2017 Management Foibles

The Colonies hired a new General Manager who started January 3, 2017.  Changes have been needed at The Colonies but these Changes at The Colonies have not been so positive across the board since The Colonies board opted to make these changes.  The General Manager was not the only new change made at 7681 Provincial - known positions of The Colonies Management Dream Team include:

• General Manager
• Director of Operations
• Property Manager
• Assistant Property Manager
• Chief Engineer
• Accountant
• Front Office Staff

The Colonies Management Dream Team backgrounds are certainly varied and we can agree those 'experienced' professionals come at a price.  It is sure to be a hefty price 

An individual hired as General Manager started January 3, 2017 (his employment with The Colonies was over June 2018).  While The Colonies AT McLean have been going through changes that have included renovations to 7 buildings that started October 2015, there has been a lot of change among the staff, the majority occurring since January 2017.  I have a feeling these accomplishments that occurred in first 6 months are unlikely to be added to profile as 'Achievements':

• Elevator in one residential building was out of service commencing February 27, 2017 for nearly six (6) months, originally scheduled for 8 weeks!  People's daily life in that building was impacted on a grand scale (medical procedures as rehabilitation will not afford residing in that building afterward) and anyone trying to sell a unit in that building had to put those plans on hold!  The Colonies had nerve to initially charge people moving into the building during the elevator down-time the move-in fee ($400 on Saturday and $200 during week)!!  It took one person fighting it at a Board Meeting to get the fee waived!  Pathetic Management had not taken that initiative and it took a NEW resident sitting through a LENGTHY Board Meeting to get that decision!
• Long-Term Employee of the Administrative Staff for 31+ years resigned
• Property Manager/Engineer spanning 20+ years at Colonies 'retired'
• FIRED another Administrative Employee in the Management Office but reporting that employee quit (we all know it so person cannot collect Unemployment)
• Advocating to FIRE ALL Long-Term employees (Building Porters and Landscaping) and replace them with contractors (those employees have the institutional knowledge, dedication whereas first snow storm a contractor would call in sick)
• Security company that had been on property for years walked off property during first weeks after he started and that was in middle of contract as he made life so unbearable; ALL of a sudden he saved day with 'new' company at cheaper rate but just how new was that company to him?
• Numerous co-owners removed copies of their unit keys they had kept on file in the Management office after he had walked into a co-owner's unit UNAUTHORIZED
• Not supplying co-owners with financial data at March Board Meeting which was in violation of the Virginia Condominium Act
• Not providing co-owners with Time and Place information on a Board Meeting Executive Session Meeting Agenda Notice posting which conflicted with Virginia Condominium Act (http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55/chapter4.2/section55-79.75/); Time and Place information was intentionally not provided on Agenda/Notice so people would not attend as co-owners are able to attend an Executive Session until it is called to order.
• Locking co-owners out of the Clubhouse bathroom/showers during posted operating hours
• Disposing of supplies considered valuable resources to co-owners (water heaters, decorations, supplies)

Based on his background, some aspects to ponder:

• He has worked for some big companies (e.g., Bozzuto, Toll Brothers and ArchStone) and Property Management is not Federal contracting - the hopping to multiple companies vs. moving to other properties within said companies and being promoted from within
• He has NO Condo Management experience and managing condominium units which are ALL independently OWNED are far different than managing rental apartments
• He has likely amassed many contacts based on companies he has worked with - knowing a Developer or two who would be keen on buying The Colonies would be an ideal payday for him
• How are co-owners to pay for his elaborate spending habits not to mention his Audi (new acquisition since starting at Colonies; upgraded from Honda Accord)?  An increased Monthly Assessment Fee on a grand scale or assessing the co-owners with a Special Assessment?

Lets be frank, the salaries of all of the members of  Management has to come from somewhere and that Annual Budget Hearing Notice co-owners dread receiving each October will likely reveal that answer!  A rise in monthly assessment fees (perhaps we will get to $600 with the justification that we are in the Tysons market and it costs money for him to make us a Class A-/B+ Property or whatever bullcrap he feeds the co-owners); known positions of the Management Team include:

• General Manager
• Property Manager
• Assistant Property Manager
• Chief Engineer (allegedly under Maintenance)
• Chief Engineer Assistant
• Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
• Accountant

Budgeting for 2016 Colonies Style++

It is that time of year – the 2016 Budget is out and the Budget Hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the subsequent Board Meeting in which the Budget is voted on scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, 2015 (sadly, Veterans are not recognized at The Colonies).

Some highlights of the proposed 2016 Budget that will be discussed at the Budget Hearing (which, unfortunately is a waste of co-owner's time as nothing changes; the F&I Committee Members say words to placate people like 'we will take that into consideration' and throughout the course of the meeting they are lauded by Management (of course because Management Personnel don't have to pay the inflated fees)):

• Planned Condo Fee Increase is $30/Month = $565 Unit/Month (Note: Every co-owner pays same fee at The Colonies no matter the number of bedrooms or square footage/unit) – The Monthly Fee Amount does wonders per outside professionals.

