ECHO HILL SOUTH ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Echo Hill South Association Annual Meeting - Thursday, March 30, 2000 at the Fort River School library.

Present: see below.

1. The meeting was called to order by the President, Joe Kunkel at 7:30 PM.

2. A motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the previous Annual Meeting ( March 23, 1999) was made, seconded and approved. The minutes were accepted as written.

3. Jackie Tuthill gave the Treasurer’s Report (see Report). She reported that her major efforts to reduce back dues had brought delinquents down from 34 to 7. The report was accepted by a unanimous vote.

4. Jackie also presented the budget for 4/01/00 to 3/31/00 (see budget). After questions and discussion about street lights the budget was adopted unanimously.

5. Joe Kunkel made a few comments as President. He thanked all members of the Board for their hard work this year. He noted that Joy Southwell would be leaving the Board and thanked her for her service. He noted an incident when one neighbor accosted another for doing work that had received the Association’s approval. Steps have been taken to avoid this in the future. Joe also noted concern over the expansion of the Hampshire Fitness Club and the National Evaluation Systems building. He felt that we needed to have better knowledge of our rights.

6. Chuck Gillies delivered the report for the Architectural Committee (see Report). He especially noted the need for voluntary compliance with the Restrictions and Covenants. The report was accepted by a unanimous vote.

7. Several "informational points" were noted by Joe Kunkel:

(1) the woolly adelgid attacking hemlock trees is still of great concern;

(2) "our" bear from last summer met her demise later in Vermont;

(3) bear season has begun again and bird feeders should be removed.

8. Chuck Gillies spoke for the Ponds Committee: the Conservation Commission has accepted our "Five Point Plan" (summary and map attached to the official record). This is after years of frustration while the ponds were filling, contracting and "eutrophying", i.e., dying. The plan is a compromise effort to retard this process. It still requires planning, the identification of someone to do the core of the work and, possibly, a community wide "work day" to complete the basics of the project.

9. Joy Southwell reported for the Welcoming Committee explaining its raison d’être and mode of operating.

10. Bob Tuthill reported on the local development issues:

(1) Hampshire Fitness - in part because of the Association’s objections they introduced a stop sign at their exit and there will be better screening of the new building;

(2) National Evaluation Systems building may be adding a huge (40%) addition. The Association has expressed several concerns including traffic, parking and screening. It is expected that they will change the parking entrance, may build a sidewalk the length of their frontage and will introduce better screening next to Winston Court.

Questions were raised about whether or not Hampshire Fitness and NES are a part of the Echo Hill Association. Bob expressed that expensive legal action would be the only way to settle this issue.

11. Joe Kunkel noted that the Board needed help on all committees and needed Chairs for the Grounds and Welcoming Committees.

12. Questions were raised from the general membership:

(1) meeting times of the Board and Association are awkward for working people;

(2) why couldn’t we save postage and communicate by e-mail?

(3) dog messes are an increasing problem;

(4) plowing in winter is often done in a manner unhelpful to the homeowner.

13. Don Proulx reported for the Nominating Committee the following slate of officers and Board members for the new year:

President: Joe Kunkel

Vice-President: Bob Tuthill

Treasurer: Jackie Tuthill

Secretary: Chuck Gillies

After asking for nominations from the floor - there were none - the slate was approved unanimously.

For positions in the Class of 2003 on the Board the following were proposed:

Ed Toole (Thistle Lane)

Al Stevens (Sutton Court)

Both were elected unanimously.

14. Paul Drummond of Burberry Lane introduced himself as recently elected to Town Meeting from our Precinct.

15. Sally Malsch noted that there had been several break-ins during the fall and winter and noted the importance of street lights and other lights for both safety and crime control.

17. The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Charles K. Gillies

Secretary

Present were:

Total 29 attendees signed the sheet (33 last year)

(6 condos, 23 homeowners)