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For Internal Circulation Only MCST 2669 Page # 1
Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Dear Residents:
The 11th Management Council (MC) is pleased to present to you
the Newsletter for the year 2013-14.
This Newsletter aims to provide you with updates on various
Social activities, Security, Landscape,
Cleaning, the status of our Management and Sinking Fund and
other activities in the Estate.
On 23 Nov 2013 we celebrated our Aquarius Day. It was a grand
success and we thank all the
members and volunteers who have helped and contributed to the
success of the Aquarius Day.
The year was a significant one with respect to the Management
Fund. We closed the financial year
with a Surplus for the Management Fund for the first time in
seven years. Council continued to
maintain fiscal prudence in all our activities without
compromising safety or the maintenance of the
estate and closely monitored all expenses. However we are seeing
significant increases in the charges
of our Service Providers for this year and therefore will need
to continue applying fiscal discipline in
managing the Estate.
In the coming year we also need to plan and prepare for the
Repainting project which will absorb a lot
of resources. MC is also proposing to enhance the security of
the estate by installing better access
control mechanism at the entry points to the estate.
The 12th AGM at Aquarius by the Park is scheduled for 26 April
2014 and we would like to invite every
SP who is able to contribute time or expertise to the estate to
step up and volunteer.
The MC will continue to serve you to our best abilities and
endeavours to further enhance the estate
which is Our Home. We thank you for the opportunity and look
forward to your continuous support and feedback.
Let us continue to make Aquarius by the Park a safe, peaceful,
harmonious environment and gracious
community to live in.
Thank you.
Warm Regards,
Vinod Martin
Chairman
11th Management Council March 2014
Inside this issue
Aquarius Day 2013 2
Social Activities 3
Security Cleaning 4
Landscape 5
Management Fund and Sinking Fund 6
Utilities M&E Updates 7 Management Council and MA 8
General 8
Key Contacts Management Office : 6243 0423
Main Guard House : 6241 5307 Email :
[email protected]
Aquarius by the Park Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/AquariusByThePark
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For Internal Circulation Only MCST 2669 Page # 2
Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Aquarius Day 2013
Gracious Community was theme of the Aquarius Day that was
successfully held on 23 Nov 2013, continuing with the wonderful
tradition that we have at Aquarius. This Annual Event helps to
bring all residents together to participate in this community
bonding event, to make new friends and re-connect with fellow
residents. For the afternoon events in addition to Flea Markets and
Water Games this year we had a Treasure Hunt and
Art Competition for Children. The events attracted a great
turnout, participation, and provided loads of fun and excitement
for everyone.
In the evening, we were honoured to have our MP of East Coast
GRC and Advisor of Kg Chai Chee Constituency, Mr Lee Yi Shyan,
Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Manpower, gracing
the event with his presence.
The cultural event in the evening was filled with dancing,
singing and musical instrumental performances. Residents were
treated to virtuosos and exhilarating performances especially by
our very own talented Aquarians.
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Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Social Activities
Poolside Umbrellas The new pool side umbrellas were installed
early this year to replace the old ones whose fabric was completely
worn out. The colour of the new fabric chosen was the Aquarius blue
to blend well with the colour scheme of the estate. We hope the new
pool side umbrellas will enhance the resort feel around the very
distinctive swimming pool that we at Aquarius have.
CNY Lion Dance & Dragon Performances As part of the Chinese
New Year the Council organised Lion Dance and Dragon Performances
on 09 Feb 14. Many residents joined the CNY festivities which are
part of our efforts to bond the residents of all races
together.
Gym Upgrades The equipment in the Gym was revamped with two new
Treadmills replacing the old ones. The Council, noting the request
of many residents, also obtained a new set of dumbbells. We hope
the new equipment will help the residents in their fitness
regime.
Neighbourhood Committee The Bedok Reservoir View Neighbourhood
Committee (NC) continues to collaborate with MCST in organizing
various activities to knit and strengthen our social fabric. NC has
initiated movements to nurture neighbourliness and harmony, where
we as private residents can socialise and get to know each other
better. And at the same time, we can share and exchange key
information about your community (i.e. downtown line progress,
dengue and
crime alerts, feedback on government policies, etc). There were
several events and celebrations, like the Chinese New Year Lion
Dance performance, Valentines Day Run at Bedok Reservoir, Chingay
parade at Bedok heartlands, Pulau Ubin Trip, Tennis Event, Outdoor
Activities, Health Talk, Bollywood Workshop, Storytelling for Kids,
Community service events and even our very own street party. Do
connect with NC (and with your neighbours) through NC Facebook page
for upcoming events and activities which we have in store for you
and your families in 2014. http://www.facebook.com/brv.nc; Email:
[email protected]
Tel: 6241 9878
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Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Security - Cleaning
Security
Singapore is still one of the safest countries in the world.
However, as a private estate and to keep the estate a safe
environment for all the residents we are challenged to maintain a
high level of protection. Safety and security are key focus areas
of the Council. We brought in a new service provider early this
year, Regent Security. Their well trained staff and increased
technical support, like a Security Monitoring System, will help us
protect ourselves and our assets.
