• How may receivers are included in the basic packages? A. One HD receiver is included with any of the bundles or if you purchase cable A LA Carte
• How much does an additional receiver cost? A. $1.95 per month per box.
• Is there a monthly rental fee for the DVR? A. Yes it is $16.95.
• Does the DVR operate like a whole-home DVR system? A. Yes all DVRs operate as a whole-home DVR for no additional cost
• Why do people who purchase the triple play get higher speed internet than people who buy just TV and internet? A. We do this as an incentive for our triple play package.
I appreciate the opportunity to consider this service for our area. Why would you expect the homeowners to pay for the infrastructure?
ReplyDeleteThe goal of the project was to find reliable and faster and internet speeds for the neighborhood based upon resident complaints. After meeting with the current providers, Frontier and TDS, the only option was to pay another vendor to enter the neighborhood. Bottom line is Frontier and TDS are not going to upgrade their wiring or equipment and no one else is willing to come without an investment from the neighborhood. Wintek needed $1 million and Metronet originally required twice as much to come. As an HOA board we felt it was necessary to present an option to the neighborhood to improve the internet services in the subdivision.
DeleteHow will the decision be made, majority? If the homeowner doesn't turn in their proxy or show up at the meeting, how will the decision made?
ReplyDeleteRaineybrook Subdivision requires a 2/3 vote of the voting members at the meeting, the Reserve requires a majority of the voting members at the meeting, Raineybrook Bay requires 51% of the voting members present at the meeting and Raineybrook Pointe requires 2/3 of the votes for the members who are voting at the meeting.
DeleteHow will my current contract with my internet provider and or phone service be taken in account?
ReplyDeleteAny contracts with your current provider will remain in place. We have posted Metronet's individual rates for services you may not have under contract at this time.
DeleteCan a homeowner be legally forced to pay the additional cost if they don't want the service (initial installation being proposed through annual hoa dues)
ReplyDeleteThe Communication Infrastructure costs would be a special assessment on your homeowner association dues if passed. Each owner of any lot in Raineybrook must pay any special assessment for capital improvements. The by-laws of the 5 separate HOA's are a little different in regards to the quorum requirements and percentage to pass the Special assessment. This is an all or none project.
DeleteAs listed above, each owner of any lot in Rainrybrook must pay, this should include the owners of the empty lots, even if owned by the developer, the cost can be added to the lot.
DeleteIs the developer participating in this cost? I calculate only 350 members (approximately) from all five HOA's are being asked to participate in the cost of $830.00. If the developer doesn't participate for open lots this seems unfair to current residents.
ReplyDeleteThe requests for faster and more reliable internet services have come from the current residents of Raineybrook. We have residents who have left the neighborhood and know of residents looking to move due to the internet service. The developer has agreed to pay the legal fees to get the project to this point, but is not required to financially participate in the Special Assessment. Once a lot is purchased the new owner will be required to pay the special assessment as part of their HOA dues. The bank loan will be reviewed annually by the HOA property management firm and the special assessment fee stopped once the loan is paid in full.
DeleteIs the cost capped for the homeowners, even if the installation goes over budget?
DeleteWhy haven't the questions from Dec 4, by Sarah been answered?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay. A rigorous travel schedule this week and weekend limited the ability to respond in a timely manner.
DeleteWhile the developer benefits greatly from the improvement they participate minimally. This once again places the resident in the untenable position of funding developer profit. It would seem that the developer particpating on an equal basis for all lots (constructed or not) at a minimum is much more equitable and fair for our residents. This should be the basis for the project even if the devloper is not required by covenant to participate in a materially financial manner. Is the HOA leadership able/willing to request/require this on our the members behalf?
ReplyDeleteSeveral of the HOA board members are meeting this week to discuss the project. We will discuss this at the meeting.
DeleteWhile everyone often from time to time complains about infrastructure, it is also a fact that many of our society are electing to go off-grid. The savings you tout are not well explained. Many of our residents are also on a fixed income and cannot afford to pay this assessment much less the high fees for service. Have you come up with a way to keep those people from having to move from our neighborhood or having to contemplate moving based on the costs you are imposing on them?
ReplyDeleteHow do these Metronet speeds compare to 4g LTE speeds available now and at a much lower cost. Basically everything is going to wireless access and this fiber optic cable is widely expected/likely to be obsolete within the timeframe this project will be completed.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are aware of people going off-grid and considered this in the evaluation. According to techcrunch the average household now consumes 52GB of data each month. This figure is expected to increase exponentially in the next several years. Our research showed the following average price for off-grid data plans: 3GB - $35/mo, 6GB - $50/mo, 12GB - $80/mo. Unlimited satellite providers such as HughesNet are more than $100/mo for the speeds required.
ReplyDeleteWe have been very sensitive to the cost of this project since the beginning. This is why we took the time to meet with every provider in the area, met with Verizon wireless to discuss wireless options, researched the statistics for internet usage, and negotiated with Metronet to decrease the project costs in half. This week we will post several formulas to help articulate the potential cost savings.
While we understand there may be some expense related to this project, we would encourage you to look at this as an investment. This is an investment in the current value of your home, to keep young families in the neighborhood, and make it easier to sell your home in the future.
Is part of Raineybrook (Estates) not in a HOA? If so will these homes be part of the project, both in cost participate and the availability of services
ReplyDeleteRaineybrook Estates is not part of an HOA. There were discussions about how to include them, but could not find not find a way to make them part of the proposal. Residents in the estates will need to organize within their area and enter a separate agreement with Metronet for service.
