The ANNUAL SLHOA CHRISTMAS HOME DECORATING EVENT was coordinated this year by the Social/Holiday Committee Chairperson, Amber Cochran.  This year, the Judges (from another HOA) found there were so many lovely decors, they decided to award a 1st, 2nd & 3rd place for Commercial with an additional award just for Religious.   

So everyone can check out the winners now, here they are below. We will publish pics of them with their prizes  as soon as they can be taken and put on our site.

Commercial:  

1st Place - The Slocums at 3521 Tipperary  Drive

2nd Place -  The Rowlands at 3759 Sierra Drive

3rd Place - The Kisers at 3542 Tipperary Drive 

Religious :

1st Place - The Crawfords at 3982 Tradewinds Trail  

Steve and Michelle Slocum are out of town, but will receive their prize when they return.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO DECORATED THEIR HOMES  SO BEAUTIFULLY AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS  AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Regular monthly Board meetings are currently scheduled for the fourth Thursday of the month, 7:00 PM at The Moose Lodge, 3190 Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island. If there is a change in schedule or location, it will be posted on this site and on the community bulletin boards. Board meeting agendas are available to Owners at the meeting and usually on this site.  2018 Minutes of Meetings are posted in the Downloads section of this site as they are approved.

Notice of Membership meetings, as well as Annual and Budget meetings, with agendas and other needed information are sent electronically or by USPS to all Owners. 

Gates may be open for monthly garage sales on the first Saturday of each month from ~8 AM to ~2 PM. 

Please email the board at board@slhoa.info to volunteer for a committee. Those currently in place include:

  Welcoming Committee -  Chair and one member in place 

  Social/Holiday Committee  - Chair in place 

  Stormwater Committee - Chair and two members in place

  Hurricane Preparedness Committee  - Chair and one member in place

Each committee selects a Chairperson and submits a Charter (purpose, goals, implementation, recommendations - activities, members and contact info) for Board approval.     

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”      

Ralph Waldo Emerson                           

The Architectural Review Committee (ARC)  is a important part of Sunset Lakes HOA.  They are elected by Owners and tasked with reviewing , evaluating and either approving or disapproving requests for construction, and all exterior additions to our homes, including roofing, fencing, shutters, decks, driveways, paint, etc. The ARC follows the Declarations regarding allowed construction and encourages harmonious continuity in Sunset Lakes, adding guidelines from time to time to assist Owners in this effort. They require a special form be filled out and according to the nature of the request, may need other items such as surveys, as well. The ARC form is in the download section of this site. When you have filled out the form, please send it to the ARC at arc@slhoa.info.   

The goal of this 2018-2019 Board of Directors is to have improved safety and property values for the residents of Sunset Lakes by the end of our term in office!  So far, so good! 

As we move through areas that require maintenance & repair we are prioritizing, as needed.  We have "Leads" on some SL streets and need more. This is a volunteer position to alert the board regarding specific safety issues that may develop on their streets.  If you wish to serve your community in this simple, but important way, please notify the board via email at board@slhoa.info. There are many tasks that need to be done to make Sunset Lakes a better place to live. Thanks!

FREQUENT QUESTIONS:

Q- Where do we find the Bylaws, C&Rs, Articles and other governing documents for Sunset Lakes HOA?

A- Those documents should be provided by the seller of the property at closing. If they were not or have been lost, Sentry can provide them electronically or a hard copy may be provided at a small charge. These documents are also found in the download section of this site. 2018 Rules & Guidelines will be added soon.

Q - In the event of a conflict in documents, what is the order of precedence for an HOA in Florida?

A - State Statutes, Declarations of Covenants & Restrictions, Articles, Bylaws, Guidelines, Rules.

Q- Where do I find a map of Sunset Lakes?

A- Maps of both Sunset Lakes and Island Estates are found in the download section of this site. Note these are not to scale and cannot be used for legal purposes.

Q - Who should we contact if we need to clarify or address a situation about the HOA?

A - Either the Property Management company or the board. Sentry Management Company is our Property Management Company. The SLHOA Property Manager of Sentry Management, Inc., is Sue Stewart LCAM who may be reached via email - sstewart@sentrymgt.com.  Please be patient.  Our community is large and the property management firm is new to us. Responses may take longer than the 48 hour goal.  The contact email for the board it is at board@slhoa.info.  

Q- What is the difference between the Property Manager and the Board of Directors?

A-  The Property Manager manages the association; the Board governs the association.

Q- Will our dates for assessments or the amount due change?

