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Fountain Trace Homeowners Association Directors

Fall 2023 Newsletter

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Announcements​

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Please be watching for the Fountain Trace Homeowners' Association annual meeting notice to be sent ~Jan 1st.  We are currently planning on a date of Tuesday, January 30, 2024. [Note change from Jan 23]  The annual dues of $375 will be due by Jan 31st. Notice is sent to all lot owners by email and we require a prompt reply to avoid the need to send you a USPS mailing.

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Warren County held a meeting to discuss changes to Cemetery Road.  The planned changes include widening the lanes and turn lanes at the entrances to Barrington Manor and Drakesborough, but not Fountain Trace.  This is due to the study not showing enough traffic into and out of our front entrance. It has been mentioned that this is probably due to the fact that our entrance is notoriously dangerous therefore other entrances are utilized. Hopefully, the plans will be updated to provide a turn lane into Fountain Trace.

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Repairs and Improvements

As your Directors we are extremely focused on where every dollar of your money is spent.  We have been and continue to review all maintenance costs (grass cutting, landscaping, fertilizer, irrigation, etc.) and are searching for cost efficiencies and quality control.  We review and analyze every receipt and insure no single Director approves spending without oversight.  We are excited to announce several completed cost saving improvements and repairs:

Front Entrance Complete

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The front entrance redesign is complete.  At the annual meeting a budget of $18,000 was approved for the improvements/changes. The actual cost was $15,060 for a savings of $2940. The center island has landscaping that does not require constant irrigation and the lamp posts have been replaced.  All lights are on dusk-dawn sensors. The removal of the water feature has greatly reduced water and electricity costs. We hope everyone is happy with the new design. The Board is looking into contracting out the repainting of the wooden fence, and discussion has been held about possibly adding or amending some of the plants that are in front of the rock walls. You can expect that the directors will request suggestions and committee volunteers to address this at the annual meeting in January.

Pond

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At the annual meeting a motion was approved to research the moving of the existing rock and to add additional rock to protect the pond liner. A budget of $12,000 was approved. Vice President Kirk Tisdale personally moved all the existing rock lower to the water’s edge which more than doubles the protective rock layer over the liner that extends above the water. This enabled the Board to have sod added where the rock was moved from that was not covering the liner.  The cost to have the sod installed was $3064 and negated the necessity of bringing in additional rock. This was a savings of $8936.

Savings

At the annual meeting the approved budget included pulling $7000 from the reserves to make front entrance changes and to make improvements to protect the pond liner. Since it was possible to not bring in rock and still protect the liner and because of savings at the front entrance due to donated labor by the Board, it is not expected to be necessary to withdraw any funds from the reserve and we hope to be able to add funds to the reserve instead.

Treasurer Mark Minotti Moving

Treasurer Mark Minotti has received a promotion and will be moving to Alabama. We are happy for him, but we regret that he must leave us. He has been a dedicated director and a meticulous and outstanding Treasurer. He will be sorely missed. If he moves before the end of the year his duties will be assumed by Vice President Kirk Tisdale and aided as needed by the other directors. If you consider yourself meticulous and willing to serve, we encourage you to volunteer for consideration as a director at the annual meeting for the election of Board Directors. The Board has in place procedures that provide for strong oversight of all Association finances, so decisions are not made in isolation.

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If you have any suggestions for neighborhood improvements, especially any cost-saving measures, the Board of Directors welcomes your input.
 

2023 Board of Directors

Steve Grilli (President)

Kirk Tisdale (Vice President)

Chip Rice (Secretary)

Mark Minotti (Treasurer)

Joe Macrino (Member At Large)

Todd McNeilage (Member At Large)

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2023 Architectural Review Committee

Ed Whitehead

Dave Upright

Todd McNeilage

Kirk Tisdale

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