July 2019 Meeting Minutes

CHP HOA Meeting Minutes – 7/29/2019

Meeting start: 6:31pm

Board Members in Attendance: J.J. Gentry, Jeremy Catoe, O’Neill Gilliam, and David Bergeron

Board Members Absent: Jan Talkish

Attendees: 6 Residents and Corporal DeRosiers, City of Columbia Police Dept.

Complaints to CCPD:
Parking: The Columbia Police Department has received a number of calls and emails regarding enforcement of parking here in the HOA between 2am and 6am, with calls regarding Gauley Drive being the most frequent. Corporal DeRosier of the CCPD states that units make an effort to patrol the neighborhood each evening – especially during the overnight hours – but reminds us that we are only one of many areas in this Northwest Region to be patrolled. Depending on the severity of other calls to the department, patrols may not be available for the HOA on a given evening.

Officers patrolling the HOA don’t always have the chance to write tickets for every car that is in offense. He states that, on average, it takes one and a half to two hours for an officer just to drive through the entire neighborhood, and officers tend to ticket only the worst offenders. Corporal DeRosier would like to remind residents that officers prefer to give a ticket as opposed to towing, but will call for a tow truck if necessary. Residents are further reminded that a parking ticket is usually $20 versus $125+ dollars if your vehicle is towed.

Recently, two officers on loan from another region were unaware that the streets within CHP were public (and not private) roadways, and thus were not dealing with parking issues. Captain Yates, head of our regional precinct, has addressed this with them.

If you need to reach the police regarding a parking issue, please call dispatch at the *non-emergency line*: 252 – 2911.

Theft from Cars: As mentioned prior, CHP is only one stop for regional patrols that also cover busy retail areas. Crime-wise, CHP is considered one of the quieter and less problematic neighborhoods in the area – the majority of calls from CHP have to do with vandalism (especially when kids are out of school for the summer), parking issues, and valuables that have been stolen from vehicles. Residents are reminded to remove all valuables from their vehicles and keep vehicle locked. Historically, people who steal from cars are looking for a quick and easy target – they will walk from house to house, trying car doors, and rummaging and stealing from those vehicles left unlocked. It is very rare that they will forcefully break into a vehicle, unless you have a high value item within your car that will spark their interest. As always, if you see suspicious individuals or activity in the neighborhood, feel free to call the police department.

Golf carts and ATVs: Like regular vehicles, all golf carts must be registered with the DMV and must carry insurance. Golf carts can only be used within 4 miles of a residence, and can be only used during daylight hours – night driving is not allowed, even if the golf cart is equipped with headlights. You must be a licensed driver 16 years of age and above, to drive a golf cart.

ATVs are not considered a DMV registered vehicle, and should not be driven on the roadways. Additional information about ATV use and laws can be found at this link: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t50c026.php

The Board would like to remind residents that motorized vehicles are not allowed on any of the CHP trails.

Front Porch Roll Calls: It was noted that we have not seen a Front Porch Roll Call in our neighborhood for quite a while, and that the last one was not widely advertised (only one sign placed near the clubhouse). Corporal DeRosier states that he will mention it at the barracks, but also advises the Board that they can check the Columbia Police Department community calendar to see if one has been arranged, and if not, one may be requested. Front Porch Roll Calls are usually held on Sunday evenings. For more information, please see the CCPD’s website at: https://columbiapd.net/front-porch-roll-call/

Pool: It has been noticed that trash and recycling bins have not been put out to the curb of late. This has been addressed with the pool company, as bins should be put out every Monday night by the pool attendant at the end of his/her shift. Otherwise, things are going very smoothly at the pool – there have been no behavioral complaints or other issues.

The Board would like to remind residents that the pool gates lock automatically at 11:00pm, and if you have not walked through the gates by that time, you will get locked in. If you become locked in, you must call the police department to let you out (reminder: please use the non-emergency line for this). If you are a late evening swimmer, please plan to be out of the water, drying off, and preparing to leave by about 10:50 – 10:55pm to avoid being locked in.

Landscaping: O’Neill reports that all is going well with the landscaping. Residents pointed out areas that were not cut last week, and O’Neill stated that these areas were not done because of wetness caused by heavy rains. However that will all be taken care of this coming week. There were also questions about areas where edging was not done on curbs – O’Neill said that he will speak to the manager and have this taken care of this week as well.

O’Neill would like to remind homeowners who have sidewalks in front of their houses that the sidewalk actually cuts across their property, and that they are responsible for the small strip of land directly in front of the sidewalk, by the street. Those areas must be kept mowed and trimmed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact him via the Board email form on the CHP website: https://chestnuthillplantation.org/contact-chestnut-hill-plantation/

Social Committee: Community Movie Night is coming on August 24! The movie is yet to be determined, but the choices are up for vote on the Unofficial Facebook Page (look for a posting from Linda Catoe, admin.). The Social Committee has received a great amount of interest from local sponsors, who will be contributing to the cost of the movie and providing goodies, so it should come in under budget! The movie is expected to start between 8:00pm and 8:30pm – the Social Committee requests that residents please not show up prior to 7:30pm.

