2017 Budget Approved at Annual Meeting; Board Reelected

The annual meeting of the WMC took place on December 5th at the Spring City Restaurant.  The current members of the WMC Board were reelected to their positions for another one year term beginning January 1st. 

The other main business item was the approval of the 2017 budget which features an assessment of $130 for the 2017 fiscal year.  The increase, the first in three years, was due largely to increased expenses maintaining our 5 acres of woods.   During the past year we had numerous trees fall, some onto private property and others over the sidewalk and into the street along Rolling Ridge Drive.  As we continue to battle Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer, we expect the cost of tree removals to be one of our biggest fiscal issues as a homeowners association. 

The invoices and meeting minutes will arrive in the mail around January 1 with a due date for the assessment payment January 31st, 2017.

Annual Meeting Slated for December 5th

The annual meeting of the Windings Maintenance Corp. will take place on Monday, December 5th, beginning at 7 PM.   The location will be the meeting room at the Spring City Restaurant, located near the corner of Silvernail and Grandview Blvd.

In early November, all property owners should have received a letter along with a copy of the proposed 2017 budget and a proxy card for voting on the budget and the slate of officers for next year.  Please mail your proxy card back to us even if you plan to attend the meeting.

Invitations are on the way...

In mid-October a letter will be sent to all property owners in the Windings inviting them to consider running for the board of the Windings Maintenance Corp., your homeowners association.  The board members manage the 25 acres of common property found on over a dozen outlots throughout the subdivision.  Decisions about hiring contractors for the lawn care, snow removal and tree maintenance are the chief duties board members experience.  In addition, the collection of the annual assessment and maintaining the budget and treasury are other important tasks.

The four current board members will be preparing the 2017 proposed budget in the upcoming weeks. The annual homeowners meeting will take place on Monday, December 7th.  Besides approving next year's budget, the 2017 board members will be elected at that gathering.

WMC board members are paid $600 annually.

Gas & Electric Lines Affected by Planned Bypass

The planned construction in 2017 for the bypass along Meadowbrook Road will require electric and gas lines to be moved eastward.  Even though the bypass construction is a year into the future, WeEnergies crews will begin preparations in August of this year.  A gas line between Woodridge and Rolling Ridge will be relocated further east.  In addition, the electric poles and lines along Meadowbrook Road will be relocated as well.

Prior to the electric lines being moved, the Asplundh Co. will begin tree removals and trimming on the WMC outlot along Meadowbrook Road.  This work could begin as early as August 18.  Eventually, the Asplundh Co. will make arrangements to clear the area of trimmings and downed trees, but the wood could remain near the side of the road for several weeks.  You are welcome to take some of the wood if you so desire.

Gas lines to be relocated along Meadowbrook Road

Wenergies has informed the WMC Board that it will relocate a gas line between Woodridge and Rolling Ridge next month (August).  The gas line presently runs along Meadowbrook Road.  In anticipation of the west bypass project, the line needs to be relocated further east to accommodate the wider roadway that will result when the bypass construction takes place in 2017.  The project will require digging a pair of bore holes on WMC property and running the new gas line from one to the other.  Wenergies has agreed to compensate the WMC for the easement that will result and restore the property back to its original condition.  

Is Your Exterior Light Working?

Recently one of  our property owners contacted us to complain about the numerous exterior lampposts that are dark at night.  This is a good time to remind everyone to check their bulbs and to replace them, if necessary.

When the subdivision was planned during the 1970's, the developers and the City of Waukesha agreed that a minimum number of street lights would be necessary because the homes would be required to have "photoelectric" lights installed to ensure that the Windings neighborhoods would be adequately lighted at night.

Now that over forty years have passed, the covenant that required hhomeowners to install and maintain the exterior lampposts has expired, per Wisconsin statutes (The only other covenant was the requirement to install a concrete driveway).  Accordingly, the best way to make sure our lights are working is to apply peer pressure.  There are no legal avenues or fines that can be used to motivate homeowners to keep their lights shining during the evening hours.

If you notice that your neighbor's light is not working, feel free to bring it to their attention.  If you do not care for confrontations, we are considering printing some friendly reminders that could be affixed to a non-functioning lamppost.  The reminders would be signed by the WMC president and printed on bright paper.

If you are interested in circulating a few reminders to your neighbors regarding their dark lampposts, contact president Frank Remfrey (fremfrey@yahoo.com).