July 1, 2024
President’s Message
Greetings!
I recently read through all of the newsletters going back to February 27, 1985 and want to share with you some of the thoughts and issues that have come up consistently over the past forty years and that all Boards have grappled with. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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Shirley Ford noted that, ”Unlike other residential developments similar to ours, we do not have a common swimming pool or clubhouse—places where people meet, bond and exchange ideas. In the absence of such facilities, we need a Board that will find unique ways for people to communicate, express their concerns and share their expertise.”
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Shirley Ford also relayed, “In order to keep costs down, we must have preventive maintenance programs, strategic budgetary planning, periodic evaluation of the way business is conducted, appropriate and adequate reserves and sustained assistance from residents.”
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Alfred Puhan noted, “The three elements involved in the management of the Glen Oaks Manor Homeowners Association are as follows: Board of Directors, Casey Condominium Management and the residents of Glen Oaks Manor. All problems, complaints, and suggestions affecting the common areas of the Manor should be referred to Casey Management and not to individual Board members. It is Casey Management’s responsibility to deal with problems and complaints, inform the Board of action taken and, when necessary request approval or disapproval of actions requested.”
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A special newsletter was sent in September 1995 dealing with Effluent Water Use for Irrigation. “Since 1986 GOM has grappled with the problem of sourcing sufficient water supplies so that our irrigation system might be properly utilized. In 1995 the city could issue permits for private land use of the effluent water. Total cost estimate is $93,000 dollars including city permits, engineering studies, meter, pipelines, pump house, power supplies, back-flow devices and their installation on 197 villas. The Board is pleased to make this report in securing a source of irrigation water.”
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Charles Gott wrote in April 2007 the following goals. “To develop an infrastructure whereby the Board sets policy and makes decisions that enables Casey Management to successfully manage the day to day. To foster a spirit of community with special emphasis on communicating with residents in an open and professional manner. To be fiscally responsible. To maintain the infrastructure and physical appearance of GOM. To operate within the guidelines of our governing documents. Abide by our rules in the execution of duties, responsibilities and tasks so that the infrastructure, physical appearance, financial Solvency and high property value of GOM will be maintained.”
This is a tribute to the countless volunteers who have wisely served Glen Oaks Manor for these forty years. I would be remiss if I did not thank Pat Richmond for her years of service culminating in completing Phase One of our pond, working together with Bill Logan. It was not easy but her heroic efforts are deeply appreciated.
Please join us at our Board meetings held on the fourth Saturdays at 9:00 am at Faith Presbyterian Church. There will not be a July or August meeting.
Please help us protect our community’s investment in the irrigation system by advising visitors and tradespeople to avoid parking their vehicles on the grass.
Please alert your Street Captain if you will be traveling this Summer and please leave an emergency number. I would encourage you to have someone periodically check the interior of your home.
Thank you all for your patience as we have had to deal with our irrigation issues. I was convinced that our pump would never arrive, it took 3 months! Then a call from the City that we had to change our watering cycles! Then the many breaks with the new pressure!
I would like to welcome the new Communications Team who will be supporting our community with an online newsletter and a more robust website going forward. The new GOM Secretary, John Cole, and I are working to develop a plan that meets the needs of our community. I welcome this new era of online information and appreciate how it will bring Glen Oaks Manor forward with more frequent and effective communications.
Finally, we live in the middle of an Urban Forest. It is our responsibility as Stewards of our property to ensure that our trees survive and thrive.
Elsie R. Souza
President, Glen Oaks Manor HOA
Treasurer Report
July 1, 2024
Fellow Glen Oaks Manor Owners,
As your Treasurer, I am going to be explaining the good, bad and the ugly in the newsletters, so everyone is on the same page and prepared for the future.
The Board of Directors, in May, approved doing a new Reserve Study for Glen Oak Manor. This study will be completed by a Reserve Advisor who specialize in this field. This report will tell us exactly where our finances are and what we must do to get them where they should be. Spoiler alert, we are behind and must catch up.
