Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association
Neighborhood News Working Together for a GREAT Neighborhood
Spring 2013
President’s Message Since this is my first Message as your new President, I thought that it is only appropriate for me to introduce you to the members of the Board of Directors of the Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association (PGEPOA) for 2013. Gary Dindia replaces Randy Mitchell as our Past President. The knowledge that Gary has attained while serving as a board member and as President will be a great benefit to all of the other board members. Dave Freeman returns as Vice President. As all Vice Presidents do, he fills in when necessary for the President. Dave is also the head of Architectural Control. He is the board member that you should contact when you need board approval for your home repair or other project. He is always helpful and he enjoys working with our residents towards approving their various projects. Debbie Denten has returned as our Secretary. She is responsible for taking our minutes at board meetings and for board correspondence. As you may know if you attended board meetings last year, there were some heated issues and the meetings were not always -1-
calm. This made the Secretary’s job somewhat difficult. Yet Debbie did an excellent job in preparing accurate minutes and we are happy to have her back as Secretary. Hopefully, this will be a calmer year. Mary Crook has become our new Treasurer. This is also a difficult job. She is not only required to maintain the financial accounts of the Association and to keep custody of the Association funds, but she also has the responsibility of collecting and receiving all monies that are due. So, if you haven’t paid your 2013 dues yet, you will most likely get the opportunity to personally meet her.
Stop the Presses! Many residents have recently received a letter from Groot. PGE President Guy Karm said, “Groot is sending out these letters to sign up residents for a 3 year term. This has never happened before and raises the issue that maybe we have a choice of garbage services.” President Karm continued by saying that he hopes that residents will not sign up with Groot until the PGE Board has had time to assess the situation and report back to the community. stepped in last year and took over for Glen Prezembel who resigned because of his regular employment work load. Carl supervises entrance gate, light maintenance and maintenance of peripheral fencing and street and other signs.
George Reichl returns this year and supervises two areas- the Auditing and Nominating Committees. As head of Steve Sperling returns as head Auditing he is responsible for of Civic Affairs. Although he examining the financial records, works with legal issues books and accounts of the including publication and Association. As head of the distribution of the covenants, he Nominating Committee he is mainly functions as the Board’s responsible for leading the committee that secures the slate of officers and directors that run Newsletter Contents in each year’s election which is held at the October board Directors Reports…………………….3 Holiday Party Photos………………4-5 meeting. May PGE POA Meeting……………6-7 Carl Siemianowski returns this PGE Calendar………………………..8 year as head of Area Control. He
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
liaison with all other civic and government agencies. Lynn Meinzer returns this year and again supervises two areas–Landscaping and Social. I think that we can all agree that the entrances have never looked better and she tells me that the new plantings at the Westwood entrance will be unbelievable this spring. She also supervises the Christmas decorations at the entrance ways. They look better and better each holiday season. As head of the Social committee Lynn is in charge of the Holiday Party at Christmas time and (my favorite) the Kick Off to Summer Party which will be held at the park pool on June 19, 2013. Personally, I think this is the best social event of the year and a great way to start the summer. Keep up the great job Lynn. Maria Pappas is back this year and is now the head of the Membership Committee. Aside from working on our membership directory and informational mailings to residents, Maria arranges to call on new residents to welcome them to Plum Grove Estates. If you have ever met Maria, you know that she is the perfect person to be our ambassador with new residents. Martin Kammerman is the new head of the Newsletter/Communication Committee. He replaces Andrea Brennan who also resigned due to time limitations from her regular employment. Martin oversees the Newsletter and our Website which is a growing and ever demanding task. In ending, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Randy Mitchell, Glen Prezembel and Andrea Brennan for their years of hard work and personal sacrifice in acting as officers and/or board members of the Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know them and to work with them. As your President, I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the outstanding -2-
officers and board members that make up the 2013 Board of Directors. I can assure you that you, as residents of Plum Grove Estates, are also fortunate to have them as Directors. Well enough of this—Here’s to springtime, it can’t come soon enough for me, and I hope to see everyone at the Kick Off to Summer Party on June 19, 2013.
Guy Karm, President, PGEPOA
2013 PGEPOA Officers/Directors President Vice President and Architectural Control Secretary Treasurer Area Control Civic Affairs Membership Communications Social and Landscaping Audit Past President
Guy Karm Dave Freeman Debbie Denten Mary Crook Carl Siemianowski Steve Sperling Maria Pappas Martin Kammerman Lynn Meinzer George Reichl Gary Dindia
Advertising Full page ....................once/$150 yearly/$380 Half page ...................once/$100 yearly/$255 Quarter page..............once/$50 yearly/$125 Eighth page................once/$25 yearly/$60 Thank you to all of our advertisers! Your ad defrays the cost of producing and mailing the newsletter.
