Welcome Back !

In the past couple weeks I have begun seeing more out-of-state vehicles driving around Wildewood. It’s that time of year when we welcome back those of you who have been away for the summer. So WELCOME BACK one and all!
Many of you have remarked how beautiful everything looks in our community; some even commenting that the grounds look better this year than they have looked in several years. That encourages us to continue to work hard for the good of our Association.
There have been questions about the removal of trees and a ditch at the corner leading into the Association office. Thanks to Board member Harry Potter who brought our drainage system to the attention of our General Manager, it was discovered that the drainage system relating to our lakes had not been maintained for 10 years! If we had heavy rains during this time we might all have been flooded! So all the drains have now been found (some under 6 inches of dirt) and everything has been flushed out so that we have a properly working system. I will help to see that this system is now maintained every year.
I will have more information coming your way soon.

Bob McDevitt

Synopsis of Meeting held May 23, 2011

Synopsis of Meeting held May 23, 2011


There was a scheduled Board Meeting for today. Unfortunately, our President Bob McDevitt was unable to convene the meeting because a quorum was not present. Roll call was taken and Bob McDevitt, Don Barker, Claire Dewhurst, Sue Downs, Marie Graziano, Harry Potter and Nancy Thomas were present. Those absent were Sharon Bateman, Jim Beckwith, Marty Coffman, Pat Crupi, John Higgins, Milton Mitchell, David White and Claudia Wizner.

It was unfortunate that we were unable to conduct any business, as there were a number of items of importance on the agenda.

Note: It also cost us $75.00 for the use of the building.

Claire Dewhurst, Secretary

Updates for our community

Dear Owners,

It has been some time since I have sent out an e-mail to you and there have been a lot of things happening in our community. Serving as a director on the Board since 2006, a year after moving to Wildewood Springs, has been a privilege and a responsibility that I take seriously. I am grateful for the opportunity to be President for a second consecutive year and am pleased to welcome the directors re-elected and our newly elected directors; our Association elections were in March.

As many of you know, Bill our Association Manager decided to continue at Wildewood Springs in March and the Board appreciated Bill sharing his concerns and efforts in promoting a more cohesive community and Board. Working together, the owners, directors, manager and staff can continue to improve Wildewood Springs.

We have started a walkway improvement project at some of our pools and this has greatly improved the appearance of the walkways. We have Bill our Manager and Jeff our maintenance supervisor and his crew to thank for the new walkways.

The Landscape committee has been working hard in cooperation with the office to re-landscape the area at the 5-way intersection on WWS Boulevard. It looks great!

Since we have contracted with West Bay Landscaping I think our turf and bushes look much better than they have in the past. In addition to the better service that we are receiving we managed to save quite a bit of money which always helps in these economic times.

Our in-house pool maintenance person resigned and Bill is looking to hire a new in-house pool technician who will clean our pools and spas as well as have the mechanical aptitude to also work on maintaining the pumps and motors. If this new pool tech works out I believe we will save money by not having to call Galaxy Pools as much as we have had to do in the past.

At our latest Board meeting the Board decided to take our manager’s recommendation on a heated topic concerning the traffic flow patterns in our villages. Bill recommended that we paint directional arrows on the pavement in the clusters directing the vehicles the way to proceed around the carports. This issue has been discussed at several Board meetings and is a great concern to some owners and less for others and the Board’s decision is a cost effective effort to promote safety. As in all matters of community safety please direct your concerns and comments to the Manager.

Also at the recent Board meeting the Board approved the Legal Committee’s recommendation to change legal council and hire the law firm of Lobeck and Hanson, a full service Law Firm with an emphasis on representing Condominium and Homeowners Associations. The Legal Committee met several times over the last few months, director Claire Dewhurst Chairperson, believed the new firm will be more aggressive with the foreclosures and delinquencies, and the association will have 24 hour on-line access to the status of our foreclosures. The Association will save money by being informed and not having to call the attorneys for updates. The Committee solicited information from about ten law firms and many issues were considered by the committee before making the important decision to recommend changing legal council.

I recently appointed Sharon Bateman, Association Treasurer, to chair an Ad-Hoc committee to look into where the association can invest our money with the objective to get the best return on our money with the safest FDIC insured vehicles. These days it is hard to earn even 1% on our investment.

I would like to thank all of the owners who have stepped forward to serve on our committees. I have said before that I believe it is so important that we have actively involved committees. I think it makes for a stronger community and gives owners the sense of belonging and accomplishment. I also want to thank the Association employees for their hard work and interest in our community. Thanks to Bill, Manager and Jeff, Landscaping Supervisor for their leadership.



