Inverness Forest Today

Boy Scout Troop 1434 Holds Its Annual Mulch Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:08:00 +0000

I received a note from Ted Lutterman of 8103 Inverness Ridge Rd. Ted wanted the community to know that Boy Scout Troop 1434 will hold its annual mulch sale in March and he passed on the following details[1]:

Boy Scout Troop 1434 Holds Its Annual Mulch Sale

On March 15, 2014 Boy Scout Troop 1434[2] is once again selling mulch for their annual fundraiser. The boys from the troop will deliver and stack bags of mulch on Saturday, March 15, 2014. The order deadline is Monday, March 10, 2014.

New for 2014, you can place your order online[3], using your credit card or your PayPal account, at the Troop website: http://potomac1434.mytroop.us

Advantages of buying from our Troop:

Price is competitive - only $3.75 per bag.

We sell only the two cubic foot size bags, so that they are easier to handle. Have you seen a young scout wrestle with a 3 cubic foot bag?

Our vendor is giving us shredded hardwood mulch. One past customer is a landscaper and told us that what we sell is high quality.

The boys benefit from being outdoors in patrols, cooking and camping monthly, solving problems like how to cook when the stove fuel runs out, and going to a weeklong summer camp. The funds pay for the reservation fees, scout patches, and equipment like new tents.

Your car remains free of mulch debris.

We deliver the mulch to you.

Order process is easy—just hop online.

The Troop has been growing with more boys attending Thursday night meetings at 7:30pm at Seven Locks Baptist Church. So our needs for equipment continue.

Please note: although the order form says there is a minimum order size of 10 bags for home delivery, for Inverness & Deborah drive townhouses, we will accept orders of 4 bags or more and the boys will deliver the mulch to your house.

For our past Inverness Forest customers, thank you for your support.

Questions can be directed by email to Mulch@potomac1434.mytroop.us

If you are an avid gardner, this might be a perfect solution to getting lots of mulch for your beds and helping a good cause at the same time.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

You can view the flyer here ↩
Boy Scout Troop 1434 meets at Seven Locks Baptist Church. ↩
The order form is also on the website if you prefer to mail in a check made out to BSA Troop 1434. ↩

Highlights from the Annual Meeting 10-25-12

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:58:00 +0000

Last night the Inverness Forest Association held its Annual Meeting for 2012. It was a lively affair with spirited discussions on many topics. Perhaps 40-50 people attended including the board, the vote counters, and the IFA's lawyer David Gardner. In addition, many people cast their votes by proxy. A total of 109 votes (attendees and proxies) were cast on the question about the amendment to our by-laws.

I'll cover only the highlights in this post. The minutes will be more detailed. I'll post them, as usual, on the IFA website and here on Inverness Forest Today when they become available.

Voting

Six board members were elected: three that were on the ballot and three that were nominated from the floor. James Ulrich, Evan Foster, and Rita Carvajal were re-elected to seats on the board. The three new board members are: Cybel Wigle, Glenna Bernard, and David Kelly. This brings the board membership to its authorized level of nine members. All nine board members deserve our thanks and appreciation for tackling the hard work and spending the many hours it takes to run our community.

The proposed amendment to our by-laws allowing a smaller authorized board size (5, 7, or 9 members to be set annually) than the current authorized size of nine member was the subject of the previous four posts on this blog: two posts supporting the amendment and two posts opposing the amendment. The spirited debate on the amendment continued at the annual meeting with several speakers on each side of the issue expressing their opinions. The amendment was not approved: 47 votes in favor of the amendment and 62 opposed to it.

Management Company

The board announced that TMGA, the management company we've had since the spring, has quit. Their last day will be October 31, 2012, but they will be available to help with the transition to a new management company. The board was not satisfied with TMGA's performance and were considering terminating our agreement with them at the end of the year.

Treasurer Evan Foster said that during the bidding process for selecting a management company, TMGA produced a very good proposal and was also the lowest bidder ($20,000 per year) of the four companies who bid. The board felt that once the contract with TMGA began, the level of support promised in the proposal did not materialize.

Evan said that since the board reviewed the various bids so recently, they are in a position to select a replacement for TMGA. Evan pointed out that it is likely to cost somewhat more ($35,000) to hire a management company capable of performing up to the standards the board believes is needed for our community. The board is exploring various options to fund this expense.

The Role of Social Media

Just as in our national elections, social media played an increasing role in providing information to residents during the annual meeting and the weeks leading up to it. This Inverness Forest Today blog hosted discussions on the proposed amendment to our by-laws. The previous four posts on IFT explored both sides of this amendment. One post was by a board member, two by former board members, and one by the lawyer for IFA, David Gardner. Many of the people attending the Annual Meeting said that they had read the blog posts and that this helped them understand the issues involved.

