Cape Pointe HOA 2015 Annual Report to the Community

Transcription

1 Cape Pointe HOA 2015 Annual Report to the Community December 2015 Dear Fellow Homeowners; As we approach the Annual Meeting in February 2016 it is appropriate to provide this Annual Report, informing homeowners of the work of the Board over this past year. It is also a good opportunity to tell you about our planned projects and those we hope to undertake during the next 12 months. Enclosed in this report you will find the Proposed 2016 Budget. The Board s Mission: This Board s mission is to protect and enhance the values of our community and the quality of life for our residents by focusing our efforts on: 1. EQUITABLE ENFORCEMENT OF COVENANTS. 2. FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF HOA ASSESTS. 3. PROACTIVE ADVOCACY FOR OUR VILLAGE. 4. BUILDING AND NURTURING A GROWING SENSE OF COMMUNITY BETWEEN RESIDENTS. We will act on these tasks with an eye toward balancing the rights of individuals with the rights of the community. Property Mangers: Our Property Managers are: First Service Residential: 1930 Commerce Dr., Jupiter, FL Our Manager is: - Lori Stern Lori.Stern@fsresidential.com Assisted by: Deborah Anzalone, Deborah.Anzalone@fsresidential.com The Board: The following homeowners are members of the Cape Pointe HOA Board and respective committees: (*Full Time Resident) President: Dick Malesardi Vice President: Elliot Barry Treasurer: Gail Jordan* Secretary: Dan Klyver* The Board is instituting a committee system. Committees are an excellent resource for the Board. Committees increase the scope of what the Board can accomplish and serve as a training ground for future directors. The community system not only fosters a sense of community; it helps to educate the community as to the workings of the association. The following sub-committees complement the Cape Pointe Board: Page 1

2 Covenants Committee: The purposes of the Covenants Committee are to: 1. Enhance the Association s ability to enforce the covenants and restrictions of the Cape Pointe HOA. 2. Serve as the Association s hearing tribunal and conduct all hearings of HOA members deemed to be in non-compliance with the covenants. Page 2 This Committee consists of the following homeowners: Paulette Briggs-Chairperson, Nonnie Sharp, Connie McCambridge, Dan Klyver, Director Landscaping & Beautification Committee The purposes of the L&B Committee are to: 1. Assist the Board in developing the standards for the maintenance of existing grounds and landscaping in the community. 2. To assist the Board in the development of a plan for improvements of the common area landscaping. 3. To assist the Board in monitoring the performance of contractors retained for the maintenance and improvement of the grounds and landscaping. Robert Brandon, Director will be forming this committee shortly. Pool Committee The purposes of the Pool Committee are to: 1. Assist the Board with the monitoring and inventory of all pool equipment including furniture. 2. Provide recommendations to the Board for beautification of the pool complex. 3. Monitor the overall cleanliness inside and outside the pool. Recommend necessary improvements to the Board. 4. Recommend long-range improvements for maintenance of the pool and equipment. 5. Schedule all community social events held at the pool complex. The Pool committee consists of the following homeowners: Ria Gross-Chairperson, Sarah Berner, David Wagner, Gail Jordan, Director Maintenance Committee The purposes of the maintenance committee are to: 1) Assist the Board to inventory, monitor conditions of the common equipment including roadways, parking areas, roadway signs and lighting, drainage and irrigation systems, mailboxes, docks, bridges, walkways, etc. 2) Provide recommendations to the Board for the maintenance of these items. 3) Make recommendations regarding long term maintenance. This committee is in the process of being formed. If you are interested please contact Dan Klyver at The Board is always looking for volunteers to serve on committees. Through the committee process we can provide better service to the Cape Pointe community. We invite all homeowners to come to meetings, to stay current on the challenges we face, and to learn about the progress we are making. All of our meetings provide a specific time when homeowners may address the Board with questions or concerns. When bringing concerns to the Board, please remember that there are often multiple dimensions, rights, privileges, statues and limited jurisdiction on many issues. We ask homeowners to keep