Bob McDevitt
WWS Association President

Organizational Meeting Results

The Wildewood Springs Board of Directors organizational meeting was held on Friday evening March 11, 2011 at the association office and the results are:

1) Bob McDevitt - President

2) Harry Potter - Vice President

3) Sharon Bateman - Treasurer

4) Sue Downs - Asst. Treasurer

5) Claire Dewhurst - Secretary

6) Nancy Thomas- Asst. Secretary

I want to welcome back the Directors who were re-elected and also welcome the newly elected Directors: Marie Graziano and Don Barker.

I look forward to working with the new Board and having a productive year.

Sincerely,
Bob McDevitt
Association President

Amended And Restated Documents

Dear Wildewood Springs Residents:

Some homeowners have been confused regarding the WWS
Amended documents you recently received.

To clarify some questions you might have to please keep in mind the following:

There are 3 separate sections to be voted on. It is imperative that you take
the time to read each and every section and absorb the impact the written changes may have on the owners.

Please be aware that your vote is either a YES or a NO vote on EACH
Section;

If you disagree or have concerns about any section of the
By-laws, Articles of Incorporation or the Declaration of Condominium the section
Cannot be changed at this time. What you have received is what
the new Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and the Declarations will be.

If you vote YES and 60% of the owners (present and via proxies) are
in favor then the amended documents will be recorded and these will be the new legal revised documents for the Wildewood Springs Condominium Association. Every owner will have to agree to abide by the revised documents.

If you vote NO because you do not agree with any part of any of the revised amendments and if 60% of the owners (present and via proxies) vote no on that part of the amended documents, then the majority will not pass that portion of the documents..

Keep in mind it is an ALL OR NOTHING vote on each section. You cannot pick
and choose which items you are in agreement with or disagree with: Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Declarations. You will vote No or Yes on each section.

If you disagree with any part of any of the package and elect to cast a NO vote and that section does not pass by majority vote, then the Association will have to reconsider that failed-to-pass section at a future date.

Again, please take the time to thoroughly read and understand the revised documents before you vote. If you have any questions concerning this very important issue, please take the time to contact your village Board Director now.

The committee, your fellow owners, worked long and hard to update these documents and you owe it to yourself and your fellow owners to vote on this important issue. Take the time to read the revised documents, to vote and be an informed participating member of our community.

Bob McDevitt
WWS Association President

Proposed Changes to the Wildewood Springs By-Laws

The proposed Amended and Restated Documents have been given to the Cluster Advisors to distribute to the owners who are currently here in Wildewood. On October 22nd the proposed documents will be mailed out to the remaining owners who are not currently in residence.

Please read these documents carefully since there have been substantial revisions of our By-Laws.

***For your convenience an index of the current By-Laws and the proposed By-Laws has been prepared by Clair Dewhurst (current director and Secretary) and Marie Graziano (former director) so that you can see which sections have been changed or deleted.


The index is found on our website @ http://wildewoodsprings.org/default.asp?page=23130
You can click on this link and when you get to this page click on proposed changes to the By-Laws

On October 26th we will be having a Town Hall Meeting, our attorney Chad McClenathen will be at that meeting to answer questions about the proposed changes. I strongly recommend that you be at this Town Hall meeting since this will be the only time that you can ask the attorney questions about the proposed changes.

On November 15th we will have a Special Membership meeting when the owners will vote on all three sections of the Amended and Restated Documents.

This index was not included in the document package delivered to owners. Since it was not board approved it could not be included but could be available in the office or on line for those who are interested.


Bob McDevitt
WWS Association President

Committees

I feel compelled to write to you with my opinions about committees. This week I and some other owners met with three landscaping company reps who were asked to present bids for fertilization of our turf, trees, plants and shrubs. The bids were presented to Bill Deskus, our Manager, Sharon Vancil, the chairman of the landscape committee, Maxine Nosow, a member of the landscape committee, Jeff Weaver, our in house landscape crew supervisor, and myself.

Recent past presidents had chosen to appoint our previous manager Dennis Bucher to be the sole person in charge of landscaping versus having a committee and chairman. In my opinion this lead to tunnel vision and favoritism when it came to selecting outside vendors. When you choose to have committees to assist the Board and Manager with the operations of the association you are able to tap the knowledge and expertise of our owners such as Maxine Nosow a Master Gardner, Don Barker who was instrumental in getting TruGreen to give us a very competitive bid at least $35,000 below our current contract with Molter. Bill, our manager asked West Bay Landscape to give us a competitive bid which was substantially lower than our current contract. We were able to include Jeff who supervises the day-to-day work and knows our property better than anyone.

This type of input from staff, owners and committee members is what will bring this community back together. This process proves that we can have the top companies in their field working for us and save money too.

Sharon Bateman, a member of the Budget committee, has worked tirelessly gathering information and bids from pool companies. A few weeks ago Charlie Williams, a member from the Budget committee, Bill Deskus and I met with the reps from two pool companies. These bids are from top companies in their field and could save us upwards of $30,000 a year if the Board approves selecting one of them.