I talked to many people during the weeks leading up to the Annual Meeting and was encouraged by the level of understanding of the issues displayed by residents who had read the blog posts. A knowledgeable community is better able to make good decisions than one that doesn't understand the issues up for a vote.

One person attending the meeting, John Wigle, achieved a first for IFA. Within a few minutes after the voting was complete, John "live-blogged" the election results from the floor of the meeting to the Inverness Forest Facebook group, thus informing community residents belonging to the group of the election returns in almost real time.

Letters of Enforcement for non-Architectural Violations

Several homeowners were upset to receive a letter in recent weeks from TMGA asking them to to perform certain landscaping maintenance (cut their grass, trim specific bushes, etc.). Former board member Elise Vernick raised the issue of the validity of such letters. The IFA lawyer, David Gardner, said his review of our governing documents did not show any basis for such letters to be issued. He said that architectural violations are covered by our governing documents and have to be enforced, but there is no justification for these letters to homeowners concerning non-architectural issues since there are no standards set forth. Furthermore, Mr. Gardner pointed out that should a board decide in the future to enforce non-architectural standards, they would have to undertake a massive campaign to keep from incurring liability since we are not a condo, but rather own our own homes. Furthermore, he pointed out that there are State and County laws governing such issues and generally such enforcement should be left to those governments which have both the resources and authority to enforce those regulations. So it appears that if you received one of these TMGA letters you can safely ignore it

Pepco

Finally, Board President Sharlene Shugarman noted that Pepco has been busy lately trimming trees on Seven Locks Rd. that might fall on power lines. Sharlene hoped that this work might make it less likely that we will lose power because of a storm, like the one that is now approaching the mid-Atlantic states.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

David Gardner's Blog Post on the Proposed By-laws Amendment

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Board President Sharlene Shugarman asked me to post David Gardner's comments on the proposed by-laws amendment as a guest blog post here on Inverness Forest Today. Mr. Gardner is the IFA attorney. One of my concerns, expressed in my original blog post is that the board did not explain why they proposed this amendment; it just appeared on the proxy. I want to thank Mr Gardner for addressing this concern and by explaining the reasons why the amendment was proposed.

Throughout this series of guest blog posts on the proposed amendment I have been careful not to add my own comments to those of the guest blogger because I didn't want to dilute their message. Mr. Gardner raised some new issues that, I believe, need further exploration. However, I'll defer my comments to a future blog post.

Here is Mr. Gardner's guest blog post based on an email he sent to Sharlene:

Sharlene:

I read the blog postings and must commend Harvey for spending so much time keeping the community informed on current issues. Many of the opposition blogs state that the Board has not stated the basis for its proposal, but I think he has taken the time to do so in his blog.

I don’t know what the “litigious” period refers to. Apparently, some previous board was faced with litigation and felt a larger board better represents the community. While that is certainly true, the fact is that over 90% of the Boards in this area are comprised of 5 members. In my experience less than 10% of the Boards require 7 or 9 members. To require 9 is very uncommon. The Montgomery County Council has 9 members for 1,000,000 residents. I would think that 5 board members can represent 304 homes, and that 9 are not necessary.

Also, while it may be true that more members can get more done, if the 9 members are only serving in name only, and don’t volunteer for anything, it is more of a hassle to hold meetings with 9 members than it would be for 5 members. If there are 5 committed members, they can get more done than you can with 9 uncommitted members. I’m sure you have experienced this yourself.

However, the main response to be given is that the bylaw amendment merely allows, but does not compel, a smaller board. If there are 9 interested persons running for the board then the board size can remain at 9. But if the community experiences a period of apathy, as it is currently, the members can vote to reduce the board to 5 so that meetings can be held and a quorum reached. It provides authority for this if it is ever needed.

Very truly,

David C. Gardner

Gardner Law Firm, PC

600 Jefferson Plaza, Suite 308

Rockville, MD 20852

(301) 762-8475

Fax: (301) 762-1180

E-Mail: dgardner@davidgardnerlaw.com

www.davidgardnerlaw.com

This message contains information from the Gardner Law Firm, PC that may be privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete the message.

By-law Amendment -- Sabine Dohrn's View

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 15:15:00 +0000

I served with Sabine Dohrn on the IFA Board for five years. During this time the community benefitted from her hard work and wise council. After reading my blog post on the proposed by-laws amendment and then James Ulrich's blog post, Sabine asked me if she could express her views too. Here is her take on the proposed By-laws Amendment:

Harvey, I do very much appreciate what you are doing with your blog and keeping the lines of communication open. This whole discussion would not take place without your initiative. So a full-hearted Thank you !! Below is my blog comment.

