Fox Point Update: January 2022 Edition
- On January 3, 2022
President’s Letter
By Margaret Graff | Email
As I write my last column as Fox Point President, I’m reflective about the year 2021 and all that your FPHA board has accomplished. Thank you to the entire 2021 Board for all of their efforts! Here is a brief snapshot of key accomplishments by area:
Architecture – Necessary updates to Architecture and Good Neighbor Guidelines;
Civic Affairs – Increased social media communication, website photo refreshes — and planned Website enhancements in 2022
Common Grounds – On-going stewardship of Landscaping, Mosquito Spraying, Snowplowing AND moving the Monument Wall project forward in 2022
Lake – Taking the initial steps to restore water quality in Lake Louise and getting a 50-50 grant with Lake County for Creek restoration
Pool – Successful opening of the FP Pool in year 2 of the pandemic AND Renewal of Pool management contract
Safety & Welfare – Enhanced neighbor communication around Speeding and effort to encourage more neighbors to get their Yard Lamps functioning
Secretary – Managing virtual meetings and continued refinement of official resident contact information/owner details
Social – Return of favorite events and some new ones: Easter Egg Hunt, outdoor movie nights, Summer Adult Party, Golf Outing, and Santa Visits
Tennis – Introduction of Pickleball tournament and future reconfiguration of 1 court for this sport
Treasurer – Monthly financial diligence, enhanced budget planning, and a re-commitment to conduct a Reserve Study in 2022
I also want to take a moment to thank 2 of my fellow board members who are ending their terms on the FPHA Board. David Jobes has served as the Lake Chair for the past 3 years. He has been the voice of the Lake Committee, elevating their priorities and projects with the board and for the neighborhood. Under his leadership, we as an association are now doing annual Phoslock treatments and fish-stocking to enhance Lake Louise. He also played a role in securing a grant with Lake County for our Creek restoration. Lynn Douglas also ends her current term as Treasurer — and has played an instrumental role in ongoing financial operations, budgeting, and management of our assets. Prior to her current role, she served on the board in other capacities including Civic Affairs. Lynn’s historical knowledge, dedication, and commitment to all things Fox Point will be missed (but utilized on the Finance Committee going forward).
I too am ending my 3-year term on the board. I’ve enjoyed serving these past 3 years (in addition to my previous term, 2013-15). As I’ve said before, Fox Point is such a special place to call home — we are a self-managed association run by neighbor volunteers and it has been a pleasure to give back to this community.
We hope you will join us for the Annual Homeowners Association Meeting on January 24th which will be held via zoom.
Warm Regards,
Margaret Graff
SECRETARY’S Report
By Tim Gall | Email
Each January, the Fox Point Homeowners Association elects members to the Board of Directors and holds an Annual meeting per our bylaws in conjunction with the regular monthly meeting of the association.
IMPORTANT: Your ballot is included with this newsletter. Fox Point Homeowners may submit their ballots in 1 of 2 ways (1 vote per household)
- By Mail: Must be received at FPHA, P.O. Box 351 Barrington, IL 60011 by Friday, January 21, 2022
- In-Person: At the Fox Point Pool House from 6-6:45 pm on Monday, January 24, 2022
As a reminder: We must have a quorum of at least 10% of Homeowners cast valid ballots in order to hold the election and the annual meeting. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!
The schedule for the January 24th meetings will be as follows:
- 6-6:45 pm Homeowner In-Person Voting at the Pool House, 105 Cold Spring Rd. Fox Point North Side
- 6:30 pm January Board Meeting (2021 Board) via Zoom (link will be posted on Nextdoor around January 18)
- 7:00 pm FPHA Annual Meeting & 1st Meeting of 2022 Board via Zoom
The purpose of the last meeting of the 2021 Board is to take action on the 2021 fiscal year-end financial statement and proposed 2022 budget. The Annual meeting will include a recap of Association activities from 2021.
The 2022 Board meeting will include installment of new officers and committee assignments.
A Zoom Meeting link to register to attend the Fox Point Homeowners Association January meetings will be posted on Nextdoor the week prior to the meeting.
Tennis
By Mark Johnson | Email
Happy holidays Fox Pointers!
Well, 2021 is in the books and without a doubt, it was another challenging year.
Having said that, our summer tennis program created opportunities for kids and adult to continue to enjoy a wonderful sport. I was really encouraged to see the adult beginners’ program have amazing participation and I hope that continues into 2022.
2021 also brought Fox Point the first of hopefully many Pickleball tournaments. Based on community feedback, we’re exploring the opportunity to install permanent lines on one tennis court – effectively allowing 2 Pickleball games to be played simultaneously. More to come during the first half of 2022.
I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year’s and have a great start to 2022.
Safety & Welfare
By Abe Ryder | Email
Dear Fox Point Neighbors,
Starting the new year is a wonderful time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the previous year and how we did relative to our goals. As a neighborhood, we had started out in March 2021 with over 20% (one out of every five) yard lanterns unlit with an aggressive goal to reduce this by 50% or to 10% of unlit lamps. While we did not quite get there, I am happy to report that this number has fallen to nearly 15% which is meaningful progress. This metric is prior to the Board making a final push and communicating directly with those homeowners with lamps in disrepair. Thank you to all of you for taking action to repair and thank you to those who have been diligent about maintaining your lamps in operable condition. Thank you also to the Village Public Works Department who has been very responsive to the Board’s communications to them regarding outages of the public street lamps.
