Lake Linganore
Association, Inc.
June 7, 2004
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. at the LLA office. Board members present were: Alan Dinkelacker, Brandon Frazier, Brian Kopec, Lisa Rogers, and Grant Sheehan.
Board members absent were: Bill DiLoreta and Andrew Twillman.
The minutes of the May 5, 2004 board meeting were approved as written.
The minutes of the May 27, 2004 board executive session were approved as written.
Director Dinkelacker announced the following people as executive officers for the 2004-05 year: Alan Dinkelacker, president; Grant Sheehan, vice president; Andrew Twillman, secretary; Brandon Frazier, treasurer.
SECURITY— DFC Venzin said that there were a total of five reports of thefts from automobiles. He said that with summertime he expects that activity will be picking up as it usually does. He discussed the recent fire at the twin barns and said not much damage was done. DFC Venzin also noted that the additional deputy coverage had begun.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL COMMITTEE— GM Hembree introduced Doug Seligson as the new compliance administrator for the association. He said Mr. Seligson had a background in facilities management and was a resident of Eaglehead in Pinehurst.
FINANCE COMMITTEE— GM Hembree gave this month’s report because Mr. Frazier, the new treasurer, had not yet had an opportunity to meet with the finance committee. The GM said that financially the association is in proper shape. He said that the board had approved front funding roads and that additional reserve funds had been forwarded to the road maintenance account. Mr. Hembree said that the additional roadwork would be done in the fall. Director Sheehan asked why the county’s regular monthly payment to the LLA of State Highway User Revenue (SHUR) money varied so much in monthly reports. Mr. Hembree said that the county had agreed on a yearly payment of $52,000, with payments to the LLA to be done on a monthly basis but that with the amounts that the LLA had been paid to date it did not appear that the total amount paid to the LLA within the year would actually equal the $52,000. He added that he had not been able to find out what formula the county is using. Board members also asked about the amount of money paid by the county to the LLA to plow snow in Summerfield and Westwinds and asked Mr. Hembree to send a letter from the board requesting additional funds. Pres. Dinkelacker said it would be helpful to know how much the county is saving by having the LLA do the plowing before asking the county for additional funds. After further discussion, the board asked the GM to estimate the benefit of the other aspects of the county snow plowing deal (provision of salt and cinders, etc.) and determine our cost to plow Westwinds to determine what kind of money should be requested from the county for the snow plowing for the two villages.
COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE— LakeTalk editor Joy Gurley said that the committee will soon need to replace two members of the committee and encouraged anyone willing to serve on it to contact her.
TRAILBLAZERS COMMITTEE— Co-chairperson Katrinka Westendorf reported that the committee sponsored a trail hike outside of the community (Harper’s Ferry area) and that the activity went well.
Aspen— Committee chairperson Kathy Brown commented on a memo regarding concerns at the entrance at Aspen and Audubon North.
Nightingale— Village committee chairperson Chris Peduzzi did not attend the meeting but submitted a written report to be attached to the minutes of the June 7, 2004 meeting of the board of directors (see attached). Director Dinkelacker asked about the status of the topo maps that Mr. Peduzzi had requested and wondered whether the Lake Linganore Conservation Society (LLCS) had to approve distribution of those maps to Mr. Peduzzi. GM Hembree said that county staff person Terry Irwin had provided the needed map and that approval of the map needed did not require LLCS approval. It was determined that Mr. Peduzzi’s request for the stop sign would be done as a part of the master plan that he was doing for that village.
North Shore— though no chairperson was in attendance, LLA director Lisa Rogers said she had talked to parents in that village who were complaining that the mulch recently put into place on the tot lot there was cutting the feet of children who wore sandals to the playground. GM Hembree said that there is a more expensive grade of mulch to buy but that was not done and that the same grade of mulch was used in other tot lots and that no complaints had been received. Director Sheehan asked that the North Shore residents put their complaint in to a letter and send it to the GM. He also asked that the board be copied on that letter.
Westwinds— Resident Doris Teti reported for the village. She said that the LLA was not enforcing the LLA covenants in that village and that she had sent emails to staff about problems with ladders, signs, realtors signs, etc. and had not received a response. AGM Edwards said that he had received one complaint from Brian Lippy. GM Hembree said that it was his understanding that the LLA was not going to do any enforcement until the covenant and ECC issue was resolved between the attorneys and the LLA and the Westwinds HOA. Director Sheehan asked the GM to send a letter to WW HOA board president Brian Lippy outlining the things the association has responded to and the things it cannot respond to as yet. The GM said that he had talked to the developer who promised to shore up the Westwinds covenants. Mr. Hembree said that the WW HOA could enforce its covenants and ECC guidelines but that there was a possibility that it could be legally challenged. Director Sheehan said that the LLA covenants do not allow signs and that he thought it would be all right to act on this. Mrs. Teti said that notification of a violation would go a long way toward improving the situation in that village. She also reminded the board that the developer has a limited timeframe in which it could make the needed changes to the WW covenants and that the clock was ticking.
ASPEN & WOODRIDGE TREE PLAN— Pres. Dinkelacker said that one issue that Land Stewards has had in discussions about the draft of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) is that the plan was for phase one only. Mr. Dinkelacker said that Land Stewards believed the plan was for the entire village. He added that he had hesitations about agreeing that the MoU was for the entire village because the next section for development could be different and require different needs. Director Frazier said that paragraph three should have a timeframe. Director Sheehan asked when was the “point of turnover” and whether that was when the LLA would determine if Land Stewards had met its obligations. GM Hembree said that no timeframe was put in writing and it was his understanding that as the home was completed that was the time when trees would be planted.
