Created in 2014
Airbnb Rental Stirs HOA
A primary governing document of the Isles is called the “Declaration”. The full name is Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, which in simpler terms means that these are some of the rules to which a buyer of a home here agrees upon purchase of that home. We'll call it the DCCR.
Article IX of the DCCR is titled USE RESTRICTIONS and begins on page 43 in the online version or 49 in your paper version. A few pages later we come to Section 5. LEASES, which says pretty clearly that owners can NOT rent their homes “for a term of less than four (4) consecutive months.”
So it comes as some surprise that an Oakmont home on Benevento is advertised on airbnb for the price $265 per day, and has had many takers. This doesn't include the cleaning fee ($275) or the airbnb service charge ($226). Five nights totals up to $1826 plus taxes.
Article IX of the DCCR is titled USE RESTRICTIONS and begins on page 43 in the online version or 49 in your paper version. A few pages later we come to Section 5. LEASES, which says pretty clearly that owners can NOT rent their homes “for a term of less than four (4) consecutive months.”
So it comes as some surprise that an Oakmont home on Benevento is advertised on airbnb for the price $265 per day, and has had many takers. This doesn't include the cleaning fee ($275) or the airbnb service charge ($226). Five nights totals up to $1826 plus taxes.
It has had many happy customers with an average review score of 4.91 out of 5. Twenty-three reviews show that it has been rented for a few days, up to six weeks. Right now, the next opening appears to be August 1st.
The owner lives in Washington state, and uses a Realtor named “Julie” to handle the rents.
The airbnb advertisement can be seen here
Posted 5/6/24
The owner lives in Washington state, and uses a Realtor named “Julie” to handle the rents.
The airbnb advertisement can be seen here
Posted 5/6/24
The Isles wins a vote on the Master Association
Governing documents of the Isles--the Declaration, the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws hold precedence in this order, but they all are out-ranked by the Declaration of the Palmer Ranch Master Association (PRMA).
The Master Association operates with a budget of over three million dollars—largely dues that are included in the assessments of each community or activity in its membership. The Isles currently pays $118,475 yearly in support of the Master Association. This amounts to $175.00 per year for each homeowner.
The structure of the Master Association is such that ten Residential Communities--roughly one-third-- are represented by voting members on the Governing Board. Other communities have a “representative” who attends meetings and who may speak on behalf of their respective communities, but have no vote. Those who can vote are Trustees on a 15-member board that also includes businesses and recreational components, such as golf courses.
Remarkably, some communities have landed two votes while many other have none.
The current (April 2024) Master Association Newsletter, On the Ranch, lists the current Board (above). Michael Holland is representing the Isles as a voting Trustee. This is the first time* that the Isles has had a vote at the Master Association level. Congratulations Mike! Learn more about the PRMA at https://www.palmerranch.net/ {Find the Budget, and more, at About, Resources, Documents}
Correction: In 2014, both Cathy Leetzow and Fred Amazon served as voting Trustees. Leetzow continued until May 2018. Subsequently, the Isles had no representation whatsoever until Mike Holland became a non-voting representative in July 2021, and now a Trustee.
Posted 4/21/24
Corrected 4/29/24
The Master Association operates with a budget of over three million dollars—largely dues that are included in the assessments of each community or activity in its membership. The Isles currently pays $118,475 yearly in support of the Master Association. This amounts to $175.00 per year for each homeowner.
The structure of the Master Association is such that ten Residential Communities--roughly one-third-- are represented by voting members on the Governing Board. Other communities have a “representative” who attends meetings and who may speak on behalf of their respective communities, but have no vote. Those who can vote are Trustees on a 15-member board that also includes businesses and recreational components, such as golf courses.
Remarkably, some communities have landed two votes while many other have none.
The current (April 2024) Master Association Newsletter, On the Ranch, lists the current Board (above). Michael Holland is representing the Isles as a voting Trustee. This is the first time* that the Isles has had a vote at the Master Association level. Congratulations Mike! Learn more about the PRMA at https://www.palmerranch.net/ {Find the Budget, and more, at About, Resources, Documents}
Correction: In 2014, both Cathy Leetzow and Fred Amazon served as voting Trustees. Leetzow continued until May 2018. Subsequently, the Isles had no representation whatsoever until Mike Holland became a non-voting representative in July 2021, and now a Trustee.
Posted 4/21/24
Corrected 4/29/24
ISLES OF SARASOTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACTION SUMMARY 2022-2023
This is a summary based on the published minutes of the Isles HOA Board meetings in 2022 and 2023. The Board may approve expenditures within the Budget and Reserve accounts, plus additional amounts up to one percent of the current budget without approval by the Membership.
Committee appointments are made by the President and with one exception do not require Board approval. The Architectural Control Committee is appointed by the Board and any change requires its approval. Directors hold a fiduciary responsibility to the membership. If a director serves on a committee, they may experience a conflict of interests when the aims of the committee are set against those of the membership at large. Thus it is advisable that directors not hold committee positions. An exception is the Finance Committee, usually headed by the Treasurer.
Corporate business is conducted only when a motion is passed; hence reports and discussions are not considered business in the context of this summary.
2022
February 22
Ratify Bocci Court leveling $8,000
Sanction Ad Hoc Pool Furniture Committee
Sanction Paint Committee
Approve Multi-use Court Resurface ~$22,000
Approve Added Geo Tubes at Pond A $11,400
March 28
Approve Purchase of Pool Furniture $32,120.98
July 26
Sanction Amenities Committee
Transfer Reserve Interest to Bocci Court, $1,000; to Pool Furniture, $8,122;
to Multi-use Court, $3,600
Approve Annual Tennis Court Service $5,500
Approve Replace Tennis Court Wind Screens $10,750
Approve Replace Abaco/Belino Fountain $7,659
Approve Adding Aquatic Plants in ponds $15,726
Approve Oak tree trimming program $45,670
August 17
Appoint Community Cable Consulting as consultant for internet selection
October 19
Approve acceptance of Blue Stream Proposal for Internet Service
November 22
Ratify Blue Stream Contract
Approve 2023 Budget
Approve Reserve Interest Policy (Keep interest with individual accounts)
Update CERT Charter
Approve renewal of BrightView 3-year contract
2023
January 18
No Business conducted
April 26
Approved Paint Colors
Appointed Amenities Committee Chair
Appointed “Fine Committee” Members
Set Fine amounts
Appointed Social Committee Chair (Uhl)
May 24
No Business Conducted
June 28
Approved Bench project Locations 10 & 12
Approved Purchase of Pond 3 Fountain
July 7
Approve purchase of Irrigation clock/timer $23,927.31
August 23
Approve Mulch purchase
November 2
Executive Session – Personnel matters
November 16
Approve 2024 Budget
November 21
No Business Conducted
(Blue Stream Discussion, only)
Posted 4/18/2024
Annual Membership Non-meeting
Well over 100 homeowners filled the Town Center to the brim for the Annual Membership Meeting scheduled Wednesday evening (3/27), but the assembled masses fell short of producing the 30% quorum needed. The total home representation, including proxies, was counted at 182, falling 22 short of the 204 quorum. Although the March issue of Inside Edition had advertised that the meeting would be “available via zoom,” there was no apparent effort to fulfill this expectation.
Accordingly, no annual meeting could be held; no motions could be considered; no votes required. Officially, there was no meeting.
Nevertheless, the HOA Board of Directors weathered bravely on as best they could, assisted by a plethora of folks representing our new management team, the Castle Group. President John Savage turned over the gavel to Melissa Fernandez, Property Manager, who then introduced the Administrative Assistant, Monica Nagar and the new Lifestyle Director, Renee Kinley. Others from Castle included Fiona Didominico, Regional President whose office is in Tampa, and Shelley DeJiacomo, Regional Director from the Lakewood Ranch office. It was noted that the Florida “Home Office” of the Castle Group is located in Plantation, (near Fort Lauderdale).
After committee reports were offered on behalf of the Architectural Control Committee, the Amenities Committee, the Community Emergency Response Team, and the Social Committee (to be known henceforth as the Lifestyle Committee), Savage gave a brief presidential report, noting that Blue Stream has completed the redundancy connections for our Internet service and that the propane tank which fuels the emergency generator for that system is now in place. All this is to be tested in the near future with a simulated outage.
Savage also gave a financial report on behalf of the Treasurer who was unable to attend. It was learned that transition of financial records from RealManage (formerly Argus) is nearly done and we should expect completion by May. The annual audit (due March 31) is being worked on by the same CPA that has served us for several years.
Fiona Didominico gave an extensive power point presentation, outlining details of the many organizational tools used by Castle Group in its on-site property management. Highlights include the use of an annual calendar keeping track of such things as required maintenance, financial, administrative issues, contract terms and renewals, etc., with reports weekly to the HOA Board. Castle maintains what is called “Vendor Smart”-- a listing of vendors and their qualification, and “Smart Architecture” that includes a GPS mapping of the community in which homes that are in active violation are colored red while those in compliance are green. “Town Square” is the terminology used for what will become the central functioning web site, giving homeowners access to most information that our previous web site has attempted to do—the governing documents, your HOA account, work order progress, etc. It was said that our present web site will continue, but will become mostly “fluff.”
It appears that there are issues that will require that a membership meeting be called at some later date. However, it will not be the issue of rolling over excess funds. “There weren't any,” Savage told us. Also, since no new director candidates came forward, no election was needed. The existing Board remains unchanged. Following the “non-adjournment” of the “non-meeting” of members, the HOA Board held a short “Organizational Meeting” to nominate and re-elect Corporate Officers—again, no change.
Posted 3/28/2024
The GENERAL Proxy
Isles Homeowners have recently received a request for GENERAL proxies pertaining to the upcoming Membership Meeting on March 27th. For the first time, the form makes no provision for a LIMITED proxy—one that authorizes approval of specific motions, but not others. A general proxy gives the grantee the right to vote as he/she sees fit, for or against, any matter that comes up.
The Annual Membership Meeting is, or should be, important. It is required by law and by our governing documents—specifically in the Corporate By Laws. Holding this meeting requires that a Quorum be present-- that a significant fraction of the total membership be represented. This is 30% of eligible votes or normally 204 homeowner units.
Among items that need to be approved is the carryover of excess income for use in the succeeding year. This action mitigates imposition of federal income taxes on such funds. In 2019, when no quorum was present, failure to have such a vote resulted in payment of several hundred dollars to Uncle Sam—money that you, as members, had paid with intent that it be used to run the HOA.
Proxies allow members who do not physically attend the meeting to be counted, and help ensure that a quorum will be achieved, so it is agreed that proxies are warranted. But GENERAL proxies can be dangerous. When the Board acquires a sufficient number of such proxies, they are able to out-vote and perhaps off-set votes by those members who have come to the meeting to hear discussion of motions and vote accordingly. If you think this can't happen, be advised that it already did.
In 2017, Counsel was asked to revise our governing documents. A group of homeowners met regularly to study and review the impact of changes--both those being proposed and those that seemed to be needed. They found many conflicts and omissions, and retention of useless provisions. The 2017 Annual Meeting was so well attended that space for it had to be rented, outside. A motion to accept the Counsel's revision was made and seconded, but during discussion, a representative of the review group told homeowners that the revision being offered was not ready for acceptance, and he volunteered the group's assistance in making it more acceptable.
Many, if not most, members in attendance, people who had heard both sides, were ready to defer acceptance, but the Board had other ideas. They used some 300 general proxies to offset the votes of the assembled members and approved the motion. What we have today as our principal governing document, the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, is the deeply flawed result of that vote, despite subsequent modifications that were found necessary, one of which required a special membership meeting later that year.
