Fairlington Glen


NEWSLETTER                                                                                                                  January 2002


 

 

DECEMBER 17TH BOARD MEETING

 

GROUND MAINTENANCE. The Board approved a bid from Living Colour for ground maintenance for 2002 at a cost of $82,171.

 

ROOF REPLACEMENT. The Board approved a bid from Walls Contracting for the replacement of two roofs at 3575-3579 South Stafford Street (Court 3) and 3570-3574 South Stafford Street (Court 12) at a cost of $80,602.

 

SNOW REMOVAL. The Board approved a bid from NVM Contractors for snow removal services at a cost to be determined based on services required.

 

 

JANUARY 8TH BOARD MEETING

 

MANAGEMENT. The Board approved a three-year agreement for management services with Legum & Norman at a cost of $56,610 for 2002 and increases in 2003 and 2004 of 3% or the CPI(U), whichever is greater.

 

 

BUILDING AND GROUND COMMITTEE

 

The Building and Grounds Committee will have its regularly scheduled January meeting on the 15th at 7:30pm in the Fairlington Community Center.

 

 

LANDSCAPE SUBCOMMITTEE

 

The Landscape Subcommittee will not meet in February and there will be no regular meeting on March 12th. The next gathering of the Subcommittee will be our Spring Walk-Through on Saturday, March 16th at 8:00am. We will meet at the traffic circle at 36th and S. Stafford Streets. All are welcome to join us.

 

 

FLOOD INSURANCE

 

The November 2001 Newsletter correctly stated that flood insurance was not mandatory since the Glen is not in a Special Flood Hazard Area. However, it further stated that, while the Glen does carry some flood insurance as a general measure to protect against big sewer backups etc., some may want to acquire flood insurance for other reasons (e.g., flooding through window wells and foundations during heavy storms). Further investigation has shown coverage for flooding through window wells and foundations is not generally available and care should be taken when dealing with your insurance company to ensure that any insurance you get clearly states what is or is not covered.

 

 

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.

 

 

PREVENTING BURST WATER PIPES

 

Unless you live in a Braddock, please secure your outside faucets (front and back) in order to prevent burst water pipes when the temperature drops and the weather remains cold. In the Barcroft units there is one valve to control both faucets located above the hot water heater in the utility room. For other units there are two valves ... one behind the disposal under the sink for the patio faucet and one over the hot water heater in the utility room for the front faucet. To shut off the water, turn the valves off inside the unit and open the valves outside to drain the pipes and keep them from freezing. Leave the heat in your unit on to at least 55 degrees (even when you are away) to prevent broken pipes.

 

 

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

 

The Glen is required to have a means whereby co-owners can communicate among themselves and with the Board on matters concerning the Glen. The bulletin board by the pool will be used for this purpose. Any co-owner who desires to have the Board publish correspondence, relating to the affairs of the Glen, to the entire community should provide it to the President of the Board, Mike Hahn, for posting to the bulletin board.

 

 

RICKY’S CORNER

 

There are no major items that need to be brought to the attention of the community. Normal maintenance will continue and anyone who requires the services of the crew should contact Ricky.

 

 

REMINDERS

 

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. The Glen looked beautiful during the holidays! Now that the season has passed, please remember to remove your decorations.

 

RECYCLING. Materials that can be recycled are:

 

         •        Plastics with a 1 or 2 in the recycle symbol.

         •        Aluminum and tin cans with lids removed (aluminum foil is not acceptable).

         •        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). Magazines, newsletters, and other paper products and not acceptable.

         •        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. If you have a problem or concern, you can contact the Ricky and the chairpersons of the Landscape Subcommittee and the Pool Committee by calling 703-820-9567. You can leave a message by pressing “1" for the Landscape Subcommittee, “2" for the Pool Committee, and “3" for Ricky. Please be courteous and don’t call these people at home ... they will take care of your concerns as soon as possible. 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, 7:15pm, 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

 

 

ON THE INTERNET

 

Visit “http://www.fairlington.org/Communit.htm#FairlingtonGlen” 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.