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June 2020 Volume 4, Issue 10
PUBLISHED BY IKARE PUBLISHING INC. WWW.IKAREPUBLISHING.COM - 813-991-7843
THE OFFICIAL Newsletter OF STONEBRIER
Believe it or not, it has been another month since the last newsletter. Time seems to have slowed down to a crawl lately but we are all slowly getting through this shelter-in-place and social distancing process. Local businesses and society in general are gradually re-opening. We want to thank all our local teachers and school staff for getting our kids through this very challenging 4th quarter virtually. For all our resident graduates from preschool to elementary, middle, high school and college – we sincerely congratulate you on your achievements! It must be very challenging (and sad) to work hard in school and not be able to graduate in person as you had probably planned as you grew up. Know that our community supports you and your hard work and you all receive a long-distance high five from your friends and neighbors. Congratulations 2020 Graduates!!! While we’ve been staying apart, we are still staying very active in our community. We’ve been working with local vendors to make necessary repairs to our gates, pool equipment, cabanas and more. It has been nice seeing so many residents out
exercising with their families, riding bikes and walking dogs. Our athletic fields are getting a lot of use which is great and we want to encourage all residents to stay vigilant and use appropriate social distancing. June 1st is the official start of hurricane season in Florida and the predictions are for an above average year of tropical activity. Now is the time to prepare your family’s plans should our area be impacted by a tropical system. Freshen up your hurricane kits, take a video inventory of your home inside and out to help with potential future insurance claims and evaluate your landscaping to see if any trees need trimming. Our April financial report has been finalized and shows a few of our monthly line items over budget (administration, irrigation, general maintenance, street lights). Most of the overage was offset by other line items being under budget. Our operating expenses are over by $2,359 for the month and year-to-date expenses are exceeding budget by $8,623. By comparison, April 2019 monthly expenses exceeded budget by $15,052, and year-to-date expenses ran $3,702 over budget. A total of 67 homes (13%) have past-due amounts on their HOA accounts (either
late fees and/or quarterly HOA dues). Six of these homeowners are more than 30 days delinquent. Please login to the Caliber website to check the status of your HOA account to make sure it is current. As a reminder, we are hosting quarterly community volunteer days to help maintain our community and reduce expenditures – the more neighbors we have volunteer on these days, the lower our expenses are for the entire community. Our next volunteer day is Saturday, June 6th from 9am-12pm. We hope you continue to find some of the articles from local experts and their tips and advice beneficial. If you have a suggestion or would like to see a topic covered in future newsletters, be sure to let us know. If you have a positive story to share, we’d love to hear it and share with our neighbors! Hang in there Stonebrier – stay strong and heathy! We will get through this together! Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve! Stonebrier Board of Directors
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Stonebrier HOA Board – [email protected]
Ted Galloway – President Hari Joshi – Vice President Kaushik Dutta – Secretary
Jeff Berg – Treasurer Andy Loerns – Director At Large
CDD Board of Supervisors, [email protected] Analina Medina - Chair Avelino Vide - Vice Chair Bradley Cornelius - Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Ramos - Assistant Secretary Zachery Campbell - Assistant Secretary
HOA Management Company: Wise Property Management 18550 N Dale Mabry Highway Lutz, FL 33548
HOA website: www.stonebrierhoa.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 813-968-5665 HOA website: https://caliber.wisepm.com/CaliberWeb2_Wise
Gary Saliba – Property Manager Amita Joshi – Administrative Assistant
Stonebrier CDD Website: www.stonebriercdd.org
Stonebrier CDD Management Company: Patricia Comings-Thibault - District Manager, DPFG [email protected]
Questions or Concerns for the Architectural Review Committee or Fining Committee??? Contact Wise Property Management at (813) 968-5665
Stonebrier Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Andy Myers - [email protected]
Stonebrier Neighborhood Social Committee Coordinator Evan Walker – [email protected]
Be sure to check out the Stonebrier Community Group Facebook Page – search for ‘Stonebrier Community, Lutz, FL’.
