Neighborhood Association Meeting
The Southfield Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting and Election will is Tuesday January 5th beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Commons. At that time we will hold elections for President, Secretary, Director A, and Director C. Any Active member is eligible to vote. If you aren’t able attend the meeting but would still like to vote the ballot is attached. Please fill it out this ballot, put it in an envelope with your name on the outside, and give it to someone attending the meeting. For those attending the meeting please print out a ballot and bring it with you. We’ll have limited numbers at the meeting.
After the election we will be joined by Phyllis DeLaricheliere from the Eventide project. She will give us an overview of what their project will become and their progress with construction.
Master HOA
We all knew this day would come. L Star has informed our Association that they will be organizing the Southfield Landowners Association (this may or may not become the actual name) which will be the Master HOA for all of Southfield. It will be this coming Landowners Association that, similar to those already in an HOA, will maintain the parks, roads, and other community property currently being maintained by L Star as the development grows. The Landowners Association will work closely with but be separate from our Neighborhood Association. Our Neighborhood Association is an organization created to represent the political interests of the residents of Southfield and will continue to do that.
Within the coming months you’ll receive a letter from L Start in the mail giving notice that they’ll be creating this Master HOA. A meeting date will be part of this notice (Meeting date not set yet). All residents are invited and encouraged to attend this meeting. At this meeting we will be presented with a budget.
L Star has said that they will initially honor the Master Association rates that were being advertised by LNR when we all first moved here. For those in a Townhome or Cottage the rate will be $19-$29 per month on top of any current HOA fee you pay. For those in single family homes you will begin to pay $48 per month.
SRA personnel
Luckily the politics of Southfield have been quiet lately. Once the legislation passed the new SRA BOD began the hard work of implementing the new legislation. So far their work has either had a neutral or positive impact on the residents that live here. That may soon change. The SRA is in the process of amending the Employee Handbook and reviewing their personnel needs. Both of these items will be on the SRA BOD agenda at their January 11th meeting.
These two items become issues because as what was formerly the SSTTDC becomes the new SRA, the expenses and income become much smaller. Thus every unnecessary expense is magnified because of a smaller tax base. As the legislation was being amended the vision was for a smaller, slimed down redevelopment authority. We need to make sure that that vision is put in place. While the personnel review has already began, it isn’t finished. There may come a day in the coming month or two where we will need the help of the residents to remind the SRA Board that we will not allow a return to bloated bureaucracy that was the SSTTDC. Stay tuned.