned as residential (AR-1) instead of the current zone (C-2) which is commercial. This would afford us additional protections.

Sincerely,
Hickory Woods Board of Directors

At the last annual meeting a question from one of the unit owners highlighted the fact that there is no direct way for owners to contact the Board of Directors. To remedy this issue the Board has decided to re-institute the email address previously used by the Board:
bod-input@hwcommunity.info.

The email address bod-input@hwcommunity.info should only be used for concerns that require the direct attention of the Board, such as:

At the last Board meeting it was announced that Alan Putnam had resigned from the Board as of the end of January.

As a result of this resignation the Board initiated the following actions:

HW BOD Meeting – 2/13/19

(Highlights of the meeting were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved.)

The HW Board meeting was held on February 13, 2019 at the Clubhouse.

• The Board announced the resignation of Alan Putnam as of the end of January.
• The Board voted to change community comments from the beginning of the meeting agenda to the end. The vote was unanimous.
• Annual meeting minutes approved as written.
• The financial statements were presented to the Board with a review of operating expenses. The 2018 budget was favorable.
• Management Reports were presented:

Club House Committee

• Request for transfer dollies, cost $430.00 – approved
• Comprehensive cleaning of building and windows, cost $925.00
• Request for four folding tables – tabled
• Neighborhood inquiry for placing the clubhouse trash and recycling bins in a storage shed – Board asked that cost estimate be provided to the board.

Beautification Committee

• Bob Medeiros has been appointed liaison. Bob reported that the committee would be seeking cost estimates for the proposed landscaping improvements submitted to the board in December 2018.

Waivers: HOA management reports that there are two outstanding waivers for landscaping on common area.

AAI request for 16 Tavern Hill Road, extension of an approved request – granted

Board Officers: The Board voted unanimously on 2019 officers:

Phil Lee – President
Bob Medeiros – Vice President
Nancy Shearer – Secretary
Brian Wells – Treasurer

• President and Treasurer were approved for signature authority for financial business.
• Special election will be held on 3/19/19 to fill the vacant Board seat. The call for candidates will be sent by e-mail on 2/14/19. Deadline for submission is 2/22/19 at 2 PM. Proxies will be mailed before 3/4/19. Candidates will be announced as they come in.
• Board Meeting Dates: 3/20, 4/17, 5/15, 6/19, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16, and 11/20. There are no Board Meetings scheduled for July and December.
• There will be a new e-mail address developed for the purpose of communicating with Board Members. E-mail will be sent to all residents with the address and guidelines.
• Board voted to approve limited input from unit owners during meetings.
• Board discussed the government regulations in HUD that requires a survey of the 55+ developments every two years to ensure compliance. Residents will be asked to provide the management company with proof of age.
• Annual Meeting for 2020 will be held on December 10^th The date change was done to ensure that the budget is passed prior to January 1.

Community Comments:

• Resident commented that the bylaws do not allow sheds on common land. Asked if the neighborhood that abuts the clubhouse was polled for their thoughts on the trash and recycle bins.
• Resident requested that the residents requesting the shed get cost quotes.
• Resident expressed concern over who would be responsible for keeping residents proof of age i.e. Copy of drivers license, passport, management company will shred copies once checked.
• Resident questioned why there was an increased fee for the management company. Board explained that the increase was due to the increase cost of the new management company. There will be no variance this year.
• Resident asked if there would be a cost incurred due to the need for a special election. There is a cost to mailing proxies. The Board explained that State Law requires special elections to fill Board vacancies.
• Beautification committee member asked for clarification of who was responsible for obtaining cost estimates for landscaping. Question regarding the budget for landscaping improvements. Board clarified that there is no line item for beautification in the budget. The process is to submit a cost estimate for review and a determination would be made to approve or ask for resubmission.
• Resident questioned the Board on whether there would be a vote by residents to approve landscaping improvements. The Board will approve or deny requests from the Beautification Committee.

Annual Owner’s Meeting

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved.)

The annual owner’s meeting was held on January 8, 2019 at the Clubhouse.

33 owners were present by proxy and 49 owners were present in person at the meeting.

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

The meeting was conducted by Tim Wege from New Star Properties, LLC.

