2020/2021 - Community Affairs

Good evening to all of our PMLE 5, 6, 7 members/neighbors. We hope that this message receives you in good health, safe and maintaining your sanity during these troubling times. We have a lot of announcements to get to and provide to you.

With a lot of uncertainty around us, The PMLE 5, 6, 7 Board of Directors has been monitoring the state of affairs outside of our little sanctuary (the mountain), at the township, State and even National level, with little hope for improvement, in the short term. In fact, we believe that once some semblance of normalcy comes about, our “new normal” may be drastically changed going forward. It is for this reason that the Board of Directors has been working tirelessly to change how we do business and perform day to day functions, as well as evaluate our annual dues collection and policies. So, while we outline some things that don’t necessarily affect you, overall, there are others that may very well affect you.

1. The PMLE 5, 6, 7 Board of Directors have been discussing the hardships that our neighbors have been hit with, in relation to health issues/complications, loss of income, or even the rising cost of goods. We want to remind you that in addition to being your elected Board Members, many of us are close friends, direct neighbors and in some cases, like family. Which is why we worked hard to enact a plan of action to help alleviate that burden and relieve some further stress that you may be experiencing. To do that, the Board of Directors has opted to include an additional payment system for our dues collection. We, as friends and/or neighbors, do not want to see any of our members struggle. In May of 2020, your annual dues bill will contain 2 ways to pay your bill. You’ll have the option to pay your entire annual dues bill, as in previous years, or via 4 quarterly payments. As we near the date of our mailings, additional information will be posted on the PMLE 5,6,7 website.
   1. Pay In Full. As in previous years, you’ll be able to pay your dues bill in full. Nothing ultimately changes with this option, in fact, if you can afford it, we would appreciate you utilizing this option, as we still have to keep this HoA afloat.
   2. Quarterly Payments. New for the 2020/2021 year, we’re offering the means for all members, to pay their annual dues via 4 equal quarterly payments. Included with the first statement, you will now see a series of payment “coupons” for the quarterly payments. If a member opts to use this method, in order to be enrolled, you MUST make your first installment by the date on your bill from Berkheimer, June 1st. If you miss this payment, you will be subject to being billed the full annual dues amount, including the appropriate penalties/fees.
   3. How to Pay.
      1. Mail. As in previous years, you can pay your entire annual dues bill, or quarterly payment by mailing your check/money order directly to Berkheimer’s address on the bill.
      2. Phone. Your bill will also include a phone number that you can call to pay your bill over the phone, may include applicable fees.
      3. Electronic. You will also be able to pay your bill online, directly on Berkheimer’s website, HERE. You have 2 options to pay which is either an ACH Transaction (Checking/Savings Account) or via Credit/Debit Card. Please keep in mind to read the website’s information, as fees may apply.
2. Due to the turbulent times we are experiencing, road work, for the 2020/2021 year is being scaled back. We are doing this, for many reasons, which include variables such as finances and the unknown status of our business partners and/or contractors. However, we have a short list of roads that are in dire need of work, essentially are smaller projects that we can accommodate and plan to initiate. Therefore, the following road work will commence through the month of April/May:
   1. Hillside Ct. For those that live on Hillside Ct., please be advised that your road will be re-surfaced and proper drainage installed. The road will remain a gravel/stone road.
   2. View Ct./Crest Rd. (Cul-de-sac). For those that live on View Ct./Crest Rd., please be advised that your road will be resurfaced and proper drainage installed. The road will remain a gravel/stone road.
   3. Ledgeway Dr. (Dead End). For those that live at the end/top of Ledgeway Dr., please be advised that your road will be re-surfaced, removing/hammering large rocks and proper drainage installed. The road will remain a gravel/stone road.
   4. Potholes. We are fully aware that potholes have crept up through the winter. We are trying to get a company in to give us a quote, however, if we cannot do that, we are looking into getting some community volunteers together to put in cold patch, or stone, at the very least.
3. The Board of Directors has adopted a digital only process in handling resale certifications. This process was put into place to protect our Board Members from unnecessary exposure and from taking unnecessary risks, all while expediting and streamlining the process for our realtor partners. This isn’t the only process to be evaluated, or changed, however, it’s the first being implemented at this time.
4. The PMLE 5, 6, 7 Board of Directors, understands that information needs to be relayed to you, our members, typically via the quarterly Board of Directors meetings. However, with the current state of affairs, social distancing and stay at home orders, we are at a standstill. We are trying to work this out and do not have a solution to date, but we know that our biggest meeting is in September, especially with voting to be carried out. We are looking at a couple of options for member engagement, which may include online/digital voting, online meetings that include member interaction via live streaming, etc. As we have more information, we will certainly include you keeping you in the loop. However, please note that these suggestions/ideas are in their infancy stage to see what we can do, without spending any money. We are creating these plans, because, quite frankly, we don’t know how long this will last.

On a more personal note, we, as in the Board of Directors, hope that you can see we are here to work with you, make the right decisions to keep you, as well as ourselves, safe and healthy during this time, without adding undue, or unnecessary stress. We encourage you to use our website as much as possible for all informational needs. We will continually keep you updated right here, as the situation progresses, new information becomes available, etc.

At this time, we’d also like to thank some of our neighbors, personally, for their efforts to maintain our community. Special thank you goes out to Rob M. for brush and tree work that he’s done, as well as to Jennifer B and Tenley for picking up trash on a walk and to the neighbor we won’t name, who is filling potholes to help out the community. Its neighbors like this that keep our community costs low, while working to maintain our community’s natural beauty.

As always we welcome community involvement, by means of volunteering or running for a board seat. If any of these interest you, or now with the stay at home orders in place you can devote more time, please reach out to any board member asking your questions, or offering your assistance. If you want to join the PMLE 5, 6, 7 Board, please create a small bio about yourself and send it via email to any board member. This bio will go out with our voting materials, for all members to see. If you want to volunteer for a committee, please reach out to any committee member or board member to be signed up.

Finally, we end this long post, with the prospect that all of our PMLE 5, 6, 7 family/friends/neighbors stay healthy and well, stay safe and do our parts as best as we can to keep the community moving forward, while being neighborly and maintaining our sanity. Remember, if you need any assistance, please reach out to fellow neighbors and where appropriate, your board.
 
Sincerely,

PMLE 5, 6, 7 Board of Directors
Kim W., Renee W. John B., Jay S. and Bob S.