Montgomery Square Citizens' Association

Minutes of Board Meeting 3-16-06

The spring meeting of the MSCA Board of Directors was held at the home of the President, Bob Gross, on March 16, 2006.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:00. The Board discussed the upcoming printing of the community directory. Anne Stadnicki volunteers to put together the directory and have it printed at an estimated cost of about $850. Advertising revenue supplies about $600 of the cost, and Anne graciously subsidizes the rest in return for an ad placement. Bob volunteered to solicit additional advertisements from local merchants and the local pool clubs. A draft of the directory was shown, and a final round of updates – changes of information or ownership — were provided by the Treasurer, David Grossman from the dues renewal forms. David noted that a few checks were still coming in. He will supply a list of household not yet having paid, which will be given to Block Captains for a final collection push. The Board discussed whether to provide directories to all households, or only those that had paid dues. The decision was to continue the goodwill practice of providing the directory to all residents, encouraging them to give back in return, whether by dues or participation in the community governance.

Bob will be putting together a spring edition of the Tetragon, our community newsletter, which will thank those households who have paid dues on time. The Board acknowledged that there is always a chance of missing some names, but would do the best it can to get the list complete as of the cutoff date for publication.

The date for the annual meeting was set at May 15th, at 7:30-9:00 PM at Beverly Farms Elementary School. Bob is working on speakers. Volunteers for any positions on the Board or Committee Chairs are solicited and names should be volunteered to Tom Hall, Secretary, (301) 340-7491. We urgently need a Vice President, a Transportation Chair, and a Landscaping Chair.

The date for the community yard sale was moved to May 21st to avoid Mothers Day.

On landscaping, Bob will authorize the new landscaper to clean and mulch the beds and plant enough pansies to carry us over to the summer planting of annuals. Landscaping consumes the largest portion of our annual budget, but the Board agreed it was important to the character and value of homes in the community to keep the corners we maintain looking nice.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of Board Meeting 11-17-05

The fall meeting of the MSCA Board of Directors was held at the home of the President, Bob Gross, on November 17, 2005.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:00. The Board discussed landscaping first. Bob noted that the MSCA resident who had been doing this work, Bill Baruffi, had taken a job out of the area. The members expressed appreciation for the work Bill had done. Bob had obtained quotes from other firms doing landscaping in the area. A quote that was in the same range as our current expenses was received, and the Board voted to engage that contractor. Based on the delay in selecting a landscaper and to hold down costs for this winter, the Board agreed to skip the fall planting and to just maintain the beds neatly at this time.

The Board also reluctantly accepted the resignation of our Roads and Transportation chair, Bruce Avery, who could no longer serve in this capacity. That leaves several critical vacancies on the Board, and the Officers are actively seeking replacements as soon as possible. Vacant positions include the Vice President, Chair for Roads and Transportation, Editor of the Tetragon, and Chair for Improvements. If replacements cannot be found for departed members, sustaining the Association will be difficult. Alternatives were discussed and the decision was reached to solict for Officers and Board members in the December newsletter which we will publish shortly. If vacancies remain a problem, we will raise the issue at the Annual Meeting. Ideas for alternatives are solicited and may be presented for vote at the annual meeting.

The Association will start its annual dues collection effort with the December Tetragon. The dues will remain the same as last year, which will provide adequate revenue if the percent participation remains the same or can be increased.

Bob shared a letter that he had received from a representative of a neighboring citizens association about the development at Fortune Parc. The developers had notified the County planning office that they desired a change in the approved plan for development and had sent a very generic notice to the area’s several citizens associations. Upon inquiry, it developed that the change involved replacing two low-rise garden apartment buildings with two ten story condominium buildings. A hearing on the subject was fortunately postponed until December 8th, giving the associations time to prepare. The representative from the neighboring association solicited our support in expressing concern at the hearing. Based on the potential increase in traffic and higher skyline, the Board voted to support the concern and the Secretary will send a letter to the requestor so stating.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 5-23-05

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on May 23, 2005, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. He introduced the guest speaker for the evening, Mr. Tom Pogue, Community Outreach Manager, Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T.) Mr. Pogue went through a brief presentation of DPW&T and its various divisions. For example, the Division of Operations handles things like traffic signals, while the Divison of Capital Development is concerned with projects such as the Seven Locks Bikeway, even large projects such as Strathmore Hall. Mr. Pogue explained that while individual requests and letters to the County do get read, coordinated input from local Citizens Associations such as ours are the best way to get things moving. He ended by demonstrating the resources available through the Department’s web site:

Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation

Bob Gross then asked a few questions about local issues and opened the floor to questions from the members.

