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NEWSCHESTER, MD • July 2013
P r e s i d e n t ’ s r e P o r t
State of the UnitsRestoRationWe are finally “rocking & rolling” again. We have filed the permits for the decks with Queen Anne’s County, and AIRD will be moving full speed ahead to finish Buildings Nos. 1–3 and starting on Building Nos. 4–6.
Kudos to George Pappafotis for volunteering to be the Building Captain for Building Nos. 1–3 and Barbara Trower for volunteering to be the Building Captain for Building Nos. 4–6. We need owners or tenants in Building Nos. 7–9 and 21–23 to step-up and volunteer to be the Building Captains for their respective buildings. The job entails coordinating access between residents and the contractor and communicating with the residents.
On the financial side, in accordance with the assessment schedule the June 2013 assessment has been reduced.
Bill Moseley, our Restoration Subchair, manages the project on a cash flow basis and we have not spent any money that we do not have. We are not in debt. On the other hand, Elizabeth Arias has been monitoring the financial on a macro-level and, when she factors in the unanticipated cost contingencies and engineering fees, she estimates that we will be in the red at the end of the project.
Bill Moseley believes that when the final costs come in for Building Nos. 1–3, we will be able to start estimating the final costs with a greater degree of confidence. That degree of confidence increases with the completion of each additional building over the course of the summer and into the fall. We will keep the current assessment schedule through March 2014. During Fall 2013 and Winter 2014, we will prepare an evaluation and proposal for your consideration.
See detailed report by Bill Moseley on the progress of the Restoration Project on page 6.
RooFsWe are processing roof repairs in accordance with our governing documents. Our governing documents are unique in that they identify the roofs as a limited common element, and that the Council of Unit Owners has the responsibility for maintaining and replacing them at the expense of those owners to which the roofs limited common element are appurtenant.
If the roof is damaged by a storm, the Council of Unit Owners will repair the damage and then assess the affected homeowners for the cost of the repair. The cost of the repair and assessment to the unit owner may be covered by “loss assessment insurance.” This insurance is inexpensive. One member of the Board discovered that to increase such insurance from $5,000 to $15,000 for one year cost $5.00 a year. All homeowners should review their policies for “loss assessment insurance” to help defray any cost that may be incurred due to an insurable event. This does not cover normal wear and tear.
The Board is cognizant that there are members of the Council of Unit Owners that are unhappy with the roof process. Modification of that policy requires a change to our bylaws. The Documentation Committee will address changes to the bylaws next fiscal year. The Documentation Committee is currently revising the Rules and Regulations and Committee Charters.
However, keep in mind that there is a cost associated with amending the bylaws so that the Council of Unit Owners is responsible for repair and/or replacing roofs. That cost is budgeting to cover repairing storm damage. The wind damage deductible is approximately $20,000 per building. The damage to different buildings is not added together to meet the deductible. In other words, $10,000 worth of wind damage to three different buildings does not meet the deductible.
Every year, it seems as though we are experiencing the “Storm of the Century.” In 2012, we incurred approximately $65,000 in wind damage to the roofs
continued
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P.O. Box 27 - Queenstown, MD 21658 - fax: 410-827-3072MD State # 65518
"Your 24 hour Plumbing Solution Specialists"
State of the Units (continued)
from Hurricane Sandy. Prudent budgeting dictates that the Council of Unit Owners will have to budget for repairing such storm damage. If we budget $65,000 to cover anticipated wind damage, that will raise our monthly homeowner association fees approximately 2%.
VoLUnteeRs neeDeD
Last month, we put out a call for members of the Council of Unit Owners to step-up and help the Board and its committees with various projects, including, but not limited to the following:
1. Sunroom vent issue;2. Defective dryer vent issue (fire hazard);3. Defective sprinkler head issue (fire hazard);4. Identifying polybutylene pipe within units (water
damage); and5. Establishing a baseline for insurance coverage.
We had one volunteer for the sunroom vent issue; a Board member.