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
Social Report – Lynn Meinzer The next PGE General Meeting is on Wednesday, May 15th. Come at 7 p.m. for some socializing and pizza and / or dessert. The Social Committee is starting to plan the Kick-Off to Summer Party. That will be on Wednesday, June 19th here at Plum Grove Park. Set up and Clean up help is always appreciated.
Civic Affairs Report – Steve Sperling Palatine Township Transportation Services has three vehicles offering transportation: two 15-passenger mini buses and one 9-passenger van. All three vehicles are lift equipped to transport wheelchairs. Two mini-buses and the van provide curb-to-curb service anywhere within the Palatine Township boundaries. In addition, all of our vehicles go to Arlington Heights on Tuesdays for medical appointments only. For seniors 60 and over and/or the permanently handicapped, the cost is $2.00 for a one-way trip. All Riders Must be pre-registered. You can register at Palatine Township Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon. Documentation of age or disability (social security award letter), Driver's License or State I.D., proof of residency, and a name and phone number of a contact in case of emergency. Reservations should be made three to fourteen working days in advance, during working hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) Please let us know if you need the lift. Service is available 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed holidays and weekends).
Landscape Report – Lynn Meinzer
Treasurer’s Report – Mary Crook
Congratulations to the following new homeowners and we welcome you to Plum Grove Estates. Please join us in June for our 'Kick off to Summer Party', in December for our 'Holiday Party', and our meetings. Invitations to all of our events are sent by mail. Contact Maria Pappas (2291 Longacres) at 847-3033536 with any questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to meeting all of you.
Dear neighbor, I look forward to serving as treasurer for the upcoming year. My husband and I have lived in PGE for 12 years and feel very lucky to have found a unique and tranquil setting to call our home. The January 2013 Treasurer’s Report was recently submitted at the general meeting held on February 19th. The report included the budget for 2013 which is funded primarily through membership dues. Invoices were mailed out late this year so the due date was extended to February 15th. If you have any questions regarding your dues please contact me at 847-303-5259 or treasurer@pgepoa.org. -3-
I hope everybody enjoyed the Holidays this past season. I think the PGE holiday lights looked especially nice and the Roof to Deck Decorations Co. worked for several evening putting them up. They maintained the lights when there was a problem, took them down neatly and have stored them for next year. They will be up for the Holiday Party 2013 and off by early to mid January. The ground is frozen and plants are dormant for a while yet. However, Spring arrives on march 20th. By then we’ll be seeing some green and at least buds of the flowers – always worth the wait! During winter, I check the entrances frequently to remove debris like plastic bags, pop cans and things that often spoil the look of PGE’s planted common areas. The PGE Board requires a review of the landscape company every three years. The services rendered and accompanying charges are considered during this review and voted on by the Board of Directors. Requests for proposals have been sent out to providers that work in this area. The services required have increased and it’s time to review.
Membership Report – Maria Pappas
- 2272 N. Circle - 386 Meadow - 321 S. Circle - 365 S. Elmwood - 2126 Brookdale
Jin Hao & Tianya Zhao Steve & Katie Richenberger Michael Maselbas Patrick & Lauren Dwyer Florentina Sternat
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
2012 Holiday Party On December 4th the Plum Grove Park was alive with Plum Grove Estates residents and their children for the annual Holiday Party. During the three hour party attendees enjoyed Holiday Cheer with neighbors, Holiday Music, provided by Joe Hampton, Guitarist; dinner ordered from Moretti’s; desserts provided by those attending; a visit from Santa for the young children; and an opportunity to make a contribution to the Palatine Township Food Pantry and Needy Family Fund. The main details of the event were taken care of by Lynn Meinzer, Maria Pappas, Debbie Denten and much appreciated cleanup help from many volunteers. It was a very nice way to start off the Holiday Season.
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
PGE POA General Meeting Minutes (pending approval) Tuesday February 19, 2013
Call to Order The General Meeting of the Plum Grove Homeowners Association was called to order by President Guy Karm at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19 2013, at Plum Grove Park.
Board Attendees Guy Karm, Gary Dindia, Dave Freeman, Mary Crook, Debbie Denten, Maria Pappas, Steve Sperling, George Reichl, Lynn Meinzer, Carl Siemianowksi, Martin Kammerman.
Remarks from President Guy Karm A reminder to homeowners that Commonwealth Edison will be trimming trees around power lines in our neighborhood. A policies and guidelines update will be discussed at the next board meeting. A reminder to vote at the upcoming primary election.
Resident Attendees Sue Dindia, Leslie Paulsen, Harold Paulsen, Patti Riddle, Martha Atherton, Russ Haan, Bill Murray, Joanne Olsen, Rich Olsen, Bill Huley, Alice Forbes, Marty Pilut, Randy Mitchell, Art Meinzer, Richard Beals, Wally Wilson, Rich Coha, Tim Corrigan, Ron England, Carole England, Andrea Brennan, Jeff June, Glen Prezembel, Jan Engelen, Jeff Berg.
