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a poll on http://schhresidents.forumco.com/ :
Poll Question:
Would you sign a petition supporting the return of the Board of Directors to resident control?
Results:
Yes: 51 votes
No: 1 votes
Yes, and I would be willing to run for a board position: 1 votes
No, I don''t feel residents should have control of the board at this time: 2 votes
Yes, and I know someone willing to run for a board position: 1 votes
currently, on this anonymous poll: 53 yes, 3 no
- 269 members of this forum; that's:
. - 2% of the people at SCHH (13,000)
- 56 have an opinion; that's:
. - 1 in 5 of the members of this forum
. - 1 in 230 of the people here at SCHH
pitiful, isn't it?
small wonder that Pulte gets away with what they get away with.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Pulte, Master Environmentalist--NOT!!!
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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update
(photos)
"10:50AM- Both pumps were "on" and the lagoon seems pretty well drained at this time. Unfortunately, many leaks in the pumping system are still allowing a discharge of turbid/silt-laden water into the wetlands. Pulte has been apprised of this issue but apparently disagree that it is a violation of DHEC regulations."
My posted comment:
"Not only is the Master Builder NOT an authority on construction (shoddily built lagoons, barely attached roof truss connections, defective stucco, cracked foundation slabs, wood floors turning black from foundation slab leaks, roof leaks from improperly shingled valleys, etc.), but the Master Builder is also NOT an authority on violations to the Clean Water Act. In 2008 the USEPA and USDOJ obtained record settlements from Pulte for violations of the Clean Water Act (http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/pultehomes-infosht.html)."
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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update
(photos)
"10:50AM- Both pumps were "on" and the lagoon seems pretty well drained at this time. Unfortunately, many leaks in the pumping system are still allowing a discharge of turbid/silt-laden water into the wetlands. Pulte has been apprised of this issue but apparently disagree that it is a violation of DHEC regulations."
My posted comment:
"Not only is the Master Builder NOT an authority on construction (shoddily built lagoons, barely attached roof truss connections, defective stucco, cracked foundation slabs, wood floors turning black from foundation slab leaks, roof leaks from improperly shingled valleys, etc.), but the Master Builder is also NOT an authority on violations to the Clean Water Act. In 2008 the USEPA and USDOJ obtained record settlements from Pulte for violations of the Clean Water Act (http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/pultehomes-infosht.html)."
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Where is DHEC?
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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update
(photos)
"2:30PM - I noticed that, because of leaks in the hoses and also at the hose-end couplings, turbid/silt-laden water was being discharged into the nearest curb inlet just west of L-157 . This curb inlet discharges directly into the wetland area and the flow of this pumped water was clearly evident in the wetland area just across the street from the curb inlet. The water was flowing along the curbing into the curb inlet from the leaks on both sides of it (east and west). The current two-pump set-up was configured to avoid discharging the water into this particular curb inlet! As stated in a previous updats (7/16/ & 7/17), it is against DHEC regulations to discharge turbid/silt-laden water directly into wetlands."
My posted comment:
"From DHEC’s website (http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/swerfmain.htm):
“DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina. The stormwater program requires the development and implementation of a plan to control stormwater runoff and sediment to prevent them from entering water bodies in our State.”
In their own words, “DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina.”
Where is DHEC?
Why isn’t DHEC doing its job?
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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update
(photos)
"2:30PM - I noticed that, because of leaks in the hoses and also at the hose-end couplings, turbid/silt-laden water was being discharged into the nearest curb inlet just west of L-157 . This curb inlet discharges directly into the wetland area and the flow of this pumped water was clearly evident in the wetland area just across the street from the curb inlet. The water was flowing along the curbing into the curb inlet from the leaks on both sides of it (east and west). The current two-pump set-up was configured to avoid discharging the water into this particular curb inlet! As stated in a previous updats (7/16/ & 7/17), it is against DHEC regulations to discharge turbid/silt-laden water directly into wetlands."
