UNIVERSITY HILLS ASSOCIATION OF HOMEOWNERS
MINUTES OF BOARD MEETING
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
The meeting was called to order by the president, Arnold Martin, at 7:34 A.M. in the grill of the Las Colinas Country Club.
Board Members present were: Arnold Martin, Esther Nachimson, Charles Schmidt, Paul Oldham, Don McGee, Mary Oberlin, Helen Chaplin, Jim Wells, Martin Kahn, Craig Bowman and Susan High.
Arnold introduced Tara Kersh, a protégé of our own John Taylor, who is the new City of Irving Neighborhood Liaison. She is the young lady who, several years ago, designed the UHAOH logo and signs. Tara stated how proud she is to be in her present position, one she coveted for several years. She has been impressed with the diversity of populations and the possibility for significant progress in establishing Irving as a prototype of how a city can become enriched by the participation of neighborhood associations. One of Tara’s first priorities is to attend the large areas in the city that are vacant of any type of HO participation. Nichol’s Park was cited as an example. There are glaring holes where leadership is lacking. The first priority will be to identify individuals who are ready to step up to the bar and become leaders.
Don McGee reported the archives committee is almost ready to bury it’s time capsule, to be opened in the year, 2050.
Craig Bowman passed out the form to be sent to all residents to fill out and return with their dues for 2005. We are hoping for and increase in participation. A schedule will be included to remind everyone of garbage and trash pick up days.
Our, block captain chief, Mary Oberlin, stated we all need to encourage the city council members to create a vision for Irving for the next 20 years. This effort should not be farmed out, but should be created ‘in house.” Martin described how our 44 block captains are organized.
Tonight, Tuesday, January 04, 2005 Nancy Wilson is leading a Code Enforcement workshop at the Plymouth Park United Methodist Church. Call for information: 972-252-9748
On January 25, 2005 there will be two meetings at city hall. There will be a Town Hall meeting earlier at 6:00 P. M. If anyone would like to speak at this meeting you need to sign up early. City Council Roundtable at 7:00 P.M. a meeting to get in touch with neighborhoods.
This Wednesday at 5:30 P.M. there will be a meeting at the Hackberry Country Club to hear four of the five candidates for mayor speak to the issues.
Many of our patriotic homeowners trying to recycle: however, we are running out of storage for our blue garbage bags. The discussion about the garbage pick up over the holidays, or lack there of, created a very unsightly problem for our homeowners. Charles Schmidt had made a concerted effort to put out signs that there would be no pick up on either Christmas Eve nor New Year’s Eve. One board member called city hall about Christmas Eve and was told there would be normal pickup on Friday. Blue bags were out on the curb from Wednesday to Saturday.
Charles said he is getting a lot of compliments the way the parks are looking since the trees have been trimmed.
The most important bit of information disseminated was that the FCC was seizing the frequency 80% of us use for our garage door openers—this is nationwide. We must all be prepared to buy a device that will change this frequency. Hopefully, we will be notified of of the change in a timely manner. Changes will occur on a regional basis.
Jim Wells said it would be no problem to post pick up days on the website. Garbage is on Tuesday and Friday. More importantly, trash pick-up (objects that the regular sanitarians will not pick up on Tuesday and Friday) is usually on the first Monday. . The challenge is to get information to residents who do not have e-mail. Mary suggested this would be a job for the block captains to print off important notices and distribute them to these persons.
Scott Glover is out of town on business and unable to remove the Christmas decorations around Pea Patch Lake. It was decided to keep the lights on until the 15th of January. We get to enjoy them for a longer time.
Chandra was absent but plans are being made to have an adult Fling sometime in the near future. Valentine’s may be too soon.
Arnold said we needed to get the forms completed (a 4 hour job) to participate in the city grant program. Grants we have received in the past paid for some landscaping, the planting of crepe myrtles and the neighborhood logo and signs. Mary Oberlin is pushing for an entry monument by the golf course on Rochelle. Follow up paper work on the grant we received last year needs to be completed.
The city now has funds available to repair streets and sidewalks. Always remember TLCA will need to approve all designs.
Don McGee reported the clean up work on the golf course and it will reopen in February. There is no indication that the chain link fence will be replaced soon. Everyone is short on funds. Some reserves are being used to get by. Money had to be diverted to Florida because of the hurricanes they have endured.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Tuesday, February 1, 2005 at the Las Colinas Country Club at 7:30 A.M.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 to attend the photo opportunity at the yard of the month at 721 E. Rochelle.