The Woodlands at Oakhurst North

Next WON Board Meeting: Thursday, October 28,2010 7PM SportsCore

Annual Meeting/Extension Date

Because of lack of a quorum at the Sept. meeting, the new annual meeting date has been moved to Thursday, October 28 at 7 PM. New proxies and voting sheets have been sent out. Please direct any questions to Trish DuFore, Caruso Management.

Winter update:

October 2010: As noted, the winter of 2009 was expensive, and required quite a few additional saltings. Snow removal contracts allow for salting 'as needed' and are not a part of the contracted price; therefore we exceeded our budget and had to cut back on mulch, plants and other landscape issues to cover the cost of salting. Another area that was not able to make the budget was the painting cycle. We hope to bring all those items back to the budget in spring 2011. However, we are dealing with limited funds, and may need to prioritize. The board did note that the painting should be a priority, and moved that to the top of the budget for 2011. The budget comes from dues, and we have had some defaults, bankruptcies and foreclosures that affect our bottom line. We did not increase the dues in 2008, and chose to increase only slightly in 2009, due to economic concerns for our residents, but it will be necessary to raise the dues this year to meet our expenditures. The driveways come from Reserve Funds and are not a part of the budget, but only major expenses (such as roofs or drives) can access those funds. Painting and landscaping cannot use Reserve Funds, and must be in the general budget. An icy winter this year will impact the budget in the spring, so an increase in dues is necessary to meet the needs of the development. Please check the ABC's of Ownership page for additional information, but note that you are responsible for de-icing the walks/stairs. However, the Association will reimburse you for the cost of de-icing products,up to $50.00 for the season, with receipts turned in to the Management Company by April 15, 2011.

November/December: Winter Readiness

The landscape company has readied our development for winter by putting out snow stakes throughout the area. Please try to keep these where they are located. They help the snow plows to steer clear of the landscape areas.


The Board is working on the budget for next year. Included special items are: Phase 3 of the painting program (front doors and trim) to begin in the spring, a review of potential drives for replacement, mulching of the property and possibly directional signs in multi-unit drives.

2009This has been a tough (and expensive) winter for the Woodlands. We have a snow removal contract, but any salting is an added expense, and we have had to salt a lot this year. This will impact the landscape budget for 2010, since landscape and snow removal/salting are the same vendor, and subsequently, the same budget. We do have mulching on tap for this spring, and that is already budgeted. There is also a contract with Care of Trees, a tree service that helps up keep the trees we currently have healthy. Keeping our trees healthy is less expensive than replacing mature trees that are damaged either by weather or disease. The parkway trees are maintained by the City of Aurora, but we do regularly check them and ask for maintenance from the city for any that are in danger.

This year we are scheduled to again begin the 4 year painting cycle, which is a third of the development each year, with the fourth year as our 'off' year.

We will once again be looking at the drives, and determining which need replacement. We did several 'test' drives to see if the process we chose (complete drive replacement with the downspouts under the drive, to eliminate surface erosion and standing water) would work. They are working well, and the change from grassy areas to mulched beds in the small front of the unit islands has also allowed us to eliminate most standing water. We will have the contractors come out to review the remaining drives and give us a sense of which need replacement first. This is a long-term project, as it is expensive and the funding comes from our Reserve Budget. We are very careful not to deplete that budget drastically, because it also covers other larger expenses such as roofing, and our roofs are nearing the point when they will also be needing replacement. We are doing what we can to maintain a strong reserve budget to afford any emergency expenses. The Board, however, is committed to replacing all of the drives.

Please note that unit owners must report rental and provide leasing information to the management company. In addition, the City of Aurora has a mandatory housing course for all prospective landlords. Attendance in one of the classes is mandatory in order to obtain an operating license which is now required for all non-owner occupied residential dwelling units and buildings, whether or not rent is paid; and all two-unit and multiple unit buildings whether or not they are owner-occupied. Those who have already attended the city’s landlord training classes that have been taught by Aurora Police since 1992, or an approved crime-free housing class in another city, are ‘grandfathered’ into the new ordinances. Property owners may also have agents who are authorized and registered with the city attend the class on the owner’s behalf, provided the agents will assume all duties, obligations and responsibilities of the owner.

Finally, a warm welcome to Greg Bornemann who has agreed to fill the vacant position left by Tammy Bauer. Greg is a long-time resident of the Woodlands and will add a considerable amount of expertise to the Association. We do however wish to offer a note of thanks to Tammy, who served the Board well as both a board member and Treasurer. The position of Treasurer is now filled by Ruth Haas. We are fortunate to have excellent representation of the community by a very experienced and dedicated board.

