Amended And Restated Documents

Dear Wildewood Springs Residents:

Some homeowners have been confused regarding the WWS
Amended documents you recently received.

To clarify some questions you might have to please keep in mind the following:

There are 3 separate sections to be voted on. It is imperative that you take
the time to read each and every section and absorb the impact the written changes may have on the owners.

Please be aware that your vote is either a YES or a NO vote on EACH
Section;

If you disagree or have concerns about any section of the
By-laws, Articles of Incorporation or the Declaration of Condominium the section
Cannot be changed at this time. What you have received is what
the new Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and the Declarations will be.

If you vote YES and 60% of the owners (present and via proxies) are
in favor then the amended documents will be recorded and these will be the new legal revised documents for the Wildewood Springs Condominium Association. Every owner will have to agree to abide by the revised documents.

If you vote NO because you do not agree with any part of any of the revised amendments and if 60% of the owners (present and via proxies) vote no on that part of the amended documents, then the majority will not pass that portion of the documents..

Keep in mind it is an ALL OR NOTHING vote on each section. You cannot pick
and choose which items you are in agreement with or disagree with: Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Declarations. You will vote No or Yes on each section.

If you disagree with any part of any of the package and elect to cast a NO vote and that section does not pass by majority vote, then the Association will have to reconsider that failed-to-pass section at a future date.

Again, please take the time to thoroughly read and understand the revised documents before you vote. If you have any questions concerning this very important issue, please take the time to contact your village Board Director now.

The committee, your fellow owners, worked long and hard to update these documents and you owe it to yourself and your fellow owners to vote on this important issue. Take the time to read the revised documents, to vote and be an informed participating member of our community.

Bob McDevitt
WWS Association President

Proposed Changes to the Wildewood Springs By-Laws

The proposed Amended and Restated Documents have been given to the Cluster Advisors to distribute to the owners who are currently here in Wildewood. On October 22nd the proposed documents will be mailed out to the remaining owners who are not currently in residence.

Please read these documents carefully since there have been substantial revisions of our By-Laws.

***For your convenience an index of the current By-Laws and the proposed By-Laws has been prepared by Clair Dewhurst (current director and Secretary) and Marie Graziano (former director) so that you can see which sections have been changed or deleted.


The index is found on our website @ http://wildewoodsprings.org/default.asp?page=23130
You can click on this link and when you get to this page click on proposed changes to the By-Laws

On October 26th we will be having a Town Hall Meeting, our attorney Chad McClenathen will be at that meeting to answer questions about the proposed changes. I strongly recommend that you be at this Town Hall meeting since this will be the only time that you can ask the attorney questions about the proposed changes.

On November 15th we will have a Special Membership meeting when the owners will vote on all three sections of the Amended and Restated Documents.

This index was not included in the document package delivered to owners. Since it was not board approved it could not be included but could be available in the office or on line for those who are interested.


Bob McDevitt
WWS Association President

Committees

I feel compelled to write to you with my opinions about committees. This week I and some other owners met with three landscaping company reps who were asked to present bids for fertilization of our turf, trees, plants and shrubs. The bids were presented to Bill Deskus, our Manager, Sharon Vancil, the chairman of the landscape committee, Maxine Nosow, a member of the landscape committee, Jeff Weaver, our in house landscape crew supervisor, and myself.

Recent past presidents had chosen to appoint our previous manager Dennis Bucher to be the sole person in charge of landscaping versus having a committee and chairman. In my opinion this lead to tunnel vision and favoritism when it came to selecting outside vendors. When you choose to have committees to assist the Board and Manager with the operations of the association you are able to tap the knowledge and expertise of our owners such as Maxine Nosow a Master Gardner, Don Barker who was instrumental in getting TruGreen to give us a very competitive bid at least $35,000 below our current contract with Molter. Bill, our manager asked West Bay Landscape to give us a competitive bid which was substantially lower than our current contract. We were able to include Jeff who supervises the day-to-day work and knows our property better than anyone.

This type of input from staff, owners and committee members is what will bring this community back together. This process proves that we can have the top companies in their field working for us and save money too.

Sharon Bateman, a member of the Budget committee, has worked tirelessly gathering information and bids from pool companies. A few weeks ago Charlie Williams, a member from the Budget committee, Bill Deskus and I met with the reps from two pool companies. These bids are from top companies in their field and could save us upwards of $30,000 a year if the Board approves selecting one of them.

Imagine how much money we could have saved over the past few years if committees had been more involved in our association. Committees can only recommend to the Board, the Board is the decision maker. How much money could we/can we save if the Board would choose to make these and other difficult decisions to further implement austerity measures. The Board has made difficult decisions in the past But Wildewood Springs continues to absorb bad debt as a result of defaults and we must cut costs and operate efficiently everywhere we can.

