The Deerwood Homeowners Association

I hope you have all enjoyed your summer and managed not to overheat! We had a lovely 4th of July Celebration with DCC which was truly a great community event.

I know we have all been hard at work trying to manage our yard thanks to the extreme weather we’ve experienced this year. Our Standards Committee, led by Tom Genest, is encouraging homeowners to tackle brown spots and dead grass as possible to keep our community “looking good”.

Your DIA Board and Property Manager have been busy with a variety of projects including paving, lighting, drainage, large tree trimming, exterior fence maintenance and managing common areas and intervening with properties that are not being maintained for one reason or another. The Landscape Co. has replaced some sod that died in common areas and replaced some plants that were not thriving. Herman, our DIA Maintenance person, has been replacing mailboxes and performing a number of smaller projects in the community including adding some new plants.

Ernie Cornehl has been doing a great job taking the lead on the Finance Co. from John Heijmans who managed it for years. Even with this economy, DIA finances continue to be strong. Our major vendors are working with us in our efforts to keep costs down.

We are beginning to look at the next Paving and Lighting phases and working within the guidelines of our Reserve Study.

Access Control continues to encourage everyone to keep their garage doors closed and their homes locked. Even though Deerwood is gated, it is important to take safety precautions.

William Kight, President

Property Manager’s Report

Greetings once again from Marsh Landing Management! The Phase 3 lighting project has been approved by the Board and we should start the installation process shortly. I will be working closely with the Lighting Committee and the contractors to ensure that the installation process goes smoothly and proceeds in a timely manner.

Starting on or about August 23rd we will resume the paving project that was delayed from last year due to some issues with the paving vendor. I have also been working with the Common Grounds Committee to identify other areas within the community that needs to be resurfaced and/or repaired. We will begin the repairs of the newly identified areas after the repairs from last year are completed. If you would like us to look at an area for possible repairs, please feel free to contact me.

One of the questions that I get asked often is “Do I have to contact the ARC to remove trees?” The answer is yes. The Access Control gates will not allow access to tree vendors unless they have been notified by the ARC that they have been authorized for the tree removal. If you need to have a tree removed from your property, please call Tobé Budner at 285-2519 and she will process your request quickly.

We hope that everyone had a great summer and as always, If anyone has any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at 273-3033.

Douglas Scott, CAM
Property Manager
Deerwood Improvement Association, Inc

A Note From Access Control : Vendor Rules

Our DIA contracts with First Coast Security Services and off-duty JSO officers provide for a number of access control services. One of the services is requiring vendors to comply with the rules established by DIA.

We require all vendors to have a valid U.S. Driver’s License before driving in Deerwood. This rule ensures a reasonable expectation they are driving legally and have insurance. The face of the Driver’s License is scanned into our record, where it remains during the business day. The Driver’s License Rule has been in effect since January 2010. The majority comply without any hesitation. As a resident, please do not ask Officers to make an exception for your particular situation.

Effective August 1st of this year, all vendors are required to have orange traffic cones. The cones must be placed to the front and rear of the vehicle / trailer when parked on the streets of Deerwood. This rule was posted 30 days prior to the requirement date of 8/1/10. We have cones available to rent for $5.00 per set, per day, should the service choose not to purchase their own cones. Obviously, the cone requirement provides and extra measure of safety for residents of Deerwood.

Finally, it is the resident’s responsibility to ensure they hire licensed and insured workers. This can avoid a huge liability finding should the worker be injured while performing work at your property. Companies with 3 or more, full or part time employees must file insurance with Florida Worker’s Compensation or have received an exemption from them. Do not hesitate to ask for verification of these requirements, prior to making an agreement to perform work. If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Joe Holliday
First Coast Security Services, 642-1633

Glynn Thomas, Access Control Chairman

Landscape Committee

Please consider joining our DIA Landscape Committee. We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 5PM at Deerwood Country Club. Our meeting are 9/14, 10/12, 11/9, and 12/14. Call us if you see an island or area that needs attention. We love your suggestions. Wave to and thank Herman, our DIA maintenance man, who is recuperating nicely. Herman has replaced many plants which died during the cold winter months. He planted beautiful new purple crape myrtles at our playground. Nanak did another cheerful bed at the Playground’s entrance.

This past summer’s heat was brutal on our lawns and trees. Many trees, especially short-lived black jack oaks, died. Please cut down your dead trees as we are still in hurricane season. Toppled trees can do tremendous damage. Consider replanting your lost trees with live oaks and hollies for large areas; ligustrums for small areas, and crape myrtles and bottle brushes for color. Don’t forget citrus trees for sunny areas! We have been enjoying grapefruits and oranges almost all year. They ripen at different seasons. They are beautiful trees that require little to no pruning and they are fragrant and fruitful. Just don’t forget the citrus fertilizer. Fall is around the corner, so consider a pumpkin or chrysanthemum on your front porch. A flat of annuals will go a long way at brightening your yard as will a larger pot or urn of plants of different heights, textures, and colors. A little effort supplies you and your neighborhood with endless beauty. Everyone can be a gardener and add color, plant, or tree to Deerwood. Happy digging!

