2025-11-18 Regular Meeting

Meeting Validation:

1. Meeting called to order by current President, Nelda Fink at 7:05 PM
2. Validate Meeting as per bylaws,
   • notice presented, BOD quorum met,
   • BOD members validated.

Reading / Summary / Approval Past Minutes

• 2025-01-06 Special Meeting – Snow removal work approval
• 2025-03-29 Special Meeting – Paving Contract Details Review and Selection (Got Paving approved.)
• 2025-04-10 Special Meeting – Building 8 Sewer backup repairs and restoration. Plumbing $850, Restoration $4500.
• 2025-05-01 Special Meeting Price Landscaping to grind stumps at $1600, Arundel Tree could not meet the road reconstruction schedule.
• 2025-05-29 Special Meeting to approve AACO Stormwater management work on property near pool.
• 2025-05-20 Regular Meeting 
• 2025-06-05 Special Meeting – Minutes Review
• 2025-07-10 Hearing Minutes 
• 2025-07-10 Special Meeting – Electrical Exterior Lights contract at $8656 to replace 36 old lights with new LED and to install 16 photo cells to existing LED lights. 
• 2025-07-22 Regular Meeting
• 2025-07-29 Special Meeting – no decisions, collections process discussions with Attorney.
• 2025-08-07 Special Meeting – authorize attorney to move forward with foreclosure when no mortgage exists on the property.
• 2025-08-07 Special Meeting – approve Price Landscaping Belmawr entrance beddings that were over previously approved. ($3,600 total)
• 2025-08-07 Special Meeting – approve Price Landscaping runoff drain at Norwood common area ($2300)
• 2025-08-25 Special Meeting – approve Bizup Construction to restore, repair, replace benches using honey locust wood – $4750 total

Financial Review

• $278,000 total funds as of 15 Oct 2025. See below.
• ~42 delinquent accounts (35%) from pennies to thousands. $72,000
• 4 accounts with attorneys

Motion & Discussions

BOD Expense Sheets

• Ms Fink:
  • Bench restoration materials purchases Sherwin Williams exterior acrylic paint – $125.
  • Outdoor maintenance – wheeled outdoor hose cart to water Belmawr beds and trees: $185, 1 contractor 50′ 3/4 inch high power hose: $65, 1 contractor high visibility contractor 50′ 3/4 inch high power hose: $85.
  • Total ???
  • (I don’t have receipts with me.)

Other Motions

•  Budget Review

  •  New Reserve Budget 
  • Line items from operating budget moved to Reserve Budget (shows 1-1 correspondence with Reserve study line items)
  • Budget #1 – 3% increase in assessments
  • Budget #2 – 0% increase in assessments
  • Both show increase in reserve savings account at end of year (#1 $33,182, #2 $21,657)
  • Both have 1/4 of proposed planter box repairs. Consider increasing this.
  • Both include repairs to front sign, Meeting room HVAC system, basement 581 completion, deck foundation code upgrade (1 unit), grounds resurfacing, etc  
  • Motion to adjust budget to increase planter box repairs to $124,000 which will decrease the reserve funds by approximately $60,000. Motion seconded by Mr. Payne. Motion approved – 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
  • Motion to publish budget (#2) to Council for review and final approval in December at special meeting to be held on December 27, 2025 7 PM. Motion seconded by Mr. Payne. Motion approved – 3 in favor, 0 opposed.

• Resident Agent hiring and filing

  • MD statutes require all corporations to have a resident agent filed with the business registry. ACM listed as our resident agent. Review resident agent service companies. Motion to hire Maryland Resident Agent at per $50 year and additional $200 for filing SDAT Form1 annually if required. Motion seconded by Mr. Payne. Motion approved – 4 in favor, 0 opposed.
  • Maryland Resident Agent in Oakland MD $49/year.

• Volunteer of the year!

  • Recognize Jackie Gordon for jumping in without hesitation and rescuing our new flower beds that had unexpectedly become overcome with weeds. Also for her efforts in overseeing the design and installation of the beds. Efforts truly above and beyond. Thank you Jackie!

• Insurance Deductible $10,000 move to Reserve account

  • Insurance deductible of $10,000 in budget each year, unnecessarily
  • After we save it, it needs moved to reserves so that we don’t have to budget for it each year.
  • Motion to move $10,000 of 2025 operating cash to reserve account and to be marked as Insurance Deductible and if the deductible is needed it is drawn from the reserve account and the next year’s annual budget include a line item to refund the reserve account with new insurance deductible money. Motion seconded by Mr. Payne. Motion approved – 3 in favor, 0 opposed.

• Attorney Fired Us:

  • Conflict with statute interpretation & retainer terms
  • Conflict with billing and procedures – appearance of using phone calls to increase billing and fees.
  • Defaming termination letter
  • Will not respond except to reassign accounts to new attorney

• New Attorney Review / Fees

  • Process: Request sent to 2 additional new attorney firms with same requirements in each. 
  • GREGORY ALEXANDRIDES (GA Law) (recommended by ADRM) responded slowly but response was complete with retainer agreement, detailed collections process and fees, and invitation to talk with BOD if BOD had any questions.
  • Fischer CAC responded asking for a BOD meeting to discuss.
    • I requested list of fees and outline of their process (similar to what was received from GA Law.) 
    • Did not receive any response
  • Motion to retain GA Law and assign the 3 remaining accounts from Oliveria & Larsens to GA Law immediately to continue collections process. Motion seconded by Mr. Payne. Motion approved – 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
  •  

• Review of Planter Box Repairs Proposal (Price Landscaping – $124,000)

  • Split over multiple years? If so how many? (Price may increase doing so based on materials increases)
  • High priority because increases curb appeal.
  • Motion to execute Price Landscaping Planter Box Repairs contract as per the proposal with  __% of planter box repairs in 2025, __% in 2026, __% in 2027, __% in 2028 with updated estimates for each year beyond 2026. Tabled. Request to have the work phased over 2025 and 2026 instead of 4 years. Will be decided at special meeting.

