Autumn Walk HOA News 10/1/24

We have quite a lot of important information to cover this time so I will try to summarize it and then provide links for more detailed information below. Please let us know if you have any questions, thanks!

1. Selling and Refinancing Your Home: New Online Platform for Getting Resale Packages

2. Auto Debit of HOA Fees: Emerson Form Updated

3. 2025 Annual Meeting & Board Elections in November (both Emerson and Autumn Walk HOA) + Budget (need 13 houses for AWHOA quorum)

4. Save the Date: Chili Cook-Off on Sat. 11/2/24 (weekend after Halloween)

5. Miscellaneous

• Pet Waste: please pick up after your dogs, especially on the large island!
• Maintenance and Repairs
• Shredding Events (Emerson HOA 10/5/24, Howard County 11/9/24)

1. Selling and Refinancing Your Home:

Draft Minutes: 2019 Autumn Walk HOA Annual Meeting 10/28/19

The 2019 Autumn Walk HOA Annual Meeting and Elections were held on Monday, October 28, 2019 at 7 PM in the Emerson Clubhouse. Fred Leong took the minutes as he did for 2018 as well.

·        Attendance:

o   Present (4): (9811) Dharmesh, (9832) Allie, (9854) Fred; (9836) Tammy

o   Proxies (13): 9807; 9810; 9812; 9814; 9830; 9837; 9840; 9844; 9846; 9847; 9848; 9853; 9858

o   Management: April Day, CAS Inc.

·        Agenda

o   Quorum Established (17 accounted for, 12 needed)

o   Call to Order and Introductions

o   Adopt 2018 Minutes

o   Financial Review

§  2020 Budget

o   Presidents Report

§  Yearly Overview

§  Community Gatherings/Events

§  Landscape Beautification

§  Snow Removal

§  Misc

o   Proposals

o   Elections (2 open positions)

o   Residents Forum

Highlights:

1.     Board proposes Picnic for Sunday, May 17

a.     Pizza party with drinks, rest is potluck

b.     Will check that location is available, and that residents can attend

2.     Landscaping

a.     Please remember to keep your yards accessible for the landscaping contract, and avoid having anything breakable in your yards

b.     Will remove dead bushes on traffic islands (both large and small), just replace with mulch

c.     Board will add removing weeds in sidewalk cracks to Landscaping contract; will get a price on full weeding

d.     Authorized up to $5000 for an improvement project (does not have to be in those locations), resident proposals requested

e.     Board votes to ask if the sub-HOAs will jointly formally request that Emerson cover tree trimming and snow removal on major roads throughout Emerson

                                               i.     Affects appearance of entire community and budget has cashflow

3.     Emerson Election

a.     Need 169 houses to reach quorum, will have proxy forms at Halloween Block Party

4.     Home Maintenance: Emerson Violations

a.     Many houses received violations for fences, but confusion as to which fences belong to which house, especially when there are two dividers – is it the property line, or the side facing your house that matters?

                                               i.     Who cleans, paints, replaces fence?

                                             ii.     Will get clarification from Emerson

b.     Board will need to inspect Autumn Walk in late May

                                               i.     Yards should replace landscaping with something if everything has been removed

                                             ii.     Also some yards typically need cleanup, usually weeding

5.     2020 Budget adopted

a.     One-time deficit for landscaping improvement project

b.     Want to avoid raising fees as long as possible

6.     Elections

a.     Dharmesh Patel, Fred Leong reappointed to 2-year terms (no other applications received)

Details:

Water Meter Replacement Program

Howard County is expecting to replace 45,000 meters located inside homes to upgrade them to a new technology over the next 3 years.

• Howard County has contracted with Keystone Utility Systems which will mail residents and businesses to schedule an appointment to access the meters.
• Keystone's meter replacement personnel will have uniforms and Howard County-issued photo IDs.

When you receive your notice:

• Call 1-877-587-2279 to schedule an appointment.
• Appointments are available Monday - Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
• Saturday appointments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Ensure that the meter is accessible by clearing obstructions around the water meter area.
• Have someone 18 years old or older present to admit the water meter installer.

For more information, visit the Bureau of Utilities' water meter replacement page:

• http://bit.ly/HoCoWaterMeterReplacement

Stop Sign Repair: Tell HoCo

Howard County has a service called Tell HoCo that lets residents track and report issues that require the County's attention.

