Tag: mullingar

2013 Ashefield Residents Association AGM Report

Thanks to all the residents who attended the 2013 AGM of Ashefield Resident’s Association. We also want to thank Cllr. Ken Glynn who also participated in this meeting and provided valuable input.

Joe Gettings, Chairperson of Ashefield Residents Association, chaired the meeting and shared a presentation outlining the agenda items as follows:

The points discussed at the meeting were as follows

  • Budget and expenditure

Accounts summary 2013

The 2012 accounts were presented and all expenditure items were detailed [see the presentation for details] . Projected expenditure for 2013 was also discussed ( primarily grass cutting and upkeep of the estate common areas ). The main works carried out during 2012/2013 to date involved the maintenance of the green areas within the estate and replacement of missing signage.

  • Boundary wall at apartments

It was agreed that the boundary wall adjacent to the apartments near the entrance of Ashefield requires attention. Through the Chair, the committee took an action to seek quotes from potential contractors for the repair of the blockwork and pier cappings for the wall only. It was noted that any proposed additional work inside or outside the boundary wall could not be undertaken as it would be the clear responsibility of the apartment owners or Westmeath County Council. It was also agreed that following a review of the quotes received by the committee, the contractor offering the best value would be selected to undertake the work.

  • Annual Collection

Volunteers were identified to help collect this years contributions towards the upkeep of the common areas of the estate. A note regarding this year’s collection was distributed in the fortnight before the AGM and also posted on ashefield.com .  In addition to this, Credit Union and Westmeath County Council grants have been applied for. It was noted that the €30 annual contribution / household  in Ashefield is low compared to Petitswood Manor (€100), Lakepoint (€100), and Sherwood Park (€50).

  • Grass cutting 2013

It was agreed to retain the services of the existing contractor to the high quality and value of the work carried out.

  • Committee – election

No new nominations for the 2013 committee were received and the existing committee members were re-elected.

Joe Gettings (Chairperson)

David Conroy (Secretary)

John Scales (Treasurer)

Maria Colvert (Collection of contributions)

Martin Tourish (Collection of contributions)

Keith Nolan (Web admin)

  • Westmeath County Council

Concerns regarding  the green area adjacent to the C-Link road were discussed. In particular,  it was pointed out it is unclear who has responsibility for this area. A number of potential uses for this area and immediate actions regarding grass cutting were outlined. Cllr. Ken Glynn offered to ask a representative from Westmeath County Council to meet him and committee members at the estate to assess this area.

  • Access lane between Ashefield and Abbeylands

Issues regarding the access lane between Ashefield and Abbeylands were raised. It was agreed that no action could be considered until the views of all residents in Ashefield regarding the lane access could be surveyed.

  • Dogs and dog litter

It was agreed that dog fouling is a growing problem in the estate. Dog owners must remove their pets’ waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner.  Signage  advertising the law regarding this is clearly displayed at the entrance of the estate. It was also noted that dog littering does not only have to be witnessed to be reported; dog owners that do not carry a litter bag/pooper scooper when walking dogs can be reported also.

  • Closing

The meeting attendees were thanked and the meeting was adjourned at 8.45pm.

Minutes of the 2012 Ashefield Residents Association AGM

Ashefield Residents Association held their 2012 AGM on April 26th in The Newbury Hotel, Green Bridge, Mullingar.

1. Meeting Opening

The meeting was opened by Mr. Joe Gettings, Treasurer.

2. Accounts for 2011

The accounts for 2011 were presented by Treasurer Mr. Joe Gettings. (Full accounts available on www.ashefield.com.) These were unopposed and accepted.

3. Annual contribution for upkeep-of green areas

The residents contribution is currently €30 per house. It was pointed out that is the lowest in Mullingar. Other estate contributions range from €50 to €100. It was decided to leave the annual contribution at €30 per house.

4. Additional Remedial Works

The prospect of engaging in additional remedial works in the estate such as replacement of the house number street signs and repair to the estate walls near the Ashe Road entrance was discussed. As there is sufficient funds to complete the grass cutting for 2012, it was decided that these activities would be undertaken if estimated additional cost of this activity was collected in 2012.

5. New Constitution

The Treasurer, Joe Gettings presented a new constitution for discussion. However the quorum of 10 persons required to adopt the new constitution was not present. Therefore the discussion was suspended until a quorum could be convened. Full details of the constitution is available at www.ashefield.com.

6. Election of new committee

Mr Joe Gettings stepped down from the position as Treasurer. The election of the association officers for 2012 commenced.

  • Treasurer: Mr. John Scales went forward for this position. He was elected unopposed unanimously.
  •  Chairperson: Mr. Joe Gettings went forward for this position. He was elected unopposed unanimously
  • Secretary: No one was available for this position. A decision was made to try and co-opt a resident into this position

7. Closing of meeting

The meeting was then closed

Annual General Meeting – Ashefield Residents Association

Ashefield Residents Association will hold their annual general meeting on Thursday 26 April, 2012 in The Newbury Hotel, Green Bridge, Mullingar at 8pm

Contributions from all residents in the estate are most welcome. The current list of items for discussion are:

  • Presentation of the 2011 accounts
  • Maintenance and remedial work plans for the coming year
  • Election of the new committee for 2012
  • Any other business

 

Notice regarding this meeting is being distributed to all houses in the estate.

