The Woods at Grassy Creek

Hope everyone in the neighborhood is enjoying this lovely stretch of Spring weather. Personally, I’m hoping it stays around until June, so we can actually register a REAL Spring this year. Your Board continues to meet and handle business in WGC. We’re taking this quick opportunity to share some updates with you all, as well as share WGC 2023 event dates so you can add them to your calendar in advance.

2023 MEETING & EVENT DATES
Mid-year meeting: Monday, May 8 6:00pm @ Pool Complex
Garage Sale: Friday/Saturday, June 16-17 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dues Increase Voting: Monday, August 21 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. @ Pool Complex
HOA Annual Meeting: Monday, November 13 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Location: TBD (will either be Creston or Grassy Creek Elementary, waiting on approval)

– Rental restrictions: We have started discussions with our legal counsel on rental restrictions for homeowner consideration. Passing this covenant change will require a minimum 75% homeowner vote, and we have put work on hold until we feel neighbors are serious about pursuing this change and fully engaged to drive and support this initiative. Attend the May meeting to learn more and share how you will get involved to support this initiative for WGC.
– Landscaping: Entrance planting will be delayed until Fall, to avoid the issues during the heat of summer. In the interim, we will engage vendors to understand the extent of damage to our existing irrigation system and what it will take to get that back up and running to support future plant health/growth.
– HOA Management Companies: As requested at the annual meeting, we will provide homeowners with cost and service information on HOA management companies to determine if/how we consider that option for WGC.

– Annual dues: Nearly 30 homeowners have still not paid their annual dues and have already been assessed late fees. Please reach out to Chris Collins to make arrangements ASAP. As of May 2, all accounts with outstanding balances will be referred to collections.
– Dues shortfall: Amenities and services have been reduced for 2023, due to the “no” vote on the recommended dues increase. To address this continuing shortfall, we will again be recommending a dues increase in 2024 to catch us up to the levels needed maintain the neighborhood appropriately. Information will again be shared at the May meeting and voting will take place in August.

– Home maintenance: Some homes are starting the show their age. To keep WGC attractive to residents and potential buyers, homeowners need to do their part to maintain their homes regularly. Beginning in late April, you may see Board members walking the streets and taking notes from home to home. Homeowners may receive a letter outlining maintenance needed to get each home up to par with within neighborhood covenants, as appropriate (not all will receive a letter): Sample letter

Items that will be addressed at a minimum are: (1) Mailboxes (2) Siding damage (3) Siding mold (4) Garage door damage/paint fade (5) Shutter damage/paint fade (6) Other facade damage/paint fade/wear (7) Front yard tree (8) Fence maintenance/paint. The letter will detail a period of time allows for each homeowner to address maintenance issues.

Signs will go up for the May 8 meeting soon, and we’ll hope to see as many homeowners there as possible to ensure good discussion on the topics outlined above! Please email us with any questions in the interim.

As the signs at the neighborhood entrances note, we’ve reached our first dues payment deadline for 2023. All dues sent/received from this point on will include additional late fees. To provide updated information on annual dues and payment deadlines, a new ANNUAL DUES page has been added to the Woods at Grassy Creek HOA website.

If you have any questions about your dues payment for 2023, please reach out to Chris Collins, our neighborhood accountant. His contact information is listed on the CORE SERVICES AND PROVIDER INFORMATION page on the website. If you have other questions, reach out to woodsatgrassycreek@gmail.com and a Board member will respond with 24-48 hours.

Good afternoon WGC Neighbors!

We’re now a month into 2023, and your WGC Board is just getting started for the year. This is a good opportunity to provide a quick overview of our planned activity for the year, as well as a few Board membership news and asks to be aware of.