A- The dates for our semi-annual assessments (January 1 & July 1 of each year) and the amount ($330) will stay the same for the 2018-2019 year. The amount of assessments may change when the elected board of directors raises or lowers them. Some Owners choose to send their semi annual dues ($330) via check to the Sentry office in Rockledge. The mailing address for Sentry is at the footer of this webpage.  Be sure your check is payable to "SUNSET LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC." and note your SLHOA property address on the check for proper credit. Sentry will send invoices/coupons with instructions regarding where to send payment. Note that use of a credit card will require an extra use fee. To avoid that, checks or money orders are encouraged. Cash is not accepted.

Q- For hurricane information, how do we find the Brevard County Emergency Preparedness info?

A- http://www.brevardfl.gov/EmergencyManagement/Preparedness .  We also have a newly formed Hurricane Committee that needs extra hands before and after hurricane events. 

Q- In the event of a non-violent emergency, who should we call?

A- The non-violent contact for the Brevard County Sheriff's Department is 321-633-7162. Our Property Manager Sue Stewart LCAM at sstewart@sentrymgt.com should also be notified, as well as the board at board@slhoa.info.

Q- In the event of an emergency where life or property is in imminent danger, who should we call?

A- 911 is the appropriate call for an emergency.  Our Property Manager and Board should also be notified, of course.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon cellular phone customers in Brevard County now have the option to Text-to-9-1-1 in an emergency beginning today - 7.26.2018.  This follows technological upgrades at the county’s 11 Public Safety Answering Points that receive 9-1-1 emergency calls. Customers of the four major wireless carriers can now send a text (up to 140 characters) directly to 9-1-1 in an emergency in which a call is not possible, or when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger.  Also, Text-to-9-1-1 provides a route for the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech impaired.    We have gotten a couple of questions on how to use Text-To-911 correctly and wanted to make sure we addressed those issues: * Area codes do not determine if your text goes through. * Do not text to test the system * To text 911, type 911 in the “To”, enter the location (+ city) and type of help needed (Police, Fire or Ambulance) in the Message, and Send.

NEW NEWS:   1.10.19 : SPEEDING HAS CONTINUED IN SUNSET LAKES. This is a primary safety issue and the responsibility of the Association to address. Suggestions from Owners, consideration of elements that may affect property values, consults with the Sheriff's Department and the Department of Transportation have all been considered. Considering all recommendations, we are lowering the speed limit in Sunset Lakes to 15 mph throughout. The signage will be up during the next two weeks with Enforcement by the BCSO. If that is not effective , the addition of speed humps may be next. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this important issue. We strive to provide our Owners and Guests with a safe environment.

The clearing of the 3 large culverts at the entrance of SL is continued Thursday, Jan. 10th.  Please drive slowly to avoid damage to the heavy hoses crossing the street that are under great pressure. Several truck truckloads of water was again removed from the work area.  After dewatering, the contractors will video the interior of the culverts to make sure they are competent, and clear any further mud from them.  This is an important part of maintenance of our stormwater system.  The drainage easements needs to open and the culverts patent for stormwater to exit our community. 

An annual maintenance plan will be initiated to avoid the future cost and inconvenience of major culvert cleaning and stormwater easement clearing in many areas, as has been required during 2018.  Since SLHOA has never had a maintenance plan in place for 25 years, we welcome assistance from Owners to provide input.  All Residents are urged not to put yard waste, trash or any other fill into any drains or drainage areas.

• We are calling for bids to resurface the SL main entrance. That will include properly inserting two ballasts into the road to protect our expensive Telephone Entrance System (TES), as well as inserting new loops to provide gate sensor operation. Needless to say, there may be workarounds required such as the need to use the rear exit /entrance of Sunset Lakes while resurfacing, striping and reinstalling the gate loops at the front entrance of Sunset Lakes.  If possible, the worst sections of the oldest roads will also be done thereafter. Asphalt that is not sealed at regular intervals requires resurfacing sooner than if sealed on a regular basis. To promote longer life for our roads the new surfaces should be sealed at regular intervals as part of regular community maintenance schedule

Question - What is a "Lead"?  

Answer - A "Lead" is a community volunteer who keeps an eye out on their street for safety hazards. They notify the board f there are any. Examples of a safety hazard are lifted sidewalks (trip hazard), broken cement around drains (auto and trip hazard),  speeding cars, etc. We have "Leads" on some SL roads now and need more to cover the entire community.  One per street is fine. This is a volunteer position to alert the board regarding specific safety issues noted on our streets. If you wish to serve your community in this simple, but important way, please notify the board via email at board@slhoa.info. There are many tasks that need to be done to make Sunset Lakes a better place to live.  This is certainly one of them.  Thanks!

