Please Vote in This Year’s HOA Election!

The following are biographies of those Green Meadows West homeowner-members who are running for election to the association’s board of directors in 2023.

The election will take place at the Annual Meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tues., Jan. 31, 2023, at the Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston.

All association members in good standing (all dues paid) may vote in-person, by assigning their proxy to another homeowner-member, or by returning their proxy to the board.

Four candidates will be elected, toward a minimum number of nine board members.

Directors serve terms of three years. Directors are unpaid volunteers.

If you have not received your ballot and meeting-attendance proxy, please contact Association Manager Ben McMenanin at Knapp Property: 515.222.5206; benm AT knapplc DOT com

Ballots and proxies must be received by 12 noon Mon., Jan. 30, 2023 in order to be counted.

Those who attend the meeting, as well as those who have returned proxies, will be eligible for door prizes.

The following biographies are presented in alphabetical order by last name. Candidates who are currently serving on the board are labelled as “incumbents.”

*****

Jeff Chavannes (pronouced “sha-van”) moved to the Green Meadows West neighborhood in July 2022. He lives in the south end of the neighborhood, on Barnsley Drive. He is currently working for Wells Fargo doing global strategy work. In a previous role with the company, he was heavily involved in housing initiatives. As a military veteran, his passion was around helping military and veteran families with housing needs. He created, stood up and managed national military and veteran philanthropic housing programs for Wells Fargo, Jeff has knowledge of community development and a desire to see his community strengthened. He, along with his wife Melissa, wants to see his three young children grow up in a vibrant community with outdoor activities and events to bring everyone together.

If elected, Jeff would focus on:

• Green energy projects (solar power & water conservation)
• Maintaining and potentially expanding the use of our green spaces for the neighborhood
• Addressing sidewalk safety issues by helping to find discounts for our community to repair or replace damaged concrete

*****

Jason Hamata (Incumbent) moved to the Green Meadows West neighborhood in 2019, and was elected to the association board in 2020. He lives on Nottingham Street, and has four young children that will all attend Johnston’s amazing public schools. He serves on the Prairie and Grounds committees. If re-elected, Jason would work to continue maintaining the infrastructure that we have, continue working on our natural areas, and continue to improve the horticulture at our entrances and throughout the neighborhood.

*****

Ron Lower (Incumbent) has lived in the Green Meadows West neighborhood for more than 15 years. He and his wife live on Hardwicke Drive, in Plat 8. Ron is a Software Engineer at John Deere Financial. Ron has served on the association board since 2014, and is currently a member of the Grounds Committee. If re-elected, Ron would continue overseeing maintenance of our common areas, in order to ensure the neighborhood is an attractive and appealing place for all its residents.

*****

Jason Rauscher (Incumbent) has lived in Green Meadows West, since 2016 and has been serving on the association board since 2017. He works at Corteva Agriscience with a background in biology and education. Jason has played an active role on the Prairie Committee, and currently serves as a board officer. He has a passion for the beauty and ecological impact of Iowa’s natural areas, and the important roles they play in the quality of life of our community.

Board Announces 2023 Annual Meeting Date, Seeks Candidates

The next annual meeting of Green Meadows West Homeowners’ Association (GMWHOA) members is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tues., Jan. 31, 2023, at the Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston.

This meeting will be conducted in-person. The board is also exploring live-streaming and video-teleconference options, in case of weather and/or public health contingencies.

The association’s officers and board of directors will present reports regarding current and future  activities. The meeting agenda will also include discussions of:

• 2023 operations budget
• current and future membership dues
• election of new board members

To vote at the annual meeting, members must be in good standing, with all fees paid. Meeting materials, include official notice, ballots and proxies, and board candidate biographies will be distributed via postal mail in early January 2023. Biographies will also be posted on-line via website and social media.

Proxies may be assigned to the board for purposes of achieving quorum, or may be assigned to a neighbor who plans to attend.

As always—to encourage meeting attendance or proxy-returns—there will be drawings for door prizes! These include two cash awards of $100 and one of $50!

