Achitectural Chairperson resignation

It’s a sad day to report that Pete mansour has decided to resign his position
as Architectural Chairperson. However, he will remain on the Board as
Office Coordinator.

This action was precipitated by an unfortunate incident last week
where a resident threatened physical violence against him. It was so
unnerving that Pete and his wife spent the night at their daughter’s
home for fear of what might happen should the threats become real.

This is unacceptable.

To this end, I have requested a Special Meeting on Monday Dec 21 at 7p
for the purposes of accepting Pete’s resignation but also discussing
options with the Board concerning Architectural issues and deed
restriction enforcement going forward. I don’t think any one of us can
fully realize the immense vacancy this has created but it is up to the
Board to come to a resolution on how we will meet the
demands of our Bylaws.

December musings

A representative of the Pinellas County Extension has asked me to request residents SKIP A WEEK of lawn-watering while winter is here. Watering on a weekly basis is not essential during the winter months.

I wanted to take a moment and thank the homeowners who have planted winter rye in their yards. YOUR ACTIONS HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS! If you are having problems managing your lawn (St. Augustine especially) summer and winter rye are great grasses to keep your yard aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Please also remember that the Pinellas County Extension Service has a plethora of information concerning Florida-Friendly Native Landscaping, which is drought tolerant and requires much less maintenance, money, and time to maintain.

Speaking of, keep an eye out for our Lawn & Landscaping Town Hall. The Board hears many comments on the lawn deed restrictions (pro and con) and yours truly received 2 lawn letters WHILE I WAS ON THE BOARD no less! If you get a letter, it’s hardly the end of the world…there are a couple of ways to address the issue. We’ll discuss the matter in depth and we’re also planning on having a County Extension employee give a presentation on the Florida-Friendly Native Landscaping initiative.

A reason to give thanks...

Annual Meeting results:

1. Overnight Parking of Trucks amendment did NOT pass
2. Directors elected: Rich Cornelius, Pete Mansour, and Richard (Dick) Rayfield.

Per the followup regular meeting of the Board, the 2010 Board of Directors is as follows:

President Rich Cornelius
VP Allan Lonschein
Treasurer Pete Mansour (temporary)
Secretary Susie Kaiser (temporary)
Architectural Chairperson Pete Mansour
Maintenance Chairperson Dick Rayfield
Activities Chairperson Dimitri Leventis
Security Chairperson Susie Kaiser

I had a “true Thanksgiving” moment while on holiday in the DC area. My mother-in-law lives in a beautiful 250 home, established community in Fairfax, VA, just outside the DC Beltway. When the developer built the community in the early 80’s, they also added a community pool, spacious Poolhouse with bathrooms, tennis courts, and large parking lot. However, the developer missed a crucial part – the HOA was “voluntary” and not “mandatory”, earning revenue by offering pool memberships.

Much similar to WLV, the new owners cherished their community and hosted community-wide tennis tournaments, pool meets, and other neighborly festivities. Over time, interest faded and revenues gathered through pool memberships declined because they were not mandatory. The Board struggled financially and at time did not have enough money to operate both the large pool (Virginia requires lifeguards at all times the pool is open) and mow the common areas of the community. An ill-timed Poolhouse fire further complicated matters.

At present, the pool is abandoned - really just a concrete hole in the ground filled with putrid green water surrounded by a rusted chain link fence. The pumps, filters, deck chairs, and other pool equipment have been sold to pay for the mowing of the community. The property is in the process of being given to the County government for the creation of a park, but first residents have to pay for the demolition of the pool, poolhouse, tennis ct, etc, before the county will take it off their hands. A true lose-lose for community residents.

This sad story gave me pause to reflect on the beauty of our community. Our children have a lovely pool to swim in, basketball courts to play on, a playground to run in. We have citrus to pick, trails to walk, and even a pond that makes a great background for pictures (we took my wife's pregnancy photos down there). I’m thankful for the assets my children will have access to and I pledge to you, the resident(s) of WLV, I will do my utmost in 2010 to:
· Encourage fiscal responsibility and cut costs wherewhen able
· Build reserves such that future improvement costs are well-funded
· Complete the necessary maintenance on our current assets to preserve them
· Make SOUND investments in the assets that need refurbishing
· Provide a strong, successful financial foundation for future Boards
· Make YOU proud of the community we all share.

I can’t do this alone, however. The current Board asks for your assistance, especially in the area of Treasurer and Secretary. Please consider volunteering.

2009 Annual Meeting results

Annual Meeting results are below:

Elected Candidates:

1. Cornelius, with 209 votes
2. Mansour, with 153 votes
3. Rayfield, with 147 votes

The following candidates each had less than 134 votes; therefore, they
were not elected:

· vanHeyningen
· Breedlove
· Altmeyer

Truck Amendment:

224 YES;
112 NO;

however, the threshold to pass an amendment
must be 289 affirmative, unless 431 voted (only 355 voted by proxy
or in person)

We had 5 proxies that were in question that would not throw anyone
over as a winner, if used.

SFH move up, Condos move down - are we on the road to recovery?

Everywhere you go, people are cautiously optimistic. The government threw some money at them and they purchased new cars. The government threw some money at them and they are purchasing homes. The Stock market flirts with 10,000 like unemployment isn't around 10% (published, not actual) and our deficit and debt aren't at record levels. Are we turning the corner?

Who knows...actually, no one.

But back to Tampa area real estate, our SFH market continue to slowly pick up steam as evidence in less inventory, increasing monthly sales, and a slight uptick in sales prices vs. listing prices over preceding months. That's the lipstick...

...the "pig", for lack of a better term, is the condo GLUT, especially on the beach. They are selling at the same pace as SFH's were about 1 years ago. On the beaches, just 5%-6% of all HOMES & CONDOS sell every month...not much to crow about. Condo inventories in all sectors increased, while sale remained virtually unchanged. This may be a statistical anomaly, but Tampa area condos are showing a final sales price of just 54% of the ORIGINAL LISTING PRICE. Normally it's in the low 70 percent range, so this month was steep!

There have been some calls for an "Investor Credit" similar to the Homebuyer Credit now in full swing. Such an investor credit would theoretically get more homes moving into the hands of fix-and-flippers, landlords, and 2nd home buyers. Theoretically, and if they qualify for mortgages, which are not as plentiful...

MLS MONTHLY REPORT Oct ‘09


TAMPA BAY AREA (tri-county) Homes Condos Total Units

Total Units Available: 18,199 9,287 27486

Total Units Pending: 3,156 1,129 4,285

Total Units Sold: 2,294 708 3,002

Absorption rate: 12.6% 7.62% 9.2%

Avg Days on Market 94 days 113 days 99 days

Months of Inventory 7.9 mons 13.1 mons 9.4 mons

Sold vs List Price % 94% 91% 93%

Sold vs Original List Price % 79% 54% 72%


PINELLAS COUNTY Homes Condos Total Units

Total Units Available: 6,646 5,583 12,229

Total Units Pending: 1012 542 1554

Total Units Sold: 754 351 1105

Absorption rate: 11.35% 6.29% 9.04%

Avg Days on Market 87 days 120 days 98 days

Months of Inventory 8.8 mons 15.9 mons 11.1 mons

Sold vs List Price % 92% 90% 92%

Sold vs Original List Price % 85% 81% 84%


N. BEACHES (476-478, 370-375) Homes Condos Total Units

Total Units Available: 581 1426 2,007

Total Units Pending: 51 110 161

Total Units Sold: 36 78 114

Absorption rate: 6.20% 5.56% 5.68%

Avg Days on Market 140 days 168 days 159 days

Months of Inventory 16.1 mons 18.3 mons 17.6 mons

Sold vs List Price % 85% 90% 88%

Sold vs Original List Price % 78% 80% 79%

November happenings

I want to thank everyone who has called me about turning in the proxies - as you may know, we have had to rescheduled the Annual meeting for the last 2 years because of lack of resident participation. Not this year. The annual meeting will be held Tues Nov 10 at 7p at the Clubhouse. pls plan on arriving slightly early to ensure you have a seat - i believe it may turn into standing room only.