Background Info:

• The Brevard County Natural Resources Department  and SJRWMD noticed us in February 2018 we may be out of compliance with our required storm water drainage permit.  That is not acceptable. The flow of storm water was obstructed in several areas in the drainage easement east of Sunward Drive, preventing historical flow to occur.  It is unknown when or if  any maintenance has been done  in the past. We sought opinions from three experienced civil engineers (County, SJRWMD & independent) who have all recommended a course of action and we are following that. A contractor cleared  and removed overgrowth, lawn waste, trash and  obstructing objects from the drainage easement followed by dredging and grading the easement to handle the water flow northward. Smoothing the boundry berm, seeding and hay application to reduce erosion followed. We are also smoothing major roughing of  Owner turf occurring during the operation of the backhoe in very tight areas, as was reported by homeowners at the time. Next came the pipe cleaners to clear our 3 large culverts under Sunset Lakes Drive. Following that, the outflow pipes and capacity /competence of receiving water body  on the property north of Sunset Lakes will be assessed. All abutting properties along Sunward Drive have been sent a communication explaining the situation and the necessary course of action. All have been asked to please remove any personal items in the easement and not to place any additional items (including  pots, toys, fences, plants, rocks and of course ANY TYPE OF FILL IN THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT that may interfere with the water flow . Please also keep pets and children from the easement areas . Note this is not a whim of the board, but a required action - mandated by our St. Johns River Water District SLHOA permit. We do not have a choice. There are very high fines possible for noncompliance. When the drainage easement is returned to an accepted functional configuration without obstruction of historical storm water flow, flooding risks will be reduced for areas in Sunset Lakes as well as areas to our south. We are working closely with the county and district to do this correctly. This easement is the responsibility of Sunset Lakes HOA and must be maintained on a regular basis from now on. 

• Clearing overgrowth in the common areas adjacent to the Conservation Area of IE has been completed. It is unknown when the last complete clearing  of these common areas was done. This is an open space common area that is belongs to all  SLHOA Owners. It includes our special fishing pier that extends into the Indian River. We have cleared many years of overgrowth in this area which had to be done in phases due to the density of it. The final phase is now complete.  In the future, regular maintenance  trimming must be done to prevent massive overgrowth into the common areas, obstructing access.  The area remains open for all  SL Owners. The main entrance to the Conservation Area is at the west end of Windchime in Island Estates. On the right is the large common area including the terminal pond in our large interconnected stormwater system and our fishing pier that extends into the Indian River.

• The Natural Conservation Area on the shore of the Indian River that holds natural Florida wetlands and animals of our natural habitat is to be left completely undisturbed. No cutting, removal or addition of any plants, soil or other materials, hunting, trapping or fires are allowed in the Conservation Area or the Common areas of IE or SL. Due to the proximity of the natural Conservation Area , young children should not be permitted in the IE open space areas without adult supervision. Owners or prospective owners are encouraged to visit all the open space common areas of our community and to venture to the unique fishing dock on the Indian River. Sturdy closed toed shoes, water and a method of communication are recommended when hiking in this area. Please leave only your footsteps.

• There have been several large alligators removed from Sunset Lakes stormwater detention ponds through the years.  While they are a natural part of our Florida environment, they may also to be considered a threat to animals and people in or around the ponds they frequent.  Please do NOT feed the alligators. Please keep children and pets from playing at the ponds' edges, and never swim or wade in the ponds. Signs have been posted as safety reminders.

Overall Contract Review:

Your 2018 Board of Directors has been carefully reviewing the current service contracts for Sunset Lakes.  This has been an assessment in areas of service, with consideration of the age and condition of the common grounds of the association, as well as the insurance and licenses required for each individual situation.  Even with a shortage of two board volunteers, we have accomplished quite a bit in a short period of time.  

Your current management company is one of the largest, most knowledgeable and respected in the southeast United States. They are efficient in financial management and have worked through several areas of concern during the transition from the former management company.  In addition, the overall recurring costs since Sentry has joined the Association are trending steady.  

