Presidents Annual Community Review 2005/2006

0                    Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen: may I welcome you to the fourth Annual General Meeting of your urbanisation.

In the last year many things have happened in Dream Hills. The new and final phase of Dream Hills has recently been released by the Developer.  We now have many new neighbours entering the community and I wish to extend to them a warm welcome. I would like to thank Colin Armstrong for helping to distribute “welcome-packs” together with various minutes and information throughout the new phase.

Now the last phase has been completed, the urbanisation could be adopted soon by the City Hall. This step is very important for all urbanisations because, until this point, the City Hall can refer the responsibility for any malfunctions, defects or breakdowns to the Developer. We now have to be certain that everything is running well before the City Hall takes over the responsibility of services etc.

Indeed, there are many people I wish to thank for all their assistance and hard work during the last year – but it would take too long! Please accept my apologies if your name is not mentioned. However, I have to mention a few –

I would like to thank all the neighbours who have helped put the fuse-trips back on for the private street lighting – particularly Marjorie and Richard who must have worn a path to one particular fuse box!  Special thanks to Leonard Long who has fixed a lot of our electrical problems. Of course I want to thank all the members of the committee for the help, advice and hard work during the year including Gerry McIntyre and Christine Bingham who have decided not to stand for the coming year. I want to thank Mick Clifford for the excellent job he did as Secretary for the last year. Unfortunately he also has decided to stand down. Not least, I want to thank Ana Rosa, our Administrator whose help and advice on the legal and practical issues has been invaluable.

I also wish to thank Pat Farnaby for providing and constantly updating his Dream Hills web-site. This is an excellent source of information concerning D.H. with an active message board, so do please support Pat’s site however you can, in maintaining this excellent resource. However, I must point out that the web-site is not the official voice of the President & Committee. Anyone can put a comment on the message board no matter how inaccurate, although it may not escape the libel laws! If one was to respond to these, one just feeds their ego. Last year, one message alone had more than 26 questions and 16 inaccurate observations as well as questioning the competency of the Committee & President.            

Please remember, if you have concerns to bring them to your appropriate Committee member (Vice President) who is your representative and should be approached in the first instance. They will then report to me. I also conduct regular surgeries in the community centre, the dates of which are advertised on the notice boards, should you wish to discuss appropriate matters with me. Questions and queries can also be put in writing and placed in the community letter box.

I           Swimming Pools

a)     Swimming Pool Attendants

As with previous years, we contracted two attendants to supervise the pools for certain hours from mid June until the end of August.

Two security guards were recruited for night-time shifts during the summer months of June until the end of August.  Many owners were very pleased and comforted by their presence. Reported crime during the relevant period of their employment was negligible.

b)    Repairs to swipe card system and pool gate locks

Last year there were several problems with vandalism relating to the pool areas. On one occasion someone deliberately forced the card system unit off the wall. Fortunately, Carlos Pulido – the card technician – was able to repair the system instead of ordering a whole new unit. Also the gate locks to the bottom pool were changed twice – once after someone had deliberately forced and broke a key in the lock. During the last three years it has become apparent that hooligans will try to enter the pools at night and are willing to damage community property.

c.)      Maintenance of swimming pools

After experiencing problems of poor performance from the then pool maintenance company, the committee issued them with an ultimatum – improve or lose the contract! In the meantime, other urbanisation pools were inspected and different maintenance companies were interviewed. A number of different quotations were also obtained. As the work of the existing maintenance company did not improve, the committee agreed unanimously to fire them and to appoint a new maintenance company. This new company began work in September installing chlorine dispensing equipment and building easy access steps and hand rail to the bottom pool. They also replaced the pumping system in the bottom pool and constructed a new housing unit to accommodate the new pumping and filtration system, the existing housing being inadequate. The new maintenance company discovered that the filtration circulation pipes around the bottom pool had perished. The original builder of the pool was informed and they finally agreed to replace the relevant pipes without charge. As the pool guaranty had expired more than two years ago, they were not obliged to do so. 

Both showers have been replaced with push-button automatic shut-off showers and a new suitably tiled shower base has been installed in the top pool.

Dead trees were also replaced in the top pool.

Last year we had to close both pools for hygiene reasons. In both cases people had allowed their babies to defecate in the pools. As a result of this, it will not be permitted for very small children/babies to go into the pool without adequate protective nappies and pool attendants will have the authority to deny the children access if they are not suitably attired.

