Waterford Homeowners Association Newsletter www.waterfordlexington.com LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY FEBRUARY, 2016 Waterford Homeowners Association Board From the Board President Snow Removal Happy Belated New Year! 2016 is here and so is Old Man Winter. As a reminder, the HOA has agreed to plow ALL streets in the neighborhood that are not covered by the city. While we are excited about this service, there are a few points residents need to bear in mind: 1)    The contractor will only be called when snow accumulation makes roads treacherous or impassable. This depends on where in the neighborhood you live, and the HOA will monitor and address as needed. 2)    With only one contractor, residents will need to be patient. It usually takes 2-3 hrs to plow the neighborhood. 3)    If you know it is going to snow, move vehicles off the street and into your driveway. This makes it much easier for our contractor or the city to effectively plow the streets. 4)    You are responsible for clearing snow from your sidewalk, your driveway and your mailbox. 5) This service, as well as all others, are budget- and resource-dependent. Our HOA income is relatively fixed, so level of service we can provide will depend on how much snow we get and the price we have to pay, so we might not be able to plow as much for the later snow events.   Scoop the Poop Besides being an unsightly nuisance, uncollected dog waste is a growing problem in our neighborhood. The next time Rover is tempted to leave a treasure behind, remember: 1)    State and local officials are increasingly monitoring impacts on water supplies and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Animal waste runoffs are being looked at more closely, and property owners could be fined – along with the neighborhood HOA, in which case the penalty would be passed along to all residents, not just dog owners. 2)    The appearance and quality of common areas/green spaces impact home sales—not just whether and for how much they sell, but how quickly. 3)    The more residents complain about dog waste, the more time the HOA property manager must spend on enforcement rather than serving the association. 4)    Uncollected dog waste spreads disease and attracts rodents who feed on pet waste.   Ten Reasons to Volunteer in Your Neighborhood 1)    Protect your self-interests. Protect your property values and maintain the quality of life in your community. 2)    Correct a problem. Has your car been towed, or do you think maybe maintenance has been neglected? 3)    Be sociable. Meet your neighbors, make friends, and exchange opinions. 4)    Give back. Repay a little of what’s been done for you. 5)    Advance your career. Build your personal resume by including your community volunteer service. 6)    Have some fun. HOA work isn’t drudgery; have fun accomplishing good things with your neighbors. 7)    Get educated. Learn how it’s done—we’ll train you. 8)    Express yourself. Help with creative projects like neighborhood beautification or social events. 9)    Earn recognition. If you would like a little attention or validation, your work will be recognized and celebrated. 10) Try some altruism. Improve society by helping others. A Word from our Property Manager Pool season will be upon us before you know it.  The board has voted to keep the rates the same as last year.  The rates are as follows; non-resident - $500, resident family - $400, resident couple - $300, single - $200, nanny charge is an additional $50 to any of the above groups and the one day guest pass with a member is $5.  Some confusion existed last year as to who qualified as an "immediate" family member.  An immediate family member is defined as a parent, grandparent, brother, sister and grandchild living at the same address as the member (proof of residence will be required).  Also, non-resident memberships will be limited and processed in the order applications and payments are received.  You may apply on line through the Waterford website or mail the application.  Please read the "Codes of Conduct" carefully as less tolerance of violations (especially glass in the deck area) will be accepted in the forthcoming season in order to insure our goal to provide a safe, fun environment for our members is met. 2016 Primary Elections The 2016 Democratic Primary will be held on Tuesday, May 17th. The Kentucky Republican caucus will occur on Saturday, March 5, from 10 am to 4 pm. Ashland Avenue Baptist Church (483 W Reynolds Road) has been designated as the caucus location for precincts B198 (Bridgemont) and B206 (Rolling Creek). Based on current guidelines, only individuals who registered as Republicans by December 31, 2015, are eligible to participate in the caucus. Please visit applicable political party web sites for the most authoritative, current information. Singing the Dues Waterford HOA dues statements were mailed to all households in early January.  