Editor s Corner

Transcription

1 Editor s Corner Welcome to the June, 2018 issue of the Palma Sola Trace Newsletter! Palma Sola Tracings is a monthly newsletter for all the residents and owners of Palma Sola Trace. It provides information to keep you informed about Board activities, social events, and important issues in our community. You can contact us with ideas for articles or sign up to receive Palma Sola Tracings in your inbox by ing: pstnewsletter@hotmail.com Please include your PST address so we can keep our address book organized by neighborhoods to facilitate sending out announcements that only apply to part of our community. The community website: is a great source of information about the Master HOA. It features a current events calendar, information about local attractions, newsletters from the most recent to January of 2015, contact information, rules, Master Board minutes and financial information, covenants and penalties, design review documents and minutes, and landscaping information. It can provide answers to many of the questions you may have about the PST community. Remember if you need to contact Vanguard Management Group about your payment of Master fees or you need to submit a work order, you can go to their website: Other neighborhood websites are: CDD: Condos: Villas: Newsletter Volunteers: Dan Crumpler, Betsy Grundy, Ginny Ohlson, Phyllis Osten, Claudia Quehl, and Maggie Zeiner 1

2 Vanguard Management Group-Late Fees-All owners in Palma Sola Trace are responsible for paying assessments to the Palma Sola Trace Master Association, which is managed by Vanguard Management Group. It has come to the attention of the Board that some owners who have received friendly reminder letters (sent by Vanguard for assessments after the 16 th of the month that they are due) have been charged a $25 late charge. Our coupon books state that an assessment is late after the 30 th of the month in which the assessment was due. Any payments that were received after the 16 th, but before the 30 th may have been assessed a $25 late fee. If that fee is not paid it starts accruing interest. Vanguard is working through this problem and will be crediting accounts with any late fees that were assessed in error, including any interest for unpaid fees. For this reason, it is essential that homeowners access their account on the Vanguard website ( If you have registered, you can log into your account information or you can register to obtain the information. Some homeowners may have fees that they are not even aware have been added to their account. Contact Vanguard at if you have questions about your account. Landscape Information and Schedules Are you thinking of having your oak tree removed?- The City of Bradenton has a Tree Ordinance that requires a permit to remove any canopy tree, which includes our oak trees. The application to remove (which costs $20.00) can be found on the City of Bradenton website under Tree and Land Care here.. After a permit is filed, the Code Enforcement office will inspect your property and determine if you need to replace the tree (when removed) or pay into the City Tree fund. An oak tree must be replaced with an oak; you cannot just plant any type of tree. A DRC application must also be filed with a copy of the permit. What we are finding is that permission to remove is always granted (almost all of our oaks are planted too close to structures) and depending on your property, you may or may not be required to replace or pay into the Tree fund. It s less expensive to pay $ into the City of Bradenton tree fund than it is to pay to have an oak tree planted. Single-Family Homes-Please be aware that St. Augustine grass is easily damaged. Parking on it, as well as, constant walking or driving on it creates problems. "Detailing" automobiles (tire shine) and painting products also will cause dieback. Please be careful. Yard waste is being picked up daily M-F in SFH at the end of the day. Please have waste out on curb by 2:30 PM. Please do not remove or plant anything in your yard without first applying for DRC approval (application and information can be found on PST website). We want to help you plant the appropriate plants for our area and ones that we can maintain. Even though our local nurseries may recommend a plant that does not mean it will grow at PST. Our soil conditions are different and we are subject to salt air. 2

