The Westover Estates HOA Board of Directors voted at the August Board meeting to self manage the association.  We visited with board members from neighboring HOAs, and we received three bids from local management companies.  The decision to self manage was made after carefully weighing the pros and the cons of managing it by ourselves versus hiring a management company. The board chose to use Membership Toolkit as a tool to assist in the collection of HOA dues, financial reporting, communications such as e-newsletters and a full function, easy to design website.  Many of our homeowners who have children in PISD schools are already users of Membership Toolkit, as it got its start with local PTAs to use for managing their membership.   Membership Toolkit has expanded its offerings to assist non-profit organizations with their membership needs.  

By using Membership Toolkit, all the tools our HOA board of directors need is in one location. Tasks are easier, and everyone stays better informed.  We have the ability to:

• Keep everyone in-the-know with a website that is integrated with our database; feeding our online neighborhood directory, email and newsletters lists, push notifications, and a mobile app to get information on the go.
• We can easily poll our community by making it easy for you, the homeowner, to share your opinion and be heard.
• We can send annual dues invoices via email at the push of a button.  This will save time and money by avoiding mailing paper invoices. 
• Annual dues payments can be made via check or credit card.
• Track who has paid, who is late and who is in arrears with accounting and reporting tools.
• The integrated accounting tool creates greater transparency for our treasurer and our board – monthly reports are easy to create so it’s clear where the money is going which helps protect everyone.
• Automatically generates an online directory that is available on a mobile app.
• An easy-to-edit website will be the go-to resource for neighbors by presenting what’s happening, who to contact for questions, and promote upcoming meeting, event dates, and RSVP links.

The Membership Toolkit subscription is $750/year.  Compared to paying management company fees of over $6,000 annually, this is a significant cost savings for increased features, functions, and capabilities.  

One thing that we need from all of our homeowners is for you to create an account if you don't already have a Membership Toolkit account on another site.  Our goal is to have all homeowners log in and update their information by October 31, 2021.  We truly appreciate your participation and involvement.  

The City of Plano has identified over 6000 trees in the City of Plano that are dying or stressed from the February freeze.  Homeowners who have a dead or dying tree will be receiving a letter from the City of Plano, requesting that they have the tree removed within 60 days.  Read more from the City of Plano about how to identify if your tree is dead or dying.

The City of Plano's contractor is more than half way through the construction process of the screening wall around the perimeter of our neighborhood.  In the last several weeks, the board has received several questions about the brick color choice and the plan for the "Westover Estates" monument signs.   In January, the City of Plano notified the Board that the screening wall was slated to be torn and down and rebuilt in the summer of 2021. The Board was given a list of 15 brick colors to choose from.  We were told that we were responsible for removing all the electrical equipment off the screening walls, and permanently housing them off the screening wall.  We were given the choice of keeping the stone monument walls at the three entrances, or replacing them with the same color brick. The Board decided to keep the stone wall for contrast, and now that the landscaping has been torn out, the stone walls and monument signs will be power washed and the lettering re-painted.  By the numbers, we have approximately 300 brick panels surrounding our neighborhood.  The projected cost for this project is between $300,000-$350,000.  (Tax payer funded.)

The contractor has indicated that the wall should be finished by October 15th.   You will notice that four of the flower beds have been removed.  In July, we applied for and received a City of Plano Neighborhood Vitality and Beautification Grant to re-do the landscaping at the Parker and Midway corner.   In mid to late October, we will start the installation of new landscaping at that corner.   For the other three flower beds, we are working with the City of Plano to install fall flowers and mulch for this fall, and then we will submit a new application for the spring grant cycle of the Plano Neighborhood Vitality and Beautification program.  If you would be interested in helping write the grant application, please contact Brian Bunker, HOA Landscape Chairman.    

Thank you for your continued patience and consideration while the construction continues.  This is an active constructive zone, please be extra cautious of workers and equipment.   

To access the HOA Directory and Member Only Content on the Website:

• Go to www.westoverestates.org.  
• Click on Homeowner Login (provide location on website).
• If this is your first time logging in you will need to create a new account. Use your email address and choose your own password.
• You will receive an email with a link to verify that you are the owner of that email address. Once you click on the link you will have the option to update any of your contact information and directory publish preferences. Do both steps: (1) update any of your contact information and (2) approve your directory preferences. 

If you have any questions on how to get connected to the HOA Website and Member Only Content which includes the HOA Directory, please send an email to westoverestateshoa@gmail.com.