Giving Thanks

The trustees of Island Gate want to wish all of our neighbors a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.  We have a lot to be thankful for in our community starting with our neighbors.  All the best to you and yours.

Association Dues for 2014 and payment booklet

The Board of Directors of Island Gate has been preparing our community’s budget for 2014.  We have concluded that we will be able to manage the community’s financial obligations without increasing the Association dues for 2014.  Our dues will remain at $260 per month.  We have been able to keep the dues steady for a few years by focusing on keeping our costs low.  We have also been quite lucky with variable items such as no snow removal costs for the last two years.  This savings allowed us to offset higher insurance costs in 2013.  We think we can get by keeping the fees the same and will do so in 2014, although there may be an increase in 2015.   

    

Continuing the effort to keep costs low we have analyzed the monthly dues payments from our neighbors and noticed that most of us pay automatically from our bank and never use our payment books.  Since the payment books cost the community about $1,000 a year to print and distribute we decided that only neighbors that request payment books will be receiving them this year.  This will allow us to keep costs low while still accommodating our neighbors who still want a payment book. 

If you are requesting a payment book please call AA at 732-294-8882 ask for Lorene and she will be glad to send you a book.  Please do this by November 29th so we may have a book to you for the New Year.  If you do not request a book by November 29 we will not be able to send you a book. 

If you are paying without the book, either automatically or on line please continue to do what you are doing.  Thank you.

If you are going on line to pay electronically for the first time, please follow the instructions below:

1)    Contact the AA website at www.askaa.com  

2)    Go to process my on line payment, this will direct you to smartstreet.com (our bank processing company) There are 3 options to pay.  We recommend number 3, which allows a recurring payment each month to be set up.

If you are going to mail the payment manually the address to send the payment is below:

Island Gate HOA

C/o Association Advisors

PO Box 105007

Atlanta, GA 30348-5007

  

Thank you, as always for your cooperation

The Trustees of Island Gate

Tornado watch in our area until 5pm today

The National Weather Service has issued a wide ranging tornado watch from Washignton DC to Southern New England until 5pm today.
Please be aware of the condotions today and be safe. 

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR

   TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH

   AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR

   THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS

   AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS

Tornado watch in our area until 5 pm today

Chowderfest this weekend

Saturday October 5, 2013 Is Merchant's Mart From 10 am - 4 pm Merchant's Mart at Chowderfest is a big flea market where Long Beach Island stores try to sell ALL of their products so they don't have to take it back to the store and keep it in stock all winter. It is a lot of fun to find great bargains at Merchant's Mart. Sunday October 6, 2013 Is The Fun Chowderfest from 11 am - 4 pm                           (Early V.I.P. entry is at 10 am) At Chowderfest LBI 16 area restaurants from Long Beach Island and the mainland cook up their best chowder and serve it to 15,000 people who then vote on the winners. There are bands, beer truck, vendors, etc. It is a lot of fun - see you there.

Saturday October 5, 2013 Is Merchant's Mart From 10 am - 4 pm Merchant's Mart at Chowderfest is a big flea market where Long Beach Island stores try to sell ALL of their products so they don't have to take it back to the store and keep it in stock all winter. It is a lot of fun to find great bargains at Merchant's Mart. Sunday October 6, 2013 Is The Fun Chowderfest from 11 am - 4 pm                           (Early V.I.P. entry is at 10 am) At Chowderfest LBI 16 area restaurants from Long Beach Island and the mainland cook up their best chowder and serve it to 15,000 people who then vote on the winners. There are bands, beer truck, vendors, etc. It is a lot of fun - see you there.

Saturday October 5, 2013 Is Merchant's Mart From 10 am - 4 pm
Merchant's Mart at Chowderfest is a big flea market where Long Beach Island stores try to sell ALL of their products so they don't have to take it back to the store and keep it in stock all winter. It is a lot of fun to find great bargains at Merchant's Mart.
Sunday October 6, 2013 Is The Fun Chowderfest from 11 am - 4 pm
                          (Early V.I.P. entry is at 10 am)
At Chowderfest LBI 16 area restaurants from Long Beach Island and the mainland cook up their best chowder and serve it to 15,000 people who then vote on the winners. There are bands, beer truck, vendors, etc. It is a lot of fun - see you there.

