Woodside Plantation Strategic Plan 2015-2019

The Board of Directors uses this document as its principal tool in determining the overall strategic direction for the growth and maintenance of our Plantation. This plan enables us to anticipate as closely as possible future expenditures for infrastructure and capital items and assists us in strategic financial planning.

The Strategic Plan is a “living” document. Several times during the year, the board measures its progress against this Plan and, at the conclusion of each year, each director reviews his or her portion of the Plan to assure that what we are doing is consistent with current conditions. During this in-depth year-end review, the directors recommend and the board approves strategies and expenditures for the next five-year period.

The complete plan is available for review by any property owner at the WPPOA office. The plan is also available on our association website (wppoa.com). Comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Planning – A Historical Perspective

In 1998 the Board of Directors of the Woodside Plantation Property Owners’ Association (WPPOA) prepared the first strategic plan. In 2009, the Strategic Plan of 2010 – 2014 was developed and efforts were initiated to implement it. In 2014, a team of residents was formed to interview directors and other concerned persons. The results were incorporated into this plan.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan serves as a primary guide for the Board in providing directions and setting priorities for the association. It also serves the Board as a guide in the annual budgeting process.

Board Guidelines for Prioritizing Actions Proposed in the Plan
  • The POA will operate within a balanced annual budget.
  • Maintenance of all WPPOA facilities and infrastructure will normally take precedence over the construction of new facilities.
  • All actions will be in accordance with the Covenants and the DevelopmentAgreement.
Key Themes Emerging from the 2015-2019 Strategic Plan
  • We should continue to improve communication between the Board/Staff, Association Members, and local Realtors.
  • We should continue the use of volunteers to assist in managing the association.
  • We should strive to improve our competitive edge in the housing market through our own efforts as well as continuing to work with the Development Company.

Major Capital Projects

The current level of WPPOA assessment does not include funds for futurecapital investments. These projects will need to be forecast and funded separately.

General Assumptions
  • Woodside Plantation residents will continue to desire living in pleasant surroundings in a friendly atmosphere.
  • Woodside Plantation residents’ safety and security will continue to be our community’s top priority along with preserving property values.
  • Our population will continue to grow and diversify, requiring the expansion and adaptation of new and existing services.
  • As we approach “build out”, income will stabilize and expenses increase, requiring constant monitoring and probable assessment increases and/or service reductions.
  • Aging infrastructure assets will require repair and/or replacement.
Organizational Goals

For the WPPOA Board of Directors and Manager:

Keep informed and involved in any Town, County, or State activities, ordinances, or laws that would have an impact on Woodside Plantation.

For the WPPOA Board of Directors:

Adhere to responsible management principles and sound fiscal policies to protect our quality of life and enhance property values.

For the ARB, Covenants, and other departments:

Conserve, protect, and enhance our Plantation’s extraordinary natural flora and fauna, beauty, and serenity.

Administrative Strategic Plan

Goal

Provide quality administrative support to the Board of Directors, committees, and property owners by training and retaining staff, staying abreast of and implementing relevant technological changes, adhering to government guidelines, communicating items of importance to owners/residents, responding to requests and other comments/suggestions, and providing a pleasant and professional atmosphere for all visitors.

  1. Staffing -Hire and retain a competent staff to serve the needs of the POA population, and revaluate those needs on a regular basis to ensure proper staffing as needs change. Attract and retain quality employees through competitive compensation and a pleasant work environment.
  2. Continue to research, on a regular basis, affordable benefit options for a small business, since a comprehensive benefits package helps to attract and retain quality employees.
  3. Explore low-cost incentives to increase employee morale. Implement a quarterly or semi-annual program.

1.3Develop a performance review procedure for all full-time employees, to include overall objectives, performance goals, and development plans.

1.4Cross train for each position, and develop written procedures for

primary functions of each position. If a position is temporarily vacant, essential job duties can be performed by current staff members. This will also enable better training of new staff members, as well as encourage a more team-centered atmosphere.