Comments from Unit Owners

For those of you who have not heard, the outcome of the December 4 vote on the proposed $50 assessment increase was defeated by a vote of 49 to 40.

• At the December 4 special meeting the Board asked Unit Owners to vote in favor of an increase in the monthly assessment from $225 to $275. The additional $50 per month would have been used to increase the monthly contribution to the reserve fund from $19 to $69 per unit/month.
• Since the increase was not approved, the Board will impose a 10% increase ($22.50) which will increase your monthly assessment from $225 to 247.50. This will increase reserve funding from $19 to $41.50 per unit/month.

Brad Perham and Liz Lannigan have completed their two year term on the Board as of January 2019 and have chosen not to run for re-election. Since Brian Wells and Allan Putnam are serving terms that expire in 2020, there will be three open positions for the Board of Directors.  It has been announced that five candidates have stated their intentions to run for those three positions.

As is customary, candidates running for the Board of Directors will be listed on the this web site.  Accordingly invitations were sent to each candidate to submit the information they would like displayed along with their name.

Candidates are listed here in alphabetical order together with a initial statement of their candidacy and a link to their complete applications:

Ralph Armstrong
Janet and I have lived in Hickory Woods since October 2014. It is hard to believe it has been more than 4 years already! We both very much enjoy living here. As a board member I will do my best to make sure our community is properly maintained and provides a safe environment for us all to live in.
Complete Application

Philip Lee
I have enjoyed serving on several working committees for the Board of Directors and would now like to work more directly for the community by serving on the Board. If elected to the Board, I would give particular emphasis to opening up new channels of communication so that it will be easier for members of our community to voice their concerns to the Board. I would also focus on minimizing assessment increases required to meet the targets established for our Reserve Funds.
Complete Application

Robert Medeiros
My hope is as a member of the Board I can make significant contributions using my experiences in diverse team environments and acquired collaboration skills to create a more inclusive culture that engages and inspires our residents.
Complete Application

Rick Newman
I would like a chance to serve on the board of directors of Hickory Woods.
I will be retiring after 41 years as a premium auditor for a nationwide auditing company at the end of this year. So I will have the time to devote to the community to hopefully make it even a better place to live. I would like to try help the community become more united.
Complete Application

Nancy Shearer
As a member of the Hickory Woods Community for 4 years, I have witnessed the many changes that have occurred as we grow into a vibrant community. I am submitting my name to serve as a member of the Board of Directors in order to participate in our continued development. Our needs will continually require assessment/reassessment and strategic planning as we move forward for years to come; I would like to be critical to that initiative.
Complete Application

On January 8th at 7 pm, the Annual Meeting will be held. Among other things, this is when the final budget may be ratified by the Association.

Draft Budgets for 2019
See actual documents
(Two budgets are included: one to reflect a $50 increase in assessment for reserve funding and one to reflect a 10% increase.)
BOD Letter to Owners RE 2019 Budget

Aside from the recommended increase in Capital Reserves, the most significant changes contained in the Draft Budgets are:

• Property Management: increase from $18,923 to $22,932
• Rolling 10 K (discretionary Board spending): increase from $447 to 5,000 “for Beautification expenses & misc cap expenses”
• Contingency: increase from 0 to $5,000

On December 4th at 7 pm, a Special Meeting will be held to discuss and vote on a proposed $50 increase in monthly HOA fees.
See BOD Letter to Owners Supporting CR Funding

(Since any increase over 10% must be approved by at least two thirds of unit owners, a ballot packet will be mailed to you during the week of November 19th. This can be used in the event you do not wish to attend the meeting.)

• At the December 4 special meeting the Board will be asking Unit Owners to vote in favor of an increase in the monthly assessment from $225 to $275. The additional $50 per month increase will be used to increase the monthly reserve funding from $19 to $69 per unit/month.
• In the event that less than two thirds of the unit owners approve the $50 per month increase, the Board will impose a 10% increase ($22.50) which will increase the monthly assessment from $225 to 247.50. This will increase reserve funding from $19 to $41.50 per unit/month.
  
