Association fees will remain unchanged in 2017

We recently started work on our budget for 2017, given our financial condition and our cash position the board has agreed, fees will not be raised for 2017.  The board reserves the right to increase the fee throughout the year but by doing more with our funds we do not expect to need to raise them in 2017. 

 

Thanks as always for your cooperation.  

 

 

Snow Magnets

If you have not received your magnet yet please stop bye 12 Seabreeze Court and get pick it up.  This offer only lasts until October 3^rd, so move fast.  If you have any questions about the magnet please contact a board member or AA. 

   

 

 

Thanks

The Vote results are in

On Friday September 23^th the community meeting was held and the vote for three board positions was held and counted.  The vote result was Fran Gordon, Joe Martyn and Ed Fortunato were unopposed and elected to another two year term.
We thank the community for their vote and interest in the community. 

 

A great reason to come to the meeting tomorrow night; FREE STUFF!!!

Although today is only the first day of fall, we at Island Gate have winter on our minds.  If voting for board members and hearing the latest about the community isn’t motivation enough to come to the meeting tomorrow, perhaps this will help.  We will be giving out the orange magnets that will expedite snow removal at people’s homes this coming winter.   

 

We discussed ways to speed up snow removal for people who are in the community during the winter and came up with the magnet idea.  We think this will help people who are at Island Gate in the winter get dug out sooner. 

 

Here are the instructions for the magnet we posted to the blog in July of this year.  please review the instructions

 

This magnet is to be placed on your garage door, in the upper left hand corner of the door.  When snow is predicted and you prefer to have your property cleared of snow first, put the magnet on the door.  This will allow our snow contractor to prioritize his work schedule based on the needs of the homeowners at the community at that time.  We are doing this in response to feedback our neighbors provided after the storm in January of 2016.      

 

Once the property is cleared of snow, the magnet is to be promptly removed by the homeowner.  The magnet is not to be left on the door all winter. Damage to the metal garage door will result when the magnet is left attached for an extended period of time.  Any damage resulting from the extended placement of the magnet is the sole responsibility of the homeowner.  Any magnet found on a door when snow is not in the forecast will result in a violation and removal of the magnet and loss of priority privilege. 

 

Of course we are hoping for a snow free winter this year.  The extra funds allow us to do more in the community than shovel snow, but when it does, we hope this helps speed up the process and prioritize neighbors  and as always please let us know if you have any questions, comments etc. 

 

A few items to share

Meeting reminder this Friday evening

The Island Gate community meeting is scheduled for this Friday September 23rd at 7:00 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Town Hall on Bay avenue.  It is by the police station.  If you have any questions about the location of the meeting contact a board member and we would be glad to help you.

 

This meeting is held to vote on board members, review the summer pool season, discuss any community issues discuss our financials etc.      

 

We urge everyone to attend and to get your vote in

 

 

Budget for 2017

 

we are starting budget work for 2017, if anyone has any comments, question thoughts etc.  Please feel free to share them with Ed Fortunato our treasurer, 

 

 

The pool is closed for the season

 

The pool is now closed for the season, we hoped you enjoyed the pool this year, if you have any thoughts on how to make the experience better or improve the pool please let us know. 

 

Pool to be opened every day until Sunday

Extending the season

 

The pool will be opened every day until Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm.  The good weather was the driving factor.  After Sunday the pool will be closed for the season. 

VOTE Reminder !!!

We need your voice, if you are happy with the way things are going VOTE, if you are unhappy with the way things are going VOTE.  It’s your community we need to hear you.  The mailing of ballots is scheduled for August 24th
Ballots are due back on September 15th and you can vote in person at the meeting on Sept 23rd

The Island Gate Homeowners Association will be holding its Annual Election meeting on September 23rd at 7:00 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Township Municipal Building (where the Memorial Day meeting was held).  If you have any questions about the location of the meeting contact a board member and we would be glad to help you.

This meeting is held to vote on board members, review the summer pool season, discuss our financials and think about goals for 2017.   