The Council is currently exploring options to better monitor the
boundaries and potential problem areas. We are also researching
possibilities to install an access control system at the entrance
at the pedestrian pathway.
Please help us by remaining vigilant, observing suspicious
behaviours, and reporting those to Security. Additionally,
encourage your family members and friends to comply with the
Aquarius bylaws and to register at the Guardhouse and accompany
them when they use the facilities at the estate. And to protect
particularly our children, adhere to the speed limit of 15
km/h.
http://www.facebook.com/brv.nc Email: [email protected] Tel:
6241 9878
Cleaning
Maintaining high standards of cleaning in a property of the size
of Aquarius with over 700 units is a challenge. We brought in a new
service provider early this year, WYWY Cleaning Services, who has
prior experience of rendering services to properties of our size.
There are several areas like burning bin chutes or illegal smoking,
killer litter, the basement car park, planter boxes on each floor,
bird droppings, dumped garbage in public areas which require
focused attention to bring and keep them up to better standards.
The Council and MA are working with the Service Provider to
identify these hot spots and prioritize as necessary. Additionally,
we are making every effort to beautify our environment and have
arranged for hi-jetting the pool area and other areas of high
visibility as well as cleaned the BBQ pits and equipped them with
new grills.
Cleaning is an area which requires constant attention from the
Managing Agent and the Council. This is also an area which requires
a lot of cooperation and understanding from you as the Residents.
We continue to face challenges in the estate from high rise
littering, dog poo, and general negligence. There are many
occasions when pet poo was found left on walkways and the basement
car park.
We urge the cooperation from you as our fellow Residents to keep
the property clean and attractive. Please help our community to
establish a higher level of cleanliness and order. We will not be
able to afford cleaners who take care of every area of our houses
and estate. The costs for cleaning companies are jumping to new
heights and we will only be able to maintain the current level by
looking after our environment ourselves. Only if we take action and
avoid littering will we be able to live in a clean environment.
Please remind the members of your households not to throw anything
out of windows or off balconies and of the importance of
cleanliness to keep rodents and insects at bay. Lets protect our
beautiful environment!
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Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Landscape
Landscape
The greenery and landscaping in Aquarius has always been a
pleasant and prominent feature of the property. The walkway,
visitors parking lots, the driveway, barbeque pits and car park are
tastefully landscaped with a variety of plants. New features were
added this year to the landscaping namely the bare patch near the
childrens play area was planted with flowering plants and this area
has been decoratively fenced to give it more structure. Some new
Bougainvillea was planted in the raised planter boxes at the
visitors parking lot and many more are needed. The landscaping
along the driveway at block 3 & 5 was replanted to give it a
facelift and several of the areas were fitted with lawn edging to
prevent soil erosion. The landscaping contractor Nature Landscape
has done a good job.
However, in spite of all efforts, in recent times the plants
have suffered severely under the ongoing dry weather conditions.
The Council has been very concerned about the various cases of tree
branches breaking off and in some cases even the tops of Coconut
trees breaking off, posing a risk to the residents. The damaged
trees were cleared off immediately. The Council is researching the
root causes and identify lasting solution to this problem. A tree
doctor was called in from the landscape vendor to inspect the
landscape at the property. A formal report and recommendations are
awaited, however, the preliminary reports indicate that most
foliage in the property has aged and deteriorated severely.
The ravages of time combined with poor soil have damaged the
roots and trunks of the plants. Many of the palm and coconut trees
are planted in shallow ground which has resulted in the trees
suffering from lack of water and nutrients.
Insects and fungi have done their share of damage. The coconut
trees are old and have grown too tall to provide shade and beauty
to the property. Pruning the coconut trees has become a routine
which entails extra effort and high cost. The Council is in the
process of preparing a detailed action plan to preserve and upgrade
the unique landscaping features of the property.
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Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Management Fund and Sinking Fund
The Council is very pleased to report that for the first time in
seven years the Management Fund (MF) for the financial year posted
a Surplus at the end of the financial year 2013. This also meant
that the overall Management Fund after being in deficit for many
long months is back in Surplus. This is indeed a significant
achievement for us as an Estate and the Council is relieved and
satisfied that we
managed to bring Management Fund finances back on track - back
into a Surplus. One of the main factors was the increase in MF from
July 2013 onwards approved at the last AGM. But even with the
increase in fund contributions, we were budgeted to still have more
than S$ 121,000 as a deficit. The Council is happy to report that
we managed to achieve the Surplus by:
Maintaining financial prudence in all our activities without
compromising on the maintenance of the estate;
Close monitoring of all expenses specially utilities expenses;
Energy saving measures; Cost optimization measures; Exploring
better and cost effective ways of repair and maintenance;
Negotiating with suppliers.
The total expenses for the financial year were reduced by more
than S$ 72,763 compared to the previous year
- a significant reduction of 4% overall when in general the cost
of services has actually gone up significantly.
