President’s Message
John Hyde
It’s been a busy year for the Board of Directors and the POA. We’ve made a lot of positive progress but still have a number of challenges ahead.
We’ve been able to get a number of projects moving that will pay both figurative and literal dividends
for the Association. We are seeing miscellaneous revenue beginning to drop due to lower number of fees for housing starts and Estoppel fees for home sales. The Board is looking for ways to reduce costs and generate additional in- come:
Budget: Currently we’re running 5.0%+ under budget and looking for additional ways to reduce costs in the current year. As we move into budget season, we’re ensuring we are getting an early start. We’ll be doing our due dili- gence to hold costs without impacting services and the quality of our facilities.
Interest rates are moving up and the current Board has moved a significant portion of our funds into CD’s. We’ve created a laddering protocol that will pay a much larger dividend going forward, adding thousands annually to our coffers. The laddering protocol maximizes rollover, while ensuring adequate cash flow. All funds are in FDIC insured accounts. Thank you to our Treasurer Wayne Tuch.
Insurance: We’ve put our insurance out for quotes for the first time in many years. This has been done early to allow the POA to ensure we’re getting the best value for our premium dollars, to have time for a deliberative decision and have smooth transition if we get a better deal.
Electronic voting: The Referendum is complete and all items passed. There is still a learning curve for our Members using the system. The good news is we’re now seeing a significant savings this vote. If you haven’t signed up, please do.
Electronic Billing: This year for the first time we will implement Electronic Billing for those who signed up. With 1,805 Members signed up, the mailing cost for billings will be reduced almost $2,000. If you’re currently making payments on line, this is the same thing. Please sign up.
Electronic Communications: Currently 2,643 Members are signed up. This will lead to approximately $3,000 in savings just on the mailing of this Newsletter. Additionally, members signed up for Electronic Communications receive more timely information on happenings in Pine Ridge.
Business Continuity: The Board is working with the Manager and POA staff to develop a Business Continuity Plan. The Board wants to ensure we have the documentation and tools in place should the unexpected happen. We have excellent key people in place and running our POA. But the lessons learned from the pandemic is to ensure we can move forward if someone is lost. As all of you who have worked in business know, the knowledge needs to be accessible to multiple people to facilitate an effective and inexpensive recovery.
There are additional smaller projects happening, too many to go into here. Please attend the Board meetings to stay up on all that we’re doing.
I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize our com- mittees. Their help allows us to tackle these many issues and make progress. I apologize in advance in case I’ve left anyone out.
Corporate Documents Committee
Chair: Carole Anne Russler
- Sandra Cantrell-Edwards
- Rentha Flowers
- Keith Landers
- Mike Perry
- Lisa Moreland
- Ray Taschenberger
- Wayne Tuch
Barn
- Barn Manager Libby Mank
- Former Manager Diane Plath
External Affairs Committee
Chair: Currently vacant
- John DeVore
- Shelley Knowles
- Ann Marie Williams
PREL Committee
Chair: Carol Bartolet
- Cathy Brooks
- Nancy Clements
- Judy Lyon
- Marianne McGuire
- Bonnie Neff
- Brenda Roberts
Technology Committee
Chair: Keith Landers
Tennis/Pickle Ball Committee
Co-Chairs: Maureen Caruso/Donna Westmoreland Karen Cushing
Mary King
ADC
Chair: Craig Goshow
- Judy Glick
- Ed Kroll
- Keith Landers
- Tom Russell
- Tom Thornton
- Mike Perry
- Former members Joey Valinoti and Staber Dearth
Dog Run Committee
Chair: Caryn Dietrich Carolyn Bourne
- Tina Dieters
- Jo Eichler
Election Committee
Chair: Tom Russell
- James Horan
- Karen Maruszak
- Brenda Roberts -former chair
- Carol Roy
- Helen Van De Walker
Fining Committee
Chair: Tom Thornton
Leo Anderson
Roads Committee
Chair: Mark Svestka
- Jim Reynolds
- Tom Russell
- Eileen Schweitzer
- David Schweitzer
- Don Woods
I’d also like to thank the Pine Ridge Civic Association. The Civic Association is not a committee but a club within Pine Ridge. Their mission is community service. They’re the folks that you see out picking up the trash on Pine Ridge Blvd. They provided the man (& woman) power to help the POA host the Candidates Forum and the Welcome to Pine Ridge night. Please recognize them and support them as they’re a great help to our commu- nity. Their President is Joey Valinoti and their leader- ship members are Liz Valinoti, Mary & Mike Gojda, Michael & Margaret Jeff, Judy Howe, and Louise Mathis. Sue Wassermann was their former President before coming to the Board.
And last, but certainly not least, THANKS to my fellow Board members: Vice President, Bill Miller; Treasurer, Wayne Tuch; Secretary, Sue Wasserman and Director at Large, Mike McCoy. A great team to be a part of.