The Board receives numerous complaints. It is perfectly acceptable to make the Board aware of a perceived short-falling in a method, behavior or result. It is the starting point for a process that concludes with a solution or decision not to act.
Please bring to the Board’s attention anything that you feel needs to be corrected, made more efficient, or something you think needs to be discussed. However, along with your concern, please contribute your suggestions on how the problem may be resolved and, even better, volunteer to work with the Board or one of its committees to help solve the problem. We all have very busy schedules and taking time to volunteer to remedy the problems our community faces may seem daunting. But, all members of the Board are volunteers with very busy schedules as well and yet they still make
the time to contribute to the community. Imagine how much more we could get done if we had another nine members of the community taking a bit of time from their busy schedules to pitch in.
Sometimes, it is perfectly valid to complain without alternatives. Solutions can, and probably should, come later. Please consider the wording you use when lodging a complaint. If you start off with “Why do we” or “How come this,” you are going to be met with rolling eyes and a sigh. Try using one of the following approaches:
1. “I am irritated by feature X in our system, but I would like to work with you to see if we can find a better approach”;
2. “I think I figured out why …”; or3. “I want to discuss using a different approach for …”
—Marc Bergsman, President
Krista Pettit, Director of Operations for Queen Anne's County Christian Assistance Inc., was presented with a check for the proceeds from the 50/50 held during the recent Spring Fling by Donna Landis, chair of the social Committee. The funds were earmarked to be used in support of the food pantry give away held monthly at Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church in Stevensville
Giving Back tothe Community
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Each month I present to the Council of Unit Owners a copy of our general ledger and every three months I provide a delinquency report. A quick review of our fi nancial statement indicates that we are under budget in many areas that relate to maintenance and repair. This has been caused by a number of things that are out of our control. The weather, cumbersome need for three bids on every signifi cant project, and the slow process of obtaining permits seem to slow the process. The number of delinquencies has been fairly consistent in the last year and half. These reports are available on our website for your review.
Last month we had a budget and fi nance committ ee meeti ng to begin the process for the 2014 budget. I have meet with management and the chair of the mainte-nance committ ee to have a bett er understanding of their
requests. We are planning a second committ ee meeti ng shortly. Keep a watch for the date and ti me on the com-munity calendar.
We have begun to see an increase in expenses related to malfuncti oning appliances. Dryer fi res, hot water heat-ers failing, dishwashers leaking, and delayed reporti ng of leaking pipes are a few examples. We all need to realize that every appliance has a reasonable expected life and that when they fail they aff ect each owner and in many cases your neighbors. They need regular upkeep and/or replacement to prevent unnecessary expenses. (See Maintenance Tips concerning hot water heaters and AC condensati on lines.)
—Stan Feinblum, Treasurer
BY THE NUMBERS | Notes from the Treasurer
Contact [email protected]
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Water Heaters. if your hot water heater is older than 10 to 12 years, it’s time to replace it. To determine the age of your water heater, you must look at the serial number; usually the year is the 2nd and 3rd or the 3rd and 4th numbers (XX00 would mean 2000; XX96 would mean 1996). See samples below. If you are uncertain, call the office and the maintenance department would be happy to help you determine the age.
The RED boxes on the photos above indicate the location of the serial numbers on two hot water heaters. The serial number left is 0800F18152, which means it was manufactured in 2000. The heater on the right’s serial number is H96451929, which means it was manufactured in 1996. Because both of these hot water heater are over 12 years old, they should be replaced before they leak and cause damage to your unit and, possibly adjacent units!
The condensation line on your air conditioner often gets blocked and causes water penetration into your unit; worse yet, if you are a unit over top of another one, your unit may cause water damage to the unit below you as well. There is a fairly simple solution to helping to eliminate these clogged lines. Check out the photos to the right and see what was done to resolve the problem. Once the change has been made, you simply pour a mixture of vinegar and water into the top where the cap has been installed and it will flush out the line. Call for assistance if you have any questions about this process.
