WOODLANDS NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY MEETING 7 PM MAY 19, 2014 I. CALL TO ORDER-Randy Scott II. III. IV. WOODLANDS COUNTRY CLUB ROLL CALL: Randy Scott, Larry Torn, Michael De Lemma, Joel Davidson Introduction of those present: Section Presidents, Patti Fox- Sec. 7 + WHOA President, Alan Sloane- Sec. 1, Michael De Lemma- Sec. 3, Joel Davidson-Sec. 8, Sharon Baron Sec. 4, Randy Scott-Sec. 5, Marilyn Beyer-Sec. 2 and Sandy Hill filling in for Sec. 6. Introduction of Rick Rossman from BSO: Newly assigned to Tamarac, has been employed with BSO over 18 years, now heads the Criminal Investigations Unit. If residents have concerns they are to come to him now. They are implementing procedure to have deputies on golf carts drive around the back of homes on the golf course, since many of the homes are being burglarized from the back of homes. Burglars are using rented vehicles with dark tinted windows. Just formed a new unit called the Burglary Apprehension Team BAT unit. We are trying to be more proactive with home burglaries. There was a short Q & A with residents. Below are just a few hi-lights: 1) A resident who lives on the corner of Rock Island and Holly stated he has been broken into 3 times and would like to put a fence up to protect his home. 2) Regarding the Roving Patrol: If residents have issues with the private patrol they need to contact him. V. Overview of WNID: The Woodlands Neighborhood Improvement District was created by the City of Tamarac four years ago at the request of the WHOA; to provide a means for alternative financing as the percentage of residents who do not pay HOA dues began to increase. The District includes all residential properties in the Woodlands. It operates under Florida laws as a quasi governmental organization. The meetings are advertized and are public and held at the Section One clubhouse. Residents are encouraged to attend. The WNID is an arm of the Tamarac city government as a dependent district and all actions are subject of approval by the City Commission. All actions are subject to a formal referendum voted on by the residents of the Woodlands. 1
VI. Currently there are four board members with two vacancies. Vacancies on the board are filled by appointment and all are volunteers. The purpose of this meeting is for residents to express their personal views as to what you think is needed to improve our quality of life and to ask questions. There is a greater need for safety on our streets and in our homes. We also have short questionnaire that we ask you to fill out and return to us at the conclusion of this meeting. Currently we have a Request for Proposal (RFP) to engage and hire a Community Planner. This professional Planner would take into account resident s suggestions and present a detailed plan for the community. We estimate that the cost to hire a consultant would be about $35,000. We are hoping that sections would agree to pay about $40 per resident, which averages about $3.50 extra per month to cover the fee. The alternative is to stay in our current situation status quo. So, we are looking for input from residents, rather than the board pushing an agenda without your ideas. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - Q & A from RESIDENTS 3 min. max to speak One resident believes the WNID is on life support and should pull the plug. Resident of 17 years in the Woodland s, thinks that $35k would take care of the all the deceased trees and improve landscape on the Boulevard. Regarding all the break-in; we do need to improve the security here. Blocking off streets like Bayberry and Holly would make a much safer community. I have friend who is an Architect who I think would not charge $35,000. I just think we could do a lot more with that money. A: Regarding Woodlands Blvd.: It is city property, not the WHOA property. Anything that we would like to do in the way of street closures must be done with coordination with the city and through a referendum. One of the advantages of having a professional community planner is that they would look over the entire neighborhood, not just the boulevard and entrances. They would come up with a plan for overall improvements, for safety, beautification or signage. Q: Former Commissioner Patti Atkins Grad stated that the city wants us to do this, so why not use their plan? A: the cities plan is an overall plan for Tamarac, not just one neighborhood. This NID is specific for the Woodlands. The taxes raised for improvements in the Woodlands would stay in this neighborhood. 2
Doug Long from the WNID Planning Committee: has supported the WNID since it was created. We moved here 7 years ago and are concerned that the neighborhood is in decline and maybe the golf course would close, which would be a disaster. The WNID was created as a vehicle to make improvements for security and beautification and that includes camera s, street closures, gates, landscaping; anything that makes our neighborhood more secure and better looking. My concern is that we now pay over $230,000 for private duty BSO coverage; perhaps we can cut some that for capital improvements that would make our community more secure which would increase our home values. If you want to improve your neighborhood you have to let people know and it will cost a little money. It s required by FL Statutes that you have to have a plan to present to the state, and