$50,000,000. If the unincorporated areas were annexed, this cost to the County would be eliminated as these services would then be provided through the annexing municipalities. In November of 2011 a task force was formed to look into the budgetary issue of supplying these current services to the unincorporated areas. The recommendation from that task force was the eventual elimination of unincorporated areas in Cook County, with neighboring municipalities picking up the cost for services as well as the tax revenue from the unincorporated areas. This is a long term goal, and discussions are underway with areas that are interested. The County has a matching fund of $5,000,000 for infrastructure improvements that is available to unincorporated residents to help defer the cost of annexation. There will be an update this summer but no one knows if this will be a one time or recurring fund. The State has the power to mandate annexation but the County does not want to take that course of action. The County has not had any conversations
BAIRD&WARNER
Guests Patrick Carey, Ass't Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, came to our meeting to discuss the unincorporated areas initiative in Cook County. He relayed the following information to the residents in attendance on behalf of Cook County Board President Preckwinkle. Mr. Carey stated that the County does not have any current plans to try to force annexation upon homeowners or villages, however, the County is looking for a better way to provide services to the unincorporated areas. The County’s core functions are healthcare and criminal justice, but they are also currently providing assistance to the Township, road funding, police protection, building and zoning. The County serves approximately 500 distinct parcels with 100,000 unincorporated residents at an annual cost of
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Sandy Heinlein Office: 847.934.5069 • Cell: 847.822.8051 sandy.heinlein@bairdwarner.com 819 N. Quentin Road • Palatine, IL 60067 www.bairdwarner.com
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
with the State, Governor’s office or legislature regarding forced annexation of unincorporated areas. Cook County Board President Preckwinkle is not seeking to change the State law, but the County will need the State’s financial help and cooperation to reach their end goal of eliminating unincorporated areas. The decision of annexation will be driven by the community of homeowners and Township boundaries are not relevant to this process.
Architectural Control Dave Freeman reported that the board has approved a garage addition for the home at 380 Meadow Lane. He has been working on an updated version of the neighborhood guidelines and will be presenting them at the next Board Meeting in March. Area Control Carol Siemianowski reported all fence repairs along Algonquin Road have been completed. Civic Affairs Steve Sperling reported that the homes from 308 from 334 South Circle Drive have standing water in the road. He is following up with the Schaumburg Township Road District. Landscaping
258 S Brookdale at $349,900 2290 N Circle at $453,500 Newsletter/Communication Martin Kammerman reported the next newsletter will be published in the next few weeks. If there are interested advertisers, please contact him. Social Lynn Meinzer reported that the next General Meeting will be Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The Kick Off to Summer Party will be held on June 19, 2013. New Business Russ Haan and Bill Huley urged everyone to get out and vote at the primary. Bill Huley reported that the township is seeking authority to get bulk rates for electric aggregation through a referendum to be voted on in April. Debbie Denten Secretary secretary@pgepoa.org
Lynn Meinzer reported spring is just around the corner. Look for the new plantings at the Westwood entrance. All Christmas decorations are down and she is revitalizing the wreaths. There was a discussion with homeowners that live on the pond about the erosion along Brookdale Lane. Further discussion will be held at the next board meeting in March and Lynn will report back at the General Meeting held in May, 2013. Membership Maria Pappas reported the following January home sales: 2272 N Circle sold for $405,000 386 Meadow Lane sold for $400,000 321 S Circle sold for $315,000 365 S Elmwood sold for $445,000 2126 Brookdale $450,000 Active Listings: 390 Meadow Lane at $334,900 -7-
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association P.O. Box 2568 Palatine, IL 60078-2568 www.pgepoa.org
Plum Grove Sanitary District Mtg, 7 PM at Bethel Lutheran Church
5/9
5/15 PGE POA General Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Plum Grove Park (Pizza at 7:00 p.m.)
Fire District Mtg, Noon, at Palatine Rural Fire Station, 35 E. Ela Rd., Inverness
5/8
3/19 PGE POA Board Meeting
4/18 PGE POA Board Meeting
4/11 Plum Grove Sanitary District Mtg, 7 PM at Bethel Lutheran Church
4/10 Fire District Mtg, Noon, at Palatine Rural Fire Station, 35 E. Ela Rd., Inverness
3/19 PGE POA Board Meeting
3/12 Plum Grove Sanitary District Mtg, 7 PM at Bethel Lutheran Church
3/11 Fire District Mtg, Noon, at Palatine Rural Fire Station, 35 E. Ela Rd., Inverness
2/28 Deadline to submit information for the Spring 2013 PGE POA newsletter (send information to webadmin@pgepoa.org)
Calendar