As a former Board member, I am aware of how difficult it is to recruit new Board members. Participation from the community has been disappointingly low for a couple of years. So I fully understand James Ulrich´s arguments for reducing the number of Directors. And yet, weighing them against the drawbacks, I still come out on the side of No to reduction.

I find Harvey´s argument very convincing that reducing the number of Board directors carries the danger of concentrating the power in the hands of a few with less diversity of opinions and little opposition. Narrowing choices or voices never seems a good idea in a democracy on any level.

Concerning James´argument of changing demographics, I am not sure if anyone can predict their effect on community participation. And to all those parents, one evening a month is all it takes. There is no unreasonable workload associated with being on the Board. So fear not!

What I really miss seeing, though, is some kind of a ¨campaign¨ by the Board to bring this problem to the fore in the community, some communication that draws attention to the issue. I did not see any flyer or any direct communication weeks ago to alert us.

Before trying to cast this change to Article IV Section 1 of the By-laws in stone, I would have liked to see the Board work a little harder on whipping up a campaign to recruit new members. A good dose of DIRECT communication on important issues once in a while wouldn´t hurt and would create a closer connection to the community. Maybe there was mention in the minutes but sorry, they are not the right vehicle. For my taste, the Board sits too much in an ivory tower. Maybe that is one reason people don´t engage more.

And to the practical side - concerning the argument that Board decisions sometimes cannot be made in a timely fashion because one member is ill or out of town, would it not be permissible to use technology - emails in particular, or Skype videoconferencing - to get that person´s vote?

Thank you, Harvey, for creating this forum for discussion.

Sabine Dohrn

* * * * *

Harvey

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

Board's Position on the Proposed By-law Amendment

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:50:00 +0000

As I promised in my last blog post, I wanted to give the board an opportunity to present their reasons why the proposed amendment to our by-laws should be adopted. The last blog post gave my reasons opposing this amendment (see previous post located after this one).

Today's comments are from IFA Board Vice-President James Ulrich. During the time James and I were on the board together I learned to respect his talent for getting to the heart of issues that came before the board and his dedication to helping the community.

Here are James's comments:

* * * *

Dear Neighbors:

Harvey has graciously offered the Board of Directors the opportunity to respond to his blog post of October 1st, regarding the proposed amendment to Article IV Section 1 of the bylaws, and I'd like to take that opportunity to share my own thoughts on the topic, speaking as a fellow resident.

First, I'd like to thank Harvey for maintaing the Inverness Forest Today blog, providing a valuable forum to discuss this and other issues that affect our community.

Second, I'd like to wholeheartedly agree that the interests of the community will best be served by a well-functioning Board of nine Directors representing the full spectrum of views held by the IFA membership. That is a goal to which everyone in the community can contribute, either by volunteering to serve on the Board, or by encouraging fellow residents to do so.

However, I have the impression, based on the two years I have served on the Board, that it is becoming harder (though not impossible) to recruit new Directors. My own cul-de-sac provides anecdotal evidence that this may reflect in part a shift in the community demographics towards working couples with young children, who have moved here to take advantage of the excellent public schools, and who have limited time to devote to volunteer activities in general, and the Board in particular.

Our current bylaws fix the number of Directors at nine, and therefore a quorum at five Directors, even if four of the positions are vacant. For much of the past year, only five Director positions have been filled (the count currently stands at six), and on two occasions this has prevented the Board from conducting IFA business, when one of the Directors was absent due to illness or travel. Were this situation to persist, in the worst case scenario we could conceivably be forced into receivership, which would leave us with a Board of exactly one Director. I am sure no one wants this.

Accordingly, on the advice of the IFA counsel, David Gardner, Esquire, we put forward the proposed amendment to Article IV Section 1 which you received with your annual meeting notice. This amendment will allow (but not require) the IFA membership (not just the Board) to adjust, at the annual meeting, the number of Directors upwards or downwards, to an odd number between five and nine, to better reflect the number of candidates standing for election.

This amendment would appear to be in conflict with Article IV, Section 2, which requires the membership to elect three Directors each year. However, were the proposed amendment adopted, Montgomery County code would require us to elect roughly one third of the Board each year to staggered terms, and this code would govern, not Article IV Section 2.

Fortunately, IFA counsel has further advised that there remains sufficient time to issue a proposed amendment to Article IV Section 2 as well, and you should shortly be receiving a mailing with the proposed amendment and supplemental proxy ballot. The proposed amendment spells out clearly how the Directors are to be elected, for Boards of five, seven, or nine Directors. Essentially, the expiring positions will be staggered to terms of one, two, or three years, with the number of votes received by a winning candidate determining the term the candidate will serve.

