Agenda for April 3, 2008 Meeting

1. HCHA Mailing and Dues Statement
2. Website
· BLOG
· Webmaster
3. Yard Sale April 26, 8am to 3pm
4. Restrictive Covenants Database
5. Insurance for Board Members
6. Tax Forms
7. Entrance Flowers
8. New Pool and Clubhouse Owners
9. Voting for Board Members
10. Committees
11. Other Business
12. Next Meeting Thursday, June 5 at the Pool Clubhouse 7pm
13. Adjourn

Spring announcements

Elections Thursday, April 3rd, 7 pm, at the pool clubhouse. We desperately need volunteers to make this organization run! We need officers and board members. We also need committee members to help with newsletters, litter, social functions, covenants, Neighborhood Watch and websites. EVERYONE PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND!

Neighborhood yard sale April 26th , 8 am until 3 pm. Yard sales are always the last Saturdays of April and September.

A newsletter and dues statement was mailed last week, although it has not quite been a year since the last dues statement was mailed. The reason is that last year's statement was mailed late. Usually we try to mail statements in March/April.

The pool and clubhouse number is 893-6990. The website is www.hurricanecreekclub.org. The clubhouse and kitchen may be reserved by any Hurricane Creek residents (members of the pool or not) for a fee.

Community Meeting Cancelled

Sorry for the inconvenience, but the community meeting scheduled for November 4 has been cancelled.

Community Meeting, Picnic, Election!

The HCHA board has voted to hold a neighborhood meeting on Sunday November 4, 2007, from 2-4 PM at Heritage Park. Heritage Park is on Jenkins Road, near the intersection with East Brainerd Road, not far from the East Brainerd Road Pizza Hut.

At the meeting we will have an election for our HCHA Board of Directors. Voting is limited to dues-paying members, and ballots will be available there. If you have paid dues but cannot attend the meeting, please email president@hurricanecreek.com for a ballot.

The HCHA plans to make available soda and some light snacks. Please bring your own blankets, chairs, and any other things you would like for fun (football, frisbee, kite, etc.). We also expect to have a representative from EPB there to discuss their new initiative, Fiber to the Home. Finally, we hope to have a printed neighborhood directory to distribute to HCHA members.

Note one additional benefit of membership we plan to offer is to make available an online directory of residents' businesses and services. If you offer those services, you can have them listed there (with links to your business' websites). And if you want to find someone in the neighborhood who offers babysitting, tax preparing, financial planning, petsitting, or lawnmowing, you can use the directory to find those services.

Hurricane Creek Recreational Area Sold!

Ed and Judy Frost have sold the Hurricane Creek Recreational Area (the pool and tennis courts off Hurricane Creek Road near Susan Carol Lane) to Hurricane Creek residents Ralph and Sharon McDarmont of Tamara Lane. Congratulations!

On behalf of the board I would like to express my gratitude to Ed and Judy for their hard work over the years. In my experience there's no cleaner pool in the area, nor one that offers a slide and diving board for the kids. It has been great to be a member there and I hope Ralph and Sharon can continue and build on the Frost's fine legacy.

Driveways in Hurricane Creek Must Be Paved

Neighborhood covenants prohibit the use of a gravel or dirt driveway. Quoting Covenant #1 from the hurricanecreek.com website,

"All driveways from street to garage or carport shall be concrete or plant hot mix asphalt surface."

Parking your truck or car in your front yard is not the image we want as a subdivision. Repeating (in large part) what was said earlier about covenant violations:

"Several homeowners are in violation of this covenant. Historically, the Board has shown restraint and not litigated these matters, generally only sending letters notifying owners of non-compliance upon receiving a complaint from other homeowners.

"Given the increasing prevalence of covenant violations, future boards may seek to take a more active posture in enforcing covenants. Technically, the Board has the authority to litigate and even collect attorney fees and court costs upon winning a judgment. However, litigation is costly and risky for both parties. The board is considering other avenues of resolution as well.

"Please learn what our covenants are and respect them. They are there to protect the value of everyone's home. If you are currently in non-compliance, please make an attempt to come into compliance. Your neighbors will thank you, and so will your bank account when you sell your home someday."

Board Meeting 10/4: Agenda

1. Elections for board members
2. Community picnic at Heritage Park?
   
3. Treasurer's report
4. Recent home sales
5. Covenant database
6. Covenant enforcement policy
7. Updates to website/blogsite
8. Newsletter / frequency
9. Directory of residents

Residents who may wish to volunteer to serve on committees established by the board, and/or who seek election to the board, are encouraged to attend.

Neighborhood Yard Sale/Garage Sale Sept 29

Saturday, September 29, is the date for our semi-annual neighborhood garage sale and/or yard sale.

Board Member Contact Info

To reach a member of the board, please see below. To prevent our email addresses from getting spammed, we have obscured our true email addresses to thwart automated address-harvesting programs. You should be able to figure it out. If not, Google us.

This list will evolve over time and be updated. Right now we have no elected president or VP.

