RE: An update on recent activities and the impact on the community

Dear Riverbend Homeowner:

Like everyone else in the Northeast, we have suffered through an historic winter. February saw more than three feet of snow in central New Jersey. By contrast, last year we got less than two feet of snow for the entire winter. Like most municipalities, our snow removal expenses have exceeded our budget. And we still have more weather to get through before we see Springtime.

In short, there will be a need for a “Special Assessment” in order to cover our excessive snow removal costs. Historically, our snow budget has always been very close to our expenses, but this has been an extraordinary year. The exact amount of the assessment will be determined once we receive the final billing from our vendor.

Once the snow melts away, we will be able to do an evaluation of the damage done to our landscaping and lighting. There are sections of walkway lights that are out now. They will be fixed as soon as our contractor can dig up the lines and make the necessary repairs.

EPA guidelines on lighting are changing. The Board has met with an engineering firm to work with us to install new sidewalk lighting fixtures. The current lights are costly to maintain and not efficient in delivering adequate lighting. We are evaluating fixtures that are inexpensive to maintain, deliver greater amounts of light and attractively fit into the “Riverbend look”.

The Board has contracted with a vendor to produce a Riverbend web site. Very shortly, the web site www.riverbenddrive.org will be the primary location for ALL community announcements. Communication and awareness is critical and this is the most timely and cost effective way to immediately get messages out to each resident. More detailed information will come shortly. The offerings and data on the site will expand as we get feedback and move forward.

Let’s all hope for an early Spring!

Very truly yours,

Board of Trustees
Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association

Before you get your shorts in a twist, rest assured that our Board is taking this action for the most noble and time-honored purpose: to cut the association’s operational costs. And I think that’s something we can all get behind.

The vendor that’s presently being considered – I won’t name them here – appears to have a great deal of experience providing Web sites to homeowner’s associations across the country. Whether they’ll actually become Riverbend’s service provider remains to be seen; I’ve added to the list of questions and considerations our Board will bring to them. Project startup costs are minimal and ongoing costs seem, well, reasonable.

One important step, no matter who actually ends up providing hosting services, is the choice of a domain name. If you’re thinking that the obvious choices (like riverbend.org, for example) are taken, you’d be absolutely correct. (Believe me when I tell you that each passing week it becomes increasingly difficult to come up with a good domain name.)

You can help. Get your creative juices flowing and make some suggestions. Make as many suggestions as you like. Either add them to this article as comments or email them directly to riverbend@timeoff.org if you’re shy. (It’d be nice if you only suggest domain names that are actually available, but if you don’t know how to do that I’ll check ‘em.) I’ll be sure that the Board hears your suggestions. Of course, you could contact them in the usual way – through the EPM office – yourself! Too late! A domain name has been selected.

I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about the project in the coming days or weeks. I hope you’ll join me in supporting the Board’s efforts to drag our community into the 90s!

SECOND REQUEST

Dear Riverbend Homeowner:

In December 2009, a letter was mailed to all homeowners enclosing the 2010 Census Form which was required to be filled out and forwarded to management.

We are now enclosing another copy of the Census Form for you to fill out and return to our management office by March 15, 2010, because to date, we have not received your form. This information will be kept on file and used for emergency purposes only.

Please complete and return this form promptly.

Very truly yours,

Board of Trustees
Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association

Enclosure: Homeowner Census Form – 2010

Riverbend Drive looking east. That's a Police car facing the camera and my Jeep on the right. Most cars would require lots of work to extricate, but the Jeep drove out with just a few easy minutes of effort.

By then Riverbend Drive, a designated Snow Emergency Route, was full of activity. The township plows had already made several passes by then. Some residents struggled to dig their cars out while Fire Marshals and Police looked on from their SUVs.

Residents scramble to remove their cars from Riverbend Drive.

Some residents I spoke with were uncertain about what they’d do with their cars once they were mobile. The police summoned flatbeds to remove some cars in order to clear the way for the plows to work closer to the curb line.

Police confer with flatbed driver as he prepares to remove cars parked on Riverbend Drive, a designated Snow Emergency Route.

Speaking of the revenue stream brought by the storm, one tow driver commented, “This is blood money. We don’t like doing this any more than they do.”

I’ve known of the designation and the threat of tow for some time, but this is the first time I can recall seeing anyone actually towed away.

Car being removed from Riverbend Drive west. The unlucky resident will face a fine - plus towing plus the impound fee.

Growing Concern worked into the night to make the community parking areas passable. The township doesn’t want them piling the snow on Riverbend Drive, so they resorted to making mounds alongside some residences. The next morning brought clear skies.

Mountain of plowed snow alongside residence dwarfs a full-size pickup. Some of the holly bushes alongside the structure appear to have suffered damage in the process.

Clear skies and the Fire Marshall. He made the rounds again, this time targeting the snow mountains for removal or relocation.

Fate of snow mountains marked with orange spray paint. This one is slated for removal.

