December 10, 2017
Driving to work every day and going over the meadow road in the early morning hours in winter is always a treat! The beauty of the ice and frost on all of the reeds and vegetation is striking in the dawn hours. The vapor that floats over the damp and wet areas looks so cold and crisp. Just another marvel to see every day in Clearwood!
I hope this is finding everyone well and preparing for the holidays! Tonight as I write this the Santa Run will be kicking off!
So, you ask, what has the Board been up to in the last month? Well, let me tell you what I know! First, the Roads and Water Committee is working hard on making the right decision for filtration for the new Well. I partially observed a meeting this morning of a group of dedicated folks who are having discussions and doing research on the right thing to do. Thanks to these folks who all come forward with their expertise!
At our last Board meeting we choose our Top 5 projects to work on this year, so let me tell you about a couple of them!
First, I am working on the Gate and Security Project with Board Director Rich Hill. So far we have completed a scope of work and narrowed down so that we know what we will plan to accomplish. Our Maintenance Manager Albert Darrow is going to sit on the sub committee with us to work through our options. In addition, members of our Patrol and Emergency Services Group will assist. We are also interested in two or three community residents who have an interest and hopefully some expertise in Security and electronic/mechanical gates. The goal is to replace our current gate system with one that is more secure, conducive to identifying intruders, aesthetically appealing as a community cornerstone, and has the ability to be easily repaired with any kind of malfunction. If you are one of these folks who feel like they can work with us please contact me directly at [email protected].
Yvonne, our Board Secretary is taking lead on updating of our Administrative Policies and Manuals. She will be working on the updates that need to happen to policy and procedure and ensure that we get our recently passed resolutions into the rule books where appropriate. She and Wendi Broden have been working on a new Website that is going to be featured in the near future. I have had a preview of it and it is really cool. They have added some incredible conveniences to it as well as made it so much easier with the ability to find needed information. Yvonne has also been working on putting together resource manuals for Board members and continues to work with the Violations Committee on compliance.
Valerie Cawley and Albert Darrow are continuing work on the restoration of the Beach walls and bulkheads and have been meeting with many state and local officials to get it to a point where we can start work.
Syndi Martin has been working very hard with each of the managers and the Board on kicking off 2018 budget and ensuring that we start out with a method to accurately track all expenditures and track use of monies to get the best and most out of your money.
The Members Activity Committee has been busy going into the New Year and will be wrapping up this year with the Santa Run and kicking off the new year with the Polar Bear Plunge into Longmire! Are you going swimming on January 1st? Not me! But I might come watch!
We are also working on the language clarifications that we need to better understand our voting requirements and the counting of a quorum. I fully understand how frustrating all that was for us this past October with our Special Meeting. We want to make sure that we have processes in place that allow the widest amount of owners to vote! Yvonne is looking at some technology solutions that might make it possible to place electronic votes. Time will tell!
So in closing, I want to ask each of you to be safe and careful this Holiday Season and in this Winter Weather. Keep in mind that it is dark when we leave for work and dark when we come home. In the morning we must watch for kids along the roadway heading to their bus stops and at night people are out walking their dogs! So, a couple of reminders! A few people have shared with me how close they have come going over a blind hill or around a blind corner only to find someone in the roadway.
- Stay on the side of the road and walk against traffic
- Wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight
- If you’re riding a bike, make sure that you have reflectors on it!
- Keep your dogs on a leash and your kids by your side!
Come to our Board meeting this coming Saturday at 9! We are going to have Christmas Cookies and Coffee! Just a little treat!
From our house to yours, Tommy and I wish you all a very peaceful and Blessed Christmas. We wish you health and prosperity for the New Year! Enjoy your family and have a wonderful Holiday!
Laura Drybread