 

We urge everyone to attend and to get your vote in

 

Thanks as always for your concern and participation

 

 

Schedule for the remainder of the Island Gate Pool season

Since we are coming to the end of another season we wanted to remind you of the remaining pool schedule.  The pool will be open from 9am to 9pm today through Sunday, close for the week and open for the 17^th and 18^th of September.  The pool will then be closed  for the season.  We hope you enjoyed it, if you have any comments or questions about the pool please feel to share them with us.  We hope you enjoyed the pool this summer. 

 

Hurricane Hermine Update

Hermine made landfall as a hurricane last night in the Panhandle of Florida and is now a tropical storm over South Georgia. Hermine will move into Eastern North Carolina tomorrow, then track about 100 miles offshore to a position east of Atlantic City Sunday where it will stall or slowly move eastward early next week. While a decent amount of rain, wind and beach erosion will occur along the coastal areas, the affects along the I-95 corridor will be minimal. We do not expect any flooding of the Chesapeake or Delaware Bays, but a long fetch of east winds will cause flooding on the west side of Long Island Sound and Boston Harbor at times of high tides Sunday and Monday

Hurricane Update beware

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Hermine to a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds around 75 MPH.  Hermine is expected to make landfall just southeast of Tallahassee, FL overnight tonight.  The official forecast still tracks Hermine through the eastern Carolinas, before emerging back out into the Atlantic near the Outer Banks. 

 

Both the American and Euro operational models track the storm about 75 to 100 miles east of Ocean City, MD on Saturday, then stall the storm through much of Sunday and part of Monday.  At this point we are fairly confident that the Eastern Shore will receive heavy rain, moderate winds, and some minor/moderate coastal flooding.  We are also fairly confident that there will be NO flooding issues up the Chesapeake Bay as the center of the storm should stay east of the Bay. 

 

The least amount of confidence entails the amount of rainfall along the I-95 corridor.  Currently, the models suggest light amounts of rain on Saturday for Baltimore and Philly, with a brief period of heavy rain on Sunday as the storm wobbles a bit to the west.  Areas west of Baltimore and Philly have a better chance of receiving light rain, while areas to the east have a better chance of receiving heavy rain this weekend.  Only a 50 to 60 mile shift in the track could mean a huge difference in rainfall.    

VOTE

We need your voice, if you are happy with the way things are going VOTE, if you are unhappy with the way things are going VOTE.  It’s your community we need to hear you.  The mailing of ballots is scheduled for August 24th
Ballots are due back on September 15th and you can vote in person at the meeting on Sept 23rd

The Island Gate Homeowners Association will be holding its Annual Election meeting on September 23rd at 7:00 pm.  It will be held at the Stafford Township Municipal Building (where the Memorial Day meeting was held).  If you have any questions about the location of the meeting contact a board member and we would be glad to help you.

This meeting is held to vote on board members, review the summer pool season, discuss our financials and think about goals for 2017.   

 

We urge everyone to attend and to get your vote in

 

Thanks as always for your concern and participation

 

 

Parking sings

Homeowners,

 

The Island Gate Board, in response to homeowners complaints about vehicles parked/stored in our lots for extended periods of times, has designated our community a tow zone.  

 

These complaints included but are not limited to parking by non-residents in our lots, as well as long term storage where the vehicles appeared to be abandoned.

 

We anticipate towing a vehicle to be a rare occurrence but this type of notification is required prior to any action.

 

In order to comply with New Jersey law signs are required to be at both property entrances.  

 

The current signs that are installed are being redesigned to be more appealing.

 

We hope, as an added benefit, both locals and vacationers realize that our streets are a residential community, causing a reduction of through traffic.

 

We value everyone's input on this matter and we expect the redesign will occur in the near future.

 

 

Island Gate Board

 

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 23rd at 7:00 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. 