One question concerned snow removal (or lack thereof) for long periods after a snowfall, compared to other jurisdictions. Mr. Pogue clearly admitted that the County doesn’t pay to get clearing done compared to, say, the City of Rockville, where citizens pay extra taxes for city services. County road clearing is done by priority – the size and traffic volume of the roads, and our neighborhood courts are among the lowest priority. However, the County will improve communication about the status of road clearing with a new web site feature this winter, allowing residents to track the plowing status by zones and to report to the County if you believe you have been missed by accident.

Another question concerned the confusing flashing yellow light at Twin Oaks. Mr. Pogue answered that this is one of a few “pilot” sites for a proposed new traffic signal convention, part of a Federal Program. The meaning of the signal is simply “Use Caution,” but motorists report being unsure what it means, with some preparing to stop and even causing accidents. A letter with an opinion on the lights can be sent to DPW&T.

A recurring question about the new development at Fortune Parc, now named Park Potomac Place prompted discussion about traffic impacts. Mr. Pogue noted that this development is in the approved County Master Plan. The planning process considered the traffic impacts. A dedicated ramp to I-270 will help traffic from part of the development, but it is true that traffic from the townhomes (the “Brownstones”) will use Seven Locks and Montrose Roads.

In response to some of Bob Gross’s questions, Mr. Pogue covered the status of some local projects and issues. A Falls Road bike path to connect from the village to the path into Rockville from Dunster Road is in the facilities planning stage. Pedestrian signals have been improved with countdown timers at several intersections. Post Oak Road will be repaved sometime this year, one of the very few in the County to get repaved as budgets have run far behind the needs for paving operations in recent years. A discussion of repaving other areas, filling depressions and choosing quieter road surfaces continued from this question. In answer to other questions on taffic calming, complaints about trash in yards, etc., Mr. Pogue directed the members to the web site for rules and information and on how to contact the County on these subjects.

After thanking Mr. Pogue, Bob noted to the members present that these questions illustrate the need for someone to fill the Transportation Committe chair, currently vacant. A general call for new volunteers was also issued. Secretary Tom Hall announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. The standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions. There were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the remaining current slate was unanimous, but the Board continues to need a Vice President. Volunteers for this or any other position on the Board should contact the President at any time.

Bob Gross then quickly covered recent events and successes. The community yard sale was being scheduled for June 11 and 12, with voluntary contributions again solicited for charity. We will not hold a Block Party this year unless a new volunteer can be found to organize it. Last year’s successful event was enjoyed by many residents but the organizers are not free to run it again this year. Bob also covered the budget and fiscal health of the association. With over 200 dues paying residents, the Association raises enough money for significant landscaping and beautification all year long, plus special events such as the ones mentioned.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 4-14-2005

The MSCA Board met on April 14, 2005 at the home of the President, Bob Gross.

The treasurer had submitted his report in advance, indicating that approximately 160 households had paid dues, netting $8,155. The balance on hand in our account is around $9,500. We discussed the landscaping and noted that the pansies had come back for the most part. Bill Baruffi, who handles our landscaping, recommended we rake the mulch rather than replace it, and stay with the pansies until summer planting is due, in about the third week of May. This will save some money, and the Board concurred. We discussed the lansdscaping budget. Bob Gross will research costs further and we will set a target budget “not to exceed” amount within which landscaping operations must fit. For summer planting, deer-resistant plants will be preferred. The Board reviewed the upcoming calendar of events and adjusted some of the dates. The Block Party will have to be postponed because our organizer does not have time to plan and execute it at this time. The Yard Sale and Annual Meeting dates were not correctly computed in previous discussions and were set to the appropriate dates. The Yard Sale will be Sunday, May 15; and the Annual Meeting will be Monday, May 23rd. Ann Stadnicki will back-up Joan Clowes in making arrangements and Ann will get out a flyer with these dates and reminders on dues. We will also solicit for volunteers for Board Positions. The speaker for the Annual Meeting is still undetermined, but Bob will locate one and announce that shortly for the flyer. Bruce Avery discussed some issues with local roads that we had been able to resolve. He will follow up on some issues, including slurry coating for the southern portion of the community roads, and repairs to the walls at Post Oak and Seven Locks Roads. A question was raised by a resident about mosquito control. The Board decided that it was out of our charter to arrange any special spraying or other potentially controversial environmental actions. People with concerns may contact County or State authorities about health concerns from insects in our area. Bob thanked everyone for their support and adjourned the meeting.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 12-02-2004

The MSCA Board met on December 2, 2004 at the home of the President, Bob Gross.

