Category: Franklin

In Attendance:  Mike Pincus, Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bill Shipley and Janet Burgess.

Absent:  Bob Gottschall

Meeting called to order at 9:00 AM by Mike Pincus.

January 18, 2023 Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported that $10,000 was spent on tree removal/pruning. CSK received $10,000 from the master association for reimbursement of the money we spent on drainage issues. We are $11,000 under budget for snow removal. Reserves for roof replacement options look good.

Committee Updates:

Architectural: CSK requested that they receive copies of all letters sent to residents by the Architectural Committee.  Council should also receive copies. Mike will follow up with Dom Aleardi

A recent Franklin Village house sale has revealed that East Goshen Township is now requiring hard wired smoke detectors in all bedrooms. If anyone is planning to sell their house they can check with Matt Ratliff of West Chester Security, 610-399-7986, for costs.

An Architectural sub-committee from Council will be formed to review and update our Architectural Guidelines. The sub-committee will include Mike Pincus, Margaret Callahan, Dom Aleardi and one other resident.

A handrailing was approved by the committee and council for 521 Franklin Way.

Landscaping:  Michelle Cohen will be away until early April so there are no updates on landscaping.

Many thanks to Michelle for all her work.

Welcome Committee:  There has been one house sold this year.  It is the first since January of last year. There are 3 more house that may be going up for sale this year.  The committee met with Brighton residents who are interested in starting their own welcoming committee.

Pool Committee:  The committee met with a concrete contractor this week who will be providing an estimate for fixing the concrete apron around the pool.

The circulation pump, which was not working, was replaced

CSK received the contract for 2023 from Rich Frey of Giuliani Pools. Council approved the contract. CSK will sign the contract and pay Giuliani Pools.

Margaret Callahan came up with a fix for the lock handles that were damaged by squirrels.

The possibility of installing a panic button that would alert security of an emergency at the pool will be investigated by Bill Shipley.

Communications: All communications requested have been sent.

Garage & Street Lights:  Kevin Callahan is being contacted by residents to replace lights.

Maintenance: No response from the request for volunteers so far..

Old Business: A map from Pipeview which shows drain pipes and drains in the village was shared by Janet Burgess. Mike Pincus will continue to work with Ed McFalls concerning the drainage issues.

Roofing proposals from Bachmann Roofing, KPI, and Lemus Construction were discussed. Lemus Construction seems to be the best of the 3.  Lemus was used by Eaton.  Mike, Dom Aleardi and Dave Ogletree met with Lemus and liked their presentation.  Janet Burgess said Bachman replaced the roofs for Ulster and she liked their work.  Janet Burgess shared a report of the amounts spent for roof fixes over the last 3 years. 2020 $4800 was spent, 2021 $4500 was spent, 2022 $4100 was spent. There will be a presentation concerning roof replacement at the annual meeting on May 24^th.

The pest control company will be doing termite inspections, Saturday March 25 and Saturday April 1. The inspections will be external. If residents want them to do an inside inspection, they will have to request it when the company knocks on their door. There is no additional charge for an inside inspection. Bill Shipley will send out an email to residents.

The insurance letter concerning the change to the Franklin Village Declarations about the deductible amount was discussed.  The master association insurance committee negotiates insurance policies that each village can use. The $7500 deductible that is stated in our Declarations will no longer be offered. We have been advised to remove the $7500 specification from the Declarations in order to have flexibility when changes occur.  A new letter will be sent out shortly for residents to vote on the change.

New Business: None.

The next council meeting will be held on Wednesday April 27, 2023 at 9:00am

Meeting was adjourned at 10:22 am.

Respectfully submitted by Bill Shipley

 

 

 

In Attendance:  Mike Pincus, Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bob Gottschall, Bill Shipley and Janet Burgess.

Meeting called to order at 8:59 AM by Mike Pincus.

October 27, 2022 Meeting minutes were approved.

November 10, 2022 Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported that the December reports from CSK were not received yet. CSK received an invoice from Leroy Beiler for $150 for work done on Mike Pincus’ roof.  Mike will correct the payment.

Committee Updates:

Architectural: The committee will be sending a list of doors that need painting to council. Mike will follow up with Dom Aleardi

Discussion of decks that the Architectural Committee consider dangerous and a letter that was requested.  The Architectural Committee should send the first letter.  Mike will follow up with Dom.

Landscaping:  Check for $75 was received for winning second place in the Hershey’s Mill Entrance Decorating competition. The money will be given to the Decorating Committee to reimburse Michelle Cohen for decorations she purchased.

AC Tree will be coming in February to trim holly bushes. The cost is $1535.  A total of $10,730 was in the budget and has been approved for tree removal – which will occur in the next few months.

Jay Harter received a call from Jack Keeley about cracks in the road pavement he felt should be filled before the seal coating is done. Jack thought we could fill the cracks ourselves but Dom Aleardi felt we should have the paving company do the filling. Council agreed we will hold off on any crack repairs until our drainage issues are resolved.

Mike Pincus met with Ed McFalls concerning the drainage issues.  Ed McFalls agreed that the work done at 530 was the responsibility of the master association and Franklin Village will be reimbursed by the master association.  Ed will check the other drainage issues to determine if the master association is responsible for any of the other problem areas. Paul Welle’s input to Margaret Callahan was very helpful.

Welcome Committee:  Jack Keeley sent a note about information to be included in the welcome packet.

