Oakbridge Homeowners’ Association Meeting
Present: Ron Hay, Jeff Wilson, Abigail Darwin, Jordan Speicher, Katherine Holt, Barb Prigge, and Nancy Kern Guests: Brian Shah and Kraig Bodie.
- Dues. We discussed the need to have a buffer to manage cash flow so the association can meet its obligations.
- Water bills are increasing 20% next year.
- Insurance costs are likely to increase.
- Lawn maintenance and snow removal costs are likely to increase.
- An additional fee will be coming to the association related to the City of Madison’s re- surfacing of the streets. The association will be charged $3,465 for the common areas. In
- addition, many homeowners will be charged to repair their curbs and driveway aprons. This is the first time the streets have been re-surfaced. The cost of $3,465 divided by the 145 homes comes to $24 per home.
- If we don’t have any significant snowfall that requires plowing, we are likely to end the year with $2,500.
- Association fees will be due by March 1 so we can pay our insurance bill that is due in March. The board had tentatively agreed on increasing the dues to $80 annually. The annual fees for Oakbridge are considerably lower than surrounding neighborhoods. Oakbridge has not had a buffer and has close to not being able to meet its obligations. With the anticipation of the streets project, the board proposed increasing dues to $105 next year so we can meet our obligations for the streets project as well as snow removal, lawn mowing, fertilizer, insurance and water bills as well as the July 4th picnic.
- We will send the letter to homeowners by January 15 to explain the increase in dues and our pathway forward. We noted that this comes to less than $9/month, which is quite reasonable.
- We will meet on Tuesday, January 8 at 7 p.m. at Ron Hay’s house to discuss wording of the letter. We will reapprove the rate increase at this meeting.
- We will meet on January 23 at 7 p.m. at Ron Hay’s house to plan for the homeowner’s meeting.
- We will meet on January 30 at Alicia Ashman library from 6:30 until 8:45. Ron Hay will check on meeting at High Point Church or John Muir School or the Lussier Center in case we need a larger venue. Ron Hay will also contact the police department to ask them to send a representative to the meeting. The agenda will include:
i. Finances – homeowners will have received their letters
ii. Concerns
iii. Safety
3. Board roles
- Ron Hay will step down from the role of president of the board. He will remain on the board, just not in the role of president.
- Abigail Darwin is Vice President of the board and pro bono legal consultant.
- Nancy Kern is stepping down from the board as secretary.
- Jeff Wilson will remain as Treasurer.
- Katherine Holt is stepping down from the board because of work obligations.
- Brian Shah would like to join the board, but not as an officer.
- Kraig Bodie would like to join the board, but not as an officer.
- Laura Schweitzer will remain on the board as our pro bono tax filer and consultant.
- Barb Prigge will step down from the board if someone else would join the board.
- We need four officers and three other voting members of the board. Others can serve
on the board, but not as voting members. We will vote on the board members at the
annual meeting in January. There is a 2-year rotation and board members are up for
election every two years.
k. Four board members are up for election in odd numbered years (2019). And three are
up for election in an even numbered year. The homeowners elect board members and the board members decide who will function in the four officer roles and who will be members at large.
Ron Hay has documented what the president is responsible for. The president can delegate tasks to others on the board or to committees. The president signs contracts.
Comments and Concerns
More homes have their lights turned on in the neighborhood when it’s dark. Many are LED motion-detection lights. Jeff will ask the city what they recommend for lighting in our neighborhood. Our current city street lighting is outdated and orange. It’s difficult to tell the color of a vehicle or person’s clothing. One person mentioned that the pedestrian path has LED lighting that is more pedestrian oriented and provides natural light so that we will be able to see color more accurately. Pedestrian oriented lights are also spaced differently than typical street lights. 4-5 K lighting is bad for light pollution and sleeping. LED costs less to run, but the bulbs are more costly. Jeff will ask about pricing.
Upcoming Meetings
Monday, December 17 from 6 to 8 p.m., there will be a meeting at Blackhawk Church with Paul Soglin, Paul Skidmore, and others from the city and police.
Tuesday, December 18 from 4 to 5 p.m., there will be a meeting at Alicia Ashman branch of the library with Gloria Reyes and a small group of people with questions and comments.
Thursday, December 20 from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m., the Oakbridge board will meet with Gloria Reyes at Alicia Ashman library.
Tuesday, January 8 at 7 p.m. at Ron Hay’s house to discuss wording of the letter. We will reapprove the rate increase at this meeting.
January 23 at 7 p.m. at Ron Hay’s house to plan for the homeowner’s meeting.
January 30 at Alicia Ashman library from 6:30 until 8:45. Ron Hay will check on meeting at High Point Church or John Muir School or the Lussier Center in case we need a larger venue.