Pine Ridge Community Fireside Chat Q & A

Questions on Dog Park Closure.

The Dog Park was closed due to turf issues requiring restoration and improvement.

The Association typically closes the Dog Park for approximately one month each spring to allow the turf to rest and undergo necessary maintenance and restoration. This year, however, drought conditions and water restrictions prevented us from following that schedule. Instead, we waited until the rains returned before beginning the restoration work.

Sod has now been installed, and additional seeding has been completed. The extended closure has been necessary to give the newly installed sod time to establish and take hold before the Park is reopened to regular use.

We have also identified some hardier turf varieties that should perform better under the conditions at the Dog Park. As the weather begins to cool, we will be doing additional reseeding and planting winter rye to help maintain turf coverage through the cooler months.

In addition to the turf work, we will be making some modifications to the Park’s locking system and changing the access codes before reopening.

At this time, we are anticipating reopening the Dog Park on October 1, provided the turf has sufficiently established and the remaining work has been completed.

Can we have some additional artwork and make the signs on west entrance more attractive.

The Board will look into the issue.

What is the status of the Blue Stream/Vitalis agreement?

These are actually two different agreements:

Blue Stream:

The Association is currently working to obtain a release from the existing contract.

Vitalis:

Vitalis approached the Association to see if they could assist Pine Ridge in obtaining marketing agreements with other internet/cable providers.

The Association is not considering any bulk agreements. A bulk agreement is not a good fit for Pine Ridge for a number of reasons.

Who specifically has filed “Cease-and desist “orders in the last 24 months.

How do these requests affect our insurance rates?

Normally, I would not identify these individuals by name. However, because these orders were presented in a public forum at a regularly scheduled Board meeting, I do not believe there is a privacy issue in identifying them. The individuals were James Arthur and Cliff Kwitowski.

We have also received a number of anonymous orders, as well as an order addressed to all Board members from a purported Tampa law firm, “Brightside Legal.”

When the Association receives matters of this nature, we need to make our various liability insurers aware of them. This year, our liability insurance costs increased by tens of thousands of dollars. Whether there is a direct correlation between these matters and the increase in insurance costs, I cannot say.

These matters are also provided to the Association’s attorney for review and response, which creates an additional cost to the Association.

The point is not that property owners cannot raise concerns or pursue legitimate issues. They certainly can. The point is that these actions have consequences and create costs that ultimately are borne by the Association and, therefore, by the membership as a whole.

What are the cost of and Consequences of cease-and-desist notices and the like?

See above

How many Request for information (Document Requests) has Pine Ridge received since 2025 and who requested the information?

What specific information was requested?

How much time does that require from office staff?

We have received eighty one documents requests since Janruary 1, 2025 to date. I cannot say who submitted all of these requests, although Association records identifying the requester may themselves be available for inspection. We also have what I would describe as a number of “frequent flyers”—individuals who make repeated requests for Association records.

The amount of time required to process a request varies considerably. It includes the time necessary to locate and compile the requested records, determine whether any information must be reviewed or redacted, and, when an in-person inspection is requested, supervise the actual inspection. An inspection can involve as much as 8 hours and 35 minutes of staff time.

The following is a recent request and provides a good example of the scope of some of the requests we receive:

1. DIX / Golf Course – Board Position

All records reflecting Board action adopting, approving, or authorizing PRPOA’s official position opposing DIX Development’s and/or affiliated companies’ proposed development of the former golf course property, including any resolutions, votes, written consents, emails, text messages, or other records reflecting such Board action.

2. Retention of Legal Counsel – DIX / Golf Course

All records reflecting Board action authorizing the retention or engagement of Sachs Sax Caplan, or any other legal counsel, to represent PRPOA concerning DIX Development and/or affiliated companies, the former golf course property, related BOCC proceedings, certiorari proceedings, or appellate matters, including any engagement letters or fee agreements reflecting the scope of representation and basis of compensation.

This request seeks records reflecting the authorization and retention of counsel, not privileged communications containing legal advice.

