May 2015
President’s Letter
President’s Letter .. A Resident View of the Board Meeting .. David Gunsteens Laurann Flynn Well, finally I have reservedly good news to pass along to you
about the status of the golf course. As you know, there have
been many rumors flying around, both by word of mouth and
via electronic formats. The Board carefully examines the
rumors to try and validate those deemed to have some
semblance of credibility. Recently there has been a lot of
discussion about an “accepted offer” and that the course is
going under contract. Last week we had the Board’s attorney
contact the US Department of the Interior, who holds the note
on the mortgage, to verify or deny the rumor. They were able
to verify that there is a contract for sale in place! That’s the
great news. But we are still not in the clear yet. The
prospective owners are going through their due diligence
period, during which time they can rescind their purchase
offer if they uncover defects with the property. Barring any
such defects, we are hopeful to be able to welcome new
owners to our community by mid-summer.
I attended the board meeting on Wednesday, April 15 and these are notes
of the meeting. These are not official board meeting minutes; those can be
found on the Condominium Associates website.
The Board will do everything within its power to establish a
positive, productive and participatory relationship with the
new owners. They hold an important key to the positive
growth of our property values, so their success is our success.
It will be wonderful to return our community to its past
reputation as one of the premier golf course communities in
Pasco County and a magnificent place to live.
On behalf of the Board, I want to express our appreciation to
all the residents who have participated in the two Exploratory
Land Study Committee meetings that have occurred over the
past several weeks. They identified a number of viable ideas,
several of which the Board looks forward to hearing more
about should the impending sale of the golf course fail to
finalize. We want to say a special thanks to Tim Hodes, who,
as the Committee chairman, worked tirelessly to coordinate
this process.
As always, the Board would like to thank the homeowners
who faithfully come to the monthly Board of Director’s
meetings. We greatly appreciate the input and advice on the
issues that are happening within our community. The next
meeting will be held at 6:30pm on May20th in the
Condominium Associates conference room at 23548 State
Route 54, Lutz, FL 33559.
ARC Committee – They are working with Sherwin Williams to update our
book of approved house/trim/door colors. The board will approve the final
colors and new binders will be available for homeowners to view. Paint
colors/combinations on ARC Applications that are approved in the book
will be able to be approved by Condominium Associates and not have to
wait for ARC Committee meetings.
Towing – The board was looking to hire a towing company to assist with
the illegal and inconsiderate parking in the neighborhood. We have to table
the discussion while we wait for our counsel to look at our documents.
Delinquent Accounts - We had a presentation by a Collection Agency that
specializes in HOA debt collection. The board is thinking about whether
we wish to use them to go after delinquent accounts.
Golf Course – According to our attorney and the Bureau of the Interior
(golf course note-holder) there is an agreement for the purchase of the golf
course. However, there is a due diligence period for the purchasers and
they have the option to back-out of the deal. They hope to have a deal done
by the beginning of summer. Keep your fingers crossed!
Speeding – We have been talking with the Sheriff about patrolling the
neighborhood and writing parking and speeding tickets. If we can do this,
the board wants to hire them to discourage these dangerous activities.
North Boundary Erosion – The work continues on the erosion problem. We
need to get an additional topographical survey of the area to fully determine
the ownership Homeowner/HOA/Pasco County of all the area. We don’t
want Pasco County to come in later and undo our work. Additionally, if we
want to try to recover costs from Pasco we need to know where their
property lies. Pasco County currently has no plans to assist us in solving
this problem. We are working on getting a clearer picture of each repair so
we can get proper estimates/scope of work so we can get proper estimates
from the appropriate contractors.
The Exploratory Committee will continue its meetings in April. If you are
interested in attending the meetings, they will be held at the Library on
April 28 and May 12 at 5:30 PM.
The next Board meeting will be on Wednesday, May 20 at Condominium
Associates at 6:30 PM.
Have a blessed month!
We need your eyes!!
If you see issues in the common areas of the neighborhood – like flooding, landscape items, sprinkler problems, storm damage, erosion or water leaks we are
asking you to report them to Condominium Associates so they can be addressed. Contact Janet Mallek our Assistant Association Manager at 813-341-0943.
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[email protected]
President
David Gunsteens
[email protected]
Vice President
Ray Bedgood
[email protected]
Secretary
Laurann Flynn
[email protected]
The next meeting will
be held on Wednesday,
May 20, 2015 at
6:30 PM. It will be held
at Condominium
Associates located at
23548 SR 54, just past
the CITGO at
Livingston Road.
Anyone wishing to
speak about any item
on the agenda should
arrive early and sign-in.
Members
Jewel Aardema
[email protected]
Tim Hodes
[email protected]
Newsletter Committee
Laurann Flynn, Chair
Violation Committee
Bill Jenkins, Chair
Joe Fedele
Tom McCormick
Property Manager
Condominium Associates
23548 State Road 54
Lutz, FL 33559
813.341.0943
[email protected]