  Background Information
• Since all 98 units of this community became occupied, $22,344 has been budgeted to the Reserve account every year ($19 per unit per month).
• Furthermore, in the last three years $54,000 of excess funds from the operating account have been deposited into the reserve account (The equivalent of $15.30 per unit per month).
• Neither of the reserve funding alternatives being proposed ($69 resulting from a $50 increase or $41.50 resulting from a 10% increase) take into account increases in reserve funding that might occur as the result of savings realized from the operating account as it has in the past.
• It is worth noting that at the 10/31 Board meeting brief discussion was held among Board members concerning the possibility that the $50 increase might not be approved. Brian Wells was of the opinion that if the increase is not approved the Board would have to re-examine all budget expenditures with an eye toward identifying additional funds that could be added to the Reserve.
  

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

The meeting was conducted by Tim Wege from New Star Properties, LLC.

Comments from Unit Owners
(These are not exact quotes; they are para-phrasings and summaries.)

• One unit owner criticized the memo from New Star Properties which reminded us of provisions of our Declaration and Londonderry town ordinances governing the age of persons who may reside in our community. He cited hypothetical examples of situations where those provisions might not be workable.
• Two separate unit owners, and former members of the Transition Committee, commented on the poor condition of Tavern Hill Road and questioned why core samples were not taken of the roadbed on Tavern Hill Road (as recommended in the final report from the Transition Committee) for analysis and possible use as a means of pressuring the developers to take remedial steps. (One of the commentators was myself, Philip Lee of 22 Quarry Road.)
  Brian Wells expressed outrage at these comments and accused the commentators, and by logical extension the entire Transition Committee, of doing an incomplete and inadequate job relating to the transition.
  (Note: Brian Wells himself made many contributions to the transition process. He wrote the Transition Committee Purpose and Mission Statement prior to it being formed. Brian Wells was also the Board’s liaison on the Transition Committee. As such he attended most of its meetings and participated in many of our walks in the rain around the community. He was continually apprised of all our decisions and was asked for his input at every step. He was consulted prior to the Committee’s deciding that it had completed its mission and he had agreed it was time to submit a final report to the Board prior to disbanding. Furthermore, he was provided a draft copy of the final report and was asked for his input. Never did he express dissatisfaction with the committee’s work. The foregoing made his comments impossible to understand.)
  (After the Board meeting I met with Brian to express my dismay at his comments and reminded him of the role he played in setting up, participating in and guiding the committee. During this conversation he agreed to make a written public apology for his statements. He subsequently told me he had prepared a written statement and submitted it to the Board for review; they opposed him making a written apology and opted to allow a verbal apology at the next Board meeting.)
• Another unit owner stated that he recently had to have two tires repaired. Both tires had nails in them. He did say he could not prove the nails came from Tavern Hill Road.

  Financial Report

• The Financial Report showed some slight overages related to landscaping needs and increased expenses for elevator maintenance. The report was approved by the Board.

  Property Management Issues

• Rug shampooing and installation of additional mirrors in the exercise room have been completed in the Clubhouse. Gutters will soon be installed near the front doors of the Clubhouse.
• Filling of 4216 feet of cracks, mostly on Tavern Hill Road and Church Lane, has been completed.
• Fall clean up will be performed in mid November

  2019 Budget

• There are two versions of the 2019 Budget. One version provides for a 10% increase in our monthly assessment, all of which will be added to our Reserves. The other version provides for a $50 increase in our assessment which will cover all of the increase in our reserves recommended by our Capital Reserves Study.
• The most notable increase in discretionary expenditures is the allocation of $5000 to the Beautification Committee.
• Since the Board does not have the authority to impose any more than a 10% increase in our assessments, a special meeting was scheduled for 12/4/18 at which a vote will be taken in an attempt to gain the required approval from two thirds of unit owners for an increase of $50 per month.
• A brief discussion was held among Board members concerning the possibility that the $50 increase might not be approved. Brian Wells was of the opinion that if the increase is not approved the Board would have to re-examine all budget expenditures with an eye toward identifying additional funds that could be added to the Reserve.

  Additions, Alterations or Improvements

• 2 routine requests were approved.
• One request for siding replacement was being returned for further information.

