Letter From the President (Sept 2018)
Letter From the President (Sept 2018)
I’m sending out September’s letter early as we just finished our August open and executive meetings. We had about 20 people attend and that includes the Board. We have 300 homes and represented at the meeting were about 15 homes. That’s only a 5% attendance, so it’s important that we (the Board) share the information discussed at those meetings.
The vitally important things facing the Board are our next year contracts for the pool and landscaping. Both of these will be reviewed by the Director responsible and then presented to the full Board for approval. Our 2019 budget can be formulated based on those large expenditures.
We just completed a reserve study, and although we are still sifting through all the information presented, it seems we are in a very good financial place for the next five years. Although the study does call for a $5 increase in the yearly fees five years from now. That would mean a .50 cents per month increase. As that date approaches, the Board in place at that time will have to make a decision if it is needed.
The Board is also seriously considering a new legal team for next year as we are not pleased with the results and cost of the current legal group.
A couple other agenda items will be developing a fine schedule along with punitive measures for those that do not follow the covenants and or our policies. Adding to that will be fine tuning our leasing program to address renters who are unable to handle living in an HOA community. This will include eliminating the homeowner or leasing company from renting in our subdivision.
All in all this year has presented no real big problems although landscaping has been problematic throughout the year. Most of this stems from being able to maintain adequate help. We have been told this is not just our issue but has affected many landscaping companies this year.
That’s an overview of what is going on and I will touch on some detailed information in the rest of this newsletter. Football season is here and I hope all of our teams do well. Enjoy the long fall season as I especially do in this area of Georgia.
Thanks for reading,
Don Roach, President
CCHOA Bear: Email from Resident
Today the board received an email from a resident on Centennial Commons Bend. As we all hoped our community bear moved on, he/she has not. Last night, she was able to snap a photo of him looking into
Backyard window. Again, we emphasize to not leave bird seed or any other food out. Make sure garbage cans are securely stowed away. Beware in the evening hours.
Easement Update
As you can tell the construction has begun big time to the right of our entrance. The developer has taken down the clump of trees on our common property that was blocking our view to the right as you exited the community. That was a huge safety bonus for our subdivision. The 17 or 18 homes being built in the area will be priced above $300k and that should certainly raise our home values. They have completed tapping into our sewer system and this ended up being a non-event…
Pool News
Pool season is winding down. The pool hours changed after the Labor Day Weekend. The new hours will be 9 AM to 8 PM. Also, the lifeguards will no longer be available. The pool volunteers will test the water twice daily along with inspecting the pool at opening and closing times. The pool will close for the year on Sept. 30. I hope you were able to enjoy the pool this season.
Facebook page
A little more than half of our residents have joined our Facebook page. This is the best and fastest way to get immediate information regarding the subdivision, i.e.; looking for recommendations on home issues, posting events in the community, lost dogs, found dogs, and yes, even our recent bear sighting! If you have not already done so, please go to CCHOA in Acworth on Facebook and ask to join the group. (Make sure to take the time to read the conduct policy regarding all posts.)
The other way to get information is to join our email list. You are getting this because we have your email information and can send you important information quickly. If your neighbor doesn’t know why they are not getting this it’s because the Secretary, Shirley Cox does not have their info. Tell them to drop her a line at shirleycchoa@gmail.com. And she will add you to our community email list.
Landscaping News
We have noticed a new weed called Dove weed in the yards along Centennial Commons View. We have directed 4 Seasons to spray this weed as they find it in the next turf treatment. Unfortunately, this treatment will cause a temporary yellowing of the surrounding lawn but it will not kill the grass.
Landscaping News – Broken Mantles in Lamppost
Several complaints have come up over the summer regarding the broken gas mantles caused by mowers hitting the lamppost. The best solution for this is to place garden rock or flowers around your post. If the mowers stay far enough away from the post they will not bump it. Also, there will be fewer complaints that the grass is too high around the posts. Be sure to fill out an ACC request before doing though so you can get approval for this work.
Landscaping News – Tree canopies
Some trees are so large; they are beyond what landscapers can do. 4 Seasons will trim up to 10-12 feet. Any additional thinning of the crown of the tree or removal of branches above the 10-12 feet limit is the responsibility of the homeowner.
Landscaping News – Shrubs
Many of the homes in the subdivision are now old enough that front and side shrubs are crowding out each other and causing some of those old bushes to die. If you have this situation it is your responsibility to remove and replace these after getting ACC approval.
Landscaping News – Large Golden-thread False Cypress
Many of you have these large shrubs in your front yard and they may be looking very gangly with wild tops. 4 Seasons used to trim these as a matter of practice but about 4 years ago they discontinued that practice unless otherwise specifically and personally directed by the homeowner. If you want them trimmed you must call our Representative Shawn Lesko at 404-822-5771 and make an appointment to meet with him to discuss your specific needs.