 

There are three position up for election this year; the positions occupied by Joe Martyn, Fran Gordon and Ed Fortunato

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, 2016.  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 23rd

Regards
Association Advisors
On behalf of Island Gate Homeowners

 

 

Orange magnets on garage doors

Although winter snows seem almost unimaginable given the recent heat we wanted to inform you that over the next few weeks you will find an orange magnet attached to your garage door with your house number on it.  Please remove it from your door and save it for the winter. 

This magnet is to be placed on your garage door, in the spot it was found, when snow is predicted and you prefer to have your property cleared of snow first.  This will allow our snow contractor to prioritize his work schedule based on the needs of the homeowner.   We are doing this in response to feedback our neighbors provided this winter.    

The magnet is to be removed by the homeowner once their property has been cleared of snow.  The magnet is not to be left on the door all winter. Damage to the metal garage door will result when the magnet is left attached for an extended period of time.  Any damage resulting from the extended placement of the magnet is the sole responsibility of the homeowner.  Any magnet found on a door when snow is not in the forecast will result in a violation and removal of the magnet and loss of priority privilege. 

Please let us know if you have any questions, comments etc.   

 

No parking on the Mill Creek Circle

The board recently had no parking signs installed on the Mill Creek circle.  There are a few reasons for this.  It has been noted that with cars parked in the circle garbage trucks cannot fit in the circle and garbage has not been collected.  Our sprinkler vendor has also reported that vehicles have jumped the circle and crushed sprinkle heads; causing flooding and wasting water.  As a result the board voted to restrict the ability to park in that area.  Please do not park in that area there is a parking lot close by to accommodate your needs in that area.  As always if you have any questions please feel free to contact a board member.   Thanks for your help. 

Community reminders

The July 4^th weekend is our busiest of the year and with it being over and plenty of summer left we would like to send out some reminders to the community in an effort to make this summer safe and happy for all.

 

Please park your car in the correct direction of traffic

Please do not park on the Belgian blocks or the grass (it breaks our sprinkler heads)

Please put garbage cans on the curb not the grass

Please do not block drive ways in any way

Please provide clearance when parking by trash cans. 

If you run or knock over a trash can please pick it up and return the garbage to the can

Please drive slowly and carefully through the community

Please stop at all the stop signs

Dog waste needs to be picked up and placed in a container not placed around the community

There are no sports equipment of any type permitted in the community

 

These requests are all rules we have in the by-laws, they will be enforced if not adhered to

 

Thanks for your cooperation and enjoy the summer

 

The right plants for the community

At the meeting in May, there was a discussion about the right plants for the community.  Here are a few suggestions for the right plants

http://www.nj.com/insidejersey/index.ssf/2010/05/plant_your_own_sandy_garden_pe.html

 

http://bbp.ocean.edu/PDFFiles/BBP_Native%20Plant%20brochure,%20May2012_six-pgs,8'5x11%20forWeb.pdf

 

http://www.npsnj.org/

 

http://www.npsnj.org/pages/nativeplants_Plant_Lists.html

FIREworks in our area over the July 4th weekend

South Jersey
June 29

• Fireworks, concert in Bayville

June 30

• Brick Township Fireworks

July 3

• Haddon Township Fireworks
• Lakehurst Fireworks
• Lakewood Fireworks

July 4

• Barnegat Township Fireworks
• Beachwood Fireworks Over the Toms River
• Camden County Freedom Festival
• Collingswood’s annual Independence Day celebration
• Evesham Township’s Fourth of July celebration
• Jenkinson's Boardwalk Fireworks in Point Pleasant
• Lavallette Fireworks
• Medford’s Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Display
• Ocean City Fireworks
• Seaside Heights Fireworks

Starting Saturday morning the pool will be open daily...

Until September 11th, then the final weekend Sept 16th and 17th.

Enjoy the summer

The pool is opened tomorrow Friday. 9 am to 9pm

Enjoy.