The Board voted the dues to remain at $200 for the calendar year.  Late fees ($25) will be added on April 1, July 1, October 1 or January 1 (2017) if not paid by then. Dues are separate from pool membership and pay for upkeep and improvements to the common property of our neighborhood including the ponds, clubhouse and tennis courts. Monthly financial statements can be found on the HOA website (waterfordlexington.com), but you must be a registered member to access it. Any questions regarding financial issues regarding the HOA can be directed to Gary W. Ludwick (gwludwick@gmail.com) or (859) 309-9200.  Neighborhood Improvements – We Listened First of all, a big “Thank You” to all who participated in the poll, on Facebook, or both. It was much appreciated, and all board members are very familiar with the results. Most popular was the concept of a walking trail around the lower pond. We think this is an idea with outstanding potential, and we have a draft of what this could look like – additional park benches, trees, and approximately .3 miles of gravel trail. Our options for crossing the creek are limited (a bridge seems not to be feasible given the location within a FEMA flood plain), but we think there is a good chance of a lower-cost option for crossing. We intend to move in the direction of this improvement – finances permitting and in stages if necessary (especially since the board recently approved a significant expenditure to replace our outdated pool filtration system) - beginning with additional benches and trees. The idea of an outdoor theater system that could also be used in the pool area and for swim meets was also popular (as a result of our highly successful Friday Night Flicks) and will be more thoroughly researched for cost and multi-functionality. There were other ideas that received strong support but that will require more study. The pool enclosure proposal, for example, was highly popular, but support might diminish after associated expenses (construction and maintenance, pool heating and filtration, management, lifeguards, etc.) and required additional revenue are determined. The popularity of some suggestions was balanced by opposition to those ideas (e.g., a basketball court, though it appears one will be constructed in Veterans Park). In still other cases, support was accompanied by significant issues involving insurance increases, enhanced staffing and/or security and access issues, all of which would add substantially to their initial costs. Even so, we will retain this information for future reference and periodically revisit the results – as well as the many useful and practical comments – in subsequent board meetings. Thanks again for participating – this was a wonderful example of neighborhood involvement. Keep Locking Those Cars Reports of rummaged vehicles have decreased, but that can change when the weather improves. Remember, if you park outside your garage, then don't leave valuables in site. If you suspect your neighbor has accidentally left their garage door open, they might appreciate being notified. And don’t forget, if you see something, say something! LexCall 311 Don’t forget 311 – Lexington’s single point-of-entry that can help with many questions and issues regarding the services that the LFUCG provides (tall grass, trash, potholes, burned-out street lights, and many others). Waverunners! Our very own neighborhood swim team, the Waterford Waverunners, is poised for another successful season. Check out http://www.waterfordwaverunners.com/home for all the latest news and events. Only four dates are are scheduled for home meets this summer: June 1, June 8, June 15 and June 22 (all are Wednesdays). On pool meet days, our pool patrons will be asked to clear the area by 4:30 pm to allow swim team personnel enough time to configure the pool and deck area. Good luck, Waverunners! Socially Acceptable Thanks to the great leadership of our Social Chair Heather Mueller and her wonderful committee, we have an outstanding program of activities scheduled for the upcoming few months. There’s sure to be something that sounds good to you, so pick a date and show up! * February 18th @ 6:30 Bunco (Third Thursday of each month) – Bunco is a fun, social dice game and a long standing tradition in Waterford. Bring $5 and a snack to share. If you are interested in playing please RSVP on Facebook or email waterfordsocialky@gmail.com. Want to learn to play Bunco? Come 30 minutes before the tournament for a tutorial. * February 19th @ 6:30 Murder Mystery Dinner - SOLD OUT! Watch for our next announcement of entertainment provided by Bluegrass Murder Mystery, dinner from Travinia Italian Kitchen and Tiramisu from European Delights. Cost per person $35.00 * March 3rd @ 6:30 Euchre Tournament * March 6th @ 2:00 Chili Cook-off & Meet the HOA Board – Join us to judge a chili cook off and meet your board