Monday, March 16, 2020

March Board Meeting Minutes

Spring Pond Estates Homeowners Association
Monthly Meeting

March 9, 2020


Prior to opening the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, President Gerry Rainforth turned the floor over to Travis Jones who is the Regulation Compliance Manager representing the York Sewer District.

Mr. Jones presented a thorough and informative presentation regarding his concerns related to the improper usage of our pumping station located at the corner of Styles Lane and Spring Pond Circle.

He expressed the need for the Spring Pond Estates residents to be better informed about the consequences which are occurring due to the misuse of our sewer system. He stressed that efforts through informational presentations along with individual mailings from the York Sewer Department can be valuable guidelines towards rectifying this ongoing problem. Additional information related to this subject will be forthcoming.

President Gerry Rainforth called the meeting to order at 7:20 PM with all Board members in attendance.

Secretary's Report
Recording Secretary El Rotsko submitted an Addendum to the November 11, 2019 minutes clarifying  an item under Old Business be corrected to reference Bluestone Estates instead of Bayberry Ridge. A motion was made to accept the minutes by Sally Hudgins, seconded by Sally LeMon. Motion passed unanimously (Addendum on file).

Treasurer's Report
Treasurer Joe Strazzere reviewed his treasurer’s reports covering the expenses incurred during the months of December, 2019 and January and February, 2020. A motion to accept the Treasurer Reports was made by Sally LeMon, seconded by Sally Hudgins. Motion passed unanimously (Detailed and Itemized Treasurer’s Reports on file for review).

By-Laws Committee
By-Laws & Covenants Committee Chairperson Sally Hudgins reported that the committee has held several meetings reviewing the By-Laws. Covenants will be scheduled for review next at which time the committee will seek legal advice to oversee any revisions and/or changes that may be recommended.

Landscaping Committee
Landscaping Committee Chairperson Sally LeMon noted that Spring clean-up will be starting soon and that she will be contacting Patten Lawn Care to schedule specific dates.

Maintenance Committee
Gerry Rainforth reported on behalf of Lee Page that a new filter had been installed at the Community Center. She noted a new energy efficient thermostat has also been installed at the center.

Plowing Committee
Plowing Committee Chairperson Jane Laughton noted the plowing season looks to be done. Sally Hudgins suggested researching what the cost would be to pretreat our roads prior to the beginning of the next plowing season.

Social Committee
Joe Strazzere commented on how successful our new monthly “Game Night” has been and that game notice dates will be posted at the Community Center on a regular basis.

New Business
Treasurer Strazzere reported that he anticipates several increases will be occurring in the near future that include Patten Lawn Care Services, Plowing Services, and Proscape Backflow Services. People’s Bank will be increasing their fee for paper statements, and the additional maintenance for servicing our pumping station could also be reflected in our sewer bills.

Treasurer Strazzere also noted there will be additional expenses relating to our Long-Range Plan to cover infrastructural repairs and maintenance within our community. Taking all of these issues into consideration, Treasurer Strazzere is recommending we consider increasing our Association Fee stating there has not been a fee increase since 2010. This increase would cover all the above-mentioned increases and most importantly, eliminate the need for a future assessment.

President Rainforth suggested we hold a pre-annual meeting to ensure that all residents have a better understanding of these actions and the legitimate need for this increase. In turn, a detailed explanation would be presented at our annual meeting and be put to a vote.

Also, under New Business Jane Laughton suggested the lights on our Spring Pond sign be replaced with Solar LED lighting. The longevity of this type of lighting would be cost efficient.

Lastly, there was a discussion regarding two members of our Association who are without garaging at their residence. A request was made that in the future, our plowing service clear snow from their vehicles in addition to the walkway and driveway. It was determined that for reasons of liability, each homeowner remains solely responsible to clear their own vehicles after a snow storm and a letter regarding this decision was forwarded to the homeowner from President Rainforth

Plowing Committee Chairperson Jane Laughton noted any issues pertaining to clearing driveways and walkways should be addressed to her directly and she would in turn notify Patten Plowing Service.