I received some calls on sidewalk repair being done throughout the neighborhood. FYI, this is a Pinellas County initiative as they are liable and responsible for sidewalks, not WLV. I am sorry if this has caused any inconvenience, but pls call Pinellas County DoT with any issues.

Along the same lines, I rec'd some inquiries about tree-cutting on the blvd. As with the sidewalks, this is also a Pinellas County project. I did have the opportunity to chat quickly with a field supervisor who said the trees being removed are NON-NATIVE (eucalyptus) and have caused repeated road cracking. They will work with us after winter to replaant native trees.

Don't forget the Annual Meeting Nov 10 @ 7p

Don't forget the Annual Meeting Nov 10 @ 7p at the Clubhouse. I assure you that you will get your money's worth! ;-)

It is my pleasure to inform you that we have recently collected 3 YEARS of unpaid dues from a homeowner! Unfortunately, the Board had the unpleasant task of filing a foreclosure action against the homeowner. This was an action NOT taken lightly and it is my sincere desire NOT to have to repeat it. The intent was not to throw the resident out but just to reclaim the 3 years of back dues that were rightfully owed to the Association, which was accomplished. Unfortunately, the owner also had to compensate our legal counsel, which dramatically increased the monies owed.

It was the opinion of our legal counsel that most foreclosure filings against owners for deficient dues results in those dues being paid in full. If you aren't aware, HOA's are behind only Uncle Sam and your mortgage company as a lienholder on your home (and mine).

Action to foreclose will be a rarely used tool to recover the dues money that should have been paid in the first place. I pay my dues on time and you pay yours, so why shouldn't we ALL be held to the same standard? At the present time, the Board will apply various collection strategies, including foreclosure proceedings, on the most egregious of deficient dues.

FYI, the dues are NOT increasing for 2010.

Revised Lawn Policy incorporaating FL Statute changes

In an effort to ensure we are meeting the new Florida Statute requirements, the Board of Directors has adopted an amended Lawn Policy incorporating the new standards for Florida-Friendly Landscaping. While we have been approving this type of landscaping for some time now, our documents did not reflect this recent change. Registered users can click on the following link to viw the document on our website:

http://westlakevillagehoa.com/modules.php?name=Documents&doc=Doc297.pdf

With thanks to Pete Mansour for his time and effort amending our rules, it is presented below:

WESTLAKE VILLAGE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC ARCHITECTURAL POLICY LAWNS AND OTHER LANDSCAPING

This policy implements Article VIII, Section Seven, Paragraph 1 of the Protective Restrictions to set standards for lawns in Westlake Village. Section Seven, Paragraph 1 is quoted in part:

"All lots, together with the exterior of all improvements (if any) located thereon, shall be maintained in a neat and attractive condition by their respective Owners. Such maintenance shall include, but shall not be limited to, painting, repairing, replacing and caring for roofs, screens, windows, gutters, downspouts, building surfaces, trees, shrubs, walks and other exterior improvements. Each owner shall be responsible for maintaining that portion of a street used as his yard which lies between a Lot and the paved street in the same manner as if said Owner owned it ... "

This policy also affirms the support of the Association for efforts by the State of Florida, other governmental agencies and district water resource boards to promote the use of alternate landscaping to conserve water resources.

Acceptable landscaping encompasses defined shrubbery and flower beds, lawns, hedges and Florida-friendly landscaping.

DEFINITIONS

1. LAWN - The lawn is considered that portion of the property that has been planted or seeded in grass. Lawn grasses are routinely mowed to maintain a short height. All areas of a lot not designated as traditional shrubbery or flower beds, hedges or Florida-friendly landscape areas shall be considered lawn areas.

2. XERISCAPING - See Florida-Friendly Landscaping below.

3. LAWN GRASS – The following are deemed as acceptable lawn grasses for use in Westlake Village and are pre-approved for use without the consent of the Architectural Committee.

St. Augustine (except Roselawn)
Argentina Bahia
Improved Bermuda (excluding common or Wild Bermuda)
Zoysia
Winter ryegrass (used as a temporary Winter-season grass

Lot owners may request approval from the Architectural Committee to use other grasses commercially available and sold as lawn grasses. Written documentation of the quality and durability of theses grasses is required. Varieties of grasses that do not meet the above requirements or for which specific approval has not been granted shall be considered to be weed grasses and are unacceptable for lawn grasses.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC ARCHITECTURAL POLICY LAWNS AND OTHER LANDSCAPING

4. FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING – quality landscapes that conserve water, protect the environment, are adaptable to local conditions, and are drought tolerant. The principles of such landscaping include planting the right plant in the right place, efficient watering, appropriate fertilization, mulching, attraction of wildlife, responsible management of yard pests, recycling yard waste, reduction of stormwater runoff, and waterfront protection. Additional components include practices such as landscape planning and design, soil analysis, the appropriate use of solid waste compost, minimizing the use of irrigation, and proper maintenance.

Lot owners must submit plans for Florida-friendly landscaping to the Architectural Committee for approval and documentation showing that the shrubs, ground covers, grasses and other plantings are designated as Florida-friendly by an appropriate governmental or horticultural organization.
.
STANDARDS

These standards apply to all areas of a lot. The area routinely evaluated by the Architectural Committee is from the house to the property lines on the side of the house and the area located between the curb of the street and the front of the house. This includes the area (median) between the street and the sidewalk. These are those areas that can be seen from the street. The Committee may also evaluate and enforce these standards to other areas of a lot upon the written complaint from another homeowner.

LAWNS

Lawns shall meet the standard of "neat and attractive" if substantially all of the owner’s lawn is covered in one of the above listed grasses, or another grass approved by the Architectural Committee, in dense growth. Bare areas, areas of sparse growth and areas with growths of weeds or weed grasses are not considered to be covered with grass for purposes of meeting the "substantially all" standard.

This standard shall not apply to portions of a lawn that have recently been plugged, seeded or planted. The homeowner has the responsibility to water, fertilize and take any other measures to insure that the plugged, sodded or planted lawn meets the "substantially all" standard in a reasonable period of time.

Plugs must be place no further than 18 inches apart for jumbo plugs or 12 inches apart for regular plugs. Exceptions may be granted by the Committee.

Rye grass may be used to meet the "neat and attractive" standard during the winter months in cases where a Lot owner determines that it may be more difficult to grow one of the permanent type lawn grasses. When Rye grass is used, weeds must be killed prior to seeding and the seed must be evenly spread over all affected areas so as to give a "neat and attractive" appearance. The use of Rye grass does not reduce the requirement that weed grasses and weeds must be removed and bare areas covered in grass. Those owners who use Rye grass to meet the "substantially all" standard of coverage must plug or sod with one of the above listed grasses by March 31st of each year.

4. If one area of the lawn is bare and/or in weeds or weed grasses the whole lawn does not meet the "substantially all" standard.

Sidewalks, driveways and curb lines must be edged, lawn areas must be kept neat by regular mowing.

Homeowners are encouraged to periodically treat lawns for weeds, insects and lawn diseases to promote a neat and attractive appearance. Routine watering and fertilization are encouraged to promote healthy lawns.

FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING, SHRUBBERY AND FLOWER BEDS, HEDGES

All designated areas shall be maintained free of weeds and the intrusion of lawn grasses.

Shrubbery, hedges and trees shall be kept trimmed in such a manner as to present a pleasing appearance and not present obstacles to passers-by or vehicles.

All dead vegetation must be removed.

COMMENTS

Given the availability of reclaimed water in Westlake Village, lawns and landscaping are able to be provided adequate irrigation to maintain them in a neat and attractive manner in spite of restrictions that may be imposed on other water sources.

