The Trellises

APRIL Highlights:

APRIL 2013
WWW.THETRELLISES.ORG

OFFICE: 954-236-9435
FAX: 954-236-4444

th Message from VP Kathy Gazda MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! The monthly HOA meeting is Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 pm. ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO ATTEND AND FIND OUT FIRST-HAND WHATS NEW AT THE TRELLISES! Stop the Drop New Service Providers First-Quarter Accomplishments Message from Vice-President Kathy Gazda: Wow! What an

April 1st
Maintenance Payment Due

April 6th
Save Water at The Trellises!

Mobile Car Wash Service WWW.MYPREMIUMCARWASH.COM April 10th / 5:00 p.m.

Maintenance Late Fee
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM: Trellises WEST Entrance

April 12th Bulk Pickup April 20th ITALIAN NIGHT

Social Event / Clubhouse 6:30 PM

April 25th Monthly HOA Meeting

Clubhouse 7:30 PM

amazing first quarter of 2013 it has been for the Trellises! Its exciting to be part of a board that wants only the best for this beautiful community. I hope by now youve seen some of the projects weve completed. If not, I encourage you to take a look around. From Wi -Fi in the Clubhouse and a new gym location, to some lovely new landscaping, our community is undergoing a long-overdue makeover. What you may not see is all of the behind-thescenes work this board is doing, led by our super-dedicated president, William Leslie, to uphold our fiduciary responsibility to you and to watch your investment in The Trellises like hawks! Vendor contracts are being reviewed for cost-cutting measures and were resolving issues with units that have been a financial drain on our community. I want to encourage every resident of The Trellises to bring ideas for improvement to the board. We cant think of everything, so if you have suggestions to help us get a better bang for our buck, wed love to hear them. I also want to offer heart-felt thanks to the previous board which tackled so many important issues. Their dedication is something I know my fellow board members and I applaud and are committed to continue. The five of us who now serve you are thrilled by the way our new board has gelled. Not only do we work well together, we genuinely like each other and enjoy the time we spend working on ways to improve our community. On behalf of William, Lori, Ron and Mary, I offer a sincere thank you for your support, encouragement and kind words. We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting! -Kathy Gazda, Vice-President As the saying goes, We never know the worth of water until the well is dry. Yet, most people dont think twice about wasting water frivolously, or using the toilet like a trashcan, flushing everything from cigarettes to tiny pieces of paper. In 2012, our community paid $72,181 to the City of Plantation for water usage. Water is our communitys most controllable expense; please use it responsibly. Over the next 90 days, water usage in each building will be closely monitored to determine if overuse is occurring. Do your part by checking frequently for leaks in pipes, faucets, showers, toilets, hoses, etc. If you suspect a leak, contact the office immediately. Most leaks will be repaired at no cost to homeowners. Talk to your family and neighbors about reducing their water usage and please, BE VIGILANT! If you see or suspect that something or someone is wasting water, remember: It is the duty of each homeowner who shares in the cost for this common expense to report it to The Trellises office immediately.

Garbage & Recycling Pickup: TUESDAYS Garbage-Only Pickup: FRIDAYS

THANK YOU TO RESIDENTS WHO HELP OUR COMMUNITY AVOID FINES BY USING ONLY CITY-APPROVED BAGS

APRIL SOCIAL EVENT

Italian Night
FOOD AND FUN IN THE CLUBHOUSE: Saturday, APRIL 20th 6:30 PM Bring an Italian-themed dish!
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Put a STOP to the Drop:

PLEASE DON'T WASTE WATER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
William Leslie, President Kathy Gazda, Vice-President Lori Mihalic, Vice-President Ron Schwartz, Treasurer Mary Broussard, Secretary
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Weekly Meetings: Mondays 2:00 PM

A SUPERIOR Towing Company: For years, our community has been terrorized by ruthless towing companies
that prowled around in the middle of the night. The Trellises now has a reputable company providing above-board service. Superior Towing was recommended by Plantation Police and Broward County to serve as an effective enforcement tool to support our communitys parking regulations. Whenever practical, yellow warning notices will be placed on vehicles that are in violation of our parking rules, thus giving residents a chance to correct violations within 24 hours. However, if a warning is ignored, or a vehicle poses a safety concern, or is habitually in violation of the rules, it will be removed immediately at the owners expense. Residents can avoid this inconvenience by abiding by the parking rules at all times and heeding any warning notices placed upon their vehicles.