2.Technology and Communications -Use technology to increase efficiency and improve communications.

2.1Update and streamline the current complaint process by implementing an Access database that can house the entire process from start to finish.

2.2Make website improvements such as a private membership section, links to various sites of interest, and the addition of documents of interest, such as covenants, meeting minutes, and financial statements.

2.3Continue to use the mass email function to quickly make property owners aware of items of importance. Explore the option of text notifications.

3.Professional Atmosphere

3.1Certification for Association Manager, starting with the CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) designation.

3.2 Look for courses, seminars, and other educational opportunities focusing on issues relevant to the POA in general, and employee positions individually.

3.3Cross train, so that the office is always fully functional even in the

absence of one of more employees.

3.4Look into options for rearranging and decorating the front office area so that it is more like an inviting lobby.

3.5Conduct assessment of existing office building to determine if new space is needed and feasible.

Communications Strategic Plan

  1. Communication Strategy - Improve the value, quality, and effectiveness of communications among and between the WPPOA Board, the WPPOA Staff, The Developer and Woodside Plantation Property Owners.

1.1WPPOA Website – Increase the number of WPPOA property owners using the Website as a means to obtain WPPOA Information and provide information to the Board and Staff.

1.2Information Sharing – Continue the use of the Newsletter as a key part of information sharing and increase the use of e-communication means (social media, email, surveys, website, etc.) for time sensitive information and to receive property owner feedback.

  1. Technology Strategy - WPPOA Services – Use technology to automate the services provided by the WPPOA Staff and move to self-service for property owners where practical.

2.1Self-Service Guest Pass

2.2Credit Card Usage

2.3Cloud Data Backups

Covenants Strategic Plan

Goal

Promote harmonious community living through consistent interpretation and promotion of the legally established covenants which are in place to protect and enhance the Woodside Plantation Property Owner’s property value and quality of life.

  1. Conduct continual review of the Covenants, Rules, and Regulations to

assure they are appropriate, clearly written and adequate.

  1. Pursue opportunities to clarify the Covenants and educate the property

owners regarding the most commonly violated or misinterpreted Covenants. These opportunities may include public meetings and written explanations.

  1. Assess need for a clear summary/reference guide of the Covenants to be

provided to property owners and especially new property owners.

  1. Develop summary/reference guide as indicated following above

assessment.

  1. Assess appropriateness of incorporating approved Amendments into the

above summary/reference guide.

  1. Provide consistent enforcement of Covenants by reviewing, revising as

needed and complying with the established Complaint Procedure.

  1. Develop management tools to more effectively measure Covenants, Rules,

and Regulations compliance to guide effort in better compliance.

  1. Utilize the monthly newsletter to proactively clarify covenants and educate

property owners in the most commonly violated Covenants and other timely issues.

Financial Strategic Plan

Goal

Provide sound proactive farsighted fiscal stewardship through prudent management and policies.

  1. Maintain property owner assessments and other income at a level

consistent with maintaining Woodside Plantation as the premier residential community in Aiken.

  1. Develop annual budgets with the input and cooperation of each Board

member and include necessary maintenance items and services.

  1. Avoid special assessments, wherever possible, by ensuring that adequate

funds are available to handle scheduled and emergency repairs.

3.1Update the fixed reserve contribution schedule each year.

3.2Develop a list of future improvements and prioritize projects based

on anticipated revenues.

3.3Establish a minimum reserve fund for emergency repairs.

  1. Seek new sources of revenue and ways to lower operational costs.
  2. Work with each Board committee chair to identify new sources of

revenue and ways to lower operational costs.

  1. Review existing financial policies and make recommendations to the

Board as needed.

5.1Review financial policies each year.

5.2Use electronic fund transfers wherever possible.

5.3Ladder maturity dates of CD’s to take advantage of rising interest

rates.

  1. Recommend to the Board of Directors an independent auditor and the

scope of the audit.

6.1Engage an auditor to prepare the annual audit and federal and

state tax returns with Board approval.