I’ve included an article that I came across titled “Committees Rock “ for your reading enjoyment.

‘Till we meet again
Bob McDevitt
Association President


Committees Rock!
Many board members and managers say that committees are the
lifeblood of associations. More importantly, in a well organized
association, committees are where it's at. Community members often
consider the board as the "best" place to be involved. However in a
well-run community, important issues are first worked through and
refined by committees and the board merely puts on the final stamp of
approval and (with the assistance of management) makes it happen.
How do you find committee members when filling board positions is
such a challenge? It begins with the personal awareness of each
homeowner. Whether you're currently able to participate or not,
everyone can encourage someone to use their talents and skills to the
betterment of all. As an owner, neighbor and person of talent yourself,
watch for opportunities to tap the shoulder of someone in your
community and invite him or her to help out by accompanying you to
the next meeting.
The most powerful way to get volunteers is to ask someone to
participate and then follow up. The second best way to get volunteers
to participate is by clearly communicating the community's needs.
Simply making the statement at a board meeting that volunteers are
needed for the parking committee is generally going to fall short of the
mark. Potential members need to know some basic information:

1. What is the purpose, or charter, of the committee
2. What's involved in being on the committee
3. How much time will it take
4. What's expected of them
5. When will it end (is it a standing or ad hoc position)
Board involvement in committee development is. key. This is where the
infrastructure of the association gets strengthened and membership
becomes engaged. According to most association's bylaws, the
committees are appointed by, and report to the board. In order to for
committees to function effectively, the board must determine the
following:

Why do we need committees?
Help the board conduct the business of the association by:
Gathering information
Making policy recommendations
Recommending solutions to ongoing problems or challenges
Representing the opinions of the community at large
Additional benefits for the association:
More involvement of individuals in the community
Residents (including renters) can bring forth special talents
for the greater good.
Committees can serve as a training ground for those
interested in going further; e.g., serving on the board of
directors.
Allows residents to get to know each other on a more
personal level - live, work & play together.
Structures
There are two types of committees to consider:
Standing Committees (ongoing)
Ad Hoc Committees (seasonal and specific focus)
Within each committee, organizational structure is needed to facilitate
efficiency and value.
Committee Chair Person
Characteristics to consider:
Establish the Committee Members
Characteristics to look for:
Next, the board should develop the designated purpose of the
committees. A few of the more common committees in homeowner
associations are listed below:
Communications - can also have sub-committees:
• Newsletter
• Website
Covenants/Governance/Hearings - Assists with the governing process
of the association.
Finance - can be comprised of sub-committees:
Finance - reviews monthly financials
Budget -- helps develop the annual budget
Reserves - tracks and helps administer the Reserve Study
recommendations
Investments - develops and recommends the association's
investment policy and reserves
Landscape/Maintenance Oversees the "look and feel" and
sustainability of the community landscape
Nominations - Develops the criteria and the slate of board candidates
annually.
Social - The "glue" of every community; helps make an association a
community of friends.
Once committees are appointed, then what?
The members of the committee meet to put the organizational structure
in place,
select a chair and a secretary (timekeepers and parliamentarians are
optional).

Chair Duties:
• Facilitate members getting to know each other
• Set agendas to be sent out ahead of meetings (via email/web site)
• Preside over meetings
• Open and close meetings
• Establish ground rules of meetings
• Attend monthly board meetings to report on key activities of the
committee and receive direction from the board.

Secretary Duties:
Take minutes of all meetings
o Publish minutes within one week of meeting
o The minutes trigger action items that committee members have
committed to accomplish.
o Informs the community on the work that is being done.
• Establish a meeting schedule
• Determine what the board's mandate is for the committee
• Set goals and timetables to accomplish the work of the committee
• Delegate functions to individual members to oversee
• Celebrate your victories! Committees can get very focused on tasks or
working their way through issues. Celebrations keep members
motivated and engaged.
Keep the lifeblood flowing
People thrive on encouragement, acknowledgement and sincere
appreciation. Volunteers want to know that they're making a difference
and their contribution is appreciated. The annual meeting is a great
time to acknowledge all volunteers.
Tapping into local talent when you see it and keeping the community
apprised of the needs of the association greatly assists with keeping a
continuing source of volunteer leaders. Consider identifying someone
with good social talents and an encouraging spirit to be appointed a
volunteer coordinator.
Committees Rock!
Committees require teamwork. Teamwork works every time. Every
committee member brings an important piece of the puzzle.
Committees are the most effective place to have a voice or opinion
heard and to have the biggest impact on the success of your
community.

