Fairlington Glen

NEWSLETTER                                                                                                                  January 2005

JANUARY 4^TH BOARD MEETING

No Board actions of significant interest to the community. Anyone who is interested in being on the agenda for a Board meeting please contact Mike Hahn at 703-578-3138 as soon as feasible prior to the meeting.

BOARD STRUCTURE

Charlie Robbins and Paul Greenfield have exchanged positions on the Board. Charlie will now serve as B&G Liaison and Paul will now serve as Vice President.

LANDSCAPE SUBCOMMITTEE

The Landscape Subcommittee is currently without a Chairperson. If you would like to volunteer for this position, please contact Mike Hahn at 703-578-3138.

BUDGET FORMULATION STARTS EARLY THIS YEAR

The process of developing a 2006 budget will begin next week with a meeting at 7:30pm on Wednesday, January 19^th at the Fairlington Community Center. We're getting started earlier this year than has been the case in the past in an effort to achieve more effective communication with co-owners about the Glen's financial concerns. At this first meeting, we will develop a plan for this year's budget process and draw up a list of questions and concerns which should be addressed during that effort as well as to identify information which we need to obtain. If you are interested in the future of the Glen, and willing to put in some time over the next several months, you are invited to join us at 7:30pm Wednesday, January 19^th. If you have questions, please call Bob Patrician at 703-379-4379.

CHRISTMAS TREE PICKUP

Christmas trees that you would like to have hauled away should be placed at the curb on Tuesday the 11^th or Thursday the 13^th by 8am. After January 13^th you will be responsible for disposing of them, so your cooperation would be appreciated.

PLUMBING REPAIRS/WATER CUTOFF

Arlington County must cut off the main water valve whenever repairs are needed. If you have scheduled a plumbing repair that requires that the main water valve to the court be shut off, you must take the following steps:

•        Contact Ricky a week in advance.

•        Ricky will call the county to arrange the cutoff.

•        Ricky will advise you when the county can cut off the water.

•        Bring a check for $25, payable to Fairlington Glen, prior to the cutoff date. The county will charge the Glen $25 for every water cutoff, and will only bill the Glen since we hold the master account.

If you have a working-hours emergency, call Ricky to cut off the water and he will notify the county. If you have an after-hours emergency, call the county at 703-228-6555 and leave a message for Ricky informing him of the problem and the actions taken. There will still be a $25 charge for emergency cutoffs.

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.

MAINTENANCE OFFICE EMAIL

We now have email capability in the Maintenance Office. Residents are requested to use email for routine maintenance requests to ensure the maintenance staff has a clear understanding of the problem and the address and phone number of the affected resident. The email address is ricksolfg@aol.com. The phone (703-820-9567) is still available for emergencies or those without an email capability.

MAINTENANCE OFFICE PHONE CALLS

If you need to contact Ricky, the Landscape Subcommittee or the Pool Committee by calling 703-820-9567, please remember that your phone number and address are essential and must be understood. Please speak slowly when providing this information and consider repeating it to ensure it will be understood by those accessing your messages.

RICKY’S CORNER

•        Preventive maintenance of all of our “trouble” sewer lines has been completed.

•        If there are any carriage lights in your courtyard that are not functioning, please inform Ricky. The crew will generally not know when these lights are out since they are not on-site in the evening hours when outages can be easily noted.

•        Plumbing, electrical, and carpentry repairs within your unit are a co-owner responsibility. Please do not call the crew if such repairs are needed.

REMINDERS

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

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.

B-UNIT STORAGE. Bicycles and tricycles may be stored in the common hallways and basements of B-Units if all residents in the building agree and they do not block access to exits (some limit on the number may be imposed). No other items may be stored in the hallways or basements. In addition, nothing is to be affixed to hallway walls and plantings, furniture, etc. in the hallways is prohibited.

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, 1^st Tuesday of the month

         •        Building and Grounds Committee, 7:30pm, 3^rd Tuesday of the month (no meetings in August, November, and December)

         •        Landscape Subcommittee, 7:00pm, 2^nd 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.