AC Condensation Line (A) Before clean-out installed
(B) After clean-out installed
Maintenance Tips
(A)
Condensation Line Clean-Out (B)
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Dear Neighbors,
I am adopting a new format for this and subse-quent Maintenance Committee articles for the QL Newsletter because I believe a newsletter should be something closer to a “letter” rather than just a grouping of information to the general popula-tion. In addition, I personally feel more comfort-able writing to you as a neighbor rather than as a representative of a committee or as a member of the Board of Directors.
To start, I would like to briefly address a subject that I believe everyone should be aware. There have been problems and concerns with our res-toration project which will likely continue until the project is completed. This is simply a function of the complexity of this large endeavor. We have had and continue to have monetary concerns, there are individual home owner/rental tenant issues, and most recently we have faced some restoration engineering oversight problems. There has been a lot of “talk,” misquotes, and even some “mud” slinging about the various things that have transpired since this project was started. I am not sure how you get your informa-tion about what goes on in Queen’s Landing. But what I am concerned about is that you get the correct information. Complete, detailed infor-mation is provided monthly at the Maintenance
Committee Meeting and again at the QL Board Meeting. Even though minutes are taken, pre-pared, and posted on the QL Web Site www.queenslanding.org/ there have been accusations that these minutes are not always accurate. Right, wrong, or indifferent, let me say here and now that if you really want to know what is going on first hand, COME TO THE MEETINGS. It doesn’t matter who you might like or dislike, you owe it to yourself to get information firsthand. In this way you can help the Board decide what needs to be done. We are all volunteers and I don’t believe there is a single member of the Board who would not like to speak with you and “give it to you straight” as we know it. I, for one, would welcome the chance to tell anyone what is going on in the Maintenance/Restoration areas. Please do not let the rumors and misrepresentations that go around be your only source of information.
Maintenance Committee Report
The Maintenance Committee works very hard to resolve major and minor maintenance related problems in Queen’s Landing. Unfortunately, money and man/woman power limitations restrict what can be done and how quickly it can be done. We have developed a priority system to rank maintenance problems through a system of work orders that QL owners submit to the man-agement office. We realize that some of these problems are long standing and you as a home-owner might feel as if nothing is being done especially since you work hard to pay your dues like a responsible homeowner. And, unfortunately, some of you are facing dire economic constraints that have prevented you from paying your dues. We, the Maintenance Committee, have done everything possible to make sure all reported maintenance problems/work orders are put on our list for prioritization. This prioritization is set basically as follows:1. Emergency situations (subject to causing
personal injury or extreme property damage): major water pipe breaks, balconies that may be extremely dangerous. (NOTE: This may only mean we can take care of the emergency
building restoration updateA Letter to My Queen’s Landing Neighbors
by Bill Moseley, Building Maintenance Chair/Board Member
continued
Bill Moseley and Barbara Trower, Maintenance Committee members, volunteering their time to hang a clock at the pool.
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situation by blocking off the cause of the emer-gency and completely repairing the situation at some future time.)
2. Leaks from upper areas of the building that are causing water damage, such as roof leaks, upper story window leaks (sky lights), etc.
3. Other leaks deemed to cause damage to the inside of the unit, i.e., windows and doors
4. General conditions that could, if left unresolved, have great consequences to both the home-owner and the building, i.e., dryer vents, poly pipe, hose bibs, fall hazard areas. While these could, if left undone, cause an emergency situa-tion as in 1 above, we have an on-going project to correct many of these situations because they affect more than one homeowner
5. General conditions not of an emergency nature but causing distress to the homeowner or build-ing occupants, including the aesthetic appear-ance of the units, landscaping, gutter clogs, painting, storage room doors, etc.
6. Issues with units that cause some distress but do not generally affect occupancy conditions for homeowners, i.e., patio cracks, patio wall repair and painting, minor sidewalk cracking, etc.
