It's now fall, at least by 2 days, so we welcome the onset of the beautiful weather - the reason that makes Florida so popular - It'll be nice to stop hibernating and once again see our neighbors around the neighborhood. Boy oh boy, there's so much going on in our little corner of the world:
Your HOA Board lost 3 then gained 3 new members.
The 2024 budget was approved and bills should start arriving soon.
We have a list of community events planned
Blood donation and Dermatology busses will be at the clubhouse
We seek a member or renter who'd like to take on 1099 work as our handyman
We must modernize our governing documents
We need to add structure and process befitting a more digital world
As we mature our processes, we need committee members.
Board members moved on:
We lost 3 Board members who all moved out of the neighborhood, almost at the exact same time. We have been lucky enough to replace them with selfless volunteers, two of whom are pretty new to the neighborhood. Thanks to everyone who steps up to help out in every way, big or small.
Long time resident Dana Blackburn has stepped in to the role of welcoming and Membership Director and will head the membership committee.
Year long resident Mike Duncan has taken over the Architectural Control Committee and
7 month resident George Plasterer will be our new Clubhouse and Common Grounds committee Director.
The Board offers each of you our deepest thanks and support as you get settled in to your new roles.
Dana has this message that she wanted to share:
Hello neighbors! I am your new Welcoming Director and am looking forward to meeting you!
In the old days we received a neighborhood phone book, and a printed recipe book full of resident’s favorite recipes. While I am one for nostalgia, I’m leaving the phone and recipe books in the old days. I would however like to bring back one of the pages from the phone book of old – a resident small business directory. Over the years we’ve hired quite a few resident business owners for different projects; electrical, plumbing, stucco, and concrete, etc.
If you have a business and would like to have your information passed on to new residents, please reach out to me.
I’m hoping to reach renters as well as homeowners as they too are a part of our community. If you live next to a rental, I’d like your help- please reach out to me or at the least, ask your neighbor to reach out to me.
I’m jumping into this role following the path led before me while slowly curating it into my own. As I get started, you may see my face, or you may receive a letter. Either way, please reach out to me if you have any questions.
While it’s been a long time since we moved in, I am thinking back to what questions we had when we first moved in so that I can help make your transition here a little bit easier.
Questions or suggestions – please email me at welcomingfshoa@gmail.com.
Thank you, Dana Blackburn
2024 Budget and Annual HOA Dues
After several months of hard work, toing and froing, the Board collectively approved the 2024 budget proposed by new Treasurer Carol Woods. This followed an external Reserves review, fixing of our historic reserves spreadsheet and was aided by a dedicated homeowner who has actively helped in work we have to do to right some financial wrongs of the past. Please note, there is still more to do on this.
The budget, including set asides for Reserves is $483 per home for the fiscal year of 2024 (Oct 1-Sep 30) although a credit of some of the prior years surplus was applied in order to keep each homeowners dues at $368 for 2024. Bills should have started arriving this weekend and payment is due on October 1st, 2023. To avoid interest charges of 18% per annum you must pay by October 30th. Payment plans are available but please communicate with us in advance to arrange one. Treasurer.FSHOA@gmail.com or vconner@sentrymgt.com.
Upcoming Events - There's a lot happening over the coming months, all of which can be found on the events page of our website. Please note that the two Mobile Health events (Skin Cancer Screening & Blood Drive both recommend making appointments, links below)
October 7th:- Fall Yard Sale & Hot Dog Sale 8am to 2pm
October 17th:- October's Bunco night 7pm
October 21st:- Blood Drive by OneBlood 10am to 3pm --> Book an Appointment
October 31st (Halloween):- 4th annual Trunk or Treat 5pm to 8pm
November 4th:- Holiday Food Drive for Metropolitan Ministries 9am to 12pm
November 8th:- Board Meeting 6.30pm
November 11th:- Skin Cancer & Dermatological Screening by OnSpot Dermatology --> Book an appointment.
November 21st:-November's Bunco night 7pm
December 16th:- Cookies With Santa 4pm to 6pm
There's more to come as well, with ideas for another pop up cocktails and conversations night, food trucks, a community clean up day and holiday lights decorating. For the community clean up day (the former wetlands behind the clubhouse) there'll be volunteer hours available for your teens that need them too.
Modernizing our Governing Documents - Call for committee members (volunteer)
There is an overwhelming need this Board year (prior to March of 2024) to modernize, simplify, extend and clarify our governing documents. They are:
Our Deed Restrictions
Our By Laws
Our Policies and Standard Operating Procedures
A few Board meetings ago, a full compliment of committee members was available to help. Due to some moving out, others with changed time commitments we find ourselves needing people to step up and help. If you care about the community, understand the role that these documents play in our governance of the community and have time to give and the ability to work in Google sheets, on Microsoft Teams and meet in person then we'd love to hear from you. Please email either FairwaySpringsSecretary@gmail.com or President.FSHOA@gmail.com to declare your interest.