3. DIX Proposals / LOIs / Term Sheets

All records reflecting Board action approving or authorizing the submission or transmission of any PRPOA proposal, LOI, joint-venture proposal, settlement proposal, or term sheet to DIX Development and/or affiliated companies or its representatives concerning the Settlement Agreement, Amber Ridge West, Black Diamond Reserve, or the former golf course property.

This includes records reflecting approval by vote, email, text message, written consent, or other means.

4. Pine Ridge Community Partners / Shannon Smith

All records reflecting Board action authorizing or approving the engagement of Pine Ridge Community Partners, LLC and/or Shannon Smith, including the original consulting agreement, any addendum or amendment, the $25,000 retainer, and any subsequent authorization of compensation or additional services.

Please also provide:

all competitive bids or proposals obtained in connection with this engagement, or records identifying bids/proposals considered by the Board;
any governing-document provision relied upon regarding competitive bidding or contract authorization for this engagement;
records reflecting payment of the $25,000 retainer and any subsequent compensation paid to PRCP/Shannon Smith; and
any conflict-of-interest disclosures made by an officer or director concerning the PRCP/Shannon Smith engagement or DIX transaction.

5. Legal Invoices – April 1, 2026 through Present

All invoices, billing statements, or other records reflecting legal services provided to PRPOA from April 1, 2026 through the date of this request, including invoices from Sachs Sax Caplan and any other law firm.

If any responsive record or portion of a record is withheld or redacted based upon attorney-client privilege or another statutory exemption, please identify the basis for the withholding or redaction and provide the remaining nonprivileged portions of the record.

A significant portion of the information requested above is already available to members through the Member Portal and in the Board meeting minutes, which are also available on the Portal.

Other portions of the request require additional work. Some records must be reviewed by the Association’s attorney to determine whether privileged information is contained within them and, where requested, to identify the legal basis for any withholding or redaction.

We received a similar previous request from the same member that also included all Board President Emails from July 1 through the date of the request. That request encompassed a little over 2,000 emails, including both incoming and sent messages. It required several hours of work by the Association’s contract IT vendor to extract the emails.

The extracted emails then had to be reviewed by the President and Manager to identify and protect privileged legal information, personnel matters, and other members’ personal information, with appropriate redactions made where necessary. Approximately 500 had to be printed to process redactions.

Every member has the right to request and inspect Association records. That right is an important part of Association transparency and accountability.

At the same time, it is important for members to understand that fulfilling these requests can require a significant amount of staff time and, depending on the request, the involvement of the Association’s attorney, IT contractor, or other outside professionals. Those costs are ultimately paid by the Association and therefore by the membership as a whole.

There is another practical issue as well: on occasion, the Association has spent considerable time preparing records for inspection only for the requesting party not to appear for the scheduled inspection.

The point is not to discourage legitimate records requests. Members are entitled to make them. The point is simply that there is a real administrative cost associated with processing broad or repeated requests, and that cost should be understood when considering how Association resources are being used.

How much money are you planning on spending on property we do not own and never owned? Since there is a chance we may be sued, shouldn’t we stop spending or planning on spending on things that are not safety issues. For example: additional amenities, extra trees.

The funds spent to date on these matters have been directed toward protecting the value of Pine Ridge properties and preserving the Pine Ridge Master Plan.

As we all saw, the Association’s position that the BOCC had failed to follow the laws and procedures governing land development in Citrus County was addressed by the Court, which concluded that the County had failed to observe the essential requirements of law.

The Board’s concern has always extended beyond this particular issue. If the County were permitted to proceed without following its own ordinances and established procedures, the Board was concerned about what precedent that could establish and what potential consequences it could have for future decisions affecting Pine Ridge.

At this time, there is no pending litigation against the POA of which the Board is aware.

The Board will continue to focus on maintaining Pine Ridge’s existing amenities, protecting the value of the community, and evaluating requests from members within the overall needs and priorities of the community.

If Mr. Dicks appeals the last ruling how much will you be spending?

