Good Things On the Horizion

Tomorrow begins 4 days of sub-wide garage sales! We also have plans in the works for some great summer and fall activities. Canton is buzzing with Spring/Summer activities and plans. Did you notice all the building on Ford Rd.? Best Buy and Potbelly Sandwich shop are among the additions to the Ford Rd. strip-Coming soon…. Check back in the next week for further updates and a poll regarding our park activities!

Check the Canton links for more info from Canton Leisure Services!

Lawn and Snow Service

The Bidding Process: An Overview

So you want to know, how does our home association choose it’s lawn and snow removal contractors?

 

1. The board members give recommendations of companies they know of, or who have been recommended by others. All local companies are eligible to participate in the bidding process.This includes whomever has had the contract the previous year, (if they’ve done an adequate job for us in the past.)

2. After compiling this list of potential vendors, we solicit the contractors and give them an outline of what needs to be done with a deadline for bids. For example, there were five different local companies competing in the 2008 lawn maintenance contract for Brookside Village.  The directors considered each contract to ensure that our requirements were addressed (number of cuts, fertilization, etc.) Each bid is itemized by number of cuttings or plowings.   

3. The directors review the costs differential, quality of equipment available, and previous referrals when considering each potential vendor.

4. A vote is then taken to decide who wins the contract. Because our budget is so small, (Brookside has the least expensive dues of all Canton’s subdivision associations…) we must balance quality of service with overall price.

5. If a vendor fails to live up to our contracted work requirements, we look for another company to step in.

 

If you have any questions about this process or comments about the service you observe, feel free to contact us at the subdivision answering service at 734-448-1312 or at brooksidesubdivision@yahoo.com 

 

 

Brookside Garage Sales, Coming Soon!

MAY 15-18, 2008 

Can you pull a BROOKSIDE SUBDIVISION garage sale together in 8 DAYS??? We know you can! But why bother? Here is a little GARAGE SALE motivational perspective courtesy of the www.thefuntimesguide.com …….

Did you realize that when you hold a garage sale, you’re not only contributing to your pocket change but you’re doing our planet a favor, as well?

As cheesy as it sounds, garage selling is a great way to re-use products that you no longer need. It contributes to the recycling, “go green” effort. Yes, having somebody re-use your old stuff actually keeps perfectly serviceable items from clogging up our landfills! (Even Goodwill and Salvation Army send things to the landfill!)

Also, by hosting a sale, you’re teaching your kids valuable entrepreneurial skills. This sounds frivolous, but garage sales are a form of ‘business incubator’, which teach folks the basics of business management - such as marketing and record keeping. When you think about it, garage selling is one of the purest forms of capitalism. Unlike most industry sectors, garage sales have low startup costs, low barriers to entry, and best of all the proceeds are not taxable!

Finally, the garage sale creates a hub of activity in neighborhoods that may otherwise need a little life injected. It’s amazing how many bored people drive around on weekends looking for an excuse to stop. They’ll pull over for real estate ‘OPEN HOUSE’, or a good garage sale - any excuse just to do something. Your garage sale gives them one more reason to get out of their cars, and walk around, recycle and smell the roses. All the while you get to make a buck!

Remember you can always call and have the left-over items which did not sell picked up and hauled out of your driveway for free! On Sunday, when it is all over…call 248-559-9000 and have Purple Heart come and take it all away. It is even a tax write-off!

So hats off to you, garage seller!

Note: Look for the subdivision maps and balloons posted at many participating neighborhood sales, so that you don’t miss a good one!

Welcome Neighbors!

Welcome to the new Brookside Village Home Association Blogsite!

Our goal is to keep our neighbors informed with current information and reference tools, as they pertain to our community. Check back often and feel free to leave comments or suggestions for the site. Remember, this is our community and we can all comtribute to make it a great place to live!

 

Annual Dues: UPDATE

The 2nd notice of annual association dues billing is being sent out during the first week of May and payment is expected by May 30th, 2008. Note: There is a late charge applied for those paying during this 2nd round of late billing. If you have not paid this final notice by May 30th, 2008 you are subject to a lien on your home, in addition to interest  and late fees.

Subdivision Garage Sale: May 15, 16, 17, 18

GARAGE SALE TIME!

It’s official! The subdivision-wide garage sale is a GO! Please join us as we haul out the old to make way for the new, and make a few bucks in the process! The subdivision promotes the sale for you and signs are posted the week before the event to allow for anticipation. If you are planning to have a sale, leave a comment with your address on this post and it will allow your neighbors a heads-up as to who will be in business on May 15-18, 2008!

Creek Clean-Up a Success!

Thanks to all who attended and helped with our annual creek clean-up in the south park. Thanks to Larry Willhelm for organizing the event again! It was a great chance to teach children about preserving nature, helping neighbors, and enjoying the local outdoors. You can view photos from the event by clicking on the link in thr right hand column of this page labled “Brookside Photo Gallery”. Missed this year’s clean-up? We can always use volunteers to keep our creek and parks trash-free. Your help throughout the year is appreciated! We will also inform you of our next organized group clean-up in the future.

Ordinance Restrictions: Reminder to Residents

Canton Public Safety’s Ordinance Enforcement Unit would like to remind residents of the following ordinance restrictions:

• Grass needs to be kept at 5 inches or less
• Shrubs need to be trimmed clear of public sidewalks
• Tree branches hanging over public sidewalks need to be cleared to a minimum of 7 feet in height

 

The storage, accumulation or keeping of the items listed below, in an area other than a completely enclosed building, is prohibited:

• Junk, inoperable or unlicensed vehicles
• Junk and debris including machinery, appliances, and products that are deteriorated or damaged
• Waste materials including trash, rubbish, refuse, waste products or any excess of abandoned materials
• Trash intended for collection should not be placed out for pickup prior to 5 p.m. the day before your scheduled trash collection

 

Ordinance Enforcement officers investigating violations will make contact with the resident or property owner to discuss the issue, and establish a time frame for the violation to be corrected.

Failure to comply with Canton ordinances can result in a misdemeanor citation being issued. Defendants are then required to appear in 35th District Court to answer to the violation. Fines and/or court costs can be assessed by the court.

For questions on these or other ordinances, contact the Ordinance Enforcement Unit at 394-5335. To report an ordinance violation, contact Canton Public Safety at 394-5400.

 

Join Creek Clean-up: Saturday, April 19

Pitch-in!

Every year a group of residents work together to pick up trash and debris found along the creek surrounding our subdivision. This nice gathering in the park is a great oppurtunity to meet fellow neighbors, get fresh air and (hopefully) some sunshine…all while ensuring the place we call home stays looking great!

Did you know the average homeowners association in a subdivision our size will pull 5-10 tons of garbage out of their creeks per year? (Source: google.com)

Bring your garden gloves and your family and help us keep the surrounding land of our subdivision tidy! Efforts like these have an indirect effect on property values and a direct effect on the well-being of those of us who walk or play near the creek.

Join us Saturday April 19, 2008 starting at 9:ooam. We will meet at the South park bridge.

See you then! 

Annual Dues

Dues notices were delievered to your homes in early March. If you did not receive one, call 734-448-1312 and leave your name and address on the Community voicemail.

Failure to recieve a dues notice doesn’t exempt you from paying your annual dues, or any late fees, interest or having a lien potentially put on your house.

Payments received after March 31st, 2008 are considered late.