Just a heads up, what gets produced as an outcome must go through a legal review by counsel and also pass a majority vote of the entire membership and not just the Board.
Handyman Required.
We recognize that not everything that is required by the membership can be achieved by volunteers, so this year we applied some budget to a handyman role. Mostly to work at the clubhouse, keeping the pool deck, walkways and entrance clean, ensuring that lights and plumbing work, liaising with contractors required to apply fixes, identifying maintenance issues and so on. It will be a paid role, but we are not set up as an employer, and would not want to become one. For this contractor the HOA will cover insurance.
We seek a homeowner/member or renter who'd like to take on 1099 contract work as our handyman (1 to 1.5 hours per day 5 days per week). Please email vconner@sentrymgt.com with your interest.
If there are no skilled, suitable or applicable candidates within the community, we will resort to utilizing our property management partner or the broader Trinity and New Port Richey market to find the most appropriately and best skilled resource. We wanted to offer the opportunity "in-house", so-to-speak, first.
Structure of Community Leadership.
We have 9 Board members who make the decisions for this community, of late (certainly a reasonable number of past years) it's been that 9, or fewer, who make the decisions that affect all 406 homeowners. I've talked about the danger of that consolidation of power previously. It also comes with great risks. Consider bias (negative & positive), a singular interpretation, likelihood of error and oversights as just some of those risks when each Officer or Director is singularly making decisions for their office. That is why it is imperative that we revert to a structure where each Board member is the chair of their respective committees. It should be the committees that are the lifeblood of this community and not the Board working in totalitarianism.
To operate these committees however, we need you. We need a little of your time. We need your skills, opinions, thoughts and energy. You can take to social media as much as you like but it will have little impact. For the same contribution of inspiration, rage or frustration, a little application of that same energy towards a committee position, alongside others of the community will yield great and material change. Please consider joining one of the following committees - each Board member would be delighted to hear from you. There'll be another article dedicated to the importance and operation of committees soon.
Finance Committee - aid in the building of the budget, management of funds, growth of investments, handling of reserves and long term financial planning.
Contact: treasurer.fshoa@gmail.com
Membership Committee - prepare the welcoming of new homeowners/members and tenants, manage rental statistics, ensure knowledge of rules, help with getting settled, find out who needs help, understand the needs of the community members, maintain membership contact details.
Contact: welcomingfshoa@gmail.com
Clubhouse Committee - help with the upkeep, management of maintenance, operation, usage, monetization, events of the clubhouse, pool and facilities and all access requirements.
Contact: fairwayspringsclub@gmail.com
Architectural Controls Committee - help with the approval process for applications in line with our deed restrictions, oversee the upkeep of rules and process that will keep us beautiful yet modernizing as we go, stay on top of FL statute changes to ensure compliance
Contact: FairwaySpringsARC@gmail.com
Compliance Committee - Aid in the ongoing work to keep the neighborhood beautiful, work with homeowners who might be struggling, partner with other directors, like ACC, and property management partner to ensure compliance with our Deed Restrictions.
Contact: fairwayspringscomp@gmail.com
Social committee - social.fshoa@gmail.com - Plan, run, ideate and create fun and helpful events for the whole community
Landscaping committee -1LandscapeDirector@gmail.com
Deed Restrictions Review Committee - fairwayspringssecretary@gmail.com or president.fshoa@gmail.com
By Laws Review Committee - fairwayspringssecretary@gmail.com or president.fshoa@gmail.com
We feel like we are making progress.
We are committed to running an open, transparent and member benefitting Board. We welcome hearing from you, so please feel free to reach out any time, to any Board member, committee member or member of the property management team, with comments or suggestions, yes, even complaints.
We've made the website more dynamic with a variety of communications methods available.
We've added key fob payments directly to the website and are considering adding clubhouse rental and possibly even dues payments.
We are starting to share more and more documents that the Board works on, in advance, with you the members.
We've adopted a mission statement that will serve as our guide rails as we continue to improve, to simplify, to automate and to modernize the way this Board works.
We are working on our processes so that future Board members have an easier time in transition than we did.
Our mission statement:
It is our mission to create a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable community for all residents, while ensuring that property values are protected and enhanced.
We are committed to fostering positive relationships with our homeowners, promoting open communication, working transparently, and ensuring that all residents are informed of, and engaged in, the decisions that affect our community.
Thanks, as always, if you read this far. Have a great start to the fall season. See you around the neighborhood hopefully.
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