Please remember all of these folks are volunteers. Our community could possibly get along without them but, it wouldn’t be nearly the place that it is or it would cost a whole lot more to live here. If you know one or meet one, tell them thanks for what they’re doing. And please consider getting involved. If there is something you’d like to do, call me. There is a team where your talents would be appreciated and you’ll get an opportunity to meet a bunch of really nice folks.
Clubs
Please check out the various clubs and their activities. There are so many things to do in Pine Ridge!
Thank you to all the club organizers! Go to www.Pineridgeassn.com/clubs/
Architectural Design Committee (ADC)
Craig Goshow, Chair
Greetings fellow Pine Ridge property owners. The activity level at bi-weekly ADC meetings remains steady and an average of 26 applications are being reviewed during each session. Thus far in 2022 the ADC has approved applications for 93 new homes. As of September 26, the total number of homes in Pine Ridge, completed and under construction, is 3,389.
In addition to new homes, our residents are continuing to make improvements to their homes, enhancing the inherent value of Pine Ridge. The improvements are many and include repaints, reroofs, detached garages, barns/stables, carports, fences, sheds, solar panels, pools and also home additions.
I continue as chair of the ADC committee this year and feel privileged to do so. The committee membership has changed a bit as two of our members completed three years of service in June and, following the Pine Ridge By-Laws, were required to step down. The current mem- bers are Keith Landers, Tom Thornton, Ed Kroll, Mike Perry, Judy Glick, Tom Russell and me, Craig Goshow. My fellow members are all are dedicated to competently completing the task we are charged with, and I am glad to know and work with them.
As a committee we are indebted to our Property Manager, Gail Denny, for the help and support that she and her staff provide. Their hard work makes our job easier.
If you are contemplating or planning improvements or a new home build you can find guidance on what is permitted, how to complete and submit your application and what information must be included on the Pine Ridge Property Owners Association website. If you click on the HOA Info tab at the top of the page and then the second item in the list, Forms and Docs, you will find an electronic version of the Pine Ridge Deed Restrictions as well as Detailed Instructions for Archi- tecture Committee Submittal.
Going forward the ADC will continue its function by ensuring that all applications submitted are in keeping with the Deed Restrictions.
Pine Ridge Equestrian Assoc. Inc. Pine Ridge (PREA)
Gail Pridgen
Pine Ridge Equestrian Association, Inc. is an educational, charitable, and social club for Pine Ridge residents who own or love
horses. We meet the second Wednesday of the month in the Pine Ridge Community Center at 6:30 to visit with your equestrian neighbors, the meeting then begins at 7:00. We offer a variety of interesting speakers that share wisdom and answer topic questions in the ever- changing world of horses. Please be aware that horses, like pedestrians, have the “right of way” when crossing streets! PREA was pleased to contribute to its two equestrian rescues, Horse Protection Assoc. of Fl. and Beauty’s Haven. Members recently enjoyed an informa- tive presentation by UF Dr. Sally DeNotta about some troubling equine neurological problems. We are all look- ing forward to our Members’ Holiday Party at the PR Community Center and the upcoming year of fun and information. For current activities and membership in- formation, visit our website www.myprea.com and the Pine Ridge Equestrian Community FB group.
Great weather is here for riding on our beautiful Pine Ridge trails!
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HORSES!
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Referendum News
The referendum results are in and all items passed.
1094 of the 4860 eligible Members voted in the referen- dum, giving us a quorum of 22.5%, exceeding the By- Law’s requirement of 20%.
The voting averages for all items were 83% Yes, 16% No and 1% left blank (abstention).
Some ballots cast were spoiled and not counted due to an error on the proxy statement. All Members that had submitted ballots before the error was discovered, as well as all Members receiving paper ballots, were noti- fied. Both direct and indirect means were used to notify the paper ballot holders. Notices were put out on Stay In Touch and posted on the Pine Ridge website. For all Members using paper ballots with an email or phone number on file with the POA, efforts were made by the Staff to contact them directly. All but 77 of the paper ballots submitted were cured, those not cured were not included in the final counts of the referendum results
above and did not count toward the Quorum.
The corrective actions taken were based on the advice of the POA’s attorneys.
The results for the 77 ballots excluded are below. As you will see these ballots had no impact to cause a dif- ferent outcome of any referendum item but actually, re- enforced passage.
The voting averages for all items on spoiled ballots were 79.9% Yes, 15.5% No, and 5.6% left blank (abstention).
By John Hyde, President
Report From Your Secretary
Susan Wassermann
Some property owners have questions or even doubts about the integrity of our Association’s voting process, in particular, the limits and function of proxies. HOA voting and elections are governed by Florida Statute which makes them unlike other election processes we are familiar with.
