For those who may not be aware, or for those who haven't received the mailings that were supposed to be sent out by First Energy, they are planning a line project. First Energy is planning on using their existing easement for the new poles/lines, which does run through part of PMLE (Section 7 explicitly). For those that have properties near the current pipeline, there may be a need for First Energy to try and obtain additional easement. The properties that can, or may be affected are on Ledgeway Drive, a few that are on Mountain Top Drive and a few on Mountain Top Court. If anyone wants any additional information, I've provided the "mailer" which states what they are doing, and below I'm providing an 888 number to contact First Energy directly to ask any questions. Contact First Energy about this project: 888-311-4737 To view the information from First Energy's website: Click Here No matter your stance on this project, whether for or against, it is in your best interest to be armed with as much knowledge as possible. Questions that have been asked, and FE's response:
Merry Christmas PMLE! Hoping that you are enjoying time with family, if applicable and Santa brought you everything you wanted. We hope you fill your day with laughter, good food and, well, the best Christmas movies ever, such as Die Hard, Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story to name a few!
Of course, with weather rolling in and a forecast of 1-5 inches and some ice, this is a great time to get out some reminders. At the end of these reminders, we also have some information from the Township, which will be provided at the end.
Winter Reminders:
Finally, the township has asked us to get word out of a survey they are doing. Please take a few moments to read over the attached flyer, follow the link and take the survey. They are also requesting that members of the Township attend the December 6th Public Workshop. Our current bus stop for the DVSD is under review after some driver and bus company feedback. Following some safety concerns, the bus company has asked us to specifically relay their concerns to our community parents, informing them of what should and should not be happening (some of these items have been clearly stated before, but now requires some urgency).
As we wind down Summer and get ready to head into fall, the Board of Directors would like to provide some reminders in relation to dues and the upcoming vote for the new Board of Directors nominees. Upcoming Vote: Sometime this week you should be receiving, via mail, a single page letter with details on voting eligibility, date/time and address of the meeting, as well as who the nominees are. We attaching a copy of this letter to this announcement in case anyone misplaces theirs, it gets ruined, etc. Some things to consider in relation to your vote. The first to consider are the rules. If you are not a member in good standing, meaning paid up to date, and current on your dues, by the end of the day prior to the vote, then your vote will not be counted. This is whether you are paying via payment plan or in full and includes any back dues that you owe (unless your back dues are on a payment plan and being paid currently). The meeting for vote will be held on September 10th at 10:00 AM EST. We will open the meeting as usual and ask for volunteers to count the vote and provide us the results. While the vote is being counted, we will run through all necessary PMLE business, announcements and information. Annual Dues: For the 2022/2023 dues year, PMLE has put into place some automation in relation to our debt collection practices and a new policy in relation to dues payments, which we've announced at prior meetings and in newsletters. PMLE dues are now considered late after 90 days and immediately move to our collection vendor, Creditech. When they reach Creditech, they will do their due diligence to collect on that debt for a short time. After that time frame has been exhausted, they will send a list of members to the Board of Directors to review and approve. That list will be for legal pursuit of monies. Per our by-laws, any legal costs we incur, will be paid by the member(s) and added to their bill. What does this mean? Well, for the 2022/2023 dues year, if dues aren't up to date, or an arrangement to make right on current annual dues hasn't been made with the board, on September 2nd, 2022 you will be put into collections with Creditech. Now, this decision wasn't made lightly. This current board has spent countless hours trying to curb our debt, we've even solicited suggestions from members at meetings. We've sent individual letters to members extending an olive branch for them to create a payment plan with us, or make deals on the debt they owe to no avail. We've sought advice from a lawyer and after seeing our yearly income versus our mounting debt, he advised us we have no choice but to follow a legal course of action. So, here we are. We are now moving forward with 2 different legal teams to try and get our debt into a manageable space. The unfortunate side effect to this is that we have members who think the correct course of action is to raise dues. That's great and, in theory, works, however, the problem with that mentality is that we shove the burden of the community's costs onto the members doing the right thing and for every paying member we have .25 members who do not pay (yes, this is a real number). This simply isn't fair. The board doesn't have the contractor lift the plow in front of the non-paying members lots/houses. The board doesn't neglect the roads in front of these lots/houses. Further, let's be honest. If we continue on a cycle of raising dues, eventually more and more people get frustrated with that and they themselves stop paying, increasing the debt that the community carries over every year. So, for the short term, we tighten our belts on costs, we eliminate any waste in our budget and we move forward trying to make the best decisions based on our current fdollars, current debt, percentage of paying vs non-paying, year over year return and a little intelligent forecasting/projections. I'm sure that this is seen as an "unpopular" way to do business. However, it takes so much time to try and collect, through letters, eventually receiving no response. Phone numbers of members are either outdated or non-existent so phone calls aren't worth the effort. Emails would be great, but only a small fraction provide that data. We even have issues with members updating us when they change addresses. It's a non-stop vicious cycle that takes a lot of time and effort to try and keep our member list up to date, let alone chase the monies owed to us. With all of this being said, please note that September 2nd is only a few short days away and we encourage those of you not in good standing to reach out to the board via email or phone to work out an arrangement. The prospect of having to take neighbors to court, seize assets, put liens on homes, etc. is not very thrilling to any of us and can be avoided by talking with us. Finally, we know that many new members have moved in and look forward to seeing some new faces at the meeting. We hope that with the influx of new members we see some additional activity within the community, newer members stepping up to lend a hand within the community and fresh ideas to keep this community moving forward. ![]()
