President’s Report – Steve Patton

September 2026

 

Hello everyone,

 

It’s starting to feel like fall all over North America.  Here in northern Minnesota, we’re already seeing leaves change colors and it won’t be long until seasonal homeowners start making their way back to the Village. Please travel safely and we'll see you all soon. 

 

Community Association Manager (CAM)

The most significant update this month is the hiring of Brian Guffey as our new Community Association Manager. Brian has been training with Anna Earls on weekends, and his first solo day in the office was Monday, September 14th. He will maintain regular morning office hours so if you are around, please stop in and introduce yourself.

 

Anna will continue assisting with bookkeeping on weekends and helping Brian learn the unique processes of the Village.

 

Buildings and Maintenance:

The common-area railings replacement project is progressing steadily. Work is currently underway on Buildings 8 and 9 with Buildings 2 and 6 scheduled next.  To date, $20,035.04 has been spent from the $50,000 project budget. For anyone new to the Village, this is a project mandated by our insurance company. Our prior railings were safe and secure, but some of the gaps in the railings were wider than the 4" allowed by Arizona building code. 

 

Finances:

As of the end of August, combined utilities are $2,754 over budget but our savings on maintenance and repairs are keeping our bottom line in the black for the year.  The Capital Reserve account balance is now $569,537 compared to $484,775 at this time last year. 

 

Here's a quick snapshot of where your dues are going.  By the end of August, each homeowner had contributed $2200 in HOA dues.  Here’s where it went: 

 

Category	To Date	Per Month
Landscaping Service	$430	$54
Insurance	$400	$50
Utilities	$387	$48
Railings	$350	$44
Savings (reserves)	$115	$14
Pools	$108	$14
CAM Salary	$108	$14
Pool Covers	$74	$9
Building Maintenance	$73	$9
Office Expenses	$57	$7
Trees	$39	$5
Legal and Professional Fees	$30	$4
Pest Control	$29	$4
	$2200	$275

 

The Board’s annual budget planning process takes place in November and December.  The culmination of this planning will again be a Town Hall Budget Review meeting on Tuesday, December 1st at 6:00 PM in the clubhouse. At that time, homeowners will have the opportunity to preview and comment on the proposed 2027 budget.

 

Arizona Statutes

The statutes governing HOAs (A.R.S. §33‑1260) experienced some major changes this year including a significant expansion under Arizona House Bill 2397 to the rules governing documentation that must be provided to potential home buyers. The packet that potential homeowners will receive will now not only include CC&Rs, Rules and Regulations, and Bylaws, but also include things like copies of the current operating budget, minutes from the last three board meetings, current financial statements, original building plats, and our most recent reserve study. Fortunately, the new laws do allow HOAs to charge for the work associated with assembling this information.  Beginning September 8, 2026, the VAW will be charging $125 to potential homeowners for our resale disclosure package. The VAW board is 100% supportive of the idea of potential homeowners getting all the information necessary before their purchase so that they can make an informed decision.

 

Special Events:

As you prepare to return to the Village from your summer home, you may want to put the following events on your calendar.  If you would like to see the complete list of activities, please contact Donna Patton (donna.m.patton@outlook.com), or visit the VAW Facebook page.

 

January 23^rd – Spuds, Splits, Margaritas, and Banana Splits
February 16^th – VAW HOA Annual Meeting
February 21^st – Champagne Brunch – Mexican Fiesta theme
March 20^th – End of Season Party – A Night at Tuscany theme

 

Board of Directors Meeting:

The next board of Directors meeting is Tuesday, October 13^th at 8am Arizona Time. All board meetings are accessible via Zoom. Meeting ID: 824 655 9860 Passcode: 738762. If you have a specific topic that you’d like to see addressed, make sure you send an email to the office (vawhoa@gmail.com) at least 3 days before the board meeting.

 

As a reminder, when you return to the Village, please stop by the office and fill out the Owner Registration form.  These are located just inside the main doors of the clubhouse.  This information lets the CAM know you’re back in Arizona and will provide an opportunity to verify your contact information.

 

Steve Patton and your Village at Apache Wells Board of Directors