My hope is that the two amendments taken together will clearly present to the community the intent of the Board, which is to allow the full membership to adjust the number of Directors to ensure that the Board can conduct IFA business efficiently, while representing the greatest possible diversity of views.

Harvey is correct to note that these matters deserve careful deliberation, and so I hope you all will turn out for the annual meeting on the 25th of October. The IFA attorney will be present to answer your questions about the proposed amendments.

Best regards,
James Ulrich
Vice President
Board of Directors of the Inverness Forest Association

* * * *

Now you have both the sides of the issue: the case in favor of the amendment presented above by James Ulrich and the case opposed to the amendment presented below in my previous post. I hope this gives you a basis for making an informed decision on the proposed amendment to our by-laws.

Harvey

Harvey Levine

ifablog@gmail.com

Why I'm Voting Against the Proposed By Laws Amendment

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:35:00 +0000

I think the proposed amendment to our by-laws is a bad idea and should be defeated.

Before I list my reasons for opposing this amendment, I request that the board withdraw the amendment from consideration at the annual meeting for the following reason:

The board's proposed change to Section 1 of Article IV of the by-laws is inconsistent and in conflict with Section 2 of Article 4. Section 2 states:

"Section 2. Term of Office. … At each annual meeting of the members thereafter, three directors shall be elected for a term of three years." Obviously if three directors are elected each year for a three year term, then there must be nine members on the board. The proposed amendment is in conflict with Section 2, which requires nine board members and not the proposed "between 5 and 9".

This conflict is not a mere technical glitch. It is a mathematical certainty that having less than nine members on the board as proposed will violate Section 2 of Article IV.

I hope the board will withdraw the proposed amendment and rework it so that it is not in conflict with Section 2 of Article IV. They can reintroduce the amendment at a special meeting whenever they choose.

* * * * *

There are several reasons why I will vote against the proposed amendment. I am not the only former board member who is opposed to the amendment. I sent an email, outlining my concerns about the amendment, to many of the former board members that I served with while I was on the board as well as some that pre-dated my tenure. I have received ten responses. All ten former board members said they are opposed to the amendment. These former board members have many years experience making decisions about issues affecting our community. They are all opposed to the proposed amendment.

I have asked Robert Field, a former President of the Board, to allow me to quote from his response to my concerns about this proposed amendment. He has kindly given me permission:

"I agree with you Harvey. Unfortunately the problem that apparently gives rise to this proposal (I presume, without actual knowledge that the problem giving rise to this proposal is the difficulty of finding competent people willing to serve on the board) also give rise to the greatest danger. With a smaller board it will be much easier for a relatively small group of activists to seize control of the board and bring large and unpopular changes to the community. I am not thinking of any current issues of which I am aware, but having been President during a very litigious period in the history of the community I am well aware of how relatively minor disputes can spring up and split the community. Therefore the same factors which make it hard to recruit Board Members would also make it very easy to seize control of the board by running three individuals with strong feelings about particular issues."

* * * * *

This concern was shared by many former board members, myself included. Another issue that was raised by many former board members was that by reducing the size of the board we would also reduce the diversity of opinion about issues that come before the board. It is possible that a flaw in a proposed action under consideration by the board might be spotted by one member of a nine member board, but would be missed by all members of a five member board.

A nine member board has more volunteers to handle the board's workload than a board consisting of only five members. It is much easier to form subcommittees to oversee issues in different areas of responsibility with a nine member board than with a smaller one.

* * * * *

One of the biggest reasons for opposing this amendment is that changing the governing documents of a community HOA is a major and serious step that needs careful thought and consideration by the residents. The board has not detailed their reasons for the proposed amendment, has not held a meeting with the HOA, and has not solicited comments from homeowners. These things should be done before taking the major step of changing our governing documents.

I've been told by the board that two different lawyers said this amendment was a good idea. These lawyers are not residents of our community and don't understand the history of our community and its dynamics. I've talked with three lawyers who live in Inverness Forest and each of them opposes this amendment.

* * * * *

If you agree with me and oppose this amendment, what should you do? You should attend the annual meeting, express your views, and vote against the amendment.

If you can't attend the meeting, then fill out your proxy and give it to a neighbor who is attending the annual meeting. If you don't know anyone who is attending the annual meeting, I'll be happy to take your proxy to the meeting. Just send me an email at the address below and I'll come pick up your proxy.

What if you've already sent in your proxy and voted for this amendment, but now would like to vote against it? You can fill out another proxy. Your proxy with the latest date is the one that counts. If you need a blank proxy let me know.

* * * * *

I understand that the board is planning a response to this post. I will post their response here as soon as I receive it.

Harvey

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

Potomac Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Potomac has many fine artists and a few live in Inverness Forest. One of them is Felisa Federman, who not only lives in our community, but is a member of the Potomac Arts Center in downtown Potomac.