You can quickly report an item needing repair or some other County action, without needing to know the specific department or office to route the request to.

A dispatcher will log in the request and assign it to the appropriate group, and you can then track the issue on the web site (as well as see what other items have been submitted in your area).

When someone hit a stop sign on our street in the middle of the night this summer, it was propped back up but not replaced.

We finally submitted a Tell HoCo ticket over 2 months later - and it was replaced within 3 days.

New Monument Sign Lighting

The Emerson Master HOA gave us a landscaping light for our monument sign as a test, with the objective of determining whether the lights would work well enough in Autumn Walk and Skylark Ridge to roll them out across the community.

Old and New Lights Together

However, we felt the light had several issues, including a harsh white color temperature, limited placement options for the (single) light, and limited ability to place the solar panel to collect sunlight and avoid getting turned off by headlights at night (with the light shutting off as cars turned onto our street).

Old Light (in the center)

So after some research we found lights, the Solar Light Mart SLM81250, that we felt would deliver a much better result, and purchased them at a very reasonable cost of $39.99. [The manufacturer now has a third generation light that is brighter and still is rated to run from 7-12 hours, though the price of all the lights has gone up slightly.]

New Lights (one on each side)

The caveat, however, is that installation is significantly more complex (a few hours during both daylight and at night versus 10 minutes, to include waterproofing the connectors and burying the cables), which we could afford since we did it ourselves at no cost.

But hopefully you'll agree with us that the result was worth it! Go out after dark and check them out for yourselves!

Specifications:

Emerson Annual Inspections Begin Aug. 13th

Emerson's Annual Inspections begin on Monday, August 13, 2018 and will continue on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis until completed.

This process usually takes a few weeks to complete the 1100 homes within the community.

Only the exterior is inspected, so homeowners do not need to be present. If an issue is noted, the Emerson Community Manager will send a notification with a timeframe for addressing the issue.

The checklist provided to the teams is as follows:

Air Duct and Dryer Vent Cleaning

A couple of months ago Jenny did the research to find a contractor to clean air ducts and dryer vents, and negotiated a fixed price.

She posted the information to Facebook and several homes in the community used the service. (Other homes have used different contractors as well.)

Air Duct Cleaning
The ducts in different units had varying amounts of dust, construction debris, and (especially in floor registers) objects that had fallen into the ducts including children's toys.

Repairs to Autumn Walk Common Areas

On Thursday, a local contractor repaired the stone retaining wall around the tree in the common area between Autumn Walk and Skylark Ridge.

Retaining Wall (Before Repairs)

Retaining Wall (After Repairs)

They also took care of miscellaneous repairs such as filling the cracks in the sidewalks near the mailboxes.

Your HOA Dollars at Work ™

(Draft) Revised Emerson Architectural Guidelines Posted

Emerson has posted the DRAFT revision of the Architectural Guidelines for comment.

To access the 9 MB PDF document:

• Log in to the Emerson Community web site
• Click on the "Resources" tab
• On the ensuing pop up menu, click on "Architectural Design Guidelines - 2015 Revised"

The Emerson Board of Directors will be voting whether to accept these changes (highlighted in RED) at the September 28th Board Meeting.

Minutes: Autumn Walk Election Results and Meeting Notes 6/15/15

Autumn Walk elections were held on Monday, 6/15/15 and Mike Fitzgerald was elected to the Board. Your Autumn Walk HOA Board of Directors for 2015-2016 are:

• Damon Wood (term expires 2016)
• Dharmesh Patel (term expires 2017)
• Mike Fitzgerald (term expires 2018)

Other major items:

• Call for volunteers: 2015 Picnic
• Finances in very good shape
• Plan to proceed with Autumn Walk monument sign
• Various repairs
• Including issue of jurisdiction over sidewalks
• Snow removal
• Parking

Meeting Details:

1. Quorum established - 12 houses (of 12 needed), meeting called to order at 7:08 PM
1. 5 homes in attendance (9806, 9811, 9836, 9848, 9854)
2. 7 proxies (9804, 9814, 9832, 9845, 9852, 9860)
3. CAS Management represented by April Day
4. Fred Leong agreed to take notes for Minutes, will continue to manage email, web site, FB
2. Financial Review (as of 5/31/15) - April Day

Notes: Emerson HOA Meeting & Elections 11/24/14

Highlights of the Emerson Board Meeting on 11/24/14:

• Elections
• Three new Board Members elected, very heavy participation in the election
• Howard County Officials in attendance
• Councilwoman Jen Terrasa (District 3)
• Howard County Chief of Traffic Kris Jagarapu 
• Extended Q&A Session
• Local road projects
• Wincopia Farms/Walden Woods
• Process for upgrading roads, adding traffic calming
• Open Resident Forum

Details:

1. Elected to the Emerson Board of Directors for 2-year terms:

Water Heater Pilot Light

(Update 10/21/14: This post has been corrected as some steps were inadvertently left out in the procedures for relighting the pilot light.)

I recently lost hot water in my home and found that the pilot light had gone out. In case you aren't sure how to check this, these are the instructions for a Bradford Model M-2-XR65T6FBN 65-gallon gas water heater as was typically installed in Autumn Walk.

• Bradford Model M-2-XR65T6FBN [PDF Service Manual | PDF Parts List]

If you're unable to light the pilot light after trying these procedures more than once, then something has likely failed and you'll need to call a plumber.

Your water heater may be still covered by the Bradford White Manufacturer's Limited Warranty. In the model listed above, the part number means:

• Model M2
• 65 gallons
• 6 year tank warranty (and hence also a 6-year parts warranty)

Instructions as posted on the water heater itself:

1. First check that the red temperature knob is turned on and that it is at the temperature setting you want.

Base of the water heater

Emerson HOA Board Meeting 7/28/14

(Full official minutes are posted to the Emerson Residents-Only section of the Emerson web site with login required. This is just a summary of some of the public highlights.)

Highlights of the Emerson Board Meeting on 7/28/14:

1. Parking issues to be reviewed by Howard County on August 8th
2. Architectural review of covenant violations completed
3. Other maintenance
4. Activities
5. Committees
6. Miscellaneous

Details:

Adjusting Your HVAC Vents (Heating and Cooling)

Each Summer and Winter, most of us have to adjust our HVAC systems to keep our homes at a comfortable temperature. Here are some tips on how to make these adjustments:

In this example you can see two damper levers (the back and front of the
house) while the "secret hidden damper lever" to the third floor is behind
the curved duct in the middle (up and behind the wooden joist), and requires
a stepladder to reach. The vertical duct on the left is for the return air flow.

1. Each of us has three damper levers controlling the airflow to different parts of the house: 
1. One goes to the front section of the house (second floor above the garage)
2. Another lever controls airflow to the back of the house (first and second floors)
3. The final lever -- and the hardest to reach -- controls airflow to the third floor

Architectural Review and Landscaping Changes

We've received quite a few architectural inquiries from Autumn Walk residents in the past few weeks.

• Landscaping Changes (private yards)
• Covenant Enforcement
• Common Area Changes

In summary, Emerson Master HOA is responsible for reviewing architectural changes and enforcing covenants.

Our Common Area, however, falls under the purview of the Autumn Walk Board.

Landscaping Changes

For changes to the landscaping in private yards (for example, the area in front of your home), we are deferring to Emerson Master HOA since as the bylaws are written, they are enforced by Emerson.

If you have a project that affects the exterior of your home, please review the bylaws to determine what is covered and the restrictions that are in place.

All Your Streets Are Belong to Us

I talked to Howard County this week to find out when they plan to take over maintenance of the street, also known as "dedicating" the street. We had been told that this would happen in February.

As you know our Builder (Miller & Smith) picked up the cost of snow removal this past winter, and perhaps even more fortunately we received virtually no snow.

Howard County's Real Estate Services Division told me we will probably be on the June 2013 agenda. For those interested in the details, read on:

Heating Company Offer

Update 3/19/13: Notes are now posted on Facebook in our Warranties & Repairs page. The summary is: 

• Your HVAC systems are warrantied for 1 year parts/labor from the date of settlement. 
• Major parts are warrantied by the manufacturer for 5 years, but you can use any licensed dealer for repair. 
• ARS is offering discounts to any residents in Emerson of 10%-15% on service plans and installations.
• Otherwise, Aprilaire is recommending either the Model 600 (evaporative bypass) or Model 800 (steam) humidifiers. The latter costs about 4 times as much and also requires a 240VAC line.

