On 10 August at the scheduled Board of Directors meeting two of the Directors resigned for personal reasons. The remaining Board members wish to thank them for their dedicated service and for being charter members of the Hickory Woods Board of Directors.

With their departure and the imminent departure of John Kalantzakos three new board members are required.

If you are interested in being a member of the Hickory Woods Homeowners Association Board of Directors please provide an application to Doug Kilgore at Harvard Management Solutions (email: dkilgore@harvardmangement.com).

Your application should provide a summary of your qualifications, your goals for the community and the Board, and any other considerations that will encourage people to vote for you. This summary will be provided with the voting materials. Also please provide a summary of your qualifications for the position including past experiences that will contribute to the Board of Directors and to the Hickory Woods community.

Please submit your application materials no later than 26 August 2016.

A special meeting will be held on the evening of 27 September 2016 to vote for the new Board members. Proxy materials will be provided for those who cannot attend in person.

Also at this special meeting you will be asked to approve an amendment to the Hickory Woods HOA By-laws that will implement two year term duration limits for the Board of Directors. If approved the existing directors will be in office until the annual meeting in 2018, and the new directors will hold office until the annual meeting in 2019.

Sincerely,

Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Board has been receiving numerous complaints about residents not picking up after their dogs.

The following is a preview of a survey you will be receiving from the Board of Directors.
In the not to distant future you will receive an email with a link to the actual survey.

At the open meeting in February, when the current Board members were elected, there was concern among a number of the residents about the duration of terms for the Board of Directors. The Hickory Woods Condominium By-Laws state that the Board members serve until they resign or are removed by a two thirds vote of the residents.

The Board members would like your input on the length of the terms they should be elected for. Using your input the Board will form a recommendation which can be put to a vote of the residents.

Imposing term duration limits requires an amendment to the By-law. In order to amend the By-laws a two third majority vote of the residents is required. Removing a Board member also requires a two thirds majority vote and can be accomplished at the annual meeting without changing the By-laws.

Note: Imposing term duration limits in no way imposes a limit on the amount of time board members may serve. Subject to reelection, they may run for and serve multiple terms.

We would like you to provide your feedback by answering the following questions:
1. Do you want the Board members to have term duration limits? (Yes or No) A yes answer also means that you are in favor of modifying the By-Laws to implement this change.
2. How long do you think the duration of terms should be? (please select one of these: 1, 2, 3, or 5 years)
3. Should the terms of the Board be staggered or should all come up for reelection at the same time? (staggered or simultaneous election)
4. As an alternative to implementing term duration limits in the By-laws, should the Board hold a vote each year on whether or not to remove each of the Board members? (Yes or No) In this case a two third majority vote would lead to the removal of a Board member and initiate the election of a new Board member.

Please provide no more than one response per household.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The following is a preview of a survey you will be receiving from the Board of Directors.
In the not to distant future you will receive an email with a link to the actual survey.

When you closed on your home you provided a two month HOA fee payment to Hickory Woods LLC, which they placed into the Hickory Woods HOA operating account. These funds are required by laws to be sure the HOA is solvent during the start up period.

At this time Hickory Woods HOA is through the start up and we have operating funds sufficient to cover the expected expenses.

The Board of Directors has discussed options for the two months of HOA fees currently in the operating reserve. Before we define a recommendation we would like to obtain feedback from the residents. There are three options that we must consider: 1) should we use the funds to improve Hickory Woods; 2) should we hold the funds in the capital reserve to cover future expenses that might occur, such as Clubhouse repairs or repairs to the roads; or 3) should we return these funds to the residents?

Before providing your opinion the Board wants you to know that the capital reserve is funded each month by part of your HOA fee ($19 each month per household) and that we believe this is adequate for coverage of capital repairs in future years.

Also, there are many improvements which have been brought to the Board, which can be funded through this reserve without impacting your HOA fees.

