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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT: MAY 2010
Looking around the community it is now very clear what the last Board had in mind when they approved the plans and the expenditures.
The community has never looked better.
That doesn't mean there are not issues and it certainly doesn't mean that we still do not need to strive for constant improvement.
The road issues are being addressed this month now that the weather is finally cooperating. The driveway sealing will be done sometime in the summer.
The defective tennis court surface will be fixed as soon as we get a few 70 degree days so that the surface will adhere properly. Due to potential liability we were forced to close the courts until the bubbles in the surface can be corrected. One of our neighbors finds it funny that kids are sneaking in and endangering themselves and the community and openly says so. Wanna guess who would be the first to sue the neighbors if the kids trip on a defective surface??
I do find it interesting that the very small number of constant complainers try very hard to make the most noise without offering any constructive help. The ones that complain the most about a lack of services are the ones that do not want to pay for them. The ones that complain about a lack of activities never volunteer to help out the community.
- I have been trying very hard to get new blood onto the entertainment committee so that we can get some creative community activities moving. Guess it is easier to complain because we have no new volunteers.... none!
- Our playground is in need of upgrading however the project is on hold due to monetary considerations. Does anyone have a good idea how to pay for that?
- I have been trying to get a representative from the inside section and one from the outside so that we can address architectural issues that are different for the two groups in today's world. Guess it is easier to complain because we have no new volunteers.... none!
- I have been trying to get some additional help for the energy committee headed up by Fred Gross to address modern day issues. Guess it is easier to complain because we have no new volunteers.... none!
- We have a very good community FORUM for all to use and communicate with. After 5 months we only have 27 people signed up and visiting the site on a very rare occasion.Guess it is easier to complain that there is no communication than to really use what we have.
- We have tried to start up a fun PET SECTION but of course there are no volunteers to spend 30 minutes a month and take a photo or two. Guess it is easier to complain about a lack of new blood or activities because we have no new volunteers.... none!
- We have asked for a FINANCIAL volunteer to help us plan and control the budgetary issues and to ensure fiscal responsibilty with us. I had one person who refused to show his basic qualifications and was "insulted" that I wanted to see a list of qualifications or a resume.
- I have tried to get a volunteer to take community photos for the website.Guess it is easier to complain because we have no new volunteers.... none!
- We are trying to figure out how to handle the various tree stumps that are all around the community that were left there by previous Boards. The low available funds do not seem to be a consideration and instead we have neighbors threatening to sue their neighbors if we do not fix the situation as they would like.
- I am trying to get two more Board members by summertime however as I promised early on, new members will only come from committee members and volunteers. See above.
There is certainly no lack of complaints and threats to sue our community by the same couple of people that make all the noise. We take every complaint by each and every community member very seriously.We then take the appropriate action to ensure proper compliance with the bylaws.
- There are constant complaints from many neighbors about other neighbors leaving trash and other "stuff" around their yards and the bylaws are very clear. We warn and then fine repeat offenders until they clean up their act and follow the community rules. Of course you can guess who complains that the issues are petty.
- There are constant complaints about the use of motorized scooters in the neighborhood and those are properly handled within the bylaws.For that, the most recent ridiculous comment I heard is that the Board dislikes children. Nothing about the very clear bylaw that bans the vehicles.
- There are constant complaints about the same few houses that cannot control the speeding in the community.
- There are the same two people that cannot park in the proper direction and we get complaints weekly.
- We get constant complaints about two households that continue to block mailboxes with vehicles.We have to spend money for signs to ensure that those same people know about the courtesy to not block public access of their neighbors to the mailboxes.
- There have been numerous complaints from the same people about a new homeowner that they feel is not using their home properly. For that we had to spend $1200.00 of community money to get legal counsel regarding this issue. Of course the legal opinion was not good enough for them.
- There is a homeowner threatening to sue our community if we do not take a stump out of their yard that was left there in the past. They told us they might have to fall over the stump and sue. Of course we had to forward that threat to out legal counsel.
- There is another homeowner threatening to sue our community if we do not take her tree down from her front yard because she "thinks' it is no good and might fall down. The tree company opinion of course means nothing. She has "put us on notice" as she puts it.
- We had to address a pet issue where we had complaints about a dog urinating on other people's property. One person even complained that she did not understand how a dog owner could stop the dog from doing that after I addressed it and she complained to Fairfield about me. (It is called a leash maam) Should I have told the complaining people that a dog urinating on their cars was ok and that they were being petty????
- We have a couple of people tossing plastic trash bags with dog waste down the sewer drains. Wanna guess what the bill is per year when those bags clog the pumps of the community???
- We have complaints almost daily regarding the cropping up of pots and statues and benches and wishing wells that now litter the entire neighborhood. Everybody complains about everybody else's "treasure" and wants it removed but no one has a decent idea about how to properly control the look. Do we just let things keep getting worse or should we enforce what should be allowed in yards and on walls and on porches? The long standing rules have been that none of this "stuff" was allowed. Is a 14 foot pink sailfish ok on a front lawn? Pink flamingos? This needs to be controlled in the community.This will be great fun for all of us to address.
For the majority of very satisfied Northgate homeowners this is a great community to live in. We all try to live in quiet enjoyment of what is a great neighborhood. This vast majority of people are who we try our best to continue to do our best for. The others that continue to threaten their neighbors with lawsuits and to rile up the neighborhood for very personal issues or complaints are still entitled to representation from this Board and they will get it.
This Board, along with me as the President, realize however that no matter what we do, it will be wrong for those few people and they will continue to tell us and anyone that will listen what a lousy job we are doing and what a lousy place Northgate is to live in.
For the good of the entire community please be sure of the facts before you give any credibility to complaints and rumors from those people. They take great pleasure in hearing and repeating their own threats.
Speak up and tell them what you really think about the place we all call home.
Consider the source, review the facts, and then make up your own mind..
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
Phil
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