General Manager’s Update

Dear Residents, At my request, Chatham County Manager Lee Smith attended the August 27 Landings Association Board Meeting to address the four-way stop outside the Main Gate. Smith agreed the intersection is one of the most dangerous in Chatham County, and that the County has a several-pronged approach to address it. He said within the next 60 days, flashing lights will be installed on the stop signs, and thermoplastic markings in the roads leading up to the intersection will inform drivers of the impending stop. Smith also noted that the County has begun installing roundabouts in similar intersections, and he urged Landings residents to keep an open mind about the possibility of the same at the McWhorter Drive/Green Island Road intersection. As way of background, the County proposed a roundabout a few years ago, and the hundreds of Landings residents who showed up for an open house to review that were almost universally opposed, so the County did not pursue that option at that time. We now are moving closer to finalizing The Landings Association’s 2020 Budget. As noted in last month’s column, the focus has been on identifying what costs, services, and programs can be eliminated or scaled back, so that funds can be allocated to the Association’s capital Reserves, to repair and replace our infrastructure. (You can read more about the Reserves in the Budget Box to the left.) In August, we completed preliminary budget reviews with the Budget Liaisons and Reserves Subcommittee, both composed of members of the Finance Committee. Following that, staff presented a variety of options to the Board to consider for further reductions in operational expenses. We will hold several Budget Workshops this fall, where we will present to the community how we work through the budget process and make recommendations to the Board, review proposed changes to the 2020 budget, and answer pertinent questions. Recently, we were advised by legal counsel that a few changes to the Private Property Maintenance Standards (PPMS) are required for consistency with the Covenants language approved by the community in 2015. If an owner is found in violation of the PPMS, the Covenants require an owner wishing to submit an appeal to do so within 10 days. We had been allowing 14 days, to account for weekends. Legal counsel advised that we need to use 10 days as specified in the Covenants. You can see that and other minor changes to the PPMS by going to www.landings.org/resources > Governing Documents. The updated PPMS will be adopted by the Board at September’s Board Meeting. Many residents have joined our closed Landings Association Facebook Group, to be able to view either the livestream or the recording of the monthly Board Meeting. Since we began this streaming initiative, we have heard from some residents that they don’t use Facebook and would rather just be able to click on a link to view the video. Therefore, besides continuing to post the video in our Facebook Group, we’ll also begin including the video on our YouTube site. You’ll need a special link to view the video, so look to our Enews the Friday after each Board Meeting for details. As we’re heading into the heart of Hurricane Season, I encourage all to sign up for Swift911. This system can generate thousands of calls, emails, and texts to users in just a couple of minutes, and it’s what the Association is using to provide emergency or urgent information. Should a storm threaten us again this year, it will be a primary means of communication. If you haven’t signed up already, just go to www.landings.org/swift911. Finally, in the middle of September, you will receive your voting packet to elect three new members to the Board of Directors. You can view the packet by clicking here.  Please take the time to learn about each person and submit your ballot when you receive it, either via online voting or via the included paper ballot. Votes are due back by October 30.