Association Meetings

What happens at meeting?

	A summary of prior meetings is given by the President of the Board or designate
	New requests to the Board are reviewed and approval given/denied. [Note: all requests should be first provided in writing to the Property Manager before being brought up at a Community/Board Meeting. The Community/Board Meeting should only be used as forum where action through the Property Manager was unsuccessful. In 90% of the cases, the Property Manager can handle requests without needing to involve the Board allowing the Board to deal only critical issues.]
	Residents have the opportunity to express their views and concerns

How long are meetings?

It depends on the number of issues to be discussed and amount of community participation. Typically Community Input portion of the meetings last 30 minutes or less and the Board meeting that follows last 2-3 hrs.

Why should you attend?

This is your community. It's important for everyone to attend whenever they can. This is the best way to:

	Keep informed about progress in the community
	Know how and where association fees are being spent
	Voice your opinions on the goings-on.

When you can't attend, it's your responsibility to vote by proxy on issues before the community. A non-vote isn't a "no" vote. Failure to vote impedes progress in the community. You can't rely on others to voice your opinion or cast your vote!

Residents Handbook

The Residents Handbook was partially updated [Feb 08].   Updates to policy are published on the website, check the Documents section.

Frequently-asked questions

Association Policies

•  NH State Regulations on Condominiums
• Village at Barrett Hill Declaration and Bylaws
• Amendments to VBH Declaration and Bylaws
• Current Policies
• Policies sent to community prior to adoption

Approved Deck Stain; Deck Treatment

The following stains are approved for our decks:

	Olympic Maximum Waterproofing Sealant- Clear 56500 [updated - 7/11/07]
	Olympic Maximum Waterproofing Sealant- Cedar Natural Tone 56503 [updated - 7/11/07]
	Olympic Maximum Semi-transparent- 707 Tobacco [updated - 4/11/10]
	Sikkens Cetol SRD  996 Natural light  [updated- 5/16/09]
	Sikkens Cetol SRD  077 Cedar   [updated- 5/16/09]
	Sikkens Cetol SRD Translucent- 009 Dark Oak [updated 4/11/10]
	Sikkens Cetol SRD semi-transparent- 215 Hazelnut [updated 4/11/10]

Olympic Stains are available from:
True Value Hardware, Route 102, Hudson, NH 03051

Sikkens Stains are available from:
Nashua Wallpaper, 129 W. Pearl Street, Nashua, NH  03060 (603) 882-9491
Cyr Lumber Company, Inc., 39 Rockingham Road, Windham, NH  03087 (603) 898-5136
Benson's Lumber, Orchard's View Drive, Londonderry, NH  03053
W.J. Lynch Paint, 452 Broadway, Lowell, MA  01854 (978) 452-0041

Homeowners are responsible for power-washing and treating their decks and stairs during units "year" -- odd years for odd numbered units; even for even. One website (Benjamin Moore) offers tips on how to prepare the deck for re-staining, and how to apply the stain. How much stain will you need? The amount can vary quite a bit depending on the wood (and previous stain) condition. The can says "100 to 250 sf per gallon" but allow for as much as one gallon per 50 sf of deck as the coverage doesn't include the vertical parts of the deck, only surface area.    You can't usually return un-opened cans (if they're mixed) but it's a pain to have to run back to the store in the middle of your staining effort! The decking part of 10 x 10 deck is 100 sf, but you need to allow for the vertical parts as well. There are several listings in the Nashua Area Yellow Pages for companies power-washer rentals. Listings which mention power washers in their ads include Taylor Rental (118 DW Highway Nashua 888-1670) and Hudson Rental Store (285 Derry Road; 883-8153). Most offer half day rentals;  Hudson Rental are nice folks and have been a local small business for many years.

 The cost for the Sikkens stains is higher than Olympic stains but provides better protection.

Homeowner and Association Maintenance Responsibilities

Refer to the April 2003 Newsletter, for a list of whether individual homeowners, or the association, is responsible for particular maintenance items. Sometimes this is not entirely intuitive, if you have a question, contact Harvard or a Board member.

Pool/Tennis Court Key Replacement

There is a "closer" installed on the gate at the pool, to ensure that only owners/residents have access to these facilities. New Owners should have received a key and Amenities Pass from the prior owner, if not, replacements are made under policy VBH 28 and there is a $15 fee for a replacement amenities pass and a $25 fee for a new amenities key. If you need a replacement key or pass contact Harvard.

The locks on the tennis courts operate with the same key. All residents should be sure that the courts are locked - a few hours of "innocent" skateboarding/BMX etc. can seriously damage the court surface.

Owner Responsibilities (summary)

Adapted from the April 2003 Newsletter, this list gives guidelines for whether Owners or the Association is responsible for particular maintenance items.   responsibilities are also listed in the Residents Handbook.

Unit Owner Doors, door frames and flashing, including sliding doors and garage doors Storm doors and storm windows Windows, window frames, flashing and any screens on them All electrical services (panel, outlets, switches...) inside the home including telephone & cable All plumbing inside the home including water heaters and, in the case of Townhouses, the Fire Sprinkler systems included within unit All heat and air conditioning including external compressor Fireplaces, chimney flues and caps Appliances Interior walls (paint, wallpaper...)

Association Exterior walls, siding, trim, and painting of these Sidewalks Shrubbery, trees and other plantings supplied through the Association Roadways and parking areas Roofs Foundations Decks (except for Owner staining requirement) Retaining walls Exterior stairs Carpenter ants and termites Fire Alarm and Sprinkler controls for common elements before transition to within unit

To generalize: if its inside, or outside but serving only one unit (for example, utilities/plumbing between the unit and the shared utility/plumbing it's the the Owner's responsibility. If outside including the exterior of the building, it is the Association's responsibility. There are two basic exceptions to this: Owners are responsible for all doors, windows, and their associated frames and flashing, and owners are responsible for re-staining their decks each alternate year: odd years for odd numbered units, even for even. Please report problems promptly! If you have questions about this, contact Harvard.