3 Cutting back of plants continue to promote better growth and prevent legginess. If cutbacks did not occur, many of our bushes would grow to heights of 10' or more. We also must keep a 52" width between homes for mowing, which necessitates trimming of the sides of plants. No planting closer than 8' from the wall will be permitted. Existing plantings next to the wall must be cut away from wall to protect the wall. Any new plantings that are not approved will be removed. BrightView Landscape Schedule (other than Villas) Commons Landscape and Single Family Homes Meeting with BrightView on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 10:00 AM in the Clubhouse. Mowing schedule may change depending on rain. When ground is saturated, edging and mowing between homes may not occur. The mowing schedule is: Common Areas Mow Monday Trim and Detail Thursday Single Family Homes Trim and Detail on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Mow Tuesday Condos Mow Monday Trim and Detail Friday Weekly mowing began last month. Please remember to move items off your lawn on mowing days. Yards should also be clear of animal excrement. It makes cleaning and sharpening the mower blades an unpleasant job. BrightView could refuse to mow yards that have this problem. Bloomings Landscape Schedule (Villas) - Posted in owners area of villa website and at mail kiosk. PST Board Updates CDD Update Operation and Maintenance Expenditures for February 2018 and March 2018 were approved. Audit Committee Recommendations were approved. Landscape related Proposals were discussed and approved. Presentation of Proposed Budget for FY was made. Resolution approving Proposed Budget and Setting Public Hearing for August 23, 2018 was considered. Presentation of US Bank Trust Letter was made. Presentation of January 2018 and February 2018 Unaudited Financial Statement was made. The CDD is in good financial position. Palma Sola Creek maintenance and plantings were discussed. Overflow Structure painting was discussed. Streetlights operation was discussed. FPL credits for the past year (LED) was discussed. SOD Installation at Condo BLDG #1 was discussed. Operation of Emergency Gates was discussed. Next CDD Meeting is June 21, 2018 at 1:30 pm (not at 2:30 PM) 3

4 Condo HOA Update Please check out the Condos website It has a lot of useful and important information. Master HOA Update The following issues were discussed at the Wednesday, May 16, 2018 meeting. Taylor Morrison will be inspecting the perimeter wall after we received the report of Karin s Engineering The board approved electronic voting enabling the community (if they opt in) to vote via computer. This is especially important since we will have 2 community wide votes coming up soon, the approval of the restated documents and the approval of pursing litigation regarding the perimeter wall. HOAst will be the vendor for the electronic voting. Proposed amended and restated Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Palma Sola Trace and Proposed Amended and Restated by-laws for Palma Sola Trace Master Assoc., Inc. are posted at All three treadmills should now be in working condition The flowers at the 75 th St monument will be replaced The pool gates will be painted. The bathroom doors by the pool have been sanded and repainted We will budget to update the reserve study for the 2019 budget year Some plantings along the wall will be removed to prevent further damage to the wall Axel Bergman was appointed to the Disaster Planning Committee The board approved the fine against one home that will now go to the fining committee. Due to conflicts with vacation schedules, the Master Board will meet on Monday, June 18, 2018 at 6:30 PM in the Clubhouse instead of on June 20, Villa Update A. Electronic Voting Update 33% of villa owners have opted-in 42 addresses Bad s identified during setup and implementation Villa Events Calendar created Villa and Master Board Documents Loaded B. ACC-Decorative Flag Policy Expanded Approved by ACC and BOD Sports flags at end of season C. A Board Resolution for Solar Panels is being worked Solar Guidelines Established Owner Checklist Created Agreement between owner and Association Document carries forward to new owner 14 Day notice of Board Resolution to owners required by Florida Statute 4