Director Frazier said another of his concerns was when the LLA could draw against the bond. He asked what would be done if a lot was cleared and then subsequently never built on. Aspen village chairperson Kathy Brown said she felt the MoU should address both points, as to when a home is completed and when a lot is cleared. Director Sheehan suggested asking that Land Stewards set the time limit on when trees should be planted under both circumstances.
Discussion also focused on whether the MoU should be tied to any clearing plan related to Eaglehead Drive. Director Sheehan said that he believed the Eaglehead Drive plan was a separate item and that the item before the board had only to do with Woodridge and Aspen trees. Director Rogers said she felt the Aspen tree plan and the plan for Eaglehead Drive needed to go hand in hand in order to avoid what happened in Woodridge. LLCS president Charlotte Dusold said that Eaglehead Drive was owned by the LLA and that the LLA should determine what happens to its own property. GM Hembree reminded that the agreement could not be ratified until all other conditions and approvals are met so signing the MoU at hand would not permit Land Stewards to immediately go out and start cutting trees. He said a sediment and erosion control plan had been submitted and approved by the county before any work could begin.
MOTION: Director Frazier made a motion to add performance period to paragraph three and to add to paragraph eight that …contingent on LLA board approval on a tree plan for Eaglehead Drive. Director Rogers seconded the motion.
After much discussion, director Dinkelacker said that any sediment and erosion control plans related to an Eaglehead Drive tree-clearing plan was beyond the means of the LLA to accurately review. Mr. Frazier withdrew his motion.
MOTION: Director Frazier made a motion that a performance period be added to paragraph three. Director Sheehan seconded the motion. Director Sheehan said that the LLA should tell Land Stewards that it still has concerns regarding Eaglehead Drive and wants to have thorough discussions on the matter. It was also recommended that Land Stewards change the name of the MoU to Aspen Phase I. It was also decided to set up a meeting with Land Stewards to discuss stormwater management plans for Eaglehead Drive on Saturday morning.
VOTE: The board voted 4-0 in favor the MoU as drafted by LLA attorney Shelah Lynn with conditions.
ECC BoD LIAISON— It was decided that directors Rogers and Twillman would share the responsibility of serving as board liaison to the ECC.
BROSIUS DAM UPDATE— GM Hembree reported that the city of Frederick had selected a contractor for the rehab project and that within the next two weeks would be meeting with that company. He said the water in the lake would not be lowered until after September 15. Director Sheehan asked whether the board should revisit the security prohibitions on the dam. GM Hembree said that construction on the rehab project would automatically prohibit anyone on the dam.
ASPEN NORTH CDA— GM Hembree said that the engineering firm of Harris Smariga & Associates had been selected to do a feasibility study to determine the cost of a CDA to build roads, stormwater management and water and sewer lines in that village. The cost of the feasibility study is $8,500. LLCS president Charlotte Dusold noted that the LLA would possibly get that money back when the bonds are sold.
WESTWINDS LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS- GM Hembree said that Harris Smariga & Associates were writing a proposal to provide legal descriptions for land that has no description that could then be turned over to the LLA.
LLA OFFICE REHAB— GM Hembree said that he had just received the cost figures that day for the office rehab project. He said that to date $4,000 had been s pent on the project and that the costs were more than the $25,000 budget so some things would need to be cut. He said the next part of the project was cutting the holes in the walls to the additional space created for the filing cabinets and that would cost approximately $4,000. The board approved the additional $4,000 expense and wanted to review the rest of the proposal at the next board meeting.
DIMENSIONS LLC DESIGN FOR COMMUNITY CENTER— Dimensions llc, a local design/engineering firm that presented at the annual meeting a proposal for a new community center building, submitted a retainer agreement to the board for approval.
MOTION: Director Kopec made a motion to approve the proposal as submitted. Director Sheehan seconded the motion. Discussion: Because many of the permitting costs are still unknown, and an accurate building cost was not known and because there was no clear plan as to what the community wanted and whether the community could afford a new community center it would be more prudent to postpone signing the agreement until a plan could be detailed and presented.
VOTE: The board vote was as follows: 1 in favor of the motion, 3 against the motion.
BOYER’S MILL ROAD PROJECT— GM Hembree said that after talking with the county further on the matter, the LLA needed to set a public workshop on the project in order to avoid delaying the county’s timeline on the project. It was decided that a public workshop would be done on Saturday, July 17 at Deer Crossing Elementary School, which is the same day as the library referendum vote/meeting. In addition the workshop would include the Meadows pump station, which Mr. Hembree said was being pushed by the county’s CIP program.
LETTER TO COUNTY REGARDING A TWO-LANE EAGLEHEAD DRIVE— GM Hembree was directed to compose a letter to the county regarding the LLA position on keeping Eaglehead Drive a two-lane road instead of a four-lane road.
• Diane Shuey thanked the board for the work recently completed on the Lake Linganore trail where new surface material continues to be put down. She said she recently had an opportunity to visit the Ben’s Ford Bridge and that she liked it.
• Mark Gumbas said that his vehicle had been towed even though it had a vehicle sticker on it. He said that the towing company kept raising the towing fine and that a police escort had to be requested in order to get his car back. The board agreed to refund in this specific case any money over the $100 fine as per the current towing fee schedule with Precision Towing.
Director Rogers made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Director Kopec seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 10:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephen Hembree Andrew Twillman
LLA General Manager LLA Secretary