We discussed the landscaping and noted that most of the planting of pansies this fall seem to have been consumed by deer. This problem did not appear to be so bad in prior years, and we will have to ask Bill Baruffi, who does the landscaping, to consider what plantings would be more resistant for the future. The Board considered some informal discussions that Bob had with our neighbors to the South, Regency Estates Citizens Association (RECA.) Once dormant, RECA is now quite active. Since the southern moiety of MSCA shares its public school boundaries with RECA, the question was raised whether realigning the citizens’ associations made sense. Some MSCA residents already join the Regency Estates pool, for example, instead of the Montgomery Square-Copenhaver pool. After discussion of various pros and cons, the sense of the Board was that we would not pursue any changes or mergers at this time. There are significant differences in construction, age and prices between the Kettler-built areas served by MSCA and the areas included in Regency Estates; and MSCA has been more aggressive in raising funds to improve landscaping, for example. However, attending one another’s meetings, sharing information, and supporting common areas of interest make a lot of sense and should be pursued. Bob announced that we would be trying to get out an issue of the Tetragon in late March or early April, in time to publicize the annual May events – the Community Yard Sale on May 1 (12:00-4:00PM), the Block Party on May 15 (1:00-4:00PM), and the Annual Meeting on May 24 (7:30-9:00 PM). We will try out a new idea suggested by a member to solicit for people willing to show off their houses, especially additions or remodelings, for a new “House Tour” day. We will be looking for someone to help organize such an event as well. We would also be interested in accepting classified ads, and Ann Stadnicki volunteered to take e-mails from anyone interested (mailto: a_stadnicki@yahoo.com) Bob reported on the progress of work by the County on some projects. He was able to get the County to extend and rebuild the retaining wall on the North side of the Post Oak Road and Seven Lock Road corner, with MSCA paying for material only and the County providing labor and design. Other projects have been delayed and he will continue to urge the County to finish them, including recoating the roads in the southern portion of the community as was done for the northern side last year. Bruce Avery will contact the County to get status on the Bike/Sidewalk study that a County representative spoke about at the last annual meeting. The suggestion was made to have another County speaker at this year’s annual meeting, perhaps from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, which offers many services, including handling complaints about various violations of residential zoning ordnances. (There are links to local county government web sites on the MSCA web page, www.montgomerysquare.org). Other possible topics for further investigation included the ICC, which is moving along, and developments planned in the area, including Fortune Park and new apartments next to the White Flint metro where the driving range once stood. Bob thanked everyone for their support and adjourned the meeting.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 5-17-04

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on May 17, 2004, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. He introduced two guest speakers for the evening.

The first speaker was Amy Gleklen, representing the relatively new Seven Locks Civic Association. This group was formed to be an umbrella organization for the many community associations and other interest groups spanning the length of Seven Locks Road. Their first major subject of interest has been bike lanes and sidewalks along the entire road, replacing the patchwork of paths and sidewalks that appear and disappear. The section from Bradley Boulevard to Democracy Lane was noted as being particularly dangerous. Bob Gross followed up on this discussion with descriptions of what we as MSCA had done to get the corners improved at Post Oak and at Gainsborough, including repaving sidewalks and improving drainage.

The second speaker was Tom Pogue, Community Outreach Manager, Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T.) Mr. Pogue explained that there is a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) project called Facility Planning, which is an umbrella project that looks at proposals and projects like the ones mentioned and costs them out. Thanks to the efforts of the Seven Locks Civic Association, the area in question will be looked at in the FY06 CIP Budget that starts in July 2005. Facility Planning will study and cost out any missing sidewalk links in that corridor. Once a cost figure is established a project can then be put in the CIP Budget. Also scheduled are about a half dozen traffic studies at various intersections along that corridor. The overall process for the Seven Locks Project planning was explained. Mr. Pogue entertained questions and left literature on the Department’s services for those interested.

During the question and answer session, the mystery of the digging along Montrose Road west of Seven Lock Road was solved – this was for a water/sewer main to the State Police barracks, but the contractor ran into rock and abandoned the project, forcing the County to go out for new proposals to do the work, which may take many more months to restart and complete. A status of the development effort at Fortune Park was also shared. The commercial sector development there has been postponed, but townhouse construction can start anytime now. Similarly, construction at the Potomac Crest property, across Seven Locks Road from Cabin John Mall, will begin this summer.

Secretary Tom Hall announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. Most standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions, except for the Vice President. There were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the remaining current slate was unanimous. The Board now needs a new Vice President. Volunteers for this or any other position on the Board should contact the President at any time.

