Heritage Harbour HOA, CDD try to work together

HERITAGE HARBOUR — After months of disagreements, two groups now will work toward common goals.

At the Heritage Harbour South Community Development District meeting Feb. 4, CDD supervisors and representatives of the Stoneybrook homeowner’s association agreed to hold monthly meetings 30 minutes before the start of the CDD’s regularly scheduled meetings. Starting next month, two CDD and two HOA representatives will meet to discuss landscape maintenance and other items of shared interest.

CDD supervisors and HOA representatives said an open-to-the-public forum would help inform residents on what the groups actually do and how money is being spent.

“It’s great to have both groups working together,” said Michelle Patterson, CDD vice chairwoman. “Like it or not, we’re all neighbors; we all pay into the CDD (and) we all pay into the HOA.”

Supervisor Lee Bettes suggested the joint HOA-CDD meeting, after supervisors discussed whether or not to accept a bid from landscape contractor, TruScapes. The HOA currently contracts with TruScapes on behalf of the CDD for the landscape maintenance within Stoneybrook; however, CDD supervisors felt residents were paying too much for services.

In January, residents of Stoneybrook assumed control of their homeowners association, previously led by the community’s developer, Lennar. Homeowners remain unclear about their role in handling items, such as maintaining landscaping responsibilities, because the HOA maintains common-area landscaping, and other assets, on behalf of the CDD.

“I don’t think anyone is quite sure who owns what,” said Tom Bakalar, HOA president. “But, I try to think of things from a resident’s point of view, how they would like things done. They don’t care about who owns what; they just want their property to look aesthetically pleasing and to know who to talk to if it doesn’t.”
Supervisors encourage community residents to attend the new meeting.

Representatives from both sides hope the meeting will foster a conversation that can tackle current and future issues in a cooperative environment.

“This is going to take a series of meetings,” Bakalar said. “But, I think if we can get two groups together communicating with each other, we should be able to resolve all the issues facing us. If we can’t communicate with each other, then we’re headed down the wrong road.”

MEETING TIME
Heritage Harbour South supervisors agreed to maintain a two-hour meeting time limit, despite extending their Feb. 4 meeting by 30 minutes.

Supervisors have consistently run over the self-imposed limit, prompting Supervisor Michelle Patterson to motion to eliminate the rule. No supervisors supported the motion.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].