2023 AGENDA

As was discussed as the November annual meeting, we have a number of high priority items to tackle in 2023, as follows:
– Rental restrictions: In this economic environment, purchasing homes for rental is a profitable business. In the past year, 5 WGC homes have been purchased by rental companies, and we expect more to come. We want to ensure that WGC remains a majority homeowner-occupied community. Accordingly, we will be working with our legal counsel to draft rental restrictions for homeowner consideration. Passing this covenant change will require a minimum 75% homeowner vote, so we encourage you all to be engaged in the process — provide feedback when requested — and make sure your voice is heard through a vote later in the year.
– Dues shortfall: Amenities and services have been reduced for 2023, due to the “no” vote on the recommended dues increase. To address this continuing shortfall, we will again be recommending a dues increase in 2024 to catch us up to the levels needed support the neighborhood appropriately. More information will be forthcoming on details, an educational meeting and voting dates/times.
– Homeowner maintenance: As a nearly 20-year-old neighborhood, our properties/homes are starting the show their age. To keep WGC attractive to existing residents and potential buyers, homeowners need to do their part to maintain their homes regularly. Beginning late Spring (on a street-by-street basis), homeowners will receive a letter outlining maintenance needed to get your home up to par, if needed. Items that could be shown on this letter include, but are not limited to, repairs, painting, mold removal, tree planting, mailbox issues, etc. More details to follow when letters begin to go out.
– Landscaping: Three WGC entrances will need landscaping work this year, due to tree/bush removal (due to disease) in Fall 2022. In addition, we are trying to get a grant from Keep Indy Beautiful to purchase trees for the areas surrounding WGC. All of these projects will require assistance from homeowners other than Board members. Please keep your eyes on the website and Facebook pages for upcoming volunteer opportunity dates.
– HOA Management Companies: As requested at the annual meeting, we will provide homeowners with information on HOA management companies, in case that is a direction the homeowners would like to go vs. our current self-management approach. This information will be shared at the May meeting.

Though this is not an exhaustive list of topics the Board is working on in 2023, but it’s the big stuff that that’s taking up a majority of our time. Are there any items you’d like to see on our agenda for the year? If so, please email us, provide more information and we can add items to our working list as capacity allows.

CELEBRATE

I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Tim Curren to the WGC Board. We are excited to have a new face/voice on the team and look forward to the value he’ll bring to the group.

With the new year also brings a departure from the board. Natalie Scaife has been an at large member for 2 years and was a founding member of the former FUN Committee. We thank her for her service to WGC and wish her well with the many other endeavors on her plate.

NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS!

WGC homeowners benefit from living in a neighborhood with access to amenities such as the swimming pool, playgrounds and entertainment areas without the direct responsibility for upkeep. In order for this community to maintain home values and shared space/amenities, we require the dedication of a group of volunteer board and at-large members to keep everything running behind the scenes. 

We’re actively looking for new board members to help guide and run this community into the future. Please complete and submit this form if you have interest in joining and learn more about how you can make a greater impact within WGC. We’re ALWAYS interested in new voices, skills and energy to help make WGC a great place to live.

Current openings (as of 2/5/2023):
– Board Vice President
– At Large member
– We have a few Board members that have been active for many years and would like to step back into other roles. We need a consistent flow of new interest in joining the Board to give these individuals an opportunity to step back and allow others to lead.

Please — if you have ANY interest in being involved with the running of Woods at Grassy Creek, reach out and we will right size a role for you!

2023 DUES ARE DUE!

Another reminder: We only received about 1/4 of homeowner dues payments in January. Remember, dues should be paid by the end of February at the latest before late fees begin to apply.
– If dues are not paid by March 1, late fees will begin to accrue.
– If dues are not paid by April 1, late fees will increase, and homeowners will be referred to collections.

Thanks to those homeowners that attended this year’s annual HOA meeting on Nov. 7, 2022 at Creston. We appreciate your questions and ideas, and look forward to working with all to keep WGC a place we are all proud to call home now and long into the future.

Below is a link to the meeting minutes. It’s important to call out a couple key points, which are expanded upon in the minutes. As expected, the rejection of the Board-recommended dues increase by homeowner vote in October caused a significant budget shortfall for 2023; accordingly, the Board had to make service adjustments and homeowners will see neighborhood service reductions in the following areas:
– Landscaping: (1) reduction in number of seasonal mowing services (2) reduction in cutting area, leaving select areas around the ponds in a natural state (behind east and west-side ponds)
– Fertilization/weed control: Reduction in number of applications and area covered by fertilizer and weed control
– Plowing: Budget reduction for plowing services; we will continue at the 4″ plow level, but any services needed once/if we surpass the budget amount will have to be approved by the Board before service is rendered
– Pool: The WGC pool will be closed for the 2023 season

In addition, to make a dent in the 2023 budget deficit, the Board voted to increase dues 5%, as allowed without homeowner vote under the covenants. DUES FOR 2023 WILL BE $453/homeowner, all due by Mar. 1, 2023. Invoices will be sent to homeowners by year-end and payment reminders will be made on this site and the Facebook page.

