FYI: Recently a group has been created that is promoting security issues in Akumal. Some owners and property managers received letters soliciting financial participation in the group, ADMAK, that wants to promote Akumal as a gated community. If you’d like details and a copy of their yearly budget, Terry Richardson or Monica Estrada would be persons to contact. Following are 4 of the responses from residents of Akumal Norte:
#1
Dear Neighbors,
David and I understand the frustrations with these latest robberies; however, before endorsing ADMAK as the civil organization representing North Akumal, I think we need to take a step back and understand there is already a civil organization in place: Vecinos of Akumal Norte which is complete with political connections to Tulum and other state and federal agencies. Vecinos memberships are open to all property owners located in North Akumal. As far ADMAK’s efforts go, we support them with their work for central Akumal. As our friend Terry Richardson has often said, areas divided into smaller pieces are easier to control and secure. Dividing our areas into North and central Akumal give us that control.
Since membership and participation in the ADMAK committee is limited to property administrators only, I think ADMAK is better suited as a committee where administrators can come together to exchange ideas and solve administrative problems. The Vecinos board and membership were not involved with the creation of ADMAK, nor was it presented to the board for approval.
I feel North Akumal projects listed in the next paragraph should be completed by the Vecinos since they have already been working on them. These projects require large amounts of funding for their completion. Already the funds of our owners are being drained by the cleanup of sargasso and at this point the commitment of funds for projects other than the ones we are already committed to will only serve to further delay their completion.
The government requires us as a community to be regularized. This entails fully paved streets, water delivery system, sewer system, underground electric and street lights.
Over the last few years (nothing done with government agencies moves quickly) Vecinos has worked in North Akumal spearheading the undertaking of several projects that will bring us into compliance to meet the goals to be regularized. The following projects were approved by general vote of the Vecinos membership and board.
1.) The negotiation and successful installation through CAPA of a water delivery system. The final price to property owners was lower than the original quoted price.
2.) In process: the road restoration project. More community funds are needed to complete this project.
3.) Underway now: negotiation with various local and federal government agencies to bring about the creation of a sewer system that will cut down on the pollution of our lagoon, bay and mangroves. Again Vecinos board is negotiating for cost to owners to be as low as possible.
4.) Negotiation with the Commandante of Police to bring about more security to North Akumal. We have negotiated an agreement where we will build a small police caseta in the jungle park located where you turn to go to the lagoon. Agreed on are increased patrols and police to man the new caseta. We see this as a better alternative to a private police force because the police can stop people, search cars, detain suspects and make on the spot arrests.
The work needed to reach community regularization is very costly to the property owners so any help we can qualify for from government funding is a big help. In the case of North Akumal being municipalized, we would then be able to go to all of the local, state and federal government agencies to secure funding. This means repairs for our infrastructure largely be paid for through government funds. Further, in discussions with authorities, they have assured us that through Vecinos we can submit the regulations that as a community we have decided on for operating North Akumal. And those regulations would be honored and enforced by the local authorities. The original plans from the developer of North Akumal showed roads, street lights and utility services which was to end ultimately as municipalized division; however, this never was completed by the developers. If we remain a private community all costs for anything would be born solely by the property owners; we would not qualify for government funding.
I would ask that as property owners in North Akumal that if you are not already members of Vecinos of Akumal Norte that you join us. We need your support and contributions to complete the listed projects. There is a time limit set by the government for the successful completion community to be regularized. In addition, let’s support ADMAK in their efforts to bring more control to Central Akumal.
Sincerely
Dan Freeman
#2
What I am trying to understand is if they are not stopping anyone entering or leaving and if no one is denied the right to enter, then what is the purpose of having a guard at post, I am quite sure the guards do not know many “if any” of the owners, so how do they determine the difference between a tourist, a home owner or a thief. All of this and more questions in mind, such as “why” is thousands of dollars being deposited in a US bank when in fact the security business is in Mexico, please help me clear up my confusion.
Best Regards
Ken Sutton
#3
Hello Monica,
It’s pointless to send me these messages.Like many of the recipients of these messages know, for many, many years (I turn 40 in October to live here) I have insisted on an intelligent system for the integrated management of our waste.Taking the Akumal Ecological Center, it was never possible. Amazing !!!!!!
Regarding safety, I always said that we must address the training of our young, it was not possible. Those who attack us do not come from outside, living in Akumal and rob us because we have failed to get closer to each other. All those greenbacks now “invest” in “Security” will not erase the image and depressing aspect of Akumal TODAY.All we allow it, what we advocate. We have been unable to achieve Homeowners Association seriously, and Puerto Aventuras.An association capable of dialogue with the municipality and make arrangements for an organized coexistence.Asómense to Puerto Aventuras. Order, cleanliness and good communication between neighbors feel.Akumal ashamed of its entry. There is no order or authority. Stones “proof of ignominy,” which are an insult to the sensitivity.