• Accounting and Data Processing – a 70.94% increase?  Rates cannot be that high and that is believed for the person (Benninger (sp?) who works in the back room of the office as we ALL certainly hope any portion of those funds are NOT accounting for any of the Board Member's Treasurer functions  

Salaries/Benefits:

• Admin Salaries (3 Full-Time and 2 Part-Time Employees) – 8.58% increase for a total of $253,000 allocated and that NOT even counting the $4,500 Bonus Pool which is an average of $1,500/full-time employee (Note: Total amount allocated for Bonus Pools across all employee categories is $13,200)!!   

• Is Benninger above 'double-dipping?'  3 Full-Time (General Manager, Property Manager and Benninger assumedly) and 2 Part-Time (Former General Manager in Mornings and Treasurer in Afternoons) Employees... 

• Maintenance Salaries (7 Full-Time Employees) – 16.73% increase for a total allocation of $321,000 (Bonus Pool Allocation Amount: $6,700 which averages to $957/Employee)!

• Security In-House Wages (1 Part-Time Employee) – $13,400 vs. Security Contract ($331,000); the 'In-House' Wages is for the full-time Colonies employee works Security Part-Time BUT if we took him off the books, I am sure the Eagle contract would NOT increase by $13K/year for 1 person!

• Medical Insurance – Where to go in these Obama–Care ACA Times?  It has not appeared to have affected The Colonies payroll one bit!  $174,310 total planned for 19 Full-time employees (Note: likely not all are on Colonies insurance due to spouse plan, former military, options) BUT there was a notation stating 'add 1 to staff $5682 premium'.  Many co-owners were aghast at a Budget Hearing when it was revealed that employee premiums were 100% employer paid at that time.   That $5,682 premium amount works out to $473.50/month so would say that still the case!  The Colonies is not a Fortune 1000 entity nor part of a larger corporation that owns many properties so they need to get with reality!!!!

• Uniform Rentals – $13,500; Cintas is here on property regularly but there could be a compromise where employees are issued a certain amount and then it on them to pay for any after the initial issuance.  No reason they cannot wear Work Pants of this caliber (Work Pant Example) and then the Cintas shirts or if contract at end, explore other options.  Note:  I not recall anything ever said in Colonies Crier or on posted Board agenda of Uniform contract being voted on (it was the 2011 or 2012 Budget Hearing that current Board Member Maison questioned the amount of money being spent for the uniforms).  

Per the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 3.1% is the average annual base salary increase for 2016 employees can expect.

We can all agree that the employees certainly not have it bad here by any means in these times:

• No salary increase in any category for 2016 below 3.08 (Part-Time Security person and that in addition to full-time wages); range 3.08% - 16.73%
• Bonus Pool allocated
• Paid Health Insurance
• Pension Plan
• Vacation/Holiday Time
• Paid Work Attire (Exception: Administrative Management) 

Most amused looking over the 2014 Audit as the prior firm would have amounts spent correspond with Budget Items even by Account Line Number (i.e., 5130) and the current firm just groups things together leaving co-owners to wonder how items like 'Wages' were actually spent ($872,522 does not say a lot vs. $375,000 - Administrative, $145,000 - Maintenance, etc.).  Yet another example of the lack of transparency at The Colonies (funnily enough the biggest joke of all is the current Board President and his predecessor were former chairs of the F&I Committee)!!!

One important thing to highlight about the November 11, 2015 Board Meeting where the 2016 Budget will be voted is, as referenced above is that one of the Board Members voting (the Treasurer no less) also is one of the Part-Time Administrative employees who is believed to still be working part-time in the office and will be voting on her own 8.58% wage increase!  Most have said she should abstain from voting on this but she has not in the past!

++ Other Issues ++

The Modernization Committee has started the building upgrades which consist of 6 buildings at a projected cost of $80,000/building.  The planned modernization of the buildings per an email sent Friday, August 21, 2015 by a Colonies Modernization/Upgrades Committee Member stated that aspects of the modernization work would include:

• Lobbies: New windows, doors, flooring, mailboxes, upgraded moldings, painting, LED sconces, decorative mirror and cushion for center bench
• Hallways: New carpeting and painting 
• LED Lighting Proposal has been approved (Colonies maintenance staff will manage installation of those lights in the building hallways in conjunction with other projects)

These upgrades will be great for The Colonies image.  However the Board of Directors, the F&I Committee and Management need to realize the high condo fees are a turn off to the outside market (and no we are not suggesting bargain basement).  As of the October 2015 edition of The Colonies Crier, the Reserves balance was $1,963,562 (it should be noted it was not too long ago when the balance was below $350,000).

