Welcome to our Website. Here you may find what you are looking for. The Good, The Bad and maybe The Ugly. The opinions expressed are that of the writers/editors. We encourage responses and questions. This site is not affiliated nor associated with any other group, community, association, etc. with the name of River Bridge. It is an independent informational publication. This website is independent of and in no way affiliated with the River Bridge Property Owners Association, Greenacres, Florida, including but not limited to any contents contained therein.
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ALL INFORMATION REPORTED TO THIS WEB SITE MUST BE IN WRITING AND SIGNED BY THE PERSON(S) GIVING THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE EMAIL ALL RESPONSES TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. NO VERBAL RESPONSES WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED. THANK YOU. ============================================================================================= PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY, 2010. IN THIS ISSUE: JAN. 16 POA MEETING, NEW GOVERNORS; EXECUTIVE BOARD CHANGE; NEW OFFICE PROCEUDRES; ARTICLE OF INTEREST.
The Annual meeting of the poa was held on January 16, 2010. End of year reports were given by our Property Manager, Activities Director, Treasurer and POA President. Our PM reported various work accomplishments and projects completed and that the River Bridge website is up and running. Our Activities Director repoted on the various shows, parties and special activities that were enjoyed by many of our residents and young children the passed year and what shows and evednts are being planned for the future. Our treasurer reported about a $150,000 surplus and that the auditors report will be available by the end of February. Our POA president was pleased with what was reported. She also mentioned that River Bridge made the Neighborhood Of The week edition in the January 9th issue of the Palm Beach Post. This was good publicity for the community.
After the annual meeting was adjourned, elections were held. Since there was no opposition or any candidate running for POA president, Madaline Gunsher was seated for her second year as POA president. Ena Simmons stepped down as 1st VP and George Greim moved into that position. Judy Dugo, whose name appeared on the voting ballot unapposed as 2nd VP was seated. Two other governors were seated, Arnie Silverman of Sanctuary and Jo Reynolds-Hufner of the Islands.
Unfortunately, no one made any formal announcement regarding the new procedures that were to take place for the administrative office before the meeting was adjourned. Apparently, sometime over the weekend the mailbox whicj was in the back small office was moved to the front office. The only notice of this move was a printed notice taped on the front door to the back of the office which stated: ATTENTION PRESIDENTS AND GOVERNORS THE MAIL BOXES HAVE BEEN MOVED PLEASE SEE JEAN FOR YOUR MAIL. Well, that's a fine how do you do. Was this move discussed at an Executive Board meeting? Were the presidents and governors given notice of this prior to the move? I am sure there must have been a reason for this but to do this over (I assume) a weekend after the POA meeting was improper. This is not the way to do things. It should be thought out and brought to the attention of those effected by this change. Yours truly happened to be in the office on Monday to speak with Jean and to ask her how she was feeling since her recent illness and to give her a hug. I also checked for my mail. I did not consider the first instance as any violation of procedure. It was a good intention. This was greeted with a rebuke. But I will not get into that. Hopefully, we are not getting back to the M-M situation and not the candy either.
Picture this: Governors, presidents, committee chairs lined up to get their mail from Jean. Jean is busy on the phone, etc. She may call for reinforcements to help deal with the crowded office lobby for those waiting for their mail. Riots may break out, chaos begins, the band begins to play. A call goes out for the PM, the Ex Board, the maintenance staff to deal with the mail issue. Recommended solutions to this possibility: 1. Go the Publix deli route. Have a number machine in the lobby. Take a number and wait your turn to be called for your mail. 2. Go the restaurant route. Hand out electronic buzzer devices to notify you that your mail is ready. 3. Assign days that mail will be given out to governors and presidents. Like irrigation days. 4. Mail issued by last names on certain days: A-M and the N-Z . 5. Mail distributed by community using the alphabet sequence. This should be considered if things get out of hand. Hey, how about this. To save paper used by the office, how about emailing all governors any notices, minutes of meetings, etc. They can make copies of these on their own if they want to. By the way, does this new rule apply to the Executive Board members who are also governors? Should they not stand in line and wait to be given their mail along with all others?
You know, for quite a while now the POA meetings have been very short and that's not a bad thing. Sometimes they have been bland. Not like the good old days. Two or more hour meetings, what with the arguing, attitudes, confrontations, raised voices, etc. Perhaps they can do away with the decaf coffee and replace it with the caffeine kind. That should wake everyone up. OK. Just kidding.
Homeowner's Associations: The Worst Form of Government? Opinion Courtesy of Technorati Media By Richard Baker
Published January 21, 2010
Local governments come in an endless variety. You’ll find strong mayors, weak mayors, managers, council members, and commissioners. I once dealt with a Board of Warden and Burgesses.
But by far the worst form of local government ever invented is also the fastest-growing: government by deed restriction. As new subdivisions spread across the land, particularly in the Sunbelt states, developers have imposed bodies of rules in the form of deed restrictions attached to every lot that’s sold. You may be prohibited, for example, from maintaining a pig farm or painting your house in your old school colors.
Restrictions like these do help maintain community values. Others run to excess. For example, in Rancho Santa Fe, California, Jeffrey DeMarco was cited for growing more than an allotted number of rose bushes. Before it was over, he lost his home and still owed $70,000 in legal fees.
In Pasco County, Florida, a financially strapped Joseph Prudente was sent to jailbecause his lawn wasn’t green enough. His homeowner’s association (HOA for short) won a court order that he re-sod the lawn. When he was unable to comply, he was jailed for contempt.
Typically, an HOA enforces the restrictions. Many HOAs do this well. They build a sense of community and encourage a cooperative approach to maintaining their neighborhoods. Others become obsessive about enforcing petty rules. Some become corrupt and abusive.
When abuses happen, it usually is because there is little to prevent them. There are no incentives to improve. HOA officers become entrenched because they are the only people who want their jobs. The deed restrictions, originally written by and for the developers, can be extraordinarily hard to amend.
Some local governments and state legislatures have acted against the worst abuses, but these efforts are spotty and uneven. It would be far better if local governments would exert their authority instead of leaving it to developers.