Unlike a Federal or State election, PRPOA votes (whether electing persons or issues) are held at a meet- ing of the membership1 , and must meet a predefined quorum2 of responses to be valid. In our case, a quorum is 20% of the eligible voting members. It’s unreasonable to expect in-person representation of nearly 1000 lots, so we offer proxy representation.
To paraphrase the verbiage on the form, it assigns a proxy holder to attend the meeting and establish a quorum on behalf of the member. Unless the voter writes in a name of someone who would attend the meeting as their proxy, I, as your PRPOA Secretary will be your proxy holder.
Each proxy states in bold lettering “I authorize and in- struct my proxy holder to cast my vote as I have indicated for each amendment in the Declarations described below.” This means that each vote you cast via your pa- per or electronic ballot is recorded and cannot be changed by the proxy holder. In fact, it is impossible for a proxy holder to change your vote.
So, how are votes counted, and how is the process virtu- ally tamper proof? The electronic proxies and ballots are tallied and reported through the HOAST online voting system. Paper ballots are registered as they are received, and the count is triple checked. Proxies are validated for signature and date, then separated from the ballot(s) for anonymity. Invalid proxies (missing a signature or date), and their ballots are set aside and not counted.
A minimum of two members of the Election and Voting Committee confirm that the log of entries has not been altered since the previously supervised session. Then they manage and oversee the Manager’s input of each vote.
At the time of the member meeting, if the number of valid proxies equals or exceeds the quorum threshold, then all votes are tallied, and results published. We usu- ally adjourn and then reconvene the meeting the next day to allow time for the results to be calculated. If a quorum is not achieved at the meeting, the Board may adjourn the meeting to be reconvened no more than 90 days later, in the hope that a quorum would then be achieved.
To truly understand our voting and election process, I encourage you to volunteer as a member of the Election and Voting Committee. If you cannot dedicate that much time, then you are invited and encouraged to observe any of the several parts of the process during the next election. Contact manager@pineridgeassn.com or Secretary@pineridgeassn.com and we’ll arrange a time for you to come observe the processes.
(1) Decisions requiring a vote of the members must be made “in person or by proxy, at a meeting at which a quorum has been attained.” 720.306(1)(a) and Pine Deed Declaration of Restrictions, Oct 26, 2021, 1.03A3
(2) See PRPOA Bylaws Mar 15, 2018 Sec 4 DEFINITIONS, Quorum
Civic News
Joey Valinoti, President
Welcome to Fall everyone. Pine Ridge Civic Association is in full swing with monthly meetings and bingo games. Our meetings feature informative speakers from the local community who cover a wide variety of topics.
As you can see, we bring speakers from a wide range of backgrounds to cover all sorts of topics. We’re always looking for volunteers, and you can email president@civic.pineridgeassn.com for more information.
Meetings are held at 7 PM on the second Monday of each month (no meetings in July or August). Bingo and dinner are at 6 PM usually the Saturday after the meet- ing. Every Friday at 7 PM members gather for games in the Community Center, and we perform an Adopt-A- Highway clean up on Pine Ridge Blvd once a quarter.
Membership in the Civic Association is only $15 per household, and you can download a membership form from https://civic.pineridgeassn.com.
Corporate Documents Committee
Carole Anne Russler, Chair
The Deed Restriction Committee is now the Corporate Documents Committee.
We have welcomed 3 new contributing members who bring both experience and expertise to the commit- tee. They are Lisa Moreland, Sandra Cantrell-Edwards, and Rentha Flowers.
The committee presented the Bylaws Document to the Board for approval of adjustments and additions.
Thank you for your votes on the 23 items in the referendum.
Report From Your Treasurer
Wayne Tuch
As your treasurer, I am happy to report that the present financial condition is adequate to meet our obligations.
Like you, the Association is dealing with increases in costs across the board, while experiencing a reduction in revenues. We have enjoyed a period of incoming reve- nue beyond what was budgeted thanks to a robust real estate market, but unfortunately, that source is trending downward. To help offset these projected losses, your Board of Directors has chosen to divert some of our re- serve and operational revenue into laddered certificates of deposit. This will produce a higher return of interest than we have received in prior years.
The 2023 budget is under scrutiny, and we are tighten- ing our belt wherever we can, while still providing the same professional level of administration that you expect. In my opinion, your present Board has provided significantly more transparency than any previous Board than I have seen. With that being said, I invite all members to contact any Director with questions, opinions, grievances or maybe even a “thank you”, if you feel we’ve done a good job.
Sign up for Electronic Services
Go To www.pineridgeassn.com
Stay in Touch for routine data notices.
CINC Systems to view your account, make payment and for electronic voting.
Pine Ridge Community Assn. Manager
Gail Denny, CMCA, AMS, LCAM
Greetings all…. We are approaching the end the year again, time flies when you are having fun. The office has and continues to have the pleasure of helping the community with their needs. Over the past month we have met many residents either in the office, by phone or even at their home. What a great community, it is filled with kind and fun owners!
