VMs Charged with Apathy, New Greens Cameras, Trash Talk and Villas Rules

Glenfield

As a six-year resident and first year voting member (VM) for the homeowners’ association, I am disappointed to report that the recent changes to the guidelines and governing documents were done in a hasty, unorganized manner without leadership, discussion or debate. I believe that the apathy which was apparent in the neighborhood responses to the polling by mail (some neighborhoods had just a 10 percent response) has carried over into the VM meetings. It appears to me that the majority of VMs, or alternates, would rather leave by 8 p.m., or not attend at all, than participate in a manner responsible to the homeowners they represent.

In September there will be several open positions for board members of the homeowners’ association. These positions are filled by individuals elected by the voting members (most board members are also VMs too). At their annual meetings homeowners should be reminded to take care to elect responsible VMs, who ultimately will be responsible for electing the board members.

I believe for the apathy to change in the homeowners association, it must change at the neighborhood level by electing responsible voting members. Responsible VM selection community-wide can result in electing responsible board members, but it can't be done without homeowner participation first. Otherwise, the tail will continue to wag the dog.

By Greg Baird, Glenfield VM

The Greens

September is the first full month that the kids are back in school. For most of you, things are getting back to normal. It’s also a time of the year when you may be away from home more, so it’s the perfect time to update your resident profile with the gatehouse. Please add new folks and remove those who no longer visit. Please don’t forget to add your cell number to your profile as an additional way for the gatehouse to reach you.

By now many of you may have noticed that the gatehouse has a new camera system. It captures vehicle and license plate information from both entering and departing vehicles, day and night. This system will prove valuable to all Greens residents as an effective management tool for gatehouse security and the Community Development District East (CDD East).

With the school season upon us, make certain you keep your home secure. This entails using your security systems, locking your doors, keeping your garage doors closed and refusing to open your door to strangers. Please report unusual activity in your neighborhood to the sheriff’s department and Community Development District East (CDD East), not the gatehouse.

Remember to look for my e-mails during the course of each month. These deal with the everyday issues or concerns of living in The Greens. They also include notices of meetings that you may want to attend.

Last, should you know of any new residents, please advise them to send me their e-mail addresses, so I can pass them onto our Greens Webmaster and copy them on all Greens and Westchase news.

Happy September!

By Gerald (Jerry) Pappa, The Greens VM

Keswick Forest

Hi, Keswickians! Let’s talk trash. Monday, Sept. 6, is Labor Day, an official Waste Management holiday, so there will be no garbage collection. Folks in need of a replacement recycle bin can call 272-5680 or simply fill out an online request at www.hillsboroughrecycles.org . There is no charge for a replacement.

Don’t know what to do with that old couch that’s been sitting at the end of your driveway for a week? You can call 264-3816 and for a fee they will come out and dispose of it along with a number of other bulk or oversized items. If you prefer to save some money, you can bring it to the Northwest County Facility at 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. Call 264-3816 for details. Seniors may be entitled to a discount on their Solid Waste Annual Disposal Assessment. See www.hillsboroughcounty.org/solidwaste and click on Senior Citizens Discount for details.

Recently the Westchase Community Association management team started to place violation notices on doors in an effort to keep our mailing cost down. If you should receive a blue door hanger on your door, please read it and take any necessary action to avoid a possible fine.

On a final note, I thank David and Nikki Smith for having all of us over for an enjoyable afternoon of swimming and food.

If you would like to be included on the Keswick Forest e-mail distribution list, please e-mail
Leslie McCluskie (voting member) at lmccluskie@tampabay.rr.com or Heather
Greeley-Hessefort (alternate voting member) at heather.greeleyhessefort@gmail.com.

By Leslie McCluskie, Keswick Forest VM

Villas of West Park Village

On Monday, Sept. 13, our Villas Board of Directors will meet at the Westchase Community Association Offices at 10049 Parley Dr. in West Park Village at 7 p.m. At this meeting, the Villas 2011 budget will be presented and discussed for approval. This is the opportunity every Villas member has to see how their money is budgeted and what can be expected during next year.

We will also discuss in detail the differences between the association’s and owners’ responsibilities. In the past few months we have seen owners do things to the outside of the units without having submitted a request to the Westchase Community Association’s (WCA) Modification Committee. This includes painting the front door with colors not approved in the Villas color palette and changing some of the plants. It is recommended that every owner review the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of The Villas of West Park, especially Article IV, Rights and Obligation of the Association. As The Villas association is a maintenance-free, deed-restricted neighborhood, owners must be cognizant that they are restricted from doing anything to the outsides their properties without prior approval.

As many of you have noticed, the Villas painting project has been completed. All units located on Sadler Way and Belgrave Drive and located between 10006-10120 Parley Drive were painted. We had few days where the rain interrupted, so we intend to begin the second phase in 2011 a little bit earlier that this year to avoid the rainy season, which normally begins during April.

Your Villas Board will appreciate your presence at the September meeting, so we all can hear your comments and suggestions, which are always welcome and helpful.

By Carlos S. Quiros, WPV Villas President