Home Welcome to our website. On this site you will find useful information about Cobblestone as well as news and current events. We have also included downloadable monthly board meeting minutes, ARB forms for those wanting to perform construction or plantings to their units, as well as our covenants and by-laws in the forms & documents section. There are useful links to websites that you find to be helpful and informative including weather, area information and local news in the links section. Click on the Raintree Lake link to view the current isssue of "Shorelines", the monthly publication of Raintree. Inside 'Shorelines" you will find our own "Cobblestone Crier" which provides news and information specific to us at Cobblestone. You may also contact the Cobblestone board directly in the contact us section should you have any questions or comments. Enjoy our website! from the President- Bob Christian-President The Cobblestone Board would like to wish each of you a happy and healthy holiday season. We continue to promote the idea that communication is one of the most important aspects of keeping Cobblestone one of the most respected and beautiful areas within Raintree Lake. At our November Board Meeting a motion was passed to begin holding Board Meetings on a quarterly basis. However, there will still be a meeting on December 23, 2008 to finish off fiscal year 2008. The quarterly meeting schedule will begin January 27, 2009. With the frequency of the meetings decreasing, one of our hopes is that more residents will be able to attend. Another benefit might be that involvement in the Board might be more attractive if residents could see that it’s not that time consuming. All meetings are at 7:00 PM on the 4th Tuesday of that scheduled month at the Raintree Lake Clubhouse. Important information about Cobblestone and Raintree Lake can also be found on each of our websites (www.cobblestonehoa.org and www.rlpoa.com) The minutes of our November meeting will be available on our website to review in a few days but we would like to share a few important highlights. • Our annual assessment will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index and that is explained in a separate letter, enclosed • The current economic condition has presented Cobblestone with the challenge of maintaining the level of lawn maintenance and snow removal that we are currently enjoying. With that in mind, we elected to go out for bid for these services again this year, even though we would normally test the market every 3 years. We believe, after reviewing competitive contractors’ bids and their references that we have found a contractor who can meet our needs and still are able to stay competitive with our 2009 budget without sacrificing services. • We will be continuing the project of upgrading our irrigation system as we begin next growing season and will continue to keep residents up to date as developments occur. Phil Stompoly is now spearheading this effort. The 2009 budget includes funds to continue addressing this challenge. • Cobblestone’s outside maintenance contractor had a very busy and productive season. In the spring of we will begin our 2009 inspection. Our continuing goal is to fix the most urgent requirements on all units first in the spring and then paint and repair trim and stucco on two additional units as their age dictates. We tested the market for competitive bids in this area also and found our current contractor to be our best choice. We considered changing this last paragraph from last year’s letter but it just seemed appropriate to just say “ditto”: Last year we stated that a solid financial footing is paramount in keeping the value of the property for our style of home at its highest level through the ups and downs of the real estate tides. Hopefully 2009 will see the challenges of the current real estate market ease. Regardless, what we can control is to continue to be proactive and fiscally responsible to ensure our property holds and improves its value. Sincerely, Cobblestone Board of Directors The following action was taken at the November 25, 2008 Board of Directors Meeting: The Board voted to increase the annual assessment by 1.8 % for 2009 even though the rate from Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers July 2007 to July 2008 was determined to be 5.4%. The Board believes this action is necessary to keep pace with rising costs while being mindful of our responsibility to keep costs under control without sacrificing the services we are obligated to perform for our members. For those who have not yet paid the 4th quarter, 2008 assessment, this years amount of $454 is still applicable and is due by December 31st, 2008. The new 2009 Quarterly Assessment will be $462 and will be reflected on your First Quarter, 2009 statement which will be sent in early January, 2009. Cobblestone is and will continue to control costs and provide services that it’s members expect and enjoy. SNOW REMOVAL AND APPLICATION OF ICE MELT ON DRIVEWAYS Over the years the Cobblestone Home Owner’s Association has not had any “ice melt” products applied to our driveways. Most products on the market today have at least some corrosive effect on concrete surfaces and since it is the individual homeowner’s ultimate responsibility to replace deteriorated and unsafe driveways, the decision to use a commercial product to melt ice shall continue to be the individual homeowner’s. It has been the position of previous Boards to contract only for the snow removal. However, we did some investigation and the following were recommendations made by various professionals, if homeowners choose to treat their own driveways: Cliff Martin with Martin Construction, who was the contractor who replaced Units 1, 3 & 5) does not recommend using any product since road salt brought in on our vehicles will have some affect on traction without paying for the “corrosion”. He did say, however, that “today’s chemical products are a bit less corrosive than the rock salt we have all probably used in the past”. Mr. Martin recommends that the surfaces be hosed down as soon as is practical after a snow to remove as much of the road salt as is possible. He also recommends applying a light coat of sealant just before the beginning of winter to help protect from the effects of road salt. · Several snow removal contractors we have spoken with indicated that they are currently using a Calcium or Magnesium Chloride type product on their larger commercial accounts. This type of product, evidently, has no impact on lawn surfaces it comes in contact with. This type of product probably has the least long term corrosive effect on concrete.