  1. Develop a long range capital improvement program with appropriate

financial planning.

7.1Identify and prepare a list of capital improvements and their

anticipated costs in 2015 and each year thereafter.

7.2Evaluate the condition of all office systems and adequacy of space

each year.

  1. Review the long range impact of the covenant limit on annual Reserve

Fund contributions.

Common Area Landscaping Strategic Plan

Due to age (Woodside is now 26+ years old), equipment replacement as well as landscaping replacement needs to be planned. The Woodside Plantation common areas comprise an extremely large area to maintain, covering approximately 39 acres of lawn areas that require cutting, fertilizing, watering, pest treatment, and weed control. There are over 10,750 shrubs requiring fertilization, fungicide and pest control applications, as well as trimming and pruning. Annually, we apply about 4,750 bales of pine straw, 67.5 cubic yards of pine bark mulch and 57 cubic yards of double ground mulch. The infrastructure that has to be maintained includes an irrigation system comprising access to city water, 30 wells, miles of irrigation system lines and all the sprinkler heads, 45 automatic timers and 25 battery valves.

1.Implement an urban forest management plan to maintain the health of the natural areas

1.1Identify and prioritize areas that require thinning and removal of brush from floor of natural areas; to be completed in 2015

1.1.1Address areas having heavy accumulation of debris and dead wood near homes first

1.1.2Address areas having heavy vine infestations

1.1.3Remove dead trees and prune those that have damaged limbs

1.2Implement a maintenance plan in 2015 to ensure low level brush does not return to cleared areas using either mechanical or chemical means

2.Using the Fire Hazard Risk Assessment Report provided by the SC Forestry Commission in January 2015, develop a plan that defines and implements the appropriate actions recommended by the report.

2.1Incorporate appropriate actions into the forest management plan cited above.

3.Monitor customer satisfaction and implement appropriate actions that balance fiscal accountability with maintaining a beautiful environment

3.1Continue periodic maintenance reviews with landscapers

3.2Continue to address property owner comments and issues in a timely and appropriate manner

3.3Continue to use the Common Area Landscaping Committee for 360-degree feedback.

4.Define a prioritized listing of landscaping improvements needed to address aged and dying plantings and landscaping issues

4.1Define a plan to address major street roadsides where grass is not growing

4.2Provide a prioritized listing of areas that require new plantings and a solution with a timeline for implementation

4.3Increase use of maintenance free or reduced maintenance plantings where appropriate

5.Research the use of a satellite system to centralize control of the irrigation system

6.Investigate and recommend appropriate actions to address improvements to area maintenance

6.1Determine what improvements are needed to control erosion in water run-off ravines

6.1.1Determine who needs to address the issue – vendors or city; use competitive bidding to obtain best quality and pricing

6.1.2Define and implement plan

6.2Review street corners and planting areas to ensure their continued attractiveness

6.2.1Maintain shrub height on intersection plantings in a manner that ensures line-of-sight visibility

6.3Develop and implement a walking trail maintenance plan

Roads, Walkways, Street Lights Strategic Plan

Road Inventory / Status as of January 1, 2015:

Currently there are 40.2 miles of roads in Woodside Plantation of which 36.3 miles (90%) have been turned over to POA responsibility by the developer. The average age of all the roads since new is 17.5 years.

Approximately 53 of our 131 roads have been repaved with an average age of 14 years when repaved. Of the remaining roads that have not been repaved the average age is 10.4 years.

The walking path along Woodside Plantation Drive is approximately 4.2 miles in length of which .5 miles were replaced with concrete in 2014 at a cost of $74,000.

