8/24/05:  2006 Budget Preparation

From: Brian Troutman, Board Treasurer

Fall is on the horizon (you can almost feel the chill in the air, can’t you?) and the Board is beginning preparation for the transition to the new year.  Time to contemplate candidates for upcoming Board positions, potential new members for the various committees as well as the budget for the upcoming year.  From the point of view of the Board Treasurer, my focus is the budget preparation.  I need not remind you that the budget, divided by the 559 property owners, becomes our annual assessment (paid quarterly).

Last year, I began the process of soliciting input from the community at large, in preparation for the process of assembling a draft budget for presentation to the board, ultimately for approval and implementation.  This year we will do the same with starting with providing property owners worksheets containing financial information, including this year’s budget, actual costs to date and projected total annual costs, as well as historical data, and several columns of statistical information.  The intent of these worksheets is to communicate the facts of our expenditures and reserves, in a manageable format, so we can closely examine finances, opportunities to save money and potentially areas that we need to commit more money in order to build an outstanding community.  These worksheets are available both on-line from the community website as well as hard copies may be obtained from the attendants in the community office, during normal business hours.  The culmination of this effort is a meeting, open to the community, where we go through the budget line by line to determine our planned expenditures for the year, our reserve (savings) philosophy and ultimately our proposal for next year’s quarterly assessment.  This year’s meeting is scheduled for September 10^th from 3:30-5PM.  Based on the information I’ve prepared and last year’s meeting, I expect the meeting to last approximately 90 minutes

Last year’s meeting was attended by too few people.  The meeting, from feedback I gathered, was received well by the attendees, sighting meaningful information presented in an informative and efficient manner.  This year we could dramatically improve this process with increased participation in the meeting.  Please take the time to obtain documents and actively participate in the 2006 Budget Workshop.  If for some reason you cannot afford the time to attend the meeting, please feel free to e-mail me (bt@ticus.com) any input you have prior to the meeting so your input can be included.  This is the one chance you have to directly affect your own checkbook when it comes to POA dues.  We look forward to your active participation and input.

8/24/05: Security Patrol Report

8/3/05: Photographs from the Car Wash (Click to Enlarge!)

8/1/05: CRIMINAL ACTIVITY / TRESPASSING IN STAGECOACH

This was sent in from one of our residents describing an incident which happened in his pool this past weekend:

On 7/28/05 at 3:30 AM I was awaken by a strange man swimming in my pool, what is scary is that I have a fenced in yard and a screened in pool, this person came into my back yard through my fence then cut a hole into my screen to unlock the latch to get into my pool area to go swimming, I have reported this to the Pasco County Sheriff’s office. This incident is very unnerving since we just moved into Stagecoach less that a month ago.

As a follow-up to my earlier message, my pool pump just stopped working therefore requiring me to contact a pool repair service on Saturday 7/30/05, the pool repairman informed me that the wires to my pool motor had been cut and that someone had stuffed some type of object (lord knows what) up into my vacuum system intake opening thus causing it to stop working also, he will have to come back on another service call with a compressor to blow out and clear the lines, so far this issue has costs me $300.00, I contacted the Pasco Sheriff’s office on Saturday who then dispatched an officer, I spoke with the officer at great length, I don’t know what is the issue here, I’m not sure if we have some type of pervert running around on Conestoga drive or just somebody who doesn’t like my pool, considering that I just moved into Stagecoach about a month ago from Pennsylvania and I have had very little time to meet anyone I find it hard to believe that I’ve created enemies already.

It looks like this man has paid several late night visits to my property and I have informed my neighbors to be aware of the problem also because who knows when and where he will strike next because like me several of my neighbors have small children and wives.

7/29/05:  STAGECOACH SECURITY PATROL POA Report

> We have had a couple more new members. I want to thank the residents that came forward and joined the security patrol. We still need more folks, please contact me if you are interested and would like to support your community.

> The Crime Stat YTD June 2005 summary has been posted on the website.

Crime stats remain relatively low for Stagecoach.

> Off duty deputies were not requested for July.

> Please contact the Sheriff’s Office if you see traffic violators, criminal behavior or suspicious activity. Continue to call on any of these as they occur. Stagecoach Security Patrol can’t fix these incidents. Constant vigilance on reporting this activity will increase the manpower the Sheriff’s Office assigns to Stagecoach. So keep those calls going into dispatch.