members. SPACE IS LIMITED so if you are interested in submitting your chili please email waterfordsocialky@gmail.com * March 12th @ 6:30 Adult Coloring Books Party - If you want try adult coloring books or are experienced and have your own books and supplies, join us for a relaxing evening. We will provide coloring sheets, markers, pens & colored pencils. You are welcome to bring your own supplies. * March 17th @ 6:30 Bunco * March 20th @ 2:00 Easter Bunny and Egg Hunt - The egg hunt begins at 2:00pm sharp; if you are interested in participating, we recommend arriving at 1:45 * April 7th @ 6:30 Euchre Tournament * April 15th@ 6:30 Wine & Canvas * April 21st @ 6:30 Bunco If you have any ideas for social events or want to help plan and conduct events, email waterfordsocialky@gmail.com. A huge “Thank you” to our Social Committee: Heather Mueller, Marnie Mountjoy, Heather Edwards, Stephanie Schaffer, Chris Lingle, Laura Williamson, Czar Crofcheck, Beth Bell Brown and Beth Sampson Clubhouse Rentals Our clubhouse is available for rentals. It’s a great choice for birthday parties, weddings, wedding rehearsals and dinners, graduation parties, business meetings and other events, and our rates (especially for residents) are very competitive. If you haven’t visited lately or at all, you can get an idea of what the clubhouse offers by checking it out on the web site (waterfordlexington.com) or by contacting our Property Manager, Ed Sloan, to schedule a tour. Currently-scheduled rentals are reflected on the calendar at our web site, where you can also reserve the clubhouse. Let’s Keep in Touch Web Site. Our web site (waterfordlexington.com) is the primary source of information of a reference nature. You can also find announcements from the Board/Staff, upcoming events, and recent tweets from the Board. In addition, you’ll find several methods for contacting our Board Members and Property Manager with your questions, comments, suggestions and issues, and all of this is available without creating a log-in account. However, we highly recommend that you register to access the information stored in the “Members Area” (Board meeting minutes, financial statements) and to receive this newsletter directly via e-mail. E-mail. Being sensitive to e-mail overload, we don’t anticipate using e-mail often to communicate from the Board to Residents. Newsletters and events of high importance (e.g., special meetings and Board elections) will probably be announced through e-mail, but other announcements will normally pass through other channels. We do not and will not sell or share your e-mail information. Twitter. The Board have a Twitter feed (@waterfordlexky) that is used for announcements of a short-term nature (Board meetings, pool closures, construction in the neighborhood, etc.). If you are a Twitter user and “follow” us, you will receive these announcements automatically. You can also see these announcements without registering for a Twitter account by simply visiting our web site (waterfordlexington.com) and checking our Twitter feed on the right-hand side of the home page. Facebook. Our Facebook group is our most interactive way of communicating with all our neighbors and is used by residents on a daily basis. You will need a Facebook personal profile (which can be highly customized in terms of your privacy settings) to join the group, which you can locate by logging in to Facebook and searching for Waterford in the upper-left search field – it should be the first entry and shows up as “Waterford Closed Group – xxx members.” This is a closed group, meaning you will have to request permission to join. Access is limited to Waterford residents, and the discussions are private in the sense that only other group members can read and/or post comments. The Facebook group is a very successful communication tool, and we now have over 300 group members who visit to discuss such wide-ranging topics as baby-sitter recommendations, yard sales, lost pets and social events. We will continue improve our web site and integrate our communications processes. Please let us know if you have any suggestions on how to become more effective. Newsletter Distribution This is our third quarter of electronic-only newsletter publication. As for the previous version, we will upload a copy to the neighborhood web site and e-mail a plain text format copy to everyone who is registered through the web site. We’ll also announce its publication through Facebook, Twitter and our web site’s announcement section. As in the past, we will also make a limited number of paper copies available just outside the front door of the clubhouse. Talk to Us We're always interested on your thoughts on how the Homeowners Association Board can better serve the neighborhood, suggested improvements to the common areas, ideas on social events, and any other issues. Feel free to contact us from our web site. Your ideas matter.