March 31 Board Meeting Recap

Thanks to all who were able to attend our March Board meeting last Tuesday.

As many in the community will recall, we proposed a mandatory homeowners insurance requirement in the fall of 2024. The proposal was to be voted on as an amendment to our Governing Documents during the Annual Meeting in October 2024. Our current rules and regulations strongly encourage residents to carry homeowners insurance, but it is not yet required.

The purpose of this amendment is to protect all homeowners: in the event of a catastrophic incident such as fire or flooding caused by negligence, other residents in the affected building would not be liable for repair or replacement costs. Because we live in a townhouse community with shared adjacent walls, damage in one unit can quickly impact neighboring units.

Important note: This amendment applies only to homeowners (property) insurance—not flood insurance. However, as we all know, Feather Cove is in a flood zone, so we continue to strongly recommend that homeowners also carry adequate flood coverage.

We had planned to vote on the amendment at the October 2024 Annual Meeting, but that meeting was postponed due to the storms. When we later rescheduled, the Board decided to withdraw the proposal out of respect for the trauma the community had just endured.

Since the original proposal, a number of technical questions and concerns were raised about the language. We have since worked with our attorneys, insurance experts, and community members to simplify and clarify it. The revised amendment pertains only to property coverage and general liability. Homeowners will be required to provide proof of coverage (a declarations page) to the community management company by December 31 each year—similar to what insurers routinely provide to mortgage companies. Most insurance companies will send this automatically upon request, and homeowners already receive a copy with their annual renewal.

A draft of the revised amendment language is attached. We will open the April Board meeting for community feedback and intend to hold a formal vote on the amendment at the May Board meeting, following proper notification.

We had extensive discussion on this topic in 2024 and believe we have now addressed the concerns raised at that time. We hope the community will support this reasonable requirement, which helps protect all of us.

On another note, the wooden portion of the pool fence is deteriorating rapidly and needs to be replaced. Repairs will begin soon and will be completed in sections over the next few weeks.

We also received several comments about landscaping and yard maintenance. The tree trimming completed in December significantly improved the community’s appearance. Due to the ongoing drought, Jon and his crew have focused additional time on trimming, weeding, and clearing overgrown areas. Overall, the community looks great, though a few problem spots remain.

One factor to keep in mind is that some homeowners have more extensive and mature landscaping than others. These areas are naturally more labor-intensive to maintain, especially with weeding. We are working with Jon on the best approach for the community as a whole. That said, the drought will eventually end, plants (and weeds) will grow faster, and we hope homeowners with larger landscaping will pitch in to help maintain those areas. While the HOA is responsible for reasonable maintenance, extra help from owners makes a big difference.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Please feel free to share any questions or feedback at the April meeting or by contacting the Board.

EXHIBIT “A”
SCHEDULE OF AMENDMENTS
TO THE
REVITALIZED DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS
FOR
FEATHER COVE
ADDITIONS INDICATED BY UNDERLINE
DELETIONS INDICATED BY STRIKE THROUGH
1. Article VII, Obligations of Owners, Section 1., of the Revitalized Declaration of
Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Feather Cove, shall be amended to add an entirely new
Subsection P., to read as follows:
P. Requirement of Individual Owners to Purchase Insurance. It shall be the responsibility
and duty of each Owner to obtain and maintain general liability insurance and property
insurance coverage upon the Owner’s Residence and all improvements thereon. Owners
shall furnish the Association with proof of insurance in the form of the declaration page(s)
of all insurance policies obtained by the Owner on an annual basis by December 31st of
each year, or within sixty (60) days from any change in the Owner’s insurance coverage.
In the event of a loss within or relating to the Residence, the Owner shall be obligated to
promptly submit such claim to their insurance carrier and provide proof of such claim to the Association within a reasonable time period or upon request.