This is just a quick note from the President to give you a couple of very important updates:
First, I want to let you know that the Board has passed a Resolution to limit the number of Board Directors to Five from Seven. We currently have two vacant seats and have zero interested candidates who can commit to the time it takes to be a Board Director. We did have a candidate declare interest at the March meeting, but has since withdrawn from consideration. The Resolution will go to Membership in August; however, we have decided to not fill the two empty seats until we see if you, the members, will pass the resolution. I encourage you to vote in favor of the resolution because it is getting harder and harder to find committed folks to work on the Board. Sometimes a committee or group is too big and it takes longer to come to any decisions. Right now we have a great group of people who are working well together yet have respect for each others independent thoughts. They are professional, stay away from the drama, and are in my opinion all very fair and consistent people.
Next, I want to remind all of you that our Property Standards Program is starting on May 1st. You will be seeing information coming out soon that will explain the program to you and how it works. On a high level, there will be paid staff members assigned into the community on a limited basis using a checklist to identify violations that are common and regular in the community. They will also identify the WOW homes and yards so we can all see what WOW looks like. The GOAL is compliance. Unfortunately, with compliance comes accountability, and the consequence for not following the rules are monetary fines. Staff will travel throughout the community and ensure they hit every street, lane, cul de sac, road, court, and circle inside our community. If your home is identified as having a issue, you will receive a copy of the checklist as well as a warning letter giving you 15 days to remedy the situation. There will be instructions of how to ask for an extension for extenuating circumstances. After 15 days, properties will be rechecked and if still not in compliance will be fined according to the schedule in the Rules and Regulations. There will be 30 days to pay the fine or appeal the violation by coming in front of a panel of peer members who will make a decision after you plead your case. If you fail to appeal or pay the fine, and 30 days are passed the fine is compounded as per the Red Book. Fines that are continually ignored will result in being turned over to the Office Staff and Accountant to go into the Collection process. Owner’s will then become responsible for any costs incurred to collect the past due amounts. You can loose access via your gate card, or be asked to pay any court or attorney fees. YES, this is harsh, but no one has to worry about it if they follow the rules. The Goal is compliance and cooperation. A well maintained community is one whose property values continue to increase and are maintained and improved. You have all asked for fairness and consistency in the treatment of all and that is what we are attempting to ensure happens.
Lastly, there is one other problem that tends to crop up this time of year. Everyone is anxious to get their homes spruced up for spring and summer. Any construction on your property requires a permit from the ACC (Architectual Control Committee). Renters are not eligible to do the work without the express written permission of the Owner and must be properly designated as a Authorized Representative if they are to have the permissions needed to get a ACC permit for work. Please DO NOT start work without a permit. Starting work without a permit will cost you $150.00. In most cases, a Stop Work Order will be posted when this is discovered. If you don’t immediately stop work until you have an approved permit, you will be fined $500 for failure to stop. Our ACC staff review and post permits on Wednesdays every week. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all of the necessary measurements, property lines, and other necessary information gathered and submitted with the application so that they can approve to the rules in the covenants. The ACC volunteers will then post your permit in a visible place. They will come and take it down when they inspect the work for completion by the due date. If you make sure that you submit your paperwork completed as required (Office can advise), you should get your permit the following Wednesday. If it’s incomplete or you don’t have for example a required County Permit, a permit will not be issued until all is in order. If you are painting your house, there are color restrictions and paint chips must be submitted and approved prior to painting. Fencing can only be out of specific materials and there are height restrictions. So please, take the time to get the permits that you need before you start the work. And remember, the men and women who come to post the permit are volunteers and they only have authorization to approve what is allowed, so don’t treat them poorly or get mad at them because you can’t do something that is not within the rules.
Thank you for reading. While this is not typically my more uplifting words, it is a message that needs to get out there and I hope that you all understand.
Laura