Speed Limit Reduced to 15 mph

You may have noticed that the speed limit has been reduced to 15 mph, in response to our request that the County evaluate our traffic conditions.

Merry Christmas!

The Case of the Mysterious Night Visitor

Last month some of our residents reported mysterious nocturnal visitors who were leaving shallow cuts of rolled up turf in their backyards:

One of them sent the pictures to a friend who came back with the verdict: Raccoons!

Apparently, raccoons search for grubs under the turf, which we are particularly susceptible to because of the newly-laid sod. According to eHow:

"Raccoons enjoy eating grubs and worms. Consider raccoons as your pests if you know you have problems with grubs in your lawn. Shredded grass or patches of rolled grass are signs of raccoon activity."

Our lawncare contractor says, however, that the grubs are probably not near the surface at this time of year, and the animal is probably searching for where it has found grubs in the past -- and because it is not finding them, it is ranging over a wide area.

Although this specific issue belongs to the individual homeowners, we understand from those who have done some gardening that there are lots of grubs in our soil (probably from Japanese beetles), and that it won't be effective to treat only a small area.

Our course of action:

• Next year we will add a couple of pesticide treatments for the entire community to the lawn program, which will help the roots of your grass, and follow up with annual applications each summer. Fortunately, this fell within the lawn maintenance budget as the mowing contract was lower than planned for.
• In the meantime, putting the turf back in place and/or applying repellent will be up to the homeowners affected.

For those interested in the full recommendation from our contractor:

All Things Trash

Update 2/4/13: We've been asked to pass on some tips on how to secure your recyclables, because the loose trash is blowing around every Friday and being cleaned up by your neighbors:

• Use an enclosed recycling container (free from Howard County). Please -- don't just place your recyclables on the curb in a box.
• The small, skinny 35-gallon bins, however, are prone to tipping over on windy days. If you cannot use one of the large 65-gallon carts (upgrade is also free, see below) please secure the lid with a bungy cord. If need be, this will also let you lay the cart on its side.
• Break down your boxes and if they won't fit into your bin, lay them flat on the ground with the cart/bin on top of them.

If you see trash blowing around, please help pick it up. Other suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

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Some reminders about trash and recycling, which probably rank as your favorite subjects:

• On Recycling Collection Days there has been a lot of recycled material blowing around the area near the small traffic island. We have been asked to suggest that:
• Residents please do not overfill your recycling bins, and
• If your bin is regularly overflowing, that you request a free upgrade from the County to a larger bin. (The largest size is 65 gallons and would cost $45 to purchase otherwise.) You can call Howard County at 410-313-6444.
• (Note that some of the smaller bins in particular seem to blow over easily.)
• Remember that with two holidays coming up, both trash and recycling will slide one day during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's.
• Trash on Wednesday
• Recycling on Saturday
• If you have large bulk items to dispose of, you can contact Howard County to pick them up on your regular scheduled trash day:
• Howard County Bulk Scheduler

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:

Homeowner Responsibilities

We hope everyone is expecting a great Turkey Day! We've been asked to clarify some issues and to remind the community:

• Guest Parking is limited, so please use your garages and driveways as your primary parking spaces. If we can, let's save those spaces for visitors. (By the way, you probably noticed M&S striped the parking bays yesterday!)
• Each homeowner is responsible for maintaining your mulched beds (weeding, pruning, and mulching). 
• However, Autumn Walk will take care of the mowing and trimming again in 2013, including inside fenced yards for the first time (though we will have to set policies regarding unlocking your gates, and posting notices if you do not want them to mow inside the fence).
• When snow does come, you must clear your sidewalks within 48 hours.
• We will be posting pet waste disposal signs to remind residents and visitors to pick up solid waste when walking their dogs.
• Howard County's Traffic Engineer has recommended that the Autumn Walk speed limit be reduced to 15 mph for safety reasons. Until the signs can be installed, please reduce your speed voluntarily.

It helps us save time (and your money) when everyone does their part.

We will address matters when they are brought to our attention, but so far we've been fortunate that simple reminders have been sufficient, for which we offer a big thanks!

P.S.: Our HOA has also decided that Emerson's Architectural Review is so stringent that we will not require an additional review by Autumn Walk for external improvements. We will periodically revisit this question.

