January 26, 2012

The meeting was held in the home of Laurel & CO Weddle with dessert & coffee. There were seventeen members present and two guests: Jason Schroer, Executive Director of Tipton Lakes Community Association and John Molina, V.P. of TLCA Board and a member of the TLCA landscaping committee , invited by Jason Schroer. The meeting was a special meeting called to discuss new proposals concerning the landscaping of the entryway median around the Pintail sign and some possible changes to our contract with Lawn Pride for fertilization and insecticide spraying of our shrubs and trees.

Entryway Median Landscaping

The meeting was opened by CO Weddle with a review of the past history of the landscaping of the entryway median. An emphasis was made as to the importance of that landscaping bed, as it is seen as we and visitors enter and leave Pintail and that it enhances the value of our homes in Pintail Point and Pintail Landing. We currently have a rather large planting bed around and behind the entry Pintail sign,
mostly of spirea and ornamental Hawthorne trees and begonia plants and daisies close to the stone. In June, 2011, Pintail Point and Pintail Landing approved an improved landscaping plan which was introduced by Jason Schroer, who has extensive experience with many other similar planting beds at cluster entryways, as well as the other landscaping areas in the common grounds of TLCA. During that process, a landscaping proposal was requested of Dean Schertz, a landscape architect of Brown Hill nursery. However, he did not respond until around August, due to a surgical procedure, past the planting time. So, in the interest of fairness, we decided to bring before our cluster the two landscaping plans for presentation and a vote.

Next, Jason was asked to present the Pintail Point annual budget and the reserve fund, for a better understanding of any money available that we might use to pay our portion (50/50 with Pintail Landing) of any landscaping plan that we might chose. Jason demonstrated that we have slightly more than $4,000 dollars in the reserve fund and it would be financially sound to take around $1000 for the median landscaping project, leaving plenty for emergency items, which emergency expense history he reviewed.

Landscaping Plan # 1 – This is the plan which was adopted in June, which included eliminating the planting bed behind the stone and replacing it with grass sod, removing the spirea plants, mulching around the Hawthorne trees, planting a double row of boxwood shrubs behind the stone and planting begonias and other flowering plants in the bed around the stone. Estimated cost - $875.

Landscaping Plan # 2 - At this point, Judy McCormick, our newly elected landscape manager for Pintail Point, was then asked to present the landscape proposal from Dean Schertz. This involved keeping and improving the large planting bed and the Hawthorne trees, removing the spirea plants and planting a staggered row of boxwood on each side of the bed behind the stone with viburnum ‘summer snowflake’ plants in the center, caryopteris roses to the side of the stone and plantings of annuals around the stone and to the left of the stone. Estimated cost - $2,100.

An anonymous, written ballot was then proposed. The question arose as to how many votes are given to each lot. Jason explained that the TLCA awards two votes per lot, one as the owner of the lot and one as the resident on the lot. This arrangement is in the by-laws of the TLCA. This was then voted upon by our cluster and passed. The outcome of the vote was: Plan # 1 – 19 and Plan # 2 – 13. It should be noted there were 12 absentee ballots included in that vote, which CO had requested of those members who have departed to their winter homes. It was thus agreed, that if Pintail Landing approves Plan # 1, then we will proceed in the spring planting season to be accomplished by Engle Dow Nursery, contracted by TLCA. If Pintail Landing approves Plan #2, it has been recommended that representatives from each cluster meet with Jason and try to negotiate a compromise plan, which would be returned to each cluster for a vote. It should be mentioned that Dean Schertz strongly recommended the Hawthorne trees be pruned at his estimated cost of $250, which was not included in the cost estimate of each landscape proposal. It was decided by the group, by acclimation of the discussion, that we should do the pruning, but that the contract for that should be further investigated.

Lawn Pride Contract Discussion

Judy McCormick discussed a portion of the contract with Lawn Pride, concerning the shrub and tree fertilization and insecticide spraying. She suggested that, for mature shrubs and trees, this is not necessary, and should be removed from the contract. This would provide a savings of #3,120 per year for the cluster, or $142 per lot. Jason Schroer then discussed that TLCA has adopted this policy for the multitude of shrubs and trees in the common grounds and berms of TLCA. Judy also referred to two articles from Purdue University, which also made the same recommendation. Judy had proposed an opt-out system for lot-owners to not participate in the tree and shrub sprayings. However, it was pointed out that our Pintail Point cluster by-laws spelled out that we must have a uniform landscaping contract and that all lot-owners must abide by it. Further discussion ensued. It was then moved, seconded and passed that we should table any further discussion until our absent members return and until we can meet with some experts in this area, perhaps someone from Purdue University.

This concluded our business and the meeting was adjourned around nine PM.

Respectfully submitted, CO Weddle, President, Pintail Point Cluster