then it has to be voted on. So if you want to improve the neighborhood then we should move forward with hiring a consultant. Q: Resident wants to know how to talk to put a fence around his house on Holly and Rock Island, because he has been broken into 3 times in less than 3 years. A: can t put a fence up because of the Woodlands overlays and deed restrictions. Q: wants to know if anyone else has had the problem of being burglarized. A: Yes, there has been. The WNID needs power to prevent robberies. Section one has been hit more than any other section. We have to look at just how well does the Roving Patrol really protect us; are they worth the $230,000 a year? Relying solely on the Roving Patrol is not the answer. Ben Damian: We have to increase our fees to make safety improvements. I have 2 empty foreclosed homes on each side of me. I spend weekends picking up cuttings to try to keep up appearances. We need to increase our dues to take care of these of kind of problems. We still need to increase our section fees to do more. What we pay is so low; if you want to increase your property values, you have to pay more. I don t mind paying $40-50 more per month if it would help maintain the foreclosed properties and landscaping. I spend my weekends cleaning up the foreclosed houses on each side me; I d rather pay extra to have that taken care of. We could have a beautiful neighborhood; so let s do something. 3
A: Ilene Michelson offers free legal advice to the WNID and responds to Ben: He raises an issue that needs to be addressed. Currently there are 10% of people who are not paying for their common areas for maintenance and are in arrears with their HOA dues. When the Woodlands was created section 3 and 4 was not included in the WHOA because they didn t have clubhouses to maintain. What that means for example is that in Sec. 8, 10.7% people are not paying HOA dues. And the 89.3% who are paying are making up for 10.7% who aren t paying. It also means that your section brings a law suit against them and pays legal fees in order to get that money back. The WNID would be allowed to put funds on your property tax bill, which comes from Broward County. Instead of 10% not paying, it would be 100% of the tax bill. So even those people who do not have mandatory dues (like sections 3 & 4) they would pay because it would be on their property tax bill. And if they don t pay, the Broward Country Revenue Collection Department sells a tax certificate to someone who can foreclose and collect the amount of money that was not paid. Here are the most recent statistics from Ambassador of non-paying residents: Sections 1 = 9.7%, Sec. 2 = 13.8%, Sec. 5 = 5.6%, Sec. 6 = 6.0%, Sec. 7 = 8.8%, Sec. 8 = 10.7% and Sec. 4 is around 35% non payment. We don t have the numbers for Sec. 3 yet. There are 88 homes not paying HOA dues. When the WNID first started, our former Director of Community Development for Tamarac, Jennifer Bramley, did not initially see the value of a District, until she did a study of the 14 other Districts that exist in Broward County. She found that where ever there was a Neighborhood Improvement District, the property values were about 20% better than their surrounding neighborhoods that did not have their own district. So when you talk about whether or not we need the WNID, they answer is yes. The only way we are going to get 100% payment for improvements is through the WNID; whether it would be for security, or lighting or landscaping. The only way it s ever going to happen is through the WNID. In regards to the gentleman who wanted a fence because of his break-in s, there are ways to deal with those security issues. One of the ways we can accomplish improvements if through a consultant with a plan for improvements and the ways we can deal with those security issues. 4
There are differences among cities In Broward County; there are 14 Neighborhood Improvement Districts. For example Lauderhill has 4 Safe Neighborhood Improvement Districts and the city has dedicated 3 people in their finance department who assist the 4 Districts to get their plans done that are financially viable. The City is the District governing body with an Advisory Board is the HOA s. In the city of Tamarac the WNID was set up differently (with residents as current board). However it could be set up with the Commission and Mayor of Tamarac as the District board and they could take on this responsibility if we request that they do so. One of things that we ask that you think about is; Do you want to continue paying for people who do not pay? Currently we have about 10% or do not pay and which would likely increase. Or, do you want to see 100% of residents pay for what needs to be done in the Woodlands to restore our neighborhood? I ve lived here 17 ½ years and have watched it decline. Our neighborhood landscaping on Woodlands Blvd was manicured, the lawns were manicured and the landscaping was impeccable. Look at it today. The City is doing what they can to deal with people who do not take care of their lawns. But we still have problems in the neighborhood. One of the ways we can make our association financially viable is through the WNID and its ability to put the fees on everyone s property bill, not just the 89.7% who pay now; it would be on 100% of the people who live here. You need to ask yourself whether your neighbor should pay just as you pay. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resident Comments: Ben Damian: We are always being told we can t do things, we can t put in speed bumps, we can t put in traffic lights, or this property belongs to the country club or the city. The answers we always get from our WHOA is always no no no. We could have little dog stations for people to dump their stuff, have park benches. There is just so much we could here. I love this place, and don t think a lot of you appreciate where we live. 5
