Presidents Message

President’s Comments

February 28, 2024

Thank you for attending and your interest in the governance of your association.

I’d like to bring you up to speed about some of the things the Board has been discussing and any items we have approved in Special Meetings.

• We have a new Administrative Assistant. Her name is Ann Harrison. Stop by and say hello.
• Effective March 25th, Harold will be taking over the duties of Maintenance Supervisor with Lori consulting and mentoring as needed.
• Bids are being taken to replace the gas stove in the kitchen with an electric version.
• We have reinstated the Environmental Committee naming John Devore as chair. They are accepting volunteers for the committee, so if you have an interest in that area, please reach out to John.
• We have discussed many other topics, some of which appear on tonight’s agenda. Discussions have ranged from accepting attorney opinions to replacing toilets.

I attended both Meet the Candidates sessions and heard a lot of talk about the golf course property. Not one of them said they want to be in the golf course business. Some of them indicated that we should own the property in order to control it’s destiny. In fact, I do not know of a single person in our community that wants to be in the golf course business. The Directors do not want it, yet I hear people spreading rumors that this is the behind-the-scenes goal. Intimations were made that there is some deep state with an agenda to buy and run a golf course. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. One candidate said our dues would increase to $1000.00 a month. So, let’s do the math. $1000.00 per month times 12 months is $12000.00 per lot. There are 4920 lots in Pine Ridge. 4920 times $12000.00 equals $59,040.000. We could buy every golf course in Citrus County for that kind of money. Statements like that are nothing but fear mongering.

There is concern in the community about the amount that was spent on legal fees to prevent a developer from building on the golf course property. Up until this point, it amounts to approximately $21.00 per lot. It seems a small price to pay to defend our Master Plan, IMO.

I would suggest your anger should be directed at the County. Our attorney confirmed that 30% of of his time was wasted due to the convoluted regulations, land development codes, nonexistent Atlas Maps, disjointed comprehensive plan and made-up zoning designations. I wish we could bring suit against the County for that, but you can’t fight City Hall.

Finally, I would like to ask the question….when did the Board become the enemy? We are affected in the same way as everyone by the decisions we make. No one sitting before you takes their responsibilities lightly, nor do they have a personal agenda other than keeping Pine Ridge the great community it is. Yes, many of you have thanked us for serving, but just as many have thrown darts. For instance, our Secretary has been wrongfully accused of tampering with the minutes and has yet to receive an apology. I happen to think if you make a false accusation, you should apologize, but that, I suppose, is a flaw in my character. I have been called condescending, arrogant, obnoxious, even an idiot. We are five people doing the best we know how to make the right decisions for the community. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a blue-collar guy and lack the formal education of my fellow Directors, but we all bring a different perspective to each issue and work our butts off to do the best we can for Pine Ridge. So, I ask you to help erase that line in the sand and remember we are one community.

Thank you,

Wayne Tuch, PRPOA President