President’s Letter

By Abe Ryder | Email

Greetings Fox Point Neighbors,

Happy New Year and welcome to 2024! For me, the holidays and celebration of a new year bring a time of new beginnings, renewal, and hope. Speaking of new beginnings, next month, you will be hearing from our new President of Fox Point, as this is my last newsletter contribution as your current Fox Point President. I am grateful and honored that I had the opportunity to serve Fox Point and its residents as your President over the past two years! THANK YOU for the trust you placed in me. As for my next move, who knows what other volunteer and service opportunities will present themselves.

In terms of renewal, Fox Point homeowners have the opportunity (and responsibility) to elect new Board members to replace the expired terms of the following Board members: Steve Kipferl (Lake), Jay Roberts (Common Grounds), Mark Villalovos (Civic Affairs) and myself. I want to personally THANK each of these Board members for their contributions over the past 3 to 6 years. Your energy, leadership, and stewardship of our association assets have truly made a positive difference in the governance of Fox Point. Your individual actions have in turn resulted in a highly functioning Board, well-run neighborhood operations, and the preservation and enhancement of our assets – all of which make Fox Point a desirable place to live and raise families. On behalf of Fox Point, THANK YOU!

Based on the accomplishments and momentum established in 2023, there is much to be hopeful for in 2024. Here are some highlights (not all) from 2023 per Board position to carry us forward into 2024:

Architecture: work towards shoreline stability, the start of a neighborhood dialogue regarding the future of the boat landing and the learnings that came from survey results, a town hall meeting in July, and various Board meetings.

Civic Affairs: a more effective way to deliver our newsletter (our main communication mechanism) to Fox Pointers, freeing up time for Board members to redeploy in better serving the Fox Point community.

Common Grounds: a complete monument wall restoration, landscaping, and lighting at the front of the association, addressing crumbling walls, a deteriorated foundation, and neighborhood aesthetics.

Lake: more committee volunteers to assist with lake operations, bigger fish, and a continued partnership with the Village of Barrington to offset some of the costs of our lake and pond treatments to enhance Lake Louise’s health.

Pool: successful pool repainting (making it look brand new) and opening, a sobering reminder that glass is NOT PERMITTED in the pool area (goggles, bottles, or otherwise), and signing a new pool staffing contract for 2024.

Safety and Welfare: fixing the playground bridge, plans for a new playground replacement in 2024, fixing the boat launch, entrance, and monument wall lighting, working with the Village of Barrington to advocate for street and lamp repairs and continued safety messaging for those using our streets to walk.

Secretary: managing our meeting agendas, calendar and locations (virtual or in person) and continued refinement of our Fox Point directory and homeowner information details to better serve the community.

Social: the return of the progressive dinner event and building on the work of previous social chairs by recruiting more volunteers to help with all of our wonderful social activities.

Tennis: introduction of pickleball lessons, tree trimming to prevent sap damage to our court, and a new vendor to help with putting up and taking down our windscreen.

Treasurer: enhancing our banking relationship to eliminate fees, increased online tools to manage vendor payments, and continued support for timely and accurate financial statement reporting and budget preparation.

Please continue reading each of the Board reports. Ensure you take a look at the ballot enclosed herein (see Lindsay Keenan’s Secretary report), print it out, AND mail it to be received no later than January 19th OR come to vote in person at 6:00 PM at the Village Church on January 22, 2024.

Our next meeting will be held on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 6:30 PM at the Village Church which will be the last meeting of the 2023 Board, the Annual Fox Point Board Meeting, and the first meeting of the 2024 Board. We will send out more information and a reminder via Nextdoor as we approach that date. As always, we encourage homeowners to attend our monthly Board meetings – especially our Annual Meeting. We welcome ideas, suggestions, and feedback as we all have a vested interest in this community we call home.

Once again, thank you for allowing me to serve you all in the best neighborhood I have ever lived.

All the best.

Secretary’s Report

By Linsay Keenan | Email

ELECTION

Each January, the Fox Point Homeowners elect members to the Board of Directors.  As a reminder, we must have a quorum of at least 10% of Homeowners cast valid ballots.  Therefore, please submit one ballot per household.  A profile of the candidates can be found in the December 2023 Newsletter. Please find a link to the printable ballot below.

2024 Election Ballot PDF

Fox Point Homeowners may submit their ballots by mail or in person (1 vote per household).

By Mail: Ballots must be received in the designated P.O. Box listed on the ballot by Friday, January 19, 2024.

In-Person: Ballots can be submitted in person at Village Church, 1600 E Main St. – Door No. 7, Room 122 from 6-6:45 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2024.  Printed ballots will be available.

