October 28, 2013
IT IS TIME FOR A NEW BEGINNING
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The sunrise over the second fairway tells of the beginning of a new day.We also need a new beginning in our thinking about the security of our community.
For the last four months, Fairways Watch has been working on different security options,that could be custom tailored to the needs of the Fairways. First and foremost was the cost concern of all systems considered.
First option up was to put ''Barney Fife'', back on duty in the existing guard house. This sounds simple enough, right ?
WRONG---Due to current regulations,a new enclosure would be required, complete with plumbing and air conditioning. The guesstamated cost of the structure, with sewer line is $30-50K. Then we have to pay ''Barney'' His cost for night time only would be around $5500 per month--24 hrs would be a whopping $11500 per month. The annual cost would be a staggering $140,000 per year !
So--as the old engineer said ''BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARDS'' We had heard of other communities going away from the private guards, and changing to live,interactive, REMOTE MONITORING. Some of the communities named came as a surprise. Heathrow, and Windemere, were among the more recognizable names.
Over the past four months, Fairways Watch has met as a small committee including both residents and law enforcement officers. During the four months, we have interviewed eight different security systems vendors, who all came and visited the Fairways.Included in this same time frame, we also did detailed action studies and vehicle counts at our gates.
The results of our work is somewhat surprising. We can have a good dependable system, with 24/7 live agent remote monitoring, complete with ''no tailgating'' gates.---A bar code reading entrance for residents [no more clickers] --Also included is a data base for regular visitors-- BUT-- most important of all is the live agent greeting by camera, with the recording and identifying system for those coming in through the visitors lane.
This system would reuse the present guard house and the new brick phone enclosure, would become the greeting camera kiosk.
On a special note, Fairways Watch took Priscilla to see a similar system in operation in the nearby Avalon area. Priscilla seemed receptive to this different type of operation.
NOW--- for the biggest surprise of all--- the system described above would only cost about ONE THIRD of the amount ''Barney'' would cost, with his amenities!---Perhaps its time for Barney to retire.
This post is only a very preliminary look at our findings. There is much more information to come. We are sending a complete detailed nine page report to Hometown America in Chicago for Mr Brauns consideration.
If things continue to move in the expected right direction, we will hold special Fairways Watch meetings for ALL homeowners to answer the many questions that are expected to arise. Watch for notices of meeting. Fifty-one percent (51%) of homeowners approval is what's required after we get Chicago's buy-in to the Proposal.
For the last four months, Fairways Watch has been working on different security options,that could be custom tailored to the needs of the Fairways. First and foremost was the cost concern of all systems considered.
First option up was to put ''Barney Fife'', back on duty in the existing guard house. This sounds simple enough, right ?
WRONG---Due to current regulations,a new enclosure would be required, complete with plumbing and air conditioning. The guesstamated cost of the structure, with sewer line is $30-50K. Then we have to pay ''Barney'' His cost for night time only would be around $5500 per month--24 hrs would be a whopping $11500 per month. The annual cost would be a staggering $140,000 per year !
So--as the old engineer said ''BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARDS'' We had heard of other communities going away from the private guards, and changing to live,interactive, REMOTE MONITORING. Some of the communities named came as a surprise. Heathrow, and Windemere, were among the more recognizable names.
Over the past four months, Fairways Watch has met as a small committee including both residents and law enforcement officers. During the four months, we have interviewed eight different security systems vendors, who all came and visited the Fairways.Included in this same time frame, we also did detailed action studies and vehicle counts at our gates.
The results of our work is somewhat surprising. We can have a good dependable system, with 24/7 live agent remote monitoring, complete with ''no tailgating'' gates.---A bar code reading entrance for residents [no more clickers] --Also included is a data base for regular visitors-- BUT-- most important of all is the live agent greeting by camera, with the recording and identifying system for those coming in through the visitors lane.
This system would reuse the present guard house and the new brick phone enclosure, would become the greeting camera kiosk.
On a special note, Fairways Watch took Priscilla to see a similar system in operation in the nearby Avalon area. Priscilla seemed receptive to this different type of operation.
NOW--- for the biggest surprise of all--- the system described above would only cost about ONE THIRD of the amount ''Barney'' would cost, with his amenities!---Perhaps its time for Barney to retire.