If you are interested in serving on the Green Meadows West Homeowners’ Association board, please contact the Nominations committee via the Association Manager. Members of the Nominations committee will contact you to offer further information about prospective board roles and responsibilities. They will also solicit a short biography to share with the GMWHOA membership-at-large via postal mail, website, and social media prior to the election.

Individuals standing for election must be in good standing, with all fees paid.

Board members serve for elected terms of three years. Board members elected in 2023 will serve until the annual meeting in January 2026. Organizational by-laws stipulate a minimum of nine board members. Board members serve as volunteers.

The board meets regularly to consider financial reports, homeowner requests, and committee actions, typically on the third Tuesday of each month.

Interested individuals may also volunteer to serve on committees and working groups, such as the Prairie and Grounds committees. These positions are not elected, but are instead appointed via board or executive action.

For more information on the annual meeting, volunteer opportunities, or to contact the Nominations committee, please contact: Association Manager Ben McMenamin, 515.222.5206; benm AT knappproperties DOT com 

Please Vote in This Year's HOA Election!

The following are personal statements of candidacy for each of five people running for election to the Green Meadows West Homeowners Association board of directors in 2022. Four will be elected, toward a current total of 11 board members.

These statements are presented in alphabetical order by last name, regardless of incumbency, and are posted both on the neighborhood Facebook page and website.

All GMWHOA voting-lot members who are in good standing (dues paid) are eligible to vote in this election. Because the 2022 Annual Meeting is to be conducted via video-teleconference, all voting is taking place by postal mail or hand-delivered.

If you have not received your ballot and meeting-attendance proxy, please contact Association Manager Ben McMenanin at: 515.222.5206; benm AT knappproperties DOT com

Ballots and proxies must be received by 12 noon Mon., Jan. 24, 2022 in order to be counted.

Returned proxies will also be eligible for door prizes.

The Annual Meeting video-teleconference is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tues., Jan. 25, 2022.

Here are this year's candidate statements:

*****

My name is Joel Beary. My family moved to Green Meadows West in 1995 and have had at least one branch of the family here since then. I am 2000 graduate of JHS and went on to receive my BA degree in Sociology from the University of Iowa in 2004. 

I spent a few years away from Johnston early in my career but returned in 2015 when my wife and I purchased my childhood home upon my parents retirement. We currently reside in Green Meadows West with our two children and look forward to doing all we can to help the neighborhood maintain its wonderful atmosphere as well as support its growth going into the future.

I want to ensure my children as well as everyone in GMW has the same great experience growing up here that I did. 

*****

My name is Randy Brown. My family has lived in Green Meadows West Plat 9—an area south of the power lines that cross east-west through neighborhood green space—since 1999. We have two children in Johnston public schools. We are original owners of our house. (The mortgage is nearly paid off!) I am a former editor of Better Homes and Gardens-branded specialty magazines, and am now a freelance writer and independent publisher. My 2006 graduate degree at Iowa State University involved economic and other neighborhood effects generated by changes made to residential properties. I have been a Green Meadows West board member since 2005, and have even intermittently served as a board officer.

As a board member, I have proudly been directly involved in such past GMWHOA initiatives as:

• The installation of new playground equipment at Windsor Park.
• Launching the annual all-neighborhood “Picnic in the Park” and (now Summer Concert series) in Dover Park.
• The professionalization and long-term planning of maintenance for our 17 acres of restored prairie.
• Negotiating with the City of Johnston the zoning conditions of two Planned-Use Developments (P.U.D.) along 86th Street, which prevented food-service and other cash-register businesses from locating adjacent to our GMW residents.

I would appreciate your vote. Thanks for your attention!

*****

My name is Sara Lockner and I am seeking election to serve on the Green Meadows West Home Owners’ Association Board as a demonstration of my love and commitment to the GMW neighborhood. 

I have lived in Green Meadows West since 2015, with my husband and 2 children. I feel so fortunate to call Green Meadows West home; I love the aesthetics, the prairies, the trees, the feeling of community and most importantly—my neighbors! We also love our neighborhood schools and plan on being long term Green Meadows West residents.

