Newsletter May 2023

Homeowners’ Annual Meeting: May 21st

Event: The Homeowners’ Annual Meeting

Date: May 21nd

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Meg Klethe’s; 2 W. Preston Lane

Vote To Be Taken At Annual Meeting To Decide

In December 2022, one of the rentals on West State Lane applied for a license to the Stillwater Planning Commission to operate their property as a short-term rental. Conversation was had with the owner at that time, informing him that our covenants did not allow such activity. Members of the HOC Board attended the Planning Commission meeting. There, the assistant city attorney informed the members of the board that (1) there is no special zoning for short-term rentals, and (2) our HOC covenants did not restrict short-term rentals.

In late January, George Gilland, HOC Board President, contacted Ann Richard-Farinha an attorney with Hartsfield & Egbert, in Edmond, OK. The firm specifically deals with HOC’s and short-term rentals. After studying our covenant, Ann wrote: “…unless your HOA Board has passed a rule or regulation regarding the terms of leases, your documents do not seem to prohibit short term leasing.” Ann has offered to assist our HOC to incorporate a prohibition against short term rentals.

Therefore, this is an important matter for our Annual Meeting and the Board encourages member participation as we take up this matter.

Motion from HOC Board Concerning Short-Term Rentals

A member of the HOC has suggested, “It would be very helpful if the Board constructed a position on the rental issue prior to the meeting (Annual HOC Meeting). It would show leadership and provide a good starting point for discussion.”

Understanding that there are members of the HOC against short-term rentals, members of the HOC supportive of short-term rentals, and members of the HOC neutral to short-term rentals, we offer the motion found on the following page as a good starting point for discussion.

The University Estates/Woodcrest HOC Board presents the following motion to the Annual Meeting of the University Estates/Woodcrest HOC:

“We move to use no less than $ 2,500 from the Escrow Account of the University Estates/Woodcrest HOC for the purpose of retaining a lawyer to write an amendment to our restrictive covenant of the HOC prohibiting short-term rentals in the areas of the HOC zoned ‘small lot single-family’.”

Coming from the HOC Board, this motion does not require a second.

Actions which can be taken, regarding the motion are:

“Accept the motion”

“Defeat the motion”

“Perfect the motion through amendments”

“Offer a substitute motion”

_____________________________________________

Election of Board Members

Each year, the Annual Meeting is charged with the responsibility of electing new members of the board. Your presence and participation is needed as we move through important business in the coming year.

Nominations

Class of 2022 (1 year term to fill vacancies)

George Gilland

_______________

_______________

Class of 2023 (2 year term)

Michelle Bosler

Gerald Horn

Aravind Seshadri

Nominations can also be made “from the floor” at the Annual Meeting of the HOC.

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Proposed Agenda For Annual Meeting of the University Estates/Woodcrest HOC

Call to Order

Minutes of 2022 Annual Meeting of HOC

Proposed HOC Budget

Election of New Board Members

Motion Concerning Short-Term Rentals

New Business

Garage Sale

Adjourn

Newsletter April 2023

Homeowners’ Annual Meeting: May 21st

The Homeowners’ Annual Meeting will be held on May 21nd (Location: to be announced in the May Edition of the HOC Newsletter). Among the items to be addressed at the meeting will be “Short-Term Rentals.”

“Short-Term Rentals”

In December 2022, one of the rentals on West State Lane applied to the Stillwater Zoning Commission to have their property zone as a short-term rental. Conversation was had with the owner at that time, informing him that our covenants did not allow such activity. Members of the HOC Board attended the zoning meeting. There, the assistant city attorney informed the members of the board that (1) there is no special zoning for short-term rentals, and (2) our HOC covenants did not restrict short-term rentals.

In late January, George Gilland, HOC Board President, contacted Ann Richard-Farinha an attorney with Hartsfield & Egbert, in Edmond, OK. The firm specifically deals with HOC’s and short-term rentals. After studying our covenant, Ann wrote: “…unless your HOA Board has passed a rule or regulation regarding the terms of leases, your documents do not seem to prohibit short term leasing.” Ann has offered to assist our HOC to incorporate a prohibition against short term rentals.

Therefore, this is an important matter for our Annual Meeting and the Board encourages member participation as we take up this matter.

Election of Board Members

Each year, the Annual Meeting is charged with the responsibility of electing new officers. Your presence and participation is needed as we move through important business in the coming year.

Carpe De Carp!