There was a discussion about the real estate rules from the master association that he wanted added to the welcome packet. Margaret Callahan will compare with the Franklin Village real estate rules.  Janet Burgess said should be consistent among all of the villages.  Mike Pincus said the master association document committee is still working on the rules document.  Jack also included a list of contact numbers that that he suggested we send to all residents. Mike Pincus will talk to Jack Keeley about the contact list.

Pool Committee:  An estimate for fixing the concrete apron around the pool will be provided in the next couple of weeks.  Margaret Callahan brought up staining the old shed. Margaret and Bill Shipley will handle it. No one has been able to get in touch with Rich from Giuliani Pools ( contact was made after the meeting – contract should be forth coming).

A question was raised about replacing the lock handles that were damaged by squirrels.  We will check about replacement.

Communications: All communications requested have been sent.

Garage & Street Lights:  Kevin Callahan is being contacted by residents to replace lights.

Maintenance: Mike Pincus will talk to Dom Aleardi about adding more members to the committee.

Margaret Callahan brought up the idea of asking resident’s if they have any expertise that might be useful when issues arise in the village.  The example of Paul Welle providing advice concerning the drainage issues was given. Bill Shipley will send out an email asking for expertise.

Old Business: The issue of the ramp at 533 was discussed.  Bob Gottschall received a document from the resident explaining why he wished to keep the ramp.  Council agreed that the ramp should remain.

The proposal from Bachmann Roofing was discussed. Mike Pincus has received three estimates from them and will continue to negotiate the price.  Mike will also request proposals from two other roofing companies.

The pest control company will be doing termite inspections, March 25, April 8, April 22, and May 6. The inspections will be external. If residents want them to do an inside inspection, they will have to request it. There is no additional charge for an inside inspection. Janet Burgess will notify Bill Shipley about sending out a note to residents.

New Business: None.

The next council meeting will be held on Thursday March 16, 2023 at 9:00am

Meeting was adjourned at 10:15 am.

Respectfully submitted by Bill Shipley

 

 

 

Meeting started at 7:05 PM – at Community Center

Jay Harter shared a Summary of 2022 Finances.

At the end of 2022, we ended up with a deficit of $27K.

One of our big expenses this year – We spent $23K in 2022 on problems underneath the road (stormwater sewer pipes and grading).   We had a company come and take pictures/videos in those pipes in September, so we can get a better idea of future issues. They found several minor problems in the pipes (cracks/leaks).  Will need to fix.  Mike Pincus to talk to Master Association to see what funds they can contribute.  We anticipate some costs in 2023 to cover those issues.  We don’t know what it will cost, so we aren’t putting money in.  If we don’t have enough next year, it might be an assessment.

At the end of 2022 – We have a $27K deficit due to the landscaping rejuvenation project and the pipe/sinkhole repairs.  Council considered 3 alternatives to pay for the deficit.

1. Assess everyone $317 this year.
2. Carry loss over to 2023 budget, but that would add $79 to quarterly fees (before other increases hit).
3. Pull from Reserve fund. We talked to CSK, accountants, and auditors and got their ok.   This is the one we chose to do.     This means we need to make sure we get these funds built back up in our reserves.  We plan to do that within 2 years.

 

Planning for 2023

The Master’s Association cost will go up due to insurance, landscaping (not FV specific), and trash. 3.9% increase for Master’s Association.  Insurance had the largest percentage increase.

Our contract with Hershey’s Mill Landscaping ends in 2023 (was a 4-year contract).

We will increase what we are contributing to our Reserves by $7870 per year.

We won’t power wash – which will save $11K (we do it every other year).

We will do pest control this year – $5K.

A big contribution to the 2023 budget was the FV landscaping funds.  These funds are different than the HM Landscaping contract.   Michelle and her team went house by house to figure out a budget and they saved $8K from our normal expenses for that portion of our landscaping.  (Although Michelle warned that we can’t anticipate surprises). The savings from our FV Landscaping Committee help offset the increase from HM Landscaping.

Bottom Line:   For 2023 – Our Quarterly fees will go from $1730 to $1800.    4% increase.

We have $782,000 in the Reserve fund as of 2022.

Of all the villages that Jay was able to obtain information on, Franklin is fourth from the bottom in terms of Quarterly fee cost.   Not all villages have their numbers done for the year, yet.  But we feel certain that our fees will remain one of the lowest.   Some of the villages that have lower fees pay their own water and all their own insurance (single homes).

2023 QUARTERLY RATES to compare

ZEPYHR                                 $2,533

GLENWOOD                       $2,195

INVERNESS                         $2,194

CHATHAM                           $2,021

MERRIFIELD                        $2,000

OAKMONT                          $1,965

ROBYNWOOD                    $1,950

PRINCETON                        $1,925

HLN                                        $1,917

VASSAR                              $1,850

FRANKLIN                           $1,800

ULSTER                              $1,775

TROON                               $1,760

QUAKER                             $1,633

 

Our focus in terms of large projects in 2023 are:

1. Our stormwater pipes under the roads – fixing known leaks and keeping an eye out for future leaks.
2. Our roofs were installed in 1999-2000. Approximately 35 of our houses have had a leak in the last two years. Some residents more than others.  It’s time for us to start the process of getting the roofs inspected, talking to contractors, get pricing and input into what we should do in terms of replacing.

