[Villages Kahuna]

During the RAC Meeting there was discussion between the developer, the head of VCCDD and the head of the Recreation Department regarding non-residents using our pools. The head of the Rec Department explained that in the interest of cost control, many pools were only spot-checked by personnel using the new electronic scanners to verify proper ID's when they visited. He went on to explain that the "illegals" seem to know when the rec representative was approaching the pool and jump into the water. They know that the policy of the Recreation Department is not to require swimmers to exit the pools in order to have their identity cards scanned. The illegals are "safe" so long as they stay in the water while the rep is there.

One of the more aggressive RAC members suggested that maybe all swimmers should be required to exit the water in order to have ID's checked. He went on to suggest that if swimmers didn't have an ID or had a forged ID, that they be ejected from the pool.

The Recreation head very politely opined that employees of the department tried very hard to act consistent with our "Florida's Friendliest Hometown" logo. He went on to explain that if the Rec Department personnel required swimmers to exit the pool and then attempted to eject those not properly credentialed, that Neighborhood or Village Watch or even the county sheriff might be required to enforce that type of action. He explained that from his prior experience with such policies that situations almost always become very confrontational and sometimes even violent. The RAC member quickly backed off his suggestion.

What I'm suggesting is that scanning the new bar-coded Resident ID's is an easy and effective way to assure the security of our rec facilities to only the residents that pay for them. The regular use of the ID's sets a tone for those who might consider unauthorized use of facilities. Maybe it even discourages unauthorized use when no scan is conducted upon entry to a pool, rec center, pickleball court, etc. I know they've even begun to check ID's for people attending club meetings. The popularity of the more than 1,000 clubs available to residents is straining the capacity of the rec centers. So the rec department is beginning to enforce the rule that club participants be residents of The Villages.

Personally, I think we're all required to provide electronic information that is far more intrusive into our personal affairs than the simple scanning of a Resident ID by a Recreation Department representative. We're arguing about it here because we can argue about it. When our personal information is captured when we use a credit card, an ATM card, use an EasyPass on the tollway or any other electronically-viewable form of ID, we quietly succomb to the personal intrusion because we have no choice. I humbly submit that a request to scan a Villages ID is potentially far less intrusive than other forms of electronic ID and it goes a long way towards maintaining the lifestyle we all moved here to enjoy.