February 2002 Newsletter
The Riverbend At Hidden Lake Association Newsletter appears to contain no copyright or other restrictions which would prevent the reproduction of its content on this site as a community service.
This is the February 2002 edition.
Board Of Trustees Year End Update
Wasted Association Funds
Water, Water, Everywhere…
Your Board Members
Parking In And Around Our Community
Get A Start On Maintenance
Winter Reminders
Board Of Trustees Year End Update
Here’s what the Riverbend Board of Trustees accomplished on behalf of the community for the second half of this year.
Services Discussed/Conducted/Underway
- Reviewed audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2000
- Signed Association’s tax return
- Passed amendment to increase Capital Contribution paid by new owners
- Reviewed proposal to replace water lines in two courts -deferred to spring 2002
- Conducted semi-annual Board/Management Property Inspection
- Discussed snow removal process improvements and strategies for the coming season
- Met with Township to review their mandate for new parking requirements on Riverbend Drive
- Located and repaired additional water line breaks
Contract Review, Negotiation and Renewals
All contacts under review are provided to various vendors to bid on the job. When the proposals are received, Board members review them. Among the items to consider are cost to the community, reputation of the vendor’s work, past experiences with the vendor (when applicable).
In the second half of the year, the Board signed contracts or arranged for services with the following vendors:
Growing Concern
Approved landscape replacement proposal
Approved sprinkler repair proposal
Approval snow removal proposal
Approved winter pruning contract
Professional Maintenance Plus
Approved sidewalk replacement proposal
Approved investigation to determine location of water line breaks
Eosso Paving
Approved paving repair quote
Wilkin & Guttenplan
Approved audit proposal
Pinkerton Security
Hired security guards to patrol Mischief and Halloween nights
During each meeting. the Board members reviewed:
- the Association financials and delinquency status
- legal items
- incoming and outgoing correspondence via Executive Property Management
- homeowner concerns
- invoices and sign checks for Association payments
Members of the Riverbend community are welcome to join us for the public portion of Board meetings. These meetings are conducted on the third Tuesday of every other month. The last meeting was held Tuesday, January 15th. Feel free to contact EPM if you would like to confirm the date and time of future meetings. The number is 732-821-3224.
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Wasted Association Funds
Excess funds are spent with every election conducted within Riverbend – whether for Board member elections or passing resolutions. The reason, there aren’t enough votes cast by the home- owners to reach a quorum (essentially, the number of votes needed to make the election results final). This means that additional mailings are necessary to get the number of votes required. This process costs the Association post age, paper, copying fees, and time.
As your elected representatives, the Board of Trustees handles the decisions made on behalf of the community. However, the governing documents of the Association require that certain decisions be presented to the homeowners for vote.
It only takes a moment to cast your vote by proxy if you are not able to personally attend a voting session. Please don’t count on your neighbors to respond so that you don’t have to. Help save money by casting your vote at your first opportunity.
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Water, Water, Everywhere…
Unfortunately for Riverbend, the spring of 2002 didn’t come soon enough. You may have noticed the unusual amount of water in the retention basin on the south side of our community in late November of2001. Investigation of the cause led researchers to 7 separate water line breaks in the community.
The association received notice from the North Brunswick Water company giving us 10 business days to make the repairs as located by the water department. After a day confirming that these leaks were the association’s and not individual homeowners, the work began to complete these leaks in the required time. Sambol, the association’s contractor worked for over 7 days to meet this deadline to avoid fines threatened to be assessed by the water company. With the help of management ensuring that the work progressed under all weather conditions, the deadline was met. However, this number of repairs were not anticipated and therefore not budgeted for. With the work complete, our association budget suffered in the amount of $30,000 that included excavation, replacement of the lines to copper, removal of the excavation debris, filling of the excavations with sand and clean blue- stone, tamping of the excavation, temporary repair to the blacktop because of the weather conditions and some landscape repair. There is still curbing repair to be done that will take place in the spring.