Homeowners may substitute traditional landscaping and/or Florida-Friendly landscapes as alternatives to the planting of traditional lawn grasses. Landscape plans must be submitted to the Architectural Committee for review and approval. Plans should include a plot plan showing the area to be included and a list of the plantings that will be used and their arrangement in a landscape area.

All lot owners are reminded that, as required by the Covenants, all significant changes to the landscaping layout or composition must be submitted to the Architectural Committee for approval before work begins.

Reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors: October 13, 2009

Truck Rule amendment to be voted on by membership at annual meeting

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Your annual meeting package was just approved and will be in your mailboxes shortly. In it you will find the standard annual meeting documents PLUS an amendment to the overnight truck parking rules.

***Let me be perfectly clear - the Board, as a whole, does not have an opinion on this matter and will continue to enforce the current restriction or the new restriction, whichever happens to be in force at the time.***

With that said, I will include below the final text of the amendment as approved by our legal counsel and the Board of Directors. It will be the duty of the incoming Board, should this amendment garner the necessary support of residents, to draft a set of additional definitions, i.e. rules, and solicit resident input and critique of those rules for final adoption. This will be in similar fashion to our current "Fence" Policy and "Lawn & Other Landscaping" Policy. Finer restrictions such as height, lighting, size, etc, of allowed trucks MAY be regulated by those rules. This is both legal, per continuing precedent and our lawyer, and within the powers of the Board. This will allow future Boards to adapt with changing times....which our documents have NOT allowed us to do.

Here is the text of the approved amendment you will be voting on. The bold language in red is the amended language:

"ARTICLE VIII, MAINTENANCE AND USE RESTRICTIONS TO SINGLE FAMILY LOTS
SECTION EIGHT. OTHER USES

3. Parking

a. No trucks, buses, boats, travel trailers, boat trailers, mobile homes, motor homes, recreational vehicles, vans (other than those used primarily to carry passengers), box vans, or other types of trailers or commercial vehicles shall be permitted to park overnight on a Lot, or in the streets abutting a lot, unless in an enclosed garage. For purposes of this subsection, the definitions as adopted by the Board of Directors, as amended from time to time, shall be controlling.

b. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pickup trucks used primarily to carry passengers are allowed to be kept in the community and parked overnight outside an enclosed garage. Pickup trucks which display or are equipped with any commercial markings, signs, displays, equipment, inventory or apparatus or which otherwise indicate a commercial or business use such as those which carry tools, equipment, storage boxes, racks, inventory, cargo, or other material used in commerce; which are equipped with camper tops or which have more than four wheels are prohibited from parking overnight outside an enclosed garage."

October happenings

1. Our Annual Meeting is coming up and the ballot packages will be going out soon.
2. GOOD NEWS - Our annual assessments will be staying the same for 2010! This is a result of a stagnant CPI indicator, indicating consumer prices have come down overall.
3. Our Office admin, Rosemary Lehner, is on the mend from her accident and we can't wait for her to get back! She provides us with weekly updates and from her communications, she is well ahead of her rehab schedule! Thanks for your understanding with our reduced hours. Kudos to Pete Mansour and Susie Kaiser for keeping our affairs in order while Rosemary is out.
4. We're having a Halloween Party on 11/24! Bring a dish and a drink and enjoy the night with your neighbors.

Enjoy your new playground!

I want to extend a hearty THANK YOU to the many volunteers who gave up their Saturday to install our new playground in the park. Spurred on by coffee, donuts, water, and pizza, we were able to assemble the playground in 1 day! I have a whole new appreciation for playgrounds...our vendor, Carl from REP Services, and installer, Doug, also went above and beyond and made this a less expensive possibility!

We are just waiting for the concrete to dry in and we'll mulch and be ready for kids!

You should also know your Director of Building and Grounds, Jim Brasby, played an instrumental role in setting up the area, dealing with all our vendors, and even gave up HIS saturday to help out. The next time you see him, please let him know how much you appreciate his efforts!

Our Board meeting is Tues Oct 13 @ 7p at the Clubhouse. Pls stop by and watch us in action. We also are accepting applicants for our open Driector positions...pls consider donating your time for this worthy cause...

The playground is coming!

THE PLAYGROUND IS ARRIVING THIS WEEK AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

THIS FRIDAY (Oct 2) at 1p - 4p - help prep for playground by digging post holes
THIS SATURDAY (Oct 3) around 8a - noon - Install/assemble playground

We need MANY VOLUNTEERS and their tools!!!!

TOOLS NEEDED:

4 large levels
10 rachet sets
10 wrench sets
4 hammers
2 tin snips
3 utiity knives
4 punches
4 round nose shovels
3 hand held post hole diggers
10 wheelbarrows
5 rakes

Please contact Rich at 417-8814 with any questions. We (and your neighbors) hope to see you there!!!

Rich is on vacation this week and his posts will return next week!

Rich is on vacation this week and his posts will return next week!

2 IMPORTANT THINGS!

1) CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 from 7a - ??? YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR HELP! As many of you know, we are having a new playground installed and it will be delivered Thursday or Friday night (we'll need a few volunteers to offload the truck) and installed under the supervision of a professional playground installer! Remember: many hands make light work and this may be one of the biggest volunteer days in the last 5 years!

2) With all the rains we WERE having, we noticed their was quite a bit of trash accumulation in the lake. Remember, all the trash you see on the Blvd, streets, and park area will be dumped (by design, unforunately) in our lake via our culvert drainage system. Most likely it's people who are passing through who choose to through debris from their car, as I can't believe a resident would intentionally litter there own neighborhood. Ultimately, it's the innocent birds, ducks, turtles and fish that pay the price, as soda, tobacco, sports drinks, foil wrappers and other detritus get mixed into our lake and settle on the surface and bottom. Below is a cell phone picture I took recently...

*******ATTENTION*******

*ALL WLV RESIDENTS WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY AND HOMES*

I am personally issuing a challenge to each and every homeowner in WLV – your participation in our community is VITAL and NEEDED!

Our Annual Meeting in November is fast-approaching and the Board is soliciting ANY & ALL WLV residents to become Board members and participate in the administration of YOUR community.

This is about the time we start hearing the excuses so I’ll save you the time and summarize…you’re:

· too busy
· too tired
· involved in covert CIA activities and can’t blow your cover
· too involved in other volunteer things
· designated food shopping happens to occur anytime a Board meeting is scheduled
· (insert your particular excuse here)

If you are fine with leaving your annual dues money and WLV’s $330,000 ANNUAL budget to an ever-shrinking, over-burdened, dwindling pool of volunteers, than I demand you stop reading RIGHT NOW!

However, if you can:

offer a few hours per month
give topics a new perspective
provide insight to complicated issues
work well with others
discuss and arrive at conclusions to conflicts without violence ;-)

...than I hope you will consider submitting to the Board a short 1 paragraph bio of yourself and, should you be approved by the Nominating Committee, running for one of the three (3) open positions on the Board for 2010. Please contact Rosemary in the Office at 727.784.3054 for more info

August Musings

Hello neighbors!

1. Our new playground is right around the corner! We are finalizing the colors and expect delivery within late sept/early oct. We will be posting the Playground Install date and we hope we can count on you to help us assemble and install the playground under the careful supervision of a playground rep.
2. Our Lawn contractor, Buccaneer Landscape Mgmt, is doing a wonderful job, as evidenced by the unsolicited compliments I am receiving. Being that this is the 1st contractor we have brought on in 10-15 yrs, there have been small "growing pains" but have been quickly resolved by Buccaneer. Remember, our annual cost savings will FULL PAY for the playground by this time next year...making our new playground revenue-neutral!
3. I have received some calls from homeowner who did not pay their annual assessments on time, failed to respond to our late notice, and were referred to our attorney for collection, subsequently resulting in a lien. Please understand that once the file is referred to ur attorney for collection of the outstanding dues, attorneys costs CANNOT be waived or reversed. Also, before we can accept 2010 dues, any balance from 2009 must be fully paid, including attorney's fees. The best way to avoid those charges is to pay on time. Luckily, about 95% of our residents pay ontime every time, which we appreciate.