The goal of this 2018-2019 Board is to have improved safety and property values for the residents of Sunset Lakes Homeowners Association for 2019!  So far, so good! Some of the many 2018 improvements include: 

• A functional and current website with information our community needs, at far less cost than the previous one.
• All SOS gate sensors repaired for the safety of SL Owners - so ambulances and fire trucks may have immediate access.
• Broken curb drains with exposed rebar and unstable broken sidewalks replaced, as well as lifted sidewalks ground down or replaced for pedestrian safety. Please notify the board or Sentry of any found and they will be placed on the list to be repaired with cones and paint marking them for safety.
• Hot and Cold patched pothole repairs in worn streets have been done for safety and appearance.
• A Lawn Service carrying Liability and Workers' Comp Insurance protections for the HOA is now contracted.
• A repair and adjustment of the common area irrigation system is underway, with multiple issues discovered. and in process of repair.  
• Access to Sentry Management's  informative website with an internet Community Portal availability is established. All Owners may access their own accounts through the Portal. Those who are not able to access a computer are served, as well.
• Contractors have cleared and reshaped our clogged southeast and eastern storm water drainage easement to permit water flow for the safety of our residents and in compliance with our SJRWMD permit is in process. The berms were raked smooth, seeded with rye and hay placed over the seed for the winter.                                             
• Next came a culvert assessment and clearing  of the 3 large culverts under the SL entrance on Sunset Lakes Drive. On December 27th, the area around the culverts was isolated and dewatered. Due to the heavy mud buildup of 25 years in front of the culverts, dredging this mud out of the way was needed to access the culverts. This is the first phase of a maintenance process required for competent stormwater drainage of our permitted drainage easement along the east side of Sunward Drive.  Next came the excavators who will remove the mud so the culverts may be opened. Finally, the culvert cleaning and  video checking of our 3 large  stormwater culverts under Sunset Lakes Drive will complete this maintenance effort.
• Invasive vegetation next to the Conservation Area in western Island Estates has been cleared back to the actual wetland areas. This waterfront wetland Conservation Area is part of our St. John's River Water Management District's permit for our entire community. It is not to be disturbed with hunting, trapping, trash or ANY plantings.  The area includes a walking path around the IE detention pond and a path to a fishing dock on the river for all SLHOA Owners to enjoy. Caution should be used in areas that are next to the wetlands and Conservation Areas due to the rough vegetative growth and natural contours of the land.  
• Repair of the large water (trash)  pump used during heavy rain events to prevent flooding has been completed.
• Intermittent provision of BCSO Deputies for safety patrols with traffic issues a primary concern.
• Refreshing and cleaning the SL/SR3 entrance with removal of dead plants, replacing others and clearing areas of yard waste and invasive vegetation. This continues today.
• Repair of unexpected road failure and concomitant gate failure at the SL entrance completed.
• Analyzing proposals to resurface the SL entrance are active. Know that properly insured and experienced paving companies prefer larger jobs than ours, so we are looking for quality service that is readily available specific to our needs. We need to replace our failing entrance which is a complex project with multiple conduits, lines and gate loops under the surface and crossing roads. Although inconvenient and costly to do, having an attractive entrance is a big part of the value of a home in Sunset Lakes. The entrance is the first impression of our Sunset Lakes community and those are lasting impressions for both Owners and prospective Owners. Road resurfacing at the SL entrance will require utilizing the rear entrance to Sunset Lakes until this work is complete and the asphalt is cured and paint is dry. Due to the limited space for traffic backup, the rear SL gate will be opened during this ~24-36 hour period.  When this is imminent, notice will be posted on this site and at the front entrance bulletin board. Thank you for your patience and please drive slowly for safety 
• A proposed 2019 budget that provides improved safety and maintenance without increased assessments means everyone cooperates to help save costs.
• A change in HOA insurance policies with the same protections that saves us $600 per year.
• Safety signage posted regarding no swimming in retention ponds and alligator alerts at pond access areas.
• Speed limit reduction throughout the community due to persistent speeding. New signs for 15 mph will be placed in the same locations as the current. Enforcement is by BCSO Deputies. Please be aware of the change.
• Transferring funds from one bank to another with far higher interest rates has been done.

As we move through areas that require maintenance & repair we are continually prioritizing.  

We have "Leads" on some SL roads now and need more to cover the entire community. This is a volunteer position  to alert the board regarding specific safety issues that may develop on their streets.  If you wish to serve your community in this simple, but important way, please notify the board via email at board@slhoa.info. There are many tasks that need to be done to make Sunset Lakes a better place to live. Thanks!

"Check Lease" Item:

Owners in Sunset Lakes who rent their homes need to refer to Article XI of the Declarations of Covenants and Restrictions (C&Rs) for the SLHOA Homeowners Association. This Article provides a paragraph that must be included in the Lease Agreement regarding the tenant's responsibility to follow the C&Rs of our Deed Restricted community.  The Owner also needs to provide the Sentry Management Company with a copy of the Lease Agreement, as well as the names addresses and contact information for both themselves and the tenant (s) residing on their property.