Please provide your response by selecting one of the following:
1. Use the money to fund the capital reserve which will be used in future years for repairs and replacements of capital items (clubhouse, roads, etc.).
2. Use the money for improvements to the clubhouse and the neighborhood, with expenditures at the discretion of the Board as limited by the By-laws.
3. Use the money for improvements, but spread the expenditures out over at least 5 years.
4. Give the money back, you will get a check for $450.

Please select your first and second choices.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter. From your responses the Board will create a recommendation for your approval at the Annual meeting.

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met on Wednesday 13 July to discuss numerous topics. The Board approved the installation of a couple of sprinklers in the front of the clubhouse that will cover the bushes and flowers in that area. These new sprinkler heads will be connected to the existing zones to keep the price down.

The Board approved the purchase and installation of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) at the clubhouse. We also agreed and approved for the AED to be wired into the alarm system so that it will alert the fire department when the AED is used.

Carl Hohenstein has volunteered to be the flag tender for the clubhouse flags. Carl is a veteran and has been helping with this task in the past when Mesiti personnel were not available. The Board is happy to accept his offer.

To help keep the clubhouse clean we will be placing a clipboard near the refrigerator on the main floor. If you see something in the clubhouse that needs to be cleaned up, please take the time to make a note on the clipboard so the cleaning people will be aware of what needs attention.

The new fire pit is installed and available for use. Instructions for the fire pit have been attached to the bulletin board in the entrance hall and to the wall in the tavern, near the back door. Please review these instructions before using the fire pit.

To help residents gain access to the clubhouse, especially through the back door in the tavern, the Board will be providing clubhouse keys to all residents. Each household will receive two keys that you can put with your key fobs. The fobs will continue to work on the upstairs doors while the keys will provide access through the side and rear doors when necessary.

During the open meeting in February, when the current board members were elected, residents express concern about Board member term limits. The Board will be soliciting input from the residents related to this concern so that we can form a recommendation suitable for a vote at the next open meeting. Expect to see something in your email soon on this topic.

The Board will also be seeking input from the residents related to the two month HOA payment you made at closing. We will asking residents how you would like to see these funds used. The results will be used to create a recommendation from the Board that you can vote on at the next open meeting.

Anticipating the departure of John Kalantzakos we will be looking to elect a new member to the Board of Directors. We expect John to be moving on in the fall. As a result we are planning on moving up the Annual meeting from February to October or November. At this meeting the residents will elect a new member to the Board, vote on a recommendation for term limits and vote on a recommendation related to the two month HOA payment. If there are other items that resident would like addressed at the Annual meeting please send an email to the Board.

Finally, the Board is looking for residents interested in having a grill at the clubhouse. We have heard interest expressed in this improvement, but will need to form a committee to study the matter and provide recommendations to the Board. We will select a committee chairman, once we have some volunteers and then we will let the chairman form the group. If you are interested please contact the Board.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

Contact us at: bod-input@hwcommunity.info

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met last week to discuss the challenges of lawn maintenance during these hot dry times. The discussions included two representatives from Alliance Landscaping and Doug Kilgore, our Property Manager from HMS. There are many areas around the property that are drying out and turning brown. Where possible additional watering appears to be the primary solution. This will be a challenge with the new watering restrictions. But we can all increase the time, even if the number of days must be reduced.

The Board agree to hire Alliance for a mid-season check of all irrigation systems. In July Alliance will check to be sure all sprinkler heads are operating correctly, that they are properly aimed and that the systems are correctly functioning. We are planning to make this an annual checkup, in addition to the start-up and shutdown times when the systems are checked.

Alliance said that there was a problem with some of the hydro seeding performed last year. To improve the affected areas they have applied some special fertilizer, and in the late summer they will aerate and over seed the problem areas with new seed. The over seeding will be at their expense and should improve these areas in the fall and next spring.

With the arrival of the new clubhouse recycle bin, we will start recycling our bottles and cans at the clubhouse. We request that you rinse your empties and place them into the smaller (red) bins inside the clubhouse. These will be dumped into the large blue bin for disposal.

