Lakeside Letter May 2016 - Lake d'Evereuxlakedevereux.com/sites/default/files/files/LDCA... · Lakeside Letter Page 2 May 2016 President’s Notes continued Reserve Study - By law,

Lakeside Letter Published for

Lake d’Evereux Community Assoc.

P. O. Box 10557 Alexandria, Virginia 22310

L a k e d ’ E v e r eu x

May 2016

www.lakedevereux.com

Vice-President's Notes by Teresa Brooks

Hello again neighbors. I am writing these comments on behalf of our

President

Committee Chairs. I want to officially recognize and thank the following

individuals who have been appointed by the President to serve as Committee

Chairs: John Michaels - Lake Committee; Dave Wegner - Architectural

Control Committee; Brooke George - Common Area Maintenance

Committee; Una Geary - Social Chair; and Teresa Brooks - Nomination

Committee. Committee members were also approved by the Board, but feel

free to contact any Committee chair if you would like to get involved.

Welcome New Common Area Maintenance Chair. I want to extend a warm

welcome to Brooke George who has taken over the Common Grounds

Committee from Jean Felix. She has big shoes to fill, but it is evident already

that she is up for the task. All indications are that our new common grounds

contractor, Blade Runner, is doing a good job.

Annual Yard Sale. Our annual yard sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 14th

and is being headed up by Jean Felix.

Clean-up Day. Clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st from 8:30

AM to 12:30 PM and is being headed up by Brooke George with assistance

from Jean Felix. Please meet at the tennis courts at 8:30 AM where supplies

will be handed out and there will be donuts, coffee, and water.

General Membership Meeting. Our next LDCA General Membership meeting is

scheduled for 7:30 PM, Tuesday, May 17, in the Helen Wilson Room at the

Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria. You'll

find the agenda later in this newsletter. The draft minutes from the last

General Membership Meeting are also included later. Please join us. For

planning purposes, the remaining meeting dates for 2016 are August 16 and

November 15 at 7:30 PM.

Contracts Signed. The Board has been busy over the Winter, with the

President signing the following contracts:

Playground Equipment - Thanks to the competition conducted by Ryan

Orme and his team, the Board selected Miracle Recreation for

replacement of the existing playground equipment. We expect the

new playground to be functional by summer. A big thank you to

Ryan and his team for taking on this project.

Lake contracts with Solitude – A new fountain has been installed in the

large part of the lake. Additionally, the Board awarded contracts to

Solitude to do prescription water quality testing and a bathymetric

study and inspection. These studies were undertaken to help

determine the health of the lake and assist in planning efforts to

maintain the lake.

Inside This Edition

Article Page

President’s Notes 1-2

Gen. Membership Mtg. Agenda 2

Treasurer’s Notes 2-3

Telegraph Road Fence 3

Common Area Maintenance 3-4

Gen. Membership Mtg. Minutes 4-5

Community Bulletin 5

UPCOMING EVENTS

Annual Yard Sale, Saturday, May 14th, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM

General Meeting, Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 7:30 PM Helen Wilson Rm., Franconia Gov’t. Ctr. 6121 Franconia Rd.

LDCA Board Members and Committee Chairs (voting Board members are in bold)

President: Phone Pat Geary 703/924-9198

Vice President: Teresa Brooks 703/971-3617

At-Large Delegates Mehnaz Khan 703/501-5993 John Michaels 703/960-5211 Dave Wegner 703/924-9291 Diane Stewart 703/971-7296 Jon Kaskin 703/922-6933

Treasurer: Diane Stewart 703/971-7296

Secretary: Vacant

Architectural Control Committee (ACC) Chair: Dave Wegner 703/924-9291

Common Area Maintenance Committee Chair: Brooke George 843/708-5201

Communications Committee Chair: Bill Hollyer 703/922-5997

Lake Committee Chair: John Michaels 703/960-5211

Neighborhood Watch Committee Chair John Dean 703/924-6324

Social & Recreational Committee Chair: Una Geary 703/924-9198

Newsletter Editor: [email protected] Tania Malferrari 917/817-9017

Clean-Up Day, Saturday, May 21st, 8:30 AM Meet at the tennis courts

Lakeside Letter

Page 2 May 2016

President’s Notes continued

Reserve Study - By law, an HOA has to have a

reserve study done every five years. Our last study

was done in 2011. The Board contracted with

Reserve Advisors for this study which will be used

by the Board to assist in budgeting efforts. A kick-

off meeting with them is planned for May 11, 2016.

Audits and Taxes. The Board contracted with

CliftonLarsonAllen to perform required audits and

taxes.