Mike Pincus

Reminded the group that the Master’s Association does the negotiating for the larger contracts (insurance, landscaping, trash, water).   Companies don’t want to negotiate with individual villages, they want to negotiate with the Master’s Association so they can get several/many villages at one time. This also gives the Master’s Association leverage as they compare bids.

Obviously, inflation and rising gas prices are affecting the cost of goods and services.  We need to keep planning properly.  Mike thanked the Finance Committee for their work on the yearly budget and acknowledged the challenge they face.

Mike to meet with the first roofing contractor on Monday, November 14^th and start the process of collecting information.

Dave Ogletree mentioned the flashing.  The flashing goes up under the siding and creates different elevations.  He believes it is the flashing that is leaking on some of our houses.  The siding will need to be removed in some instances to address the flashing issues.

Michelle Cohen mentioned the kickout flashing (also called diverter flashing) needs to be looked at (are incorrect).

Resident’s questions/concerns:

Have we considered metal roofs?  Noisy.  More expensive.  Last longer.    We will talk to contractors about that option.

What vendor(s) are we looking at?  Bachman’s Roofing out of Wernersville (near Reading).       KPI – Rich Jurgen said Kennett used them.  Worked rain/sleet/snow.

Are we considering solar panels?  Will be discussed with roofing contractors.  (Ogletree) Solar panel installers will insist you have a new/young roof.  Would need approval from the Master’s Association.  Mike said it is currently being discussed at the monthly MA meetings.

Street lighting – there is a concern that lighting in all of Hershey’s Mill is inadequate.  Council will keep it on our radar.     Franklin Village, like the Master’s Association, are being cautious with projects until we have a full picture of our stormwater pipe issues.

Sealing for roads – it is in the reserves ($25K).  We anticipate having the funds when needed.  But will still wait to see about the stormwater pipes/leaks/cracks before we do any sealing of the roads.

 

Michelle Cohen/Jack Keeley – Landscaping

We very much appreciate people letting us (The Landscaping Committee) know when you are planting new items.  We still need you to fill in a Landscaping Form.  We want to ensure you are planting plants that are ok for the size/area.  We don’t want plants to go in that will become out of control and overgrown in 5-10 years.

Pachysandra – in common ground, should really be cut back from house foundations and trees/bushes.   The only area you are required to take care of is the 18 inches from your house, and the trees/bushes if possible.  If you are physically unable to do that work, let Michelle know and she will work with you. We will get volunteers to help you out. We want to take care of each other and help when needed.  Our goals is to make sure you tell us any issues you have, and we will work with you to figure out a good solution.

Trees hanging over your house.  Our contract only takes care of trees 12 feet from the ground.   AC Tree will be out in the spring to take care of trees hanging over houses higher than 12 feet.   We are walking around constantly – please be patience with us, we are trying to keep up with it all, while watching what we spend.

Thank you to everyone for coming tonight.

Meeting adjourned 7:40 PM.

 

 

In Attendance: Mike Pincus, Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bob Gottschall, Janet Burgess

Not attending: Bill Shipley

Architectural Committee representatives (Dom Aleardi and Jeanette Schmid joined at 9:20am)

Meeting called to order by Mike Pincus at 9:02 am.

September 22, 2022 meeting minutes were approved.    Bill Shipley to distribute.  Margaret to post on web site.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported the results of the Finance Committee meeting.

The Finance Committee worked hard to control the budget increase for 2023.  It was originally coming in at 7-8% increase, but they got it to 4%.   Inflation is up around 8.4% today.  We reviewed items that are increasing such as:

• Water costs keep rising by 7-8%
• Trash removal increased.
• Insurance went up a large amount. This is negotiated on the Master’s Association level.
• We increased what we are putting in our Reserve fund (increased by approx. $10K). We had reduced it last year and didn’t want to do that again.
• Our contributions to the Master Association increased.
• Pest control will be done in 2023 (gets done every other year).
• Landscaping Committee reduced their budget (more info under Landscaping Committee).
• Maintenance – we seem to have a lot of little things that piled up. Need to try to do more ourselves.  Need help from residents.

The Finance Committee is wary that no funds are budgeted in 2023 for pipe issues, even though we spent $20K this year for surprise pipe issues.  The first report back from Pipe Data View shows 3 issues “hole in pipe”. Two are moderate severity. One is light severity.  But, if something turns into a major issue with our pipes, we may have to resort to an assessment to pay for it.     Mike Pincus will take the pipe photos to Ed McFalls to see if he knows the exact location of the small holes found in the pipes. The Master’s Association is doing some repairs to pipes, and one of them is in Franklin. We wonder if that MA pipe fix is one of our issues pointed out.  We had provided to them a marked-up map of FV. Dom marked the drainage lines.

Quarterly Due increase.  The Finance Committee recommended an increase of 4% which will be $1800 per quarter starting in 2023.  The motion was approved by the 4 council members who were present at the meeting.

In addition, Council approved pulling $23K from reserves to pay for landscaping rejuvenation. If we had not pulled from Reserves, it would have added an additional $75 month increase to our Quarterly Dues increase.

Mike thanked the Finance Committee for their work.  Franklin has been, and remains, on the low end of Quarterly fee amounts, compared to other villages.  Council is aware of the desire of residents to keep those quarterly fees constant, but we want to avoid the very large assessments we are seeing other villages must implement.  And/or we want to avoid borrowing money.  The November 10^th Financial Meeting is open to all residents, at 7pm.

