

Hidden Springs & Hidden Estates Neighborhood
Message from the President, Donna Fontaine
Fall 2024

Dear Hidden Springs/Estates residents,
Happy fall, neighbors! I hope you fared well during Hurricane Milton. Our neighborhood did incur some damage with several downed trees and fences, but thankfully no injuries were reported, and it certainly could have been worse for us! Hurricane season won't end until November 30. When hurricanes and bad storms hit, remember your neighbors. Reach out to them to see if they need a hand in fixing a fence or helping with debris. We're all in this together.
Florida homeowners and renters who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Milton may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance. Visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov for more information.
For those of you who had leaves, branches and debris, yard waste pickup is in the neighborhood on Wednesdays. There may be some delay due to the increased amount of debris. Orange County also hired contractors to assist with Hurricane Milton debris; however, there is not a set schedule. Please follow these simple rules now and every week for regular yard waste:
1) Branches must be cut in 3-foot sections and tied in a bundle for easy pickup.
2) Do NOT rake debris to the side of the street. It plugs the street drains and will not be picked up loose at the street. You can, however, put this debris into bins to be picked up.
3) Place items in bins at the side of the street. You can use recycle and trash bins with the lid up so they can see inside prior to dumping.
You all are invited to our HOA meeting on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 9:00am at the Dr. Phillips YMCA. Foxtail Coffee will provide coffee and pastries.
There will be two speakers attending. One will be from the Department of Transportation to help explain the Diverging Diamond Interchange, DDI, at Sand Lake and I-4. As all of us have experienced, this has been a challenge to maneuver. The traffic patterns are in a constant state of flux and can be very confusing, so we thought it would be helpful for someone to help explain.
The second speaker will be Deputy Burkhead. He will discuss crime prevention in reference to car and residential burglaries. He will also provide information on establishing a Neighborhood Watch Program.
I would like to address the water drainage issues mostly along certain sections of Pitch Pine and Hidden Springs Boulevard. The county and water department has been out to investigate. There really is not much they can do. The water tables are high and in certain parts of Hidden Springs there are springs that run underneath us. Hence the name Hidden Springs. When we have a lot of rain, water seeps up through the ground. You can see it coming up along the sides of the streets along the swales through small cracks and crevices. It will subside as we get into the drier season. The rains are heavier the last few years and more concentrated; that's why we are noticing it more as of late.
In addition, please be alert with your pets. A resident reported seeing a coyote in our neighborhood near Cedar Pine on October 3 late at night.
Finally, you all received your contribution notices the beginning of September. If you have not received a contribution notice, please let us know so we can update our records. We had a slight rise in HOA fees (only $15). Many of you have already paid, but for those who have not, please, please contribute if you can. It is very challenging to maintain the three entrances without your help. As it is, the HOA cannot afford the deputy any longer due to having to fund the entire cost and the fact that many do not contribute. For those who have paid, thank you. And for those who paid extra, thank you, thank you. If you can't afford the $125, any amount will help maintain the costs associated with the neighborhood expenses.
Did you know? Florida has officially approved homeowner rebates for up to $14,000. The money is available for a wide range of different home upgrades from the federal Home Energy Rebates Program. Florida has been approved to receive $346 million for homeowners across the state. The rebates are not yet available at the time of this newsletter; however, there are loans available with no interest for a year. Click here to learn more: https://www.energy.gov/save/rebates
As always, please reach out to me or any of us on the board for questions or anything we can do to assist.
Sincerely,
Donna Fontaine
HOA President