When not working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I can be found enjoying walks on the community trails, baking and making crafts with my family.  I have a passionate love of birthday parties, block parties, caffeine and dinners prepared by others. I also serve as a choir coordinator for the Heartland Youth Choir (Canto) and sit on the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa Associate Board.

I look forward to learning more about our neighborhood and making positive contributions. Thank you! 

*****

My name is Chris Riester and my wife and I bought our home in Green Meadows West in 2019 and prior to that I lived in the Beaverdale/Merle Hay neighborhood.

I would like to be on the board to help improve the communication and openness of board activities to the community and involve more direct involvement with all members.

I have not served on the board of an HOA in the past, but I currently serve on the Des Moines Valley Region Sports Car Club of America. Our chapter currently has 300+ members and we hold monthly events spring, summer, and fall with 30-100 participants. I have also participated in working with the

Iowa Chapter BMW Car Club of America that also has 300+ members and holds monthly events year round.

My wife and I love living in GMW because it truly does feel like a community. The trails and parks are a big perk for us and we enjoy using them to walk our 2 dogs and enjoy the natural prairie that the neighborhood is known for. Our dogs also enjoy the neighborhood for all of the squirrels they get to watch, bunnies they get to chase, neighbor dogs to bark at, and smells they get to smell going through the prairie.

*****

My name is Jon Vasey. We have lived on Tiburon Place in Green Meadows West for 25 years. My wife Dana and I have two children. I am an attorney with Elverson Vasey, and have been in practice 35 years. I was one of the founding members and first president of the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association. I have served on the GMW board since 2014. In my spare time, I enjoy Drake basketball, music, and architecture. My primary goals are to preserve the character of the neighborhood, and to see that property values are maintained.

Neighbors Oppose Extension of Foxboro Road South of N.W. 54th Ave.

More than 70 Green Meadows West residents, board members, and Webster Township neighbors met with Johnston officials and staff at an informal meeting at the city's Crown Point Community Center Tues., June 7, regarding a potential extension of Foxboro Road south from the Green Meadows West neighborhood across N.W. 54th Ave. to the commercial "Birchwood Crossing" development.

Such an extension would cross into property not currently within Johnston city limits, but would connect to a Johnston office complex south of the area.

"The Green Meadows West Homeowners Association remains committed to exploring with other city and county stakeholders alternative development options along the southern boundary of our neighborhood [N.W. 54th Avenue], particularly those that will not unnecessarily increase traffic along, into, and through our neighborhood," association President David Erbes said in a prepared statement after the meeting. "We are strongly opposed to the original proposal to extend Foxboro Road."

The city has made the entire information packet that was presented at the meeting, including contact information for officials and staff, available at a special website: www.cityofjohnston.com/foxboroextension

The June 7 information meeting was the subject of a letter labelled "urgent" to the 500-plus members of Green Meadows West association. Attendance at the meeting was also encouraged by individuals who canvassed their neighbors with information and petitions. Emotions occasionally flared during the event, which lasted longer than 3 hours. Johnston Mayor Paula Dierenfeld facilitated the meeting, often asking for civility and constructive suggestions. Dierenfeld is also a Green Meadows West resident.

While city staff reported there are no current construction proposals for the area, the road extension sparked the interest of Green Meadows West Homeowners board and residents after notice of a May 2016 public hearing by the city council to condemn a portion of property owned by Jo Ann Robbins, 7420 N.W. 54th Ave. Robbins' property is currently part of an unincorporated "island" surrounded by the cities of Johnston and Urbandale. The land is located in Webster Township, Polk County, and is zoned at the county level as a "low density residential" district. The May action was tabled until the city council meets on June 20. City officials said they viewed the start of condemnation process as part of a 16-year effort, and indicated surprise at the recent levels of interest.

According to city staff at the meeting, Hubbell Construction has contacted the city regarding the addition of three new single-level office buildings east of the existing Birchwood Crossing office park development, which is located east of the Carmike Wynnsong 16 movie theater. Birchwood Crossing is located within City of Johnston limits. A representative of Hubbell Construction identified himself as present during the June 7 meeting.

