Summary
The HOA board has discussed and taken initial steps toward publishing a community newsletter. As of July 2026, the initiative is active with three issues published on a roughly bimonthly cadence. The Spring 2026 issue (inaugural edition) covers garbage can rules, road rehabilitation, window vendor contact, and board/management info; subsequent issues have added maintenance-enforcement reminders, social events, and election/vacancy updates.
Status (as of July 2026)
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Newsletter concept | Active — three issues published |
| URL | https://prestonfield.org |
| API newsletter contact | Jennifer Nissen (jnissen@apimanagers.com) |
| First issue published | April 5, 2026 (Spring 2026) |
| Second issue published | May 13, 2026 (Summer 2026) |
| Third issue published | July 27, 2026 (Mid-Summer 2026) |
| Distribution channels | HOA Facebook page; Nextdoor.com; link to be included in next Board Meeting postcard mailer |
| Cadence | Quarterly minimum; more frequently if needed or if something important to communicate (observed cadence so far: roughly every 5–10 weeks) |
Purpose
The newsletter appears intended to improve homeowner awareness of HOA rules and maintenance expectations — particularly in response to concerns raised at the May 2026 homeowners forum about unenforced violations (fences braced with props, falling mailboxes, garbage cans left in driveways).
Related Topics
communication-process, violations-and-fines, lawn-maintenance-requirements
Entities
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2026-01-14 | Board member raised the idea of a community newsletter. Mike Halko obtained window vendor information as a potential advertiser/resource. Source: minutes-2026-01-14 |
| 2026-04-05 | Spring 2026 issue (inaugural edition) published at https://prestonfield.org. Contents: President’s message (MC); garbage can timing rules (5 PM day before / midnight day of); road rehabilitation notice (start week of March 23, complete by August; contact Dave Shah 630-293-2255); Real Fit Station window vendor (815-274-9493); community garage sale June 11–14; fence A&A reminder; board roster; meeting dates. Distributed via HOA Facebook page, Nextdoor. |
| 2026-05-07 | Jen Nissen (API) identified as newsletter contact to be listed in the HOA newsletter. Board directed MKH (Mark Hanley) to write a newsletter article on maintenance standards. Source: minutes-2026-05-07 |
| 2026-05-13 | Summer 2026 issue published at https://prestonfield.org. Contents: President’s message (MC) — garage sale June 11–14, maintenance enforcement; fence rules article (cedar 5’, aluminum 4’; A&A required; both side-yard exceptions published; HOA maintains only Route 59 and Snowberry/Hemlock split rail); coyote warning; summer social event teaser (possibly Hawthorne’s, September timeframe); property maintenance requirements (grass ⇐8 inches, debris-free yards, fences in good condition, garbage cans out of sight, rotting trim/flaking paint/algae must be repaired — Wednesday confirmed as pickup day); board meeting dates July 16 (election) and October 15; board roster; management contact Marjorie Comber (mcomber@apimanagers.com, 630-653-7782). |
| 2026-07-27 | Mid-Summer 2026 issue published at https://prestonfield.org. Contents: “Prestonfield Night Out at Hawthorne’s” social event announced (Thursday, Sept 17, 6:30 PM, Hawthorne’s Backyard, 1200 W Hawthorne Ln, West Chicago; HOA-provided food/non-alcoholic drinks; RSVP via Google Form); confirms July 16 board election failed for lack of quorum (44 homeowners needed) and board rolled over — publicly advertises the vacant Director seat (see minutes-2026-07-16 Sharma removal) and invites homeowners to contact API to volunteer; repeats property maintenance requirements (grass, debris, sidewalk encroachment, fence repair/no bracing, garbage can timing, siding/trim upkeep, nuisance ban); sidebar lists current board roster, API contacts, meeting location/date (Aurelio’s Pizza, Oct 1), and utility contact list (Nicor, ComEd, Groot trash, WEGO Public Works/Ordinance/Police). Site now includes a “View past issues” archive confirming exact publish dates for all three issues to date. Note: site lists the newsletter contact as Jennifer Nissen (jnissen@apimanagers.com) — differs from the email recorded on 2026-05-07 (ibojilov@apimanagers.com); site is treated as more current and the Status table above has been corrected accordingly. |
Open Questions
None.