Express Your Opinion,

Exercise Your Rights and Help the Planet One of the more important tasks that every PHA Delegate and every regime and residential Association is involved is amending the governing documents of our community. More than twenty years have elapsed since the last time these documents, known as the PHA Restrictive Covenants, were updated. A lot of things have transpired in those years that makes our community vastly different from what it was in 1997. Accordingly, we intend to amend these documents to reflect the maturity of our community and its current state of affairs and to incorporate in them the many decisions, changes and policies that have been implemented by PHA for the betterment of our community. It is vital for any community to be organized and to follow the rules that allow us all to enjoy the benefits of a clean, organized and harmonious environment and to have security and all the amenities that attracted us all to invest Palmas del Mar. This is done through the enforcement of the PHA Restrictive Covenants. A good friend of mine who had not visited Palmas for a while was here this past weekend. We were delighted to see each other and to get caught up on each other ventures. In our conversations he kept repeating, “there is something different in the air at Palmas; there is a feeling of happiness, wellbeing and good comradeship among people not seen before. What is happening? My friend hit the nail right on the head. He picked up in the positive mood that permeates our community and in the strength of the bonds of friendship that has developed among our residents particularly after the horrific experience of Hurricane María. It is a “yes we can” attitude that has sent a strong and clear message to the rest of the world that Palmas is a thriving community that has taken the reins of its own destiny and has become the shining example of what a community should be. It is the place where everyone wants to be because it is beautiful, it is fun and it is safe. It is a community where everyone moves the same direction because we feel all of us have a stake in it: As Servando Díaz used to say frequently, Palmas is ours!

Your Homeowners Association will continue to guide the community with the steady hand we have used to overcome the toughest challenges of old and recent past. Our sights are set in continuing to enhance your quality of life, protecting our property values and promoting and marketing what our community has to offer. With the collaboration of generous residents and small working groups formed by the community assisted by the scientific experts, we are addressing critical issues such as the challenge of the sargassum increase and its health and economic impact upon the community. There are several communities and scientific groups studying this phenomenon around the world and some communities in Puerto Rico have utilized sargassum as a fertilizer while others are developing strategies to use it to create sand dunes. We are studying how to remove it and which method is best to minimize the amount of the compound that creates the characteristic odor that bothers us so much. We will continue to consult the experts in the matter to determine what the best solutions are for us. Another important matter that affects us all is the electrical system. We continue to pursue the creation of a resilient electrical distribution system at Palmas del Mar. Furthermore, we are finally achieving some progress in the expansion of our recycling program performed by the Municipality of Humacao. Recycling is necessary at this time and in order to do it effectively and efficiently, we ask that you follow the rules senty to the community and posted at the stations created throughout the community. Please comply with the requirements of the Municipality that has supported our efforts and will continue to help us in this endeavor. This is a work in progress that needs everyone’s commitment and cooperation. Our Island and our Planet needs our assistance. Ours is a strong and vibrant community. Let’s keep it that way and while we continue to work together.

Sandra Gracia
President