HOA & COA News

Volunteers needed for homes corporation boards of directors

Each year, the Village homes corporations seek candidates for election to their boards of directors. Interested residents are invited to submit applications for candidacy to the Nominating Committee of their local homes corporation.

Directors of homes corporations are responsible for setting assessments and managing the maintenance of all open spaces, streets, paths and lights that belong to the individual homes corporation.

Basic qualifications for board membership are time and interest, but whatever other knowledge, training, skills or experience one has will almost certainly be used in some capacity.

1. According to the documents, a candidate is not required to be a resident of Montgomery Village, except in Whetstone Homes Corporation and North Village Homes Corporation, where the candidate is required to be a resident homeowner. However, resident candidates must be in good standing with the Montgomery Village Foundation and their respective homes corporation with regard to covenants and policies and must be current in all assessment payments. In several cases, the Nominating Committee is given the authority to determine which of the nominees will be on the final slate of candidates.

2. To apply for candidacy, a prepared statement of the applicant’s qualifications and interests must be delivered to any member of the Nominating Committee or to the Montgomery Village Foundation office, 10120 Apple Ridge Road, no later than 5 p.m. on the closing dates stated in the box.

3. A candidate may be solicited or may volunteer. A resident nominating another resident must secure his/her written consent.

4. The number of candidates is unlimited.

5. All nominees will be requested to submit a single page (typewritten, double spaced) statement, which will be reproduced in the December, January or February issue of the Village News and will be sent to all voters along with the ballots (standard form will be supplied to board nominees).

6. Also, per a new Montgomery County Law, effective January 1, 2016, if elected, candidates must participate in a Montgomery County Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC)-approved board member training class, to be scheduled and completed within 90 days of the start of their term of service.

Ballots will be mailed to the electorate either in December, January or February, depending on the specific corporation’s election calendar.

In addition to electing directors, each homes corporation also elects a representative and an alternate representative to the MVF for one-year terms. Suggested names for the position will appear on the ballots.

Each board of directors consists of nine directors who serve three-year terms. The terms are staggered, creating three vacancies every year.

Note: While the word count for candidates’ statements varies among homes corporations (check with your community manager), the word count for candidates’ statements for the Montgomery Village News must not exceed 200 words per candidate. To view Village News guidelines, visit www.montgomeryvillage.com, select Press Room, select Village News, then Village News Editorial and Submissions Policy (see #4 under Homes Corporations/Condominium Associations).

Eastgate
Nominating Deadline: Friday, Dec. 20
Nominating Committee: Whole Board

East Village
Nominations Close: Friday, Jan. 10, 2020
Nominating Committee: D. Cline, S. Jubert, A. Shura

Maryland Place
Nominations Close: Friday, Jan. 3, 2020
Nominating Committee: S. Kimball, J. Kozo, A. Summers

North Village
Nominations Close: Monday, Nov. 4
Nominating Committee: C. Lease, C. Haynes

Patton Ridge
Nominating Deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 19
Nominating Committee: L. Hydorn, A. Kuzminsky, L. Nicholson

South Village
Nominations Close: Wednesday, Nov. 27
Nominating Committee: Whole Board

Stedwick
Nominations Close: Friday, Jan. 3, 2020
Nominating Committee: Whole Board

Whetstone
Nominations Close: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020
Nominating Committee: D. Barnes, B. Ott, D. Vermillion

View the proposed 2020 budgets for MVF-managed home corporations.

Note: Associations with no amount listed for 2020 will be updated in the September 6 issue of the Village News.

East Village residents enjoyed a great picnic

by the East Village Board of Directors

Nearly 100 children and adults enjoyed a warm September picnic on September 22 at Lake Marion Community Center. The East Village Homes Corporation Board of Directors would like to thank all who attended and participated in the event.

Representing the Montgomery County Police were Officers Nichols and Jones who were happy to talk to residents about staying safe.

Miranda’s Catering, owned by an East Village resident, provided delicious food.