We have sent the specifications out to bid to replace all of the remaining lateral water lines in our community from plastic to copper. Once the bids are received, the Board is seeking the assistance of homeowners to interview potential contractors and provide their thoughts, ideas, and expertise to the possible consideration of the water line replacement project and re-paving planned for later this year. We are also investigating the possibility of obtaining a bank loan for the above projects. It appears that the time may have come for the community to seriously consider both projects a little sooner that we might have liked to have tackled them. We are working closely with our Professional Engineer on both projects. Once the quotes have been received, we will be calling a Special Meeting of the community to give you all of the facts related to the above, and to appoint & committee to work with us on accomplishing these major tasks.
The water main repairs may be planned for the spring of 2002 and parking court repaving would be scheduled for the fall. Spreading out the projects will allow for the necessary settlement of the ground prior to paving.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Executive Property Management at 732-821-3224. Thank you!
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Your Board Members
| Ron Senchesak | President |
| Harrison Lewis | Vice President |
| Toni D’Angelo | Treasurer |
| Juanita White-Wright | Secretary |
| Carolyn Canavan | Trustee |
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Parking In And Around Our Community
Have you ever wondered who in their right mind would have approved the plans for Riverbend in terms of parking? I sure have! To me, it’s obvious that the individuals (I’m assuming more than one person was involved) making the decision had no intention of living here.
Admittedly, we technically have enough spaces in the parking courts for every home to park one car in the parking court. However, in some cases, that parking place is not in the court associated with the home. Nowadays, homes commonly have more than one car requiring a parking place (and that doesn’t include our garages). This only compounds the problem.
The convoluted parking scheme has created more parking headaches than can be counted; and if that isn’t enough, the Township just reduced parking on Riverbend Drive by painting yellow “no parking” lines at the entrances of the community and each of the parking courts, and designating Riverbend Drive as a no parking road when it snows (although they have yet to install the signs indicating so).
Why the yellow lines?
Apparently the police and Fire Marshal patrolled Riverbend over a period of time and repeatedly identified parking concerns. These included (but may not be limited to):
- Parking in the court entrance ways
- Parking too far from the curb by the islands so that emergency vehicles (and on at least one occasion, the garbage collection truck) could not pass
- Parking too close to the Riverbend Drive intersections
Initially, the Fire Marshal presented plans to the Riverbend Board of Trustees which included very intrusive parking restrictions. Apparently conversations between the parties were successful to some degree (from our perspective) and our parking courts and the island areas on Riverbend Drive were not marked as originally planned.
What now?
We make the best of it!
Each court in Riverbend has made a determination to have a specific parking space “assigned” to each home or to park in the available spaces on a first-in gets the spot basis (limiting each home to one vehicle parking space in the court). In some courts the chosen plan works very well, in others, there is room for improvement. If you are unfamiliar with your court’s plan, please ask a neighbor. If your court’s parking situation has room for improvement, invite your neighbors over and come up with a new plan that will accommodate everyone as well as possible.
Keep in mind that parking on Riverbend Drive is more limited than in the past, and park as conscientiously as possible (for ex- ample, pull as close as possible to the yellow lines so that more cars can fit along the curb). Vehicles have been ticketed for parking over the yellow lines.
Clean out the garage so that a car will fit – that’s one less car needing to park on the road.
Feel free to share your parking ideas with a Board Member or EPM so that we can include them in future newsletters to the community.
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Get A Start On Maintenance
We once again would like to remind all owners that in accordance with our Association’s documents, no exterior changes may be made without written approval from the Board of Trustees. This includes the installation of new decks, replacement of roofs, windows, garage doors and siding, or any other exterior modification that replaces or enhances existing components.
The attached listing was compiled to assist you with your own property inspection and give you another perspective of some of the things that you should be reviewing. The Board and management would be happy to answer any questions that you may have in this regard. We are here to assist you and would gladly review your concerns with you or assist you in trying to obtain the appropriate contractor. All contractors must be insured and have workers compensation insurance in order to protect you and the Association from any possible claims.
