Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of March.

General Items

• Residents are reminded to watch their speed in the community.  There are several blind turns in our neighborhood that can be safety issues for both drivers and pedestrians.
• Another automotive note.  There have been complaints about residents not driving on the correct side of the road and operating their vehicles in the community in an unsafe manner.  Please remember you should follow the same driving rules you would on any city street.
• Recently yard waste was found on common grounds.  The Board would like to remind everyone that common grounds are not a dumping ground for peoples yard waste or garbage.  When found, it has to be removed at the communities expense.  If items are too large to fit in your garbage can please dispose of them during the bulk pick up days.  Also note that the cities yard waste collection starts April 18.
• As you may have noticed the second parking pad on Trailhead Lane is currently closed.  The retaining wall behind the pad has become unstable and is a safety risk to anyone who would park there.  The Board has begun working with an outside contractor to remedy the situation.  We anticipate the repair/replacement this spring.
• This winter has certainly been a change from recent ones.  The Board has been working with our current contractor on better timing.  The main issue was the contractor was arriving between 4 and 5 AM to plow which can potentially be too early if there is heavy snowfall.  They have acknowledged our concerns and will be aiming to get here closer to when people are leaving for work.
• Road salt is now in very short supply across the entire region.  Our contractor therefore has been forced to use salt sparingly.  We made clear that Trailhead Lane and the intersection between Trailhead and Side Saddle are to receive salt before any other part of the community.
• A final note on snow removal.  All the plow damage to homeowners yards will be repaired in the spring.  This is part of our contract.
• Mark your calendars! The annual community meeting will be June 10th. Official notices and an agenda will go out in May.

Expansion of the Board

• As we had announced in last months newsletter the Board will be expanding to 5 members from 3.  We wanted to include a brief description of these positions.  If you think this is something that might interest you we would love to hear from you!  We aren’t quite ready for official nominations but we would love to hear from members of the community that may have interest.
• President – The president oversees meetings, scheduling, agendas, assignments, acts as a representative of the community with outside entities such as contractors, insurance agents, and lawyers.  The president also is in charge of homeowner relations and enforcement.
• Vice President – The Vice President performs the same functions as the President.  Assisting the President in his/her duties.
• Treasurer – The treasurer is responsible for dues collection, deposits, payables, documenting financial transactions, reconciling bank statements, helping with quarterly statements and year-end statements, helping with taxes.
• Secretary – Keeps meeting minutes of all board meetings, annual meeting, and special meetings.  Handles communications between the committees and the Board.  Prepares the newsletter based on board members input.
• Member at Large –  The member at large participates in all board meetings and votes.  They lend their opinion on issues presented to the board and assist other members with tasks as needed.
• The Board will be seeking nominations in the coming months but as we said above we would greatly value and feedback and interest people have.

Landscaping & Design

• If you have an upcoming design or landscape project for the springtime you may consider getting your request in during the winter so that the approval process does not hold up your project!
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of January.  Also included in this months newsletter is the latest neighborhood roster and the 2014 budget.

General Items

• Remember to take down your holiday decorations, they should be down within two weeks of the start of the new year (1/15/2014).
• Please remember that there is no overnight parking permitted in the street.  Please park in your driveway or a parking pad.
• This quarters updated roster is included.  Please note if you wish to add/remove/change information or privacy preferences to fill out a privacy & information form which can be found on the website.
• In regards to snow removal on drives, remember that the contractor will not plow drives that have cars parked on them.  This is a liability concern to the contractor.
• Remember that city snow ban rules apply to our neighborhood as well.  When a snow ban is in effect there is no parking permitted in the streets.
• A reminder that the following triggers are in place for snow removal in our community.  1″ on the main roads and 2″ on the drives.  This means that the contractor will remove snow/de-ice at 1″ on our streets but will not plow driveways until at least 2″ of snowfall occurs.
• Due to the limited space in our community to store snow our contractor will push driveway snow into resident yards.  It is part of our contract come spring time however that the contractor repairs all damage done to yards due to this.
• Residents please remember to bring in your trash containers by 7:00 PM after collection.

Financial News

• Year end financials are in progress and will be distributed to residents upon their completion.
• Included with this newsletter is the 2014 budget approved by the board.  Many things have changed over the last year in our finances.  As our community grows our costs increase. The board worked very hard to maintain our currents dues of 145.00 per home for 2014.
• The board has increased the monthly capital contribution per home from 10.00 to 15.00.  This is the first step in insuring that we have capital for future items such as our road.
• The budget was made possible only because of the competitive bid process for our grounds management.  Without this change we were facing a 25-35% increase in dues.
• The final page of the budget shows you where your dues go each month.
• If you have questions about this years budget please feel free to contact the board.

