YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Once again in the annual meeting package, we included a comment/suggestion sheet to provide an opportunity for you to comment on current issues facing the community, make suggestions to the Board and to ask questions about anything that has been on your mind.  After reading through the multitude of questions asked by residents, it was clear that many of you are asking similar questions about many different issues; therefore, we are providing answers to a number of questions below and in upcoming newsletters.  We hope that you learn something new from this article and continue to ask thought-provoking questions in the future.

Q: How does the WCA know to count my vote as 2?

A: Each property is entitled to 2 votes in the annual election.  If you own your house and live there, then your ballot is automatically counted as 2 votes.  If you own the property, but rent it out, then you get one vote and the tenant gets one vote.  The Covenants require that a property owner notify the Association if the property is rented out and provide the WCA the name of the tenant.

Once you return your ballot to the WCA, it is counted using the Aldea computer system.  Each ballot contains a bar code, which is scanned using a scanner (similar to a grocery store scanner).   The computer program then brings up your specific property and your vote is counted according to our records of whether you are an on-site property owner (2 votes) or a non-resident owner (1 vote) or tenant (1 vote).

Q: How do residents get notified of Association dues increases?

A: The Board officially announces the annual budget along with any upcoming assessment increases in the November issue of the newsletter.  It is very important that you read the newsletter each month, but especially in November.  Life On The Lake is our official, legal communication with every Woodlake resident. It is delivered in the first full week of each month to the slot below each mailbox in the neighborhood.   The newsletter is

hand-delivered to the front door of those living in the condo associations.   We mail (first class) the newsletter to property owners who live outside of the neighborhood, residents of Woodlake Village and Waterpointe Apartments, as well as those residents who request that we mail the newsletter. Each month, the newsletter is also posted online at www.woodlakeonline.com.  If you do not receive the newsletter or block the slot below your mailbox, please contact the office and we will add you to the mailing list.  In coming months, residents will have the option of receiving the newsletter via e-mail.

Q: When will the bike trails be repaved in Woodlake?

A: The Association reserve fund plan outlines the schedule for replacement of existing WCA amenities, including bike trails.  A certain amount of money is dedicated on an annual basis to the various projects within the community.  In 2007, the Association repaved several areas of bike trail.  Funds have been allocated in 2008 for repaving bike trails.  In March 2008, repaving of several bike trails began, with 3 sections completed and 2 others to take place. Each year, the maintenance manager reviews (on-site) all the trails as well as feedback from residents regarding the condition of trails.   Once the review takes place, the maintenance manager and community manager review the trails proposed for renovation.  If the bike trail has not been repaved before, the contractor will place an overlay along the trail after repairing root ruts, potholes and other structural issues.  Where necessary, he adds gravel and dirt to ensure safety along the trail.  After paving last year, the Board decided that after the second overlay, we will review each section of trail for slope and determine whether or not to remove the existing trail and replace it in its entirety (which is more costly).  In between periodic repaving of sections of the trail, the maintenance crew repairs sections with root heaves, adds patches where needed, and cuts tree roots to limit damage to the trail.

Q:  What is the WCA plan for removal of dead trees and limbs along the parkways?

A: On an ongoing basis, the maintenance crew removes dead trees and limbs on all common property.  Each time that a resident notifies the office of a dead tree, we follow specific procedures.  First, the maintenance foreman evaluates the condition of the tree.   If the tree is in immediate danger of falling and particularly if it would damage property or person, we will remove the tree right away.  In some cases, we will call in a specialist if the maintenance foreman feels the tree is too dangerous or if there is a chance that it would hit personal property.  If the tree is determined to be stable, then the maintenance department adds the tree to our removal schedule and we remove trees according to the danger that they present.  If a tree is living and determined not to be a danger, then the Association may choose not to remove it.   Once we fell a tree, generally, we try to remove all the branches and small debris right away.  However, depending on the location, ground conditions and the weather, we may need to return at a later date to remove the trunk or in a more heavily wooded area, we may leave the tree trunk in place to maintain a natural forest state.  In 2007 and 2008, we made significant progress removing trees reported to us from the time of Hurricane Isabel and beyond.  The maintenance crew continues to work to remove trees and debris as quickly as possible.  If you see a dead tree, please notify us right away.  Also, if you notice a tree you reported fallen or dead some time ago has not been removed, feel free to call the office for an update. 