Another perspective of goings on in the Colonies Community

·         Community Sharing and Caring

I strongly believe no dog should ever be off their leash if out of their unit at any time while on Colonies property, period.  I take the elevator all the time and door opens at garage or I am on other side waiting for it expecting no one to be there and startled when door has opened and have nearly had a collision with person(s) on other side.  Whether it be an elevator, an encounter in the hallway with someone coming out of their unit – it is VERY important to be mindful of the community in which we live even if one's pet is the most docile, ANYTHING could make a pet react (i.e., a different perfume/odor they smell, noise from accessories on clothing someone may be wearing, excitement by the mere presence of another person after being locked in a unit all day while their owner(s) were at work, etc.).

The mold in common areas is MOST disturbing but NOT shocking as it has been experienced by people around The Colonies to include storage rooms, unit leaks, ceilings.  During the upgrades/modernization process, The Colonies needs to ensure ALL common area issues such as this will be addressed.  What good is it going to do if they need to knock down a beautiful wall to address an issue if it could have been circumvented?  Money wasted is what is will be and The Colonies is very adept with wasting money (Management/Board secretive about reporting RFPs out for a service let alone number they actually review which many co-owners find suspect)...

• Building 6 Water Main Issues (Construction equipment on property for over 8 months)
• Building 5 Garage Repairs (Contractor to come twice and there several weeks both times)

Until Next Time –

- AKM

Summer will Soon be Here - Hopefully Improvements to Come

Happy Spring.

 

Although Summer is officially three months away, starting June 21, 2015, the opening of The Colonies Swimming Pool is just over two months away (Saturday, May 23, 2015)!  We can ALL hope the 2016 Pool season with the illustrious Pool Service The Colonies contracts with their low standards of service; lifeguards sleeping on the job were a nice touch last summer especially when children were playing in the swimming pool.

 

Colonies co-owners cannot seem to catch a break - getting the short end of the stick paying $320,000+/year for the sub-par inconsistent security coverage they are being provided by Eagle Security.  Come on Eagle Security Management - it not that hard to implement ONE process across the board for Co-Owners, Visitors and Vendors/Couriers and any other applicable categories.

 

Another Water Main break at Building 6?!  The Colonies should just look into investing in some of that equipment for future issues!  This round of repairs with the water main on the front side of the building has been going on for a while but time being spent repairing the main would have been reduced a bit if the workers weren't spending so much time on their mobile phones and smoking!

 

Let's review -- Anyone entering The Colonies property encounters the above items in the following order:

• Security (Front Gate): You may be let right in or be put through an inquisition
• Swimming Pool (Summer Months): The occasional sleeping lifeguard
• Building 6: Construction equipment due to water main repairs (2nd round in less than 5 years)

 

Hopefully The Colonies Management and Board will take action to correct these issues as it does not bode well for the co-owners I know who do still live there and ALL of them are the ones who pay in the end!

The Colonies Co-Owner Community 2013 Holiday Wish List for 2014

T’is the season and everyone, no matter what their religion or beliefs, a person has wants and wishes.  What better way to start 2014 than with a Colonies Co-Owner Wish List:

1.   A Complete Board of Directors that actually work in the best interest of their fellow co-owners vs. working their own agendas

·            Currently The Colonies Board of Directors has 2 of 7 (28.57%) Board Members actually making every attempt to fulfill their fiduciary duty as Board members and are being fought tooth and nail by the remaining 5 members; 1 of those 5 members does not always fight them and does question the Board on matters interest of the co-owners  

2.   Transparency from the Board of Directors to the Colonies Co-Owners to include full disclosure of straightforward information vs. Board Members manipulating events to their advantage

·       A few Board Members and members of the Management team met with an outside advisor during the Spring.  Colonies financial information was shared with this individual and the Board relayed that it was an information gathering session; SHARE with the co-Owners what information was gathered by being TRANSPARENT!!!!!

3.   Make The Colonies Clubhouse Non-Smoking

Rental income has been on the decline in recent years as per the following Audit Figures:

o    2012: $15,113

o    2011: $16,990

·       The resident beer drinker who raised an issue over his beer being stolen at the recent Board Meeting will certainly have a problem

·       The Colonies Clubhouse needs to be fumigated at the worst degree (smoke throughout the years in the carpet and furniture needs no further comment)

·       Entails amending Colonies Policy Resolution I-B-17 Smoking in the Common Elements

4.   Make the Administration Building Non-Smoking

·       Feasibly achievable after Friday, January 17, 2014 when General Manager Carlton retires (Carlton will be serving in a Consultant/Advisor capacity after her retirement date)

o   Should be noted the Administration Building’s address, 7681 Provincial Drive, where the offices are based, contain two 2-bedroom units owned by The Council of Co-Owners that were converted to the offices

5.   Cease the conflict of interest that exists with an Officer of the Board of Directors working as a Part-time employee in The Colonies office; Colonies co-owner Kelleher serving on the Board of Directors as Treasurer working part-time in the Management Office is inappropriate.  Kelleher voted on the passing of the 2014 Budget which would include a salary increase (2.8% increase over 2013’s budgeted amount), a breach of Item 2 of Colonies Policy Resolution I-B-4 Code of Ethics that states:

I agree not to use my position for material gain and agree to avoid all personal considerations which might give rise to actual or apparent conflict of interest.  In cases where potential conflicts of interest arise, I agree to abstain from discussion and/or vote.

