Our February 3rd general homeowners’ meeting was well attended despite some disagreeable weather outside. I believe everyone who signed up to address the meeting was afforded that opportunity. Homeowners voiced a number of views and opinions concerning the MNW swimming pool. After listening to homeowner input, the Board deferred making a decision regarding the pool until more information is obtained about the various options. Ultimately, we want the MNW community as a whole to indicate their preference for repairing/refurbishing or replacing the pool. Therefore, the Board will solicit homeowner input at least one more time before deciding the best course to follow with regard to the pool.
During the February general meeting, multiple homeowners expressed a desire for more timely communication of issues affecting the community as a whole. Years ago, the Board would communicate this information by mail or posted signage. Today, the vast majority of communication occurs through electronic means. It is difficult for the HOA Board to rely on this means because: (a) email addresses for most homeowners have not been provided to the HOA; and, (b) some homeowners may not have, or use, email. Considering the number of homeowners in MNW, compiling a complete email database does not appear to be a viable option. Therefore, available options include posting signs, communicating through area directors, using our website, or by direct mail. Only the latter method comes close to guaranteeing each homeowner receives information from the Board. “Snail mail,” as we are wont to call it, is also the most costly of all options. Part of the Board’s challenge is to improve communication with homeowners, and we will look at that more closely as we go forward.
Please note that accurate communication of any item concerning MNW HOA members must be recognized as coming from a means sanctioned and approved by the Board. Some confusion has arisen in the past about means that purport to represent the MNW HOA. The MNW HOA website is the official, electronic method, and direct mail is the other means. Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, and a number of other social media are both widespread and heavily used, but to date, the MNW HOA Board has not elected to use an electronic alternative to its website as a means of communicating with its members. Please keep this in mind as we continue to address topics of interest to the MNW community.
At our recent meeting, there also appeared to be a lack of clarity concerning homeowner voting. Our By-Laws, as well as Texas statutory law, are quite explicit concerning the process that must be used when a homeowner vote is requested. Each homeowner must be contacted with information about the issue under consideration, and this information must be communicated no less than ten (10) days or no more than sixty (60) days before a vote occurs. Each homeowner must be afforded the opportunity to vote as they see fit (e.g., by mail, email, in person at the MNW Community Center, or by fax). Proxies are permitted and may be solicited, but they must be within the guidelines of the Texas Property Code and the MNW HOA By-Laws. Relative to a membership vote, the Notice and Proxy/Ballot forms are generated by the MNW HOA and provided to all HOA members. I assure you that the Board will communicate with homeowners in an approved manner prior to any homeowner vote. As such, I fully expect we will solicit homeowner guidance before any vote is taken by the Board concerning the future of the swimming pool.
Finally, I want to reiterate something I said at the February general homeowner meeting. Any decision about the pool’s disposition will not find 100% universal favor just as virtually no other election, for any reason, ever shows this degree of acceptance. What I am committed to is meeting the stated charge to all Board members as stated in Article IV Section 7 of our By-Laws: “… When acting as a member of the Board of Directors, each person shall place the interest of the Association and its members before his individual interests or the interests of any other group or association of persons…”
Again, thank you for your participation and attendance at our general meeting. I look forward to receiving more input from you as we make an important decision about the swimming pool.
Roy May
MNW Board President
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