Q: What will WCA do to change the rental policy of the SRC clubhouse?

A: The WCA and the WSRC are two independently operated companies.  The Association does not own or manage the WSRC.  We are providing the WSRC management with the comments we receive from Woodlake residents, to help convey your concerns and feedback, but we cannot require that the WSRC change the policy.  The clubhouse is a multi-purpose space that members may reserve for organized activities as the calendar permits.  Call WSRC at 739-3454 for more information.

Q: What does WCA do to help control the overpopulation of geese in the community?

A: While the geese are a part of the wildlife in our community, over the years Canada Geese have "bifurcated" into two distinct groups, those that migrate as geese have done forever, and those that don't migrate.  Those that don't migrate are now called Resident Canada Geese.   These are the ones that we see all year 'round in the  reservoir.  They are a problem all over the eastern 2/3 of the country (at least), because they produce up to a pound of waste every day.  During many parts of the year, they eat grass and seed at the pavilion, along the causeway, and on many lawns along the lakefront.  What they eat turns into that messy, slippery, slimy stuff that befouls the lake, the pavilion lawn, the causeway, and the lakefront path and yards in many areas.   The feces contain harmful stuff, including E. coli and phosphorus, which is bad for the lake and can be tracked into homes. Because there are essentially no predators around, the geese tend to multiply very rapidly in an environment like ours.  The federal government, recognizing the rapid overpopulation of geese across the country, approved a method to reduce the population over time.  Addling can be done by 3 methods, one of which involves oiling the eggs.  The others involve shaking the eggs or putting a tiny pinhole in the shell.  The USDA prefers either of the last two methods, and that is what we have done. Last year, because the problem was getting out of hand, the government policy was changed to empower citizen groups to do the addling.  We report back to the USDA how many nests we dealt with and how many eggs were addled.  Even if our addling were 100% effective (which is nearly impossible), we would have Resident Geese here for a long time, since they live to be 20 years old.

Q: When will our neighborhood tot lot be updated?

A: The Board of Directors implemented a revitalization program for the tot lots beginning with Tom Sawyer's Island.  In 2007, three tot lots were replaced and in 2008, five are being replaced.  In 2009, four tot lots are scheduled to be replaced, including Beechwood Point, Forest Wood, Long Cove, and Sunrise Bluff , and in 2010, the remaining tot lots will be replaced in Sedgefield Commons, Moss Creek, and Terry's Tot Lot.

Q: What is WCA doing about the recent break-ins and vandalism in the community?

A: The Association's main purpose is to protect property values so, when crime or even the perception of crime occurs, the WCA staff and Board become concerned.  Many actions goon behind the scenes as the WCA staff keeps a log of all incidents and makes requests for patrols in certain areas to our police contacts, schedules our off-duty patrols, works with residents to get information out, etc.  If a crime occurs, no matter how small it seems, we strongly urge you to report it to the police right away.  The police have the legal authority to take reports, press charges, conduct investigations and most importantly, make arrests.  The WCA works with the police to keep them informed of potential problem areas, patterns that we notice and/or word of mouth information we receive.  In addition, we employ 2 off-duty police officers for a limited number of hours each week.  The security generally focuses on Association-owned property and does not take the place of police services that your county tax dollars provide.  We focus our hours on problem times and locations, and the officers spend a good amount of time on foot patrol on the bike trails.  We discuss issues at the neighborhood rep meetings and encourage all neighborhoods to create a Neighborhood Watch program by providing a meeting location, providing contact information for the county Neighborhood Watch officer, etc. At the 2008 annual meeting, the Neighborhood Watch officer gave a brief presentation and hosted a booth to provide additional information to residents.

The WCA also publishes articles in the newsletter regarding safety and security multiple times each year.  Recently, we began an effort to collect e-mail addresses of residents; our computer system will be updated in 2008 to enable the WCA to send e-mail alerts to the entire community or specific neighborhoods.