WCA President Shawn Yesner began the meeting by opening the floor to residents.
Fords resident Jeremy Haile stated he and his wife run New Life Warehouse, a nonprofit that provides household items to those in need. He requested permission to offer pick up services for unsold items following the May garage sale. Yesner said they would add that proposal to the March 9 agenda and asked Haile to return to present his idea.
A Radcliffe resident inquired about adding more shades of white to the paint palette to keep pace with modern trends. Yesner stated the WCA Board does not have the power to change the paint palette and she should reach out to her voting member to inquire how to start the process. Sells explained that due to the legalities of the process, it can cost anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 to update the palette. He suggested the resident form a committee to take a closer look at revising the overall palette.
Yesner called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Directors Michele DelSordo, Eric Holt and Blakley Echeverry were absent.
The first order of business was a continued discussion on cybersecurity, but the item was tabled to March at Holt’s request since he was unable to attend. Moving on to cabana boot repairs at the West Park Village Pool, Property Manager Debbie Sainz had attained two quotes. The problem was, neither had provided proof of workers’ compensation coverage, which is something the WCA has always required in the past. Director Jack Maurer countered that the request had been to find a handyman to perform the work, and typically these individual laborers aren’t required to carry workers’ comp. After a bit of back and forth a motion was passed to hire Hoffman Construction provided Debbie was able to attain proof of workers’ compensation coverage.
In his Treasurer’s Report, Sells brought to light an overage in the liabilities for pre-paid assessments, primarily due to residents who are signed up for auto debit but then also paid their assessments by mail. Sells made a motion that all residents who have a credit more than $20 be contacted to receive a refund. It passed unanimously. Sells also noted that the Property Manager is currently authorized to spend up to $1,500 in non-recurring expenses, an amount that was set in 2001. He made a motion to increase that amount to $2,500 to be in line with the current economy. The motion passed 3-1 with Maurer opposed.
In Holt’s absence, Yesner spoke regarding the ongoing issue with vultures in Stonebridge. Yesner had attended the Feb. 7 CDD meeting and reported that the USDA agreed to extend their contract through April. Yesner reiterated that the CDD had the full support of the WCA Board. He also noted that Holt had reached out to Florida Fish & Wildlife and learned that no permit is required to harass vultures, but a permit is required to kill them. Yesner stated that the CDD had the attitude that a global resolution was necessary, potentially incorporating mitigation efforts like roof spikes and fake owls. “If we don’t give the authority to try those things, we may be in trouble,” he said.
Sells then gave a report for the temporary work group. The group had accumulated a list of 55 projects, 15 of which had been approved to be completed. The biggest item is the crack in the West Park Village pool deck. The group’s goal is to have a list of priorities to present at the March 9 meeting, and then the committee will cease to exist.
In is his report, Facilities Manager Dwight Kilgore stated the fire station next to the Countryway Swim & Tennis Center had requested use of the pickleball courts to aid in meeting their fitness requirements. Jim Brinker made a motion to allow them to use the courts if no one was on them. Maurer asked for more information about what they would use the courts for and Kilgore stated they would strictly be using them to play pickleball. Sainz suggested the fire station contact Kilgore directly to reserve the courts and Maurer added that Kilgore should designate a specific contact at the fire station to coordinate court use. The motion was revised to state the fire station could use the courts as long as they worked with Kilgore to reserve them. It passed unanimously.
Moving on to fine appeals, a couple from Radcliffe was disputing a fine they received for painting their home. They had received approval for their paint selections in February of 2022 but due to a series of personal events, they had to postpone their project. In the fall of 2022, the coupled stated they were given verbal approval from the WCA administrative assistant to “hurry up and paint.” However, the guidelines had changed to prohibit having two homes with white body colors next to one another. The couple’s neighbor already had a white home, which meant they were out of compliance. Sells reminded the couple that MOD approvals are only good for 60 days. He added that the proper steps to take in this situation would have been to submit a new MOD application. It would be denied and then would go on to the Variance Committee for a final decision. “This doesn’t seem like a situation where there was non-compliance. The right intention was there,” Maurer said. The homeowner added, “We’re asking for a little grace under extenuating circumstances.” Maurer made a motion to waive the proposed fine and allow the residents to maintain the color that was approved in 2022. It passed unanimously.
A second resident was on hand to provide an update on work he was doing be in compliance with sod guidelines. He expressed frustration that he had been in communication with the WCA office but still received a second notification letter. Sells clarified that, “those are operating on two different tracks.” The board agreed to table to fine for 30 days to allow the homeowner time to submit a new MOD application and have the work completed.
In her manager’s report Sainz gave an update on the proposal from AD Engineering regarding pool deck repairs. Sells made a motion to approve the engagement letter from AD Engineering. Yesner questioned whether anyone had checked to see if these repairs are covered by the community’s insurance policy. Sainz said she would look into it. The motion was revised to accept AD Engineering’s proposal after checking into insurance coverage and it passed unanimously.
Regarding insurance, Sainz reported the property insurance policy was up for renewal and the premium was increasing by 45 percent (a $10,000 increase). Sainz added they could save money by raising the deductible, which would mean a $95,000 increase in the deductible. Yesner said since it boiled down to a $10,000 premium increase versus a $95,000 deductible increase, he felt they should opt for the larger premium. Sells made a motion to accept the bid to renew at the higher premium rate subject to Debbie doing what she can to tweak the coverage in an effort to save where possible. It passed unanimously.
The focus shifted to a MOD request from a Brentford resident for a paint trim color that was approved in error by Sainz. The board had offered to pay to have the home repainted, but the homeowners stated they would not have painted at all if they knew their color choice was not approved. The board agreed to let them keep the current color and will send a letter to other residents of Brentford explaining the situation.