A motion was made to adjourn meeting by Sally Hudgins, seconded by Joe Strazzere. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

El Rotsko
Recording Secretary
SPEHOA


Sunday, March 15, 2020

Game Night Cancelled

Unfortunately, we have decided that we need to cancel this month's Game Night.

Hopefully, we'll be able to resume the fun next month.

Meanwhile, stay safe and healthy.


Deb and Joe Strazzere

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Help Keep Our Sewer Lines Flowing!

Before our March Board Meeting, we watched an eye-opening presentation from our friends in the York Sewer District.

They talked about our sewage substation (near the entrance of Spring Pond Circle), and how at the end of last summer they had to come out every week to clear out the ejector pump.

This is a big problem, and it's caused by what we put down our drains and in our toilets. We risk having the station back up - that would be even worse!

They offered to come back during our Annual Meeting for a presentation to all homeowners, but they also asked us to spread the word now, so that we can immediately start to reduce what goes down the drains.

FOG = Fats, Oil, Grease

The majority of sewer backups and overflows caused by fats, oils, and grease (FOG) originate in residential areas. Many of us think that using our garbage disposal or hot water, lets all this flow safely. But the hot water cools quickly and eventually builds up in the main sewer lines.

You can help prevent clogs by learning about FOG and how to dispose of it. Some common sources of FOG include:
  • Meat
  • Fatty food scraps
  • Cooking oil
  • Lard
  • Salad dressings
  • Creamy or oily sauces
  • Marinades
  • Milk and dairy products
  • Shortening
  • Butter or margarine
  • Peanut butter

This is what happens to our sewer pipes when Fats, Oil, and Grease build up.

What can you do to help?
To help reduce the amount of Fats, Oil, and Grease entering into our sewer pipes following the below practice can help:

Can it!
Once the oil or fats has cooled- put the content in a can and then dispose of it in the trash.

Scrape it!
After cooking and your pot or pan has cooled off. Before washing it, wipe it out and throw away the content.

Trash it!
Never put fatty, greasy, oily food down the drain! Put it in the trash.  This is the best way to dispose of it!

Can it! Scrape it! Trash it!

"Flushable" Wipes Should Never Be Flushed!

Many of us like to use Baby Wipes or other "flushable" wipes. While these may not clog your toilet, they don't degrade quickly, and they build up in our sewer substation and clog the ejector blades. Workers from the Sewer District must then lift up the pump, remove the wipes, and put the pump back. They showed us a picture from last summer with our pump clogged with wipes and grease.

If this pump gets clogged, it could cause a huge mess right in our neighborhood.

What clogs our sewer station!

Only Flush the 3 P's
The folks from the Sewer District reminded us that only 3 things should ever be flushed down the toilet:
  • Paper
  • Pee
  • Poo
And in particular never flush these so-called "flushable wipes". Instead, dispose of them in the trash.


Only 3 things should go in the toilet - nothing else!
Never flush "flushable" wipes!


Here's some additional information from the York Sewer District:
https://www.yorksewerdistrict.org/fog

Saturday, March 7, 2020

March Game Night!


Join us for Game Night 3
Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30
in the Community Center


We'll set up the tables and chairs, have some snacks and drinks, chat, play some games, and have some fun.

Please bring whatever you would like to drink. If you like you can bring a little snack (we had too much last time, so just bring a little).

And if you have a game you like that a lot of people can play, bring that, too. Any game would work - preferably one that can be played by many players at the same time. We'll bring:

Left, Center, Right
Trivial Pursuits Cards
Password

If you have an interesting game that works for a group, please bring it along and teach everyone to play.

This time, please bring three $1 bills. We'll use them to play a game of Left, Center, Right. Dolores was the big winner last time!

Any questions? Just ask!

Joe and Deb Strazzere