MONTHLY & ANNUAL MEETING

Additionally, an Annual Meeting is held pursuant to the Bylaws in conjunction with the regular monthly meeting of the Association.

The schedule for January’s meetings will be as follows:

6:00-6:45 p.m. Homeowner In-Person Voting @ Village Church, 1600 E Main St. – Door No. 7, Room 122

6:30 p.m. January Board Meeting, 2023 Board

7:00 p.m.  Annual Meeting & 1st Meeting of the 2024 Board

The purpose of the last meeting of the 2023 Board is to take action on the 2023 fiscal year-end financial statement and proposed 2024 budget.  The Annual meeting will include a recap of Association activities from 2023.  The 2024 Board meeting will include the installation of new officers and committee assignments.

Civic Affairs

By Mark Villalovos | Email

Embrace the Winter in Fox Point: A January Checklist

Hello, Fox Point neighbors!

As we step into January 2024, it’s no secret that our weather has been quite unpredictable lately. While we’ve enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures, let’s not forget that we live in the Midwest, and Mother Nature can surprise us at any moment. So, here’s a checklist to help you make the most of this winter season while staying safe and prepared:

1. Auto Tune-Ups and Winter Driving:

Don’t let the mild weather lull you into complacency. It’s the perfect time for some auto TLC. Ensure your vehicle is ready for Midwest winter by scheduling a tune-up. And remember, salted roads can wreak havoc on your car’s exterior, so run it through the wash to keep it in tip-top shape. Keep an extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid in your trunk to combat those slushy, salty windshields.

2. Safety First with Christmas Light Removal:

If you’re in the process of taking down your Christmas lights, safety should be a top priority. Have someone hold that ladder steady to prevent it from slipping on slick ground. It’s a simple precaution that can help avoid accidents.

3. Sump Pump Maintenance:

We know how important it is to keep our basements dry during winter thaws and heavy rains. Consider having someone check your sump pump’s battery backup to ensure it’s functioning correctly. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way in avoiding basement floods.

4. Embrace the Outdoors:

Lastly, let’s remember that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad apparel choices. So, don’t let the cold keep you indoors! Bundle up, get outdoors, and enjoy the beauty of winter in Fox Point. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a snowball fight, or simply admiring the frosty landscapes, there’s something magical about this time of year.

Happy January, everyone! Let’s make the most of it by staying prepared, staying safe, and, most importantly, staying connected as a warm and caring community.

Warm regards,

Mark

Common Grounds

By Jay Roberts | Email

Happy New Year Everyone!

As we move into 2024, Common Grounds will begin to prepare for the upcoming season. 

Before Spring we will assess any landscape that needs to be removed or cleaned up.  This will include the monument walls, pool, and tennis areas.  Typically, this is just a handful of plants, if at all.  In some cases, we do not replant due to some spaces being overgrown or crowded. 

The monument walls this year will be the exception.  As you know, last Spring we put in new landscape due to the monument wall construction.  And of course, last year we had a very dry year until the Fall.  At that point, the damage was done even though we tried to water those by hand for the better part of the summer. In all, we lost close to 20 plants.  These will be removed this Spring.  And the plan for now, is to replace it in the Fall of 2024 in hopes of catching some cooler temps and more rain.

Other than some general maintenance, this time of year, that is all I have to report.  Please keep your eye on the walkways and the school path this winter.  If you see that they need to be addressed or salted, please let us know.  The more eyes the better.

Best,

Jay

Architecture Report

By Andrew Schwarz | Email

Thank you for all the community engagement around the Boat Landings project as well as with architecture approvals.

Our priority for 2024 will be to get the shoreline stabilized via a steel seawall, and an outlook on subsequent properties, based on survey results, will be issued early in the year.

A reminder that all architecture approval forms must be submitted to me by the 1st of each month to guarantee their review in that month’s board meeting.

Happy New Year!

Safety & Welfare

By Bill Graff | Email

FP friends, thanks for all the efforts on lighting your gas lights, wearing reflective clothing, and driving at 25 MPH, my Christmas wishes came true!  Now onto my New Year’s resolution, same as the above!!!! 

HNY neighbors and thanks for keeping FP safe!!

Pool Report

By Criss Chang | Email

We are partnering with a new pool management company for 2024.  Our prior partner, Poolwatch served our pool for over 10 years and helped this neighborhood to transition from a self-managed operation to an outsourced service.  Our new pool management partner is Chicagoland Pool Management.  They will provide lifeguard staffing and training, in addition to pool maintenance and water quality controls.  A Fox Point pool committee has been formed to review and update the existing pool policies and guidelines, which will be used as a basis for the rules and expectations between this community and Chicagoland Pool Management staff.  More information will be provided in the coming months.