07/27/2026
Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Membership Meeting Friday July 24, 2026 at Highland’s Library. We truly appreciate everyone who took the time to attend, ask questions, and stay engaged with our community.
For those who were unable to attend, here is a summary of the topics we discussed and the current status of several community projects.
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Board of Directors
The current Board of Directors will remain in place.
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Delinquent Accounts
One of the topics we discussed was delinquent accounts.
The Association will continue pursuing delinquent assessments in accordance with our governing documents and Florida law. We currently have one property scheduled for a foreclosure auction on August 20 after years of unpaid assessments.
If you receive correspondence from the Association’s attorney regarding your account, please do not ignore it. Respond promptly and work with the attorney if you are experiencing financial hardship.
We have also received feedback from many homeowners who feel it is unfair that those who consistently pay their assessments are impacted by accounts that have remained unpaid for years. Every unpaid account affects the Association’s finances and our ability to maintain and improve the community.
We encourage everyone to keep their accounts current so we can continue making investments in Biscayne Bay.
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Compliance
Please help us keep Biscayne Bay looking its best by following our community standards.
* Please do not park on the grass or damage the sod. The sod is maintained by the Association, and damage to Association maintained property may result in the owner being charged for the cost of repairs. The current cost to replace sod is approximately $500 per pallet.
* If you are a tenant, please be mindful of this policy.
* If you are a landlord, please ensure your tenants are aware of this policy, as owners are ultimately responsible for violations associated with their property.
* Exterior doors must be painted using the approved community colors.
* Original exterior light fixtures should remain in place. If you would like brighter lighting, simply replace the bulb with an LED daylight bulb rather than replacing the fixture itself.
The approved Sherwin-Williams exterior door colors are:
* Naval (SW 6244) – Dark Blue
* Bunglehouse Blue (SW 0048) – Light Blue
These are the approved colors originally used during the Empire Works project. Please use these colors to help maintain a consistent appearance throughout the community.
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Landscaping
If you have a landscaping concern, please send your address (or the location of the issue) and photos. Pictures help us identify the issue and get it corrected much faster. As I like to say, documentation beats conversation.
You can contact Stephen Foster at (904) 619-9190 or [email protected] to report landscaping concerns. He will work directly with the landscaping company to address them. Please include your address (or the location of the issue) and pictures when submitting your concern.
Our landscaping contractor services the community every Monday and Tuesday, generally covering one section of the community each day. This past week, however, the quality of work was not what we expect, and we have already addressed those concerns with the landscaping company. We will continue working with them to ensure the community is maintained to the standard we all expect.
Whenever his schedule allows, Stephen also walks the community with Harry, the landscaping company’s on-site manager, to identify concerns and follow up on reported issues. From time to time, when schedules allow, a member of the Board also joins Stephen during these property walks to discuss community concerns, identify maintenance issues, and help ensure reported items are being addressed.
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Pool Update
I’d also like to provide a few updates and reminders regarding the community pool.
As part of our ongoing maintenance, the pool will need to be temporarily closed for approximately one week during the fall (anticipated around October or November) so it can be resurfaced. We will provide advance notice once the schedule is finalized.
This resurfacing is not simply cosmetic. During a recent state inspection, the pool surface was identified as needing repair. To remain in compliance, the resurfacing must be completed before February 2027. If the repairs are not completed by that time, the State could require the pool to be closed until the issue is corrected.
If you haven’t stopped by the pool recently, take a look. Interlaced recently completed several cosmetic improvements around the pool area, including fresh paint and other minor updates. Once the pool is resurfaced, the entire area should have a much cleaner and refreshed appearance.
While most conversations have been focused on the roofing project, we’re continuing to invest in and maintain the rest of our community as well. Maintaining amenities like our pool is an important part of protecting the value and enjoyment of Biscayne Bay.
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Pool Monitor
As a reminder, there is a pool monitor on site during designated hours. The purpose of the pool monitor is to help discourage unauthorized use of the pool, including individuals entering the pool area without authorization, having parties, climbing the fence, or violating our community rules. Their presence helps keep the pool safe, secure, and enjoyable for all residents and their guests.
A few friendly reminders:
* Please remember to bring your key fob when visiting the pool. There are no metal keys for pool entry. Access to the pool is by key fob only.
* Please supervise your children at all times while they are at the pool. Accidents can happen in a matter of seconds, and we want everyone to enjoy the pool safely.