P.P.S.: Finally -- no, these classy "No Parking" signs aren't permanent, we're just glad the parking spaces got their stripes!

Calendar of Events

Last Update: 3/25/13

A reminder of the events that are coming up in the next month, starting with the Autumn Walk HOA Meeting tomorrow (we hope to see you there!).

If you cannot attend, we would appreciate knowing your thoughts or questions ahead of time.

Autumn Walk HOA:

Date	Location	Event
Mon. 11/19/12 @ 7 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Autumn Walk HOA Budget Meeting (adoption of FY13 Budget and setting of HOA fees); detailed info on our Facebook page
Mon. 3/11/13 @ 7 pm	Jenny's House	HVAC and Humidifier Presentation [Notes on Facebook]
Fri. 5/10/13 @ 7 pm - 9 pm	Wherever the Flamingo Has Landed	Flamingo Friday
Mon. 6/3/13 @ 7 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Autumn Walk HOA Elections (election of 2013 Board, details to be posted to our web site and  Facebook page Will also vote on proposal to expand Board
TBD	Somewhere in Autumn Walk	Autumn Walk Social - Community Picnic (volunteers needed to organize!)

Emerson Master HOA:

Date	Location	Event
Mon. 11/26/12 @ 7 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Emerson HOA Elections (three positions open) *** Elections postponed to February 2013 ***
Sat. 12/8/12 from 12 pm - 2 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Emerson Holiday Open House (picture-taking with Santa & His Elves) - must RSVP to Emerson by 11/30/12 Murray Hill Middle School Jazz Band will perform outside if weather permits
Thu. 1/10/13 @ 7 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Quarterly Safety Committee Meeting
Sat. 1/12/13 from 4 pm - 8 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Adult Game Night (hang out at the Clubhouse without kids for TV, cards, checkers, etc.) E-mail to follow for RSVP
Wed. 1/23/13	Emerson Clubhouse or to CMC	**NEW** Deadline for Emerson Board of Directors Candidates (signatures from 20 households in good standing required)
Mon. 1/28/13 @ 2 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Emerson Nominating Committee (certification of candidates for Emerson BoD)
Mon. 1/28/13 @ 7 pm	Emerson Clubhouse	Emerson Board Meeting  Guests: Howard County Officials Will also adopt new pool policies

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

The Winter Season is approaching us -- we've seen freak snowstorms in early November before -- so even though we haven't made out our holiday shopping lists yet, Autumn Walk HOA has started to think about how we'll handle snow, which is the biggest unknown variable in our budget.

Last year, snow was the builder's responsibility and we had an extraordinarily mild winter.

The forecast this year is for normal to heavy snow, so who will be responsible for clearing the roads and sidewalks?

1. The builder is in the process of "dedicating" the streets to Howard County (transferring maintenance to the County). You may have seen the surveyor stakes in the ground, but until this handover happens, snow removal is the responsibility of Miller & Smith. (Though you are always responsible for clearing your own driveway and sidewalks.)
2. Once the County has accepted the public streets:
1. Howard County will plow the main street.
2. Homeowners are responsible for shoveling their sidewalks within 48 hours. (You will want to avoid de-icing agents with salts that can damage the concrete and kill your plants.)
3. The HOA will be responsible for the guest parking spaces and the sidewalks adjacent to common areas. We have decided we will only shovel the walks.

After this first year we'll find out if this plan is adequate!

For those who wish to check the condition of the County roads, Howard County has a

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.

An Autumn Walk Halloween

Halloween pictures are now up on the Facebook page...and don't forget, this weekend it's time to "fall back" an hour as Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 am on Sunday!

Thanks go out to Jenny in 9847 for organizing the Halloween Kids' Parade, and to all the residents who decorated their homes in spooky fashion! It was great to see everyone outside greeting visitors and passing out candy.

Hurricane Preparation Guidelines

Update 10/30/12: Maryland was very fortunate with the storm track and the power has stayed on in our neighborhood so far. Please be careful once travel restrictions are lifted, as there may be traffic signals out, localized flooding, and trees toppling in the rain-soaked ground.

• Pre-Storm Exterior Preparation
• Emergency Numbers
• Hurricane Preparedness Checklists

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We could be fortunate enough to have Hurricane Sandy pass us by, but even moderately strong winds and heavy rains could cause some damage.