Links and contacts additions: Trash and recycling missed: https://service.hillsboroughcounty.org/311/trash-recycling/
Mosquito issues: https://service.hillsboroughcounty.org/311/mosquito/
Hurricane guide to Tampa Bay: https://www.tbo.com/hurricane-guide/
TECO Street light outage reporting process: https://www.tampaelectric.com/forms/residential/streetlightout/
Hillsborough County Animal Control: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/animals-and-pets
For County Services Who Do You Call? Contact Hillsborough County at (813) 272-5900, a one-stop county service and information center! The center provides comprehensive information and referral to all government, health, and social services in the community. It coordinates government service requests and handles complaints quickly and courteously. This office works with all county departments to ensure you receive accurate and timely responses. Hillsborough County Information – (813) 272-5900
Stonebrier Officers and Directors Upcoming Important Dates:
HOA and Fining Committee Meetings All Residents Welcome to Attend. Meetings are held at Wise Property Management, 18550 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Lutz, FL 33548. The Fining Committee meets at 6:00pm, HOA Board meets at 6:30pm. CDD Meetings are held at 6:30pm at Avid Management, 2906 Busch Lake Blvd, Tampa, FL 33614. Q2 HOA Fees were due- Wed, Apr 1st CDD Meeting (details & location TBD), Thurs, June 11th HOA Fining Committee Meeting (potential to be held online), Tues, June 16th HOA Meeting (potential to be held online), Tues,
June 16th CDD Meeting (details & Location TBD), Thurs, July 9th
Stonebrier Social Events
With social events and restrictions changing on a seemingly daily basis, we have decided to put a hold on scheduling future social events within Stonebrier. We unfortunately had to postpone our Summer Kick-Off Pool Party and Cookout that was scheduled for May 30th. We also had to cancel our Volunteer Feeding Tampa Bay at Trinity Café on May 2nd but will look to reschedule this event again in the near future. Thank you for your patience during these times.
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Hillsborough County Watering Restrictions
Year-round conservation measures limit lawn watering to a maximum of twice per week. Unless otherwise noted, the County's water use restrictions apply to all properties in unincorporated Hillsborough County and all water sources except reclaimed water. Depending on weather conditions, your yard may need less water than you think. All watering must be done before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m., and only once on your designated days. Hillsborough County Code Enforcement regularly enforces county ordinances for year-round watering restrictions. Observed violations may result in citations starting at $100. Addresses ending in 0, 1, 2 or 3 – Mondays & Thursdays Addressed ending in 4, 5 or 6 – Tuesdays & Fridays Addresses ending in 7, 8 or 9 – Wednesdays & Saturdays Locations w/no address (i.e. common areas) – Wednesdays & Saturdays Hand watering and low-volume irrigation of plant material other than lawns or turfgrass may be done on any day and at any time. New sod and Landscaping: All watering of new sod and landscaping must be done before 8am or after 6pm. An irrigation system zone can only be operated if the new sod or plant material covers at least 50% of that zone. New sod and landscaping may be
watered on any day for the first 30 days On days 31-60, new sod and
landscaping may be watered approximately every other day: even-numbered address on Tues/Thurs/Sun and odd-numbered addresses on Mon/Wed/Sat
Car washing and pressure washing: Car washing is allowed using hoses equipped with self-canceling or automatic shutoff nozzles, sponges, and buckets. Pressure washing of sidewalks, driveways, patios and other impervious surfaces is allowed for public health and safety. Pressure washing should not be used to clean away materials that can be removed with a broom or other dry methods.
Stonebrier Volunteer Days 2020
To standardize our Community Volunteer Ways in 2020 we will do one every 3 months to stay on top of routine tasks nd required maintenance. 2020 Volunteer Days June 6, 2020 Saturday 9am-12pm September 5, 2020 Saturday 1-4pm December 6, 2020 Saturday 9am-12pm Standard items to complete: Inspect and spray for wasp nests at pool and playgrounds Inspect Amenity Center ceilings, blinds, water fountains, library box Inspect pool equipment, lounge chairs, cabanas and sign Playground equipment safety check Basketball and Soccer field – goal checks Gates and entryway signs / lights By giving an hour or two of your time on the weekend, we can keep our community looking great and keep our maintenance costs low by doing the tasks ourselves. Thank you to the residents for your help and we look forward to seeing you at future Community Volunteer Days!