Residents enjoyed many different activities as they visited with each other.

East Village Board President Kevin Linck declared the picnic a success and said it was a terrific opportunity for board members and residents to get to know each other and look for solutions to community needs.

Check out these great pictures from our 2019 east Village Community Picnic! Thanks to all who came out and all who particiapted to make this a spectaular event!

Picnic Photos

East Village Echo: for residents of The Downs, The Reach, The Estates, Essex Place II, Candle Ridge, Gablefield, Glenbrooke, Meadowgate, Ashford, Holly Pointe and Wethersfield.

Winter still hangs on!

by the Maryland Place Board of Directors

Sometimes in Maryland we get to experience what seems like three seasons in one week.

The winter has been no exception; snow on Monday, rain on Wednesday and 72 degrees and sunny on Saturday. Be patient—spring will be here soon!

You may have noticed last month our landscaping contractor went through the neighborhood and trimmed the trees on the community property. They also removed several trees that we will be replacing in the spring. Maintaining the trees is important to their health and keeps Maryland Place looking good.

We are still seeing a huge amount of speeding on neighborhood streets. We are monitoring this and are looking into solutions. Please do not speed on our neighborhood streets.

Our trash problem seems to be ongoing, with constant dumping of trash on community property. Residents are seen placing bags of trash, recycling, furniture, appliances, etc. on community property daily! Trash or recycling should never be placed on community property. Lately we seem to have a problem with residents leaving trash cans and recycling bins on the green spaces after pickup. This doesn’t make Maryland Place look welcoming to home buyers or visitors. Let’s do a better job by not placing trash or recycling on community property. If you see your trash or recycling bin on community property please return it to your backyard.

Maryland Place Trash and Recycling Info

Trash and recycling should be stored on your property in a sealed, vermin-proof container.

Trash containers should be placed at the rear of your property on Sunday and Wednesday nights after dark for collection on Monday and Thursday morning. Recycling is to be placed in the front of your property on Wednesday night after dark for collection on Thursday morning. At no time should trash or recycling ever be placed on community property.

Maryland Place Messages: for residents of Maryland Place.

2020 parking tag distribution dates

by the Middle Village Board of Directors

The 2019 parking tags will expire on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The 2020 parking tag distribution will take place at the Thomas Choice Clubhouse, 19401 Brassie Place, on the following dates/times:
Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2 to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7 to 9 p.m.
Residents must have a photo ID to receive 2020 parking tags.

Homeowners/landlords are responsible for contacting ComSource if they do not want their tenants to obtain parking tags. If you are a renter, you must verify with the property owner that you are authorized to pick up the parking tags. Parking tags will not be given to renters if the homeowner/landlord has requested that parking tags only be given to the owner.

If a homeowner is delinquent on their assessment account, they will not receive a third parking tag/permit until they have paid the past due assessment balance, including all outstanding administrative fees, legal fees, fines and interest in full.

Please note, after Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, all cars displaying an expired parking tag anytime of the day or night will be towed, even if they are parked in their reserved space or an open space.

If you are a new resident and do not know your assigned parking space number or have not picked up your parking tag, contact Shirley Umali at ComSource at 301- 924-7355 or e-mail sumali@comsource.com.

WSSC Pipe Replacement Project – Brassie Way
WSSC is continuing to work in the 9600 block/section of Brassie Way to install new ductile iron pipes. Signs will be placed in the restricted parking areas and affected residents will be notified if the water service will be interrupted. To receive an e-mail or text message alert when your water service is disrupted, you can register for the WSSC’s Customer Notification System (CNS) at www.wsscwater.com/cns. The service is free, but standard text message rates do apply. We appreciate your patience while WSSC completes the pipe replacement.

Towing
The current Middle Village Parking policy states:
"All vehicles parked overnight in the community are required to display a MVHC parking tag/permit or they are subject to immediate towing. For purposes of these Rules, overnight is defined as parking a vehicle in MV anytime between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m."