A: Ilene: we can t have speed bumps but we could have rumble strips like Lauderhill put in on Rock Island Road which helps slow traffic down. We could ask the city to take some initiative and do traffic study. Regarding the WNID: They had a presentation by Lauderhill s Assistant City Manager, Desore Giles-Smith and she explained how they got their taxing district started and what they have accomplished. The Woodlands has the highest tax base for the city of Tamarac, so it would behoove them to help us. We could put in cameras, there are many innovative things that could be done, but you can t do them without funds. The city of Lauderhill kicked in some of the money for consultant, but we are being asked to carry all of the funding. Resident comments: I agree with Ben, our association dues are very low, and would make sense to increase our dues to help make these improvements. Even if we went up $25, it would help appreciate our property. I m sorry Patti, but if we continue on status quo, nothing will get done. But the city is proposing something different now and it would help us. The tax is such a nominal fee; I can t see how you can argue with this. We want to deal with the issues of these foreclosed properties and beautifying the neighborhood. A: Randy Scott: regarding abandoned property, the bank is responsible for maintaining the property. In regards of funding for a community planner: Security, landscaping, beautification, and the health and welfare of the neighborhood are all taken into account when we hire a planner. The difference between what the WHOA can t do and what the WNID can do, is the ability to collect. If the WHOA had the ability to collect, we would not have deficient homeowners. Also, a Planner would work with the city; something the WHOA can t do on their own. Resident Comments: Resident lives on Holly Circle off Bayberry Lane: My neighbor on left, my neighbor across the street, plus 2 doors down and behind me have all been robbed. They are part of the percentages that have been robbed. 6
Also, there are a lot of speeding cars who cut through our neighborhood. What I can see is how the WNID is a tool for us to deal with the city to make something happen. I would like the sections to come together to see and evaluate what their real needs are and bring that to the board. Resident talks about a house on Bamboo Circle that has been dilapidated for 11 years. He calls the city and they say they are working on it. They have been allowed to have black plastic over their front door, and no garage door. Now the shape of that house is totally against code; why has the city allowed this and not done anything. I feel sorry for the poor homeowners who live near them, because they cannot sell their properties because of this house. Alan Wise, President of Section One: I see a number of people in the room who were responsible for forming the WNID. The WHOA voted to put the WNID together to try and rescue this community. I m still hearing things about a petition, that wasn t even valid. The only way we will ever be able to accomplish beautification and security is through the WNID. Even though Code Enforcement helps our section, the WNID can help solve these problems on a major scale. I want a professional planner who can work with the city, who does this professionally. We can t do this on our own. All the negative and incorrect information has to stop. Resident has put a lot of money into her home and has a vested interest on what the neighborhood could be. She asks participants to take care of this investment and do something about it. Resident from section one: just wants to clarify what she understands so far. If we pay taxes for improvements will that make our HOA fees go down? A: Ilene: 6 of the sections maintenance are for common areas and clubhouses. One of the purchases that the WHOA makes is for security which averages about $230,000 per year. And 89.7% of us are paying for that $230,000 for security. If just that fee alone were moved to the WNID (tax) a portion of your dues allocated for security should decrease. But it is up to each section to determine the decrease depending on what that sections cost is for security. Resident Jerry Bauchsbaum: How would it benefit us to turn the WNID over to the city like Lauderhill is managed? A: Ilene: First of all I just want to remind everyone that these board members are 7
