THE OAKSHIRE GOOD NEIGHBOR

THE OAKSHIRE GOOD NEIGHBOR
March, 2016
Volume 19, Issue 3
BOOK CLUB
OAKSHIRE MEETINGS
Next Board Meeting: Thursday, March 24, 7:00 pm
Pre-Board Meeting: Monday, March 21, 7:00 pm
OAKSHIRE ACTIVITIES
Book Club: First Thursday, 7:00 PM
Call: Mary Kay Dillingham 677-1883
Bunko: Second Thursday, 7:00 PM
Call: Suzanne George 438-3846
Dominoes: Second Monday, 7:00 PM
Call: Marty Fuller 492-9008
Line Dancing: Every Friday, 10:45 – 11:30 AM
Call: Suzanne George 438-3846
Water Aerobics: Every Tuesday and Thursday,
3:00 PM, June through August
Call: Karen Johnson 888-8298
OAKSHIRE RESIDENT RELATIONS
COMMITTEE
Everyone is invited to the next meeting of the Oakshire Book
Club on Thursday, March 3, 7:00 pm, in the Fireside Room at
the clubhouse. We will discuss Go Set a Watchman and To
Kill a Mockingbird, very timely selections with the death of
author Harper Lee last week. In April, we will read Persuasion
by Jane Austen; for May, The Girls of Atomic City by Denise
Kieman; June is Blowback by Valerie Plame; July is All the
Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
QUEEN BED
Chair: Marty Fuller: 492-9008
Welcoming: Marty Fuller 492-9008
Bereavement: Marty Fuller: 492-9008
Directory: Janet Huddleston 492-3545
Newsletter: Mary Kay Dillingham 677-1883
TRASH PICKUP
Thursday, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
April 7, 14, 21, 28
Articles for the newsletter must be submitted via
e-mail to Mary Kay Dillingham by the last day of
the month: [email protected]
Oakshire Web Site: oakshirehomesassociation.com
Board President: Gary Schmidt, 888-0852
Board Secretary: Janet Huddleston, 492-3545
Board Treasurer: Karen Johnson, 888-8298
2016 year-to-date Revenue and Expenses are as
follows:
TOTAL REVENUE: $36,433
TOTAL EXPENSES: $31,311
SPECIAL PROJECTS RESERVE: $215,481.06
Original Oakshire resident, Don Daniels, suffered a stroke in
January and has been in the hospital and rehab ever since. His
wife, Joann, says he is “starting to get grumpy” and he has
made a lot of progress, so she thinks he will be able to come
home soon. She needs to sell the queen bed in their downstairs
bedroom to better accommodate Don’s limitations. If you or
anyone you know is interested in purchasing the Daniels’
bedroom furniture, please contact Joann at 913-888-1947.
IN AND AROUND OAKSHIRE
Well, here we are in March and don’t you agree, so far, the winter has been pretty mild.
Remember the 20th is the first day of spring!!! It’s practically here! Looking around a person
can already see the signs with tulip bulbs, jonquils, hyacinths, etc. showing their leaves.
Probably some crocus is blooming already! It’s all good!!
Our big event last month was the annual meeting. It was a very informative meeting; hopefully,
you were there. This is the time when new officers are elected. We were gratified by the
number of residents who chose to vote. Basically 2/3 of you voted. That set a record and shows
great support to those who work hard to make Oakshire such a desirable place to live.
During the meeting, new residents were introduced and the chairs of all the committees read
their reports on how the year had progressed and all that was accomplished during the year.
Nilla Henry and Richard Heil and his crew received rave reviews for their work and their help
in Oakshire. Many people were acknowledged for their contribution to the workings of this
community and appreciation was shown to all who choose to volunteer.
Following the meeting, we had a fun and very social gathering with coffee made by Louise
Mathis and delicious cookies made by Mary Doherty, Mary Ann Estes and Carrie Whitaker.
Thanks to all of you for providing this perfect touch to a lovely evening.
