Barcodes are the most efficient method of identifying members of the Seven Lakes Landowners Association [SLLA] and moving them through the community's gates; but not everyone seems to be getting that message.
The newly-formed SLLA Security Committee is recommending that the Association move toward making barcodes mandatory; Security Director Steve Ritter shared that recommendation with the Board of Directors during their Monday, May 14 Work Session.
“Approximately one-third of our membership are without barcodes -- and that is a fairly substantial number,” Ritter explained. “I don’t understand why people are willing to sit behind two or three cars in the guest lane, when they can look to their right and see cars buzzing by in the barcode lane.”
Moving toward mandatory barcodes topped the list of recommendations from the Security Committee, which includes four retired law enforcement officers -- Ritter, former SLLA Director Chuck Mims, Mike Vasillo, and Don Harkey -- along with Southsider Brenda Massimo.
“We as a committee have looked at how these policies would fit in with our rules," Ritter said, "and whether we are doing what is right for our community and protecting all of our residents at the same time.”
“We are looking at access as how it pertains now as well as we grow. We are thinking forward to attack issues before they become issues,” he said.
Access Control is Rule #1
“I want this community to be open to everybody who wants to come here," said President Bob Darr. "I am not interested in restricting the Westside or West End folks, but we have to find someway under our own system to make sure we know who is in here.”
“Our first rule in the Green Book is that only members will be admitted -- and guests, with prior approval of a member. That is rule number one, and what we have is massive violations of that! If we are going to keep that rule then we have to find a way -- over and above decals and barcodes -- of how we are going to take care of security in our community.”
Despite the move to mandatory barcodes, the Security Committee recommended continuing to issue color-coded windshield stickers, in order to provide an easy way for Roving Security to quickly identify member vehicles.
“Just a barcode on a vehicle, it could be from anywhere," Ritter said. "But, when security drives by and sees people at an amenity, and they see vehicles with windshield stickers, then, odds are, it is a resident.” He added that windshield stickers provide an immediate way for gate guards to identify member vehicles if, for example, the barcode reader were knocked out by a lightning strike.
Darr cautioned that mandating barcodes could be problematic, since there are laws that prohibit an Association from denying a resident access to his or her property.
“The only way to enforce barcodes is to make it part of our dues fee structure,” he said. “Barcodes will help a lot, but it will not solve everything.”
Who Sticks the Sticker?
In a related discussion, Northsider Chuck Stephenson said a system using two decals -- a window sticker and a barcode -- left the door open for misuse.
“I see people coming in the gates with barcodes, but their window sticker is two or three years out-of-date," he said. "If they paid their dues, where is their current sticker?”
Ritter said one way to prevent any abuse of stickers would be to adopt the current Westside practice of requiring that only office staff may apply the decals to vehicles.
“That would prevent any stickers from being passed around," Ritter said. "But, if you truly want to secure the gates, the best example I can give you is the military.”
Prior to 9/11, military installations distributed color-coded stickers; however, that system was abandoned in favor of checking the identity card of everyone entering the base.
“That is the only way to positively assure you know who is coming in your gate," Ritter said. "But the backup would be to Food Lion, and that is an extreme we don’t want to go to. What we’re trying to do is put a process in place. Will there be holes in it? Yes.”
One way to improve security is for residents to take a more proactive role, Ritter said, suggesting to Stephenson that, if he observes a vehicle with an expired sticker, he should report it to the office.
“What it may boil down to is that the first of next year, we hope to have members upgraded [to barcodes], and that we get voluntary compliance,” he said. “And if not, they need to understand they will be stopped at the gate, and it will be inconvenient.”
No Change in Fee Recommended
The Security Committee recommended no change in the current barcode fee: a one-time $15 charge per vehicle. They suggested that new members should be required to purchase barcodes immediately and that the mandatory barcode requirement would extend to all members at some point in the future, possibly the end of the current fiscal year.
“Knowing there is a financial impact," Ritter said, "we felt it was reasonable to expect current residents to update to barcodes no later than April 30 [2013]. It puts people on notice for next year, when they pay dues.”
Ritter said he would like to clear up any misunderstandings on fees, emphasizing that members are charged a one-time fee for as long as they own the vehicle. Family members and Westside residents may also purchase barcodes -- for a fee of $15 and $20, respectively -- but those fees are assessed on an annual basis.
“Our recommendations were made with the big picture in mind, rather than a tit-for-tat with any other association,” he said.
More Recommendations
Other gate access recommendations presented by the Security Committee included maintaining a list or roster of names provided by organizations or groups that use amenities -- for example, Project Linus and Women of Seven Lakes -- and no changes to the current system of issuing guest passes to members of the Seven Lakes Health & Fitness Center or Seven Lakes Country Club.
However, a much more stringent access policy was recommended for contractors. In addition to providing a list or roster of employees or subcontractors for any job site, the general contractor would also be required to provide vehicle information. Once that information is received by the office, the contractor would be issued a time-limited pass up to a maximum of six months.
The Security Committee suggested that harsher language should be included in the Yard Debris Site information distributed to contractors, noting that the use of amenities is not allowed and that a contractor found in violation would be charged with trespassing.
“The contractor policy would state that when you are in here, you’re here to do a job,” Ritter said.
Community Manager Alina Cochran said she knows of at least one homeowner who has purchased a guest pass as a gift to their contractor.
“That is an inappropriate use of a guest pass, and we need to get that message to the homeowner,” demanded Ritter.
Cochran also reported the current system of issuing contractor passes includes tracking license plates, but not employees by name.
Darr expressed concern that a major job site -- such as new home construction -- would require a massive amount of follow-up to keep track of all the various subcontractors.
A Plea for Unity
Nearly lost in the hour-long policy discussion on access was the simple desire by the majority of landowners present to preserve the neighborliness for which Seven Lakes has been known.
“Could someone please explain to me why we can’t be one community?” asked Southsider Donna Rouse. “I am totally and completely upset about the whole thing. I hate it! This is not the community I moved into, and it makes me sad and mad.”
Northsider Tim Burgess asked whether the barcode systems used by the SLLA and SLWLA are compatible, and if there was a notification policy in place when a name was removed from the system.
Ritter replied that the two systems were compatible, but that database was not shared, except by individual request.
“Barcodes are a wonderful way to monitor access," Burgess said, "you know who is in or out. But I just want us to be one community.”
Darr agreed.
“I hope we can find a way to open up our side and work towards that combining again," he said, "but we are faced with a lot of opposition as it relates to access. We’re going to try to work through and see what we can do.”
Quick Decision Needed
With no window stickers being issued by the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] and new access policies effective at their gates as of May 1, Darr said the SLLA Board needs to act quickly to define its policy.
“We said we would accept [SLWLA expired] window stickers until June 1, but then we will need to do something else,” he said. “I think what we have on paper [i.e., the Security Committee recommendations] does not give us enough control or a policy stance to instigate something that is in line with our present rules and what we are trying to do.”
Darr asked the Committee to draft new policy language in the next few days, with hope that a quick turnaround would allow time for a special work session prior to a vote at the next open meeting, scheduled for May 30.
“We made a decision when we came into office that we would be transparent, and that still holds, Darr said. "But we also said that what we do needs to be in black & white and documented. I don’t have a problem with making changes to our rules, but it must be written down. This is the way we run this organization. We can’t be just willy-nilly and say we’ll do this today and not tomorrow.”
