CSHOA Community News

The annual Chesapeake Station neighborhood Christmas Caroling Stroll-Along is Sunday, December 14th, starting at 5 p.m.

We will meet at the Overlook parking lot, and finish up with a gathering for adult carolers at Charlie Pritchard’s house, 4006 Carousel Way.

Bring your voices, gloves, hats, flashlights, and bells, if you have them!

Dear Neighbors,

Please allow us to interrupt your summer for a serious message about two important issues that are related to each other: money and the need for CSHOA volunteers.

The June newsletter contained information about the state of our Reserve Fund. In case you missed it, a copy is posted below on this site or click here. If you need another electronic copy of the Reserve Study, you can get it by sending an email to George Newman, CSHOA secretary, at newfair@verizon.net. The bottom line is that if we want a Reserve Fund adequate for our needs, we’re going to have to raise some money, probably by means of a special assessment. The Board is empowered to impose such an assessment without seeking member approval. However, we plan to encourage discussion of this issue at our annual general meeting on Sept. 6. We also plan a referendum to get a sense of the community. This will be an advisory vote, not binding. Eventually the 2008-09 Board, to be elected at the meeting, will have to decide on a course of action.

That brings us to volunteerism. Several Board members will be leaving their posts in September. We need people to run for their seats. Ideally, we’d like to have enough candidates so that the members can consider differing points of view in a competitive election. But we absolutely must have a Board of Directors. We also need committee volunteers. CSHOA has a proud tradition of community involvement, and we’re grateful to those who do volunteer. Notably, we had an excellent Independence Day celebration, thanks to those who gave their time on a warm evening to help with traffic control. But we need more volunteers. You can sign up at the general meeting, but please take the opportunity before then to contact a Board member — contact information is in every newsletter — about volunteering and especially about running for the Board. Please talk up these issues with your neighbors. We want lots of well-informed people at the meeting. If you have neighbors who aren’t yet on our email list, please encourage them to join it by sending an email to newfair@verizon.net

Many thanks for your time in reading this. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Your CSHOA Board

Letter from Jim Mulder, President, Chesapeake Station Homeowners Association:

Aren’t we blessed to be living so close to this wonderful, relaxing, scenic Bay? With such a great community it’s too easy to take it all for granted, but it takes a lot of folks to keep it that way. Each of us has a responsibility to be a good neighbor as well as a good steward of the environment. Please do your part and volunteer for our community efforts for the Chesapeake Beach Fireworks Celebration on Thursday, July 3rd. Volunteer opportunities are explained later in this newsletter.

This is the first year that CSHOA has set up a quarterly payment method for annual assessment, and we are well into the second quarter. Most everybody is doing their part to keep CSHOA finances in good shape, but several CSHOA neighbors are late in paying their duties, including a few who, as of mid-May, have not paid anything for 2008, and have not responded to reminder notices. If an attorney gets involved, it gets really expensive because the delinquent homeowner pays all the extra collection, recording and attorney’s fees. Please call Brenda Conway, of Summit Management at 703-360-0904 to settle your account if you are not current on your assessments.

I have several other examples of what being good neighbors is all about. First, Please put your household trash and yard waste out only the day before trash day, and put it by the curb at your home. Some folks have been putting it where the town doesn’t expect trash to be, and they will more than likely not pick it up. Make sure your trash is secure. On windy days it will blow right into the Bay. Note that the town only picks up yard waste in clear bags (not black), and tree limbs, branches and twigs must be tied in bundles. In addition, if you have something that won’t fit into your trash can (larger or odd size) you must call Town Hall (410-257-2230) for special pick up. Be a good neighbor and make the proper arrangements so it doesn’t sit there for days or even weeks.

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Tags: Chesapeake Station

Volunteers needed

You will soon receive, if you haven’t already, a letter from President Jim Mulder outlining procedures for distributing parking passes for the night of July 3, when CSHOA residents and their guests gather to watch the Independence-eve fireworks over Chesapeake Bay.  We want you to enjoy the show with as many visitors as you can handle. At the same time, we have an obligation to limit the number of guest vehicles, so we can keep streets open for general safety and maintain a path for emergency vehicles.

Please read Jim’s letter carefully. (If you haven’t received it by June 9, contact Jim or Board Secretary George Newman for a copy.)  Basically the distribution will work the same way as it did last year, with one important addition: When vehicles enter with guest passes, the folks at the gates will tear off a stub from the pass.  This is to prevent passes from being “recycled,” which defeats their purpose.

