The Village News
Stonegate Village Condominium Association
Volume 9 Issue 12 November/December 2011
In This Issue
Message from the Board
Financial Status at Stonegate Village Regarding Maintenance Fee Payments
SVCA at Work
What’s News
The Status of the Masonry Project
After much preparation the masonry project is nearly complete. This project addressed a lot of concrete work that had built into a large backlog. Stonegate Village and Patrician Associates partnered with Frank Olivo Mason Contractors for what turned out to be a great job. Sidewalks throughout the complex had deteriorated and areas could no longer be patched. Many sections of sidewalk were required to be removed, disposed of and new concrete walkways were poured. The steps on both sides of the breezeway at Building 19 were removed. On one side they were replaced with more steps that are not as difficult to use. On the other side of the breezeway the sidewalk was pitched and not as many steps were required. The beginning of the walkway to building 20 was tapered, which removed a potential hazard. Other areas of sidewalk were tapered to make them safer. The aprons in front of the 2 homes and a dumpster were damaged beyond repair and therefore replaced. The condition of the stoops in the complex received a major upgrade. Stoops that could no longer be repaired were replaced. Other stoops were repaired in varying degrees. Some stoops received new courses of concrete block, limestone treads and concrete landings. Other stoops were re-faced. All of this was followed by days of small repairs and filling in cracks, which eliminated trip hazards. Before work started, specs were in place. The sidewalks were poured with 4000 PSI cement which should provide strength and durability. Railings for the new work are currently being fabricated and will be installed as soon as they are ready. Many comments have been received complimenting the quality of workmanship and the clean manner in which Olivo Masons worked during the project. Thanks again to Tricia at Patrician Associates for the many times she was on-site before and during the masonry project interfacing with masons.
Snow Rules
Once again the cold weather will soon be with us. In order to ensure that Stonegate Lane and the parking areas are cleared quickly and efficiently please follow the guidelines. It is important that everyone participates. If your neighbor moves their vehicle and you do not, that will leave snow, which will turn to ice which cannot be plowed.
When a snowfall is expected, please do not park in our main thoroughfare, Stonegate Lane. Please park in the parking lots. If you must park on Stonegate Lane, please be available to move your car when the plows are here. The snow tends to make Stonegate Lane narrower anyway, having snow piles left by our cars being dug out after the plow makes passages is dangerous. If the plows are called back after the storm to re-plow, this costs extra.
Once Stonegate Lane is cleared, please move your car to Stonegate Lane, so that the plows can clear the parking spaces. If you wait until the plows leave or the next day and then move your car, the space your car occupied will be unusable to any other resident. If the plows have to come back to clear parking spaces after the snowfall, we will all be charged extra.
If you are going to be away for the day or an extended period, please park off the main thoroughfare, Stonegate Lane. Also, we would appreciate your making arrangements with someone to move your car out of the parking spaces when the plows are here and then to move it back again when the plows are done.
All Crosswalks must remain open at all times especially during a snowfall so that plows can get through safely.
Remember, do not use salt on any concrete.
Thank you for your cooperation!
STONEGATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
If you are planning any replacement work on the outside of your unit please contact Patrician Associates to make sure you have the policy prior to starting and also any required contractor insurance documents. If you are planning work on your unit, please contact the Management Company to make sure that you have the proper contractor insurance paperwork on file. The Management Company will verify that the paperwork is correct. This will help to make sure there are no problems before work is started. This will help to avoid any problems before a project has been started. Following are the current Policies and Procedures:
*Deck Replacement
*Window and Storm Door Replacement
*Satellite Dish Installation
*Oil Installation
*Use of Storage Bins (Bldg 19 and 20)
*Pool Rules
*Bulk Item Collection
I CONNECT ENERGY AND VIRIDIAN
There are two parts to your electric bill, basic generation service (Kilowatt) and delivery service charge that appears on page 3 of 4 on your bill. The delivery service charge does not change nor does your relationship with JCP&L. You would still get your bill from them and all service needs and repairs would still be handled by them. The only difference is that by selection one of the two providers we reviewed you would drop the expense by 10 to 15% on the Kilowatt portion of your bill. The current generation charge for JCP&L is $0.121, with I Connect Energy that price would drop to $0.1075 which is a savings of 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Viridian would charge $0.110 or a savings of 11 cents. I Connect Energy is currently 8% renewable energy, Viridian is 20%, so if green is a concern to you, then you may want Viridian at 2.5 cents more per Kilowatt. These rates are subject to change on a monthly basis, either up or down. In this calendar year, I Connect Energy has not changed its rate and Viridian has only adjusted once. We would monitor this aspect of the services and report changes to the homeowners.
Viridian has supplied us with the Green Energy Initiative Questionnaire “that is available upon request”. It goes into more details regarding the service and savings offered and questions you might still have. The answers apply to either company you select.