Maintenance Update

Hi, all…here's a Maintenance update:

- The parking lots have been sealcoated and look great.
- We saved $500 by having Jim re-paint the lines with the line striper machine we purchased about 18 months ago
- I am proud to announce that we have added 2 handicapped parking spaces w/ center loading area…it will provide easy access to any physically disabled residents and/or visitors we might have.
- Jim sealcoated 10 5-gal buckets worth on the path last week. The intermittent rain is a problem but he is committed to having the ENTIRE path repaired and seal-coated by end of summer.
- On that note, Jim repaired the path at the top of the hill (closest to Blvd) where roots uprooted the path.
- The pool had an outbreak of black algae after our rains, but Jim closed the pool for 2 days last week and cleaned it up. With the pitting in our marcite, the black algae willl never be fully removed, but Jim is taking steps to keep it at bay.
- Our wire culvert screens were cleaned and repaired…they are picking up a decent amount of debris, as hoped.
- Jim has met several times with our lawn care people on site to keep them abreast of our requests. We have had to ensure they know what our standards are…there is a “learning curve”.
- Jim mounted a green plywood board to the bottom of the SW corner tennis ct fence, as the gopher tortoise there was throwing dirt out on the court. Seems to have mitigated the problem.
- Jim added a white rock border to from SW corner of tennis court fence to electrical box to prevent erosion. He says we should do the same on the NW corner

Playground issue resolution, Truck Parking and Architectural Asst discussed

Dear Residents,

It appears that after all the fervor, anger, and mis-information concerning the playground has subsided, the facts surrounding the playground have come to light. The Board did learn, as voiced by some residents at our last monthly meeting, that more publicity was required, especially concerning the financials of the playground purchase. Due to our procedures, the Meeting Minutes for the latest VV edition are always about 6 weeks behind. However, these issues were noticed in our agenda and discussed at length at the monthly meeting. I think this will be a learning experience for both the Board and residents:

1. The Board will step up our efforts to bring you the "raw" info asap
2. Hopefully residents will give the Board the benefit of the doubt and seek to verify info presented about the Board's actions, rather than assuming others' facts are accurate.

There are other issues that have been bantered about as well and I want to clarify the Board's position and actions with respect to those. If you have any questions, pls call or email a Board member. They will be very excited to provide you with any information they can, as we all love resident interaction in this ongoing process we call "the HOA"...

Amending Rules pertaining to Overnight Truck Parking

The Board has been regularly contacted by homeowners concerning the rule about no overnight truck parking. The Board’s standard response is that if there was enough support for amending the overnight parking restriction, the Board would assist in getting the amendment on the Annual Meeting Ballot to be decided upon by residents. Nevertheless, the Board continues to vigorously enforce the truck rule as outlined in the Green Book.

The recently formed Truck Committee, comprising solely of residents, is an advisory committee advising the Board as authorized by Florida Statute 720. The Board, upon direction from our attorney and with the assistance of the Truck Committee, mailed a survey to gauge whether there is any support for amending the truck restrictions. There appears to be sufficient support of residents to add an amendment the ballot.

At no time has the Board considered changing the governing documents without the 2/3’s majority vote as required by our governing documents. However, the Board fully supports letting the residents’ will be heard and plans to allow residents to vote on a proposed amendment at the Annual meeting in November. That is completely in line with our governing documents.

Let me be clear: The Board does not have an official opinion on the overnight truck parking rule. We are simply tasked to enforce what is currently in the Green Book. Ultimately, the voting residents are SOLELY responsible for any changes/amendments that occur to the Green Book, if any at all.


Architectural Committee Employee

It should be no surprise to anyone that the Board has been unsuccessful at acquiring resident volunteers to help run the many functions of the Association - we are in constant need for volunteers. In addition to the 3 current open Board positions, there is an ongoing need for a Maintenance Chairperson, Architectural Chairperson, Activities Chairperson, etc. To make my point, the ONLY 3 candidates for the Board at last year's annual meeting were present Board members. If they had not run, where would we be today?

To that end, The Board recently authorized a part-time employee to assist the Architectural Chairperson. The employee does the legwork that volunteers would/should be doing – driving around the community, checking on complaints, advising the Chairperson on the status of violations, etc. The Board has AND continues to retain the ultimate responsibility for enforcing the deed restrictions – the Architectural Committee is the long-accepted mechanism through which the Board accomplishes this.

The allegations are baseless. The assistant is performing at the direction of the Board, in the assistance of the Board, but not on behalf of the Board.

If we had volunteers willing to assist the Board with the Architectural Committee, then we would have no need for a part-time assistant. The same goes for the Office chores and the Maintenance department – in decades past, those responsibilities were taken care of by volunteers.

WLV BOard Response to Playground Allegations being made by certain members

Introduction

I am writing this letter to answer a number of allegations by some members of the Association concerning the conduct of the Board of Directors as it relates to the replacement of our playground equipment. A telephone and email campaign is being conducted within the community to inform residents of the alleged misconduct of the Board. The allegations are serious; malfeasance, illegal actions, financial impropriety and the wholesale ignoring of the fiduciary responsibility of the Board.

These allegations are untrue, unfounded and malicious. As long as they were confined to a few members complaining to the Board they could be ignored. However, once the general population is being approached, we have an obligation to be sure you know the facts.

I am unsure as to some people’s intents, but I can tell you what I know…the simple and unabridged truth. For those that know me, I hope they will agree that I have no agenda EXCEPT leaving this community in better condition than I inherited it, which is probably the creed of every President and Board before us. With that said, let me present the facts surrounding the playground replacement and the allegations concerning the Board’s actions.


The Allegations

ALLEGATION: The Board removed the playground without foresight or cause.

FACT: This would imply that the Board simply decided to remove and replace the playground equipment with little or no thought. In fact, on 10/30/07 (almost 2 years ago), the Board was presented a 2 page list of “mandatory recommendations” compiled by our commercial insurance underwriter that identified 22 hazards that MUST be corrected/addressed to continue insurance coverage. #07-10 states: “It is recommended Insured remove or replace the playground equipment as it appears to be outdated and unsafe (emphasis added). Thus, the Board did not just decide to remove the equipment. The condition of the equipment posed such a potential liability that its removal and replacement became a condition for continued coverage by our insurance company. We formed a Playground Committee, did extensive research, received several proposals and had 2 presentations by potential vendors at Board meetings. Hardly “without foresight or cause”.


ALLEGATION: The Board removed playground equipment that could have been fixed.

FACT: The Board realized that the removal and replacement of the playground equipment would be an expensive proposition. Our capital projects plan prepared in 2005 simply anticipated some repairs to the equipment for approximately $14,000. Always cautious of major expenditures, the Board felt it wise to seek a second opinion and hired a qualified Playground Safety Inspector with litigation experience to advise the Board how to best meet our insurance company’s requirements and minimize our liability. The Playground Safety Audit was received on 3/18/08 and identified 7 structures that were an IMMEDIATE THREAT to life and limb AND that should be removed due to required excessive modifications. This inspection confirmed the recommendation of the insurance company. Repairs became a moot point.


ALLEGATION: The Board removed the Playground with little or no notice

FACT: The allegation contends that the Board somehow surreptitiously removed the defective equipment without telling residents that it was going to do so. I am not sure what the alleged purpose would have been. The allegation is untrue. Several Board minutes, the Village Voice, and my President’s corner blog (updated weekly) all reflect references to the future removal of playground equipment. The topic came up for discussion at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the membership. The unsafe playground equipment was finally removed in late December 2008, 9 MONTHS after the safety audit was received in order to prepare the membership for its removal.