LCAM – Association Manager
Leslie Larzelere
Assistant Association Manager
Janet Mallek
In order to get registered all you will need to do is send an email to [email protected] and request to get set up on our site or you can call them at 813‐341‐0943 and they can get you set up over the phone. If you are registered with them, they can email you with emergency neighborhood information if necessary. A facebook group has been created for Plantation Palms residents. Check out the link and join in. https://www.facebook.com/groups/289721184500271/ Neighborhood Safety and Security
Keith Rodrigues
[email protected]
Landscape Committee
David Gunsteens, Chair
Jeff Kurek
In order to log into the community’s website, www.condominiumassociates.com you need a user name and password. If you need your information updated on the call box,
please make sure you address the correct management
company as follows:
Master Assoc. = Contact CA at 813-949-6041
The Reserve (Villas) = M&A at (813) 433-2016
Savannah = CMS at 727-816-9900
Treasurer
Larry Norwood
[email protected]
Architectural Committee
Bill Jenkins, Chair
Jeff Kurek, Ron Kordusky
Greg Waters , Ron Scotch
Keith Rodrigues
WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK
INFORMATION… Website Information: For Advertising
Contact:
IKare Publishing
at
813-991-7843
www.
ikarepublishing.com
The Plantation Palms
newsletter is mailed to
the residents of
Plantation Palms
monthly at no cost to the
Homeowners
Association. IKare
Publishing or Plantation
Palms are not
responsible for the
actions or credibility of
any the advertisers in
this newsletters. It is the
individual’s
responsibility to check
references on all
advertisers.
THE PLANTATION PALMS READER ۩ IKarePublishing.com
Please make sure that you keep your eyes open and
notice your surroundings. If you see suspicious activity
or persons call the Pasco Sheriff at 911. The non
emergency number for the Sheriff’s Office is 813-9966982. You can use this number if you wish to report
trespassing on the golf course as well. Let’s all assist in
not only keeping our community beautiful, but keeping it
safe as well.
If you are interested in finding out what kind of police
activity has been happening in our community, you can
visit www.pascosheriff.com and click on the link for
Subdivision Activity under online resources. There is
also very valuable information regarding safety and
crime prevention under the crime prevention link at the
top of the site.
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***NOTICE – CMS is the new property manager
for Savanna***
Effective April 1st, 2015, Community Management Services (CMS)
became the new property manager for Savanna. Please come out to
meet and welcome our new property manager Kim Johnson with
CMS at our next Savanna HOA meeting May 7th @ 7:00 PM at the
Guardhouse.
As part of the transition to CMS we are taking the opportunity to
purge unused codes from the call box database. Unclaimed codes
will be deleted. Please make a special point to notify all those in
your household of any call box changes and list their codes on the
CMS resident information form. And if you have not already done
so, please return the CMS information form in a timely manner.
A few email blasts from the Savanna Board were sent out last
month. A few email addresses were rejected. If you did not receive
an email and would like to receive official Savanna HOA email
updates from the Savanna Board, please provide your email address
to CMS on the information request form.
Please do your part in maintaining and keeping up your home, yard,
sidewalks, and driveways. We look forward to restoring the
community to the first class neighborhood that we all expected
when we purchased a home here in Savanna.
Please call Maureen at
813-972-4627
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Lost & Found…… a home telephone was found at the Savanna
Exit gate. Perhaps someone set it on the bumper of their car and
then drove off and forgot about it. If you are missing it, email Tim
Hodes at the email address below to make arrangements to pick it
up.
We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we
transition our accounts and responsibilities to CMS.
The next Savanna HOA meeting is May 7th @ 7:00 PM
at the Guardhouse
*** New Property Manager for Savanna ***
Savanna CMS Contact – Kim Johnson, LCAM
Community Management Services (CMS)
5837 Trouble Creek Road, New Port Richey, FL 34652
Contact Numbers: 727-816-9900 FAX 727-816-9949
E-Mail: [email protected]
Savanna Board of Directors
Tim Hodes, President,
[email protected]
Jewel Aardema, Vice President,
[email protected]
Cheryl Doherty, Secretary,
[email protected]
Michelle Schroeder, Treasurer,
[email protected]
Tom Garber, Director,
[email protected]
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Meeting Notes – Exploratory Land Study
Committee Meeting # 1
Meeting held on April 14, 2015 – Pasco County Public Library –
Land O Lakes Branch on Collier Parkway
Note taker:
Tim Hodes – President – Land Study Committee
Attendance:
Mike Fittipaldi, Dave Schwarz, and Tim Hodes in
attendance. Jim Hammond and Ian Hamilton were absent.
Meeting called to order at 5:35 PM
The meeting was a productive and healthy discussion in which
everybody who attended generally contributed to the discussions.
Not everyone was in total agreement. But residents were
remarkably consistent in their opinion that it should remain a golf
course and that they wanted the HOA Board of Directors (BOD) to
be active in restoring the golf course. Additionally, several of the
residents in attendance were interested in the HOA trying to buy the
land so as to control the future use of it and protect the residents
from other investors which may not have the resident’s best interest
in mind. The thinking was to then hire a golf management company
to operate it as a golf course.