Exterior Home Lights to be installed in our community in the coming months

Over the next few months we will be having our exterior lights removed and new white plastic, corrosion and fade resistance lights will be installed.  Our current lights were installed when the homes were built and the brass has badly corroded.  We decided that the white would go well with the homes and would last longer and look better longer than the brass we had.  There are three lights on every home; they are over the front door on the patio and over the garage each will be replaced.     

The lights were purchased at Lowes and are stock number 0208502, feel free to check them out at Lowes if you want.

 

A local handy-man/contractor Fredericks Painting, will be doing the installation.  They are fully insured LIC # 13VHO7633600.

The work should start late this week and we expect it to be wrapped up by the end of the year (weather permitting).  Access to your home will not be necessary and the current installed light bulbs will be replaced. 

A reminder, 60 watt bulbs are the maximum allowed n these fixtures and anything in excess of that will jeopardize the reliability of the fixture.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact a board member.  

   

Island Gate Elections held

On Friday September 20th Island Gate elections were held. Frank Cangiarella and Carol Osten were relected to the board.  The were more than enough votes for a quorum. In addition, the board has named our neighbor Fran Gordon as the new Island Gate board president.  Fran is our newest member and a year round resident.
We thank everyone for their vote and participation and wish Fran well as our new president.

Community meeting this Friday at 7:30

Please make every effort to attend

Reminder dryer vent cleaning

The community has another chance to have the dryer vents cleaned.  The date is Sept 28th. Please email islandgatehomeowners@gmail.com to have the vent cleaned.  Remember vents must be cleaned by the end of October.

The pool is now closed for the season

We hope you had a great season. I you have any comments and thoughts about the pool please feel free to share them.

Community clean-up day

The board has begun working our community clean-up/improvement day.  We haven’t picked a date yet but wanted to get feedback from the community on what they want to see done.  We have had a few requests for tree removal and tree trimming.  We also had requests regarding the condition of the ponds in the community.  We have begun to plan for these items and other beautification efforts but we need your help.  Of course we would love our neighbors to pitch in and participate in the effort.  We also need your input; is there a dead, dying tree in the front of your home?  Are there tree limbs that you think need trimming?  Are there dead shrubs in your area?  Are there invasive plants that don’t belong and need to be removed?  Please let us know.  We can look at the property and evaluate but hearing from you can make all the difference.  So please let us know so we can effectively plan a successful event.  Please call AA or send an email to the island-gate email.  islandgatehomeowners@gmail.com

Thanks for your help and participation and let us know if you are interested in participating too!!!

Get your vote in

The election ballots have been mailed out and you should have received them.  If you didn’t please call AA immediately.  Please vote!!!  The vote is no contest but we need a quorum for the election to be official.  In addition our annual meeting and election will be held  on Friday September 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Stafford Township Municipal Building.  We will be holding the election but happy to review and discuss our financials, condition of the community, plans for improvement etc.  So come share your views,  learn what’s going on in the community.   We look forward to seeing you there. 

Sept 14th and 15th The last weekend for the pool

Sadly this weekend, Sept 14^th and 15^th are the last days the pool will be open this year.  We hope you have enjoyed the pool this summer and it’s condition met your expectations.  As always if you have any thoughts, comments, critiques etc. about the pool or suggestions for 2014 please feel free to let a board member know.

Dog waste in the community

Once again one of our neighbors is less than diligent in picking up dog waste.  This time the complaints are coming from the Bay Ave part of the community.  Please pick up the waste.  Our neighbors are looking for the offender and are ready to report you.  Thanks to our neighbors for picking up after your dogs and for being diligent.  And thanks to our concerned neighbors for pointing this out.   

Another chance to have your dryer vent cleaned, Sept 28th

Due to popular demand and some requests by our neighbors who missed the first chance we are trying to see who is still interested in getting their dryer vents cleaned.  The date would be Sept 28^th and it will be the same company that did our vents in August.  The cost will vary based upon the number of people responding and could be as low as $40 per unit.  If you are interested please reply promptly to islandgatehomeowners@gmail.com 

with your name, phone number, and address. 

Dryer vent cleaning in our community

It has been two years since the community was required to have our dryer vents cleaned.  The rule in our community is cleaning is required every two years.  For reference;  Farmers Insurance states there are 15,000 house fires in the U.S. every year caused by clogged dryer vents.  Our goal is to assure that Island Gate will not be on that list.   