We as an individual village can’t negotiate some of our contracts. Some of our fixed contracts are done with 10+ villages (e.g., trash, landscaping, etc.). We are not immune to the rising costs.

Bob asked about the postage line item in the budget.  Janet explained that some items for an HOA, as required by law, must be sent by USPS.

COMMITTEE NEWS

Architectural – Dom and Jeanette provided Council an update on questions and/or issues with #533, #535, #543, #564, #600.  There will be follow up with each – either conversations, emails, or letters from CSK.

Although the Architectural Committees does regular walk arounds, residents need to make sure their decks are safe.  If a deck looks unstable the Architectural Committee will notify the resident.  Decks should be inspected by a qualified contractor and the resident should get a certification from the contractor proving that it has been inspected.  Decks that are leaning, slanting, or unstable should never be ignored.

Residents are reminded that ANY AND ALL work done outside of their house needs an Architectural Request form to be filled out and submitted to the committee.

Windows – the Architectural Committee has looked at 6 different brands of windows and found the Paradigm window to be most like our current windows and acceptable for use.  Again, any change of this type, needs an Architectural Request form and recommendation from the Committee.

Front doors – Architectural Committee is looking at doors.  If they determine painting is needed for door or jamb, the village will cover the cost (currently about 8 doors need painting).  The storm door is the responsibility of the homeowner.  Most look to be in good condition.

Landscaping

Michelle Cohen did a detailed house-by-house budget and managed to reduce the landscaping costs by $7-8K for 2023.

Bob asked for more information about the requirement to pull pachysandra from foundations and shrub/tree bases.

Residents are reminded that ANY AND ALL work done outside of their house needs a Landscaping Request form to be filled out and submitted to the committee.

Welcome

No new residents to welcome since the last meeting.  We just had 1 resale so far in 2022.

Pool

Margaret said that the pool is covered, and furniture stored for the winter.  Bill will test the water monthly.  Margaret will drain excess water (after heavy rain/snow) throughout the winter.  This is done to protect the tile at the top of the pool.  Our weekly volunteers did a great job this year.

Margaret to contact Rich at Guiliani Pools for 2023 pool contract.

Documents

Mike suggested reviewing/revising the Architectural Request form to make it easier and clearer for residents to understand, and easier for the Committee to explain.   If a resident receives multiple notices about the same infraction, the HOA will retain a contractor to fix the issue and bill the homeowner.

Communications

Bill Shipley was not at the meeting to report.

Council would like Bill to send an email to be sent out with reminders for the Fall/Winter season.

• Turn off your outside water. (If you have a shut off valve inside, turn that off and let the outside spigot drain).
• Disconnect outside hoses and put them in storage for the winter.
• If outside lights (outside of garage, or streetlights) need a new bulb, contact Kevin Callahan.
• For those residents that own a deck (particularly an older deck). For your safety, you should consider having a qualified contractor inspect your deck to ensure it is stable.  Decks that are leaning, slanting, or unstable should never be ignored. Decks are the homeowner’s responsibility.

Masters Association Meeting minutes are sent out from the Technology Committee via email.  They can also be found on the website https://hersheysmill.org/the-mill/master-association/

Maintenance

Our general maintenance costs are high – and Council welcomes residents that are comfortable doing maintenance tasks (small paint jobs, mailbox lettering, etc.) to join the Maintenance Committee so we can control those costs a bit.

However, we reviewed all items that fell under ‘maintenance’ in the budget so far this year.  Many of them (particularly roof leak patching) was not something we could do ourselves.

Lights

Kevin Callahan is the contact for light bulbs (outside of garage and streetlights).  Send him an email or call if you see a bulb needs replacing.  4 replaced since the last meeting.

Old Business

None

New Business

Pipe Data View Results – Due to the surprise leaks we had in our pipes this year ($20K) we hired Pipe Data to run camera through all our piping so we can get an idea how much, or how little, of a problem we should anticipate. The photos and videos were sent to CSK. Janet reviewed all the photos and found three with an issue – two were a moderate issue. One was a slight issue.  Mike to take those photos to Ed McFalls to see if he can tell us the exact location.  It seems like good news so far – there were only three holes, but we need to dig in and understand the information better.

Proposed Amendment for Insurance – Due to the large increase in HOA insurance ($35K in 2022 to $45K in 2023), Assured Partners our insurance broker recommends the Master Association, and the individual villages amend our Declaration of Covenants document to remove a set dollar amount for the deductible (currently $7500).  We need the flexibility of being able to raise the deductible residents pay before the HOA insurance kicks in.  This must be done prior to September 2023 (when HOA village insurance gets negotiated again).  This Amendment will need 67% approval by residents.  It can be done through email if we get 67% affirmative vote.  The last time this was done, was in 2009 when the deductible went from $2500 to $7500.  CSK will work on this Amendment in January of 2023.  The document will need to be recorded at the courthouse.

Pest Control

Every other year, we have termite inspections paid for by the HOA.  Moyer Pest Control will do the termite inspections in 2023 for 86 homes at a cost of $4300.  They will block 4 Saturdays (March 25, April 8, April 22, May 6) to perform the inspections.  They will do the outside of all houses and hang a notice on the resident’s door indicating it was done.

If a resident wants the interior inspected, they will have that option (at no additional cost).

Information Items/Correspondence

Crack in asphalt near #555.  Delaware Valley Paving contacted Oct 12^th.