A secondary result was that many Members lost confidence in their ability to have any say over how their HOA was managed. At the next two annual meetings, a quorum was lacking at the opening hour. In 2018, the property manager was able, after frantic calls, to find enough additional members to effect a quorum, but in 2019, no quorum was ever found and there was effectively no annual meeting that year. A provision for reducing the size of the quorum on a "second try" does exist, but wasn't used. No meeting was held in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
On the Isles Web site, look for minutes of Annual Meetings hidden under "Committees." While minutes of the 2017 meeting are on record, they are not posted online. Clicking “2017” gives only an extra copy of the 2018 meeting. By Laws require that minutes be retained “for at least seven (7) years.” Minutes for years earlier than 2018 will soon be beyond this protection.
Posted 3/17/24
Isles Homeowners have recently received a request for GENERAL proxies pertaining to the upcoming Membership Meeting on March 27th. For the first time, the form makes no provision for a LIMITED proxy—one that authorizes approval of specific motions, but not others. A general proxy gives the grantee the right to vote as he/she sees fit, for or against, any matter that comes up.
The Annual Membership Meeting is, or should be, important. It is required by law and by our governing documents—specifically in the Corporate By Laws. Holding this meeting requires that a Quorum be present-- that a significant fraction of the total membership be represented. This is 30% of eligible votes or normally 204 homeowner units.
Among items that need to be approved is the carryover of excess income for use in the succeeding year. This action mitigates imposition of federal income taxes on such funds. In 2019, when no quorum was present, failure to have such a vote resulted in payment of several hundred dollars to Uncle Sam—money that you, as members, had paid with intent that it be used to run the HOA.
Proxies allow members who do not physically attend the meeting to be counted, and help ensure that a quorum will be achieved, so it is agreed that proxies are warranted. But GENERAL proxies can be dangerous. When the Board acquires a sufficient number of such proxies, they are able to out-vote and perhaps off-set votes by those members who have come to the meeting to hear discussion of motions and vote accordingly. If you think this can't happen, be advised that it already did.
In 2017, Counsel was asked to revise our governing documents. A group of homeowners met regularly to study and review the impact of changes--both those being proposed and those that seemed to be needed. They found many conflicts and omissions, and retention of useless provisions. The 2017 Annual Meeting was so well attended that space for it had to be rented, outside. A motion to accept the Counsel's revision was made and seconded, but during discussion, a representative of the review group told homeowners that the revision being offered was not ready for acceptance, and he volunteered the group's assistance in making it more acceptable.
Many, if not most, members in attendance, people who had heard both sides, were ready to defer acceptance, but the Board had other ideas. They used some 300 general proxies to offset the votes of the assembled members and approved the motion. What we have today as our principal governing document, the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, is the deeply flawed result of that vote, despite subsequent modifications that were found necessary, one of which required a special membership meeting later that year.
A secondary result was that many Members lost confidence in their ability to have any say over how their HOA was managed. At the next two annual meetings, a quorum was lacking at the opening hour. In 2018, the property manager was able, after frantic calls, to find enough additional members to effect a quorum, but in 2019, no quorum was ever found and there was effectively no annual meeting that year. A provision for reducing the size of the quorum on a "second try" does exist, but wasn't used. No meeting was held in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
On the Isles Web site, look for minutes of Annual Meetings hidden under "Committees." While minutes of the 2017 meeting are on record, they are not posted online. Clicking “2017” gives only an extra copy of the 2018 meeting. By Laws require that minutes be retained “for at least seven (7) years.” Minutes for years earlier than 2018 will soon be beyond this protection.
Posted 3/17/24
Board Approves Hiring New Management Company
Approximately sixty homeowners attended the Isles BOD meeting held on Thursday, 1/11/24, while at least 20 more were frustrated in their attempts to watch on Zoom. Board members were unable to activate the audio function, so those members were left talking among themselves.
The subject of the meeting was termination of Argus as our management company, explaining the absence of Argus employees at this meeting. The motion on the floor called for termination of Argus and approval for signing a new contract with Castle Group, effective March 1, subject to resolution of a few remaining items. The proposed contract is currently under review by the Isles legal counsel. The meeting concluded after more than one hour with a vote to approve the motion.
Argus Property Management, Inc. (not to be confused with Argus Management of Venice) was originally employed by DiVosta during development of the Isles and was inherited by the Isles HOA when Turnover occurred in 2013. As a Sarasota based company, Argus manages several hundred properties. In 2022, the company was acquired by RealManage of Plano, Texas. This company claims to be third largest in the country, managing some 5,000 properties. In December, Argus Management “re-branded” to RealManage.
The Isles has (like numerous others) experienced difficulties with management services since the acquisition by RealManage such as late financial reports, failure to maintain oversight of individual homeowner accounts and low response to expressed needs of the community. It should be understood that our management company supplies all onsite personnel (currently Josh, Carolina, Roz, and David) who are technically employees of Argus (now RealManage) so that any change in companies also entails by default a change of personnel in the Isles. It's possible that individuals could be employed by the Isles or by Castle, but this remains an open question. Other concerns with the change involve continuity of financial record keeping, and fulfillment of obligations for an annual audit as required by law. (Ed. note: It is now believed that Roz is employed directly.)
It was noted during the board meeting that the proposed new management company comes at a slightly increased cost. When questioned about this, the treasurer said the difference would be minimal to the homeowner assessments. He did say that an increase has been “cooked into” the 2024 Budget. Looking at that budget, the Management fee (line item 7870) was increased by $2,870 which amounts to an increase of less than five dollars per year for each homeowner.
That this increase was contemplated during formulation of the budget suggests that the Board has been “unofficially” working on this concern for many months despite that it was not brought up in any Board meeting. When questioned about this, President Savage said that a quorum of board members had never met for purposes of discussing this matter.
One item in which Argus has been remiss is issuance of the annual Payment Book used by many homeowners when submitting their quarterly assessments. Savage said he has been assured that they are “in the mail”-- on several occasions. Owners should be aware that rates were increased as of January 1, and that their payments for the first quarter, if not paid, are now overdue. It was announced at the BOD meeting that, in view of existing circumstances late fees will not be assessed for the first quarter. New assessment rates can be found on the Isles Web page, and payment can be made to the same address as in 2023. [Ed. note: For payments after 3/1/24, do NOT use the old address; Castle Group uses a different bank.]
Posted 1/11/24, 3/17/24
The subject of the meeting was termination of Argus as our management company, explaining the absence of Argus employees at this meeting. The motion on the floor called for termination of Argus and approval for signing a new contract with Castle Group, effective March 1, subject to resolution of a few remaining items. The proposed contract is currently under review by the Isles legal counsel. The meeting concluded after more than one hour with a vote to approve the motion.
Argus Property Management, Inc. (not to be confused with Argus Management of Venice) was originally employed by DiVosta during development of the Isles and was inherited by the Isles HOA when Turnover occurred in 2013. As a Sarasota based company, Argus manages several hundred properties. In 2022, the company was acquired by RealManage of Plano, Texas. This company claims to be third largest in the country, managing some 5,000 properties. In December, Argus Management “re-branded” to RealManage.
The Isles has (like numerous others) experienced difficulties with management services since the acquisition by RealManage such as late financial reports, failure to maintain oversight of individual homeowner accounts and low response to expressed needs of the community. It should be understood that our management company supplies all onsite personnel (currently Josh, Carolina, Roz, and David) who are technically employees of Argus (now RealManage) so that any change in companies also entails by default a change of personnel in the Isles. It's possible that individuals could be employed by the Isles or by Castle, but this remains an open question. Other concerns with the change involve continuity of financial record keeping, and fulfillment of obligations for an annual audit as required by law. (Ed. note: It is now believed that Roz is employed directly.)
It was noted during the board meeting that the proposed new management company comes at a slightly increased cost. When questioned about this, the treasurer said the difference would be minimal to the homeowner assessments. He did say that an increase has been “cooked into” the 2024 Budget. Looking at that budget, the Management fee (line item 7870) was increased by $2,870 which amounts to an increase of less than five dollars per year for each homeowner.
That this increase was contemplated during formulation of the budget suggests that the Board has been “unofficially” working on this concern for many months despite that it was not brought up in any Board meeting. When questioned about this, President Savage said that a quorum of board members had never met for purposes of discussing this matter.
One item in which Argus has been remiss is issuance of the annual Payment Book used by many homeowners when submitting their quarterly assessments. Savage said he has been assured that they are “in the mail”-- on several occasions. Owners should be aware that rates were increased as of January 1, and that their payments for the first quarter, if not paid, are now overdue. It was announced at the BOD meeting that, in view of existing circumstances late fees will not be assessed for the first quarter. New assessment rates can be found on the Isles Web page, and payment can be made to the same address as in 2023. [Ed. note: For payments after 3/1/24, do NOT use the old address; Castle Group uses a different bank.]
Posted 1/11/24, 3/17/24
Board Meets Thursday to Approve '24 Budget
The Isles Board of Directors meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, November 16, with the sole purpose of approving a proposed budget for the forthcoming year. The proposal has already been under severe scrutiny by officers of the board as it was developed. Based on past history, it is likely that the budget will be approved substantially, if not totally, as proposed. The grand total is $3,101,282 which is partially offset by a new budget item (5090) that anticipates interest on working capital of $23,695 and $6,000 in miscellaneous income.
In short, this budget, when approved, will result in increases to our quarterly assessments of 12.9 to 14.8 percent, depending on style of home. Total operating expenses are up by 13.7%. As expected, property insurance plays a major role. At more than triple the previous budget, Insurance represents almost a quarter of the total budget increase. To be fair, the 2023 budget for insurance was $25,000 short of the actual cost, making the new budget only double that.
It's worth noting that Home Plant Replacement, Wetland Maintenance, Building Maintenance and Employee Costs have each been boosted by five-digit amounts.
Utilities are the next major item—not too surprising since Internet service was added into the mix. A half-year impact of this item was included in the 2023 Budget, with a full year's cost appearing in 2024. The total year's cost for Blue Stream services provided through the association is $588,313 which comes to $72.42 per month for each household. This includes basic TV and Internet. Upgrades are available at added cost to individual accounts.
As per custom, Blue Stream paid (or was scheduled to pay) the HOA a "signing bonus" of $236,950. In addition, Blue Stream also agreed to remit a refund of one month's charges, some $50,000, due to outages which have occurred during startup. It is unclear how this money, equal to more than 10% of our entire budget, is being applied. The Board of Directors has the option to spend amounts up to 1% of the total budget for unapproved, that is, non-budgeted items. Currently, this would be about $26,000. Anything beyond this requires approval by the Homeowners according to our governing documents. There is little doubt that the Board has used the money appropriately, but Homeowners are entitled to know exactly where it went, even when relieved of the burden of casting a vote.
The new budget also incorporates Reserve Accounts which are increased by $31,697 to a total contribution for the year of $136,639. This is money being set aside for future use when capital items fail or otherwise need replacement. A professional Reserve Study performed during the past year revealed a need to cover higher projected costs.
Here is the proposed 2024 Budget, set against our current budget for comparison:
In short, this budget, when approved, will result in increases to our quarterly assessments of 12.9 to 14.8 percent, depending on style of home. Total operating expenses are up by 13.7%. As expected, property insurance plays a major role. At more than triple the previous budget, Insurance represents almost a quarter of the total budget increase. To be fair, the 2023 budget for insurance was $25,000 short of the actual cost, making the new budget only double that.
It's worth noting that Home Plant Replacement, Wetland Maintenance, Building Maintenance and Employee Costs have each been boosted by five-digit amounts.