Telegraph Road Fence. The Board contracted with

O'Brien Restorations to do repairs and renovations

on the Telegraph Road fence. See Courtney Clark's

article in this newsletter for further details.

Keep Our Children Safe. Drivers, make sure you drive

slowly in the neighborhood and watch out for children!

Parents, please make sure your children don’t run out

in the street between parked cars. It is difficult for

drivers to see them in time to avoid an accident. Also,

please don’t let your children play near the lake

without someone keeping a close watch nearby who

can prevent an accidental drowning.

Visible House Numbers. It was noted at a previous

General Membership meeting that many

house/townhouse numbers are not visible from the

street and could be problematic in the case of

emergency. Homeowners are encouraged to ensure

their address is visible from the street.

Website Reminder. Please remember to check our

website occasionally, especially the resident’s section,

at www.lakedevereux.com for news about our events

and answers to common questions like “What do I do if

a street light is burned out?” Also, if you are a

Facebook user, you can ask to join the Lake D'Evereux

Facebook page and stay connected with your

neighbors.

Get involved. I encourage you to stay informed and get

involved. We can use your help and our secretary

position continues to be vacant. Please feel free to

contact any member of the Board or a committee chair

you see listed in this newsletter if you are interested in

getting involved. If you have a specific proposal, let us

know - we'd like to hear from you.

AGENDA LDCA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

May 17, 2016, 7:30 PM Helen Wilson Rm., Franconia Govt. Ctr.

6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria VA

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION: 7:30 PM - Pat Geary APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF FEB. 16 GM MEETING MINUTES

TREASURER’S REPORT–Diane Stewart

UNFINISHED/NEW BUSINESS 1. Contracts Signed

a. Miracle – Playground Equipment b. Solitude – New Fountain and Installation c. Solitude – Bathymetric Study and Inspection d. Solitude – Prescription Water Quality Testing e. Reserve Advisors – Reserve Study f. CliftonLarsonAllen – Engagement Letter for Audits and

Taxes g. O'Brien Restorations – Repair and restoration of

Telegraph Road fence 2. Fidelity Bond Increase to $500K

COMMITTEE REPORTS 1. ACC – Dave Wegner 2. Common Area Maintenance – Brooke George 3. Communications – Bill Hollyer 4. Lake – John Michaels 5. Neighborhood Watch – John Dean 6. Playground Committee – Ryan Orme 7. Social & Recreational – Una Geary

ADJOURN: 9:00 PM

Treasurer’s Notes by Diane Stewart

As I prepare my report for the newsletter, I am pleased to

report that 87% of our homeowners have paid their 2016

assessment or are on a payment plan. We have a number

of significant projects ongoing in the neighborhood that are

funded from our 2016 budget; so many thanks to all of you

who made timely payments. A friendly reminder that the

due date for 2016 was April 1, 2016; and payments

received after April 10, 2016 are deemed late and charged

interest from the due date. Please note, if you made a

payment between April 10th and May 1st, you will not get

a statement for the outstanding interest due. We will

include the interest due in the statement for your 2017

assessment.

As a courtesy, a second statement for outstanding accounts

will be mailed out on or about May 1, 2016. Homeowners

on payment plans will not receive subsequent statements.

Please note that in accordance with statute a one-time late

fee of 5% will be posted on all assessments overdue by 60

days, May 31st for 2016 assessments.

Lakeside Letter

May 2016 Page 3

Treasurer’s Notes continued

The late fee is also applied if you are paying your dues in

installments and are more than 60 days late on a payment.

The late fee is in addition to interest that accrues from the

original due date to the date the LDCA receives payment.

If you wish to pay your assessment in installments, the

form for the LDCA simplified plan is posted on our web site

under the Forms link at the For Residents section, and

ensures current dues are paid in full by November 1, 2016.

Once a payment is approved, interest will not accrue

unless payments are not timely.

I want to thank Mario Cordero, Kathy Souser and Jean

Felix for assisting me in the preparing the 2016 statements

for mailing. Thanks to their assistance in a couple hours

we completed all 281 statements! I will be updating our

accounts to QuickBooks 2016 in the next month as I

transition the files to the LDCA laptop. This will give the

Board more flexibility for managing the accounts when I

travel; now all we need is someone interested in sharing

the accounting responsibilities! We save a lot of money for

the community having the Treasurer responsible for all

accounting, audits, reporting, etc.; but it is a lot of work for

one person to manage. The Board has discussed a co-

treasurer position as an option. If you have an interest in a

co-treasurer position, please let me know. Alternatively,

the Board will consider hiring a firm to assist with the

accounting functions.

