Board Buzz
BOARD BUZZ - November 2025 by Sommer Wrona, Director
Posted on Nov 1st, 2025
Soon, a set of landscaping amendments will head your way, and they need your vote! These amendments affect each Supplemental Declaration of our governing documents. They replace the current language regarding landscaping services and the funding of those services. The new amended language is the same for each Supplemental, giving all owners the same set of options--a welcome change from our current situation.
The current problem: The existing Supplementals outline limited, specific landscaping services that must be provided to owner lots; they also define how those are paid for. While most owners are required to receive the same set of services, a small group of owners in one of our neighborhoods is not required to receive any landscaping services. Their Supplementals are different. That small group of owners is not required to pay for landscaping services if they don’t wish to receive them. The rest of NTRA owners are required to pay for the services whether they use them or not.
The solution: The proposed amendments make landscaping options the same for all owners—including the option to decline service and not pay for it! The full text of the amendment for each Supplemental Declaration is available on the NTRA website. Please read it carefully! Some highlights:
- Under the amendments, NTRA will be able to offer multiple levels of landscaping service packages to owners for their individual lots.
- The cost of those packages will vary with the services included. Full-service packages will cost more than limited-service packages. During a defined selection period, you can choose the service level that best fits your needs.
- Those who fully opt out of NTRA landscaping services for their property will not be charged for them. Everyone will still contribute to common area maintenance. However, if you opt out of NTRA landscaping completely for your individual lot, your cost for that service becomes $0.
- The highest-level service package is the default option for all. Those who do not make an alternate selection, when offered, will automatically receive the highest level of service. ‘Limited service’ or ‘no service’ are options that must be selected by the owner during the defined offer period. This simplifies and standardizes the process for those who want full service.
- The amendments also address expectations for the maintenance of owner lots. This ensures that the lots of those who decline NTRA-provided landscaping services are maintained at the highest level regardless of who is providing the service.
- An owner lot is an owner lot—fenced yards are not treated differently from unfenced yards.
- Specific services are no longer called out in the documents but are instead left to the discretion of the Board of Directors. As our neighborhoods age and evolve, a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. Some owners have no grass on their lots, some have warm weather grass, most have fescue; all three of these scenarios require different landscaping services. Some owners have young trees and shrubs, some have more established trees and shrubs, some have few to no trees at all. This amendment gives the Board the flexibility to adapt service packages to meet the needs of different owners at different times. It also gives each owner the ability to decline service if none of the offered packages meets their needs; it reduces their dues accordingly, leaving them with funds available to do the work themselves or hire their own contractors.
Please vote YES on this amendment when voting opens!
- If you want full service, this amendment is for you!
- If you want no service (Stay off my lawn!), this amendment is also for you!
- If you want something in between, this amendment is for you, too!
Our landscapers and the NTRA Board of Directors appreciate your support on this.
No Comments