Utilities are the next major item—not too surprising since Internet service was added into the mix. A half-year impact of this item was included in the 2023 Budget, with a full year's cost appearing in 2024. The total year's cost for Blue Stream services provided through the association is $588,313 which comes to $72.42 per month for each household. This includes basic TV and Internet. Upgrades are available at added cost to individual accounts.
As per custom, Blue Stream paid (or was scheduled to pay) the HOA a "signing bonus" of $236,950. In addition, Blue Stream also agreed to remit a refund of one month's charges, some $50,000, due to outages which have occurred during startup. It is unclear how this money, equal to more than 10% of our entire budget, is being applied. The Board of Directors has the option to spend amounts up to 1% of the total budget for unapproved, that is, non-budgeted items. Currently, this would be about $26,000. Anything beyond this requires approval by the Homeowners according to our governing documents. There is little doubt that the Board has used the money appropriately, but Homeowners are entitled to know exactly where it went, even when relieved of the burden of casting a vote.
The new budget also incorporates Reserve Accounts which are increased by $31,697 to a total contribution for the year of $136,639. This is money being set aside for future use when capital items fail or otherwise need replacement. A professional Reserve Study performed during the past year revealed a need to cover higher projected costs.
Here is the proposed 2024 Budget, set against our current budget for comparison:
Posted November 15, 2023
So you think painting is easy? Not if you live in the Isles.
As of August 9, the Isles Board has authorized a new set of painting schemes (their word, not ours) which henceforth apply to all Isles homes except the condominiums. A description of the painting rules is two pages long, and the application to the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) is another two pages. These can be found on the Isles Web site at:
http://islesofsarasota.com/ACC%20Painting%20Application%20&%20Guidlines.pdf.
But don't look for any colors here. For that, you must go either to the Town Center, or to a Sherwin-Williams paint store. You may want to hurry, because if your neighbor has already selected the scheme you want, too bad. No two adjoining homes will be allowed similar patterns unless they are attached.
Owners of attached homes must agree on, and use, identical schemes. Only the outside doors may differ. No neighboring villas may choose identical schemes, so if you live in a villa, there could be four or six different owners looking at your selection of color scheme. And don't forget, both attached homes must be painted at the same time—not necessarily by the same painter.
Anyone wanting to paint their home must first get ACC approval, but before you apply, check this: Prior to ACC approval, the home must have a clean roof and no exterior issues--“such as faded house numbers”.
If you were thinking of just painting your homes the same colors it has always been, watch out! This may involve some change. Many existing shutter colors have been eliminated. Black or white are now approved.
Reading from the Guidelines, “A color scheme consists of a body color, one of two accent color choices, and one of two white choices.” Reading further, “Accent colors are for shutters, if any, and front doors. Approved combinations include: Shutters—Accent color #1 or Accent color #2 or white choice or black. Front doors—Same accent color choice as shutters or white.”
Posted 10/15/23
As of August 9, the Isles Board has authorized a new set of painting schemes (their word, not ours) which henceforth apply to all Isles homes except the condominiums. A description of the painting rules is two pages long, and the application to the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) is another two pages. These can be found on the Isles Web site at:
http://islesofsarasota.com/ACC%20Painting%20Application%20&%20Guidlines.pdf.
But don't look for any colors here. For that, you must go either to the Town Center, or to a Sherwin-Williams paint store. You may want to hurry, because if your neighbor has already selected the scheme you want, too bad. No two adjoining homes will be allowed similar patterns unless they are attached.
Owners of attached homes must agree on, and use, identical schemes. Only the outside doors may differ. No neighboring villas may choose identical schemes, so if you live in a villa, there could be four or six different owners looking at your selection of color scheme. And don't forget, both attached homes must be painted at the same time—not necessarily by the same painter.
Anyone wanting to paint their home must first get ACC approval, but before you apply, check this: Prior to ACC approval, the home must have a clean roof and no exterior issues--“such as faded house numbers”.
If you were thinking of just painting your homes the same colors it has always been, watch out! This may involve some change. Many existing shutter colors have been eliminated. Black or white are now approved.
Reading from the Guidelines, “A color scheme consists of a body color, one of two accent color choices, and one of two white choices.” Reading further, “Accent colors are for shutters, if any, and front doors. Approved combinations include: Shutters—Accent color #1 or Accent color #2 or white choice or black. Front doors—Same accent color choice as shutters or white.”
Posted 10/15/23
SOME BASIC HOA HISTORY
The Isles of Sarasota Homeowners Association, Inc. was created well before there were any homeowners here. The Association was incorporated on August 25, 2004, pursuant to Chapter 617 of the laws of the State of Florida.
DiVosta Homes, a Delaware limited partnership, became the “Declarant.” They held all positions on the initial Board, and were the sole “Member” until the first home was sold. They would continue to exercise full control until the “Turnover Date,” an event three months after conveyance of 90% of the homes. The actual Turnover Date was September 1, 2013.
During the seven years in which DiVosta controlled the HOA, they appointed Argus Management as the property manager; they employed Kevin Wells to be association counsel; they contracted with Comcast to provide cable TV services; they contracted with Brinks (merged into ADT in 2010) to provide security monitoring; and they selected Valley Crest (later merged into BrightView) to do landscaping. These entities absorb a major portion of the Isles budget--more than 65%, and they all were initially selected by someone other than ourselves, the homeowners.
Perhaps DiVosta made some good choices, some. In the case of Comcast, the choice was one that proved costly to the homeowners. In 2004, DiVosta signed a contract with Comcast, receiving a $117,000 "compensation" while on the same day assigning to the Isles of Sarasota HOA the burden of fulfilling the contract which at the time was about twice the going rate for basic Bulk TV services, adding $10,000 or more in excess expense, monthly. DiVosta pocketed the signing bonus. A better contract was obtained ten years later, in 2014.
In the nine years since the HOA became managed by the homeowners, none of this has changed, until now. In July, when Blue Stream becomes our Cable TV source, we will experience the first change in a provider among these services since the founding of the HOA in 2004--nearly two decades. This will be the first time, ever, that we, the homeowners, have selected a major provider other than the ones chosen by DiVosta.
As customary, the new contract with Blue Stream includes an up front payment to the HOA--a total of $236,950 to be received in two equal installments. It has been noted that one installment is approximately the amount needed to cover the extra expenses involved with cleaning up after Hurricane Ian--expenses that were not included in any HOA budget. The Board of Directors has the option to spend amounts equal to as much as 1% of the total budget for unapproved, that is, unbudgeted items. Currently, this would be about $26,000. Anything beyond that requires approval by the Homeowners. Just saying.
Updated 4/11/2023
The Isles of Sarasota Homeowners Association, Inc. was created well before there were any homeowners here. The Association was incorporated on August 25, 2004, pursuant to Chapter 617 of the laws of the State of Florida.
DiVosta Homes, a Delaware limited partnership, became the “Declarant.” They held all positions on the initial Board, and were the sole “Member” until the first home was sold. They would continue to exercise full control until the “Turnover Date,” an event three months after conveyance of 90% of the homes. The actual Turnover Date was September 1, 2013.
During the seven years in which DiVosta controlled the HOA, they appointed Argus Management as the property manager; they employed Kevin Wells to be association counsel; they contracted with Comcast to provide cable TV services; they contracted with Brinks (merged into ADT in 2010) to provide security monitoring; and they selected Valley Crest (later merged into BrightView) to do landscaping. These entities absorb a major portion of the Isles budget--more than 65%, and they all were initially selected by someone other than ourselves, the homeowners.
Perhaps DiVosta made some good choices, some. In the case of Comcast, the choice was one that proved costly to the homeowners. In 2004, DiVosta signed a contract with Comcast, receiving a $117,000 "compensation" while on the same day assigning to the Isles of Sarasota HOA the burden of fulfilling the contract which at the time was about twice the going rate for basic Bulk TV services, adding $10,000 or more in excess expense, monthly. DiVosta pocketed the signing bonus. A better contract was obtained ten years later, in 2014.
In the nine years since the HOA became managed by the homeowners, none of this has changed, until now. In July, when Blue Stream becomes our Cable TV source, we will experience the first change in a provider among these services since the founding of the HOA in 2004--nearly two decades. This will be the first time, ever, that we, the homeowners, have selected a major provider other than the ones chosen by DiVosta.
As customary, the new contract with Blue Stream includes an up front payment to the HOA--a total of $236,950 to be received in two equal installments. It has been noted that one installment is approximately the amount needed to cover the extra expenses involved with cleaning up after Hurricane Ian--expenses that were not included in any HOA budget. The Board of Directors has the option to spend amounts equal to as much as 1% of the total budget for unapproved, that is, unbudgeted items. Currently, this would be about $26,000. Anything beyond that requires approval by the Homeowners. Just saying.
Updated 4/11/2023
Board Schedules Monthly Meetings
An historic day in the Isles arrives April 26th when, for the first time in nearly ten years, the Board of Directors will initiate Regular meetings. This is announced in the April newsletter which informs readers that the Board will be meeting on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. The meetings will be available on Zoom for those choosing to watch from home.
This decision will open a significant new path of communication by which homeowners are enabled to convey their concerns—not to just committees or management, but to the Directors, those most responsible for conducting the business of the Association.
This may also provide a more transparent structure for the work of the Board. In theory, all business of the Association is conducted by the Board in open meetings before the homeowners whom the Directors represent. Without regular meetings, much of the business must transpire in ways not easily viewed.
Meetings of the Board, both “Regular” and “Special,” are addressed in the Association Bylaws, Article IV, Paragraph 4.6 and paragraphs following. They provide that homeowners have the right “to speak for 3 minutes with reference to designated agenda items” unless otherwise provided by a Board resolution. It is customary for the agenda to include an item for general comment by members which is an opportunity to address subjects not otherwise included.
To better facilitate communication and recognizing difficulties faced by those attending on Zoom, we suggest that those who wish to speak come to the front of the room where they can be seen and speak on the microphone after identifying themselves by name and address. (A laptop computer set off to the side of the Directors' table contains the camera and microphone that feeds the Zoom transmission.)
Under the Bylaws, the Board is obligated to address any item(s) of business upon petition by 20% of the voting interests. This is a high hurdle and hopefully such action will never become necessary.
Posted 4/3/23
This decision will open a significant new path of communication by which homeowners are enabled to convey their concerns—not to just committees or management, but to the Directors, those most responsible for conducting the business of the Association.
This may also provide a more transparent structure for the work of the Board. In theory, all business of the Association is conducted by the Board in open meetings before the homeowners whom the Directors represent. Without regular meetings, much of the business must transpire in ways not easily viewed.
Meetings of the Board, both “Regular” and “Special,” are addressed in the Association Bylaws, Article IV, Paragraph 4.6 and paragraphs following. They provide that homeowners have the right “to speak for 3 minutes with reference to designated agenda items” unless otherwise provided by a Board resolution. It is customary for the agenda to include an item for general comment by members which is an opportunity to address subjects not otherwise included.
To better facilitate communication and recognizing difficulties faced by those attending on Zoom, we suggest that those who wish to speak come to the front of the room where they can be seen and speak on the microphone after identifying themselves by name and address. (A laptop computer set off to the side of the Directors' table contains the camera and microphone that feeds the Zoom transmission.)
Under the Bylaws, the Board is obligated to address any item(s) of business upon petition by 20% of the voting interests. This is a high hurdle and hopefully such action will never become necessary.
Posted 4/3/23
New Officers Elected
The election of Directors held at the Annual Meeting on March 15th re-seated the five people who had been serving previously. However, at the “Organizational Meeting” held by the Board immediately following the Membership Meeting, the list of officers was somewhat revised. The Board elects its own officers.