PARKING Ideas for Sunset Lakes: Many of our Owners have multiple vehicles and not enough room to park them in their garages and driveways. Owners have been asked to come up with ideas regarding the issue of parking in Sunset Lakes. We have researched other HOAs and considered different ideas that may provide some relief from street parking, but none are ideal. To mediate this issue for our Owners, we have allowed the use of the main park parking lot for temporary overflow parking, with the clear understanding the HOA is not responsible for any damage of vehicles if they are parked there. Posted signs state the main park closes for recreational use at dusk. Please send your smart ideas about how we may better manage parking to the board at board@slhoa.info.  Thanks!

It is against State Law to BLOCK SIDEWALKS and may present a safety hazard for our Owner and guest pedestrians. Parked vehicles are allowed in garages, on driveways or in the main park parking lot. Sidewalks are not intended for vehicular use; they are intended for pedestrian use. Please ensure the safety of our Owners and guests by not blocking the sidewalks with vehicles or other items such as pool drain pipes, motorcycles, trash cans, yard waste, etc.

We had superficially checked and cleared our street stormwater drains for the 2018 hurricane season.  We hope to create a scheduled maintenance program that will help future regular maintenance of the areas that need regular attention. Our street gutters drain into the stormwater drains that flow from detention pond to pond, finally emptying into the river as cleaner water.  Putting yard waste in the gutters endangers the patency of our stormwater drains - causing clogging, backup and flooding properties during a heavy rain event.  Putting yard waste in the street is a traffic safety hazard.  In addition, the cost of clearing the connecting pipes between lakes is high.  If the pipes are clogged with yard waste, the clearing may necessitate a Special Assessment or an increase of annual dues to cover this very high expense. Please put yard waste into reusable containers or piled neatly in no > 4 foot sections on the apron of the driveway for pickup by Waste Management.  

There are areas in Sunset Lakes where Drainage Easements are designed as part of the Stormwater System.  These easements are required by the St. John's River Water Management District per our HOA permit.  We do not have a choice.  Some of these easements are found in the rear or side of a property.  It is very important that the drainage easements be kept clear of yard debris, trash and any structures or plantings that may obstruct the flow of stormwater. From time to time, hopefully on a regular maintenance schedule in the future, the association will hire a firm to clear any debris from the easements to assure proper drainage. Please provide safe access for  workers doing this important job to keep us safe.

Please do not put waste containers on the cement pads that contain stormwater access manholes and are our street drains. The automated waste trucks can accidentally do great damage to the cement drain structure when picking up waste cans on those cement pads. We are responsible to repair these damages and they are very expensive. We have already had to repair several. Please do not use these street manhole drain access pads for waste containers, yard waste, potted plants or other items.

During our rainy season  - especially when a storm is approaching, it is wise to reduce our gray water use.  All our irrigation runoff goes into our storm water system and we will need more space for heavy storm rains. When a storm is close, it is wise to reduce or turn off our home irrigation systems, as our property management company will do for the common areas. That will keep our grounds from being over saturated and unable to absorb the heavy rainwater that may follow.  

Of course, this is the time to trim our own trees so they will be stable and safe during high winds. We have done that for the common areas and all Owners need to consider that now for their properties - before storms threaten.  Also, please make sure large trees don't hang lower than 15 feet from the road so our school buses don't get damaged.  If the Association has to trim a tree damaging buses, the cost will be charged to the account of the tree Owner.

As we find sidewalks that have become uneven over time, we are continuing to grind the uneven joint areas to smooth curves instead of the alternate option of removing the sidewalks and replacing with sod. Replacing all sidewalks would be beyond the current budget and require a revenue adjustment. Replacing hazardous broken areas and grinding lifts to curved edges is the more economical choice.  If Owners will contact our Property Manager or Board with the location of uneven sidewalks observed, it will help the ongoing process.

A reminder - Commercial signage is not allowed in our community save a "For Sale" sign in the yard of a home that is for sale with specific sign dimensions noted in our C&Rs. State Statutes allow very small security signs within 10 feet of the front entrance of homes.  No signage is allowed on common property of Sunset Lakes, save that placed by the Association.  Any posted may be removed by the association at the expense of the owner. The exception we have established is for those small, temporary directional signs during Garage Sale First Saturdays that are removed at the end of the sale period.  Please keep our common areas clear of signage.

July 4th Parade

The 2018 Annual July 4th Parade was held as scheduled!  Prizes for the most patriotic decor were awarded and Amber Cochran has once again done a wonderful job to organize a great community event to celebrate our nation's birthday! Thanks to everyone who helped from those who provided refreshments like the Ryan's on Starlight with a water station, to the sharp guys who kept us from having traffic issues as the parade moved through our streets.  As one neighbor said, even the dogs were impressed!  See  pictures below: