Dear Homeowners,
 

We were thrilled with the great turnout at the Annual Meeting of the Membership on May 3rd. Despite the challenges that we faced with the packet delays due to the Jacksonville mail heist, our community members came together to either turn in their proxies or to attend the meeting. We actually exceeded the annual meeting quorum requirement of 15% of our membership. Thank you very much!

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So what is the state of our community? Our pool and pool bath house are now fully functional and maintained to the highest of standards. Our General Manager, Shanna Fredrickson, and our Assistant General Manager, Christine Hart, are doing an exceptional job updating the office and overseeing the business of the association. We now have a beautiful, newly renovated clubhouse that will be used and enjoyed for years to come. Our rental revenue now provides a vital supplement to our monthly HOA income.

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We figured out what wasn’t working. Our Recreational Vehicle (RV) compound was NOT full and there wasn’t a waitlist. The HOA was not collecting dues from 1⁄3 of its homeowners. Our properties were getting vandalized. Our drainage issues have been neglected. We did not have a relationship with the county.

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We’ve made improvements to our RV compound and we are nearing full capacity. We put a collection system in place to ensure fairness to the 2⁄3 of our homeowners who ARE paying their dues. We have put in security cameras and established a reward system to catch those who wish to destroy our swales. We have started to video scope the worst of our drains to determine next steps. We have formed a positive relationship with county engineers and representatives and are working together to improve our infrastructure.

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We now have a budget based on data. We have revamped our activities program to provide both free and fee-based activities and are happy to see those offerings grow. The grounds are well maintained, the flowers are beautiful, the sidewalks are free of overgrowth and the Shores objectively looks better. We have improved communication through a better website, a monthly newsletter, and informative monthly meetings.

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There is still more to do...the next twelve months we hope to continue to work within our approved budget to address more of our drainage issues, enhance our amenities, expand our activities, increase our facility rentals, improve our collections rate and expand our member services. The hard work aside, it’s time to have more fun...gather more, swim more, fish more, dance more, talk more and embrace and celebrate our lives in the Shores. What is your passion or teaching skill? What contribution could you make to a committee? Please consider sharing YOUR talent and interests with the Shores community.

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We’ve healed most of the body and now we must heal the heart. We must work together to create a kinder neighborhood. The year ahead will be challenging with a heated national election. Let us be the neighborhood that rises above political differences and let’s be a community that helps one another in times of need.

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I recently read a post on Nextdoor from a resident who had not seen an elderly man, named Dave, for a long time. For years, she used to see Dave on her walk and was concerned for his well being. She asked if anyone knew him...if anyone knew if Dave was okay. The responses were nonstop with over 20 other neighbors also wondering where this Dave was and how he was doing. All of the responders shared something special about Dave but the recurring theme was that Dave was always kind and friendly to them. One man stated that he and his wife lived near Dave and that fortunately Dave was doing just fine. They had checked on him, brought him meals, took him places and the man shared that they “LOVED DAVE.” Another resident, who had never met Dave, responded with, “Damn, I wish I was Dave.”

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Let’s all be Dave...his positivity is contagious. Let’s work together to make these next 12 months the best year ever. Be kind and respectful to each other and please check on your neighbors if you’re worried about their well being. Let’s help each other. Let’s make the Shores the best place to live in St. Johns County.

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Mary Jenson
HOA Board President