John Savage was reelected as president; Robert Wolfgang became vice president; Dennis Fluegel was retained as treasurer, Mike Holland became secretary; and Donna Uhl is director at large.
John Savage was reelected as president; Robert Wolfgang became vice president; Dennis Fluegel was retained as treasurer, Mike Holland became secretary; and Donna Uhl is director at large.
Membership Meeting Scheduled March 15 Wednesday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Center is the date set for the 2023 Annual Meeting in the first announcement. This is also a call for candidates to fill the three Board of Director seats that will become open at that time. Expressions of interest are due by February 3, at 2:00 p.m. The second notice, revealing candidates, with ballots, is to be delivered “not less than 14 days nor more than 34 days” before the meeting—between February 9 and March 1 (per Bylaws 3.7).
If you've considered being a candidate--wonderful! Do it. Sadly, there's little way of knowing what your competition may be. Will the present board members “re-up”? Will more seats open up? How many other new candidates will apply? None of this is known at this time as the deadline for application approaches. But do it! Perhaps there will be an election. Perhaps.
In 2013, when the first board was elected, about a dozen people were in the running for four available seats (one of the five was reserved for a DiVosta representative). In the nine years since then, interest in serving has diminished to the point that, for lack of candidates, only three elections have actually transpired.
The original Declaration provided that the Board would consist of “not less than five (5) nor more than seven (7)” persons--the exact number to be set by the Board before each election. In 2016, the Articles of Incorporation were revised, setting the number at five. With a quorum of three, this creates the possibility of a meeting in which only two Directors might be a controlling majority.
Under Robert's Rules of Order, our Board is considered a “deliberative body." It is the job of the Board to do the business of the Association with each Director being fully equal to each other. Selection as an officer of the Association entails additional duties but no additional powers. Under Robert's Rules, all issues are initially placed “on the floor” as a motion, seconded, and then discussed. After full discussion, a vote is held during which the President votes ONLY to break or create a tie. The President offers no motions. His job is to preside, without bias. If he wishes to participate in the discussion, he relinquishes the chair to someone else. This is how a deliberative body would work under Robert's Rules.
Revision of our governing documents in 2016 changed the use of Robert's Rules by our Board. Previously those rules would “govern” but now they only “guide.” In truth, our Boards have rarely lived up to even this low bar requirement, meaningless as it may be.
In reviewing how well our Board fulfills its purpose as a deliberative body, one might ask:
- How often is any motion discussed, pro and con, prior to vote?
- How often has a motion been disapproved by vote of the Board?
- How often has any Director cast a dissenting vote against any motion?
- How often has the Board met without any substantive motions?
In practice, agenda items are brought up for “discussion “ and after a presentation by either the President or the Property Manager, a motion to approve is requested, given, seconded, and unanimously approved. Meetings intended to simply showcase issues to an audience of homeowners (usually not more than 20%) should be designated "workshops," not Board meetings.
When Bylaws were revised in 2016, a provision was added saying, “The designation and inclusion of agenda items for Board meetings shall be at the discretion of the President.” Other agenda items can be included if a request is made by two Directors, in writing. This provision seems designed to block, rather than facilitate, the consideration of issues by the Board, and this may well be its intention. Our legal counsel is an advocate for a strong presidency.
The appearance is that the Board is simply a “rubber stamp” for decisions in which the Board, itself, has little participation. This being the case, it is little wonder that interest has waned. Change requires that those on the Board, both new and old, fully recognize and exercise their responsibility as members of a deliberative body.
Fortunately we enjoy the presence of two strong leaders, the President and the Property Manager, who together do the work of the Board effectively. But experience teaches us that this is not always the case. This is why we need to strengthen our Board.
Posted 01/23/23
Budget Meeting Held On November 22, the Board met and conducted the annual “budget meeting” with homeowners watching on, both in person and from other locations by ZOOM. Four of the five Directors were present, while the Treasurer, recently afflicted with COVID, attended online.
Reports were received from several committees: the Rules Committee by Robert Brosnan, the CERT Committee by Jim Fonk, and the Grounds Committee by Jeanne Feldstein. President Savage spoke briefly concerning work of the Paint Committee.
Director Mike Holland, who has been representing The Isles at meetings of the Palmer Ranch Master Association spoke about how this entity (to which we commit $113,120 per year) performs its work. The number of Trustee positions is limited so that many residential communities, including The Isles, get only a designated representative who observes and comments, but has no vote. Holland indicated that a voting position may be coming open, and it is hoped that it can be filled with an Isles person.
Under Old Business, the Board was asked to ratify a contract with Blue Stream to provide TV and Internet Service beginning in July of next year, after the Comcast contract ends. The motion was approved unanimously. Since bulk Internet service will be added, there will be an increase in cost to the HOA reflected in the budget. Homeowners currently subscribing to Internet will experience a net savings.
Some people have asked why the fee for this service, as shown in the budget, increases immediately on January first, rather than remaining flat until the new contract takes effect. This is because the budget reflects a leveled mingling of the two fees. While the increase in the 2023 budget reflects only six months of increase, a full year's boost will be included in the 2024 budget.
When New Business was addressed, the first item dealt with funding refurbishment of the swimming pool. Bids to do the required work showed that Reserves set aside for it are insufficient. Accordingly, the Board voted to move $30,000 from operating funds to the appropriate reserve fund.
Secondly, was to approve the 2023 Budget, a copy of which was included with the meeting announcement sent (by mail or email) to all homeowners. This budget was quickly passed. It will result in roughly a 12% increase to quarterly assessments.
A motion to change policy regarding handling of accrued interest on Reserve Funds was approved. This measure will result in interest being distributed to the individual funds, quarterly.
A motion to revise the charter for the CERT committee was passed. Under this revision, all participants in CERT, auxiliary members as well as those holding official CERT training certification, will have equal voting rights within the CERT Committee.
Contracts for BrightView landscaping were approved.
The date for the next Annual Meeting was set as March 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
After some open discussion by homeowners focusing on parking, speeding, and landscaping performance, the meeting closed at 7:45 p.m.
The Board was then scheduled to meet in executive session to discuss personnel performance and remuneration.
Posted 11/25/22
Rev. 11/28/22
Reports were received from several committees: the Rules Committee by Robert Brosnan, the CERT Committee by Jim Fonk, and the Grounds Committee by Jeanne Feldstein. President Savage spoke briefly concerning work of the Paint Committee.
Director Mike Holland, who has been representing The Isles at meetings of the Palmer Ranch Master Association spoke about how this entity (to which we commit $113,120 per year) performs its work. The number of Trustee positions is limited so that many residential communities, including The Isles, get only a designated representative who observes and comments, but has no vote. Holland indicated that a voting position may be coming open, and it is hoped that it can be filled with an Isles person.
Under Old Business, the Board was asked to ratify a contract with Blue Stream to provide TV and Internet Service beginning in July of next year, after the Comcast contract ends. The motion was approved unanimously. Since bulk Internet service will be added, there will be an increase in cost to the HOA reflected in the budget. Homeowners currently subscribing to Internet will experience a net savings.
Some people have asked why the fee for this service, as shown in the budget, increases immediately on January first, rather than remaining flat until the new contract takes effect. This is because the budget reflects a leveled mingling of the two fees. While the increase in the 2023 budget reflects only six months of increase, a full year's boost will be included in the 2024 budget.
When New Business was addressed, the first item dealt with funding refurbishment of the swimming pool. Bids to do the required work showed that Reserves set aside for it are insufficient. Accordingly, the Board voted to move $30,000 from operating funds to the appropriate reserve fund.
Secondly, was to approve the 2023 Budget, a copy of which was included with the meeting announcement sent (by mail or email) to all homeowners. This budget was quickly passed. It will result in roughly a 12% increase to quarterly assessments.
A motion to change policy regarding handling of accrued interest on Reserve Funds was approved. This measure will result in interest being distributed to the individual funds, quarterly.
A motion to revise the charter for the CERT committee was passed. Under this revision, all participants in CERT, auxiliary members as well as those holding official CERT training certification, will have equal voting rights within the CERT Committee.
Contracts for BrightView landscaping were approved.
The date for the next Annual Meeting was set as March 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
After some open discussion by homeowners focusing on parking, speeding, and landscaping performance, the meeting closed at 7:45 p.m.
The Board was then scheduled to meet in executive session to discuss personnel performance and remuneration.
Posted 11/25/22
Rev. 11/28/22
12% Assessment Increases Projected for 2023
The Board of Directors meets Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Center to consider the new budget for 2023. If the proposed budget, now totaling $2.7M, is approved as is, the bottom line will be an increase of approximately 12% to quarterly assessments.
At first glance, the proposed budget shows a $44,590 reduction in operating expenses from 2022. However, these figures are misleading due to two major disparities between the two budgets. First, the earlier budget includes a one-time charge for Pond Bank Erosion Mitigation of $280,886. Secondly, the actual out-of-pocket cost to homeowners was offset in 2022 by the application of $299,911 in previously accumulated “working capital” funds. For the first time since 2014, there will be no supplementary funds used in 2023. Thus, the new budget starts off in the hole some $19,000 before any changes in costs.
Factors significantly impacting the budget include a $94,027 increase in the two landscaping contracts, an increase of $181,854 for Cable TV, and a 21% increase in the allocation to Reserve accounts. With all factors taken into account, Isles homeowners will be picking up a bill that is $296,316 larger.
Increases in quarterly assessments will not fall evenly because cost of the Landscaping Contract for Homes is applied in relation to home size. This contract is set to increase by $34,351. A similar landscaping item not included in the main contract, “Plant and Tree replacement for homes,” budgeted at $100,000, is applied evenly. The landscaping contract for Common grounds is jumping by 25% while the one for Homes will be up by 7.4%. These two contracts with BrightView total $795,000.
It should be noted that the increased budgeting for Cable TV anticipates, for the first time, inclusion of Internet service after a new contract becomes effective in mid-year. For many homeowners, this extra cost will be offset by eliminating higher Internet charges they now pay individually. The 2023 budget does not appear to take advantage of expected “door fees” that the HOA expects to receive when it signs the new contract.
Looking at Reserve Accounts, anticipated replacement costs for numerous assets are being adjusted upward by $120,829, resulting in an overall increase of some $18,000 in annual reserve allotment. This is an amount added to homeowner assessments to cover replacement of certain common assets when needed.
While anticipating significant increases in 2023, never welcome, Isles homeowners can take some satisfaction in recognizing that the proposed assessments are only 16% over what they were ten years earlier.
Posted 11/10/2022
At first glance, the proposed budget shows a $44,590 reduction in operating expenses from 2022. However, these figures are misleading due to two major disparities between the two budgets. First, the earlier budget includes a one-time charge for Pond Bank Erosion Mitigation of $280,886. Secondly, the actual out-of-pocket cost to homeowners was offset in 2022 by the application of $299,911 in previously accumulated “working capital” funds. For the first time since 2014, there will be no supplementary funds used in 2023. Thus, the new budget starts off in the hole some $19,000 before any changes in costs.
Factors significantly impacting the budget include a $94,027 increase in the two landscaping contracts, an increase of $181,854 for Cable TV, and a 21% increase in the allocation to Reserve accounts. With all factors taken into account, Isles homeowners will be picking up a bill that is $296,316 larger.
Increases in quarterly assessments will not fall evenly because cost of the Landscaping Contract for Homes is applied in relation to home size. This contract is set to increase by $34,351. A similar landscaping item not included in the main contract, “Plant and Tree replacement for homes,” budgeted at $100,000, is applied evenly. The landscaping contract for Common grounds is jumping by 25% while the one for Homes will be up by 7.4%. These two contracts with BrightView total $795,000.
