On May 25, 2022, the Poudre Overlook HOA elected a brand new Board of Directors. The exiting Board did an excellent job of preparing for a transition by delivering the new Directors documents that spelled out everything in succinct yet granular detail. From those initial documents, I was able to prepare a digital To-Do List, and began working on the low-hanging fruit.
One of the easiest group of items on the list is the landscaping tasks because we already have contracts with each of the companies that performs the actions, all of whom have familiarity with our property and contracts. Essentially, all we had to do was make a call.
I waited a week for one of the Directors to get back from a vacation, and after being treated in an uncivil manner at the 5/25 Meeting (where there was an attempt to humiliate and embarrass me with accusations of harassment-by-email), I decided it was best to wait for communication with the other two Directors to divvy up the To-Do List. I immediately brought up the fact that we need to address the landscaping.
In particular, we needed to ensure that we did not repeat the mistakes of 2021, when Trademark Property Management Group failed to contact any contractor for mowing what we call the “outlots” (actually a drainage ditch cum dog-walking/biking path) before it was a 6-foot tall mix of dried grasses (fire hazard) and noxious weeds. So, I contacted our contractor who confirmed his lead time was 2 weeks, and let the other Directors know it was probably time to schedule. That was 2 weeks before this post.
Director Jones apparently doesn’t like to communicate by email, and in fact, has only sent an email about posting a sandwich board for the 6/15 Special Meeting the entire time. Director Bellweber, however, acknowledged that I made the request when we spoke on 6/6, but indicated it wasn’t her priority. In fact, that’s part of the problem – this issue affects some homeowners more than others.
But, the front of the HOA affects everyone. And, after waiting 2 weeks for action on that mowing, it was also noted that we have 2 additional contractors involved. One does the maintenance mowing on the “Buffalo Grass”, which we replaced back in 2018 to conserve water, and also waters that area to keep it alive three times per Summer. I spoke with the contractor who is ready to do the work, but they don’t make the decision for us. They remain on standby.
The other contractor was hired last Summer because the first issue led to a second issue – noxious weeds were allowed to go to seed and flourish. Specifically, Prickly Lettuce and Leafy Spurge. So, we had to pay $400 to yet another contractor to spray for these weeds in late September. Unfortunately, their lead time is now a month, and they can’t do the spraying when all the rest of the grasses have been allowed to grow to waist deep (or deeper), compounding the problem.
Well, heading out to that frontage area today, it’s kind of gone to hell. Our once nice path through some planted areas are completely dominated by weeds, some of which are 2-3 feet tall. There’s grasses along the front fence that are now 3-4 feet tall, and going to seed.
I tried to put these items on the agenda for the 6/15 meeting, but was told by Director Bellweber in a post on the Frontsteps HOA website that the agenda she wrote excluding these items would “stand”. I have no idea what such posturing accomplishes, and there’s a significant issue with an assertion by any one Board member claiming to completely control the agenda.
The outcome of this standoff is uncertain, but it’s a terrible look for the neighborhood when it could have so easily been made to look 1000% better.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and hard work. We need your help!