2011 HOA Fees to Stay Level

Tonight's St. Charles Place HOA meeting had a quorum of members attend so that its annual budget and board election meetings could take place.

After taking questions from members about it, the board passed the 2011 budget. HOA fees will remain $213 per month.

After the budget meeting adjourned — it's actually a meeting unto itself — we elected our new board. David Hey and Beth Burns had won two year terms in last year's meeting, leaving three seats open.

Incumbent board members Ed Palmer and Kimbra Patterson decided not to run. Current Vice President John McQuiston stood for re-election. Members nominated Jason Mirabella and Dustin Kerr.

With only three candidates for three seats, we did not vote. McQuiston retains his seat with Mirabella and Kerr joining Hey and Burns on the board.

McQuiston nominated Hey for president. McQuiston will serve as vice president again. Mirabella is the new secretary, replacing Palmer, and Kerr takes over as treasurer. Votes were by acclaim.

In another development, enough members volunteered to form a fining committee. This gives the HOA the power to levy fines against people who violate community rules. Until now, the board was essentially toothless when it came to enforcing rules.

Now after sending violation letters, the board can send a notice that if the violation isn't fixed 14 days, the homeowner will face fines. The fining committee will come up with a schedule of set fines so that homeowners will know what the fines for infractions are.

New board member Jason Mirabella complained of noise from US-301 affecting units along Dartmouth Hill that back up to 301. The board discussed the possibility of having a row of trees planted between the pond and the highway that would create a sound and visual barrier from light and noise from 301.

McQuiston wanted to pursue the possibility of having a similar "tree wall" planted along the east side of Dartmouth Hill between Lake St. Charles Blvd. and Johanna Ave.

Someday the patch of forest and the green field bordered by US-301, Lake St. Charles, Johanna and Dartmouth Hill will be developed. A line of trees will help protect the community from light and sound from the coming development.

We don't know when the property is scheduled to be developed. The advantage of acting now would be that we could plant young, small and cheaper trees and let them fill the space as they develop.

Another owner protested the board's refusal to approve her request to add an aluminum enclosure for her rear patio. The board's unanimous opinion is that such a structure would not match the character and style of the community and that it would harm our property values.

The unit owner claims the board doesn't have the legal authority to make such a ruling and claims to have a legal opinion backing her stand. The board voted to seek a legal opinion of its own.

That's the summary.

The board will not meet in December. It plans to resume monthly meetings beginning with its January 18, 2011 meeting.

As always, if you have questions, you can e-mail the board at board -at- stcharlesplace -dot- us. The board asked its property manager to seek a legal opinion