"Parking tag/permit must be clearly/properly displayed, on the driver’s side, facing the front windshield, on vehicles parked in a reserved parking space, or parked in the community overnight. Tags/permits can be hung from the rearview mirror or taped to the driver’s side dashboard or front windshield, front side facing toward the windshield."

"Failure to properly display the current year’s parking tag/permit will lead to immediate towing – even if vehicle is parked in the appropriate reserved parking space. No warnings or notifications will be issued."

“No commercial vehicles or trailers of any type, campers, or recreational vehicles shall be permitted to remain overnight on either the property of a private dwelling unit or on the community-owned property within Middle Village. For purposes of these rules, overnight is defined as parking a vehicle between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.”

“Commercial vehicles include vehicles with any type of writing or printing (letters, words, pictures, insignia, etc.) identifying a firm, organization, service, product, etc., of any kind, type or description. All vehicles carrying ladders, pipes, ladder racks, truck-loaded tools or truck-loaded tool boxes, etc., will be considered commercial. Vans used for delivering, storing or transporting goods or cargo are also considered to be commercial vehicles and are prohibited from remaining overnight in the community. Police vehicles are exempted.”

“No commercial vehicles (including commercial pickup trucks) shall be permitted to remain overnight in the community. Pickup trucks must not have ladder racks, truck-loaded tools or truck-loaded toolboxes. Further, pickup trucks may not park overnight in the community with any cargo, items or material of any kind in the truck bed (landscaping debris, tools, boxes, trash, equipment, etc.) that exceeds the height of the truck bed sides or that extends beyond the tailgate. Pickup trucks with cargo that meet this description will be considered commercial vehicles and are not permitted to park in the community overnight. Violations are subject to immediate towing.”

Did you know...
All vehicles parked in unreserved parking spaces, whether covered or uncovered, must be moved at least every 30 days. If the vehicle is not relocated, a violation sticker/tag will be attached to the vehicle and the vehicle will be subject to towing 48 to 72 hours after the sticker is attached at the vehicle owner’s expense.

Important Contact Phone Numbers
Security on Demand: 877-241-1265
Big Tow: 301-424-4869
Potomac Disposal: 301-294-9700
Montgomery County Police Non-emergency: 301-279-8000
Emergency: 911
Comsource: 301-924-7355

Contacting ComSource
ComSource is our management company. If you have a comment or complaint, please include your name, address, phone number, location of issue/problem and specific details in your correspondence or when you are leaving a phone message for the property manager.

Contact ComSource at 301-924-7355 or e-mail ekweti@comsource.com or sumali@comsource.com.

Board Meeting Schedule
The next Middle Village Homes Corporation board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 in the Thomas Choice Clubhouse, 19401 Brassie Place.

Middle Village Voice: for residents of Thomas Choice West and Clubside.

Full Leaf Press

by the North Village Board of Directors

Here are the tentative dates for leaf pickup. Mark those dates on your calendars!
Monday, Nov. 18 to Thursday, Nov. 21
Monday, Dec. 16 to Saturday, Dec. 21

Please do not rake leaves into the streets at any time. Wait until the BrightView Landscaping signs have been posted before raking leaves to the curb. At all other times, homeowners are responsible for leaf removal either by bagging and recycling or mulching them. Leave them out on the curb for the county recycling on their regular service days. The county will take them at no cost. Branches should be trimmed to a four-foot width and tied in bundles for county pickup.

As the leaves have started falling, please keep in mind that storm drains and gutters should be kept clear to avoid expensive maintenance and clean up. A few years ago, NVHC had to pay $2,500 to have one storm drain cleaned out.

Where has the day gone? 
As the days get shorter, be sure to turn on your outside lights earlier. Remember to lock your car doors and keep your garage inner doors locked. Keep garage doors closed when you leave your home and otherwise when you can. Most break-ins happen due to ease of access.

