Parking in the correct direction

Our biggest quality of life complaint that we have received this year is cars parked in the wrong direction.  Even though streets may be two way,   parking must be in the direction of traffic on that side of the street.  Parking in any other direction is not only inconsiderate and unsafe but against the law.  Please park in the correct direction

And remember

Please do not park on the Belgian blocks

Please do not block drive ways

Please provide clearance when parking by trash cans. 

Please drive slowly and carefully through the community

Please return empty trash cans back off the street

Election time at Island Gate

As it gets later in the summer our annual board election is upon us.  The Island Gate Homeowners Association will be holding its Annual Election meeting on September 18th at 7:30 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Township Municipal Building (where the Memorial Day meeting was held). 

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 Wednesday August 19, 2015.  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 the office at 732 294-8882

The mailing of ballots will be scheduled for August 24^th
Ballots are due back on September 15^th and you can vote in person at the meeting on Sept 18^th

Regards
Association Advisors
On behalf of Island Gate Homeowners

Dryer vent cleaning

It is time for all homeowners to have their dryer vents inspected and cleaned. 

Proof must be provided from a licensed professional that their dryer vents have been cleaned and are in working order. Homeowners are required to have this done every two years.

Dryer vents if not cleaned properly on a regular basis pose a fire hazard for not just your unit, but surrounding units in the community.  This is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly, especially since it’s preventable.

You may use any licensed company you want.  Your Board of Directors have done their research and found a company who does it for an affordable price.  The company is called Titans, they can be reached  at 732-458-0956 or you can email them at titansaircare@yahoo.com .  Mention that you are from Island Gate and you want your dryer cleaned for the $50.00 group rate.  They will be coming Friday August 21 and Saturday August 22.   In order to qualify for the group rate, you must schedule to have one of these two days. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the management office at 732-294-8882. 

Please submit certification/receipt by September 30, 2015 to the management office at 100 Market Yard  Freehold NJ 07782.  Or you can fax to 732-294-8884.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Community Update

Quite a bit of time and effort this year have been focused on the deck repairs in the community. 

In addition we are going to be scheduling street and driveway sealing late this summer/early fall.  We will be reaching out over the next few weeks to schedule the work and keep you informed. 

This summer, we had the roofs inspected and repaired by Englishtown, there were some nails that needed to be repaired and replaced and a few shingles also.  There was some flashing repaired also.  The board wanted to be proactive and have the roofs kept in as good condition as possible.  They are in good shape and hopefully the work we did will extend the lifespan of the roofs into the future.

Deck blog update

The board wants to thank all of the members of our community that took the time to respond to the deck survey.  42 responses were received. 

The results were as follows;

Regarding the question about returning the deck responsibility to the homeowners the response was 28 for leaving it with the association 8 moving it to the owner and 6 not making a selection.

With the question regarding refinishing the deck or replacing the planking 14 voted to refinish, 21 voted to replace the decking, 1 voted to go with the board’s decision and 6 made no decision.

The board has, by majority vote, decided to replace the deck planking with a composite type material and have met with the contractor we are considering for the project.      

If all goes well the project will be starting in September and should take 3 months give or take to complete.  Thanks to everyone who participated in the meetings and surveys

Brown Grass

The sprinklers keep the grass green and vibrant on hot summer days.  Our sprinkler system has been a source of constant maintenance over the last few years.  This years’ service needs have been particularly acute.  We have needed to replace a total of three control panels and the water main line.  The control panels determine where the water goes.  This year we started out with a panel in need of replacement and it was replaced.  About two weeks ago the panel was hit by lightning and was destroyed again.  Our reaction was lightning rods work why don’t we have one?  This was air to ground lightning with nothing we can do with that.  The panel was ordered and is being installed this week.  Our other panel is in need of replacement and we are getting a loan from our sprinkler contractor until next spring.  A quick note on our sprinkler contractor Josh Crowley, he has gone above and beyond to help us out when we needed extra work, he has been responsive and overall just terrific. 

Hopefully we will not have to mention the sprinklers in future blog posts this summer

If you have any additional comments or questions please let us know

Deck Survey

The survey is posted to the blog for your convenience; a paper copy was left at each home on Saturday July 11^th.  Please complete the form and return to AA by July 21^st.  Please let us know if you have any questions

Deck Survey

Deck Survey

Name_____________________________                Address____________________________

Email_____________________________                 Phone______________________________

1)       Does your deck need any planking replaced prior to refinishing?                                             No or Yes

A)     If yes how many planks_______.

N

Y

 

2)      Do any of your steps need replacement prior to refinishing ?                           

A)     If yes how many steps_____.

3)      Would you prefer having the deck responsibility returned to the homeowner______.  Guidelines would be established for color and product options and requirements, allowing you the choice of when and what you would do with your deck.

4)      Would you want your deck planking replaced with a composite material or have it repaired and refinished____________________________.

Signature____________________________                    Date_________

Please return by July 21 to:

Association Advisors 100 Market Yard Freehold, NJ 07728.

Our decks discussion and survey

The Board of Island Gate is considering the options available to us regarding our decks and is looking for input and information from our property owners.

Details:

When our homes were built the decks were the responsibility of the individual property owner.  Several years ago a prior board had the responsibility for maintaining the decks shifted to the Homeowners Association.  When this was done the funding for this new association responsibility was not established.

Our current consideration to maintaining our decks has several options and in order for the board to make a decision we are surveying the homeowners for their opinions.  Our decks were treated four years ago, which was the second time since the construction of our community.

The decks need to be refinished and some need repairs need to be completed first.  A majority of the repairs are cosmetic in nature but need to be completed prior to applying a finishing coat.  A product that we are considering is Cabots Deck Correct.  This product provides a coating that claims to fill cracks up to ¼ inch. Full details can be found on the internet.

We are considering having the deck planking replaced with a PVC or composite material (ex. Trex).  This type product does not require staining or sealing in the future. The product can use a clip system that attaches from the side of the board. 

The advantage of repairing and refinishing is a lower price now.  The disadvantage is future refinishing/repairs costs.  The proposals to refinish all decks from professional contractors are in the $70,000 range.  We are estimating repairs to the planking to cost approximately $20,000. 

The advantage of replacing the planking is that it is a more permanent product that requires minimal maintenance (cleaning).  The cost to replace the planking on all units would be in the $150,000 -$200,000 range.  This would eliminate future planking repairs due to weathering and would lower future refinishing costs, since the planking does not need refinishing.

The cost to complete either project would not require any assessment and would not require our maintenance fees to increase.  In order to help us make this decision please fill out the attached survey and send it to our management company by July 21st:  Association Advisors 100 Market Yard Freehold, NJ 07728.

Severe thunderstorms likely late this afternoon with damaging winds and hail possible.

The combination of an upper level low over the Ohio Valley, very warm and humid conditions in place and decent wind shear values leads to an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon across the region from D.C. / Baltimore to New York City and surrounding areas.

If there is enough sunshine and temperatures get to expected highs (near 90), this will provide the energy for strong wind gusts and isolated large hail. Although the tornado risk is low, one can’t be ruled out. Storms are most likely in Baltimore and DC between 4 and 7 pm and in Philly to New York between 6 and 9 pm. Storms will generally be moving eastward at 30-40 mph. Frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes are expected with these storms. The NWS severe storms forecast center will likely issue a severe thunderstorm watch for the area later this afternoon.