Everybody out of the pool!!
 

It is a know fact: if a person is in the pool, the recreation department will
NOT ask for resident ID. Because of this practice our neighborhood pools are receiving non Villager guests. (intruders) The recreation department has only 3 pool monitors for the entire area, therefore the visits are less frequent. How do you feel about paying amenity fees for non residents using our pools? Everyone should show an ID when using the pools whether in the pool or on a chair. This is the only way non residents will stop using our facilities. It is too easy for outsiders to drive to our pools and join in.

I wish we had some actual figures as to how many unauthorized people really use our facilities, including the pools. I do know that there are residents who do not bring any ID with them when using the pools and are some of the jumpers. I also believe that is not the case with everyone there.

How do you know that these intruders are non Villagers? What is it that differentiates them from other guests at your pool?

actually by conversation: saying, we live in Wildwood, it is a a known fact if we are in the pool, no one will check for an ID.
a resident placed a call to the recreation department and was told a monitor would be on their way. after 45 minutes still no monitor.
the rules state: resident/guest ID required, in the water or not!
so, everybody out of the pool and show the proper ID.

Our property is a rental. We pay for the guests Resident ID's. They are given instruction to go to Sumter Landing Sales Office. Two weeks ago the guests didn't pick up their passes, went to the pool, and hopped into the water. They were asked to leave when they walked to their towels and couldn't produce an ID.

The guest immediately contacted me and I resent the email instructions to them. The info is also on the fridge and their welcome bag, but that's a discussion for another thread. They went to the Sales Office and went back to the pool. They again were asked to show ID. I don't know if they were in or out of the water.

Now that summer school break is almost here, there is an increased liklihood of Wildwood kids, Lady Lake kids, and Oxford kids will be our family pools trying to blend in with grandkids of Villagers. The family pools should all have full time monitors.

Totally off topic, but.... When we bring our grand kids and use the family pool, do we get them guest passes?

We're newbies and appreciate all the help everyone has given us.

Yes, they need a guest pass.

Here is the ID policy:

http://www.districtgov.org/departmen...D%20Policy.pdf

You could put in electronic gates that open with your villager id. Won't stop everyone but would help if you thing the problem is that bad. In Stonecrest we know people do use the pool and exercise equipment on occasion. Sometimes, people that live here have Family in the area, and they come and use the pool and equipment. Really does not bother me as long as they behave and do not cause a problem.

That's the difference between a small gated community (Stonecrest) and a large ungated community (The Villages). It's good to rehash this problem every week so that prospective buyers know, without a doubt, that The Villages is not a gated community. If residents and buyers are looking to keep people out of the facilities, they better look at a gated community.

Thank you both.

Please
 

If you have no problem then please pay my fees. Thank you

really, it doesn't bother you to have people that don't live in The Villages and pay amenity fees to use the amenities? What are the rules for?

I have been to some pools that have gate keepers that check your card when you enter--

Then I get to use all your facilities if I pay your fees. There is a solution put in electronic gates to the facilities so you have to use a card to get in. Its a simple fix. Otherwise its going to happen. When the Orange Blossom Restaurant was still open along with the pool My wife and I would go to the restaurant on occasion. That was a very nice pool by the way. They always had some one there at the pool to monitor you for a Village ID if you were going to go to the pool. Another easy fix. One thing I know for sure posting all about it here will not fix your problem. Might make you feel a bit better.

The Orange Blossom pool was a Country Club pool and required a separate membership fee - and had a full time ID checker.

Thanks, did not know that was the case. Then that's the reason I heard it was not open to all the villagers. Always wondered about that piece of info I heard. It was a very nice pool.

I was told Del Web had a similar problem where they would come into the facility to play Golf and drop the rest of the family off at the pool. They ended up putting in an electronic key card lock at the pool. Problem solved.

When I lived in a community in Boca Raton Fl. each resident was given a key to the pool, similiar to the mailbox key, which could not be duplicated.

I don't think this is all that big a problem. Sure not worth spending any money on electronic control devices.

As long as the pools stay uncrowded I don't care. I don't want them to be wild in the pools but at the family pools they do check passes. If there are a bunch of teens together they would stand out as iontruders

The problem is only three monitors for the entire area ?????? Let's play smart

The ID checkers should just require everyone to show their IDs even if they're in the pool. Just leave your ID on the chair or table so they can scan it. Once the word gets out that all pool users are being checked, the intruders will not return once they're thrown out.