It is that time of the year where we are going to be closing our fiscal year and start with the new fiscal year. This post is to provide you with information to help you in paying your upcoming Berkheimer bill, paying any arrears that you may owe through Creditech and to notify you of changes. We're outlining the information below to make it easier for you to navigate/understand.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Dues information below:
Annual Dues Payment: Please be reminded that your annual dues payment is considered severely late and is accruing penalty fees. Please remit your payment in full to Berkheimer at your earliest convenience to ensure no further penalty applies. Quarterly Dues Payment: Please remit your quarterly installment to Berkheimer by March 10th, 2022. If payment is not received by this date, your account will accrue penalty fees. This is your final payment for the 2021/2022 dues year. New dues statements do not go out until mid-May. Berkheimer Payment/Contact: By Mail: HAB-MISC PO Box 21450 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002 By Phone: (610) 588-5765 By Email Pay Online (Under "Per Capita Tax, Real Estate Tax & Utility Bill Payments (HAB-MISC))
Finally, the board asks that you all gain a perspective and learn some patience. The board exists because they are adamant about preserving PMLE's little slice of the Pocono's. They understand that this isn't a NY or NJ suburban neighborhood where we're installing sidewalks and streetlights. Each and every board member has their own social life, families, events and activities. They volunteer to be members because they want to do their part within this community. Therefore, respect them, their lives, their time, their privacy, etc. They don't do this because they are paid well, let alone even getting paid at all. Our contractor asked us to put the word out about the road conditions. Many of the secondary and tertiary roads are very slick. Temperatures are below freezing and what the salt is melting is just refreezing on the roads. He is going to continue treating the roads, hoping that the weather does warm up throughout the day. Please bear in mind that tomorrow we're supposed to see a high of 18 degrees, which will bring about another round of possible ice on the roads. Please use the utmost caution while traversing PMLE's roads.
As we're all aware, winter can be pretty harsh in the Pocono area, or, it can blow by without many incidents. That being said, we got our first little bit of snow in the form of a "dusting" the other day, therefore, it's the perfect time to put out some reminders to our members.
Finally, we hope that every single member of PMLE 5,6,7 remains safe through this winter. Dues information below:
Annual Dues Payment: Please be reminded that your annual dues payment is considered late and is accruing penalty fees. Please remit your payment in full to Berkheimer at your earliest convenience to ensure no further penalty applies. Quarterly Dues Payment: Please remit your quarterly installment to Berkheimer by December 10th, 2021. If payment is not received by this date, then your account will automatically start accruing penalty fees. Your next payment due date is on March 10th, 2022. Berkheimer Payment/Contact: By Mail: HAB-MISC PO Box 21450 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002 By Phone: (610) 599-3142 By Email Pay Online (Under "Per Capita Tax, Real Estate Tax & Utility Bill Payments (HAB-MISC)) Good evening PMLE 5,6,7. Please be advised that we have a tree company coming in to take down some troublesome trees at the end of September. Particularly, September 27th and September 28th (weather permitting). We've identified 10 trees that are immediate threats to the power lines and our roads. Therefore, we ask that you be vigilant and careful on these days so that our contractor and their employees remain safe.
Further, we'd like to remind every single home and lot owner that trees are your responsibility to remove, not the HoA's. If you have trees overhanging our roads, with the potential to damage our roads, damage vehicles in transit on our roads, or endanger the lives of pedestrians walking our roads, we encourage you to take measures to ensure that doesn't happen. The upkeep of your property is your responsibility. With that being said, not all trees require a professional tree service and there are many people in here who burn wood through the winter, who'd likely lend a hand for the wood. Last but not least, there are a few volunteers who will be out on our roads to cut back brush, limb trees, etc. To make life easier on the plow contractor as well as the safety of PMLE traffic, we'll be pushing back trees and brush approximately 2-3 feet on either side of the road. We have to allow our plow contractor enough room to keep our roads wide enough for oncoming traffic (both ingress and egress). We are unsure the type of winter we'll get here in the Poconos, but as we all know, a chance at 30+ inches of snow isn't out of the realm of possibility. Please ensure the safety of our volunteers by driving safely, following the community speed limit and staying alert. Many members of this community have had the opportunity to meet Eddie in one way or another. Whether it be for his community volunteer efforts, willingness to help out a neighbor in need or even likable personality. We remember the effort Eddie gave to this small community, neighbors and coaching kids soccer. Therefore, as a "community event" announcement, we are hoping that this post can help Becky and the Gratcofsky family generate a little additional exposure. We ask that if you have the ability to donate, or the time to attend the fundraising event in Eddie's honor, please do so. The scholarship fund is for a great cause in honor of a great man.