> On Thursday, July 21, 2005 we had a special guest speaker, James Johnson the acting Director of Emergency Management for Pasco County. The presentation focused on Hurricane Preparedness. The meeting was held in the recreation center at 7:00 PM only about 20 folks from Stagecoach attended all except one were associated with the Security Patrol.

> Central Pasco had been experiencing some suspected gang activity in Wesly Chapel. Graffiti is the big problem on the club houses. The Sheriff’s Office believes they have resolved the issue and the offenders have been arrested tried and are serving time.

> It is vacation time! Don’t forget to take care of your mail and newspapers while you are away. To the criminal element this is an invitation for them to know there is no one home. Also, keep your shrubs and trees trimmed to avoid providing places for burglars to hide and wait.

Information from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office:

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Citizen Academy is starting new classes about every other month. The class meets twice a week for six weeks and you will learn everything you would ever want to know about operation of the Sheriff’s Office. If you are interested please call me for an application.

The next Citizen Academy will start Tuesday July 26th.
Land o Lakes Correction Center

The Sheriff’s Annual Golf Tournament is October 1, 2005 at Lake Jovita CC the cost is $125. Let me know if you are interested I will get you an entry form.

The Pasco County Security Patrol Association will hold the annual picnic on October 22, 2005. The tickets cost $8 each and this includes a catered lunch and a 2 man country band. Raffle tickets are available at the door and usually everyone the purchases is a winner. Fred Dichter has the tickets.

6/29/05:  Effective June 28, 2005:   The staining of Driveways is approved.  You still must get ACC Approval, and the only authorized COLOR/BRAND is BEHR #819 Catalina Stone (Solid Color Concrete Stain - Siliconized 100% Acrylic), which is available at Home Depot.  Brochures for this product are available in the Clubhouse for review.

6/28/05:  Effective June 1, 2005:

Stagecoach

The Board of Directors voted on 5/23/05 to amend our collections, late fee, recreation center card access suspension rules & legal collections policy. 

Effective 1 June 2005 the policy is amended as follows:
 

6/22/05:

The Stagecoach Security Patrol would like to invite Stagecoach residents to our Thursday, July 21, 2005 meeting. We will have a special guest speaker, James Johnson the acting Director of Emergency Management for Pasco County. The presentation will focus on Hurricane Preparedness. The meeting will be held in the recreation center at 7:00 PM.

5/14/05:

i just published more pictures from the Spring Fling.  They may be viewed by clicking on the Spring Fling 2005 Navigation Button.

4/26//05:

This great photograph was taken by Craig Pilczuk at the Stagecoach Clubhouse

1/13/05:  Annual Meeting

Welcome to our new board members: Anne Cameron Mary Cluck and Robert Carpenter!!  We looking forward to a productive year serving the Stagecoach community. A Big thank you for all the "volunteers" who went door to door obtaining proxy signatures allowing us to conduct our annual meeting.  This eliminated re-mailing proxies, and wasting association funds. 

11/23/04:

We have switched Management Companies to Management & Associates.  They are a great company, very highly regarded, and we should see (and already do) an increase in service to our community.  I will distribute a President's Newsletter in the next week with Details, and you will get an Introduction from M&A, Information on Coupon Books, as well as Board Position Nomination forms in the next week.  Although Melrose is under contract through 12/9/04, the contact information for M&A is:

Management & Associates,
1050A East Lake Woodlands Parkway
Oldsmar, FL 34677

Fax:  727-789-9139.

Phone number:  (727) 789-1284 or Toll Free (877) 626-2435.  Y

Property Manager: Mr. Tom Picciano at X227. 

After Hours Emergency Contact Number: (727) 789-1284 (Follow the Instructions) and a Property Manager will call you back.

10/27/04:

The Board of Directors modified the Fining/Hearing policy to streamline the process, eliminate redundancy, eliminate compounding/timeline fines and increase initial fines.  The goal of the association is to resolve all violations within the two letter, and refer to the attorney/assess fines only as a last resort.