You can help this system work.  Please:

• Don’t ask for passes unless you intend to use them.  If your plans change, give your passes to someone who needs them or return them to the Board.
• Plan ahead.  Get passes to your guests in plenty of time. When practical, have guests carpool.  This saves passes, parking spaces and gasoline.  If your guests are arriving early, consider having them park in public areas and walk into Chesapeake Station.  A new option this year is the Beach Trolley, described by Jim in his message in this newsletter. 
• Understand that if your guests don’t have a parking pass, their vehicle will not be admitted even if you vouch for them.  (If you are unable to get the pass to them in advance, you can meet them at the entrance with it.)
• Remember that you are responsible for the conduct and safety of your guests. That includes watching where they park and making sure that they have a designated driver, if needed.
• Make sure your own cars have CSHOA parking stickers so you aren’t stopped.  If you need a sticker, contact Margie Hunter at 410-257-5647.  (But please don’t try to give your sticker to a guest.)

Many thanks for your cooperation.

Aren’t we blessed to be living so close to this wonderful, relaxing, scenic Bay?  With such a great community it’s too easy to take it all for granted, but it takes a lot of folks to keep it that way. Each of us has a responsibility to be a good neighbor as well as a good steward of the environment.

Please do your part and volunteer for our community efforts for the Chesapeake Beach Fireworks Celebration on Thursday, July 3.Volunteer opportunities are explained later in this newsletter.

This is the first year that CSHOA has set up a quarterly payment method for annual assessment, and we are well into the second quarter.  Most everybody is doing their part to keep CSHOA finances in good shape, but several CSHOA neighbors are late in paying their duties, including a few who, as of mid-May, have not paid anything for 2008, and have not responded to reminder notices.  If an attorney gets involved, it gets really expensive because the delinquent homeowner pays all the extra collection, recording and attorney’s fees. Please call Brenda Conway, of Summit Management at 703-360-0904 to settle your account if you are not current on your assessments.

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You can download and view the Mason & Mason 2008 Condition Assessment and Reserve Fund Plan Update for Chesapeake Station by clicking here.

On Friday evening, March 28, our community experienced vandalism. Specifically:

• Vandals destroyed the solar lights along the walkway below the Overlook Friday night, and the sign at the Overlook was stolen.
• A bench from the bay front walkway was thrown onto the beach. It has been retrieved and reinstalled.
• There has been at least one report of a solar light missing from private property.

There may be more damage. The aforementioned three occurrences have been reported to the sheriff. Please check your property and report anything missing or damaged to the Sheriff’s Department at its non-emergency number, 410-535-2800. Refer to Case #08-27471.

The deputy assigned to our community, Brian Tilleay can be contacted during Town Hall business hours at 410-257-2230.

Please be alert to suspicious behavior. Remember “911” is available all day, everyday for emergency issues.

Thank you — CSHOA Board

The seasons go by so fast, soon it will be time to enjoy the Bay in the warmth of the springtime sun, but these cold crisp nights are beautiful. We truly are blessed to live at the Bay‘s edge.

The Board and I owe you all a big apology for the way the 2008 assessments and the coupon mailings were handled. There are lots of circumstances that aligned to cause this to not work out the first time, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that. It is important to know that the mistakes are fixed, both with the coupons and with our 2008 budget. The corrected 2008 budget is on Pages 5-6 of this newsletter. The mailing of the new coupons was completed and everybody was given extra time to pay the first installment on the 2008 assessment. If you have paid using the first set of coupons, or sent in your payment without any coupons, please call Brenda Conway at 703-360-0904 or send her an email at Brenda@summitmanage.com and she will help you get things straightened out.

Brenda has brought significant experience and input into how we as CSHOA should be conducting our business. The Board of Directors is very pleased to have her continue as our financial services provider in 2008. Please feel free to contact her if you have any questions.
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You have received, or will be receiving soon, payment books for your 2008 assessment.  Unfortunately, there is an error in the assessment amount.  The year’s total should be $719.80 for townhomes and $678.00 for other homes.  PLEASE DO NOT USE THE COUPONS.  You will receive a new set in about a week.  Because of this error, the due date for the first payment will be extended to Jan. 25.  If you have sent an authorization form to have your bank account automatically debited, be assured that the  debit amount will reflect the correct assessment.  If you have already sent in a coupon  (or all four coupons if  paying the  entire 2008 assessment), you will receive a refund.  We very much regret the inconvenience this error has caused and thank you for your patience.

CSHOA Board

Some CSHOA members were confused by the recent mailing regarding 2008 assessments because the package did not include an invoice.   There will be a second mailing with coupon books for quarterly payments, as discussed in the November CSHOA Newsletter.  

The total assessment will be $724.00 ($574.00 plus $150 “special assessment” for repayment of the SBA loan), plus an additional $38 for townhouses, per the 2008 budget in the mailing.  

The “Authorization Agreement for Direct Payments” included in the mailing is for those who would like to have quarterly payments automatically deducted from their bank accounts. The Board apologizes for the confusion and thanks you for your patience.