Welp, you've weathered the longest February in recent memory. Despite that extra day, this March newsletter still missed it's deadline. Surprisingly, during the last Board meeting—as darkness fell and the final few residents lingered—a bewildering twist of fate occurred: The Board voted 4-1 to give me a 111% raise for my unmatched procrastination skills. The mere mention that we may have coordinated an illegal pre-meeting meeting, given the brief discussion on such a significant raise, left me astounded. The idea that board members might have secretly convened brought a real "Et tu, Brute?" moment. Yet, fear not—we know the rules – if 3 board members meet, it must be advertised in advance with a published agenda. So, we never met in groups larger than two, ensuring strict compliance with open meeting laws, though orchestrating this was more challenging – damn those fiscal conservatives! But we overcame- thank you, dear readers, I know if you knew just how hard I worked, you would have voted me an even larger raise – without questions, but I will accept this knowing that as long as you keep electing Yes Men and Women, I’ll keep profiting! Thank you uninformed voter!
Kicking off our lively agenda, ensure your green outfits are at the ready! St. Patrick's Day is approaching, promising a celebration only paralleled by Savannah's famed parade. Did you know Savannah hosts one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the nation, attracting vast crowds with its dynamic floats and spirited tunes – it’s no Richland Mardi Gras Ball -but it’s a pretty good second! And we can't overlook the Suwanee Beer Fest, a showcase of craft beer mastery, set to offer a day filled with exploration and enjoyment. And not to mix metaphors/ethnicity, but if you are wearing your kilt, or just a drunk Scotsman - remember that too much green beer might turn our walking paths into an unexpected adventure—for some young and lovely girls to happen by!
But the enchantment of March extends beyond festive spirits. It also signals that it's time to rejuvenate our gardens in anticipation of the HOA Drive-by. Indeed, it's the season for pre-emergent weed treatments to avoid those notorious HOA notices. And for anyone who might have overdone it with weed killer last year, now's the time for a lawn revival. Truly, nothing announces "spring has arrived" like a lush, weed-free lawn and garden.
As
we bid adieu to shorter days and welcome spring's rejuvenating vibes,
let's leap into March with vigor. Whether it's embracing St. Patrick's
Day, sprucing up our gardens, enjoying the longer days or
planning a group backstabbing, March is ripe with reasons to celebrate.
Here's to an exceptional March, filled with warmer weather and more
outdoor fun. 🍀🌸🏀
Upcoming Events
- Sip n Paint Event: 3/9
- Bingo Night: 3/20 @ 7 PM
- Spring Eggstravaganza: 3/24
- Richland Town Hall - Meeting the Candidates/Breakfast and Issue: 4/13
Richland Meet the Candidates - Breakfast and Issues
Mark your calendars for a morning of engaging discussion at the Richland Town Hall! "Breakfast and Issues" kicks off on April 13th, 2024, at 10 AM. Weather permitting, we'll gather at the lower tennis courts. We're arranging for a delectable breakfast food truck to be on-site from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM, providing the perfect start to your day. Stay tuned for further updates as we finalize the event details. Join us for a morning of enlightening discussions and delicious eats!
Richland Swim Team News
Kickoff Meeting: Join us at the Richland Clubhouse on Thursday, April 11th, from 6 PM to 8 PM for an informational meeting about the upcoming summer swim season. This is your chance to learn everything you need to know about joining the Waves.
Suit Up: Our swimsuit vendor will be on site, so swimmers can try on and purchase the official team swimsuits. Whether you're a new wave or a returning champion, we've got you covered!
Meet the Team: Coaches and swim team board members will be on hand to answer all your questions. It's a great opportunity for new swimmers, returning swimmers, and friends to dive into what makes the Richland Waves so special.
Practice Makes Perfect: Practices kick off on May 13th after school and shift to morning sessions on May 28th. With six swim meets scheduled every Thursday night from May 23rd to June 27th, there's plenty of excitement on the horizon. The season extends through July 14th for swimmers who qualify for the county meet.
Flexible Schedule: We understand summer is a busy time, so practice attendance is always flexible. The swim team can easily fit alongside other summer camps and vacation plans.