Felisa sent me some information about the current exhibit at the Potomac Art Center:

From what I've seen (and photographed!) of the vibrant art scene in Potomac, I'm sure this will be an exhibit worth seeing.

Harvey

Inverness Forest Today

iftblog@gmail.com

Ed's Tree Service Officer Residents Discounts This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Ed's tree service will be working on tree cleanup in Inverness Forest from Tuesday through Friday this coming week (Sept 4 - Sept 7) and possibly the following week. I am told by board President Sharlene Shugarman that Ed's will offer discounts on tree work to our residents because set up costs will be significantly lower since they will already be here with their equipment.

If you'd like to talk to Ed's about having tree work done, like to have a dead tree removed or healthy ones pruned, on your private property at these discounted prices call them at: (301) 937-6269 or (301) 681-4186.

Harvey

Inverness Forest Today

iftblog@gmail.com

Jade Billows Closing

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:12:00 +0000

7-25-12 Update:
Thanks to Lisa Drexler for alerting me to the following information:

The Potomac Patch Online newspaper interviewed the Jade Billows owner, Richie Lee. He explained that the closing of Jade Billows had nothing to do with a rent increase, but rather, after 20 years he was ready for a change.

I talked to Mr. Lee today -- I had to get one last meal at Jade Billows. He confirmed that it was time to move on and do something new.

Here is the link to the Potomac Patch article on Jade Billows:

http://potomac.patch.com/articles/jade-billows-closes-doors-for-good

Harvey

Original Article

Inverness Forest resident Joanne Casey has informed the Inverness Forest Facebook Group that the Jade Billows restaurant in Cabin John Mall will close on Wednesday July 25. Here is Joanne's Facebook post

Hello All - Just thought I would pass along that after 20 years of business at Cabin John Shopping Center, Jade Billows will be closing as of close of business Wednesday the 25th. Apparently Carl M. Freeman Companies increased the rent so high they couldn’t continue to stay open. The restaurant was packed tonight, and they will be open Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

You would think that with all the empty stores that raising the rent significantly would be the last thing Freeman would do!

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Posted with Blogsy

Board Members Needed!

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Last October the Inverness Forest Association Board of Directors had its full complement of nine board members. At the annual meeting two directors (Elliot Postow and myself) decided not to run for another term since we had each served at least six years on the board. No one who attended the annual meeting volunteered to run for the board.

Now a few months later, two more members have decided to resign. That leaves the board with the fewest number of members possible and still be able to meet the quorum requirements to function: five members of the nine member board.

During my seven years on the board, and especially during the four years I've run this Inverness Forest Today blog, I've heard a lot of praise for the dedication of our board members -- as well as complaints that things were not being done the way some people wanted.

Now is your chance to volunteer for the board and influence the future of our community. If you've ever said, "Why doesn't the board do this...", now is your chance to have an impact on what the board does about important issues facing our community.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Herbicides Used On Plantings

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The Inverness Forest Association board asked me to post this information:

Herbicides were used March 20 on the plantings and flowerbeds in our community. Apparently the signs that should have been posted in those areas were not posted. Emerald says they will be posting signs today (March 21).

Emerald says no chemicals were applied to our lawns.

Please do not walk you dogs near these plantings, at least for a few days until the chemicals are absorbed into the soil. Naturally children should not
play in these areas either.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Looking to Rent Your House?

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:54:00 +0000

It has been a while since my last post. I guess that is a positive since it means that nothing important has happened during the past two months. I hope everyone has had a happy new year and getting back to work was not too difficult.

I received an email from Erin Mantz. She says:

Current Potomac resident Looking to Rent 3-Bedroom in Inverness for Feb. 1.Please contact Erin at Emantz1@aol.com or 202-744-4157. Thank you.

If you know of a vacant three bedroom unit for rent in Inverness Forest please contact Erin.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

IFA Halloween Party October 31

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:14:00 +0000

On Halloween night (October 31 at 5 PM) there will be a costume party for Inverness residents, young and old, with or without kids. Everyone is invited.

Cybel Wigle provided the following details about the event:

I would like to clarify a miss conception about the Halloween party that will take place in the 8100 block of IRR, at 5pm [on Oct 31].
After talking to several people in the neighborhood, it seems that many understood that the party was only for parents and kids. That is totally INCORRECT.
Everyone in our community is WELCOME. People with or WITHOUT kids, couples, singles, friends, and all are welcome. You can also to dress-up or not. We are highly encouraging dressing up to make of this day a more festive one.
We apologize for the confusion and hope to see everybody on Halloween day :-)
Please pass the word for those who cant reach this page.
Hoping to see ALL our community together on Halloween day :-)

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Saving Money on Environmental Improvements

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Sabine Dohrn, former IFA board member and environmental expert, asked me to post her email about how to take advantage of rebates offered by various sources. Taking advantage of all possible rebates might save you over 60% of the cost of environmentally friendly upgrades to your house.