Be sure and check out Rita’s Corner. Hope you didn’t miss the very nice Happy Valentine’s
display. Who knows what is coming next!! Last year the Easter Bunny left a lot of eggs in that
very same area. Will he again?? Check it out and see. Thanks Rita Dupin, you bring a lot of
happiness to that corner.
Happy Spring to all of us and we hope to see all of you at the St Pat’s Party on the 19th!!! Be
sure and show your green!!!
OAKSHIRE HOMES ASSOCIATION
FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL MEETING
February 16, 2016
The Forty-second Annual meeting of the Oakshire Homes Association was held Tuesday,
February 16, 2016 in the Clubhouse.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President Gary Schmidt who welcomed all
homeowners and new residents. President Schmidt thanked Louise Mathis and the Social
Committee for providing the cookies and coffee for tonight’s meeting. At the conclusion of this
meeting we will adjourn to the Fireside Room for coffee and cookies.
The following Board members were present: Michael Bettis, Nancy Burns, Marty Fuller, Betty
Haefele, Janet Huddleston, Karen Johnson, Bill Pelkey, Gary Schmidt, and Chris Stanfield.
MINUTES: The Minutes of the Forty-First Annual Meeting, held February 17, 2015, were
accepted as presented.
AUDITOR’S REPORT: President Schmidt asked Karen Johnson to read the financial status
report prepared by Rich Bili, CPA, of Keller & Owens. This report was addressed to Karen
Johnson.
“Thank you for the opportunity to perform the work for Oakshire Homes Association. We
wanted to give you a summary of the results of the review. If you have any questions, please let
me know.
“Keller & Owens performed a review of the financial statements. This is the service just below
our audit services. Basically, we perform inquiry and analytical procedures to see if the
financials ‘make sense’. I think this is the appropriate level of service for the organization.
“The balance sheet is fairly consistent with the prior year. The cash balance increased
approximately $3,000.
“Assessments receivable increased by approximately $10,000. There are five residents that
have balances of over $1,000. Of the five, an attorney has been involved in trying to obtain
payments for four of the residents and the other one you are having a lien put against the
property. The association continues to do a good job of staying on top of it and making sure
assessments are being paid and following up if they are not. We do suggest that you continue to
stay diligent in monitoring and collecting outstanding balances that are due to the association
and consider an increase to the allowance for doubtful accounts in 2016.
“On the income statement, you had a positive net income of $12,000 for the year which is down
from the prior year net income of $19,000. The main reasons for the decrease in net income
were an increase in some expenses that outpaced the increase in revenues of $6,000. For
instance, exterior repair decreased from 2014 by $40,000; however roofs expense increased
$68,000 due to a few roofs that had to be replaced this year.
“Overall, I think the Association had a solid year and is in good financial shape.”
Sincerely,
Rich Bili, CPA
QUORUM: President Schmidt announced that the Tellers (Grace Folse and Judy Auman) have
advised that we have a quorum and can conduct business.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS: President Schmidt recognized the hard work of the Tellers,
Grace Folse and Judy Auman. He also recognized the dedication that Chris Stanfield gave to
our Board and our community as he goes off the Board. He stepped in when Phil Runyon
stepped down for health reasons and Chris ran for the following term too. The following
candidates running for a three-year term:
Marty Fuller
Janet Huddleston Steve Keegan
President Schmidt said that we vote by secret ballot. Our ballot must be placed in a sealed
envelope and that we write our name on the envelope as well as our address otherwise the vote
cannot be counted. We do not sign the ballot due to privacy of the ballot vote.
COMMITTEE REPORTS: All the following reports are on file at the Clubhouse Office and
can be reviewed on Thursday Mornings when Nilla Henry, Property Manager, is in the office.
ARCHITECTURE: The Oakshire Homes Architectural Committee consisted of seven
members during 2015: Tom Sader, Chairman; Larry Huddleston, Vice Chairman; Bill Pelkey,
Board Liaison; Aaron Auman, Lisa Montague, Terry Schoeni and Chris Stanfield. The
committee was busy in 2015 with the replacement of 20 complete or partial roofs. The partial
replacement was to complete the portion of roofs that had not been previously replaced. The
reasons for the roof replacements was either leakage or composition shingles over shake
shingles that are uninsurable. 12 units had brick replacement completed on the fronts of the
units. 3 driveways, 2 stoops, and 6 sidewalks were replaced. 8 driveways were mud jacked.