The new policy is:

STAGECOACH PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
FINING & HEARING POLICY

This policy is part of the Rules and Regulations of Stagecoach Property Owners Association Inc. (the “Association”), and addresses the procedure for fining owners, tenants, guests and other persons who violate the Declaration, the Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws, or Rules and Regulations of the Association.

Fines are an alternative to other means of enforcement provided for in the Declaration and By-Laws.   Fines have been adopted by the Board of Directors in accordance with the following stated procedures:

1.         The Board of Directors or its appointed agents are charged with determining whether there is probable cause that any of the provisions of the Declaration, the Articles, the By-Laws, or the Rules and Regulations of the Association regarding the use of the lot, common areas, or Association property are being or have been violated.

2.         The Board of Directors shall appoint a Fining Review Committee (the “Committee”) of three (3) persons, which shall consist entirely of lot owners other than members of the Board of Directors, or persons related to Board members, and which shall be charged with conducting the hearing and rendering the decision with regard to the levy of fines as herein provided Alternate members of the Committee may be appointed, to be available to serve if a Committee member resigns or is unavailable for a hearing.
 

3.         In the event that the Association receives a complaint, or a violation is otherwise determined to have occurred, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) or its agents will notify the alleged violator(s), and in appropriate cases, will provide an opportunity for such violation to be corrected within a reasonable time.  Notification to the alleged violators will include a definitive time period for corrective action to be completed, and shall require written notice by the alleged violator that the discrepancy has been corrected.  Additionally, the letter shall state if the violation is not corrected, a fine will be imposed along with legal fees.

4.         If the violation has not been corrected, or in the case of a second violation, or in the case of a violation of such a serious nature that the Board determines it does not warrant an opportunity for the alleged violator to correct it, the Board may adopt a proposed fine, up to the maximum amount allowed by law. A fine may be imposed based upon each day that a continuing violation continues. The fine will not become final until a hearing has been held, or waived by the alleged violator in writing.

5.         Following the adoption of a proposed fine, the alleged violator shall be notified by regular and certified mail by the association attorney, along with a notice that the alleged violator may request a hearing before the Committee within fourteen (14) days of the date of the violation letter. Alternatively, the Committee may set the date and time of the proposed hearing before sending the letter to the alleged violator, provided that the hearing is at least fourteen (14) days from the date of the notice. The notice to the alleged violator shall also include a short and plain statement of the matters asserted by the Association, as well as a statement of the provisions of the Declaration, Articles, By-Laws, or Rules, which have allegedly been violated. Failure to request a hearing within this fourteen (14) day period shall constitute a waiver of the right to a hearing.
 

6.         The Committee shall hold a hearing if requested, after giving the lot owner fourteen (14) days written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing, unless the alleged violator waives this fourteen (14) day notice requirement. The Committee may overrule or modify the fine following the hearing, however they may not waive or reduce the imposed legal fees.
 

7.         If the Board has not directly appointed a Chairman, or if the Chairman is absent, the Committee shall appoint a Chairman, and shall conduct hearings in accordance with the following rules, in addition to such other rules and procedures as may be established by the Committee, to hear any charges and defenses. The hearing may be audio or video-recorded in the same manner and tinder the same rules that lot owners are permitted to audio or video-record meetings of the Board.
 

(a)        A representative of the Association shall be heard first, in order to summarize the basis for the proposed fine, and to present any witnesses or documents in support of the proposed fine. Written affidavits shall be permitted, and the hearing need not be conducted according to technical rules relating to evidence and witnesses. A party or witness may also be allowed to appear, provided that the cost involved (if applicable) is paid by the party offering such evidence. Any relevant evidence shall be admitted if it is the sort of evidence on which responsible persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs, regardless of the existence of any common law or statutory rule, which might make improper the admission of such evidence over objection in civil actions. The rules and privileges relating to court proceedings shall only be effective to the extent that they axe required by law to be recognized at the hearing, and irrelevant and unduly repetitious evidence shall be excluded.
 

(b)        Each party shall have these rights: to be represented by counsel; to call and examine witnesses; to introduce exhibits; to cross-examine opposing witnesses on any matter relevant to the issues even though that matter was not covered in the direct examination; to impeach any witness regardless of which party first called him to testify; and to rebut the evidence against him.
 