Landscaping & Design

• If you have an upcoming design or landscape project for the springtime you may consider getting your request in during the winter so that the approval process does not hold up your project!
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of December.

General Items

• The common areas in the community have finally been transferred from the bank to the HOA.
• We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.  Just a quick reminder, all decorations need to be removed no later than two weeks after January 1st.
• With the new year right around the corner the board would like to remind everyone that now is a perfect time to prepay dues if you are interested.  Residents can pay in quarterly, semiannual, or annual installments.  Prepaying can take the burden out remembering to pay monthly.  The board tracks those who prepay and will send a reminder when their prepayment is up.  If you have questions about prepaying please feel free to contact us.

Financial News

• The fourth quarter is nearly complete, year end financials will be distributed to members in the first quarter of 2014.
• The board will be completing the 2014 budget by the end of the year.  This budget will be sent to residents in January of 2014.

Landscaping & Design

• Moscarino has started all its contract work.  You will see their snow removal trucks in the community throughout the winter.
• In regards to snow removal on drives, remember that the contractor will not plow drives that have cars parked on them.  This is a liability concern to the contractor.
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of November.  Also included in this months newsletter is the latest neighborhood roster.

General Items

• With the election coming up we would like to remind residents that yard signs are not permitted.
• On a safety note the Board would like to let residents know that while residents should not be in/around the pond we do have safety items in place in the event someone falls in and is not capable of getting out.  There is a life ring located at the far end of the pond by the outlet pipe.  There is also a retrieval pole located on the fence rail next to the life ring.  Furthermore there is a small “john boat” located in the pines behind the pond.  This boat has a rope and can be pulled from one end of the pond to the other.  It is designed to help with safe retrieval on ice.  If you have any questions about these safety devices or want to see exactly where they are please let the board know.
• Its that time of year where the pond fountain will be turned off.  The fountain will be removed and put into storage for the winter.  This is to keep the pump from being damaged by the pond freezing.  The fountain will be put back in early spring.
• With winter just around the corner we would like to remind everyone to take the time to properly store outdoor items.  Hoses should be brought in.  Items that are permitted on decks and patios may remain.

Financial News

• Attached are the 3rd quarter financials.  Thanks to Doug as always for putting these together!  If you have questions please feel free to contact the board.
• The board will be completing the 2014 budget by the end of the year.  This budget will be sent to residents then.

Landscaping & Design

• The board has completed its review of the bids received.  We will be proceeding with Moscarino Outdoor Creations for our grounds management.  This decision was made after careful review of the submitted bids and review of the bidders.  This decision will allow the board to refrain from raising dues in the near future while addressing our increasing reserve needs.  Service will start November 1, 2013 and will continue through the end of the contract period, October 31, 2016.  We will keep a close eye on Moscarino to make sure they perform to the level that our residents have come to expect from grounds management crews.
• Schill will conclude his contract with a fall cleanup.  This will occur sometime in the month of November.
• If you have existing agreements with Schill Grounds Management you are more than welcome to continue such agreements.  If you wish to work out additional work for your property with Moscarino please contact the landscaping committee for more information.
• As with any change in service there is the possibilities of a few issues as a new contractor learns the ropes.  Please be understanding of this but don’t hesitate to report issues to the landscaping committee.
• The board made sure to define more stringent snow removal rules in this contract.  We have now specified a 1″ trigger on our roads instead of the previous 2″.  Also, Trailhead Lane is now completely included in the scope and has been designated as priority number one when it comes to snow removal.  The contractor will utilize a combination of snow plowing and deicing agents to clean our road.  Note, a 2″ trigger remains in effect for resident drives and front walks.
• In regards to snow removal on drives, remember that the contractor will not plow drives that have cars parked on them.  This is a liability concern to the contractor.
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of October.  Also included in this months newsletter is the latest neighborhood roster.

