by Mike Conroy
Over the last several years, Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) has promoted the benefits and amenities of Montgomery Village, the diversity of housing, pride in community and Village events to county residents, area visitors and the local community. The main vehicle for this campaign has been the full color Flourish magazine. The previous two issues have been distributed around the county and have received high praise as a great tool to showcase Montgomery Village.
The first issue was dedicated to promoting amenities and all aspects of the community, not just those amenities under MVF purview. The second volume covered our most important resource: our residents. Articles highlighted current and former resident success stories, and also took a look at how the community is changing and being updated, offering readers an idea of how investing in the community is paying off.
The third installment focuses on our community history and the 50th Anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2016. Articles of interest include historical information, current projects and a commitment to the future. It draws parallels to the visions of both the Kettler Brothers and the current MVF Board of Directors—how careful planning can lead to a vibrant community for half a century.
As was done in previous years, the magazine will not be distributed with the Village News, but copies will be available at the MVF Office, 10120 Apple Ridge Road, if residents would like one. It will also be available electronically at the www.flourishmv.com website. The publication will be distributed to the general public at places like area hotels and doctors’ offices, and left with local employers and realtors to use when helping newcomers to the area find homes.
For more information or comments about the magazine, contact Director of Communications Mike Conroy at 240-243-2331 or e-mail
Winter break is just around the corner. Don’t let the time slip away without doing something memorable! Kids in grades 6 through 9 are in for a full day of fun at Lake Marion Community Center (LMCC) and Shadowland Adventures.
On Wednesday, Dec. 30, come to LMCC, 8821 East Village Avenue, at 9 a.m. to enjoy games and group activities in the gym before boarding the bus at 10:30 a.m. for the short trip to Shadowland Adventures for laser tag. Everyone will play two games of laser tag and have an opportunity to eat lunch (bring your own). Then we will head back to Lake Marion for more action in the gym with basketball, volleyball, a rousing game of kickball and more!
Full day participants will be released at 4 p.m. An extended-day option is available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A limited space trip-only option is available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The full day cost (including trip) is $49/Resident and $59/Non-resident. The trip only cost is $29/Resident and $39/Non-resident. Extended-day for those enrolled in the full day $15.
For more information, contact Avery Watkins at 240-243-2367 or e-mail
The Architectural Standards (AS) Department has provided the Village with a variety of resources to assist and support homeowners with their many exterior property changes or architectural needs. Below are listed many of these informational resources available to all online, at the Montgomery Village Foundation Office and through many of our dedicated individuals.
Village News
Various feature articles are written by the Architectural Standards review and compliance staff throughout the year to update and notify homeowners about changes within their community or the Village itself. These articles contain informative features ranging from community door styles to proactive compliance schedules. Other architectural articles are generated from various questions the department receives on a daily basis. Also, all Architectural Review Board (ARB) decisions are published following each scheduled ARB meeting and may be found on the Architectural Standards page.
Website
The MVF website is a wonderful source for many Architectural Standards items and issues. Resources within the website include all architectural articles in the Village News, community criteria for all 65 communities, Village-wide guidelines, checklists, the Step-by-Step Guide to the architectural process, and other frequently asked questions. Residents can also submit a Property Improvement Request online.
ARB
The Architectural Review Board is an excellent source of information when applying for an exterior change. Their individual and collective wealth of architectural knowledge upon review brings invaluable assistance to each homeowner, each community and the Village as a whole.
MVF Design Consultant
Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) employs a part-time consultant, George Smith, who has been with the Village from almost day one. His major role is to assist in the color and material changes throughout the Village and is the “go to” person for all major replacement materials. His knowledge and assistance over the years has been invaluable to the Village.
The annual Architectural Standards
Home Show
This annual spring show features the Architectural Standards Department staff, the ARB and the design consultant, as well as numerous exterior contractors. The show provides homeowners and families with educational information concerning the architectural standards process as well as providing them with the opportunity to connect with many contractors.
The 2016 Home Show has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 at Lake Marion Community Center, 8821 East Village Avenue. Be sure to mark your calendar!
With the change to the new Montgomery Village website, residents are encouraged to sign up for a resident account to access both community and personal homeowner information. The new website eliminated long, hard-to-use menus and pages cluttered with information, and replaced them with streamlined menus, breadcrumb trails and accordion-style page layouts that contain useful information in an organized manner.
One major change from the previous website is the location of community information, including association policies, meeting minutes, board of directors information and architectural criteria. While each association has a basic page on the outward facing site, the detailed information is contained on the resident dashboard, and accessed by logging in. This reorganization aims to have more resident interaction on the website, and provides homeowners with only the information pertinent to their association and property. Residents with multiple properties are able to switch between properties inside their dashboard, having all their properties’ information in one convenient place.
In addition to local association information, homeowners will also have access to ARB decisions for improvements to their property; Architectural and Covenant Violations; Recurring Charges; Transaction History, including balance due or account credits; and their Member Profile. This information is only viewable to residents with verified homeowner status. Renters will be granted access to view community documents, but not property information.