This is a summary of the prioritization process each work order goes through as it is added to the list. As of the last Maintenance Committee meeting, we had a total of 125 work orders. Of that, 23 were in the process of being worked on and our expectation is that another 21 will be resolved in the near term (within this year’s resto-ration schedule). I would also like to add that it is not helpful to us, nor does it change the order of prioritization of a problem, if you submit duplicate work orders for the same problem. We can only address the work orders as money and resources are available. In saying that, however, please feel free to follow up on the status of your work order. I would also like to say that I think the community owes a great debt of gratitude to our volunteers and paid employees who are working so diligently to resolve the many maintenance issues here in Queen’s Landing: Barbara Trower, Tom Schroll, other volunteers, Lynda Brady and Kristie Eskew, Larry Eckstorm (QL and Legum & Norman employ-ees) and also several of our friendly and depend-able local contractors who have contributed many
hours, knowledge, and input without charge, to help us resolve our many problems .
Restoration Project Report
As I have mentioned previously at several meet-ings and in various newsletters, the restoration project slowed down considerably between Janu-ary and June of this year. This was due to weather constraints, some technical issues that needed to be resolved, and a re-grouping to evaluate what and how some things should be addressed regarding the stucco buildings. We had deck issues that needed to be evaluated, architectural drawings that needed to be produced, and solu-tions considered in order to address the many years of neglect of the decks. For this, we needed the assistance of a structural engineer because the decks were not included in the original contract with Aird and there were no drawings to submit for building permits. We hired a structural engi-neer, Patuxent Engineering Group LLC, to produce
building restoration update (continued)
continued
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these drawings. This process was done through the standard change requests/order procedure in our original contract with AIRD. The drawings have been used to obtain building permits for the decks on Bldgs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. They will continue to be used throughout the rest of the restoration project. Work on the decks will begin in earnest on June 24th and will continue until the buildings undergo-ing construction now are finished. After that, decks will be done as building exteriors are done so each building will be a completed entity as the project progresses.
At our Board meeting on Monday, June 17, the Board President explained that we had experienced a problem with the primary Building Engineer on the project, Engineering and Technical Consultants, Inc. (ETC), of Columbia, Maryland. This problem was a financial one resulting from what we believe was an over-step by ETC. ETC charged us for services that had not been approved. Approval requirements were plainly stated in the original contract for this project, drafted by ETC and signed July 15, 2011. After several phone calls and written emails and formal mail correspondence from sev-eral Board Members, a resolution to the problem was not attained. Consequently, ETC responded to Marc Bergsman on 4/17/2013 by email stating “Our services at Queen’s Landing remain terminated. Regards, Christopher W. Carlson, P.E. \ Chief Struc-tural Engineer.”
Prior to the June 17th Board meeting, Bob Brad-ford, Marc Bergsman and myself felt this was an emergency situation that could result in yet another project slow-down or work stoppage. Given that concern, we sought a new structural engineer-ing firm to replace ETC. Mr. Rob Aird of AIRD
Construction, our restoration contractor, recom-mended a structural engineering firm that he highly regarded and with whom he had previously worked. Mr. Aird also informed us that he had con-tacted several contractors before finding one who was familiar with the restoration of EIFS/Stucco and would be willing to “pick-up” in the middle of an ongoing project begun by another engineering firm. Bob Bradford, Marc Bergsman and I inter-viewed the prospective engineering candidate, presented detailed technical and administrative questions about his firm, standard methods of operation, charges, etc., and requested a draft contract.