My posted comment:
"From DHEC’s website (http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/swerfmain.htm):
“DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina. The stormwater program requires the development and implementation of a plan to control stormwater runoff and sediment to prevent them from entering water bodies in our State.”
In their own words, “DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina.”
Where is DHEC?
Why isn’t DHEC doing its job?
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Saturday, July 18, 2009
Lagoon reconstruction update
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154, 155, 151 & 159 are complete. (little work required)
164 is complete. (small lagoon)
150 & 157 are in progress. (relatively small lagoons)
160, 153, 149, 178, 182, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 & 183 have not started yet. (most of the work lies ahead, in both number and size)
15 to 20% complete? (generous, IMHO)
complete by Jan 2010?
164 is complete. (small lagoon)
150 & 157 are in progress. (relatively small lagoons)
160, 153, 149, 178, 182, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 & 183 have not started yet. (most of the work lies ahead, in both number and size)
15 to 20% complete? (generous, IMHO)
complete by Jan 2010?
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Friday, July 17, 2009
same song, different verse
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posted on http://schhresidents.forumco.com :
"Sorry for not responding earlier. A Pulte-controlled-Board-selected resident advisory group has been reviewing our CC&Rs (Declarations) and Bylaws for 18 months. The goal was to simplify and streamline. Instead, they decided to propose numerous changes that had the effect of centralizing control among the few “elite” residents and Pulte-controlled Board. This advisory group ignored the viewpoints of most residents. Therefore, (1) we obtained signatures from 1,130 of the 5,600 homes on a petition, (2) 70 residents submitted detailed comments to the advisory committee asking for changes to their proposals, (3) many residents (50 on one day) picketed the Pulte sales office for two weekends, and (4) 600+ people (overflow crowd in our 600-person ballroom) attended a June 29 meeting to register their complaints about the anti-resident proposals from the advisory group. The advisory group ignored all of this.
Pulte finally gave in and adopted revisions to three of the twelve (or so) items of greatest concern by the residents. The twelve (or so) items of concern included reducing the quorum for important resident decisions (so as to allow a small group to control the publicity and then control the vote), mandating Board pre-approval of petitions circulated within Sun City Texas, eliminating our Bylaw guarantee of “open elections” (as opposed to a hand-picked group that formerly selected the only residents who could run for the Board), allowing the Pulte-controlled Board to remove another Board Member (like me) who they did not like for violations as nebulous as “unbecoming conduct”, etc.
Therefore, we won a small partial victory. However, we lost most of our issues.
At present, here in Sun City Texas the homeowner dues do not pay for any of the golf expenses, including the golf reserve. However, the top Pulte guy has just proposed that homeowner dues pay for all golf reserve contributions. The golfers like that, but the 80% who do not play golf do not. If Pulte pushes this, it will be another battle. (FYI – our golf reserve has about $2.2 million; our non-golf reserve has about $3.4 million.)"
http://www.hobb.org/content/view/3089/1/
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posted on http://schhresidents.forumco.com :
"Sorry for not responding earlier. A Pulte-controlled-Board-selected resident advisory group has been reviewing our CC&Rs (Declarations) and Bylaws for 18 months. The goal was to simplify and streamline. Instead, they decided to propose numerous changes that had the effect of centralizing control among the few “elite” residents and Pulte-controlled Board. This advisory group ignored the viewpoints of most residents. Therefore, (1) we obtained signatures from 1,130 of the 5,600 homes on a petition, (2) 70 residents submitted detailed comments to the advisory committee asking for changes to their proposals, (3) many residents (50 on one day) picketed the Pulte sales office for two weekends, and (4) 600+ people (overflow crowd in our 600-person ballroom) attended a June 29 meeting to register their complaints about the anti-resident proposals from the advisory group. The advisory group ignored all of this.