HW LLC provided funding for outdoor furniture at the clubhouse. With their funding and some additional funds from the HOA account, the Board purchased outdoor furniture that was received this week. It includes four tables, four umbrellas, and many chairs of two different types. Also the fire pit has arrived and was installed. We hope that these will help you enjoy the newly landscaped areas behind the clubhouse. All we need now is for the grass to grow!

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met with Doug Kilgore, our new property manager, on Wednesday 8 June. We discussed matters related to the transition from Hickory Woods LLC to Harvard Management Solutions (HMS). This included a detailed review of the budgets and current state of the HOA finances. The good news is our financial situation is in very good condition with adequate funding for all budget items.

While many action items came out of the meeting, the transition is going along smoothly. HMS started managing our HOA on 1 June as planned. They are now our primary point of contact for all HOA related matters. Doug acknowledged that some of you have asked about the HMS web site portal, which is not yet operational. He is working with the experts at HMS to get all of our information loaded and we should all have access before the end of June.

HW LLC has agreed to provide some funding for outdoor furniture at the clubhouse. The Board has appointed a committee to look into options, the associated costs and potential suppliers. This committee will report back to the Board on 29 June with their findings and recommendations.

The Boards guidance and advice for septic systems was published on the HW Community web site this past week. It is our hope that this will help you to avoid problems in the future.

The Board reviewed requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements related to plantings, extension of a patio, and addition of a window box, and approved all submitted requests.

No one has been able to locate a key for the back door of the clubhouse. To solve this problem, HW LLC has agreed to rekey all of the clubhouse doors and to provide the keys to HMS. This may provide us with a means for providing residents with keys so that we can access the clubhouse from the back on the lower level.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met Wednesday 1 June to discuss matters related to the transition from Hickory Woods LLC to Harvard Management Solutions (HMS), consider suggestions, questions and requests provided by residents, and to review requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements.

The transition between Hickory Woods LLC and HMS occurred on 1 June as defined in the property management contract. HMS is now the primary point of contact for Homeowner Association (HOA) related activities. All mail that was going the HW LLC will now be forwarded to HMS. Alarms and emergencies will be handled by HMS as well as routine maintenance and issues related to the HOA property. Next week the Board will be meeting with our HMS Property Manager to review all transition activities to be sure nothing has been missed and to be sure we, together, are ready to move forward.

The Board reviewed requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements related to plantings, addition of a generator, addition of a window box, and the addition of sprinklers on common land, and approved all submitted requests.

We discussed maintenance and repair of septic systems and decided to send out, via the web site, some guidance for residents on how to use, maintain and obtain repair service for your septic system. You can expect to see that communication on the web site within the week.

The Board considered a request to move the horseshoe pit further from the Bocce court. While this is a concern and we will provide warning signs for safety, we believe that residents can provide adequate safety measures, such as not using the Bocce court near the horseshoe pit while horseshoes are being played.

We continue to examine options for the back door of the clubhouse. It was determined that the door can be latched open when people are outside using the common areas. This is accomplished with an Allen wrench that when inserted and turned latches the doors open (the rock no longer will be necessary). If using this method we must all be sure to relock the door after we are done using the common areas behind the clubhouse. Further investigations into obtaining keys for everyone are ongoing.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met Wednesday 18 May to consider suggestions, questions and requests provided by residents, and to review a couple of requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements.

The Board discussed whether or not we would need a meeting with the residents present once the management company contract started in June. Our conclusion was that a meeting at that time would not be necessary. The completion of the transition from Hickory Woods LLC to Harvard Management Solutions will, in time, lead to the resignation of John Kalantzakos from the Board and the need to elect an additional Board member to replace him. That event is expected to create the need for a meeting with all residents present. That meeting date will then set the date for future annual meetings with the residents.