As you may already be aware of, all 23 deed restriction amendments passed and there seems to be confusion regarding Chickens. The amendment was to clarify that poultry was not permitted, nothing really changed it just added more clarity. I understand chickens keep finding their way into Pine Ridge. Please if you are having chickens, understand it will be just a matter of time be- fore I am reaching out to discuss finding them a new home. Just so you know this is not my policy but one I must enforce and guide others on. The few issues I see within the community are as follows: Trash cans seen from public view, soiled driveways and roofs. As the weather gets nicer, perhaps many will take care of those soiled items. However, the trash containment, please find a location that follows the deed restrictions.
I would like to take this opportunity to bring up Land Fraud, it has affected many buyers and owners abroad. I am doing as much as possible to assist with these issues. If you are concerned when engaging in a purchase of vacant land owned by someone out of the country, reach out to me as I may be able to assist you, and avoid the stress it brings when you have been wronged.
In closing, this office is always here to assist, the office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, M-Fr. Call or email. The center is open on the weekends as well, check out the new calendar on the website for activities, and the times New clubs are in the center, there is a cooking club, and the garden club.
Wishing you all a Safe and Happy rest of the year!
R/C Electric Plane Club
Rich Davies
Membership in the Pine Ridge R/C Electric Airplane Club is open to all PineRidge property owners. You must be a
club member in order to fly at the field and you must also be a member of AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). However, you do not have to be a member to come out to the field and enjoy watching the airplanes in flight.
Members are at the field most days, weather permitting. They fly a variety of aircraft from beginner high wing “cub” type planes to sophisticated aerobatic planes, jets, drones and quad copters. Some pilots are flying FPV (First Person View) aircraft where the pilots wear a set of “goggles” and fly the plane with a view from the cockpit as though they were in the plane. Occasionally members fly planes equipped with LED lights in the evening.
In addition to our flying activities, Meetings have been postponed until further notice. The club members participate in the Adopt-A-Highway litter clean-up campaign covering a two-mile section of Mustang Blvd. We also participate annually in the Marine Corps Toys-for – Tots program.
To learn more about the club, attend one of the club meetings at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Pine Ridge Community Center, when they resume schedule check the website. (no meetings in July, Au- gust or December) or follow the Flying Field signs back to the field behind the Pine Ridge Community Center. If the gates are open, members are at the field completing maintenance projects or flying. Guests are welcome and members are happy to discuss R/C flying and member- ship in the club with you.
For additional information you can access the club’s web site through a link on the PRPOA website: www.pineridgeassn.com
John Hyde, President William H. Miller Jr.,
Vice President Susan Wassermann,
Secretary Wayne Tuch, Treasurer
Michael McCoy, Director
Gail A. Denny, AMS, CMCA, LCAM Contact us at:
5690 Pine Ridge Blvd Beverly Hills, FL 34465
Main: 352-746-0899
Fax: 352-746-0875
Email: Manager@pineridgeassn.com
Financial/ General Announcement
If you would like a copy of the 2022 Audited Financials or 2023 Budget. Requests can be sent to Manager@pineridgeassn.com or you may contact the office a 352-746-0899 to request a copy.
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The 23 Deed Restriction amendments passed on 10/18/2022. The recorded document can be located on the Official Records Citrus County, FL Angela Vick, Clerk of Court & Comptroller #2022074438 BK: 3332 PG: 531 Rec. 11/2/2022 or on your Pine Ridge website.
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Pine Ridge POA is accepting Self Nominations to the Board of Directors beginning on December 1, 2022. Two seats are open for election on April 11, 2023. The application and resume forms can be obtained on the website or at the office. The dead- line to submit your application will be January 31, 2023 at 4:30 PM. All applications need to be delivered to the office at 5690 W. Pine Ridge Blvd. Beverly Hills, FL 34465 or sent via email to manager@pineridgeassn.com or fax to 352-746-0875. Any questions please call 352-746-0899, or go to www.pineridgeassn.com
Garden Club
Christine Carrington
What’s New @ Pine Ridge . . . .
A Garden Club, where Pine Ridge Garden Enthusiasts of all ages can learn more about growing plants here in Florida and share a common interest for flowers and vegetables.
A kick-off meeting will be held on Wednesday, January18th at 7 pm in the Main Room at the Community Center.
Steven Davis from University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences will be there to help get us started by talking about The Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping Principles.
Subsequent meetings will be held every 3rd Wednesday of each month with topics you are interested in.
So please join us at the kickoff meeting so we can under- stand what your needs/interests are. It will be a fun, knowledgeable and social event.
PINE RIDGE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
5690 W. PINE RIDGE BLVD.
BEVERLY HILLS, FL 34465