Pulte finally gave in and adopted revisions to three of the twelve (or so) items of greatest concern by the residents. The twelve (or so) items of concern included reducing the quorum for important resident decisions (so as to allow a small group to control the publicity and then control the vote), mandating Board pre-approval of petitions circulated within Sun City Texas, eliminating our Bylaw guarantee of “open elections” (as opposed to a hand-picked group that formerly selected the only residents who could run for the Board), allowing the Pulte-controlled Board to remove another Board Member (like me) who they did not like for violations as nebulous as “unbecoming conduct”, etc.
Therefore, we won a small partial victory. However, we lost most of our issues.
At present, here in Sun City Texas the homeowner dues do not pay for any of the golf expenses, including the golf reserve. However, the top Pulte guy has just proposed that homeowner dues pay for all golf reserve contributions. The golfers like that, but the 80% who do not play golf do not. If Pulte pushes this, it will be another battle. (FYI – our golf reserve has about $2.2 million; our non-golf reserve has about $3.4 million.)"
http://www.hobb.org/content/view/3089/1/
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
DHEC-OCRM deserves the criticism
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Anyone who is paying attention knows that DHEC gets criticized a LOT. DHEC deserves every bit of it.
If you've been paying attention then you know that:
Anyone who is paying attention knows that DHEC gets criticized a LOT. DHEC deserves every bit of it.
If you've been paying attention then you know that:
- DHEC has the responsibility to approve the design, construction, and operation of stormwater management ponds (SWM) in coastal South Carolina
- DHEC approved construction plans for Phase 5 (SCHH) SWM ponds
- DHEC ordered as-built plans for Phase 5 SWM ponds
- As-built plans CLEARLY show that Phase 5 SWM ponds were not built per the DHEC-approved construction plans.
- DHEC "cherry picks". DHEC doesn't enforce depth, despite the fact some lagoons are only 3 ft. deep, instead of the 5 ft. that the construction plans say that they should be.
- DHEC doesn't enforce outfall structure materials, even though construction plans CLEARLY show that they're to be precast concrete, and they're not.
- DHEC doesn't require that pipes connecting ponds be clear of silt, even though it's CLEAR from the construction plans that clear pipes are vital to the system's operation.
DHEC held a public meeting here in January. DHEC withheld information. DHEC didn't tell folks that they don't enforce depth, materials, or other aspects of the construction plans. DHEC told folks that they were going to require Pulte to fix ALL the lagoons at SCHH (not just Phase 5). It's now clear that's not going to happen.
In my 40+ years as a civil engineer, I've never encountered a public agency, charged with the responsibility for approving the design, construction, and operation of SWM ponds, that "cherry picks" the construction plans that THEY approved when it comes to requiring that ponds be built according to those plans.
DHEC deserves all of the criticism that DHEC gets.
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Friday, July 3, 2009
questions for Pulte
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Wouldn't it have been easier to build them (Phase 5 lagoons) right the first time?
Wouldn't it have been easier to exercise SOME quality control over your subs?
just think of what you would have saved--extra $ to do them again, the GRIEF that you've put residents through messing up their yards in doing them over, the OPINION that many of your customers have of you as a builder, etc.?
I hope that you've learned something.
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Wouldn't it have been easier to build them (Phase 5 lagoons) right the first time?
Wouldn't it have been easier to exercise SOME quality control over your subs?
just think of what you would have saved--extra $ to do them again, the GRIEF that you've put residents through messing up their yards in doing them over, the OPINION that many of your customers have of you as a builder, etc.?
I hope that you've learned something.
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Thursday, July 2, 2009
Rocket scientists they ain't
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an update from http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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Lagoon 157
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"At 5:00PM today the pump is "on" and the filter bag is expanded. I don't know if the filter bag is working properly or not; however, approximately 1/2 of the water being pumped from the lagoon is being routed back into the lagoon (a "closed loop" system) via the curb inlet that is west of the filter bag."
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an update from http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
.
Lagoon 157
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"At 5:00PM today the pump is "on" and the filter bag is expanded. I don't know if the filter bag is working properly or not; however, approximately 1/2 of the water being pumped from the lagoon is being routed back into the lagoon (a "closed loop" system) via the curb inlet that is west of the filter bag."
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