Article entry by Communications Network Manager

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Communications Network Manager
by Communications Network Manager - Thursday, 28 November 2024, 1:13 PM
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Extracted directly from Documents and Governing Policies files

2025

September

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced the Access Control monthly statistics for September are:
Access Control logged in 1,887 vehicles for the POA, 1,091 contractors, 86 guests to Marina Village and 284 guests to the Country Club. For the year 2025, there have been 40,320 individuals checked in for the POA, 15,677 contractors, 1,951 for Marina Village, and 5,447 for the Club House. Gate Sentry is up to 70% usage by the property owners.
We want to welcome Sandy Robinson to the department.

August

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced the Access Control monthly statistics as of August 17 are:
Logged in 2,445 vehicles for the POA, 1,193 contractors, 135 guests to Marina Village and 482 guests to the Country Club. For the year 2025, there have been 36,202 individuals checked in for the POA, 13,427 contractors, 1,724 for Marina Village, and 4,881 for the Pro Shop. Gate Sentry is up to 70% usage by the property owners.
We wished Flora Rud and Lena Ewart well as they move to new jobs.

July

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced the Access Control statistics for June were:

Logged in 3,551 vehicles for the POA, 1428 contractors, 263 guests to Marina Village, and 541 guests to the Country Club. For the year 2025, there have been 32,253 individuals checked in for the POA, 11,355 contractors, 1,517 for Marina Village, and 4,123 for the Pro Shop. Gate Sentry is up to 70% usage by the property owners.

June

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced the Access Control statistics for June were:

Logged in 2,399 vehicles for the POA, 774 contractors, 145 guests to Marina Village and 315 guests to the Country Club. For the year 2025, there have been 26,257 individuals checked in for the POA, 9030 contractors, 1,108 for Marina Village, and 3,224 for the Pro Shop. Gate Sentry is up to 70% usage by the property owners.

May

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced the Access Control statistics for May were:

4,489 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 2,990 POA, 917 Contractors, 170 MVR, and 412 Country Club. 501 phone calls have been received through the 3rd week of May.

33 new tags have been entered into the automatic gate system for May.

Reminder, if you trade in a vehicle or replace a windshield and get a new tag, please note on the bottom of the form the information of the old vehicle so that it can be removed from the system.

April

Monthly

Trustee Deta Rogillio reiterated Access Control numbers given at the Annual Meeting. Those statistics showed that from April 1, 2024, through March 31st, 2025: 88,017 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 55,856 POA, 23.435 Contractor, 1,997 MVR, and 6,735 Country Club. During the same time period, 6,483 telephone calls were received.

Annual

Access Control is charged with ensuring that vehicles entering Westwood Shores are entitled to entry and/or have permission to enter the community. Access Control also manages the eTag system for the community both by maintaining the approved list of eTag entrants and the actual gate itself. Additionally, the staff is charged with placement/replacement of community vehicle decals.

Guests, vendors, and non-eTag property owners must access the community through the left-hand entry lane. Each vehicle is then manually approved or denied entry by Access Control personnel. From April 1st, 2024, through March 31st, 2025, a total of 88,017 vehicles were vetted and allowed entry by Access Control: 55,856 POA, 23,435 Contractor, 1,997 Marina Village, and 6,735 Country Club entrants. During that same time period, Access Control answered 6,483 telephone calls. On average, Access Control has vetted and admitted over 7,300 vehicles each month. From April 2024 through March 2025, the number of vehicles vetted by Access Control increased by 2,500 from the previous year and telephone calls decreased by 700.

In an effort to speed entry into the community, the WS POA uses an entry program named Gate Sentry which allows property owners to control who enters the community themselves. Happily, community usage of Gate Sentry has increase 1% putting usage now at 68%. As seen in the Strategic Planning survey results, community approval of Access Control and the use of Gate Sentry is high. During the last year, both the North Texas Toll Tag and the Texas Tag changed the size of their etag window decal and were unable to be read by our etag reader. However, we were able to get the firmware updated so those tags could be read with a minimum of down time.

