August 2024 Meeting Minutes

Whisperwood Home Owners Association
Board Meeting Minutes August 19

Whisperwood Home Owners Association Board Meeting Minutes

Date: August 18, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Priscilla Elliott’s Home
Attendees:
EPIFANO AQUIRRE – President
PRISCILLA ELLIOTT – Secretary/Treasurer
PAUL COMBEST – Member at Large
REHJ HOEFFNER – Member at Large
BRYAN FOLEY – Member at Large

Meeting Agenda:
Opening Remarks:

Epifano opened the meeting by welcoming all members, especially highlighting the
presence of new members.

Purpose of the Meeting:
Epifano stated that the primary purpose of this meeting was to serve as a meet
and greet, allowing members to get acquainted with each other, reiterating the
point of the meeting was to foster familiarity and collaboration among the Board.
The focus was on building rapport rather than diving into formal business;
however, some pressing business was discussed.

Discussions:
Community Updates: Although not the main focus, Epifano briefly touched on
some issues that needed discussion.
1. Pool / Pool Committee and related issues
2. Dead Trees in Neighborhood
3. Pool Renovation Project
4. Pool Season 2025

Pool / Pool Committee and related issues
The importance of meeting with the pool committee to discuss expenses was
mentioned. It was reaffirmed that all expenses related to the pool would require
board approval PRIOR to purchase. The amount spent on the pool year to date
was discussed and briefly compared to last year’s expenses.

Questions arose about the Waiver for Facility Use and the need/legitimacy of such.
The need for a waiver system for using pool facilities was discussed to ensure
safety and liability concerns and the fact that the By-Laws had not been changed
with a vote to change the policy. Discussion ensued about the differences between
last year’s operations and this year’s operations, which with the cameras, was
essentially no different. It was noted that several homeowners were displeased
with the idea and most especially certain wording within the waiver policy itself
requiring Landlords to be present at all times when Tenants were at the pool. It
was mentioned that the Waiver had been a real pain to implement, and several
voiced their opposition to the requirement as it impeded use of a “common area”
that is guaranteed by the By-Laws upon payment of dues. Again, the discussion
was essentially tabled to be discussed at the next joint Board/Pool Committee
meeting.

Pool Season 2024 closing date was discussed. This will be brought up during the
combined Board and Pool Committee meeting to be agreed upon. It was noted
that the longer open hours had been most beneficial and appreciated by working
parents.

Dead Trees in Neighborhood
The subject of dead trees on the boulevard and grass cutting/watering was
brought up. Priscilla said she had called and would call the City of Lubbock again
to have the dead trees on the boulevard removed.
Apparently, the City of Lubbock has been mowing Whisperwood grass around the
pool and has been doing a very poor job on top of the fact that they aren’t
supposed to be mowing it. Priscilla said she had asked them to stop and had gone
to the pool to see if the grass was even being watered since it was starting to turn
yellow. She said someone had turned off the water sprinkler system for unknown
reasons. She turned it back on and placed a note on the cover that it belonged to
Whisperwood Homeowners Association and to please leave it alone.
Quite a lively discussion ensued about the amount of dead trees that have been
observed in the neighborhood and what to do about them and what to replant
instead of Live Oaks.

Pool Renovation / Enhancement Project
Specs and Bids: The board agreed that specifications for the pool renovations need
to be compiled and published. The Board is meeting with the Pool Committee on
September 4, 2024 to discuss, plan and compile the pool renovation and
enhancements. Once the planned renovation is compiled and printed, it will be
put out for bid to 3 different contractors. It was noted that a preliminary bid of
$107,000 had been received but did not include bathroom remodel or upgrades
and it was unclear what concrete needed to be broken up and replaced. The
Board felt this was excessive and hoped that once the specifications are defined
and printed, 3 reasonable competing bids can be obtained to choose from.

Bathroom Inclusion: There was a discussion on whether to include the bathrooms
in the pool remodel. The consensus was to consider this option for enhancing user
experience. The discussion was essentially tabled to be continued at the joint
meeting of the Board and Pool Committee.
ADA: Discussion about bringing the pool into ADA compliance was covered with
several different ideas being floated regarding facility entrance as well as pool
entrance. NOTE BELOW.
Solar Heating: The idea of utilizing solar heating for the pool was floated, with
members expressing interest in exploring its feasibility and cost-effectiveness.
Management of Renovation: There was a very brief discussion of having 1 or 2
contractors (1 for pool / 1 for bathroom or a combined contractor), and the
possible need for someone to spearhead the job to report on the progress to both
the Board and the Pool Committee.

Pool Season 2025
The discussion about Pool Season 2025 was broached and the possible need for
changes. This included hiring lifeguards, an attendant, a manager, or keeping with
the volunteers as is. The discussion was essentially tabled to be taken up at a later
meeting as the matter of Pool Renovation was more pressing at the moment.

Future Meetings:
Priscilla mentioned that the next meeting would need to be a joint meeting of the
Board and The Pool Committee, held at the pool, to discuss and finalize the
required specifications for what needs to be repaired, upgraded, and enhanced at
the pool so 3 bids can be obtained. These bids would need to be obtained prior to
shutting down the pool, so it was agreed we needed to move swiftly on this issue.

Another Board Meeting will be held after the 3 competing bids are obtained and
forwarded to the Board. The Board will review, discuss and vote on the winning
bid and discuss how to move forward with the project. Additionally, that meeting
would be a more formal meeting to include ongoing maintenance issues, and
other community management topics.

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 6:40pm with thanks from Epifano for everyone’s
participation and a reminder to come prepared for the next meeting with ideas
and concerns regarding the pool renovation and enhancement project.

Notes:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. No formal decisions or votes were taken during this meeting.
                     2. The atmosphere was casual, aimed at fostering a collaborative environment
                        among board members, focusing on setting a direction for future actions regarding
                        the pool and its facilities as well as neighborhood priorities.
                     3. The Board showed a keen interest in sustainability and community involvement,
                        which influenced the topics discussed.
                     4. Research conducted after the meeting adjourned revealed since we are a private
                        member’s only pool that no ADA compliance is required. We may still want to
                        consider an easier entrance to the pool for those that utilize a wheelchair but
                        forgo the more costly ADA bathroom and pool entrance enhancements since they
                        are not required.

Next Steps:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Joint Meeting: The date for the joint meeting between the Board and Pool Committee was set
                        for September 4, 2024 at 6:30pm. Please contact Epifano or Priscilla for any items you would like
                        to add to the agenda.
                     2. Publication of Renovation Specs: Priscilla will draft and publish on this website the
                        specifications for the pool renovations after the joint meeting. This will be a guide so that all
                        members will be aware of exactly what renovations, upgrades, and enhancements are being
                        made to the pool. Basically, how your membership dollars are being spent and on what.
                     3. Bid Process: The Pool Committee will oversee the process of obtaining three competitive bids
                        for the renovation and enhancement project and hand them over to the Board for consideration.
                     4. Bid Publication: The three bids will be published on this website for members to review along
                        with the decision by the Board on which contractor to hire and who will oversee the project as a
                        liaison between the Pool Committee and the Board to keep the project on track and on time.

Minutes Prepared by:
Priscilla Elliott, Secretary/Treasurer