Email was sent to residents conveying Council’s support of all members of our committees.

Finance Meeting open to all Residents to be held November 10^th.

Next Council meeting will be held in January 2023 (date TBD).

Meeting adjourned at 10:50 am.

 

Respectfully submitted by Margaret Callahan

 

 

 

Link to Franklin Village website https://hersheysmill.org/villages/a-m-villages/franklin/

In Attendance:  Mike Pincus, Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bob Gottschall, Bill Shipley and Janet Burgess.

Meeting called to order at 9:10 AM by Mike Pincus.

July 21, 2022 Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported the budget has currently been overspent by $18,615 due to Landscaping rejuvenation and Grading & Drainage.  Jay suggested a one-time assessment or an increase in quarterly fees to make up the deficit. Jay said the Financial Committee will meet in October and he will have their recommendation ready for Council at our November meeting.

Mike Pincus will be meeting with Ed McFalls to see if the Master Association will help out with the drainage expenses.

Early budget input from the Master Association looks like there will be an increase of $75.  Bob Gottschall asked about the 27% increase in insurance costs from the Master Association.  Janet Burgess explained how the MA Insurance Committee works and felt they probably got the best price available.

The Village budget meeting will take place on November 10, 2022.

Committee Updates:

Architectural: The committee came up with a list of homes needing paint of decks and enclosures. Seven home owners were notified.  Mike Pincus said they all complained to him saying they couldn’t afford the work.

Dom Aleardi requested that the council send a letter to home owners in support of the of the Architectural committee. Council agreed that all Committees need the support of Council, because their efforts save the Village money, alert residents of safety issues, and keep the village in good shape enhancing the value of our homes.  Janet Burgess will draft the letter.

The Architectural Committee said some of the enclosures could be cleaned instead of painting.

Architectural forms are needed in order to make sure the people doing the work are insured.

The possibility of providing a list of approved contractors was brought up.  Mike Pincus felt we shouldn’t provide a list because it would appear that the council was promoting certain contractors.

Landscaping:  Aerating and overseeding will be done shortly at a cost of $5100. Bob Gottschall will check with Michelle Cohen about when it will occur.

Mike Pincus has scheduled a walking path walk around for September 30 at 11:00 AM.  Mike will check with Michelle Cohen about joining the walk around. Some of the tree need to be replaced.

Welcome Committee:  No new residents.

Pool Committee:  The pool has been closed for the season. The electricity supply to the new shed has not been done yet. There was a discussion of the need for repair of the concrete apron.

The old shed needs to be stained, Margaret Callahan will check with Dom Aleardi.

Documents Committee:  Mike Pincus shared copies of the Franklin Village Maintenance Responsibilities: Association and Homeowner 2022.  Margaret Callahan will add a copy of the document to the website.

Mike Pincus suggested adding verbiage about prohibiting unattended dogs being tied to a stake to the Village Guidelines, section 5.1. Margaret will update the copy on the website.

Communications: All communications requested have been sent.

Garage & Street Lights:  Kevin Callahan has 2 lights to replace.

Maintenance: Electricity connection for new shed has not been completed. Janet Burgess will check with the contractor.

Old Business: Shed electric and drainage issues were discussed. We still haven’t received a report from Softdig concerning the drainage issue. Janet Burgess will get the report from Softdig.

New Business: Bill Shipley brought up comments he received from residents about the power washing and about when council meetings are held. Margaret Callahan will update the website to say the council meetings are held monthly.

The next council meeting will be held on Thursday October 27, 2022 at 9:00am

Meeting was adjourned at 10:46 am.

Respectfully submitted by Bill Shipley

 

In Attendance:  Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bob Gottschall, Bill Shipley and Janet Burgess.  Also Dominic Aleardi and Diane Carlin of the Architectural Committee joined at 9:00 AM.

Paul and Jackie Welle joined at 9:30 AM.

Jay Harter left at 10:00 AM.

Not Attending:  Mike Pincus

Meeting called to order at 8:48 AM by Margaret Callahan.

June 15, 2022 Meeting minutes were already approved and distributed.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported the budget has currently been overspent by $15,000 due to Landscaping rejuvenation.  Jay said we will be able to cover the overage without an assessment.

He also suggested investing the $600,000 in cash in 3% CDs for 4 years offered by Franklin Mint where we already have accounts.  There is $135,000 invested in a CD that matures in2024. After discussing possible options, the recommendation was to invest $400,000 in the Franklin Mint CDs leaving $200,000 in cash available for immediate use.

Committee Updates:

Architectural: The following is a summary provide by Margaret Callahan.

Dom Aleardi and Diane Carlin attended the July 21, 2022 Council meeting to discuss the Architectural Committee’s decision to deny approval of the request for an Enclosed Patio at 548 Franklin. They explained that the Franklin Village rules/guidelines, as written, do not support the following proposed items:

• Sliding windows vs. Franklin Village casement window.
• Matching window color to the siding (lighter clay color that frames the window) vs. Franklin Village brown.
• There was a difference of opinion about whether the structure is semi-permanent or permanent.

All parties agreed the Paradigm brand is acceptable. Council acknowledges the sliding window (Paradigm Series 8) does not have the desire ‘flat’ frame similar to our current casement windows.

Paul and Jackie Welle appealed the decision to Council, in order to get a better understanding of the denial, and to present a case for an update of the FV rules/guidelines based on current building materials, costs, quality, and warranty.