* Please clean up after yourselves.
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Roofing Project
The roofing project remains on track to begin in November.
The Association has already secured a little over half of the funding needed for the project. We are continuing our collection efforts and financial planning to secure the remaining funds.
Our current goal is to complete roofing work between November and April, completing as many buildings as funding allows before finishing the remaining buildings later in the year. Our hope is to have the entire project completed by the end of next year.
Many homeowners have asked whether we will simply replace the worst roofs first. After discussions with our engineer and contractor, we’ve learned that jumping from one isolated building to another would significantly increase costs and reduce efficiency. Instead, the buildings will likely be completed in groups to minimize mobilization costs and keep the project moving as efficiently as possible. The final construction sequence is still being finalized.
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Special Assessment
One of the biggest topics of discussion was the proposed special assessment.
We anticipate holding a meeting in October to present the proposed special assessment and the estimated costs associated with the roofing project. At that meeting, the membership will vote on the proposed special assessment.
At this time, we do not have the final assessment amount because we are still finalizing project costs and continuing our collection efforts. As soon as those numbers are finalized, they will be shared with the community. I firmly believe homeowners should be informed as early as possible so everyone has time to review the information, ask questions, and prepare.
One question that came up during yesterday’s meeting was the frequency of payments for the special assessment.
At this time, the Board has discussed several payment options, but no final decision has been made. This is one of the reasons I encourage everyone to attend the October meeting. Your feedback will help determine the payment schedule that best works for our community.
Some of the payment options we’ve discussed include:
* Paying the assessment in one lump sum
* Monthly payments
* Every other month (bimonthly)
* Quarterly payments
No final decision has been made regarding the payment schedule, and we want to hear from homeowners before moving forward.
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Why We Are Not Pursuing a Loan
Several homeowners asked why the Association isn’t simply obtaining a loan to fund the roofing project.
While obtaining a loan is certainly an option, loans come with significant costs. A large portion of the money collected from homeowners would go toward paying interest instead of being invested back into our community. In addition, many association loans include prepayment penalties, often lasting several years, making it more expensive to pay the loan off early.
Our goal is to spend as much of the Association’s money as possible on replacing roofs rather than paying interest to a bank.
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Community Participation
I’d also like to encourage more homeowner participation.
Please remember that you are the HOA. The Association belongs to all of us as homeowners. Interlaced is our management company, and they work on behalf of the Association. The Board makes decisions on behalf of the membership, but homeowner involvement and feedback are incredibly important, especially in a community of approximately 270 homes.
We understand everyone has jobs, families, and other responsibilities. We do too. Board members volunteer our time because we care about this community and want to see it continue moving in the right direction.
This meeting ended with an open discussion, and it was great to answer questions, hear concerns, and listen to ideas from homeowners. Those conversations help us make better decisions, and I encourage everyone to attend future meetings whenever possible.
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A Personal Thank You
Before I wrap up, I’d like to personally thank my fellow Board members, Tasha and Mr Bucky.
Serving on this Board has truly been a team effort. None of us came into these positions as HOA experts. We were simply homeowners who wanted to see positive change and were willing to step up when our community needed leadership.
Since then, we’ve worked hard to be responsible with the Association’s finances, carefully navigate difficult decisions, review contracts, discuss solutions, and always keep the community’s best interests in mind. I’m grateful for both of them and appreciate the time and effort they continue to dedicate to Biscayne Bay.
I’d also like to recognize Stephen Foster, our Community Manager. Since joining Interlaced, he has been much more visible throughout the community than we’ve seen in the past. He regularly walks the property, and whenever his schedule allows, he also walks the community with Harry, the landscaping company’s on-site manager, to identify concerns and follow up on reported issues.
If you see Stephen around the neighborhood, please take a moment to introduce yourself, say hello, and thank him for the work he’s doing. It would be nice if some of our interactions with him were simply to say “good morning,” “hello,” or “thank you” instead of only approaching him when there’s a problem or concern.
Turning a community around doesn’t happen overnight, but I appreciate the effort he’s putting in to help move Biscayne Bay in the right direction.
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Closing
Thank you again to everyone who attended our Annual Membership Meeting and to everyone who continues to support our community.
I know this was a lengthy update, but I wanted to make sure homeowners had a thorough summary of the discussions and information shared during the meeting. Whether you attended the meeting or are reading this recap afterward, I hope you found it informative.
Respectfully,
LB
