The Strand SFHOA owners,

Our Annual Meeting of Members was held on March 23, 2023. We had 36 members either in attendance or by proxy, voting in favor of rolling any 2023 surplus into our 2024 operating budget. I appreciate all our members who attended or submitted proxies. I encourage all our members to stay active in our community, attend our monthly meetings and make a special effort to attend our annual meeting. All meeting dates are posted on our website, thestrandhoa.info.

For those members who were unable to attend our Annual Meeting, I want to provide a brief recap of the more salient issues presented and discussed.

Our end of year financial statements for 2022 were presented. We had a small surplus that, based on member vote, was carried to our 2023 budget. Our 2023 budget was approved late fall, 2022. Our 2023 includes revenue from members of approximately $726,000 and a projected Reserve Fund, before 2023 expenditures, of approximately $425,000. 

Our largest anticipated expenditure for 2023 will be roadway paving and gutter repair. Our roadways (6 streets) are over 20 years old and showing signs of deterioration. Last year we obtained preliminary estimates for this project and increased our reserve funding accordingly.

With the assistance of a local engineering firm, we developed detailed specifications for road re paving and gutter repair. These specifications have now been issued for bid to several contractors identified by both our Board and the engineering firm. The bids are due back by April 10th. We will then review these bids and determine project feasibility based upon available funding. If we move forward, as anticipated, we expect this project to start in late May. We selected this timetable taking into consideration the summer rainy season and the expectation of a lower late spring/early summer member population, as many of us leave for the summer.

There will be some disruption and inconvenience as the project takes place. Streets will be closed to heavy traffic, including some deliveries, for a period of 24-48 hours. We will do our best to make sure the selected contractor, with some direction from our engineering firm, directs the flow of traffic to create as little inconvenience as possible. The Club has offered resident vehicle parking in its lots, as needed. For those members with golf carts, the inconvenience will be more manageable. For some of us, it may be a good time to take a well-deserved mini vacation.

We will keep you well informed by providing periodic project updates.

During 2022, the Board clarified, expanded and updated many of our Rules and Regulations, many of which were needed to comply with the Master Association's recent changes. As you may know, The Strand is comprised of 14 separate and distinct Associations. Although each Association is responsible to its own community, each must generally comply with the Rules and Regulations and Governing Documents of the Master Association.

Our updated Rules and Regulations cover such items as landscaping, pets, generators, construction projects and displays of signs. It is very important that our members familiarize themselves with our Rules and Regulations, which are posted on our website.

In late 2022, our Board prepared a draft of amendments and updates to our Covenants, Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, necessitated by changes made by the Master Association as well as a need to modify outdated language and provide better overall governance to our community. These document updates, changes and modifications have recently been sent to our Board attorney for review. Once this review is complete, we will submit these revised documents to our membership for review, input and discussion. A vote of the membership will then be taken. A 67% affirmative vote of all members is needed to pass these revisions. As such, I expect all our Board members to be very active in getting out the vote.

Finally, our landscape committee is in the process of reviewing our updated landscape contract from Leo. We anticipate some changes and modifications will be made. I would welcome any feedback from our members before a final updated contract is completed.

This will also be a good time to remind our members that all landscaping issues and requests should be submitted on our "landscape request form," which can be found on our website. This completed form goes to our landscaper and to our property manager for follow-up. Completing and submitting this form is the best way to deal effectively and efficiently with your landscape issues. Sandy Hagedorn is our property manager and can be reached at 239-261-3440, extension 129. Sandy is prepared and willing to help with regard to any association issues you may have.

We our also looking into certain irrigation issues, involving Amberwood and Barclay areas, which have recently developed, mostly involving clogged pipes preventing the adequate flow of water to some homeowners. Two of the reasons are low pond water due to lack of rain and accumulated sediment in the irrigation piping. Our landscape committee is reviewing options to help resolve these irrigation concerns.

Mitch Dario, President