Hidden Valley Association – Meriden, CT

Dear Neighbors,

The Association is arranging a community dumpster for 8/14 to 8/28. The base cost will be paid directly by the Association. It’s not first come first served but it can’t be never ending either. The dumpster will be located in the circle of Quiet Brook. Getting the best value for our money will be dependent on all members packing the dumpster carefully and following all rules. Do not just throw items over the edge of the dumpster. Open the end door and walk as deep into the dumpster before emptying items. People who place them at the front will make the entire process much harder for everyone. All items should be dumped/emptied into the dumpster. Do not place half full boxes in the dumpster or other items of mostly air (drawers, boxes, suitcases, etc.) Take the time to fill all containers fully, or empty the contents and break down the boxes to be flat.

The following items will cost extra and we will be relying on the honor system for homeowners to arrange payment to the Association.

• MATTRESSES/BOXSRPINGS $50
• FREON APPLIANCES (AC UNITS/FRIDGE/FREEZER) $TBD
• CAR BATTERIES $TBD
• PROPANE TANKS (MUST BE EMPTY) $TBD

If you have any large metal items, please place them next to the dumpster and we will arrange for a scrapper to recycle them (car parts, bed frames, etc.)

Tires, Hazardous materials (cleaning supplies, motor oil, etc.) or anything wet (liquids, paint cans, etc.) are NOT allowed in the dumpster. There may be an additional hazard charge.

Lastly, the dumpster is located near some of our neighbors’ homes and I implore you to show the utmost respect and keep the area extremely clean. There are few areas in front of the Association land and we didn’t want it near the entrance to discourage outsiders from illegal dumping.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Regards,

Steve

Dear Neighbors,

The board will be holding a meeting on April 10th at 5:30 via zoom.  The agenda was emailed. The main topic will be the presentation and approval of the budget.  The assessment will remain at $230/quarter.  We will be hosting the vote as a matter of procedure.  If it passes, the assessment will be $230/quarter and if it fails, we fall back to the existing budget that is also $230/quarter. 

By Tuesday 4/4, I will send out the budget presentation via email.  By Friday 4/7, I will open voting.  Voting will be entirely online.  During the meeting, a last call for votes will be made results shared.

We will have an open floor to discuss any new topics members wish to bring up.

Lastly, we will hosting a community dumpster in mid-August, similar to last year.  Dates will be determined in that timeframe.  

Regards,

Steve

Dear Neighbors,

The Association is arranging a community dumpster for 8/9 to 8/26.  This is a result of discussions from the last association meeting.  The base cost will be paid directly by the Association.  It’s not first come first served but it can’t be never ending either.  The dumpster will be located in the circle of Quiet Brook.  Getting the best value for our money will be dependent on all members packing the dumpster carefully and following all rules.  Do not just throw items over the edge of the dumpster.  Open the end door and walk as deep into the dumpster before emptying items.  People who place them at the front will make the entire process much harder for everyone.  All items should be dumped/emptied into the dumpster.  Do not place half full boxes in the dumpster or other items of mostly air (drawers, boxes, suitcases, etc.)  Take the time to fill all containers fully, or empty the contents and break down the boxes to be flat.  

The following items will cost extra and we will be relying on the honor system for homeowners to arrange payment to the Association.

• MATTRESSES/BOXSRPINGS $50
• FREON APPLIANCES (AC UNITS/FRIDGE/FREEZER) $TBD
• CAR BATTERIES $TBD
• PROPANE TANKS (MUST BE EMPTY) $TBD

If you have any large metal items, please place them next to the dumpster and we will arrange for a scrapper to recycle them (car parts, bed frames, etc.)

Tires, Hazardous materials (cleaning supplies, motor oil, etc.) or anything wet (liquids, paint cans, etc.) are NOT allowed in the dumpster. There may be an additional hazard charge.

