Assessments are due on 1 April!
Annual Meeting (by Judy Currier)
We can’t say it often enough – March 13 is our Annual Meeting. Do join us for our social at 7pm and our regular business meeting at 8pm. The meeting is at the Phillips School which is the large school at the corner of Backlick and Braddock. It is in the multi-purpose room. Since our most active tenant, Cathy, left the community we have not had tenants at the annual meeting. Please know that you are welcome, it is your community also and what happens to it does effect you. Tenants can also serve on the committees and board of directors, so you aren’t expected to just listen and accept the “wisdom” of the homeowners.
We are having doorprizes again this year, a $50 certificate to Mike’s, a $25 certificate to Kilroy’s, and a $25 certificate to Duck Chang’s – if all goes according to plan (the restaurants could change if certificates are not available). You have a better chance of winning this doorprize than most contests that you pay to enter, so take a bit of a chance, meet and greet your neighbors, and join us on March 13!
President's Notes (by Judy Currier)
Well, Leewood, this will be my last column as president of the association, so I approach it with bittersweet emotions and lots of memories.
I remain convinced that Leewood’s greatest asset is their people. This is not Pollyanna talking, but someone who has heard the horror stories of other associations. One finds that everyone who joins the board of directors has different reasons for doing so. Probably the elevation of the position from that of a “thankless task”, which you hear so often in association circles, to one that is fulfilling is due in large part to one’s ability to achieve the reason that one is serving in a volunteer capacity. For me, a prime reason to serve was the ability to help people – make their lives just a little less of a hassle. So, the telephone calls and emails fed and nutured that desire; I enjoyed communicating with you. Our members, for the most part, are wonderful and reasonable people and I have enjoyed the interaction. My second reason for volunteering was a desire to see our association well-run. Ever since our run-in with a property manager, I have been determined to show that a self-managed association can be better run than one with a property manager. Of course, this has caused conflicts at times with board and committee members who like to remind me that they are “only volunteers”, but I do think that it is possible, and I am very proud of our association.
There will be many challenges for the board in the years ahead. Our community has flourished with openness and frank discussion of the problems that face it. For the first time in more than eight years we have now had executive sessions, which are the antithesis of openness. Our attorney did recommend strongly for us to have them when considering covenant violations, but it is murky field to enter and one in which we have little experience. Many associations get enamored with the idea that this is a good way to hide controversial positions from the community and avoid conflict. It has been my experience that the best way to avoid conflicts is to face them head on and communicate with the members the reasoning behind the board’s actions. I hope that our new board will learn how to navigate the quagmire of executive sessions not only from Leewood’s past experiences, but also from the history of other communities.
I have been editing my father’s “Oral History” of naval aircraft procurement. He was very fond of Santanyana’s advice that: “Those who fail to heed history are doomed to repeat it”. He added his own observation that “most individuals will attempt to avoid repeating their own mistakes, but ignore the mistakes made by others, sometimes in ignorance, sometimes with arrogance”.
With that thought, I bid you a fond adieu – I have pardons to grant and executive orders to promulgate! (For the literal minded, our documents don’t permit it, so don’t worry, it won’t be done even if I had the mind-set to do it.)
Editor’s Note: Thank you, Judy, for all the many, many things you have done for our community, including, of course, being the major contributor to this newsletter!
February Board Meeting Minutes (by Judy Currier)
What surveys that passed across my desk (those that were included in the later assessment payments) seemed to like the summaries of board meetings that we have run in our newsletter from time to time. With our minute situation being in an uproar most of this year, minutes have usually not been available at the time of newsletter submission, so it has been a “catch or catch can” type of thing with me – I have included what is more or less on my mind when I write the newsletter. Actually, I always tried to get the secretary to write these summaries, but that has not worked well in recent years. Things are no better this month, but looking at my notes, here goes –
- One person has been sent to the attorney for collection of their assessments. Two others will be sent if they do not respond to the latest notice. There were a large number, 50 people, who owed at the end of the assessment period, but those that are normally good about paying their assessments sent checks right away.
- Letters stating the amount of penalties accrued on ARC violations were not sent out at the end of the month, as the necessary information was not available (lack of board communication).
- The audit for 1999 was handed out to board members interested in it.
- The survey agenda item was not discussed, as Leona Taylor, who is handling the survey results, decided it should be discussed with the new board, rather than the old.
- 2nd letters for ARC were approved by the board for those who had missed receiving them in the fall, and for those that got first notices in the fall.
- The board voted to contribute excess funds from FY2000 to the Capital Improvement Fund. The amount to be contributed is a somewhat over $2000.
- Pam Stover has been looking into getting a new ARC contractor. So far few companies have shown an interest, and the one that had (but hadn’t mailed out anything) Judy Currier remembered was a contractor connected to our former property manager.
- Al Sanford drafted a drainage policy, this has languished under tabled items on the agenda. There was discussion as to where it should be put, in the Standards Manual as that is where people should look when they go to do a project, or elsewhere? More discussion and thinking will be done on this.