By Friday afternoon most of the cleanup had been completed, leaving only a few sidewalk transitions to be cleared again.

Yeah, I know, hindsight’s 20/20. But I think that this could have been better handled by EVERYONE involved.

• Residents need to pay attention to what’s going on and take a little action on their own. When you see snow accumulating in your space, move your car and push the white stuff out where the plows can reach it. If you’ve got a two-car-wide space you share with a neighbor, coordinate with them. This lets our contractor work more efficiently.
• By now Growing Concern should know quite well what the township will and will not tolerate. When they pile the stuff up it should be set back far enough that they don’t have to move it again. In other words, do it right the first time.
• Nobody’s going to like to hear me say this, but WTF. The township needs to make it perfectly clear to residents along a designated Snow Emergency Route exactly what that designation means. Then, it needs to be enforced. Few things teach as strongly as the inconvenience – not to mention expense – of having your car towed. Whether or not the designation or the law seems fair is irrelevant. It is what it is. Live with it or work to change it. But when the application of the designation or law is spotty or inconsistent it just sends a bad message and makes people resentful.

[stepping down from my soapbox] Wow, look at the forecast. Tuesday could bring some more of the white stuff. Are you ready?

I’m pleased to tell you that the recycling dates on our calendar are now current through the end of 2010.

I’m equally displeased to report that my tax bills arrived in the same envelope. Maybe you noticed a slight reduction in your taxes? Try not to spend it all in one place.

I updated the software that runs this site to the latest and the greatest, a minor point-rev. The update was trouble-free, but as usual if you notice anything amiss then please let me know.

Enjoy the weekend.

A side effect of these measures is that sometimes, unfortunately, a legitimate user registration may be rejected. Most of the time this is because the would-be user’s email address is with a provider that’s known for the ease with which ‘bots can create email addresses for their own use. Providers like Yahoo, Google (gmail), Hotmail, AOL, and AIM, etc. are just a tiny few examples of the more well-known providers that might be affected. To be fair, these providers work hard to serve their legitimate users. But as everyone knows, the larger the target the more attractive it becomes to spammers.

If you’re having trouble that you think might be related to this, especially if you’re trying to set up a Resident account, then please don’t just go away frustrated. Drop me a line instead and let’s get it fixed.

I’m not particularly happy that the ‘net has turned into a medium where such measures are necessary but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

I was seriously underwhelmed by today’s massive snowstorm. The forecasts were for some serious accumulation but nothing much came of it as the front slid to our south.

The holiday season is once again upon us. Celebrate responsibly!

I’m told that they will have it all nailed down in time for inclusion in our – gasp – tax bills.

My space is trussed; the trusses are low and spaced such that there really isn’t much open, useful space relative to the work involved in reaching it. To ‘floor’ it would mean doing it in pieces, I can’t see getting regular 4×8 sheets up there. Then there’s the question of weight. The ceiling of the garage doesn’t seem designed to support much weight (but I’m no structural engineer, either).

It appears that some models share above-garage space with their neighbors. If that’s you then it calls for walling off your space as well.

So, for me at least, making that space useful seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

I work in my garage year-round and it can get chilly. A while back I swapped out my stock garage door for a high-quality triple-layer steel door with a foam core. Between the R-value of the door, the excellent fit and the weather stripping, the space is the warmest it’s ever been. It even stays noticeably cooler in the summer.

re: MONTHLY PAYMENT PROCESS

Dear Homeowner:

Enclosed is your 2010 budget and coupon book with remittance envelopes for your convenience. We are pleased to advise that our monthly assessment fee has remained unchanged at $185.00. Please ensure that your monthly fee payment is mailed directly to our bank’s lock box as follows:

Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association
c/o Executive Property Management
P. 0. Box 64148
Phoenix, AZ 85082-4148

By no later than the first of each month, you should mail your check, made payable to Riverbend Townhouse Owners Association using the remittance envelopes and enclosing the applicable month’s coupon. Please ensure that your unit address is clearly indicated on the check so that appropriate credit can be applied to your account.

Please note that if your payment is not received by the 15th of the month, or if any balances remain outstanding on the 15th of the month, a $15.00 late fee will be assessed to your account.

For those homeowners who have elected electronic funds transfer (EFT) for their monthly fee payments, Executive Property Management will automatically adjust your fees if applicable. Please retain your books in case you choose to revert back to the manual payment method or you sell your home in the upcoming year. For those homeowners who pay their bills on-line, you must have your on-line service place your full account number, as it appears on the top of your coupon, on each check remitted to ensure that proper credit is applied to your account.

If you are in need of additional information, please feel free to contact Executive Property Management with any questions you may have relating to the administration, operation and management of our community.

Very truly yours,

Board of Trustees
Riverbend Townhouse Owner’s Association

(See over for Payment Options)

Web note: The coupon book is not available online.

This is the November 2009 (Year End) edition.

Preface
Board Election
Budget
Capital Improvements
Landscaping and Plantings
Future Issues Being Considered
Communication

November 2009 Newsletter Contents