As The Colonies Community Smoke Burns and Burns and...

Summer is upon us at The Colonies and it is usually such a wonderful time of year but it is such a shame seeing what the community is being reduced to!

1.   The Smoke smelling Administration Building (7681 Provincial Drive) to the point many people avoid it at all costs

2.   The Cat in the Administrative Office (simply loved being told of no signs warning anyone entering office especially given as much as 30% of the population could be affected by cat allergies as per the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)

Should ANY co-owner really be surprised at Management's blatant disregard for who they ACTUALLY work for (The Council of Co-Owners of the Colonies Condominium at McLean which ALL Colonies co-owners are automatically members upon taking title to their unit as per Colonies Bylaw Article I Section 3)?  It should be noted the Administrative Staff also includes Colonies Board of Directors Treasurer Kathleen Kelleher (conflict of interest cannot be any more brazen given Treasurer roles responsibility also includes Budget Preparation, detailed below but then the Board of Directors has yet to prove to the co-owners they are not serving their own agendas and continuing to appease the management staff).  Some Colonies Bylaws for your reference:

-     Treasurer (Article V Section 7): The Treasurer shall have the responsibility for the Council of Co-Owners's funds and securities and shall be responsible for keeping full and accurate financial records and books of account showing all receipts and disbursements, for preparing all required financial statements and tax returns, and for the deposit of all monies and other valuable effects in the name of the Council of Co-Owners in such depositories as may from time to time be designated by the Board of Directors.  The Treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of the budget as provided below.

-    The Budget (Article IX Section 2):  The Board of Directors shall prepare and adopt a budget for each calendar year that shall include estimated costs of operating the Condominium project and services furnished as well as to fund all reserves established by the Board of Directors.

3.   WAKE UP Fellow Co-Owners - The Colonies community is now a HUD community!  Effective July 30, 2012, Unit 4-304, a 1 Bedroom 855 square foot B-unit was sold to The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (c/o Property Disposition/ Acquisition) for $220,156.  The unit had been in foreclosure since April 2011.

- Fairfax County Real Estate Tax Record

There have been foreclosures in The Colonies but a review of the sales history of each of the 459 Colonies unit in the Fairfax County Real Estate Assessment Information Site has never had a unit 'owned' by HUD since three units in December 1999 (05-215, 09-107 and 10-212) and one unit (07-110) owned by the Department of Veteran's Affairs in June 1999.  Difference between Foreclosures and HUD homes are explained here.

The smoking in the Administration building prompted many co-owners to circulate a web-accessible Petition to Ban Smoking in the Administrative Offices at The Colonies of McLean to all Colonies Co-Owners and Residents throughout the community.  The Administration office is the first location many encounter when coming to The Colonies and the smell of smoke in the office does not leave a favorable impression of The Colonies community to visitors and vendors let alone prospective purchasers.  Some thoughts to consider and observations:

-       Calls to John Yetman Fairfax County Environmental Health Supervisor to complain about the smoke in the Administration Building and more importantly see what courses of action could be taken against The Colonies resulted in learning that not only had many complaints been received BUT complainers have included Real Estate Agents who made it known they will not show Colonies units (easily verifiable)

-       Potential of current employees, many of whom have worked for The Colonies long term (exceeding 15 years), to file lawsuits in the future after having endured second-hand smoke exposure in the workplace so many years (Board's retort to that suggestion was 'our employees would never do that')

-    The Board of Directors is incapable of BASIC READING COMPREHENSION based on the statement in the August 2012 edition of The Colonies Crier in response to The Petition to Ban Smoking in the Administrative Offices at The Colonies of McLean being circulated throughout the community which stated:

Request that the Board facilitate the anonymous petition being circulated to ban smoking in administrative offices and clubhouse. This petition is NOT an official Colonies' or Board survey, and many calls have been received by the office complaining about the anonymous petition. The Board has already stated that since the issue was first promoted by some as a personal attack on the Colonies' General Manager, disguised as a public health issue, there is no substantive reason to change our smoking regulations.  Currently there is no smoking in the public areas of the office; it is only permitted in private offices. Further, it should be noted that a large percentage of clubhouse renters smoke and considerable income would likely be lost if smoking was banned there. Enforcement of a ban on smoking at private parties in the clubhouse would be extremely difficult.  The Board President pointed out that there are many more serious issues that currently need the attention of the board and co-owners.

-    Petition is for Administrative Offices and NOT the Clubhouse (many co-owners would like to see smoking banned there too as well as the pool area)

-    Most places (workplace and social/dining) do NOT tolerate smoking.  The Colonies and namely the Board and General Manager needs to get with the times!

-    The Colonies Crier writer forgets that Colonies Board of Directors Vice President Pollak raised the issue of eliminating smoking in the Administrative offices at the January 2012 Board Meeting

-    It is most hypocritical for Board Member Gallagher to be opposed to the petition with her working at the National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of HEALTH

-    Enforcing No Smoking in the clubhouse would be difficult??  Start by removing ashtrays, replacing the carpet and furniture and placing tasteful ‘No Smoking’ plaques throughout and those utilizing the Clubhouse would know the policy changed (a fine structure for violators could make for some income too – not sure what category it would fall under but easy enough to work out)

 

I receive email messages and a question posed to me by one person was 'What will it take for you to go away and deactivate this blog?'

This is viewed by many as an interesting forum because the opinions and views expressed are not just by one individual but also by co-owners who have provided feedback.  To answer the question, three CURRENT members of the Board in Officer Roles to resign and a complete reorganization of Management/Administration would need to occur before I would take down this blog.  Colonies Co-Owners not only need to have their voices heard but to live in a democracy vs. a dictatorship!
 

In closing, a vocabulary lesson for the inept Colonies Board of Directors Members (and thoughts to fellow co-owners of the community by which we are ruled):

-    Democracy: Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system

-    Dictatorship: Form of government in which absolute power is concentrated by a dictator or a small clique

-    Totalitarianism:  Centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life

The Colonies Board of Directors members should actually adhere to Colonies Policy Resolution I-B-14 Code of Ethics (copy of statement each Board of Director member is believed to sign upon being elected to Office is attached) as that alone would make all the difference in this community (agreeing to promote harmony within community and keeping co-owners informed as to The Colonies business and to counter all attempts to mislead co-owners).

Enjoy the remaining weeks of Summer!