Telegraph Road Fence Lake D'Evereaux HOA has determined it is once again

time to repair the fence bordering Telegraph Road. The

fence was last repaired and stained around eight years

ago. The Common Area Maintenance Committee has

walked the fence and indicated places that need repair

or replacement with pink and orange ribbons. PLEASE

DO NOT REMOVE THESE MARKINGS FROM THE

FENCE!

We are using O'Briens Restorations and they will be

working with the exterior of the fence thus no one will

be in your yard at any time. Those individuals who

currently have a "double" fence, wish to obtain a

"double fence," or wish their side of the fence stained

should contact Tim O'Brien directly for a quote. He can

be reached at 703-869-2891.

The work should begin within the next month or two.

The houses along Telegraph Road will be notified as a

courtesy a week before the project begins. This

notification will be addressed by a flyer being placed in

your door. If you have any questions regarding this

project please contact Courtney Clark, 703-971-6977.

Homeowners whose property butts up to the Telegraph

Road fence are kindly reminded not to let ivy or other

plants/shrubs or trees creep on to the fence or to attach

anything to the fence as all contribute to the

deterioration of the fence.

Common Area Maintenance by Brooke George

Hi fellow neighbors! I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Brooke George and I’m going to attempt to

fill Jean Felix’s shoes as Common Area Maintenance

Chair. She has done such a wonderful job and I

appreciate all of her help and guidance. She will still be

my go to person for months to come I’m sure. I have a

great committee that includes: my husband Brian

George, Courtney Swift-Clark, and Peter Friesen. If

you have any questions or comments, please visit our

website: www.lakedevereux.com click on the

“committees” tab and click on my highlighted name

“Brooke George” to reach me.

I’m excited to announce that we will be having Spring

Clean Up this year on May 21st! Please come out in

between 8:30 am – 12:00 pm to the tennis courts to

sign in and find out what we will be cleaning up and

repairing. We will provide coffee, donuts, water, and

clean up materials. We will be focusing on cleaning up

trash and large limbs along the lake, behind the

townhomes along Huntley Meadows, and along the

fence on Telegraph Road. Also, we will be repainting

the two, green entrance signs as you enter the lake

area. Even if you only have a small amount of time to

give, every little bit helps. So please come out and meet

your fellow neighbors and help spruce up our

community. I will post reminders on the Facebook page

and there will be a few signs posted around the

neighborhood a week before the event.

Blade Runners is our new landscaping company for the

common area. Hopefully, you saw them in April

putting out new mulch, clearing out the weeds, and

mowing. Please keep in mind with a new company

there will be some issues in the beginning. The crew is

having to learn a whole new community; where the

common areas are versus homeowner property. So far I

have been extremely pleased with the work Blade

Runners has done. I have also received numerous

compliments from our community members as well. I

am pleased with their communication and dedication to

keeping our community beautiful and I hope you will

continue to be too!

I have a few reminders now that Spring time is upon

us. This is a wonderful time of year to have renovations

done to the outside and inside of our homes. Please

remember though that contractors are not allowed to

drive their vehicles onto common areas. I know it’s

tempting for easier access to the back of your home, but

it damages the grass and paths along the common

areas.

Lakeside Letter

Page 4 May 2016

Common Area Maintenance continued

Continuing with the topic of renovations, have you ever

wondered what each of the different colors of spray

paint, used by Miss Utility for marking out areas,

signify? Below is a list. Please remember to call Miss

Utility at 811 before you or a contractor digs. Electric ............................... (Red) Gas-Oil ............................... (Yellow) Communication ................. (Orange Water .................................. (Blue) Sewer .................................. (Green) Irrigation ............................. (Purple) Temporary Survey ............ (Pink)

Also, please remember that all pets need to be on a

leash at all times. It is a Fairfax County law, not just

an HOA rule. As a fellow dog owner I totally

understand wanting to let my dog run free, but that is

what is so great about dog parks. A place specifically

for dogs to be themselves. Check out the awesome dog

park at Ben Brenman Park, next time your dog needs

to let off some energy.

Lastly, please remember to clean up after your pets. I

know this is a constant discussion, especially on our

Facebook page. There are dog waste bag stations all

along the lake path and the path that runs behind the

townhomes along Huntley Meadows. Please use the

bags. I absolutely love seeing all of our fur babies

walking the paths, but please let’s be great dog owners

and respectable neighbors and clean up after them.

Thank you to the 99% of you who already do clean up.

General Membership Meeting Minutes Lake d’Evereux Community Association (LDCA) February 16, 2016

Attendees: Pat Geary, John Michaels, Brooke George,

Diane Stewart, Jon Kaskin, Jean Felix, Dave Wegner,

Naila Samuel

The meeting was called to order by Pat Geary at 7:30 pm.