ALLEGATION: The Board spent more than $50,000 replacing the removed equipment.

FACT: After getting the necessary bids, the Board of Directors, upon recommendation from the Playground Committee Chairman, voted to purchase the playground equipment through REP Services, Inc. of Longwood FL. The cost of the playground equipment, including charges for freight/delivery, assembly, 256 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber fill, 400’ of border, stakes for the border, and taxes is $33,921.00. That is a long way from $50,000. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT OUR PLAYGROUND HAS BEEN OUT OF SAFETY COMPLIANCE AS THE SWINGS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT HAVE HAD NO FILL SINCE THEIR INSTALLATION. There was, therefore, an additional expense for fill and borders for the remaining older equipment which totaled $9,230. This expenditure is mandatory even if no new equipment is purchased. Our total cost to purchase new equipment and bring existing equipment into compliance is $43,151.


ALLEGATION: The Board ignored that Westlake Village doesn’t have the money for this playground.

FACT: Yes, we do. In addition to the approximately $82,000 we have in our Reserve Fund, which is used to cover replacement, major renovation, and emergency repair costs for all our common assets, we have just negotiated a new 2 year lawn contract that will save us appr. $45,000 - $50,000 PER YEAR over what we have been paying from 2005 - 2009…or close to $100,000 over the next 2 years! This has not been publicized. After a Request for Proposal that netted us 20 bids, the Board selected Buccaneer Landscape Management as our new provider. By this time next year, it is anticipated that the ENTIRE Playground purchase of $43,151 will have been paid for with no impact on our budget…we were simply able to save in one place (lawn contract) to benefit another (playground).

ALLEGATION: The Board illegally signed a Promissory Note that puts our Common Assets in jeopardy.

FACT: That is incorrect - our Common Assets are not in jeopardy. The Board did sign a private Promissory Note after fruitless efforts to find an institutional lender to loan us the money with acceptable terms. Why a loan? In these uncertain times, cash liquidity is our greatest asset and the Board felt it prudent to maintain our cash liquidity at existing levels. As with all contracts over $5000, the Board consulted our lawyer, Robert Tankel, and the Promissory note was reviewed and approved by him personally. Attorney Tankel gave us the opinion that the Board does have authority to enter into loan agreements and borrow money.


ALLEGATION: The Board ignored a requirement in the Covenants that the membership has to vote on the expenditure for the Playground since the promissory note constitutes a mortgage which the Board cannot enter into without member approval.

FACT: This is incorrect. While we encourage member involvement, Florida law and our governing documents require no such membership vote on a situation such as the purchase of playground equipment or the execution of the promissory note. The Board is empowered with entering into financial arrangements such as this by our documents and Florida Statute 720. The promissory note was approved by our legal counsel and then approved by the Board at the June meeting. There is no mortgage on Westlake Village assets as a mortgage is by definition on REAL PROPERTY – the Clubhouse, pool, land, etc…the collateral for the loan is the Playground equipment itself, which is not REAL property by legal definition according to our lawyer.


Summary

I personally find it sad and disingenuous that a small group of members would be spreading these fabrications and distortions of fact. I have come to learn that as a President and Board member, I will never have the ability to please everyone all of the time. However, I have a fiduciary duty to ensure our neighborhood is properly cared for and prepared for the next 30 years to the best extent possible. We have faced other hard decisions in the recent past and successfully resolved those issues – issues that we would much rather have avoided.

Let me make this perfectly clear – despite what others may say, your Board has NO HIDDEN AGENDA with the replacement of the playground. We simply feel our dues-paying residents and our children deserve a playground that is SAFE, UPDATED, and a GOOD INVESTMENT for the future, in addition to minimizing the legal liability of Westlake Village by having ADA-compliant, industry-approved playground equipment.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you should receive a phone call or email concerning the playground project, I would ask that you keep the above in mind.

New Landscape contractor - Buccaneer Landscape Management

If you were driving through the Village on Wednesday, you probably noticed an army of uniformed landscapers in orange safety vests "attacking" our property with mowers, trimmers, pole saws, etc! Don't worry, that was our new landscape contractor, Buccaneer Landscape Management. They had been delayed 2 days by the torrential rains and even had to work through the rain on Wednesday, their first day on property. We have high hopes for our new contractor and look forward to a great relationship with them over the next 2 years. If you should be driving and you see them working, make sure you give the hard-working landscaper a smile and wave and pull into the next lane when driving for safety's sake.

I am pleased to announce that the bidding process for our 2009 – 2011 landscaping contract has been completed! We received appr 20 proposals from various companies throughout Tampa Bay. I would like to recognize our Dir. of Building and Grounds, Jim Brasby, for assisting me with the contract and giving “tours” of our property to perspective bidders. After much consideration and research, the Board selected Buccaneer Landscape Management to see out the contract over the next 2 years.

Buccaneer competitively priced their bid and, owing to their background as a large commercial landscape company, offered Westlake Village substantial cost savings. Their references include the City of Largo Parks and Recreation Dept, Colonial Bank, CVS, and commercial developers…I must say they come highly recommended. In addition to lawn maintenance, Buccaneer features in-house pest control and irrigation services, as well as other functions we may have need to use.

We intend to work closely with Buccaneer to ensure our grounds and shrubbery receive top care and we build on the solid foundation we have in place right now. The Blvd and the grove are top priorities, as well as maintaining our open areas that are most visible to residents and the general public.

Additionally, I am also pleased to announce the Board has selected Rep Services, Inc. as the vendor for our new playground. Masterfully designed with our children as the main focus, this playground will meet ALL county, state, and federal safety rules as well as provide ADA-required access for physically challenged children – all areas in which our previous playground structure(s) were deficient. The structure was designed for “continuous play” and use by ages 5 – 12. We hope to have the new playground installed and operational by the end of summer but that will depend on YOU! We were able to keep costs down by having a certified installer oversee the construction and installation of the equipment, similar to what the Palm Harbor YMCA did with their new playground. So be on the lookout for our “Playground Volunteer Day” coming soon!

At the risk of beating a dead horse, the Board is ALWAYS looking for volunteers…positions include Board Member (2 open), Architectural Committee, Maintenance Committee, and Activities Committee. If you’re interested in any of these, we could certainly use your help…pls call the office at 727.784.3054.

Volunteers needed for 2010 Budget committee

Firstly, how weird does "2010' sound? Like a futuristic movie or something...but 2010 is just around the corner.

To gear up and start planning ahead, the Board of Directors, according to our documents, must appoint a Budget Committee Chairperson to oversee our budgeting process for next year. In years past, it has been our Treasurer who has chaired the committee and done most of the grunt work.

This year, it would be VERY refreshing to have some new faces analyze our present budget and find ways for us to save money next year. It's educational and sure to amaze you - I promise. Pls contact the office 784-3054 to volunteer.

Safeguarding your money

I wanted to take a moment to discuss with you the financial security of Westlake Village and how the Board of Directors ensures that the integrity of our finances is ensured.

You may have read lately about a city employee in Safety Harbor who embezzled city funds for personal use or the property manager in Oldsmar who used her position to swindle monies from her employer and up to 20 communities. This is real, frightening, and becoming more of a possibility as our economy continues its’ downturn.

So how do we prevent this from happening in Westlake Village? There are quite a few ways, which I will elaborate on. While I would love to be able to tell you that no employee or Board member has the desire to defraud WLV, this cannot be assured – I am sure the city and the property management firm thought there employees were honest and forthright. So, without the ability to read people’s minds, we have set up safeguards to ensure our finances are protected properly.

First, our finances are audited annually by Spence, Marston, Bunch, Morris, and Co., a reputable CPA firm serving our area for 35 years. Knowing that we have a professional, thorough auditor who knows our finances well is an excellent deterrent for anyone looking to pilfer funds.