Corey Recla

Landscape Committee Meeting

There will be a meeting of the Landscape and Grounds Committee on Wednesday October 6 at the association office at 9:00 am .
The meeting is open to all owners

Introducing !

I would like to announce that Sharon Vancil will be the new Chairman for the Landscape and Grounds Committee. Scott White was unable to fulfill his position because of other time consuming commitments .If you have any ideas or comments for the committee you can forward them to Sharon Vancil, her email address is stbrittell@aol.com

Continuing Education

I was invited by our manager Bill to attend a seminar Aug. 20th where some of the changes in the State laws that affect condominium and homeowner associations were discussed. The first speaker was Mary-Frances Katona who is an Investigative Supervisor for the State of Florida DBPR and the other two speakers were attorneys from the local law firm Porges, Hamlin, Knowles & Prouty, PA. The speakers answered questions concerning enforcement issues.

One of the interesting things that we learned was that we’ll no longer be able to include the phone numbers of owners in our Resident Directory. Since the new law did not take effect until this past July 1St we are ok with the latest directory, however future directories will not include phone numbers. We’ll have to decide as an association how to stay in touch while following appropriate rules/laws.

Withholding amenities from owners who are behind on their association fees is a sticky issue and the attorneys suggested that this should be discussed with our association attorney regarding proper procedures. Consider this added to our To-Do-List.

Bill will, in his capacity as manager; continue to keep the association and board informed of important issues as will the attorney in his capacity as counsel.

Bob McDevitt

Regarding Anonymous Posts on the Blog

I have posted and answered my last anonymous blog comment from owners. My feeling is that if you truly believe in what you are writing then you should have the courage to include your name and unit number. I will post all comments whether you agree or disagree with the topic; you are entitled to your opinion. To those wishing to make an anonymous comment with the intention to divide the community, your comment will not be posted.

Sincerely, Bob McDevitt, Association President

What's Going On ?

Thank you to all of you who responded when asked who your mortgage holder was. Consequently, all of the letters to the lenders were able to be mailed out the end of last week.
And, thanks to Board member Claire Dew Hurst we saw a huge savings on this project. Through her insistence that we use a title company and do as much of the work ourselves as possible instead of using our attorney for these tasks, we were able to save upwards of $14,000! Thank you, Claire, I would also like to thank Claudia for helping out on this task and anyone else who was involved in this project.



_____________________________________________________________________________________

As many of you recall, for the past several years a Dry Waller who charged exorbitant fees did most of the work here in WWS. When I called this to the Board’s attention in January, it was finally decided that other bids for such work needed to be sought.
Recently our new manager Bill hired another Dry Waller and the bill was shocking! It was about one-fourth the cost of what we used to pay the expensive man. Way to go, Bill!

I would like to hear your thoughts

The first item that I would like to hear from you about is turning off the heaters on the hot tubs in the summer months,I have taken calls from some owners who have suggested in order to save some money that we take a survey of owners to see how many people use the hot tubs in the months of June, July and August .Please post a comment on this site or feel free to call me with your thoughts.

The second item that I would like to hear from you about is trying to bring our community together by possibly having a monthly get together at the office where people could gather , socialize and meet new people and perhaps bring a dish to pass. I am looking for volunteers who would be willing to organize this and other types of social events. Since we do not have a clubhouse I would think there would be a good amount of interest from our owners. Again please post a comment on this site or feel free to call me with your thoughts.

Endings and beginnings

“What’s Happening” a new page on the website, check it out and look at the pictures from Dennis’ retirement get-together. If you have suggestions for that page give me a call.

A matter of policy: The President speaks on behalf of the Board in written communication, that’s how it was before I became president and that's how it will continue to be done and anyone who thinks differently should call me. Our association attorney shared with me in March (2010), after he commented to another director, that “there can only be one chief.” I’m putting a note in the directors' files because I think a memo is needed. I hope this will make my position clear that I’m entitled to the same courtesy given to previous presidents of the association.

Looking forward: Bill the incoming manager is scheduled to begin at the end of June. Bill was able to meet with me and Dennis a couple of times, he met with Maureen, Jeff took him for a golf cart tour of the grounds and he stopped by the 6/10/10 workshop.

Endings and beginnings, they do make life interesting.

Until next time, Bob McDevitt

Board Meeting Minutes Now Online !

In an effort to promote transparency the monthly Board meeting minutes are now available on the website. To read the minutes, simply go to the Wildewood Springs website and on the left side of the screen click on "Downloadable Documents" and you will see association documents. The page with the documents has been up for some time, at least since last year with our current Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, etc. Now you will also find the Board meeting minutes listed by the month and year starting with March and April 2010.