volunteers. The comparison of the WNID to other neighborhood districts is this: Other City districts are managed by the city and the board is the Commission and the Advisory Board is made up of HOA s and residents like the board present tonight. However, the City of Lauderhill and other cities is that they have dedicated their own resources to make their Districts successful. What we need to ask the City of Tamarac is; what kind of support can we expect if we turn the District over? A: WNID-Randy Scott: We have had conversations about turning this over to the city. However, it has been my understanding that even if we as an Advisory Board chose projects that we need or want done, the city can still dictate what we can and cannot do. They could say that they need to work another part of another community first. Jerry: well it s been over 3 years being managed by you and nothing is getting done. Resident of 3 years and fairly new to community. I see that we have issues here, but I don t you coming to any agreement. It seems to me that each section needs to come to an agreement that would benefit them, and then what would benefit all sections. Shawn Robins Section 8: I like to be involved with my community, but I ve only been here a short time. The things that I ve heard from the people in section 8 are wrong. I m now on the board of section 8 and can tell you that a lot of people in 8 are willing to pay for improvements. We have new and younger people moving here and they want to improve their homes and the community. In order to make changes we need a vehicle like the WNID to help us make those changes. The WHOA does not have the power to do what the WNID can do. The WHOA does not have the power to tax, or work with the city as effectively as the WNID does. Regarding security payments for BSO, I think we average about $30 per month that goes to BSO; so that amount would drop from our HOA dues. Compared to other communities, our property values are not going up as other neighborhoods are. Some communities are increasing at 16% and the Woodlands only 12% and it s because we are not making improvements. Patti Fox: President of WHOA and Section 7: I just want to reiterate that the WHOA does not have the power to make any of the changes you want. The WNID is the vehicle to help us make changes. 8
Richard Gelman: isn t it true that if we pay extra on our tax bill, isn t it true that you get a tax deduction? So, we would be paying even less, because it s tax deduction. Resident: What do you need to make the WNID go forward? A: WNID- Randy Scott: we need funding for a consultant or the city will not advertize the (RFP) Request for Proposal unless we have some funding started. Resident: Will we have a vote on this? A: WNID-Larry Torn: the purpose of this meeting is to get a feel for resident s confidence in the WNID. Before we leave tonight, we are going to ask for a show of hands, plus there are questionnaires we would like you to fill out. If we get a positive feedback, we will take this to the WHOA and section presidents to help us raise the money. Plus we can go to the city and show them we have support. If you want the WNID to move forward, please fill in the questionnaire and raise your hand when our chairman calls for it. WNID-Joel Davidson: At present we have a little over 100 people here tonight. A couple of years ago the WNID did a study on how many properties are taxable in the Woodlands. There are 893 existing homes; there are 10 homes on Laurel Circle, total of 903 homes, plus 7 for a total of 910 taxable properties. So think about that when a tax goes through, by you voting on it, not just the people in this room. WNID-Randy Scott: we just wanted to get an opinion tonight by a show of hands. Question to attending residents: Would you be in favor of getting a RFP-Request for Proposal to hire a Professional Consultant to have a study done for improvements? Of the participants at the meeting there was a majority who raised their hands in support. WNID-Randy Scott: Now we can go to the WHOA for funding. As I said we are looking for $30-40 from each property to get this process started. If we spread that over a year, it would come to about $ 4 per month. 9
Resident question: So I take it that you will be moving forward from the vote from the people attending tonight? Doug Long responds: Generally when you have a meeting like this we get 15 to 20% of residents. However, we have previously sent out mailers to everyone in the neighborhood and have received about a 25% response; which is a good sample or response. Of those who responded to our mailers, we have had 90% that agreed to improve our neighborhood. We now have a good indication to move forward. WNID-Randy Scott: in closing we want you to take a minute and answer our survey. Resident Question: Don t you have to have a certain percentage before you go ahead? WNID-Randy Scott: to explain the process; we still have to go the WHOA Presidents who represent each section. Resident: You still have to go door to door to explain this to each resident so that they fully understand. Resident: I would like a referendum and a vote. WNID-Randy Scott: Yes a referendum is required. Tonight was just to give us an idea of people who are behind us so we can proceed. Before we do an assessment, every homeowner gets to vote. What you filled out previously was a survey from us. WNID-Michael De Lemma reiterated that the survey the WNID did 2 years ago; there were 81% of residents that wanted gates and cameras. We had this meeting tonight because we have had new residents move in since the last survey. This was basically a verbal survey to see what people want now. So go to your section meetings and tell them what you want. We will be happy to give out as much information as possible. We want to thank everyone for coming tonight; we no it s not easy to give your time. VII. ADJOURN 9 PM. 10