Landscape Committee:
Committee Chair:
Holly Kartsonis

Members:
Jan Beadling
Judy Brown
Barbara Callaghan
Joanne Gebbia
Alice Henderson
Karen Merrell
Herb Monroe
Linda Ranes
Darlene Register
Martha Smih
Bob Still

Nanak Lawn and Garden Tips

September

Watch for sod webworm and army worm damage. These are lawn caterpillars that feed on grasses and usually are a problem on Bermuda and St. Augustine lawns. They will attack all types of lawns if the population is high enough. The grass will look as if it has been mowed very low. Treat damaged areas with an approved insecticide. It may not be necessary to treat your whole lawn for the worms. Spot-treating reduces the amount of insecticide being applied to the environment.
Begin planting a fall garden of tender vegetables such as beans, corn, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and watermelon in early August. Make the fall fertilizer application to the lawn in mid-to late September. Use a complete fertilizer. Use a fertilizer that has at least 30 percent or more slow-release nitrogen so all the nitrogen is not leached following a heavy rain. Apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine laws.
Watch for brown patch fungus disease, which attacks lawns when the weather is cool and wet. It is most commonly found in St. Augustine and zoysia lawns.
Fertilize shrubs and young trees for maximum growth and cold hardiness.
Fertilize palms.

October

If winter weeds were a problem last year, apply a pre-emergence herbicide to the lawn in early October. Be sure the herbicide is safe for the type of grass in your lawn. Read and follow all label directions. Lawns treated with pre-emergence herbicides cannot be over-seeded with rye grass, because the herbicide will stop the rye grass seed from germinating.
Watch for brown patch fungus disease in lawns.
Watch for chinch bug damage in St. Augustine lawns.

Hollie S. Anderson, Regional Vice President
Nanak’s Landscaping

Cares Committee

The “Cares Committee” is up and running and has had several planning sessions this summer! What follows is a brief synopsis of our initial priorities :

First and foremost, we plan to remember our families who have lost loved ones, have illness, or have new births in their families. We are a neighborhood and would like to offer support to our neighbors.
We plan to welcome new families to Deerwood with a welcome basket and a quarterly function, to be held at the Club, and in partnership with DWCC.
We plan to “Light Up Deerwood” for the holidays and will enhance our “Luminary Night” as well as participate in ushering in the Season with DWCC!
We plan to produce an updated “Resident Directory”. If you would like to be included in the Directory, please e-mail or fax the following information to Doug Scott at Marsh Landing Management. His contact information is as follows: dscott@marshlanding.org, Phone: 273-3033, Fax: 273-0933

Please include the following contact information to him by September 30, 2010!!

Name
Address
Home Phone Number (If you so desire)
Work Number(s) (If you so desire)
Cell Phone Number(s)
E-Mail Address or Addresses

If you have any questions, please contact Miffy Calhoun at 251-4415. Plan to join us at the September 15th meeting in the Clubhouse at 5:30 p.m.!

Treasurer Report

The DIA is on budget for the first 6 months of the year, actual slightly underspent by $35K versus a $1,160K budget through June 30. We are currently rebidding our liability insurance and hope to save some added money. Sadly there are still a number of owners who have not paid their association fees this year and in some cases previous years. Please get those payments in; if someone has short-term issues with making their payments, please call me or Doug Scott. We have taken legal actions against some of the more higher outstanding balance non-payers.

Our reserve funds are on target with the reserve study recommendations. We have started the installation of phase III of the street light project which will complete the heaviest traveled routes in Deerwood. The board has approved funding the phase IV lighting engineering which includes many of the smaller side streets. This will be done early in 2011. All lighting should be complete by year 2012. Monies have also been allotted for a current study to determine the next paving scope.

If there are any questions, please feel free to call me.

Ernie Cornehl, Treasurer

Standards Committee

The Standards Committee is often asked what steps are taken to ensure that the Covenants and Restrictions of Deerwood are adhered to. Each week a member of the Standards Committee inspects the community with the Property Manager. The inspections consist of looking for issues that violate the Covenants which include but are not limited to yard conditions, boats/trailers not parked in the boatyard, household and yard debris at the street, esthetic appearance of the home, disrepair of exterior items such as fences & motor courts, address signs and any other item that does not meet the standards set forth in the Governing Documents. Once an issue has been noticed, the homeowner is asked to take the necessary steps to correct the issue. If the issue has not been corrected in a timely manner, the homeowner is then requested to appear before the Enforcement Committee. At that time, the Enforcement Committee can either issue a fine or extend the homeowner more time to correct the issue. These procedures are established in the governing documents of Deerwood.

Many issues are brought to our attention by the Board and/or homeowners regarding such items as yard debris at the street. This has been an ongoing issue and we ask that you please do not leave yard debris at the street for pick-up. All homeowners in Deerwood pay a premium to Waste Pro to have their yard debris collected in the motor court area. By placing your yard debris at the street, you are detracting from the beauty of the community and Waste Pro is not performing the service that you pay them to do.

We know that this past winter was extremely difficult for landscaping and these hot summer days are not helping out either. There were many yards within the community that suffered severe damage but thanks to the hard work and dedication of many of our homeowners the damaged yards are starting to come back. There are still some yards in the community that are not meeting the standards of Deerwood and we are currently working to try and correct those issues.

Another question we receive is in regards to the homes that are currently under foreclosure. In an effort to help maintain the esthetic beauty of Deerwood, The Board has authorized basic lawn maintenance for these homes. All expenses for the upkeep are billed to the current homeowner (plus a fee).

We believe that the overall appearance of Deerwood is steadily improving due to the hard work of the homeowners, the Board of Directors and the Standards Committee. We greatly appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns and we look forward to helping Deerwood remain one of Jacksonville’s premier communities.

Tom Genest
Standards Committee Chairman

Pets Parasites & People

(Adapted from the CAPC Pamphlet of the same name and “Protecting Your Pets Protects Your Family”, CDC)

It is fairly common for a dog or cat to become infected with internal or external parasites at some point. Some parasites can infect and transmit diseases to you and your family.

Be responsible:

Use a preventive flea and tick treatment;
Have puppies and kittens dewormed at an early age;
Avoid possibly contaminated soil, sand, plants and other areas;
Keep play areas, lawns and gardens free of animal waste;
Bag and dispose of pet feces;
Cover sandboxes when not in use.

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