You witnessed the very long discussion among Board members about the process used to obtain the new engineer. You also heard the discussion on why the standard protocol of interviewing sev-eral candidates was not followed in this case. The primary reason is that some of us felt that due to the lead time on engineering preparation to take over in the middle of a job like ours following the standard protocol could cause critical delays in obtaining drawings. In addition, the concern over operating without structural engineering oversight was also a prime consideration. From the start of this project, it was deemed imperative that a structural engineering firm oversee the project in order to ensure that the contractor was perform-ing the work up to high quality standards, and those of us who are currently working closely on this project strongly agree that it is imperative to have oversight provided by a structural engineer-ing firm. In addition, AIRD Construction believes a structural engineering firm that will validate their work is to their benefit since they are on the line for a 5-year warranty of their work. Further, there may be a need for a structural engineer to inter-face with Queen Anne’s County periodically during the construction period. Our decision to move for-ward by recommending this course of action was well thought out and deemed necessary under the circumstances. We felt that the situation could be considered an emergency and therefore we could bypass the standard protocol to identify and hire a new structural engineering firm.
building restoration update (continued)
continued
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Vehicle Decal. If you do not already have a decal for your vehicle(s), please come to the office or go to the community website and register it. We will make certain that you get a decal to identify that your vehicle belongs here in Queen’s Landing. It is a peel off decal, not a sticky bumper sticker and it is free.
Dryer Vent Cleaning. We are taking names of owners who would like to have their dryer vents cleaned. Owners have been advised that it is their responsibility to have the vent line checked and to have it cleaned.
Inspection of Dryer Vent Piping. We have a contractor who could run a camera from the out-side and video through the entire piping system to check for breaks or deterioration. If you are interested in that service call the office so that we can get a group together and find out the status of your line.
Trash Pick-Up. Remember that our regular scheduled days for trash pick-up are Monday and Friday with placement curbside after sundown on Sunday and Thursday.
Pool Entry. Entry to the pool through the front door of the clubhouse has worked very well this season; we thank all of you for your cooperation. Hours of operation are: Monday through Friday
11:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Weekends & Holidays 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Remember that no glass of any kind is allowed at the pool. Enjoy your summer.
Monthly Condo Fees & Special Assessment Payments. We are still experiencing problems with some owners who do not make the pay-ments to Queen’s Landing Condo or Queen’s Landing Special—in order to properly credit the correct account, please make certain that you have the payments made to the proper entity. Also, please make certain that you have the correct account number on the check to insure proper posting to the correct account — condo vs. special assessment. If you have any ques-tions, please do not hesitate to contact the office; we will be happy to assist you with these issues.
Keys for Emergencies. It is very important that you provide a key for your unit to the manage-ment company. We need key(s) for emergency entry and during the restoration of the buildings. They are kept in a secure locked box behind two other locked doors and the unit number is not on the key—we have a cross reference chart locked in the back room. If we would have had a key for the unit that had the fire, the front door would not have had to be broken.
Friendly Reminders from Lynda Brady, General Manager
building restoration update (continued)
At the meeting, Monday night, it was decided by a majority, that we would go ahead and hire the new engineering firm, Thomas Downey, Ltd. (TDL) Consulting Engineers, of Alexandria, Virginia.
I hope my long letter has provided clarification on some of the things you might have heard or are concerned about. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of coming to our meet-ings and getting the information first hand.
When misquotes, rumors, and bad information are floated around as truth, it only hurts our com-munity. All I can say is Please, Please, come to our open meetings and listen to what’s going on for yourselves. The Board and Committees are mostly volunteers who can only do so much. We need your help and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM to improve and keep our community running properly.
RespectfullyBill Moseley, Maintenance Chair/Board Member
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Happy Photos Summer Around Queen’s Landing!Photos by Lynda Brady
Harriett, Anita, Dee, Barbara, Sandy, and Karen playing Mahjong, Fridays at 1:00 pm at the Clubhouse.
If you missed seeing the super moon last Sunday, here’s a
photo of it above the QL sign. We’ll have chance to see it again on August 10, 2014.
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1 You’ll use your boat more o� en because you’ll have easy access to it right here in the community. Why rent at another marina?
