The North Shore at Lake Hart Board of Directors met on March 8th. This was the second meeting of the year and covered time sensitive issues that needed attention.

Board members in attendance were HOA President Dave Gordon, Rob Taub, Paul Snyder and Lisa Solick.  Also in attendance were General Manager John DeCrotie, HOA Treasurer Steve Smith and Jennifer Englert from the Orlando Law Group. Six homeowners attended via Zoom.

The Board allowed for public comments at the beginning of the meeting, while also allowing for time in the agenda for additional comments at the end. Agenda items included:

1. Clubhouse Area Amenities Fence Proposal

John presented photos of a sample fence design and an overview image of the potential placement of the fence on the property, as well as an estimate from Mid-State Fence for the installation. Some discussion took place, but it was decided to table this agenda item until after the Board had more time to review the details.

2. Annual Contract Revision with Community Patrol

John explained that over the past several months, both he and Board Liaison Rob Taub have been working closely with the vendor, Last Chance Enterprises,  to improve the standard operating procedures, uniforms and expectations for the Community Patrol.

Rob agreed that progress has been made and recommended that the vendor’s contract be renewed for a one-year term. After further discussion, the Board approved it. 

3. Replacement of Viking Swing Gate Operators

The existing Viking swing gate operators are falling into constant disrepair due to their age.  Our vendor has expressed for years how difficult it is to obtain parts for these Viking units and they will continue to fail as they age. John explained that there are two community entrances at this time (Marsh Pine and Osprey Landing) that have inoperable operators that need to be replaced.  These are due to be replaced in 2021, as per the 2020 Reserve Study.  The existing quote from Performance Gate is $14,500 for the installation of the required four operators per community. Steve Smith explained that, although they are scheduled for replacement in 2024, the Reserve Funds may be used with Board approval at this time to replace any or all of the operators, if needed.  In addition, the current costs are less than the 2021 Reserve Fund allocations and we will be saving money by replacing them now.

Management and Performance Gate highly recommend replacing all Viking gate operators now to save the community funds and avoid the expected downtime and additional repair expenses over the next year. Rob asked if it was possible to monetize the old controllers and John said he would ask Performance Gate about this. Board President Dave Gordon explained that he would like to see priority given to the existing inoperable gates, then the other replacements can be made in a timely manner.  Following the discussion, the Board voted unanimously to approve the replacement of all the swing gate operators.

4. Expenditure Amounts Policy

The HOA general manager and treasurer Steve Smith work closely on various budgeted expenditure items. With the increase in costs for supplies and services, there are times when the expenditure limit previously established for the CAM and Board members is insufficient to authorize budgeted purchases for services needed in a timely manner. Thus, both John and Steve recommended increasing the spending authorization limits for budgeted items for board members to $5,000 and the CAM to $2,500 per instance.

After further discussion, the Board voted unanimously to approve the updated Approval of Expenditures of Association Funds Policy, which includes spending authorization limits as outlined above.

5. Second Homeowner Comments

Although no homeowners chose to speak during the first opportunity, a homeowner did ask about the fence proposal that would surround the ballfield.  It was explained that the item had been tabled so that the Board can gather more information about the proposal and full estimate of costs. Following the last homeowner comments, the meeting adjourned.

The second Saturday of every month, Bob Schoneman opens the doors of his North Shore home to a group of men who come ready to laugh, share and make each other better. Their motto? “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Theirs is as much of a gathering of the minds and Christian fellowship as it is a culinary adventure.

“Oh, yes, we eat really well,” quips Bob, a realtor by trade who has lived in North Shore more than 15 years. On the menu at their March 5th gathering: filet mignon, eggs and home fries, cooked by one of the group’s members and a North Shore resident, Jeremiah Dice.

The gatherings are attended by about 20 men, mostly residents of the community and from around the Lake Nona area. They discuss Biblical lessons and principles in an informal manner and everyone is free to share their point of view. Bob describes it as a non-denominational, “Christ-centered” open forum.

“Some of the men attend church, some don’t go to church at all,” he said. “They are all welcome. We are brothers helping each other out. I can call many of these guys anytime and they will be at my house in 15 minutes.”

The men are there for each other, whether it is to help someone who is moving, to support someone with an ill loved one, or to quickly come to each other’s rescue. They began getting together at Bob’s house six years ago as a safe place for men to speak out about anything they wanted in confidence and devoid of judgment.

“Men don’t like to share their feelings and that can be very isolating,” said Bob, who is also a husband and devoted father of a young daughter. “There are men struggling with depression, addictions and a lot of other very human issues. This is a safe place for them to open up and have their brothers help. Our purpose is to strengthen our community’s safety net.”

If you are interested in learning more about the group, you may follow its Facebook page, Lake Nona Men, and contact Bob via Facebook messenger.

By John DeCrotie 

Keeping our community pristine and its amenities in top shape is a priority for the HOA Board and management. Currently, there are several improvement projects in progress.

NEW SWING-GATE MOTORS – Although it may not seem like it, each community entrance has a total of eight controllers that must operate properly for controlled flow of traffic. There are the barrier arms and the swing gates. Each set of swing gates require two separate motors or controllers to open and close each time the gates are activated. These controllers have been in operation for well over a decade and have been experiencing more problems than usual and costing the HOA more in service calls for electronic issues. During the March 8th Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to authorize the replacement of the swing-gate controllers at every gate in the community.  As per the 2020 Reserve Study, these controllers were to be replaced in 2024 but with the continuous issues and repairs, the Board chose to accelerate this upgrade, which will be completed over the next couple months.

COMMUNITY AND KIDDIE POOL RESURFACING – Work has begun with the removal of old tiles in the pool. This project will continue through March and when the resurfacing is completed, the company that services the pool daily will handle the 28-day treatments until it can be reopened.

DOCK ELECTRICITY & WATER – To protect the dock against vandals with lights and security cameras, the board decided to run power lines to the dock entrance. Water lines will also be added to enable staff to pressure clean the dock, which eliminates the need for an outside contractor to perform this task. This project is currently in the permitting stage with the county.

KID’S PLAYGROUND SUNSHADE – Many of you have noticed by now that the new sun shades have been installed on the playground just in time for the warmer weather.