I would not let my ID lay anywhere.............................

the answer is: pool monitors
our neighborhood pool has visitors from Wildwood, and have made it clear, they don't live in The Villages, (this is just the beginning) As residents we have no authority to say, "leave".
Even if they are the only people in the pool, they don't belong. The recreation dept. should be hiring and training more pool monitors. Everyone out of the pool to have their ID checked.

If everyone respected the rules and other people's property there would be no problem. But the pools belong to me and every other Villager who pays their amenity fees. I truly don't understand the people who say that it doesn't bother them, and condone others breaking the rules, and escentially stealing the rights that we pay for. But even so, I would honestly hope that they would support their fellow Villagers who are bothered by it. And if it is okay for outsiders to use the pools, is it okay for them to use the golf courses, and use the tee times that are already sometimes difficult to get by Villagers?? I guarantee the majority of Villagers would certainly have a problem with that.
I personally know that people who do not belong here use the pools, and have has others tell me that they have seen/heard of that also. I think a key to a locked door would be better than nothing. So, whether you believe it to be a problem or not, it is already an issue to a lot of people. Do you want to just sit around and wait for it to be a real problem, and then have to deal with possibly a more expensive way than just a few locks?

Right. Let's rip the gates apart and rebuild computers into each gate. Folks the easy answer is obey the rules and employees should enter the pool and politely say "passes please"?
To everyone.
This is nuts and yes I do see some of the contractors wives and kids sneaking in waiting for the husbands to get off from work. They slip into the pool when the rec worker comes out.
I will give those sneaks credit for one thing. They shower before entering the pool.

D&L
let me fill you in. After three years I have come to realize that despite the BS given when arriving very few people here in TV think the rules apply to them.
So much for the conservative "good neighbors".
The only genius here is the developer who rules like a King and he does a great job. If this place was turned over to the people (POA) it would be a ghetto in three years.
Oh and yes, I'm moving.

Why? It has your photo on it and could not be used by anyone else.

Had this issue at our summer condo. Issued waterproof id's on a lanyard to be worn in or out of the water. Solved 99% of the problems. Guest lanyards could be made available with a deposit to be returned upon end of use. Food for thought.

If the main concern is misuse of the family pools, a simple and cheap solution would be to require people to check in with the person at the desk in the rec center. They would turn in their ID cards in exchange for a wrist band which would be very easy to check both in and out of the water.

I would think that requiring a visible indication that you are allowed to be there would significantly cut down on those trying to beat the system. Problem solved without the need for more employees or electronic monitors.

edit: George1938 - we think alike

The neighborhood pools (the ones at the mail boxes) don't have a desk to check in at. Only the Rec. centers do.

I think we may be on to something with the waterproof wrist bands

Where does the information come from that there are only three monitors for the "entire area". And by the entire area, do you mean the entire Villages?

We only use a few pools, but there is usually someone at the Paradise pool that checks IDs. He often doesn't bother to ask us because he knows me personally. I asked a monitor at the South Side pool once about why there is no one there and he said that they check every three hours.
I find it hard to believe that there are only three monitors for the entire Villages and they have one posted at the Paradise pool for much of the time. If I recall, there are about fifty pools in the Villages.

As far as checking every one's ID when they do come to a pool including those in the pool, I would hate to be dragged out of the pool to show my ID every time I go for a swim. You be punishing the 99% of us who are legally there to catch the 1% that shouldn't be there.

An electronic card system would be good, but who knows what the cost would be and how much would it impact our amenity fees? Also some people, who are able, might simply hop the fence.

I guess The Villages would have to keep some kind of record of how many intruders they catch at the pools and extrapolate that to determine how big of a problem it really is. The other thing that a gate system wouldn't do would be to keep underage people out of the neighborhood pools.

The only answer, if this is a significant problem, is to have someone at every pool to check everyone's ID as they come in. What would the cost of that be? I really don't want to see my amenity fee raised if we don't have a real significant problem.

Totally agree with you. You make sense as usual.

The wristbands are a great idea. Every owner and family gets one. Make them some odd design that is difficult to copy. If you rent or have guests, get them when you get your guest pass.

The rec dept or whoever is in charge of this needs to start thinking creatively. They tend to just let things lay until enough people start lodging complaints. Maybe Bogie knows who to call or email.

Quick answer, YES. All guests regardless of age need a pass. Get the form at your local rec center.

I still wonder how big a problem is trying to be solved.
There is a lot of hearsay as to what and how big the problem really is.
Oh well, it aint gonna be solved by the posts on this thread anyway..........

This sounds like the best idea.