It should be noted that the increased budgeting for Cable TV anticipates, for the first time, inclusion of Internet service after a new contract becomes effective in mid-year. For many homeowners, this extra cost will be offset by eliminating higher Internet charges they now pay individually. The 2023 budget does not appear to take advantage of expected “door fees” that the HOA expects to receive when it signs the new contract.
Looking at Reserve Accounts, anticipated replacement costs for numerous assets are being adjusted upward by $120,829, resulting in an overall increase of some $18,000 in annual reserve allotment. This is an amount added to homeowner assessments to cover replacement of certain common assets when needed.
While anticipating significant increases in 2023, never welcome, Isles homeowners can take some satisfaction in recognizing that the proposed assessments are only 16% over what they were ten years earlier.
Posted 11/10/2022
Board Approves Change in TV/Internet Provider
More than sixty members convened in the Town Center while another 40 or so watched on ZOOM as the Board of Directors met Wednesday evening, October 19, with only one item on the agenda—approval of a new contract for Cable TV and Internet services.
President John Savage led an hour-long discussion about the review process that resulted in a motion unanimously approved by the Board near the conclusion of the meeting. Blue Stream was selected.
See Home - Blue Stream Fiber
Xfinity, nee Comcast, has provided Cable TV on a bulk basis to the Association since before Turnover of the HOA to homeowners. This means that homeowners have received basic cable TV with the cost included in the quarterly assessments. The current 5-year contract, which ends June 28, 2023, includes annual increases in cost. The cost to homeowners, included in the assessments, is now at $36.12 per month, or $108.36 quarterly, for each home.
It is industry practice for Homeowner Associations to be paid a “door fee” by the provider at the time of signing, based on the number of homes in the contract—a sum well into six figures. While property manager Josh Jones says this money can be used as determined by the Board, it has in recent years been fed back into the budget to offset some of the Cable TV cost. Our governing documents allow the Board to make non-budgeted expenditures of no more than 1% of the total budget, so spending a windfall of, say $300,000, might warrant Membership approval.
Parenthetically, there is a sordid history relating to an earlier Comcast contract--one made prior to Turnover. In control of HOA finances, the developer, DiVosta, signed a contract committing the HOA to pay $49.71 per month, per home (2013 figures). A generous door fee to the HOA was likely involved, but DiVosta never passed it along. When a new contract was signed in 2014, the cost dropped by almost a fourth, to $37.99.
As explained by Savage, consideration of a new contract, to take effect upon expiration of the current Xfinity contract on June 28, 2023, involved three factors: (1) Should we continue to include a bulk purchase in our budget? (2) Should we add Internet service to the package? And (3) should we upgrade our infrastructure to a fiber optic delivery system? Based on a poll of Homeowners (38% participating), it was found that acceptance of all three was the favored course of action.
Recognizing the complexity of these questions, the Board engaged the services of a company which gives specific advice on the matter, Community Cable Consultants. They assisted in preparation of an RFP (request for proposal) which was then provided to four cable providers: Xfinity (formerly Comcast), Frontier (formerly Verizon), Blue Stream, and Hotwire. Three of the four responded, with Frontier declining.
Blue Stream and Hotwire, companies which deal only in bulk contracts, both proposed to install fiber optics—representing a multi-million-dollar investment. Xfinity would do so, optionally. In all cases, the cost of construction would be paid by the provider while requiring a ten-year contract. A critical difference, however, was the option to drop Cable TV (retaining only Internet) at an earlier date. Blue Stream and Hotwire both offered such options after one or two years, while Xfinity did not. The latter would require the Cable TV service to continue for the full ten years.
Board members conducted an extensive investigation into the satisfaction level of each company's current clients. Other factors were the cost, size of the door fee, the Internet speed, equipment provisions, and the customer service. Xfinity fell short of the other two in most areas.
While Blue Stream and Hotwire were in many respects similar, it was felt that Blue Stream had shown a higher level of interest from their top management. Accordingly, they were selected.
Most of this information, and more, is available on the Isles web site at THE ISLES on Palmer Ranch (islesofsarasota.com)
Posted 10/21/2022, 11/02/2022
More than sixty members convened in the Town Center while another 40 or so watched on ZOOM as the Board of Directors met Wednesday evening, October 19, with only one item on the agenda—approval of a new contract for Cable TV and Internet services.
President John Savage led an hour-long discussion about the review process that resulted in a motion unanimously approved by the Board near the conclusion of the meeting. Blue Stream was selected.
See Home - Blue Stream Fiber
Xfinity, nee Comcast, has provided Cable TV on a bulk basis to the Association since before Turnover of the HOA to homeowners. This means that homeowners have received basic cable TV with the cost included in the quarterly assessments. The current 5-year contract, which ends June 28, 2023, includes annual increases in cost. The cost to homeowners, included in the assessments, is now at $36.12 per month, or $108.36 quarterly, for each home.
It is industry practice for Homeowner Associations to be paid a “door fee” by the provider at the time of signing, based on the number of homes in the contract—a sum well into six figures. While property manager Josh Jones says this money can be used as determined by the Board, it has in recent years been fed back into the budget to offset some of the Cable TV cost. Our governing documents allow the Board to make non-budgeted expenditures of no more than 1% of the total budget, so spending a windfall of, say $300,000, might warrant Membership approval.
Parenthetically, there is a sordid history relating to an earlier Comcast contract--one made prior to Turnover. In control of HOA finances, the developer, DiVosta, signed a contract committing the HOA to pay $49.71 per month, per home (2013 figures). A generous door fee to the HOA was likely involved, but DiVosta never passed it along. When a new contract was signed in 2014, the cost dropped by almost a fourth, to $37.99.
As explained by Savage, consideration of a new contract, to take effect upon expiration of the current Xfinity contract on June 28, 2023, involved three factors: (1) Should we continue to include a bulk purchase in our budget? (2) Should we add Internet service to the package? And (3) should we upgrade our infrastructure to a fiber optic delivery system? Based on a poll of Homeowners (38% participating), it was found that acceptance of all three was the favored course of action.
Recognizing the complexity of these questions, the Board engaged the services of a company which gives specific advice on the matter, Community Cable Consultants. They assisted in preparation of an RFP (request for proposal) which was then provided to four cable providers: Xfinity (formerly Comcast), Frontier (formerly Verizon), Blue Stream, and Hotwire. Three of the four responded, with Frontier declining.
Blue Stream and Hotwire, companies which deal only in bulk contracts, both proposed to install fiber optics—representing a multi-million-dollar investment. Xfinity would do so, optionally. In all cases, the cost of construction would be paid by the provider while requiring a ten-year contract. A critical difference, however, was the option to drop Cable TV (retaining only Internet) at an earlier date. Blue Stream and Hotwire both offered such options after one or two years, while Xfinity did not. The latter would require the Cable TV service to continue for the full ten years.
Board members conducted an extensive investigation into the satisfaction level of each company's current clients. Other factors were the cost, size of the door fee, the Internet speed, equipment provisions, and the customer service. Xfinity fell short of the other two in most areas.
While Blue Stream and Hotwire were in many respects similar, it was felt that Blue Stream had shown a higher level of interest from their top management. Accordingly, they were selected.
Most of this information, and more, is available on the Isles web site at THE ISLES on Palmer Ranch (islesofsarasota.com)
Posted 10/21/2022, 11/02/2022
Things you might like to know about BrightView
When the new property manager arrived, he agreed that the biggest concern facing him is landscaping. New procedures were implemented to facilitate homeowners sending work orders directly to the BrightView managers, avoiding delays as they flow through the property office. Each online request produces a record to allow follow-up by the property manager. A new staff position has been created, allowing closer supervision of Landscaping.
Since our current expenditures with BrightView total almost a million dollars annually, and our contracts with them increasing by 2% each year, landscaping is by far our greatest HOA expense. Perhaps we should get to know BrightView a little better.
BrightView was formed by the merger of two giants in the landscaping world. The Brickman Group, founded in 1939, and Valley Crest, founded in 1949, merged in 2014 to form BrightView Holdings, Inc. Since then, they have continued to grow, going public in 2018, trading on the New York Stock Exchange (stock symbol BV).
This company now has a market value of $1.85 billion and has 19,400 full time employees. It has two divisions, one which is Maintenance Services and the other, Development Services. Maintenance Services, with whom we deal, claims as customers 13,000 office and business parks, 9,000 residential communities (that would include The Isles), and 450 educational entities.
Revenues for BV in 2018 rose to $2.4 billion and gross profit was $701 million. However, the company was able to show a loss of $15 million after application of all expenses and tax credits. The earnings per share has been in decline for the past five years, but is projected to increase, year over year, by about 8% in the next year. The quarterly earnings announced on November 21, 2019, was $0.44 vs. $0.42 the year before.
BrightView is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. They have 28 locations in Florida, including Sarasota.
Posted 10/17/2019
Since our current expenditures with BrightView total almost a million dollars annually, and our contracts with them increasing by 2% each year, landscaping is by far our greatest HOA expense. Perhaps we should get to know BrightView a little better.
BrightView was formed by the merger of two giants in the landscaping world. The Brickman Group, founded in 1939, and Valley Crest, founded in 1949, merged in 2014 to form BrightView Holdings, Inc. Since then, they have continued to grow, going public in 2018, trading on the New York Stock Exchange (stock symbol BV).
This company now has a market value of $1.85 billion and has 19,400 full time employees. It has two divisions, one which is Maintenance Services and the other, Development Services. Maintenance Services, with whom we deal, claims as customers 13,000 office and business parks, 9,000 residential communities (that would include The Isles), and 450 educational entities.
Revenues for BV in 2018 rose to $2.4 billion and gross profit was $701 million. However, the company was able to show a loss of $15 million after application of all expenses and tax credits. The earnings per share has been in decline for the past five years, but is projected to increase, year over year, by about 8% in the next year. The quarterly earnings announced on November 21, 2019, was $0.44 vs. $0.42 the year before.
BrightView is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. They have 28 locations in Florida, including Sarasota.
Posted 10/17/2019
Background Information about the Irrigation System
The original irrigation system installed by DiVosta more than a decade ago included seven Tucor "clocks"-- bought from Tucor, Inc. When Phase 3 (the Fairmont addition) was built, two addition clocks, purchased from Hunter Industries, were added. Each of these nine clocks watches over roughly 90 "decoders," each of which controls the sprinklers for a particular home site. Others are controlling the underground watering lines, and these are usually associated with several homes, each. The decoders are subject to wear and tear and must be periodically replaced.
BrightView irrigation personnel are able to monitor and control each of the decoders individually, using a handheld device. However, the Tucor and Hunter systems are not interchangeable. The decoders for one can not be used with the other, and the handheld controllers are separate. Further, it is reported that BrightView has found Tucor difficult to work with and when the Tucor handheld controllers have failed, they have been unable to get repairs. Accordingly, the plan is to replace, as needed, all the remaining Tucor clocks and decoders with Hunter equipment.
When the Tucor clocks are replaced (one was replaced last year, and now 3 more) the decoders must also be replaced (at a cost of $120 each). The old Tucor decoders are salvageable, and will be used to replace failing decoders on the five remaining Tucor clocks. Two hundred and eighty of these may become available as the three new Hunter clocks are installed. These decoders have a value, when new, of $33,600. We will need to keep enough Tucor clocks in service, long enough, to recapture the value lost by removing them.
Record Rains have filled the Ponds
Understanding Working Capital (or not)
Shadow's note: This article is now outdated. We will update it later, time permitting.