We continue the ongoing project to replace stucco siding and brick veneer with Hardie panel,
cedar fascia and trim boards with smart trim. The Architecture Committee would like the board
to consider the approval of Steve Keegan as a new member of this committee.
Tom
Sader, Chairperson
LANDSERVICES: The Landservices Committee consists of Michael Bettis, Board Liaison,
Jay Brenner, Nancy Burns, John Howard, Bill O’Neill, and Diana Tyrell. This committee is
involved with the Oakshire lawn care which includes mowing, fertilizing and weed control. We
also oversee the spring bush trimming/removal program and the fall tree trimming program that
is completed by Chris Hoover Tree Service. As needed the committee handles the planting of
trees, bushes and flowers. 2015 had 33 residents requesting bush trimming/removal and 33
residents requesting tree trimming. This past year we lost three members due to health or other
age related issues.
Bill O’Neill, Member
CLUBHOUSE, POOLS, AND TENNIS COURTS: The Clubhouse, Pools and Tennis Courts
Committee consists of Suzanne George, Chairperson; Betty Haefele, Board Liaison; Aaron
Auman, Nancy Burns, Dick Fuller, Bill and Jeanne Leonard, Helen O’Dowd and Sharon
O’Neill.
Clubhouse: The Fireside Room was repainted by volunteers before carpet installation in March.
A tweed carpet was chosen from Carpet Direct at a cost of $1, 674.33 including installation.
Two chairs were repaired. New deadbolt locks were installed at the clubhouse, office, and
garage doors. New pool keys were made for new residents. Replacement keys cost $20.00. The
clubhouse is used for Oakshire activities: Book Club, Bridge Group, Bunko, Dominoes and
Line Dancing. The Clubhouse was rented 25 times in 2015. We continue to use Keith Meyer
for clubhouse custodial cleaning. Nancy Burns continues the courtyard gardening.
Pools: The North pool passed inspection after four values were replaced in the pump room.
The South pool boiler had a blown transformer that was replaced and a vent was installed on the
gas pipe leading to the boiler before passing inspection. Constant Care replaces mulch at both
pools, Chris Hoover’s crew trims trees around the pool areas before the pools are properly
opened by Select Pools for the season and inspected by the city of Overland Park. The
committee keeps each pool area attractively updated and secured. There was a slight problem
with a waxy build-up of sunscreen in the North pool during 2015. Swimmers need to follow
sunscreen directions so that the lotion is absorbed by the skin before swimming to prevent this
from clogging up the pools. Water aerobics continues twice a week during the summer with
Monica Brown instructing.
Budget: We went over the budget by approximately $500 due to utility increases.
Suzanne George, Chairperson
RESIDENT RELATIONS and WELCOMING: The Resident Relations Committee consists
of Marty Fuller, Chairperson and Board Liaison, Mary Kay Dillingham, Debbie Gibson and
Janet Huddleston.
Welcoming Committee: We had the great pleasure of welcoming 15 new residents in 2015.
New Residents: Mary Arterbery; Sharol Carlson; Art and Kathie Donnelly; Christine Gladson;
Ann Marie Hopkins; Michael Kleen; Judy McDonald, Glen and Jolene Payne; Margaret and
Natalie Peter; Aristides (Al) and Erma Simoes; Scott, Trisha and Steve Spangler; Denise and
Hannah Strader; Rhonda Voiles; Jane Wiegele; Sharon Weitzel and Dona Lambrecht; and
Karen Wiseman. Each new resident was presented a new copy of the Oakshire By-Laws along
with tickets to an Oakshire activity of their choice. The tickets were given in an effort to
encourage them to meet their neighbors and become active in our community. Each new
resident was made available a pool key. Perhaps most appreciated by the new residents was the
opportunity to ask questions about maintenance, pool and clubhouse usage, snow removal, etc.
