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Text Box: Please join us in our fight, or to write the Commissioners and oppose their centralized sewer and water project that is not in the interests of Marion County’s rural communities. The Commissioners will cause Orange Blossom Hills residents financial harm if this plan goes forward. Many of our residents are elderly and on fixed incomes and can not afford the proposed water and sewer system. The other residents have families and it will be difficult for those families to afford the aforementioned costs as well. The high cost of upkeep and maintenance of centralized systems guarantees the permanent burden to the taxpayers. The Commissioners seem to be more interested in how the county can get revenues from its citizens instead of how to best serve the citizens and the communities of Marion County. The costs to implement the system by making payments would be $100.00 per month solely for urban sewer and water in Orange Blossom Hills unpaved areas over a twenty year period. Other charges are estimated at $75.00 per month for utility services. By proceeding with their plan, the Commissioners would be ensuring a permanent source of mandated revenue from the Orange Blossom Hills homeowners. Effectively managing requirements for on site systems eliminates the concern of housing densities. An effective balance of onsite, decentralized and centralized systems along with the enhancement of code requirements for new construction should be the proper solution. Investing taxpayer’s money in expensive and high cost central water and sewer projects is simply not right. Centralized Water and Sewer Systems are mostly needed in heavy commercial growth areas, around lakes and rivers where there can be storm water runoff that carry insecticides and possible pollutants into those water resources then working its way into the aquifer. A comprehensive approach would not take money from our elderly homeowners on fixed incomes that need money for medical issues and allow them to remain in their homes. We did not ask the county for the county water and sewer systems and we feel that they are jeopardizing the future security and livelihood of many of our residents along with there civic rights. One resident asked “when we ask for the roads to be built, you sent notices to all of the property owners, and you asked us to vote whether we wanted them paved or not”. Why then don’t you ask us to vote weather or not if we want city sewer and water”? “We shouldn’t be forced to do something that we have unanimously voted against.” The Commissioners have given an oath of office, to protect the rights of its citizens under the constitution. It should be their duty to listen and represent them in their needs. The Commission should be for the people, not self serving onto it’s self.

Text Box: Our 2007 Fund Raisers are almost finished. I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard in making them a success. We have two final fundraising events. The second Saturday March 10 at 8:00 am to 11:00 is our final Pancake Breakfast and Saturday March 24th from 4:00 to 4:00 is the final Spaghetti Supper. Please join us in raising the needed funds that will help us pay our utilities, insurance and taxes. We are in need of one or two people in the kitchen for the last 45 minutes of each fund raiser. The people who do the cooking and serving respectfully request anyone who may lend a hand washing some last minutes items. The people who put in the long hours are pretty warn out by the end of the event. I would like to welcome the newest members of our Association. You are allowing us to keep you informed by mailing you the Orange Slice News Letter. If you can’t attend our fund raisers please continue to support us with your membership. It is vital that you know what is going on around you in our area. We have just paved the back parking lot at the association building. This should help somewhat in keeping some of the sand out of the building. After seeing a bicycle mishap I reported the pot holes in15 West. The county came out and filled them in the next day. If you have road safety problems please let one of your directors know. We have about 100 new members, invite your neighbor to join us. If there is something that you would like us to know please contact us online at obhills@hotmail.com or you may call me at (352) 347-6243. Although it seems like we have a victory with the county water sewer situation, please know that one of our members has a letter telling them that this situation can change at any time. This letter is dated last week. This is just a temporary stay, we need your help please write to the addresses in this news letter, tell your government leaders that we can not afford this implementation. Please let them know the situation we need all the help we can get. We are doing our best to represent our homeowners and I’m afraid this may not be enough. We need you to get involved please call, write or e-mail on our behalf. Please visit us online at http://www.obhha.org. Roy Martin—President

From President Roy Martin

Did it seem like Crime Watch patrolled the streets a lot more 6 years ago. There are two reasons for this, Yes two years ago we had a nice amount of drivers. Over the years several drivers have moved away or dropped out because of health reasons. 6 years ago there were half as many homes in housing. Although we patrol the same streets including the streets with no homes on them, it takes longer to patrol the streets with homes. Crime watch is on the verge of calling it quits. Residents are just not volunteering to patrol the streets. Crime watch only requests that you drive or ride 2 hours a month. If you can’t drive perhaps you can assist and be a rider. We have several times slots and days available. You can volunteer more then two hours a month if you like, during the summer months many of our drivers go up north. If your not a volunteer of the crime watch patrol, remember we can’t be expected to be everywhere at one time! And we are limited when we only have a hand full of drivers. If you are interested please contact Polly Towner 245-4015 Mail to Polly Towner 8829 SE 156th Street, Summerfield, FL 34491

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