Why is this important? Making the minutes easily available to everyone is important because prior to this the minutes were given to the directors but owners had to ask for a copy from the office. The minutes are the legal record of the Board meeting and it is difficult to remember what happened yesterday let alone a month or two ago.


It is important to remember that anyone interested in purchasing a condo in Florida is entitled to request a copy of the Bylaws, financial statement, board minutes, etc.

Officers Attend Foreclosure Seminar

I would like to personally acknowledge three of our officers Claire Dewhurst, Nancy Thomas and Sharon Bateman who attended a seminar on Foreclosure that was sponsored by CAI. One of the panelists included one of our own attorneys Andrew Cohen.
The officers reported that the seminar was very informative and helpful .As we look back we have seen our foreclosure rate increase significantly, however not as bad as many of our neighboring associations .This is new to all of us and I am pleased that these officers have chosen to expand their knowledge so that we can better address this growing problem.

There will be a similar seminar taking place this summer ,date not yet confirmed.You do not have to be a board member to attend.Often these events are free of charge with drawings for door prizes to boot.I will keep you informed when I receive further information.

The Lazy-Hazy Days Of Summer

As we enter into the lazy -hazy days of summer the people working on you’re behalf are not being lazy, in fact the Budget and Finance Committee chairman Richard Baker along with our treasurer Sue Downs and assistant treasurer Sharon Bateman are watching over interest rates for our association investments. Several of our CD’s are coming due and they want to find the best rates possible. Sharon was able to get the interest rate on one of our money market accounts doubled by just going into the bank and asking. We are fortunate that these people are working to protect our investments while at the same time holding full time jobs.

Way to go team!

Executive Committee

The Executive committee has been set up for the months of May, June, July and August ,the Board voted with 6 opposed to suspend regular Board meetings for these months.
The committee will consist of all available Board members:



Submitted by Bob McDevitt

Update on Our new Manager

I wanted to give you an update on the status of our new manager. I have received the results from Bill’s background check and drug screen test and am happy to report that both were clean.

I want to thank Tony Elwood from Evolution Consulting, LLC for providing these services to the association at no cost.

Bill has given notice to his current employer and I will be in close touch with Bill and will keep everyone updated as far as when Bill will be officially taking over as manager for Wildewood Springs.

Bob

Association Manager

Approved by the Board of Directors on May 4th I formally offered the position of manager of Wildewood Springs to our candidate Bill. Pending positive results from the routine background check in approximately 3-5 days, the final steps will be taken to complete this process. The candidate will provide his current employer the required notice and then his time with Wildewood Springs will begin; hopefully around the last week of June.

Selecting the candidate for the association manager has been a lot of work completed in a relatively short amount of time. The process included a total of 10 candidates interviewed from the many who applied. I want to thank everyone who has worked on this process, especially the search committee and the interview team. Everyone gave their time and effort in order to come up with a suitable manager for Wildewood Springs.

I know we are looking forward to getting to know the incoming manager and I plan to call a workshop at the appropriate time to formally introduce Bill to the directors and owners.

As I announced on the 4th, Dennis Bucher submitted his formal notice of resignation and with his agreement, his last day will be June 17th. I want to thank Dennis for his years of service to our Association. I know many owners have spoken with Dennis and congratulated him on his retirement. I plan to arrange a date when we can properly thank Dennis at the office and wish him farewell. Contact your directors or me with any thoughts you have about getting together with Dennis. I encourage owners to drop in or give Dennis a telephone call, before we know it June will be here.

To the owners who are here in Florida and those who have flown home to other areas, thank you for your ideas and comments and on behalf of the board and the staff enjoy your summer days and stay in touch. Here’s to a quiet hurricane season.

Bob

Learning about this website

I learned many things yesterday about the Wildewood Springs Condo Association website and one was a big surprise.

When I post the blog entry to the website, the entry immediately goes out to everyone on the Google email list used by the office. I practiced with 3 posts so 3 emails went out: one needed spell check, one with a picture and one that I kept on the website saying hello. If I had known they would go out as emails I would only have posted the final one.

I hope my emails were not a problem for you and now we all know how this works. I had experience with a website I had years ago, I use other websites and I think I have figured this one out so I’m going to the hot tub.

Have a good weekend and we still need volunteers for committees.
Bob McDevitt

Hello from the President.

Hello. It's good to finally be "on-line" with the residents of Wildewood Springs Condominium Association.

I'll be updating this area soon, thank you for your patience.
Bob McDevitt