Second, our check-signing policy requires 2 signatures of officers of the Board in order to be valid. The bank does a very good job of verifying this. Thus, every check that leaves the office has had 2 Board members review the charge and approve via signature.

Third, it was at the Direction of the Board that we begin using credit cards to accomplish the business of the Village, including admin functions and maintenance of our community. Unfortunately, a Home Depot card and Office Depot card only go so far. These cards have small limits to limit liability and our auditor demands each charge be accompanied by a receipt. These charges are reviewed by the check signers (Board members) regularly before sign off.

Fourth, our insurance policy covers theft and/or criminal misuse of funds up to $1M. Obviously, you never want to use that coverage, but it’s there if we need it.

So, we have some checks and balances built in to our system. The security of your (and our) money is extremely important.

June approaches

Hello, Neighbors!

It is my distinct pleasure to inform you that our Community Garage Sale for the Playground raised almost $1200! Every red cent of that will go towards our new playground, which the Board is fervently preparing to install.

Also, at our last regular meeting in May, it was motioned and approved to cease the printing and mailing of the Village Voice Jan 1, 2010, for multiple reasons:

The cost of printing, folding (now done by volunteers), and mailing the VV continues to increase
We run a small deficit EVEN after accounting for ad revenue
Feedback indicates many people just toss the VV when it is received in the mail
Production of the VV greatly decreases the effectiveness and efficiency of our Office Administrator, Rosemary
The environmental impact of printing, mailing, and delivering 2400 – 3000 sheets of paper monthly (600+ newsletters x 4-5 sheets per issue) is staggering

In an effort to promote fiscal and environmental responsibility, the BoD has voted to deliver the Village Voice via the following delivery options:· Automatic email delivery via

• www.WestlakeVillageHoa.com registration (pls make sure your email is updated
• Posted on front page of www.WestlakeVillageHoa.com (does not require login)
• Flyer distribution box on Announcement Board in Clubhouse parking lot
• Posted behind glass on Announcement Board
• Pick up from the Clubhouse Office during Office hours
• A reminder on our white boards that the VV is available

Come 2010, residents will be able to receive our VV via the methods above. Our advertisers will most likely stay with us because we will pass these HUGE savings onto them in the form of dramatically lower ad rates!

With the budgetary restraints we are under, all spending is under the microscope.

That A/C is running..have you changed your filters???

If you have pets, especially ones that shed, you probably already know the importance changing your air conditioning filters. When I was younger, my folks were always replacing filters using those blue filament-type that are super-cheap. The old adage of you get what you pay for would now apply. They are pretty much useless, especially at removing the smallest particles from the air.

To be perfectly honest, I consulted with Tim Holt of Holt Filters in Clearwater (Off Hercules by the RR tracks) about the efficacy of filters. He said the #1 way to completely remove allergens and unwanted particles is a mobile filter with charcoal. Unfortunately, the model he recommended was about $500. So what's a homeowner to do???

First, consider the MERV rating. Filters are rated 1 - 16 (you might see that number in hundreds, such as MERV rating 6 as "600"). Below is a summary of MERV ratings:

MERV ratings range from 1 - 16 and measurements are in microns. Some of the common particles related to MERV ratings are pet dander, insecticide dust, smog, dust, viruses, wood, tobacco smoke, spores, bacteria and pollen.
Some of the most common filters found in residential use only have a merv rating of 1 to 4. These are typically disposable panel type filters and do not do a good job of filtering the air because they will not stop particles smaller than 10 microns.

Merv 5 to 8 rated filters are a better choice and are more commonly found in commercial applications. These filters will collect particles as small as 3 microns and are a good choice for home owners also.

Filters with a merv rating of 9 to 12 are used in commercial and industrial applications and will stop particles in the 1 to 3 micron range. These filters are a great choice for home owners who want the best dust control possible. When using filters with Merv 9 ratings and above it is important to clean or replace them when recommended by the manufacturer because they will have a negative effect on air flow when they become dirty. This can lead to performance problems and decreased operating efficiency.

The most efficient filters have merv ratings of 13 to 16 and will stop particles as small as .3 microns. These filters are used in hospitals and other super clean environments.

Long story short, high efficiency filters are very expensive, especially if you are replacing them every 2-3 months. Cut to Holt Filters in Clearwater...their custommade MERV 11 filters are VERY cost-effective...between $4 & $5 depending on size. So, gather all your sizes, call Holt Filters at 727.449.8448, and order those filters. I spent $45 and I won't have to buy anymore for the next year or so.

Westlake Village Lawn Maintenance Contract NOW ACCEPTING BIDS

I wanted to pass along that WLV has opened up it's bidding process for our Lawn Maintenance Contract. Our internal rules direct the Board to obtain AT LEAST 3 estimates for any contract we enter into that is $5000 or greater. As Maintenance Chair, I decided putting the contract out to vendors, via a Request For Proposal (RFP), was the most efficient method for receiving at least 3 bids AND ensuring that we get a fair price.

Below is the RFP cover letter - contact me for a copy of our contract:

Dear Vendor,

Thank you for your interest in making a competitive bid to be considered as the exclusive vendor for the WLV Lawn Care Contract. The residents of Westlake Village take great pride in the appearance of our neighborhood. With over 30 acres of common area including a large pond, citrus grove, sports facilities, walking trails, wooded areas, and public right-of-ways, Westlake Village retains the charm and character the developer envisioned 3 decades ago.

Attached you will find a sample of the Lawn Care Contract you will be asked to sign if your bid is selected. The major duties of the Lawn Care Contract vendor are to:

-Ensure all Common lawn areas are mowed/trimmed/edged, including the medians on Westlake Blvd from sidewalk to sidewalk (appr. 8’ from road to gutter if no sidewalk).
-Ensure all irrigation systems (supplied via well & reclaimed) throughout the Common Areas are functioning correctly at all times.
-Ensure all Common lawn areas are fertilized and treated for pests.
-Trim trees in close proximity to public right-of-ways up to a height of 15’and palm trees on Blvd (appr 60 palms) once per year.
-Maintain 4+ acre citrus grove utilizing accepted methods of fertilizing, pest control, and irrigation.
-Maintain plant beds at North & South Entrance
Work closely with WLV Director of Building and Grounds to accomplish the contract.

Please see the full Proposal and Map of Westlake Village for additional details. FILL IN BLANKS WITHIN PRPOSAL WITH BIDDED VALUES.

Bids will not be accepted without:

Proof of Liability Insurance Coverage ($1M minimum)
Proof of Workman’s Comp Insurance (or exemption)

Please remit your proposal to the WLV Office in person or via mail NO LATER THAN JUNE 1, 2009. The office is located at 810 Village Way, Palm Harbor, FL 34683.

New Tennis Courts

As part of our Capital Improvement Program to keep Westlake Village in tip-top shape, the Board is moving ahead with finishing the Tennis Court remodel after a year delay. The last 2 courts have been re-surfaced and are "curing", thus allowing all tennis enthusiasts to enjoy new courts all the time.

Notice how I said tennis enthusiasts…I have fielded reports from concerned residents about people using skateboards on our new tennis courts, which has already begun to damage the surfacing. At the same time, the fences are starting to show signs of bowing as people slam into them doing who-knows-what.

Additionally, I also hear complaints about people allowing their dog(s) on both the tennis court and in the pool area where they run free and do their business. This is unacceptable and I would expect residents who witness this to inform the people that this is not allowed in our community.

When it comes down to it, these Common Area assets are just as much YOURS as they are other resident’s and you should feel fully empowered to enforce the rules (and common sense). Please, no skateboards, in-line skates, hockey sticks, Razor scooters, bikes, etc on the tennis courts. Those tennis courts cost $10,000+ to resurface and we don’t want to resurface them again prematurely!

Adios.

We raised over $1,200 toward the purchase of a new playground!