Like a Good Neighbor
“If you see something, say something.” In other words, if you see suspicious activity anywhere in Montgomery Village, please call the police at 301-279-8000. Of course, if it is an emergency, dial 911.

Really Recyclable?
Many of us have now seen updated recycling information on our blue cans and front doors. Review the fliers and postcard and keep them handy. Free bulk pickup on large items is available. Contact the numbers below or search “MyGreenMontgomery” on Facebook for more details.

Important numbers to keep
Security/APS: 240-631-2399
Potomac Disposal: 301-294-9700
MC Recycling/New Blue Bins/Scrap Metal: 311
Pepco: 877-737-2662
WSSC: 301-206-4001

Next Meeting
The next North Village Homes Corporation meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17 in the North Creek Board Room, 20125 Arrowhead Road. If you have any questions or want to report any problems, call Community Manager April Steward at 240-243-2327.

North Village View: for residents of Essex Place, Highland Hall, McRory, Perry Place, Picton, Pleasant Ridge and Salem’s Grant.

Early Fall Updates
by the Northgate Board of Directors

Watch for leaf removal signs at the entrance to each community. Please do not move your leaves to the curb until notified of a removal time. It may be several weeks until there are enough leaves to schedule the first removal.

At the September board meeting, approximately $30,000 of tree work was approved. The work involves removing multiple dangerous trees throughout Northgate, including removing three Pines on Darlington Court and two Leyland Cypress trees on Maple Leaf Drive.

The board also approved $28,600 to patch asphalt paths in The Points and along Shadow Oak Drive.

In addition, the board approved a do-not-exceed amount of $2,850 to repaint the fire lanes in the Apple Ridge community.

In other news for Apple Ridge, the new trash can for the seating area is on order. If it has not already been installed, it will be soon. Thank you for your patience. We will also look at the Apple Ridge tot lot in 2020.

The board continues to work on the FY2020 budget. Due to increasing costs in some areas, there will be an increase in assessments. We are working hard to contain the costs.

We continue to have trash issues, so feel free to share this information with a neighbor who might need it:

Regular trash pickups for Overlea and The Points are on Mondays and Thursdays. All other sections have pickups on Tuesdays and Fridays (McKendree I & II, Apple Ridge, Shadow Oak, Dorsey's Regard and Williams Range).

If you need a bulk trash pickup, please place your items out on the following schedule:
Thursdays: Overlea and The Points
Fridays: Apple Ridge, Dorsey’s Regard, McKendree I&II, Shadow Oak and Williams Range.

All bulk pickups must be placed curbside. Residents of Overlea and McKendree I & II must bring their bulk items to the curb. No recyclable items will be taken as bulk nor will construction material generated by a contractor. If a resident places a rug or carpet out for bulk pickup it is acceptable. If a homeowner has a carpet or rug contractor replacing rugs or carpet in the home, the contractor is responsible for the removal of the carpet or rugs.

The community is paying thousands of dollars a year on top of the trash company contract to pick up trash. It is money we could put to better use.

The following is a public service announcement: Effective October 1, HB1189, Energy Bill Assistance: This bill establishes a program within the Maryland Department of Human Services that helps medically vulnerable people get financial assistance with their energy bills so their services do not get halted. Qualified individuals have a severe health condition that will be aggravated if utility services are turned off due to nonpayment of bills.

Northgate News: for residents of Apple Ridge, Dorsey's Regard, McKendree I & II, Overlea, The Points, Shadow Oak and Williams Range.

New community manager

by the Patton Ridge Board of Directors

We are pleased to inform you that Meredith Kraft, CMCA, AMS has joined the MVF team and is our new community manager. Meredith brings experience in portfolio management and a wealth of information in the community management industry. We look forward to working with her. Meredith is taking the time to review documents, information, projects (current and past) and tour the community to become familiar with the area. We will be working closely together as we transition to make the process seamless for the board and residents. You can contact Meredith at 240-243-2326 or e-mail mkraft@mvf.org.

