THE VERNON WOODS OWNERS ASSOCIATION
2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Owners:
The VWOA Board of Directors has scheduled our annual meeting on May 14th, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Riverwoods Village Hall, 300 Portwine Rd. Your attendance and input are very important. We need at least 20% of the Association members to be present by attending in person or by submitting a proxy.
We are always looking for members to get involved with the association. We are in need of one additional Board member for the 2024-2025 year. Volunteers with fresh ideas are always welcome. Volunteering to work on various association projects and devoting as little or as much time as you can is a great way to get involved. And joining the Board is another great way to meet your neighbors and to better serve our community. Please consider becoming a volunteer or a Board member this year.
Budget
We were under our total budgeted expenses this year. All surplus funds are added to our reserve account. There was a lower-than-normal amount of snow this year which lessened snow plowing expenses. Last summer, we milled and repaved all of the private roads in the Association. We also replaced 3 culverts under the road prior to the repaving. The repaving project came in below the total anticipated budget. Replacement of the culverts was not in the budget, however the Board decided it was prudent to replace them prior to the repaving project. The actual income and expenses will be reviewed at the Annual Meeting as well as our projected budget for 2025-2026. As of this writing, we a have 5 members in arrears with either their regular, special, or construction assessments. Please remember that the Association has lien rights over all of the lots in the Association. Filing liens and lien releases are costly to the Association. Fees of $300 to file a lien and $300 to release a lien are charged to the lot owner. Please keep your account current so these costs aren’t charged. The Board has decided to maintain the annual dues at $500 for the 2025-2026 year. An invoice for the annual assessment for the 2025-2026 fiscal year was sent out on May 1st and is due by June 30th. Late payment fees will be assessed beginning on July 1st.
The Roads
Even though the snow events were minimal, Herb Regan once again provided us with excellent snowplow service at a reasonable cost. The repaving project last summer was difficult due to the narrow roads and occurred with few complaints. The Board thanks everyone for their patience during the project. Since the roads were repaved last summer, we will not have any potholes to patch this year. We will do crack filling in the few places where cracks have developed. Cracks are a normal occurrence on asphalt roads, especially with clay soil and at joints in the asphalt. Filling cracks on an annual basis prolongs the life of the pavement. Driving off the edge of the roadway pavement damages our roads, increasing maintenance costs.
Trees and Vegetation near the Roads
The Village has marked trees along the roadways for trimming or removal. Please do so promptly to avoid problems. It will be helpful to motorists and pedestrians if you will trim vegetation along the roadways to maintain sate sight-lines for drivers.
Drainage Ditches
The original design capacity and functionality of the storm water ditches throughout our association have been altered due to years of forest litter decomposition, intermittently heavier rains than in the past, and the increased demand on the system from sump pump water pumped into them. The result has been flooding on some properties. The ultimate responsibility for cleaning the storm water ditches and driveway culverts remains with each homeowner. There is a Village ordinance regarding this issue. Owners that do not comply with the Village’s request to properly maintain their ditches will face administrative hearings and fines by the Village. The Association maintains the culverts passing under the roadways but does not clean the ditch leading into the culverts under the roads. Blockages at the inlet to culverts under the roads is the responsibility of the property owner. Village permits are required to replace culverts. Corrugated metal culverts are no longer allowed to be installed by Village ordinance.
New Burning Ordinance
The Village of Riverwoods recently updated the open burning ordinance. Burning landscape waste, bonfires and prescribed burns require a Village permit. Outdoor barbecues and fire pits in containers approved for such use do not require a permit. All other burning is prohibited. Here is a link for more information:
https://www.riverwoods.gov/building/page/open-burning-permit
Lot 1
The Board contracted to have the paths in Lot 1 mowed on a regular basis. Fallen trees were also cleared. We hope to continue the clearing of invasive plants on Lot 1 and would welcome volunteers.
Board Meetings
In the past, standing Board meetings were scheduled on a specific day of each month. The incoming Board will determine when and how often Board meetings will occur. Notice will be posted on the Vernon Woods Owner’s Association website, www.vernonwoodsowners.com under the “Calendar” tab.
Finally, we are trying to reduce our paper usage requirement and to communicate efficiently with the VWOA members. Emails save the board time and money. Almost all the members have given us permission to conduct association business, such as invoicing and communications, via e-mail. If we don’t already have it, PLEASE provide us with your email address and permission to use it when you pay your annual assessment.
Other non-business association communications are also sent out only via e-mail. If we have not received your permission to send these non-business communications to you via e-mail, you will not receive them. We respect your privacy and will use your email address only for the communications you have authorized. Be sure to let us know if you change your email address.
Current 2024-2025 VWOA Board of Directors
Thomas Burns, Treasurer mrburns78@gmail.com
Rick Jamerson, President 847-370-6565 rickjamerson22@gmail.com
Nick Leckow, Vice President nkleckow@gmail.com
Esmina Perdiew, Secretary esmina@whitelakepartners.com