To sign up for an account, click the “Join” link in the upper right hand corner of the website. After the account is verified by staff, residents will receive an e-mail alerting them to account approval. Once logged in, residents can click the “My Account” link in the upper right hand corner to access documents and property information.
In addition to the Resident Dashboard, residents can also elect to receive SMS/Text Alerts when they sign up for an account. This service will provide the Montgomery Village Foundation one more convenient way to send important community information about events, closures, reminders and more directly to residents.
As with any change, there will be an adjustment period while residents and staff get used to the new website and dashboard layout. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. Please send your feedback to Director of Communications Mike Conroy at 240-243-2331 or e-mail
by Mike Conroy
Following a reception honoring and thanking the volunteers who serve on homes corporation and condominium association boards and Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) committees, the MVF Board met for the final time in 2015.
President’s Remarks
MVF Board President John Driscoll thanked staff and the community for another successful Christmas Tree Lighting, noting it is one of his favorite community events. He also discussed two recent county meetings he attended, and was encouraged by how members of the community acted at each.
Driscoll said that at the recent master plan hearing, he noticed that each speaker was prepared and concise, no matter their position on a particular issue. He echoed a statement from Residents Time, calling Village residents informed and educated about the subject matter. Driscoll also mentioned continued meetings to address safety and noise issues at the Montgomery County Airpark, and encouraged the full MVF Board to attend the next meeting.
EVP Report
EVP Dave Humpton alerted the Board to the fact that the large dredging equipment at Lake Whetstone was being removed, though the project was not complete. He said smaller equipment will be used to finish the job, hopefully before the end of the year. Humpton also noted that the restrooms and concession stand in South Valley Park were nearing completion, and would be operational in the spring.
Humpton said that the legislative session would soon be upon us, and that he and General Counsel Christopher Hitchens would keep a close eye on legislation that would affect the Village, as has been done in the past. He did mention that changes were coming to the CCOC, which would increase homeowner taxes. The county agency is being moved to a new department and being staffed at a higher rate, to help with homeowner/association issues.
Agenda Items
Starting the action list with personnel-related items, the Board authorized the EVP to negotiate and execute contracts for both 2016 Insurance and Employee Health Care Insurance. The Board also appointed Patrick Berger to the Investment Committee, to fill a vacancy that had been open for some time.
In other committee-related items, updates to the Advertising Agreement, as recommended by the Communications Committee, were approved. Upon recommendation of the Architectural Review Board (ARB), new Patio and Balcony Door Guidelines and Exterior/Holiday Light Guidelines were also approved. These guidelines are new, establishing procedures and details for installing both doors and holiday decorations.
Also with regard to committees, the Board discussed and then approved adding language to all MVF committee guidelines concerning Standards of Conduct for committee members and responsibilities of the Committee Chair. These issues were discussed at the 2015 MVF Board Retreat and are designed to help keep committee meetings productive and positive.
In Recreation matters, the Board authorized the EVP to negotiate and execute a contract for the Apple Ridge Pool Renovation project with Keller Construction Management for $2,273,256. The bid for purchase of a replacement vehicle for an older maintenance truck was also approved. The new vehicle will be a versatile utility wagon that can transport covered supplies, equipment or passengers.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Beth-Ellen Berry reported on MVF’s financial health for the month of October and the year-to-date (YTD). Berry said Revenue was under the budget both for the month and YTD. Major drivers for this are Assessment Fees, Camp and Classes and Investments; investments are rebounding slowly with low returns after a few months of volatility in the market. Pool Memberships, Capital Contribution Fees (CCF) and Disclosure Fees are trending favorable to the budget.
Personnel expenses are favorable to the budget by $168,943 YTD, mostly due to vacancies throughout the year and lower than expected summer wages. Most vacant positions have been filled. Total Operating Costs are favorable to the budget by $26,585 for the month and $227,606 YTD.
Contributions to Reserves (CTR) have been made in accordance with the budget. In October, $82,254 was transferred to Reserves, bringing the 10-month total CTR to $822,542. The CFF also saw another $15,431 for the month and totals $122,004 YTD. Berry noted approximately $652,000 has been spent to replace reserve assets YTD.
Net Income for the month was $168,479 and totals $749,721 YTD. This is favorable to the budget by approximately $205,000; trends show that the budget will remain favorable by the year’s end. Berry said that because of this anticipated favorable variance, the Board decided not to increase the MVF Fund assessment in 2016 (the Designated User assessment increase was approved).
As of October 31, the Balance sheet shows MVF’s continued solid financial position. MVF has just under $8 million in Cash and Investments, with $1.8 million in Undesignated Reserves and over $6 million in Designated Reserves.
Next Meeting
The next MVF Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 in the North Creek Board Room, 20125 Arrowhead Road. This meeting is open to the public, and residents are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Residents are invited to “Meet the Candidates” at 7 p.m., and the regular Residents Time begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.