Event Details: Coach Eddie Gratcofsky Memorial Scholarship Fund Where: SideStreet Bar & Grill Address: 124 Dingmans Court, Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328 Date/Time: Saturday, September 25th, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST. For tickets to the event, or just donating to the cause, please go to: Scholarship Fund Good morning PMLE members. With the coming winter, PMLE needs to ensure that there is enough of an easement for snow removal, as well as keeping the roads wide enough for oncoming traffic. Therefore, we are making this announcement to all home and lot owners within this community, providing some reminders. Our roads and the easement need to remain clear of overhanging trees (canopy), thick brush and bushes. Therefore, we ask that all home and lot owners adhere to the following:
Last, but not least, the PMLE 5,6,7 Board of Directors would like to thank the few volunteers that have opted to donate their time to this community. Without our volunteers, community costs would be significantly higher, which in turn, means that dues would be significantly higher as well. Therefore, please accept our appreciation in helping to keep the dues low for all of us and our personal thank you as well for the effort you put in. Good morning PMLE. Below are some reminders and storm updates.
Dues information below:
Annual Dues Payment: Please be reminded that your annual dues payment is considered late and is accruing penalty fees. Please remit your payment in full to Berkheimer at your earliest convenience to ensure no further penalty applies. Quarterly Dues Payment: Please remit your quarterly installment to Berkheimer by September 10th, 2021. If payment is not received by September this date, then your account will start to accrue late fees. Your next payment due date is by December 10th, 2021. Berkheimer Payment/Contact: By Mail: HAB-MISC PO Box 21450 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002 By Phone: (610) 588-5765 By Email Pay Online (Under "Per Capita Tax, Real Estate Tax & Utility Bill Payments (HAB-MISC)) Good morning PMLE 5,6,7 members. Can you believe that it's almost July? Can you believe that our September meeting is only a few months off? We can't, either! However, PMLE 5,6,7 Community Association has persevered through a nationwide and worldwide pandemic, whereas many things were closed down and fellow neighbors lost their jobs. We survived a new POTUS and a change in policies. We're surviving higher costs of goods, including fuel, building supplies and even food. We survived a pretty brutal winter, where snowfall amounts exceeded 3 feet. Not only did we survive, or are we surviving these, but we also survived necessary changes to how we do business as an entity. So, I ask you, what can't the PMLE 5,6,7 Community Association survive?
All jokes aside, it is nearing July and this our time of year where we ask if any community members are willing to step up and donate their time to keep this community running, whether through being a board member or a committee member. To help you make a decision, we'll outline some necessary requirements, as well as the time you may need to donate below.
If looking to join a committee, please send us an email with your full name, lot number, address, phone number and the committee you are interested in. Click HERE to email us! Good evening all PMLE 5,6,7 Residents! This communication is to keep the residents of PMLE 5,6,7 in the loop regards to roadwork, as well as make the membership aware of a budget revision and meeting reschedule. Budget Revision: For 2021, we had originally set the roadwork budget at $55,000, with the intention of trying to tackle a few more secondary and tertiary roads. However, necessity has forced us to reassess and review previous years costs involving maintenance, pothole repair (whether volunteers with cold patch or a professional company), traffic volume and best possible use of community monies. Therefore, we increased the 2021/2022 roadwork budget to $70,000. Attached to this post is the revised and most current budget based on the above mentioned changes. That leads us into roadwork for 2021. 2021 Roadwork Plan: For 2021 we've decided to resurface the entire 2 miles of Mountain Top Drive, from Hillside Drive to Port Drive. However, this is a 2 phased approach that will take place through the next couple of weeks, or months (depending on scheduling/weather). We have taken this approach due to the historical costs of the previous 6 years, which were band aids, at best, as the road has been degrading/deteriorating rapidly over the last couple of years. Part of this is due to the amount of traffic seen on this road, which we cannot control, as this road services part of Section 6 residents and all of Section 7 residents. It is, ultimately, the most used road in this community with the highest amount of traffic. The way the phases will work are listed below:
Once we have the schedule set and in place, we will certainly make another announcement to let the community know, so that each of you can plan your traveling accordingly. June 26, 2021 Board Meeting: The board, in it's majority, will be unable to attend the June 26th Board Meeting. Therefore, at this time, we're tentatively rescheduling that meeting for July 24th, 2021. Historically, attendance for summer meetings has been low, but for the 26th meeting, we have too many board members who will not be in attendance due to personal obligations. However, with COVID restrictions being lifted in many areas, we expected that this would happen. So, if we are running into a similar issue for July, we're going to see if we can host a remote meeting, whereas, any questions from the board can be submit prior to the meeting via email. Please note, that we will certainly keep the community apprised of the situation as we progress through the summer. Finally, we'd like to thank those who have been patient and understanding in relation to roadwork. We sincerely appreciate it. For all others, it shouldn't need to be reminded that PMLE 5,6,7 Community Association has quite a few miles of road to maintain and some of those roadways are older than a lot of the people living here. The board needs to carefully weigh our budget (money on hand), upcoming bills, traffic on road surfaces, etc. It's not a fickle decision that can be made on a whim. |
PMLE BoardInformation and news brought to you by the Board of Directors for PMLE 5,6,7. Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|