BOARD BUSINESS

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Terry was re-elected to another 3 year term on the Sweet Brier Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting held August 22. Your officers are Terry (President), Sharon (Vice President) and Kay (Sec/Treas). 

Invoices for monthly association fees will be mailed out the week of the 15th. Payments are due by the 1st of each month. Make checks payable to "Sweet Brier Condo Association" and mail to RG Nieto Company. 

Multiple property improvements were completed this year. We continued to shrink large mulch beds, removed dead trees & bushes, built a retaining wall around the northeast corner of the pond and painted the Sweet Brier sign by the gazebo. 

Monthly assessments are increasing by $10 to $166 per month starting on January 1, 2024. If you pay through your bank or have the fee automatically deducted, remember to adjust the amount before the January payment is made. A letter explaining the rate increase and a copy of the 2024 budget has been mailed to all home owners. Contact Barnett for questions. 

Trash Cans can be put out no earlier than 5pm on Sunday night during the winter months. Remember, since Christmas falls on a Monday, our trash will be picked up on Tuesday the 26th.  

Christmas Caroling, hosted by the Social Committee will take place on December 17th at 6pm. Join us at our starting point at 718 Jonquil or listen from your front door. 

Holiday Decorations will be put up at the gazebo this year. If you decorate your own home, please remove the decorations by January 15th. 

Snow plowing will take place when accumulation reaches 2 inches. You may de-ice your own driveway and walkway. Please use care when walking outside in icy conditions. 

Board of Directors Election was held and Sharon was re-elected to a three year term. 

• President, Terry G, 2021 - 2024
• Vice President, Sharon B, 2023 - 2026
• Secretary/Treasurer, Kay H, 2022 - 2025

Welcome to 11 New Homeowners since our last annual meeting. We typically have about 11 - 12 new owners each year. Welcome to Sweet Brier!

Property Improvements completed since our last annual meeting:  

• Removed dead pine trees around property
• Planted live sticks along creek behind Lavender Lane
• Built a parking pad 
• Purchased a storage shed
• Converted large mulch beds to grass
• Built two pond retaining walls
• Installed solar lights along the pond walls
• Installed three speed bumps
• Cleaned up the creek from the south side of the bridge to behind Lavender
• Mulched before Memorial Day
• Built and installed a book sharing box
• Purchased another bench for a total of five park benches
• Addressed drainage issues for over 25 homes

Improvements Underway: 

• Curb repairs
• Refurbishing street signs

Improvements Upcoming: 

• Build creek retaining wall behind Cornflower
• Paint street sign poles and the Sweet Brier sign at the gazebo
• Continue to address drainage issues
• Assess trees, bushes, landscaping in the Fall

Thanks to our Wonderful Volunteers 

• for watering the flower boxes on the bridge all summer long
• for keeping the geese away from the pond
• for general repairs, mailbox repairs, landscape maintenance and siding repairs
• for painting the house number signs
• for the social committee and all the fun events they plan for our neighborhood
• for our sunshine committee 
• for placing flags around gazebo during patriotic holidays

Submit a Request Form each time you are considering making any modification, change, replacement or improvement to the exterior of your home and yard. This includes, roof, windows, driveway, patio, flower beds, trees, porches, fences, etc. The request form is available from any board member, from this website, from Barnett's website and from the back of the Rule Book. Please complete and submit the form to Raquel via US mail or email, so the Board can review. Once approved (or denied), you will receive a letter from Raquel. Please wait for your approval letter before the work begins. 

Revised Rule Books were handed out at the annual meeting. Each resident must sign that they received one. For those who did not attend, the board members will be knocking on doors and hand delivering them to all homeowners. Please dispose of the pink covered book dated August 2020.  Please keep the new blue covered book dated August 2023 with your other important Sweet Brier documents. 

Reminder to mail in your monthly assessment fee by the 1st of each month. If it arrives after the 10th, a late charge will be added to your account. 

The Spring Grounds Walk is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25th. If there is anything you want the board to look at or know about, please send your questions and concerns to Raquel. 

Munoz Landscaping is our contractor for the landscaping season. Mowing day is Wednesday, weather permitting. Spring trimming will be completed and black mulch will be applied to the front beds and common areas. Owners are encouraged to apply black mulch to the beds in the back and along the side of their units. 

Spring projects include: reducing the size of some of the larger common beds; repairing some of the curbs along the streets in the neighborhood; installing speed bumps in critical places to ensure safer driving; building a storage shed to hold our outdoor items over the winter; build another retaining wall on the north side of the pond; clean up the dead branches and trees along the creek; build a retaining wall along the creek; address drainage issues for the houses on Coralberry by the pond. 

The flower boxes  on the bridge will be planted in May. Many thanks to the volunteers who will be watering them all summer long!

Reminder to check the exterior of your unit for any needed repairs and maintenance. Now is the time to paint your porch, front door, trim, man door or propane tank. Consider pressure washing the siding of your unit and your fence if it is mildewed or dirty.

Clean up after your pet, immediately, at all times and in all places. 

Ground feeding wildlife is prohibited. Feeding the birds with hanging bird feeders is fine, but please clean up the ground if any drops. 

Get your House Number Sign painted at no charge! Contact Bob C at 440-478-9793 to get your name added to the list. Bob has completed 50 signs so far. Thank you, Bob!

The Architectural Request Form must be completed and sent in to Raquel, for any improvements, modifications, replacements or changes to the exterior of your unit and limited common areas. The request form must be reviewed and approved by the Board before any work begins.  You can print the form from the Approved Guidelines page.

Thanks to our Goose Control Squad for keeping the geese away from nesting around the pond! So far, there is no evidence of any nests or eggs. Thank you to John C, Tony S, Chad M, Henry M, Bob C, John R and Joe C. 

Highlights from the December 12, 2022 Board Meeting: 

As notified by mail, next year's monthly assessment fee will increase to $156. The 2023 operating budget has been set and approved by the board. 

Proposed spring projects were shared: curb repairs, shrink common beds or convert to grass, clean up creek, build a second pond retaining wall, continue to address drainage issues, reseed / relevel yards, and build a storage shed. 

The next board meeting is scheduled for April 3, 2023 at 10:00am at the Madison Library. Contact Raquel for questions and concerns. 

Highlights from the Annual Meeting: 

Election of two board members. Kay and Sharon join Terry on the Sweet Brier board. 

Sweet Brier welcomed 10 new homeowners since last year’s annual meeting.

Thank you to all the volunteers who help make Sweet Brier a beautiful place to live. Our volunteers donate their time and energy in making repairs, painting, watering flowers, storing supplies, decorating our property, planning events and controlling the geese. 

Property improvements since our last annual meeting: 

• Bulletin board and walkway 
• Four benches – three around the pond and one by the bulletin board
• Mailbox replacements and repairs
• Re-caulked bridge
• Speed bump and one way sign
• Renovated electrical box
• Upcoming – curb repairs

Drainage project continues at specific areas on Jonquil and Jasmine. We’re also looking at leveling one area at the south end of the pond. 

Landscape update: Dead bushes have been removed, will plant in fall.  The health and status of pine trees will be assessed in the fall.  Mulch will be applied in the spring. 

An insert describing the updates to the pink Rule Book will be sent to all homeowners. 

The next board meeting is scheduled for December 12, 2022 at 10:00am at the Madison Library. Homeowners are encouraged to attend.