2 Owning a slip will enhance the value of your home in Queen’s Landing
3 QL Marina is conveniently located for immediate access to Chester River, a premier cruising waterway in the Chesapeake Bay; easy access also to Annapolis, St. Michaels, Chestertown, and Rockhall
4 Some slips are large enough to accommodate more than 1 vessel and some have boat li� s
5 Even if you don’t own a boat, invest in a slip and lease it to another Queen’s Landing owner
Financing available!
Top 5 reasons to own a boat slip at Queen’s
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Boat Slips for Sale
The Social Committ ee has been very acti ve since the last newslett er.
• There was a Yard Sale held on May 12, in which 12 units parti cipated.
• The Spring Fling was held on May 11, with approximately 40 people att ending, including 3 from our neighboring com-munity of Bayside. In fact, of those three, 2 were winners—both the Basket raffl e and the 50/50 were won by individu-als from Bayside—both vowing they would be back to future events! And why not??? The 50/50 nett ed $50, with the matching amount being donated back by the winner. As a result, we were able to donate $100 from Queen’s Landing to support the eff orts of the QAC Christi an Assistance Food Pantry, which hosts a food give-away monthly. The food, entertainment, decorati ons and company were all delight-ful—a fun evening was had by all! A HUGE thank-you to the dedicated volunteers who made that evening possible, from those that delivered fl iers, to those who decorated, to those who made the yummy desserts, tended bar, made the entrée—and for the support of the offi ce staff , who worked with us on their own ti me…………….all that happens here only happens because of all this volunteer eff ort!
• The second Tuesday of each month the Conti nuing Learning Series is held at the Clubhouse beginning at 7PM. Snacks and beverages are off ered. An email announcement is sent out regularly with details about upcoming programs. Con-sider joining us. Those that att end always come away saying they did indeed learn something they had not known before —I’m sure that would be the case for most of us!
• TRAVELERS WANTED…………..have you traveled to places others would like to see and hear about? If so, won’t you consider sharing your travel stories with the rest of us? Please send me an email to let me know of your interest, so we can schedule a date. To start off , Jill and Bruce Mulford will be hosti ng the fi rst in this series in August—watch for details!
• WINE & CHEESE POOLSIDE – sound interesti ng? One of your neighbors thought so and is looking into hosti ng just such an evening this summer. Watch for details!
If you have an idea about a social event that youwould like to see off ered……..please share your
idea(s) and don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].
Have a great summer – I know I am planning to do so!
—Donna Landis, Social Committ ee Chair
Social Committee
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Vitamin D is a star nutrient these days, as research links it to numerous health benefits. Studies suggest Vitamin D may go beyond its well-established role in bone health and reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease. stroke, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and more.
What makes vitamin D unique is that it is a vitamin and also a hormone your body can make from the sun. Despite the ability to get vitamin D from food and the sun, an estimated 40% to 75% of people are deficient. Why? Vitamin D is not abundant in our food choices and the sun is not a reliable source for everyone.
Many factors affect the skin's ability to produce vitamin D, including season, time of day, latitude, air pollution, cloud cover, sunscreen, body parts exposed, color, and age. Dermatologists recommend using sunscreen and getting vitamin D from food and supplements rather than risk the harmful rays of the sun.
Vitamin D is naturally present in few foods. Since 1930, virtually all cow's milk in the U.S. has been voluntarily fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D per cup. Food manufacturers are fortifying other foods, such as yogurt, cereal, and orange juice, to help consumers fill the nutrient gap in their diets.
Ideally, vitamin D is added to a food or beverage that contains calcium. Vitamin D is needed for maximum absorption of calcium from the intestine, helping to build strong bones and teeth. Together with calcium, vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis in older adults. Without enough vitamin D, bones can become brittle and prone to fracture. It is estimated that more than 40 million adults in the U.S. have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Bone health was the single focus of the Institute of Medicine's recommendations on how much vitamin D and calcium people should get.
The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, but it is hard to quantify how much vitamin D you get from time in the sun and the risk of skin cancer may outweigh the benefits. Older adults need more vitamin D because as they age, their skin does not produce vitamin D efficiently,
they spend less time outdoors, and they tend to not get enough vitamin D from food.
