Landscaping Committee Meeting

Date

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Time

4:00pm- 5:30pm

Location

Mott's backyard

Minutes

The landscape committee (Joel Mott, Susan Mott, Howard Cushner, Cecilia Blomberg, and Lowell Klaver) met at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 in Mott’s backyard.

Discussion:

• Members welcomed new member, Lowell Klaver, to the Landscape Committee! He’s been a Heronwood homeowner for ~35-years.

• Summarized March 25, 2023 community work party attendance and accomplishments: 8-residents attended (Howard Cushner, Susan and Joel Mott, Tim and Kaylee Dawson, Scott, Nancy Travis, and Lowell Klaver). Pulled invasive blackberry roots and ivy along 38th. Joel and Howard took three truckloads to dump (two invasive and one non-invasive dumploads).

• Several members are concerned about workload on small group of (aging) volunteers to maintain upper and lower signs AND sidewalk strip, as well as ~13 acres of long neglected common areas (see attached letter drafted by Howard).

  • Susan updated committee that, after walkthrough with Landscape Committee, Board approved 2023 budget to include: weeding sidewalk strip (maintenance near upper and lower signs was already approved at last Board meeting), $400 to rent a chipper, and $200 for invasive plant dump fees.
  • Committee members applaud this solution and funding approval!

• Susan also updated committee members on May 11 Board discussion to obtain resident feedback on three HOA 2024 annual budgets:

  • 1. Keep dues as is. We stop landscaping and the neighborhood deteriorates; 2. Raise dues enough to cover existing landscaping at the increased costs; 3: Raise dues further to fund additional projects.
  • Committee members think door-to-door canvasing may be needed as they don’t remember receiving most of the HOA emails.

• New plants

  • No budget approved by Board to purchase new plants as we have no irrigation system.
  • Board approved to continue to plant/transplant free native plants (where/when sustainable without irrigation system).
  • Howard asked about feasibility of planting native wildflowers in common area along 38th in the fall. Need to research feasibility, price, and propose to Board.

• Hardscaping

  • Board interested in learning more about designs and quotes for hardscaping at upper and lower signs.
  • New Landscape Maintenance Crew
  • Miguel’s crew with Zetino’s Landscaping to start in May 2023 (May 6 and May 20); their landscape maintenance duties include everything that Greg Wolfe was doing PLUS maintaining upper and lower signs AND sidewalk strip. Cost is $250/visit; 2 visits/month = $500/month (or $6,000/year).

• Chipper project

  • Discussed that this is really a multi-day project to most cost effectively use the chipper rental. NOTE two additional work party dates added, 9am-12 noon, meet at lower sign.
    • Saturday, May 13 – prepare piles to be chipped
    • Saturday, May 27 – prepare piles to be chipped
    • Saturday, June 3 (already scheduled) – rent chipper and distribute chips.

• Committee Meetings

  • Members agreed to meet quarterly, 1-2 weeks prior to each board meeting as outlined below in first column.
  • Members also agreed to meet informally, on ad hoc basis when available/interested to chip away at cleaning up common areas; members to text one another when they plan to go out.