This year we have reached out to the vent cleaning service that we used two years ago.  They will be on the property on Saturday August 31st Dryer vent cleaning has been set up for any homeowner wishing to participate.  The cost will be $40 per unit.  The contractor can do up to 45 homes in one day.  If you are interested please reply to  islandgatehomeowners@gmail.com  with your name, phone number, and address. 

This service has been provided as a convenience to the community and there is no requirement to use them.  If you do not use them a receipt from a certified vent cleaner must be provided to AA by October 31, 2013,  Fines of $25 per day will be imposed daily until we receive your receipt.  Please be assured the board isn’t turning into hardcore dryer vent fine collectors but we were still chasing down neighbors in the community who didn’t get their vent cleaned last time for over a year.  Our goal will be to have the entire community started and completed by early November of this year.

As always thanks so much for your cooperation please contact us if you have any questions

Get your-self nominations in by next Friday !!!

The deadline for self-nominations for board positions at Island Gate is this Friday August 30^th  2013.  Any homeowner in good standing that wishes to self-nominate and submit a resume may do so by fax, mail, email to

Island Gate Homeowners Association c/o Association Advisors

100 Market Yard Freehold NJ 07728

Fax 732 294 8884

Email help@askaa

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the management office at 732 294-8882

Involvement in the Board is a challenging, rewarding experience and you should be should be willing to devote the personal time necessary to effectively manage the Association. 

The election ballots will be mailed out shortly after the nomination deadline and the election meeting will be held on September 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Stafford Township Municipal Building.

Whether you run for a position or not please vote and attend the meeting if possible.

New board member for Island Gate

Marianne Massey an Island Gate board member for almost a year has resigned her post.  She will continue on the pool committee.  We thank her for her continued work both formally as a board member, her work on the pool committee and as a concerned neighbor.  Her help is invaluable to our community and we look forward to her future contributions.

We also welcome Fran Gordon our neighbor at 7 Seabreeze to the Island Gate board.  Fran has been active in the community for many years and has been on the pool committee for a number of years.  We look forward to working with Fran as the community moves forward. 

As always, if you have any comments, questions or concerns please feel free to contact a board member.

Thanks

Board Election time at Island Gate

With the wind up of summer our annual board election is upon us.  The Island Gate Homeowners Association will be holding its Annual Election meeting on September 20th at 7:30 pm, it is a week later than usual due to the religious holiday on September 13th.  It will be held at  the Stafford Township Municipal Building.  There are two (2) seats currently held by homeowners that will become vacant at that time. 

As per the by-laws there is a self-nomination process for community members to become part of the board.  We encourage community members in good standing to nominate themselves to be on the board of Island Gate. 

Any homeowner wishing to serve on the Board of Trustees should be willing to devote the personal time necessary to effectively manage the Association.  Candidates MUST be members in good standing.  Involvement in the Board is a challenging, rewarding experience and it is urged that anyone wishing to serve please submit a resume of no more than one (1) page to Association Advisors by Friday August 30, 2012.  Any homeowner that wishes to submit a resume may do so by mail, fax or email to   

Island Gate Homeowners Association c/o Association Advisors

100 Market Yard Freehold NJ 07728

Fax 732 294 8884

Email help@askaa

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact our office at 732 294-8882

Regards

Association Advisors

On behalf of Island Gate Homeowners

Bulk Garbage Pick-up CORRECTION

Our blog posts have often stated that bulk garbage pickup is the first Tuesday of the month, this is incorrect.  Bulk pickup is the SECOND MONDAY of the month.  Taking this August for example bulk pick up is this upcoming August 12^th.  This is totally my fault and my apologies for the incorrect information.

Ed Fortunato

Of course...

There is no smoking at the pool, no ifs, ands or butts.  We have gotten a few complaints about smoking at the pool.  Our community does not permit smoking at the pool, so please refrain.  Thank You.   

Accidents

Although accidents are unfortunate and unintended; people must take responsibility for them, especially in our community.  Our community is fortunate enough to have contractors take care of most of our maintenance issues, but there is no one in the community or any of our contractors that are responsible to pick up after people.  Please act responsibly at all times in the community.  Thank you.  

Quick review of community rules

Given the recent turnover in the community; both new owners and new renters we thought we would put out some basic community guidelines for neighbors in the community so they can quickly become familiarized with the rules and rituals of the community.  These guidelines are meant as helpful reminders and are not meant to replace a thorough review of the community’s by law.  As always if you have any questions or comments please contact some a board member. 