Meeting Minutes/Budget Info Doc

Please reach out to the HOA email box with any questions.

Reminder that our Annual Woods at Grassy Creek HOA meeting will take place on:
Monday, November 7, 2022
6:30 p.m.
Creston Intermediate Middle School Cafeteria

Signs will be posted outside the front of the school (you will enter under the triangle-shaped room) — and you should follow signs straight then to the left to the enter cafeteria.

Topics:
– Year in review
– 2023 Budget discussion, including service changes due to expected budget shortfall
– Open discussion/questions

Please reach out to the HOA email box with any questions prior to the meeting. Otherwise, we’ll look forward to seeing many of you on the 7th.

The result of tonight’s vote is as follows:
63 votes TOTAL (which met quorum requirements)
– 33 votes AGAINST
– 30 votes FOR

Majority vote: Dues WILL NOT increase to $650 for 2023

The WGC Board will meet next week to review all service RFPs to make decisions for 2023. The resulting budget and service impacts will be presented at the WGC Annual Meeting on Mon., Nov. 7 at 6:30pm in the Creston Middle/Intermediate School Cafeteria.

Meeting information will be posted on the online sites and in the neighborhood in the coming weeks.

Just a quick reminder to make sure voting is on your calendar for the evening of Monday, October 10 at the pool house. Please refer to the voting procedures/guidelines provided in the letter you recently received. Below is a link to the information shared at the various educational meetings in August and September, in case you need a refresher.

Please reach out to the HOA email box if you have any questions prior to the 10th.

Due to accelerating tree disease and insect issues, the tall arborvitae will be removed from the islands in the three (3) northern entrances on Monday, Oct. 3 (weather-permitting). These planting beds will remain empty, minus some of the established daylilies, through Spring, and we’ll plan a community event to replant the islands.

When active work is in progress, the entrances will be blocked with cones to protect those doing work. Please proceed to another entrance as appropriate.

We look forward to removing these eyesores, and replanting these beds in Spring, giving our entrances a fresh look to welcome homeowners and guests. Please reach out to the HOA email box with any questions.

Thanks to all of those that attended one or both of our educational meetings in August and September. As you now know, WGC is in a critical place as a neighborhood — and we must made some decisions to address current budget issues and prepare for future needs as well. Attached are two documents that were discussed in various versions over the past two months; these are being shared for the education of those that were not able to join us.

Educational meeting documentation
Educational meeting document: This final version reflects all Board discussion points from the meetings, as well as answers to questions and ideas shared during those conversations. Please note on page 2, the board has revised its original dues increase recommendation based on homeowner feedback. The recommendation will be to increase dues from $432 (current) to $650, to cover expected budget shortfalls and begin to rebuild reserves that will be significantly impacted due to service cost increases incurred in 2022 and for future needs. Operating budget and reserve impacts are detailed on page 1 of this document.

Reserve Study Overview: As we discussed in 2021, the Board initiated a reserve study to look at the health of our neighborhood amenities and to get recommendations on maintenance needs over the next 30 years. Ultimately, this is just a guide (this document is an overview; we have a much more detailed document as well) and decisions on maintenance timing will be made annually on a case-by-case basis by the WGC Board. However, it’s important to have this information in hand to ensure we have dollars in reserves/savings ready for fixes and enhancements when they are needed. This reduces the potential need for special assessments when unexpected issues arise.

So, what’s next??
Each homeowner will receive a letter next week outlining the process for voting on this dues increase on October 10, 2022. Signs will also be updated in the neighborhood and reminders will be placed on the sites. One vote per home, with exceptions noted in the document. Majority rules, and we’ll consider next steps based on the outcome of the vote.

Thanks again for feedback received to date. I hope you feel that the Board has been transparent with the issues at hand; forthcoming with ideas/recommendations and rationale; and responsive to homeowner questions/feedback.

If you have any questions prior to October 10, reach out to the HOA email box with specific questions, and we’ll answer as soon as possible.

We’ve been watching the weather closely — and the forecast has changed a little. So we are going to try and hold tonight’s meeting as scheduled. May way to bring an umbrella just in case, as each forecast looks a little different. We want to start getting information in your hands, so we’ll be there at 6:30pm and hope to see as many WGC faces as possible.