Fairlington Glen
NEWSLETTER August 2005
AUGUST 2ND BOARD MEETING
No significant contractual actions.
BOARD MEETING SUPPORT
This is the fourth announcement that the Board is looking for a responsible individual to prepare the minutes of the monthly Board Meetings. So far there have been no volunteers. The meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month and last approximately two hours. Preparation of the draft minutes should only take a few hours over the next week or so. So many of your neighbors are devoting their time to support the community on the various committees and in other activities. This is your opportunity to do your part by giving the community a few hours of your time each month.
BUDGET/ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE
The Annual Meeting of Fairlington Glen Co-owners, to approve the 2006 budget and elect Board members, will be held on November 15th at 7:30pm in the Fairlington Community Center. The schedule of activities leading up to the Annual Meeting is as follows:
• August 2: Board meeting to finalize the proposed draft budget.
• September 1: Proposed draft budget sent to Co-owners.
• September 14: All-Glen meeting in the Fairlington Community Center to discuss the proposed draft budget.
• September 26: Deadline for comments from the community on the proposed draft budget for inclusion in October Board package.
• October 4: Board meeting to finalize the draft budget.
• October 17: Publication and mailing of the draft budget and other Annual Meeting information to co-owners.
• October 27: Deadline for amendments to the draft budget.
• November 1: Published amendments (if any) mailed to co-owners.
• November 7: Co-owner proxies due to Legum & Norman.
• November 15: Annual Meeting.
POOL NEWS
A schedule of events at the pool during the months of August and September, and other information of interest to users of the pool, is attached to this newsletter.
CHECK FOR LEAKS
Water leaks are expensive to the Glen and may waste thousands of gallons of water. Potential sources for leaks include washers in faucets and shower heads, washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, HVAC units, and dishwashers. It is recommended that residents inspect their homes quarterly. It is also prudent to equip showers, sinks, and tubs with drain screens to catch the debris, hair, and bits of soap that can cause clogs and back-ups.
During the quarterly inspection residents should check all exposed pipes for leaks and check all faucets for leaks or corrosion. Inspection of the rubber connecting hoses for dishwashers and washing machines is essential since, contrary to what some believe, such hoses do not last forever. Because these hoses wear from the inside out, a visual inspection will usually not reveal any worn spots and these hoses should generally be replaced every three to five years, or sooner if evidence of rot appears.
The most substantial loss of water can come from our bathroom toilets:
• Your toilet may have a leak at the overflow pipe if water is still running into the bowl or if water can be heard running after the tank has stopped filling.
• You may have a silent, plunger-ball leak. To test for a silent leak, drop some food coloring into the tank and wait ten minutes. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl there is a silent leak.
FAIRLINGTON AT 50
Fairlington at 50 - 60th Anniversary Edition. A history of Fairlington, along with photographs (1943-2003), authored by resident Catherine Fellows, are available at $20. Order by calling 703-379-6860 (Sandy).
PHONE LISTS
The list of phone numbers and email addresses for the Board, Court Representatives, and other Glen personnel is attached. Changes to this list should be provided to Charlie Robbins at 703-998-6815 or at charles_robbins@hotmail.com
RICKY’S CORNER
• The crew is conducting preventive maintenance on the sewer laterals and cleaning the gutters. If you notice any problems, please let us know.
• We want to thank everyone who is calling regarding a problem and leaving the information necessary for us to address the problem. Remember, your phone number and address are essential and must be understood. Please speak slowly and consider repeating it.
REMINDERS
TRASH. Trash must be put out during the week by 8am and on Saturdays by 9am. Large items are put out only on the first Saturday of the month and should be placed at the curb by 9am. Please do not put trash out the night before pickup or on Sundays since this will only provide a temptation to rodents, birds, and other pests. Trash will not be collected on the following holidays:
• January: New Year’s Day
• November: Thanksgiving Day
• December: Christmas Day
DOG OWNERS. Please pick up the deposits left by your dogs. There are trash receptacles throughout the Glen where the bagged goodies can be deposited.