Another neighborhood safety topic is speed – in particular around the boat dock. With a digital speed reminder sign placed by the Barrington Police by the dock boat for a period of a couple of months, I have personally witnessed behavior change (echoed by other neighbors) as cars drive past, slowing down speeds in this high foot-and-bike traffic area. Again, thank you for slowing down. And thank you to those who have altered behavior by utilizing the proper school children drop off and pick up zones vs. dropping off and picking up at the Cook County side walking path, reducing safety, speed, and traffic concerns.
As we come into 2022, continue to be mindful of your driving habits and ensure adequate lighting to keep our neighbor safe and a great place to live. Remember, safety never stops. Best to you and your family and friends in 2022.
Architecture
By Steve Kipferl | Email
Thank you, Fox Point Neighbors, for a wonderful home improvement project season. We had many successful and beautiful renovations of Fox Point properties this year. Thank you to all who went through the formal approval process. As a reminder, the approval process is a simple process to notify your neighbors of upcoming work. This year there were no projects rejected. Everyone involved played their part in being a great Fox Point neighbor!
If you are considering a project, it’s a great idea to look at the Fox Point website Architecture Guidelines (link below) to see if your exterior project requires approval from the Fox Point HOA board. Also, I encourage you to check with the Village of Barrington Development Services Department about permits and zoning ordinances. We truly appreciate all homeowners that have submitted architecture applications for board review and approval.
As a resource, you can always contact me via email to discuss your exterior project relative to our Fox Point Bylaws or contact the Village of Barrington, Development Services department. ph: 847-304-3460 regarding village issues.
The official guide is published HERE and references what has and has not traditionally required approval.
Common Grounds
By Jay Roberts | Email
Happy New Year!
For Common Grounds, it was a rather typical year. There were no major projects or unforeseen expenses that happened in 2021. For the most part, it was just our general housekeeping to keep the neighborhood in good shape.
In 2022, there are a couple of small projects that I will need to continue to follow up on and make sure they are completed. One is the minor damage to the playground equipment and the second is the light at the boat dock. There continues to be supply issues with the vendors for the parts that we need. My hope is that both of those can be resolved by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
Also, in 2022, the plan is to finally address and repair the monument walls for the entrances into Fox Point. A lot of time and effort from everyone on the board was spent preparing and reviewing different options. As a group, we will let everyone know in the upcoming weeks. The walls will be repaired and look very similar to what they do now. What will be different are some of the changes we will make to the landscape and the base of the walls to help with drainage and moisture.
Should anyone have any questions, please let me know.
Pool
By Criss Chang | Email
Dear Neighbors, I hope you are all safe and well. 2021 was a year where pool activities and attendance were back to pre-pandemic levels. We hosted and competed again in swim meets, swim lessons for the little ones had large participation, adult residents swam with the Barrington Master’s in the mornings, birthday parties returned to the pool deck and the need for reserving general swim time slots was removed.
I am grateful for all the volunteers and lifeguards that ran these events and activities, along with all the safety and cleaning protocols that were routinely performed. Through the hard work and dedication of our support teams, the Fox Point Pool continues to be a place where this neighborhood can play, gather with friends and family, compete and exercise in a safe and clean environment. We look forward to 2022 being another stellar year!
Social
By Rena Slovick | Email
Christmas Eve Luminaries
We had a great turnout again this year with over 2500 luminaries lighting up the streets of Fox Point. Thank you again to Joie Connors for bringing this event to life and the 2021 Luminary Fairy Committee of Jenny Postma & Kristin Schwarz. Special thanks to helper elves, Ellie Connors & Jack Postma, who had a really good time reliving their youth playing in the sand. We’ll see you again next year!
Fox Point Ladies Holiday Party
Save the Date for the Ladies Holiday Party! Saturday, February 5th @11:00 am at Region Kitchen + Bar. More details will be coming soon!
Fox Point Swag
Order your Fox Point Swag Here!
Please comment with your address and we will drop off your orders. Reach out via email with questions.
Please keep a lookout on the Website Events Calendar, the Nextdoor app, or via email for continued Social Updates! A lot can happen in-between newsletters so give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram, or email your photos to foxpointbarringtonsocial@gmail.com and we’ll post them for you!
Civic Affairs
By Mark Villalovos | Email
Neighbors and friends. We had a great year. 2021 was > 2020, so that was a win. As we close out 2021, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for everything you have done to make Fox Point a successful, terrific place to live. Your contributions matter to this community. Your hard work in maintaining your property, keeping your yard lamp lit, decorating your home for the holidays, and just being a welcoming neighbor will surely keep Fox Point at the pinnacle of best places to live in IL. If you are into Resolutions, I hope that one is to GET INVOLVED in Fox Point in 2022. We can always use bright minds, helping hands, and warm hearts in planning and executing those magical, memory-making activities.
Thank you for all that you have done and look for amazing things to come in 2022!
