We live in a beautiful community that is the size of some small cities in America. We have over 6000 residents and 47 miles of roads to maintain. It is a huge task that the volunteers who serve on your Board of Directors undertake. The main goal is to keep our community looking good and our amenities maintained so all residents can enjoy them. This isn’t always an easy task; there are 6,000 opinions about how and when projects should be accomplished.
Since 2014, each Board has worked on the flow of information between residents and the Board. Knowing what the majority of residents want helps the Board to analyze and make decisions on behalf of the entire community.
Here are some of the improvements since 2014:
- If you wanted a document (contract, home improvement application, etc.), you had to go to the HOA office, complete a form, and wait a few days while the staff pulled the information and made copies for you. You also were charged for the copies. Now, on our new website (created a few years ago), these documents are loaded onto the Resident Only section of our website; and all residents can read and print them at their leisure.
- Board meetings are corporate business meetings where the Board makes decisions for our community. With all that needs to be done, the Board must limit comments from residents to three minutes in order to ensure all who would like to speak have the opportunity. In 2014, when I was elected to the Board, I initiated an event called “Meet a Board Member.” Each month I and another Board member (members are rotated) met with residents on the Santa Rosa or Montecito patio. At these informal meetings, we listen to resident comments and answer questions. There is no time limit like the Board meetings.
- Email blasts are now sent out to residents who sign up for it, each Monday to notify them about what is happening in our community including any gate or amenity closures scheduled that week. If you aren’t signed up, contact the HOA office to learn how to get on the list.
- We continue to publish The View, our monthly magazine, under the auspices of our Communications Advisory Committee, and View Sub-Committee. The View does a fabulous job of producing. It helps us get to know our neighbors, what clubs are doing, and what activities are scheduled in our community.
- We have an Information Advisory Committee doing a great job keeping our website up-todate. One of this committee’s functions is to review any “Ask a Question” questions, send them to the person in our community who deals with that issue, and make sure the resident gets a factual response. Also on the website you will find copies of all major contracts that the Board has entered into, information on clubs, etc.
- We also have a phone app that gives you information on our community no matter where you are.
- In the lobby of each clubhouse, you will see smart TVs displaying rotating information about our community.
- Each clubhouse has flyer holders with various flyers providing information on our community. As you can see, there are many ways to obtain information about our community. If you have additional ideas, the Board is always open to suggestions.
I hope that you will take the time to look at these various items and keep up-to-date about what is going on in this fabulous community.
I hope you had a great summer, and here’s to a fun-filled fall!
Joan Dzuro
Vice President