July 2020
FACILITIES UPDATE
Tennis Courts: The Board has approved the reopening of the tennis courts with special considerations. Rules are posted on-site and all residents must have a signed waiver on file before using. Because distancing and usage of the tennis courts are limited in terms of maximum occupancy to play and there is no shared equipment to transmit COVID-19, the Board has decided it is safe to open with appropriate signage and other considerations. No doubles play will be permitted. Single person per side play only, with no more than 2 people per full court. The tennis courts may not be used for any purpose other than playing tennis. If anyone violates these rules, the courts may be shut down immediately without further warning.
Pool: The Pool Committee has submitted a pool reopening plan, however, there is a national lifeguard shortage and our area has no lifeguards available at present. Anyone interested in applying would need to do so immediately at http://www.premieraquatics.com/. The Board will be discussing the issue at the meeting next Thursday, July 23.
Playgrounds, Courts, and Clubhouse: These facilities will remain closed during Phase 3. After extensive discussion with legal counsel and review of the health guidelines, the HOA, like any everywhere else, would be required to hire staff to clean each playground, enforce social distancing, and screen users for COVID-19. Because the Association has no full-time staff and does not have the ability to hire staff without exceptional cost and limited benefit to residents, the Board has decided these facilities will remain closed until health guidelines say it is safe to reopen them. While we understand other facilities in our area may have opened, the Board will continue to follow the guidance of the legal counsel and in accordance with State and local requirements. We continue to work with the best interest of residents in mind and have explored all options. If you have any questions regarding the existing requirements, please refer to the Center for Disease Control website or the COVID-19 guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
ANNUAL MEETING AND GOVERNING DOCUMENTS MAILING The Annual Meeting mailing was sent this week and there may be some confusion regarding it's contents. There are 2 parts to the mailing, the proxy for the Annual Meeting and the proxy for the ongoing Governing Documents Amendment proposal. The Annual Meeting proxy is our standard annual mailing to be able to hold the Annual Meeting. At the meeting, only two items of business will be addressed: the election of new Board members and an amendment to the rules to limit election of a Board member to homeowners only. If you do not care to vote, you can complete the proxy for attendance only (option 1), which merely allows the Board to hold the meeting by having a quorum. Without a quorum, the Board cannot hold the meeting and will have to incur costs sending it again. It's best to fill it out even if you plan on attending in person. This year's meeting will be held August 27 at 7 p.m., online and in-person, rescheduled from the normal May meeting because of COVID-19. Please hang on to your resident code to vote online and refer to the mailing for more information. The Governing Documents Amendment proposal is an entirely separate effort, that will not be considered at the Annual Meeting. It is an effort to correct changes in the law since Exeter was founded to improve service for residents. There are 3 amendments under consideration that were recommended by legal counsel to improve ongoing issues such as townhome parking and trash can enforcement as well as recover lost legal costs. More information on the specific amendments can be found in the mailing or by attending one of the upcoming meetings. If you have questions, we highly encourage residents to attend our upcoming Town Hall, date to be announced, where this will be the entire focus of the meeting. A special meeting will be held in early 2021 to make a final determination on the proposals.