Members | Forest Lakes Country

Member+

The Member+ option provides residents who’ve requested an increase to our Membership rate the ability to do so while simultaneously building our reserves for protection.

For any residents who volunteer $125 or more, all additional money above the $100 base fee will go directly to the Covenant Defense Fund (CDF) (the Member+ option includes your regular membership)
The Member+ resident will receive a gold sticker for display as a visible symbol of our commitment to residents and non-residents who travel to and through our area.

JOIN AS A REGULAR MEMBER

Regular Member

The Regular membership rate of $100 is the qualifying amount to become a Member. With the Regular Membership, homeowners will also raise awareness of our area’s commitment to work together.

Residents pay $100 for a Regular Membership
The Regular Membership resident will receive a green sticker for display. Membership is essential and keeps our neighborhood functioning and thriving.

Running a homeowner/neighborhood association is easily a full-time job.

It takes a full Board, as well as the Ambassadors, Committee Chairs & Volunteers to do so properly. Each October, when we begin our Membership drive, we strive to identify the work that’s done on your behalf.

To begin - Forest Lakes is made up of 401 properties. In addition, we work with our associate friends/members in Glenna Lane and Village Green. To add to our focus, is a public golf course which exists in the heart of our neighborhood. Thus, our attention must also be directed to their efforts (as related to the maintenance and business direction they take which can have a direct financial impact on our neighborhood).

In as much, we run this as a non-profit organization, which it is, and so we do not take this responsibility lightly. However, please remember your neighbors are doing this as volunteers, with no real benefit to themselves, except the satisfaction that they are working for us all, with the intent to protect and maintain our community and to increase our property values. Read below to see the HOA Board work being done on your behalf.

County Outreach

Completed all work related to the year+ long County Grant submittal deadline. (This brought the Forest Lakes signage, plantings along Beneva, & Tanglewood Ditch) and Insuring permit compliance.
Coordinated with County the removal of multiple larges tree which fell throughout neighborhood. After Helene, this work continues.
Continuous communications with County administrators on the following issues:
- Sewage damage, the Force Main Project, sink hole repair, street sign damage (ongoing), errant yard debris drops, continual speeding on Beneva Raceway

Biannual Resident Events

In response to resident requests, the Board continues to arrange annual/biannual events to keep you informed of the county and area activities.
Upcoming event for residents (South Gate Center)- Guest Speaker to speak about development threats to our county and the Comprehensive Plan in place to defend against errant development.
Annual Meeting Commissioner with Commissioner Mark Smith.
June Meeting with Selby Presentation.

Golf Course Preservation Committee

Researched related documents to avoid repeat legal inquiries and conserve money. When necessary, work with legal advisors to ascertain appropriate actions, language, strategies and tasks to protect/defend Forest Lakes legal Covenant with the Palms Golf Course owner.
Conducts ongoing reviews of county documents & permits issued, public information requests, etc. to determine activity that could adversely affect Forest Lakes.
Vigilance with related organizations i.e. SWFMD to ensure water permit is maintained.
Fields activity with 11 single family lots to insure they remain in compliance with the Covenant.
Responds to residents’ requests of information related to the golf course status

FLCCE Place in History | Historical Marker

In 2022 launched this effort to establish Forest Lakes as a notable part of Sarasota’s history, as well as a force to be reckoned with in the county. This provides one more line of protection against future development. 12 months+), gathering information via archives, title and deed searches, work with historians, research from local books and authors work on application documentation and marker.

Restriction Compliance (RC) Team

Thus far, have responded to more than 80+ Restriction Compliance & Property Improvement Requests (PIR’s) and errant violations (EV’s). This work continues.
Works with Yard Squad team on any/all complaints in which resident requires support.
Established Excel spread sheet to document (by property), such actions for permanent record.
RC Field member follows procedure on website, sends letters and does follow-up on all PIR’s.

Yard Squad/Area Enhancement/ Volunteers

Our team has increased their activity as a result of working with the Restriction Compliance Team. This group works with neighbors who need help with yard maintenance issues.
These volunteers also maintain highly visible areas to conserve money.
Developed a separate tier of Volunteer work via the County Grant additions which includes Tanglewood Gardens at Creek/ Riviera entrance & all signs at all street entrances along Beneva are maintained with an ongoing volunteer program which do the following: Watering, weed eating, mulching and planting.

Yard of the Month

YOM Chair works each month to identify YOM, takes photo, submits for monthly eblast.
Sends letter and award to the Winner.
Removes sign from previous YOM winner and places sign in new YOM yard

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Governance

Established and organized Legal Archive Notebooks to host and identify HOA docs and decisions covering 60 years of HOA existence and to avoid requesting legal response on previously requested issues. (This has/will continue to save 1000’s of dollars from HOA repeat-legal requests).
Works with HOA Attorney as needed for any governance related issues.
The previously established Director of Legal Archives position on the Board serves as overseer of recently developed and organized, Legal Archive Notebooks, so that future boards are aware of previous legal directives and board decisions and do not repeat previous actions determined with legal advice.
Rejoined CONA (Council of Neighborhood Associations) & have met with CONA President regarding Short Term Rental issues and have access to political and legal process information regarding how to combat developers who might intend to attempt to violate the Covenant

Membership

Outreach using 2-tier Membership program with additional second option to
address residents’ desires to increase the annual dues while providing flexibility for those residents who felt a second increase in 2 years was too soon. Regular Member and Member+ Includes set up 2 Membership buttons on flccehoa.com
Designed/created Membership stickers to show area support
Continue to write, label and send USPS member-letters to non-digital residents.
Include membership option QR code on All outreach efforts.
Created a chronological outreach plan including niche breakouts. (LDO’s, full time residents, etc.).
Establish annual membership objective and correlate it with the budget.

Finance

Monitor the CD which was transferred 2023 to increase interest from 0.5% interest to 5.25% CD.
Moved checking account to a bank capable of doing on-line transactions and checks via apps.
Manage the newly created Covenant Defense Fund (CDF)- which hosts and tracks, all monetary donations above the 100.00 general membership, and is tied to the M+ membership, to build reserves to address future legal defense.
Set up ongoing expenses in EFT to save on check purchases and make it easier for new Treasurer to handle the responsibilities.
Pay annual taxes, insurance, Incorporation docs, expenses and assures correlation with the budget.

Information Technology (IT)

We’ve established usable/updated software for managing the treasurer’s required reports.
Continue to maintain the HOA laptop which now carries all financial and legal records.
Designed reports within software to accommodate benchmark of Budget to Actual expenditures.

Communications Team

Continual monitoring and posting of items to the FLCCE Website as well as responding to residents’ Gmail requests.
Monthly neighborhood news e-blasts.
Creates/edits all articles, announcements, committee updates-blasts, outreach sent on all mediums on behalf of the HOA and its committees.
Responds to all realtor, title company, etc. requests as properties are bought/sold.
Designed and printed new Member stickers for 2024 and 2025 & welcome magnets for residents
Add timely items to Facebook page.

Ambassadors/ Events/Coffee

Continue to work with Ambassadors in all Units to welcome new neighbors, Deliver welcome kits, check for questions and encourage membership support.
Ambassador Flag Chair- organizes, updates, bundles, distributes and retrieves flags to Ambassadors throughout the area.
Continue to deliver area wide, custom made FLCCE premium coffee blend with local coffee & tea company. This effort to brand and pull our area together continues to be used after 2 years and is delivered locally to our residents. We also use this to gift (which pays for itself), as needed for Speakers, political representatives, etc.