President’s Corner
When board members at our Dec. 11 session began
critiquing the Nov. 20 annual meeting of Stratford Manor Association
homeowners, the list of suggestions for improvement was slim. Some thought the
relatively low attendance (less than 30 owners) indicated a lack of interest.
But others said it was a positive sign—an indication that most owners felt well
informed by reading a year’s worth of the SMA Newsletter, and had fewer gripes
with the board or management.
Take your pick. But one criticism we all agreed
on: Owners who were seated toward the
back of the room had trouble hearing some of the speakers. We will fix that
next year by using a public address system. But for those of you who couldn’t
hear well, or didn’t make it to the meeting, here are highlights of my
“President’s Report”:
“When board members sat down early this year to
craft our goals for 2019, we had no idea that we would have to deal with the
turbulence that comes with changing property managers.
“We had been dissatisfied with AAMG for some time,
but the situation got worse in the first few months of this year—so much so
that the board came to the painful conclusion that we needed to make a change.
“The reason is pretty simple-- the board was taking
on some ambitious challenges in the management of our community, involving both
our aging infrastructure and a culture that some have described as “toxic.” The
prior firm simply didn’t have the resources to meet our needs in these key
areas.
“So in the spring of this year we began an extensive
search for an agency that would help us achieve our objectives. And once we
were convinced that we had found a viable candidate, we notified AAMG that we
were terminating them effective August 1.
“That notice came on June 1, and it changed everything
with respect to our relationship with AAMG.
On top of that, we had to hold off starting any major projects until we
transitioned to a new firm—which we knew would have its own preferred
contractors.
“ I am pleased to tell you that the full transition
to Abbitt finally became apparent at last month’s board meeting (on Oct. 9),
where we were able to review our first set of financial results that had been
prepared solely by Abbitt’s accounting department.
“It’s been a long, frustrating process for all of us
involved. And there are still some tasks to perform to get this totally behind
us. But it became apparent in our October meeting that we had made the right
decision to hire Abbitt.
“Despite the turmoil of those four or five months,
we did manage to make progress in pursuing our long-term goals related to the
community’s culture. Many of you will remember the high degree of negativity
and isolationism in our community just two years ago.
“So this year we adopted several goals that were
intended to help create a heightened community spirit, and make for a more
harmonious environment for all residents.
“It’s a long-term effort that will take
more than one year, but things seem better now than they were a year ago, when
we talked about the clash between the traditionalists and the progressives.
“Among other things, we are making a deliberate
attempt to enforce rules and regulations more consistently, build a greater
level of trust between the owners, the board, and the property managers, and
enhance the community spirit among residents.
“As part of this effort, we launched a program to
welcome new owners with a nice gift basket and greetings from board members…our
version of the Welcome Wagon.
“We kicked off a series of outdoor events that are
designed to allow all of us to meet more neighbors and enjoy everyone’s
company. The fall gathering was canceled due to bad weather, but a holiday
version is now in the planning stages.
“We made a commitment to be as transparent as
possible in reporting on the board’s actions, principally through our comprehensive,
bi-monthly SMA newsletter. This has been a two-edged sword, because it
sometimes elevates expectations that are not met due to unforeseen events. But
it is essential in our efforts to build trust in the leadership.
“And last but certainly not least, we managed to
complete a comprehensive updating of our rules and regulations so that they
appeal to a broader group of our diverse population. Among other changes,
liberalizing our holiday decorating regulations and loosening rules on bicycle
riding and recreational use of our common areas, seem to some of us to have
bolstered the spirits of many of our residents with families.
“We have many challenges ahead of us, especially in
dealing with the decaying condition of portions of our infrastructure. Our
roads, curbs, sidewalks, fences and drainage systems are likely to require big
dollars to repair over the next several years.
“This was behind our difficult decision last month
to implement a modest increase in owner assessments for 2020—from $715 a year
to $750. These additional dollars will go directly into our reserve fund
accounts, so that we are a little better prepared for those future expenses.
“But I assure you that the board understands that
our relatively low assessments—and they really are low-- represent one of our
community’s most valuable assets. And we remain committed to keeping it that
way.”
On behalf of your Board members, have a great holiday season with
family and friends!
John Gullett, President
2020 SMA officers, meeting dates set
SMA’s board elected its
2020 leadership at its annual organizational meeting on Dec. 11, including a
new secretary and a new treasurer.
John Gullett and Linda
Wahlert were reelected president and vice president, respectively.
