Vote Yes for the amendment
Sawgrass Association, Inc. 2024
Sawgrass can have a modern fiber-optic network, at no cost to our homeowners.
Current Status
On November 28 the Sawgrass Association Board voted to move forward on negotiating a contract with Comcast for both Internet and cable television services. This will be a bulk agreement, meaning that every homeowner will contribute financially, and that Sawgrass will receive a modern fiber-optic network that will carry us well into the future. Most residents will get considerable savings, and we will all get faster Internet speeds, better customer service and more reliable performance.
The final step is an amendment to one of our Covenants, and that requires a vote of the 1,131 homeowners governed by that document. The ballot package is scheduled to be mailed out on January 8, and a Members Meeting to finalize the vote has been scheduled for March 5.
The final step is an amendment to one of our Covenants, and that requires a vote of the 1,131 homeowners governed by that document. The ballot package is scheduled to be mailed out on January 8, and a Members Meeting to finalize the vote has been scheduled for March 5.
Why Fiber and Why Now?
Our old copper and coax network is very old and deteriorating,
and not capable of handling the capacity that will be demanded
of it moving forward.
For a brief window of time, companies are willing to pay to put a modern, fiber-optic network in our community.
Residents will receive very fast Internet speeds: 1 gig (1000 mb) symmetrical – both download and upload.
The average Sawgrass resident should save between $50 and $200 per month.
Over the term of the agreement, Sawgrass residents will save nearly $15,000,000.
Customer service will improve dramatically.
The new fiber network will be immune to weather and lightning strikes, resulting in far fewer outages.
For a brief window of time, companies are willing to pay to put a modern, fiber-optic network in our community.
Residents will receive very fast Internet speeds: 1 gig (1000 mb) symmetrical – both download and upload.
The average Sawgrass resident should save between $50 and $200 per month.
Over the term of the agreement, Sawgrass residents will save nearly $15,000,000.
Customer service will improve dramatically.
The new fiber network will be immune to weather and lightning strikes, resulting in far fewer outages.
The Vote
Sawgrass is unique among HOA communities in that it has a 5% cap on annual assessments. Most comparable communities have none. Telecom payments will be made by residents every six months as part of the biannual assessment payment. Because it’s a bulk deal, these payments count as part of the assessment. (With second-day trash pickup, for example, only a segment of the community has to pay through the HOA, so it’s not considered part of the assessment.)
Because telecom payments are bulk and thus considered assessments, by law they would be treated like all residential and commercial assessments and would be subject to the same 5% annual increase. All the amendment does is exempt telecom payments from that increase, and treat it like other pass-through revenue, such as second-day trash payments.
The ballot package will be mailed on January 8, in preparation for a Membership Meeting scheduled for March 5, 2024, at the SCC Clubhouse at 5:00 p.m. For the two months in between those dates, members of the Telecom Task Force will be available to meet with neighborhood leaders, attend Board or annual meetings, or just meet with groups of interested residents. If you have an upcoming meeting or a group of neighbors who would like more information, please reach out via email at sawgrasstelecom22@gmail.com.
Because telecom payments are bulk and thus considered assessments, by law they would be treated like all residential and commercial assessments and would be subject to the same 5% annual increase. All the amendment does is exempt telecom payments from that increase, and treat it like other pass-through revenue, such as second-day trash payments.
The ballot package will be mailed on January 8, in preparation for a Membership Meeting scheduled for March 5, 2024, at the SCC Clubhouse at 5:00 p.m. For the two months in between those dates, members of the Telecom Task Force will be available to meet with neighborhood leaders, attend Board or annual meetings, or just meet with groups of interested residents. If you have an upcoming meeting or a group of neighbors who would like more information, please reach out via email at sawgrasstelecom22@gmail.com.
Door Fees and Telecom Payments
Comcast will pay the Association a “Door Fee” of $300 per door; we have 1457 doors in Sawgrass, so that is a total of $437,100. Out of that we will pay our consultant and our legal fees. The net total should still be around $300,000, and all of that will be returned to residents.
Residents will make their Comcast payments along with their annual assessments every six months. If you just have the basic “popular” package you will have no payments at all directly to Comcast. If you upgrade to the “ultimate” package or add on other specific services, you will also have an account with Comcast for those services.
The money paid to Comcast through the HOA is passed on directly to the provider. There are no hidden fees, no additional administrative costs, and no secret conspiracy theory to increase assessments. We are handcuffed to the 5% increase, we need that increase to operate the community, so we are trying to protect that with this amendment.
That’s it.
Community Outreach
It will be a formidable task to get the 50% vote. Many residents just don’t pay attention and are unaware of what we are trying to do. Many residents spend more months off campus than on. Many units have absentee owners who just rent and try to keep all costs as low as possible.
We need to reach as many interested residents as we can prior to the March 5 meeting, so are asking all those who support this effort to act as ambassadors and spread the word about the importance of voting in favor of the amendment. We are willing to attend sub-association annual meetings or any small group of neighbors who would like to get any points clarified. All you need to do is reach out to the Task Force via email at sawgrasstelecom22@gmail.com, and we will get it scheduled.
We need to reach as many interested residents as we can prior to the March 5 meeting, so are asking all those who support this effort to act as ambassadors and spread the word about the importance of voting in favor of the amendment. We are willing to attend sub-association annual meetings or any small group of neighbors who would like to get any points clarified. All you need to do is reach out to the Task Force via email at sawgrasstelecom22@gmail.com, and we will get it scheduled.
Channel Lineups
Below are links to the Popular and Ultimate Packages that Comcast is currently offering; the Popular package comes with the program, the Ultimate package is another $15/month.
Please be aware that we are still negotiating with Comcast about their offering, and we expect to announce additions in the weeks ahead. We were told at the outset that the negotiating doesn’t end until the contract is signed, and we are going to be aggressive in trying to get the best possible channel lineup for the residents of Sawgrass.
Please be aware that we are still negotiating with Comcast about their offering, and we expect to announce additions in the weeks ahead. We were told at the outset that the negotiating doesn’t end until the contract is signed, and we are going to be aggressive in trying to get the best possible channel lineup for the residents of Sawgrass.
Amendment Language
The complete amendment will be mailed to you. If you want to avoid the legalese, here is the critical sentence:
“ … the limitation on increases in regular annual assessments as set forth therein shall not apply to any increases in such assessments that are attributable to any bulk services agreement that the Association may enter into to provide communication services to all members of the Association.”
It’s important to understand that this will be an exclusive bulk agreement with Comcast, and that the community would not be able to enter into any other “bulk services agreement” for communication services. This is the language that our attorneys have recommended.
“ … the limitation on increases in regular annual assessments as set forth therein shall not apply to any increases in such assessments that are attributable to any bulk services agreement that the Association may enter into to provide communication services to all members of the Association.”
It’s important to understand that this will be an exclusive bulk agreement with Comcast, and that the community would not be able to enter into any other “bulk services agreement” for communication services. This is the language that our attorneys have recommended.
Ask a Question
We’ve set up an independent email for telecom inquiries. Email sawgrasstelecom22@gmail.com
FAQs
Review these frequently asked questions to learn more about what a fiber-optic network means for our community.