Imagine how much money we could have saved over the past few years if committees had been more involved in our association. Committees can only recommend to the Board, the Board is the decision maker. How much money could we/can we save if the Board would choose to make these and other difficult decisions to further implement austerity measures. The Board has made difficult decisions in the past But Wildewood Springs continues to absorb bad debt as a result of defaults and we must cut costs and operate efficiently everywhere we can.

I’ve included an article that I came across titled “Committees Rock “ for your reading enjoyment.

‘Till we meet again
Bob McDevitt
Association President


Committees Rock!
Many board members and managers say that committees are the
lifeblood of associations. More importantly, in a well organized
association, committees are where it's at. Community members often
consider the board as the "best" place to be involved. However in a
well-run community, important issues are first worked through and
refined by committees and the board merely puts on the final stamp of
approval and (with the assistance of management) makes it happen.
How do you find committee members when filling board positions is
such a challenge? It begins with the personal awareness of each
homeowner. Whether you're currently able to participate or not,
everyone can encourage someone to use their talents and skills to the
betterment of all. As an owner, neighbor and person of talent yourself,
watch for opportunities to tap the shoulder of someone in your
community and invite him or her to help out by accompanying you to
the next meeting.
The most powerful way to get volunteers is to ask someone to
participate and then follow up. The second best way to get volunteers
to participate is by clearly communicating the community's needs.
Simply making the statement at a board meeting that volunteers are
needed for the parking committee is generally going to fall short of the
mark. Potential members need to know some basic information:

1. What is the purpose, or charter, of the committee
2. What's involved in being on the committee
3. How much time will it take
4. What's expected of them
5. When will it end (is it a standing or ad hoc position)
Board involvement in committee development is. key. This is where the
infrastructure of the association gets strengthened and membership
becomes engaged. According to most association's bylaws, the
committees are appointed by, and report to the board. In order to for
committees to function effectively, the board must determine the
following:

Why do we need committees?
Help the board conduct the business of the association by:
Gathering information
Making policy recommendations
Recommending solutions to ongoing problems or challenges
Representing the opinions of the community at large
Additional benefits for the association:
More involvement of individuals in the community
Residents (including renters) can bring forth special talents
for the greater good.
Committees can serve as a training ground for those
interested in going further; e.g., serving on the board of
directors.
Allows residents to get to know each other on a more
personal level - live, work & play together.
Structures
There are two types of committees to consider:
Standing Committees (ongoing)
Ad Hoc Committees (seasonal and specific focus)
Within each committee, organizational structure is needed to facilitate
efficiency and value.
Committee Chair Person
Characteristics to consider:
Establish the Committee Members
Characteristics to look for:
Next, the board should develop the designated purpose of the
committees. A few of the more common committees in homeowner
associations are listed below:
Communications - can also have sub-committees:
• Newsletter
• Website
Covenants/Governance/Hearings - Assists with the governing process
of the association.
Finance - can be comprised of sub-committees:
Finance - reviews monthly financials
Budget -- helps develop the annual budget
Reserves - tracks and helps administer the Reserve Study
recommendations
Investments - develops and recommends the association's
investment policy and reserves
Landscape/Maintenance Oversees the "look and feel" and
sustainability of the community landscape
Nominations - Develops the criteria and the slate of board candidates
annually.
Social - The "glue" of every community; helps make an association a
community of friends.
Once committees are appointed, then what?
The members of the committee meet to put the organizational structure
in place,
select a chair and a secretary (timekeepers and parliamentarians are
optional).

Chair Duties:
• Facilitate members getting to know each other
• Set agendas to be sent out ahead of meetings (via email/web site)
• Preside over meetings
• Open and close meetings
• Establish ground rules of meetings
• Attend monthly board meetings to report on key activities of the
committee and receive direction from the board.

Secretary Duties:
Take minutes of all meetings
o Publish minutes within one week of meeting
o The minutes trigger action items that committee members have
committed to accomplish.
o Informs the community on the work that is being done.
• Establish a meeting schedule
• Determine what the board's mandate is for the committee
• Set goals and timetables to accomplish the work of the committee
• Delegate functions to individual members to oversee
• Celebrate your victories! Committees can get very focused on tasks or
working their way through issues. Celebrations keep members
motivated and engaged.
Keep the lifeblood flowing
People thrive on encouragement, acknowledgement and sincere
appreciation. Volunteers want to know that they're making a difference
and their contribution is appreciated. The annual meeting is a great
time to acknowledge all volunteers.
Tapping into local talent when you see it and keeping the community
apprised of the needs of the association greatly assists with keeping a
continuing source of volunteer leaders. Consider identifying someone
with good social talents and an encouraging spirit to be appointed a
volunteer coordinator.
Committees Rock!
Committees require teamwork. Teamwork works every time. Every
committee member brings an important piece of the puzzle.
Committees are the most effective place to have a voice or opinion
heard and to have the biggest impact on the success of your
community.

Corey Recla