purchase the land in order to create lakes for the residents. (i.e.
create lake lots instead of golf course lots). Sell the dirt to fund
the purchase.
purchase the land and turn it into a for-profit cemetery
plant trees on it and make it a conservation area
Committee Members Mike, Dave, and Tim were to visit Quail
Hollow Golf Course and try and speak with the owner about their
experience re-opening their course which was closed for several
years.
Other residents were going to make some phone calls and do some
various homework in order to share their thoughts with others for
the next meeting.
Next meeting scheduled for 4/28 at 5:30 PM
at same location – LOL public library.
Meeting concluded at 7:15 PM
Please fill out the Land Study Questionnaire
on page 9.
I came away from the meeting with these impressions:
1. The BOD needs to act indirectly towards getting the golf course
re-opened via

Contacting state Representatives/Senators to push Bureau of
Indian Affairs staff towards a prompt sale.

Attempt to obtain a copy of the internal governmental
valuation / appraisal of the golf course

Better understand the facts / value of the course / viability of
golf on this course
2. The BOD should assist in marketing the course to other golf
course investors (private and public)
3. The BOD seriously needs to consider what it would cost the
residents to purchase and control the land. The BOD should hire an
independent firm to provide a market analysis, appraisal of the
course and clubhouse facilities, and to produce a legitimate
feasibility analysis. This document needs to be prepared by an
accredited golf course management professional who is specifically
knowledgeable with buying, selling, and operating golf courses.
The results of Feasibility Study will help the BOD & residents
debate and decide if the HOA should pursue buying the land.
The Land Study Questionnaires were collected. Just about 100% of
those who attended the meeting submitted their questionnaire
response prior to leaving.
Regarding the highest and best use of the land which is not a golf
course, I received a few other non-golf suggestions via email, in
person, and via telephone. Those were;


purchase or lease only the cart path for a walking/bike path
purchase or lease only the clubhouse for HOA meetings,
activities, events
THE PLANTATION PALMS READER ۩ IKarePublishing.com
8
Land Study Questionnaire
Your input is very important to the Board of Directors (BOD). The
Board seeks your input on the matters pertaining to the golf course
so that………..
1.
The BOD is informed& understands how the residents feel
about the status of the golf course property (i.e. angry, glad,
don’t care, etc.)
2.
The BOD understands if there are any urgent matters that need
immediate attention.
3.
The BOD can act in accordance with the resident’s desires regarding golf course matters (i.e. take immediate action, monitor
the situation, do nothing, etc.)
Resident Questions:

Do you live on a lot with golf course frontage?

Do you play golf?

Did you use the clubhouse / restaurant / bar?

Were you pleased or upset when the course closed?

Was the golf course a factor in why you decided to purchase a
home in Plantation Palms?

Are you concerned about the reported loss in property values
the neighborhood is experiencing?

What do you think is the highest and best use of the golf
course property? This kind of use would have a positive effect
on your property / its value.

List some positive things about the golf course when it was
open?

List some negative things about the golf course when it was
open?

If the golf course reopens and if you had a say in how the golf
course & clubhouse were operated, what would you change?

What should the BOD do about the current situation of the golf
course?