By voting on the 2014 budget, Treasurer Kelleher violated the Code of Ethics item!  Pick the Part-Time position on The Colonies payroll or serving as an Officer on the Board of Directors!

6.   Have the Board of Directors actually use resources within their own Board; Vice President of the Board Pollak is a highly respected property management professional with many years’ experience and Board Member Crane’s extensive litigation experience particularly with contracts and proposals are an asset to the Board and co-owners alike

7.   A Board of Directors where ALL members actually adhere to the following Colonies Policy Resolution I-B-4 Code of Ethics items (not listed in any particular order of priority):

·       I agree to keep co-owners informed as to The Colonies’ business and to counter all attempts to mislead co-owners (Item 9)

·       I agree to express my opinions responsibly after full consideration and examination of the facts and recognition of the impact of my statements on The Colonies’ reputation and/or property values (Item 5)

·       I agree to promote constructive suggestions which benefit the community and to avoid derogatory expressions of opinion unless warranted by facts (Item 6)

·       I agree to enforce The Colonies Declaration', Bylaws, and Resolutions (Item 4)

·       I agree to fulfill my fiduciary responsibilities to The Colonies by giving it my loyalty, by acting at all times honestly and in good faith, by fair dealing in all instances and by exercise of sound impartial business judgment (Item 1)

·       I agree not to use my position for material gain and agree to avoid all personal considerations which might give rise to actual or apparent conflict of interest.  In cases where potential conflicts of interest arise, I agree to abstain from discussion and/or vote (Item 2)

8.   Colonies Board of Directors and Management be open to new ideas and change

·       Explore all options to include putting items/services out for bid to ensure co-owners are getting best services at the best value

·       Solicit more than 3 bids (multiple emails received talk of how vendors discussed at Board Meetings are never more than 2 cited)

  


9.   A Board that actually listens to co-owners and considers them as equals!





Any additional suggestions, feel free to email me at colonies.mclean@gmail.com.



Have a Happy and safe Holiday Season and let's hope for a better 2014!

Colonies Inefficiency Yet Again

Hope everyone is having a good Summer and getting to enjoy the swimming pool!

I have received multiple emails concerning the distribution of the August 2013 Colonies Crier to resident co-owners and residents.  The issues they received had labels clearly belonging to that of an investor co-owner!  If the Colonies was trying to foster some sort of buddy program among resident co-owners and investor co-owners, the VERY least they could do would be to publish an article in the Colonies Crier alerting people to this 'partnership' vs. sharing what could be private information!!

With metro and much other development coming to the area that will hopefully mean positive 'increased' returns on our investments, The Colonies needs to represent itself as a community more efficiently (and, us the co-owners as they are our representatives too - our $525/month says so).  They can start with their pathetic website (http://www.thecolonies.com/)...  Basic spell check alone (see below) and fact our community boards discussions are about topics such as building(s) not having been worked on in over 15 years (our condo fees again going MORE toward elevated salaries and not the betterment of the community) and tagless cars on the property!  The only way we as a community will be able to move forward with the times is to have the Colonies professionally managed with a MANAGEMENT Company!  All I can ask is you think of your investment(s) in these changing times!

Whatever happened to the Smoking petition to cease smoking in the Office that was sent around sometime ago?  With the number of unit sales in recent months, it would be interesting to see what the results would be.  The Smoking in the Administration Building and the Clubhouse is most appalling!  The time to think of your investment and community is now!

Colonies Annual Meeting/Election and Issues Perspectives

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 is the Annual Meeting/Board of Directors Election at The Colonies.  The 'Official Ballot' of the 2013 Annual Meeting for the Election of Directors was postmarked April 11, 2013.  Co-owners were left with no options but the old guard...  Three (3) nominees running for Board of Directors seats and co-owners are instructed to 'VOTE FOR NO MORE THAN THREE (3) of the candidates'; that does not leave much for choice and there is no space designated for write-in candidate(s) (adding lines with checkboxes would not be too far-fetched as HOA ballots found online do have such areas designated for write-in candidates).  Some thoughts on the three candidates 2013 Statement of Views on Major Issues:

·         Bates Brown (Current Board of Directors President and should be noted her ‘views almost exactly parallel those sent in the Meeting Packet two years ago)

I strongly advocate emphasis on maintaining sufficient reserve funds to cover future improvements and repairs in our aging community. The Colonies is fortunate in that we have gone for more than 30 years without a special assessment - a feat most communities cannot match. With continued guidance from our brilliant finance committee and fiscal responsibility we can insure we are well prepared for the future. I have always been proud to live in The Colonies. It is like a small oasis in a busy urban area. My visitors frequently comment on our beautiful grounds and tranquility. There is nowhere else in the Washington area I would rather live!