(c)        Neither the accusing person nor the allegedly defaulting lot owner must be in attendance at the hearing. The hearing shall be open to attendance by all lot owners. In rendering a decision, official notice may be taken at any time of any generally accepted matter within the Declaration, the Articles, the By-Laws, the Rules and Regulations, or the workings of the Association.
 

(d)        Either immediately following the conclusion of the hearing, or within ten (10) days, the Committee shall render a decision on the matter, and will prepare a written summary of the decision, which is to be provided to the Association.  The Association will then inform the alleged violator in writing.  If the decision of the Committee is to uphold the fine, or to impose a reduced fine, the fine shall be payable to the Association within twenty (20) days from the date that written notice of the decision is sent to the alleged violator(s).
 

8.         Subsequent to the hearing, or if no hearing is requested within fourteen (14) days from the date of the letter notifying the violator of the fine, any further enforcement action will be taken by the Board.
 

9.         Any violator(s) will be responsible for interest, costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in the enforcement of the fine, including costs and attorney’s fees in connection with any correspondence or hearings, provided that the Committee upholds the fine, in whole or in part.  Any unpaid fines or legal fees  shall result in suspension of use rights to the Recreational Center, Pool & Fitness Center facility.

STAGECOACH PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
DEED RESTRICTION HEARING COMMITTEE POLICY & PROCEDURES

 

This policy is part of the Rules and Regulations of Stagecoach Property Owners Association Inc. (the “Association”), and addresses the procedure for fining owners, tenants, guests and other persons who violate the Declaration, the Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws, or Rules and Regulations of the Association.
 

The committee shall meet on the first Monday of the month if there is business to conduct.  Prior to implementation all rules, regulations, enforcement policy and the fining schedule shall be sent to all residents of Stagecoach as well as article XII and XIII section 12 amendment. 
 

Weekly enforcement shall be carried out through the Management Company in accordance with the terms of their contract for neighborhood patrols.   Residents may participate by sending e-mail or phone calls reporting any deed restriction violations.  All reported violations shall be validated by Melrose Management prior to issuance of a notice of violation.
 

The Management company shall send the Deed Restriction Hearing Committee Chairperson and Board of Directors a copy of all notice of violation letters on a monthly basis, as well as any subsequent of follow-up correspondence. 
 

FINE LIMITS:

General Deed Restriction Violation: To include the following violations-Signage, Pets, Vehicles illegally parked (including boats and RV’s) past time allowed, Commercial Overnight Vehicles, Garbage cans, Outside tanks, Exposed Water Conditioners, Improper lawn care or other related violations.   The First letter will be a warning.  The second letter shall be a final warning, and the third letter, if required, shall be sent from the association attorney and shall assess a fine of $150, plus specified legal fees.  Subsequent violations shall results in subsequent fines and legal fees.
 

Three documents are posted below.  They are the Fiscal Year 2005 Budget, FY 2005 Budget Summary and the 2005 Budget Review.  As decided at the September Board Meeting assessments will increase on January 1, 2005 to $155 per quarter.  For questions on the budget, please contact our treasurer, Brian Troutman at bt@ticus.com

   FY05 Budget Summary

FY05 Budget Plan

FY05 Budget Spreadsheet

10/4/04:

As you know, In mid-September we held and open Budget Meeting for residents to discuss budget issues, as well as have direct input into the budget development, execution and impact on Assessments.  The Board of Directors approved the FY05 Budget at the September Board Meeting.  I will post our approved budget and spreadsheet, but wanted to get the word out in advance that effective January 1, 2005 our quarterly assessments will be raised from $130 per quarter to $155 per quarter.   Mr. Brian Troutman did a superior job documenting expense trends and developing a budget solution which would both ensure fiscal health, as well as provide long-term financial resources to cover high dollar purchases or repairs (pool, roof, berms, etc.).  I will post the documents shortly, however if you have specific question, you can contact me at bruce@stagecoachfl.org or Brian at bt@tiscus.com.

8/11/04:

A good site for information & tracking of Hurricanes http://www.hurricanetrack.com/

Link to the National Hurricane Center:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

7/17/04:

Ever wonder where the Land O' Lakes Historical Trail is?   http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/hikeplans/land_o_lakes/planlandolake.html