We discussed the suggestion of getting new furniture for the clubhouse. A resident suggested that we might be better off with different types of furniture. While the Board can see some advantages to replacing some of the furniture our estimate is that this would be a considerable expense. With our budgets still in transition and many changes expected over the next few months we do not feel that this is the time for an expense of this type. In the meantime furniture that breaks will be repaired or replaced as necessary and we will continue to review the usage and requirements for new furniture.

There has been concern expressed by residents associated with the costs of watering common land adjacent to a homeowners unit. While the Board discussed this concern at great length and considered a number of alternatives we have so far been unable to come up with a solution that we consider fair to all unit owners and that will not generate significant expenses that the HOA must fund.

With the summer months coming and the area behind the clubhouse being landscaped many residents have asked about getting a key fob lock for the back door. The Board obtained a quote for adding this type of lock and found the cost to be much higher than expected and higher than we thought was reasonable. We will continue to look for alternatives that are more affordable.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met and approved two requests.   One for window boxes and a second for adding shrubs behind a house.   The Board would also like to remind residents that their requests should include a diagram if they are adding plantings, enlarging patios, etc.   Requests can be sent hand delivered to any board member or sent in as an email attachment to bod-input@hwcommunity.info.   If you have any questions about submitting a request, please contact any board member.

The Board would also like to provide a clarification on clubhouse use.   Guests must always be accompanied by a unit owner when using the clubhouse and common amenities.   Guests are anyone living with a unit owner, such as an elderly parents or adult children over 22.

The landscaping behind the clubhouse remains on schedule and should be completed by the end of May.

The Board continued its discussion on installing an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the clubhouse.   Over the last week, we reviewed a video on its operation and we are interested in installing it.   However, we have tabled the installation and we will review again when we have additional funds available.

The next scheduled Board meetings are May 4th and May 18th.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met Wednesday to review a number of requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements. Most of these concerned plantings around homes. There was also a request for the addition of a generator and another for an extension of a patio. The completed requests submitted were approved, a couple of requests needed additional information.

The Board decided that replacing dead plants or changes to the plantings within the existing mulch beds do not require the homeowners to submit a request for Addition, Alteration or Improvement as long as the existing mulch beds are within 15 feet of your unit and were originally created by Alliance when your home was built.

Homeowners may request (via Additions, Alterations or Improvements form) additions to the existing mulch beds but should be aware that Alliance, as part of the Homeowners Association contract, may not tend to or maintain these additional garden areas. So you will have to accept responsibility for maintaining these yourself.

Over the next several weeks many of the Board members will be traveling for vacations, therefore meetings with the full Board present will not be possible. However, to keep things moving we will do our best to review requests and handle other business. We ask that you help us with this by communicating with us through our email address:

bod-input@hwcommunity.info

If you cannot scan in your request or the associated materials, send a message to us and one of the Board members will get back to you and help you with your submission.

Many of you have asked when the landscaping behind the clubhouse will be installed. We have been promised that this work will be performed in May, once the new homes which closed during the winter without landscaping are completed.

In other business the Board met with a couple of residents who propose that we install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the clubhouse. They provided a quote from the same company the supplies AEDs to the town of Londonderry and explained what the units are and how they are used. Additional investigation into this proposal will be performed before the Board makes a decision on this proposal.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors is pleased to announce that we are forming a partnership with Harvard Management Solutions, Inc. We believe that they provide the most cost effective solution and that they will provide a level of service that will please the homeowners of Hickory Woods.

As the first step in this process, the Board of Directors signed a contract with the Harvard Management Solutions, Inc. for our property management services. The contract starts on 1 June 2016. Between now and then you will be receiving a letter from Hickory Woods LLC announcing the change in the management, and shortly after that you will receive a letter of introduction from Harvard Management Solutions. There are many preparations that need to be made between now and when Harvard Management Solutions takes over. We will keep you posted as the process progresses and you can expect to receive all of the information necessary between now and 1 June.