·         All dogs must be leashed and promptly picked up after.  There is no dog waste to be left in the community

·         There is to be no blocking of the sidewalks in our community, with cars or any items

·         There is to be no double parking in the community at any time, ever and of course, cars must be parked in the direction of traffic 

·         Garbage collection (grey can) is on Tuesdays, recycling (blue can) is on Wednesdays.  Bulk item day (things that do not fit in the can) is the first Tuesday of the month.  Large items are not to be left out for the entire month waiting for collection.  Please do not leave cans on the curb grass.  Cars should not block area where trash cans are to be put out in front of your house allowing a minimum of 4 feet clearance

 ·       There are no items to be stored under decks or around the outside of the home. 

·         Satellite TV antennas must be approved by the board before installation (they are permitted in the community, the placement is the issue)

·         Garage doors are not to be left open for extended periods of time

·         There is nothing to be stored in front of the home (ice chests, beach chairs etc.)

·         LPG (propane) and charcoal grills are not permitted in the community. Electric grills and properly permitted natural gas ones are

·         Holiday lighting is permitted but nothing is to be attached to the outside of the home (no nails, screws, glue etc.)  

·         There are no garage sales, estate sales, or commercial business of any kind in the community

·         There are no commercial vehicles of any kind permitted on the property except for contracted home repair

·         The parking areas are for parking not long term vehicle storage

·         No boats, campers RVs etc. in the community

·         All smoke detector and CO detector batteries should be changed at least every year

·         The landscaping in front of your house is not yours and unless it’s an annual plant you are not allowed to plant or remove plants without board approval

·         Dryer vents are to be cleaned every two years

·         The pool is opened from 9am to 9pm daily from the last week in June to the second weekend in September and on weekends from the week before Memorial Day to two weeks after Labor Day please seethe pool schedule for precise dates

·         Pool rules are posted at the entrance, near the bathrooms and on the blog; please be courteous, no glass containers, no running, no diving, no rough play are the quick rules

·         Only neighbors in good standing can have access to the pool

·         The blog www.islandgate.blogsport.com is the source for all community news please visit it often

·         Please call AA with any questions or concerns 732-294-8882 or contact a board member

Updated Island Gate BBQ Rules

Over the last few years there has been quite a bit of discussion, debate, inquiry and legal work to ascertain what we are and not allowed to do regarding grilling in our community.  We came to a few decision points last year but never specifically addressed charcoal grills, which are not permitted in the
community.  Natural Gas, when properly permitted by Stafford Township, and electric grills are permitted at Island Gate.

This is based on current law as well as the best interests of the safety and aesthetics of the community.

Legally, flame emitting devices are not permitted within 5 feet of a combustible surface.  Therefore there is no charcoal grilling on decks, that’s the law.  Five feet from combustible, in most areas, takes you out to the grass and once again hot coals on grass can cause a combustion hazard and damage to our lawns. 
Grills being left out to have the embers burn out can cause a hazard, this eliminates the ability to safely charcoal grill in the community.  Given the dense housing situation and all of the above issues the decision seems like the right one.

To review:

Electric grills are permitted

Natural gas grills properly permitted and installed are permitted

LPG or Propane grills are not permitted in the community (they have never been permitted)

Charcoal grills are not permitted in the community

Please if you have any questions comments or concerns feel free to contact the board.

Thanks

Rough weather coming on Thursday

Heavy rain, lightning, string winds, hail, even a tornado is possible at Island Gate on Thursday.  No need to panic but lease be aware and take precautions in the event of bad weather Wed and Thursday

Be safe

Tropical Storm Andrea alert

Although its an early season storm, Troipcal Strom Andrea will pass over our area tomorrow and Saturday with heavy rain and gusty winds on Friday and Satruday. Please take in any items that may blow around or cause damage and take care in heavy winds and possible flodding.  Please see the latest forecast below.  As always feel free to contact us with any quesitons;

Tropical Storm Andrea will pass east of Philadelphia Friday and Friday night; bringing rain and thunder, street flooding in the usual spots will occur, along with minor coastal flooding.

  

Thursday, turning mostly cloudy with a few afternoon showers. High 76. Wind Southeast at 8-15 mph. Rain Thursday night; chance of a thunderstorms. Low 65. Wind East at 10-20 mph. Friday humid with rain; heavy at times with occasional thunderstorms. High 75. Wind Southeast at 10-20 mph.