“Seize The Carp!” The Board has approved bowhunting of grass carp in the lake. Anyone hunting carp is required to dispose of any carp taken.

Please do not shoot carp with an arrow

and leave them to flounder around in the lake.

Removal of Beavers Dropping Trees Into The Lake

In June of 2022 a couple of beavers moved into a new lodge on the Southeast corner of the lake. Gerald Horn contacted Shannon Sheffert, who removed and relocated the beaver. They did drop a few small trees into the lake before being taken away.

Rocking the Lakeshore

This past year there has been a great deal of concern expressed over erosion of the shoreline. Gerald Horn called together an ad hoc committee composed of Gerald, Lori Edgmand, Zane Quible and Ray Huhnke to look into options for mitigating bank erosion. The committee decided to place rock along the shoreline to lessen erosion due to wave action.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, Tom Bentley Services delivered and spread rock on the north, west, south shoreline. We need to thank Gerald Horn and the committee for their efforts in this matter. This has certainly been a long overdue project.

Mowing The Dam and Emergency Spillway

Recently, contractors with the Payne County Conservation District mowed the dam, emergency spillway and mulched the large brush pile behind the south end of the dam. They have incredible and very expensive equipment and did an excellent job. Well worth the wait! It’s a pretty day . . . you may want to take a walk across the dam and take a look. It all looks great.

Mowing Contract for Common Areas

The HOC Board has contract with Chad Sneed of Sneed Lawn Service to mow the west side and Northwest corner of the lake, the center medians of the entrance, the frontage along West Lakeview Road, and the south end of the buffer zone behind West State Lane duplexes.

Bids were taken for the period beginning April 1 and ending October 1, with the understanding that the mowing season may be extended, based on the weather in Stillwater.

Check out the University Estates/Woodcrest HOC Website at:

university-estates.com

HOC Board:

George A. Gilland—President

Aravind Seshadri–Vice President

Michele Bosler–Board Member and Secretary

Lori Edgmand—Treasurer

Gerald Horn–Board Member

Bettye Little–Board Member

This Newsletter and dues invoice will be going out in the mail this week.

Lake Project

December 27, 2022

To: University Estates/Woodcrest Homeowners
From: Board of Directors
Subject: Lake Project

In the next few days a private contractor will begin placement of rock along the west bank of the lake and a portion of the north bank beginning at the NW corner. This work is to mitigate further bank erosion and deterioration of the ends of the two concrete drainage ramps at the west end of the lake.


This project has been discussed several times during actual site visits with professionals in the Payne County Natural Resources Conservation Service who specialize in pond construction and management. The work has their endorsement.


Baring disruptions in supply of rock at the quarry and inclement weather that prohibits placement of the rock along the bank, the work should be completed in 4-5 days.


Please be especially vigilant regarding your and the worker’s safety as you enter and leave the subdivision while this work is underway.

Lake Erosion Mitigation

In order to lessen the bank erosion around the lake we are going to have 195 tons of 6 inch rock laid along the inside edge of the bank areas beginning at the NW corner and running southeast for about 400 feet. This work will be performed by Tom Bentley Services December 13th or 14th (weather permitting). The work should take about three days. So if you see a bunch of trucks and activity at the lake that’s what’s happening!

Water Outage

There’s a water main break over by 4 Liberty Circle. Stillwater will be shutting off the main for our “U”, meaning from 1 Liberty Circle around to about 33 Liberty Circle. This may / may not affect the houses on the west end. Right now they are guesstimating about 8 hours downtime. They said it might take a couple hours to get the lines located then water will be turned off (it is 9:26 am right now, 10/8).

Updates!

Neighborhood Yard Sale: Looks like the Friday/Saturday of 9/23 and 9/24 is the football-free weekend. We’ll plan on having the yard sale then. As soon as I run it past the board and it’s confirmed I’ll put that on a new post.

Beavers: We have beavers making a lodge in the SE corner of the lake. We’ve hired someone to take care of that and they are making progress.

Lake: Turnpro finally got us up an running today with the circulators. The lake is in bad shape due to the heat, water loss and algae bloom. It’s being addressed but there’s only so much that can be done right now with the heat and no water coming in.

Grass: In order to slow down the erosion of the lakeside we are having the mowers not cut the grass to the edge.

Geese: It’s too late to address relocation this year but we might want to think about it for next year. That’s about $2,500.

That’s it for now. Stay cool, folks.

Jim Burkman, President