In other business, the Board agreed to discontinue the purchase of water for the exercise rooms in the clubhouse. Most people have been supplying their own water. This change will save about $800 per year.

We received, reviewed and approved a few requests for Additions, Alterations or Improvements that were related to plantings around homeowner units and for a vinyl window flower box. We are also investigating the costs associated with installing gutters over the front entrances to the clubhouse.

Finally, we discussed whether or not homeowners should be performing their own maintenance and repair on the sprinkler systems. Alliance provides the start-up and shut down of the irrigation systems as part of your HOA fee. During this they will repair parts broken by plowing and their own landscaping. Other than this you might want to do your own maintenance on the sprinklers. However, all homeowners should be aware that while the sprinklers are your responsibility and you can adjust or repair them if you would like, if a problem results and Alliance must repair your irrigation system, you will be charged at their repair rate of $55 per hour.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors meeting on 6 April was centered around a review of the property management company proposals. We asked three companies to bid, but one of the three withdrew from consideration.  So we have two comparable and very close bids we are considering.  To make the final decision we have asked for some additional information and will be using that to make our final decision at the meeting next week.

Hard copies of the Addition, Alteration or Improvement form are now available in the Clubhouse. The form is also available on the web site.

The folding tables and chairs have all been received and are available for future events, such as the Italian Dinner coming up this month.

We have decided to purchase a coffee maker that will support large groups of people. The final selection will be made once we can find a coffee maker with adequate safety measures.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

HW BOD Meeting Summary 30 March 2016

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors meeting on 30 March focused on the creation of the expectations and the statement of work for the property management company. We will be asking three companies to review our requirements and to provide bids.

Based on comments and requests from the residents the board will be providing hard copies of the Addition, Alteration or Improvement forms in the Clubhouse. The form will also continue to be available on the web site.  We also agreed to some improvements to the web site, base on comments received, which will make it easier to find the address for communicating with the Board of Directors.

In other business, the new folding chairs arrived and the tables are expected this coming week. The golf cage nets are up!  (It must officially be spring.)  We reviewed the necessary repairs for the Clubhouse and continue to make arrangements to correct the problems being found.

We looked into the ways to communicate with all of the HW residents and found that about 10% of the residents are not using the web site. With this in mind, we will make a point of providing emails for essential information.  If you know of someone who is not using the web site, but would use it if they had help, let us know and we will do our best to get them the help they need.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors meeting on 23 March covered a wide range of agenda topics. We continued to interview property management companies looking for a company that will meet all of our needs at the right price.  After talking with three companies we are ready to move on to the next step of formally defining our specifications and getting bids from the prospective companies.

The Board has defined our process for reviewing and approving homeowner requests for “additions, alterations or improvements,” as defined in our Bylaws. We will be posting information and a form that should make the approval process quick and easy for both homeowners and the Board.  Using the new process and form we received, reviewed and approved the first three requests submitted to the Board.

In other business, we approved the purchase of folding tables and chairs for the clubhouse. These will allow us to have a more comfortable setting for dinners and other functions.  We also agreed to allocate some of the non-HOA money (funds collected through donations or from activities) to decorate the clubhouse for Italian night, next month.

We continue to look for ways to better communicate with all of the HW residents. To accomplish this we will be examining the website usage to see how well it is enabling our communication goals and we will be asking each of you how you would like to receive information and provide feedback.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met on Wednesday 16 March 2016 with the primary purpose of meeting with Property Management Companies. We met with the first two companies to discuss their capabilities and to determine how well they will fit with our community’s requirements.  Additional meetings with property management companies are planned for next week and will continue until we have looked at the best candidates, at least four.  The qualified candidate will be invited to bid on the Hickory Woods property management contract.

The Board also reviewed the first group of bills and signed the paper work necessary to make payments.

