Charleston Village Grounds Committee Minutes

Date: July 13, 2009 @ 8:00pm

Four attendees: MaryAnn, Maria, David, and Bill F.

Reviewed bids for work on Castleburg pond drainage ditch. Results:

Recommended: SiteScapes(1st) and TarHeel restoration (2nd) based on price and detail

Concern: bids are older by several months, may need updated to reflect current prices

Concern: not clear as to where the actual work will start & end along the ditch (both bids)

Concern: we do not know where property line is for home on Weehawken (corner lot)

Concern: does new home owner know of this ditch issue?

Need: copy of their deed to define if their property line(s) includes any part of ditch

Concern: not clear if we need to have environmental permit to do this work and who pulls it

Concern: not clear how ANY change in flow due to work will be permitted by Apex

Concern: does Apex inspect/sign off on pre-post work?

Action: Bill F to contact Beth Harvey on above issues by July 15th

Discussion: improvement(s) in and around Castleburg pond. Results:

Update: Grounds Committee has made various contacts since late Fall 2008 with homeowners around the pond’s edges including last meeting on June 18, 2009. Have extended several written, emailed, and verbal invitations to all noted homeowners to attend a Grounds Committee meeting to express their comments/views as related to any possible improvements to the Castleburg pond area. To date no noted homeowner has attended a Grounds Committee meeting on this topic. Maria Johnson, committee member, has had personal conversations with several noted homeowners and has shared their comments with the committee.

Concern: any improvement to the Castleburg pond hinges on the final action taken on the repair of the Castleburg pond ditch. Access to the pond is through or over the ditch.

Suggested action:

  1. we cut the weeds leading to and along the dam front
  2. we trim back a few lower branches on tress on dam front
  3. we trim out some, not all, brush growth at water’s edge at dam front
  4. consider: install a bench at dam front (if permitted) but no trash barrel in area
  5. start simple, let area tell us next steps if needed
  6. Write up time line/recap to date/ and proposed actions ..then share with CV
  7. Maria will be point person to write, members to give her their past notes

Reviewed bid on gazebo work:

Recommended: G Double Painting

Scope of work: repaint entire detached gazebo as noted in bid (except as noted below)

Scope of work: power wash and stain gazebo flooring as noted in bid

Requested modification in work: remove all balusters and all rails from all sides of gazebo, patch nail holes as needed, then painted as noted

Ask: what would be additional cost for them to power wash the 2 tables in gazebo, too

Future work: suggestion we consider upgrading plantings around gazebo and consider lighting of gazebo to deter late night use/abuse by teenagers

General discussions on overall grounds:

The committee is very pleased with the new contractor’s work

Fall plantings: leave it up to contractor, we liked the Spring selection

Christmas decorations: we have new ones, MaryAnn will be point person, have a party?

Next meeting: August 3, 2009 @ 8pm @ Club House

Submitted by:

Bill Ferrell

July 14, 2009