• Insurance Premiums 

  • renewal started as 40% increase $101,000 annual premium
  • Became 19% increase from $68,000 to $81,000
  • equates to 3.3% increase in assessments
  • Includes 6% annual increase in value of property each year. 
  • Change meeting date for Sept 2026 to be around the 10th of Sept so that insurance renewal premiums can be approved without a special meeting. 

• Snow Removal contracts review

  • Got Paving – responded once and did not respond afterwards
  • Price Landscaping – time and material similar to proposal here. Expecting revised proposal soon.
  • Tabled until proposal is provided and will be voted at special meeting.

• Neighbor requested inspections

  • Need to document and execute process for neighbors to initiate an inspection of another neighbor without it causing neighbor disputes.
  • 598 issue.
  • 8371 – 8375 issue

• Meeting schedule for 2026

  • Recommend:
    • no Jan meeting 
    • Annual Meeting (March)(1)
    • Annual reconvened (April)(2)
    • September meeting after 9/10 to accommodate insurance renewal(3)
    • November Budget review meeting early November(4) (late enough in year to gain real financial outlook, early enough to provide proper review by Council)
    • December Budget acceptance (5) (at least 30 days from November meeting)
    • Remaining meeting either June or July between April and September.(6)
    • Motion to accept schedule for 2026 that includes regular meetings as per discussions. 
    • 2026 Schedule:
      • Tuesday March 24 — Annual Meeting
      • Tuesday April 28 — Reconvened Meeting / Regular Meeting
      • Tuesday June 23 — Regular Meeting
      • Thursday September 10 — Regular Meeting (Insurance Review)
      • Tuesday November 3 — Regular Meeting (Budget Review)
      • Tuesday December 8 — Regular Meeting (Budget Adoption)

• Special meeting to review and approve minutes from 2025

  • Motion to schedule special meeting on ?? to review and approve all meeting minutes from 2025.Tabled until contracts / proposals for snow and planter boxes received.

• Contract to rebuild benches

  • Making progress! Dunmore / Cornwall first finished bench
  • Next 3 planned in front of buildings 9 & 7
  • change order request price increase to $480 to accommodate foundations being rebuilt.

• Budget Committee

  • Will not have budget for Council to review this meeting. Will be available for the November meeting. BOD will then need to schedule a special meeting to approve after the Council has opportunity to review in a meeting format.
  • Need to adjust annual meeting schedule to allow for budget review in Oct with approval in Nov/Dec.
  • We need a budget committee to help generate budget each year and then monitor it throughout  the year. Please volunteer to help with this! Must have computer and be able to access and manipulate simple spreadsheets.
  • Motion seconded by: . Motion approved – ,  opposed.

• Volunteers needed – watering of beds, trees, cleaning of 6 stairwells on bi-monthly basis

• Urgent Sewage Estimates Maximum Automatic Approval (Tabled)

  • Need to define a maximum approval amount for urgent sewage backups so that progress and repair are not delayed by calling a special meeting. Estimates over the maximum will require BOD approval.

  • Modification to sewage backup guidelines 

    • Needs to specify that if backup is under control that additional costs to utilized after hours services will not be approved for reimbursement or paid for by the Council. Most sewage backups do not require after hours services which are an additional $250+ expense. This was already approved at the 9/30/2025 special meeting. Review of the procedures is all that is necessary at current meeting.

  • Modification to building water main shutoff guidelines 

    • If a council member requires the main shutoff to the building to be turned off if the council member’s contractor is not willing to shutoff the main valve, the additional cost to have the Bod’s preferred plumber perform that service will be invoiced to the council member requesting the service. To avoid this additional cost the council member should simply hire the BOD’s preferred plumber, Howard Plumbing for all their plumbing needs.
  •  

• Parking Issues Committee

  • Form committee to analyze parking solutions for certain scenarios.
    • someone parked in my spot
    • someone continues to park in my spot
    • I’m having a party and need multiple spots for guests for the day / for the weekend
    • my home business has employees who meet me and park for the day
    • Can I park my commercial truck or car in my space or an unreserved space?
  • Due process must be followed for violators.
  • Neighborly approach first
  • solutions promoted
  • Motion seconded by: . Motion approved – ,  opposed.
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  •  

New Project Discussions:

• Natural property barriers perimeter for 2027 budget
• Engineer for 581 Basement reinforcement and completion.
• No trespass signage
• Spring 2026 inspection? Need issue tracking system in webpage before inspection can be performed (or volunteers to track and send emails for violations)
• Meeting room transformation to community room (2027)
• Homeowners 101 class(es) / web pages
• electronic email notices reminders

Open Forum