DEADLINE FOR MANDATORY HOUSING CLASSES NEAR; SPANISH DATES ANNOUNCED
The deadline is fast approaching for the mandatory, crime-free housing classes that are required for all owners, landlords, and agents of rental and non-owner occupied residential buildings in Aurora. In addition, the city has scheduled two classes that will be presented totally in Spanish.www.aurora-il.org . To register or receive more information on the Crime-Free Housing classes, call the Aurora Police Department’s Area Two Headquarters at (630) 264-8101. Information on the Spanish classes is available at (630) 264-8120. In order to register, applicants must supply their names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and the addresses of all rental properties they control. Registration will close five days prior to the beginning of each class.
All of the classes are at the Copley Theater inside North Island Center, 8 East Galena Boulevard, from 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. The last scheduled English classes are August 8, 13, and 22. Spanish sessions are slated for August 19 and 29. Those who are required to go through the class but do not do so by August 29, will be fined and will also be charged a separate class fee for enrollment in a future session.
Attendance in one of the classes is mandatory in order to obtain an operating license which is now required for all non-owner occupied residential dwelling units and buildings, whether or not rent is paid; and all two-unit and multiple unit buildings whether or not they are owner-occupied. Those who have already attended the city’s landlord training classes that have been taught by Aurora Police since 1992, or an approved crime-free housing class in another city, are ‘grand fathered’ into the new ordinances. Property owners may also have agents who are authorized and registered with the city attend the class on the owner’s behalf, provided the agents will assume all duties, obligations and responsibilities of the owner.
The new laws, which are known as Aurora’s Crime-Free Housing initiative, mark the city’s entrance into a program that includes more than 2000 municipalities in 44 states that have experienced a dramatic drop in calls for police service in rental and non-owner occupied residential buildings. The required class provides landlords and property owners with important tools to combat crime and improve the quality of life on their properties. Topics cover the new requirements concerning licensing and inspections, that criminal background checks be conducted on all new prospective tenants and occupants, the mandatory lease addendum that must be signed by tenants and owners acknowledging their adherence to criminal and maintenance laws or run the risk of eviction; as well as Section 8, trespass agreements, crime and fire prevention, gang and drug awareness, and other beneficial information. Comprehensive forms and written materials are included with the class.
Owners of non-owner occupied residential property including condominiums, town homes, or single unit residential buildings as well as two unit, and multiple unit buildings are required to be registered and licensed with the City of Aurora.
For more information on the new licensing and inspection requirements, call the city’s Department of Neighborhood Standards at (630) 897-4589.

Brighton Unit owners (those with a balcony): Deck Tech has been hired to stain all the decks . Please have the balcony cleared of all furniture, grills etc. before that date. Your balcony will be power-washed first, so remember to close and lock your patio door as well. This should not take more than a few days from powerwash to stain, and then a day to dry. More information will be posted at your unit prior to the work.

Fences will be done at the same time, Please clear furnishings and objects from patio and fences.
October 2010: The balconies/fences are guaranteed for 24 months, so if you have issues, please contact the Management company immediately.

The work to be performed at the Woodlands will consist of a two day, three step process. The first day Deck Tech will power wash the area. The second day will consist of a hand sanding of the balcony deck, handrail and spindles, if needed. any protruding nails will be hammered down. Then an oil base preservative, UV protectorant, stain and then a penetrating sealer will be applied. there are two coats of treatment, a wet on wet application. Once completed the entire area will be cleaned up. There is also a 100% warranty on labor and materials for 24 months. Cost is expected to be around $300 per deck, and a payment plan can be used.

Property Management:
You will be seeing a new property management company on your monthly assessments and for reporting issues starting June 1. The new company taking over from Lang Property is Caruso Management, located at 800 W Fifth Avenue, Suite 1108, Naperville, IL 60563. The new Property Managers will be Marcia Caruso and Kim Warnecke, and the general office phone number is 630-717-7188. Please note the change of service address and phone number. Their email address is info@carusomanagementgroup.com Office hours are Monday-Friday 9:00a.m. to 5p.m.Emergency calls are available by calling 630-717-7188 . The answering center will contact our property manager to assist you.
All payments should be sent to the association's lockbox address which is: Woodlands at Oakhurst North, PO Box 66637, Chicago, IL 60666-0637. Direct debit can be done by filling out the form you are being sent via post mail. Please note that these debits will begin in JULY, so you must send your payment for June in to the lockbox. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Mailbox Sidewalks:
You may have noticed that small sidewalk squares have been placed in front of mailboxes. The Board felt that it was necessary to have clear access to mailboxes, both during winter and during the rainy season.

Tree Care:

5/26/10: CARE OF TREES-- advised they did two applications of fungicide for crabapples and hawthornes, and Zimmerman Pine Moth treatment for the Austrian Pines.

WON has a contract with Care of Trees to handle the major tree issues in the neighborhood, and help us keep from losing our beautiful trees due to insects, fungus and disease. Our trees are expensive and replacement would be prohibitive, so we prefer to maintain these valuable landscape additions to our property.

Recently, we have had large tree branches broken by children hanging off them, and have observed children climbing high into the larger trees. While we realize that children will be children, we ask that parents keep an eye on their children and keep them from climbing the trees, obviously first as a safety issue, but second as a liability issue for you as part of the Association. In addition, if large trees are damaged, replacement can cost $1500-3000+, and that cost is borne by all members of the Association. We want to keep dues as reasonable as possible, and of course keep our children safe,so please let Caruso Management know if you see children (or even adults) damaging our landscape.

