Harpeth Trace Services Association

Meeting Minutes 10-03-2005

Jan 28, 2006

Harpeth Trace Services Association

Vice President Steve Roche called the meeting to order at 7:10 a.m. at Bread & Company on Highway 100. In addition to Steve, directors in attendance were Mary Ann Dorris, Jim Mathieson, Susan Mitchell, Sanford Payton, Linda Shoun, and Bill Wainwright. Kathleen Sutherland of Ghertner & Co. was also present.

Steve explained that President Ken Darby had requested a special meeting with Scott Ghertner to formally voice the various complaints that Board members had about our management company, Ghertner & Co. Kathleen then explained that she was at the meeting because she manages the Community Association Division at the company, and is responsible for the managers. She said that attendance at the meeting was not delegated to her, but instead that it was part of her responsibility to meet with a Board when a problem or complaint about service was brought to her attention.

Kathleen started her reply with the statement that our contract with Ghertner & Co extends through January, 2007; she offered to show the Board the copy which she had taken to the meeting, but the offer was declined. This writer does not have a copy of the final contract, but a preliminary draft does mention a three-year term from the date of the contract.

Many grievances were expressed by Board members and recorded by Kathleen during the following approximately one and a half hour session. Kathleen addressed a concern about delays in past projects, and described a drainage project a few years ago that was protracted due to Metro requirements. She mentioned that many factors contribute to the speed of work. On the other hand, the failure to follow up on requested work, failure to supervise contract work such as landscape maintenance, repairs on street lights, and irrigation equipment were accepted as the responsibility of our Ghertner account representative. In response to a question from a Board member, she said our Ghertner representative cruises through the neighborhood at least once a week and performs any corrective actions needed, but files no report with the Board.

Ms. Sutherland explained that a management company?’s job is to conduct the day to day business of the Association, including bringing the right people into projects. She said that some large projects require specialists, such as engineers, and that the Board makes decisions.

When the current system for bill payment was explained, in which Board members receive and approve all invoices, she told the Board that the manager should review bills, and pay the approved amount when the work is determined to be complete. The Board asked that the manager be pro-active in making recommendations especially concerning long term needs, and she said that the manager can accommodate that request.

She said she would address the following matters:
?• She will advise the manager Steve Kravitz to be aggressive in his budget proposal, at the Board?’s request.
?• Steve Kravitz will provide explanations on the monthly financial reports of journal entries; these are the amounts which do not appear in checks, but which affect the ability to track balances from month to month.
?• The manager will approve bills (if the current procedure changes) only after verifying that work is complete, and that the amount is correct.
?• At the Board?’s request, he will copy all Board members on all email correspondence; previously, the manager corresponded primarily with the President.
?• Kathy will advise Steve Kravitz of the need for prompt follow up after work is assigned to a vendor.
?• Kathy will ensure that procedures are still in place to obtain owner information from management companies which manage other associations at HTSA, so HTSA mailings are sent to all owners.
?• Kathy will advise Steve Kravitz that the Board would like to be informed when he observes work that needs to be done.

Kathy told the Board that HTSA belongs to CAI, which sends a magazine every other month to at least the president at this time; it contains many good ideas for Board members. She also recommended that Board members visit the website at www.caionline.org.

Steve Roche reported that he had orally agreed to an audit proposal for 1/1/2005- 9/30/2005 for $3,500, and that he should be getting the formal proposal this week and will inform the Board when he receives it.

Since most Board members had to leave before the meeting was over, no action was taken nor recommendations made by the Board.

These minutes have been reviewed and edited by Kathleen Sutherland.

Respectfully submitted,
Sanford Payton