  Miscellaneous Issues

• Common Area maintenance rules were voted on and approved.
• Three positions on the Board of Directors will be opening up. Final announcement was made on 11/1/18, with a submission deadline of 11/30/18 for candidates to be included on the proxy/ballots.
• A series of motions were made approving membership on the Beautification Committee.
• Sprinkler heads located outside of your Limited Common Area will now be replaced or repaired at the expense of the HOA.
• Because of problems associated with vehicles using our roads as a short cut, the Property Manager was instructed to explore the cost of gates that could be remotely controlled.
• Allen Putnam attended a trade show related to electronic voting for HOA issues. His initial research indicates it might be a cheaper and more expeditious way of voting on matters such as budgets and board candidates elections. More research will be done.
• Also discussed was conducting a survey of unit owners to gain their opinions on the performance of Alliance Landscaping, gating the community, electronic voting, etc.

The following budget documents were found on the Property Manager’s web site in the shared documents directory and will presumably be discussed at the BOD meeting on 10/31/18:

Title of Document: 2017 & 2018 YTD Actuals (Thru Oct 19) – 2018 & 2019 Forecasts
Corrected Document: 2018LE 2019 DRAFT Budget – V9 10.26.18

Aside from the recommended increase in Capital Reserves, the most significant changes contained in the Draft Budget are:

• Property Management:                            from $18,923 to  $22,932
• Rolling 10 K:                                                  from $447 to 5,000 for Beautification/Cap improvement expenses

The document also contains a reference to a 10% increase in dues for Capital Reserves.

Note: On Tuesday, 10/30/18 at 4:38 PM, the following clarification concerning the budget was received from a member of the board:

“Attached is the 2018 budget for comparison.

Please note: The budget for snow removal was $60,000 in 2018 and will be the same in 2019, we have a two year contract that is the same cost both years. We also have a two year contract for landscaping, so no price increase there either.

Property Management was $17,423 in 2018, plus another $1500 in administrative = $18,923 (the number you should use for comparison). It does increase to $22,932. but without the extra $1500. All totaled we are paying New Star about $3.50 per unit per month more that we paid Evergreen and they are worth every penny of that increase. Evergreen has already saved us more than $1000 in other areas.

The rolling 10k line item did not exist in 2018, instead we had $10,000 of unallocated budget which ended up going into the reserves. This year we labeled those funds. However, we intend to be very judicious with that money, and any excess will again go into the reserve fund.

All together the operating budget from 2018 to 2019 is the same number $242,256. The only real change is in the funds needed for the reserves.”

Note: This page had to be corrected several times because the initial document found on the property manager’s web site was inaccurate and follow-up documents were misinterpreted.
Incorrect Document: Hickory 2018LE & 2019 DRAFT Budget – V4 10.11.18

Re: Oct 22nd @ 7 pm – Informational Meeting – Common Area Maintenance

The Board of Directors held an informational meeting on Monday, October 22nd at 7 pm at our clubhouse to review how the Board will manage owner’s maintaining any common area improvements.

The meeting lasted for about an hour and one half and included:

• A discussion of  current situation.
• A review of the legal implications.
• A presentation of  the Board’s solutions.

After the presentation, owners were encouraged to ask questions.

The Board distributed the follow document which summarized their decisions
(rule changes and new forms referred to in the following document will follow):

Page 1
Page 2

As you probably know, the Association commissioned Team Engineering to develop a Capital Reserve Study for Hickory Woods. This study is a systematic catalogue of all capital assets, their remaining useful life and their projected replacement costs.

The study is complete. Here are links to the study:
Hickory Woods Reserve Owner’s Report, (the short version)
Hickory Woods Reserve Study Final, (the long version)

In summary, the study indicates a $49 per month increase in our assessment might be necessary.

On October 1 at 7:00 PM unit owners are invited to an overview of the study to be given by Team Engineering. The meeting will conclude with Q&A.

(Interestingly, the first major outlay will be $127,000 for an Asphalt Overlay of Tavern Hill and Church Lane in the year 2029. The condition of Tavern Hill Road was a major concern during the Transition. It will not be until 2037 when the remainder of the roads will require an overlay.)

At the September 19, 2018 Board of Director’s meeting a series of motions were introduced by Brian Wells which served to close out all remaining issues relating to the transition and declaring it complete. All motions were approved and Brian Wells was tasked with writing a closing summary report. On September 20, 2018 this report was posted to the New Star web portal.