This post is only a very preliminary look at our findings. There is much more information to come. We are sending a complete detailed nine page report to Hometown America in Chicago for Mr Brauns consideration.
If things continue to move in the expected right direction, we will hold special Fairways Watch meetings for ALL homeowners to answer the many questions that are expected to arise. Watch for notices of meeting. Fifty-one percent (51%) of homeowners approval is what's required after we get Chicago's buy-in to the Proposal.
Conceptual Drawing of Proposal
20 comments:
This seems like a good thing for Fairways, and Bill you have done a great job on this. Now the big question, how much is this going to cost each home owner?
Thanks for a job well done own your part.
looks good to me , what if a guest gets in the wrong lane what happens then?
This does seem like a better option and more up-to-date technically. Technology is so superior now a days, again, the cost to hometown and residence would need to be available for consideration. Bill, you have done a good job of researching alternatives. Thanks
Such hard work. This could work!
If only HTA would listen and not know it all...Great job Bill and crew. If only they didn't know it all.
This is not Miss Priss idea so it just will not fly even if it is the best idea !!!!!! In all the years we have lived here if anything goes wrong it is corporate, permit or subs she has never made a mistake on anything in all those years.
Good job BILL ! Also hope the people read the comments under your blog about the "capture of a criminal".
Why is this post from 2013? Am I missing something?
Yes you are missing Bill can answer this better but he gave this idea to Miss Piss back in 2013 but she shot it down. Hope Miss PRiss is asked at the board meeting what happened to the great idea of a two month Fairways Bull---etin which the last one was in Oct.
For all you nay sayers about the gate keeper, this morning when I left to go to work, and I go to work very early, a young black male on a bicycle came darting into the out gate when I went through the gate. I had to sit there as you know to wait for the gate to open and I can say honestly I don't even know where he came from it all happened so fast. It was clear he didn't live here by the age factor, and he also had a back pack and a bag on his handle bars. A person at the gate would have deferred this from happening. Just saying......
The point is, HTA should pay for a gate attendant. Now if they want a security guard I'll help pay over and above the cost of a gate attendant
A security company, with trained guards would make a difference and I would be more inclined to pay towards. Someone that Hometown picks to attend a gate will not make much of a difference. I agree with Anonymous. Probably would wind up being a second cousin of someone at the front office that cant find a job...
Two sets of gates would prevent the tailgating in, but there would have to be a way to accommodate extra long vehicles, such as a 5th wheel camper or boat on a trailer, which cannot go over the speed bumps very fast without causing damage to the towed vehicle or camper.
Thanks for your ideas, and they look better than a live person.
This maybe off topic, but instead of Hometown spending more of our money on "guard", I wish they would get our water pipes fixed once and for all. Again, no water, this happens every few months, for years.... Then there is no water and have to boil once it is finally turned back on... All my years, I never lived in a place that had water breaks as much as Fairways... Why cant they spend THE MONEY and FIX IT CORRECTLY....... NO ONE KNOWS THIS STUFF WHEN THEY BUY AND MOVE HERE..
HOPE READ THIS BLOG...
Same as 11:22 off subject but if they want to take a real poll how about asking whether we would rather have a guard or our restaurant back ??????? Miss Pris how about that poll ???
There's something serious wrong with the water lines and pipes in this park. I wish I had kept track of every letter I received and dates when pipes broke.
They just seem to band-aid a quick fix rather than invest in proper water lines.
WE will never see the restaurant again (not under HTA).
I believe the final day was yesterday to vote for the "guard"...
I wonder who is counting and how long before we will get results of this vote.
Does anyone know?
Do people actually miss that restaurant? Come on,there's 50 that are all better then our restaurant ever was right out of the gate.
did everyone get a lette?I didn't.Also I'll tell you what's wrong with the pipes,There older then dirt.And yes they are never fixed to last longer the a year at most. Don't forget folks we are sitting on sand .Its not like our northern soil.Every times its rains the sand shifts causing pipes, to shift. As time goes by pipes will break. I'm sure this can be taken care of,but when this park was first started do you think it was done to code.Hell No we didn't even have codes at that time.
How many of those restaurants could you drive your cart to anon 5:43????
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