The Stonegate Village Condominium Association has joined as an association of both I Connect Energy and Viridian. The assigned ID # for I Connect Energy is 6316. There are three ways to sign up, online at www.iconnectengery.com/6316, call them at 1-973-453-2900 or they will mail you the forms to fill out if you prefer. For Viridian, the website is www.Viridian.com/stonegatevillage one word. The both energy providers have agreed to meet with any homeowner who may have additional questions. If you wish to have a meeting with either company, feel free to contact me at 973-347-9572.
Clearly you would be well served to take advantage of this savings.
FINANCIAL STATUS AT STONEGATE REGARDING MAINTENANCE FEES
PAYMENTS
Financial Status at Stonegate Regarding Maintenance Fee Payments
(1)Date(2)Dollar amount in arrears(3) Number of delinquencies that are substantial=over $500.00
(Date) (Amount) (Delinquencies)
Sept 2010 (one year) $34226.00 13
April 2011(6 mos.) $49372.00 15
July 2011 $48156.00 12
August 2011 $54188.00 16
September 2011 $56076.00 17
What we must all understand is that failure to pay fees is not an option; it is your obligation to pay. We understand that situations arise of a temporary basis that create difficulties for families, but if you are in arrears, you need to contact Patrician Associates at 973-284-0900 and set up a meeting with the Resolution Committee to work out the method of payment. Ignoring it will only make a situation into a problem. We need to work together.
STONEGATE VILLAGE AT WORK
1)Sinkholes opened in front of 2 units at Building 9, Salmon Bros. was hired to excavate the sinkholes and immediate area. This also required the removal of sidewalks. After the site was properly marked out the digging could begin. Once Salmon Bros determined that the site was properly excavated they began to fill. They filled in a layer of aggregate, which was then compressed using a compacting machine. This was repeated until the sinkholes were filled. Then Olivo Masons replaced the sidewalks that had been removed.
2)A sinkhole opened in the parking lot of building 6-7. Again Salmon Bros excavated and then filled the open area. This area will be resurfaced in the Spring.
3)The Flash Flood of September 28, as reported in the Star Ledger, there were flash floods throughout the area surrounding Stonegate. A tremendous amount of rain fell on Stonegate this day. In addition to the rain falling, a storm drain became compromised due to branches, stumps and other debris being carried along by the water. Thanks to the quick work of Bill McGraw, Brendan Fahy, Dave Smith and the team at Patrician Associates a much more serious situation was averted. Patrician sent Joanne on site and also contacted Salmon Bros. Dave Smith coordinated with Salmon Bros and the storm drain was opened which allowed the water to recede. Thank you to the Borough of Stanhope and the Stanhope Fire Department for the offer to pump out units if required.
4)On October 22nd the entrance to Stonegate was decorated for fall. Thanks to Bill and Kaitlan McGraw for the time and effort that they put into this project.
WHAT’S NEWS
“POWER OUTAGES” If your electrical power is off more than 4 hours you can get a free water and dry ice at the JCP&L site on Allen Street in Netcong, NJ. Never touch dry ice without gloves.
IHOP Restaurant on Mondays, all day has 50 % off the regular menu for Senior Citizens. The items selected must be from the regular menu and not the seniors menu. That means that if two go for a meal, you would only get charged for one. If you go as a single, you would get 50% off your entrée.
There are free Hearing Screenings at Franks Trattoria, in Byram Plaza every few months. Topics covered are Hearing Loss, Tinnius and the importance of a Baseline Hearing Test. Also, a free lunch is served. To contact them, call 973-691-0110 or via email at us@totalhearingcare.org. For more information, the corporate website is www.njhearingaids.com.
How Safe Is Your Home for your family and visitors?
Home safety incorporates a variety of components including but not limited to prevention of fall, poison control, fire safety, burn protection and choking and suffocation. Some safety tips from the Home Safety Council include:
*Install grab bars in tub and showers, use non-skid mats
*Have good lighting over stairs, steps and landings
*Keep stairs clear of clutter
*Keep cleaners, medication, beauty products out of the reach of children
*Have working Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors working
*Stay by the stove when cooking
*Keep hot water heaters at 120% to prevent burns
Register Ready
Register Ready is a NJ Special Needs registry designed to help emergency responders locate and safely evacuate people who could find it difficult to help themselves in the event of a major disaster such as a hurricane or flooding. If you or a family member would need assistance to get to a safe environment due to physical or cognitive limitations, language barrier or lack of transportation you may register by logging on to www.registerready.nj.gov calling 2-1-1 toll free of calling the Sussex County Office of Emergency Management at 973-579-0380.
Disposal of Electronics
The Borough of Stanhope requires you to dispose of Electronic equipment listed below by taking it to the DPW yard on 7 Smith Street off Sparta Stanhope Road. You can go on a Wednesday or a Saturday.