Originally, the question of condemnation was put before the city council in late 2015, but council delayed action when one of the homeowners died. City staff said the condemnation effort was only one way to make the extension possible, and that negotiations with the homeowner for easements would continue. Easements would provide construction and other access to the homeowner's property, without the homeowner surrendering ownership. Condemnation proceedings would take 4 to 6 months after council action, administrator Sanders said.

A homeowner on NW 54th Street said that, had she known about the possibility of increased traffic along the road, shewould likely not have purchased her home in 2015.

City Administrator Jim Sanders presented on the evolution of past development studies and plans for the area, dating back to the early 1990s. Two connections were originally considered for Birchwood Court, Sanders said. One option was to connect to N.W. 54th Avenue. The other, to the north-south road of 72nd Street. The latter option was subsequently complicated by the 1996 construction of the Metro Ice Sports Facility, a private business located at 5100 NW 72nd St. The business is located on land owned by the City of Urbandale.

Engineer Molly Long of Foth Engineering, Johnston, presented data from a 2015 traffic analysis of a potential north-south connection between Birchwood Court and N.W. 54th Avenue. Based upon models and incorporated data from a 2015 traffic study conducted during school year, Long estimated that the total traffic in/out of the southern extension of Foxboro Road would be 1,200 trips daily. That number roughly matches daily traffic in/out of the Green Meadows West neighborhood, she said. The net change of northbound traffic into the Green Meadows West neighborhood after the extension would be only 6 trips per hour, she estimated. Homeowners have questioned that data.

Municipal Community Development Director David Wilwerding presented historical maps of the area, along with information regarding the city's current comprehensive plan—a 2010 document that governs zoning classifications of property within Johnston city limits. Extending Foxboro Road would allow two property owners other than Hubbell Construction to more readily subdivide and develop adjacent property as low-density, single-family housing. Wilwerding also said that further extension of city services along and into the area might further bolster city attempts toward partial annexation. Annexation is the process of taking land into municipal boundaries.

Webster Township residents at the meeting noted that, since 1965, they had successfully fought up to seven attempts toward annexation of the "Bur Oak Island"—apparently the informal name of the area, after one of the county streets in the neighborhood.

Wilwerding's slide presentation included a 2007 Hubbell Construction proposal for a 16-unit single-family development along an extended Foxboro Road. His slides also included an undated 10-lot cul-de-sac subdivision located west of Timber Ridge Elementary, with street access from the extended Foxboro Road.

Finally, outgoing Timber Ridge elementary principal Cheryl Henkenius briefly commented on pedestrian and vehicular traffic to her facility. During morning and afternoon hours, school staff wearing bright safety vests act as crossing guards on N.W. 54th Avenue. Once or twice a month, Henkenius said, those guards report incidents in which a driver ignores either them, or the temporary stop signs also daily erected at the school crossings.

Crossing guards would remain a necessity, Henkenius said, regardless of whether a lighted intersection was created along N.W. 54th Avenue. "No matter what, we'll still have a crossing guard there," she said.

City council member Tom Cope, who is also a Green Meadows West resident, later suggested that a lighted intersection would improve safety for students walking across the street. "The No. 1 reason that I'm willing to consider the extension of this road is safety," he said.  Some Green Meadows West homeowners disagreed that a traffic-light is the only option by which students could be made safe. One audience member even suggested that traffic controlled intersections actually increase the likelihood of accidents.

Some Green Meadows West residents asked questions regarding "traffic calming" techniques that could slow traffic along Foxboro Road and NW 54th Avenue. Many expressed concerns regarding existing traffic speed and quantity, particularly that which would pass Timber Ridge Elementary, which is located at a bend of N.W. 4th Avenue and 72nd Street.

The agenda for the June 20 city council meeting will be available to the public on Fri., June 17. (Click here for the city's on-line meeting postings.) Interested residents should review the agenda to determine whether they should attend the council meeting.

