Homeowners' Board Statement of Work

Heritage Hills Neighborhood

Board of Directors Official Statement of Work and Expectations

The Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of 5 members/officers, elected from and by the shareholders. They are elected for a 2-year term, with 3 officers elected one year, and 2 the next.  Officers can run for re-election after their term expires.  Any resident can get on the ballot to be elected to the Board, normally in September.  Duties include meeting together usually once per month for 1-2 hours, with a quorum of 3 members required for each meeting and to pass initiatives.  Responsibilities may also require perhaps 1 – 3 hours of outside work per month.  Members are expected to actively engage in / drive the Board’s charter, which includes:

• Maintain and enhance HOA owned areas, such as our park, pool, bathroom/building, and landscaping to ensure these areas are maintained and safe for residents.
  • Identify needs/opportunities to maintain/improve the common areas and the neighborhood in general, and define, prioritize, fund and manage effort to address them
• Interpret and enforce the association’s bylaws and Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), along with the Architectural Chair, to ensure the association complies with their requirements and acts in the best interest of homeowners.
  • Board members (and/or through the property manager) enforce community rules and regulations including addressing violations, issuing warnings, and imposing fines if necessary and handle disputes between residents related to rule violations.
  • Enforce the CC&Rs by inspecting the neighborhood twice yearly to identify and address CC&R violations
• Review, approve and manage income and expenses to the monthly, year-to-date and annual budget, using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), ensuring we operate within our income and savings levels, with a CPA audit every one to two years
  • Ensure monthly dues and possible occasional assessments are adequate to meet operating, maintenance and Reserve expenses
  • Define and maintain funds for Reserve contingency plan for longer term expense requirements, and maintain a plan for project scheduling accordingly
• Ensure we have effective and informative two-way communications tools and forums to keep the residents informed on community issues and Board actions, to listen to input from them, and to respond as positively and promptly as possible. This includes our web site, email lists, community emails, community Face Book, timely responses to residents’ questions, etc.
• Ensure appropriate staffing. Appoint the Architectural Chair, hire an on-site Property Manager, landscaping company, maintenance people, and a Bookkeeper.  Also, sponsor additional volunteers for various functions, including the Architectural Chair and others to organize community activities.
• Be familiar with state laws and ensure we operate consistently with their expectations
• Act ethically and in the community's best interest, guided by specific fiduciary & state legal responsibilities
• Operate in an environment open to new thoughts, fact-based as much as possible, thoughtful but with a sense of urgency, and a can-do attitude

Board Member Roles:

Roles are picked annually by the Board members as a group, depending on member’s individual experience, skills and interest. 

• All are similarly empowered and responsible for introducing, engaging in, and voting on the Board’s tasks & initiatives as listed above. (At least 3 positive votes of the 5 Board members needed to approve.)
• Some may have specific responsibilities in that effort, as noted below
• Any can choose to focus their efforts on tasks that they want to drive (in cooperation with the Property Manager, Bookkeeper, and Architectural Chair).

The roles are:

President:

Oversee overall HOA activities, ensures compliance with laws, helps prioritize and organize action on community initiatives. Responsibilities include being the main point of contact for external vendors and contractors from a board perspective, assigning committees, signing documents, mediating conflicts within the community and board, participating in community.

As backup to Treasurer, authorized to sign checks as requested by Bookkeeper

Vice President: 

Backup to President, plus identify opportunities for neighborhood and process improvement to better meet the Board’s charter, and document it for the current and future Boards

Supplement the Property Manager to help drive, document and communicate the twice-yearly neighborhood CC&R inspection and follow-up inspections

Treasurer:

Authorized to sign checks and authorize savings account deposits and withdrawals, as requested by Bookkeeper, with backup by President when not available.  The treasurer conducts deep review of budgets, dues, reviews financial statements, approves expenses and works closely with the financial manager (bookkeeper and/or accountant).

Review monthly list of checks written and activity in savings accounts (dues, expenses, etc), the financials in general, and pursue any open issues.  Ensure invoices are approved and paid when due (taxes, utilities, vendors, contractors, etc.)

Ensure tax documents are current for the Association and employees/contractors.

Secretary:

Take the minutes at monthly Board meetings, including identifying action items, their owners, and their schedules, publish the document on the HH web site, and ensure follow-up of status of all action items at subsequent meetings.

Manage and store all HOA documents (insurance, contracts, web site, etc)

Schedule Board meetings and reminders

Member At Large:

Supplement the Property Manager and Board as a focal point for residents’ questions, complaints or issues that they want brought to the Board’s attention.  They should endeavor to represent the interests of all homeowners.

Participate in/lead Board activities as needed

Ensures strong 2-way communications with residents

This is subject to change and unforeseen tasks and responsibilities might arise.