INCREASED SHERIFF’S OFFICE PRESENCE
DUE TO A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS STILL WORKING FROM HOME AND INCREASES IN THE
NUMBER OF FAMILIES AND KIDS OUT AND ABOUT THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, WE WILL SEE AN
INCREASE IN HCSO PATROLS. THE HOA HAS CONTRACTED WITH HSCO TO CONDUCT RANDOM PATROLS BY OFF-DUTY OFFICERS. OFFICERS WILL BE
ENFORCING SPEED LIMITS BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF OUR GATES SO PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND FOLLOW
OUR POSTED SPEED LIMITS.
Here’s a shot of Stonebrier Resident Justin White who was volunteering in our community to help repair the community soccer goals.
He was earning Bright Futures volunteer hours and your kids can earn hours too by helping out at our volunteer days and making a difference right in their own backyards! Thank you for your time Justin!
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Stonebrier Gate Repairs
We wanted to let you know that we’ve been working hard securing competitive bids on gate repairs (specifically the gate opening and closing mechanisms for Sweetgrass and some keypads/scanners in other sections). Due to the considerable capital expenses involved, we wanted to make sure we were selecting a quality product and vendor and installing new heavy-duty motors that would hold up to the substantial gate usage by our community. We are pleased to announce that a vendor has been selected and the gate repairs will be completed in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience. Our gates in our communities literally open and close 1,000+ times every single day and it is always our goal to keep them functioning as intended as quickly as possible.
Amenity Center Cabanas
We wanted to share that the red canvas covers of our three poolside cabanas are in need of replacing due to fading, dry rot and tears starting in the materials. We’ve secured multiple bids and contracted with a local company to install new canvas covers in the next few weeks.
Our community garage sale was initially scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 18th in conjunction with the Long Lake Ranch community sale. Unfortunately due to Covid-19,
our events had to be postponed. We are still planning on having a community-wide garage sale as soon as safety and government regulations allow. In the meantime, keep working on going through and cleaning out your homes and garages and getting your ‘treasures’ ready for the sale. Stay tuned and we will publish details as soon as they become available.
Reminder Q2 HOA Dues
Just a reminder that your 2nd Quarter HOA Dues were due on Wednesday, April 1st. We also have several homes that are still delinquent on prior dues so please check your accounts today and make your payments to Wise as soon as possible. We appreciate your prompt payments.
Help Wanted: If you are a Stonebrier resident and provide basic services to the community (i.e. babysitting, dog walking, house sitting, tutoring, pressure washing, etc.) and would like your name & number included in this newsletter for free, just contact the HOA Board at [email protected] with your information and it will be published in future issues. Likewise, if you own a local business, please consider advertising in this newsletter – it’s a great way to reach out to every home within Stonebrier every month.
Replacement Barcode Stickers: If you are in need of a new or replacement barcode sticker for your car, please note that effective December 1st, 2019, the price of a new/replacement sticker was increased to $10. New stickers can be purchased through Wise Property Management. Please note that cash or credit card payments are not acceptable – only money orders or checks made payable to
Stonebrier HOA will be accepted.
For Advertising Contact: 813-991-7843
www.ikarepublishing.com
Ad prices: 1/8 page 70.00 1/4 page 90.00 1/2 page 110.00 Full page 150.00
The Stonebrier newsletter is mailed to the residents of Stonebrier by IKare Publishing Inc. IKare Publishing or Stonebrier is not responsible for the actions or credibility of any the advertisers in this newsletters. It is the individual’s responsibility to check references on all advertisers. IKare Publishing is not responsible for content and as editor reserves the right to edit articles for content, length, grammar, and readability.
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Resident Chalk Artist – Brian Morris
A DEDICATION TO US ALL, from front line workers, essential employees, those forced to stay home, students forced to miss graduations to students working virtually, those forced into unemployment , grocery workers and delivery drivers keeping us all going, we will rise above and now is this time we must all STAY STRONG!
Status of Stonebrier Amenities
Everyone knows that the Coronavirus has incredibly changed all of our lives. How we live, work, educate, travel and play has
been impacted significantly by this global pandemic. Unfortunately, Stonebrier is no exception. The HOA Board has been
working closely with Wise Property Management, our attorneys and Hillsborough County in both the closure and careful
planning and future re-opening of facilities such as our parks, pools and gyms. We completely understand that residents are
frustrated by the closure of our pool and fitness center. Please understand that the health and safety of our friends and
neighbors is our #1 priority and always has been. We live here too as do our families and kids. We all want life to get back
to normal as soon as possible, but we need to be cautious at the same time. Our goal is to re-open everything as soon as possible
and when it is safe to do so. Part of the practical challenges
of re-opening areas is the fundamental design and shape of
our pool, restrooms and fitness center. As you’re aware, we
have hired part-time security guards at our pool but
ultimately it is our residents’ responsibility to follow the
rules and regulations of these amenity areas. Now with
social distancing and sanitizing requirements, it presents
even bigger challenges to our community from many
perspectives including budgets, personnel, and space
resources. Please be patient and stay tuned to additional
announcements as these situations continue to evolve.