- The minutes from the October board meeting were delivered at the meeting. Approval of them was tabled as the board had not had time to review them or their notes. The minutes from the December 12 board meeting were approved with revisions, and the minutes from the January 9 board meeting (which had been distributed in advance) were tabled as those that attended the February meeting had unformulated changes they wished to make.
- Judy has prepared a Month by Month list of tasks and a general memory dump on different subjects for the new board. Leona wished to add some items to it, so Judy is emailing it to Leona, and asked for it back to make any changes in the final version.
- Champ Buck suggested that as he is no longer a homeowner, and there were enough volunteers for the board that he should resign, as of the annual meeting. He will send in a resignation letter. Julie King considers herself resigned from the board.
- Judy and Champ discussed proposed legislation in the Va. assembly that could make POA packets quite old by the time they are delivered to the buyer (and thus, anti-homeowner), and a proposed restriction on the cost of POA packets that appeared to be ridiculous to them.
The drainage policy question has been floating around for a while. The problem that the board is trying to address is when homeowners make changes to the original drainage patterns of the home that then affect the common area. Ultra-large patios of impervious substances with no drainage provisions can adversely affect the common area, as can re-routing of the back downspouts into the common area.
Hey, that wasn’t so hard!
Board Nominations
Our Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2001. This meeting will be, among other things, a time to elect new members to the Board. As things presently stand there will be three openings to fill. We have the names of three people who have consented to run for a seat on the Board. They are: Mohammed Umar, 7029 Bradwood Court; Chris Taylor, 7039 Leestone Street; and Ron Filadelpho, 7014 Leebrad Street.
It is not too late to add other names to the ballot. If you are interested please contact Al Sanford (703-750-2831, aljudy@gateway.net) or Pam Stover (pam-oliver@erols.com). We would be happy to hear from you. Names can also be placed in nomination the night of the annual meeting.Mohammed Umar has lived with his family in Leewood since 1990. He is works in Alexandria, Virginia as a senior accountant for the Council on Social Work Education. Mohammed is well liked by is neighbors on Bradwood Court.
Chris Taylor and his wife Bonnie have lived in Leewood for the last year. They are interested in the community and they have been noticeably interested in the upkeep of their property and have made an impression on others by being outgoing and friendly.
Ron Filadelfo with his family have lived in Leewood for sixteen years. Ron has served previously on the Board-- two terms in the early 90’s. He works as a research scientist for the Center of Naval Analyses. Ron likes scuba diving, bicycle riding and reading. He is likeable and well known.
There are many other responsibilities in addition to Board seats that are needed in keeping Leewood running smoothly. There will be an opportunity at the Annual Meeting to sign up for various committees, but more than this the invitation is always open. Just contact any member of the Board at any time if you have an interest in helping with Leewood’s “nuts and bolts.” The following are the standing Commitees: Architectural Review, Grounds and Maintenance, Community Affairs, Financial Affairs, There are also more specific roles such as Welcoming, Property Owner Association, Consumer Affairs Representative. And, there are even more specific needs and functions.
Al Sanford
Chair, Nominating Committee
Website and Budgets (by Judy Currier)
It has been our standard practice to mail out the budget with our Annual Meeting package, and this has been done this year also. The whole purpose of a website is that it lets you communicate in a more timely manner with the membership. Thus, as soon as the budget was finalized it was there, in all its glory, for perusal by the membership. As there is not the penalty to pay in copying costs and mailing costs, even the supporting information is there, which is always interesting to see. The budget meetings are open to all, and by attending them one gets a little bit better understanding for the thinking that goes into making up the budget.
To clear up some confusion, actually we do know who has access to our website. We could make it very sticky, and no one could get on without approval, but that seems unnecessarily rigid, given what is there. One person did sign on whose name and address was not on our roster, and they were made “inactive” meaning they can’t get on any more (that is, assuming all works as advertised). Community Path for some reason made me start remembering my password, so as they change their software little things creep in.
Now, I was talking last night to a person who had been accessing our website, and then was unable to do so. If any of you have this problem, please email me at judyb@worldnet.att.net when it happens and send all of the particulars that you can. I would like to know when this type of think is happening. The person had emailed communitypath.com, got a response, but it didn’t solve the problem. Also, it appears that others besides me are now having to log in each time. I would like to know about that also. Obviously, if we keep having this sort of difficulty we need to move our site, but first, we need to know what problems do exist.
“GIVE BLOOD, GET COOKIES & COFFEE & JUICE, Oh BOY!”
As you all probably know, there is a blood shortage in our area. Donations have continually dropped and the need for blood and blood products has not.The reasons for the shortage has been explained as the aging of our population, the busy schedules of ourselves and our neighbors and a complacency which needs to be shattered, a complacency which has not even .....
Do you have an hour to spare? Just one hour? Would you like to save some lives by spending an hour donating blood for yourselves and for your neighbors? Did you know that one blood donation can save three lives?
Are you seventeen or older? If so, you qualify as a blood donor. There is no upper age limit. Better still, would you like to become a super donor? You can achieve this by becoming a platelet donor.
