WHEREAS, the Board of Directors deems it desirable to establish a committee of homeowners to advise the Board of Directors, and the Kensington Property Manager, in a reasonable and productive manner, on issues affecting common area services and maintenance;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT a Grounds Committee shall be established, and that the following procedures for this committee be adopted and implemented herewith:
A. RESPONSIBILITIESThe primary responsibility of the Grounds Committee is to advise the Board of Directors, in a reasonable and productive manner, on issues affecting common area services and maintenance. In accomplishing this goal, the Board of Directors shall assign the committee with tasks from time to time that may include but not be limited to:
Providing the Board of Directors with recommendations regarding:
· Specifications and proposals for common area services and maintenance such as snow removal, trash collection, landscaping, streets, entrances, signs, site lighting, storm water management, trails, etc. which are part of the common area and dedicated and controlled by the Association.
· Matters relating to rules, use policies, and fee structures for the Association’s common grounds.
· The annual budget for grounds management, maintenance and enhancement.
· The Committee shall, through its Chairperson, submit to the Board, via the Kensington Property Manager, written reports of its activities on a regular basis. Such reports shall include at least the following:
· Landscape maintenance company status report.
· Potential landscape problem areas and recommendations for improvement.
· Weather related issues such as drought damage, snow/ice removal, etc.
· Resident pet issues, such as waste pick-up, pet walks, etc.
· Fence maintenance issues.
· Public safety issues.
· Trash pickup and disposal issues.
· The above reports will normally be prepared and exchanged between the Grounds Committee Chairperson and the Kensington Property Manager via the e-mail system. The Kensington Property Manager will ensure the proper reporting and distribution is made to the Board.
B. ELIGIBILITYCommittee candidates and members shall be property owners in good standing. Good standing shall be defined as the absence of any liens, privilege penalty, assessment delinquency, architectural or covenants violation, or pending legal action with the Kensington Square Homeowners Association, Inc.
C. APPOINTMENT AND TERMS
The Board of Directors shall encourage at least five (5) member residents to serve on the Ground Committee. The Board of Directors shall invite interested candidates to express their desire to serve on the committee. Recruitment of candidates may be done through the intranet (e-mail and web site), newsletter, word of mouth, announcement at the annual meeting, or by any other means deemed appropriate by the Board. Committee members in good standing are eligible for reappointment. A good mix of Kensington Square, Kensington Parc, and Kensington Manor representatives on the Ground Committee is desired.
Interested candidates should submit a written request for appointment to the Ground Committee Chairperson including any personal or professional information (e.g., related experience or training, service on other committees, etc.), which might assist in the appointment process. The Ground Committee Chairperson should keep the Board advised of the Ground Committee membership roster.
Until such time as the Ground Committee is firmly established with representatives from Kensington Square, Kensington Parc, and Kensington Manor, Ground Committee term limits will not be imposed.
D. REMOVAL
The Board of Directors may remove any committee member, including the Chairperson, at any time. The Board of Directors may disband this committee at any time, with or without cause. The Committee may make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the removal of committee members. A committee member may be removed, upon written notice from the Committee Chairperson, for failure to attend three consecutive committee meetings without notice or explanation.
E. ELECTION OF OFFICERSThe Board shall approve the Chairperson of the Ground Committee. Members of the Ground Committee may make recommendations to the Board of Directors for the appointment of a Chairperson. Other officers of the Committee may be elected by the Committee membership as deemed necessary and appropriate.
The Ground Committee Chairperson, or his or her designee, shall be responsible for chairing meetings of the Committee. In the interest of ensuring strong communications between the Board of Directors and the Committee, it is expected that the Committee Chairperson or his or her designee will attend each regularly scheduled business meeting of the Board of Directors or, in lieu thereof, to submit a written report to the Board, via the Kensington Property Manager, in advance of the Board meeting. The Committee Chairperson will present Committee recommendations, update the Board on the status of pending Committee tasks, request assistance from the Board as needed and answer any questions the Board may have regarding Committee assignments.
Any committee recommendations which require formal Board action should be submitted to the Kensington Property Manager in advance of the Board meeting for inclusion in the meeting agenda. Finally, the Chairperson, or his or her designee, shall be responsible for checking, logging and responding to all Committee correspondence and E-mails.
F. MEETINGS
All committee meetings shall be open to the membership. In order for the membership to be reasonably informed of committee meetings, the Committee Chairperson shall ensure that all regular committee meeting dates of the committee are listed on the Kensington web site, in the newsletter, and publicized through any other means of posting that the Board deems appropriate. If it is necessary for the committee to reschedule or cancel a meeting, the Committee Chairperson shall notify the management staff at the earliest possible time so that the membership can be reasonably notified. The Committee Chairperson shall be responsible for contacting the members of the committee regarding rescheduled or canceled meetings. The Committee Chairperson shall designate a limited time period on each meeting agenda for resident input at the beginning of each meeting.
A majority of the members shall be three (3) with a five-person committee or at least 51% of the overall Ground Committee membership. A majority vote of members while a quorum is present shall constitute a decision of the Committee. All Committee meetings shall be conducted generally in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Some Ground Committee review requirements, to be determined by the simplicity of the request, may be decided via an e-mail exchange to facilitate a quick turnaround without the need for an actual meeting. These will be on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Grounds Committee Chairperson. These decisions will be submitted to the Board in the same matter as used for normal committee meetings and reporting via the Kensington Property Manager.
The Kensington Ground Committee will work closely with the Kensington Architectural Review Committee to ensure issues which cross over responsibility lines are properly reported to the Kensington Property Manager for disposition or forwarding to the Board for action.
G. COMMUNICATIONS
In the interest of ensuring strong communications between the Board of Directors and the Committee, it is expected that the Committee Chairperson, or his or her designee, will attend each regularly scheduled business meeting of the Board of Directors. The Committee representative will present committee recommendations, update the Board on the status of pending committee tasks, request assistance from the Board, as needed, and answer any questions the Board may have regarding committee assignments.
The Committee is expected to maintain regular communications with the Board Liaison designated by the Board of Directors, if any, and with the Kensington Property Manager.
It is expected that the Committee will provide accurate and timely information about its activities for publication in the newsletter, on the web site and other communication vehicles of the Association. It is the responsibility of the Committee to ensure that this information is updated on a regular basis.
H. SUB-COMMITTEES
The Committee may designate volunteer sub-committees to work on specific projects on behalf of, and at the direction of, the Committee. Sub-committee volunteers are not voting members of the Committee unless they have been appointed as such in accordance with Paragraphs B & C of this resolution.