February 2025 Annual Meeting
TOWNE SOUTH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Minutes Annual Meeting – February 22, 2025
1. Call to Order – Chair Ryan Storie called the 62nd Annual Meeting of Towne South Homeowners Association to order at 2:04 pm
2. Welcome to the 62nd annual meeting – Ryan welcomed all and asked anyone attending via Zoom to please enter their name and address in the chat box. There was a total of 39 lot owners attending both in person and via Zoom. The list of names is included with these minutes.
3. Introduction of Board members. – Ryan introduced each of the Board members. He then explained the process of how the meeting will proceed. Please hold your questions to the end when we have a Q & A session.
4. Introduction of Mr. Michael Archer, St. Louis County Councilman from District 6. – Ryan introduced our councilman, Mike Archer, who will give us an update of things happening within our area.
a. Mr. Archer thanked the HOA for inviting him to speak to the homeowners. He gave some information about his background and said that after being sworn in on January 7th right after a big snowstorm, he hasn’t stopped talking to people. Mike stated that 92% of the 6th District is unincorporated St. Louis County, so he has his hands full. He said his assistant, Tony Artman, is truly his right hand and if you end up speaking to Tony when you call the office, it’s just like speaking to Mike. Tony is an incredible assistant, keeps Mike very informed and gets the information to Mike so he can respond within 24 hours of requests.
b. Mike had a flyer that addressed the replacement of lead pipes within our area. The new process is so much more effective than in the past. American Water will no longer need to tear up your whole yard, and generally gets the job done in one day.
c. The three main issues that are at the top of Mike’s list to deal with are the severe homeless problem, problem properties, and the South County Mall. Macy’s is closing; Sears is gone, but they are still paying rent; homeless are breaking into Sears and setting fires. The second floor of the Mall has been closed off. He sited internet shopping as the top reason malls are failing. After Covid people became accustomed to ordering online and having it at your front door the next day. Why is West County Mall in so much better shape? Probably because it was designed for mixed use – recreational, retail, nicer restaurants, commercial. Mike stated that there are two developers looking at the South County Mall and both are talking about turning it into a recreational center to include an ice rink, snack bars, etc. There may in fact be competing offers. Can we get TIFs or CIDs? Maybe. Competitive bidding is a win-win for both the developer and us. He cautioned everyone not to get too anxious because whatever takes place, we are looking at 3 to 4 years down the road.
d. Streets in the district are a real problem, and he has a list of those needing repairs. Before only concrete streets could be on the list of streets benefitting from some of the NFL money, however, they have now included asphalt streets.
Questions for Mike Archer:
1. What do you know about Menards possibly going in where the old K-Mart was? He has not heard anything for quite some time about that. He hopes to meet with the owner of that property soon.
2. A homeowner asked Mike to please do whatever he can to keep mass transit from coming into South County. Mike indicated that this is on his radar screen, but he hasn’t heard anything on that. He is not opposed to mass transit if it is done properly and that the security issues that have been haunting the MetroLink get resolved. We really do need reliable transportation that is publicly funded. He did note that one other Democratic Senator has filed a bill to resurrect Better Together again. He will be keeping an eye on that. The rest of the councilmen are in agreement that that’s not going anywhere.
3. Are the developers looking at South County Mall local? No, one is from Dallas and the other is from Chicago. However, Mike stated he will be fighting for the use of local labor and marketing. He thinks his constituents want union and trade jobs to be protected.
4. One homeowner spoke to our need for green space. We want pretty, attractive things to look at – not just buildings. Mike agrees.
5. Question was asked about what is going on at the old Bank of America property. They are really digging things up. Mike pleaded ignorance to that project but asked the homeowner to email him and he would get the answer.
6. Do you have housing arrangements for the unhoused? Yes, he has spoken to Bridget Walsh, the outreach coordinator for unhoused, this week. The former Turkish American Society building at Hwy 55 and Bayless is vacant. They are hoping to accelerate the renovation of that building to turn it into some kind of housing for men. They are looking into other ideas for a women’s facility. Mike is hoping this will come to fruition sooner rather than later, as the abuse issues seem to be getting worse.
Ryan ended the questions for Mr. Archer. He will leave a few of his business cards on the front table so that people can take a picture of them with their phones. Don’t hesitate to reach out to him with any questions or concerns. He thanked everyone for their hospitality and looks forward to working with neighborhood associations during his term.
7. Election of the Board – Ryan asked Mary Ann to take over this part of the agenda. She read the section of our Indentures dealing with the election of members of the Board of Governors which lays out the process. This year there are two positions up for election on the Board with terms expiring in February 2027. At this point we have two nominations – Greg Hertlein and Katie Mizera. Greg is running for re-election and Katie is running for her first elected term. She had been appointed by the Board to fill the vacancy left by Dave Carr last August. Mary Ann asked if there were any nominations from the floor. There being none, we will move forward with the two nominations. Mary Ann gave a brief bio on each candidate and asked for someone to second the nominations. Then by a show of hands for each nominee, she asked for yays and nays. Let the record show that Greg Hertlein received all yays and no nays. Further, Katie Mizera received all yays and no nays. Mary Ann stated that let the records show that Greg Hertlein and Katie Mizera were both elected unanimously for a two year term ending February 2027.
