Islesworth received a deposit of $60,000 on Aug. 15, marking the first pay-out from the SBA loan that our HOA applied for following last year's hurricanes. Another pay-out of $24,000 is approved and will be coming once some additional requested paperwork is processed.

The fence along the border of Islesworth is completed, and the remaining task is for Board President Dennis Rohan to walk the fence with the owner of the fencing company to be sure that the footage is correct and the work is done to our satisfaction. 

A dispute over the positioning of the fence erupted when the owners of the Kingsley property insisted that the fence be moved back 5 feet. The county had issued a permit to Islesworth to build the new fence. The fence was built on the property line, in keeping with the permit and all the other fences around Islesworth, to keep all our buffers inside Islesworth.

However, upon protests by the Kinglseys, county officials demanded that the fence be moved back and threatened Islesworth with hefty fines for code violations. Again, this action came despite Islesworth having the proper permit to build the new fence on the property line.

The new fence was moved back five feet. The risk of pushing to keep the fence where it was is that the Kingsleys could reneg on the settlement (described in the May 9 board meeting summary) and/or the case could proceed to court. The precedent for this sort of case is the Pinecrest Lakes Apartments in Jensen Beach, which were torn down after a court ruled that the approval to build the apartments was improper. In Islesworth, court action could result in four homes having to be torn down. 

Meanwhile, Palm Pointe-Palm Isles has begun construction of its fence -- as seen along Islesworth Circle. 

Late fees

The property manager reported that 20 people have failed to pay the fees associated with a late payment of their quarterly dues late. These residents will be asked to pay the $29.50 late fee that is assessed if the dues are paid more than a month late. Those who are affected should pay this fee along with their next quarterly payment, which is due Oct. 1.

Homeowners are reminded that if you pay your quarterly dues more than a month late, you must include the late fee indicated on the payment coupon. The best thing to do, of course, is pay the fee on time!

Murano subdivision construction

Land clearing on the Murano subdivision has been going seven days a week. 

Construction is allowed to operate 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Several residents complained about the noise -- especially on weekends and holidays -- and work that often starts before 7 a.m. 

The Murano subdivision will have 22 homes on the south side of Sunset Trail and bordering Islesworth houses on Estella and Captiva. (See site plan.)

These are the only homes that will have access to Sunset Trail. The homes on the north side of Sunset will only be able to enter and exit on Martin Downs Boulevard. The developer will be putting a pipe in the trench that runs behind Islesworh, along Sunset. Then, that will be covered with a sidewalk. The developer also will be paying for improvements to Sunset Trail, west of Berry Avenue.

Costs rising

As the Board prepares the budget for the coming year, it wants to hold the line on HOA expenses because many costs outside our control are on the rise. These include our bulk cable bill, insurance and the dues our community pays to the Martin Downs Property Owners Association.

MDPOA has incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs from hurricane repairs and maintenance on the drainage pipes throughout the Martin Downs communities. The pipes that connect the lake system were were made of corrugated metal. Underground sections are OK, but big sections are crumbling where the pipe is exposed. These corroded sections are being "sleeved."

Traffic problems

The board approved hiring a Sheriff's deputy to monitor the lineup of cars parked at the front entrance during pick-up times for Hidden Oaks Middle School. Drivers have ignored requests by Board members and other residents, so the Board approved hiring a deputy to add clout. 

The deputy will make sure that cars are not blocking the entrance and that the occupants are Islesworth residents. Violators will get ticketed for trespassing. 

The deputy will be hired for two hours a day over a three-day period. The fee is $25 an hour, with a two-hour minimum (the same fee as when we hire a deputy on Halloween to monitor the entrances to Isleworth). During the time not spent monitoring the school pick-up situation, the deputy will watch for speeders and drivers who run through stop signs.

Landscape Committee

A landscape architect, Joe Glass, is going to give Islesworth a plan for planting and replacing trees and shrubs around the common grounds. The cost for the plan is $500, which can be rolled into the cost of the work if we hire the landscape architect to do the work. 

Communications Committee

The Board voted to approve Diane Tomasik, the Webmaster of the Islesworth Web site, as Communications Committee chairwoman. In addition to continuing her Web duties, Diane (yours truly) will re-launch the "Islesworth Eye" newsletter, which last circulated a few years ago. Look for the first issue soon!