Where? INOVA Blood Donor Services has locations.
Their hours are 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m Mondays to Friday and 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
www.inova.org/donateblood
Capital Beltway Rail Feasibility Study (by Judy Currier)
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, this study was mailed to us too late for February’s newsletter, so if you didn’t know about it from other sources you have missed the public hearings held this month. If you are interested, you should probably keep up to date on the developments by visiting the website at www.beltwayrail.org, or by calling the project hotline at 1-877-955-0495.
The three alternatives recommended for further study are the Monorail – Red, Heavy Rail – Red, and Light Rail – Red-Blue Combination. The color coding tells you the general path the rail would take. The Red path runs from Franconia/Springfield, through the VRE station at Backlick Road, through Central Annandale (missing the Backlick/Braddock intersection, thank goodness), goes through Merrifield and on out to Tyson/s corner. The Blue alternative runs from Franconia-Springfield to the VRE stations at Backlick Road, and then parallel to the Beltway through the Ravenswoth Industrial Park. It would cross outside the Beltway to travel through Merrifield and then on to Tysons. Both could extend on into Maryland.
The purpose is to improve mobility in the corridor by building additional transportation capacity, and to improve accessibility in the region expanding travel options while maximizing use of the existing rail transit system. Continued on next page
The analysis so far performed states that the “Monorail - Red option could offer high ridership, service to major activity centers, lower cost than heavy rail (metro is heavy rail) and the least environmental impacts of all the alternatives. However monorail is largely unproven in a long suburban corridor.” The Heavy Rail-Red alternative “best serves the type of trips being made in this corridor, is most consistent with Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan, has minimal environmental impacts, and is compatible with the current Metrorail system. However, it is the most costly alternative, particularly because much of the proposed line would be located underground to avoid long-term disruption to residential neighborhoods. An additional station at Braddock Road would expand the area served by transit.” The Light Rail - Red-Blue Combination alternative “is the lowest cost alternative to heavy rail, has similar results to heavy rail and has fewer adverse environmental impacts. However, light rail is likely to have more impacts on property and will operate at slower speeds than heavy rail or monorail.” I’m not sure the path that this would take.
These lines all go quite close to Leewood, which could be both and blessing and a hindrance to our lives. I believe the study bears watching.
Account Insurance
Some have expressed concern as to the insurance on the accounts. By visiting the Schwab website one can easily determine the amount of insurance. SIPC provides up to $500,000 to protect the securities per customer, in each separate account capacity, with a limit of $100,000 for claims of cash balances. In addition, Schwab provides, through Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, excess protection above these amounts up to the customer’s total equity for each account for securities, and an additional $900,000 for claims of cash.
Recycle Your Ink Jet Cartridges
Ink jet cartridges are quite expensive, now at least there is a way where you can feel you are doing some good with your empty cartridges. The Post Office at Ravensworth has bags that you can insert your empty cartridge in and mail to an organization that is interested in helping the environment.
Letter to the Editor
During walks in the neighborhood in search of exercise, I have noticed numerous parking spots that contain excess oil spills. I have also seen pools of anti-freeze in spots that appear to be fluids other than oil. Some of these fluids (i.e. antifreeze) are highly toxic to humans and pets. I pity the person who crosses the street at night while walking their dog and walks through antifreeze ending up with a very sick or even dead pet. Or a person who gets oil or other fluids on their shoes and ends up staining carpets, floors or even having a child get it on their hands and becoming ill. These spills are also unsightly and costly to all residents, both in home sales and higher assessments. Oil and other fluids stain the aprons and curbs. They dissolve asphalt resulting in faster deterioration of the streets and more frequent repairs. These costs are passed on to homeowners in higher assessments. I find it difficult to understand why anyone would want to continue driving a car that is seriously leaking.
One solution would be to fine offenders for excessive leaks, a flat amount for the first offense and if it continues, perhaps a percentage of the cost for repairing that portion of the parking area. Since fines can only be levied for reserve spaces and many of the seriously leaking cars are parked in open spaces, that problem could be solved by assigning two reserve spaces for each home in front of or if that is not possible next to their current reserved space. Visitors could park on public streets such as Bradwood Street or Braddock Mews. There are enough parking spaces to scatter a few visitor spaces throughout the neighborhood. For those residents to have any one time major leak or spill, they could notify LHOA to avoid a fine and then neutralize the spills with an environmentally safe commercial product or soak up the spill with kitty litter. I hope this issue concerns all residents not only for safety reasons but in the interest of the appearance of our neighborhood and cost to us as homeowners.
A Concerned Resident
Note: Two reserved parking places per unit is prohibited by our covenants. The board can now do something about oil spills and has. They should be notified if this is happening.
Audited Financial Statements
We are including copies of the 1999 audited financial statements, which were recently completed. We receive a reduced rate from our auditors by allowing them to complete the work during their off-season, so we do not get the results very quickly. A copy of the complete financial statements (including all the notes and other schedules is available if you are interested. Please contact Leona Taylor if you want a copy.
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