8. Financial Report – Before Jackie proceeded with the financial report she stated that she is passing around a two page report for the Year End.
a. Year End 2024- Jackie reported that total income for Year End 2024 was $46,353.44, most of which came from our Assessment Fees in the amount of $40,880.80. This unusual amount is because we absorbed the fees passed on from PayPal and Venmo. Other income of $2,500 was from Trustee Verification Fees, and $1,274.50 from Late Fees, and $1,142.45 from Recovered Lien Expenses. Jackie described each of these line items. Our total expenses for Year End 2024 were $44,677.33. Lawn care ($14,610.00) and Tree Care ($16,250.00) are the highest expenses we had. Jackie went through the other expenses and gave a brief explanation of these expenses. The donation of $500 on the income was from sponsorships for our October subdivision party. Expenses for the party have their own line item on the Expense side. We ended up making a few hundred dollars for that event. The good news is that during the year we were able to put back some money into savings and still show a net profit of $1.676.11.
b. January 2025 – Jackie provided a handout for the January 1, 2025, through February 22, 2025, financials. This is the time of the year when our numbers look fantastic! All income and very few expenses. Lawn care and tree maintenance haven’t started up yet. Income for this period totaled $37,134.75 which is almost all Assessment Fees coming in. Expenses totaled $2,283.90, most of which was for postage for our assessment and amendment mailings and our General Liability insurance and utilities. At this point we are showing a net profit of $34,850.85. Jackie pointed out the number at the bottom of this report shows us having $61,451.43 in our checking account and $6,700.30 in our Money Market account.
c. Budget for 2026 – Jackie reported that a little over a year ago, the homeowners approved an amendment to our Indentures whereby the Board presents a budget for the next year with its recommendation on whether to increase the annual fees. She provided a comparison sheet showing our income and expenses over the past several years. As you can see our budget took a big hit from 2023 to 2024. That is when the Board recommended increasing the annual fees for 2025 to $75.00 and the homeowners approved that increase. She has projected our needs for 2026 and the Board is recommending the 2026 Assessment Fees remain at $75.00/year. It is our hope to keep it at that amount for several years. Grass and tree expenses are a huge percentage of our expenses. Plus, we all know what inflation is doing to all products and services. The Board is always looking for cost-saving measures. This budget for 2025 and 2026 does not leave us a lot of wiggle room. Several questions were asked about specific line items in the budget and Jackie provided answers to each. One homeowner noted that in 2023 our net profit was a whole lot more than at the end of 2024, and the fees were the same. Jackie responded that several line items took a big jump, particularly tree removal/trimming. That amount more than doubled. Question was asked if we replace a tree when we remove one. No, because almost all lost trees have been in wooded areas or along the creek bed. Those areas are so dense you will never notice a missing tree. We have a total of 50 acres of common ground, 35 of which are grass covered and need mowing. A homeowner asked if residents could mow and plant stuff in the cul de sacs. Greg responded that the cul de sacs do not belong to the HOA; they belong to St. Louis County, however, the HOA is responsible for their upkeep. Residents may plant flowers or bushes as long as our mowers can get between the plantings to mow. They will not trim around flowers, etc. Also, don’t water that area like crazy and expect our mowers to get it mowed every week.
9. Accomplishments from 2024
a. Successfully passed six changes to our Indentures – Katie reported that last March all six of the proposed changes to our Indentures were passed. Some of these changes included the number of positions on our Board, what constitutes a quorum, how the Board determines the fees for the coming year and put a cap on the number of rentals allowed. All these amendments have been filed with the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds.
b. Able to reduce the per mow cost by awarding contract to new mowing company – Katie noted that the new mowing company allowed us to reduce the number of mows per year. Previously we were committed to 26 mows a year. Greg shopped around and found our present company who allows us to only have 18 mows a year and we get to pick the number of mows each month. They have been very easy to work with.
c. Completed a Welcome Packet being delivered personally to new homeowners – Ryan stated that he personally delivers a welcome packet to each new homeowner. The packet has been well received. It contains a copy of our Indentures. It helps make the new people feel a part of our subdivision and connected.
d. Hosted a successful subdivision party – Katie reported that our subdivision party was very well attended and as Jackie noted, we even made a few dollars on it. We will be planning another party for this fall.
e. Moved and/or removed a significant number of fallen trees during 2024 – Last year Mother Nature was not especially kind to us regarding the number of trees we lost. Again, as Jackie noted, tree care is a huge part of our annual budget. One homeowner stated that the number of trees and green space is what drew her to purchase a home in Towne South.
f. Created a list of violation fees and failure to comply consequences – Hugh reported that up until recently the Board has had no ability to enforce any violations to our Indentures. Our attorney told us that the Board would be fully within its rights to establish a list of violation fees and consequences for failure to comply. So that’s what we did. You can find a copy of these on our website.
g. Created a Beautification Committee and began assigning work zones for volunteers – Hugh noted that the Beautification Committee did work on numerous sections of our common ground trimming back bushes and pulling out some of the honeysuckle. Our plans are to continue with this. Greg invited anyone to help us to please see him after the meeting.