Clubhouse: There been a lot of questions as to whether or not a rental fee needs to be paid for events that benefit the CHP neighborhood (non-private events such as shopping events, community swaps, etc.). The Board has decided that it would be best for the Social Committee to handle such requests in conjunction with Jan Talkish, who manages the clubhouse. Together, they can decide whether or not a rental fee must be paid for a particular event.

The Board is of the *opinion* that if an event is for the benefit of CHP residents ONLY, then it may be possible for the clubhouse to be used at no charge – however for private events (weddings, birthdays, etc.) and out-of-neighborhood advertised events, a fee should be paid.

Residents who would like to use the clubhouse for such events, should contact the Social Committee first. Residents are strongly advised to have more than just a ‘rough idea’ – have a plan in place. Please let the Social Committee know exactly what you would like to do, how you would like to implement the event, how long the event would last, and have an established labor pool/volunteers secured to put on such an event (please do not assume the Social Committee will be volunteering to help with your event).

Communications Committee: The Communications Committee (Comm. Comm.) will be meeting again in a few weeks. It was requested by the Board that – in the interest of marketing and keeping the website cutting edge – the CHP website begin including drone videos showing the entire neighborhood and the amenities. Our webmaster, Cynthia, assures the Board this can be done without problem.

If residents are interested in contributing to the CHP website Blog, please email your submissions to the Comm. Comm. at: https://chestnuthillplantation.org/contact-chestnut-hill-plantation/ Please keep in mind that blog submissions cannot be used for personal or business advertising, and must reflect a subject matter that would be of interest to residents of the CHP neighborhood. The Comm. Comm. reserves the right to edit all blogs as needed for clarity, spelling, punctuation, or to protect resident privacy. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Comm. Comm. at the above email.

National Night Out: Captain Yates, of our regional Columbia Police Department precinct, recently reached out to the Board to ask if the neighborhood was interested in participating in National Night Out, a nation-wide event that takes place annually, on the first Tuesday in August.

Information from the Nation Night Out website (https://natw.org/) describes the event:

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas and select areas celebrate on the first Tuesday in October). Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

National Night Out has never been celebrated here in CHP; however the police department had said that if we would like to participate, the department would be willing to participate with us. As National Night Out is coming up very quickly (Tuesday, August 6), we do not have the opportunity to organize this year, but the Board will look into it for next year. If you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments, please email the Board: https://chestnuthillplantation.org/contact-chestnut-hill-plantation/

Clubhouse Cable: A recent check for a fiber optic signal in the clubhouse area came up positive, meaning it is possible that the high speed internet option may be available for use in the clubhouse/pool area. As the Board never noticed any AT&T crews digging in the area, it is suspected that – if a fiber optics line exists – it was put in via an existing conduit pipe. J.J. and David Peterson of CAMS will make further inquiries, to determine whether or not fiber actually has been laid, and if it can be accessed to provide better Internet to the clubhouse area. More details to come in the future.

Possible Up-River Access: J.J. Gentry was recently contacted by a gentleman who lives further up the Broad River, near Peak, about the possibility of him using the CHP Broad River boat ramp (for himself and his family) in return for allowing CHP residents use of his riverside property (open, grassy bank – no boat ramp) to park and to put canoes, kayaks, and floats into the river. This access point, about a 7 miles up-river, would allow residents to canoe or kayak downriver, or provide a leisurely 6-7 hour float for tubers or rafts. The proposal would mean allowing this gentleman access to a boat ramp gate key, something reserved for CHP residents only. The Board will not make any decisions until they have the opportunity to discuss the offer further.

HOA Dues Issues: The Board has been contacted by a number of residents who have stated that they are being either under charged or over charged for their current HOA dues. HOA dues are $250 bi-annually. If the amount on your bill differs from this, please contact CAMS and let them know. David Peterson, CEO of CAMS, is aware of this issue and is looking into it.

If your bill is incorrect, the Board recommends that you contact CAMS to make them aware of the fact, so that it can be noted and so you will not be penalized later. CAMS can be reached at: 803-732-9644 or their email at: halcyon@halcyonres.com

Fishing: The Board would like to remind residents that night time fishing is not allowed in the HOA, due mainly to safety concerns. Residents should wrap up their fishing at dusk, and should not begin fishing prior to first light. If you are a homeowner that lives on the community lake or on one of the ponds, and you see somebody fishing after dark – and you know who the individuals are – please notify CAMS, and they will send that resident a letter.

Meeting End: 7:48pm

Minutes reviewed and authorized by: David Bergeron, HOA Board Member

Renée Cabaup/Comm. Comm.

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