Spring 2025 Newsletter

 
Annual Meeting
 
 
Clubhouse doors will open at 6pm on Thursday, March 13, for our annual meeting. All residents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will start at 6:30 and adjourn at 8:30. We recommend bringing a chair since seating is limited. 
 
To keep the meeting from running long, we plan to limit discussions on topics to no more than 10 minutes each. Here are the topics the Board anticipates opening to questions and comments. If you would like to add a topic to the list, please let us know via the Contact page.
  • Trash/Recycle cans
  • Lawn issues
  • Resident project approvals
  • Open director positions
  • Budget
  • 2025 HOA projects
Director Positions
There are two director positions that are up for election. If you are interested in being a member of the Board of Directors, please Contact Us and include a short bio.
Covenant Referendum Results
 

The Board thanks everyone who participated in the 2024 Final Referendum Regarding Changes to the Covenants. Of the 13 suggested changes submitted by the volunteer focus group to the community, all had a majority of participants selecting “Agree” but only 8 passed the required threshold of 114 or greater “Agree”. In case you missed the email detailing the changes, you can find the summary document on the Covenants page.
 
The results were sent to our attorney who then crafted the amendments and filed it with the county probate. The amendments, emailed to all residents, replace parts of the Covenants within Article VI. You can view the Covenants and the amendment documents HERE.
 
The Board thanks the focus group for their year-long effort to improve the Cross Creek Covenants.
2025 Budget
 
The budget for this year continues to be tight even after increasing the dues to $400 per year. With 228 homes and $400 per year, that would give us $91,200. The estimated expenses for 2025 are approximately $75,502 which would leave an approximate balance of $15,698. We have in our reserve account* $29,369, which would potentially give us $45,067 for projects. However, there is an outstanding balance due of $7,333 in dues and fines still owed to the HOA from residents. Without this, our available balance is approximately $37,734.
 
*NOTE: The reserve account was created years ago to place any money in the General account that was left over from the previous year. This would allow a safety net for any emergent repairs/replacements such as the Clubhouse AC/Heating Unit replacement and any other expensive projects. 
Pool
 
 
Weather permitting, the Cross Creek pool will open Saturday, May 17. Between now and then, we will have the pool cleaned, chlorinated and pH balanced. And we should have brand new pool lounge chairs by then.
Projects
 
The Board has identified numerous projects for 2025 and is in the process of prioritizing which of those projects should be funded, given the tight budget. We've put together a list of items based on feedback from residents and the Board of Directors and ACC. We are prioritizing the list based on cost, budget, and priority. The most expensive item on the list is resurfacing the pool. This would consist of draining the pool having the work done and then refilling all before opening in May. Another high priority is replacing the damaged pool lounge chairs.
 
We are currently obtaining quotes for the following projects:
  1. Repairing the fence along Balch
  2. Filling in the kiddie pool
  3. Resurfacing the main pool
  4. Replacing the pool lounge chairs
For a complete listing of projects and estimated costs, please visit the Projects Page.
Bad Drivers
 
 
Numerous complaints about bad drivers have been submitted to Elite and the Board. Cross Creek residents have witnessed drivers blowing through stop signs, tailgating, passing and especially speeding. While a few of these drivers are outsiders cutting through our neighborhood, far too many are Cross Creek residents. We encourage all residents to drive safely, stop at all stop signs and follow the 25mph speed limit.
 
Unfortunately, there is nothing the Board can do regarding enforcement since this is out of our control and not part of our mandate. We recommend reporting incidents to the Huntsville police on their non-emergency line at 256-722-7100. If you have any ideas to help with these issues, please pass them along.
HOA Board
 
 
Monthly Meetings
Some of you have attended our monthly meetings and mentioned that you appreciate what the Board and ACC volunteers are doing. We thank you for those words of encouragement.
 