Open any corporate report and look for “Working Capital.” You won't find it. Only in the Financial report of the Isles is this term used as a listed asset. Let's face it. If we wanted to establish a large Slush Fund, we certainly wouldn't want to call it by that name. We might give it a dignified name, like “Working Capital.”
In recent years, the Finance Committee has been engaged in a reduction of excess accumulated cash, aka “Net Income,” by applying some of it each year for the lawful purposes intended. It was realized that this could not go on forever, since these funds would eventually be expended. That time has not yet come.
From the beginning of the HOA, new home buyers were required to contribute a sum for “Working Capital” equal to two months of the regular assessment. If applied today, that would total $376,000, a reasonable amount. Later, members of the Finance Committee decided to increase working capital by 25%, to a 2 ½ month level. This figure would be $470,000. While this may be viewed as overly generous, it is still within reason.
However, the funds listed in our Balance Sheet as “Working Capital” are only a fraction of our real working capital. Working capital is ALL of our current assets. This figure varies on a quarterly cycle, as assessments are received and expended. Over the three-month period ending in August it has ranged from $1,042,000 to $846,000. (Current Assets less Reserve Funds)
Using the most conservative figures, when the amount of working capital we wish to retain is subtracted, we discover that we still have an excess of $376,000 in retained earnings available to subsidize future budgets. This is enough to negate any need for increases in the assessments for at least the next two years, probably more.
Looking at the Balance Sheet which is part of the monthly Finance Report of the Isles, we find three major pools of money. One is simply called “Checking.” As of August, it amounts to $415,000, and this should be our real working capital. Then comes a line entitled “Reserve Funds,” with $478,000. This is money set aside to replace stuff that wears out. Finally we come to the line erroneously called “Working Capital” amounting to $400,000. All of this totals $1.29 million sitting in bank accounts and CDs. (Since all of this is listed as "Current Assets," it is all, technically. working capital, although the Reserves should be moved to Long Term Assets.)
So, what is working capital in the real world? The first purpose of working capital is to simply pay current obligations. In an HOA, this is handled with regular quarterly input from homeowners. Perhaps these inputs don't exactly line up with certain obligations, and this might justify some added working capital or, if income runs ahead of need (as with our mulch, for instance) perhaps it justifies less working capital. Businesses may maintain additional working capital for purposes such as inventory (you've seen those acres of RVs) or to extend credit to their customers. Neither of these apply to an HOA. From an accountant's viewpoint, working capital would not appear as a line in the Balance Sheet. It would be a characteristic of the Balance Sheet--the ratio of Current Assets to Current Liabilities. This ratio answers the question, “Can we pay the bills that come due this month?” Usually, a ratio of 1:1 is sufficient. Added factors might drive it up to 2.0 if we were in the RV or pharmaceutical business. The nature of an HOA suggests that only minimum working capital is needed but the ratio for the Isles is currently almost 3.
The Isles has generated surpluses every year of its existence. Since 2015, there has been an effort to gradually return these funds by offsetting a portion of the maintenance assessments. However, to the extent that approved budgets are over-stated, the effort to return excess cash falls short because inflated budgets demand greater assessments. While the HOA points to nearly a million dollars supposedly “returned” during the past four years, homeowners benefited by less than half this amount, To some degree it was the same money being “returned” year after year while inflated assessments took it away. This year, our net income after 8 months is $68,365. At this rate we would accumulate some $103,000 by the end of the year.
How much excess cash is still available, and for how long will it help mitigate rising fees? Applying a reasonable working capital ratio, available funds at the end of 2018 were excessive by more than $400,000, but the Board allotted only $75,000 to the “rollover” this year. The result is an increase of $127,276 in cash assessments despite a smaller budget. If the Board continues to hold to its $400,000 slush fund, the days of assessment mitigation may be history. This should not be allowed to happen.
We have already been witness to the dangers associated with slush funds. In June, 2019. when the cost of a new pumping station reared its ugly head ($124,800), the Treasurer assured us, “No problem, we have the money.” Indeed, they did. But it was our money, and (legally) they should have asked us before they spent it. They did not.
Posted 4/19/2019,
Updated 9/28/2019
Open any corporate report and look for “Working Capital.” You won't find it. Only in the Financial report of the Isles is this term used as a listed asset. Let's face it. If we wanted to establish a large Slush Fund, we certainly wouldn't want to call it by that name. We might give it a dignified name, like “Working Capital.”
In recent years, the Finance Committee has been engaged in a reduction of excess accumulated cash, aka “Net Income,” by applying some of it each year for the lawful purposes intended. It was realized that this could not go on forever, since these funds would eventually be expended. That time has not yet come.
From the beginning of the HOA, new home buyers were required to contribute a sum for “Working Capital” equal to two months of the regular assessment. If applied today, that would total $376,000, a reasonable amount. Later, members of the Finance Committee decided to increase working capital by 25%, to a 2 ½ month level. This figure would be $470,000. While this may be viewed as overly generous, it is still within reason.
However, the funds listed in our Balance Sheet as “Working Capital” are only a fraction of our real working capital. Working capital is ALL of our current assets. This figure varies on a quarterly cycle, as assessments are received and expended. Over the three-month period ending in August it has ranged from $1,042,000 to $846,000. (Current Assets less Reserve Funds)
Using the most conservative figures, when the amount of working capital we wish to retain is subtracted, we discover that we still have an excess of $376,000 in retained earnings available to subsidize future budgets. This is enough to negate any need for increases in the assessments for at least the next two years, probably more.
Looking at the Balance Sheet which is part of the monthly Finance Report of the Isles, we find three major pools of money. One is simply called “Checking.” As of August, it amounts to $415,000, and this should be our real working capital. Then comes a line entitled “Reserve Funds,” with $478,000. This is money set aside to replace stuff that wears out. Finally we come to the line erroneously called “Working Capital” amounting to $400,000. All of this totals $1.29 million sitting in bank accounts and CDs. (Since all of this is listed as "Current Assets," it is all, technically. working capital, although the Reserves should be moved to Long Term Assets.)
So, what is working capital in the real world? The first purpose of working capital is to simply pay current obligations. In an HOA, this is handled with regular quarterly input from homeowners. Perhaps these inputs don't exactly line up with certain obligations, and this might justify some added working capital or, if income runs ahead of need (as with our mulch, for instance) perhaps it justifies less working capital. Businesses may maintain additional working capital for purposes such as inventory (you've seen those acres of RVs) or to extend credit to their customers. Neither of these apply to an HOA. From an accountant's viewpoint, working capital would not appear as a line in the Balance Sheet. It would be a characteristic of the Balance Sheet--the ratio of Current Assets to Current Liabilities. This ratio answers the question, “Can we pay the bills that come due this month?” Usually, a ratio of 1:1 is sufficient. Added factors might drive it up to 2.0 if we were in the RV or pharmaceutical business. The nature of an HOA suggests that only minimum working capital is needed but the ratio for the Isles is currently almost 3.
The Isles has generated surpluses every year of its existence. Since 2015, there has been an effort to gradually return these funds by offsetting a portion of the maintenance assessments. However, to the extent that approved budgets are over-stated, the effort to return excess cash falls short because inflated budgets demand greater assessments. While the HOA points to nearly a million dollars supposedly “returned” during the past four years, homeowners benefited by less than half this amount, To some degree it was the same money being “returned” year after year while inflated assessments took it away. This year, our net income after 8 months is $68,365. At this rate we would accumulate some $103,000 by the end of the year.
How much excess cash is still available, and for how long will it help mitigate rising fees? Applying a reasonable working capital ratio, available funds at the end of 2018 were excessive by more than $400,000, but the Board allotted only $75,000 to the “rollover” this year. The result is an increase of $127,276 in cash assessments despite a smaller budget. If the Board continues to hold to its $400,000 slush fund, the days of assessment mitigation may be history. This should not be allowed to happen.
We have already been witness to the dangers associated with slush funds. In June, 2019. when the cost of a new pumping station reared its ugly head ($124,800), the Treasurer assured us, “No problem, we have the money.” Indeed, they did. But it was our money, and (legally) they should have asked us before they spent it. They did not.
Posted 4/19/2019,
Updated 9/28/2019
Have you checked out the "ALERTS" page? The link is at the top of this page.
Keep watching -- more will be added to it in the near future.
Keep watching -- more will be added to it in the near future.
Master Association Business
Included in Isles Homeowners' assessments are charges to cover dues to the Palmer Ranch Master Property Owners Association (PRMPOA), amounting to $167 per home. Annual dues for the Isles add up to $113,100--approximately 5% of our total budget. The total 2022 Budget for PRMPOA is $2,630,748 and the approved budget for 2023 is $3,153,395 This cost is distributed to 11,948 members.
The PRMPOA is governed by 15 voting trustees, of which 10 represent some 30+ residential communities in Palmer Ranch. The other five represent commercial and recreational interests. Residential communities have the option of assigning a "Representatives" who can attend meetings but have no vote at bi-monthly Trustee meetings. Representatives do have a vote in the annual Members meeting, held in March.
Past Isles president Ken Keys appointed Mike Holland as Isles Representative to the PRMPOA. Others who have served in past years include Cathy Leetzow , Fred Amazon, Bob Stickney, Bill Taft, Don Hildewig, and John Savage. Our Board has never requested or received a report from its representative.
Trustee and/or Board Meetings in 2022 are scheduled on January 27, March 24, May 19, July 28, September 22 and November 17. Additional information is available here and here.
The PRMPOA is governed by 15 voting trustees, of which 10 represent some 30+ residential communities in Palmer Ranch. The other five represent commercial and recreational interests. Residential communities have the option of assigning a "Representatives" who can attend meetings but have no vote at bi-monthly Trustee meetings. Representatives do have a vote in the annual Members meeting, held in March.
Past Isles president Ken Keys appointed Mike Holland as Isles Representative to the PRMPOA. Others who have served in past years include Cathy Leetzow , Fred Amazon, Bob Stickney, Bill Taft, Don Hildewig, and John Savage. Our Board has never requested or received a report from its representative.
Trustee and/or Board Meetings in 2022 are scheduled on January 27, March 24, May 19, July 28, September 22 and November 17. Additional information is available here and here.
NEW AD HOC MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE REVEALED
As much of the Isles reaches its decennial, exterior maintenance is coming into focus, especially older homes and attached buildings where more than one owner is involved. More than half of the homes, such as villas and town houses, fall into the attached home category. While this also includes 72 condominium units, concerns about maintenance on these fall to the Lakeside Board of Directors, not on individual owners. A walk or drive around the community shows many homes and roofs in need of power washing and many with fading or chalking paint.
Per a posting at the Post office, it has come to notice that president Ken Keys has appointed an ad hoc Maintenance Committee which met on February 13 and again February 26. This was the first time any public notice was given. Although it will meet again soon, members noted that it was already too late for the next meeting to be included in the forthcoming newsletter or calendar. Chairman Dennis Fluegal said that he had been advised that the agenda for the Annual Members meeting does not include any item relating to the committee.
Minutes of the earlier February meeting show adoption of a statement of purpose which is “To recommend to the Board of Directors any processes and procedures by which roof cleaning and exterior building maintenance can be performed in a timely fashion to maintain the best appearance of our community.” The committee will not supercede any standing committee (such as Rules or ACC), but will merely research maintenance options and advise the Board.
Other members of this committee include Carol Solomon who also chairs the Architectural Control Committee, Tammy Terpening, board member of the Lakeside Condominiums, JoAnn Bruno, and Larry Feldstein.