The weed that grows wildly entangled with a fence lying on the grounds of the CEA, is offensive. Vile insults way to what was not long ago, our little paradise. Signs of “Free Access to Akumal Neighbors” and “Safe Beach Access” no sense whatsoever. They are Kafkaesque. Access is free to everyone, since the input and the sign “Safe Beach Access” are not charged is the most forgotten of the way corner with a series of posts that do not invite you to spend but not pass the Beach !?!?!?!?
Such incongruity calls disorder, cowardice, violence. No invites the harmonious coexistence of a community.
We had solved the problem of thefts of ATVs with rondines derived from an agreement with neighboring North Akumal and Delegation. But an ATV broke down and for that reason and lack of gasoline, were left to do the patrols !!!!!!!!! It turns out that we need a structure that cost a whole lanota for security!?!?! ??! I do not understand.
Respond to your posts with mine:
Attention, intention and money invested in our community. And not in keeping our private property so private that those who consider others are created with right and justification to enter and steal. The message is the same 40 years ago I arrived, and I followed in the footsteps of Bush’s mother Elsie class who began to give them children, at that time, children of employees of Don Pablo.
I do not translate the message because I see many Latinos and foreign names, deduce who understand Spanish because they are capable of doing successful business in Mexico.
Carefully and, as always, with my best intentions, Leticia Cordova Lira
#4
To the Editor of AkumalNow—
As a home owner in North Akumal since 1994 and a full time resident for the past 11 years, I want to speak out on the recent security issue brought about by a group called ADMAK. This group is composed of Property Managers who speak Spanish and who represent properties all up and down the Akumal area. They seemed to have formed as a result of Tulum’s interest in collecting taxes on rentals, and their response to the owners they represent on this particular issue was to contact a lawyer. It appears that ADMAK also wants to do good things—clean up the entrance to Akumal by soliciting Tulum authorities to react to bad behaviors going on at the entrance road to Akumal among others. One of the “others” has become tackling a security issue for North Akumal. (See the letter to North Akumal Owners refrenced here). In this letter ADMAK proposes that each house contribute $500 USD and each condo $100 USD per year to fund a total of 4 security guards. Sounds good__perhaps not!!!!
Here’s what I see as WRONG with this solicitation (I support the letter printed by Ken Sutton [no powers to stop a suspect/no arrest powers, etc.]) as this association (whatever this means) has no power to issue a factura and their collected funds are deposited into a private bank account in California. Hmmm….My grandmom would say, “Dicey!”
In my opinion, this solicitation of funds for security weakens the already legal agreement that North Akumal has with the Tulum authorities (Police) to patrol our North Akumal area with full power to stop “suspicious” characters and to arrest those committing a crime. Most of us know that the Municipality of Tulum operates on a very limited budget and imposing taxes on areas such as Akumal, “the cash cow,” has become a way of life. Supporting our Tulum Police with gas money or new tires has become an acceptable way of North Akumal showing support. This is not unique to North Akumal—other areas of Mexico do the same. The mechanism to do this has been Vecinos de Akumal Norte, a legal, recognized entity in both the municipality of Tulum and the state of Quintana Roo. There are many on-going projects that Vecinos de Akumal Norte is supporting (see Dan Freeman’s letter). The support for the Tulum Police has come from the membership dues of Vecinos. Upcoming infrastructure projects will be at the Owners’ expense (i.e. sewers to name one). What Vecinos, as the legal representative group, can do is apply for government funding for our infrastructure needs which will reduce our individual obligations. This is where the solicitation of funds for private security is in opposition to what I believe should happen in North Akumal—let’s beef up our Tulum Police rather than have a guard at the new Pluma and two guys on bicycles and one walking the beach. Many owners of North Akumal believe that the few robberies we have experienced in North Akumal have come from “inside” sources (could a security guard have been a source?). The Tulum Police have the power to investigate this and they have a track record of successes. More police would be a good thing for North Akumal. Owners: put your money there—not with the cosmetically contrived security guards!
Now back to ADMAK—you have some good ideas for Central Akumal, and I applaud these. It appears to me that a real issue behind this ADMAK group is a larger issue of PUBLIC versus PRIVATE. The old AKumal where you could do most anything with your property is gone. I support the PUBLIC side: we need the government to help us with infrastructure issues to keep us alive as a once again thriving tourist community. The PRIVATE side supported by ADMAK is to hire security guards with no power to accomplish anything legitimately.
I am not trying to divide our community on this issue of security, but implore Owners to take a close look at how you are spending your money.
Respectfully…………Mary Henderson
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