|
Empty Is As Empty Does
"The one thing about this game is, every day you have a chance to start over."
~Field of Dreams
I’m not particularly a fan of Donald Trump, especially his brash speech. However, there is one thing that I am a fan of: calling something a stupid idea when it’s a stupid idea. While it’s not nice or appropriate to call people stupid, some ideas are simply…stupid.
At the National, leaving gorgeous amenities vacant when they could be generating income to the benefit of ALL the members is not a smart idea. Empty restaurants = waste of opportunity or food going bad, difficulty in keeping good employees due to lack of tips/income, loss of revenue to keep the restaurant in good repair and ultimately could result in systemic failure. Restaurants have some of the highest failure rates for start-up businesses. With a stock of supplies that have a limited shelf life, this can be very challenging. Therefore, the only other option would be propping up the failing restaurants on the backs of the members by doubling or tripling the food and beverage minimum. Imagine being FORCED to eat in subpar restaurants because they cannot organically sustain themselves. Again…not a good idea.
On a similar note, an empty golf course = waste of opportunity to show off our community to potential future owners, thereby increasing everyone’s property values, waste of revenue opportunities to offset dues, loss of ability to improve and/or beautify the golf course for the members and loss of sales at the Golf Pro Shop. We’ve already had a taste of what this may cost, and it’s been quite concerning: it resulted in a rapid drop in condo home values and a gut-punching 47% increase in the Golf dues accompanied with threats of more special assessments to come. Again…not a good idea.
If those ideas seemed foolish, what do smart ideas look like? What is an idea that is a “win/win” across the board for ALL the members. In speaking to many people in this community, I have yet to come across a person who is against this idea: Why can’t the owners, who rent out their properties, retain access to the restaurants? The restaurants are nowhere near operating at full capacity and profitability. Everyone complains bitterly when “tally up” time comes for the food & beverage minimums and they haven’t been met. Why not let the landlord/owners, who may not currently live here but have a vested interest in the overall success of The National, eat at the restaurants?
Let’s use a real-life example (names have been changed to protect privacy): John Smith rents out his condo but lives in SW Florida and visits here quite often. His tenants did not want the Golf amenity, so John comes by The National 1-2 x per week to play golf (as is his right). After John is done playing golf, he would like to sit down and have some lunch. John technically may NOT do so! His tenants would LOVE it if John ate lunch here, because his tenants do not eat out very much and they never seem to meet the Food & Beverage minimum on their own. So, this would be an example of a SOCIAL benefit being afforded to the GOLFING owner.
Let’s use a “flip reverse” smart idea where the GOLFING benefit is afforded to a SOCIAL member. This has already partially been done. Social members, may now (off the high season), ask for a tee time on UNUSED (not privileged) tee times at a higher rate. It’s going to be wasted anyway, so why not have someone who already lives at The National utilize the empty golf course so we can generate more income for the golf members?
I’ve spoken to some owners who have already floated some amazing smart ideas to the Golf and Social Boards. In addition to the ones listed above, how about some of these?
- Allow Terrace owners to park their golf carts in the carport uncovered. Why? Because covered golf carts have had instances of raccoons and wildlife crawling underneath, thereby endangering everyone. Covered golf carts also look like there is no life and no vibrancy at The Terraces, thereby attracting danger in a different way.
- Consider putting in “charging stations” for electric vehicles. This would stop people from potentially illegally utilizing condo electricity for golf carts and it also removes the need for people to install electric chargers in the condos (which may be an expensive ARC nightmare).
- Add firepits to the lounge areas which are especially nice during the cooler seasons and would increase bar and restaurant revenue.
- Increase the shaded areas around the pool which is especially nice during the hotter seasons. This would also increase bar and restaurant revenue as people would stay longer.
-
Allow homeowners in both houses and condos to do “xeriscaping” of rock borders to retain water and reduce water bills. (PS: This is Florida Law anyway…so HOAs should walk carefully in trying to fine homeowners here, see: Florida Statute 373.185).
- Host monthly community wide yard sales in an easy to access common area (such as a portion of the parking lot), charging for table space as a revenue idea.
- Host a “craft fair” for the many talented people in this community (my neighbor is an AMAZING painter), to showcase their talents, sell their artwork and promote their businesses. Again, a reasonable “table fee” can be charged to create revenue.
- Create a “Welcome Committee” to educate and welcome new people who move into the community. That’s so much nicer than slapping them with a violation right away before they have had a chance to acclimate and learn the rules.
- Create a “Neighbor to Neighbor” liaison committee where someone who is knowledgeable about the community agrees to volunteer to be a “touchstone” for a new family or individual person coming into the community. They can take them by the hand and show them the ropes. Once they are acclimated, then they can return the favor to the next neighbor.
-
Create revenue raising “ticketed events” such as 4th of July fireworks on the green and BBQ steak cook-offs. Hire a local band.
- Ask condo HOAs to get together on more cohesive and organized rules and regulations so these are not “hodgepodge” and different for every condo HOA.
- Perhaps seek legal counsel on how the individual condo HOAs can merge some portions of their documents to have better purchasing power on expensive items such as insurance, power-washing, garbage removal, pest removal, etc.
All these ideas create a sense of a vibrant, thriving and constantly improving community instead of a divisive “us” vs. “them” mentality. They also raise revenue, reduce spending and make the member’s experiences overall much more enjoyable. This will also result in increased property values across the board as well!
Forrest Gump was famous for saying: “Stupid is as stupid does.” So, let’s not be stupid. Let’s get some “gump”tion and…
GET SMART!
Do you have some good ideas? Please send them to the POA and the Golf Board for consideration. Always be respectful.
and that's my two cents...maybe three
Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.
~Jeremiah 29:7 (CSB)
THIS MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
THE COMMITTEE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
~Advocating for all reasonable revenue streams to keep dues and assessments to a minimum and home values high.
| 
