At the 10/14/2023 annual meeting, Ann Marie Couture and Ludwig Heil were elected to the two open Board of Trustee positions.
October Community Updates
The last installment of the $7500 special assessment was due in September.
Two Trustee positions are open and will be voted for at the October meeting.
Cranberry harvest is approaching, and Brookside has the good fortune to have a working cranberry bog adjacent to the property. Don’t miss seeing the harvest, largely unchanged from decades past!
August 2023 BoardCast
Brookside has so much owner participation in running and maintaining the community, probably the biggest reason that everyone loves living here! There are 16 standing committees, going beyond the usual landscape and social activities, with over 57 homeowners volunteering their time and expertise. Very impressive!
August Updates:
- Brookside Welcomes Bob Linney as the new Barkan Account Executive
- Proposed Amendment to Transfer Responsibility for Front Porch Repairs to the Association Failed. There were 146 votes cast, with 98 votes in favor of the proposal; amounting to only 42.03% of the beneficial interest. The proposal failed to achieve the needed support from the community.
- Vacancies exist on some important committees – the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), Upgrade Committee and the Vendor Selection and Evaluation Guidelines Committee. If you wish to serve on any of these, email Board Chairman Joe Mattingly at joseph_mattingly@ymail.com.
- Election Committee has been Formed for 2023 Board of Trustees Election Cycle
- Board of Trustees Open Hours are now Monthly – the Board will have open hours from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.
- Any requests for landscaping, irrigation, or other Brookside services should be submitted as a work order to the Barkan Yardi system.
- The updated Capital Plan is expected to be ready to share with VBC residents in September 2023.
April Community Updates
The Brookside Boardcast, a newsletter from the VBC Board of Trustees, reported that on March 29 Brookside residents received via email the formal notice of a meeting to be held at 10:00 AM on April 29 at the Bourne United methodist Church to consider a petition for the recall of four of the five members of the Villages at Brookside Board of Trustees.
The Board has authorized a new card reader for the pool, along with 300 new cards for pool access.
The Board is considering installing cameras at the pool and County Rd and Waterhouse Rd entrances, to monitor activities if needed; and is asking for residents to let Barkan or Board members know their opinions about this.
Every Tuesday from 4:00-6:00 PM, one or more Board members will be in the Community Room to hear about any concerns or ideas from homeowners. Emails and letters still welcome, as well.
The Finance Committee recommends that the Board commission a new reserve study.
New parking violation notices have been created, and will be placed on windshields of any vehicles parked on the grass, or otherwise in violation of Brookside’s parking regulations.
The Community Room is getting a lot of use. Members of the Board have donated furniture, a coffeemaker, teapot, and outdoor window planters. Schedule your function through Donna at the office.
Mario’s roofing has shingles left after the Holly Hill Court re-roofing project, and has offered to use them to replace the roof at the County Rd entrance, at no cost to Brookside.
The Board has continued to confer with Foster Creative Design about landscaping, resulting in some changes: there will be two separate teams mowing the property; and a new 36 inch walk-behind mower has been purchased to better accommodate the small front yards and courtyards. The Spring clean-up has started, which includes cleaning out window wells and shrub beds, as well as lawns and roadways. Later in the season, they will hand weed and mulch shrub beds.
The Board has decided to temporarily pause the Landscape Five Year Plan, since good progress has been made in the last two years. It will be resumed in 2024. In addition, mulch under pine trees will be reduced, resulting in another cost savings.
Deborah Farmer of Brookside Rd is the new Landscape Committee Chair, and is encouraging other volunteers to join this very important committee.
The CPA Annual Report is ready to report that Brookside’s financials are in accordance with accounting policies generally accepted in the U.S.
VBC is continuing to use the Federal “long form” for its tax return, being taxed as a corporation. The primary taxable income is from Comcast and Treasuries income, with taxes paid of $10,248 (Federal) and $1529 (MA),
March Community Updates
The controversy about the petition to recall the Board of Trustees continues, with both sides sharing information with homeowners that they believe to be true. In addition, a group called “We Are Brookside” has come together to support the current Board.
At present, a $7,500 special assessment was announced in November 2022, to cover several immediate Capital expenses that are not covered by existing savings or reserves. If you’d like more details, let me know, and I’ll put you in touch with homeowners on all sides of the controversy.
The bottom line is that Brookside is well-managed and maintained by homeowners who care a great deal about their homes and community.
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