A Word from Sun Communities, Inc.
|
Phil Bernhauser
General Manager The Hamptons Golf & Country Club 1094 Hwy 92 West Auburndale, Florida 33823 863-667-0275 (24 x 7 non-emergency) 877-786-6048 (after hours EMERGENCY only) pbernhauser@suncommunities.com |
April 2, 2018:
- Flagpole – was signed off by inspector previous Saturday
- Second fountain - electricians are coming in the next week or so
- Visitors – please observe/monitor the behavior of guests at the pool; also, golf carts may ONLY be operated by persons with a valid driver’s license
- Please sure back doors and sheds are secured; remain vigilant and observant especially on behalf of neighbors out of town
- Pro Shop/Card Room remodel
- May – Sun will close the card room and temporarily relocate the Pro Shop there
- After the remodel, they'll flip back and then remodel the card room
- During summer – some drainage work and cart paths will be closed while repaired
- Homeowner concerns
- 8’ fencing will be replaced/repaired
- Common areas – off Royal Forest – weekly mowing will begin this week; had not been maintained for months; Phil will follow up
- Card readers/security – for pool; computer systems installed and will be undergo integration testing in a week; then Phil will begin programming cards; Emily will begin disbursing the cards; may send email blasts – secures pool and clubhouse
- Golf cart paths that cross the road – please smooth them on holes #17 & 18 – near leaking hydrant (Phil indicated Miami curves are deep to allow for better drainage)
- Status of more houses coming in/out – Phil has no information except one more home coming in that will probably be the last one this year; then lot #93 should be only other empty lot for a while
- Working on potential upgrade to the entrance gate
- No lighting around portico and front entrance after Choraliers performance on Saturday
- Tulip Cir. W. at loop near Brenda Wood’s house needs lighting
- Roadwork needed at Petunia and Gladiola; Phil will follow up
- Hot tub – too much chlorine last Thursday; Phil informed resident that the health department actually allows a much higher concentration of bleach than is used at the Hamptons; testing is automatically performed hourly and manually checked by a pool maintenance guy weekly
- 10 & 11 – need to clean out debris; Phil will follow up
- Dividers in clubhouse to provide compartmentalized meeting/activity rooms – this is a no go; ceiling gaps preclude installation and the weight of the dividers would have been problematic
- Grille restaurant – bathrooms will be renovated sometime in late spring/summer; also back room is noisy
- Boars – caught six (6) to-date
- Cart paths and drainage is very expensive and Phil's focus right now; once he finishes, he will address other issues
January 2018:
A Message From Phil Bernhauser:
Happy New Year! Now that we have recovered from Hurricane Irma, it is time to get back to the regular maintenance of our homes.
In light of our recent freezing temperatures, many of our plants and shrubs need extra attention. We understand that the common area landscaping has been affected also and we will be working diligently to bring these back to Hamptons standards. Please ensure that your homes are pressure washed and your lawns and landscaping maintained. We will be reviewing homes to ensure Hamptons standards are met for the enjoyment of everyone.
In addition, please see the letter from our Regional Vice President below (or click HERE to open the letter as a PDF).
Thank you for all you do to keep our community beautiful.
A Message From Dawn Roller, Regional Vice President:
Good Day All, What a year we had! Ready to move forward with a new one. We would like
to say thank you for all the efforts each of you have completed post-Hurricane
Irma.
We have spent significant dollars in removing aluminum, tree debris and other items over the last 90 days in order to restore your community to the standards we expect.
We are now near completion of all loose debris and tree removal and anticipate mid-January as a target for full completion.
It is now our request to ensure all homeowners meet the intended requirements of the community standards and restore all ancillary items such as sheds, carports, lanais, etc. by March 31, 2018.
It should also be noted, we have communicated in the past about options from FEMA for homeowners to obtain assistance with home repairs, etc. We hope that everybody took advantage of these programs.
Your management team will be in the community, meeting homeowners and answering any questions, to ensure we meet this deadline.
Good luck and see everyone soon.
A Message From Phil Bernhauser:
Happy New Year! Now that we have recovered from Hurricane Irma, it is time to get back to the regular maintenance of our homes.
In light of our recent freezing temperatures, many of our plants and shrubs need extra attention. We understand that the common area landscaping has been affected also and we will be working diligently to bring these back to Hamptons standards. Please ensure that your homes are pressure washed and your lawns and landscaping maintained. We will be reviewing homes to ensure Hamptons standards are met for the enjoyment of everyone.
