THE VILLAGE VOICE

Dear Village residents,

We are at a point right now where it is imperative to disseminate as much information as possible, so residents know where we are on numerous fronts and where we currently stand as a community.

Landscaping

The current state of our landscaping and what the future holds are at the top of everyone’s concerns right now. The winter and spring weather gave us a false sense of what was occurring. Due to the heavy winter snow and spring precipitation, the region’s grass, trees, and shrubs were thriving. Unfortunately, once mother nature turned off the spigot the harsh reality of what we have been battling reared its ugly head. We do not have a fully functioning irrigation system. In fact, Reliance has given us a reasonable and workable timeframe for spring of 2024 to transform our development into a lush, beautiful community. I spoke with Rob McCalla, owner of Reliance Landscaping, a few days ago and he informed me that he has enlisted his top irrigation specialists to tackle the issues that plague our community. He stated that his team has informed him that the damage our previous landscaping company has done to our irrigation system is something they have never seen before in over three decades in the business. Until they can fix and upgrade our irrigation system, anything that is alive in the development has the potential to die due to a lack of adequate watering.

Moving forward, if you have anything growing around your homes which might look stressed from the lack of water, please water it. The best thing we can do is to ensure we keep our old, mature shrubs and trees. The only path forward currently is to hand-water our stressed trees and plants and buy time until they can be watered consistently and deeply via a functioning irrigation system. As stated in the last newsletter, I mistakenly assumed we would be further along in this process, but I underestimated the amount of damage that was done to our aging and mistreated irrigation system.

The current plan of attack until late fall is to attempt to get the irrigation decoders online and to fix piping, tubing, and sprinkler heads. Rob felt they will have a good handle on this in the upcoming weeks. So much so that he felt it would not be unreasonable to get sod down before the first snowfall. In the meantime, his team will continue to remove dead shrubs and grass and items which are of no use to us any longer (like our aging and broken pink borders). In short, they are working hard for us and are doing everything in their power to get us where we all want to be. Additionally, you will see minor things are being addressed like more landscaping rock being added to areas that have exposed weed barriers and dirt.

Leaving FirstService Residential and the SOA’s new role

I am sure there are many questions centered around severing ties with FirstService Residential (“FSR”). As of this writing, I am able to provide more information that may be helpful to understand the reasons behind the departure. To be transparent, there was not one singular reason. The reason behind the move was more about what the SOA could provide for us compared to what we were getting from FSR. FSR was limited in what they would and could do for us with what we were paying them. They did not provide regular, consistent, on-site personnel to manage our community. They were inconsistent when it came to customer service, responsiveness, being proactive, and paying our vendors. At times, our board felt like we worked for them and not the other way around. I am sure everyone has their own stories as they relate to something they fell short on. For me, it was the way in which they held up payment to our vendors. It gave our vendors the impression we were not a reliable, trustworthy community. Couple that with their inability to be proactive in their approach to routine issues throughout our development, high employee turnover, and indifference to our requests, as a result, it made for a compelling case for us severing ties with them.

Why team with the SOA? They have the resources, manpower, and experience to help us get to the next level. If you have been a part of the Somersett community for a few years you can recall when they traveled along the same path we are on now. They let go of FSR and decided to self-manage their own commercial interests. Nancy Kerry and her team are excited to team up with The Village and take our development to the next level. They are able to spearhead initiatives that no other outside agency can offer in terms of tackling compliance issues, accessible personnel, positive vendor relations and support, and most importantly a willingness to roll up their sleeves and help The Village be the best it possible can be for many years to come. We have the utmost faith our relationship will bear fruit quickly and consistently.

Moving forward you will experience increased communication about community-wide issues, proactive problem-solving, enhanced vendor accessibility and vendor relationships, and increased accessibility to personnel. When we are able to get our feet under us we have plans for evening community patrols and regular community walks to target issues, which sometimes slip through the cracks. Also, board meetings will be held at the main Somersett clubhouse with the ability to live stream the meetings for those who cannot attend in person.

Needless to say, we are beyond thrilled at the prospect of getting to work with Nancy Kerry and her team. They have been through everything we are experiencing, including severing ties with Brightview and FSR. They will provide stability and experience but most of all they are emotionally invested in us as a neighbor and community partner, and will assist us in making The Village a wonderful place to live.

As with any new relationship, there are bound to be a few bumps and miscommunications. Please be patient with Nancy and her team as they attempt to get a handle on our finances and contact our regular vendors. The good news is they already have a great working relationship with Rob (owner of Reliance) and have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to minimize the number of problems we may experience as a result of our pairing.

To be clear, the SOA is not absorbing The Village. They are advising The Village HOA Board of Directors and aiding with day-to-day operations and financial dealings. The Village HOA Board does not have the ability to allow the SOA to “take over” The Village. That would be something homeowners of The Village would have to vote on and would require 90% of owners to approve. In short, that is not something on the table nor ever discussed.