Here is Sabine's email:

With climate change, raising energy prices and financial uncertainty looming, it seems like a good idea to look into the rebates being offered by Montgomery County, Maryland and PEPCO for home improvements that are energy efficient. One can simultaneously take advantage of all of them and can save over 60% on the cost. If you need to replace your furnace, are planning to insulate your attic or buy a new appliance, you may want to check these websites out. Be careful though to make sure to hire an approved auditor if you are planning to do for example envelope improvements, i.e. wall or attic insulation or duct sealing etc.. The cost for the audit is $100 which is reimbursed by Maryland.

For MEA (Maryland Energy Administration), instructions can be found at the link below.

These funds will soon run out.

http://www.energy.state.md.us/homeperformance/documents/CustomerChecklist3-29-11.pdf

Montgomery County requests that the homeowner submit the rebate application on-line:

http://www.mcenergyfunding.com/ResidentialRebates/

Pepco rebates are applied for by the contractor, after all work has been performed.

http://homeenergysavings.pepco.com/md/home-energy-savings/home-performance-audit

One should really take advantage as one can save up to 70%, taking into account

rebates from these three sources plus federal tax income credits.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Crime Reported in Inverness Forest

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

As a followup to the Sept. 30, 2011 blog post on burglaries in Potomac, here is a report of vandalism and possible theft in Inverness Forest.

Sandra Gaddy asked the president of IFA, Sharlene Shugarman, to inform the community about the vandalism. Here is her email:

"I just want to report that my gas tank cover was torn off my car lastnight. Gas tank covers were also tapered with on two other cars.None of us are sure how much gas was in our tanks but we think gas wassiphoned. We reported the matter to the police and thought you mightwant to alert the community to be vigilant.
Sandra Gaddy"

If you have a comment or additional information, please post it here or on the Inverness Forest Group at Facebook.

If you look to the right sidebar, you will see that my Inverness Forest Today blog has had over 11,000 page views since its inception in 2008. I appreciate all the interest and the positive comments over the years. I intend to continue posting to this blog after I leave the board in a few days. I appreciate your emails on topics or questions you'd like to see addressed.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, "A New Community Communication Resource" (Oct 7, 2011), the new Inverness Forest Facebook Group is a very good way to directly connect with other residents in our community. The group already has 21 members and is growing rapidly. I hope you'll take advantage of this resource and join the group. That way you can see what other residents are saying and perhaps add to the discussion yourself.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

A New Community Communication Resource

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:20:00 +0000

I'm happy to inform you that we have a new communication resource for Inverness Forest. Thanks to the efforts of Renzo Bejarano, we now have a Facebook Group called "Inverness Forest". This group is not sponsored or affiliated with the Inverness Forest Association (the board). Any posts or comments on the group's page are the views of individual residents. Of course board members may view the posts, add comments, and create their own posts if they wish.

Although I will continue to actively blog here on Inverness Forest Today after I leave the board next week, there are many reasons for you to join the new Facebook group. One is that we shouldn't be dependent on just one person (me) to handle the communications with residents. Things happen and we might find ourselves without my blog if I were to move away or otherwise be unable to continue to write my blog.

Another reason is that, while I try to be fair and reasonable, what I put on this blog is based solely on my judgement. Inevitably, I have to exclude some things that I don't consider useful to communicate but which others might think should be brought to the attention of the community. We really shouldn't have me or anyone else as a "gatekeeper"; everyone should have a way to raise issues and provide information to the community. That is what the Facebook group does.

Anyone who joins the Facebook group can create a post on the group page that can be seen by all group members when they visit the Facebook group's site. Posting and adding a comment to someone else's post is easy. There is a box on the page that says, "Write Something ..." Just type into the box and hit return.

Although just started a few days ago, the group already has ~~12 members~~ (As of October 9, membership has climbed to 21). The more residents that join this group, the more useful it will be to everyone. Any Facebook user can find the group by typing "Inverness Forest" into the Facebook search box. Once on the group page, you can request admission to the group.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Request for Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:18:00 +0000

Shaowei Li is asking for a contractor recommendation to work on her kitchen and bathrooms remodeling. So many people have helped residents with their recommendations in the past. I hope that this will continue. Shaowei would also like to have some recommendations on contractors who do roof replacement/repairs.

Here is Shaowei's email:

Dear Harvey, We want to have our kitchen and bathrooms remodeling. Do you know any good company?