Pruning: Maintaining the shrubbery and trees within your enclosed backyard area is a homeowner’s responsibility.
| Green Thumb Services | Joe Bianco | (732) 297-3333 |
| Growing Concern | Mark Janiek | (732) 821-5526 |
| Tamke Tree | David Cohn | (800) 822-3537 |
| TreeTech | Kevin Schebelia | (732) 725-0706 |
Gardening: Maintaining the grass area inside of your fenced-in yard is a homeowner’s responsibility. These contractors can also assist you in the design of patios, decks, stonework, etc. within your backyard area.
| DeVries Landscaping | (732) 297-1244 | |
| Fama Landscaping | Louis Fama | (732) 545-8070 |
| Green Thumb Services | Joe Bianco | (732) 297-3333 |
| Growing Concern | Mark Janiek | (732) 821-5526 |
Decking: The wooden decks that are inside your enclosed backyard area, as well as on the upstairs of certain homes, are a homeowner’s responsibility to maintain. It is evident that certain decks are in need of repair and, in some cases, are dangerous in their existing conditions. No new decks may be installed without submitting written plans to the Board of Trustees for review and approval in writing.
| Bob’s Home Maintenance | Bob Bersch | (609) 259-3472 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Kevin Egan | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
Fencing: The wooden fencing and the wooden lanai is the homeowner’s responsibility.
| American Fence Systems | Jesus Molina | (732) 442-0440 |
| Blackstone Lumber | (732) 821-1761 (South Brunswick) | |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
| Rutgers Fence | (732) 294-9410 | |
| The Home Depot Milltown | (732) 432-0500 (Milltown) |
Brickwork: The brickwork on the unit, as well as the front stairs to some units and the concrete at the front entrance, as well as the concrete apron outside the garage door, is the homeowner’s responsibility.
| Harval General Contracting | Marc Brien | (201) 672-5248 |
| Professional Manta. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First | Tom Roman | (732) 697-0557 |
| Tomaselli & Son | Sal Tomaselli | (732) 297-4815 |
Garage Doors: The garage doors are the homeowner’s responsibility. They may be replaced with doors that are insulated and maintenance free as long as the color of the door is the same dark brown color and the style of the door is the same as the others in the community.
| Edison Overhead Doors | (732) 985-2100 |
| Neptune Door Co. | (732) 922-4626 |
| Overhead Door Company | (800) 722-5785 |
| Petra Overhead Doors Co | (732) 721-3319 |
Chimney Cleaning/Cap Replacement: The chimney should be cleaned after burning a cord of wood in order to avoid a chimney fire. It is also evident that the chimney caps are rusting, and many have been reported to be leaking. These should be inspected and replaced as necessary.
| All American Chimney | Dennis Kuhn | (201) 927-3899 |
| Chelsea Chimney Sweep | (908) 283-2624 | |
| Complete Fireplace Service | David Walker | (732) 866-4101 |
| Homestead Chimney Inc | Robb Stasyshyn | (800) 242-7668 |
Roofing: The roof over your home is the homeowner’s responsibility. Many of the homes are showing signs of premature shingle failure, and approximately 10 units have been re-roofed. The shingles look like “potato chips” the way they are curling up. If you re-roof your unit, the contractor that you use may be able to get a credit or refund for you because of this premature shingle failure. The shingles are manufactured by GAF, and replacement shingles should match the color of the existing shingles on your roof. Management has a color sample of these shingles in their offices. Contact EPM if you need assistance in matching the color.