Dear Resident,

Thanks for your support in 2011 and we hope that you will be as supportive in the coming year.

This is your residents association and your opinion and voice counts. The main agenda items as listed are not the only topics that may be address in the forthcoming AGM.  We invite suggestions for anything that you feel needs to be included in the agenda and any ideas that you might have to help improve the estate for all residents.

Ashefield has a website, e-mail address, Twitter account, and a Facebook page to help you keep up with to date and to contact us.

We encourage you to use these to stay in touch with both the residents association and residents. The committee comprises all unpaid volunteers – your neighbours, who are willing to spare some time.

Your contribution is very important. It falls back on us as a community to maintain and improve the common areas in the estate.

We realise that time is precious so therefore we appreciate all and any help you can give. This can involve calling on Tesco to collect abandoned shopping trolleys or picking up litter in your area.

We encourage you to contact us with your ideas, suggestions, and hope you can turn up to the AGM to meet other residents, give your opinion, and get involved.

 

Joe Gettings/Keith Nolan

Treasurer Ashefield Residents Association/website administrator

 
Ashefield

 

 

Ashefield Accounts 2011

Details of the 2011 bank account transactions and balance summary for Ashefield Residents Association are as follows:

Date  Lodged By Source Purpose Withdrawn Lodged
17-May-11 J.Gettings  2011 Collection     €170.00
      J.Mc Donald (Grass cutting) €180.00  
21-May-11 J.Gettings  2011 Collection     €235.00
31-May-11 Credit Union  2011 Grant     €200.00
10-Jun-11 D.Conroy  2011 Collection     €350.00
14-Jun-11 J.Gettings  2011 Collection     €60.00
17-Jun-11 D.Conroy  2011 Collection     €197.50
01-Jul-11 M.Colvert  2011 Collection     €380.00
06-Jul-11     J.Mc Donald (Grass cutting) €270.00  
22-Jul-11 J.Gettings  2011 Collection     €50.00
30-Jul-11 D. Conroy  2011 Collection     €80.00
19-Aug-11 W,meath CC W,meath CC     €300.00
07-Sep-11     J.Mc Donald (Grass cutting) €360.00  
05-Oct-11     J.Mc Donald (Grass cutting) €360.00  
14-Dec-11   C.U. dividend     €10.18
14-Dec-11     Affil Fee C.U. €0.90  
14-Dec-11     Donation C.U. €1.00  
30-Dec-11     J.Mc Donald (Grass cutting) €90.00  
           
Summary
    Total Collected & Lodged to Credit Union 2011 €2,032.68
           
    Credit Union Balance Brought Forward from 2010 €1,564.91
           
    Petty Cash Forward from 2010 €120.00
           
    Total Funds Collected 2011+ Brought Forward From
2010 		 €3,717.59
           
    Total Withdrawn from Credit Union in 2011 €1,261.90
           
    Petty Cash Spent 2011 €46.00
           
           
    Credit Union Balance  €2,335.69
           
    Petty Cash Balance €74.00
           
           
           
                                  Overall Balance €2,409.69

Lawnmower theft

A lawnmower was stolen from a shed at the rear of a house in Ashefield between Friday and Saturday. If you noticed anything suspicious during Friday or Saturday, April 22-23, 2011 in the vicinity of houses #156-164, please do contact Mullingar Gardaí at 044 9384000 or using their confidential line at 1800 666 111

This appears to be the latest instance in a rise in burglaries in the Mullingar area. It would be a good idea to check that your sheds and gates are securely locked, all valuable items are out of sight, and tools or implements that could be used to gain entry to houses or sheds are not left lying around. If you do spot anyone or persons behaving suspiciously in the area, please contact the Gardaí and don’t assume someone else has.

Read more about helping to make your home less attractive to thieves.

Home heating oil prices for June, 2010

It may be the longest day of the year but having oil in the tank to heat your home during the inevitable  shorter and colder days can’t be forgotten about. Since our last oil price check in April, the carbon tax for home heating kerosene kicked in at the start of May. This added an extra €43 to the cost of 1000 litres of kerosene.

However, even with the introduction of this tax and accounting for the rising oil prices, there has been a dramatic change in the oil prices per supplier. In fact, it’s quite an eye opener.

The most expensive supplier on June 21, 2010 for delivery to Mullingar town  is Flynn Fuels (€740) and the least expensive is McGee Oil (€620) for 1000 litres of kerosene; a whopping €120 difference between the two. In this chart below, the April 1st prices are in blue and the June 21st prices are displayed in red.
Comparison of April and June oil prices by supplier

Even accounting for the carbon tax on home heating oil and rising oil prices, we noticed wide variations in price increases by supplier between the period April 1 and June 21, 2010.  As shown in the chart below, for 1000 litres of kerosene, Flynn Fuels increased their price by €140 whereas McGee oil raised their price by just €20; not even enough to cover the carbon tax.