The meeting time for this Satruday is 11 am

We had said it was at 10:30 but it is scheduled for 11 am

Sorry about the confusion and we hope to see you there

Here is the Pool schedule for Island Gate for 2016, please note there is no swimming in the pool during the week until Monday June 13th,  please do not attempt to access the pool during the week until that time.  the weekends the pool will be open (weather permitting).

2016 Pool Hours

Pool Hours are 9AM to 9PM

Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22

May 28, 29, 30

 
                       June 4 and June 5

June 11 and 12

Open daily June 13 to September 11

Final weekend September 17 and 18

Please see the blog for day to day changes and real time information

Community meeting May 28th

The Island Gate community meeting is scheduled for May 28th at 10:30 am.  It will be held at the Stafford Town Hall on Bay Avenue.  It is by the police station. If you have any questions about the location of the meeting just reply to a board member and we would be glad to help you. 

We urge everyone to attend the meeting we want to update people on a number of issues in our community. 

Thanks as always for your concern

 

 

  

 

2016 Pool Rules

2016 Pool Rules

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

Please treat the pool as you would your own and be courteous to others.
·           There is NO LIFEGUARD on duty, pool use is at your own risk

·          Police or Emergency Medical Service Phone number 911

·           Questions or concerns please call Association Advisors 733-557-1050 please ask for Dawn

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

·           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 unauthorized admittance to the pool. 

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

·           Children Under 16 years of age must have adult supervision

·           No personal parties shall be held at the pool

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

·           Glass containers are prohibited in the pool area

·           No diving or jumping into the pool

·           No running or rough play in the pool area

·           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

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

·           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.

·           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.

·           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.

·           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.

·           All persons must shower before entering the water.

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

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

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

·           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, if you drop food pick it up.

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

·           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

·          AND OF COURSE NO SMOKING OF ANY TYPE AT THE POOL

With the pool season starting this month here is the pool schedule

2016 Pool Hours

Pool Hours are 9AM to 9PM

Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22

May 28, 29, 30

 
                       June 4 and June 5

June 11 and 12

Open daily June 13 to September 11

Final weekend September 17 and 18

Please see the blog for day to day changes and real time information

 

Updated Contact Information

Police or Emergency Medical Service Phone number 911

 

 

Questions or concerns please call Association Advisors 733-557-1050, ask for Dawn

 

 

For the latest Island Gate Info see the blog:

 

www.Islandgate.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Board member emails

 

Fran: Fran.Gordon@ardaghgroup.com

Frank: Frankcangi@aol.com

Ed: edwardfortunato@gmail.com

 

 

Marianne: kpmmdm@aol.com

 

Joe: Jamrtyn@aol.com

 

 

 

Parking rules

It is against the rules of the community to leave unregistered, undocumented vehicles in our driveways, parking lots or streets, no matter for how brief a time.  If you are the owner of a grey pickup truck in the Bay Ave. parking lot the car is in the process of being towed, please remove it immediately.  In addition, the board has passed a towing resolution that clarifies and memorializes parking rules in the community.  Look for the rules in your mail and on this blog.  When you receive them if you have any questions please notify the board.  Thanks  

 

Spring ahead this weekend and check your smoke and CO alarms

We like to post this reminder at least once a year
 

Smoke alarm and CO batteries need to be changed twice a year and the smoke alarm itself should be inspected and tested at that time. It is traditionally done as we move our clocks up and back. 
Please check it for operation, hit the test button, dust it off, make sure the sensor is clean. 

The community is now 12 years old; smoke alarms and CO devices 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 the board.

Save the date

The first of two community meetings scheduled for 2016 will be on Saturday May 28th, please make every effort to attend.  Details to follow

72 days until the pool opens

With the target date of May 21rd to open the pool we are looking at 72 days until the pool opens.  If you are interested on being on the pool committee this year please contact a board member or AA and we will get you involved.   Thanks for your consideration

Snow update

Homeowners,

Here is a timeline for our snow contractor:

Snow contractor had a trailer and equipment Friday night on site.

Snow was being cleared Saturday evening but they did not do much work.

Sunday morning two men were on site but they spent much of their time not working.