| Aiese Contracting Corp | Lou Aiese | (732) 290-1333 |
| Bell Roofing | Rich Calisti | (609) 588-8332 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Thermo Side | (609) 228-4686 | |
| Damir Katusic | (732) 940-9501 |
Siding: Prior to painting the unit, any siding that may be rotted, cracked or warped should be repaired or replaced as necessary. It should also be powerwashed prior to painting/staining in order to remove mildew and stain. Stainable caulking should be applied where necessary at minor cracks and around joints, windows and doors, and all nails that have popped should be re-nailed.
| Bell Roofing | Rich Calisti | (609) 588 5700 |
| Bob’s Home Maint. | Bob Bersch | (609) 259-3472 |
| Professional Exteriors | Gus Revuelta | (732) 288-9512 |
| Professional Maint. Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Thermo Siding | Lester Krol | (609) 228-4686 |
| Times Siding | Dean Carman | (732) 269-4740 |
Windows: The windows in the community are the owner’s responsibility. They may either be replaced as an entire unit for more energy efficiency, or the glass may be replaced due to the seals being worn and creating moisture between the two panes of glass. Replacement windows must be approved by the Board of Trustees in writing and must match the existing windows in the community.
| Blackstone Lumber | Steve Charney | (732) 254-5550 (East Brunswick) |
| Windows & Doors Galore | David Sengi | (609) 581-1740 |
Glass Replacement:
| Ben Franklin Glass | (732) 249-1223 (Somerset) |
| Bumper’s Glass | (732) 846-9385 (New Brunswick) |
Painting: It is recommended that the exteriors of the homes are painted every three years. Powerwashing is recommended prior to painting, and two coats of stain will protect the siding which will lead to the avoidance of premature replacement.
| A+ Painting | Ken Addone | (908) 246-0796 |
| Accent Painting | (908) 914-8895 | |
| All Seasons Painting | AI Ossanna | (908) 821-7247 |
| Professional Touch | Gene Francisco | (908) 263-1510 |
Gutters/Leaders: Inspections have identified that many gutters have come loose from the fascia boards, or need to be re-strapped, or the leader has pulled away from the building and needs to be re-strapped, or the elbow at the bottom is missing. Gutters should also be cleaned out every fall in order to prevent ice-damming in the winter.
| Bradley Gutters | (732) 238-2727 |
| Flow Rite | (732) 257-3221 |
| Jay Kay Gutters | (732) 794-3172 |
| My Gutterman | (800) 750-1085 |
| Stormmaster | (732) 521-4989 |
General Exterior Carpentry: General wood replacement, deck repair/replacement
| Professional Maint Plus | Chris Kosty | (732) 381-4646 |
| Quality First Contracting | Tom Roman | (732 750-2930 |
| RTB Contracting | Robert Bridgman | (732) 388-1333 |
| The Final Touch | Barb Comuntzis | (800) 438-0319 |
Plumbing: The homes in our community are at the age where the hot water heater should be carefully checked for rusting. If it rusts through, your home will be flooded, and your persona) belongings will suffer severe water damage.
| Dale’s Plumbing & Heating | (732) 238-8788 (East Brunswick) |
| Jack Dolan & Sons | (732) 247-2763 |
| RupCoe Plumbing & Heating | (732) 545-7999 (New Brunswick) |
Many of the contractors listed above will provide discount for the use of their services to Riverbend owners. The contractor you use is your choice. These are suggestions only.
February 2002 Newsletter Contents
Winter Reminders
- Winterize all exterior water spigots by shutting off the interior valve and draining all water from the line by opening the outside valve. Leave the outside valve slightly open.
- Never turn off your heat. Leave the heat on at least 60 degrees at all times. This will help prevent frozen pipes, which will eventually burst, causing extensive damage.
- In extreme cold spells, leave doors open between rooms, closet doors, vanity doors and kitchen cabinet doors. The warm air will circulate evenly, helping to prevent pipes from freezing. Leaving faucets slightly open and dripping will also help prevent freezeups.
- If you are going to be away for an extended period of time, please have a friend or neighbor check your home regularly.
- Change furnace filters and check hot water heaters for signs of rust and leakage.
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