*No updated information for Topaz Energy was available  – they didn’t answer the phone despite multiple attempts.

Price differences by supplier between April 1 and June 21, 2010

*No information for Topaz Energy was available  – they didn’t answer the phone despite multiple attempts.

As before, the prices quoted above should be considered valid for June 21, 2010 for delivery to Mullingar only and were based on the best cash or credit card price quoted. In this case, no differences between cash and credit card payment were noted.

If any supplier wishes to revise their prices downward, we welcome them to contact us at info [at] ashefield.com and we’ll note it here.

Bin wars

In what is being described as ‘bin wars’, the confusion over who legally owns the refuse and recycling bins originally given to local residents was addressed by the council recently. In this week’s Westmeath Examiner, they report that:

County Manager Danny McLoughlin said that 14,000 Blue Bins and 1,000 Brown Bins had been purchased by Westmeath County Council over the past six years and delivered to its customers for their use in the Council’s waste collection service, but having taken the decision to get out of the refuse service, they had legally sold them to Oxigen Environmental, as part of the public tendering process.

In addition to the bins, the database of customers was also sold to Oxigen. This explains why you might have seen their stickers plastered on the bins after leaving them out for emptying. However, the Westmeath Examiner also reports that someone from a refuse company entered private property during the night to place a sticker on a bin. This of course, is illegal so please do report any instances of trespassing to the Gardaí.

The situation seems to be somewhat clearer now. McLoughlin continues:

“…if people did not want to do business with Oxigen, they should phone the company and ask them to take the bins away: “People should give the bins back because they don’t own the bins, these bins were transferred to this company legally”

Read the full article

Both Allied Waste Management and Wallace Recycling will continue to empty the bins as normal. Unlike Oxigen, these are smaller local companies employing local people in a tough market so it makes sense to maintain your support for them. In particular, Allied Waste has been serving Westmeath for the past five years and are less expensive than Oxigen’s normal bin tag prices also.

Home heating oil price check for April

Here are the prices from 11 suppliers of home heating oil (kerosene) for April 1, 2010. There’s not a huge difference in prices for 1000 litres of oil for cash payments. The companies marked with an asterisk (*) are Hamills and Whelans. Hamills quoted €630 for credit card payments and €610 for cash.

Kerosene prices for Mullingar, April 1, 2010 (1000 litres)

Whelans Oil is a local company based in Grove St., Mullingar, and from experience offer the best value as they will deliver out of hours (even late at night if you’ve ordered that day) and won’t leave you stuck.

Please note that these prices are only valid for April 1, 2010 and are subject to change.

Home heating oil prices

It may be a good time to fill up your home heating oil tank before the possible introduction of carbon tax in the forthcoming budget. Here are some quotes from companies that will serve the Ashefield area. All quotes were requested on Saturday Dec. 05, 2009 and are for an order of 550 litres of home heating kerosene.

Supplier Price Phone number
Flynn Fuels €308 1800 359667
Whelans Oil €310 044 9340693
Hamills €319 044 9348682
Kinnegad Oil €319 044 9375653
Lakeland/TOP Fuels €325 044 9343632
Rustic Oil €330 044 9340502
Leinster Petroleum No answer 044 9348544

Minutes of the residents association AGM

Ashefield’s resident association’s annual general meeting took place in the Newbury Hotel on Thursday July 2nd, 2009.  Cllr. Robert Troy was also in attendance. Below are the minutes:

  1. Mowing – new contractor engaged; €120/cut for 4 greens; season bill ~= €1600. Some debate re responsibility for the large green area alongside C-link road. (R. Troy/E. Flynn to investigate ownership).
  2. Verges  – maintenance is responsibility of individual householders/residents
  3. Trees – vandalised trees replaced by residents association; maintenance of trees done by council. Responsibility for removal of felled trees along C-link to be determined [see a) above]
  4. General maintenance – some capstones missing around the estate – (1 pillar/1 wall at apartments; 1 pillar at ESB substation; others?). If finances allow, the residents association will source volunteers/contractors to replace same.
  5. Litter & Bin collection – overfilled bins are a litter hazard. If the bin lid can’t be closed, there’s scope for rubbish being blown around.
  6. Dogs – increase in # of dogs running about unsupervised – some of which are on special restrictions list. Dog fouling not being addressed by owners.
  7. ASB – level of anti-social behaviour seems to have abated. It’s important people keep on top of it and report it where witnessed.
  8. Empty/rented houses – high level of rentals in the estate (25% registered with PRTB; probably half as many again not registered)
  9. Contributions – low level of contributions from 120-210; need to pitch relevance of RA to these areas differently. Yvonne, Chris, Martin and Keith to act as area reps.
  10. Finances – state of finances as at Dec. 08 published
  11. Election of Officers – Chairman: Eddie Flynn; Secretary: Tom Brophy; Treasurer: Conor Loftus. [Committee members remained unchanged at this meeting]