Brilliant Finance Committee?  Where has she been?  The monthly condominium unit fees have increased $45 over the last two years ($30 increase commencing January 2012 and $15 2013).  A scary thought is our monthly condominium fees will continue to skyrocket; our taxes will increase as metro arrives along with next year’s increase in condo fee.

·         Kelleher (Current Treasurer and works part-time in the Administration Office; cited as a conflict of interest by many)

Continue with the policy of funding the reserve funds to achieve and maintain the $1,000,000 level.  Preserve property values of owners by persuading everyone to be proactive in reporting and identifying the perpetrators of vandalism.  We need to: 1. Continue to select members of the Finance Committee who are highly qualified and work with budgets and funding within their careers. 2. Research new ideas for cost savings by introducing automated services within the current accounting system.  3. Support and defend a budget process, guided by our fiduciary responsibility which represents the majority of the owners views and wishes.

Give me a break especially point 3 – she is the biggest puppet of them all and hardly an advocate of fellow co-owners!  Why introduce services within the current system?  Sometimes it is cheaper to get a new system (most vendors will work with clients to migrate existing data to a new system)!  Within the last several years prior to the 2011 Election, the Finance Committee had a volunteer co-owner MORE than qualified and because he asked so many questions, he was removed (coincidently enough it was one of the Petition Candidates from the May 2011 Election)!!

·         Pollak (Current Vice President of the Board and works in Property Management)

The Colonies continues to be fortunate to have Management and staff with long tenures dedicated to maintaining and preserving the community.  I am proud of the work that the Board of Directors has done these past 3 years, especially with respect to building our reserves.  I look forward to contributing to the success of The Colonies.

Pollak attempted to curtail smoking in the Administration building and mentioned the subject of “smoking” at a Board Meeting only to be shot down by Board President Brown.  Additionally, he has tried to speak at meetings including questioning policies only to be stifled by the OLDER Board Members.  A Property Management professional/multiple Property Management Association award recipient considers The Colonies fortunate to have the Management we have?  What work has the Board of Directors done?  How about noting the work the Board of Directors has done?  His Statement of Views on Major Issues was the briefest (a mere 56 words) so he still had plenty of ‘space’ to work with.

All 3 candidates cite the increased reserve funds as an accomplishment; let’s be real – that was really only able to be achieved because there were no major repairs to address and minimal snow removal this past winter to have to address!  Members of The Colonies Board of Directors seem to forget they are co-owners too and represent only their interests vs. those of the community at large, i.e., General Manager Carlton is still smoking away while she toils in the Administration building despite a Petition eliminating smoking in the Administration building having been circulated to Colonies co-owners.

Hard to believe two (2) years have passed since the infamous election when four (4) petition co-owner candidates ran for seats on the Board advocating for positive change and co-owner involvement only to have two candidates be narrowly defeated.  Where oh where has The Colonies Coalition been?  Those educated professional co-owners were promoting POSITIVE change and thinking ahead for the betterment of The Colonies.  It should be noted no real changes have occurred in The Colonies over the two years other than the Administration Building and Clubhouse remain as smoke-filled as ever, excess money continues to be wasted on Management salaries and monthly statement postage expenses to name a few items. 

The topic of ceasing mailing Monthly Statements to co-owners for the monthly association dues has been raised at Board Meetings. Board Members response has been the mailing of monthly statements is a testament to the low delinquency rates.  The Rotonda Condominium, an 1,168 unit property has a less than 1% delinquency rate as stated in the Delinquency Report portion of The Rotonda Condominium Unit Owners Association Minutes of the Board of Directors’ Meeting Tuesday, February 26, 2013 section on page 15 of the March-April 2013 issue of the Rotonda Rostrum Community Newsletter (http://www.rotonda.org/document_view.asp?id=1186).