We would like to especially thank the following people for all their hard work and the hours out in to help organize such a huge, but amazingly fun, endeavor.If there is anyone we missed, please do not hesitate to let us know so we can give you a proper thanks!

Dorothy Moraca of 795 Rolling Hills (Dorothy was up bright and early on the day of the yard sale to help us get everything out of the clubhouse and on the lawn).

Dimitri & Tammy Leventis of 85 Woodcutter Ln. (Tammy helped during one of the donation collection days and during the entire yard sale. Dimitri helped sell items at the yard sale and he was quite a salesman).

Pete Mansour of 525 Lakeview Drive (helped set-up the morning of the yard sale)

Eric Mandell of 700 Village Way (helped break down the yard sale at the end of the day)

Dick & Carrol Rayfield - 877 Pinewood Ter. W.

Bill & Toni Benton - 858 Pinewood Ter W.

Rosemary Lehner - WLV Secretary (non-resident of WLV) (helped work part of the day at the yard sale)

Dave & Nida Stang - family of the Rayfield's & Benton's (non-residents of WLV) (worked part of the day at the yard sale and helped break down at the end of the day)

Kathie Keiderling - friend of the Benton's (non-resident of WLV) (put in countless hours sorting, pricing, setting up, and breaking down).

The anonymous hot dog donor (we really appreciated it!)

Thank you to all in the community that donated items for the playground fundraiser and to those who recognized and thanked us for all our hard work. We know many residents of WLV work and can not donate time, however, many of you stopped by to support the fundraiser by simply purchasing a doughnut, hot dog, and beverage. Some of you even contributed to the donation jar when you couldn't find a treasure at the yard sale.

This playground helps increase the values of our homes because it is a huge selling feature for our community!

We raised over $1,200 toward the purchase of a new playground!

We loved the sense of community this brought to WLV and we thought it would be a great idea to have a monthly BBQ over the summer at the pool to continue to help funds for the playground. We could call it a Pool Party Fundraiser, Picnic in the Park Fundraiser, or Poolside Picnic Fundraiser. The hot dogs seemed to be a big hit at the yard sale and it's fairly easy to do. We already have the pricing down. This would also be a great way to meet the neighbors! I also think we may want to move forward with doing some sort of community raffle and use the picnic fundraising dates as a way to get the community to come together. My friend Kathie and mom, Carrol, are on board and ready for the task! If these seems of interest to you please let me know and we can send a proposal as to how the raffle/fundraiser works.

Again, we take our hats off and bow to the terrific volunteers and donors of WLV.

Best Wishes to All,

Carrol Rayfield & Toni Benton
Playground Fundraiser Coordinators

The Easter Egg Hunt was a great success! Thanks to Colleen Bemis and her band of happy helpers for putting on such a terrific event. There is already talk of a Fall Fest so stay tuned!

Next up is our Community Garage Sale with all proceeds benefiting the Playground Fund. Toni Benton has spearheaded this ambitious and outside-the-box event and participation has already been exceptional - WE HAVE SOOOOO MUCH STUFF TO SELL! The Sale will occur on Saturday April 25...pls drop off all your donated goods at the Clubhouse no later than the night before. Toni needs help pricing the items, setting up the tables w/ goods, and "haggling" with shoppers ;-) Please call Rosemary in the Office to assist 784-3054.

Please note that we are under severe drought conditions and minimizing water usage, even reclaimed, is the right thing to do. Did you know that leaving your grass height at more than 3 inches provides more shade for the grass root system and encourages them to go deeper?

Happy (insert particular religious holiday, if you observe one, here) Everyone!

The Easter Egg hunt went very well - thanks to all the residents who donated their time to make this an annual ritual. Look for it again next year.

Also, this just in from a resident:

"My wife's car window was smashed and her purse stolen from the floor of her vehicle. This happen under a light at the YMCA between 7:45 and 8:30 on April 9. Two other cars were broken into in a similar manner.

While I was on the phone canceling her credit cards she called and told me the sheriff found out they broke into cars at Pop Stansel Park."

Let's remember to lock your cars at night and ensure your home is fully secured. Don't make it easy for these low-life wannabe thugs to make you and your family a victim.

Our annual assessment numbers are in...to date, we have collected approximately 93% of our 2009 Annual Assessment dollars. When I was in school, 93% was the least you could get and still score an A...in this case, that 93% represents a DEFICIT of 7% of our annualized $350,000 budget. Or in other words, appr. $25,000!

Rest assured your Board is working proactively to collect these dues that are used to keep our community fiscally sound and protect our $1M worth of assets, not to mention our 30+ acres of common area. This week, our Treasurer has directed that all overdue accounts be sent to our attorney for collection. In addition to the invoice residents receive, a secondary late notice, countless blog and Village Voice articles, as well as signs at each entrance, overdue residents will now receive a final demand letter from our Attorney. This is a prelude to a lien being filed against the property, which will need to be paid before the home is sold, refinanced, transferred, etc. An unfortunate step, but necessary.

REMINDER:

• Annual Easter Egg Hust at the Clubhouse on 4/11 at 10A
• Community Garage Sale for our Playground on 4/25...pls donate your gently used items for re-sale.

Stay warm ;-)

I was wondering what to write this week and then I received a phone call from our Dir of Building and Grounds, Jim. He proceeded to tell me that the pool is a disaster this morning - dirt and leaves in the pool, chairs in the pool, trash scattered around, etc. A couple of residents proceeded to tell him that the pool area was ground zero for unruly people this morning, which resulted in this mess.

What's unfortunate is that on the first day of Spring Break, we have to SHUT THE POOL DOWN until the water contamination issues are resolved. I anticipate this will result in some hard feelings, especially as people come to use the pool, but such is life. If residents (and their guests) cannot respect our facilities and treat them as disposable assets, then this is the result.

Jim has a ton of other things to attend to but they will have to be pushed to the wayside. How unfortunate...

April happenings

First things first…The Annual Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 11th at the Clubhouse! It will, as always, be a fine time for the kids. Rain day is scheduled for the very next day, Easter Sunday. Come on out, bring the little ones, and grab the camera!

Second things second…WE’RE HAVING A COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE WITH A TWIST! Thanks to devoted volunteers, Westlake Village will be having a Community Garage sale on April 25th with items donated by our residents. 100% of all proceeds from the sold items will go to our Playground fund which will be used to buy the best-quality, safest playground equipment for our children. This is a perfect time to clean out your garage (I’m guilty of a cluttered garage myself!) and feel good doing it. Simply call 474-5409 OR bring your items to the Clubhouse between now and April 25th and we’ll make arrangements to have your items securely stored until sale day. We need volunteers to help us price items the night before, setup in the morning, and “haggle” with buyers ;-)
Contact the Association if you want to help out. Flyers are posted in the VV and at the Clubhouse.

Third, as I have mentioned in earlier VV articles and on my weekly President’s Corner blog (http://www.westlakevillagehoa.com/), we will be distributing Resident ID cards to all Residents whose dues are FULLY PAID through 2009.

*****IMPORTANT***** *****IMPORTANT***** *****IMPORTANT*****

These ID cards will contain a code to the electronic lock on the front door of the Clubhouse. The Board is also asking residents for their cooperation in keeping this code secure – vandalism and non-resident usage of our facilities costs us all.

Now I fully expect for some residents to arrive at the Clubhouse w/o the code…unless we can verify you have paid your dues, we will not be able to issue you the code. It’s standard policy for all residents to carry their resident ID card with them at all times when using the Common Facilities.

Happy Spring.

Community Garage Sale at the Clubhouse - 4/25/09

Have you heard - we're having a Community Garage Sale at the Clubhouse on April 25th! We ask that residents donate their gently-used items for re-sale, with all profits going to the Westlake Village Playground Fund!

From n ow until then, please contact 727.474.5409 to make arrangements to get the items to our volunteers! We are very excited about this great opportunity and need your help before, during and after the event! If you'd like to pitch in and help us re-build the playground sooner, pls call and let us know!