Pat asked if there were any changes to the Agenda. Since

there were no changes, the Agenda was approved.

Pat asked if there were any changes to the November

General Meeting Minutes. There being none, the Minutes

were approved.

TREASURERS REPORT:

The Treasurer provided the following reports: Profit & Loss

Budget Overview and Balance Sheet. Diane reported 2016

billings have been sent and to date, 53 homeowners have

paid 2016 dues in full. Two homeowners are on approved

payment plans, an additional payment plan received today

is under review.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

1. Re-Elected Board Members. Pat welcomed newly re-elected

board members: Teresa Brooks, Vice-President (2016-

2017), Mehnaz Khan (2016-2018) and Diane Stewart

(2016-2017).

2. New Board Member. Pat also welcomed newly elected

board member Jon Kaskin for a one-year term ending

December 31, 2016.

3. Snow Removal Recap. Pat provided a recap of snow

removal efforts. The most recent snowstorm

necessitated a second removal action. Tim O’Brien did

a good job overall but accidentally took out a speed

bump that will have to be repaired at his expense. It

was suggested that fire hydrants, drains and speed

bumps be marked in advance.

4. Lien Process Update. The new process was posted to the

website in mid-January and included in the latest

newsletter. Homeowners who are in arrears also got a

copy of the policy with their 2016 bills.

COMMITTEE REPORTS 1. ACC – New rules and forms for electronic submissions

for sheds and external alterations have been posted to

our website.

2. Common Area Maintenance – - Brooke George reported Jean

Felix has agreed to help her post signs around the

neighborhood the week leading up to the Spring

Cleanup Event in May, which will be held May 21st.

3. Communications – No report.

4. Neighborhood Watch – No report.

5. Lake -- John reported receiving proposals from Solitude

for water testing, a depth mapping study and the

purchase of a replacement fountain for the main part

of the lake. He will submit the proposals and the

accompanying motions at the next Board meeting.

John also reported some snow geese have returned to

the lake and we might need to resume using our

electric boats and lasers to encourage them to stay

away to avoid the health hazards they cause.

6. Playground Committee - Ryan Orme sent the draft RFP for

replacement of the playground equipment to the Board

for review. In its review the Board will consider

customer input from neighborhood children.

NEW BUSINESS: 1. Annual Committee Appointments- Peter Friesen was added

to Common Area committee. The Board approved

the annual committee member appointments and

Pat, as President, designated the Committee

Chairs for 2016 (as identified in the Vice-

Presidents comments in this Newsletter).

2. Spring Yard Sale Jean Felix has agreed to take the lead

on organizing the Spring Yard Sale and the Board

approved the date of Saturday, May 14

3. Mail Delivery Issues. Some residents had expressed

dissatisfaction with mail delivery. It was noted we

have temporary mail personnel rotating delivery

responsibility while our regular delivery person is

on medical leave. Residents should direct their

concerns to the postmaster.

Lakeside Letter

May 2016 Page 5

Membership Meeting Minutes continued

Updated Directories. Virginia Clark-Billups once again provided

us the new 2016 LDCA Directory. Many thanks to Virginia for

doing this for us each year.

4. General Membership Meeting Planning for 2016. All 2016

General Membership meetings are on a Tuesday at

7:30 PM at the Franconia Government Center. The

dates are May 17, August 16 and November 15,

2016.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM.

ACC Representatives

Dave Wegner, Chairman (703) 924-9291

[email protected]

Green Glade Ct. Calabria Court

Chapel Gate Court

Larry Thimm (703) 922-5010

[email protected]

Dogue Forest Ct d'Evereux Ct

Dreams Way Ct.

Mario Cordero (703) 719-0980

[email protected]

Lake Cove Dr (7100-7135) Lake Cove Ct

Pleasant Point Ct

Jon Kaskin (703) 922-6933

[email protected]

Lake Cove Dr (7136-7211) Mariner’s Mill Ct

Karen Garth (703) 971-1948

[email protected]

d'Evereux Circle Dr

Douglas Drob [email protected] Captains Cove Ct Snug Harbor Ct

Glen Green Ct

COMMUNITY BULLETIN Annual Yard Sale

Saturday, May 14th, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM

Article/Ad Submission Deadline: July 20, 2016 for the August 2016 issue of the Lakeside Letter.

Spring Clean-up-- Saturday, May 21st, 8:30 AM-12 PM. Meet at the tennis courts to sign in, and see what’s on the to do list. Grab some coffee, water, or donuts before you head out on your assignment.

General Membership Meetings for 2016 (Tuesdays): May 17, August 16 and November 15 at 7:30 PM in the Helen Wilson Room of Franconia Government Center, 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria VA