Filling the treasurer’s
post is Satori Gregorakis, who succeeds Tonita Hoe. Mr. Gregorakis has been on
the board for two years and will continue to head up the architectural
compliance committee.
Frances Hodges, who was
elected to the board at our Nov. 20 annual meeting, was named secretary,
succeeding Ann Turner. She previously served as secretary and newsletter editor
in 2017.
In addition, the board confirmed that it will
continue its recent practice of meeting every other month in 2020. Starting on
Feb. 12, the board will hold its regular meetings on the second Wednesday of
every other month next year.
The remaining 2020 meeting
dates are April 8, June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14, and Dec. 9, with reminders in the
SMA Newsletter. In addition the board may call a special meeting at any
time, as long as it gives owners adequate notice. Unless otherwise notified,
all board meetings will be held in Abbitt Management’s conference room in
Abbitt Professional Park, at 11835 Fishing Point Drive in Newport News, Suite
205.
The annual owner’s meeting for 2020 will be
held on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Annual Meeting routine, except for rentals
The Stratford Manor Association’s annual owners
meeting on Nov. 20 was, for the most part, fairly routine. A relatively small
number of owners—less than 30—listened quietly while board members and Tricia
Wells, Abbitt Management’s property manager for Stratford Manor, made their
presentations and conducted board elections.
Three new directors—Donna Groller, Fran Hodges, and
Linda White—were elected to fill board seats vacated by the expiring terms of
Ann Turner, Tonita Hoe and Kevin Leigh (See separate story on Page 3).
One of the few complaints aired at the meeting had
to do with a dumpster placed in front of
a unit on Kenilworth Dr. Ms. Wells took care of that complaint the next day by
contacting the contractor doing the renovations and asking him to remove the
overflowing container. (By the end of the week, the dumpster was gone.)
But when SMA President John Gullett introduced
the topic of rentals—both short-term rentals, often called Airbnbs (an online
broker who offers home stays to people who want to avoid hotels), and full-time
rentals arranged by absentee owners of units in the complex—many attendees
became animated and spoke up about their feelings on the topic.
“We don’t want Stratford Manor to become an
apartment complex,” said one resident who wanted to limit the number of
renters. “We should be able to make some extra income by renting out a room for
the weekend,” said someone who favors Airbnbs.
Mr. Gullett pointed out that SMA has no rules
regarding rentals, short-term or otherwise. “In researching this topic, I also
learned that the debate on limiting rentals in the community—they call it
imposing a rental cap—can seriously divide owners.”
“As with anything your board does,” he added, “we
must strive for a balance that considers the rights of property owners to do as
they wish, with neighbors’ rights not to be harmed or inconvenienced. That’s
why we added this topic to our agenda.”
He noted that the topic of Airbnbs is being
addressed by the City of Newport News, by holding public hearings and
developing requirements that will include permits. “It’s a hot topic,” Mr.
Gullett said, “and City Council is having difficulty agreeing on the exact
legislation. But some form of regulations is coming, and they will either apply
to us or give us a model for changing our bylaws to conform to the new law.”
Meanwhile, he said, we need to come to grips with
the rising number of rentals in Stratford Manor. (As of Dec. 11, Abbitt’s
records indicate that some 37 units are managed by absentee owners,
representing 28 percent of our community).
“Did you know that if our rental units rise to the
50 percent mark,” he said, “that FHA will no longer grant mortgages to
potential buyers? And if that happens, you are likely to have a harder time
selling your home if you ever decide to put it on the market.”
When asked for a show of hands, considerably more
members of the audience indicated they are in favor of imposing a rental cap.
But there were dissenters, and everyone was encouraged to express their
opinions.
Mr. Gullett ended the meeting segment by promising owners that if
the SMA decides to pursue a rental cap, they will be given a chance to vote on the
issue.
Four new directors take their seats
When the SMA board convened its Dec. 11
organizational meeting, four of the nine director seats had changed. Donna
Groller, Linda White, and Frances Hodges were elected to the board at Stratford
Manor’s annual owners meeting on Nov. 20. They replaced Tonita Hoe, Ann Turner
and Kevin Leigh, who did not run for reelection.
In addition, board member Caroline Langdon, who
still had two years left on her 3-year term, resigned from the board on Dec. 1
for personal reasons. So the board voted at the start of its Dec. 11 meeting to
fill her position with John (Bob) Lucas, of 156 Wellesley Dr.
“Bob is highly qualified to fill the remaining two
years of Caroline’s term,” said SMA President John Gullett in presenting the
nominating committee’s choice for the vacancy. “He retired from the Air Force
in 1990 at the rank of major, and has spent the last 30 years providing
consulting services to various Department of Defense organizations.”