The best sources of vitamin D are Food First. Supplements can fill in the gaps but it is always better to try to meet your nutritional needs with foods that contain fiber, phytonutrients, and so much more
Unless you enjoy a diet that includes fatty fish or fish liver oils, it may be hard to get enough vitamin D naturally without eating fortified foods or taking a supplement. The major dietary source of vitamin D comes from fortified diary, along with some yogurts and cereals. Mushrooms, eggs, cheese, and beef liver contain small amounts.
The amount of vitamin D in sample food sources:• 1 Tbsp cod liver oil: 1,360 IU• 3 oz. salmon: 800 IU• 8 oz. fortified milk:100 IU • 8 oz. fortified orange juice: 100 IU
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Fat-soluble vitamins can build up in the body and are not as easily excreted as water-soluble vitamins. The International Osteoporosis Foundation committee set a level of 4,000 IU as the ‘tolerable upper limit' or the maximum amount that is safe to consume daily. There is a potential to cause harm if you overdose on supplements above 4,000 IU/day but there is no fear of overdosing from the sun because your skin acts like a regulatory system, only allowing production of the amount of vitamin D you need.
Words of Wellnessby Donna Landis, RN
— 14 —
Homeowner’s Comments
We look forward to having homeowners contribute articles for this column. Please see QL website for article submission guidelines
OUR WONDERFUL Queens Landing has always had a certain je ne sais quoi. We savor the Chester
River lapping at our shoreline, swirling bay breezes, tall grasses, wildlife galore, brilliant sunsets painting the sky and most of all our friendly neighbors! Queens Landing -- the best of life this side of the Bay Bridge has to offer!!!The fact is the complexion of Queen’s Landing has changed. Many of our neighbors are struggling to keep QL the best place to call home. We are in the midst of a necessary Restoration project, long list of maintenance repairs, Special Assessment payments, and many folks are frustrated. Some folks have had no choice, simply given up, lost confidence.We are where we are now due to past decisions. Where do we go from here? The answer lies in all of us, the Board and homeowners. Respectful communication, transparent information are the key to going forward with a common goal. Homeowners want to be assured they will be heard and become involved, attend meetings, voice opinions. We can make complicated decisions together as a community. Vince Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”In order for our community to “work”, leadership’s attitude and actions are essential. An open, respectful Board willing to listen to and respond to homeowners, will find in return, homeowners who will contribute their trust and support. Colin Powell said, “ Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care.” We look to each member of our Board to demonstrate an attentive attitude and respectful response to homeowners’ concerns be it emails or comments at QLCUO Board meetings. Then, moving forward with confidence facing the challenges ahead, together, as a community, we can make the impossible, possible. Here’s also hoping our Board will videotape or teleconference meetings so all homeowners can share in Board meetings.
—Suzi Elasik, 15G
Despite being new here, this is not my first experi-ence living in a Condo Community; dealing with the
complexities of a Board of Directors, a Management Company and being a member of the Board. I under-stand the dilemmas and I empathize. However, it is impossible to not acknowledge that there is a definite under-current of negativity here that is not only sad, but disturbing. It has obviously impacted the community and apparently has bogged down the system to where many good people have lost faith. Statistics: 340+ units with 8 people attending Community meetings. Really???
Rather than the opportunity to share information, learn more about how our community is doing and more im-portantly, find out what each of us can do to contribute, I’ve been present when our meetings were reduced to personal attacks against Board Members, seen displays of sarcastic compliments and the ‘best’ to date has been derogatory comments towards certain Board Members manner of dress. Seriously?? Are there not more impor-tant issues to be addressed?
Our Board of Directors and subcommittees are com-posed of Condo owners. They are us. They are our neighbors. They willingly work to improve our quality of life here and spend a multitude of hours on a volunteer basis with little support or thanks for their time, efforts and professional expertise. It is beyond comprehension how much disrespect, abuse and intolerance I have wit-nessed towards “our“ Board AND Management.