In addition, please see the letter from our Regional Vice President below (or click HERE to open the letter as a PDF).
Thank you for all you do to keep our community beautiful.
A Message From Dawn Roller, Regional Vice President:
Good Day All, What a year we had! Ready to move forward with a new one. We would like
to say thank you for all the efforts each of you have completed post-Hurricane
Irma.
We have spent significant dollars in removing aluminum, tree debris and other items over the last 90 days in order to restore your community to the standards we expect.
We are now near completion of all loose debris and tree removal and anticipate mid-January as a target for full completion.
It is now our request to ensure all homeowners meet the intended requirements of the community standards and restore all ancillary items such as sheds, carports, lanais, etc. by March 31, 2018.
It should also be noted, we have communicated in the past about options from FEMA for homeowners to obtain assistance with home repairs, etc. We hope that everybody took advantage of these programs.
Your management team will be in the community, meeting homeowners and answering any questions, to ensure we meet this deadline.
Good luck and see everyone soon.
October 2017:
- Monthly Sun Updates: Phil provides substantial updates and fields questions during coffee hour on the first Monday of each month, with exceptions in July and September (no reports). NOTE: Many managers at Sun properties only meet with residents on a quarterly basis.
- Hurricane Cleanups: Thanks to all who helped clean up after the storm; this became top priority so a few other projects may be temporarily delayed.
- Community Fence Repairs: Sun will spend approx. $90K on fence repairs, primarily due to storm damage (Tulip Circle W fencing will be extended just a little bit behind a few homes backing up to the preserve area).
- Communications: Sun would like to provide more information; while email is fine, more focus will also be on the website.
- Flag Pole at the gate entrance: They must dig down at least 5 feet; they kept hitting water due to the storm; this work will resume in November.
- New Fountains: Work will resume on the new fountains planned near the entrance soon, as well as lighting for the “H” sign.
- Golf Course: Reminder that ONLY golfers should be on the course before dusk…meaning, NO recreational walking, jogging, walking dogs, bicycling, out with the grand kids, etc.
- Street Lights: Phil cannot replace them all at once but they are being replaced/swapped out as needed; let him know if a light is out or is strobeing/flashing.
- Clubhouse Stage Extensions: These should arrive in a few weeks and will enhance entertainment events for musicians and singers.
- Signage on Golf Cart path approaching the Grille Restaurant: The current sign “Tavern on the Green” will be replaced to properly reflect the current name of the Grille Restaurant.
- Lot Rent increases: We were successful in holding it to 4% (it could have been 5%).
- Trash Trucks speeding: Please report any trash trucks you observe speeding.
- No significant updates
- Once movies are shown in the Clubhouse on Fridays, they may be loaned out for personal viewing. Stop by the Office to sign them out.
- There will be no "Phil" updates at Monday morning coffee in September.
- In response to several inquiries, Sun management is unable to install a second hand rail in the jacuzzi / spa. There is not enough room given the spa footprint.
- Bill pay issues have resulted in management again encouraging residents to instead complete the form to allow for automated debits from your account to pay your lot rent.
The problem with bank bill pay functions: your bank indicates the bill is paid but banks typically outsource this function to a third party who cuts/mails checks; the checks could be mailed late or combined in stacks that get delayed. Recently, one stack of Hamptons residents' checks (which would normally have been mailed to Sun) erroneously contained a check for Brighthouse on the top of that stack. Someone sent the entire stack to Brighthouse, who proceeded to deposit those checks into their corporate account. (Keep in mind, corporations do not have the time or inclination to handle hundreds of checks individually to catch such blunders, assuming someone has done quality control.) And banks handle so much paper that when they receive a bundle of checks for deposit, machines are often used to scan, read, and complete those transactions. Most of the time, the process works - and there are quality checks (pardon the pun) and controls in such financial systems - but NOTHING is perfect!
Think of bill pay as a PUSH technology: you are authorizing an entity to generate a check and push it out to the recipient - in this case, Sun. That process is rife with potential for delays because paper checks are generated and must be handled, managed, and mailed - plenty of opportunities for delays.