Lucas and his wife, Barbara, moved into Stratford
Manor in 2017. He said he agreed to serve on the board because he wants to be a
contributing factor to the welfare of the community, “by actively helping to
make Stratford Manor an even safer and more welcoming place.”
Ms. Groller, of 141 Kenilworth, said she believes
her extensive experience as a director of human resources and safety training
“will be a valuable asset to the Stratford Manor community. My role as a former
military wife is an added bonus.”
Ms. White, of 142 Kenilworth, said she has lived in
Stratford Manor for 21 years. “I know the rules and want to keep them and
Stratford Manor as beautiful as it can be,” she said. “Volunteering for the
board gives me a chance to give back to my community.”
Ms. Hodges, who lives at 123 Sloane Place, is a former legal
assistant for the Department of Justice, and wants “to help our residents get
to know each other, have fun in socializing together, and help create new and
interesting activities for all who wish to participate.”
Towing policy debated, but remains unchanged
SMA’s directors waged a vigorous debate about the
Association’s towing policies at their Dec. 11 meeting but, in the end, decided
to keep the same for now.
The topic got on the meeting agenda because of
complaints about vehicles—many of them work trucks-- parking on curbs in the community.
As everyone in Stratford Manor knows, parking is at
a premium: two parking spaces for each unit but no visitor parking. Our current
contract with Midatlantic Towing calls for them to patrol our community from
midnight to 6 a.m. nightly and tow anyone double parked or on a curb during
those hours (Midatlantic has an exclusive right to tow vehicles in Stratford
Manor).
In addition, residents can call Midatlantic at
anytime if someone is parked illegally in their parking space, if they spot an
abandoned vehicle, or if an illegally parked vehicle represents a safety
hazard.
SMA President John Gullett said vehicles have been
towed from time to time, sometimes because they are blocking a road that an
emergency vehicle would not be able to go through. “But most of the time we are
able to avoid towing by encouraging the ‘good neighbor’ approach. Many visitors
simply don’t know our parking rules, and we don’t want to put people through
the significant expense and inconvenience of being towed unless their violation
is blatant.”
Some residents may want to crack down on parking
violators and have a steady stream of tow trucks going in and out of Stratford
Manor. “But that’s not the kind of community we want to promote,” said Gullett.
“Be considerate and see if you can find out who the driver is visiting, then
warn them of the danger of being towed.”
“We recognize that contractors and others working in
the community don’t always have access to private parking spots,” he added.
“And we don’t want to force them to park on Kenilworth unless absolutely
necessary. But it’s the responsibility of the homeowner to clear their own
parking spaces for their project’s workers.”
He added that the homeowner could also ask permission from a
neighbor to allow the contractor to park in their spot for a few hours. “But if
you are throwing a party for a lot of guests,” he said, “you need to give them
clear directions on where they can park on Kenilworth or other public streets.”
What can I put in my recycling bin?
Residents of Newport News have the convenience of mixing our recyclables
(plastic, paper, glass, etc.) in the big blue recycling containers provided by
the city. Recycling is picked up every other week. This is wonderfully
convenient, but what exactly can be recycled?
What you CAN recycle:
- Beverage and food cans, emptied and rinsed
- Plastic tubs (like yogurt, cream cheese, etc), emptied and rinsed
- Plastic and glass bottles, jugs and jars, including lids, emptied and rinsed
- Paperboard (like cereal boxes, file folders)
- Cardboard, flattened, no larger than 3ft by 3ft
- Paper (like newspaper, copy paper, junk mail, magazines)
- Foil pans, rinsed
- Cartons (like milk, juice, wine, etc), emptied, rinsed, and recapped. Do not flatten—cartons must retain 3D shape for sorting
What you CANNOT recycle:
- No plastic bags
- No plastics other than those listed above (no toys, for example)
- No Styrofoam, packing peanuts
- No paint cans
Trash Pickup Schedule
December 24—Trash, recycling
& bulk
December 31—Trash only
January 7—Trash, recycling &
bulk
January 14—Trash only
January 22—Weds pickup due to
holiday; Trash, recycling & bulk
January 28—Trash only
February 4—Trash, recycling &
bulk
February 11—Trash only
February 19—Weds pickup due to
holiday; Trash, recycling & bulk
February 25—Trash only
If
your container was missed during collection, call 757-933-2311.
Trash
and recycling receptacles should be curbside no earlier than the evening before
scheduled collection day and removed from the street by the morning after
collections.
