2019 Board Candidate Kimberly McGaughy

 in Elections by

I wish to submit my name and the following information for consideration as a candidate for Westgate’s HOA Board of Directors. Kimberly McGaughy kimberly@westgatetx.net

I’ve really enjoyed what we’ve accomplished so far in Westgate, and I’d like to keep moving forward. Since I was first elected to Westgate’s HOA Board in 2012, my goals have remained the same: keep property values up and Westgate a safe, family-friendly place to live. That is the primary function of an HOA. We’ve come a long way since we established a fully resident board in 2014: we now have

  • formed a reserve fund,
  • added amenities (while being fiscally responsible) keeping us competitive in the market and enhancing our families’ lives,
  • worked to make sure the neighborhood keeps its curb appeal through adherence to deed restrictions,
  • clarified some deed restrictions through establishing guidelines,
  • built community involvement through establishing an Open Forum at board meetings and board member emails for discussion and committees, and
  • added safety features in our parks.

This Board’s success is the result of having members with a history of actively participating in Westgate, which gave them an understanding of the time and commitment needed. Board members also must be able to discuss issues civilly and with even temperament, otherwise problems do not get resolved.

Besides having experience working with two neighborhood HOA boards, my history of running my own copy editing business and teaching multiple levels of high school English (including Advanced Placement college level as well as Gifted and Talented) while working with all different kinds of children and their parents has uniquely prepared me for this position. I would like to continue with the work we have been doing, such as

  • adding more safety features and possible amenities while keeping an eye on finances
  • continuing to provide opportunities for residents’ ideas to be heard, such as the Open Forum I established, and
  • keeping Westgate financially strong for the future.

I have been privileged to serve Westgate, and I hope you’ll vote for me by proxy or by coming to the annual meeting on Friday, March 29th.

Candidate Questions

  1. What do you think the HOA’s purpose is?
    An HOA serves to protect neighborhood home values by enforcing deed restrictions, keeping common areas looking well, and creating a family-friendly atmosphere by maintaining the neighborhood’s amenities. That way, living in Westgate is desirable, and when a homeowner chooses to sell, prospective buyers will see the best possible “curb appeal” when looking at homes. Keeping the HOA financially stable is also essential to fulfilling this role.

  2. How have you participated in the Westgate community?
    After attending Annual HOA meetings, I served on Westgate’s Social and Crime Watch Committees; then I was asked to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee, which served as liaison between homeowners and the builder/developer.

    In 2012 I was elected as the first resident HOA Board Member; In 2014 I was elected along with two other residents to our first fully resident HOA Board. All along, I also served on the Social, Crime Watch, Newsletter, and Pool & Parks Committees—sometimes leading, sometimes partnering with other residents.

    My first main focus was to develop a reserve fund for the financial health of the community, which we achieved. Since then, I have continually pushed to maintain or add amenities when needed—such as sidewalks, playgrounds, and the splashpad— and events to help create a closer-knit community.

  3. Describe any previous volunteer experiences and volunteer leadership roles.
    When I was younger, I participated in church-organized volunteer work, such as refurbishing a community center building in Brookshire and providing Christmas meals and gifts for needy families. I also volunteered time as an English as a Second Language teacher in Continuing Education for adults, as well as tutoring kids in English. Additionally, I volunteered with the HOA of my previous neighborhood, serving primarily as a newsletter editor.

    My leadership role has been serving first as Secretary/Treasurer and then President of Westgate HOA. In the beginning especially, I enjoyed organizing community meetings to get residents’ suggestions for what our community needed and setting up ways for residents to communicate with the board. We had many people participate in forming the plan for setting Westgate in the right direction. Now we have regular board meetings and also take suggestions and questions by email.

    Our board members spend a lot of time directing projects personally, unlike many HOA boards that are not very active. I consider this volunteer time very well-spent, as it ensures projects are completed as fast as possible while getting the most and best for every dollar.

  4. Are you willing to attend board meetings regularly and to sign for a HOA work commitment of a minimum of 10 hours per week? (i.e. answer email, monitor social media, respond to residents, review contracts, meet with vendors on and off site, etc.)?
    Yes, as I’ve only ever missed one board meeting when I had cancer. I currently spend 10-20 hours on board business per week—reviewing materials and contracts for board meetings, meeting and communicating with vendors, answering emails and calls from residents and our management company, spending time on extra meetings with board members when needed, writing articles for the newsletter, organizing events in Westgate, etc.

  5. Have you read our CCRs and Bylaws? Highlight some areas of interest to you.
    Yes, I’ve read through the Covenants and Restrictions many times, as I try to help residents understand the rules; I find most people want to follow them.

    I believe the deed restrictions regarding keeping up the curb appeal of a home are the most valuable—keeping landscaping looking well-groomed, home chores like cleaning mildew off the sides of the home, etc.

    I also would like to provide a few guidelines where they are vague; for instance, adding a guideline to the “no trash cans stored in sight” restriction that would allow for a homeowner to build a small wooden fence enclosure on the side of the home where they could store trash and recycle cans.

  6. Are you willing to enforce deed restrictions and other bylaws using our fine method or other means?
    Yes, as enforcing the restrictions as written by the developer is our job; however, times do occur where balance and understanding is needed. Maybe someone needs extra time to come into compliance because of personal or financial issues. Or they have a unique situation on their particular property that we need to consider. Balance and communication are key.

    Unfortunately, instituting the fine process was necessary as some people will not pay attention to suggestions and pleas for correction. Even with fines, it sometimes takes months for changes to occur. In extreme cases, the attorney has to become involved: all with protecting property values and even having consideration for neighbors, in mind.

  7. Are you willing to put your personal feelings aside to take action on items that would benefit the entire community even if it offends a friend or neighbor?
    Yes, and I’ve had to do this many times. When we review personal account requests, I do my best to remain objective while sincerely considering their situation. My job as a board member is to protect the association, thereby the neighborhood, while maintaining reasonability and balance.

  8. Do you have any projects or priorities on which you wish to focus?

    My number one priority is maintaining our deed restriction enforcement and responding to concerns expressed by neighbors. That said, I’ve worked very hard to help create a family-friendly neighborhood with big projects like adding sidewalks, the splashpad, and fitness equipment, as well as replacing amenities as they aged: all priorities to keep Westgate competitive with other neighborhoods in our area.

    To that end:

    • We’ve successfully replaced the old, out-of-code playgrounds and added amenities to the big park like the splashpad, so now I’d like to focus on fine tuning our parks by adding tables, grills, benches, as well as some shade to the pool and splashpad as the budget will allow.
    • We are currently working on adding security at the big park because of vandalism we’ve been experiencing.
    • The poolhouse should be refurbished.
    • There are places where toddler play equipment can be added.
    • We also need to add to the reserve fund to prepare to replace the fences along the north side of Forest Heights and down the back part of Westgate park drive.

The Westgate HOA will conduct its Annual Homeowners’ Meeting in March. The meeting will be at the Richard and Meg Weekley Community Center (8440 Greenhouse Rd.—right around the corner from Longenbaugh) on Friday, March 29th. Registration begins at 6:30, and the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. For more information, see https://www.westgatetx.net/annual-homeowners-association-meeting-in-march-watch-for-your-proxy-in-the-mail/