We do believe they appreciated our effort to acquaint them with our Oakshire community.
Bereavement Committee: Sympathy cards were sent to the families of the following residents:
Sam Montague (5/13/15), Sue Roesch (5/25/15); Marilyn Casey (5/19/15), Karen Free
(10/4/15), Richard Schwarz (12/6/15). In addition to these residents passing we received a
notice of Carol Squires passing away on 12/19/15. Carol worked with Oakshire through The
Curry Management Company. Carol trained Nilla Henry who has replaced her as our
Management Company Representative with First Service (formerly Curry).
Marty Fuller, Chairperson
SOCIAL AND RECREATION: The Social Committee consists of Louise Mathis,
Chairperson; Nancy Burns, Board Liaison; Carri Whitaker, Treasurer; Mary Ann Bettis, Cheryl
Caple, Mary Doherty, Mary Ann Estes, Thais Fahy, Lora Fitzgerald, Grace Folse, Marty Fuller
and Nancy Vaughn. In January all the Christmas decorations were taken down at the
Clubhouse. February we provided refreshments for the Oakshire Annual Meeting. On March
15th we held a St. Patrick’s Pot Luck Party with the committee furnishing the corn beef/rye
bread for 41 attending. Coffee at theClubhouse was hosted on February 21st, April 18th, August
1st, and November 14th with Special Guests Hosts assisting in welcoming the residents to the
coffee. A Resident Survey was added to the July Newsletter with some good ideas being offered
for future activities and programs. The Octoberfest Chili Potluck was attended by 60 residents
and the committee provided various kinds of chili/cornbread. Clubhouse holiday decorations
were put up after Thanksgiving. The Annual Holiday Party was held on December 18 th, catered
by HyVee Prairie Village, and “On Eagles Wings” vocal ensemble entertained 53 residents.
Those leaving the committee are Marty Fuller and Nancy Vaughn.
Louise Mathis, Chairperson
FINANCE:
Cash on Hand as of December 31,
2015
Income and Expense Summary for 2015:
Total
Income
Total
Expense
Net Income:
$227,769
$408,581
$391,554
$16,027
Reserve Summaries as of December 31, 2015:
Special Projects $212,471.
Reserves
06
Undesignated
$15,287.8
Reserves
5
Total Reserves
$16,027
In 2015, $36,000 was collected from our monthly dues to fund the Special Projects Reserve
Fund. This fund had no expenses in 2015.
The monthly assessment for 2015 was $225.00 per unit per month.
The monthly assessment for 2016 will be $235.00 per month.
Karen Johnson, Treasurer
STANDARDS: The Community Standards Committee was established by the Oakshire
Board of Directors to assist the Board in maintaining the quality of our community. The
committee activities during 2015 were typical, consisting primarily of minor parking violations.
These issues are generally resolved with a letter or notice stating the applicable regulation.
Over the years Oakshire members have conscientiously observed our standards and
consequently the committee is rarely called upon to take action. Since the committee operates
at the direction of the Board, and since it is rarely called upon to take action, the committee no
longer needs to provide this function. Oakshire members who wish to have a possible violation
of our rules investigated should submit a request to the Board of Directors and the Board will
take appropriate action. All association members should have a copy of the Declarations, ByLaws, and Board Policy Manual. Copies can be obtained by contacting Nilla Henry,
FirstService Residential, or stopping by the clubhouse office on Thursday Mornings (10:00 to
12:00 Noon) to pick up a copy. The governing documents are also on the Oakshire website
(oakshirehomeassociation.com). A digest of the most important items is included in the
Oakshire Resident Directory that is published each year.
Gary Schmidt, Chairperson
SNOW:
The Snow Committee consists of: John Howard, Larry Huddleston, Karen
Johnson, Bill Leonard, Gary Schmidt, Terry Schoeni, and Chris Stanfield. The monitors
measure the snow depth in an undisturbed area after the snow has stopped. This is important to
decide if plowing will be done and how much Oakshire will be billed. We believe this is a more
accurate measurement for the average snow depth in Oakshire than a generic Overland Park
Report. Terry Schoeni also makes an official measurement for the National Weather Service.
