August 2009 Report

From the President

Well, there is only one more monthly meeting and one more annual meeting for me as President of CSHOA. It’s been very interesting, but it’s time for me to let somebody else have all the fun. I’ve decided that four years as president is enough and there are others in our community who are very capable and can lead us into the future. I hope to stick around and still participate by volunteering for a couple of committees if needed. There is some important work to be done in the next year or so to keep Chesapeake Station the wonderful place to live that it is. Volunteers are needed for committees as well as for the Board, so please sign up at the Annual Meeting to help the community. I would like to thank all those who have volunteered over the past four years, especially those who have been committee chairs. Without them, Chesapeake Station would not be able to function. We all owe them a great deal of thanks.

The Board would like to thank all who helped to make the July 4th celebration a great event and a safe evening in Chesapeake Station and the surrounding area. I think the fireworks keep getting better each year. Once again the volunteers who “manned the street” and accompanied the off-duty sheriff’s deputies should be commended. There were two organizers for that effort, Margie Hunter, and Maggie Schlehuber. A big Thank You to them both. I won’t list all the volunteers because I know I will miss some, but I do know that everybody appreciates their efforts to make the evening a safe one. Thanks to everybody for a safe and happy 4th of July in Chesapeake Station.

The flowers around the entrance sign at Mears Avenue and C Street have been planted, watered, and weeded all summer by Kathleen Scott. When you see Kathleen please thank her for a good job and a nice choice of flowers. They are very beautiful.

Our CSHOA annual meeting will be Saturday, September 12th at the Northeast Community Center. You will be receiving an official letter about this soon. Please mark your calendars for that day or send in your proxies if you cannot attend. We must have a majority (55 homeowners) before business can be done, such as the election of the new Board. For the last few years there have only been five candidates for the five positions. If you are the least bit interested in doing this volunteer work for Chesapeake Station as a board member, please contact the Nominating Committee Chair, Heidi Daniels. See more about the annual meeting and the issues to be voted on later in this newsletter.

Your 2009 Board has one more official meeting left in its tenure before the annual meeting, and I know I speak for all five of us, when I say it’s been an interesting year, with some ups and some downs, but we all have been glad to contribute positively to the health and welfare of Chesapeake Station, and we hope that you all think that we have done just that.

Jim Mulder

Important Issues on Annual Meeting Agenda

As always, the meeting Sept. 12 will elect members of the Board of Directors for the coming year. That’s plenty important in itself, but this year we will also be voting on two important amendments to our bylaws. One would allow the Association to charge late fees for past-due assessment payments. The second would reduce the quorum required for the Annual Meeting from 51 percent of the membership (representation from 55 of the 108 units) to 26 percent (28 units).

The late fees are simply a matter of fairness. The Association faces the expense of sending out late notices, in addition to the lost revenue when people don’t pay on time. This puts a burden on the great majority who do meet their obligations. Please see Treasurer Roland Schlehuber’s discussion of this subject in the April Newsletter. (Since then our lawyers have advised us that because this is a change to the bylaws, not the covenants, it can be enacted by a majority of those attending the Annual Meeting, rather than the two-thirds of all members cited in Roland’s account.) It’s also worth stressing another point that Roland made: We are sensitive to the economic times. Members having difficulty with their payments should contact Summit Management to work out a plan. But no one should be getting a free ride from their neighbors.

As to easing the quorum requirements: Our Annual Meeting comes at a busy time of year, and we often have to scramble to get 51 percent attendance. This amendment would ease a burden, but it doesn’t mean that the Board is in any way discouraging attendance at the Annual Meeting. We want you there, and we want you to participate. Moreover – and this may sound a little like the old joke about having to find your eyeglasses before you can look for them – we need a 51 percent quorum in order to have a vote on the 26 percent quorum. So it’s really important that you attend this year, or send in your proxy if you are unable to come to the meeting.

From the Architectural Committee

With warmer weather, the Architectural Committee has been very busy with applications for changes. On our recommendation the Board has approved three important amendments to Resolution Three:

• To keep up with changes in vinyl siding technology, Alcoa Dutch Lap siding is now approved in addition to the siding specified in the Resolution.
• Window and door trim may now be up to two shades lighter or darker than the siding color. This applies to both paint and vinyl colors.
• Because the availability of paint colors has changed, the following Sherman-Williams colors are added to the approved list: Chesapeake, with Driftwood window trim; and Sand Castle, with Summer Beige window trim.

These amendments don’t change the important general principle that if you plan to change the outside appearance of your property in any way, you must submit an application to the Architectural Committee.

Also, there has been some question about whether people could trim their trees, in light of the Town’s Critical Area Plan. Trimming trees is OK. It’s cutting them down that requires some planning, both with the town and with the Architectural Committee. If you have any questions on this or other matters, give Penny Schmidt, the Committee Chair, a call at 410-286-0071.

Grounds Committee Report

The summer so far has been rather uneventful, although we could use more rain right about now.

Our lawns are being beautifully maintained by Andino’s Lawn and Maintenance Service as provided for by the contract. In addition, general maintenance has been performed including trimming trees and shrubs that were encroaching on individual properties and obstructing our pathways. Weeding is ongoing including but not limited to the Berm area and along the waterfront.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful flowers planted by Kathy Scott in the community entrance bed at Mears and C Street as well as the flower display put in by Andino’s by the C Street parking lot entrance to the townhouses.

Lastly, please bring any questions or concerns relating to the common grounds to the attention of, Pam Johnson, at veritysailor@verizon.net or call Pam at 301-928-1082.

Social Committee Report

Participation in this year’s yard sale was tremendous. As an example of how things get around, I saw the Spanish vase I sold, to a stranger, at Rusty Kuhn’s house. The woman bought it for him to display his bead collection: Recycling at its best. Great thanks to Charlie Pritchard for advertising this and other events. And uber thanks to Julie Cook and Mike Kouvarakos for creating almost all of the outstanding flyers this year and helping with each event.

Our first ever Luau also was fantastic. Mary Ann Mills and Charlie P. set the tone with wonderful decorations that we can reuse if needed. Caroline Amsden led our feast by grocery shopping and making enough skewers to feed everyone. Her husband Joe and Jim Mulder manned the grills, and people brought wonderful dishes. Sharon and Rob Crow’s Mai Tais were refreshing, and my strawberry lemonade seemed to be a hit. Our appreciation also goes out to Betsy Gallun, Bill Leebel, and their friend Tim for their relaxing and enjoyable musical performance. Not to mention those residents who spontaneously graced us with song. Lots of children were in the limbo contest, and Kathy Scott donated many sand dollars for the kids to paint. The Hawaiian shirt contest was fun, and Jim Mulder was the winner. Lastly, much thanks to Debbie Wahl for photographing this event.

The social committee has enjoyed this year’s celebrations. Many of us wish to volunteer again. At the annual meeting, please provide us with feedback regarding your favorite events and ideas for new ones. – Heidi Daniels

Keep Pets Leashed – Cats, Too

Most of us know that Calvert County has a leash law for dogs. Not everyone may realize that the law also applies to cats. Here’s what it says: “Any dog or cat, when off the property of the owner, must be under the control of the owner or an authorized agent of the owner, capable of physically restraining the dog or cat.”

Some residents have noted cats roaming around Chesapeake Station, interfering with the birds many of us like to watch. Please comply with the law, which of course also requires dog owners to clean up after their pets. Cats, we’ll assume, are litter-box trained.

Tagged as: Chesapeake Beach, Chesapeake Station