UNIVERSITY HILLS ASSOCIATION OF HOMEOWNERS
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 9, 2008
The board meeting was called to order by the president, Arnold Martin, at 11:30 AM at the Las Colinas County Club.
Board members present were: Arnold Martin, Don Jensen, Esther Nachimson, Jim Wells, Charles Schmidt, Martin Kahn, Bob Kitzman, Barbara Hull and John DeMarco. Committee chairs present were Linda Oliver and Anna Walther. Kathrine Pennington, representing TLCA, was present.
Arnold Martin asked for any additions or changes to the minutes of the last meeting posted on the UH Website. A copy of the minutes was available for review. Being no changes, the minutes were unanimously approved by request of the president.
The treasurer’s report was received by email and copies were distributed to the board. Questions regarding the P&L statement were asked by John DeMarco. It was agreed that the report could be approved and the items in question to be answered at the next board meeting in October. Approval of the minutes was unanimous.
Bob Kitzman reported about the Urban Center, noting that the news was “no new news.” He felt this is because of the credit crunch and many of the developers are reworking “the numbers.” There has been a lot of talk with “nothing coming out of the ground.”
Bob stated there will be traffic issues in the UH area because of construction at The University of Dallas on a new 4 story residence hall. In addition, he expects to see no road development in the Loop 12/Hwy/114/183 corridor until the end of the Cowboy season.
TLCA representative, Kathrine Pennington reported that the Watermark Hotel scheduled to be built in connection with the Irving Convention Center as pulled out from their commitment to the project. The hotel chain had recently undergone a change in their CEO.
Charles Schmidt mailed 471 packets to all residences in UH and was disappointed in the returns. He said that 6 new “Green Neighbors” had been added, but sadly stated we have 84% of our population who are not “Green.” One of the sheets in the packet was asking for volunteers at Farine Elementary to help improve the school’s evaluations. From among the three adjacent HOAs, Woodhaven, Cardinal Village, and UH, they have been able to recruit 7 volunteers to help at Farine Elementary; however, there was not one response to the request for volunteers from UH to participate in UHAOH activities. Charles also reported that 16 homes joined the Rotary/Boy Scout Flag Program to have their flags flying on September 11.
Linda Oliver, membership chair, reported the addition of 10 new paying members to UHAOH. This is an all time high for paid membership. Congratulations to Linda for her efforts were expressed by the board.
Martin Kahn, our pro bono legal council, was present to help make sense of proposed bylaw changes and to outline the process for their review and approval. The board thanked him for all of his time devoted to UHAOH since its inception
In 2006, some felt the bylaws of UHAOH needed revision.
A committee, consisting of Felix Fenter, Jesse Orsini and Martin Kahn and headed by Don McGee, convened and prepared
bylaw changes. Copies were distributed to the board before the meeting.
The board felt that to properly analyze the changes and revisions, we would need to have a precise list of the changes to compare. Martin Kahn said he would have them at our next regular board meeting in October so we could approve and distribute them for approval at our annual general membership meeting in November. They will be published on our website.
Barbara Hull expressed concern for our ducks at the ponds. They are being overfed by certain individuals and a very unsanitary condition is being created, particularly at the ponds at Rochelle and Hidalgo. Esther Nachimson reminded everyone present that several years ago, ducks were dying at an alarming rate. The Irving Health Department determined after sending duck bodies off to Austin, the deaths were caused by the botulium organisms present in the soil. People put food on the ground and the food becomes contaminated. The pigeon population is also out of control, adding to the “poop problem.”
The water is being fouled as a result of runoff.
Barbara reported that there had been significant damage to the electric displays and lights for our “Deck the Hills” extravaganza in December. Rats gnawing on the wires are the main cause of the damage. She is planning additional lighting to spotlight the American Flag in the display. Barbara stated that she is seeking voluntary contributions from individuals in order to afford the live animals for the nativity scene.
Arnold Martin invited the board to attend the City of Irving’s quarterly Neighborhood Round Table at city hall on September 23, at 6:30 P.M. The featured speaker will be Tommy Gonzalez, City Manager for the City of Irving.
Arnold decided to postpone his report on the Barnett Shale and its impact on neighborhoods as there was no time left in today’s meeting schedule.
The yard of the month is the home of Susan and Dr. Gerald Keilson at 4110 Wingren. This is the second award for the Keilsons. A photo opportunity immediately follows adjournment of the meeting.
The next regular meeting of the UHAOH board will be Tuesday, October 2, 2008 at 11:30 P.M. at the Las Colinas Country Club. You are asked to please come early at 11:00 if you are planning to eat lunch.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Esther Nachimson,
Secretary