(For those of you who are unclear as to the significance of completing the “Transition”, it simply means we are now responsible for all further expenditures for the maintenance of Hickory Woods. The developer is absolved of any further responsibility.)

The process was begun on March 22, 2017 with the following stated purpose: “The mission of the committee is to enable the board to satisfactorily negotiate the completion sign-from the developer to the Hickory Woods Homeowners’ Association. The HW HOA Board of Directors seeks to confirm that the developer has met all responsibilities of completing the HW community satisfactorily.”

The following documents provide a near complete chronology and history of the transition process:

• Transition Committee Purpose and Mission Statement, dated 3-22-17
• Transition Committee Tracking List, dated 1/29/2018
• The Transition Committee Final Report, dated February 21, 2018
• Board Meeting Minutes from April 2018
• Hickory Woods Transition Summary Report (Final Report)

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

The meeting was conducted by Tim Wege from New Star Properties, LLC.

Comments from Unit Owners
(These are not exact quotes; they are para-phrasings and summaries.)

• One unit owners asked about the Capital Reserve Study which had already been delivered to the Board. Response by the Board: the Capital Reserve Study was sent back to Team Engineering for edits. Furthermore, a unit owners meeting will be scheduled for 10/1/18 which will be attended by Team Engineering; the results of the study will be explained. The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm.
• Another unit owner inquired about what could be done about falling and leaning trees behind units on Pepper Hill Road. Response by Tim Wege: the matter will be looked into.
• An inquiry was made as to whether there was any progress concerning the temporary moratorium on common area improvements. Response: the matter is still under study.

  Financial Issues

• The August Financial Report showed some slight overages related to landscaping needs. The report was approved by the Board.
• The Property Manager is soliciting estimates for meeting our insurance needs when the existing contract expires.
• The Property Manager’s goal is to have most of the 2019 Budget issues resolved by the October Board Meeting

  Votes to Authorize Expenditures

• $300 was authorized for gutters over the clubhouse entrances.
• $980 was authorized for additional mirrors in the clubhouse gym.
• $2767 was approved for New England Sealcoating to fill 4216 feet of cracks, mostly on Tavern Hill Road and Church Lane.

  Property Management Issues

• Clubhouse carpet cleaning will take place next month.
• Common area hazardous tree removal has been completed.
• Aeration and overseeding will take place within the next week.
• Some sort of a “dead end” sign to prevent unnecessary traffic on Pepper Hill Road is being studied.

  Additions, Alterations or Improvements

• A routine request for shutters was approved.

  Miscellaneous Issues

• Board meetings were rescheduled as follows: October meeting 10/31/18, November meeting canceled, December meeting 12/5/18.
• Allan Putnam was designated as Treasurer.
• A series of rule changes revolving around the definition of “resident” vs “unit owner” and their attendant privileges were proposed by Brian Wells. (I assume we will hear more on this in the future.)
• Three positions on the Board of Directors will be opening up. Goal is to finalize an announcement by 11/1/18 which will establish a deadline of 11/30/18 for candidates to be included on the proxy/ballots.

  Transition Conclusion

• A series of resolutions were approved which closed out the last remaining items on the list of transition issues.
• Brian Wells will write a final report on the Transition.
  (We are now responsible for all further expenditures for the maintenance of Hickory Woods. The developer is absolved of any further responsibility.)

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

The meeting was conducted by Tim Wege from New Star Properties, LLC.

Comments from Unit Owners
(These are not exact quotes; they are para-phrasings and summaries.)

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

The meeting was conducted by Tim Wege from New Star Properties, LLC.

Additions, Alterations or Improvements

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

New Property Manager
Much of the meeting was taken up with the details of transferring responsibilities from our old property manager, Evergreen-Harvard to New Star Properties, LLC.

As of July 1, 2018 we will have a new Property Manager

To establish your account with them:
Go to https://newstar.appfolio.com/connect/users/sign_in
Click on: “Request access to the portal” and answer the few required questions.
(Once you have established your account you can then use it to submit service requests which, because of the indifference of the last property manager, are now being routed through the Board.)

