Join Your Neighbors at 10th Annual Picnic Sept. 11!

The 10th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 11, from 4 to 7 p.m. The picnic will take place ear the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained "Dover Park." Other days, the park is available for rental through the association manager.

A free catered barbecue pork or chicken dinner by Hy-Vee will be served to association members and families.

Live music will be provided The Nancy's. Inflatable play equipment for younger children will include a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide. There will also be face-painting.

Volleyball nets and balls will be provided. Or bring your family's favorite yard game!

Sponsors of the event include Charter Bank and Flooring America.

City departments–including fire, police, library, and other personnel–will also be available to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event.

See you there!

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.

Firefighters, Professor Fizz Help Deliver Memorable 2014 Picnic

Crisp late-summer temps, partly sunny weather, and neighborly camaraderie combined for a successful 2014 "Picnic-in-the-Park" event for the Green Meadows West Homeowners Association. More than 400 homeowner-members participated in this year's event, which was held in Dover Park last Sunday.

"It's great to see the neighborhood come together every year for this event," says Randy Brown, a 2014 member of the association's board of directors. "We get to spotlight our publicly available private park, complete with gazebo, as one of the benefits of living in Green Meadows West. It also shows how our neighborhood is increasingly connected to area businesses, many of which are within walking and biking distances."

Kids played on inflatable play equipment, including a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide.

The Johnston Fire Department stopped by to give tours of a truck and ambulance, and to hand out stickers. Nearby, Professor Fizz from the Johnston Public Library did experiments and other science-related activities, including the highly entertaining "Smarty Pants Dance."

Catering was by Texas Roadhouse, and live music was provided by The Black Bird Circus.

Sponsors included: Charter Bank, Flooring America, Jimmy John's Sandwiches, Massage Heights, and Regus office services.

For a Facebook photo album of this year's event, click here.

Save the Date: Sept. 14 Will Be Our Annual 'Picnic in the Park'!

The 8th Annual Green Meadows West “Picnic in the Park” event will be held Sun., Sept. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m., near the neighborhood’s signature gazebo located on the association’s privately maintained “Dover Park.” Other days, the park is available for rental through the association manager.

There will be live music, and the event will again feature inflatable play equipment for younger children, including a bounce house, obstacle course, and giant slide. A free catered barbecue dinner will be served to association members and families.

City leaders and staff–including fire, police, library, and public works personnel–will also be invited to meet with Green Meadows West neighbors during the event.

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

Delinquent Dues Successfully Collected Through Liens, Small Claims

Board reports successes in collecting delinquent dues As of May 2013, fewer than 10 of the 531 Green Meadows West properties are delinquent in paying twice-annual membership dues in amounts greater than $400.

The $400 threshold is the point at which notice of a pending property lien is automatically sent.

After a property lien is filed, unless the property is in foreclosure, a property cannot be sold without first paying the delinquent amount.

Liens are currently filed or are being filed on the following properties:

• 5640 Chatham Street
• 5663 Foxboro Road
• 8000 Heather Bow
• 6006 Nottingham Drive
• 6009 Nottingham Drive
• 6040 Nottingham Drive
• 8160 Wellington Boulevard
• 6004 Weybridge Court

Homeowners who are delinquent in an amount greater than $600 are automatically sent an attorney’s notice of pending small claims court action.

Change of Mailing Address for Association Management Company

Knapp Properties Inc., the company that manages the day-to-day operations of the Green Meadow West Homeowners Association, has recently moved offices.

As of July 19, 2013, please direct all postal correspondence, including invoices and membership dues, to the following address:

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

Phone number and e-mail address for Association Manager Cyndy Rath are unchanged: 515.222.5206; cyndy.rath AT knappproperties.com.