Oakshire did not have a plowable snow event in 2015. When there is a snow event that may
require plowing, measurements are taken at designated locations throughout Oakshire. An
average snow depth of 3” is required before plowing is considered. Depending on the snow
depth and forecast melting conditions, the committee will determine if plowing will be done.
When the snowfall does not meet the plowing criteria, it is up to individual residents to shovel
as desired. All Oakshire residents are requested to look out for older neighbors who may be
unable to shovel. Any residents who are not able to shovel and who need to have snow cleared,
may contact any committee member or Board Member for assistance. Arrangements for
assistance will be made. Since our previous snow removal contractor did not respond to a
request for a renewal contract, a new contractor, Tru North, has been contracted for this season.
We will have to pay a retainer fee that was negotiated to equal the snow removal budget. This
fee applies to the snow removal billings.
Gary Schmidt, Chairperson
FINANCIAL REPORT: Traditionally the Finance Committee meets once a year with the sole
purpose of building a budget for the coming year. This year we met on October 5th. Present
were Larry Huddleston, Terry Schoeni, Gary Schmidt, and Karen Johnson. Committee Member
Chris Stanfield was unable to attend but presented three topics to be considered. These topics
were read and discussed.
This year we agreed to base our income on 145 units, as we have 5 units consistently not paying
their monthly assessments. The last few years our income was based on 147 units, for the same
reason. Our expense will continue to be based on 150 units. With that said, I want to assure you
we are actively pursuing these delinquent homeowners legally. One unit was recently
repossessed by the mortgage company and is now vacant.
All committee chairs were asked to present their budget needs for the coming year. With two
exceptions, all requested their budgets remain the same as the previous year. Janet Huddleston
asked her budget for the printing of the Oakshire Directory be increased to include the expected
increase in cost. Suzanne George, Chair of the Clubhouse, Pools and Tennis Courts Committee
requested funding for 5 or 6 new deck chairs for the pools and funding for the re-staining of the
North Pool fence and staining of the South Pool fence. The request for the new deck chairs was
approved; the request for the staining and re-staining of the fences was not. It was agreed the
South Pool definitely needs to be stained and it was further discussed that stain could be applied
by a group of volunteers this spring. For those new to this community, many projects over the
last few years have been handled by volunteers very successfully, saving this community a lot
of money. The Association would, of course, pay for the stain and any supplies needed for that
project.
2016 is the year when many contracts become due. As many of you know, we require at least a
two-year contract with our vendors. We have some exceptions, Deffenbaugh a five-year
contract and Hoover a three-year contract. After 10 years of holding their pricing, Constant
Care did ask for a modest 2% increase. There are many advantages to having vendors who
know the property and have worked here many years. We were happy to sign another two-year
contract with Constant Care. The Land Service budget was expanded to include the increase.
Gary and I began the challenge of finding a new snow removal company. The company we used
previously is apparently out-of-business as we could get no response, so we started our search.
The challenges did come; we found many companies who simply do not want to plow snow for
Homes Associations. If they did agree to plow, very few would plow “only” after 3” had fallen,
and very, very few, if any, would price the job without compounding the prices. This gets very
complicated, Gary and I worked out a workable bid sheet after spending many hours in the
“what if” state of mind. You know, what if we get 5”, or 7” or 9”. or more? We worked the
math every way imaginable working the various percentages as most companies compound
their pricing as the snow amounts increase, sometimes they do not compound consistently.
Thanks to Bill and Vicki Pelkey for suggesting and getting us the name of Tru North. Tru
North is the company who clears Oak Park Mall. Tru North only does Snow Removal but they
have never done Homes Associations. After talking to them, they decided they may want to
start doing neighborhoods like ours and our location certainly worked to everyone’s advantage.