Update posted June 20: Based on posted reports and agenda for the June 20 city council meeting, staff was expected to recommend that the council take no further action for now regarding the condemnation of the Robbins property. In a separate June 20 item, staff recommended that the council create a working group of community stakeholders, which would have design input into any road extension in the area. Representatives from Green Meadows West would be included in such a group.

Annual Meeting to be held Jan. 26 at Crown Point Center

The annual meeting of Green Meadows West Homeowners’ Association members is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tues., Jan. 26, 2016, at the Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston.

The association’s officers and board of directors will present reports regarding 2015 activities, and a 2016 budget. Board highlights for the past year include:

• A May controlled burn of restored prairie areas.

• Improvements to irrigation systems in Dover and Windsor parks.

• Our 9th Annual “Picnic-in-the-Park” event.

• Review of plans for construction on a last remaining buildable lot in the neighborhood, located at 5506 Foxboro Rd.

Members must be in good standing, with all fees paid, in order to vote. Meeting materials will be mailed to homeowners prior to the annual meeting.

Proxies may be assigned to the board for purposes of achieving quorum, or may be assigned to a neighbor who plans to attend. Those who attend or who return proxies will be eligible for door prizes.

For more info, contact Association Manager Cyndy Rath at: 515.222.5206; cyndyrath@knappproperties.

Board Seeks to Shine Light on Chambery Street Lamp Outages

Ornamental street lamps in Green Meadows West are owned and maintained

by your homeowners' association.

In a letter this week to Green Meadows West neighbors who live on Chambery Boulevard, homeowners' association President David Erbes illuminated potential reasons why ornamental street lamps along that street have remained dark since mid-December, and what your association is doing to fix the problem. Homeowner-members have variously expressed security and safety concerns through communications with the association, the City of Johnston, and the Mid-American Energy Co.

"Residents are very anxious to have the lights restored," the letter reads, in part. "I would strongly suggest that you keep on the exterior lights on the fronts of your homes and garages, from dusk to dawn until the problem is repaired."

Ornamental street lamps in the neighborhood are owned and maintained by the Green Meadows West Homeowners Association. They are a distinctive aesthetic element in the neighborhood. More standard, non-ornamental street lamps found elsewhere in the neighborhood are maintained by the City of Johnston. Exacerbating the reporting problem, when individual homeowners initially complained to Mid-American Energy, customer-service reps there first responded to calls as if they were separate residential outages, rather than a neighborhood-wide problem.

Association Manager Cyndy Rath, working on behalf of the board of directors in late December, subsequently clarified ownership of the street lamps with Mid-American Energy. Because the outage apparently involves an underground power line, the utility company as of January 5 dispatched a sub-contractor to further diagnose and repair the outage.

Company personnel cautioned that such repairs can take from 30 to 45 days or more during winter months. However, association board members express hope that warmer weather and lack of snow may speed the repair. Further updates are pending.

At this time, the outage is not thought to be related to a large municipal storm water drainage project currently underway west of N.W. 86th Street, nor commercial construction on the Northwest corner of N.W. 86th Street and Chambery Boulevard.

If you have questions about this or other neighborhood maintenance issues, please contact Association Manager Cyndy Rath at: 515.222.5206; cyndyrath@knappproperties.

Annual Meeting to be held Jan. 27 at Crown Point Center

The annual meeting of Green Meadows West Homeowners’ Association members is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tues., Jan. 27, 2015, at the Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston.

The association’s officers and board of directors will present reports regarding 2014 activities, and a 2015 budget. Members must be in good standing, with all fees paid, in order to vote. Meeting materials will be mailed to homeowners prior to the annual meeting.

Proxies may be assigned to the board for purposes of achieving quorum, or may be assigned to a neighbor who plans to attend. Those who attend or who return proxies will be eligible for door prizes.

For more info, contact Association Manager Cyndy Rath at: 515.222.5206; cyndyrath@knappproperties.