Dog Feces
We have received many complaints regarding homeowners who walk their dogs and do not pick up after their dog. The residents have asked us to do something about this. As much as we agree that this is a very inconsiderate action, neither the board nor CMA has any recourse to this action without specific information. In order to notify CMA to issue a violation, we must have either the dog owners name and/or address. Also, if possible take a photo and include it, would be helpful. Just a photo by itself, without any other information, renders us helpless to pursue the homeowner. All names of those filing a complaint are kept completely confidential as we protect the privacy of our homeowners.
The following are Previous News Articles but some have updated info, you should review to stay informed…
Homeowners must be present with any visitors using the amenities
If you or your family bring or allow visitors to use the HOA amenities some adult from your household must be with them continuously while they are using the amenities. We have had numerous occasions of visitors who are unaware of our rules and become offended when we tell them to follow the rules and procedures. Please help us with this issue.
New Game Day for the Ladies
Recently Elaine Drake set up a day once a month for the ladies to get together to chat and play games. The first one was June 28 and I heard it was fun and a success. Elaine normally posts the dates, times and particulars on Facebook. Next date is Sept. 27.
Paper Delivery
There have been some complaints about the Sunday ad papers that are delivered. If you don’t want these ads delivered, call them (AJC) at 404-522-4141 and tell them you want to cease delivery. They will stop delivering.
Tennis Court Usage
The tennis courts are made for playing tennis and pickleball. Any other activities can result in damage to the courts, nets, and fencing. Skateboarding and roller blades will result in damage to the surface.
Additionally, proper footwear is required to protect the surface and the user. The costs to maintain the courts are in the thousands and therefore we need to follow the procedures for playing at the courts. Please respect this amenity.
Changes in Renting the Clubhouse
A new rental form is on our website. A new Clubhouse Rental Form has been posted on our website for you to fill out if renting the clubhouse. Some holiday weekends that fall during pool season will limit the size of rental participants due to the need for parking spots for our residents. Be aware if you are trying to rent the clubhouse during those dates and have a large party function you will be denied a rental agreement. We will try to keep the calendar updated to indicate those days so you will be aware of them. Before asking to rent the clubhouse you should first check and see if it’s available on the calendar.
A few other changes include the hours to hold your event which will be a maximum of 6 hours. You will still be given all day access to set up and clean up but the event hours will be limited to 6 hours. Why? We have found events running long have built-in hazards especially if there are children and or alcohol involved. Children tend to get bored after a while and will create their own fun with whatever is available when other activities are not provided. Alcohol use after 6 hours is not safe for anyone and we don’t need the resulting problems that come with that. Additionally, when we looked at other community rentals they limit their times to 4 hours or less.
Changes in Renting the Clubhouse Cont’d
You must leave the clubhouse no later than 11:59 PM. If you overstay your time you could lose your deposit or be charged, at the least, another day rental.
Also, the furniture must stay in the clubhouse and not be put outside the clubhouse. The rolling chairs were purchased at over $700 apiece and we do not need them outside and being used as toys. If you are having participants i.e. young children you may want to use the fold-out tables and chairs for their use.
When you rent the clubhouse, you are responsible for the heating and cooling system. Make sure to return to its original setting. If you change the temperature the system will accommodate your desire and eventually return to the settings we have established when not in use. If you change the temperature and hit “hold”, that temperature will continue until someone releases it. This causes an unnecessary cost to all of us because of the renter not releasing the hold. Your compliance in this is expected and could affect your $200 deposit.
Additionally, if you do damage to the facility we need to know immediately. If you don’t notify us we may not be able to repair the damage because of the amount of time that has elapsed, especially with stains. In those cases, you will be assessed the cost of either replacing the property or fixing it.
We believe these changes will preserve the investments we made in the clubhouse and will provide better guidelines to the homeowner renting the facility.
Pickle Ball
The pickleball group has suspended playing on Saturdays at 9 AM as they try to get more players. If they start back playing the new hours may be pushed back to 10 AM. You can find out more about this group on our website. You can email Bob Dougherty @ bobron6@bellsouth.net for more information. New players are welcome. Paddles and balls are provided.
Bunco 6:30 PM
Bunco will resume on Sept. 22. Please bring $5 to play and a dish to share and whatever type of refreshment you’d like to drink while playing. Bunco is a simple dice game and can be easily learned during the playing of the game.
Free Library
In the walkway to the fitness room, a bookcase is full of books. The smaller one has children books. You may take a book to read or you may leave a book for others to read. Feel free to use this trade-off. Tracy Gibson is the owner of this process you can contact her at tracy@ink-jam.com
Thanks for reading,
Don Roach, President and the Board of Centennial Commons