Committee members, chairs reaffirmed at April MVF Board meeting

In any given year, more than 150 volunteers in the community fill positions on the boards of directors and committees, providing oversight and advice and helping make decisions that keep neighborhoods and Montgomery Village as a whole, the best it can be. Each year, the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Board of Directors looks to its standing and advisory committees for their expertise on matters that affect all Village residents. Also, annually, the MVF Board reaffirms the members who are eligible to serve on those committees.

At the April 24 MVF Board meeting, current members who wished to remain involved on all MVF committees were unanimously reaffirmed, noting the volunteerism demonstrated in the community. Additionally, committee chair and vice chair recommendations were also approved; full committee lists, including chair/vice chair positions can be viewed online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/mvf/committees.

Other Agenda Items

The MVF Board awarded an asphalt parking lot repair project at Lake Marion Community Center, Montgomery Village Foundation Office Maintenance Yard and South Valley Park to Total Asphalt Maintenance LLC at a total cost of $37,950, with an additional 10% for unforeseen circumstances.

The MVF Board also awarded an asphalt path repair project at Lake Marion and Lake Whetstone to O’Leary Asphalt Inc LLC at a cost of $23,560, with an additional 10% for unforeseen circumstances.

The MVF Board declared a director’s seat to be vacant due to the resignation of Pamela Bort from the Board, and directed staff to advertise to fill the vacancy, in compliance with the Board-approved MVF Procedures to Declare and Fill an Unexpired Term on the MVF Board of Directors. To apply for the MVF Board, see the Board Vacancy article here.

President’s Remarks

President Ayres presented a Community Service Award to Karen Neilson who departed the Recreation Committee after 17 years of dedicated service, including multiple years as committee chair. Ayres also presented a Community Service Award to Senator Nancy King who departed the Election Committee after 28 years of dedicated service.

EVP Report

EVP Mike Conroy reported that the homeless encampment at the rear of Horizon Run Condominiums had been removed.

He reminded the Board that the State Highway Administration (SHA) scheduled a workshop to display their proposed intersection improvements from 355 to Midcounty Highway on Monday, May 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Flower Hill Elementary School, 18425 Flower Hill Way, Gaithersburg, 20879. See the article about the SHA workshop here.

He noted the annual Board Retreat was scheduled to be in person on Saturday, June 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Whetstone Community Center, 19140 Brooke Grove Court.

Following the conclusion of the 247^th Marland Legislative Session, Conroy reported that all four of the bills that MVF staff were following closely never left the committee stage. The bills included: the increase in the owner-paid portion of condominium insurance deductibles (increasing from $10,000 to $25,000); the authority for condominium boards to increase a budget by 5% without owner approval if required (MVF-initiated bill); the Manager’s Licensing Bill; and the Homeowner’s Bill of Rights.

Conroy reported that installation of the solar panels on MVF facilities has been completed. Additionally, the first Pepco interconnection agreement was received, and the others are expected to follow quickly. The agreements help establish connection to the power grid; functional panels will help MVF begin realizing energy savings in the second half of this year. He said a ribbon cutting would be scheduled in the near future. Learn more about the solar panel installations here.

Treasurer’s Report

CFO Daniel Salazar presented the Treasurer’s Report for the year-to-date (YTD) and month ending March 31, 2025, reporting that overall, all MVF funds were favorable to the budget. Net Income was reported favorable by about $200,000, due to Revenues from Camps and Classes ($84,000), Grant Revenues ($49,000) and Miscellaneous Revenues ($35,000 due to a Pepco rebate), as well as lower Personnel and Operating Costs by about $27,000 and $73,000, respectively.

Salazar noted Total Revenue was $2,708,811 and Operating Expenses were $2,271,371 through March; both were favorable to the budget. He said Capital Contribution Fees were $56,030 versus $94,375 budgeted for 2025.

He said the Balance Sheet continues to reflect MVF’s strong financial position with $13.8 million held in Cash and Investments and $3.45 million in Undesignated Reserves. Assessment Receivables saw an increase of 4.9%, and the Delinquency Rate for March was reported at 9.4% (796 units), which is 1.0% higher than the 10-year average for the month of March and about 1.0% higher than the previous year.

Before the agenda was presented, there were two presentations to the MVF Board. Representatives from Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) provided their proposed pedestrian intersection improvements along Montgomery Village Avenue, from Midcounty Highway to Wightman Road and answered questions. See the MCDOT article here.

In the second presentation, Senator Nancy King and District 39 Delegates Greg Wims, Lesley Lopez and Gabriel Acevero briefed the Board on the recently concluded 2025 Legislative Session and what bills each was able to pass in the legislature. Locally, King was able to secure additional funding for the Centerway Skate Spot; bocce courts at William Hurley Park and Lake Whetstone; and $500,000 for a playground, walking paths, adjacent parking logs, shade tree landscaping and more to Patsy Huson Ballfield. She added that District 39 also worked with colleagues in District 17 to expand the Gaithersburg Municipal Complex.

Next Meeting

The next MVF Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22 via Zoom. Residents are invited to attend. Full meeting details and the meeting packet will be posted online at www.montgomeryvillage.com the week before the meeting.