ANNUAL POA MEETING RECAP
(Posted 7-30-09)

Dog droppings and speeding were among the most-discussed issues during the 2009 Ivy Hall Property Owners Association Annual Meeting.

Homeowners representing about 1/10th of the neighborhood attended the friendly and constructive 90-minute meeting, held July 28th at Eastbridge Presbyterian Church.

Three board members who ran unopposed for three open seats -- Fletcher Pilling,  William Ray Jr., and Sheila Anderson -- garnered additional terms.

Board terms are for three years. Office positions for the 2009-10 year will be decided by vote at the next regular board meeting. The results of that meeting will be posted on this Web site.

Details from the Annual meeting:

• In his State of the Neighborhood report, POA President William Ray Jr. made the following points:
  • Our entrance, renovated in 2008, has been well received by residents. The Board is exploring the idea of adding uplighting to the palm trees in 2009.
  • Mt. Pleasant Waterworks intends to construct a new wastewater main between Dunes West subdivision and U.S. Highway 17, cutting through Ivy Hall in the process. MPW has already contacted the handful of residents who will be directly affected by the construction. Company officials anticipate very little disruption in the neighborhood. No exact construction date has been announced, but it is likely to be within the next six months.
  • The Board continues to look for ways to control speeding in the neighborhood.
  • The Board recently transferred POA checking and money market accounts from NBSC to the SunTrust Bank located at our entrance. This was done for convenience reasons.
  • Our management company, Odessa, recently made some staffing changes. The quality of service to Ivy Hall is expected to remain unchanged.
  • The Annual Picnic held in early June was poorly attended. The Board will try to do a better job getting the word out next year.
  • Community yard sales have been well received here. The Board will continue to hold them periodically.
     

• ARC Chairman Rebekah Whichard provided an overview of the ARC review process.
• Bob Lang spoke about the state of our ponds, which he said were in excellent condition. He reminded residents to cut their grass all the way to the water's edge if their home backs up to a pond. He also cautioned residents not to introduce new aquatic plants into ponds or to feed alligators if spotted. Asked by a resident if Ivy Hall might invest in aeration fountains, Lang said the Board had considered them at one time but found them to be quite expensive.
• Lang, who oversees this Web site and print newsletters, encouraged residents to visit the Web at least a couple times a month for neighborhood updates.
• Sheila Anderson provided an overview of the Welcoming Committee, by which new residents are greeted by a Board member and presented a small gift certificate.
• Anderson, a Realtor, also gave a report on the real estate market in Ivy Hall. She said according to the Multiple Listing Service eight homes had sold here in the past year, selling for about 95 percent of their list price and remaining on the market an average of 75 days. The average sales price was $237,000, and the average price per square foot was $138.
• Board member Scott Taylor provided an overview of Ivy Hall's covenant enforcement policy and reminded residents of the most common violations: parking on the street, unsightly yards, mildew-stained vinyl siding, and trailers/boats in driveways. He also reminded residents the importance of edging, especially for those who live in front of sidewalks.
• Board Secretary Martine Wolfe-Miller provided an overview of the Yard of the Month program and reminded residents of the town's plan to expand U.S. Highway 17 to six lanes from the IOP Connector to Darrell Creek. She said the town has a public hearing planned for 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at Laing Middle School. For details on that hearing, click here.
• Carly Garvey-Jent, Odessa Management's representative for Ivy Hall, provided an overview of Ivy Hall's finances. She said the POA was on budget and that our overall finances were in excellent shape.
• The following are questions from residents and answers from the Board:
  • Q: What happened to the benches that used to be along some of the ponds? A: They got rusty and were removed years ago. We'll look into installing new ones.
  • Q: Who do we call to control mosquitoes? A: Charleston County Misquito Control (202-7880).
  • Q: What if we see a vacant house with a bunch of old newspapers on the driveway? A: Kindly remove the newspapers and contact either the Moultrie News or The Post and Courier to tell them to stop delivering to the home.
  • Q: Who do we call if we see young kids driving golf carts in the neighborhood? A: Contact Mt. Pleasant Police.
  • Q: What should we do if we see somebody who doesn't pick up his or her dog's poop? A: Remind the person to remove it and/or report the violation to police. Noncompliant pet owners can be fined by the town.
  • Q: Can I put a dog poop dispenser in my front yard for all to use? A: Please submit an ARC form for review before doing that.
  • Q: Are we ever going to get speed bumps or humps? A: Probably no time soon, if ever. The town has abandoned its speed bump program for financial reasons, and we can't install speed bumps on our own without the town's blessing. Police performed a speed study in our neighborhood several years ago and found that speeding wasn't as much of a problem as some residents believe.
  • Q: Can we look into installing stop signs to slow speeders? A: Yes, the Board will explore that possibility.
  • Q: Do any of the businesses near our entrance donate money or do anything to help our neighborhood? A: Yes, several have donated to our annual picnic over the years and offered services specifically to Ivy Hall residents.
  • Q: What should we do if the mailman keeps giving us the wrong mail. A: Contact your mailman.
  • Q: Are renters given copies of our covenants and restrictions? A: Yes, when possible. Owners are supposed to supply such important information to their tenants.
  • Q: What's the latest on the shed issue? A: Sheds are not permitted in Ivy Hall, per our covenants. A petition that would have allowed sheds failed by a large margin last year. Currently, there are no plans to mount another petition campaign.
  • Q: Can somebody paint our sign posts? They look in need of paint. A: We will look into that.
  • Q: Can somebody trim some of the branches that line the walking trail? A: Yes, we can get that done.
  • Q: Can somebody change out the mulch on the playground? A: We will look into doing that.