The Dog Days of Summer!
Greetings, Richland Denizens,
As we bid farewell to July and welcome the dog days of August, we've got a smorgasbord of updates, events, and a dash of creole humor to keep you entertained and informed. It's hotter than a cayenne peppers armpit out there, so we'll keep it brief. Buckle up, grab a cold one, and let's dive in!
First off, a hearty welcome to all our new neighbors! We hope you're settling in well and finding Richland to be the friendly and vibrant community we all love. Remember, in this heat, it's important to stay cool - and that goes double for our new lycan neighbors! We can't imagine it's easy keeping cool with all that fur. If you see a werewolf with a popsicle, now you know why!
Speaking of the dog days of summer, did you know the phrase actually has nothing to do with dogs? It dates back to ancient Rome and refers to the period when Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun. The Romans believed this celestial event was the source of the sweltering heat. So, next time you're feeling the heat, you can blame it on Rome!
In all seriousness, though, please remember to stay hydrated, check in on your elderly neighbors, and keep those pets cool. If you're feeling adventurous, why not try making some homemade ice cream? It's a fun activity for the kids, and the end result is a delicious way to beat the heat. Certain members of the board are especially fond of chocolate - just remember, none for the lycans :)
Stay tuned for more updates and events coming your way. In the meantime, keep it cool, Richland!
Richland HOA Announcements
It's been a relatively quiet July in terms of activities within the Richland Community. However, we did experience a bit of excitement a couple of weeks ago. Those of you who left your cars unlocked likely found someone rifling through your belongings. Unfortunately, this seems to happen occasionally - especially when school is out. We believe the lastest batch of car vehicle thefts were perpertrated by the same indvidauls who were responsible for the breakins reported in Atlanta last week.
At the bottom of this email, you'll find more information on how to prevent this from occurring. It's important to note that while this crime is alarming, what we've been told by GPD that this crime is being exported from ITP into more affluent neighborhoods OTP. So please, make an effort to lock your doors or, better yet, park your cars in your garageif you are able to do so. These bandits made really good time, covering an entire street in about 10 minutes, going from car to car and driveway to driveway!
In other news, while important information for the entire neighborhood, this is particularly directed towards our Lake Property Owners. As many of you know, the current HOA board has been engaging on multiple fronts with Gwinnett County regarding the sedimentation occurring in our community lakes. If you would like to view the presentation we made to Gwinnett County Officials, you can access the PowerPoint presentation here. We will continue to keep you updated on this matter.
Most recently, we have submitted several open records requests to Gwinnett County regarding our lake sedimentation issues as well as similar issues in other Gwinnett County lakes; we have engaged in a free consultation with an Environmental Law Attorney in Atlanta (who happens to live in Gwinnett County). If you would like to see the documents we received from our first open records request, you can find them here.
I've created a special 'Lake Sediment Edition' of the HOA Newsletter specifically related to this issue as we are trying to keep this newsletter at least marginally entertaining and slightly more engaging than reading the labels on the back of your medicine bottles!
The HOA Board of Directors
Upcoming Events
Town Hall with our Commissioner
Save the date! On August 16 @ 6:30pm at the Collins Hill Branch Library, Commissioner Holtkamp will be hosting the first of two town halls in August to share updates with residents about topics like transportation, public safety, economic development, smart growth and development, and more. See flyer below for more information:
Richland Social Committee
Do you enjoy planning fun and creative events and social activities? If you’ve ever thought - wow the Social Committee is amazing! How can I join?! You’re in luck! We are looking for new members - if you are interested and want to learn more please email us at Social Committee (or Social@richlander.com).
The Richland Social Committee (RSC)
Richland Pickleball Group
To make a reservation to play on your own, visit either the Richland HOA website or richlandhoa.nabrnetwork.com. Click on 'Reservation' on the left-hand side, then scroll down to 'Tennis Courts'. Follow the instructions to set up an account and reserve a court. When reserving, select 'Pickleball'. Please note that only one court can be reserved at a time, for up to two hours.