Access Control changes/replaces community decals on an “as needed” basis on applicable vehicles throughout the year. However, annually in the month of February, Access Control is charged with changing Westwood Shores community decals on all approved vehicles. Access Control employees, other Westwood Shores employees, ACC/Board members, and one special volunteer (Deb Stevenson) maintained an 8 am to 5 pm vigil in the Clubhouse parking lot to change the decals and ensure that all who have decals are property owners or tenants in good standing. Thanks to new procedures instituted by Access Control Supervisor Dexter Pitts, this year’s decal change was faster and simpler than ever. After reviewing the decal replacement procedures for the last few years, Mr. Pitts changed our procedure to encompass one week instead of two as over 95% of all decal changes are accomplished during the first week. The change resulted in a savings in employee overtime pay, time away from the employee’s actual job, and the decal change was still very efficient.

Again, this year, POA Administrative staff reviewed eTag users quarterly to ensure that the users were current in their assessments with no fines. eTags are considered an amenity for the community and may be denied when a property owner is more than a month behind in assessments or owes the community money in fines. For those property owners that are behind, POA Administrative staff sends a list to Access Control who then turns off the use of the property owner’s eTags through the right-hand lane. Many of the property owners then quickly bring their accounts up to date.

Currently, Access Control employees one full time Access Control Supervisor, Dexter Pitts, and seven part time employees. This last year has seen the reduction in Access Control staff from ten to seven. This reduction was a joint project between Access Control and POA Administration to reduce payroll costs through more efficient scheduling of employees. Access Control is currently at full staff.

Additionally, Mr. Pitts has worked to decrease budget shortfalls and has kept his department within their budget without decreasing any services.

The Access Control staff is committed to maintaining the highest standards in the entry of vehicles into our community and shall continue to serve this community with a smile and a helping hand.

Submitted by Deta Rogillio

Access Control Committee Chairman WS POA Trustee

 
 
 
 

March

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced that Gate Sentry participation had increased to 68% and that 2025 Westwood Shores decals are still available at Access Control. Approximately 900 decals have been issued. Access Control has added 18 new names and 32 new tags in the e-reader right lane system since January 1st. Statistics for February were: 6,350 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 4,101 POA, 1,581 Contractor, 124 MVR, and 542 Country Club. 373 telephone calls were received in February.

February

Trustee Deta Rogillio announced that Access Control was changing the yearly WS decals this week through Sunday March 2nd, from 8 am until 5 pm in the Clubhouse parking lot. She reminded all that everyone needed a new decal even if they have an etag because the WS decal told the community that your vehicle belongs in the community; if some reason the etag lane is down and you must go through the left hand lane, the decal says you are property owner and will get you through the gate much faster; the WS decal allows you entrance into Marina Village along with your property owner card; and shows that you are a WS property owner in good standing with assessments current. Access Control statistics for February were: 3,664 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 2,398 POA, 842 Contractor, 54 MVR, and 370 Country Club. 213 telephone calls were received through mid-February.

January

Trustee Deta Rogillio reported Access Control statistics for 2024 were: 83,561 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 52,762 POA, 24,539 Contractor, 1,979 MVR, and 6,484 Country Club. 6,689 telephone calls were received in 2024. Deta recognized Mr. Pitts and reviewed his accomplishments in 2024 including payroll and normal expenses below budget for the year, refined new decal process, and an updated e-reader that can now read the smaller NTTA/Texas e-tags. She also noted that Sentry Solo was our next step in providing access to the pool and fitness center.

2024

November

Trustee Deta Rogillio reported Access Control statistics for the month of October are: 7,250 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 4,575 POA, 1,983 Contractor, 164 MVR, and 528 Country Club. 528 telephone calls were received in October. Deta reminded everyone to make sure that their Thanksgiving guests were logged into Gate Sentry. She also thanked Frank Ditto for his help in getting a rapid update in the firmware of the eTag reader. A loaner is currently in place and our reader with the updated firmware should be back next week. This will allow the ereader to read the new smaller NTTA tags.

October

Trustee Deta Rogillio reported Access Control statistics for the month of September are: 7,303 vehicles were vetted through the left-hand lane: 4,640 POA, 1,964 Contractor, 120 MVR, and 579 Country Club. 502 telephone calls were received in September. Deta also announced the hiring of two new employees and the loss of one employee. She further explained that the new smaller NTTA eTag’s were not being read by our current e-reader and that options were being explored to allow all eTags to be read.

Associated Group: Westwood Shores POA
[ Modified: Tuesday, 30 September 2025, 11:48 AM ]