II          Urbanisation Problems

Before discussing these, I must point out, again, that individual problems with your house or a dispute with your neighbours or a problem with their dogs is not a community problem.  That is for you to resolve and there are established means for doing this.   Similarly, any problems you may have with the visitors to, or the owners of, units in Via Park 5 or Via Park 3, are not committee issues.  We have no authority in these instances.  It is only the issues relating to common urbanisation areas such as adopted green areas, swimming pools, private streets and private street lighting etc., which are within our responsibility.

a.)      Sewerage Problems and Sewerage Covers

Many problems in this area have been rectified and many broken covers have been replaced with metal ones.   I want to inform the owners in the new phase that according to the A.G.M. 2005, the cost of unblocking drains in the private street areas must be shared by the responsible bungalows and between the relevant blocks of houses.  If you have a sewage cover/lid which is broken, please let me know and I will have it replaced.

b.)      Waste and Recycling Bins

I have had a lot of communication with the Orihuela City Hall requesting additional bins for the main streets.  The Recycling Bins, for paper, glass and plastic, have been in place since last year next to Via Park 5.  I have had to call the collection firms repeatedly to get the bins emptied.  The telephone numbers are available for everyone who wants to help in reminding the companies to empty these bins. Naturally, the phone call has to be made in Spanish.  The owners of the commercial units in Via Park 5 also have these numbers and have assured us that they will also call when necessary.

c.)   Dumped Cars

On several occasions cars have been dumped and I have had to get the Authorities to tow them away.  In two cases the vehicles were completely incinerated.

d.)   Planters

       Although the presence of planters greatly enhanced the appearance of the urbanisation, some did not have the same opinion and denuncias were taken out against them so they have had to be moved to the private streets.  A formal licence has been applied for to replace them on the public pavements.

e.)      Private Street Lighting

We are still having too many problems with the private street lighting. If the lights in your street do not come on please inform your committee representative, but please do so preferably early in the evening, because at that time, if it is not a simple fuse problem, I can contact the electrician who will fix the matter the same evening. We are constantly referring the problems back to the installing company and the committee have agreed on further action to be taken prior to the City Hall taking over responsibility for the urbanisation.  Again I want to thank everyone who has been helping to reset the fuses.

                   The public street lighting is also showing some problems at the moment and it has been reported.

f.)        Telephones

Various telephone companies have requested approval to install mini-telephone kiosks within the urbanisation.  Some have been granted approval and this has resulted in cashback of  408.35 €.  Also last year Telycom, a new telephone company, were given approval to install telephone and broadband systems for their customers in Dream Hills. They have agreed to pay a commission of  500 € annually towards our funds.

            g.)   Presidents Surgeries

During the last year I have held many surgeries at La Casita often accompanied by a member of the committee.  In many instances either nobody or only one owner attended the surgery. I encourage new owners particularly to visit these surgeries. Most of the matters raised have, to date, been resolved to the owner’s satisfaction and some items raised have been placed on the A.G.M. Agenda.  The unresolved issues mainly dealt with the raising of walls for which I cannot give approval.

h.)      Street Signage

All the private street signs and main street signs are now in place and the installation of the urbanisation murals will go ahead when the Developer decides.  It is worth being patient in this case as it will save us several thousand euros.

i.)      The Community Centre for the Dream Hills Urbanisation

La Casita is now up and running and is a great success.  Special thanks to Linda Sims for managing and organising the facility.  There are now many activities taking place there which include the committee meetings and neighbourhood watch meetings and Spanish lessons, a book swap, art club, quiz nights, and darts evenings.  A special thank-you to the unselfish organisers of these activities.

j.)      Continuous Communication and Difficulties

During the past year I have had copious meetings with the Administrator relating to all of the above mentioned issues and others.  In addition I also co-sign all of the cheques drawn on the urbanisation account each month or where necessary.  I am also in continuous communication with the City Hall, Iberdrola, Aguagest, all of the maintenance/cleaning companies, Muñoz & Espinosa, Pastor Medina, Carlos Pulido, Torrevisa and also keeping the committee informed and updated.

As many of you will now be aware I have been elected as the permanent member of the Orihuela Costa Community English speaking Presidents for Zone I which covers Dream Hills, La Florida, Andaluz I & II, Los Altos etc., right up to Playa Flamenca. The function of this group is to liaise and meet regularly with the Mayor of Orihuela and the relevant Costa Councillor to help encourage and stimulate future improvements to the facilities and services in our area and to open a positive non-political dialogue with the authorities in Orihuela. I am also the link between the English and German speaking groups.

Although a meeting with the Mayor has not yet been held, there is a new web-site set up to monitor future progress.  It is at www.orihuelacostapresidents.com

III         Conclusion

The committee and I do our best to keep you all up to date on developments.   After every committee meeting approx. 90 copies of the committee meeting minutes are distributed throughout the urbanisation. A limited number of copies are also produced in Spanish and distributed.  An English copy is placed on both notice boards and a copy is also placed on the Dream Hills web site.   However we are aware that some people do not pass the minutes to their neighbours.  Indeed, no matter what one does, some people are never happy and will do their best to sow discord.

Ladies & Gentlemen, that concludes my report for the last 12 months. Thank you for your patience and understanding.  I now hand over to Ana Rosa for the Financial Report.        

Stefan Pokroppa