Lastly, the dumpster is located near some of our neighbors’ homes and I implore you to show the utmost respect and keep the area extremely clean.  There are few areas in front of the Association land and we didn’t want it near the entrance to discourage outsiders from illegal dumping.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Regards,

Steve

All,

The Board of Directors held a meeting on Tuesday July 9th.  The meeting minutes are available via email or online.  The budget passed with 20 to 3 which results in a $230/quarter assessment that will begin 10/1.  Also, the new board was elected of the following people:

1.     Courtney Agbobli

2.     MJ Kloc

3.     Agnes Kot

4.     Bob Magyar

5.     Steven Tommell

The board will determine new officers and term limits in the near future and report back.

We will also be hosting a community dumpster from August 10-24th.  Additional details will be available as the dates get closer.

Regards,

Steve

Dear Neighbors,

The board will be holding a meeting on July 9th at 5:30 via zoom.  The main topic will be the presentation and approval of the new budget.  The new assessment will be increasing to $230/quarter upon approval by the Association members.  We will also be hosting elections and have five candidates to present. 

By Tuesday 7/2, I will send out the budget presentation and candidate profiles via email.  By Friday 7/5, I will open voting for both.  Voting will be entirely online.  During the meeting, a last call for votes will be made after each topic and results shared.

As many neighbors know, we were on a consistent path increasing fees slightly each year so as to reach a good financial position after we took control from the developer.  As with many things, Covid disrupted our cadence as we first chose to hold fees steady to alleviate any financial difficulties and since then we haven’t given the budget the attention it deserves.  The good news is our spending slowed during Covid as well and our reserves are on track to support all our capital improvements.  This includes the cracking sealing, recent sidewalk repairs and future road surface replacement.  Increasing the dues to $230/quarter is just over a modest 10% increase and future increases should be below that.

Lastly, we will hosting a community dumpster in mid-August, similar to last year.  

Regards,

Steve

Dear Neighbors,

The Association is arranging a community dumpster for 7/29 to 8/8.  This is a result of discussions from the last association meeting.  The base cost will be paid directly by the Association.  Hopefully, we will only need one, but if it fills up, we may arrange a replacement.  It’s not first come first served but it can’t be never ending either.  The dumpster will be located in the circle of Quiet Brook.  Getting the best value for our money will be dependent on all members packing the dumpster carefully and following all rules.  All items should be dumped/emptied into the dumpster.  Do not place half full boxes in the dumpster or other items of mostly air (drawers, boxes, suitcases, etc.)  Take the time to fill all containers fully, or empty the contents and break down the boxes to be flat.  

The following items will cost extra and we will be relying on the honor system for homeowners to arrange payment to the Association.

• MATTRESSES/BOXSRPINGS $35
• FREON APPLIANCES (AC UNITS/FRIDGE/FREEZER) $25
• TIRES $25
• CAR BATTERIES $10
• TRACKS FROM MACHINES (EXCAVATOR, TRACTOR, ETC.) $300
• PROPANE TANKS (MUST BE EMPTY) $25

If you have any large metal items, please place them next to the dumpster and we will arrange for a scrapper to recycle them (car parts, bed frames, etc.)

Hazardous materials (cleaning supplies, motor oil, etc.) or anything wet (liquids, paint cans, etc.) are NOT allowed in the dumpster. There may be an additional hazard charge.

Lastly, the dumpster is located near some of our neighbors’ homes and I implore you to show the utmost respect and keep the area extremely clean.  There are few areas in front of the Association land and we didn’t want it near the entrance to discourage outsiders from illegal dumping.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Regards,

Steve

Dear Neighbors,

After a hiatus, the board will be restarting meetings, elections, and the budgeting process.  Please join us tomorrow for a board meeting at 7pm.  The meeting will be at the Zoom link provided via email and facebook.  We will be covering current financials, upcoming elections, and the budgeting process.

At the beginning of the meeting, there will be an opportunity for neighbors to speak.  Each person will have 5 minutes.  In the past, we had a fairly open discussion approach as we covered different topics.  I am unsure how this will translate to an online meeting but we will try maintain that open dialog as much as possible.

Regards,

Steve Tommell

President

Dear Neighbors,

Steve