5 D. Landscaping Budget Approval for four designated locations New five year planting plan in progress E. Appointment of Sharon Archbold to the Landscape Committee F. BOD plans to hold meetings during the summer months (June, July, August) to discuss: Villa Documents Villa Electronic Voting G. Dogs and dog cleanup Private property behind and on sides of villas Individuals should not use property as short cut The Manatee County Animal Ordinance states your dog or cat must be on a leash no longer than 8 feet in length when the dog or cat is off the property of the owner and must be under the physical control of the owner or custodian. The current villa documents will be adjusted from 15 feet to 8 feet to meet he county requirements. If you see a pet issue report it H. Documents Up-Date (Villas) Villa BOD will Review Proposed Master Documents for changes and compare and modify villa docs as needed PST News Design Review Committee-Shedding Light on Outdoor Lighting-Lighting creates a big impact when you approach a home. It illuminates entrances after sunset, offers a warm welcome and helps protect residents and their guests from trips and falls. Lights also provide a measure of security by discouraging intruders. Some of the exterior lighting in the single-family homes is beginning to look tired. In some cases, the finishes have faded and the glass has cracked. It s time to freshen up!!! But in doing so, a few reminders from the DRC: Outdoor lanterns can be repainted in brown, rust, bronze or black, but not white. Specific approved colors are listed in the Design Review Manual, posted at Homeowners can repaint in these colors with no need to file an application for DRC approval. Lantern glass or lenses can be clear, white or frosted. Colored glass or lenses are not permitted. Homeowners replacing their outdoor garage lanterns must use Progress Lighting Model P5650. These lanterns are sold at Lowes and several online retailers. Anyone erecting different fixtures is likely to be fined by the Association. Bulbs in outdoor lights must emit a soft, warm glow. Overly bright or coolwhite colored lights are not permitted. Landscape lights are permitted as long as they don t interfere with mowing. Homeowners are responsible for maintaining them. For details on Exterior Lighting, you can reference the DRM in Section 5 under Lighting, Exterior and Section 9. Savor Sarasota-The first two weeks of June will provide a great opportunity to try a three-course lunch or dinner at some of Sarasota s finest restaurants for a bargain price. Lunches are $16.00, and dinners are $ Some of the restaurants have many choices and others only have a few, but with almost 90 restaurants from which to choose it should be easy to find something you like. Go to to see the restaurants that are participating and their menus. Bon Appetit! 5

6 Traffic Study Garry Metcalf, a PST homeowner, who worked with traffic engineering in Overland Park, KS contacted the city of Bradenton about getting a traffic light at the intersection of Palma Sola Trace Road and 75 th Street West to make it easier to exit our community. Unfortunately, the study didn t indicate a need for a traffic light at this time. As we talked about and as you requested, staff performed a traffic signal warrant analysis at the subject location. Pursuant to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, federal standards, the criteria were not met for installation of a traffic signal at this location. Thank you for your interest in traffic safety in Manatee County. Sage Kamiya, P.E., PTOE Public Works Deputy Director - Traffic Management Electronic Voting-As you may have noticed in the Master Board updates, the Board approved Electronic Voting at the May meeting and chose HOAst-Inc. as our vendor. We have submitted the contact information that we have for the homeowners in our community. HOAst-Inc. has added the information to our system, so we will soon be ready to give it a try. Watch for an giving you the information you will need to log in and try it out! We hope this system will facilitate communication in our community, save the Association money, and enable us to meet quorum when the homeowners vote on community issues. PST Social News 6

7 The Kentucky Derby party on May 5, 2018 was lots of fun. Lynn Rensel did a great job of decorating the clubhouse, we had lots of delicious food, and many of the ladies created fantastic Derby hats. Pecan Bars-Keeping with the southern tradition I baked pecan bars for the Kentucky Derby Party. Several people asked for the recipe so here it is PECAN BARS For easier cutting I line a 9 x13 pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 o. 2 cup flour Combine in a food processor until crumbly and press into the prepared 9 x13 pan. ½ cup sugar Bake min. until golden brown ½ tsp. salt ¾ cup cold butter 1 cup brown sugar Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a saucepan 1 cup light corn syrup Bring to a boil stirring gently over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir ¼ of the mixture into eggs. Add rest of the ½ cup butter mixture. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour over cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. 4 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 2 ½ cup finely chopped pecans Submitted by Ginny Ohlson 7