Message from the Board of Directors

Dear Hickory Woods Unit Owners:

As previously communicated, beginning on July 1, 2018, New Star Properties of Londonderry will assume the role as Hickory Woods property management company. The community has been under served by Evergreen for quite some time. For over a year, the Board has assumed much of the duties typically provided by property management firms. These daily management issues have consumed a lot of the Board’s time and energy which would have been better applied to our primary duties.

We are anxious to begin our new partnership with New Star Properties. Tim Wege, New Star’s owner, will also serve as our property manager which should provide our community with high level of service. You should have recently received an email with a link to their online portal called “Appfolio”. Once you establish a password, you can make payments online, view documents and initiate maintenance requests.

Beginning July 1st, we want to encourage you to send all requests and concerns regarding landscaping, snowplowing, alterations, additions and improvements forms, and other property management concerns to New Star through the new portal. The Board’s general email address (bod-input@hwcommunity.info) should no longer be used to report maintenance concerns or submit forms. This email address will have an auto-reply message informing you to contact New Star Properties and include their contact information. New Star will contact the Board on any issues requiring our attention. The Board continues to encourage input from owners at our monthly Board meetings.

We will hold a “Meet & Greet” event at the clubhouse on Tuesday, June 19th at 7 pm for you to have an opportunity to meet Tim Wege and his team. This will be a great opportunity to speak with Tim and ask him any questions you might have. We encourage you all to attend this event.

We realize that it will take a little while for everyone to fully adjust to having a new property management firm and become familiar with the new procedures and tools. We are confident that in short order, the community will be in a much healthier position.

We thank you for your patience and assistance as we make the transition to our new property management firm. I look forward to seeing you at the Meet & Greet with New Star on June 19th at 7 pm!

Sincerely,
The Hickory Woods Board of Directors
Liz Lannigan, Dick Loschi, Brad Perham, Allan Putnam and Brian Wells

In the months of March, April and May, the HW Board of Directors approved additional rules for the HOA. These new rules are identified in red in the attached document. Please familiarize yourself with the updated rules for the HW community. Please retain these rules for your reference.
New Rules & Regulations

Liz Lannigan for the HW Board of Directors.

At the February 21 Board of Director’s Meeting the Transition Committee submitted its final report to the Board.

In summary, the Committee identified thirty-five (35) separate issues which required remediation by the Developer. Of those thirty-five (35), twenty-four (24) issues are now considered to be satisfactorily addressed. Eleven (11) issues remain open and will have to be followed up by the Board of Directors.

Please take the time to read the final report as it contains information important to all unit owners. Transition Committee Final Report
After reading the report feel free to address any questions you might have to transition@hwcommunity.info.

You might also be interested in reading the Infrastructure Assessment Report prepared by the engineer hired to review our development for us.

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Financial Review and Property Management

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Monthly Financial Review

(Click here for a complete copy of the Revised Rules and Regulations)

At the November Board of Director’s Meeting the Board approved a few additions to the Rules and Regulations of Hickory Woods Condominium Association. The discussion related to Real Estate Agents (Section 7.1b) began during the Board meeting and was completed as an action after the meeting, with an email vote by the Board members.

These changes relate to:
1. Architectural Changes (Section 4.1d and e), contractors must be licensed and insured, and requests must be submitted within 30 days of regular Board meetings,
2. Sale of Units and Realtors showing the clubhouse, (Section 7.1) realtors can show the clubhouse if they meet certain conditions and the selling unit owner assumes responsibility,
3. Donations (new Section 10), a process is defined for soliciting donations, and rules for unsolicited donations are defined, and
4. Home Businesses (new Section 11), a process and procedure for notifying the Board and obtaining approval is defined.

Each of these revisions resulted from recent issues.

The addition at 4.1 e may need some explanation. This addition is because our By-Laws state that requests must be answered within 30 days or they are automatically approved. Your Board does not meet every month and the time between meetings can sometimes be more than 30 days. So a request submitted just after a meeting, for example, might not be acted upon for more than 30 days. This unusual situation is what generated this addition to the rules.

