Harpeth Trace Services Association

Meeting Minutes 03-08-05

Jan 28, 2006

Harpeth Trace Services Association

President Ken Darby called the meeting to order at 7 a.m. In addition to Ken, all directors were in attendance: Mary Ann Dorris, Jim Knapp, Jim Mathieson, Susan Mitchell, Sanford Payton, Steve Roche, Linda Shoun, and Bill Wainwright. Kathleen Sutherland and Steve Kravitz, both from Ghertner & Co., also attended the meeting.

1. Ken introduced Steve Kravitz as the new Ghertner representative who will manage the Harpeth Trace Services Association account. At the time of this writing, Steve does not have a direct telephone number or e-mail address at Ghertner. Until we receive that information, you may contact him by calling Ghertner?’s general office number (255-8531). His permanent and personal numbers and address is posted on our website www.harpethtrace.org (or) www.neighborhoodlink.com/nashville/htsa .Both addresses work.

2. Ken announced that a website has been established for our neighborhood association. While it may not win a prize for website design, it does give us a place to post information such as contact information for Board members and our management company, general info about our association, Association Rules and Covenants, calendar of upcoming Association events, and minutes of all meetings starting with the 5 JAN 2005 Annual Meeting. If a newsletter is produced, it will also be posted there. So, if you have a question about the association, you may want to go there first for the answer. The address: www.harpethtrace.org or www.neighborhoodlink.com/nashville/htsa.

3. Ken reported that he had obtained a bid of $4,729.00 from Anchor Electric to add three new streetlights (average installed cost is $1,576.00). These lights would extend the current lighting from the High Rise-Harpeth Trace split to Hickory Trace Drive on the west side of the street. This is the last remaining common area where lights can be installed. There was discussion about the number of lights needed, so the decision was made that Ghertner would solicit three competitive bids for three to five lights, and ask the bidders to supply specifications indicating the proper spacing of the lights. This information will allow a final decision to be made on the number of lights and their placement. The new lights are almost identical to the ones we now have. A new one has already been installed near the top of the first hill. See if you can tell the difference.

4. Ken also reported that Anchor Electric had submitted a separate bid of $22,850.00 to replace the 41 existing light fixtures on the poles we now have (average cost is $557). The Board decided to forego this wholesale replacement of all fixtures in favor of replacing the fixtures as needed. This will probably result in a slightly higher cost, but the cost will be spread over several years. The Board asked Ghertner to solicit bids from the same three vendors for replacing the fixtures (not the poles) on an as-needed basis.

5. Steve Roche reported that some residents of Harpeth Trace Estates recently learned that they live outside Metro?’s Urban Areas, and therefore do not qualify for ?“free?” garbage pickup. If you live on Harpeth Wood Drive, Harpeth Ridge Drive, Valley Trace, Valley Trace Court, or Harpeth Oaks, you live outside Metro?’s Urban Area. That includes about 90 homes. Recently, a letter was sent to these homes informing the owners that a collective bid of $13 per month had been received from PDQ. Only about 50 residents accepted this offer. It is assumed that the others will make their own arrangements for garbage pickup. If you have questions about this arrangement, you may contact Steve Roche at 352-5293.

The city makes their regular pickup from those in the Urban Area on Mondays. The recycle bins are emptied on the first Wednesday in each month.

6. Bill Wainwright reported that he had solicited competitive bids to replace our existing wooden-poled street signs with metal poles, more attractive street signs, and uniform stop signs. The different signs ranged in cost from $390 to $1070, depending upon the number of elements (such as pole, stop sign, one street sign, or two, and decorative embellishments). The Board decided that this project should be coordinated with the street light project because in some cases one pole could be used for signage and lights. Bill will determine where a single pole can be used, then bid the project with poles that match our existing metal light poles.

7. Ken reported that Ghertner?’s representative had failed to have a contractor contact him for discussion and instructions about the water that pools next to the second island after rains. Kathy Sutherland assured Ken that she would see that the contractor contacted Ken.

8. Bill Wainwright outlined the Spring Cleanup Project planned for the end of next month. The date of April 30 was selected. Residents are asked to meet at the guardhouse at 10 a.m. that day for cleanup assignments. Bring gloves and meet your neighbors. We will fan out in the neighborhood and pick up trash, small limbs, and other debris for a couple of hours. Plastic bags will be furnished, and the bags of debris will be left along the streets for removal on Monday, May 2.

9. In conjunction with Item 8, above, we will have a chipper truck come through the neighborhood on Monday, May 2, so if you have limbs, etc., that you want to get rid of, pile them by the curb in time for an early morning pickup. Ken asked Kathy Sutherland to make arrangements for the chipper truck.

10. Sanford Payton reported that he had walked through the common areas with a landscape architect to determine what could be done to cost-effectively improve the appearance of our property. The architect said that our plantings appeared to be starved, and that they had not been pruned properly. He pointed out that we should review our landscape maintenance specifications to determine if they are adequate and, if not, write new specifications.

After reviewing our current contract with Sunrise of Nashville, which was written in 1992, it appears that the specifications are adequate. After a meeting with Tom Parker of Sunrise, Sanford Payton was told (in writing) that ?“there has been no fertilization program for the turf or shrubs. We (Sunrise) have inquired about this over the years, but nothing was ever established.?” However, our contract with Sunrise clearly states that, ?“shrubs will be fertilized to each plant?’s specifications once a year.?” When this was pointed out to Mr. Parker, he said he remembered that fertilizer HAD been applied yearly, under the mulch.

The Board has approved the expenditure of up to $700 to have Mr. Alan Ray (Alan Ray Associates, Belle Meade Plaza, Suite 200, 4544 Harding Road, Nashville, 37205, 385-0707), a local landscape architect, write and bid specifications for the proper care and maintenance of our existing plantings. A meeting has been set for 1:30 PM Friday, March 11, for that purpose.

11. The board decided to commission Mr. Ray to develop a plan to improve the appearance of our common areas, emphasizing the use of plants that are native to Tennessee. This plan will probably include adding or replanting ground cover in the area around the guard shack, along the bluff on the left-hand side of the main drive (going uphill) on the first hill, and along the bluff on the right-hand side of the main drive between the two entrances to the Upper Knolls. The grassy area on the left between Harpeth Ridge Condominiums and 780 Harpeth Trace Drive may be replanted with native grasses and plants, which will require little or no maintenance. This plan may be completed within one month. When it is ready, if the Board approves it, it will be placed on our website (www.harpethtrace.org or www.neighborhoodlink.com/nashville/htsa). So, be sure to look for it.

12. The most recent Balance Sheet submitted to Board members (dated 01/31/2005) was approved. This report shows that our total assets are $76,947.26.

13. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors will be Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at 7a.m..

Respectfully submitted,
Sanford Payton