1. law, govt and politics

COOLEY STATION
NORTH NEWSLETTER
April 2015
Board of Directors
Laura Young – President
Mike Crenshaw – VP
Brian Yates – Treasurer
Jean Stradling – Director
Kristin Wafford – Director
Board of Directors
Meetings
Board meetings are held the
second Wednesday of each
month at 6:30 PM
Cooley Middle School
1100 S. Recker Road
Gilbert, AZ 85296
2015 Board Meeting
Schedule
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January 14, 2015
February 11, 2015
March 11, 2015
April 8, 2015
May 13, 2015
June 10, 2015
July 8, 2015
August 12, 2015
September 9, 2015 –
Annual Meeting
October 14, 2015
November 11, 2015
December 19, 2015
Associa Arizona
Contact Information
Associa Arizona
Why Can My HOA Tell Me What To Do?
Community associations have a governmental component. Like a city or county
government, a community association has a charter—called the declaration. The
declaration is a legally binding document that encompasses bylaws, covenants
and other documents that give community associations their legal foundation.
Upon purchase of your home you became a member of the association and
contractually agreed to abide by the documents and the rules set-forth by the
Board of Directors.
These governing documents obligate the association to preserve and protect the
assets of the community. The Board of Directors has a fiduciary duty to follow and
uphold the governing documents. To enable the board to meet this obligation,
association governing documents also empower the board to make rules and define
the process for adopting and enforcing them—within limits. Governing documents
also establish parameters for the nature and type of rules the board can make.
State law gives associations the authority to make rules. These are called common
interest community statutes, and they apply to condominiums, cooperatives, and
property owners associations.
Remember, however, that the board can’t make or enforce any rule that is contrary
to the governing documents, local ordinances, state law or federal regulations.
Remember also that the board makes rules on your behalf—to protect your
investment, your home.
Cooley Station North
Information at Your Fingertips!
Visit the community website at www.CooleyStationNorth.org for:
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Email Address:
[email protected]
HOA documents including Governing Documents such as Design
Guidelines, Architectural Request Form, Homeowner Appeal Form,
Complaint Form
Nearby amenities
♦ Links and contact numbers for Associa Arizona, Gilbert Police, trash,
cable, etc.
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Website:
www.CooleyStationNorth.org
Phone: 480-892-5222
After Hours Emergencies:
480-898-4202
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Frequently asked questions
Trash and Recycling
The Town of Gilbert collects trash (black cans) at Cooley Station North on Wednesdays. The recycling (blue
cans) is picked up on Fridays. The community rules only allow for receptacles to be out 24 hours prior to pick
up and must be put back no later than 24 hours after collections. All receptacles must be stored out of view
from neighboring properties when not out for collection.
THE 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY: SECURE ONLINE VOTING
The rapidity of technological advances and the hyper connectivity in our individual lifestyles have made time
allocation significantly more complex. Unfortunately, this has caused many community associations to
struggle with member involvement. In fact, today’s busy lifestyles make it difficult, even for the most civically
minded homeowner, to find time to be engaged in the governance of their community association. This is bad
news.
Homeowner involvement is paramount to keeping a community association vibrant and involvement also
prevents apathy that leads to control groups or less than responsive boards. Many associations have struggled
with incentives to encourage member participation, but increasingly many boards see secure online voting as
a mechanism to lower barriers to participation in neighborhood governance.
If your community is like many across the country, often times it is a struggle to get a quorum for annual meetings. This can have impacts beyond just the inconvenience of low participation. Votes to approve the election
of board members, amend documents or update membership on important capital projects can all be
impacted. But increasingly many communities are looking to the internet to help grow member participation
through secure online voting.
Electronic voting is not a new concept. In fact, millions of American’s exercise their voting rights weekly by
calling in to vote for favorite contestants on an array of reality shows like American Idol and Dancing with the
Stars. Of course voting for entertainment is a bit different from voting for officials whose decisions can impact
the value of your property, but these differences are not big.
The biggest challenge for community associations when looking at secure online voting has traditionally been
antiquated laws. However, in the past few years the number of states that have amended HOA and Condo laws
to allow electronic voting has grown significantly. Today residents in over 20 states can use electronic voting
for HOA or condominium matters.
Secure online voting offers many benefits to an association. First, it allows resident owners the ability to vote
anytime during an election period from their desk or even mobile device. Second, electronic voting is
inexpensive, especially when compared to mailing paper ballots to all eligible residents within a community.
Finally, secure online voting does not preclude a paper option for those without access to a computer or those
not particularly versed in online navigation.