We have received some guidelines from both of our management companies (Autumn Walk and Emerson), to include emergency numbers.

See below for detailed checklists, but in particular:

1. Please bring in or tie down loose objects and furniture outside to prevent them from becoming projectiles; 
2. Make sure that you have water and necessities in case we lose power; and 
3. Fill the gas tanks of your cars.

And if you observe damage after the storm such as downed trees or electrical wires, or overflowing storm drains, please let us know.

We hope everyone will come through safe and sound next week!

P.S.: We have heard some conflicting information about propane grills. If you decide to bring the grill in, you should keep the propane tank outside for safety reasons.

Please read on for detailed information:

2013 Annual Budget Meeting

Update 10/23/12: A full explanation of how the budget was calculated is now posted to the residents-only Facebook page. Please contact us if you need a copy. Also note that the correct date is Nov. 19th.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/444484918929145/462511363793167/

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The next formal Autumn Walk HOA meeting will be the 2013 Annual Budget Meeting.

Date: Monday, November 19, 2012
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Emerson Clubhouse

Agenda:

1. Present the budget in detail to the community.
2. Discuss whether the community wishes to continue full-service mowing in 2013. Assessment fees are being raised to cover the difference.
3. Board will adopt the 2013 Budget.

Notes:

• Formal notices of this meeting were mailed to all households in Autumn Walk last week.
• The proposed 2013 Budget has been provided in the mailer; our goal was to get it in your hands 30 days prior to the meeting.
• Some of the worksheets used to calculate the Financial Reserve have been posted to the residents-only Facebook page.
• The meeting will have a period for public comment, after which the Board will vote. Note that while every effort will be made to obtain consensus, the decisions will be made by the Board.

We look forward to seeing you at this important meeting! Please contact us ahead of time with your thoughts and concerns.

Cleaning Up After Your Pets

Please remember that both Howard County Regulations and your HOA covenants require pet owners to clean up solid waste left by their pets, on or off their property, and dispose of it in a sanitary manner, or face civil penalties.

This is also a reminder that your pet must be carried or on a leash when outside, so please take something with you on your way out the door, to clean up after your pet "does its daily duty."

This is a matter that affects cleanliness, the appearance of the community, and public health (pet waste can foster parasites long after it is gone).

A few extra minutes can make a big difference in the neighborhood, and can also show a little kindness and consideration for your neighbors. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

From the Autumn Walk Covenants Section 7.9.B:

“Each Member who walks a pet within the community, including the Common Area, is required to clean up any and all solid waste deposited by their pet.”

Neighborhood Construction Work

You've all noticed by now that the builder is starting to finish the final construction in the neighborhood, as they prepare to hand over maintenance of the street to Howard County.

When you see an orange spray-painted "X" it means that something is going to be replaced soon, whether it's large pieces of dead sod, broken curbs, sidewalks, etc. The builder will also be replacing dead trees and shrubs.

The County will then inspect the neighborhood and identify any further actions necessary, and then the street will be paved, after which Howard County will take over responsibility for street repairs and snow removal (other than the guest parking spaces, which will remain the responsibility of Autumn Walk HOA).

Future replacement of trees and shrubs will also be performed by the HOA, as will all other maintenance of the common areas.

Our community manager, April, says there will probably be one day during the paving when the street will be blocked off from about 9 am to 4 pm. She expects they will give us advance notice so you can park outside the street by 7 am, to avoid getting trapped inside and unable to drive to work or elsewhere.

Follow-Up:

• (10/8/12) Street paved by M.T. Laney Company, Inc, Eldersburg, MD.
• (11/19/12) Guest parking spaces striped.

Emerson HOA Notes 9/24/12

Update 10/30/12: Corrected number of open positions; there will be three Emerson Directors elected to two-year terms.

Highlights from the meeting of the Emerson Master HOA Board of Directors on 9/24/12:

• Emerson Elections on 11/26/12
• Board approved installation of new pet station for dog waste on Palace Hall
• Pool rules will be revised next season to deal with overcrowding
• Upcoming activities include Halloween Parade on 10/27/12 and Holiday Open House
• Reinspections for architectural covenants are beginning
• Stephens Manor may be torn down
• Safety Committee meetings will change to less frequent quarterly schedule