Open to All: Kids aged 4 to 18 as of June 1st, 2024, are invited to join the Waves, whether they live in Richland or not. We welcome swimmers of all skill levels, from experienced athletes to beginners taking their first plunge. For those outside the Richland community, a non-resident fee applies, but the opportunity to swim with us remains wide open. If your child has a passion for swimming, we're here to foster their love for the sport. Join us and make a splash this summer!
For more details, visit our website at richlandwaves.swimtopia.com.
See you at the pool! 🏊♂️🏊♀️
Coyote Warning
Join the Richland Pickleball Group Me!
Richland HOA Board Update
Important Notice: Balloting for Electronic Voting
As
you know, we've been talking about modernizing our voting process, and
we need your help! We've initiated a ballot to allow for electronic
voting, making our elections quicker, easier, and just plain better.
Let's face it, our current mail-in system could really use an upgrade!
To
make this change happen, we need enough signatures – and we're counting
on you to avoid the dreaded door-to-door campaign (we know how much
everyone loves that!). To sweeten the deal and show our appreciation for
your participation, we're hosting a raffle with three fantastic prizes:
$500 gift cards! Here's how it works:
- The first raffle draw will include residents who voted up to the 221st vote.
- The second raffle draw is for those casting the 222nd to 442nd votes.
- The final raffle draw will be for votes 443 to 664 – the total number we need to approve this change.
As of January 31st, 2024, we're still short on the votes needed to bid farewell to mail-in ballots. If you've already submitted your ballot, no need to do anything else - you will already be included in the first drawing. Don't miss your chance to be part of this crucial change and maybe win a great prize! You can find the Ballot for Electronic Voting in PDF format here.
Simply fill it in and drop it off at the new drop box located at the
clubhouse, by the community library. Alternatively, you can email or fax
a picture of your completed and signed document to:
Richland Homeowners Association, Inc.
C/O ShaBen & Associates, Inc.
P.O. Box 3189
Suwanee, GA 30024-0989
EMAIL: admin@shabenandassociates.com
FAX: (770) 271-8433
Let's make voting easier and more efficient in Richland. Your participation matters and remember, you only get to vote once per address! 🗳️💡
Budget Note on Raffle vs. Mailing Costs
For
those concerned about the $1,500 raffle cost, consider this: Our
current mail-out voting process costs about $1,5000 per mailing (single
sheet, 2 envelopes and postage), yet our last vote attracted less than
100 responses. Transitioning to electronic voting with this raffle
incentive is an investment in a more cost-effective and engaging voting
system for the future of Richland HOA. 🌱💸
Join the Richland Social Committee!
Are
you looking for a fun and fulfilling way to get more involved in our
Richland community? We have an exciting opportunity for you! The
Richland Social Committee is seeking volunteers to help plan and
organize our community events. Whether you're full of creative ideas,
have a knack for organization, or just love bringing people together,
your talents are needed! As a committee member, you'll play a key role
in shaping the social scene of Richland, creating events that bring joy
and connection to our neighborhood. This is a great way to meet new
people, contribute to our community's vibrancy, and have a hand in
crafting memorable experiences. If you're interested in joining or would
like more information, please reach out to us at social@richlander.com.
Let's make Richland's social calendar even more exciting together!
🌟🤝🎉
Here are just a few more things we have planned:
- 🎨 3/9 - we’re going to Sip n Paint again this year!
- 🗓️ Bingo is back!!! 3/20 @ 7 PM - you know the routine!
- 🐣 Our Spring Eggstravaganza is back and going to be bigger and better than ever!! Hope to see you on 3/24!
📚Community Amenities
Richland Sharing Library
Just
a reminder – we have small community library at the clubhouse. Feel
free to pick up or drop off a book. If you do want to donate a book for
others to enjoy, please place them on the shelves. The library is
located on the pool side of the clubhouse. There is a wide variety
including romance, self help, historical fiction and science fiction.
The Richland Book Club
The
Richland Book Clubs meets the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7pm at the
Clubhouse. If you aren't sure which one that is, the Book Club usually
puts out signs in front of the clubhouse leading up to the meeting!
Please contact Ingrid Shell directly at ingrid.r.shell@gmail.com for more details.
Richland Fire-pit
Just
a reminder, Richland has 1 community fire pit. It's located behind the
tennis courts closest to the clubhouse. There are also two park style
grills as well as 4 built in benches around the pit. Fire-pit and grills
are first come first serve. You can reserve the pavilions on either
side using reservemycourt.com.