Our new email address is now operational. You can reach the Board at:

bod-input@hwcommunity.info

(Authored by Brian Wells, Board Secretary)

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors met for the first time today, since the elections were held in February. The Board Elected Mary Ferris as the President, Bob McGrath as Vice President, Jim Shearer as Treasurer and Brian Wells as the Secretary. Paperwork was prepared that enables Jim and John Kalantzakos to be the signers of all checks and payments.

One of the first orders of business was reviewing the boards responsibilities and discussing the general approach and philosophies that the board will follow in the months to come. Future meetings will be held each Wednesday for the foreseeable future to address the many issues not completely covered in this initial meeting. The Board is setting up an email address so that the community, each of you, will have an easy and quick way of communicating with the Board. We are interested in getting community input on a number of issues. Expect specific requests once the email address has been initiated.

The most pressing issue is the selection of a property management company. The Board will be meeting with and interviewing companies beginning next week. If you have suggestions or references for property management companies that you believe could do a good job, please let one of the board members know.

Among the more routine items addressed: the Board agreed to have speed limit signs installed at each of the entrances to the community; Mesiti Development has agreed to install a horseshoe pit; Jim Shearer took the action to provide a proposal to the board for additional folding tables and chairs for the clubhouse; and the Board approved the use of the storage room in the clubhouse for darts on a trial basis.

Each of us on the Board feels like we are off to a good start and look forward to future meetings where we will continue to address the actions needed to support and import our community. We look forward to hearing from you, once our email is established.

Sincerely,

The Hickory Woods Board of Directors

The new Board of Directors for the Hickory Wood Condominium Association began their term in office on February 25, 2016

The first board meeting will take place on Thursday, March 10th.
(Board meeting notes will be taken.)

Below is a reproduction of the official announcement concerning the 2nd Condominium Association Meeting on 2/25/16.

HICKORY WOODS 2ND CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION MEETING
FEBRUARY 25, 2016

John Kalantzakos hosted the 2nd Hickory Woods Condominium meeting at the Hickory Woods Clubhouse on February 25, 2016
The meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM.

The main purpose of the meeting was to elect a new Board of Directors. We received several resumes from talented residents of diversified backgrounds. The resumes were sent out in advance to all members of our community for review. After reviewing the resumes, the residents were asked to vote for up to 5 people. At the end of the evening, a group of residents were selected to count the votes and report the findings. A total of 53 ballots were cast, and once the votes were in, Dick Loschi announced the new Board as follows:

Mary Ferris
Bob McGrath
Jim Shearer
Brian Wells
John Kalantzakos

Initial topics for the new Board will be as follows:
1. Familiarize each member with the budget and projections.
2. Appoint a President, Treasurer and Secretary.
3. Research, select and hire a property management company to collect condo fees, hire vendors for property maintenance, etc.
4. Schedule and hold annual meetings each year with community residents.
5. Discuss terms for Board members.

The final discussion was regarding the condo budget and associated expenses emailed to all residents for review prior to the condo meeting. John discussed in detail the expenses, including actuals vs. budget for 2015, 2016 and a projection for 2017.

Some key points restated and summarized by John were:
1. Hickory Woods condominium will have a potential surplus of funds estimated In the amount of $41,145 for the year 2017.
2. Condo fee of $225 per month not artificially low.
3. Projection for reserves at the end of 2016: $83,710. It was pointed out that many condominiums have been turned over to the residents with zero funds available!
4. In 2015 Hickory Woods, LLC contributed $35,210 for models and unsold lots, leading to a surplus of funds in the amount of $13,684 which will be added to the Association reserves.
5. It was noted that some of the expenses in the 2016 budget may not be spent and may be high.

In conclusion, John congratulated the new Board of Directors.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00PM.

At approximately 7:10 PM today (2/25/16) the winners of the five seats on the new Hickory Woods Homeowner’s Association Board of Directors were announced.