Security and transparency is also an issue for implementing electronic voting. Secure online voting for
associations allows each homeowner the security of an individualized user account number and third party
management for the election process at-large.
Of course there is no one perfect solution alone that works to boost community involvement. But secure online
voting holds promise, especially in larger communities, to reduce costs, limit the environmental impact and
grow member participation.
HOA 101
This Homeowner Orientation course is designed especially for you, the homeowner in an Associa-managed
community! Our purpose is to help you maximize your enjoyment and invite your participation in your
community association by sharing with you information about the following topics: Community association
benefits, Laws and governing documents, Association rules and regulations, Community association structure,
Community association committees, Channels of communication, and Community association participation.
Upon completing this short course, you will not only know what a community association is and what its
benefits are, but also have the knowledge and skills to participate in our association to the extent that interests
you. Opportunities include attending social events and meetings, serving on committees, communicating easily
and effectively with your board of directors and management staff, and serving on the board of directors.
We hope that the information in this course will benefit you greatly. It should make your experience as a
homeowner more gratifying and help enhance the efficiency and accomplishments of your community
association.
Course Section
Minutes
1. Homeowner Orientation Overview
2. Community Associations
3. Laws and Governing Documents
4. Homeowner Compliance
5. Community Association Structure
6. Committee Roles
7. Communication Channels
8. Effective Participation
9. Benefits of Being Managed by an Associa Member Company
3:00
8:00
14:00
24:00
3:00
5:00
13:00
4:00
15:00
Access the courses:
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Login to your account at Associa Arizona (www.AssociaArizona.com) and click the blue “GO” button to
access the homeowner section.
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After logging in, click the HELP tab and select Homeowner Orientation.
Dog Waste Removal
Dog waste is not only an unsightly and unwelcomed problem within the community; it is against the law. Gilbert
municipal ordinance, No. 1007, Section 1, 11-19-1996, requires all pet waste be immediately removed and
disposed of on public and private property. Pet waste is also a toxic pollutant full of bacteria and parasites that
can be harmful to humans and pets. Storm water can carry these toxins into storm drains and city sewer
systems. The waste decomposes using up oxygen and releasing pollutants. Please help ensure the safety and
beauty of Cooley Station North by always picking up after your pet!
Cooley Station North
c/o Associa Arizona
7500 N. Dobson Rd, Suite 150
Scottsdale, AZ 85256
Why Do We Have Rules?
Every association—including ours—has a few rules we all need to know about: For instance, where can we park, and where
may our guests park? Are we allowed to park campers or trucks in our driveways? What are the limitations on the size and
number of pets we may keep in our homes? Is there a designated dog-walking area within the community? And what
choices—color, styles, landscaping—do we have regarding the décor of our homes’ exteriors?
Our association’s rules were formulated to preserve the appearance of the community, protect the value of our common
property and our individual homes, and make our neighborhood more harmonious for all of us. So it’s important to know
the rules and do our best to abide by them. To keep up to date on what the rules are—and what the consequences can be
for not complying—look for a list of association rules on the community website or ask a board member or manager for a
copy of the community handbook.
Rules also need to be updated periodically. If you believe a rule is obsolete or needs to be amended or updated, contact a
member of the association board to find out how to propose a modification or revision.
Pool Reminders
The pools in Cooley Station North are a very
popular amenity to be enjoyed by all members of
the community. Please be courteous to your
neighbors and follow the pool rules. Below are a
few especially important pool rules to ensure the
safety of your family and your community.
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Pool hours are 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
The gates must be kept closed at all times
Running, excessive noise, loud music,
splashing, pushing, shoulder riding, dunking,
or rough housing in the pool or on the deck is
not allowed
No pets in the pool area
No alcoholic beverages are allowed inside the
fenced area - intoxication is prohibited
Children are not allowed in the pool
area unattended
Fine Policy
1st Notice – A friendly letter notifying you of the infraction
and requesting compliance within 10 days. There is no fine
with the first notice.
2nd Notice – If the violation still exists, a second notice requesting compliance within 10 days will be mailed and a
$25 fine will be assessed.
3rd Notice – If the violation still exists, a third notice
requesting compliance within 10 days will be mailed
and a $50 fine will be assessed.
4tth Notice – If the violation still exists, a fourth notice requesting compliance within 10 days will be mailed and
another $50 fine will be assessed.
Continuing Violations – If the violation continues past the
fourth notice, a notice will be sent every 10 days and a
$100 fine will be assessed. The Board shall also have the
right to remedy the violation and/or take legal action to
gain compliance and the cost shall be billed to the owner.