We spent 6 weeks in meetings negotiating prices and re-wording their contract. We reached the
best possible agreement and have signed a 4-year contract with them. Just a point of interest,
the man who started this company, Tru North, got his start with Constant Care, 10 years ago.
His sister, Tracy, is one of the people we were negotiating with. We have every reason to think
we will enjoy the same good working relationship with Tru North that we enjoy with our other
vendors.
It should be mentioned here that Oakshire is one of a very few Homes Associations that not
only negotiates their own contracts, but also reviews the terms and conditions of the contracts.
Most homes associations request that their management group do this on their behalf. We
believe we know the needs of our Association much better and we believe we can devote more
time to these negotiations. This practice has resulted in significant savings, and the elimination
of contract terms that are unfavorable to Oakshire. In addition, through these processes, we
have established personal relationships with our vendors which have proven very beneficial to
Oakshire and our vendors as well.
Brian Cyre of Keller & Owens has once again completed his yearly review of Oakshire and
once again finds us to be an extremely stable, solid community in good financial shape. He
typically drives through the community looking closely at all visible aspects of the
neighborhood before beginning his review. He did mention that we look better and better every
year. One comment he made was that we always spend our funds wisely, another is how
constant and stable we are year after year. He mentioned he has come to expect that from
Oakshire and is never disappointed. As you see, his comments are all very favorable. Brian has
conducted our reviews since 2007.
Because of increases in our expenses such as Constant Care, utilities, chemicals used not only
for the pools, but also, for the common grounds, the Finance Committee recommended to the
Board a $10.00 increase in our monthly assessments. The Board approved the increase. The
monthly assessment for 2016 will be $235.00 per unit per month. This is the first increase since
2011. Our Special Project Reserve Account continues to grow and will continue to be funded
in the amount of $36,000 a year.
The Finance Committee would like to thank Nilla Henry for her hard work, her obvious interest
in our community, and her quick response to all our needs and requests!!
The Finance Committee also wants to offer a huge Thank You to all the Committee Chairs and
to all who chose to volunteer on those committees. Your energy and efforts are easy to see as
Oakshire is beautiful and continues to be a wonderful place to call home. You do make a
difference!!
ASS0CIATION RESOLUTION FOR REVENUE RULING 70-604 ELECTION –
EXCESS INCOME APPLIED TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S ASSESSMENTS
RESOLUTION OF THE OAKSHIRE HOMES ASSOCIATION
RE: EXCESS INCOME APPLIED TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S ASSESSMENTS
REVENUE RULING 70-604
WHEREAS, the Oakshire Homes Association is a Kansas corporation duly organized and
existing under the laws of the Kansas; and
WHEREAS, the members desire that the corporation shall act in full accordance with the
rulings and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service;
NOW, THEREFORE, the members hereby adopt the following resolution by and on
behalf of the Oakshire Homes Association:
RESOLVED, that any excess of membership income over membership expenses for the year
ended December 31, 2015, shall be applied against the subsequent tax year member
assessments as provided by IRS Revenue Ruling 70-604.
The resolution is adopted and made a part of the minutes of the meeting of February 16,
2016.
Signed by: Gary Schmidt, President
Attested:
Janet Huddleston, Secretary
APPROVAL OF ANNUAL REPORTS AND RATIFICATION OF THE ACTS OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DURING THE PAST YEAR
MOTION: Tom Sader moved to approve the Annual Reports and to ratify the Acts of the
Board of Directors during the past year. It was seconded by Betsy Edmonds.
Motion carried.
PROPERTY MANAGER’S REPORT:
This report was read by Janet Huddleston for Nilla Henry.
“FirstService Residential is proud to be managing Oakshire Homes Association. I am on my
seventh year here at Oakshire and I am honored to be part of such a great community.
We all owe a great big special thanks to the entire Board of Directors and Committee members
for all of their personal involvement and hard work which makes Oakshire such a nice place to
live.”
DELINQUENCIES: As of February 10, 2015, sixteen homeowners owe dues for February
dues, seven homeowners owe for January, six homeowners owe for December 2015, six
homeowners owe for November 2015 and older past dues. We track the legal fees for each
account and charge them back to the homeowner. Late fees have been added to the correlating
accounts as well.