Saturday, times of clouds and sun with a few showers and an afternoon thunderstorm. High 85. Low 69.

Sunday, partly sunny. High 88. Low 68.

Monday, humid with clouds and some sun; chance of showers and thunderstorms. High 89. Low 71.

Preliminary results for the Engineering study we commissioned

Although preliminary, we have some positive results from DW Smith and Associates, an engineering firm that the board hired to do a study on the condition of our community. 

The study evaluated the community condition and provided price estimates for items that the community is responsible for; siding, roofs, etc.  Based upon their study and what the community is saving annually they indicated we should be on track for meeting our future obligations.   We will share more details as the study is finalized but we wanted to share the good news with the community.  If you have any questions please contact the board. 

Reminder

Smoke alarm batteries need to be changed twice a year and the smoke alarm itself should be inspected and tested at that time.  Please check it for operation, hit the test button, dust it off, make sure the sensor is clean. 

As the community approaches 10 years of age most smoke alarms are coming to the end of their expected lives.  We wanted to remind you, to replace them if they aren’t operating at 100%.  Fire, smoke and CO alarms save lives and they are an inexpensive way to be safe.  As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us.

30 degrees

That's the difference in temperature between the ocean at LBI and the temperature of our heated pool which is 85 degrees.  So come enjoy the pool on this beautiful Memorial Day.

Note regarding the meeting next Sunday

We will have copies of the latest engineering report available at the meeting next week. We hope to see you there.

The pool is opened !

Summer officially started here at Island Gate with the opening of the pool today.  After a long winter the pool has been cleaned, filled, inspected, and approved. It's ready to go.  The weather certainly isn't cooperating this weekend with cool temperatures and rain  but whenever Mother Nature turns on summer Island Gate will be ready to go.  Have a great season.

The good news the pool is heated

The pool opens this weekend and with the weather being pleasant but not sweltering, we wanted to mention that our pool has a heater.  The pool heater enables a comfortable dip with temperatures less than ideal for swimming.  With this weekend’s anticipated temps in the mid 70’s for a high the warm water will be a refreshing treat after a long winter.  So come and enjoy starting at 9 am on Saturday.

Just a note the new filter has been installed and the pool has been refilled after an acid-wash and the last of the town and county inspections are being wrapped up this week so we should be good to kick off the summer season this weekend.

We hope you enjoy

Community meeting at the pool Sunday May 26th at 6 pm

Our community meeting will be held at the pool on SUNDAY May 26th at 6 pm.  We will review our financials, plans for the community, an update on upgrades to the pool etc.  There will also be a question and answer session for anyone with questions about our community.  There will also be refreshments served.  Please come join us to catch up on activities in the community, meet your neighbors and start the summer. 

In the event of rain the meeting will be held at 1 Seabreeze Court

We hope to see you there

Summer Pool schedule

With the pool opening next week, we wanted to remind our neighbors of the pool schedule for this coming summer.

Pool Hours will continue from 9AM to 9PM

The pool opens Saturday May 18 and Sunday May 19
May 25, 26, 27
June 1, 2
June  8, 9
Open daily June 15 to September 8
Final weekend September 14 and 15

We will be using the same pool rules as 2011 and 2012 for this season.  Please see the blog post from the other day for rule details. 

Blog post from last summer regarding grills

Given the numerous questions regarding grills over the years in the community and the legal clarity we achieved last summer we thought it would be worth republishing the blog post from the summer of 2012;

As always if you have any questions please contact AA or a board member


From Summer 2012

Given our recent legal opinion combined with a direct discussion with the NJ DCA, the Board has ascertained and will implement the following regarding grills in the community:

Natural gas grills properly installed and with the proper town permits are permitted in the community and storage is allowed on the decks. 

LNG or propane grills are not permitted to be used or stored within 5 feet of a combustible surface.  This includes storage in the home or garage. As a result propane grills are not permitted in the community.  This has been a community rule since inception and will be enforced.  Propane is specifically called out in NJ law.  If you have a propane grill, please remove it.  We understand this is an inconvenience and expense but they have not been and will not be permitted in the community. 

Open flame devices (Tiki torches, candles, hibachis, etc.) are not to be used within 5 feet of any combustible surface. 