On the other hand, consider authorizing Sun to automatically debit your account as a PULL technology: they are legally limited to just the amount you indicate on the form for your lot rent, it's done electronically (quickly), they pull on the 5th or 6th of each month, you can check your statements/balances to confirm it, and your lot rent will never be late. Not a sermon - we're just saying to consider utilizing this automated (ACH*) authorization option. (*Automated Clearing House (ACH) is an electronic network for financial transactions in the United States. ACH processes large volumes of credit and debit transactions.) - Please be alert to a recent ADT security system scam (posted on the bulletin board); Hamptons does NOT allow any institution to solicit in our community!
- Lights near the dog park will be fixed as soon as possible.
- The new fountains on the ponds on either side of the road as you enter the Hamptons will be operational when electrical connections are completed.
- The clubhouse TV (left side of the stage) will be reinstalled on the wall in the next day or so (following the 8/07 morning coffee meeting).
- Loose tiles around the pool's edge were reported. Phil will follow-up.
- There will not be a box for the Ledger publication at the Clubhouse. Phil indicated that our delivery options are either individual home delivery or a box. Home deliveries will NOT be interrupted so the box option is out.
- Phil will consider obtaining clear plastic sleeves (that usually can be torn off a small stand) into which you can place your wet umbrella. Benefits: no cramming of everyone's umbrellas into an umbrella stand, no leaving and forgetting your umbrella (you can keep it with you), and minimizing the danger of slippery, wet floors.
- In response to complaints about irregular trash pick up: (1) If you don't want to worry about when they come, then put your trash out the night before in a trash can. YES, this means you have to haul it in the next day but you won't have to worry about critters tearing a bag open that was left outside (and they WILL make a mess that you have to clean up). And you don't have to worry about whether the trash guys come at 7:30 a.m. or 5 p.m. By the way, they are allowed that amount of time because conditions arise...sometimes out of their control...so let's give them a break, okay? (2) If you don't want to fool with a trash can--meaning you will set your trash out in a bag on collection days--then accept the fact that pickup may be at inconsistent times. That means, YES, you might be jumping out the bed if you hear the trucks rumbling through at 7:15 a.m., or the bag you throw in the driveway may sit there until 4-5 p.m. (or whenever)!
- Phil will consider getting a portable microphone to pass around, for residents to speak into, during his monthly updates to residents at Monday morning coffee so others can hear the questions or comments.
- Please note a correction to the August Hampton Herald: The Hampton Grille restaurant will be closed for renovations Aug. 26 and will reopen Sep. 11, 2017 (NOT Sep. 14).
- October plans include: (1) asking Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd to talk about scams targeting seniors; and (2) having Walgreens provide flu shots on site.
- The pool will be closed for several hours (8 a.m.-2 p.m.) on Wednesday, July 19
- A significant number of new road trips and outings have been added to the list. These trips represent a great opportunity to have fellowship, get to know your neighbors, and expand your recreational horizons! Please notify Emily at the office sooner than later to reserve your space! Click HERE to see the updated list.
- No significant updates this month
- Friday afternoon is now "Movie Hour." Every Friday from 2-4 pm, beginning May 19, a movie will be shown (no "R" or "X" rated). Beverages and popcorn will be provided.
- Landscaping on cul de sacs and islands won't be done until the rainy season; otherwise the plants will die.
- We cannot use well water to fill the low ponds; that water is needed for fire protection.
- The pothole at the Community entrance has been repaired.
- Sun is transitioning responsibility for the "Homes of the Month" program to the HOA.
- The HOA is ordering a radar display sign. It will flash when the 15 MPH speed is exceeded. It will only store information about the number of speeding events ... no personal vehicle information. Once it is here in the community, Sun will manage its location/placement and maintenance issues.
- The HOA and Sun:
- continue to collaborate with Spectrum to eventually establish a dedicated Hamptons community TV channel (stay posted!); and
- will jointly acquire a permanent (electronic) sign to promote various activities.
- "No Solicitation" signs are on order
- An oscillating fan will be mounted on the wall in the exercise room
- A custom Pickle Ball fence has been installed; also, sod has been placed to fill in the patches around the court
- Sun agreed to re-install shelves in the table closet
- Road repairs are planned for May; approx. 25 spots have been identified, including the pothole
- Fencing and mulching are scheduled for Bayshore Drive
- Tree trimming at select holes will allow more sunlight, for a healthier Golf course