INSURANCE: The insurance log has been updated and the notices mailed out. There are
currently six homeowners who need to mail in an updated declarations page. There is one
homeowner who has not turned in their insurance since moving in recently.
Sincerely, Nilla Henry, Property Manager
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: 2015 was a good year at Oakshire. As Karen Johnson and Bryan
Cyre reported, out financial condition is strong. The Board is committed to the continued
growth of our reserve funds that will be needed for major maintenance projects in the
foreseeable future.
In 2014 the Board agreed to meet four times a year instead of monthly. Meetings in 2016 will
be held in March, June, September and November. A pre-board meeting held on the Monday
preceding the Board meeting. Meeting dates are published in the Oakshire newsletter.
Residents are invited to attend these meetings. In addition to the regular Board Meetings, Nilla
Henry, Tom Sader, Karen Johnson and Gary Schmidt meet at 10:00 a.m. every Thursday at the
Clubhouse office. Members are encouraged to stop by with any questions, and to enjoy
wonderful freshly baked brownies and coffee for which we thank the “Oakshire Brownie Lady”
Yvonne Webster.
Oakshire welcomed 15 new neighbors during the past year. Oakshire continues to be one of the
most desirable townhome communities in Johnson County with most homes selling within days
of being listed, and one actually sold within 3 hours. Our new owners upgrade and renovate
their homes, which elevate the quality of our entire community.
Our Architectural committee continues to make progress on the Hardi-Panel project. Priority is
given to roof replacements, and a large number of roofs were replaced in 2015. In 2012 it was
determined that some insurance companies were unwilling to insure homes with composition
roofs that had been placed over wood shingles. While this had been an accepted practice, it is
no longer permitted under current building codes. Any roofs that were placed over wood
shingles will be replaced. Any owner who encounters a problem insuring a unit with underlying
wood shingles should contact Nilla Henry at FirstService Residential.
The Nieman berm, Clubhouse plantings and the 96th Street/95th Terrace beautification projects
are ongoing. Nancy Burns spends many hours watering and maintaining plants around the
Clubhouse, and Karen Johnson and her assistant continue planting, mulching and watering all
these common areas.
Every month in the newsletter the Special Projects Reserve balance is reported. When homes
associations are initially established the developer provides the declarations, by-laws, and
manages the association until the project is completed. It is then turned over to the owners.
Keeping dues as low as possible is in the developer’s best interest, and establishing a reserve
fund would require high dues. When the owners take over, the community is new and expenses
are low. As a result, dues remain low, and the Board does not consider future repair and
replacement requirements. This is what happened at Oakshire. Several years ago when it was
necessary to resurface our streets, the Board had to take out a loan to complete the work. The
Board still did not create a Reserve Fund. Over the years more and more repairs were required
resulting in continuing increases in our dues, and in 2002 a $2,500 assessment per residential
unit was approved to cover painting and siding work. Still no Reserve Fund was established.
The sad part of this story is that, if the original Board had dedicated only $5 of the dues to
future repairs, we would probably have created a reserve of at least one million dollars. In 2007
the Board approved a $15 increase in dues that was dedicated to a Special Projects Reserve
fund. Subsequently an additional $5 per month was added to the fund. Nothing can be spent
out of this fund without Board approval. As reported at the end of 2015 the Special Projects
Reserve Fund balance is $212,481 and it increases by $36,000 each year.
Our streets will need to be resurfaced in seven or eight years. The resurfacing may cost as
much as $500,000. If there are no unforeseen contingencies, the reserve fund should be
adequate to cover most, if not all of the street repair expense.