For an example of how a community operates, informs their co-owners of community/local events like the tax district situation and actually lets their co-owners have a say on matters (surveys, selecting carpet), read the Rotonda’s Community Newsletter, the Rotonda Rostrum http://www.rotonda.org/document_view.asp?id=1186

If only The Colonies would actually get a consensus of co-owner opinions on issues; so many Colonies co-owner survey possibilities:

• Banning smoking in Administration Building and Clubhouse
• Banning smoking from inside the Swimming Pool gates
• Canceling the Mailing of Monthly Statements to co-owners
• Having a Management company run The Colonies vs. it being a self-managed community

It has been reported to me by multiple sources two Colonies Management personnel were seen all cozy in a dark booth at J. Gilbert’s in McLean.  Was there Colonies talk during their cuddle session or do they have a rule that only occurs during their 'discreet' sessions that happen while they are still on the Colonies clock?  Could the Property Manager and General Manager have been sharing their respective countdown to retirement calendar with each other during their snuggle session?  Anyone who is anyone knows a good Property Manager is never 'off the clock' as there have been numerous crises on the property after hours but The Colonies Property Manager is usually nowhere to be seen during such times.  J. Gilberts may be a place to look for him during the next crisis and if he is there with his cohort, you will get two for the price of one and she could renew your facilities pass and/or register your pet if need be!

In other news, former Board President Lauricella was reported seen back on the Plantation having returned from his Florida Villa sporting a tan likely to be calling co-owners to ensure a quorum is reached (have to love having Caller ID) for the Annual Meeting.  Having held reign for as long as Lauricella did over The Colonies and the egomaniac he is, former US President(s) returning to the White House for visits of an official nature do likely have no self-aggrandizing feelings in comparison to Sal when he ambles into The Colonies Administration building.  During his reign, did long-term Colonies employees hum the lyrics ‘Hail to the Chief’ when he walked past (saluting would be over the top even for Lauricella)?  A modified version of Hail to the Chief fitting for Lauricella (and a majority of current Board of Directors members; 2 members are only ones of any worth but they seem to be stifled anytime they attempt to question anything):

Snub the Chief chosen blindly for the Colonies,
Snub the Chief!  We loathe him, one and all.
Snub the Chief, as we work for these phonies
In fulfillment of a terrible, lowly call.

Lauricella’s aim is to make this grand property poorer,
This he will do, that's our strong, firm belief.
Snub the one selected as commander,
Snub the President!  Snub the Chief!

Given the mindset of the Board Members (no adoption of new ideas/change) and allowing themselves to be controlled by ‘Nurse Ratched’ General Manager Carlton, the majority would have to resign; to give some perspective, the birth information of the four oldest members of the Board (57.14% of 7 total members) are as follows:

• March 1932 (81)
• September 1942 (70)*
• March 1946 (67)
• April 1948 (65)*

* Up for election

In closing, the only ways positive change will happen is if:

• Management personnel retires (including ‘Nurse Ratched’ General Manager) or opts to pursue other opportunities
• Many Board Members actually realize the best interest of the community would be to welcome change by stepping down versus fighting it as they have for so many years
• Co-owners question operations/budgetary processes; for example 7 ‘corporations’ registered in The Colonies to the Clubhouse and Administration building addresses were unearthed by a group less than 2 years ago with Management personnel and their relatives listed as Officers 

NO Transparency at The Colonies

Sorry for not being in touch but work travels have kept me busy but you all have not been forgotten.  There has been much activity since my last posting.

Why pray tell must one go on an investigative expedition to find out when the next Board Meeting is?  The March edition of The Colonies Crier had the March 13 Board Meeting date conveniently buried in the Calendar located on the next to last page vs. publishing it on the front page.  Noticeably The Council of Co-Owners of the Colonies Condominium at McLean had absolutely NO issues with listing the date of the Annual Meeting (headline: Countdown to The Elections)  at the top of the center column on page 1.  Of course the esteemed Council of Co-Owners of Co-Owners of The Colonies Condominium at McLean (publishers of The Colonies Crier) would list the upcoming election and Annual Meeting information literally front and center so all of us co-owners will re-elect the existing quacks to the Board (one person up for re-election is Treasurer Kelleher who works part-time in The Colonies Management office; an EXTREME CONFLICT OF INTEREST observed by the average individual with an IQ above 10 (medium idiot/feeble-mindedness level)).  Funnily enough, the March 13, 2013 Board Meeting is also not listed on the Upcoming Events schedule posted throughout The Colonies  (it would have been completely practical to have made the Daylight Savings Time graphics smaller to accommodate a line to add the Board Meeting).  It is glaringly apparent Management and the Board of Directors would rather have the lowest possible turnout of co-owners at Board Meetings so they are not held accountable for anything!  Dates of Board Meetings should be publicly posted at least 3 weeks prior to the Meeting so co-owners are informed and can make scheduling arrangements to attend vs. seeing the Agenda posted the Friday before.


Colonies February-March 2013 Events

The battle of pet waste throughout The Colonies property continues.  Several points were brought up in recent Colonies Connection postings.  However what are the pet registration fees used for?  Would the availability of litter bag dispensers with each pet waste receptacle located throughout the property combat this problem?  No reason pet registration fees could not be used for that AND supplying the bags (buying the bags in bulk would be nominal).