Please list any comments you would like this committee to
convey to the BOD. Would you like the BOD to respond to
your comments? If so, please leave your email address and
phone number so that someone can respond to your comment
(s).
I’ve Lost My Pet! What Do I Do?
Losing a pet can be overwhelming. The key to finding your
beloved companion is to remain steadfast in your search.
Here are a few tips to help you in your search.
1. Ensure their microchip contact information is current. You
may need to update your address and/or telephone
number.
2. Check with your local animal shelters. Visit in person as
well as conduct an online search of their animals. DAILY.
3. Use social media – Facebook offers local “Lost and
Found” (https://www.facebook.com/
Lostandfoundpetsofhillsboroughcounty) pages to help.
Also, search PetHarbor (http://www.petharbor.com) and
Craigslist (http://tampa.craigslist.org/laf/).
4. Place posters around the entire neighborhood (including
stores, parks, vet offices, groomers, etc.) – fliers should
have a clear picture of your pet.
5. Place a large sign in your yard.
6. Offer a reward.
7. Perform physical, door-to-door searches, hand out fliers.
Word of mouth often helps in recovery.
8. Advertise in local newspapers.
9. Contact local veterinarian offices to alert them in case
someone contacts them.
REMEMBER….
Your dog and/or
cat should always
wear a collar with
identification
tags. In addition
to the tag, your
pet should be
micro chipped –
which improves
the chances
of return
immensely.
Return this questionnaire to the Land Use
Committee via Condominium Associates
THE PLANTATION PALMS READER ۩ IKarePublishing.com
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Florida’s Gulf beaches are among the most beautiful in the
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painful, serious injury. Stepping on a stingray can ruin your
vacation
Most beaches have signs warning swimmers to do the
“stingray shuffle” when wading into the water. If you step on a
stingray you will regret it.
We are in Alligator “season” as the warm weather returns and
they become more active just as we do.
Here are some safety tips. Be aware on, in or near water.
Never let children or pets near the water unsupervised.
Never approach an alligator on the bank of a lake or a pond!
Never throw object at an alligator or
disturb them!
Never feed and alligator
Why?
Alligators are opportunistic hunters. They prefer to wait for
prey to get close, and lunge to seize it. Adults and children
alike should be very aware of their surroundings near the
water's edge; that embankment area of a water body,
where land meets liquid, is often covered in vegetation in
which the 'gator can hide, making it the reptile's favorite
lurking place. Remember: the smaller the potential 'prey,'
such as child or a pet, the more attractive to the alligator
simply because it is easier to take. Be extra-aware during
the warmer seasons.
Your chance of encountering an alligator is greatest during
the animal's courtship and mating season in the warmest
months, from March through September. This is when male
'gators become most dominant and aggressive as they try
to intimidate rival males and attract females by their show
of power. Some males end up having to travel to find a
mate. July through September are when mother 'gators are
guarding nests.
Enjoy the waters edge from a safe distance!
THE PLANTATION PALMS READER ۩ IKarePublishing.com
Stingrays are bottom feeding, flat fish that live and breed in
the warm, shallow waters of the gulf. They are grayish, about
the size of a small sauté pan. They lie on the sandy bottom in
shallow water. Even in clear water they are hard to see. They
eat small fish and crustaceans.
They have a thin, hard, barbed tail, about eight inches long.
The barb is sharp with a serrated surface like a bread knife.
Toxic venom is contained in a slime that covers the barbs.
The sting is extremely painful and grows even more painful
as the venom spreads.
Stingrays are normally not aggressive. They attack only when
threatened like when a human foot is coming down on them.
The stingray that killed crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin was an
eight foot “bullray” native to Australia. Irwin was swimming
directly above the ray with his cameraman in front. The ray
apparently felt threatened and plunged its barb into Irwin’s
chest, killing him.
However, sting ray barb deaths are extremely rare. At the
beach in Florida, the best way to avoid being stung is to do
the “stingray shuffle” as you wade into the water. By shuffling
(or sliding) your foot over the sand below, the vibrations
signal any rays in the immediate area that you are coming by,
and to move away. You must “shuffle” when both entering
and leaving the water. Wearing rubber beach shoes is also a
good idea.
If you are unlucky enough to get stung, wash out the wound
and remove any pieces of the barb that remain. Any bit of the
“stinger” will continue to release venom.
You need to get your foot into a bucket of hot soapy water –
the hottest you can bear. Heat will keep the venom from
spreading. Soap helps clean it out.
You should call 911 and seek medical help immediately to
prevent allergic reactions and infections. Florida lifeguards,
EMTs and firefighters are familiar with the treatment.
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DAY CAMPS CAN BE GOOD DEALS. Check now with your
city or county recreation department about daytime camps
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INQUIRE ABOUT REFUND POLICIES. Some camps never
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
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