President’s Corner
As you may know, your board has been stymied these past several months by coronavirus concerns that have kept us from conducting regular board meetings. Thanks to Abbitt Management’s determination to help its HOA clients find a solution, we were finally able to hold a board meeting on Oct. 14—by way of Zoom, a video conferencing service.
This virtual meeting allowed us to vigorously debate and take action on a number of timely issues, several of which are reported on elsewhere in this issue. I am pleased to note that several owners also signed on to participate in our virtual meeting—a first!
Consistent with that new normal, board members decided to go virtual with the upcoming Annual Owners’ meeting on Nov. 18, instead of meeting in person at the church on Deep Creek Road. Because owners can be nominated for our board from the “floor” at the meeting, we will hold a second meeting on Dec. 1, to complete elections for the three seats needing to be filled. This virtual approach is being taken out of an abundance of caution.
You will be receiving details of these meetings in early November. For now, if you are not familiar with Zoom, I urge you to get with a family member or a neighbor who can help you learn how to log into our annual meeting. We want your participation!!
The board meeting also allowed us to approve a new contract for our landscaping service, okay repairs to the perimeter fence, and discuss a much-needed upgrade to our insurance policy.
Last but not least, we discussed and adopted our annual budget for 2021 without having to impose an increase in the level of owner assessments! That’s good news for all of us!
--John Gullett, President
New Landscaping Contract Okayed
The SMA Landscaping Committee has forged a new contract with Year-Round Landscaping that more clearly defines what the Association expects from Year Round, while giving the lawn service its first pay raise in four years. The Board approved the new two-year agreement at its Oct. 14 meeting.
Nancy Allen, Chair of the committee, said the increased fee was long overdue, but she and her other committee members wanted to spell out certain service items that have been issues in the past. “For example,” said Ms. Allen, “we gained a commitment from Year Round to frequently trim shrubs and ornamental trees in the common areas, rather than let an area get so overgrown that it requires a special, extra-cost effort.”
The new contract also spells out the procedure for approving a special cleanup after a summer storm or winter snow. The new procedure allows the president to request immediate work on storm debris or snow without getting full board approval. “This ensures that we don’t get put at the back of the line of requests for special help because we took too long to ask,” said Ms. Allen.
Other members of her committee include Linda White,
Donna Groller, and Fran Hodges.
Fence repairs needed on Deep Creek side
Sagging sections of Stratford Manor’s perimeter fence facing the homes on Deep Creek Road behind Sloane Place will be repaired by Rosenbaum Fencing, but it’s probably not the last work to be done on that fence in the coming months. Nancy Allen, who coordinates fence work for us, said Rosenbaum can shore up the leaning sections, but warned of possible future problems with other sections near that location.
“We know that some of our fencing is in its last
stages of life,” said Ms. Allen, “and we will be addressing this issue soon.” The latest repairs will cost $660.
Lucas is Elected Association’s New Treasurer
John (Bob) Lucas, chairman of the board’s Infrastructure Replacement/Repair Committee, has agreed to take on the additional duties of Association treasurer. “We are delighted to have Bob overseeing our financial activities,” said President John Gullett. “This appointment speaks to the depth of our current management team.”
Mr. Lucas was elected to fill the treasurer’s
position that was vacated recently by Satori Gregorakis. Mr.
Gregorakis will continue as a board member and Architectural Control Committee
chairman.
Stratford Manor News Briefs
Board nominee files for seat—Lisa Hall, who lives at 133 Wellesley Dr. in Stratford Manor, has tossed her hat into the ring for the SMA board. A total of three board seats are opening up in November, including the one currently held by Linda Wahlert.
Current board members John Gullett and Satori
Gregorakis are running for reelection, and Ms. Hall is seeking the third
position. “Having lived here for 15
years,” said Ms. Hall, “I feel I could be a contributor to Stratford Manor’s
community board.”
Under Association rules, additional nominations may be made from the “floor” at the upcoming two-part virtual annual owners meeting on Nov. 18 and Dec. 1, which will be held via Zoom.
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More
trees found to be storm-damaged—At the SMA
board’s request, Squirrely Jack has inspected the trees throughout Stratford
Manor for damage from the tropical storm that hit us in August. The findings:
some $5,000 worth of work is needed to remove a dead tree and several damaged
limbs, to thin out a group of trees at the Wellesley Drive entrance to Sloane
Place, and to remove a large oak tree behind 154 Wellesley.
Kenneth Keeton, owner of the tree service company, said thinning the cluster of trees at Wellesley and Sloane will help them survive future high winds. “The large oak tree is coming down”, said Nancy Allen, Landscaping Committee chairperson, “because it has numerous dead limbs every year, and has become too expensive to maintain.”
Squirrely Jack continues to deal with a backlog of customer demands due to storm damage but is expected to get this work done this fall.
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Reserve study draft received—A first draft of the long-awaited reserve study for Stratford Manor was received shortly after the board’s Oct. 14 meeting, and is now being reviewed by board members. This study, which is done every five years, determines the remaining lifespan of our roads, fences and other infrastructure items. It also estimates the costs of certain items, and calculates whether our Association is setting aside adequate funds for those future costs.
President John Gullett said the board hopes to finalize the report soon so it can be shared with owners at the upcoming annual meeting.
“Meanwhile,” he said, “our Infrastructure
Replacement/Repair Committee, headed by Bob Lucas, is looking for a few good
men or women to join his committee to help develop and oversee a long-range
plan to make all necessary improvements over the next few years. He is
especially interested in volunteers who have experience in engineering work.” Mr. Lucas can be reached at lucasb@att.net.
Trash Pickup Schedule
Oct. 27— Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Nov. 3— Trash only
Nov. 10—Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Nov. 17— Trash only
Nov. 24— Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Dec. 1— Trash only
Dec. 8— Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Dec. 15—Trash only
Dec. 22—Recycling, bulk pickup & trash
Dec. 29—Trash only
If your container was overlooked 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. Bulk trash, which is collected on the same schedule as recycling, may be put out the weekend before scheduled collection.