Bob Gross then quickly covered recent events and successes. The community yard sale was again a big hit, generating sales for participating residents, who in turn donated $150 to the Stepping Stones Shelter. The Block Party surpassed all expectations, with great weather and an outstanding musical performance from a local band. Guests consumed 18 pizzas purchased from and delivered by Sienna’s Pizza. Bob also covered the budget and fiscal health of the association. With over 200 dues paying residents, the Association raises enough money for significant landscaping and beautification all year long, plus special events such as the ones mentioned.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming. Refreshments provided by Geppetto Catering, courtesy of owner and MSCA resident Josh Carin, were enjoyed by all.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 3-22-2004

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for Spring, 2004 was held March 22, 2004 at the home of President Bob Gross.

The Board discussed and planned upcoming events, listed on the Web Site and in our most recent newsletter, The Tetragon. The Yard Sale is on for May 2nd, Sunday, 12-4 PM. Bob said that Rob Doherty would get out a flyer on the yard sale. We have signs already made up but will need to overlay the dates. Bill Baruffi has the signs and will handle them. He will also look into getting extra “arrow” signs to point to sales. We wish to place ads in the Gazette, possibly the Regency Estates Newsletter (if inexpensive or done on a quid pro quo basis), and the Washington Post. Kim Ford will do the ad placements and will serve as the point of contact for people to e-mail or call to get marked on the maps in advance. As last year, we will ask for a $10 voluntary contribution to a charity (Stepping Stones) by those participating.

The next major event will be the Block Party. Rob has arranged for the street (Henry Fleet) to be closed with County permission. Bob will ask Joan Clowes to serve as the POC for sign ups for the party, also listed on the flyer with the yard sale and annual meeting notice. Rob may get a band to play. We discussed extensively whether we could provide food, but decided that liability was a concern. Ideally we can get a pizza provider to sell at a discount per slice, and we can provide soda and safely packaged snacks. We can ask Josh Carin if he is interested in supplying food in some capacity. Other ideas included having an Ice Cream Truck come. A pot luck might work as well. The Board set a $500 target to be used for the budget for the party, which might also cover minor entertainment for kids – balloon figure-making, face-painting, etc. The Board will defer to Rob and Joan for planning within that budget or coming back with reasons for other expenses first.

The last major event discussed was the Annual Meeting. It will be held May 17th at 7:30 at Beverly Farms Elementary school. Bob will contact the Gazette to list the meeting in their calendar of events. We can start setting up at 7:00. Tom Hall will serve as the POC for people to call and nominate themselves for the Board. We will have reports from the officers and elections. For a speaker, we will try to get the developers from Fortune Park to describe that project as they did for a Board meeting last year.

Ann Stadnicki reported on the status of the Directory publication effort. She needs final updates from David Grossman as he gets dues contributions with update forms. Kim said she would e-mail Block Captains to ask if anyone new had moved in recently and could be listed. Half the cost of printing will be borne by Ann’s company in return for first choice in advertising placement. Ads for other places will be sold and some are still available. Prices include $25 (business card size), $75 for half page, $100 for full page, and $150 for inside covers.

A few updates on local projects were provided by Bob. We still believe the County will resurface, with slurry, the southern motie of MSCA similar to the way the northern motie was done last year. There are somewhat conflicting planning activities for the Seven Lock Road corridor, with a major bikeway and sidewalk study being pushed. This may actually delay some improvement work that the County was willing to do at our behest. There are some repairs needed at the corner of Post Oak and Seven Locks.

Lastly the Board discussed landscaping plans and costs. The Board authorized Bill Baruffi to proceed as discussed and the budget appears adequate for the work. We will try another push with Block Captains to increase the percentage of dues-paying members, but we already have enough to proceed with the landscaping with over 170 members paid to date.

Minutes of MSCA Board Meeting 10-08-2003

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for Fall, 2003 was held October 8, 2003 at the home of Vice President Kim Ford.

President Bob Gross provided updates on area improvement projects. The promised work on the west side of Seven Locks Road have been completed. A few corrections to the work were discussed and Bob will ask the county that these changes be made. We may need to fill in some plantings after the county work is done, which Improvements Chair Bill Baruffi will see to. Similar improvements of the east side of the road are under consideration by the county.

The repaving (slurry coating) of the Northern portion of our Community was completed by the County. At last report from the County, repaving the Southern portion may be done next summer.

Bob introduced Rob Dougherty who has volunteered to edit and handle publication of our newsletter, The Tetragon. Rob is an experienced writer, editor and manager in the Reuters organization who will be of enormous help to our publication.