Dawn made several attempts to contact the owner of the company.

The equipment was adequate but the workers were not.

In the past this contractors work was acceptable but this crew he sent was inadequate.

We are not pleased with the performance of our contractor and will review our options for future events.

Thank You,

Island Gate Board

 

Quick note on our financials

Doing a quick comparison of our unaudited financials as of 12-31-14 and 12-31-15 indicates the following:

 

As of 12-31-2104 we had cash $577,735, and total assets $597,317 for Island Gate

As of 12-31-2015 we had cash $528,375, and total  assets $555,060 for Island Gate

 

 

We are about $40,000 lower in cash and assets at the end of 2015 than we were at the start of the year, not a great year on the surface as we didn’t accumulate assets or cash but when you realize we repaired the decks, relined the pool and sealed the streets and driveways we had a great year.  These projects will hopefully not need to be redone for a number of years (forever for the decks, 10 years for the pool and 4 years for the streets).  Given these outlays and the vastly improved physical condition of our community and our strong finances we continue to be in excellent financial condition and given the modest projects we are under taking financially this year (deck resealing and power washing) our assets will quickly accumulate.  In addition, we are well on track to meet any and all of our expected financial obligations into the future. 

 

This note was meant to ease the concerns of our neighbors who were concerned about the financial condition of our community given the deck project.  As always if you have and comments, questions or feedback please let us know. 

 

  

Bad Weather Advice

Dawn our property manager passed on some bad weather advice and some good advice overall, I thought I would share them.  Please stay safe and warm this weekend the weather is going to be tough. 

The winter storm forecasted for this weekend is supposed to start on Friday evening and end Sunday with significant snowfall amounts inland and coastal flooding mixed with rain, sleet and snow in the eastern areas of the state.  Below are items to do before the storm to be ready when it happens.

 

 

 

Have enough medication on hand to last the duration of the storm a few days more in case the power goes out.  Don’t forget pet meds also.

•               Do laundry before the storm so everyone can dress in layers for warmth

•                 Everyone in the house should have their own working flashlight.  remember your phone has a flashlight on it. 

 of ein case of emergency have flashlights, batteries, emergency weather radio and an emergency contact list on hand.  Have safe shut down and evacuation procedures in place.  

•                    Have drinking water and nonperishable foods on premises.

•                    Get a cooler ready. Put the most necessary refrigeration-required items in the cooler.  Freeze water in sealable plastic bags for the ice in the cooler. 

•                    Do not open the refrigerator after the power goes out.

•                    Fully charge cell phones before the storm.

•                    Check doors to make sure they close tightly.  Weather stripping and caulking help prevent heat loss and drafts.

•                    Place rugs near entrances to prevent slipping and falling and help control salt that will inevitably get tracked in.

•                    Make sure heating vents are clear of combustible material.

 

 

Obviously, the best place to be in a storm is safe and warm at home BUT your vehicle needs to be prepared also.  If evacuation becomes necessary your vehicle needs to be ready to transport you to safety. 

•                    Get a full tank of gas before the storm.  This will give you a little extra weight on the road and gas stations require power to pump gas. If the power and heat go out, vehicles can be used to warm people and charge cell phones, in short intervals, as long as the vehicle is in the open.

•                    Vehicle exhaust pipes should be clear of snow and ice to prevent exhaust into the vehicle cabin.

•                    Have a small snow shovel and ice scraper in the vehicle.

•                    Carry non-clumping kitty litter for traction.

•                    Emergency road kits need to be properly stocked with a working flashlight, flares, a first aid kit and a thermal blanket.

•                    Pack a small “winter- ready” bag in the vehicle; include warm clothes, boots, a blanket, water, non-perishable food and a can opener as required. 

 

 

 

 

Dog waste in our community

Once again one of our neighbors has been less than diligent in picking up dog waste.  This time the complaints are coming from the Seabreeze 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 their dogs and for being diligent.  And thanks to our concerned neighbors for pointing this out.