The first phase of the pond and the drainage issues have been completed thanks Pat Richmond and her hard-working committee. Note, I said the FIRST PHASE. Now the rest has to be completed so that hard work is not destroyed by erosion. That cost could exceed $600,000. In addition, we know the irrigation system is antiquated and needs updating. This upgrade could easily cost $400,000. There are many other concerns like fencing and walls that are not insurable and were not included in previous reserve studies so there was no funding for these items.
I think you can see from the above items that, we, as Owners should be prepared for ongoing maintenance fee increases. The days of $5 or $15 a month annual increases are in the past so please budget accordingly. Our 2024 budget increase was a huge step in the right direction, but more will be needed in the future.
It is very important that the community be properly funded so the projects above along with landscaping and sod upgrades once the irrigation system is upgraded can be accomplished in a timely fashion.
The Board also approved “Delinquent Assessment Collection Policy” which follows our documents. This policy is posted on the Glen Oaks Manor website, so everyone knows the process when maintenance fees are not paid on time. PLEASE be sure to get your monthly fees in on time as it can be very costly to you if your account goes over 60 days late.
I urge you to read the Board of Directors Minutes at the very least and stay informed. If you have any questions about the budget and/or finances of Glen Oaks Manor, please e-mail me at TreasurerGOM@gmail.com
Bob Malan
Treasurer, Glen Oaks Manor HOA
What's going on!
July 1, 2024
Architecture Committee
What are the three key aspects of architectural lighting?
Lighting design focuses on three fundamental aspects in lighting buildings and spaces - aesthetics, energy efficiency and functionality.
"Architectural lighting breathes life into buildings and public spaces."
MULLAN Lighting blog Feb 2016
The Arch Comm is employing the Master Plan to begin looking at new lighting for GOM Villas. I expect the process to take 6 -9 months to complete and present our recommendations to the community for consideration.
Rick Randall
Chair, Architecture Committee
July 1, 2024
Landscape Committee
The Glen Oaks Manor landscape committee has been working to beautify our neighborhood by planting spring flowers around our development. Drought and irrigation issues have been difficult for new plants, but we hope that the irrigation issues will soon be behind us. The committee meets monthly and reviews landscape variance requests to ensure that our neighborhood has an attractive and unified appearance.
Our primary goal this year, is to plant trees this Fall, to help screen our neighborhood from the Harvest Tabernacle building. As our budget allows, we wish to plant additional shrubs to fill in bare areas (particularly along the fence) that have lost plants over the past few years. We plan to add stones and mulch to freshen our planted areas. Each year, we also replace dead or damaged trees throughout the neighborhood. The hurricane season always threatens to interfere with our plans. Let’s hope for a calm season!
Many residents have moved into Glen Oaks Manor because of our “urban forest”, as the trees provide beauty and shade to our streets and villas. The mature trees spread their limbs over villas and may cause concern for an increased risk of damage. Because of that concern, we often receive requests from residents to prune the common area trees that are near their villas. We prune trees each Spring before hurricane season, to reduce the risk of damage.
The city of Sarasota has strict regulations regarding our grand trees, and the HOA Board depends on contracted certified arborists to determine which trees should be pruned. The arborists carefully prune trees to maintain their health and stability, while reducing the risk of falling branches. Occasionally, a diseased or interfering tree must be removed. Our contracted arborist and the city of Sarasota’s arborist must both authorize its removal, and a city permit is required. It is a time consuming and expensive process. The HOA Board tries to maintain a balance between the safety of our residents, the health of our grand trees, and the government’s regulations.
David Wright
Chair, Landscape Committee
Edie & Tracy improving the Main Entrance
July 1, 2024
Maintenance Committee
Retention Pond Drain Repair
Click to see video of the entire project from start to finish.
Thank you for your patience and support throughout this huge project.