The other changes should be self explanatory. However, if you would like clarification or additional information on any of them please contact the Board at bod-input@hwcommunity.info.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The following are highlights of the Board Meeting of November 15, 2017

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Monthly Financial Review

The following are highlights of the Board Meeting of October 18, 2017

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Our Annual Meeting
The Board decided to hold our annual meeting in the clubhouse on the evening of January 16, 2018.

Our Bylaws

The following are highlights of the Board Meeting of September 20, 2017

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Monthly Financial Review

The following are highlights of the Board Meeting of August 16, 2017

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

• Introduction of our new property manager of Harvard Management – Leah Borla; will send a notice to all unit owners to introduce herself.
• The Board meeting scheduled for September 13th has been moved to September 20th.
• Leah Borla announced you will need to get a copy of the financial review – we are over on the monthly budget but it is not a concern
• Voted and approved light at end of Quarry – it is installed (?)
• Fire extinguisher for grill area – work order has been sent – top priority
• Concerns about hydroseeding and lawn repairs – walkaround earlier this summer. Alliance said that they would attend to needed areas. Needs to be weed treated, aerated, overseeded. Waiting for optimum growing time. Board will continue to communicate w/ Alliance.
• Clubhouse Cleaning Contract: Brad and Doug met with cleaners back in June to review negligent items. Better since. Tuesdays and Fridays cleanings – $136/week.
• Berm trees – Dick spoke to the issue. Believes that the developer should be putting up more money for replacement. Replacement by Alliance with money promised ($1000) and hoping for survival might be the best option. Brian urged that we put the whole expense on the developer as a part of the transition. Vote by board to push for 100% of replacement trees as a part of the transition.
• Library request: $250 realized from selling the office furniture. Option to vote on maximum amount to be spent and let the Library Advocates select the shelves. Up to 4 units @ $200 each minus the $250 from the sale of the used furniture. The committee can spend less.

New Business

• Review of approved requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements.
  Old requests approved during the summer between meetings: Doyle – deck extension, McDonough – bird feeder near retention pond, Bergeron – shutters, McCarthy; St. Louis – additional trees, Daigle – mulch areas and plantings
  New – Fragala – increase patio; Tuzzolo – expand deck; McCarthy – expand front planting bed

• Request for Cribbage Plaque to be hung – not approved

Committee Status Reports

• Clubhouse Committee Status – Bob McGrath
  – Request for board to purchase clubhouse supplies – light bulbs etc. Should the supplies be purchased on a rotating basis to as to not overburden the budget. $172 for expendables; $418 for light bulbs; ______ for equipment
  Motion to spend the $418 immediately for lighting
  Authorize purchase of $163 for expendables (not routine purchases) Furnace filter removed because it is a part of the service contract for the furnace.
  Summary of Meetings with CBA and net installers – company has proposed to convert one of the bocce courts to a oyster shell covering (gratis) – remove the astroturf. Can change the second court down the line. Motion to approve the change to oyster shells. Discussion – what is the motivation of the company? Motion passed.
  Golf netting has been re-hung. There is a hole in the nets – company will return, but it’s not a safety hazard. Need to discuss with the company the removal of the nets in the fall.
  Cleaning company –improved the communication with them. Clipboard next to the microwave for needs.
  One fitness equipment belt is not right – will be addressed.
  Tread mills’ positions have been rotated to even out the mileage.
  AC on main floor – defect found in the wiring and fixed. Looking for Mesiti to pay for service call because it was an installation defect. Leah will find out if a bill was sent and will track past billing. Potential to add AC service calls to transition issues.
  Communication needs to be improved between Harvard and Maintenance Committee so that a committee member is present when work is scheduled.
  Request to put 2 3-hook racks in the fitness center for coats, keys etc
  Action item for Leah to get bids for carpet cleaning and window washing – 3 bids minimum
  Putting green edging: Proposal for prevention edging – $775 bid from Alliance. Discussion – there has been no damage to date from the weed whacking; it’s not necessary and very expensive. Price out the cost of replacement of the putting carpeting and what is the life expectancy.

