Barrett Station Place Meeting Summary
April 14, 2010
Welcome
Thank you to all neighbors, welcome to the meeting.
Landscaping
General Landscaping
Ken Seise has taken the lead on finding the general landscaper. He has sought bids, and has one from Trugreen. Some neighbors expressed displeasure with the job done historically by Trugreen, which was acknowledged. Ken is seeking other bids.
Several home owners suggested other places to consider for landscaping, including:
Ballwin Nursery
Rottler
Bopp Landscaping
Janie Card’s Landscaping Friend
Costs should be lowered due to the road construction.
Special Landscaping
Janie Card has a sewage basin behind her home that is absolutely out of control with weeds and wild vegetation. It was supposed to be addressed last year, but somehow never got scheduled. It is very urgent, and should be addressed immediately. This is another reason to leave the dues higher.
This may require a combination of vegetation kill and a physical removal of the debris. This will be considered a high priority.
Tree Removal
Several neighbors indicated that they have dead trees that may or may not be the responsibility of the neighborhood to address. We will have to investigate the trees behind Chris Powers home, and neighboring homes. Wanda Smith also has a potential claim. We will investigate each one and handle accordingly.
Road Construction
Entrance Danger
Exiting the neighborhood has gotten extremely dangerous from both Barrett Place Dr and Hidden Meadow. Residents are unanimous in the opinion that something must be done. One option is to remove signage and trees at Barrett Place. The foreman says no more removal will be done here. Matt suggested we ask who their insurance carrier is, and contact them to get on the record, as this is an accident waiting to happen. Hidden Meadow is also very dangerous. Trustees will contact the county to explore all options.
Closing Manchester
Access to Manchester from our neighborhood is likely to be closed for up to 90 days at some point, anecdotally, it could begin June 1st. This would require us to go to Fairoyal, and take back roads to reach Manchester. Centeroyal Dr will lead to eastbound Manchester, and Barrett Parkway Drive will lead to Barrett Station, allowing normal access to east or westbound Manchester.
New Entrance
This item was accidentally skipped initially, and not covered in great detail.
We have $36,000+ earmarked to replace the landscaping and signage that was/will be removed. We need to form a committee to plan the new look of the entrance, which will include:
Trees
Mulch
Plants/Flowers
Signage (if we lose or decide to replace current sign)
Electric (if we decide to add)
Water/Sprinklers (if we decide to add)
Other
We don’t really know where to begin. We need to find companies who might provide some or all of the design/implementation services for this project and choose a look. We would like to get as many residents as possible involved in this project. We’ll need to settle on a design, seek bids, and begin to implement when the construction is finished, which should be in 2011. This is not urgent at the time being, but we should start thinking about it.
Dues
We plan to keep the dues at $140. We typically have a low balance at the end of the year, and keeping the status quo will protect against a zero balance. It will also help us fund the potentially large vegetation removal projects.
New Trustee
JJ Kirkpatrick is no longer a trustee, and he nominates Ruben Lopez to replace him. Multiple participants second the motion. Ruben has agreed to entertain the offer, as long as he is called Czar. The neighborhood quickly agrees! Vote is unanimous to elect Ruben, between 21-28 homes, depending on who was still on the call. No objections. Ruben will discuss the position with the current trustees and decide if he wants to go forward. Ken, Andy, and JJ will meet with Ruben privately to go over the details of the meeting.
Other Issues
Trash Pickup. Sometimes Veolia does not pick up trash from certain homes or the cul-de-sac, especially for two day pick-ups. Trustees/neighborhood will monitor the situation.
Poorly Maintained Lawns. What can be done for unsightly, weedy lawns? We will have to review the indentures, but essentially you can ask them to improve it, but not much beyond that without going nuclear with liens, etc.
Lawn Service Grass Clippings. Some residents use a grass cutting service that does not bag the clippings. What can be done? We don’t see this as a trustee issue, more one that should be addressed between neighbors and communicated to the lawn service.
Shed. Ann Stevens mentioned that someone had a shed delivered for their backyard. Sheds must be approved by the trustees, and are typically not allowed. This one was not brought to anyone’s attention prior to now.
Water. Joann (sp) mentioned that the water main break caused drainage issues in her yard.
Trustee To Do List:
Landscaping: Get general landscaping bids (Ken)
Landscaping: Get contact info for Janie Card’s landscaping company (Ken, Andy)
Landscaping: Get special landscaping bids for basin behind Janie Card’s home (Ken, All)
Landscaping: Choose a general landscaper (All)
Landscaping: Choose and schedule landscaper for special duties (All)
Landscaping: Examine trees behind Chris Power’s house, consult MODot/County to see who is responsible for removal (Any/All)
Landscaping: Examine trees behind Madeline MacTague’s house, consult MODot/County to see who is responsible for removal (Any/All)
Landscaping: Examine trees behind Wanda Smith’s house, determine who is responsible for removal (Any/All)
Road Construction: Contact St. Louis County to determine how to improve the safety of these entrances (JJ/Any/All)
Road Construction: Investigate when/if access to Manchester will be closed and for how long (Any/All)
New Entrance: Form architectural committee (Any/All)
New Entrance: Seek design ideas for new entrance (Any/All)
New Entrance: Choose design for new entrance (Any/All)
New Entrance: Seek bids for new entrance design (Any/All)
New Entrance: Implement and fund design (Any/All)
New Trustee: Consult with Ruben Lopez, confirm his interest (JJ, All)
New Trustee: Remove JJ from City & Village, Edward Jones, trustee roster (JJ, All)
Dues: Submit the meeting minutes, set dues, begin collecting. (JJ)
Other Issues: Monitor trash pickup for reliability, call veolia/county if it lapses. (All)
Other Issues: Determine who has shed, and if it needs to be removed. (All)
Other Issues: Investigate out options to enforce a better maintained lawn/home. (All)