TAC Minutes – March 2018

Saturday, March 10, 2018
8:30 AM
Tollgate Village Clubhouse

  • The meeting was called to order at 8:31 A.M.
  • Committee Reports
    • Treasurer – Luis Parra: Since we are at the beginning of year, everything is under budget. The only thing that seems a little strange is that admin expenses are budgeted at $6,500 a year; and we have already used $2,100. Also, we normally put in roughly $92,000 in reserve funds; for 2018 we are only putting $76,470 in capital reserves.
      • Last year we brought a company in to have a study done of our expenses. It was a very good study, and provided a lot of insight about things like sidewalk repair, street repair, fencing, pool cracks, etc. that we need to prepare for in the future. This company recommended some changes. The HOA is responsible for more than we realized. For example, houses that sit back from Rochelle – the fences in front are the responsibility of the HOA. We don’t want a special assessment later that is unexpected, so we will put more and more into reserve to cover those expenses when they occur. At this point the developer is responsible for the HOA, but over time, it will be ours.
    • Amenities – Larry Simmons: Not a lot to report. We have two months before pool season. The pool furniture has been uncovered and we are sorting through to see what we need for this year. Incredibly expensive to buy commercial grade pool furniture that lasts. We are going to keep some existing furniture. Larry took one piece home and fixed it, and it turned out well. We are going to order some commercial furniture soon to try. We bought cheap umbrellas last year and lost two of them the first week. We’ve looked at a lot of different options but they are incredibly expensive. We are going to have the pergolas pressure washed and restained. We are going to put shade material over the top of them. We may have to pay $3,000 for umbrellas again. Waiting to get the pricing back on all of the items. Also, we budgeted around $70K to do repairs on the pool, but we think we can defer repairs on the big pool, but we need to repair the baby pool this year. Bathrooms are nasty; we want to etch the floors and put down epoxy and increase the ventilation. Reflectors for Tollgate Blvd to help with highlighting the bump outs. Now that it is warming up, we will be able to mark the curbs soon.
    • Grounds – John Liska: Checked with Damon and said replacement trees will happen this month. They pulled the fountains out and put LED lights in. One fountain still isn’t working (fountain or lighting). The alignment seems incorrect; Brad is going to send Damon a note about it. Need to figure out ongoing maintenance of the lighting. John has been maintaining the street signs. Homeowners are responsible for their mailboxes; some are in bad shape. We may want to get a group together to check into cast aluminum instead of cast iron, which rusts. Someone said that a mailbox cost approximately $800 for the pole and the box. May want to see if we can find a less expensive alternative.
    • Neighborhood Watch – George Petzelt: It’s running like a well-oiled machine. No problems. Students have been parking on some of the Tollgate streets and crossing the fence to go to school. There are reports of people exchanging things at the corner of Tollgate Blvd and 31 (the medical center parking lot). They go fast. They are using scanners. We don’t want the residents to do anything; too dangerous. Take pictures of the car license plates. A resident had a story about living near a drug cartel and she had a private text number to a police officer with license plate numbers, and it helped. Police have been parking there.
    • Social – Luis Parra (for Laura Parra): Had Bingo night last Saturday. Went well; about 25 people came. Fee was $5 per person; we took in about $240 and returned all as cash prize. We will use the gift cards for Julie’s officer appreciation. Laura is putting together an Easter event for the end of the month. S’mores by the lake in mid-April. Working on pool party for May.
      • Yard Sale. Our neighborhood is not conducive to yard sales. Could we have it down here at the clubhouse? Might be hard on homeowners to get the stuff down here, but you would get more exposure. Someone must be willing to spearhead it and TAC could support. John said that was what they did at Del Webb; had yard sale at clubhouse. You could set up the sale in the back parking lot, and have people park in the front. We can provide resources. We have stored signage. That’s what they do in Westhaven; they have it at the residential clubhouse. Reserve spots. Just one permit; association get permit. Chalk off max two parking spaces. Charge a small fee that goes toward Officer Appreciate fund. Set up Goodwill to come pick up leftovers. ACTION: Post request for someone to spearhead clubhouse yard sale.
    • Officer Appreciation – Julie Jones: Had our first one last month (February). Will be doing them every other month. Great turnout. More than enough goodies. Working with Sharon Puckett on setting up a safe location at the Sheriff’s Office for people who buy and sell items on the internet. Meet and exchange goods. Parking is an issue.
    • Community Care – Suzanne Feinstein: No basket deliveries in February. Ready to respond to news of sick neighbors and new babies with baskets.