If you do not have a permit for your gas line, please get one promptly. 
We will be contacting Stafford Township for a list of permits and fines will be issued for lack of permits.  The board is pleased to have clarity and certainty regarding this issue.  

It has been a lengthy process to achieve this, but our goal of certainty has been achieved.  As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact AA or a board member.  We will also be available to discuss this topic at our next open board meeting.

Thanks again for your cooperation and we hope you are having an enjoyable summer.

As the seasonal residents return for the summer season we wanted to remind everyone of the following

Although there is no formal rule in place in the community about this; there needs to be a minimum 4 feet of space between cars and the garbage/recycling cans.  During garbage collection and recycling days (Tuesday and Wednesday) when garbage pails are out, please keep your vehicles a minimum of 4 feet away from the cans.  When you put the pails out please also be aware of the distance between your pails and vehicles.  Without this 4 foot space the cans cannot be mechanically collected.  In addition, please keep the cans off the grass, that will make the grass by the curbs look better. 

As far as parking goes please be courteous to others in the community and keep you cars out of others driveways and do not block the sidewalks.  There is also absolutely No double parking in the community  If you are having guests or your area is full, please take advantage of the two parking areas in the community, the parking areas are less than a minute walk from any spot in the community and always have plenty of open spots.

 Thanks  

Pool Opening Update

With the start of pool season rapidly approaching (scheduled May 18^th) we wanted to request you review the pool rules that we posted on the blog last week.  We also request that we be courteous to our neighbors; refrain from rough play, no running, no glass and no radios.  We hope to make this the best pool season ever and with your help we can do it. 

As always if there is someone or something that is bothersome please contact AA and if its more severe or there is an emergency please call 911

Thanks and we hope you have a great summer

We are number 23,998.918 !

While recently posting a blog comment we came across the Alexa index which ranked our blog in the top 24 million in the world. The ranking was based upon the number of visits and frequency of content.  While a long way from number one with over 500 million blogs in the world we are in the top 5% of all blogs.  So we will keep posting updates you all keep checking the blog and let's see if we can make it into the top 20 million soon.

Dog waste in the community

We know who you are!!  You have been identified as we have received numerous complaints from neighbors.  You are being fined for every offense as per the by-laws and the fines will continue.  We have consulted with our legal council and we will continue doing everything in our power to penalize the offender and enforce the fines and rules. The fines are adding up quickly and these actions will continue until the situation is remedied. Be warned.  We will either have you follow the simple rules or keep fining you for every offense.  Thanks to our neighbors for being vigilant keep up the good work.

Pool Rules for 2013

As pool season approaches we wanted to remind the community of our 2013 POOL RULES, although similar to 2012 we ask that you review them again to be familiar with them.  They will be displayed prominently around the pool area but we wanted to share them with you long before the pool is operational.  Please follow the rules, they will be strictly enforced this season  
If you have any questions feel free to contact a board member or AA

 Island Gate Pool Rules for 2012

Neighbors here are the pool rules for the upcoming pool season.  Please follow them and take them seriously.  Please treat the pool as you would your own and be courteous to others.

ü  There is NO LIFEGUARD on duty, pool use is at your own risk

ü Police or Emergency Medical Service Phone number 911

ü  Questions or concerns please call Association Advisors 732-294-8882

ü  All Federal, State and local laws in addition to the following shall be observed by residents and their guests using the pool.

ü  Use of this pool is restricted to residents who are in good standing and tenants whose landlords are in good standing with the Island Gate Homeowners Association.  Persons without access cards or whose cards do not work are not allowed access to the pool.  Please do not allow admittance to the pool. 

ü  A maximum of 6 people may use the pool at any time from each property unit

ü  Children Under 16 years of age must have adult supervision

ü  No personal parties shall be held at the pool

ü  No grills or delivery of food is permitted at the pool

ü  Glass containers are prohibited in the pool area

ü  No diving or jumping into the pool

ü  No running or rough play in the pool area

ü  Any person showing evidence of any communicable skin disease, sore or inflamed eyes, cold, nasal or ear discharges, or any other communicable disease is denied admission to the pool area

ü  Any person with excessive sunburn, open blisters, cuts, or bandages shall be denied admission to the pool.

ü  Do not enter the water if you are experiencing or recovering from diarrhea or have had any signs or symptoms of a gastrointestinal (stomach) disease in the past seven days.

ü  All people in diapers must wear plastic pants with snug fitting elastic waist and leg bands. Do not wash out soiled diapers in the bathing water.