As a result of the discussion with both parties, Council requests the full Architectural Committee consider the following changes to the Architectural rules/guidelines.

1. Eliminate distinguishing between permanent and semi-permanent structure in order to streamline the different rules for both.
2. Allow vinyl windows as an additional option to metal wood clad.
3. Allow window color to match siding clay color (the lighter of the clay colors). This would only apply to windows on an Addition, not windows on the main house.
4. Allow sliding windows as an option. This would only apply to windows on an Addition, not windows on the main house.

The Architectural Committee is challenged with making decisions that are consistent, best for the majority, and current.  Council appreciates the time and energy spent by the Architectural Committee to keep requests on a ‘level playing field’ so we don’t have glaring inconsistencies from house to house.

Council recognizes that we currently have many houses with variation to our rules/guidelines, and for that reason, did not find this specific request to be out of line within the Village.  Therefore, the Council approves the Architectural request appeal for 548 Franklin Way, including the sliding windows and window color to match the siding.  We approve as a Case Study, and request a follow up visit to 548 from Council, after completion, in order to have an opportunity to observe the color and window choices, and their effect on the architectural appearance within our village.

Council will send a letter of approval to the Welle’s.

Thank you to the entire Architectural Committee for your cooperation and participation.

 

Landscaping:  Bob Gottschall related how the committee had produced a very detailed list of landscaping needs and had been doing a great job.

Welcome Committee:  The Satterfields were welcomed.

Pool Committee:  The pool has been having Calcium Hardness and chlorine issues which are being addressed.  Janet Burgess will check the status having the electricity supply connected. An electrician has been chosen.

Documents Committee:  No update due to Mike Pincus being absent.

Communications: All communications requested have been sent.

Garage & Street Lights:  Dominic Aleardi gave Kevin Callahan the supply of light bulbs he had. If homeowners notice any light burned out they should contact Kevin Callahan.

Maintenance: Dominic Aleardi told of the garage door jams being sprayed with Critter Ridder and that some needed to be fixed and painted. Dominic Aleardi stated that many deck posts need to be painted and that he has paint sticks of the correct color (Dark Brown). Margaret Callahan asked about mail box numbers as several are missing.

Old Business: There was a discussion of the drain line problem that may be causing sink holes. Janet Burgess reported that Softdig was the company that was going to check the drain lines.  Bill Shipley stated that Softdig had been in his cul-de-sac examining the storm drain.  Janet Burgess will check with Softdig.  They had requested a map of the drain lines which Janet asked Ed McFalls for.  She felt the map was not that helpful.  Dominic Aleardi said he had a map of the drain lines that he will have copies made for Janet Burgess so she can provide it to Softdig. There have been several issues (leaks) with the piping under our roads in the past few years. This is occurring in other villages as well. Council agreed we need to stay vigilant and proactive on the issues, as these tend to be high-cost repairs.

New Business: Bob Gottschall brought possible changes to the election procedure. The possibility of mail-in ballots using a secrecy envelope was discussed. Janet Burgess thought it would add costs and would be difficult to administer. The idea of 2 people helping Janet to count votes was suggested, and agreed upon. Currently all ballots and tally sheets are kept for one year.

There was a recommendation that future letters about garage doors being left open should take a gentler approach, and will start with a reminder from Council (vs. CSK) to the Resident, reminding them that our rules state that garage doors should be kept closed.

Janet Burgess explained that individual homeowner files were not transferred over from the previous management company, Midatlantic, when CSK took over in 2017.

The next council meeting will be held on Thursday September 22, 2022 at 9:00am

Meeting was adjourned at 11:07 am.

Respectfully submitted by Bill Shipley

In Attendance:  Mike Pincus, Jay Harter, Margaret Callahan, Bob Gottschall, Bill Shipley and Janet Burgess

May 25, 2022 Annual Meeting minutes were already approved and distributed.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported the budget is on track.

The Landscape budget is over the $25,000 planned due to rejuvenation, but we were able to cover the expense without pulling from the Reserves.

The shed and reflector posts funds did come from the Reserves.

Income is close to what was budgeted even though home sales are down.

Margaret Callahan asked about the water bills being monitored for increases that might indicate leaking. Jay Harter said he was monitoring the water usage on the 7 bills from AQUA.

 

Committee Updates:

Mike Pincus said he has received positive comments about the new committees.

Bob Gottschall brought up the question of how committees are selected. In the past when residents volunteered, they would be given the position they sought because there was no competition. The President of the Council would also choose committee chairs. Since there is nothing specified in the Village Rules, a discussion took place about updating written rules about committee selection.  Bob Gottschall will develop rules for committee selection. Council members can email Bob with any suggestions.

Architectural: Dominic Aleardi will be chair of the committee. Committee members are Diane Carlin, Julie Herring, Sandy Ogletree, Jeanette Schmid, Joyce Goodman, and Mike Webber. Paul Welle and Bob Cohen will be notified, by Bob Gottschall, that the committee is full but they will be considered if any vacancies arise.

An Architectural walk around was done. Recommendations concerning patio enclosures will be coming soon. An Architectural request from a resident concerning replacing a patio enclosure was reviewed by the committee. The resident will be contacted for clarification and additional details.

Some decks had paint that is fading and wood that is rotting. Homeowners will be notified by the committee.