  • Old Business
    • Crystal Clear Update: The lawyers are working on it. Moving slowly, but moving. Letter to terminate agreement is in process. Once letter is signed and approved, it will go to Crystal Clear. Once we have a date, we will send a note out to residents with what they need to do. Good chance that your service might go up in price, but you will have a choice. You can negotiate.
    • Development at Front of Tollgate: It is taking longer than expected. TAC’s responsibility is taking the voice of the residents forward. The initial number request has not changed. They want to build variety of options, such as facades, and offer choices (e.g., smaller width condos). I’m frustrated with town officials for not approving them. On March 20, there will be another town hall meeting at 7:00 pm. We’ve invited Board of Aldermen, town officials, residents, etc. Dave McGowan of Regent Homes will be there to go over sticky points. We want you to clearly understand what all of these things mean. We are going to ask you again – are you sure this is what you want? If we hear clearly yes, town officials will be there to hear our voices. We are going to do everything we can to get the word out about this to residents so we have a big turnout. This will come up before Planning Commission meeting on March 27. Graham: “The commercial piece has been approved already. Everyone wants to see that go forward. Sign is up. The controversy is the rezoning request in the front. There is not overwhelming support.” Larry: “I appreciate your comments, but I do see support for it. This next meeting will provide the opportunity for everyone to hear and respond again.” Graham asked if he can present counterpoint. That will be up for discussion. Want to have open discussion of the sticky points. Graham is requesting a block of 10 minutes to present. Brad talked about a two-hour work session, then another 2.5 work session. “My feeling is this, there are homeowners in this subdivision who voted you in. If homeowners elected you, you work to have conversations with Regent folks and town staff. Both of you here plus planning. They are seeing people who are going to Franklin instead of Thompson’s Station because it isn’t an easy town to work with. Negativity. Franklin is working with them. I’m like Larry and Luis; we have had a lot of conversations with both sides. We have an organization who is ready to come in here; we need to make a positive approach from our BOMA to have an ability to have a conversation to work with them. Our LDO was approved two years ago. I told Jack it wouldn’t work for Tollgate; it’s going to tie our hands. I feel like there isn’t enough outreach with our BOMA and this developer who has been very successful throughout the area. I’m the one who brought up the 20-foot driveways. There is ancillary parking. Let Graham speak. I hope it’s the last meeting about it. Either Dave McGowan is going to walk, or we are going to do it.” Brandon: “Opportunity to hear both sides. Do a straw poll.” Graham: “Public referendum.” Larry: “We don’t need secrets.” Graham: “Not true that we have not reached out to developers. We’ve been flexible.” Larry: “We can argue on this all day long, but this isn’t the forum. Dave McGowan is going to walk unless we work with him.” Tim: “There are some sticking points. But I think the staff has moved pretty quickly. There are some sticking points and we need to debate those.” Brandon: “There has been some progress. Joe Cosentino should speak too.” George: “I grew up in Philadelphia in a row house that was 16 feet wide. These are going to be very small houses and will be crowded.” Larry: “There can only be a small amount of those 16-foot houses.” Graham: “18 months ago the minimum condo width was 25 feet. We have been flexible and working with them and lowered the width to 20. There is no reason to reduce to 16. I’m not for townhomes in the front – period. I’m looking forward to commercial. Dave McGowan told us he would build the commercial anyway.”
    • Dog Park: Brad: It’s muddy. Getting used a lot. We have some money. Build a secondary dog park. French drains to catch the water coming off the hillside. Harlinsdale has three parks so that you can rotate and shut one down if needed. The best fix would be Bermuda sod pads. Tim: Good idea. Ideas: Add trees. Could divide it. Fence it down the middle. Save money. Move entrance and add another water station. Take a neighborhood poll about splitting it in half.
    • Playground: Drains didn’t work. Mulch still gets washed away. Getting an engineering firm to help determine what to do.
  • Resident feedback
    • Thank you for the signal light.
    • 6:00 am, trucks are coming by. Not using the construction traffic road. Brad: We are trying to control that. If you see a truck breaking the rules, send info to Wendy Deats, town planner for Thompson’s Station. She will contact the builder. We have not levied fines for not using the construction traffic road. You can’t start construction until after 7:00 am, but it is okay to show up early.
    • Having trouble with communication about pest control. Cost has gone up. Being switched to Northwestern Extermination. Larry: You don’t have to pay for it. You can cancel. Not an HOA requirement.
    • Someone came by to do a survey about blasting. Haven’t heard results. I don’t know who to talk to. Larry will take action on this.
    • As you enter Tollgate, the first block is fine, but as you go further around the curves, people are driving on the other side. Could we add a white line or reflectors? Larry will try reflectors. Brad could ask Damon about the striping.
  • Adjourned at 9:54 A.M. CST