The January 27, 2013 $0.02 increase in postage to $0.46 per first class postage stamp further raises the monthly expense absorbed by all co-owners since Management refuses to cease mailing the monthly statements to all co-owners.  The most recent Board Meeting was a joke covering this topic as excuse given by (too) LONG-TERM Board Member Levin (a perfect example as to why Board Member term limits need to be implemented ASAP) was our low delinquency rate is attributed to the statements being mailed monthly.  Many of the Board Agenda topics are decided before the Board Meeting convenes.  Sending a survey was suggested a proposed form was supplied that was created and suggested it be mailed in the Annual Meeting package.  Giving co-owners 6 months notice or even saying the mailing of monthly statements will cease with December 2013's statement would be plenty of time.  Postage costs relating to the mailing of monthly statements are as follows (the 418 units is accounting for co-owners with multiple units and the 2 units owned by The Council of Co-Owners):

	Postage Rates
	Pre 01/27/2013 $0.44	Current Rate $0.46	Annual Amount (based on current $0.46 rate)
459 Units (Total)	$           201.96	$   211.14	$         2,533.68
418 Units	$           183.92	$   192.28	$         2,307.36

Other postings of late have been concerning the implementation of the greater Tysons area being also allocated as a separate tax district (The Tysons Tax District did pass at the County and State level).  Many co-owners did express their comments and took action by writing to Fairfax County Board of Supervisor members and Delegates opposing the tax.  Interestingly enough The Colonies Crier did not mention it in their March edition.

In closing, fellow co-owners, we cannot seem to fight the tax but we can unite to deal with the poor Management and our Board.  You do not have to vote them in and can write people in who my not be running officially (last year 3 people had votes by write-in; 2 of which had run in the 2011 election by petition).

The Colonies Finances: Incompetently 'Managed'

Happy Autumn!

The morning of Wednesday, August 29, 2012, I received an email with a copy of the following announcement attached (to be the first of three meetings):

Never in the history of The Colonies could co-owners owning units back to as early as 1980 recall this practice EVER being done. A pro-active co-owner took the initiative to notify co-owners via The Colonies Connection Google Group forum then numerous emails followed. Some (obvious) factors to consider about this 'sudden' change of practice and statements sent are as follows:

- One Day notice of the first meeting to co-owners was hardly enough time to get anyone who had wished to attend be made aware of the meeting, particularly Colonies investor owners who live locally

- Holding the first meeting the night before a holiday weekend commenced ensured for the esteemed Colonies Finance & Insurance (F&I) Committee and Management an even lower co-owner attendance turnout

- One Co-Owner queried to me 'Board should be directing management' and not the reverse as appears evident here; Management giving the F&I Committee the numbers to 'run with' seems the logical route

- One person stated since there had been a slight change in Board Members in recent years including the addition of an Attorney could be the reason the notice was posted

- e-Mail message from Colonies Board of Directors President Brown to 80-member The Colonies Town Hall Google Group forum

From: coloniesboard@gmail.com
To: the-colonies-townhall@googlegroups.com
Sent: 8/29/2012 4:17:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: 2013 Budget Preparation

Hi All,

There seems to be some confusion over a scheduled meeting of the
budget committee tomorrow night, with at least one resident urging
others to attend to provide input and share their views. Tomorrow
night's meeting is for the budget committee to begin work in putting
together a draft budget. Although as with all committee meetings it
must be open to residents, this is a working meeting to start
preparing the budget.

There WILL NOT will be an opportunity for observers to comment or
provide input. If you have comments that you wish to share with the
committee, please put them in writing and send them to the office to
the attention of committee chairman Bruce Freitas for consideration.
In keeping with Virginia law, we will hold an open budget meeting
where resident comments are solicited and welcome. We will advertise
this meeting well in advance so that owners can make plans to attend.
Only after input from the residents will the board make a final
decision on the budget.

Best wishes & please have a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Carol B. Brown
President

President Brown sending this message to the 80-member forum vs. also including the 177 member The Colonies Connection Google Group forum is priceless (so much for 'transparency' and communication the Board purports to be a priority). The Colonies Crier Newsletter for the months of June, July, August and September did not mention the 2013 budget preparation being in progress let alone submitting input. It is refreshing reading The Rotonda Rostrum as they actually list the names of the committee members for each of their committees whereas The Colonies does not (only exception is the Nominating and the Elections but that is done at the last minute). What is the fear of telling the co-owners who the members of the F&I Committee are (these people are after all the ones deciding on 'our financial future')?

Based on his demeanor at previous years' Annual Budget Hearing Meetings and the recent 'budget committee working meetings', F&I Chairman Freitas (Colonies co-owner since 1989 and ALSO a co-owner at The Rotonda since December 2009) is an angry man (his retort at the October 2010 Annual Budget Hearing to co-owner complaints at the $20 monthly condo assessment increase was that $100 was proposed).

