Landscaping matters

Islesworth's attorney has sent a letter to the school board detailing the problem with the buffer between Islesworth and Hidden Oaks Middle School. As mentioned in the Sept. 11 meeting notes, a school district contractor who was removing the damaged fence between our properties also took out landscaping and irrigation belonging to Islesworth. The letter from Islesworth to the school district is requesting $15,000 to replant the 700-foot-long buffer and repair the irrigation.

In addition, the board is going to seek to take action against "scofflaw" homeowners who exhibit chronic bad maintenance of their yard. Letters are sent, and the residents will do a little bit of work, but the yard never gets up to appropriate standards. The board will seek to declare such homeowners a nuisance and be able to take more drastic action. Such action would include hiring someone to do the work and billing the homeowner.

Hurricane shutters

Many homes still have their hurricane shutter up from the threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto on Aug. 29. Take them down!

Not only does this look terrible (and thus detracting from neighborhood property values), it also poses a safety risk should a fire break out. Shutters would block your escape as well as access by the fire department.

The hurricane shutter policy is as follows:

• Hurricane shutters may be put up or closed when Martin County is in the five-day cone of probability.
• The shutters must be taken down within three weeks after a hurricane.
• During hurricane season (June 1-November 30), residents who are going out of town may leave their hurricane shutters on their homes for 14 consecutive days. 

Budget discussion

In looking ahead to the budget for 2007, the board said that quarterly fee would need to be about $350 to keep up with a rise in costs and to maintain the community in a quality way. Electricity costs will rise 17 percent; the bulk cable fee will rise 6 percent; and insurance likely will increase by 20 percent. 

Many nice things have been done in the community this past year -- landscaping, street signs, wall lighting -- and the homeowners association would like to be able to continue. It only makes sense to keep the community looking good and keeping our property values strong.

The board emphasized that the community cannot survive on the 5 percent increase allowed under the HOA bylaws. This 5 percent increase would produce a quarterly fee of $323. However, this will not be enough to maintain the community in an appropriate manner to keep up with the new developments going up all around us.

The annual budget meeting is Nov. 13.

Official minutes, budgets

Islesworth residents may request official minutes and budgets at any time. Please contact the property manager (see Contact Info page).