Computers – Laptops – Monitors – Televisions – Desktop Printers and printer/fax/copiers/scanners combinations – Computer peripherals including keyboard, mouse, hard drives and other devices – Fax Machines – DVD, VHS players and other video players (ie – DVR’s)
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE AT STONEGATE
First of all, Special thanks to Patrician Associates for the time that they dedicated to prepare the bids used in this process. Tricia Badalamenti spent many hours walking the complex separately with each of the contractors that were bidding on this work. Each building and surrounding area has it's unique requirements therefore Tricia had to do a complete walk thru with each contractor. Patrician will be on site many times as the work progresses. The paving project, which will help maintain and extend the life of Stonegate Lane, will begin Monday, August 22nd.The project will begin with cracks being cleaned and filled with asphaltic crack and joint compound. Areas of petroleum saturation will be cleaned and filled with a slurry seal where needed. Catch basins will be repaired and re-lined. The parking lot area will be sealed with latex sealer. The entire parking lot area will be re-striped. The masonry project will begin August 25th.After an extensive selection process the contract was awarded. This is a project that will touch most areas of Stonegate Village. Included will be many small repairs, front stoop replacement and front stoop repairs. Large areas of concrete sidewalk will be removed and replaced. Damaged curb on the main road will be removed and replaced. With the goal of quality workmanship that will last the Board is looking forward to the start of this phase continued improvements
EDITORIAL BY B.C. FAHY (Newsleltter Editor)
I have been a resident of Stonegate since 6/76, so I have a fairly good knowledge of the operations of this community. I have served two terms as President of the Association. I enjoyed the service to the community and would hope that others would step up and be part of the management of Stonegate. Six times a year we publish the Newsletter and list all the committees that handle the various needs of Stonegate. Please review them and contact the Management Company if would like to assist on any of them. Also, the efforts of your Board of Trustees, is no small task. If you have an interest in serving on the Board, please forward a brief resume, which will be placed on file, as soon as an opening would occur you would be contacted. The efforts of the current Board have been outstanding. The foresight in securing a line of credit for $450,000.00 has allowed for the upgrade of this complex, which was desperately needed. Roof replacements, concrete repair, road sealing, catch basins repaired and deck replacements. This work will make this thirty six year old complex new again. It is the responsibility of all of the residents of Stonegate to work for the best interests of the community in total. All the personal investment in a home at Stonegate is only enhanced with the efforts of all to comply with the regulations and courtesy to your neighbor. The value of your home is affected by the conditions of the complex, protect your investment.
BULK PICK UP PROCEDURES
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Recently there has been slippage in following the bulk pick up procedure. Bulk items are picked up the 3rd Friday of EVERY month. If furniture, household goods or construction items are put on the curbside or in front of the recycling center for weeks before pickup it detracts from the look of complex. As an Association we spend a lot of money on refuse collection and bulk recycling. Contractors should not use Stonegate dumpsters to dispose of material. Full garbage bags have been left on the ground inside of dumpster enclosures instead of being put into the dumpster. If Dave Smith and DMS has to spend time cleaning up after residents it takes away from time that should be spent on other projects. Please keep the area in front of your homes neat. There have been cases of car tires, `etc. in front of units. Thanks in advance for complying with these procedures.
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POOL
As detailed in the previous newsletter the pool, pump and patio area were completely replaced or refurbished this year. Unfortunately the Association experienced a period of time when the pool was unavailable for use. The closing was due to water quality problems that could have been prevented. Parents must follow the rules about not allowing children wearing diapers in the pool. The pool will soon be closing for the end of the season so enjoy the rest of the season.
COMMITTEES
As listed in the newsletters, there are a number of committees and their mission statements. Many committees have not been active for some time. If you have a skill set relevant to a committee or are interested in participating on one of the committees please contact the committee chairperson or Julie at Patrician Associates.
BEARS
Recently there have been a number of sightings of bears at Stonegate Village. The reason why the bears come is for food.It is important that garbage is disposed of properly as this will cut off the food source. The board is investigating whether bear-proof dumpsters are practical for Stonegate. Always use extreme caution if bears are on the property. Bear Facts for Homeowners- New Jersey Residents, especially those in areas frequented by black bears, should take steps to avoid attracting bears with food or garbage. This is the best way to prevent black bears from becoming a nuisance near your home. Some residents may observe black bears using yards as part of their natural travel corridors. The mere presence of a black bear is not considered a problem. Generally, bears tend to be wary of people. It is important not to leave out any food or garbage that may encourage bears to linger in residential areas. One person feeding bears can create a problem bear that may affect the entire neighborhood. Black bears learn very quickly and bears that are fed intentionally or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage will associate people with food. Bears will eat almost anything including human food, garbage, pet food, birdseed and small livestock. Once they find an easily accessible food source, like garbage in a housing development, they will lose their wariness of people and may return to the available food source. These bears can become a nuisance or aggressive and may have to be trapped and aversively conditioned or destroyed.
ADOPT A KITTEN
If you like animals please consider adopting a kitten. Two 2 kittens were rescued by Dave Smith at Stonegate Village. The kittens are 2 cute black males that are a few weeks old. If you are interested and would like more details please contact Sheila McGraw at 973-347-4076.
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