  1. Work with the developer, City of Aiken and POA Board to accept turnover of additional streets.
  2. Continue to identify specific roads that will be resurfaced in the next two years. Review and coordinate with City of Aiken Public Works regarding pending street maintenance.
  3. Develop a plan for roads that need to be resurfaced in the next 5 years, including targeted roads and ‘budgeting’ estimates.
  4. Rate the condition of all roads annually.
  5. Work with the Board in developing a plan to close the significant gap in the capital funding reserve.
  6. Replace the walking path alongside Woodside Plantation Drive with concrete as part of periodic maintenance of paths that have deteriorated due to root uplifting or other circumstances.
  7. Evaluate the need / feasibility of extending the walking path along Woodside Plantation Drive from approximately the Southgate entrance to River Birch Rd.
  8. Streetlights (approx 370), brick street sign cubes (approx 97), and other signs will be maintained but no significant renovation / replacement planned.
  9. Streetlights – continue to upgrade “fogged” glass panes as part of normal maintenance.

Lake and Dams Strategic Plan

The “lakes” of Woodside are detention ponds which handle runoff from rain events, but most of the “lakes” also have other sources of water (underground springs). Even though the “lakes” are detention ponds, the “lakes” are an important facet of the quality of life in Woodside by providing fishing and boating opportunities for the property owners. The lakes contribute to the aesthetics of our community and contribute to the marketing efforts which make Woodside attractive. The WPPOA should make every reasonable effort to maintain the beauty and viability of the Woodside Lakes.

The dams in Woodside are a matter of safety, and must be maintained in accordance with State regulations for dam safety. Woodside dams are inspected every two years by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Control (DHEC), and periodically the WPPOA should contract with an outside engineering firm to provide more detailed, comprehensive, inspections. The WPPOA should inspect the dams on a regular basis, and take necessary steps to repair erosion, repair overflow areas as needed, and keep vegetation under control. The long term goal should be “zero” discrepancies during dam inspections. Specific actions and objectives:

1.Maintenance and Safety:

1.1Monitor performance of contractors to maintain water quality and healthof the lake/dam system

1.2Develop an Emergency Action Plan to respond to DHEC and local

authority direction in response to severe climatic conditions, includingplans for imminent dam failure.

1.3Attend DHEC sponsored seminars to determine specific

maintenance requirements.

1.4Accompany DHEC on Bi-Annual inspections of dams and correct

deficiencies noted.

1.5Coordinate with City of Aiken officials to monitor effects of lake outflowon Woodside Plantation and adjacent properties.

1.6Contract for Professional Engineering inspections to supplement Bi-Annual DHEC inspections. Period between Professional inspections at the discretion of the Lakes and Dams Director and the Board, but normally will be conducted bi-annually in years DHEC does not inspect.

1.7Conduct annual operational checks of spillway systems if directed byDHEC.

2.Periodic Inspections:

2.1Spillways and plunge pools for vegetation and clogging (Quarterly)

2.2Tributaries and streams (Annual)

2.3Storm drains (Annual)

2.4Silt prevention actions by property owners and contractor (As necessary)

2.5Proper turf grass coverage of dams and emergency spillways including irrigation systems and vegetation growth control (Quarterly)

2.6Trash and debris buildup (Quarterly)

2.7Each dam for erosion or other abnormality (Monthly)

2.8Coordinate collection and removal of trash and debris (Annual).

3.Recreation And Aesthetics Improvements:

3.1Maintain and stock lakes and ponds to improve fishing opportunitiesavailable to Property Owners.

3.2Liaison with Common Area Landscaping to ensure proper mowing andmaintenance of dam turf grasses.

3.4Liaison with security to prevent trespassing.

3.5Ensure lake accesses are clearly marked and parking areas identified fortraffic safety.

3.6Ensure proper liability insurance is maintained for all dams.

4.Projects:

4.1Inspect and accept ownership of lakes & dams as they are turned overfrom WDLP

4.2Develop a priority list of future improvements and activities for Boardapproval.

4.3Utilize Lakes & Dams Committee for inputs and priorities.

Security Strategic Plan

Goal

Advise the POA board on matters of Security and Safety in an effort to provide a positive environment for the property owners, guests and staff.

1.Traffic Safety and Control

1.1Continue to monitor traffic throughout the community with automated devices and patrol feedback in order to minimize hazards, risks and violations.