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Hello Neighbors! My name is West Edwards and I am a resident in Waterbridge and the owner of Sharpe Roofing. I have been in the roofing industry for 16 years and have been on over 10,000+ roofs on commercial and residential properties in that time. I asked the HOA if I could share a little info with you each month to help educate the community regarding things I see and have learned along the way that can hopefully help you plan ahead and save money. We are often asked if gutters are a good thing when it comes to protecting your home. Not only are they important for protecting your home against adverse water splashing and backup that can stain and damage wood siding or trim, but they can be damaging if they are not
properly installed and can push water under your shingles. One of the ways gutters help a roof system is when a second-floor roof section is draining onto a lower shingle roof system. The heavy flow erodes the mineral surface from the shingles prematurely, allowing the sun to attack the asphalt/fiberglass base, which evaporates the asphalt in the shingle, causing it to become thin and brittle before its time. We recommend an inspection by a quality gutter contractor to determine the needs of your home and how to best protect it when we get some of those summer “frog chokers”! However, it is also important that the downspouts from the second floor do not push the run-off perpendicular to the shingle line, or this can also push water under the shingles. It is also very important to keep them cleaned out or to have gutter screens installed to prevent debris from clogging them as that can cause major roof issues over time by causing wood rot at the eaves. Properly installed and clean gutters can be our friend! I hope you find this information useful and helpful to share with friends, family and co-workers who may be in the process of buying or selling, or even considering a roof system replacement. I’ll share more in upcoming issues!
West Sharpe Roofing 813-675-7894 On Nextdoor & Facebook
Lindley Loan Letter Forbearance is a big topic in the news right now, and like so many subjects being discussed in current events – there is more to know and understand than what meets the eye.
Recently I offered to join in on a call that a new client planned to make to the bank that currently services his mortgage (a large, well-known national bank) to test out some concerns that many leading economists have expressed about the forbearance process. Soon after being transferred to the mortgage servicing department, we made a brief inquiry as to what options they might have available for payment relief. The rep was quick to begin the process of forbearance for him (even though he is still employed and earning income at the same pace that he was pre-pandemic). Interestingly enough, the representative was unable to answer the following questions:
When the payments do restart, how will the amount deferred be collected? (In other words, will it be added to the end, collected as a lump sum all at once, or spread out over a set period of time?) The payments skipped are not forgiven. The money still must be collected eventually, and the ability to repay several months’ worth of mortgage payments and the pace at which this repayment will be required should factor into one’s decision. The rep did not know the specifics of how the missed payments would be reconciled, but assured us it would be “fair and manageable.”
While my payments are deferred, will my taxes and insurance bills still be paid on time? This question was a bit of a trick… I knew the answer, that the taxes and insurance do in fact have to be paid by the servicer regardless, but the person on the phone was not “100% sure.” He thought things should be “OK” when it comes to items like my insurance renewal and property tax payment… but this further complicates WHO is paying those bills if they are not collecting payments from the account holder, and how will that money get paid back and when?
Will forbearance affect my credit? The simple answer is “No” – the CARES Act was written expressly to ensure that going into forbearance will NOT affect your credit score. Fine, good to know, but having a good score may not be the question worth asking. See # 4…
Will the forbearance affect my ABILITY to get a new loan in the future? The representative was not so sure about this and so referred back to his scripted answer for question #3 . This question is probably the most important of any we posed in this conversation because historically, prior to this pandemic event, getting a new mortgage required that any loan in forbearance be brought and maintained to a current status for a full year before being able to qualify for a new mortgage loan. This has nothing to do with your credit score, but is a seasoning requirement of any account in that status. As of the date this article was penned, those rules have not changed, although the Federal Housing Finance Agency is being encouraged by industry leaders to consider a modification to this timeline that would allow borrowers faster access to record-low rates once their loans are paid current again. Which brings us back to #1: What are the terms of repaying the deferred amount and does the homeowner’s situation make it financially feasible to make that happen?