ReplyDeleteSome important questions need to be answered about this special assessment and the process of distributing cost fairly between the developer and current residents.
ReplyDeleteSince the developer has paid the attorney to this point then does the attorney represent the HOA’s or the developer?
Did the HOA leadership realize that by design anyone returning the postage paid proxy is voting yes but if a member wishes to vote no then they must attend the meeting? This seems like a flawed approach to determining the HOA member’s wishes.
Do the developers still get to vote for the project even though they don’t have to pay the special assessment?
How many lots are planned in the future acreage owned by the developer that will have a big advantage to the developer if they do not participate in the initial cost.
Firstly, as a Frontier user, I would love to have fiber based service. In the Pointe area, speeds are terrible. In the big picture, the cost is minimal and I'm not opposed to paying it. That said, a few questions.
ReplyDeleteHow close is the fiber to our neighborhoods now? If still within the city limits, are we not financing Metronet service to other neighborhoods along this route? If that is the case, some type of price adjustment would need to be made.
Why would undeveloped lot owners not be included, whether it is Davis, Milakis or anyone else? The reasons, stated on this blog and implied in the mailing, lead one to believe that it will make our properties more valuable, making their $800 per lot easy enough to recoup.
The HOA of the Pointe area, of which Davis has been steadfast in remaining on the board, has been unbending on the construction of sheds and various fence types made with maintenance free materials. With their unwillingness to even listen, why should we put any more money in their pockets? Only developed property owners should have a vote in this matter.
All that said, the need for better service is a worthy cause for our neighborhoods. I just want to make sure we follow the money trail to be sure our funds don't find their way into Mr. Davis' pockets...
Please update us about the developer participation as promised.
ReplyDeleteThis project does not affect the developer. The project was started by residents in the neighborhood and supported by the HOA leadership due to complaints over the years. The developer is not going to profit from this project. The Special Assessment for FTTH is going to save people money each month or be a complete wash. For most residents, this project is like paying someone $166 and getting $240 back over the 5 year assessment. After the five years it could be as much as $410 in annual savings. The residents of Raineybrook have the most to gain financially with the project.
ReplyDeleteBased upon our research, we do not expect FTTH to increase property values. What we do expect are property values to be maintained and Raineybrook homes to sell much faster. All the realtors and appraisers we have discussed the project with, have said fast internet is expected by new homeowners and it has raised to one of top 3 questions being asked about a home.
Are you being realistic? I don't believe so.
ReplyDeleteYour words betray you Mr. Pointe Man,
ReplyDeleteYou say the developer has paid the attorney fees up to this point. You say there are five HOA's but only four are listed on the proxy which indicates that one controlled by the developer has his vote already.
You are either not being truthful with us or not being truthful with yourself, or you can't see the picture from the residents side. The developer stands to benefit greatly, gets to vote his lots, doesn't have to pay.
You have not provided information you have promised in a timely or complete manner.
Please do so and indicate how we current homeowners are going to be repaid for future lots when they are sold, developed or future HOA's when they benefit from our expenditures.
Thank you
We believe our opinions stated herein are accurate, based on conversations with the various proponents of the project, and that a no vote will result in a more equitable distribution of the costs for this project.
ReplyDeleteDecember 13, 2013
Dear HOA Member,
We are being asked to approve a special assessment of approximately $900.00 each distributed over the next five years for installing fiber optic cable in our neighborhood. There are four HOA’s listed on the proxy but only about 300 of the existing homeowners are being assessed. The developer owned lots, lots owned but not constructed and lots without an HOA are not included. Over 400 acres of land adjacent to our neighborhoods owned by Raineybrook Realty Corp. is not included, nor are 30 lots immediately north of The Reserve owned by Heron Bay, LLC. The exclusion of these lots and land that is eventually scheduled for development place an undue burden on the existing homeowners for this project.
If the cost were distributed evenly among all that will ultimately benefit then the cost per homeowner would be much less than the proposed $166.00 per year for 5 years. No provisions have been proposed for recapture of funds by our HOA’s when future lots are developed, built or sold. We are being asked to fund this project at our expense but to the benefit of the developers.
We are not opposed to this project if the cost is distributed equally and the majority of existing homeowners wish to approve the special assessment. That is not to say it is a good idea, there are many reasons this may not be. Development of better wireless methods of data transmission may soon render this fiber optic cable as obsolete as the phone lines that now carry DSL signals. We simply believe all parties that benefit should be required to participate in the cost.
The developer hired the attorney to put together the necessary documents and collect the proxies. This same attorney represents our HOA’s and in our opinion this presents a conflict between our interests as homeowners and the developers interest due to the fact the developer(s) have not been required to participate in the direct cost. Why did they?
The proxy has no place to record your wish to vote yes or no on the special assessment, all proxies returned to the attorney are expected to be voted yes as are all votes for lots owned by the developers. Yes, the developers get to vote even though their lots are not assessed. Again no means has been proposed to recapture our investment in the infrastructure when future lots are developed, added or sold.
The only way the HOA’s, developer, and the attorney have allowed us to express a no vote is to show up at the meeting on Thursday December 19, 2013, 6:30 pm at Stidham United Methodist Church, 5300 S 175 W. Lafayette, IN 47909. Please do take the time to go to this very important meeting and express your vote.
Thank you,
A group of concerned homeowners
Thank you for the comments and concerns. You are correct, there are only four HOA's. We apologize for the error. We look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting to help answer your questions and concerns in person.
ReplyDelete