The Woodgate Community Association Board of Directors met virtually yesterday evening (Aug 28, 2020) and it was determined that the September 15 Annual Meeting at Cascades Park will be postponed due to Covid-19 and limitations on public/private meetings in Monroe County and Bloomington until early November or whenever we are able to meet publicly again.
Cascades Park is located within the Bloomington city limits. Per the Mayor’s Executive Order, meetings are limited to 15 participants. With the Board and Architectural Committee attending that leaves space for only 9 homeowners to attend.
From the City of Bloomington website, “On Friday, August 21, Mayor Hamilton issued an emergency executive order limiting the size of private gatherings within city boundaries to protect the health and safety of the community upon the return of the Indiana University student population. Executive Order No. 20.03, which goes into effect Friday, August 21 at noon, reduces the permitted size of non-commercial gatherings to 15 from 50, the maximum permitted under the Monroe County Public Health Order of July 17. Those attending these gatherings must also observe county regulations about physical distancing and face covering.” [https://bloomington.in.gov/covid-19]
The Ellettsville Library meeting rooms are closed until after the first of the year (or longer) as well.
Virtual Meetings
With all that said, we are exploring methods to hold a virtual meeting with Zoom and meet the requirements of our CCRs and stay legal. We will then submit that plan to our attorney to ensure we are meeting all requirements and our bases are covered.
We are excited by this prospect since virtual meetings are convenient, easy to use, and free for the attendee. This can open our Community Meetings up for our neighbors to attend regardless of whether they are home or away. If there is a scheduling conflict and neighbors do not have access to a computer or tablet, they can attend using their phones.
The truly exciting part is that we could have town halls, get input and feedback on policies, and possibly finally get something done about combining the covenants.
Woodgate Community Association Board Meetings
Our Board meetings are open to all homeowners. We are holding those virtually on either the Teams or Zoom platform. This does require an invitation to the meeting. To receive an invitation, send an email request to meetings@woodgatebtownhoa.com and we will add you to the guest list.
Your Input is Needed
Please respond to this email if you are interested in Woodgate adopting virtual Annual and Board meetings. Feedback, pro or con, is welcome.
September 29 - Board Meeting (6:30 - 7:30 PM)
This will be a virtual meeting (ZOOM). Send email to meetings@woodgatebtownhoa.com to request an invitation. If there are topics you wish to discuss, please submit in advance so we can include them on the agenda and give the Board an opportunity to prepare if necessary.
October 17 - Fall Yard Sale (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
We are planning on having two dumpsters for this event.
November 14 - Fall Yard Waste Clean-up
Face to face or virtual meetings?
Woodgate has typically experienced the same problem that quite a few associations do, not enough attendance to make quorum. How can we get more of our neighbors involved in guiding and improving our neighborhood.
Our Board had considered expanding our meetings to include virtual meetings. But, we were told by our previous management company that we could not do that.
In the era of Covid-19, social distancing, and the lack of available meeting locations, we have circled back around to the virtual meeting format. This has been working well for our monthly Board Meetings. So, we began exploring what we need to do to hold our Annual Meeting in a virtual format.
We are excited by this prospect since virtual meetings are convenient, easy to use, and free for the attendee. This can open our Community Meetings up for our neighbors to attend regardless of whether they are home or away. If there is a scheduling conflict or you do not have access to a computer or tablet, you can attend using their phones.
The truly exciting part is that we could have town-halls, get input and feedback on policies, and possibly finally get something done about combining the covenants.
We are currently investigating voting options and proxies (sending, receiving, counting, and validating).
Our goal is to hold a virtual Homeowners' Annual Meeting in late October or early November
Please click the button below to respond to our meeting format survey and answer 3 quick questions to help us understand how to better meet your needs and fit in with your busy schedules. - Thank you!
Zoom is a free app that you can download to join virtual meetings. (Apple or Android)
The web browser client will automatically download when you start or join your first Zoom meeting, and is also available for manual download at Zoom.
Zoom is easy to use. It's easy to join and collaborate across any device. You can join a meeting anywhere on any device. If you don't have access to a computer or tablet, you can dial in using your phone to attend the meetings.
Powerful meeting security... Robust security settings ensure disruption-free meetings. Encryption, role-based security, and pass code protection secure meetings.
If you need technical assistance downloading and installing Zoom, let us know and we'll have a Board Member contact you to assist.
Committees and Board Members Needed
HELP WOODGATE... We're looking for a few talented and conscientious volunteers for the Board of Directors and various committees to help lead and strengthen our community for our families and neighbors.
We're not looking for folks with any specific experience, but the willingness to work together with other like-minded individuals to take care of and improve our community while helping neighbors to resolve concerns.
If you can contribute your time, thoughtfulness, and leadership one evening a month, and are interested in exploring this opportunity, call Howard at 812-339-2275 to find out whether this volunteer opportunity is right for you.
