FINAL
MINUTES OF THE
BENTANA PARK COUNCIL OF CO-OWNERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
12052 North Shore Drive
Reston, VA 20190
July 14, 2015
Board Members Present: David Brych President
Kathy Ray Vice President
Peter Weed Treasurer
Ali Ghassemian
Kristine Larson
Board Members Absent: None
Others Present: Tracy Plazyk Horizon Community Services
Karen Case Recording Secretary
I. Call to Order: Mr. Brych called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
II. Approval of Agenda:
MOTION: Ms. Ray moved, Mr. Ghassemian seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed unanimously (4-0-0).
Mr. Weed arrived at 7:01 p.m.
III. Homeowner Forum:
Barb and Dave Ocherson of 1659-101 thanked the Board for facilitating the renovation of unit 100 which flooded. They requested the heating system be in place before winter to avoid pipes freezing and remediation of the moldy smell in the hallway. Management reported the HVAC unit is scheduled to be installed next week and the common area carpets are scheduled to be cleaned next week.
Carol McLean of 1635 asked Management a question about homeowner’s insurance policy and if the Association can use her contractor to complete wall repairs that are pending. It was suggested the homeowner can forward her contractor’s estimate to Management for review. Management will provide a copy of the Master Insurance Policy for the homeowner to review with her insurance agent.
A homeowner suggested installing a bike shed near the carports. Management will look into the cost for a bike locker.
Peter Coombes asked for the name of the creek at the bottom of the development. The creek is part of Colvin Run, but the exact name is unknown. Mr. Coombes noted there was opposition by some residents regarding the benches, but now that they are installed, all of the opposition has vanished and some are saying how nice the benches are.
Dave Ocherson noted there is a water problem behind the bench at 1661. Management reported they are working on an irrigation leak in that location.
IV. President’s Report:
Mr. Brych reported the property looks pretty good. There was some grass burn caused inadvertently by the landscaping company. Everything will be fixed properly by the landscaping company. The Board has been working to address the remediation of 1659-100 which is a very costly endeavor for the Association. There is a clause in the covenants that says the Board can proceed with a special assessment against the particular owner for expenses incurred. The Board is going to pursue that option.
Two homeowners commented on problems with a few trees and some bare spots in the grass. Ms. Ray reported there is fungus and blight problem in the community and a number of trees are dying. Some of the bare spots in the grass are being caused by dogs urinating on the grass. The Board discussed the option of adding a few more signs.
V. Treasurer’s Report:
Mr. Weed reported on the balances in the Association accounts. There is still $110,000 in the Morgan Stanley Money Market account to be invested in CD’s pending a CD recommendation from Morgan Stanley. Mr. Weed recommended wiring $100,000 from the CAB Money Market to the Morgan Stanley Money Market to re-invest those funds in CDs as well. Mr. Weed will submit a recommendation to the Board. He asked a question about how credit card charges are tracked in the financial reports and clarification was provided by the Board and Management.
VI. Secretary’s Report:
Mr. Brych noted the Board needs a member to fill the Secretary position. He reviewed the minutes from the last meeting.
MOTION: Mr. Weed moved, Mr. Ghassemian seconded, to approve the June 9, 2015 Board meeting minutes as presented. The motion passed (4-0-1) with Ms. Larson abstaining.
VII. Old Business:
Playground: The Board did get approval from Reston Association for a small playground device. Management is working with the sales representative to get a final cost for shipping, installation, mulch and any other associated costs.
Shopping Center Update: Mr. Brych reported that based on the last series of meetings, the Developer has made a few more changes to the layout. It appears to be a work in progress. Mr. Weed reported on the discussions at the last Fairfax County/Developer meeting.
Website: Mr. Ghassemian reported he reviewed the website and noticed changes to the site every Sunday. Management will make Mr. Ghassemian a super-user so he can manage the website. Mr. Brych will re-circulate the email from the Board regarding what documents will be posted to the website.
Verizon Exposed Wires: Ms. Plazyk reported she did not have to go through Legal Counsel because the County interceded. A Fairfax County Inspector is inspecting the wiring and following up where it was not properly installed or buried.
Annual Inspection: Ms. Plazyk reported there were less violations compared to last year. All of the fronts and the majority of the backs have been done. The inspection will be completed soon. A homeowner noted 1629-200 has a screen door that is white instead of brown.
Electric Panel: Management has sent an email to the Board with the schedule of replacements completed and those coming up. The new panels were approved by the County as installed. To label individual units would require a community effort that is not practical.
VIII. New Business:
Parking/Towing Enforcement: The Board and Management have noticed there have been a lot more vehicles with expired license plates, expired County inspection, out of state license plates. Last December, Management mailed a request for updated contact/vehicle information to the community. There was a small response to that mailing. The Board has to decide if and how they are going to enforce parking violations. Approximately ten violation notices have been issued throughout the neighborhood so far. The Board had a general discussion. Some issues discussed included providing adequate grace period before enforcement, also enforcement guidelines for stickers that are one month expired versus stickers that are more than one month expired.
The Board will post notice of upcoming enforcement. Enforcement at the present time focuses on currency of the tags and whether or not the vehicle is derelict. There will be a reasonable amount of time between placing a violation sticker and towing. Management will draft this up and circulate it to the Board. A homeowner asked why the Association is interested in expired tags/inspections. The Board discussed the intention is to avoid derelict vehicles and vehicles being stored on the property.
IX. Executive Session:
The Board agreed BY CONSENSUS to move into an executive session at 8:02 p.m. to discuss delinquencies, legal issues and contracts.
The Board agreed BY CONSENSUS to adjourn the executive session and reconvene the general session at 9:05 p.m.
X. Decisions Made After Executive Session:
MOTION: Ms. Ray moved, Mr. Weed seconded, to levy a special assessment in the amount of $33,666.90 against the owner of Unit 100 in Building 1659 for remediation of the unit plus any additional expenses that may have or will be incurred as discussed in Executive Session. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0).
MOTION: Mr. Brych moved, Ms. Ray seconded, to have Management contact Legal Counsel to notify the owner of Unit 101 in Building 1663 that she is liable for the cost incurred to mitigate damage from her unit to all other units in the building as discussed in Executive Session. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0).
MOTION: Ms. Ray moved, Mr. Brych seconded, to approve the Blade Runners proposal dated 7/14/15 in the amount of $13,338.54 for removal of trees, tree replacement and tree fungus treatments as discussed in Executive Session. The motion passed unanimously (5-0-0).
XI. Adjournment:
The Board meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.