WW News

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April 2024 WestWinds News

Today is the last call for candidates for our upcoming election at the WW Annual Meeting. With so many big changes facing us this year (LLA's purchase of the former golf course, the Cherry Run connector road, to mention just a few) the Board really needs the input and involvement of a variety of WestWinds residents. Email president@westwindshoa.org if you are interested, or if you have questions about serving!

WestWinds annual dues are due by May 1st! Slightly more than half of homeowners have paid, but there are still 3 weeks to go! See the linked blog post for more information.

Wednesday yard waste pickups have started for 2024, and LLA's board of directors election is underway. You can vote online or at the meeting on May 4th. LLA Spring Bulk Pickup is Saturday, 4/20. List of acceptable items at the link - get your items out to the curb early to avoid disappointment! LLA is only offering one pickup this year, so don't miss it!

Come on out to the WW Spring Fitness Walk on Saturday 4/20 from 8 am to 10 am, starting in the parking lot of Raj's WestWind Bar & Grill. Flyers were delivered to the neighborhood yesterday. Big thanks to the WW social committee and local sponsors Raj Singh, Prospect Pantry, FIT2SHINE studio, 5 West Cafe, and Juice Plus. Warm up and dietician's advice from WestWinds residents Melissa Perlman and Deb Schulze!

Interested in serving as or finding out about the WestWinds Village Chair position? Attend the virtual meeting Wednesday, 4/24 at 7 pm. More information at the link!

You are cordially invited to attend the WestWinds HOA Annual Meeting on April 27th, 2024, 10:00 a.m. - noon inside 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.

ATTAINING QUORUM To make quorum and hold the meeting, at least 25% of eligible Members (one per household) must attend in person or by proxy. If we fail quorum, the meeting must be adjourned - no business or votes can take place. MEETING AND ELECTION INFORMATION is going out this week by email, posts on our web site, NextDoor posts, and snail mail - stay tuned!

WWHOA Call for Candidates

All of a sudden, Spring has arrived! The cherry trees are blooming, bulbs are popping up all over, and the grass is coming in green and lush. I can’t help thinking back to three years ago when then-President Mike Scott asked for volunteers. A small group of homeowners answered that call. Most had never been involved with the WWHOA before. Certainly, I knew next-to-nothing about the community I had lived in for 10 years (except that I love living here).

Since then, some pretty big changes have come to pass:

The pool parking lot was repaved, with new concrete curbs replacing crumbling asphalt.
Framed traffic and street signs with decorative black signposts replaced ugly bare-steel posts.
The rotting wooden retaining wall at the basketball court was replaced with a new, masonry wall.
A fenced trash enclosure in the pool parking lot replaced the bright blue dumpster.
39 dying ash street trees infested by the Emerald Ash Borer were removed.
30+ years of paper ECC records were digitized and uploaded to our SharePoint site.
The 1st island at the main entrance was beautifully re-landscaped, with plans underway to replace the dying cherry trees.
The WW board leased the land surrounding the retaining wall at the corner of Sanandrew and Country Club. An unkempt and unsightly area was cleaned up and mowed, with Butterfly bushes planted this winter to add seasonal color.
Black lampposts with solar lamps will be going in at major intersections in the back half of WestWinds this Spring.
The Homeowner Reimbursement program provided incentives for homeowners to fix or replace deteriorating lamp posts and mailboxes.
A reinvigorated Social Committee held several successful parties and plans many more events this year.
Electronic annual dues billing and online bill pay now saves the HOA time and money and makes it easier for residents. The PayHOA portal provides online ECC applications and violation tracking.
Lastly, unsafe concrete sidewalks and part of the asphalt path system were replaced, with new trees going in soon.

This is just a partial list! But these things didn’t happen on their own. They came about because WestWinds residents volunteered their time, energy, and brainpower to make our community a more beautiful, safe, and welcoming place to live and work.

With the 2024 Annual Meeting and election coming up (April 27th), we urgently need volunteers to fill two Board Director positions, a part-time paid Treasurer slot, and staff our volunteer committees.

There has never been a better time to get involved. With developments (Creekside and Cherry Run) going in to our north and south and the pending sale of the former golf course, we need YOU to represent WestWinds, guide our community’s responses, and steer our course to an even brighter future.

To submit your name as a candidate for the WW Board, Treasurer’s position, or simply volunteer on a committee, please send your name to our Secretary, Suzanne Gross, no later than April 10th.You can also email me – I have served on the board and several volunteer committees and will be happy to answer your questions.

I hope you’ll choose to give back to your community. With so many challenges facing us, a modest time investment can lead to a big impact. If you’re considering getting involved, ask a friend or neighbor to do the same! We need you to ensure all areas in WestWinds are represented.

Candidate bio form (for board director positions only)

2024 WestWinds Annual Dues Invoices

This week, our accountant James E. Kerich will email WWHOA annual dues invoices to all WestWinds residents. Electronic invoicing and payment of our $75.00 annual dues was introduced last year, and helps us:

Maintain up-to-date contact information for WW residents. Our bylaws require the WWHOA to maintain a current roster of homeowners. Adding resident email addresses lets us keep you advised about important or time-sensitive news affecting our community.
Reduce billing costs. Invoicing by regular mail is costly and time-consuming! If homeowners do not pay promptly, mailings must be repeated (costing the HOA even more time and money). Please help us conserve funds and volunteer time! Our goal is to keep dues low and spend HOA funds on beautifying WestWinds and providing social events to build a sense of community.
Make payment faster and easier! Electronic payment is something WW residents have been asking for for years.

Your dues assessment email allows you to pay by bank transfer. Instructions for mailing in a paper check are also provided. This year's process is the same as last year. Simply click the "Review and Pay" button in the email and follow the instructions.

When the e-invoice appears, complete the Pay with Bank Transfer fields, then click the PAY button to pay by electronic check. To save this payment option for future payments, leave the checkbox checked.

Your payment will be processed and applied to your dues balance automatically. Paying by the due date on the invoice avoids late fees and finance charges. It also saves the HOA from having to spend homeowner dues on collection. NOTE: To pay by mail and personal check:

Open the PDF invoice attached to your dues email and print it out.
Make your check payable to WestWinds Village HOA, Inc.
Mail your printed invoice and check to:

Kerich Business & Tax Solutions Ltd

c/o WestWinds Village HOA, Inc.

178 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 205

Frederick, MD 21702

If you have questions or require assistance, please email or call James E Kerich (301-253-3700) or email the WestWinds Treasurer.