CLOISTERS WEST NEWSLETTER
Spring 2010
I. MESSAGE FROM THE TREASURER
As I mentioned at last year’s annual meeting, we were able to hold the monthly CWHOA fee to $150 ($1,800 per year) for FY 2009-2010. Please note that we have held the fee at that amount since 2005. The CWHOA board reviewed the proposed budget for FY 2010-2011 and has approved an increase to $170 per month or $2,040 per year. The following new costs and /or increases are the cause of the monthly fee increase:
1. $7,900 paid to DC WASA for a new citywide water and sewer charge that started in January 2010.
2. $2,500 for rat abatement. This is an additional expense that started in 2010.
3. $5,000 for snow removal returning our budget to its previous level.
4. $7,000 to restore the contingency reserve to its previous level. We were using $6,000 from this fund to pay for Securitas Security Service which is now a permanent service in the CWHOA.
5. $1,500 for an increase in trash removal expenses.
6. $400 to make up for the expected loss of income from the reduction in interest paid on our funds.
Summary: The above items amount to $24,300 in increased expenses or $18.58 per home, per month. The increase of $20 per month in Association fees was therefore needed to meet our necessary expenses.
JOSEPH CATANZANO, TREASURER
II. ANNUAL MEETING AND CALL FOR ELECTION
We will be holding our annual meeting and election of new board members on Tuesday, JUNE 15, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the Heritage Room at the Visitation Preparatory School. Two board positions will be vacant and newly elected members are eligible to serve for two year terms. If you are interested in serving on the board please call a current board member (their names and contact information can be found on our website at www.cloisterswest.org under Board of Directors) to discuss and to answer any questions that you may have about board service. Board service is a wonderful way of enhancing the community in which we live and meet many of our fellow homeowners. Under the rules of the CWHOA, a board member must be a homeowner and can serve for a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms. Thus, we have a need for new board members every year. This ensures that the community is not stagnated by a permanent board. Please send your request and reason for wanting to serve along with a brief resume to Judith.dowd@ferc.gov.
III. SPRING BULK PICK-UP DAY
The bi-annual Spring Bulk Pick-up date is Monday, MAY 17, 2010. Tenleytown Trash will be picking up furniture, household goods and old paint cans that have been properly closed to prevent spillage. Please place what you want hauled away on Winfield Lane behind your garage. This is a great service to the community and it only happens once every two years. Please mark your calendars with the date and take advantage of this opportunity.
IV. MASTER PLAN
We have received final approval on our master plan. We may be taking some of the community’s parking spaces to store material during the construction period. This detail has yet to be finalized. We hope to start phase 1 within a month. This includes:
1. Installing three permanent speed humps into the roadbed on Winfield Lane. These will be gentle humps that will force cars to slow down and still allow the snow to be removed without damaging the speed humps.
2. Redoing the entry at 37th Street.
3. Redoing the entry at 36th Street.
4. Installing new wrought iron at the entry to 36th Street and along Reservoir Road.
5. Selectively removing and replacing concrete aprons and damaged road and brick along Winfield Lane. This will be done as the last step of this year’s repairs because of the need to store materials for the work listed in items 1 through 4 above.
The projected cost for these improvements is in excess of $135,000 and will be funded from our replacement reserves. Next year in phase 2 we intend to complete our master plan by enclosing all of the Pepco boxes and three mail boxes as well as upgrading our planting along Reservoir Road. When this project is complete the community will be beautified and the value of our homes enhanced. Some might remember when several years ago we held our first community-wide vision meeting and discussed doing the street lighting first and when we replenished our reserve funds to move onto what we are about to undertake.
V. RAT ABATEMENT
As previously reported we have implemented an aggressive rat abatement program. In order to be successful we need you cooperation. If you see any rate activity, please report it to our property manager, Randy Nolan randy@tiltonbernstein.com. He will ask Conquest Pest Control to contact you to determine a course of action at community expense. The reason we have taken on this expense is that we have a home where the tenants were the cause of the problem and the owner took inadequate measures thereby causing problems for their neighbors.
VI. SNOWSTORM DAMAGE
We are working closely with Denchfield Landscaping in replacing shrubs damaged during the Winter storms. Denchfield will replace at their expense damaged shrubbery where the damage was caused by their crews. The Community will be replacing damaged shrubs on community property where the damage was caused by the snowstorms.
VII. TELEPHONE BOOK
We are in the process of preparing a new Cloisters West telephone book. Please cooperate with Alex Classen our student Administrative Assistant who is working with us on this project. Remember we do not sell or trade your contact information. If you have failed to complete our forms please contact Alex at alexcjw4@yahoo.com.
VIII. CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGETOWN SURVEY
G411@ymail.com is a tool for Georgetown residents to report quality of life issues or violations of D.C. regulations. After removing the names, CAG reviews the reports on a monthly basis with the appropriate D.C. or Georgetown University authorities in order to improve the entire Georgetown community. Please cooperate with CAG in this survey.
VIII. DENCHFIELD TREE TRIMMING
We are in the process of arranging a community-wide tree trim by Denchfield at the price to the homeowner of just $75.00 per tree. Please contact Randy Nolan at randy@tiltonbernstein.com , if you want your tree/trees trimmed. Randy will contact Denchfield to add your name to the list. You are responsible for paying Denchfield directly before the tree trim date. Randy will inform you of the actual tree trim date.
ENJOY OUR LOVELY SPRING WEATHR
SEE YOU AT THE ANNUAL MEETING ON JUNE 15TH AT 7:00PM