Jani-King to Provide Clubhouse Cleaning at The Trellises: Following an in-depth review of files
in January, the Board discovered that the company under which the clubhouse cleaning services were being provided was no longer active and current insurance coverage was not in place. To protect our community from potential liability, the Board requested that the service provider reinstate insurance coverage as a stipulation for continued compensation. The provider expressed reasonable concerns about the added expense of carrying insurance and requested consideration of their proposal, absent the insurance coverage. The Board sought additional proposals from licensed, insured commercial companies and after reviewing them from the perspective of what was in the best interest of the community, a nationally recognized, licensed and insured company has been selected to provide a wide scope of services that far exceed those proposed in the existing providers bid, at virtually the same monthly cost. Th e decision was not entered into lightly, as the Board recognized that the livelihood of a service provider who has been part of our community for years was at stake. However, ensuring the most prudent application of the communitys resources is the Boards primary obligation.

Board of Directors First Quarter Accomplishments

In the first week of January, the new Board made a commitment to bridge the gap between homeowners and the Association and to inspire a renewed sense of community. The focus for the first quarter was on bringing THE TRELLISES up-to-date and to increase property values by updating amenities, enhancing curb appeal, reducing costs and maximizing value from service provider agreements. The Board also committed to resolving evictions, foreclosures and pending legal issues to put an end to the constant bleed of resources in these matters. Below is a list of what this dynamic Board has accomplished over the last 3 months.

Conducted in-depth review of files, records, correspondence and pending legal issues. Implemented procedures to safeguard personal information of all residents and secure financial records. Updated all expired leases. Conducted facility operation reviews and reviewed all service provider agreements to increase efficiency and decrease unnecessary spending. Welcomed 9 new homeowners to the community. Evicted occupants of unit 414 to end the long-standing financial burden to the community. Cleaned out the vacated unit to prepare it for sale or rental. Negotiated a pending sale agreement for unit 414 which will potentially recoup the entire amount of $21,000 owed to the community by the previous occupants of 414. Negotiated fee reductions for existing legal services. Implemented a new work order protocol to ensure timely follow up and increase homeowner satisfaction, while avoiding omissions, duplication of work, and excess cost. Implemented a new, 3-tiered notification system to courteously inform residents of rule violations. Created new temporary parking permits and implemented new issuance procedures. Performed an in-depth review and complete update of the official Rules and Regulations. Implemented a required Code of Ethics for Board members and service providers. Terminated old towing agreement and signed new agreement with Superior Towing to provide reputable enforcement of community parking regulations. Installed doggy stations at each entrance to help keep the community free of unsightly and unsanitary pet waste. Reviewed 3 proposals for cleaning of the clubhouse and recreation facility. Selected Jani-King; the nations largest commercial janitorial cleaning company. Created a new Fitness Center. Updated and refurbished

the Recreation Room. Donated a billiard table to Seeing Stars, a charitable organization that helps children with traumatic brain injuries .Updated clubhouse lobby area. Installed high-resolution, 24-hour surveillance cameras in the clubhouse facilities to protect our communitys assets. Installed energy-efficient thermostat timers in the clubhouse facilities to reduce monthly expenses. Installed internet with WiFi and cable TV in the clubhouse to increase homeowner satisfaction with community amenities. Pressure-cleaned clubhouse walkways, Installed new clubhouse landscaping and, Mulched perimeter common areas to immediately increase the communitys curb-appeal. Negotiated a new Easement Agreement to allow Comcast to continue providing cable service to residents who wish to use them. The initial offer from Comcast of $50 per unit was promptly declined by the Board and subsequently re-negotiated up to $125 per unit, thus providing $16,400 to our community which will be designated toward repairs and upgrades of common elements. Entered into a new employment agreement with the communitys only employee to ensure fair labor practices for the mutual protection of our employee and the community. Distributed awards to homeowners for upkeep of landscaping and overall appearance of unit exteriors. Began promoting water conservation awareness and monitoring of water usage to reduce community expenses. Updated the format for the community newsletter. Updated and condensed information in all bulletin boards to improve aesthetics and ease of use. Re-established monthly social events to increase positive interaction among neighbors in the community.

THE TRELLISES ASSOCIATION 9731 N. NEW RIVER CANAL RD PLANTATION, FLORIDA 33324