Bill Logan
Chair, Maintenance Committee
July 1, 2024
Irrigation
Patrick Clinch
As most of you know, our old irrigation pump failed back in early February, and we were without irrigation for several months. The new pump has been installed and is now fully operational! As we bring the irrigation system back online, we are working to resolve any repair and operational issues that may arise. Due to supply issues from the City of Sarasota, we were required to change our operational hours from nighttime to daytime. After meeting with the city officials, this was the best option for our community. We understand it may impact the ability to walk around our beautiful property, but there were not any other options. Currently, Tuesdays are a non-irrigation day to allow lawn service to occur. In addition, Friday and Sunday are also non-irrigation days and are reserved for future use if we need to provide additional coverage. We also want to remind everyone not to operate, modify or change any part of the irrigation system, including timers. All desired changes should be submitted to Casey Management.
With our system now operating during the day, residents have more visibility into any issues that may be occurring with the system. We ask that all residents who notice problems please report them directly to Casey Management as they arise. With everyone’s input, our system will help restore the lawns and landscaping. The new pump is now providing the proper operating pressure we require. Consequently, you may see water hitting the streets, sidewalks and driveways. If you see these issues, please notify Casey Management and help us conserve waste since our community must pay the city for water consumed. We continue to work with TruScapes to address issues and work to improve our service delivery.
There is a “No Parking on Grass” policy throughout all of Glen Oaks Manor. When this is not followed, damage may occur to irrigation and our landscaping. It is the responsibility of each owner to ensure that any contractors, visitors and workers follow this policy. Repairs incur a cost to all residents. If you see this happening, please contact Casey Management or talk to the offenders. Everyone has a part in keeping our community safe and beautiful.
Please report leaking, irrigation issues to Bridget @ 941-922-3391- this is what Casey Management does as our management company. Thank You!
July 1, 2024
Social Committee
Upcoming Events
We live in a beautiful neighborhood with many interesting and wonderful people, but without a clubhouse, there's not as much opportunity to get to know each other. I hope our social committee will offer events for our neighbors to not just live in a neighborhood, but to belong to a community, having fun while building relationships, both old and new.
We had a great turnout for our BBQ with so many people helping out, sharing dishes and donating raffle items, and it was nice to see so many smiling faces.
With summer here, the weather isn't really conducive for activities, but we will resume in the fall. In addition to our ongoing Art Walk, Scarecrow Contest and Garage Sale, some ideas for additional events are:
Bake sale
Block parties
Concert with local musicians (and wine and cheese)
Ice cream social
Craft fair
Potlucks (dinner; just dessert; brunch)
Food truck festival
Holiday cookie swap
Cocktail party
Community artists' auction
Karaoke night
Game night
We welcome your suggestions and/or help with the committee.
Ro Fertig
Chair, Social Committee
Upcoming Event Dates
Donato Gradone
Scarecrow Stroll
This year, we will be holding the 3rd annual Scarecrow Stroll. Scarecrows should be up on October 24th, they should remain up until Sunday, November 3rd (day after the garage sale). We’re hoping the morning team from Suncoast View will be our judges again this year.
So… Get your team together and put on your creative hats and let the creation begin!!!
We’ll be sending more information and reminders as we get closer to the date. The important thing here is to start forming your street teams and get the creative juices flowing. Last year we had 11 teams participate, I’m hoping we get more. If you have any questions, please email me at DonatoGradone00@gmail.com.
Garage Sale
This year’s Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, November 2nd. The resident pre-sale will be on Friday, November 1st. The hours will be 8 am until 1 pm. If anyone opts to keep selling after 1 pm, feel free to do so.
More information will be coming over the next few months about registering. In the meantime, start gathering your treasures…
As always, volunteers for set-up, take-down, and handing out maps are very welcome. If you interested in volunteering a few hours, please contact me at DonatoGradone00@mail.com
July 1, 2024
New Little Free Library
Our brand new, team effort, Little Free Library (LFL) is located at the east gazebo on the left side of the stairs.
The concept of an LFL is to share books amongst a group. The thought is to take a book, leave a book. Our thoughts are if you take a book, you don’t necessarily need to leave one in its place. See our guidelines for use below.