Regular turf and landscape is cared for by Drew's Landscaping. The regular day for grass cutting is Tuesdays, weather permitting. We have had a very wet spring, but that water can disappear in the hot summer sun. If you see either turf or landscape in need of water, please help out by watering, You will be reimbursed for watering at the end of the season by showing us a pre-season Fox Metro Water Reclamation bill and a seasonal bill. You will be reimbursed for the difference by our Association, through the Management Company. Thank you for helping to preserve our property values.

A Board landscape walk will be done with Drew's on Saturday, May 30. At that time we will assess the property and determine how we can spend our replacement plant budget effectively throughout the community. If you feel your unit is one that we should target, please contact the Management Company before that date and we will assess your landscape at that time. While not all landscape will be replaced at this time (sometimes fall plantings work better in certain areas), we will keep a list of all landscape needing replacement or removal. Occasionally, areas get overgrown and dead plants are simply removed, allowing soil area and light for the remaining plants to fill in.

The landscaper will be replacing damaged turf in areas with new driveways. However, in the case of grassy areas that are damaged by vehicular traffic, residents of that drive may be charged to replace damaged turf. Please be careful when exiting and entering the driveway area and your own parking spaces.

Driveways:
The Board is assessing the condition of the remaining drives to determine the next round of replacements. We realize that there are more drives needing replacement than the current budget allows, so we will be meeting with contractors to determine which drives will be replaced this budget cycle.

The new drives from last year, with the underground drainage look good and performed well over the winter months. This system works well enough to use on any additional replacement drives.
The Board has been in contact with the City regarding City sidewalks and streets that are in need of repair. Contact the management company if you wish to make sure that a particular drive or sidewalk is considered.

Balconies and Fences:


Outside Pets:

It is also time to remind residents with pets that all outside pets need to be registered with the Management Company, along with a recent photo. If you have a dog or outside cat on the property and do not register them, you can be assessed a fine which will continue until the registration is completed, and if you do not register, you risk losing the right to keep your pet on the property.

Also note that the Rules and Regulations/Bylaws of Oakhurst North have a 20 pound weight restriction on pets, with the exception of those who were grandfathered in when the registration process was adopted. New pets must be under the 20 pound weight limit, including those that are replacing previously grandfathered pets.

The City of Aurora has a leash law which requires ALL pets outside to be on a leash. You can be fined from either the Association or the City, or both, for violating this ordinance.

Rental Units:
The City of Aurora has regulations and licensing for ALL rental units. If you are an owner currently renting out your property, you are required to conform to those regulations. Contact Caruso Property Management if you did not receive a letter stating those regulations, and a sign off for the HOA that you have met all of the regulations. If you are renting your department without City liecensing, you can be fined, and your abilty to rent out the unit can be revoked.
Currently, the Association has determined that the cap on rental units has been reached, and NO additional rental units can be created. You may call the Management Company to be placed on a waiting list for the next available space. If you think someone may be renting out their unit without proper licensing, contact either the City or Property Management.

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The Woodlands Overview
Located in Aurora, which is the second largest city in Illinois, The Woodlands were built by Ryland Homes, who created an Association and Board to maintain the quality of the project and oversee the yearly maintenance budget and reserves. The Board of Directors meet monthly at the Sports Core Clubhouse. (See 'Woodlands Board Meeting Dates' for meeting information.) The property is managed by Lang Property Management, and the current Property Manager is Toni Stanczyk.

Oakhurst North Sports Core



The Woodlands at Oakhurst North is located in the Oakhurst North subdivision, and is a part of the Oakhurst North Homeowner's Association. Through Oakhurst North, Woodlands residents have use of the Sports Core which offers a pool and children's pool, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts and other outdoor sports amenities. A clubhouse is also part of the amenities.
for more detailed information and to obtain ID cards for pool admission. PSI can also be contacted to rent the Clubhouse. They will provide current costs and scheduling contracts for rental.

Schools



The community school district is Indian Prairie 204. Elementary students are within walking distance to Nancy Young Elementary School, located across the street from the Sports Core at the entrance to Oakhurst North. Middle School and High School students are bused to Granger Middle School and Waubonsie Valley High School.
Check http://www.ipsd.org/new2.asp for more detailed school information.

Area Community Colleges

College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn) 630-942-2800 http://www.cod.edu/
Waubonsee Community College (Sugar Grove and Aurora) 630-466-7900 . http://waubonsee.edu

Area Colleges and Universities

Aurora University (Aurora) 630-892-6431 http://www.aurora.edu/
North Central College (Naperville) 630-637-5100 http://www.noctrl.edu/
Northern Illinois University also has a satellite facility in Naperville.

Library

Eola branch is located on Eola Road, just north of Waubonsie Valley High School. Other city library branches are located throughout Aurora.

Mass Transportation

The city is the final stop of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line of the Metra commuter rail system, allowing rail service into Chicago. In addition, Aurora manages the southern parking lot of the Metra station at Illinois Route 59. The northern lot is managed by neighboring Naperville. Contact the city for parking permit applications.