8 Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 6:30 PM-Bunco in the Clubhouse It s a nice way to meet new people and play a game at the same time. You might even win a prize! Bring $2.00 for prizes at the end of the evening, and a beverage/snack if you want one. Thursday, June 7, 2018-Book Club at 12:30 PM The PST Book Club meets the first Thursday of the month in the clubhouse. New members are always welcomed. This month our book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. We will watch the movie and compare the novel with the movie. Please bring a beverage and a finger food to share. Also be ready with book suggestions for the coming months. Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 12:00 PM Ladies Lunch We will be at The Rosemary, which is located at 411 N Orange Ave., Sarasota, FL. We will meet at 11:15 AM at the PST Clubhouse and carpool to the restaurant. Please RSVP to Therese Staskiewicz, tstask@aol.com or call , no later than Tuesday, June 12, Friday, June 15, 2018 at 5:00 PM Social Hour/ Cocktails in the Clubhouse Bring an appetizer to share, your own beverage, and a non-perishable food donation for the Food Bank of Manatee County. This is a great time to meet new neighbors and visit with friends during the calm months of the summer. Giving Back Thanks to all PST residents who contributed food for the Food Bank in the collection box in the Clubhouse community room. We donated 61 pounds of food this month. Weekly Events Aqua Fit, Mah-Jongg, Pilates, Yoga, Gentle Yoga Flow/Meditation, Ladies Golf Don t forget to check the PST Events Calendar on the PST website for the dates and times for these regular events. Come join the fun! Event News updates available If you would like to be added to the mailing list for updates about social activities, please contact us at pstsocial@hotmail.com. The Joys of Tech - Update from OpticalTel : We at OpticalTel continue to move forward with our tasks for the Palma Sola Trace project. These include the tactical and strategic planning involved such as Design, Build of Materials, and Procurement. Specifically, our Field Operations and Engineering leaders have created a design to roll out the underground, backbone, cabling and construction at the property. Our team has been to the property to select the areas where construction can erect the cabinets, select and identify the number/areas for the pedestals, determine the best available site for construction materials, etc. The above design plans stated in the last update have been approved. While we retrieve such we will have selected from our Project Management team who will be leading the team and begin to select vendors for the procurement of some supplies. We understand that it is frustrating that there are no visible physical signs of the project at this time, however, rest assured we are working behind the scenes. Our goal of February 1, 2019 for the completion of the project remains. 8

9 Hurricane season starts June 1st. While it is great to see the grass, plants, and ponds rejuvenated from a hearty round of showers, the recent heavy rains are also a reminder of what is to come. This is a good time to start getting ready for hurricane season. The memories of spending the weekend in the shelter made me glad that we had Seabreeze Elementary across the street to go to and they allowed us to bring our dog. Hurricane Irma was a deadly storm that brought a lot of damage to the state, but our Palma Sola Trace community escaped with minimal damage. We were indeed blessed. You can stock up on batteries, flashlights, candles, lanterns, tarps, gas cans, generators and so on while they are on the shelves plus skip the sales tax if they qualify. I remember going to Publix several days before the storm looking for a box of matches only to find the shelves were bare of everything we needed. I asked a clerk for help and he said they had been cleaned out of everything they had in hurricane supplies with no idea on when they would restock as their warehouse had been cleaned out of these supplies. Please see the poster on the next page for the complete list of things you can buy from June 1st to June 7th with no Florida sales tax. By the way, if you need help with checking your hurricane shutters or if you want to clear any extra shutters out of your garage please give me a call. Dan Crumpler and the happy Husky 9

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11 PST Calendar Jun 2018 (Eastern Time) Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :30am - Gentle 10am - Fining :30pm - 9am - Landscape 8:30am - 12:30pm - Book Club 12:30pm - Mah 1pm - Mah Jongg 5:30pm - Yoga 6:30pm - Bunco :30pm - 11:30am - Ladies 8:30am - 5:30pm - Yoga 5pm - Social 12:30pm - Mah 1pm - Mah Jongg 6:30pm - DRC am - Condo 1:30pm - CDD 8:30am - 5:30pm - 3:30pm - Villa HOA 12:30pm - Mah 1pm - Mah Jongg 5:30pm - Yoga 6:30pm - HOA am - Villa 5:30pm - Yoga 8:30am - 5:30pm - 12:30pm - Mah 1pm - Mah Jongg 6pm - Condo BOD