May 15, 2024 WWHOA Board Meeting

The May monthly board meeting will be held in person and virtually (Microsoft Teams link) at 11310 Country Club Road on Wednesday, May 15th from 7-9 pm. We hope to see you there!

1. Verify Quorum

2. Approve Minutes (March, April, Annual Meeting)

3. Resident Forum

4. Election of 2024 officers (President, Vice President)

5. Officer and Committee reports:

• Treasurer's report/Ellen Wagner

• ECC & Village Chair/Harvick

• Landscape/Hinesley

• Social/Hildebrandt

• Neighborhood Improvement Committee/Armel

OLD BUSINESS

  6. Annual Meeting recap/report/suggestions for improvement

  7. Former golf course purchase: status of LLA maintenance & projects

  8. Cherry Run next steps/Scott

NEW BUSINESS

9. Discussion: Board focus and priorities for coming year

10. Sign code of conduct

11. Updates to Director binders

12. Adjourn

Street Trees are Coming!

Work crews are in WestWinds this week to plant the replacement street trees! Today flags were placed in the mow strips at the approximate locations where the trees will go in. There are two varieties - Japanese Lilac and Paperbark Maple. The "AG" flags indicate Paperbark Maples and "SR" flags are for Japanese Lilac. Double-click the image at right to embiggen it. Trees will be planted as close as possible to the original locations - they can't go into the exact same places. These will be small trees with non-invasive root systems and a shorter height at maturity. Summary of work to be performed:

• Tree planting is expected to take 1-2 days.

• Newly planted trees will be deep-watered and fertilized, staked and guyed (ties).

• A protective root barrier 12" deep and about 4' wide will be placed between the root ball and the new sidewalks.

• Soil, straw, and seed will be used to finish off the planting.

• Trees are warranted for 1 year after planting (but not if they die for lack of water!). Legally, each homeowner is responsible for repairs and maintenance of the mow strip and sidewalk in front of their house.
  

Tree Care After Planting With the trees being planted in Spring, regular deep-watering during the hot summer months is really important. The trees are warranted for a year, but if they die due to lack of watering the warranty will not apply. The landscaper suggests:

• Water once a week during weeks with little/no rain, applying 5- 10 gallons of water into the saucer around the trunk. If there is significant rain that week, you don't need to water.

• Aim for alternating wet and dry cycles to encourage roots to reach down for water.

• Don't overmulch or apply volcano mulch!

• They do sell watering rings at Amazon - the landscaper said they are fine if you don't leave them in place for too long. Leaving them up for years encourages insect/termite infestations, but if you think you'll forget to water regularly they could be a good short-term solution!

DID YOU KNOW? The County doesn't usually replace street trees. WestWinds is the only community to get replacement trees - we are being studied as a test case for future county sidewalk repairs. Many thanks to the Frederick County Dept. of Transportation Engineering for keeping us in the loop!

April 2024 HOA Meetings

In April, there will be two board meetings:

April 17th, 7-8:30 pm 11310 Country Club Road with Teams Meeting

This will be a short(er) work session-style meeting with no committee reports or other business due to our annual meeting on the 27th.

1. Review plans for the annual meeting and election.

2. *Vote on a Treasurer's candidate (Ellen Wagner's resume sent to you previously)

3. *Vote to go into Executive session for review/discussion (but no vote) on results of attorney consultation & consideration of next steps

4. (assuming vote is successful) Discussion/review of attorney consultation and consideration of next steps. No votes will be taken.

5. Adjourn

Executive or closed work sessions are authorized under the MD HOA Act to discuss a specified number of issues including legal consultations and sensitive negotiations. Any decisions or votes taken on this issue will be taken at a meeting that is open to all homeowners with the opportunity to comment. Questions? Email president@westwindshoa.org.

WWHOA Annual Meeting & Board Election

April 27th, 2024 10:00 a.m. - noon Raj’s Pavilion, 11330 Country Club Road, New Market, MD.  Please bring a folding or lawn chair - water, donuts and/or muffins, and coffee will be available. This Annual Meeting is required under the WestWinds bylaws to (1) elect Directors to fill Board vacancies, (2) hear reports from officers and volunteer committees, and (3) provide homeowners with a forum to ask questions and provide feedback to the Board.  The agenda is below:

1.       Roll Call and Certification of Proxies

2.       Proof or Waiver of Notice

3.       Reading and Disposal of Minutes from Previous Meetings (if any)

4.       Officers and Committee Reports

5.       Election Results for Board of Directors

6.       Old Business

7.       New Business

8.       Adjournment