Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 28th March 2001 at the Badger Farm Community Centre at 8.30pm.
Bob Martin Managing Director and Chairman (30) Angela Martin
Ricky Chalmers Financial Director (5) Maggie Chalmers
Helen Short Company Secretary (13) Martin Keys
Stacey Scammell Committee Member (8) Ian Scammell
Sue Wilton Committee Member (33) Barry Wilton
David and Doreen May (6)
Shirley Wright (7)
Kim and Jan Stannard (9)
Paul and Jean Pollak (20)
Gaynor Ridden (25)
Pauline Snook (27)
Nick and Debbie Emmott-Dart (28)
Alison Richards (32)
The Chair held the proxy votes for the rented properties:
15, 19.
Apologies were received from:
Andy and Tanya Jennings ( 3)
Rick and Violet Maltby (4)
Una Lunniss (10)
Adam and Alison Bainbridge (16)
The Minutes of the last AGM were accepted as correct.
Item 4
A successful summer Barbecue had taken place and for once it had not rained!
Item 5
A report on the state of the road condition had been prepared by Nick Emmott-Dart,
a civil engineer, which he read to the meeting and which is reproduced as an
addendum to these Minutes. The main points were that basically the road was
in good condition and only minor repairs were necessary at present. However,
Nick considered that in perhaps another five years time it might be necessary
to spend up to £10000 on further repairs to maintain the road to a high
standard.
Bob thanked Nick on behalf of the Company for his thorough survey and report.
Item 8
The ladder had not yet been purchased and it was considered by some of those
present that it would cost more than the £100 agreed at the last AGM.
It was agreed the Board would study this further.
ACTION: THE BOARD
The shredder had burnt out (while Bob was using it!) and had not been replaced.
A motion was proposed and carried by the meeting to purchase a replacement,
more robust, shredder up to about £150.
ACTION: THE BOARD
It was confirmed that the Company still possesses a hedge trimmer, hedge lopper and tarpaulins, which are available for use by the residents.
Bob Martin said his report would be very brief as it had been a quiet year. The Committee had met three times. The street lights had been repaired on several occasions and a couple were in need of attention again. The salt in the salt bin had been required on a few occasions and Bob thanked Ricky Chalmers for keeping the bin topped up.
Ricky Chalmers presented the draft accounts for year ended 31st December 2000,
the accountants having not quite finished with them. He reported that, as usual,
the main expenditure had been on the landscaping maintenance.
The Company had funds of £7599 at the end of 2000 (£7221 at the
end of 1999).
Ricky also produced a spreadsheet showing the Management fees paid and owed
by owners since January 2001. He expressed concern that the debt being carried
forward is now £2889 compared to £1375 brought forward from 2000.
He made a recommendation that the Management fee be increased to £118
per household, from the next financial year, with a discount of £10 being
given to those owners paying by standing order.
The Company Accounts (in their draft form) were accepted by all those present.
The motion to increase the Management fees as recommended by Ricky was also
accepted.
The following Directors resigned by rotation and stood for re-election:
Bob Martin and Helen Short . Both were re-elected.
Nominations for a new director were invited, in particular, someone to shadow
the financial director as Ricky will be away a lot, as he prepares to sail around
the world.
No one came forward but Bob asked people to think about volunteering in the
forthcoming months.
The current accountants and auditors, Rothman Pantall and Co were re elected by all present.
SEATS IN NORTH/WESTERN COMMUNAL AREA, LITTER, AND BROKEN FENCE AT SOUTHERN BOUNDARY WITH AUSTEN AVENUE – ANDY AND TANYA JENNINGS (IN ABSTENTIA)
Bob explained the concern of Andy and Tanya over the poor state of the seats and the litter associated with this area.
The chestnut paling fence at the other end of the Estate had been damaged repeatedly
by people taking a short cut to the Badger Farm Road from Austen Avenue/ Keats
Close. After some discussion it was agreed that
The seats should be removed. Kim Stannard offered to do this. The surrounding
shrubs and paved area would be left for now but might need to be removed later
if the accumulation of litter continues in this area.
ACTION: KIM STANNARD
The litter is removed by Robbie Smith when he carries out the landscape maintenance
but Bob emphasised it was a task everyone could do when ever they saw a piece
of rubbish, on the Estate.
ACTION:ALL
The fencing should be replaced with something more substantial than chestnut
palings, together with prickly plants such as berberis, to act as a deterrent.
The Board and Nick Emmott-Dart would look at options up to a value of £400.
ACTION: THE BOARD & NICK EMMOTT-DART
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS – GAYNOR RIDDEN
Gaynor raised the validity of the covenants, in particular how they may be applied to replacement front doors, broken fences and parking in the road.
There followed an extensive discussion about the covenants:
A few owners had replaced their front doors, some without the consent of the
Management Committee. Helen Short had carried out some research and concluded
it is difficult to obtain a door very similar to the original, especially if
made from UPVC. Gaynor said she would prefer a door with a larger glazed area,
to allow more light in to the kitchen. Helen offered to ask Exclusive Windows
of Alresford to survey the estate and to give a quote for supplying a number
of replacement doors(in UPVC) in the style fitted at no20 by Paul and Jean Pollak.
(They had already given an estimate for £690 for one door). It would be
useful, also, to obtain a quote for a replacement hardwood door. The feeling
of the meeting was that so long as owners chose a door style sympathetic to
the general appearance of the Estate, and similar to the existing doors, it
was unlikely anyone would object under covenant number 8 which states that nothing
should be done to a property which causes annoyance to other property owners.
However, owners were encouraged to consult with the Committee and their neighbours
before carrying out alterations. It was agreed to obtain some quotes for replacement
doors.
ACTION: HELEN SHORT
The issue of parking related to the large number of vehicles being parked in
the road at times, which causes difficulty for other drivers manoeuvring in
the Estate. Gaynor’s concerns were echoed by Pauline Snook. They thought
one reason for the problem was that when a property was rented out to several
individuals who each had a car, it resulted in four or more vehicles being parked
outside the property. They questioned whether this represented a breach of covenant
2 which states that a property may only be used as a single private dwelling.
However, generally, it was agreed again that covenant 8 was most applicable
and that if anyone felt annoyed by the parking he/she could attempt to discuss
the matter with the individuals concerned or write a formal note to the Committee,
which would be followed up by the Directors.
LIGHTING REPAIRS AND SUBSIDING DRAIN
These issues had already been dealt with earlier in the meeting.(see items 3 and 4)
PARKING –RICKY CHALMERS
Ricky and Maggie raised the issue of school buses and other vehicles which use the bay at the entrance to the road to pick up and set down passengers, thus causing a hazard to drivers trying to enter or leave our estate. It was agreed it was difficult to stop this altogether but that concerned residents could contact the schools whose buses were involved or the local Beat Police Officer.
The meeting closed at 9.55 p.m.