On February 26, the committee met with a representative from Sherwin Williams Co. who advised the them on various qualities of paints and proper application procedures. The company provides six quality levels with varying life expectancies. When asked about existing paint, he said that new stucco construction often failed to allow time for PH stabilization before paint application, thus reducing paint life expectancy. He said any visible “chalking” indicates paint breakdown. He agreed to provide a statement of requirements that can be used in soliciting bids for repainting, and to also provide a list of recommended painters.
The committee has also been collecting a list of possible providers for pressure washing homes and roofs, along with some standardized cost proposals for various sized buildings.
The committee had been previously advised that nothing they suggest should require any changes to the governing documents or changes in assessments, “because this would require a membership vote.” They took note of provisions included in the DCCR, looking for those which authorizes or limits HOA actions concerning maintenance. Their attention focused on Paragraph C. Maintenance of the Exterior of the Attached Homes on pages 23-24 which gives the Board of Directors (or its designee) “final and binding” authority to determine the need and timing for maintenance, care, cleaning, repainting, repair and replacement of the exterior surfaces of the Attached Homes.
Posted 2/27/2019
Per a posting at the Post office, it has come to notice that president Ken Keys has appointed an ad hoc Maintenance Committee which met on February 13 and again February 26. This was the first time any public notice was given. Although it will meet again soon, members noted that it was already too late for the next meeting to be included in the forthcoming newsletter or calendar. Chairman Dennis Fluegal said that he had been advised that the agenda for the Annual Members meeting does not include any item relating to the committee.
Minutes of the earlier February meeting show adoption of a statement of purpose which is “To recommend to the Board of Directors any processes and procedures by which roof cleaning and exterior building maintenance can be performed in a timely fashion to maintain the best appearance of our community.” The committee will not supercede any standing committee (such as Rules or ACC), but will merely research maintenance options and advise the Board.
Other members of this committee include Carol Solomon who also chairs the Architectural Control Committee, Tammy Terpening, board member of the Lakeside Condominiums, JoAnn Bruno, and Larry Feldstein.
On February 26, the committee met with a representative from Sherwin Williams Co. who advised the them on various qualities of paints and proper application procedures. The company provides six quality levels with varying life expectancies. When asked about existing paint, he said that new stucco construction often failed to allow time for PH stabilization before paint application, thus reducing paint life expectancy. He said any visible “chalking” indicates paint breakdown. He agreed to provide a statement of requirements that can be used in soliciting bids for repainting, and to also provide a list of recommended painters.
The committee has also been collecting a list of possible providers for pressure washing homes and roofs, along with some standardized cost proposals for various sized buildings.
The committee had been previously advised that nothing they suggest should require any changes to the governing documents or changes in assessments, “because this would require a membership vote.” They took note of provisions included in the DCCR, looking for those which authorizes or limits HOA actions concerning maintenance. Their attention focused on Paragraph C. Maintenance of the Exterior of the Attached Homes on pages 23-24 which gives the Board of Directors (or its designee) “final and binding” authority to determine the need and timing for maintenance, care, cleaning, repainting, repair and replacement of the exterior surfaces of the Attached Homes.
Posted 2/27/2019
What does the Board do?
In theory, all business of the HOA is conducted by the Board in meetings open to the Membership. No significant decisions can legally be made outside this process. Under Roberts Rules of Order, any issue is first introduced as a motion and seconded. It is then (and only then) opened for discussion. Normally, the person making the motion is given first opportunity to present supporting points, followed by any other Board member who may have opposing thoughts. The Chair is expected to be impartial and to give all sides equal voice. Under state law, Homeowners are entitled to speak on any issue, although they have no vote. When all points of view have been expressed, a vote is taken by the Board and the motion is either approved, or not.
It is required that minutes be taken and preserved. Minutes of Board Meetings are posted on the Isles Web site. Thus, everything that the Board has ever done should be found in the preserved minutes of their meetings. If it isn't there, it didn't happen.
In 2018, the Board had two meetings -- three if the “organizational meeting” at which officers are elected is included. During the year, there were a total of four motions considered (excluding motions to approve previous minutes).
They were:
In theory, all business of the HOA is conducted by the Board in meetings open to the Membership. No significant decisions can legally be made outside this process. Under Roberts Rules of Order, any issue is first introduced as a motion and seconded. It is then (and only then) opened for discussion. Normally, the person making the motion is given first opportunity to present supporting points, followed by any other Board member who may have opposing thoughts. The Chair is expected to be impartial and to give all sides equal voice. Under state law, Homeowners are entitled to speak on any issue, although they have no vote. When all points of view have been expressed, a vote is taken by the Board and the motion is either approved, or not.
It is required that minutes be taken and preserved. Minutes of Board Meetings are posted on the Isles Web site. Thus, everything that the Board has ever done should be found in the preserved minutes of their meetings. If it isn't there, it didn't happen.
In 2018, the Board had two meetings -- three if the “organizational meeting” at which officers are elected is included. During the year, there were a total of four motions considered (excluding motions to approve previous minutes).
They were:
- To approve purchase of a new pumping station.
- To approve a new TV contract with Comcast.
- To approve revision of a form used by the Architectural Committee.
- To approve the 2019 Budget proposed by the Finance Committee.
The new pumping station was completed and in operation as of September 25, about a month later than was projected at the June meeting of Board at which the $123,480 purchase was approved. The system takes water from the pond situated between Honore and the homes located on the south end of Burgos and distributes it to the underground irrigation system. The Hoover Company which built the system said the HOA should realize significant savings in operation and maintenance as compare with the original system that was put together some 12 years ago.
Preparing for the next "incident"
On April 25th, the nineteen residents who are CERT-trained elected James Fonk as their new leader out of a ballot of three candidates, all of whom qualified under a set of five criteria which had been set:
Jim has taken the reins and appointed David Graham as Section Chief for Logistics, and Linda Cape as Section Chief for Planning. Three Team Leaders have also been appointed. Since early August, several planning meetings have been held, a "Calling Tree" has been developed and tested, and the Isles Disaster Plan has been updated.
Dave Mager recently completed a three-day course offered by the County to become a CERT Trainer, meaning he is certified to participate in training volunteers to become CERT team members. Jim Fonk and Linda Cape have made commitments to take this course in the near future. It is hoped that this will allow for CERT training sessions to be held within the Isles at future dates, rather than requiring volunteers to travel to more remote locations.
CERT training has been offered to volunteers in the community at no cost by the County Emergency Services. It is a 24-hour course conducted in a series of about 7 sessions. Over the years, some two dozen residents of the Isles have participated in this training. Unfortunately, while attrition has reduced the number of those able to serve, several years have passed since new people from the Isles have enrolled in the training.
Under the direction of resident Paul Hersey, the CERT team was formed in Isles ten years ago. In 2013, a matching grant was obtained to facilitate the purchase of medical supplies, electrical generators, radios and other equipment needed to support the CERT program. More than $7,000 was paid by the HOA as its share. Periodic Drills have been held with cooperation from law enforcement, the fire department, K-9 units and others. Last January, Hersey announced his retirement as CERT Incident Commander.
- CERT Certified with participation in a minimum of 2 emergency response incidents and/or drills.
- Completed (or agreement to complete) the following online courses provided through FEMA: IS-317 Intro to Community Emergency Response Team; ICS -100 Intro to Incident Command System; and IS- 120 An Orientation to Community Disaster Exercises and How to Conduct an Incident Command Exercise (FEMA online document)
- Demonstrated experience/skills in leadership positions, coordination, delegation, and/or emergency response, mass casualty, etc.
- Full time Isles Resident
- Commitment to serve as IC for a minimum of two years, with option to reapply
Jim has taken the reins and appointed David Graham as Section Chief for Logistics, and Linda Cape as Section Chief for Planning. Three Team Leaders have also been appointed. Since early August, several planning meetings have been held, a "Calling Tree" has been developed and tested, and the Isles Disaster Plan has been updated.
Dave Mager recently completed a three-day course offered by the County to become a CERT Trainer, meaning he is certified to participate in training volunteers to become CERT team members. Jim Fonk and Linda Cape have made commitments to take this course in the near future. It is hoped that this will allow for CERT training sessions to be held within the Isles at future dates, rather than requiring volunteers to travel to more remote locations.
CERT training has been offered to volunteers in the community at no cost by the County Emergency Services. It is a 24-hour course conducted in a series of about 7 sessions. Over the years, some two dozen residents of the Isles have participated in this training. Unfortunately, while attrition has reduced the number of those able to serve, several years have passed since new people from the Isles have enrolled in the training.
Under the direction of resident Paul Hersey, the CERT team was formed in Isles ten years ago. In 2013, a matching grant was obtained to facilitate the purchase of medical supplies, electrical generators, radios and other equipment needed to support the CERT program. More than $7,000 was paid by the HOA as its share. Periodic Drills have been held with cooperation from law enforcement, the fire department, K-9 units and others. Last January, Hersey announced his retirement as CERT Incident Commander.
C.E.R.T. Training
(Community Emergency Response Team)
CERT teams are a nationally recognized response, created under direction of F.E.M.A.
SARASOTA COUNTY has periodically offered a basic 24-hour training course to residents at no cost. Many aspects of Emergency service have been under review since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and the CERT training is currently on "hold" pending possible adjustments to make it easier for volunteers to participate.
As a highly recommended pre-requisite to introduce you to the training and content, please take the following on-line course: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=is-317
(Community Emergency Response Team)
CERT teams are a nationally recognized response, created under direction of F.E.M.A.
SARASOTA COUNTY has periodically offered a basic 24-hour training course to residents at no cost. Many aspects of Emergency service have been under review since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and the CERT training is currently on "hold" pending possible adjustments to make it easier for volunteers to participate.
As a highly recommended pre-requisite to introduce you to the training and content, please take the following on-line course: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=is-317
- "Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams," IS-317, is an independent (on-line) study course created by FEMA that serves as an introduction to CERT for those wanting to complete training or as a refresher for current team members. It has six modules with topics that include an Introduction to CERT, Fire Safety, Hazardous Material and Terrorist Incidents, Disaster Medical Operations and Search and Rescue. It takes between six and eight hours to complete the course.
Tennis, anyone?
The Isles has four great tennis courts and a great tennis program. Did you ever wonder about the cost of this? Looking at the Isles Budget, we find Line Item 7375 under “Amenities.” This item, entitled “Court Maintenance/Tennis-BBall,” has an interesting history. In 2010, 2011 and 2012 it was only $4,000. In 2013, after Turnover, it was increased to $5,000. However, at year's end, we had spent over $9,500 for this item. The budget remained unchanged and in 2014 the charges were only slightly over budget. It was said that in previous years, under the Developer, the courts had not received proper care, and in 2015 the Sports Committee recommended to the Finance Committee that the budget for Courts be tripled to $15,000 for some major upgrade. It was, and most of this was spent. Apparently this set a precedent because it was boosted to $16,000 for 2016, but this time it wasn't quite enough. Expenditures hit $16,641. (Well, maybe Pickleball pushed it over?) A cautious Finance Committee neither increased nor decreased the budget for 2017 and when the year ended, there was $5,655 left unspent. Nevertheless, the 2018 Budget increased this line item to $16,500 and this figure became the "new normal" for 2019.
Whatever charges may appear for this item, the real cost of Isles tennis doesn't stop there. Under “Building Maintenance” we find an expense item, “Golf Cart.” The golf cart (which is not used for building maintenance and is not legal for transportation over public streets) is used primarily for maintaining the tennis courts. An aged gas-powered cart was replaced last year at a cost of nearly $10,000 for a newer, electric-powered model. Some percentage of the salaries for Isles employees performing and overseeing this maintenance might well be considered as tennis costs. So, too, the landscaping costs surrounding the courts. And don't forget the lighting costs found under Utilities. Further, our Reserve Report shows that we maintain not one, but three reserve accounts relating to the tennis courts, with annual assessments of over $18,000. Accordingly, it can be argued that the real cost of Isles tennis may be in the range of 40-50 thousand dollars per year. Who knew? Enjoy!