Violation enforcement

Another benefit of teaming up with the SOA, as previously mentioned, is that we’d like to explore the possibility of having evening security patrols throughout our community. We’re obtaining quotes for those services, which may be above what we’ve budgeted, but we’ll explore restructuring to see if we can make it work. In the meantime, our new management team will begin enforcing parking violations.

If you do not have a green parking sticker, I would advise you to get one as soon as possible at the Somersett Town Center for any vehicle that is not parked in your garage or driveway. They will also be on the lookout for vehicles parked in front of houses for extended periods of time and vehicles which are parked in the red zones. To be clear, if you are actively loading or unloading items you may park near your house for a reasonable amount of time. Likewise, if a contractor is parked in front of your house that will be allowable if they are working or engaged with the resident in some capacity.

Our intention is to implement the same system which the SOA uses for parking violations at The Town Center and throughout Somersett. If found to be in violation, pictures will be taken of your vehicle, and a courtesy reminder will be placed on your windshield and kept in a database. If found to be in violation again, a 48-hour notice of intent to two will be placed on the vehicle. The third attempt will result in the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense. Please avoid this unnecessary step as it is important to find a designated parking spot close to your home. As a reminder, recreational vehicles (RVs) are only permitted on our property for the purpose of loading and unloading. RVs are not allowed to park within The Village for an excessive amount of time and are never allowed to park overnight.

If you need a parking sticker, please pick one up at Town Center (ask for Heather Fox).

New board members

Lastly, we have some movement as it pertains to HOA board members. Ardea Heinen has left her position as she no longer owns property within The Village. I would like to thank her for her dedication to many improvements you see throughout The Village today. She was paramount in getting the main gates refurbished and consistently sought new and innovative ways to bring about positive changes to our community. I would like to welcome Dedra Sonne back to our Board of Directors as Treasurer. Dedra expressed interest in continuing as a board member and I was happy to bring her back into the fold. She has always worked hard for our residents and was integral in the move to team up with the SOA. Joining her on the board is Barry Sonne, her husband, as Secretary. Barry is a first-time board member but has always taken the time to routinely attend community meetings and has often voiced common sense solutions to problems that affect our community. Another new board member is David Brennan.

It is clear to me, having only worked with him for a brief time, that David brings a thoughtful approach to being on the board and oftentimes provides a point and counterpoint to important discussions.

New committee

We are pleased to announce that a new activities committee has been formed. Peggy Verbeke offered to serve as committee chair. She will assist with the planning of community events such as wine socials, potlucks, poker runs, etc. If you are interested in participating, please contact Jessica McCarron at Village@ mysomersett.com.

Looking ahead

I am excited to get to work with our new board members. We have a lot to do to ensure The Village is moving in the right direction. I am confident that with this group, anything is possible. I would be remiss if I did not mention being a part of an HOA Board amounts to having a second job, one which occasionally takes up a lot of your free time and sometimes keeps you up at night. That said, we are always fighting for our community, and we care passionately about where we live. We will always look out for the best interests of The Village and promise to work within legal parameters to get our community to the next level.

Please follow thevillage_somersett on Instagram for supplemental information, celebrations, and updated information.

Until next time!

Robert Alesevich

HOA Board President, The Village at Somersett

Stay in touch: We invite you to stay connected and informed by signing up for our e-newsletters. You’ll be the first to know about updates and announcements from the Board and events that shape our daily lives here in the Village. Email heather.fox@mysomersett. com with your name, Village address, and email. Then keep an eye on your inbox!

Please check in at the Golf Hut before you play.

Canyon Nine Golf Course is a private course for the enjoyment of Somersett residents and their guests (including our sub-associations, The Village, The Vue, and Sierra Canyon). Play is free for residents; $10 for their guests.

This executive par 3 walking course is the perfect choice for learning the game or a quick nine after work. No tee times are required. Play is first-come, first-served.

Golf course reminders:

For the continued enjoyment of this invaluable asset of Somsersett, Canyon Nine users should remember these important rules.

• Players must start from Hole #1. Starting on any other hole is not permitted.

• Please help maintain bunkers by entering at the shallowest point and raking the bunker.

• Repair all ball marks on the green and divots.

• Individuals using the Canyon Nine trails shall keep their dogs on leashes at all times and promptly remove their dog’s waste.

Golf clinics

The Club at Town Center offers free adult golf clinics for Club members from 12-1:30 pm on Wednesdays and Noon1:30 pm on Saturdays, every other week through the end of September, as well as weekly golf clinics for juniors from 4-5 pm on Thursdays. Sign up on ACTIVENet.

Golf bag tags

Do you have your Somersett golf bag tag? The tag helps us identify residents from nonresidents and allows you to get right to your game with no need to check in before you play. Get your free tag by emailing Zach Williams at zachary. williams@mysomersett. com!

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