Entry Signs and Questions About the Community Area
Posted on Sep 6th, 2024 Comments (0)
Hello!
Two big things to talk about since I've had questions about it so lets start with the easy one! I dropped off the checks for the entry way signs to our contractors on the 5th and we are projected to start work on the 18th of September. I am hoping that they will be done before Halloween but I'll make no promises. When I have a more concrete answer I'll update this here or ask one of the other board members to make a post on Facebook.
Now for the big item, the community area. I believe in candid communication so I will lay it out clearly. The main issue affecting the community area being finished is simply money. The HOA does not have the funds to finish a project of that scale with a single check as such we need to finance it. In order to do this we need to get a loan from a bank. We are doing this however, we do not have the collateral to secure such a large investment, nor do we have any guarantors for the loan. Because of this increase risk the bank is asking us for a lot of detailed information that I am working on collecting and even if granted the loan for the full amount we would be looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $6k a month in loan repayments. Obviously, this is untenable so we are proceeding in a different direction.
By splitting the community area into two parts we are hoping that we can secure the loan amount in smaller chunks and save on monthly repayments. We are going to start with the playground area and dog park first. We have almost all the money in our account at this moment to pay for the project outright and this is a far more acceptable risk to the bank. Additionally, by completing the project in a stage like this we will increase the value of the land itself which can then in turn be used as collateral to secure the funding for the second larger half of the project, the pool area. It isn't an ideal scenario but with interest rates being what they are and our current position we are playing with the cards we are dealt. The aim I currently have is to get the first section finished before the end of the year but as the saying goes: the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.
Finally, I understand that people have questions but when a project is fluid and the board is trying to problem solve sometimes its difficult to update on a regular basis. Every member of the board has a full-time job and family requirements like many of you. Sometimes days might pass without progress because that is the reality of a volunteer position. Being a board member isn't a status symbol and we don't get paid. It is a responsibility that we pick up and do our best to see through. There are positions open on the board and a helping hand is always welcome. If you'd like to volunteer and be the change you want to see in the community send an email to carriagehillshoaboard@gmail.com
-Dan
Annual Meeting Overview and Follow Up
Posted on Jun 27th, 2024 Comments (0)
Hello!
I wanted to follow up on some of the things that were brought up during the meeting. I'll address the bigger ones here and then list the other questions/concerns below.
For anyone who may have missed it we have two open positions on the HOA board. The VP slot and the Secretary slot are both open currently. I have a volunteer for the VP slot and told them I would wait 30 days from today June 27th to see if anyone else wants to fill the position. If no one does then the bylaws say we can just appoint the position, no point in having an election for one person. If anyone is interested in applying for either position send an email to carriagehillshoaboard@gmail.com. I'll respond to you from there.
I am waiting for the official numbers for the capacity of the pool and total project cost. I should have those soon and once I do I can put them in another newsletter for anyone interested. The main take away, it won't be finished this summer, but should be finished this year and if everything goes smoothly we can start in July. Other than that if you want to see the concept video you can download it at https://qnap.extremeexteriors.us:10443/share.cgi?ssid=3ab5206df640490788e4b246f4f35654. I tried to upload the video itself but the website is being difficult so that will have to do for now.
HOA dues go out starting next week and take a few days to get completed. Pay before August 15th and you are in for a raffle to win some cool Yeti swag like tumblers and coolers. It'll be randomly selected 10 people just as last year so good luck to everyone who pays on time!
Entry way signs are nearing completion for designs and we should get started on construction of them soon, sometime within a month hopefully. When those designs are given to me with the other information I will post a news letter and put a message on Facebook so keep your eyes out.
1. Pot Hole Repairs: One of the individuals who lives in the neighborhood actually works as a civil engineer for the city. He let me know after the meeting he was going to talk with the pot hole people for the city to see what can be done. Given the nature of how bad the potholes that were brought up are, it may take a while to get fixed but it is something being worked on.
2. Certificate for the HOA: Our HOA certification number is 804162059. That is the number filed with the state and is recorded in our bylaws that are filed with the county clerk. I'm going to ask the lawyer about it not showing up on the search website. If there is anything that needs to be done for that I will get it accomplished ASAP. Thank you for bringing it up.
3. Speed Bumps: Can be requested through the city but requires the homes that the speed bump will be in front of to agree to it and request it through the city. The HOA cannot request speed bumps because of the city's rules. If you would like to request one or read more please visit https://abilenetx.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=453
4. Street Lights: Those can be requested through AEP but have similar rules to the speed bumps. Ultimately the light would need to be metered and would require someone to pay for it, it isn't expensive, but it also isn't free. Also the land it was placed on would need the approval of whoever owns it. For more information visit https://www.aeptexas.com/contact/
5. Bulletin Board: We might be able to set up an official bulletin board at some of the mail boxes to use for more communication. I'll look into what it would take to build one as some of the other sub divisions have something similar already.
6. Pool Suggestions: Increasing the height of the pool fences and potentially increasing the size of the pool can both be done once construction gets started.
7. Sidewalk: Putting in a sidewalk from the middle school to the elementary school I think is a good idea. I will look into what that is going to take and if it is something that is feasible I'll post another news letter.
I look forward to meeting some of you at the community area play ground come fall.
Signed
Dan