Photo: Courtesy Cherry Heck
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Welcome to the July 2024 edition of Harmony Life Magazine
The CDD elections are coming up. Stay tuned for bios and info regarding the candidates in an upcoming edition of the magazine.
A warm welcome to our latest advertiser, ALL Flooring USA! (See their ad in the magazine for a discount coupon)
They are located at: 1021 N. Narcoossee Rd., St. Cloud — Located Next to Domino’s. (407) 593-9481 • www.allflooringusa.com
Did you know that my wife, Jeanine Corcoran, puts out a weekly video and email for all the Harmony events? Send me your email address and I will add you to the list. You can always opt out at any time: Bill@QMCWorld.com
Harmony Life Magazine is produced by residents for residents. Please feel free to message me directly with content and pictures: Bill@QMCWorld.com
Remember to join the Facebook Harmony Residents Forum AND THE NEW, ADDITIONAL, HARMONY RESIDENTS FORUM, NO DRAMA.
See you in August!
Bill Bokunic Publisher Bill@QMCWorld.com
Follow Us on Facebook
JULY 2024
A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC www.QMCWorld.com
PUBLISHER & CEO
Bill Bokunic
321.331.6398
Bill@QMCWorld.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Renée Blair
Blair Creative Group, Inc.
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Cherry Heck
CONTRIBUTORS
Jeanine Corcoran
Corcoran Connect
Kerul Kassel PHD
Hamony CDD Board Member
Kim Kirsch
Insurance Broker / District Manager, Healthcare Solutions Team
The opinions expressed in the Harmony Life Magazine articles are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of Quantum Marketing Communications, Harmony Life Magazine or the Publisher.
Harmony Life Magazine, Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC and the Publisher can, in no way whatsoever, be held responsible for the content of such views, nor can it be held liable for any direct or indirect damage that may arise from such views.
All rights reserved. No part of any Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC published work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
CONTACT INFO FOR RESIDENTS
CDD HarmonyCDD.org, 407-566-1935 Dan, Jo, Lucas, Kerul, or Mark @HarmonyCDD.org
SHERIFF, NON-EMERGENCY 407-348-2222
HROA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com
CONDOS HOA Sentr y Management, 407-846-6323
TOWNHOMES HOA Association Solutions, 811 Mabette St., Kissimmee 407-847-2280, www.MyHOASolution.com
3501 Pug Mill Rd. Kissimmee, FL 34741 OsceolaFL@advanceddisposal.com
OSCEOLA COUNTY Osceola.org “Citizen Action Center” COUNTY COMMISSIONER ricky.booth@osceola.org
RICKY BOOTH
Source: CareerSource Central Florida, JobsEQ, Lightcast, FRED
June HROA Meeting Summary
Four board members were in attendance, as well as Mark and Laura from Association Solutions and four residents.
The new “House of the Month” contest has started. We will be awarding one house each month with a $100 gift card and a sign will be placed in the yard for the month. Residents can fill out a form or email us nominating a house they feel deserves the award. Please have your nomination in by the 15th of each month.
Harmonyhouseofthemonth@gmail.com https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/ 1FAIpQLSfT4GcHRgzoymeS9sDkyeoJg3UtFgKqlCtIlBU3xVTjHu-Tdg/viewform
We then spent a long time going over the proposed budget. Key takeaways:
• We have a very tight budget as our expenses are more than we bring in.
• The chunk of money the developer left us is almost gone.
• To help offset that we will be increasing the dues by 5%.
• Increasing the capital contributions (initial fee collected at the sale of each house) from $500 to $750.
• Due to a new law, we will be required to have a full audit done yearly so we in creased our accountant fee by $750.
• We took out the nature trail mowing of $2000 as we will no longer be pay ing for that since we do not own the land and we have lost several of the trails.
• We added $1200 to the Social Com mittee budget to possibly pay for a new social activity. We had a resi dent ask if we could request a use of the Pickleball courts and one of the board members is in talks with the people in charge of the courts.
The board unanimously voted in favor of the proposed budget with the adjust ments.
Neighborhood lights have come up a lot during inspections. In our documents all lighting should be Dark Sky compliant. We have been noticing more and more
of the permanent holiday/soffit lighting and being install without an application being submitted. Several of the board members feel that Dark Sky lighting is no longer relevant, while one thought it is still relevant and is part of what makes Harmony special and it is in the rules. There was a motion to add the permanent holiday/soffit lighting with certain criteria to the Community Standards. The vote was in favor of this motion, 3-1. The HROA Attorney has been contacted to see if this motion can be allowed due to our Dark Sky rules and if so, how we go about adding it to the rules.
The Social Committee is busy planning some upcoming events. Stay tuned for dates and times.
The Nature and Animal Committee has been very busy planning events for the fall which may include garden tours, Gatorland, The Bat Lady and trail walks. They will also be working on the Tangerine trail.
Mark Hills presented the Managers Report. Financials look good and delinquent member fees owed to us remains very low, which is good news.
An important reminder. If you plan on doing any major landscape or architectural changes to your house, please submit an application prior to commencing the work or getting county permits. This applies to almost all work being done to the exterior of your home and yard. If you are not sure if you need to submit an application, please reach out to Association Solutions.
Our next meeting date will be October 1 at 6:00 pm at First Nature Ranch on Old Melbourne Highway. This will be our annual meeting which will be for elections only. If you are interested in running for the HROA board look for the informational letter which will be mailed out in August.