What I strive to stress here is simple…. Forbearance (especially on a mortgage) is a big deal, so do not enter into it lightly without knowing and understanding the repayment terms and consequences. This includes recognizing that your ability to purchase or refinance in the near future may be affected. For those in our community that have truly run out of options to stay current on their mortgage, forbearance is still a much better option than having your home foreclosed on and losing your investment entirely.
Nathan Lindley is a Branch Manager and Sr. Loan Officer with Gold Star Mortgage and has been serving the residential mortgage needs of Florida homeowners for over 18 years. If his team can be of service to you, please contact via email at [email protected] .
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Summer will officially be here in a few weeks, but the weather has been plenty warm, and our local beaches have been re-opened for use (following social distancing guidelines). While beach access rules and regulations have been changing over the past several weeks, most area beaches are now available for use. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has a cool new parking lot capacity status website where you can check ahead of time to see if lots are full or not before heading to the beach. As of now, this site posts lot capacity status for weekends, but can save you a headache of searching for an available parking space – visit http://www.pcsoweb.com/beachcapacity for more details. Be sure to check out these area beaches: Closest to Stonebrier – Cypress Point Park located at 5620 W. Cypress St, Tampa 33607. Just a quick 15-min ride down the Veterans and exit at Cypress St. Small beach but close to home and some very cool and close up views of planes arriving and departing from Tampa International. Also close to Stonebrier – Ben T. Davis Beach located at 7740 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway. Again, about 15-min ride down the Veterans and take the Courtney Campbell exit (Route 60). Small beach with some local restaurants within walking distance. Pass-A-Grille Beach located at the southern end of Gulf Blvd near the Don CeSar hotel. Pass-A-Grille is a historic district built on a skinny barrier island beach with lots of metered parking and fantastic sunsets. The rock jetty at the end of the beach is a great place to find seashells, especially after a strong storm. The Wharf seafood restaurant is located on the intracoastal side of the island and has amazing peel-n-eat steamed shrimp! St. Pete Beach – one of the larger beaches in Pinellas County, St. Pete Beach stretches from the southern end (Don CeSar) to Treasure Island on the northern end. There are several large and small public access/parking lots along the coast, and you’re close to several dining options.
Madeira Beach side of John’s Pass – located at approximately 12901 Gulf Ln in Madeira Beach, this somewhat hidden beach sits in the shadows of John’s Pass and the drawbridge. With plenty of parking spaces, outdoor showers and restrooms nearby, the long sandy beaches here are very relaxing. You can try your luck fishing on the rocky jetty that lines the northern entrance to John’s Pass Village. If you are hungry, there’s plenty of restaurants available throughout John’s Pass. Save room for some sugary treats on the way home & visit The Candy Kitchen at 13711 Gulf Blvd in Madeira Beach – this family owned business features homemade ice cream and vintage candies from your childhood Sand Key Park is located just south of Clearwater Beach and is a local favorite. With ample parking and wide-open beaches, there’s plenty of area to relax. Be on the lookout for sea turtle nesting grounds during your visit. Clearwater Beach – probably our most famous beach area in Tampa Bay. Clearwater Beach provides gorgeous water and sugary-white sands. It also gets crowded fast, so if you are planning a trip, be sure to arrive early to get the best spot. Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin – over 4 miles of white sands and natural surroundings, this beach is a local favorite. Due to the single lane access to the island, traffic can back up quickly so arrive early. There’s miles of great sandy beaches and shallow waters. The main beach also has several breakwalls and rock jetties so even in rough seas, there’s calm areas for kids to play. Enjoy fishing for snook, redfish and mackerel off the rock jetty – just a waist-deep wade out from the shores. Indian Rocks Beach – at just 3 miles long, this local small-town beach has that old Florida feel to it. Surrounded by mostly residential vacation homes, Indian Rocks Beach is a quiet getaway. With the local population at just over 4,000 residents, you’ll find lots of mom and pop restaurants and cafes and a relaxing, laid back attitude.
Are You Ready To Hit The Beach?
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE
PAID TAMPA FL
PERMIT NO. 919
