STRATFORD MANOR NEWSLETTER
February - March 2023 Edition
Landscaper Gum Grove Awarded Full-year Stratford Manor Contract -
Gum Grove Services, the lawn service firm that has been taking care of Stratford Manor’s winter needs since last November, has won a contract to provide a full range of basic landscaping services to the community throughout the year.
The SMA Board approved the Landscaping Committee’s recommendation at its Feb. 8 meeting. Fran Hodges, Committee Chairperson, said the Board’s vote was unanimous.
“The Committee began working in January to develop a Landscape Bid Proposal for the 2023-24 year,” said Ms. Hodges “The bid solicitation went out to seven landscaping companies, and we received bids back from five of them."
She said the Committee, as well as the Board, “were pleasantly surprised at the great response received, which illustrates how valuable these firms view working for Stratford Manor.”
Ms. Hodges said that the superior services provided by Gum Grove over the winter months helped their chances in the bidding war. “Joe Blount (owner) and his crew have done an excellent job during this interim period,” she said. “But they were also competitive in their bid for the new contract.”
Mr. Blount said he was excited over being given the opportunity to continue serving Stratford Manor. “I grew up around here, and often drove through the community just to admire how attractive it is,” he said. “It’s like a dream come true to be able to help maintain that beauty.” Mr. Blount said this new contract will allow him to expand his staff and invest in additional equipment so he can continue growing his business.
He also noted that winning the
contract means he can get an early start on spring preparations, including
mulching and putting down fertilizer. “It should be a seamless transition,” he
said.
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Owners who sit in on the SMA Board’s meetings sometimes complain that they are dry and dull; that they sound too much like a business meeting. Well, that’s exactly what it is: a business meeting that results in several decisions related to managing the Association.
The apparent dullness might stem from how we prepare for these bi-monthly get-togethers. To ensure that the nine-person Board makes maximum use of everyone’s time, a draft of the agenda is sent out to Board members ahead of the meeting, asking for any topics to be added. Then, when the agenda is approved, members who have items on the final list prepare their reports and typically send out handouts ahead of time. So we all receive an initial “briefing” on many of the topics before meeting day.
We also know that the report is often the result of the work of a Board Committee. The committees—seven full committees and one subcommittee--meet between Board meeting dates to work on specific projects. Done properly, the report at the meeting and the handouts give Board members enough of an understanding of an issue to cast an intelligent vote after some discussion.
The most-recent example is the awarding of a landscaping contract to Gum Grove Services (see news item on Page 1). The Board spent a relatively short period of time listening to Landscaping Committee Chair Fran Hodges’s report and asking questions. That’s because we all knew that Ms. Hodges and her Committee already spent weeks doing the necessary legwork and investigation before coming to a decision on which firm the Committee would recommend.
That’s
called respect for our fellow Board members. But sometimes that respect gets overshadowed
by a heated debate on a controversial topic. To ensure that the Board remains
focused on finding common ground, we agreed at our last meeting to develop a
Code of Conduct that will remind us of our need to be civil and courteous, no
matter how strongly we feel about an issue.
--John Gullett, President
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Noisy Partygoers at Lodge are Target of HOA Push -
As winter fades, the number of parties held at the Transportation Lodge on Deep Creek Road increases, causing sleepless nights for unlucky residents living close to the Masonic property. Stratford Manor's Board is on the case and has been promised help by Lodge leadership.
The Lodge, which rents its facility to outside groups throughout much of the year as a source of needed income, has made a number of recent concessions in response to complaints from Stratford Manor.
These include increasing the security deposit required of renters, with a warning that if nearby residents complain, the deposit is forfeited; and reducing the party "curfew" from midnight back to 10 p.m. In addition, groups that violate the contract are placed on a "do-not-rent-again" list.
John Gullett, SMA president, said groups that already gave contracts cannot be held to the new terms. "But if the Lodge people are true to their word, this problem will become a lot more manageable down the road."
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Know your HOA Board: Nancy Allen
Editor’s note: This Newsletter will be featuring a member of the SMA Board in each issue, so that other Stratford Manor owners can get to know them better. We start with Nancy Allen, someone who has been volunteering for the community for nearly all of her 30 years of living here.
“I can’t recall when I started my first term on the Board,” said Nancy Allen. “It seems like forever.” The Peninsula native said she fell in love with Stratford Manor just watching it being built and moved into her brand-new unit at 172 Wellesley in 1993. “Things were a lot more informal in those early days, and the owners did all the work-- before it got too complicated and legalistic.”
The SMA hired its first property management firm in 2017, and Ms. Allen was on the selection committee. “We were all stretched pretty thin,” she said, “and then the owner who did our bookkeeping moved away. That’s when we realized we couldn’t do it all.”
Ms. Allen always loved nature and gravitated to looking after the landscaping soon after moving into Stratford Manor. “I wasn’t always on the Board, but I attended all the Board meetings to report on the landscaping.” She was also part of the search team for a landscaper many years ago. They interviewed a half-dozen firms and chose Year-Round Landscaping, which she supervised for several years until they left last year.
Today she is Chairperson of the Tree Maintenance Subcommittee, which works closely with the SMA’s arborist year-round, making sure that hazardous trees or limbs are removed as soon as they are discovered. “She loves all the trees,” said President John Gullett, “and goes to great lengths to save any that’s ailing.”
Ms. Allen is also proud of her work with jail inmates over the past 25 years. “I was looking for a job with the city years ago”, she explained, “and was told the only opening was helping prisoners at the City Farm prepare for their GED.” She said she was reluctant at first but got more comfortable as she got to know the men and realized that most of them were very protective of her.