3 in mind that in an HOA, there are many different interests and often opposing views. Therefore pleasing all parties is not always possible. Board: Equally important to the proper functioning of the Board is homeowners who are would be willing to serve on the Board. The following Article of the Bylaws for the Cape Pointe Homeowners Association dated 3/6/2002 addresses the number, term and qualifications of Board Directors. Article V The affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a Board of Directors composed of five persons, who must be members of the Corporation, or any of the following: the spouse of a member: any director or officer of a corporate member; any partner of a business name to partnership as a member; and in the event of a trust as a member then any trustee or any beneficiary who was a permanent occupant of the lot. The Corporation shall be entitled to receive such documentation, as it reasonably requires evidencing such a representative capacity in order for the person to be eligible to serve as a director. Staggered board terms were previously created so that each director shall have a term of two years that will extend until the annual meeting of the members, or until a successor is duly elected. Two director terms expire in February Members will vote to re-elect them or elect others to replace them. Individuals interested in serving on the Board should submit a resume to FSR by January 1, 2016 to enable verification and the creation of appropriate proxy materials. Remodeling: Cape Pointe homeowners continue to invest in remodeling their units. This is a good indication of the satisfaction of living here and the confidence that there will be a solid return in investment. Please remember, before any construction work can begin approval is required by both the Cape Pointe HOA and the Jonathan s Landing POA. If you are planning to remodel please contact a Board member who will provide you appropriate guidelines. Pets: Recently, the Board heard complaints from a few homeowners regarding people not cleaning up after walking their dogs. In Cape Pointe we are very fortunate to have our own Dog Park located across from the pool complex. We might be the only individual village with a Dog Park for our barking residents. We encourage everyone to use it and to clean up after the event is completed. The Board s Vision for 2015 The maintenance of our aging common infrastructures continues to be a challenge. The Board strives to stay ahead of major problems while continuing to keep expenses within budget. Homeowners need to pay close attention to rotting wood, leaking windows, over grown courtyards, etc. All of these will further deteriorate the buildings and possibly increase the growth of mold. Page 3

4 One of the stated objectives for the 2015 was to complete the roofing project for the entire village (pool excluded). The project included the best quality high definition architectural asphalt shingles available, a secondary waterproof layer, the attaching or reattaching of straps to trusses where needed and the installation of ridge venting. These features will assist in reducing hurricane insurance premiums and extend the life of the roofs. Owners wishing to obtain hurricane insurance reductions should contact our Property Managers to obtain copies of the Building Permit and Certificate of Materials used for the secondary waterproof membrane. Each roof must be inspected by a wind mitigation inspector to verify that strapping is in place and that the appropriate secondary waterproof membrane has been installed. Inspectors available to perform this survey are: Perry Lap ( ) and Michael Casella ( ). Cost is approximately $100. Some homeowners obtained a slight discount by scheduling the entire building on the same day. You will be required to pay at the time of the inspection. Please check your report for errors (especially in the date the inspection was completed). Owners should contact their insurance company to verify exactly what they require for wind mitigation reductions and if your inspector is approved by them. The Pool area experienced a well deserved cleaning. Professional power washing took place on the pool deck and total cabana area. It was discovered that several cabana posts were rotted at the base presenting an immediate safety issue. These were replaced and painted. All pool furniture was inventoried and given a thorough cleaning. There are currently two different sets of pool furniture. An excess number of chairs remain in the cabana area, however those in poor quality will be eliminated on an as need basis. The tile grout around the inside perimeter of the pool was professionally evaluated and it was determined that there is at least a two year window before a grout job needs to be considered. The landscaping needs of the community continue to increase over the years. Current landscaping conditions are a direct result of previous storm damage that was not addressed adequately at the time of the damage and aging trees. Damaged areas were not replaced with plants/trees that were the same or similar to what was lost. Back surrounding areas were not cleaned out and maintained. Thus, the landscaping needs of the entire community present an ongoing challenge. One of which the Board is giving immediate attention for Our primary landscaping contractor is Horizon Landscaping. Horizon is responsible all common areas and all homeowners private land maintenance. Their schedule calls for the following: Grass mowed, trimmed and blown clean once a week during the summer months and biweekly during the winter dormant months. Shrubs and hedges to be pruned monthly, as needed. Trees up to 8 feet are trimmed, as needed for appearance, health and to clear pathways. Removal of landscaping debris. If homeowners do not wish to have Horizon work in their gardens they should do one of the following: 1. Insert red reflector markers in front of the plants indicating Do Not Touch. 2. Place a sign on the front gate. 3. Asked to be placed on a No Cut list. Any project outside of Horizon s contract are quoted separately and billed accordingly. Page 4