10. Proposed new amendments to Indentures for 2025 – Jackie stated that if you still need a ballot, there are some on the table. Voting ends today. Ryan briefly went over the three changes we are proposing this year.
a. Proper storage of trash cans – The purpose of this amendment was to get people to put away their trash cans after the day of collection. The amendment asks homeowners to put trash cans along the side of the driveway/garage behind the front structural line of the house. One homeowner stated that he would not be able to comply with this amendment because the garage side of his house goes straight uphill and there is no room for him to put them inside the garage. His practice for the past 40+ years has been to bring them up in front of the garage because there is no other place for them. Ryan stated that this was fine. The Board understands extenuating circumstances. We are just trying to make people responsible for their trash cans. You would not believe how many homeowners leave their cans down at the curb all week. Sometimes it’s like driving through an obstacle course. We thank you for being courteous homeowners.
b. Identify what is meant by the building line – This amendment was added this year because what we call the front building line did not agree with what St. Louis County identified as the front building line. So, we decided to change our language to say either front structural line or side structural line. This means the line that is flush with the structure of your house.
c. Established size and weight limits for parking RVs, campers, trailers, etc. on homeowners’ property – Ryan stated that this amendment was added in order to put size limitations on what can be parked on the side of your house. There was a great deal of confusion in that people thought we meant they could not park their car in their driveway – that it had to be parked on a concrete pad alongside their garage. Not at all. Your driveway is a concrete pad – thus you may park any of your regular passenger vehicles and trucks on your driveway. We are getting a number of calls requesting permission for a homeowner park a giant RV alongside their house. We suspect that the reason for this is that the storage unit rates have increased significantly. We don’t want our subdivision to become a trailer park. We acknowledge that some trailers and campers are of a size that is reasonably placed on your property. But we felt the need to clamp down on length, height and weight of these vehicles.
11. Number of liens filed – Mary Ann reported that the HOA has filed 7 new liens on 5 properties. Most of these are from what we call our frequent offenders list. People who repeatedly refuse to pay the annual assessment fees.
12. Number of unsettled liens still on our books – Mary Ann reported that at this time we have 24 unsettled liens on our books. These go back as far as 2008 and only involve 7 properties. One property has 9 liens. Question was asked how will these homeowners be able to sell their homes. They will have to pay the HOA for all the back liens and penalty fees, plus our expenses in filing the liens and releases. In some cases, we are talking about several thousand dollars.
13. Number of releases filed – Mary Ann reported that our HOA has released 3 liens in 2024, 2 of which are in the number of liens reported.
14. Goals for 2025
a. Continue to work with the Beautification Committee to trim back honeysuckle and weeds in common areas – Greg again invited anyone who wants to help take care of the areas around our white fences to see him after the meeting. The honeysuckle is almost impossible to kill. It’s extremely invasive. We need volunteers
b. Improve the appearance of the entrance signs into our subdivision – Greg stated that our entrance signs are in need of some TLC. Nothing has been done with them for quite a while and it’s time to do things like pulling out old, overgrown bushes and plants and put in some new mulch. In some cases, the overgrown bushes are blocking the lights to our signs. Anyone want to help with this project?
c. Work with our tree service in identifying trees in our common ground that have the potential of becoming hazardous and prepare a timeline prioritizing work to be done – Greg has worked with our tree guy who is very good at identifying which trees need our immediate attention and which ones can wait. He does not take advantage of us. He knows we are on a tight budget, and he does not charge us to come out and look. He has all the equipment he needs to get the job done. He gives our homeowners a good deal on personal tree needs. Greg gave out the name and phone number of Bobby at Trees Unlimited.
d. Continue to look for cost-saving measures – Greg reported that we always are looking for ways to save money. We are happy with both our tree and lawn care services. He has checked around and gotten bids from other companies and no one has underbid our current companies. Our lawn service will be going up $200 a cut because of the size of our common ground. That is still cheaper than anyone else Greg has found to bid. Jackie stated that the going rate for commercial mowing is $55/acre. Do the math – we have about 35 mowable acres – that would come to $1925 a week. We pay $1100. They won’t cut if it doesn’t need it. No other service offered that option.