They were:

John Kalantzakos (incumbent)
Mary Ferris
Original BOD Application
Bob McGrath
Original BOD Application
James Shearer
Original BOD Application
Brian Wells
Original BOD Application

Congratulations!!
We hope you serve us well.

Below is a reproduction of an email dated February 22, 2016 from John Kalantzakos

To All:

This is a reminder that we are going to meet at the clubhouse at 6pm Thursday to vote for the Hickory Woods Board of Directors. Please check in with Helen when you arrive. After everyone is checked in we will have a brief discussion and then will commence with the vote. All votes must be in on the 25th. Thanks.

Candidates running for positions on the Association’s Board of Directors were asked to give their views on the following question:

What do you think will be the most significant questions/challenges facing the board in the next year?

Here are their responses.

Mary Ferris

Hickory Woods residents have been going through many lifestyle changes including becoming members of a new community and home owner’s association. We need to come together to be a model development where we all feel part of the community, where resident’s concerns are heard, information is shared, our monthly fees are spent wisely, and our Board represents our needs. I believe we have many challenges in establishing our association, but we first need to feel we are all part of the community (to the extent you want to be), and represented by the Board. We have already seen a few bumps in the road and miss-communication on how the club house can be used. Many of these issues can be easily resolved with a board that works together as a team. Let’s not focus on problems, but find solutions before we have problems. I believe we can function best without creating too many rules, following common sense choices, and fostering good communication.

The Board will need to review all budgets, expenses, and contracts in detail to ensure your money is being spent wisely. We already know what our projected income is, but defining the expenses will tell us if we have funding available for other community enhancements, such as outdoor club house furniture. Also key, is the selection of a management company. We can learn from the experiences of other over 55 developments in the area, carefully research the options, and make the best possible choice. Since they will be responsible for many of the day to day maintenance, it will be important to have our services well managed.

There may always be challenges, but if we work together, we can meet our needs and establish an ideal maintenance free community that provides us with the active lifestyle we all deserve.

Link to BOD Application by Mary Ferris

John J. Goglia

Since I do not have prior experience on any condo board like several of the other applicants I can only guess at what will be on the minds of our community members. First and foremost I would think they would be concerned with keeping condo association fees as low as possible for as long as possible. Judy and I have owned multiple family homes in several states over the past 40 years and have been very diligent about maintaining them and avoiding financial surprises or at least keeping those surprises to a minimum. I would take the same careful approach with everyone else’s money weighing current expenses against the longer term implications. I think one of the first things our Board of Directors should do is review any existing contracts and if necessary and possible obtain competing bids and try to negotiate better deals. Another concern might be what expenses does the Association Fee cover and what should be covered separately by individual groups that may be using certain facilities. I know there have been some discussions about this already. The Board probably will have to establish an overall policy going forward.

Other questions I might expect as our development nears completion later this year and the weather gets warmer is what will or will not be allowable in the way of putting our personal touches on each of our individual properties. Those questions could cover everything from plants, shrubs, dog/cat runs, fences and other decorations to capital additions (decks/patios/hot tubs), etc…I would think the Board would apply any existing Association Rules to those types of questions and if no rule applies weigh each request independently as to the effect on the overall community paying special attention to any abutting properties that may be impacted in anyway. I also anticipate there will be issues with various current and as yet unformed groups wanting to make specific changes or requests involving the Clubhouse. My general approach to all matters that are not specifically addressed elsewhere is to gather all the facts, do some appropriate research, listen to those involved, discuss those requests with the other Board members and then give my opinion.

Lastly, I think the tone and the direction of the community has already been set somewhat by those of us that are here and have already participated in various activities and so far I think things have been great. I see us as an all-inclusive active adult community trying to welcome everyone regardless of any differences but yet allowing everyone to maintain their independence and privacy as they so desire and if elected I intend to support those observations.