Thanks! Shaowei Li

301-299-8877

Harvey

Attempted burglaries in Potomac

noreply@blogger.com (IFT Blog Author) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Update: The meeting will be held on October 17 at 7:30 PM at Bells Mill ES.

Also, there is a Yahoo Group where local residents can post crime information. The link to the group is PotomacCommunityAwareness@yahoogroups.com

There have been reports of attempted burglaries in nearby communities recently. I would like to thank Renzo and Jessica Bejarano for keeping me informed about these developments. Representatives of affected communities are arranging a meeting with the police and our Montgomery County Council Member, Roger Berliner. It appears the date of this meeting will be October 17, but no other details are available at this time.

Here is the email forwarded by Renzo and Jessica:

From: Worland HOA [mailto:worlandhoa@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 9:36 AM

Subject: Another break in

All,
I received this today from the President of the Fox Hills Community HOA. He is coordinating a four neighborhood meeting where police and county councilmember Berliner want to alert residents to the county response to the recent attempted burglaries along gainsborough in your area. They want to hold the meeting at cabin john or bells mill schools but it may even be at potomac community center. I will keep you posted. Below is the latest report:

There was another attempted break-in on Tyler Terrace, just off Gainsborough Road between Bells Mill and Democracy, Friday night, September 23, approx 10:50 pm. Someone was attempting to jimmy the front door open. Homeowner called police but the people ran off and they didn't find anything. Dogs in neighboring house were going crazy. This is the same place where the Blue Mustang was parked LAST weekend--just out of view from the main road.

Keep lights on and lock up in the evening. If you are away, leave lights on timers. Speak to your immediate neighbors on both sides and behind to ensure that we are all working together. I noticed a lot of homes with no exterior lights on this week in our neighborhood. Please help spread the word about the security issues in our area.

Regards,
Dawn

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Recommendations Wanted for Window Replacement in Inverness

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:18:00 +0000

I received the following email from Inverness resident Judy Chen:

The windows in my Inverness village house are not working too well. I wonder if anyone in the community has repaired/replaced the windows and would like to share their experience with me I will be much appreciated. Thanks. Judy Chen from Inverness village

If you have any recommendations or suggestions for Judy, please leave a comment on this post or send me an email. Also, if you have had a good or bad experience with window replacement, please fill out the Contractor Recommendation Form by clicking on this link or the link in the sidebar to the right. This will help other people who might have a similar question in the future.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

Earthquake in Inverness

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:05:00 +0000

An earthquake hit the Washington area (and far beyond) about an hour ago (around 1:50 pm). I've walked around our community during the past 30 minutes and no one has reported any significant damage. No one has reported any damage by email either.

The earthquake was centered in Mineral, VA and was of magnitude 5.9; Mineral is between Richmond and Charlottesville. Many buildings were evacuated, but people are now being told they can go back inside.

There is a possibility of aftershocks. If you feel one, it is safer to be outside than inside.

If you commute by Metro trains, expect a slow commute because Metro personnel will be checking out the condition of the tracks.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com

A String of Car Burglaries Last Night

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Cybel Wigle sent me the following email about a string of car break-ins that occurred last night in her cul-de-sac. Someone from another cul-de-sac also reported a string of burglaries from cars.

Hello neighbors,

This morning I found my car opened and burglarized. It wasn't only us, but another 4 neighbors in our cul-de-sac. The police took samples of the finger prints in all cars. Thankfully, I had nothing of value taken but a $50 REI gift card.

Please stay vigilant and do not leave any items of value in your cars.

Have a great day!

Cybel W.

8151 IRR

Please follow Cybel's advice and do not leave anything valuable in your car in plain sight. In past years we have had reports of similar incidents. Here is a link to an Inverness Forest Today blog post I did a few years ago on the same subject:

http://invernessforest.blogspot.com/2008/08/opportunist-burglary-attempt-in.html

Harvey

Harvey Levine
iftblog@gmail.com

Recommendation Needed for Deck Contractor

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Inverness resident Maria Sarria would like a recommendation from the readers of the Inverness Forest Today blog for a contractor that can rebuild her deck. She has checked the Contractor List but no one has provided a recommendation for a company that works on decks. Here is Maria's email:

Hi Harvey,

We want to rebuild our deck but don't have any clue of what contractor would be good for the job. We already check the Inverness contractors list but didn't find one. Do you have any names of contractors that have worked in our neighborhood?

Thanks a lot,

Maria Sarria

If you have had your deck worked on and have a recommendation for Maria, good or bad, please let me know. As usual, you can leave a comment on this blog post or send me an email at: iftblog@gmail.com

Thanks,

Harvey

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

Another Warning About Hiring Itinerant Workmen

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:19:00 +0000

Someone knocked on my door this evening and told me that "they" were doing some window installation work in the neighborhood and would like to give everyone who signed up a group discount.

