11-01-13 To: All FMNR HOA Members Re: General Communication Good Day! As always, we sincerely hope this communication finds you and your family doing very well! We hope you enjoy reading this general communication letter covering a host of miscellaneous subjects presented in random order. Distribution of Notice of HOA Meeting and Proxy : Annual distribution of the Notice of HOA Meeting and Proxy did occur on 10-29-13 via e-mail and mail, where applicable to all FMNR HOA Members. Please understand that both of these notices are standard procedures and are distributed every year. There will not be any subject that needs to be voted on at the upcoming HOA General Meeting which will be held on Friday, December 6, 2013. Automated External Defibrillator AED & CPR Training Status & Report: We would like to share a status update and report concerning the purchase of the AED and the subsequent CPR / AED training. We would like to personally thank and congratulate 2 member families Trish & Dean Carter and Sylvia & Donald Rifkin for their incredible efforts which resulted in a better equipped development by having an AED on site and a better prepared owner group who has gone thru the training!!! Throughout this lengthy process the Carter s & Rifkin s not only identified this as a worthy endeavor but worked thru every facet of the program with diligence, focus, great communication and a true sense of community. We applaud the efforts and hope you join us in thanking these families for their love of and compassion of all FMNR Families. As you will see below, the members in the community who so graciously gave to the cause and then took the training courses are to be thanked as well. Below is a Copy & Paste of the Final Report and Status submitted by the Carter s & Rifkin s of this project. Apologies for length, but we think you will not only benefit from reading this but also find the value of the AED & training and finally enjoy a slice of how a community is supposed to be work!! Their report is below:
AED/CPR Final Report and Status Our travel down this lengthy path began on January 30th of this year, when Dean and Trish Carter made a presentation to the FMNR Advisory Committee. At that meeting, it was decided the expenditure and effort of purchasing an AED would best be suited for a community fundraiser. We quickly took up this challenge and organized a series of fundraising events that coincided with educating the community about the importance and need for an AED. Fundraising events were held in May, June and September with major assistance from those who provided non-cash donations. Also, we received individual cash donations intermittently throughout this period, including property owners who mailed us donations. Total cash donations collected were $4,109.00. Total non-cash donations were $401.00. We then purchased our ZOLL PLUS AED, cabinet and supplies for $1,760.00. This is a significant savings over the regular price, thanks to a small grant program award that Trish Carter applied for successfully. After the AED arrived, we mounted it inside the restroom vestibule at Lake George Lodge, while getting the entry code changed to 0911(thanks to Dean Carter). While we awaited the AED's arrival, we began planning for the second phase of our project, which was getting as many residents as possible trained in CPR and familiarized with the AED. We had an overwhelming interest and response, training 60 of our residents over three separate days! All of these residents now possess an American Heart Association two-year certification. This training (and one booklet) cost us $1,932.00. We are not planning any more training in the near future, however; use of an AED by itself, is as simple as turning it on and following the voice prompts. To this end, we have attached a short (8 minute) video (link) supplied with the AED that will demonstrate its use. Now that the project has concluded, we will remain responsible for inspecting it on a regular basis, and maintaining it as necessary. The AED cabinet has a local alarm that will sound (only within the Lodge) whenever the door is opened, and will stop upon being closed. Additionally, as recommended by the American Heart Association, a CPR/AED training manual is maintained inside the cabinet. The AED is enclosed inside a case within the cabinet and contains a pediatric electrode pad, several mouth barrier devices, and additional emergency supplies that may be required when utilizing it. There are two reminders affixed to the AED directing anyone who
may use it (or find any problem with it) to contact us, so we may return it to full operation as soon as possible. We have a remaining balance of $417.00, which we will retain for replacing the batteries, the electrode pads (which exceed $100 each), and/or any other supplies or accessories. In order to remain completely transparent regarding the funds collect and dispersed, Donald Rifkin maintains a complete file and spread sheet, which may be viewed by any resident upon appointment. In conclusion, we would like to thank every resident and property owner that supported this project through their donations (cash and non-cash) and/or attended the training. We feel confident the successful fundraising and training efforts supports our initial belief that this was, and is, a very important and worthwhile endeavor. One that, while we hope will never need to be used, could someday save one of our lives. The AED PROJECT TEAM Dean Carter Trish Carter Donald Rifkin Sylvia Rifkin Below is a picture of the AED encased in a cabinet built by the team and mounted in the Lodge bathroom hallway:
Fireworks: We wanted to address a subject that has surfaced recently concerning the discharging of fireworks within FMNR. We are announcing today that no fireworks will be allowed to be discharged on common areas for several reasons including fire risk, safety and noise pollution concerns. Examples of common areas are the Lodge, trails & parks. Please understand that we are not outlawing fireworks throughout FMNR, but rather only outlawing fireworks on common areas. For any private property firework shows, we would simply ask that you consider not only size & volume of your firework selection but certainly be conscious of fire hazards at the time of discharging. Language not allowing fireworks at the Lodge has been added to the Lodge Reservation Form and we appreciate you understanding this decision. Speeding: A subject that we have discussed before and will continue to consistently mention is that of speeding in and around FMNR. This consistent reminder message is solely based and centered upon the safety of all owners and we think it is vital to highlight that we have so many owners walking, hiking, biking and riding around in golf carts and UTV s that for our community, the risk of speeding only increases the dangers. As a reminder, the speed limit on Hobbstown Road as you enter the front of FMNR is 30 mph. The speed limit inside the gates of FMNR is 25 mph. We are simply asking that all owners abide by the speed limits and possibly consider driving under the speed limits for increased safety! Letters with this same message are being mailed to all Builders actively building homes in FMNR and we are asking that they demand that all subs and suppliers abide by these speed limits as well. We would also like to mention speeding on the trails and urge all owners to slow down and use caution while driving on the trails. Further and worth noting is the fact that aggressive driving on the trails tends to cause increased trail deterioration as well as be a hazard to other users. We want all owners, whether on Hobbstown Rd., inside FMNR or on the trails to slow down, be safe and enjoy the surroundings! Below is the closest speed limit sign on Hobbstown Rd. just prior to entering FMNR:
Stocking of Golden shiners in Lakes: On Friday, October 11 th the HOA completed the second scheduled activity in regards to the lakes for the 2013 HOA fiscal year as Southeast Pond Management delivered and released over 10,000 golden shiners in Lake George & Freedom Lake. This fall stocking of shiners will give the fish in both lakes significant forage opportunities and should continue to contribute to making our overall fish quality increase. Below are pictures from the most recent stocking of golden shiners:
Opening of Top of the Falls Trail & Park : We are thrilled to announce the official opening of a hiking only trail named Top of the Falls Trail & Park. This newest trail is located on the south side of Stone Creek and parking is right next to Mother s Bridge. This short hiking trail meanders under the canopy of outstanding hemlocks and right now if you look close enough you will see where a whitetail deer buck has rubbed one of the smaller trees on the trail see if you can find that!! The trail ends at the bluff where we have installed railing and Caution signs. We would like to stress to all owners that this is a bluff area and caution should be taken by all visitors. A bench will be installed soon - we hope you will go & visit the newest trail as it is simply outstanding!! A couple of pictures from the trail plus the trail sign:
Advisory Committee 2014: As of writing of this communication today, we are unsure of the exact rotation and any changes to the Advisory Committee for 2014 with the exception of one. We do know that John Gray will no longer be serving on the AC due to work location changes. With this said, we would like to welcome any interested owners to send us an e-mail at fmnr@landintennessee.com letting us know if you would be interested in serving on the 2014 AC. Additionally, we encourage any owners considering it to reach out to current AC members and talk with them about the group, process, meetings, etc. We, the Board of Directors, continue to gain critical insight and true assistance from the AC and we value their participation.
Upcoming Communications: FYI Below are upcoming communications that will be distributed in the near future: - Advisory Committee Meeting Notes: There was an Advisory Committee Meeting held on 10-29-13 and as we have this year we will distribute short hand minutes / notes of all topics discussed from this meeting once they are composed. - Late November HOA Meeting Communication: As we did last year, we will distribute a very detailed communication piece in late November that will cover the following two subjects: 1. Review of 2013 FMNR HOA Fiscal Year to Date using Projected Expense Report along with detailed explanation. 2. Preview and discussion of 2014 FMNR HOA Budget As demonstrated last year, this late November communication will actually contain much more detailed information per each line item with the 2013 Review and 2014 Preview than will be covered during the General HOA Meeting. Last year s communication was met with very positive comments regarding not only the timing of the communication (prior to HOA Meeting) but also the opportunity that owners had to thoroughly review all material at their leisure. We sincerely hope you find value in the transparency and detail of this upcoming report, especially the members who cannot attend the General HOA Meeting. In closing, we would like to thank all the volunteer owner members who have so graciously worked on everything from gates, trails, fences, bridges and parks this year!! For those of you who have not seen FMNR recently and do not live here, it is hard to convey and communicate how great everything with the Resort looks especially after a year where we have experienced record rainfall amounts!!! Without question, all of the focus, planning and work that has been
done the past couple of years in regards to roadsides and ditches have certainly proved this year to have a significant return on investment as the condition of our roads and ditches, given the rainfall amounts, are very good. Furthermore, the consistent trail work performed, specifically the adding of culverts to low spots, has truly resulted in our trails staying in far better shape as well. Overall FMNR truly does look fantastic and progress continues to occur. Currently there are 5 beautiful new homes under construction in FMNR and several more that will be starting very soon! The pictures below are from a bluff view home under construction currently is this a decent view or what???!!!!!
The leaves are just now starting to deliver their much anticipated show of color and the entire grounds of FMNR, from entrance thru roads, trails and parks are in good shape and simply very inviting!! We appreciate your time in reading thru this communication and hope to see you on the mountain soon! Land In Tennessee, LLC. We leave you with a few images below of Fall from FMNR we hope you enjoy!