Townhouse owners will have a say in moving board meetings to the evening.
The Bella Vista Townhouse Association's Board of Directors on Nov. 18 approved language for a survey attached to its annual year-end newsletter. The survey offers four options for meeting times -- morning, lunch, evening or keeping the current schedule.
• Approved a project at 8 Lakeside Drive to build a 10.5-foot by 14-foot deck to replace rotted stairs. The deck will be the same footprint as the stairs.
• Approved a 22-foot by 19-foot carport at 39 Abingdon Lane.
• Approved a 18-foot by 16-foot carport at 40 Dogwood Drive.
Source: Staff report
The board currently meets at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at at the association's office at 2 Cora Circle.
The association presides over 1,040 properties spread throughout the following townhouse courts: Basildon, Brittany, Brittany II, Brompton, Drake, Kingsdale, Kipling I, Kipling II, Melanie, Metfield, Norwood, Shakespeare I, Shakespeare II, Shakespeare III, Tanyard, Windsor and Chelsea.
The board for the last three months has heard complaints that morning meetings marginalize many residents, who say meeting at 9 a.m. on a weekday isn't feasible.
David Whittlesey, the association's general manager, said he expects to hear back from about 20 percent of townhouse residents. The newsletter will be mailed in December.
Whittlesey said the board will measure responses and likely "strike a balance" in an effort to satisfy residents.
"Right now, we aren't being overwhelmed to change to evening meetings," Whittlesey said. "When we have the annual meeting, we'll see how many people we get."
The annual meeting is at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 2 Cora Circle.
Whittlesey added that the board has experimented with evening meetings in the past but attendance was negligible. Even when the board met to discuss removing the swimming pool, the evening meetings failed to draw maximum capacity, which is 40 people, Whittlesey said.
Gabriele Campbell, chairwoman of Bella Vista Townhouse Owners, submitted to the board a petition with 31 signatures requesting that meetings be moved to the evening.
The organization is not affiliated with the Townhouse Association but seeks to address "concerns and issues voiced by the (townhouse) owners," according to the group's mission statement. In a letter provided to the board, the group also cites owners frustrations with a lack of action from the board regarding maintenance and safety issues throughout the townhouse courts.
Campbell said her petition shows that four times as many attendees at the regular meetings would like to meet in the evening. Twelve people attended the Nov. 18 meeting, with a handful attending to show support for the Townhouse Owners group.
Whittlesey said those signatures will have to be validated, as only signatures from townhouse owners will be considered legitimate.
Campbell said the Nov. 18 meeting was "productive" and was pleased the board took action to address moving meetings to the evening, but added that holding evening meetings needs to be tested.
"You've got to keep trying," Campbell said. "You can't just have evening meetings once or twice a year or twice in a row."
Whittlesey said the time of the meeting is irrelevant, and if a resident has a problem, all they need to do is call the association's main office at 479-855-9328 or email the association at [email protected].
"We want (residents) to come to the board if they have (problems)," Whittlesey said. "If it's any legitimate issue, we want to take care of them. We don't want somebody getting hurt or a problem going unresolved. If it's safety issue for a homeowner, it's probably even a greater issue for the board."
Also attached with the year-end newsletter is a ballot for two board positions. Tom Barber and Kathe Dees are both up for re-election. All seven board members are elected at large and do not represent a single court. Terms are staggered and last three years.
AT Grover, a member of Townhouse Owners, told the board he would like to run but was never told of the cutoff date or about filling out an application. Grover added that longtime residents he'd spoken to also weren't aware of the election process.
Elections are held each year and residents interested in running for the board need to fill out an application and submit it before Nov. 1, Whittlesey said. The applications can be picked up at the main office. Members must be townhouse owners, be in good standing and have no major policy violations to be eligible to run, Whittlesey said.
While the an application was not available through the association's website, Whittlesey said the election process has been publicized and explained to owners.
General News on 11/25/2015