I remembered the horror stories that we heard two years ago concerning residents being scammed in our community. I wrote a blog post on the subject here on Inverness Forest Today (April 19, 2009 -- see link below)

I was particularly suspicious because the "sales rep" didn't have any business cards, or glossy brochures with pictures of satisfied customers admiring their work. I asked the "rep" the name of the company a few times without getting an answer. Instead he told me that their company was on the "Approved List of the Homeowners Association".

I imagine most readers of Inverness Forest Today know that I've been on the board of directors of our homeowners association (Inverness Forest Association) for many years -- in fact almost seven years. I can assure you that there is no such thing as an Approved List of the Homeowners Association. Your board of directors does not endorse any company or contractor.

I again asked the "rep" the name of his company and this time he said, "Home Fix It". I told him he was lying through his teeth, that I'm on the board of directors, and that we do not endorse any company. He quickly turned and left.

I don't know if this "rep" is a scam artist or not, but I do know he's a liar.

Please be very careful about giving money and signing contracts with itinerant workman who knock on your door and give you a sales pitch. It you decide to consider hiring the contractor, at least take a few common sense precautions:

Ask for the name and address of people in our community for whom they did work. Go to those references and ask about the quality of the work performed by the contractor -- and did they, if fact, do any work.
Ask for a written estimate, on company letterhead. If you decide to go ahead, make sure you have a written contract (again on company letterhead) with the nature of the work spelled out and the complete cost specified.
Make sure the contract specifies a small deposit up front and not all or most of the agreed cost up front. The remainder should be due upon the satisfactory completion of the work, or, for a big job, in increments as the work progresses.
Make sure the workmen are "bonded" by getting a copy of the insurance company's certificate for that contractor. This is very important! If you hire someone who is not bonded and they get injured while working on your property, you could be sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more).

Please read the IFT blog post of April 19, 2009 at the link below. I covered many of these issues at that time and there were some excellent comments and stories about scam artists and shoddy workers in our community.

Here is a link to the Inverness Forest Today Post of April 19, 2009:

http://invernessforest.blogspot.com/2009/04/warning-on-itinerant-roof-repair.html

One more thought: the Contractor List (link in the sidebar) provides information from residents who have hired contractors and rated their performance. Read the Contractor List to see if there are recommendations for the kind of work you need performed. Fill out the Contractor Form (also in the sidebar) telling about your experience with your contractor -- good or bad.

Harvey

Help with Front Door Replacement

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Sat, 21 May 2011 00:15:00 +0000

Inverness resident Nicole Fleisher has a question that perhaps can be answered by someone in our community. Here is the email she sent me:

I'm writing with an Inverness conundrum. We're trying to replace the front door, door frame, and sidelights on our Carnation model, but have been having trouble finding a contractor to do the work. Since the doorframe has a slight curve at the top, this essentially means that a new frame has to be custom built, and there don't seem to be many companies/people to do this.

Do you know of anyone in the neighborhood who has had this done? (i.e a full door frame replacement in addition to the door). Any thoughts from you or the blog audience would be appreciated!

-Nicole Fleisher

If anyone has used a contractor to do the work that Nicole wants done, please let me know in any of these ways:

Send me an email at iftblog@gmail.com
Leave a comment to this post
Fill out the Contractor Form (link in the sidebar) so that your response will be available to the entire community on the Contractor List (link also in the sidebar)

Thanks for any help you can provide Nicole and perhaps others who might be thinking of doing the same thing.

Harvey

ftblog@gmail.com

Tax Day Thoughts: IFA Pays Taxes Too!

noreply@blogger.com (Harvey Levine) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:21:00 +0000

When I became Treasurer of the Inverness Forest Association almost seven years ago, I naturally assumed that, as a nonprofit organization, we did not pay taxes. I was wrong.

It is true that we do not pay income tax. However there are other forms of taxes that even a nonprofit must pay. In particular, the Inverness Forest Association is subject to property taxes just like individual homeowners. In 2010, the Inverness Forest Association paid $552.25 in property taxes to Montgomery County.

Our "tax-free" status does not protect the IFA homeowners association from being required to also pay fees, which are like taxes, to Montgomery County. Last year the IFA paid almost $1,000 in fees.

Still, these taxes are tiny compared to what individual homeowners pay. I noticed while I was doing my income tax that the property tax on my house was almost 10 times as much as the amount that the IFA pays. Not having to pay income tax is a great benefit to our homeowners association. If you dare to look at your own 1040, you might be shocked to see just how many tens of thousands of dollars you pay to the IRS each year, and don't forget the other thousands you pay in income tax to Maryland and Montgomery County.

Happy Tax Day!