5 The contractor for pest and disease control, fertilization etc. is Terra Tech Environmental. Their treatment schedule is: Pest and Disease control monthly. Granular Fertilization quarterly. Weed Control herbicide treatment semi-annually (November and March). Fire Ant control semi-annually (November and March). Homeowners may contract Terra Tech for their own property issues by calling Palm Tree trimming for 2015 was delayed, for various reasons, until November. Precision Landscaping will complete it. Hopefully, the tree-trimming schedule for 2016 will occur at the more usual time of early summer. If homeowners wish additional tree work completed they can contact Precision, or a contractor of their own choosing. Homeowners will be billed for additional requests occurring on their own properties. Work orders requested by homeowners should be directed to our Property Managers. During 2015 Phrase I of the Board s landscaping plan focused on cleaning out all those back and surrounding areas that contained overgrown plants. Additionally, some new plants were installed and considerable amounts of new sod were laid. Phase II will begin the first quarter of 2016 and will continue with cleaning out of specific areas and new plantings added. Many of our problems were also caused by a badly neglected irrigation system. Irrigation problem areas were fixed. Our irrigation contractor is Sureflo Irrigation who carries out monthly inspections to maintain proper spray patterns, coverage and timing for efficient water schedules. Maintenance will include minor adjustments and repairs however; estimates for the cost of major adjustments and repairs will be submitted for approval to the homeowner, if repairs are within the homeowner s property. The HOA make major repairs for common land areas. The Board s Vision for 2016 In an effort to continue to upgrade the community appearance and property values the Board decided to move up the time schedule for the painting of all buildings (including the pool complex). The Board is happy to report that reserve funds are available to cover the cost of repainting the structures and fences. It is anticipated that this work will commence the first quarter of What is the out of pocket cost to homeowners for this project? Each owner will be responsible for: 1. Repairing and or replacing warped, frayed, missing or rotted wood on the exterior of their unit. 2. The removal or cut back of plantings that have grown on walls, golf cart sheds or fences. Painting cannot commence until these items are accomplished. Owners may select anyone they wish to perform these services. The Board cannot endorse individual contractors. However, we can pass on the name of Matt Imse of GPS ( ). Matt completed the recent work on the pool posts. He has informed the Board that he is interested in assisting homeowners with individual repairs. The Board encourages homeowners to use whomever they feel most confident with. FINANCES - NO INCREASES TO CAPE POINTE HOA DUES FOR Page 5

6 SO, WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO? It always amazes the Board when a homeowner states, The Board should pay for This is a statement consistently used throughout the community. What we tend to forget, as homeowners, is that the only monies managed by the board are the monies that come out of homeowners pockets. If the board paid all the individual requests that are made we would be in a poor financial situation. Instead, we are pleased to inform you that this Board of Directors is fiscally focused. Currently, thanks to timely, visionary and thoughtful decision-making by the Board, the reserves fund account is solid for any future unforeseen emergencies. Few homeowners need reminding that interest rates on savings and current accounts are poor. It is the fiduciary duty of the Board not to place funds at risk and therefore, we remain cautious of using higher interest paying outlets. Working with First Service we were able to identify an alternate bank paying.60% on a market money account investing $240,000. We continue to maintain an operating account with our existing bank. Therefore, excess operating and reserve funds are in safe investments with the highest current yields. The enclosed Budget for 2016 shows that the Board has been able to maintain the present HOA assessment level. The enclosed budget sheet shows a comparison between last year s expenditures and the newly posted line amounts. Eliminating the bad debt line item has offset increased costs for landscaping and pool cabana repairs. The Board monitors the number of delinquent assessments on a monthly basis. Delinquent assessments are minimal and handled on an individual basis. Over all, we commend our homeowners for making prompt assessment payments. On behalf of the entire Cape Pointe Board of Directors we respectfully submit this Annual Report for the year We look forward to a year of increased upgrades and beautification in the Cape Pointe Village. Respectfully, The Cape Point Board of Directors Page 6