LANDSCAPING IN COMMON AREAS. Pots, trellises, or other structures are not to be placed in any of the common plant beds including those in front of your unit. There is to be no edging around the plant beds other than that provided by the Glen’s landscape contractor or, in a few cases (e.g., provide a retainer on a sloping area), through co-owner submission and Board approval of a landscape variance request. The Glen’s policies regarding landscaping in common areas, found in the Fairlington Glen Handbook on pages 4-7 and 4-8, address plantings in front and side beds, containers/hanging plants, plant bed edging, use of red reflectors, and vines. Please note that vines such as ivy are not allowed on building facades and fences due to the damage they cause. Co-owners will be responsible for any damage and will be asked to remove them. If the co-owners do not remove them, the Glen will do so at the owners’ expense.
EXTERIOR RODENT AND PEST CONTROL. The Glen has a contract with Triple “S” for exterior rodent control problems only. If you see mouse or rat droppings or have actually seen the critters, call 703-352-7738 and ask to speak to P.J. Gilmer. Do not call Ricky. Please do not try to get rid of them yourself; you may end up destroying wildlife which is harmless to you and the community. If you have an exterior general pest control problem (ants, termites, bees, wasps, yellow jackets, etc.) please call the maintenance office and leave a message for Ricky.
FENCES. Our fences are part of the common areas and must be treated accordingly. While the Glen repairs and replaces fences as needed, co-owners are responsible for the expense of damage caused by excessive wear and tear and other circumstances within the co-owner’s control. Examples of things that are not permitted are:
• painting either inside or outside
• attaching sheds
• hooking planters over the top ledge
• draping items over any portion
RECYCLING. Materials that can be recycled are:
• Plastics with a 1 or 2 in the recycle symbol.
• Aluminum and tin cans with lids removed.
• Mixed glass including clear, brown, and green bottles and jars (not household items such as china, light bulbs, drinking glasses, etc.). Please remove plastic caps and rings.
• Newspapers in paper bags or tied with string (not in plastic bags since this adds to the recycling expense).
• Broken down corrugated boxes.
Please note the recycling of everything other than paper products does not need to be sorted prior to being placed in the containers. This is done after the recyclables are picked up so feel free to mix your glass, plastic, and aluminum. Please rinse all containers since containers with contaminants can not be recycled. Do not put recyclables in plastic bags.
REPORTING PROBLEMS. You can contact Ricky and the chairpersons of the Landscape Subcommittee and Pool Committee by calling 703-820-9567. You can leave a message by pressing “1" for the Landscape Subcommittee and “2" for the Pool Committee. To leave a message for Ricky, wait for the tone at the end of the recorded message or press “9" or “#” to end the recorded message and go to the tone. Please be courteous and don’t call these people at home. If you have an after-hours emergency maintenance problem or can not reach Ricky after a reasonable time, please call the Legum & Norman 24-hour emergency repair number ... 703-600-6000
HANDBOOK. All residents and co-owners should have a copy of the Fairlington Glen Handbook dated November 1999. Please review it occasionally since it provides essential information to ensure that you and your neighbors enjoy the wonderful experience of living in the Glen.
MEETINGS
All Glen meetings are held in the Fairlington Community Center at 3308 South Stafford Street. All residents are welcome.
• Board of Directors, 7:30pm, 1st Tuesday of the month
• Building and Grounds Committee, 7:30pm, 3rd Tuesday of the month (no meetings in August, November, and December)
• Landscape Subcommittee, 7:00pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month (no meetings in July, November, and December)
ON THE INTERNET
Visit “http://www.fairlington.org/glenindex.htm” for draft Board minutes, newsletters, and the Handbook. Please contact John Fuller if you have comments on Fairlington Glen information on this site.
The Fairlington Glen Newsletter is a communication channel by which the Board of Directors disseminates information to Glen residents and co-owners. Please provide any comments or recommendations to the Board Secretary, John Fuller, at fairlingtonglen@aol.com, or to any other Board member, prior to the monthly Board of Directors meeting.