Until there is an appeal and our attorney has the opportunity to examine scope of the appeal we will not have an estimate.

What is going on with Shannon Smith?

There is currently a response/counteroffer to a previous offer made by Mr. Dicks. At this time, he has not responded.

The Board will continue to keep the membership apprised of any significant future developments as they occur.

Why are we paying for Speed Monitor System? Where are located? Is the County paying us Back for this expense/

The POA has purchased its own Black Cat II Plus Radar, giving the Association the ability to collect accurate, objective traffic data within Pine Ridge.

The radar can record traffic volume, vehicle length, speed, and the time gap between vehicles, for up to two lanes of traffic.

This provides the POA with actual traffic data rather than relying solely on anecdotal observations or resident complaints. As the Association works with county officials regarding traffic enforcement, roadway modifications, and additional patrols, this data will provide objective information that can be used to support those discussions and assist county government in making informed decisions.

I have a concern about increase in non-restricted traffic and speeding on Pine Ridge Blvd and side streets.

See answer above.

Clarify new By-Law 4.01-G Does this include Golf carts?

G. Motorized vehicles such as, but not limited to ATVs, recreational, motorized sport vehicles or any vehicle which is not registered for use on a public highway shall not be permitted for use on any Lot, parcel or home site, roadway, horse trail or any other community property. The only exceptions to this restriction are those vehicles used for maintenance of the property.

No motorized vehicles, including e-bikes, are permitted on the Pine Ridge horse trails. The exceptions are Pine Ridge maintenance personnel, utility company vehicles, County vehicles, and law enforcement vehicles when conducting official business.

The POA does not have the authority to enforce traffic laws governing golf carts when they are operating on County-maintained roads. Enforcement of those laws falls under the jurisdiction of the appropriate County and law enforcement authorities.

Can we get a large updated Map of Pine Ridge to replace the current map in the office?

We will look into it.

Can we get an enlargement of the Horse related sign page from the Pine ridge magazine?

Currently working with Dee to get it done.

Road signage approaching horse crossing is inadequate. Can we get something more noticeable?

I (JLH) am attending a meeting with the Roads Committee and the county on this issue.

Trail conditions

We will be addressing these issues. It would help to provide specific locations. Please copy the Board.

Long Range Planning vs Crisis to Crisis

As one of the earlier developers of Florida said “I was so busy killing alligators, some days I forgot the job was to drain the Swamp”

In any large organization, long-term planning and organizational continuity can become significant issues. The Board recognizes this and is actively addressing them.

Here is how:

Reserve Study and Capital Reserves – The POA maintains a reserve plan, with approximately $660,000 currently held in capital reserves. The reserve plan is updated every two years to help identify and plan for future capital needs.
Staffing and Future Staffing Needs – The Board is currently reviewing our staffing structure and evaluating future staffing requirements to ensure we have the personnel necessary to support the community as it continues to grow.
Use of Outside Contractors – We are evaluating where additional contract services may improve efficiency or provide specialized expertise. Areas currently being considered include deed restriction reviews, the new tree restriction review process, post-ADC inspections, and pre-estoppel reviews.
Business Continuity Planning – The Board is working to ensure that critical Association operations can continue if key employees or other essential resources become unavailable.
Succession Planning – We are also looking at succession planning to ensure that knowledge, responsibilities, and critical functions do not reside with only one individual.

Like every organization of this type, we constantly have to distinguish between wants and needs. The Board listens to member requests and suggestions, but then must evaluate them against the overall needs, priorities, available resources, and long-term objectives of the POA.

Pine Ridge also presents some unique challenges. We operate facilities, some of which are more than 50 years old, and the POA is responsible for a significant amount of property and acreage. With nearly 300 acres of Association-owned property, issues can and do arise with little advance notice.

That is why long-term planning is important. The goal is not simply to respond to the issue in front of us today, but to anticipate future needs and make decisions that protect the Association and the value of Pine Ridge properties over the long term

How are we addressing Deed restriction review?

See above answer

Has the open position in the office been filled?