Contact Information for the HROA: https://myhoasolution.com 407-847-2280 • info@myhoasolution.com https://portal.topssoft.com/login
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HEALTHCARE
By Kim Kirsch Insurance Broker / District Manager, Healthcare Solutions Team
Moving Quickly Can Save You Thousands
Afixed premium 3-year short-term insurance plan offers several notable benefits that cater to both financial stability and peace of mind for policyholders. Here are some key advantages:
1. Price Stability: One of the primary benefits is the predictability of premiums. Unlike annually renewable plans where premiums can fluctuate based on market conditions, a fixed premium plan locks in a stable rate for three years. This shields policyholders from sudden premium hikes due to inflation or changes in their personal circumstances.
2. Budgetary Control: With fixed premiums, individuals and businesses can better plan their budgets over the three-year period. This stability is particularly advantageous for businesses managing operational costs or families balancing their monthly expenses.
3. Long-Term Coverage: Despite being a short-term plan, the three-year duration offers extended coverage compared to annual plans. This means policyholders don't have to worry about renewing their insurance every year, reducing administrative hassle and ensuring continuous protection over a longer period.
4. Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Removed: With a three-year plan, you won’t have to worry about coverage in the second and third year if something catastrophic occurs. Unlike plans that renew on a yearly basis.
5. Risk Management: Insurance is fundamentally about managing risk. A fixed premium plan allows individuals to miti-
gate the risk of unforeseen events without the added risk of fluctuating insurance costs. This stability can be crucial in times of economic uncertainty or when personal financial situations are less predictable.
6. Convenience and Commitment:
Opting for a three-year plan demonstrates commitment to maintaining insurance coverage over a significant period. It eliminates the annual decision-making process, providing convenience and peace of mind knowing that insurance needs are covered for an extended timeframe.
7. Potential Cost Savings: In some cases, insurers may offer discounts or incentives for choosing a longer-term plan. This can translate into cost savings over time compared to renewing annually, especially if premiums tend to increase each year.
Overall, a fixed premium three-year short-term insurance plan combines the benefits of stability, predictability, and long-term coverage, making it a practical choice for individuals and businesses looking for comprehensive insurance protection with financial certainty.
With all that being said, the time to act to enroll in a fixed premium three-year health insurance plan is now. They will only be offered until Aug 30, 2024.
To know all your options, call Kim at 407-8703462, Rick at 407-222-2384 or Briana at 407-460-7257. n
FLOORING :
KITCHEN
DID YOU KNOW?
By Cherry Heck
HARMONY'S NATIVE PLANTS
DID YOU KNOW that Harmony was designed to promote the peaceful coexistence of human and animal residents within the community while striking a balance between the preservation, use and enjoyment of Harmony’s natural areas? Underlying these objectives are the values of fostering a respect for the land, the protection of wildlife and the sensible use and enjoyment of Harmony’s abundant natural and manmade amenities by its residents.
Since Europeans began settling this country, though especially in the last hundred years of development, Americans have selected plants from around the world for their homes and parks. While this has resulted in some beautiful gardens, it has also greatly reduced the amount of both native plants on which our native wildlife depends, and on the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Our local animals, birds, fish, and insects need native plants, and lots of them, to survive and reproduce. This has been documented through thousands of studies about how energy moves through food webs. Animals get their energy either directly from plants, or by eat-
ing something that has already eaten a plant. The group of animals most responsible for passing energy from plants to animals that can’t eat plants is insects. This is what makes insects such vital components of healthy ecosystems. So many animals depend on insects for food (e.g., spiders, reptiles and amphibians, rodents, 96% of all terrestrial birds) that removing insects from an ecosystem will cause it to crash. With few exceptions, only insect species that have shared a long evolutionary history with a particular plant lineage have developed the physiological adaptations required to digest the chemicals in their host’s leaves. They have specialized over time to eat only the plants sharing those particular chemicals.
Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions where they naturally occur. These important plant species provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. Unlike natives, most common horticultural plants that you buy at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart don’t offer the benefits and energy for their pollinators, plus they usually need toxic pesticides, and usually do not require fertilizers and need less water than lawns. Native plants have been shown to help reduce air pollution, and remove carbon from the air, and they also provide shelter and food for wildlife while promoting biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage.
And native plants are interesting and beautiful. You can find out more at the Florida Native Plant Society’s website at http://www.fnps.org/plants, the Florida Yards site at http://floridayards.org/fyplants/, and at the Extension Service’s web page for native plants at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_native_plants, or do a web search for Florida Native Plants.
Whatever you plant, choose “the right plant for the right place.” Consider the amount of sunlight, soil moisture, spacing, and type of soil, before you purchase. When purchasing native plants, ask about the origin of the plant. Plants that were derived from seed or plants of natural populations in other parts of the country might not perform that well in Florida. There are many beautiful native species that are under utilized or not used at all in our landscapes. Don’t let the appearance of plants in their natural habitats discourage you from using native plants. Under maintained home and park landscape conditions, these plants can express the full potential and beauty that they may not reach in some natural habitat conditions. (Note: this article includes information from several online articles about the benefit of native plants).
HARMONY, FLORIDA: LIVING WITH NATURE IN A NEW TOWN
By Harmony's Own, Anthony James Catanese
We know that Harmony is a very special place. This book tells how it was done. It started with a vision supported by science on how important regular interaction with nature and animals is to human health. This led to creating a new community whereby these interactions were incorporated at the very beginning of the development. It is intended for people who want to learn and take action. We can achieve greatness and conservation through proper development of our land. This is how to do it.