Richland Book Club
📚 Attention, literary enthusiasts of Richland! 📚
Our beloved Richland Book Club gathers on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the clubhouse at 7 pm. Whether you're a seasoned bookworm or just looking for some intellectual conversation, we'd be thrilled to have you join us.
For more details and to RSVP, please email Ingrid Shell at ingrid.r.shell@gmail.com. Grab your favorite reading glasses, and let's dive into the world of literature together! 🤓📖
Other Amenities:
- Richland Nature Trail: Both trails are very well used! Enjoy a sunrise or sunset walk on the Trails @ Richland when it's not to hot to celebrate the summer season. Just remember, it's not a race...unless you want it to be.
- Richland Sharing Library: Our community library at the clubhouse is still going strong. Feel free to pick up or drop off a book. Just remember, it's a library, not a recycling bin for your old cookbooks or magazines.
- Richland Firepit: Just a reminder, Richland has 1 community fire pit. It's located behind the tennis courts closest to the club house. Please plan to bring your own wood and be sure to completely put out the fire when you are finished (bring water - there is not a faucet water outlet in that area). And remember, while dancing around the fire is allowed (and encouraged), Richland is NOT a clothing optional community!
Richland HOA Management Updates
🛠️ Behold, Richlanders! Prepare for a riveting journey through the latest community projects your dedicated HOA is fervently tackling. Yes, we know how exhilarating updates on lighting can be. 😉 So, buckle up and embrace the whirlwind of thrilling news about the various endeavors we're undertaking throughout the neighborhood. We challenge you to stay awake long enough to learn about the pressure washing saga. Let the adventure begin! 🎉🔦
- Officer Positions
- Jay Bulot – President
- Alan Meeks – VP
- Don Tam– Treasurer
- Jill Jones – Secretary
- Ricky Fiorillo – Member at Large. (Note: demoted from director of scientific programming)
📰 HOA Governance Update: Let's Make Voting Easier!
The HOA Board has been hard at work exploring ways to simplify the voting process. We've noticed that only a small minority of residents currently vote for board members. Given recent news reports about HOA boards overstepping their authority, we believe it's crucial to increase participation in our community's decision-making process and empower residents to take action should we see similar movements within our community.
To this end, we're considering a change to our covenants to allow for electronic voting. This would make it easier for everyone to cast their vote, ensuring that our board truly represents the will of our community. In the coming months, we'll be sending out ballots for this proposed change. Additionally, we'll be going door-to-door to gather signatures in support of this initiative.
We believe that every voice in our community matters and should be heard. By making voting more accessible, we hope to encourage greater participation and ensure that our HOA continues to serve the best interests of all Richland residents.
Stay tuned for more updates on this initiative. Together, let's make Richland an even better place to live!
🏠 Clubhouse
- No Updates from last month
🌳 Landscaping/Grounds
- Trail Maintenance - Some of the homeowners did a little trail mainentance on the back half of the loop trial. Still needs some more work, but it's better than it was!
- Landscapers are still doing a pretty crappy job. We've given them notice, improve, or we are going out for bid. We'll be going to to bid anyway, but still....at least try to do better. On the bright side, the weeds are filling in all of the dead grass that the county put down along our new sidewalks!
🏊 Pool
- Thank goodness the water temperature is colder than the ambient temperature, amiright?
🌊 Lakes
No good news - see above for Richland HOA Annoucments and the latest information on sedimentation.
If you would like to view the presentation we made to Gwinnett County Officials, you can access the PowerPoint presentation here. We will continue to keep you updated on this matter.
If you would like to see the documents we received from our first open records request - you can find them here.
Other Important Information:
I made it through... Bring on the beer!!!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Shots all around
DeleteThanks for the thorough update!
DeleteAppreciate all the updates!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates. Still didn’t see any report on the pressure washing saga, although the fencing down near Doublegate is very nice and clean. Thanks! What happened to the Burning Bush Landscaping company? I thought they did a pretty good job in our neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteBurning Bush was acquire sold to the current vendor.
DeleteWhat about the Portsmouth sign?
ReplyDelete