• Dan Norey (Treasurer): treasurer@hurricanecreek.com
  
• Michele Walker (Secretary): secretary@hurricanecreek.com. Michele coordinates the volunteer trash pickup squad, and maintains the resident database.
• David Garrett: garrett@hurricanecreek.com
• Suzanne Guffey: guffey@hurricanecreek.com. Suzanne coordinates the welcome baskets for new residents.
• Juan Hansford: hansford@hurricanecreek.com
• Charles Kuhlman: kuhlman@hurricanecreek.com

Next Board Meeting (NOTE: Change in Venue)

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 7:00 pm at Christ United Methodist Church's Community Room, which is located in the separate adult Sunday School building behind the sanctuary building.

Please bring a lap desk or a clipboard if you need one, as there may not be any table set up.

Yard Sale Dates

Hurricane Creek homeowners are invited to hold a yard sale / garage sale the last Saturday in September and the last Saturday in April.

Backyard Sheds are Not Allowed in Hurricane Creek

Neighborhood covenants prohibit the erecting of sheds on residential properties, even in the backyard, even if it matches the house in appearance, color, and so forth.

Several homeowners, if not many, are in violation of this covenant. Historically, the Board has shown restraint and not litigated these matters, generally only sending letters notifying owners of non-compliance upon receiving a complaint from other homeowners.

Given the increasing prevalence of covenant violations, future boards may seek to take a more active posture in enforcing covenants. Technically, the Board has the authority to litigate and even collect attorney fees and court costs upon winning a judgment. However, litigation is costly and risky for both parties. The board is considering other avenues of resolution as well.

Please learn what our covenants are and respect them. They are there to protect the value of everyone's home. If you are currently in non-compliance, please make an attempt to come into compliance. Your neighbors will thank you, and so will your bank account when you sell your home someday.

Speeding Issues

Some residents expressed concern over cars speeding in the subdivision. The highest speed limit in the subdivision is 30 mph; some areas are limited to 25 mph.

In the county, speed bumps are not allowed, according to Commissioner Henry. Speed rumble strips are allowed, but often create another problem - unwanted noise.

In the city, 2/3rds of nearby residents must agree on placing rumble strips or speed bumps.

If you spot reckless driving, call 698-2525 in the city or 622-0022 in the county. Try to get a license plate and description of the vehicle.

Off-Road Vehicles Belong Off the Road!

Dirt bikes. ATVs. Golf Carts. Riding lawn mowers. These are some of many types of off-road vehicles that are not permitted to be driven on county or city roads. When they are, it is often the case that the riders are underage, unlicensed, unhelmeted, and uninsured. Please do not let your kids be part of the problem. Yes, we live in a hilly subdivision without sidewalks. But that is no excuse to take the law into your own hands.

Lieutenant Newman of the Sheriff's Department says that our neighborhood is patrolled twice per shift. If you see off-road vehicles on the roads, please call 311 if you are in the city, or 622-0022 if you live in the county. If you know where the rider lives, please give that information as well. You need not give your name.

Volunteers Needed: Clean Team

It is illegal to dump in the common area (the land between the road lanes at the Hurricane Creek Road split). Michelle Walker is looking for volunteers to help keep the common area clean. The duties involved would be one week every few months with either pickup throughout the week, or on one day that week.

Call 311 if you spot someone dumping trash or debris (even leaves!) in the area, and try to get a license plate number.

East Brainerd Road Widening Project

Larry Henry reported that construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2009 and should take 2-3 years to complete. There will be a first phase going from ACE Hardware to Bel Air and a second phase from Bel Aire to Ooltewah Ringgold Rd. The road will consist of 4 lanes with a middle turn lane. Jack Benson reported on several new roads and ramps in the works in East Brainerd to alleviate Shallowford and Gunbarrel Road traffic.

Status of Publix

Publix is scheduled to open early December, 2007. Given some continued opposition to the other Publix scheduled to open in the Snow Hill Road area, there is no guarantee that this one is sure to open. But we are optimistic that both will open and will be well-received. Publix is a quality store and it should do well in our area.

Sewer Odor: Jerry Stewart Already Notified

Just so Mr. Stewart doesn't get inundated with requests - we have asked him to check on what can be done to reduce the odor at the split. The hot weather and general lack of rain has not helped. Let's give it some time to improve (and hopefully see some weather changes). I think they're doing all they can at this point.

National Crime Night Out

At our meeting today, Janice Atkinson of the County Sheriff's Office mentioned a national community program that, according to their website, "promotes neighborhood spirit, police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation."

It is held annually on the first Tuesday in August, and enjoys a major sponsor: Target.

Several folks at our meeting mentioned that they would like to see us re-establish some community get-togethers, such as barbecues, ice-cream socials, or block parties. This would be an option that could be combined with the others mentioned as well.

If this is something that interests you, please let one of your board members know. We will keep a tally on neighborhood interest in this, and perhaps it is something we can do for next year.

Whom to Call: Sewer Odor at the Split

If you notice a sewer odor on Hurricane Creek Road near or in the split (about 0.3 - 0.5 mile in from the traffic light on East Brainerd Road), chances are it relates to runoff from the Windstone subdivision. [They don't have sewers or septic, apparently; instead, well ... I'm not sure how detailed I should get]. Apparently there is a chemical additive that helps control this odor, and although the Moccasin Bend treatment plant was to have installed monitoring devices (or did), sometimes we still need to notify them of the need.

So, if you smell something foul in that area, please contact Jerry Stewart: stewart_j@mail.chattanooga.gov