Once again, Autumn Walk is not endorsing these services, these are personal notes presenting the information at the request of several homeowners. Thanks again to Jenny in 9847 for hosting!

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The company that installed our Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling (HVAC) systems and is responsible for warranty repair in the first year, ARS, has offered to provide a presentation in a group setting in which Autumn Walk homeowners can ask questions.

This is in response to a large number of inquiries from residents on how to adjust the systems to warm up cold basements and address a lack of humidity in the winter months.

While Autumn Walk HOA is not endorsing ARS' services, we agreed to pass on their offer to residents. If there is sufficient interest, we will try to schedule a session. Possible topics:

• How to maintain and adjust our heating/cooling systems
• What service capabilities ARS provides
• Possible presentation by Aprilaire (whole-house humidifier company)

If you are interested (or want to volunteer to coordinate this interaction) please reply to the HOA email or post on our Facebook page. Other topics and questions can also be passed along.

Autumn Walk Snow, Maintenance & Final Handover

Update 12/22/12: Howard County informed us that we are not on the dedication schedule for February, so it will be March or April before the County takes over maintenance of the street. So we have even more reason to be thankful to Miller & Smith for handling the snow plowing one last winter season!

Lots of news about the community. The highlights:

• Snow plowing will be covered by Miller & Smith!
• 3-year Contract for Full Mowing
• Final handover of community (punch list)

Details:

Emerson HOA Notes 11/26/12

Highlights from the meeting of the Emerson Master HOA Board of Directors on 11/26/12:

• Quorum was not achieved, so elections were delayed to Monday 1/28/13 (quorum will be established by whoever shows up at that time).
• Murray Hill Middle School Jazz Band will perform outside Clubhouse at Emerson Holiday Open House on Sat. 12/8/12 (weather permitting). Deadline to RSVP for Holiday Open House is 11/30/12.
• New Adults Games Night event scheduled for Saturday 1/12/13 from 4-8 pm in Clubhouse (cards, checkers, chess, TV, whatever people want). Email coming out soon to RSVP.
• Next quarterly Safety Committee meeting Thursday 1/10/13 at 7 pm. Howard County Police have praised Emerson's program, urge residents to leave outside lights on, use alarms, close garage doors at night. Howard County Police have new iWatch app for iPhone/iPad/Android.
• Three new pet waste stations to be installed on 12/5/12.
• New pool policies regarding guests to be finalized at January meeting. Plan to solicit feedback prior.
• Lengthy Q&A session:
• How to be a Board candidate (nominations all closed, no write-ins allowed).
• Services provided by Emerson
• Snow removal responsibilities
• Emerson budget and debt
• Repairs and reforestation area, and demarcation of responsibilities

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Details:

Winterizing Your Home

Here's a reposting of the winterizing tips that Miller & Smith's Warranty Department sent to us last month.

At a minimum, it's probably a good idea to turn off your rear hose bib (from inside your mechanical room) since you likely won't be using the hose anymore and that way you won't forget.

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As colder weather approaches you can take a few key steps to ensure your home serves you well through the coming months. Please take time to check these items in and around your home and attend to any that need maintenance.

• Clean, test and replace batteries in smoke alarms
• Test and reset ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) breakers/receptacles
• Change furnace filter
• Operate heating system; if service is needed it is more conveniently arranged before the busiest part of the season arrives.
• Adjust registers and dampers.
• Drain your [outside lawn] sprinkler system
• "Winterize" exterior faucets to prevent water from freezing and expanding into the pipe causing a broken water line.
• Adjust or replace weather-stripping on exterior doors as needed.
• Check the fit of exterior doors; thresholds are adjustable -- use a quarter to turn the screws.
• Check caulking, inside and out, and touch up.
• Review safe fireplace operation. Provide professional cleaning at regular intervals.
• Check the garage overhead door, tighten bolts as needed, and lubricate the rollers in the tracks. Have other repairs done by professionals.
• Clean gutters, check downspouts and confirm that splash blocks drain away from the house.
• Check foundation, concrete, and yard for settling; fill in as needed for positive drainage.
• After snowfall, brush snow off gutters and away from downspouts.
• Remove ice and snow from concrete and masonry promptly; avoid de-icing agents with damaging salts.