Letter from the President

As I finish my second year as President, I’d like to make a call for more participation in your Association. The annual meeting of the Association will take place November 10, and this is an opportunity for homeowners to be informed of what the Board has been doing on your behalf in the last year. The board will provide a recap of 2009 activities, and present the budget for approval for the upcoming year. Association members will also be voting to fill board member positions that have expiring terms at the end of this year. There are 2 Board positions that will be expiring, so if there is interest in running for the Board, send us an email. Board members must be in good financial standing on their dues and have no covenant violations.

There are different ways to be involved, one is attending the meetings and providing suggestions and input to the Board. Another way is to volunteer on one of our committees, such as the Nomination Committee, Community Clean-up Day, the Architectural and Environmental Review Committee, or to organize a block party. Just a small number of hours can make a huge difference for our community. We are all volunteers which saves the Association money and helps keep the dues low.

Sincerely,

Michele Heffner

Meet Your Board:

President Michele Heffner

At-Large Dudley Skinker

Treasurer Donna Terry

Secretary Ron Stehlin

AERC Chair John Patton

MWHOA Readies for Annual Meeting

Mark your calendars for Montgomery West’s Annual meeting on November 10 at Strawberry Knoll Elementary School in the media center. We will be voting on board members for the 2010 year, approving the 2010 budget and recapping 2009. Please plan to attend.

Fall Property Review

As we enter the fall season, we ask homeowners to review their property and take any required action:

1) Make sure your trashcans and blue-recycling bins cannot be seen from the front of your home.

2) Make sure all your fences and gates are split rail in good condition. Replace rotten posts and rails.

3) Make sure your satellite dishes are not visible from the front of your home and all cables are secured.

4) Sheds – Metals sheds are not allowed, wood and vinyl sheds should be well maintained and painted the same color as your house siding. Only one shed is allowed per lot.

5) If you have removed a tree this year, please remove the stump and plant a replacement tree.

6) Make sure there are no piles of trash, junk, or brush on your property.

Plant Some Trees

One of the greatest assets in our Montgomery West neighborhood is the beautiful landscaping and trees. During our past few AERC surveys of the neighborhood we have noticed some of our trees are aging and dying and homeowners are removing some of the larger trees on their property. To maintain our neighborhood value, we are suggesting that homeowners consider planting a few new trees on their property. Fall is the perfect time to plant trees. The weather is cooler so the trees have all winter and spring to get established before the hot dry summer weather. Also, most nurseries put trees on sale in the fall so the best prices on trees are now. Consider planting a few trees. Thanks!!

Montgomery West loses long-term neighbor

We are saddened by the passing of a neighbor, friend and Montgomery West AERC committee member Dave Reiter on May 26. Our condolences are with his wife Ginny and children Michael and Lindsay.

Montgomery County Expands Recyclables

Residents can now recycle more items. Mixed paper items which are placed in your wheeled recycling cart of in a paper bag, box with lid or bundled with twine now include wax-coated milk and juice cartons, juice and drink boxes and frozen food boxes. Your blue recycling bin can now include empty, non-hazardous aerosol cans (e.g., cooking oil spray, whipped topping, deodorant, hair spray and shaving cream) and durable plastic containers and lids (e.g., Tupperware or Rubbermaid).

It’s Fall

With the change in season making for pretty foliage, by late November most of leaves will be in your yard, on the walkways and in the streets. When wet, these leaves make for a slick surface. As responsible neighbors it’s up to us to keep walks clear, be a little extra cautious when driving on the road and keeping up the appearance of our yards.

Montgomery West we rely on the county’s recycling program for leaf collections. Collected leaves must be placed in recyclable paper bags (available at all grocery and home improvement stores) and placed at the end of our drives for Monday morning collection. Those fortunate enough to have lawn mowers that can mulch leaves will find a less strenuous way of leaf disposal. Mulching leaves provides a nice grounding covering which upon decomposing add nutrients to the soil. This natural fertilizer will benefit next spring’s lawn growth.

New billing

You’ve probably noticed that your third and fourth quarter billings have a new look. We are now using QuickBooks for the homeowner accounts. Some homeowners have asked about receiving their quarterly invoices by e-mail. Now that we are using QuickBooks we can e-mail your invoice if you’re interested. To start receiving your billing notice by e-mail instead of regular mail, please send a e-mail to info@montgomerywesthoa.org and give us your lot number and the email address where you would like the invoice to be sent. For those who choose to receive the invoice by e-mail, we will also send the newsletter electronically.

October 2009

It’s Fall

New billing