“Over the years, I helped over 600 men
get their GEDs at the City Farm and in the City Jail,” she said proudly, “and I
occasionally run into some of them. I was in a large retail store recently when
the manager came up to me, introduced himself, and told me how grateful he was
that I helped him get his GED years earlier. That was a great feeling.” The
Covid pandemic ended her work with prisoners, but Ms. Allen can’t be kept down.
“I’m getting ready to start volunteering at the Food Bank,” she said. “I just
enjoy helping people.”
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Spring is just around the corner—Don’t throw out those old plants!
With the fabulous warmer weather, we have been having, are you ready to think about ‘sprucing’ up the landscape around your home? If you have hostas, iris, day lilies or any flowers that need dividing or you no longer want to use them, don’t throw them away! Contact the Landscape Committee and we will “recycle” or “repurpose” any plants or shrubs that you may not want.
With that in mind,
the Landscape Committee is striving to plant more shrubs, flowers, and trees
that will benefit the local wildlife.
Just send an email to the HOA: stratfordnn@gmail.com
if you have any plants/shrubs that you wish to donate, and we welcome any
suggestions or ideas that you may wish to provide.
Thank you for your support and remember - - Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be! (Submitted by Landscaping Committee Chair Frances Hodges)
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Stratford Manor News Briefs -
Reserve Study Update Ordered—The SMA Board has approved a proposal from Treasurer Bob Lucas to commission a new Reserve Study for the Association. The Study, which is a tool the Board uses to determine annual funding of the Association’s replacement reserves, was last done in 2020. Virginia law requires HOAs to conduct the study every five years, but the Board felt it needed to be done sooner.
“Given the high inflation we have experienced recently,” said Mr. Lucas, “we need an outside expert to update the estimated costs for anticipated infrastructure repairs. “ The Study, which will be done by the same architectural firm that conducted the 2020 Study, will provide the Board with an updated recommendation on the level of reserve funding. The exact timing of the Study has not been set.
Storm drainage work about to begin—Longhill Excavating will be starting work on our community’s storm drainage system in the next week or two, according to the company’s owner. The SMA Board hired Longhill late last year to clean out our entire system and inspect it for breaks. “We don’t know what they will find,” said Infrastructure Committee Chair Bob Lucas, “because we can’t find a record of when this was last done.”
Mr. Lucas said once the system is cleaned, Longhill will run a camera through all the drains to identify any possible breaks in the pipe or seams. “Then we will be given a report on what sort of repairs are needed. “Aiding in the effort is a map created for Stratford Manor by the City’s Engineering Dept., showing which lines are public (and maintained by the City) and which are private (the Association’s responsibility).
“It’s essential that we get this work done now,” said Mr. Lucas, “prior to any further paving work.” He added that once the repairs are made, the Board will establish a maintenance schedule that will involve inspecting the drains on a regular basis, “so we can catch problems early.”
Governing document signing drive resumes—Governing Documents Committee Chair Donna Groller told the Board at its February meeting that the Committee has 88 signed owner votes for the proposed new Declaration, only 13 votes short of the required total.
Ms. Groller said the Committee has identified several prospects to approach and plans to launch its 2023 campaign with a mailing that will include an owner survey aimed at finding out why certain owners have not yet signed the ratification form. “Many of them are absentee owners we have had difficulty contacting,” she explained. “So, we think there are enough of them to put us over the top, given the opportunity to explain the importance of it.”
Reminder to get okay for spring work—The Architectural Compliance Committee is reminding owners that if they are planning to put on a new roof, replace their front door or paint their shutters a different color, they need to get approval by sending a completed Architectural Review application to Abbitt before starting any work. John Gullett, Interim Chairman of the Committee, said there are restrictions on the type of roof shingles owners can install, as well as a color requirement.
“The Association is required to ask owners to correct any violations of the standards established for Stratford Manor,” he said, “the most expensive being the wrong-color roof shingles. Getting prior approval guarantees you will not be inadvertently violating the rules.” The form can be downloaded from the Association’s website, stratfordmanornn.blogspot.com, or owners can request one via email from Abbitt at associations@abbitt.com.
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Trash pickup schedule
Feb. 22—Trash only (Wednesday pickup
due to holiday); Feb. 28—Recycling, bulk pickup &
March 7—Trash only; March
14—Recycling, bulk pickup & trash; March 21—Trash only.
March 28—Recycling, bulk pickup &
trash.
April 4—Trash only; April 11—Recycling, bulk
pickup & trash; April 18—Trash only;
April 25—Recycling, bulk pickup &
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SMA Board of Directors:
John Gullett (2023) - President
Donna Groller (2025) - Vice President
Bob Lucas (2024) - Treasurer
Frances Hodges (2025) - Secretary
Nancy Allen (2024)
Betty Blackburn (2023)
Lisa Hall (2023)
Doug Marmon (2025)
Madoline Wallace (2024)
Association Website: stratfordmanornn.blogspot.com
Contact the Board via email at stratfordnn@gmail.com or through Abbitt
Property Management:
Abbitt Management: Ms. Tricia Wells, Manager; Ms. Jennifer Norman, Assistant Manager
Email: associations@abbitt.com - Telephone: 757-874-4900
BOARD MEETING DATES:
April 12, June 14, August 9, October 11, and December 13 (Annual Meeting to be held November 15, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church on Deep Creek Road).
Meetings are on Wednesdays and start at 5:30 p.m. unless notified otherwise and each meeting will be held at Abbitt Management located at 11835 Fishing Point Drive, Suite 205, Newport News, VA.
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