General Items

• We want to thank everyone who participated in this years Trailfest! It was a resounding success.  We hope everyone enjoyed meeting new residents and catching up with people.  A special thanks to the social committee for organizing the event, great work!
• As always watch your speed when driving in and out of the neighborhood.  It can be easy to go fast but with many blind turns in our neighborhood it can be a major safety issue.  We have had several reported close calls so please, we cannot stress this enough, be mindful of your speed.
• The board would like to remind everyone about trash can policies.  Cans should be placed at the curb no earlier than 7 PM the night prior to pickup and removed by 7PM the day of pickup.
• With the election coming up we would like to remind residents that yard signs are not permitted.
• Just a reminder to residents, when parking in the street please to do not park on the hydrant side of the street.  This is a city wide rule.
• A quick reminder that per the neighborhood rules and regulations residents should have their garage doors closed except for egress or when performing activities outdoors.

Construction News

• Lot 30 (located on Trailhead Lane) will begin construction soon.  This will be a spec home (Chester design).
• As construction gets closer and closer to completion for our neighborhood please be patient with contractors in the neighborhood.  Parking and storage space becomes extremely limited for crews as there are fewer and fewer lots to work with.

Landscaping & Design

• The board is nearly complete with its review and decision of the bids for grounds management.  We will notify the neighborhood in the next newsletter of the results.
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of September.  Also included in this months newsletter are the survey results and financials!

General Items

• As always watch your speed when driving in and out of the neighborhood, we have had a couple close calls.  It can be easy to go fast but with many blind turns in our neighborhood it can be a major safety issue.  We have had several reported close calls so please, we cannot stress this enough, be mindful of your speed.
• While summer is coming to an end the weather is still agreeable enough to be outside often, we would like to remind everyone about the neighborhood rules in regards to items being stored outside. All outdoor items such as grills, benches, chairs, tables, and any toys or other outdoor accessory need to be stored on your deck/patio or garage when not in use.  The area under decks is not considered storage. This is very important not just from a rules (Page 1 Section A Subsection iv.) perspective but from the practical side of things.  Schill is forced to trim and cut around these items which can cause problems.
• A quick reminder that per the neighborhood rules and regulations residents should have their garage doors closed except for egress or when performing activities outdoors.
• An updated roster will be sent out to residents in next months newsletter.  If you want to change any of your information please let the board know prior to the end of the month.

Landscaping & Design

• We have received our grounds management bids and are in the process of comparing numbers, verifying facts, and ultimately choosing a bidder.  The board expects the process to be completed by early October.
• Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  Any exterior modification falls under this rule (unless replacing an item with the exact same item).  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.  Please remember that the review process can take up to 21 days to complete.

Finances

• Included with this newsletter is our 2013 Q2 Financial Statement.  We currently have no outstanding dues or debts.  If you have questions about the financials please feel free to contact the board.
• The board will begin creating the 2014 budget in October.  This year we will be taking into account the reserve study, new landscaping bids, as well as the survey feedback when creating the budget.

Survey Results
The board would like to thank everyone who participated in the recent survey.  We got a lot of positive feedback that will help us plan for the future.  Below is a breakdown of some of the feedback we received.  Remember that this is just feedback and the board will not necessarily act on all of these items.  Many items are subject to financial restrictions and therefore will only happen if there are excess operating funds.

• Tier III Sex Offender Ban – 78% of participants voted to proceed with the bylaw change.  The board will begin the formal process of adding a bylaw.
• The overall rating for our grounds management was 17% 5/5, 28% 4/5, 44% 3/5, 12% 1-2/5.  Remember the scale was 1 being worst 5 being best.
• Grounds management summertime work was rated as follows: 11% 5/5, 44% 4/5, 28% 3/5, 17% 1-2/5.
• Grounds management wintertime work was rated as follows: 22% 5/5, 33% 4/5, 22% 3/5, 22% 1-2/5.
• 67% of respondents favored a nicer path to the Metroparks.  The Board will take note of this and explore potential options and their financial feasibility.
• 50% of respondents wanted to see more plantings in the common areas while 50% were satisfied with their current state.
• Of the pond residents who responded 50% did not want to see further plantings around the pond.
• 100% of pond residents were satisfied with the current fountain schedule.

The board has reviewed the comments left in all the various sections on the survey as well and will take those comments into account when addressing the issues they pertained to.  Thanks again to those residents who participated!

Hey Trailheaders!  Here is a quick newsletter for the month of August.  Also included in this months newsletter is a link to a survey that the HOA is conducting.  There is more information about this below.