Please plan to bring your own wood, and please be sure to completely
put out the fire when you are finished. There is a creek right behind
the fire-pit - use as much water as you need - we'll make more!
Richland Trails
We
have two inviting gravel trails in our community ready for your
exploration. The first trail is accessible behind the lower tennis
courts on Quinton Rd. Just follow the concrete sidewalk until you reach
the gravel path. The second trail, part of Phase 2 expansion, can be
accessed by walking the sidewalk to Hunt River Way - this trail follows
alongside the creek opposite the current trail. Happy exploring!
Pickleball Courts Now Available!
Great
news for pickleball enthusiasts! The lower tennis courts 7 and 8 have
been transformed, and we now proudly boast six pickleball courts in
total. This expansion is all set to enhance your playing experience.
Enjoy your matches! 🏓🌟
Management Update
The Richland HOA Board met on February 13, 2024 at Frontera. You might recall, the clubhouse as being refurbished (floors, kitchen, walls etc). While the food and beer was good, sadly, we all paid for our own drinks and food!
Combined minutes and management report from the 2/13 meeting are below:
- Jay Bulot – President
- Alan Meeks – Vice President
- Don Tam – Treasurer
- Sandra Hill – Secretary
- Ricky Fiorillo – Member at Large
- Floor Renovations: The clubhouse reservation system was blocked from 02/05/23 through 02/23/23 to allow for floor renovations. SourceOne was awarded the contract at $5,612.32, outbidding Desired Home's quote of $6,200.00.
- Kitchen Upgrades: Were approved by the Board. These have been incorporated into the timeline already approved for refurbishing the clubhouse. We approved the replacement of the icebox, installation of double ovens, microwave and installation of an ice machine with a quote from SourceOne at $9,122.34.
- New Trash Containers: Ordered five new 95-gallon containers to replace those with missing wheels and lids.
- Irrigation Repairs: Identified areas requiring Spring irrigation repairs (Richlake, Doublegate entrance near bridge, Clearlake entrance, Taylor Mill) with Morga Irrigation.
- Winter Landscape Work: Removal of hollies and stumps inside the pool area. Juan is working on removing two trees overhanging the trail.
- Landscape Workshop: Contracted for $250 to aerate and seed along the sidewalk near the clubhouse.
- Opening Date: Scheduled for May 4th, 2024.
- Concrete Pads and Sundeck Repair: ACS installed concrete pads for $3,825 within the pool area. Sundeck repair is estimated to start at $3,500 for 600sq ft.
- Practice Backboards: Discussion on installing practice backboards for the pickleball court (7x10’ at $364) and tennis court (8x12’ at $3,400), with the removal of the existing backboard costing $400. The Board approved the placement of 2 8x12 practice boards, one for pickleball and the other for tennis. .
- Pickleball Court Maintenance: Warranty work on the pickleball courts is scheduled for spring.
- Non-Resident Fees: Discussion on establishing non-resident fees for pickleball use. Will monitor - to date pickleball is not open to non-members unless they are guests. Currently pickleball activites on the Richland courts are strictly for social gatherings, no competitive ALTA pickleball events at this time.
- Tennis Committee Budget: Submitted a budget of $3,110.00.
- Dredging Quotes: Received quotes for dredging projects from Riversand ($831,745 for 10,000 cy) and Mceachern ($615,000 total for various services including dredging 9,000 cy from the lake). The board is still evaluating options. Our next steps will be to meet with Lake Property Owners to determine the best approach for distributing the costs fairly.
- County Right of Entry: A county right of entry form for Outlet Control Structure (OCS) maintenance work needs to be signed.
- In advance of the meeting, Jennifer Barnes provided an update
- Discussed process of securing sufficient homeowner input to electronic voting proposal
Homeowners needing to request a hardship rental must seek Board review and approval, with all agreements aligning with the community's best interests. The Board must also be provided with a copy the leasing agreements, and they must be annual.
We value your cooperation in maintaining our community's exceptional standards.
📲 Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the happenings in the Richland Community. Download the NABR Network App for your phone, or check it out on the website. Once you set up your account, you set your preferences to receive communications through text message alerts or opt to receive the same information via email or you can just regularly check the community feed for updates. Additionally, you are able to pay dues, reserve the clubhouse and submit ACC requests all virtually.
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