Link to BOD Application by John Goglia

Brian Wells

There will be many challenges over the next year or two. The transition from Hickory Woods LLC management to home owner management will take a great deal of work. This will include defining the budget. The existing actual cost data is inadequate for making a complete budget. We will need to answer many questions related to the costs of running the HOA. The board and HOA will need to start taking over management from Hickory Woods LLC. We will need to answer the question, “who will our management company be, and how much do we pay them.” Perhaps the biggest question will be “when do we declare Hickory Woods LLC and the development complete?”

Link to BOD Application by Brian Wells

The following is a reproduction an email sent out by John Kalantzakos on February 19

Follow this link to see the actual document referred to in this email.

Subject: Hickory Woods Condo Budgets

To All:

Attached is a three year look at our Hickory Woods Condominium Association expenses. It includes the actuals vs budget for 2015, a 2016 budget & a projection for 2017 when we have full occupancy and no developer owned models or open lots. It is possible we won’t close all of the remaining lots this year but I think that is not likely. Here is a summary of some of the key points:

1. The 2017 Budget at full occupancy shows revenue of $242,256 and expenses of $201,101 with an additional $$22,344 going towards capital reserves. Estimates are not perfect and conditions may change but as it stands in this budget there will be a surplus of funds of $41,155 for the year. This shows the $225 fee per month is not artificially low and could be maintained.
2. Many condo’s have been turned over to the residents with zero funds available. At the end of this year we are projecting the reserves to be $83,710.
3. In 2015 Hickory Woods, LLC is contributing $35,210 for models & unsold lots which is leading to a surplus of funds of $13,684 which will be added to the Hickory Woods Condominium Association reserves.
4. In the 2016 budget some expenses may not be spent and may be high.

In summary I think this is a good look at what is going on with expenses and fees. When the new board is elected we can go into more detail about the projections. This will be one of the first agenda items for the board. Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks.

John Kalantzakos
603-421-0560

The following is background information from the Association Meeting of August 20, 2015

Projected annual costs for the Hickory Woods Condominium Association (distributed at meeting conducted 8/20/15);
Document #1
Document #2
Note “Management Fees” and “Total Expenses”. Total annual income from 98 units @ $225 per month will be $264,600

2015 actual and projected expenses for Hickory Woods Condominium Association (distributed at meeting conducted 8/20/15):
Document #1
Document #2
Note “Shortfall”. Also, it is not completely clear how the numbers actually add up.

2014 Profit & Loss Statement for Hickory Woods Condominium Association (distributed at meeting conducted 8/20/15):
2014 Profit & Loss

Based on the below quoted email and its enclosures eleven(11) candidates will be running for the five (5) person board. Here are their names and links to the applications they submitted for consideration:

John Kalantzakos (incumbent)
Rick Welch (incumbent)
Tony Mesiti (incumbent)
Bob Bouchard BOD Application Bob Bouchard
Mary Ferris BOD Application Mary Ferris
John Goglia BOD Application John Goglia
Bill Lannigan BOD Application Bill Lannigan
Bob McGrath BOD Application Bob McGrath
James Shearer BOD Application James Shearer
Helen Stenhouse BOD Application Helen Stenhouse
Brian Wells BOD Application Brian Wells

The following email was sent out by John Kalantzakos on February 11, 2016 1:40 PM

Subject: Board Of Directors Applicants
To All:

If you have questions please let me know. Thanks.

The following is a quote from a notification sent out by  John Kalantzakos on 1/6/16:

“On February 25th we will be voting for a Board of Directors. The ballot will have John, Rick & Tony as applicants as well as any residents who would like to run.”

“If you would like to run for the Board please send an email to me stating your interest with any brief background you would like the other community members to know about you. These submissions will be due by February 10th 2016 and will be distributed shortly after that. Since there will be 63 homes occupied we will need at least 42 homes to vote. Each home will only get 1 vote. If you can’t make the meeting, you can give a neighbor your proxy vote in writing (signed by you).”

To All:

We are going to have our annual meeting of the Association on Thursday February 25th at 6pm. Please mark this date on your calendars. The meeting purpose will be: