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.)

Email

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

Letter From the President (Jan 2018)

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Happy New Year!!! The Board wishes a blessed 2018 for all our residents. Thanks to all of you who helped make 2017 a good year for the HOA. This letter consists mostly of voting information. Your HOA needs your vote. Our covenants require a 25% participation of our 300 homeowners which would be 75 homes. Unfortunately, not all votes will be able to be counted for one reason or another. So it’s always good to have more than needed to ensure we have the required votes. Thanks in advance for taking the time to vote.

The Board will meet in executive session before voting day to handle some ongoing issues. The only open meeting will be on Jan. 22. This is the fourth Monday of January vs. our normal third Monday scheduled date. This is due to all our Board members not being able to attend on the scheduled date. The correct date and time for this meeting is posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the community. A sign will be posted sometime the week before the voting takes place to remind everyone. Thanks to Bill Drake for performing those tasks.

Don Roach, President

 

Annual Meeting Reminder

Recently (December, 2017) homeowners should have received an annual meeting reminder in the mail. Inside the letter should be an agenda for the meeting on January 22, 2018, a proxy and a 2018 estimated budget. If you haven’t received this you need to contact CMA immediately to get your copy or we will have copies at the clubhouse on Jan. 22, 2018.

Board Election January 2018

Please vote!!!! We will need over 75 residents to vote on or before January 22, 2018, on the enclosed proxy that came with the mailing of the annual meeting reminder (there will be copies of the proxy at the clubhouse and a board member to help you if needed).

Once filled out you can:
1. Drop it off at 5247 Centennial Hill Drive at the HOA mailbox by the garage,
2. Send it to CMA,
3. Drop it off or fill out a copy provided at the clubhouse between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM on Monday, Jan 22,
4. Bring it with you to the meeting, if attending, and give it to someone taking the proxies.

Proxy information – If you are not attending the meeting, you will need to leave the top line blank on the proxy:

  1. The Board then will vote your selections, or
  2. You can appoint someone that will be attending the meeting as your proxy holder. If you write someone’s name in there they have to be a resident in good standing (i.e. current with their fees), they must attend the meeting, and they must be present at 7 PM.

You are able to vote for the current Board listed on the proxy or you can write in a candidate(s) on your proxy. No more than 5 names can be selected or written in. If we have the appropriate number of votes we will have CMA and a volunteer(s) who will count the votes from the proxies and the 5 persons who garner the most votes will be the 2018 Board. Thanks for voting…

Cars parked in Clubhouse Lot

Any cars parked in the clubhouse parking lot without permission will be tagged and if left overnight can be towed. If you have to park yours or another vehicle for whatever reason, you need to contact a Board Member or leave a note in your car that someone can see and read that addresses your issue and who you are and when you expect to move your vehicle. We understand homeowners will have occasions where they have to have extra parking space, but without prior approval, you are taking a chance that you will be parking in the lot when we have an event planned. In that case, we may tow even if you leave a note in the car. It’s best to notify the Board of your intent and get prior approval.

Late payments

I’ve added this again as we have had some residents recently who try to rent the clubhouse and were delinquent. If you are late with your payments your access to the benefits of the subdivision will be suspended until you become current. This includes access to the amenities including clubhouse rentals. If you continue to fall behind you will be turned over to collections by CMA. If you have come under tough financial conditions you can call CMA and work out a payment plan until what time things are better financially for you. This will keep you from being sent to the collection agency. Remember this help is not a way for you to avoid paying. It is assistance during times when you are struggling to meet your commitments. CMA will require you to define your relief time and payment structure.

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.

AT&T Construction

As you are aware the cable/phone company AT&T was laying fiber throughout our community. We have had questions on who to contact if there are issues with the work being done. The number is 855-520-1757.

Easement Update

Work on the new subdivision was planned to begin November 1. The developer states that he will begin sometime in early 2018. The easement work may include some partial lane closures at the entrance to our community. We will communicate that when it is close to happening.

Pickle Ball

The pickle ball group is playing on Saturdays at 9 AM. You can find out more about this group on our website. You can email Bob Dougherty at bobron6@bellsouth.net for more information. New players are welcome.

Bunco

Next Bunco is Saturday, January 13th at 6:30pm in the clubhouse.

Bunco is a simple dice game that is played once a month on a Saturday at the clubhouse. Based on your luck at rolling dice determines if you’re a winner. You rotate from table to table changing partners and we take breaks between the 4 games to socialize. Meet and greet is between 6:30 and 7 PM. At 7 PM we start rolling dice. If you’re interested in some fun and a chance to get to know some neighbors, bring $5 a person, your favorite dish to share with others and your own drinks to join in the fun. Watch the bulletin board at the entrance for the dates. We usually finish around 9:30 PM.

Free Library

In the walkway to the fitness room, a bookcase is full of 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 email@tracypgibson.com.

Christian Video Study Group

Starting January 17th – Christian Video Study Group for Centennial Commons residents (nondenominational) will be held on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 pm. If interested, contact Sirena Courtney at sirenacourtney@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading,
Don Roach, President and the Board of Centennial Commons

SEPTEMBER 2017 – President’s Letter

Gosh, where has the year gone? Summer is over and we are almost at the end of 2017. I do believe the years do go by faster as you get older! Many things have occurred since my last newsletter and we will try to bring you up to date on most of them in a page or two. I know many of you have busy schedules and can’t make the open association meeting on the 3rd Monday of each month so I try to bring the meeting to you through this newsletter. For the ones that do make the meeting, we appreciate your efforts, support, and participation at these meetings.

Don Roach,
President

Easement Update
The proposal has been counter proposed by our attorney and that’s where it stands. If we can come to an agreement soon then I expect work to begin really soon. I can’t say exactly as it depends on too many variables.

THE USE OF POOL AND OTHER AMENITIES
Our pool is closing Sept. 30 and we have some work to do to get it ready for 2018. This cost has not been estimated yet but should save our pump room from having to be replaced in the near future. We still are debating adding additional storage as our storeroom is extremely clogged during the winter months. Also after a discussion with Splash we probably will reduce our pool monitors from two a day to one a day, Monday through Thursday. Our lifeguards will still be on duty for the weekend but will be reporting later in the morning as the attendance isn’t there early in the day to warrant their presence.

New Board Members
This is the time of the year, if you’re planning on running for the Board, you need to contact CMA to fill out a form that will tell the community something about yourself and will get your name on the ballot. This form can be found on our website centennialcommonshoa.org  under the document tab.  As far as I know we do not have a vacancy but the residents decide who will be next years Board based on their votes. It is important to get your name on the ballot as I have never seen a write in get elected to the Board.

2018 Budget 
This is also the time of the year the Board has to get together to plan our next years expenditures. This can be a moving target but we try to base most of what we do on our past knowledge and what we can see that needs to be repaired or replaced. In 2017 additional monies went to security, emergency repairs to the pool, sewer pipe at the clubhouse, new chairs and painting of the clubhouse and bathrooms. Additionally we bought 2 new computers for the 2 positions that need them most the security position and secretary. I expect if our funding is there we will replace the carpet and some furniture in the clubhouse along with making needed repairs to the pool pump room and look at adding some storage. Of course we never know what will break and will need to be replaced. At the meeting each Board member will bring their wish list and we will finalize before sending it out to you all in December.

New Board Members
This is the time of the year, if you’re planning on running for the Board, you need to contact CMA to fill out a form that will tell the community something about yourself and will get your name on the ballot. This form can be found on our website centennialcommonshoa.org  under the document tab.  As far as I know we do not have a vacancy but the residents decide who will be next years Board based on their votes. It is important to get your name on the ballot as I have never seen a write in get elected to the Board.

2018 Budget 
This is also the time of the year the Board has to get together to plan our next years expenditures. This can be a moving target but we try to base most of what we do on our past knowledge and what we can see that needs to be repaired or replaced. In 2017 additional monies went to security, emergency repairs to the pool, sewer pipe at the clubhouse, new chairs and painting of the clubhouse and bathrooms. Additionally we bought 2 new computers for the 2 positions that need them most the security position and secretary. I expect if our funding is there we will replace the carpet and some furniture in the clubhouse along with making needed repairs to the pool pump room and look at adding some storage. Of course we never know what will break and will need to be replaced. At the meeting each Board member will bring their wish list and we will finalize before sending it out to you all in December.

Landscaping News
As the weather changes you will see less mowing and leaf removal. More yards will be receiving notices of needing to repair their lawns. Putting pine straw over the bare areas is not a fix. Please start planning on how you will repair your front yards. All changes do need to be approved by the ACC. This includes some residents who have removed their bushes and not replaced them.

Water Aerobics
The ladies are meeting at another pool to perform water aerobics. Anyone interested should contact Cathy Mattocks at mattockscathy@gmail.com.   Pickle Ball

The pickle ball group is playing on Saturdays at 9 AM. You can find out more about this group on our website. Practice has been erratic lately due to the heat so we can’t say definitively the days and times of practice. But you can email Bob Dougherty @ bobron6@bellsouth.net  and he can give you some answers.

The group is always looking for new players…

Bunco October 21, 6:30 PM
Bunco is a simple dice game that is played once a month at the clubhouse. Based on your luck on rolling the dice determines if you’re a winner. You rotate from table to table changing partners and we take breaks between the 4 games to socialize. We also bring a plate to share with those playing and socialize between 6:30 and 7 PM. At 7 PM we start the action. If you’re interested in some fun and a chance to get to know some neighbors then bring $5 a person and your favorite dish to share and your own drink and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading,

Don Roach, President

And the Board of Centennial Commons

Attn Residents - Get your COVID-19 Amenities Waiver to use the amenities!

X