e. Have another annual party – Last year’s party was so much fun and so well received, that the Board will be planning another party for the fall of 2025.
f. Strengthen the Zone Captains organization and activities – Hugh reported that he will be organizing another Zone Captains meeting this spring. We still need a Zone Captain for Zone 1. Question was asked where that is. Greg showed a map of how the whole subdivision is divided into zones. Hugh said if you want to see what zone you are in, come up after the meeting. There can be more than one captain per zone. Some zones are large and we are definitely able to split the zones to make them more manageable. Hugh’s goal is to have more things for the Zone Captains to do. More interaction within their zones. What do the residents want from us? Zone Captains are the liaison between the homeowners and the Board. Is there a problem? We want to know about it.
g. Crack down on the motorbikes creating havoc in our subdivision. Greg stated that we know who some of these offenders are. There is a group of them that live on Towne Centre in Mission Estates. The police have to actually catch them in the act of damaging property or driving in a hazardous manner before they can do anything. And the most they can do is to give them a warning. If we want to prosecute we can only do it on the grounds of destruction of property. Ring cameras and other recording devices are not acceptable as evidence to the police. Greg noted that he has put signs out in areas where they are making paths through our wooded areas. They tore down the signs. He has some large steel posts to mount more signs on as soon as the ground thaws enough to get them in. Everything we have done, they have destroyed. Greg asked all homeowners that as soon as they see these motorbikes creating havoc to drivers and pedestrians, to please call the police right away. One of these times we may just catch them. One homeowner stated that it’s not just the kids in Mission Estates. There is a group that lives on Towne South and Marchwood too. He will get the addresses to Greg.
h. One other thing Greg would like to add to this goal list is to figure out who is throwing bags of dog poop around our white fences and even throwing the bags up into the trees. This is disgusting. If you see anyone doing this, please let us know. Actually, it is a county violation. One resident reported that someone is using the creek area near Towne South and Heathfield behind his house to throw away a bunch of old ceiling fans.
15. Ryan gave an update on the number of rentals currently on our books. “There are currently 47 rental homes within our HOA. In an effort to keep everyone updated, we will report on the number of rentals at each monthly meeting.”
Ryan made a few suggestions on general safety including the need to have your house number clearly visible from the street so that first responders and emergency equipment can locate your house quickly. He also reminded everyone that any improvement, like fences, decks, patios, sheds, you want to make to the outside of your house, needs to be approved by the Board. Also please lock your cars and don’t give the criminals easy access to your car. Be safe and be careful.
16. Questions from the floor – Please identify yourself. Do not use any pers? on’s name or specific address in any sort of complaint. Please keep your question current and relevant. Each question will have 1 minute to be asked and the Board will have 2 minutes to respond.
a. How many streetlights are there? Greg responded that he was not sure of the exact number. Somewhere around 10-12 he thinks. It’s ridiculous what it costs to install more lights. Currently we have a contract with Ameren on our lights. We own the lights but our agreement with Ameren is that they will maintain them. Last year all the lights were changed over to LED bulbs, which saves us money. There are a bunch of specific rules regarding where new lights might be added. The cost currently is $7500 to put a street light in. We agree it would be nice to have more lights, but the cost is prohibitive. However, you can put a light on an existing pole in your backyard, but not on the street. And again, there are many rules surrounding that as well.
b. What zone am I in? Greg has the map at the front table if you want to come look at what zone you are in. We could use extra help in almost all zones.
c. What’s the rule of thumb for yard signs. Ryan stated that yard signs cannot advertise any services or companies. We will remove any of these types of signs. Yard signs can only be displayed for garage sales the day of the sale and realtor signs for House for Sale. Open House signs are limited to day of Open House. What about political signs? Per St. Louis County’s Ordinances political signs are allowed as long as they are removed after an election.
d. Can you please give us the name and phone number for the tree service? The name is Trees Unlimited and the phone number is 636-375-0225. Ask for Bobby and tell them you got his name from the Towne South HOA.
e. A homeowner complimented whoever is decorating our entrance signs for the various holidays.
f. A homeowner noted that a post is broken on our sign at Towne South and Old Tesson and is in need of repair. Yes, that is on Greg’s list.
17. Meeting schedule for 2025. Ryan asked everyone to pick up the handout on the table with the full schedule of all our meetings for 2025.
18. Closing Remarks – Ryan thanked everyone for coming to our Annual Meeting and reminded everyone to please contact us with any questions or issues.
Ryan asked if there was any further business to be brought before this Board. There being none, the 62nd Annual Homeowners Meeting was adjourned at 3:47 pm. Our next regular monthly meeting is on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 7:00 pm at Prince of Peace UCC. Please help yourself to some refreshments and feel free to stay around and visit with each other and the Board members.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ann McWilliams
Administrative Assistant