Dues collection was proceedign at a good pace. Having Block Captains hand out flyers and ask for dues helps. This year we would like to republish the MSCA Directory, based on the information sheets from dues collection efforts. We would like to put more history into the directory if anyone has anything written or is willing to write about MSCA from the beginning. Several ideas for the next newsletter were offered, including: reminders about not leaving leaves at the curb – there is no curbside collection; road construction updates; Fortune Park updates; and soliciting for a web site editor. Bob will contact the Churchill High School business club to see what they have to offer in web design services as well.

Minutes of MSCA Annual Meeting 6-02-03

The annual meeting of MSCA was held at Beverly Farms elementary school on June 2, 2003, as publicized in advance and in accordance with our bylaws.

Bob Gross, President, opened the meeting at 7:30. In his President’s report, Bob highlighted the association’s accomplishments for the year, and thanked the Officers and Committee chairs for their efforts. Membership partipation rates in paying dues continued to hold steady, with net income rising sufficiently to continue our program of improvements to the community. To this end, the association engaged Allentuck Landscaping this year to improve the flowers and shrubs at our entrances. We have since gotten a lot of positive feedback about the changes. This year also saw a revitalization of the block captain system, which we use to communicate with the members in various ways. We held a holiday party and the annual yard sale, which again raised money for a local charity, Stepping Stones. Information about new developments at Fortune Park was relayed to the members and is available on our web site under the meeting minutes from April, 2003. A campaign to improve the local roads has started to bear fruit, with reconstruction of curbs and corners on Seven Lock Road scheduled, as well as resurfacing of the asphalt in Montgomery Square itself.

The community was again fortunate this year to have two guest speakers of interest to the members. Returning to speak was Delegate Jean Cryor, our incumbent Republican representative in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Cryor was joined by new delegate, Democrat Bryan Feldman. The two legislators discussed their varying viewpoints on working with our new Governor, and a substantially new cast of players at the state level. About one third of the General Assembly turned over to new members, and the Speaker of the House lost his bid for re-election in his home district. The pace of business has slowed somewhat because of the turnover, and because the balance of power is more evenly split between a Republican as Governor and the Democratic majority in the legislature. Issues discussed included the rapid growth in the area, studies of transportation alternatives, the CareFirst (Blue Cross Blue Shield) potential sale for profit which was opposed by the state, and others. The speakers differed on taxes and what the Governor’s intentions might be on raising revenue, including such controversial means as the “car tax,” a tax on HMOs, tobacco taxes, and borrowing from the highway trust funds. The members present enjoyed a chance to interact with their representatives, offering advice on issues such as the ICC, slot machines, local programs by businesses to support schools, reducing government waste, and the desirability of better public transportation.

Secretary Tom Hall then announced the results of the call for nominations for officers of the association. All standing officers volunteered to continue in their positions, and there were no new nominees offered. Re-election of the current slate was unanimous. The need continues for a volunteer Webmaster. Volunteers for this or any other position on the Board should contact the President at any time.

In closing, the President thanked everyone for coming. Refreshments provided by Geppetto Catering, courtesy of owner and MSCA resident Josh Carin, were enjoyed by all.

Meeting was adjourned.

Minutes of MSCA Board 04-08-2003

The regular meeting of the MSCA Board for April, 2003 was held April 4, 2003 at the home of Vice President Kim Ford.

Plans for upcoming events were discussed first. The annual yard sale was set for May 4. Maps will be given to Block Captains along with flyers to help them remind homeowners that dues are to be paid. We will have a new banner for the yard sale that Kim will pick up.

The Board asked Secretary, Tom Hall, to add Block Captains to the MSCA web site, to show the address ranges and street names for which they are responsible.

Landscaping proposals were reviewed. The Board discussed whether we would be willing to accept a discounted offer if it meant displaying a sign advertising the landscaping company. The decision was that a permanent sign was not desirable, but the normal temporary sort of signs could be used. A similar proposal to discount the cost of new entry signs was discussed as well, but deferred for further investigation. Several Board members would like to pursue signs at Montrose Road and Whites Ford Way. The decision was made to contract for landscaping, including mulching and replanting several areas. A new Improvements Chair, Bill Baruffi, was approved by the Board, which also thanked our outgoing Chair, Josh Carin.

President Bob Gross reported on conversations with county officials on improvements to Seven Locks Road. Work has been scheduled to improve the corners at Seven Locks Road and Postoak Road, as well as at Gainsborough Road. Existing holes caused by traffic cutting the corner will be filled, a retaining wall will be built and the bus stop and sidewalk will be improved.

Lastly, the Board discussed the scheduled Annual Meeting of MSCA. It will be held June 2, 2003 in the multipurpose room of Beverly Farms Elementary School. Kim Ford will arrange the room reservations. Treasurer David Grossman volunteered to call local elected representatives who may be willing to speak at the event.