New Board Member
We are pleased to welcome Michelle Black as our newest board member. With the addition of Michelle, we now have a full board for the first time in several years.

2020 Budget

The board gave final approval of the 2020 Patton Ridge budget at our September 24 meeting. The proposed budget was published in the August issue of the Montgomery Village News and online at www.mvnews.online. The budget includes a 2% assessment increase for 2020. This equates to a $199.18 Patton Ridge assessment per quarter. This does not include the MVF and DU assessments that are proposed to increase to this year also.

Retaining Wall Replacement

We reported previously that we must replace the failing, wooden retaining wall along the path behind Doolittle Street. This will be perhaps the largest and most expensive project ever initiated by Patton Ridge. We do not have start or completion dates for the actual construction because there is a significant amount of engineering, planning and permit approval required before construction begins. In the interim, we are going to place barrels, tape and signage around the wall area to discourage residents from traveling in that area. Parents should talk to their children about avoiding the area near the wall. We will send letters to the homeowners whose property will be included in the construction zone. All Fairidge residents will receive a postcard alerting them to the project and danger in the area.

Partridge Place II Parking Change

We conducted a survey of residents on Frostburg Way, Billings Court and Weathervane Place to determine interest in assigning each home two reserved parking spaces rather than the current one per home. We initiated this as a result of suggestions from residents and as a solution to ongoing parking disputes regarding unassigned spaces. We sent mail to 142 homes and received 50 responses with 41 saying that they wanted to move to two assigned spaces per home. We will work with contractors to obtain cost proposals for painting the home numbers on the curb. There will not be any visitor spaces available when this project is completed as we noted in our mailing to residents.

Children’s Lending Library Kiosk

We will be working with a local non-profit organization to determine the feasibility of placing a children’s lending library kiosk in the vicinity of the Arrowhead Circle. We will provide you with more specific information as the project evolves.

Patton Ridge Report: for residents of Arrowhead, Fairway Islands, Fairidge, Greentee I & II, Highfield and Partridge Place I & II.

Good neighbors

by Doniele Ayres

As the summer winds down, kids are back to school, the nights are cooler and the days are shorter. Leaves have started to fall, and we are reminded that the change in seasons is coming soon. Summer is my favorite time of the year, but Indian Summer is a great time to enjoy the changing leaf colors and relief from the humidity.

It’s a great privilege to interact with so many of you, my neighbors. At the board of directors meeting each month, I appreciate those who take the time to come out and share their concerns. When I’m in the community, it’s great to have people ask how they can help make South Village better. Our community management partners have worked very hard to respond to your needs and concerns.

When the 2020 South Village Budget was drafted, there were a lot of difficult conversations about the cost drivers. Trash pickup has increased significantly. In addition to our regular trash pickup, we have almost daily pickup because of dumping. I’m extremely disturbed when I drive around and see bags, sometimes no bags, of trash sitting. The Village News has regular articles about trash, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference in how some think they should dispose of their trash.

The proposed budget also addresses another area where we are challenged, parking. It has been difficult to hear neighbors share their experiences when people have parked in their reserved spaces, or driveways, and have asked to have the car removed. Even more neighbors share how they have come home and not been able to park because there aren’t available spaces. Parking permits are one of the ways the board has proposed as a solution to this challenge. Unfortunately, this solution isn’t going to be perfect, but it may help ease some of the problems and make spaces available.

Pet waste stations are also an addition to the budget. It has been great to see the stations being used, but we still have pet owners who don’t clean up after their dogs. Common areas and private property are often full of waste and our neighbors can’t enjoy the area.

In the next few weeks we’ll celebrate our community. Join in the fun from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 in South Valley Park, 19003 Watkins Mill Road. Enjoy free music, food and fun; be on the lookout for the flyer with all of the details. I’m inviting you to come out, meet your neighbors, relax and enjoy yourself. Thank you for making South Village your home! As your neighbor, I hope I can count on you to help make our community the best it can be.