ü  Children should be encouraged to use the restroom before entering the water. Immediately report any "accidents" you observe in the bathing waters to Association Advisors. 

ü  No animals, except for service animals, shall be allowed in any parts of the swimming pool area, dressing rooms, or other parts of the pool area.

ü  All persons must shower before entering the water.

ü  No one is allowed in the pool area during severe weather, heavy rain, or when thunder or lightning can be seen or heard.   

ü  Persons suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol are prohibited from entering the pool area.

ü  Conduct which endangers the safety and comfort of others shall be prohibited.  Noodles or Personal Flotation Devices may only be used if not creating a nuisance for others. Aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.

ü  All personal belongings, trash, band-aids, and personal effects shall be removed or put in the proper trash receptacles immediately. Island Gate recycles.  Leave no trace you were at the pool.

ü  Island Gate Homeowners Association Inc., board of trustees reserves the right to close the pool at any time.

ü  Violations of these rules will result in the revocation of your pool privileges.  All property owners and tenants will be held responsible for the behavior

ü NO SMOKING AT THE POOL

Pool update

The board has made some changes to the pool for 2013. First the pool's operation will be managed by Sparkling Pools. Next we will be adding a supplemental filtration system this year.  It is a salt based system. The reason the board went with system is research indicated the water will be cleaner, less irritating to the skin and eyes and it will reduce the amount if chlorine exposure.  

We are hoping for even better results in 2013. Please let us know with your feedback. 

As previously mentioned the pool is scheduled to be opened on 'May 18. We look forward to seeing you there.  

Recent community break in

On Thursday of this week one of our neighbors home's was broken into. The story had a happy ending with another neighbor noticing, contacting yet another neighbor who apprehended the thief.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and the issue was quickly solved. 

As a reminder please be on the lookout for suspicious activity, if you notice any please immediately call the Stafford police. 609 597 8581 or 911. There is no need to confront the suspect (our neighbor was a police officer), but looking out for and keeping law enforcement engaged will continue to keep Island Gate a safe, secure neighborhood. 

As always please let us know if you have any questions or comments. 

Dog Waste in the community

About a month ago Ed Fortunato our treasurer and also a dog lover made a personal plea on this blog to the community regarding dog waste and how it needs to be picked up every time.  Based upon the feedback from the community this request continues to be ignored by the same people who refuse to pick up their dog’s waste.  There continues to be piles of waste left all over the community, these piles are unattractive, attract vermin and are a nuisance. 

Many in our community have responded with calls and notes to our management company and the board regarding offenders and they have been both warned and fined.  We thank you for your help.

But the piles continue, please if you see a person not picking up after their dog, there is no need to confront them, take a photo instead it will document the offender and we will post it on the blog for the community to see. 

If you are not picking up be warned;  we are working with legal counsel to explore what can be done to remedy the situation, all ideas are on the table and our hope is to make it extremely expensive to not pick up in our community with a zero tolerance policy. 

So please pick up after your dog every time. 

As always please feel free to contact a board member or AA with any questions, comments or concerns

A personal message from Ed Fortunato about our dogs

As a resident with two active dogs I get to walk the property a bit more than most of my neighbors.  Over the last few months, I have been disturbed by the large amount of dog waste littering the property. This waste isn't isolated to one area, it's everywhere and the piles range from small to huge (I own a 110 lb. dog so I know big piles). This wasn't always the case and we need to be more diligent.  Dog waste carries germs and attracts vermin.  Neighbors with dogs please pick up after your dog.  Neighbors without dogs, keep your eye out for others that do not. If you see someone that does not pick up, let AA or a board member know.  This isn't snitching its keeping pets and people healthy and keeping rats out of our neighborhood.  Neighbors who don't pick up can and will be fined and repeat offenders names may even be published on the blog.
So please everyone do your part and keep our neighborhood clean and safe.

As always please contact me with any questions.  Thanks so much for your help.

Ed.

By law review

We have started the process of reviewing our By-Laws and Covenants with our legal representative Caroline Record.  We are looking to update these documents and make them more relevant to our community, the documents were written by Kara Homes back in 2003.  We are reviewing a certified copy of the documents and will share our findings with the community in the near future.  Any changes to the bylaws must be approved by the majority of the community.  We will keep you informed of our progress and if changes are needed prepare documents for the community to vote on.