Landscaping:  Michelle Cohen and JackKeeley are co-chairs. The committee did a walk around of the village. Recommendations will be forthcoming. The Proposal for Nutgrass Control from Hershey’s Mill Landscaping was approved, $775.  The problem with invasive ground cover was discussed.  The Landscape committee may help residents who can’t do their own trimming/cleanup of the invasive ground cover.

Welcome Committee:  No new residents this year.

Pool Committee:  The pool volunteers have been doing a great job with the pool. The cement around the pool may need to be replaced. It has been repaired many times. It continues to crack and lift up.

The shed needs to have the electricity supply connected. This will require a permit from the township. Jay will check with Dominic Aleardi.

Documents Committee:  An update is needed to the section on pet regulations. Mike Pincus will have the committee come up with updates.

Communications: All communications requested have been sent.  We are up to 112 email addresses receiving our communications.  There are still 4 residents having communications hand delivered. Judy Jurgen will continue to update the Committee lists.

Web Page: Photos from the recent Cocktail Party at the Community Center have been posted.

Garage & Street Lights:  Kevin Callahan replaced 8 lights so far.  They will use the new storage shed for storage.  If homeowners notice any light burned out they should contact Kevin Callahan.

Maintenance: Dominic Aleardi will chair the committee.  Dominic will attend the HM Maintenance Managers Meeting on June 30, 2022. Dominic installed shelving in the shed.

Homeowner issues:  A homeowner asked about the election results from May 25, 2022. They were told that the number of votes was not published but they could review the ballots at the CSK office in King of Prussia. After a discussion of the elections results being published, a motion was made by Bob Gottschall, seconded by Bill Shipley, to publish the results of the Franklin Village elections.  The motion failed.  3 against, 2 in favor.

A homeowner requested power washing. Jay Harter said power washing is scheduled for the fall of 2022. Power washing is budgeted for every other year.

A homeowner reported that their steps were cracking and needed repair. Mike Pincus will take photos.

A homeowner asked about getting carpenter bees exterminated. Carpenter bee traps are available at the Wood Shop for $15.  Extermination is not recommended due to cost and ineffectiveness.  Homeowners can choose to do on their own, at their own expense.

Old Business: Walking Path – Mike Pincus requested a meeting be scheduled with the residents directly affected. Bill Shipley will get the list of interested parties from Judy Jurgan and send an email.

The sinkhole repair is temporary because there is a leaking pipe that needs to be investigated and repaired.  Jay Harter will get estimates for the additional work.

Gutter cleaning was completed. Gutter cleaning is scheduled for 2x a year.

New Business: Bob Gottschall brought up parking for clarification about the definition of “in use” that is stated in the rules. Further specification may be needed. Mike will look into parking spacing (distance) regulations/guidelines. Complaints from residents will be investigated by the council.

The next council meeting will be held on Thursday July 21, 2022 at 9:00am

Meeting was adjourned at 10:29 am.

Respectfully submitted by Bill Shipley

Dom Aleardi thanked the Council members and Janet Burgess for their work.

Rejuvenation: Dom Aleardi reported the rejuvenation looks good except for the rhododendrons.
Dom explained that if they don’t come back they will be replaced. The biggest hurdle was
dealing with Hershey’s Mill Landscape. He noted that we have a contract with them but they
lack adequate supervision and communication.

Walking Trail: A two-year contract with the Master’s Association was negotiated for the plants
along the walking trail, starting November 2021. The contract includes watering plants.

New Shed: A shed has been installed by the pool to store our Village decorations, siding, social
committee supplies and pool furniture. The shed will be landscaped and have a flagstone
walkway from the street to the door.

Village Signs:
– The directional signs have been refurbished and have new numbers.
– Village signs have been repainted.
– Guidance posts will be replaced with pressure treated wood with vinyl sleeves and
reflective stripes.

Stucco and Pebble Board: Curt Varallo has repaired the pebble board and garage stucco and is
in the process of painting the stucco. If you notice any spots that have been missed, please notify
Council.

Road Seal: The roads are scheduled to be sealed in July, pending weather. Before this is done
two sink holes will be repaired, by 563 and 593, and 2 drains will be installed, by 530 and 556.

Finance Report:
– In 2021 the utility costs were high and we had more snow than normal. The check from
the Master’s Association for trees we had removed along the walking path the year before
helped with the higher costs.
– The 2022 fixed costs were within budget and there was little snow. Maintenance is a
little under budget as there aren’t typically many projects at the beginning of the year.
– There will be no assessment for landscaping.
– We have $710,000 in reserves.
– Roofs – We have roofers looking at our roofs and repairs are made when needed.
– Franklin Village is 5th lowest out of 27 villages for quarterly fees.

Internet Demo – Margaret Callahan demonstrated how to get to the Franklin Village site and
what it contains.

Pool Committee: Bill Shipley reported that the pool is ready for the opening this Saturday. He
thanked the pool volunteers.

Communications: Bill Shipley asked the group to think about whether they wanted a spread
sheet format or PDF for the residents’ list. There are still 5 residents who get information hand
delivered to them.

Rules and Regulations:
– Mike Pincus reported that three years ago a committee was set up to review all Village
rules. He thanked the committee and noted that the rules will continue to be monitored.
He also thanked Margaret Callahan and Bill Shipley for creating the ability to be
transparent with the rules and regulations.
– Mike noted that CSK provides a paper trail that is very valuable. When a resident
contacts CSK an email is sent to Council members and the topic is discussed at the next
Council meeting.
– Mike thanked Dom and the Council for their work and transparency.