The summarized numbers (including the comparison with 2012) are
as follows [all amounts in S$]:
Management Fund 2013 2012
Sinking Fund 2,013 2,012
Income 1,890,103 1,728,820
Opening Balance 2,222,336 2,014,383
Expenses 1,853,014 1,925,777
Contributions 328,560 328,560
Surplus 37,089 -196,957
Interest Received 21,607 12,559
Utilization of Fund 53,531 133,166
Closing Balance 2,518,972 2,222,336
Please note 2013 numbers are un-audited. As we take note about
the improvement in state of the MF finances, the Council would
still like to maintain
caution and continued financial prudence as we are seeing
significant increases (of up to 20%) in cost of our major service
providers like Security, Cleaning, and Shuttle Bus Service for the
current year. These kinds of increases can significantly increase
our spending again causing a severe strain on the finances.
-250000
-200000
-150000
-100000
-50000
0
50000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Surplus / Deficit
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
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Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Maintenance Activities Following are some of the major repairs /
replacements done during this year: Pool Bar: New Water Cooler
Basement Carpark: Replacement of Exit Lights Club House:
Replacement of overhead lights
Water Feature: Replacement of Starlite pool pump Motorized
Valve: Replacement of motorized valve for tank #2
at Blk 21 roof top
Transfer Pump: Replacement of float valve at Blk 11 basement
Booster Pump: Replacement of sensor electrode at Blk 21
roof top Sump Pits: Replacement of pumps for Pit # 1 and 4
Pressure Tanks: Replacement at Blk 5, 11, 13, 19 and 21 BBQ
Pits: Replacement of BBQ and ash trays for all BBQ Pits Gym:
Replacement of two Treadmills and a new
Dumbbells set Fire Protection
System (WIP): Replacement of fire panels Replacement of faulty
heat detectors
Playground: Repair of swing
Electricity and Water Consumption Utilities (Electricity and
Water) comprise the biggest expense category for the estate
contributing to about 27% of the total expenses under the
Management Fund (in 2012). One of the focus areas of the Management
Council this year has been managing and reducing the Utilities
expenses.
The Council is happy to report that the Electricity and Water
Consumption of the Estate has been reduced significantly during
2013 resulting in the reduction of Utilities expenses by more than
14%.
Electricity Consumption/Charges (per month)
Water Consumption/Charges (per month)
Year Units (Kwh) Charges (S$)
Year Units (CuM) Charges (S$)
2011 127,191 35,322
2011 2,839 6,677
2012 130,665 39,039
2012 2,771 6,858
2013 121,820 33,149
2013 2,266 4,942
This was made possible by a combination of the following
measures:
Strict monitoring of Electricity and Water readings on a daily
basis; Swift action including identification and prompt
rectification in case of any defects / leakages that effect
the Utilities bill. This included activities like the
replacement of sensors, valves, and over hauling of pumps;
Adjusting the timing of some lights in the basement Car park.
Earlier many of the lights were switched on 24 hours. The Council
in a phased manner reduced the timing of some lights to 12 hours
without jeopardizing safety;
Adjusting slightly the timing of the lights in common areas like
lift lobbies; Using the LED lights inside the lifts.
Utilities M&E Updates
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For Internal Circulation Only MCST 2669 Page # 8
Aquarius by the Park
Newsletter 2013/14
Management Council and Managing Agent
Management Council
The following are the members of the
11th Management Council Vinod Martin
o Chairman o Finance-Admin SubCom o M & E, Building Defects
SubCom
Clarissa Bellstedt
o Secretary o Finance-Admin SubCom o Security SubCom
Neo Chye San o Treasurer o Finance-Admin SubCom
o M & E, Building Defects SubCom Ashish Kapahi
o Member o Security SubCom
Balaji Ramaswamy (resigned) o Member
Christian Mailhes (resigned)
o Member John Ng
o Member
o Finance-Admin SubCom o Social SubCom
Li Ying Guang
o Member o Social SubCom
Lim Jui Liang (co-opted new member) o Member o M & E,
Building Defects SubCom
Rakesh Rawat (resigned) o Member
Saraf Virenda Govind o Member o M & E, Building Defects
SubCom o Housekeeping SubCom
Srividhya Srinivasan o Member
o Social SubCom
o Housekeeping SubCom Titty Thomas Varghese
o Member o Housekeeping SubCom
Vijaya Ranga Prasad o Member
o Security SubCom o Housekeeping SubCom
Essential Service Providers Managing Agent Steadlink Asset
Management Pte Ltd Shuttle Bus Metro Tours Pte Ltd Technicians Air
Tech Engineering & Consultancy Pte Ltd Lift Hitachi Elevator
Engrg (S) Pte Ltd Security Regent Pte Ltd Refuse Disposal Sembwaste
Pte Ltd Cleaning WyWy Pte Ltd Swimming Pool CU Water Services Pte
Ltd Landscape Nature Landscape Pte Ltd Pest Control ABJ Pte Ltd
Managing Agent
Steadlink is the current Managing Agent. The following are part
of the MA team Dennis Ong
o Condo Manager
Robert Reyes o Assistant Condo Manager
Bobby Wee o Property Officer
Angie Ng o Admin Assistant
P Kuppamah (Raaginee) o Facility Supervisor
11th Management Council 2013-14