A huge thank you goes out to those who made the library possible; Lynne Coppage, Arlene Fischer, Donato Gradone, Edith Kaplan, Pat Richmond, Rita Roehr, Elsie Souza, Stan Yonkauski for their monetary donations and books. Jim Larkin graciously installed the library. Thank you to everyone! It’s little touches like this that make a community great.
Guidelines For Use:
Keep door closed to keep the weather and bugs out; Keep books inside the closed door of the cabinet.
Please do not add these types of books- textbooks, encyclopedias, old travel books and oversized books -they take up too much space. Enjoy!
July 1, 2024
Thank You Tricia Burchett!
A myriad of thanks go out to Tricia, our former newsletter publisher and former resident. Tricia has published the Manor News for several years, even after a move to New Mexico a few years ago. Tricia, we thank you for your work in helping to make communications and important component for all of us.
You will be missed!
Maintenance Blog
As homeowners, we often find our way through repairs and renovations alone. We learn as we go.
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Ideas and comments are the opinion of the writer who submitted the article/comment. The opinion(s) expressed herein is that of the author and provided for your information. Glen Oaks does not endorse the opinion of the author. We will not include or recommend vendors.
How to Maintain & Reduce the Possibility of Atrium Flooding
Last week we all experienced a deluge of rain. In an effort to avoid flooding from your atrium, I thought these few steps might help.
First, your drain is usually located in the center of the atrium approximately 3-4 feet from your exterior wall. It might be covered with stones and this should always be kept open and clear of stones or other obstacles. Second, if you are a middle villa owner, your drain travels under your garage floor and exits just near your driveway on your neighbor’s side. If you are an end villa, your drain may run directly out to the street or you may only have scuppers like I have. Scuppers are openings cut into the lower portion of the concrete exterior walls.
Whichever drain design was installed on your villa it is essential to keep these drains clear of debris. Here is how to locate and clean the drain.
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Locate your drain in the atrium. You may have to dig out some stones or dirt to locate it.
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Remove the two screws attached to the cover.
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With a small garden hose run the hose down to the elbow of the pipe.
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Open the water valve slightly and check if the water is slowly running through the drain pipe. NOTE: If it doesn’t flow out to the street but immediately backs up into your atrium you may have a blockage in the drain. (I will address how to clear a drain at the end of this article.)
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Have someone go out to the street near the corner of your driveway on your neighbor’s side. Sometimes our mailboxes are in this vicinity. If there is visible evidence of water flowing somewhere to the edge of the street, this shows you the general location of your drain.
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With a small gardening spade, dig out the grass and dirt to locate this pipe. When you have located the pipe, clear out the area. Some neighbors have dug out an area on each side of the pipe and placed a brick on each side of the pipe ‘s end. Ensure these bricks are low enough so not to interfere with the mowers.
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Once this is cleared, run the water a second time just to check.
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SPECIAL NOTE: If a potential hurricane/tropical storm is heading in our direction, empty your shop vacuum, remove the filter and place the widest nozzle on the shop vac. If we have electricity this can help evacuate water from your atrium.
How to clear out a blocked drain
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Locate your drain in the atrium and remove the cover.
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With an electrician’s fish wire, run the wire down the pipe until it hits the blockage. With some back-and-forth motions you may be able to clear the pipe. You could also open the water valve and run a slow steady flow of water into the line to flush out the blockage in the pipe. NOTE: I have an electrician’s fish wire that can be loaned.
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If you had to insert quite an amount of fish wire (over 35 to 40 feet), measure the length of this distance when you remove the wire. This will give you a general location of your blockage. Hopefully the blockage is not under the garage floor. This is a major problem requiring a plumber.
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You can also insert the fish wire from the street edge to unblock the drain.
Years ago, I installed a clean-out T connection on a neighbor’s villa as a second means of cleaning her drain. You could contact a plumber to have this done. I hope this helps some of you.
Burt Gloor
Villa 153
Glen Oaks featured in Sarasota Magazine
“Proud Neighborhood … With an intriguing history and the Bobby Jones golf complex right next door, these villas have become a magnet for creatives….READ FULL ARTICLE
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