York Farms Community

Summer 2008 newsletter

Jul 17, 2008

York Farms Maintenance Corporation Summer Newsletter
Meeting Announcements
Block Watch meeting July 22, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Budget meeting July 22, 2008 7:45 p.m. -8:30 p.m
We encourage all corporation members to attend both meetings .Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. This is your opportunity to receive and share ideas regarding the safety of our community and to provide the board with input regarding future corporation expenditures. The board welcomes the feedback of all corporation members who have paid their assessments.
Update on board activities
We are pleased to update you regarding the progress of the board. We initiated fertilization of the common areas last fall. Please do not park on the grass of common areas and ask your guests to refrain from parking on the grass as we incur tremendous costs to repair ruts/damage to the common areas. Currently, we are working with the Department of Special Services and anticipate repair of both retention ponds this summer. This winter we advised Hunter?’s Run of its responsibility for sharing the cost of maintenance to the rear retention pond and are awaiting reimbursement for 30% of the fees paid for the maintenance of that pond. In response to your feedback, in April, we applied for and received a grant from the Department of Conservation to share the cost of the repair to the spring on Cornwell Drive (common area near 249 Cornwell Drive) which resulted in icing conditions on the road during the winter and water runoff during the spring and summer. Repairs to the spring began on May 22, 2008 and were completed within one week. During the repair process, the Department of Conservation discovered another spring underneath the road. We will monitor this spring for leakage. If leaking occurs, we will contact the Department of Conservation for further direction and assistance to correct the problem. The corporation?’s share of the repair to the spring in the common area amounted to $9000. Again, in response to your request, we continue to pursue collection of corporation assessments from delinquent homeowners.
We initiated neighborhood clean up day in April and plan to continue with this initiative. Please help us keep our neighborhood clean and keep costs down by participating on neighborhood clean up day. If you are not able to assist on the designated day, then help us maintain our neighborhood by not littering and encouraging your children and guests to refrain from littering in our neighborhood. We renewed contracts with our current vendors who provide snow removal, landscaping, and retention pond maintenance. We stressed the need to for them to pay attention to edging of the common areas and weeding of the front entrance beds. In April, the front entrance signs were power washed, caulked, and painted. The signs were not replaced per your directives at 2008?’s budget meeting. In addition, we had a great turn out at our community picnic on May 17. This was a joint effort by the maintenance corporation and the Civic Association. Thank you to Andrea and Reggie Thomas for the use of their home and their hard work on this function. Thank you to all the corporation members who prepared delicious dishes and attended the picnic. We are contemplating an ice cream (dessert) social for early fall. We will update you later regarding the date and time of our next function.
To align us with the fiscal year, the budget meeting will be held on July 22, 2008, and 2009 assessments will be due August 30, 2008. Please review the 2009 budget, and plan to attend this year?’s budget meeting. As we are a working board who strives to avoid wasteful spending and keep costs down, we would appreciate the support of all corporation members. Please help us to maintain this beautiful community by maintaining your properties, attending corporation meetings, participating in community activities, giving us feedback, and paying your assessments in a timely fashion. Last, we have a vacancy on the board and would appreciate a volunteer to fill this role. Although board positions are assigned, this board works together and makes decisions as a team in compliance with the corporation?’s by-laws. Please contact Marika White @ 838-1292 or via e-mail @ marika0824@yahoo.com if you are interested in being a board member. In compliance with our charter, all board members must be current with their assessments. Again, thank you for the privilege to serve and for your support.
IV. Property values:
It?’s that time of the year to spruce up our curb appeal so we may maintain our property values. This summer let's all make a concerted effort to increase our property values. The board thanks all homeowners who abide by the deed restrictions and maintain their properties. The board encourages you to consider making the following improvements to your home if your home is in need of such repair:
1. Replace missing shutters. Repair loose shutters. Paint faded shutters.
2. Paint exterior doors and door moldings, eaves, and any other exterior structure with faded or chipped paint.
3. Repair cracks and seams in driveways and walkways and seal driveways regularly to avoid more expensive structural repairs later.
4. Repair and seal fences.
5. Weed beds and trim bushes/trees regularly. Remove dead plants and bushes.
6. Cut grass weekly and as needed during periods of excessive rain.
7. Pick up your pet?’s feces during walks through the development.
8. Throw trash in receptacles and not in common areas. Encourage your family and visitors to avoid littering in our community.
9. Bag all of your trash so it does not blow into your neighbor's yard on windy days.
10. Place your trash in receptacles; do not leave exposed trash bags for animals to tear and make a mess.
11. Do not litter in common areas and pick up trash in common areas.
York Farms is a beautiful community. We want our community to stay beautiful! We encourage all of you to do all you can to make sure that our visitors and prospective home buyers see the beauty and value of our community. Thank you in advance for maintaining our community?’s property values!

Meeting Agenda: July 22, 2008 07:45 p.m. to 08:30 p.m. @ Troop 2
I. Block watch meeting
II. Budget meeting
III. Vote on budget
IV. Approval Committee Update
V. Civic Association Update
VI. Remarks from state rep. & senator & NCC
VII. Comments ?– (Open)
Contact information for Board Members
President Marika White 838-1292 email: marika0824@yahoo.com
Vice President, Reginald Thomas 838-5644 email: RegThomas@aol.com
Secretary, Maureen Davis

Civic Corner
1. Thanks to all who supported, and or attended the York Farms Spring Picnic. Special thanks to the Maintenance Board (Marika White, Reggie Thomas, and Maureen Davis) for helping the Civic Assoc. successfully organize the community picnic. Several households were represented. Please mark the event on your calendar for next spring. Send suggestions for the 2009 event to rosebud5203@aol.com

2. Thank you to Fran Woerner for his leadership of Block Watch. At its next meeting (July 22, 2008), a representative from ADT security company will give a presentation on the topic of home surveillance security. Even though, our numbers for crime incidence are much lower than most communities, we cannot take this matter for granted. Being alert, proactive and regularly involved in Block Watch can deter criminal activities. Please attend this meeting and sign up for Block Watch.

3. Our community continues to welcome every new resident with a small gift, greeting card and the York Farms?’ deed restrictions. If you know of any house that has been overlooked, please use the above email.

4. Please regularly check your curb appeal, if you have not done so. Curb appeal ensures greater home value. The condition of the following is of concern: driveways, landscaping, exterior paints, and exterior lights. The latter should be properly attached to the property. In addition, sometimes mowing is simply not enough, weeding is necessary. An unregistered car is a violation of the New Castle County Enforcement Code. Our property values are affected by how each of us maintains the condition of our properties.

5. We are a deed restricted community. If you need a copy of the deed restrictions, contact a member of the Maintenance Board. Please revisit the items listed in our deed restrictions, such as: Boats may not be stored on the property for more than seven days, and the color of the shed siding and house siding must be the same color.

6. Last but not least, the Civic Assoc. would like to thank the Maintenance Board (Marika White, Reggie Thomas, Maureen Davis) for their unwavering support and cooperation. Throughout the year, their leadership have benefited our community in many significant ways.




YORK FARMS MAINTENANCE COPRORATION PROXY

NAME________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________


____Yes, I approve the 2009 York Farms Maintenance Corporation budget



____No, I do not approve the 2009 York Farms Maintenance Corporation budget