Annual Meeting Wednesday - Take Two

You should have gotten notice in the mail for the second try of our annual meeting December 19. We failed to reach a quorum for the first meeting so the HOA membership could elect next year's board.

The meeting happens at 7 p.m. in the usual location - the office of Excelsior Property Management at 6554 Krycul Avenue in the Krycul Business Center. See the map below.



Besides the annual election for the board, the HOA membership will vote on whether to install speed tables in the community. People speeding on our streets — especially on the long straight roads of Johanna Ave. and Kensington Park Ave. — happens often enough to present a genuine hazard. It's one of the regularly-occurring complaints that the board has gotten.

Quorum Failed. Annual Meeting Take 2 on Dec. 19

We did not have enough people either attend the annual meeting or return proxy forms for the HOA to elect a board of directors for next year. So we must try again, and you will soon get a notice mailed to you of the new meeting December 19.

The board did pass the budget for next year. It did include a $10 increase in monthly dues, mainly because of a sizeable increase in our insurance bill. The HOA insures the exterior structure and unit owners remain responsible for the interiors, including the drywall, plumbing, electrical wiring, as well as our possessions.

At the meeting several people complained about the increase, with one asking, "what do we get for our money?"

In the 2018 budget, here were the biggest line items:

1. Water/Sewer: $215,000
2. Landscaping (i.e. mowing the lawns): $107,400
3. Insurance: $67,440
4. Building Defects Lawsuit: $60,000
5. Electricity (i.e. street lights): $39,000
6. Trash removal: $35,000
7. Property Management: $32,160

Obviously, the board hopes that once the lawsuit against KB Home concludes, we will get our buildings up to code and that will eliminate number 4 on the list and reduce number 5.

But, for now, the board can't change any of them. These are not discretionary expenses.  The board, for example, can't control how much water people use.  The irrigation comes from well water not part of the water bill. The HOA has bid out the landscape maintenance contract to make sure we get the best price available.

Of course, the board welcomes ideas on how to save money. Board members, including your humble correspondent, pay dues too and don't like them to go up any more than any other owner.

Annual Meeting Wednesday

It's that time, the one HOA meeting a year that needs your attention. You should have gotten notice in the mail for the annual meeting November 14 at which the outgoing board passes the budget for next year and elections for next year's board takes place. We need a quorum of 30% of owners either to attend in in person or return a proxy form to make the meeting official.

If we don't reach a quorum, the HOA (that is YOU) must spend the money to mail out another meeting notice. So even if you don't attend in person, it's important to return your proxy form, which basically gives your consent for the meeting to happen. It's too late to mail them now, but you can drop them in the box outside the door of Excelsior Property Management at 6554 Krycul Avenue in the Krycul Business Center. See the map below.


That's also the meeting location Wednesday at 7. Returning your proxy form does NOT forfeit your right to vote in person. If you show up, they toss out the proxy. It's just a backup.

Besides the annual election for the board, the HOA membership will vote on whether to install speed tables in the community. People speeding on our streets — especially on the long straight roads of Johanna Ave. and Kensington Park Ave. — happens often enough to present a genuine hazard. It's one of the regularly-occurring complaints that the board has gotten.

Garage Sale Tomorrow!

Sorry for the late notice here. But tomorrow (Saturday) we have a community-wide yard sale.

DATE: Saturday, October 27th
Time: 8am-1pm

It is time to clean out those garages and storage areas. All you have to do is open your garage or front door and put out items that are no longer of use to you. Remember the old saying 'One man's junk is another man's treasure'. The buyers will be coming, will you be giving them something to hunt for?

If you would like to participate please set up in your own garage/driveways/front walkway. Please do not block road ways.

Each resident that participates is responsible for cleanup of their own property and belongings. Anything which you do not sell and wish to donate please take to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Please note: We will have roll off trash containers brought into the community for this event.  Any large or small items you wish to dispose of can be thrown into one of these roll off trash containers. The roll off containers will be located in the Marble Fawn Place Cul-de-sac.

HOA Meeting Wednesday, July 25

The HOA board meeting for July happens Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the usual location – the office of Excelsior Property Management, 6554 Krycul Avenue in the Krycul Business Center. See the map below.

Help Needed in KB Suit

This Thursday, June 21st, the HOA will have a contractor working in the community testing some of our buildings to gather more evidence for our lawsuit against our home builder. Tests will include building exteriors, and the insides of a handful of homes.

This is where we need help. Please consider volunteering to have the interior of your home tested. The test would likely focus on the area around one or two windows in the home.  If drywall needs to be opened up, it will be repaired the same day.  If you have had any problems with water leaking into your unit, you would be a great volunteer for this testing. But you can volunteer either way.

If you can volunteer this Thursday sometime between 8am-3pm, please contact Jennifer at Excelsior Community Management at either (813) 349-6552 or StCharlesPlaceHOAManagement@Tampabay.rr.com.  You will do a great deed for your community, and the future of its property values.

(Your humble blog author has offered his home again. In the first round of testing, the workers also did a gratis repair of damage I had caused to an area of drywall near the test site. I can't promise that will happen again, but I don't regret letting them test my home.)

Water Shut Off Today

Alvarez Plumbing must repair the main backflow to the community today (Thursday, June 14). Water will be shut off to all units for at least an hour. It could be as late as 4 p.m., but the work should not take that long, according to our property manager.

Your humble blog author just learned about this, or he would have posted something sooner.

HOA Meeting Tomorrow Night

The HOA board meeting for May happens tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at the usual location – the office of Excelsior Property Management, 6554 Krycul Avenue in the Krycul Business Center. See the map below.

HOA Meeting Postponed

The HOA meeting scheduled for this Wednesday will happen a week later, May 23, instead. Two board members could not attend the original date, so the board agreed to delay it a week. It will happen at the usual place - the offices of Excelsior Community Management, in the Krycul Business Center, 6554 Krycul Avenue. See the map below.