General Items

• As always please watch your speed when driving in and out of the neighborhood, we have had a couple close calls.  It can be easy to go fast but with many blind turns in our neighborhood it can be a major safety issue.
• The reserve study is continuing, we have begun to get costs in for our assets.
• With summer comes outdoor activities, we would like to remind everyone about the neighborhood rules in regards to items being stored outside. All outdoor items such as grills, benches, chairs, tables, and any toys or other outdoor accessory need to be stored on your deck/patio or garage when not in use.  This is very important not just from a rules (Page 1 Section A Subsection iv.) perspective but from the practical side of things.  Schill is forced to trim and cut around these items which can cause problems.
• The pond is in good shape at the moment, the liner is holding strong and the added drainage of all the homes around the pond is helping to replenish it after a rainfall.  We continue to fight with algae growth in the pond but at the moment it is under control.
• A quick reminder that per the neighborhood rules and regulations residents should have their garage doors closed except for egress or when performing activities outdoors.  We have had reports of local wildlife getting into open garages and taking up residence as well as some getting caught by vehicles in garages and meeting and untimely demise.
• During the summer our four legged friends at ARF are spending more time outside.  If barking persists for more than 20 minutes please feel free to contact the Berea PD non-emergency number (440-826-5870) and they will address the issue.
• Residents who walk pets through the neighborhood please make sure to clean up after your pets on common grounds and other resident’s yards this is not the landscaper’s job or other residents.
• As we grow in size, the enforcement of the rules and regulations is becoming a time consuming unpleasant job. The Board asks everyone to refresh their memories concerning the rules and regulations. If you are thinking of doing something outside, read before you act, might be a good motto. Our community looks as good as it does because we all adhere to these rules.

Construction News

• Lot 1 (First home on Trailhead) will be closing on August 15, we would like to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Wells to the neighborhood!
• Lot 7 (Last home on Trailhead) is under construction. This will be a Crosby layout.
• Construction has started on Lot 14 (Side Saddle), it will be an Alistar design.

Landscaping & Design

• The bidding process for our grounds management is underway.  We will be receiving our bids at the beginning of September.  After a review of the proposals we will pick a contractor around the end of the month.  The board will not simply evaluate pricing but also examine the capabilities of the bidders, quality of work, professionalism, etc…  Not always is the cheapest contractor the best contractor.
• Another benefit of summer time is household projects! Remember if you are planning landscaping or architectural/design changes to submit a landscaping or design form to the respective committee.  All forms are available on the website.  When you fill them out you can drop them off to the committee chair in person or email them to landscaping@trailheadvillage.com or design@trailheadvillage.com and make sure to read the rules and regulations to see what is and isn’t permitted in the neighborhood.

Hello Trailheaders,

The Board hopes everyone is enjoying this spring weather….hot cold hot cold hot cold….never a dull moment! Here is the neighborhood news for this past month.

Construction

The market home currently under construction on lot 11 has been sold to a retired couple from Strongsville.  Lot 14 has been sold and that home will be a ranch.

The next market home will be a Crosby and will be build on lot 7. No dig date has been set.

The Board has been notified that Drees will not be developing Phase 2.

Flooding 

As most of you are aware, we are having difficulty with drainage at the cul de sac and around the curve on Side Saddle. We have spoken with the Engineering Department City of Berea. They inspect the drains every 2 weeks and give the report to Drees who is responsible for their maintenance.. The town Engineer was very concerned that there might be property damage due to the flooding. He asks that we keep him informed of future issues, so please pass along to the Board any irregularities you notice about the drainage in the streets.

Social Committee 

After serving as Chair for the past three years, Jeanne Rouse has resigned that position. She will continue to be on the committee. The Board wishes to thank her for all the great parties she has planned. Her efforts have kept us connected to each other in a fun social setting. We will be looking for more members for this committee at the annual meeting.

Rules and Regulations

As we grow in size, the enforcement of the rules and regulations is becoming a time consuming unpleasant job. The Board asks everyone to refresh their memories concerning the rules and regulations. If you are thinking of doing something outside, read before you act, might be a good motto. Our community looks as good as it does because we all adhere to these rules.  Changes or further definition of these rules can be proposed by any resident and voted on by the membership.

 Upcoming Annual Meeting

The annual meeting will be on Tuesday, June 11, at 7:30pm in the Berea Room of town hall.  We will vote on a new Board member, Mark Angiocchi, to replace Laura Goepfert, who is rotating off the Board. There are no issues up for vote this year. The Agenda will be sent out in a separate email.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email us at theboard@trailheadvillage.com.