I am a confirmed optimist……………and a realist. I choose to believe that despite the negative few there are many more here who can have a positive impact on our Com-munity. We are all responsible for what happens here. That’s what makes us a Community.
We all have a voice. We all have a choice. We can choose paranoia; challenge every ounce of minutia and in doing so make it impossible for anything to get done. Or, we can choose to participate. We can be responsible adults who made a choice to live in a community where we share common grounds, common walls AND com-mon interests.
My husband and I choose to be involved.
—Patti Darling, 4G
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The Dirt . . . . Landscaping Committee UpdateSummer is now in full swing, a time that many of us totally enjoy as we work in our gardens. The restoration project has meant that many of us find that we are in need of replanting the area around our unit. Please make certain to check the Post-Restoration Planting Guidelines that are posted on the web site. The guidelines can also be picked up at the clubhouse. If you are planting anything other than annual type flowers, you will need to complete a landscape request form.
Once a landscape request has been approved, it becomes your responsibility to maintain that planting. Should you sell your unit, the maintenance of that planting then becomes the responsibility of the new owner. At some point in time should you or the new owner not wish to continue to maintain the plantings, it is your responsibility to return it to its original status. This regulation has been in force for many years.
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As I walk around the community, it is a pleasure to see how so many residents take pride in their homes and gardens. This is the time, that I evaluate the shrubs and trees, insuring that our landscape vendor is providing the services the community requires.
During these such walks, I have noticed that there are a number of homes where previously approved plants are NOT being cared for by the homeowner. In most cases this
is evident with plants such as English Ivy and Vinca vines. Both of these vines are very invasive and can choke out trees and bushes as well as crawl up walls. These vines, when left unattended, can also cause damage to the outside surface of the buildings. If you have any of these vines within your garden area, please make certain not to let them over run the area. Failure to maintain the plants as stated by the long standing rules and regulations, the enhancement may be removed by the Association at the owner’s expense.
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As you walk around the community, you may have noticed the tree that was removed at building #3. This tree was planted many years ago, unfortunately too close to the foundation. The tree has caused excessive damage to the building foundation. This is a good example of why we are no longer allowing trees to be planted close to the buildings.
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If you have plants that you would like to see divided and replanted within the community, please send me an email, [email protected]. I am also looking for volunteers for the landscape committee who would like to help with dividing plants and beautifying the community.
Happy Summer—Buena Silverman, Landscape Committee Chair
Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful flowering plants and shrubs around QL! (Photos by Lynda Brady)
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Marc Bergsman President34A Queen Anne [email protected] (c)Covenants, Insurance, and Legal Committees Chair
Elizabeth Arias Vice President55E Queen Caroline [email protected] Planning Com. Chair & Communications Committee Chair
Buena Silverman Secretary34J Queen Anne [email protected] (c)Landscaping/Grounds Committee Chair
Stanley Feinblum Treasurer46G Queen Anne [email protected]/Finance Chair
Bob Bradford 41C Queen Catherine [email protected]/Restoration Committee Co-Chair
Cindy Harden 45A Queen Neva [email protected] Committee Chair
Donna Landis 45C Queen Neva [email protected] Committee Chair
Bill Moseley 45H Queen Neva [email protected]/Restoration Committee Co-Chair
Bruce Mulford 48B Queen Guinevere [email protected]
ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENTLegum & Norman, Inc.Lynda Brady, General Manager500 Queen’s Landing Drive Chester, MD 21619Email: [email protected]: QueensLanding.orgPhone: 410-643-5192 Fax: 410-604-2712 After hours emergency Numbers:
410-524-5577 or 866-897-5577
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY1. First call 911 for fire or other
life- threatening emergency2. Then call: 410-643-5192 or
after hours call 410-524-5577 or 866-897-5577
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Photo by Lynda Brady