South Village Scenes: for residents of Center Stage, Dockside, Grover's Forge, Hamptons, Millrace, Nathan's Hill and Walker's Choice.

Preparing for fall

by the Stedwick Board of Directors

It is hard to believe that it is October already, and fall is here. The weather is more like late August or early September. We have had days in the 90s in October, when our normal temperature is in the 70s. It becomes hard to think about fall and winter when it is like this, but both are coming.

The first leaf collection will happen in mid-November—look for signs at the entrance to your neighborhood. As the weather gets cooler, we need to remember that we will set our clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 3.

It is also a good time to check and see if our homes are ready for colder weather. Do a check of the following: 1) make sure to change the furnace filter; 2) change the direction of ceiling fans; 3) check up on your heating system; 4) install window insulation if necessary; 5) add caulk and weather stripping; and lastly, 6) change the batteries on carbon monoxide detectors.

The MVF Recreation Committee will be discussing the repurposing of the Watkins Mill Pool at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7 in the North Creek Board Room, 20125 Arrowhead Road. There will be a presentation made to the Recreation Committee on different proposed amenities and how best to get feedback from the community. The Stedwick Homes Corporation (SHC) Board will be kept apprised of the developments as the project progresses.

One of the tasks of the SHC maintenance committee is to observe the health of all trees in our community. When a resident requests that we look at a specific tree(s), the maintenance committee includes the request in their next inspection (usually the second Tuesday of the month). When the committee cannot decide the status of the tree(s), we elicit the advice of an arborist as to the health and stability of the tree(s). Based on that recommendation, the decision is made on what to do. Many times, a tree appears to be a danger to property or life when in fact it is stable. The policy of the SHC is not to remove healthy trees.

The SHC board meets the third Wednesday of every month, except July and December, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stedwick Community Center, 10401 Stedwick Road. Our next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct 16; residents time is the first 30 minutes of the meeting to allow you an opportunity to ask questions or express opinions. In the meantime, if you have any issues, contact our Stedwick Homes Corporation community management team at 240-243-2326, e-mail stedwickhc@mvf.org or mail to the Stedwick Homes Corporation at 10120 Apple Ridge Road.

Stedwick Signals: for residents of Club Hill, Clusters of Stedwick I, II, III, Forest Brooke, Frenchton Place, Ridges of Stedwick and The Heights.

Ongoing maintenance in Whetstone

by the Whetstone Board of Directors

We have many construction and maintenance activities happening in the community over the next few months. Construction on the North Dock is complete. During the September meeting, the board voted on the following projects to be completed:

• Several trees from around the community have been identified and now are slated to be removed. We selected the company to do this.
• We have approved work to commence on a multitude of asphalt projects across the community that include repairs to broken and crumbled curbs as well. The drain on Roman Way is going to be repaired as well.

The 2020 budget has been approved. Due to the passage of the increase in the assessment ceiling, we will now be able to properly fund our maintenance budget and address much needed attention to certain maintenance projects that have been lacking over the last few years.

It has been a very dry September, so the leaves are going to fall early this year. Remember that leaves can be gathered and placed in in paper lawn bags for pickup every Thursday along with your recycling. Other than that, the dates for community leaf pickup will be out soon. They are generally marked at either entrance into our community.

As we get closer to the holidays, you may notice a slight uptick in attempted break-ins to cars in the neighborhood. Many of these are crimes of opportunity and generally involved unlocked cars. Please keep the doors on both your house and cars locked, and your garage doors closed to prevent theft. If you do notice suspicious activity on your street, please contact the police immediately at 301-279-8000; dial 911 for emergencies.

In an effort to communicate more effectively with our residents, the WHC board would like to update our board e-mail list. This allows you to receive meeting notices, agendas, emergency information, etc. This is not a neighborhood discussion forum. If you are not on the current list or have changed your provider, just send an e-mail to vermillion.whc@gmail.com.

Whetstone Watch: for residents of The Courts, Goshenside, Lakeside and the Ridges of Whetstone.