Playground fundraiser

As many know, the Board has taken steps to address our antiquated playground equipment and replace it with new, safe equipment that will last us 20 years into the future (at least!).

However, that cost is not cheap. We have received multiple proposals from various vendors and we are looking at a cost of at least $25k but more likely $30k - $35k after the dust settles and the playground meets ALL national safety standards.

To that end, one of our active volunteers, Toni Benton, has proposed a garage sale fundraiser with all proceeds going to the playground fund. Your participation is EASY! Just drop off any items you would like to have us sell at our community garage sale on 4/25 and all the proceeds go to the playground fund! All left over items will be donated to charity. It's that easy! More details are in your current issue of the Village Voice or click here and scroll to page 4 for our informational flyer:

http://westlakevillagehoa.com/modules.php?name=Documents&doc=Doc254.pdf

Any questions, pls call the office 784-3054

March roars in...

On the subject of assessments:

I would like to thank our residents for working to keep our small corner of the globe moving forward through the payment of our annual assessments. As of this past weekend, we had collected 88% of our budgeted dues...compared to just 84% last year. We still have 12% outstanding, which equates to appr $40,000. Did you know our recurring monthly costs are appr $15,000 - $20,000 per month? You can see how this presents a problem...if you have not paid, please make an effort to do so. Homeowners associations are 2nd only to Primary mortgages on lienholder priority...

Maintenance update

Jim has been busy with the pool and various small tasks around the community.

Here’s the latest:

1) A new flowmeter was installed in the pumphouse…old one was half-working and leaking at install point.

2) Jim has been working in the pumphouse w/ the sump pump to keep the leak from flooding the room. Repair scheduled for this week.

3) he just installed rock border around the planter in front of the pumphouse…the plastic “picket” border was not appropriate for the spot.

4) Jim has been painting garbage cans green (they were the stained, faded gray/tan)
most of the garbage can covers were cracked…he bought some bondo, sanded them, and repainted…they look good now.

5) the tennis parking lot was re-striped recently.

6) Jim replaced a mailbox along the trail

7) he monitored the reclaimed water hook-up on the blvd (waiting for elec co)

8) Jim totally remodeled his office with new shelving to make the outer office a “paint room”.

9) Tennis court has repainted benches (green instead of white)

10) Per susie’s suggestion, he installed a spring on the tennis court door to ensure it contacts the magnetic lock assembly.

11) Jim picked up the new office printer from my friend in NPR (req’d his pickup)


Our major project over the next 2 months is repairing and resealing the ENTIRE walking path. The repairs have to sit for 30ish days to fully harden, but he’ll be re-sealing during that time. There are probably quite a few things I either forgot to mention or don’t even know Jim did. Just an fyi

Leak in Reclaimed Main Line of Blvd

We experienced a large rupture of the reclaimed water main line that runs the length of our Blvd last week. It was promptly repaired by Pinellas County and I have been assured that the full fix will be completed over the next 2 weeks, as they have to allow for the surrounding area to fully dry out and settle before it is re-paved.

Updates will occur as necessary. Thanks for your patience.

As you know, we have experienced 2 freezes that left frost on our cars and a shiver in our walk. Needless to say, we've experienced a die-off of some shrubs and also the lawn in our common areas. According to our Lawn Maintenance contractor, grass in the vicinity of large trees survived while grass out in the open died. Luckily, the roots should be fine and the green will return.

Pinellas County has installed the reclaimed meter on the Blvd at Lakeview and WL Blvd. We'll be working intensely on bringing the grass back to healthy levels.

Have a good week.

Each year your Board of Directors determines the annual assessment to provide the necessary funds for maintenance, landscaping and beautification of Common areas and recreational facilities and for their repairing and replacement as needed Each lot owner receives an invoice for the assessment prior to the beginning of the year. The entire amount is due and payable by January 31st of the new year. For your information, any assessment not paid within 30 days after the due date is subject to interest from the due date at seven percent (7%) per annum.

The Board recognizes that this country is in a deep recession affecting all of us to varying degrees and each of us must prioritize our needs and reduce our spending to the extent possible. That approach also applies to managing the finances of the Westlake Village Homeowners Association. The Budget adopted by the Board has been carefully drawn to keep our village as a beautiful and desirable place to live and at the same time to reduce expenses to a minimum. As expenses must be keep to a minimum so must income be maximized. Therefore, every resident has a stake in the outcome. Failure to pay an assessment by a resident has a negative impact on all residents.

Article VII Section Six in the Declaration of Covenants spells out the responsibility of the Board relative to non-payment of assessments. If your assessment is not received by March 2nd, your account will be referred to our attorney for collection. You will receive a Demand Letter from our attorney for immediate payment of the assessment plus interest and all legal expenses. Failure to pay within 45 days after the date of the letter will cause a lien to be filed. If, after another 45 days, the total amount is still not paid, the property will be subject to foreclosure.

The Board has agonized over how to best protect the financial interests of all our homeowners and feel this is the most impartial policy we can stick to...the prompt and full payment due as laid out in our governing documents. Thank you in advance for your support and understanding.

District asks homeowners to "skip a week" of irrigation in cooler weather

In an effort to conserve water during the ongoing drought, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is encouraging residents who irrigate their lawns to "skip a week" during the cooler months of December, January and February.

According to research by the University of Florida, grass doesn't need to be watered as often during the cooler months. In fact, three-quarters of an inch of water every 10–14 days is sufficient.

“The cooler months are a good time to train lawns to need less water," said Sylvia Durell, Florida-friendly landscaping project manager. “Using less water will encourage deeper grass and plant roots, which makes them more drought-tolerant."

Over-watering can also encourage disease and pests.

Homeowners can determine when their grass needs water when:

• Grass blades are folded in half on 30 percent of the lawn

• Grass blades are blue-gray

• A footprint remains on the lawn for several minutes after walking on it

The region is experiencing the effects of a three-year drought and October through May is Florida’s dry season. All 16 counties within the District are under one-day-per-week lawn watering restrictions through Feb. 27, 2009. In addition, tightened restrictions are currently in affect for all of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties through June 30, 2009.

Skipping a week of irrigation will help conserve drinking water supplies. Following this skip-a-week plan saves water that the public needs for other critical uses during the dry season.

For more water conservation tips, information about the drought and the current water restrictions, please visit the District's web site at WaterMatters.org/drought.

January happenings

Welcome 2009.

If you have not already rec'd the invoice (you should have), your annual dues of $558are due by Jan 31.

The Pinellas County Hwy Dept has repainted the speed humps in and around the Village so they will be much more visible now. Pls remember school is back in session and residential speed limits are 25 mph. Speeding through the neighborhood might shave 15 seconds off your travel and is NOT worth the danger it entails...pls slow down.

If your New Years resolution was to join the Board of Directors, you're in luck!!! We have a couple open positions for Board members and quite a few open positions for volunteers.

Remember the annual garage sale, Spring Fling, Holiday parties, etc. We have note been able to schedule them because we are MINUS an Activities Chair. If this is your thing, come join us!

We had a resident question this week via email about why we close the pool at dusk. It's a very important question - here's the answer:

"It is a Pinellas County ordinance we must meet due to the fact we do not meet the county guidelines for sufficient illumination of our pool (inside & outside). Simply speaking, the existing lighting situation is below what the county considers safe, i.e. to illuminate sufficiently to see a swimmer at the bottom of the pool. In late 2006/early 2007 the Board conducted an audit and I believe the estimate was appr. $10,000 to retrofit/re-wire the pool to meet county safety code.

Seasonally, it has not drawn many complaints. Normally it's cold and no one wants to be in the pool day or night. It has been unseasonably warm and with dusk at 530ish, it has apparently become more of an issue. In the summer, dusk does not occur until after 8p, which has worked fine for most residents, I believe."