The Oakshire Board of Directors continues to aggressively pursue delinquent accounts. The
viability of our community depends on the timely receipt of monthly dues from all of our
residents. Any resident whose payment is 30 days past due receives a reminder letter from
FirstService Residential. A second notice is sent after 60 days. At 90 days the resident is
advised that a lien has been placed on the property. The lien includes late charges and all legal
expenses incurred by the association. Delinquencies that extend beyond 90 days are turned over
to the association’s attorney. The association will petition the court for a judgment. If
collection of a judgment is not possible, a foreclosure action on the property will be filed. In
the event that the delinquencies have not been resolved at the time that a property sells, the
closing cannot be completed without satisfying the lien. In 2015 there was one bank
foreclosure in Oakshire that resulted in a write-off of approximately $6,000. Unfortunately, the
banking lobby has been able to secure protection under Kansas law that allows them to dismiss
all secondary liens on a foreclosed property. We still have the option of pursing legal action
against the property owner, and will do so if there is a reasonable chance of recovery. In this
case it was determined that the estate had no known assets. Obviously uncollected assessments
place a financial burden on all of our residents who pay their dues. The combined efforts of the
Board of Directors and FirstService Residential have been successful in collecting past due
accounts, and this will continue to be one of our highest priorities.
2015 was a great year at Oakshire, and we look forward to the same in 2016.
Gary Schmidt, President
OAKSHIRE COMMENDATIONS: Individual residents were recognized for their valuable
contributions to Oakshire during 2015. Karen Johnson read a Letter of Appreciation for Gary
Schmidt thanking him for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Oakshire community.
NEW BUSINESS:
The Chair moved to appoint Steve Keegan as a member of the Architectural Committee. The
motion was approved.
The Chair announced that Marty Fuller, Janet Huddleston and Steve Keegan were elected to the
Board of Directors by acclimation.
The Chair announced the following committee liaison assignments:
Architectural
Steve Keegan
Land Services
Michael Bettis
Clubhouse, Pools & Tennis Courts
Betty Haefele
Resident Relations
Marty Fuller
Finance
Karen Johnson
Snow Removal
Gary Schmidt
Open Forum: Celeste Stanfield asked if the State of Kansas required a contingency fund be
maintained by Home Owners Associations. Gary Schmidt indicated he believed it was by the
law passed in 2007-2008.
There being no further business to conduct, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Huddleston
Board Secretary
OAKSHIRE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
When changing insurance carriers or renewing existing homeowner’s policies residents need to
make sure that their agent is aware of the following provision of the Oakshire Declarations:
ARTICLE IX INSURANCE
Section 2. Unit Owners. All Owners shall obtain and maintain the following insurance on their
respective Units:
All Risk Physical Damage Coverage on the dwelling structure and Liability
Coverage as provided by the broadest Home Owners policies in insurance companies authorized
to do business in Kansas. Coverage on the Owners' Units shall be on a full replacement cost
basis. Each such insurance policy described herein shall be endorsed to provide written notice to
the Association of any cancellation of such policy or of any reduction of the limits of coverage
provided therein. Each Owner shall name Oakshire Homes Association, Inc. as a Loss Payee or
as an Additional Insured.
Some insurance carriers offer replacement cost coverage as an option, not as a standard
coverage.
Residents should request that their agent send a certificate of insurance including the above
requirements to Nilla Henry at FirstService Residential.
OAKSHIRE MAIL DELIVERY
Oakshire residents are extremely fortunate to have mail delivered to the door. Most newer
residential communities have centrally located lock boxes where all neighborhood mail is
placed.
Unfortunately, we frequently have a substitute carrier who has a problem finding the proper
address for deliveries.
If you receive your neighbor’s mail, please place the mail in their mail slot rather than returning
it to the post office.
REST IN PEACE
Former residents, Buck and Miriam Warren passed away recently, Buck on February 24 of this
year and Miriam last November. They are fondly remembered at Oakshire.
FIRST COFFEE AT THE CLUBHOUSE – FEBRUARY 27
Guest hosts Terry and Libby Schoeni welcomed residents to Coffee at the Clubhouse last
Saturday, Feburary 27.
Coffee, tea, and delicious cookies were enjoyed by all those attending.
The coffees are a great way to visit with your neighbors and meet new residents in a casual
setting. The next Coffee at the Clubhouse is scheduled for April 30. Hope to see you then.