Highlights of these 'working budget committee' meetings held Thursday, August 30, 2012 and Thursday, September 6, 2012 include:

- Topic of standard of living level The Colonies community is at presently was raised; esteemed Chairman Bruce Freitas gave the analogy of a car and said he thought The Colonies to be a mid-sized sedan

- 3% pay raise for staff; outrageous amount because the average civilian increase for the 12-month period ending June 30 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics was 1.7% (the salary increase for the 2012 Colonies budget was 2%)

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm

- Move-In base fee to be increased to $150 (a 50% increase from the current $100 rate); increasing the fees to $125 for move-in's occurring during the week and $200 for Saturday move-in's would be more reasonable/practical

- No Eagle Security personnel were present at the meeting deemed surprising by some co-owners present given they are present at EVERY Board Meeting, Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing (2012 budgeted amount for Contracted Security was $318,000)

- The Uniform Rental contract expenses was actually discussed (2012 budgeted amount was $14,000); a consideration to reduce this gross expense is to have the employees wear Dickies style pants and polo shirts with The Colonies logo would be far less expensive (it should be noted a co-owner raised the issue of the high cost of uniforms at the October 2011 Budget Hearing) and one female member of the F&I Committee proclaimed ‘Colonies employees may quit if they not have their uniforms’. Scary thought if we have someone like her having a say on how our money is being spent but then we live in a community where our Treasurer works in the Office Part Time and that is a conflict of interest!!
http://www.amazon.com/Dickies-Mens-Relaxed-Straight-Cargo/dp/B008HF8NL8/ref=pd_sbs_a_23

- Those participating in the meeting came unprepared, notably Property Manager McCracken

- The third meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, October 2, 2012 is a mere 15 days before the Annual Budget Hearing Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 17, 2012. The subsequent Annual Budget Hearing letter sent to all co-owners will hardly be received by many with truly ample notice to make arrangements to attend (yes, the date was listed in the October edition of The Colonies Crier but some's decision to attend the Budget Hearing may be contingent upon the content of the 2013 budget and/or the 2013 monthly condo fee).

Fellow co-owners, reality is going to bite us all when the Annual Budget Hearing Notice letter is sent announcing the Budget Hearing and the 2013 monthly condo fee rate. The 2013 'increase' could be one or possibly a combination of the following:

- Nominal monthly increase of $5 or $15 to raise co-owner confidence after last year’s increase (funnily enough, the F&I Members had to be set straight as to the amount of last year’s $30/month increase by co-owners present at the second meeting)

- Hefty increase in monthly condo assessment fees (current rate is $510/month and the increase was $30/month from the previous year)

- Special Assessment charged; per Article IX (Fiscal Management) Section 5 of The Colonies Bylaws, The Board of Directors may levy in any assessment year - a special assessment or assessments, applicable to that year only, for the purpose of defraying, in whole or in part, the cost of any construction or reconstruction, unexpected repair or replacement of a described capital improvement located upon the Condominium, including the necessary fixtures and personal property related thereto, or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors may consider appropriate, provided that any such assessment which is designed for the purpose of new construction or expanding or enlarging any existing capital improvement shall first have the approval in writing of not less than a majority of the co-owners entitled to cast votes. A special assessment shall become effective and it shall be due after thirty (30) days’ notice in such manner as the Board of Directors may direct.

It is time for us as co-owners to band together and stop lining the pockets of Management! We should live in a community where the Board of Directors directs Management (the Smoking Petition co-owners were forced to circulate speaks for itself). Board President Brown sent the following email to The Colonies Town Hall Google Group Forum members as a way to further justify the 3% pay raises (they are doing their job) and the timing is to coincide with the Budget Hearing Notice Letter we co-owners will all be receiving soon:

From: coloniesboard@gmail.com
To: the-colonies-townhall@googlegroups.com
Sent: 9/11/2012 5:11:54 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Kudos to our staff

Kudos to the Colonies staff, particularly groundskeeper Julio and this
team, who through their own ingenuity and hard work, recently saved
the co-owners thousands of dollars. During the last board of
directors meeting we discussed a couple of bids for about $8,000 from
companies proposing to remove the unsightly tree stumps from our
property. We decided to postpone a decision to seek alternative and
less costly solutions.

When Julio returned from his leave a few weeks ago, he and his team
immediately set out to cut back much of the overgrowth of weeds that
threatened to take over. After making great strides in cleaning up
the property, Julio rented equipment that allowed them to drill out 19
stumps in two days. Then they seeded the stump areas and covered them
with straw. Since these are our staff groundskeepers, the only
additional costs were approximately $2,000 for the equipment and
materials.

Thanks guys! We appreciate your hard work and efforts to help us cut
costs.

Carol B. Brown
President

The holiday season will soon be upon us. Today is Saturday, September 29, 2012;

- Hannukkah starts Saturday, December 8, 2012 - 70 days away

- Christmas: Tuesday, December 25, 2012 - 87 days remaining

All I want for the holidays are those Board Member and Management/Administration resignations!