• By-Laws Committee – Allan Putnam
  – By-laws committee last met on July 18th to review the feedback after doc went to legal review. BOD needs to accept, change or modify. Tremendous effort made by committee. Extensive process that needs to be recognized.
  – Next phase is to send to Unit Owners before 9/26 information meeting.
  – Changes are basic; cleaned up language and typos, redundancy.
  – Discussion of modifying quorums (presently 66% which is extremely high). It will be challenging to get a quorum via attendance or proxy. Failure to do so will be violation of state mandate. Allan related that Nevins failed to get a 50% quorum for a budget vote.
  – September 26th informational meeting; October 17th will be a Unit Owners meeting and a vote will be taken on proposed by-law changes
  – The Board passed a Motion to put the following by-law changes to a vote:
  Quorum Change – reduce from 66 2/3% to 50%.
  Voting Standard Change: approval of a motions to be reduced from 2/3 of all unit owners of record to 50% of unit owners attending a meeting.
  – Notice of the information meeting will be emailed to unit owners.
  Harvard Evergreen will send out the official notice for the Oct 17 meeting with proxy numbers.
  (For more detailed information regarding proposed By-Laws changes see Bylaw Committee Report To BOD and By-laws Committee Minutes.)

• Transition Committee – Rick Jenkins
  – Summary of CLD Engineering Report: summarized by Brian
  120 pages from the Engineering company – request 5 copies (unless there is a cost)
  Punch list of items needing addressed – still being worked in committee. Plan is to send Rick the engineer’s report and the HW list of items (once the BOD has approved).

Other items
Proposal from Adult Education Conference Center – Financial Planning to provide speakers at HW: offer received for speakers on financial planning. Educational and no charge – services optionally available. Nonprofit. List of workshops. Info will be shared with community to see if anyone wants to spearhead – not a BOD effort.

Comments from Unit Owners

• Claudette Ramsay – cul de sac on Pepper Hill concern. Small group of PH residents had a discussion of the landscaping – would transition include them in the discussion. Brian said that Rick is willing to landscape.
• Claudette – LED choice – there are different types. Some lights are warm and some cool – consider in choice.
• Pat Pannese – workshop ultimate objective is sales leads. Bylaw motions clarify – 50% is a quorum and then 50% of those present to pass a motion.
• Bill Lannigan – proxy clarification. Can the proxy be an absentee ballot? Discussion – Directed proxy will be used.
• Jim Shearer – question about the blue markings in the street. Who pays for a potential digging up of the street? Leah offered the opinion that the developed would need to do it.
• Garry Mosher – with the hydroseeding at the back of the home, he has to drag a hose in order to water. Could he have another sprinkler head added? Will submit a proposal after getting a quote from Alliance.
• Bob McGrath – Septic system tank pumping on Tavern Hill Road beginning on Thursday 8/17. Discussions around the pumping schedule by owners. Should there be a committee to investigate the issue of mandatory pumping/maintenance? Liz made a motion to create a committee to investigate septic and leaching systems and make a recommendation to the board. Passed unanimously. Bob will draft ideas for wording and send to Liz.

The Hickory Woods (HW) Development is nearly complete. The Developer (Hickory Woods LLC) will complete work soon and no longer be supporting or working on the community. The Home Owners Association will then be responsible for improvements and maintenance.

The Transition Committee was formed to examine the construction of common and limited common lands and facilities and to compare these to the developers’ original plans for the Hickory Woods community. During review the committee has identified concerns related to completion of construction items and concerns for repair to already completed construction. The Transition Committee is making recommendations to the Board of Directors for transition, so that the Board of Directors can negotiate with the developer and reach agreement on what actions will be taken to complete the necessary work and repairs.

Based on the recommendation of the Transition Committee, the Board of Directors authorized engineering support for the survey of the completed constructions, the review and interpretation of plans, and suggestions as to what actions are necessary to complete or correct issues discovered during the survey and review.

CLD Consulting Engineers, Inc. (CLD) was selected by the Hickory Woods Unit Owner’s Association (the Association) to perform a common area Infrastructure Assessment based on a Request for Proposal issued by the Association.

To see a copy of the resulting engineer’s report, use the following link: Common Area Infrastructure Assessment Hickory Woods, Londonderry

The following are highlights of the Board Meeting of June 21, 2017

(These highlights were not prepared by the Board. They were prepared by an attendee of the meeting and are presented to keep unit owners up to date until the official meeting minutes become available after they are approved next month.)

Monthly Financial Review