Landscape and Architecture Committee: Sandy Ogletree reported that there really wasn’t
anything to report but reminded the group to use request forms when planning any work outside
the home. Any questions should be addressed to your zone leader.

Maintenance Committee: Dom reminded the group how important volunteers are and how a
maintenance committee could save the Village money.

Welcome Committee: Louise Harter reported that Patti George had retired and the committee is
up to date on welcoming new residents. She introduced new residents Linda and Spencer
Videon at 556 and Lisa and Mike Psenicska at 574.

Social Committee: Jacki Welle shared that the committee’s purpose was to welcome new
people, provide a family atmosphere and have fun doing things we enjoy. Future activities
include a hoagie party in July, ice cream social in September, Halloween party with covered dish
dinner and Christmas party at HMGC. The next event will be a cocktail party on June 9th. Jacki
thanked the committee.

Bocce: Carolynn Hincken explained that the goal is to make Franklin Village the friendliest and
most active Village with bocce. You don’t have to know how to play bocce, it is an easy game
to learn, and you can attend just to be social. Bocce is usually the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the
month.

Decoration Committee: Michelle Cohen expressed she is grateful for the new shed and thanked
the group for volunteering and their financial support. She asked for suggestions to be directed
to her.

Council Vote Results: The following were elected for two-year positions: Margaret Callahan,
Jay Harter and Bill Shipley. Bob Gottschall was elected for the one-year position. Officers are
President-Mike Pincus, Vice President-Margaret Callahan, Treasurer-Jay Harter, Secretary-Bill
Shipley and Council at Large-Bob Gottschall.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm.

In Attendance:  Dom Aleardi, Jay Harter, Sandy Ogletree, Mike Pincus and Janet Burgess

Reading of the April minutes was waved.

Financial:  Jay Harter reported that it was too early for a report.

Architectural:  Several companies were visited to find a suitable vinyl window replacement for our current model and none were satisfactory.

Landscaping:  A review of what was missed on last year’s rejuvenation by Hershey’s Mill Landscaping and current status of rejuvenated plants was done by Dom Aleardi and Sandy Ogletree.  Hershey’s Mill Landscaping has started planting replacement plants removed because of rejuvenation.  Landscape requests were approved from Dom Aleardi, Maryann DiNunzio, Gabe Mehreteab, Jeanette Schmid and Paul and Jackie Welle, all at owners’ expense.  Walking trail plants that need replacing will be done this month.  The big sewer drains in lawn areas have not been cleared by Hershey’s Mill Landscaping.  The care of drains should be included in the next landscape contract.

Welcome Committee:  John Marchegiano and Lisa Drummond (522) were welcomed.

Patti George has submitted her resignation. Council would like to thank Patti for her service to the Village.  Current committee consists of Louise Harter and Carolynn Hincken.

Pool Committee:  The pool is on track for opening for Memorial Day weekend.  Furniture will be cleaned on May 14^th.  The pool apron will be power washed by Curt Varallo on May 13^th.

Communications:  Emails will be sent out regarding care for new plants and information about rhododendron rejuvenation.

Old Business:  A work order was sent to Curt Varallo to paint doors at 538, 585 and 564.

New Business:

• Tree pruning at 560 does not meet criteria.
• Stump removal at 570 – Dom Aleardi will talk to homeowner and AC Tree.
• Seal Coating/Drains/Sink holes – The contract was approved for Macadam Company, Inc. at a cost of $25,430 for the sealcoating and $1,700 for the 2 drains at 529/530 and 556/557. They will be asked to repair 2 sinkholes at 563 and 593 while doing the sealcoating.
• Annual Meeting is scheduled for May 25^th at 7:00. Jay will contact the Social Committee and ask them if they have any plans for the meeting.
• Directional Posts­­­­ were discussed with Curt Varallo. They should be pressure treated wood, with vinyl sleeves and reflective strips.

Council members were thanked for their work.  Meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm.

In Attendance: Dom Aleardi, Mike Pincus, Jay Harter,, Sandy Ogletree, Judy Jurgan, And Janet Burgess

Reading of the March minutes was waived

Financial:  A quote for $12,000 was received for installation of the 12×20 foot shed, with windows and electricity. This will accommodate some of the pool furniture as well as the leftover siding, Christmas decorations and anything else the Village needs storage for. The maximum to be spent on the shed was capped at $15K. This was voted on and approved by council.

Architectural:  Drains are needed at 529-530 to prevent ice buildup in front of the garage doors and the nearby trash bins.  A second drain is needed at 556 to prevent water damage on the interior corner and flooding into the garage because of high volume road runoff.

Landscaping:  An area behind the garages of 547-548 is muddy and covered in moss due to a lack of drainage.  Estimates will be obtained to see how best the situation can be remedied.  Spring cleanup will be done by HML.

Pool: An email will be circulated to everyone in the village asking for volunteers for pool duty. Margaret Callahan sent a report on the pool to Dom and the amount of work she and Bill Shipley have already done is commendable.

Documents: Updated rules of the village will be sent out by email and posted on the Franklin Village website.

Old Business: Curt Varallo will finish painting the stucco board based on the weather.

Elections: In May three residents will be elected to two-year terms and one person will be elected for one-year.

Meeting adjourned at 3:15PM