All homeowners are welcome to attend the monthly Board meetings held on the 3rd Thursday at 6:30pm in the clubhouse. Anyone from the community is welcome to attend and observe but only the Board may vote. The first 15 minutes of each meeting are set aside for HOA members to ask questions or voice concerns. If you would like the Board to consider an issue at the meeting, please Contact Us at your earliest convenience to allow us time to research options and perform any necessary due diligence.
 
Want to get a message to the Board or the ACC?
Please use the Contact-HOA page on this website, or go to the Elite portal. Some residents are still using an old email address that is no longer valid. Other than those emails going to Elite, there is no email address that will go directly to the Board. Also, Board and ACC members are volunteers who have families and jobs and who enjoy their privacy like all residents. So please, no home visits.
 
From the President: Please know that everyone involved in the operations of HOA Committees, Board of Directors and Secretary are purely voluntary. As President of the HOA, I greatly appreciate every one of you who volunteer your time in doing your best to make this community great. It is a challenge at times when tough decisions must be made. I thank you for doing your best to provide the best for all of us.
ACC
 
 
Approvals
Spring is almost upon us and it is time to get out and take a look at what is needed to get your lawn, flower beds, mailboxes, posts, etc. looking good. Please remember that any modification or change to the exterior of your home requires the approval of the Architectural Control Committee prior to beginning work, including the installation of landscaping, lawn décor, fencing (even if fencing is going into the same location), and painting of residences.
 
Water Leaks
This past winter there were many water leaks in our subdivision. Yards and sidewalks were dug up, repairs were made, and cement was replaced for the sidewalks. Unfortunately, some of the repairs were not completed properly. If this affects you, please call Harvest Monrovia and ask them about this. Keep in mind we all have the responsibility to maintain our yards.
 
Maintenance
Once everything starts growing, lawn maintenance should be performed regularly. Your yard should be mowed, trimmed, edged and shrubs and bushes pruned and shaped. The goal is to have healthy, weed-free lawns. Please remember that yard debris is to be put curbside no earlier than the evening before pick up.
 
Your home, driveway, sidewalk, and curb should be pressure washed to remove any mildew or rust stains. If your mailbox doesn't look good, please paint and refresh. If it needs replaced, go to the FAQ page for information about where to obtain the correct mailbox.
 
Many homes have the original shutters and windows that are deteriorating. Please be proactive and assess your shutters and windows and make any needed repairs.
 
Please refer to the ACC page for guidelines and details about submitting your projects through the Elite Portal. Be sure to select “Architectural Reviews”.
 
From the ACC:
The ACC team would like to thank all the residents of Cross Creek for helping to maintain this great community. Your cooperation when submitting requests for enhancements and changes to your home is appreciated. Many times, additional information is requested and so many homeowners are happy to cooperate.  
 
Cross Creek is a “monitored” community meaning the ACC reviews every violation that Elite submits to the team. On average less than 40% of the items Elite submits are processed as a violation. This is a result of many things such as ground cover mistaken as weeds by a driver, or items that have been corrected since Elite reported it.
 
If you see a neighbor doing a drive around, it is for the purpose of confirming what an Elite driver has found. The ACC works hard to be sure violations sent to homeowners are indeed violations. We are not perfect, so if there is something you feel does not meet a violation noted by Elite, please respond to them and they will communicate with us and we will work to review it in a timely manner.   
 
As the weather warms up, we will be asking Elite to notate on their reports when mailboxes, shutters and driveways need to be cleaned or freshened up. Exterior maintenance items such as these allow 30 days to correct. Weather should be on our side until the next winter season.    
 
Thanks for helping Cross Creek maintain its appeal and beauty.
Welcome Committee
 
Our Cross Creek Welcome Committee is very important. 99% of the time our Welcome Committee members are the first faces our new residents see. We have some great people involved in creating a positive impact for our new HOA members.
 
Since the Welcome Committee has been active, they have made 66 visits to new Cross Creek homeowners - about 29% of the community. Each new homeowner receives a nice welcome package that includes contact information for Elite, information about the HOA Board, HOA meetings, the Cross Creek website and Facebook page, and ACC information.
 
The Board greatly appreciates the fine work of our Welcome Committee.