Posted 1/16/2018
Whatever charges may appear for this item, the real cost of Isles tennis doesn't stop there. Under “Building Maintenance” we find an expense item, “Golf Cart.” The golf cart (which is not used for building maintenance and is not legal for transportation over public streets) is used primarily for maintaining the tennis courts. An aged gas-powered cart was replaced last year at a cost of nearly $10,000 for a newer, electric-powered model. Some percentage of the salaries for Isles employees performing and overseeing this maintenance might well be considered as tennis costs. So, too, the landscaping costs surrounding the courts. And don't forget the lighting costs found under Utilities. Further, our Reserve Report shows that we maintain not one, but three reserve accounts relating to the tennis courts, with annual assessments of over $18,000. Accordingly, it can be argued that the real cost of Isles tennis may be in the range of 40-50 thousand dollars per year. Who knew? Enjoy!
Posted 1/16/2018
Membership apathy?
Out of some 1,200 qualified residents, not one person came forward as a candidate to fill three open seats on the Board in March. Should we point the finger at a lazy, preoccupied or indifferent membership, or are there other reasons why nobody is eager to be a part of the Board?
Membership participation is critical to a well-functioning HOA. Everything possible should be done to encourage it. When a condition of "us vs. them" exists, few are motivated to become a part of "them."
Posted 5/26/17
- The Board has often refused, rejected and frustrated the efforts of able volunteers in standing committees, ad hoc committees and spontaneous volunteer groups. Examples: The ad hoc committee for Town Center, the Citizen Patrol, the Grounds Committee, and the Document Study Group.
- The Board has little visibility because it has ceased to hold regular meetings. There is limited opportunity for Members to express their concerns to the Board. (There is currently no “next meeting” announced.) Committees, meeting monthly, seem to carry the load. When Board meetings are held, they often are not even mentioned in the official calendar.
- The Board seeks to “go around” the Membership, apparently not expecting them to support valid proposals. Example: The Board did not submit plans (created in 2015) for a Storage Facility to the Membership for vote; instead they tried to change the rules so they could do it without Membership approval. This has resulted in a two-year delay before the matter can be properly considered.
- The Board re-wrote the Bylaws without consulting the membership. Authority to do so came only from the developer's Declaration, not from any democratic vote of the Homeowners.
- The Board has sought to give itself power to assess members for large sums and authority to expend unlimited amounts without specific Membership consent. This was rejected by the Membership.
- When the Board meets, it fails to act as a deliberative body. There is no visible exercise of judgment by directors. There is rarely any serious debate or even a second opinion.
- When problems are brought up, the Board appears to take direction from the Manager, rather than the other way around.
- Board meetings are designed as “presentations,” seeking to generate support for decisions already made behind closed doors. Decisions are made through email exchanged between directors and multiple conferences with the Manager, but not at the open meetings where it is supposed to happen.
- The Board as a whole takes little part in the formation of a $2 million annual budget except to approve what the Manager and Finance Committee proffer. In the past three years, the Board has never raised a single question about the proposed budget at the so-called Special Budget Meetings.
- The Board consistently neglects and violates Robert's Rules of Order. Discussions are held with no motion on the floor. Motions are made and/or seconded by the Chair. Votes are called with no discussion at all.
- The actions and business of the Board are inadequately reported to the membership, if at all. Meeting are seldom if ever reported in The Inside Edition.
- The Board power is concentrated in a majority of three. The Board refuses to consider any expansion in size, and has revised the governing Documents to preclude any possibility for expansion.
- The Board has shown disdain for opinions of the membership by using General Powers inserted into Limited Proxies to override the expressed viewpoint of active and participating Members. Thus, by Board action, the Annual Members' Meeting is reduced to an obvious farce.
Membership participation is critical to a well-functioning HOA. Everything possible should be done to encourage it. When a condition of "us vs. them" exists, few are motivated to become a part of "them."
Posted 5/26/17
DOCUMENTS REVISIONS SETTLED AT RE-CONVENED MEMBERS' MEETING
Approximately seventy homeowner were present when the Annual Members' Meeting reconvened on Thursday, April 13, in a follow-up to the meeting called to order on March 30. After issues regarding the adoption of new governing documents failed to gain approval at the March meeting, a motion was made by members of the Board, acting in their dual capacity as Members, to postpone the meeting in order (in Attorney Wells' words) “to allow the 257 homeowners to have a vote.” He referred to those who were not at the meeting and had not submitted proxies. While homeowners in the room voted strongly against the postponement, the Board used General Powers of its pocketful of proxies to approve the motion. The postponement gave time for the Board to solicit additional “Yes” votes in support of the proposed revisions.
At the continuation on April 13, Manager Will Crosley announced that two of four ballot items regarding the document amendment had sufficient votes to pass, and two did not. He recommended that the the question be called, ending the voting, saying he saw no chance of getting enough votes to pass the failing issues. Item 5, rolling over excess funds from 2017 to 2018, passed almost unanimously, as expected. Voting on items 1 through 4, with 339 votes needed, went as follows:
Yes No
Question 1 (Basic Document) 358 146 Passed
Question 2 (Spcl. Assessmnt) 183 311 Failed
Question 3 (3% Discretionary) 227 266 Failed
Question 4 (Amendmt Approvl) 335 136 Passed
The result is that the basic document amendment was approved by 19 votes more than a majority (or 12 votes more than "51%"), but provisions allowing the Board to dip deeply into Homeowners' pockets failed. Question 2 which would have allowed the Board to levy Special Assessments of up to $500 per Home annually failed 63-37% and Question 3 which would have raised the Board's Discretionary spending cap from 1% to 3% of the Budget was defeated by a 54-46% vote. Question 4, which passed, will make future amendments to the Declaration easier to pass.
When questions about equal assessments were raised, President Ken Keys said the document revision had nothing to do with this. However, Guy Spencer said that the amendment eliminates the only mechanism for maintaining the unequal assessments that have been in place for ten years, namely Neighborhoods. He said this might be viewed as a change in how costs are assessed and a second legal opinion was warranted. He offered a motion stating:
"The Isles of Sarasota Homeowners Association, Inc., seeks an independent legal review of the Amendments to Governing Documents voted on by the Membership at the Annual Meeting of 2017, and authorizes Attorney Dan Lobeck, or other qualified attorney, to conduct a review and render an opinion, the cost of same not to exceed nine hundred dollars ($900.00), and be it further resolved that: No amended documents shall be filed with any government agency until such independent legal review has been completed and published."
The Chair did not invite any discussion. Put to a vote, the motion was overwhelmingly supported by those in the room, but Board Member Jim Botti was then called upon to exercise more than 300 proxy votes, and he cast these votes as "No." The motion failed.
When questioned further, Attorney Wells stated that Neighborhoods, by definition were required to be made up of geographically contiguous homes. However, the documents make no mention of this.
(For more information about Document content, go to the Alerts page.)
Approximately seventy homeowner were present when the Annual Members' Meeting reconvened on Thursday, April 13, in a follow-up to the meeting called to order on March 30. After issues regarding the adoption of new governing documents failed to gain approval at the March meeting, a motion was made by members of the Board, acting in their dual capacity as Members, to postpone the meeting in order (in Attorney Wells' words) “to allow the 257 homeowners to have a vote.” He referred to those who were not at the meeting and had not submitted proxies. While homeowners in the room voted strongly against the postponement, the Board used General Powers of its pocketful of proxies to approve the motion. The postponement gave time for the Board to solicit additional “Yes” votes in support of the proposed revisions.
At the continuation on April 13, Manager Will Crosley announced that two of four ballot items regarding the document amendment had sufficient votes to pass, and two did not. He recommended that the the question be called, ending the voting, saying he saw no chance of getting enough votes to pass the failing issues. Item 5, rolling over excess funds from 2017 to 2018, passed almost unanimously, as expected. Voting on items 1 through 4, with 339 votes needed, went as follows:
Yes No
Question 1 (Basic Document) 358 146 Passed
Question 2 (Spcl. Assessmnt) 183 311 Failed
Question 3 (3% Discretionary) 227 266 Failed
Question 4 (Amendmt Approvl) 335 136 Passed
The result is that the basic document amendment was approved by 19 votes more than a majority (or 12 votes more than "51%"), but provisions allowing the Board to dip deeply into Homeowners' pockets failed. Question 2 which would have allowed the Board to levy Special Assessments of up to $500 per Home annually failed 63-37% and Question 3 which would have raised the Board's Discretionary spending cap from 1% to 3% of the Budget was defeated by a 54-46% vote. Question 4, which passed, will make future amendments to the Declaration easier to pass.
When questions about equal assessments were raised, President Ken Keys said the document revision had nothing to do with this. However, Guy Spencer said that the amendment eliminates the only mechanism for maintaining the unequal assessments that have been in place for ten years, namely Neighborhoods. He said this might be viewed as a change in how costs are assessed and a second legal opinion was warranted. He offered a motion stating:
"The Isles of Sarasota Homeowners Association, Inc., seeks an independent legal review of the Amendments to Governing Documents voted on by the Membership at the Annual Meeting of 2017, and authorizes Attorney Dan Lobeck, or other qualified attorney, to conduct a review and render an opinion, the cost of same not to exceed nine hundred dollars ($900.00), and be it further resolved that: No amended documents shall be filed with any government agency until such independent legal review has been completed and published."
The Chair did not invite any discussion. Put to a vote, the motion was overwhelmingly supported by those in the room, but Board Member Jim Botti was then called upon to exercise more than 300 proxy votes, and he cast these votes as "No." The motion failed.
When questioned further, Attorney Wells stated that Neighborhoods, by definition were required to be made up of geographically contiguous homes. However, the documents make no mention of this.
(For more information about Document content, go to the Alerts page.)
The Shadow Knows is a supplemental Web site, created to fill a void. Sometimes the information to which owners are entitled can only be found in the shadows.
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This web site is a private effort devoted to homeowners in the Isles of Sarasota.
OFFICIAL Isles HOA Web site |
Sometimes, the most important thing is just to raise the question.
- Why do our bank accounts total over $1,000,000?
- What happened at the last Board Meeting? (and what did not)
- Why must the minutes of the Annual Meeting say that nothing happened?
- Why are budgets always larger even though they always produce surpluses?
- When will our obsolete governing documents be properly updated?
- What do the mysterious numbers in our latest financial report really mean?
- What changes have been authorized (or not) by the Architectural Control Committee?
- How can homeowners know about the workings of various committees?
(These questions first appeared here almost four years ago. How many are still valid?)
Explore the thirty-plus pages and sub-pages accessible through tabs at the top of each page.
Enjoy,
The Shadow
- Within a page, ORANGE is usually a link to another page (and the only way to get to some of them).
- There are three major "doorways"--Resources, Reports, and Opinion.
Resources (the real "meat") leads to information that should not change often, while
Reports is devoted to current activity which may change frequently.
You will find that each of these is a gateway to multiple related subjects and useful links.
- the "ALERTS" button goes to items of immediate interest--a quick way to check on what's new; it can change almost every day and is perhaps the best place to start.
- The "Hints" tab will take you to a page of handy household hints--you can contribute yours.
- Don't miss the "Opinion" page; if you wish to comment, it's your choice, but remain civil, please.
- Finally, we invite you to see our pictures, now grouped into a set of galleries, all taken in the Isles, or within walking distance.
Enjoy,
The Shadow