Association Conducts Annual Meeting, Officers Elected

The general membership of the Green Meadows West Homeowners Association braved polar blasts to conduct its annual meeting, Mon., Jan. 27, 2014, at the Crown Point Community Center, Johnston.

Achieving a quorum of 10 percent of its membership was somewhat problematic, given the sub-zero temperatures, but proxies and late arrivals eventually crossed the required threshold. Special thanks to former association president Steve Halterman for helping "get out the vote."

The minutes of annual meetings are typically published and approved at the subsequent year's meeting. In an effort to communicate annual meeting actions in a more timely manner, however, draft minutes are available to members upon request to the association manager.

Highlights of the 2014 meeting included the election of new directors to the board of directors, presentation of the new year's budget, and discussions of neighbors' concerns regarding light infiltration from newly developed businesses along N.W. 86th Street. Regarding the latter topic, follow-up meetings with the association's Grounds and Property committee are planned for later this spring.

With the election of officers at its regularly scheduled February meeting, the 2014-2015 Board of Directors is now:

• David Erbes - President
• Jack Sullivan - Vice President
• Gary Vaden - Treasurer
• Randy Brown - Secretary
• Mark Hilliard
• Greg Knoploh
• DeAnn Lee
• Ron Lower
• Jon Vasey

Annual Meeting to Be Held Jan. 27, 2014 at Crown Point Center

The annual meeting of Green Meadows West Homeowners Association members is scheduled for 7 p.m., Mon., Jan. 27, 2014, at the Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston.

The association's officers and board of directors will present reports regarding 2013 activities, a 2014 budget, and other topics.

Members must be in good standing, with all fees paid, in order to vote. Meeting materials will be mailed to homeowners prior to the annual meeting. Proxies may be assigned to the board for purposes of achieving quorum, or may be assigned to a neighbor who plans to attend.

Those who attend or who return proxies, either by mail or hand-delivery, will be eligible for door prizes.

For more information, contact Association Manager Cyndy Rath at: 515.222.5206, or e-mail: cyndyrath@knappproperties.com

Board Nominations, Budget Suggestions Sought for 2014

Are you interested in improving and maintaining the look, feel, and character of our neighborhood? Do you have ideas on how to preserve and protect our property values, environment, and common areas? The Green Meadows West Homeowners Association needs you!

Nominations for board of directors positions are open year-round, but are actively solicited in the months preceding the association's annual meeting of all members, held in January.

The Nominations Committee invites interested parties to contact the association manager via e-mail, postal mail, fax, or phone.

As announced at the 2013 annual meeting, the 2013-2014 Nominations Committee comprises:

• DeAnn Lee (chairperson)
• Jack Sullivan
• Steve Suvalsky

Directors serve terms of three years. The board of directors meets monthly, usually on second Tuesdays. The volunteer position of director is uncompensated. Directors and other volunteers can also serve on committees and working groups.

September is also a particularly good time to suggest to the directors any spending, maintenance, or other priorities, as the board moves into its annual budget process in October. Please direct communications to:

Green Meadows West Homeowners Association
c/o Knapp Properties Inc.
5000 Westown Parkway, Suite 400
West Des Moines, Iowa 50266 

Phone: 515.223.4000
Fax: 515.222.5220

2013 Homeowners Association Officers Named

The Green Meadows West Homeowners board of directors named its 2013 officers at the regular March 2013 meeting. Your association board of directors are:

• Steve Suvalsky, president
• Jack Sullivan, vice president
• Gary Vanden, treasurer
• David Erbes, secretary

Suvalsky said he looked forward to continuing the board's efforts to preserve homeowner property values, while promoting the Green Meadows West neighborhood as a good place to live.

Other current board members are:

• Randy Brown
• Lori Keech
• Greg Knoploh
• Fred Miller
• Kent Schlawin
• Jon Tallman

The board of directors meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month. Homeowner association members who wish to correspond with the board, or have concerns or questions regarding the association, should contact Association Manager Cyndy Rath at:

Knapp Properties Inc.
4949 Westown Parkway Suite 200
West Des Moines, Iowa 50266-6704
515.222.5206