Water Line Protection Program mailing

You may have recently received this mail offer from American Water Resources of Michigan.  They sell insurance for $5 per month that will cover up to $5,000 in water line repairs.

The Manors Board of Directors strongly urges you to ignore this offer.  Your Condo Association owns the water line between the Shelby Twp. water main and your unit, not you.   Therefore, if this water line needs to be repaired, the cost will be paid for by the Association using funds from the general budget.

UPDATE, Aug. 16, 2012

Earlier today I received the following e-mail from American Water Resounces:

From: Chelsea Mcfadden
Subject: AWR Mailing to Manor's Homeowners
To: Mike Grobbel
Date: Thursday, August 16, 2012, 9:34 AM

Good morning, Mike,

I came across your Condo Association blog this morning regarding our recent mailing. Is it possible for you to give me an idea of the addresses included in your association so that we do not mail your homeowners in the future and avoid any confusion for service line ownership?

Thanks in advance,

Chelsea McFadden
Assistant Marketing Manager
American Water Resources, Inc.
330 Fellowship Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

I replied with a list of the street names and addresses within the Manors at Central Park and within minutes I received the following reply:

Thanks, Mike.

This is very helpful! Sorry for any confusion our mailing may have caused this month. We will be sure to remove these addresses moving forward.

Chelsea McFadden

95 gal. green recycling carts

I believe that yesterday everyone in the Manors received a new, 95 gal. green recycling cart.  Note that this cart is not to be used for trash, only recyclables (a list of accepted items for recycling can be found here).

I spoke with a customer service rep at Rizzo this morning and here is what Manors residents need to know.

• Even though we are a multi-family sub and the Association pays the bill quarterly for all the addresses, all residents at our individual addresses qualify to receive a 95 gal. green recycling cart.  If you did not receive a cart and want one, call Rizzo Customer Care at 1-866-772-8900.
• if a resident at one of our addresses doesn't want to make room in their garage and use the 95 gal. recycling cart, they may call Rizzo Customer Care at 1-866-772-8900 and ask to have it picked up.  Rizzo will still allow them to use the 18 gal. blue bins for their recyclables.
• even though individual residents do not have a billing account with Rizzo, their street address is on-line at www.rizzorewards.com and they may register at that web site to become eligible for recycling incentives.  Once they have activated their rewards account, a RFID chip embedded in their cart will cause their account to be updated with the date each time the Rizzo truck empties their cart.  This incentive program rewards consistent and frequent recycling efforts with ongoing access to local offers of value.
• The Board asks that all trash and recycling containers be stored inside your garage except on collection day (exceptions made during the next week or two if you are returning the cart and leaving it outside your garage for Rizzo to retrieve)  

From more information, click here to visit the Shelby Twp. Waste Service web site.

Notice of road closures

Last Updated on Aug. 3rd:

The seal coating portion of this project is now complete.  The only remaining work to be performed is the striping of the pedestrian crosswalks, which will not require any street closures or parking inconveniences.   Thank you for your cooperation.

 The Central Park Master Association is having a seal coat applied to the asphalt road surfaces of North, East, South and West Central Park Avenues during the week of July 16, 2012.  Sections of these roads and intersections will be closed while the work is performed. This work does not include the Manors private access drives that are parallel with North Central Park. On certain days the Van Dyke entrance to Central Park will be closed and on other days, the 22 Mile Rd. entrance will be closed. It will take six Work Days to complete this project.

Here is the full project plan along with an updated map, scheduled Work Days and locations of the road closures. A hard copy of the original plan was delivered to each home prior to Monday, July 16th.

If rain is forecast, the contractor will cancel that Work Day and move it to the next scheduled date, with the remaining schedule delayed accordingly. Below is the latest  Work Day schedule, which was revised to add Work Day 6 (to do the northerly portion of what had been planned for Work Day 2).  Check back here regularly to see the latest schedule.

• Work Day 1 was completed on Monday, July 16, 2012.
• Work Day 2 was completed on Friday, July 20th
• Work Day 3 was completed on Wednesday, July 25th
• Work Day 4 was completed on  Monday, July 30th - everyone must enter and leave via Van Dyke
• No seal coat work planned for Tuesday to avoid interference with the trash collection. 
• Work Day 5  was completed on  Wednesday, August 1st - everyone must enter and leave via 22 Mile Rd.
• Work Day 6  was completed on  Thursday, August 2nd.

This seal coating project is separate from the Manors asphalt paving project, which is being funded by the Special Assessment that was approved in April.  The Manors paving project will not begin until the Board knows that we will be able to pay the project invoice, which is due 30 days after the paving is complete. Since about half of the Special Assessment money will have been received as of Aug. 1st,  the paving will probably begin around Sept. 1st and the Board will pay the invoice by borrowing the remainder from our replacement reserve account.  The Board will repay the "loan" as the October and November Special Assessment payments are received.

A dry June

According to the National Weather Service, 1.31 inches of rain fell at Metro Airport during the month of June 2012, compared to the normal average of 3.52 inches.

Here at the Manors, my rain gauge collected only 1.05 inches of rain during June, which is 2.5 inches below normal for the month. [UPDATE: we received 3.8 inches of rain on Tuesday, July 3rd]

Daily rainfall here at the Manors - May & June 2012

Since the sprinkler system was made operational six weeks ago on May 18th, we have only received a total of 1.25 inches of rain. Basically, it is our sprinkler system that is keeping our lawns green and preventing them from going totally dormant.

I read each of our water meters yesterday and again today.  Using the Township's billing rate of $3.431 per hundred cubic feet of water,  it cost us $397 to water all of the lawns last night.

According to the experts, proper turf management involves watering the lawn with 1" of water per week. This water can come from either rainfall or the sprinkler system.  However a lawn could need more, depending on factors such as soil type, sun exposure, large tree root systems, etc.  For example, a lawn in sandy soil such as ours may need as much as 2" of water per week, whereas a lawn area that is in shade for most of the day may only need one-half inch of water per week.

Since the beginning of June, I have been running the sprinkler system zones at 120% of their normal programmed times ($331 per night) and on June 28th I increased it to 140% ($397 per night).  That means that a typical front yard zone that is normally set to run for 20 minutes will run for 24 minutes at 120% and for 28 minutes at 140%.  At 100%, the lawn in that front yard zone would receive about 0.2 inch of water each night, or about 1.4 inches per week, while at 140%, it is receiving about 2.0 inches per week.

Because of the design of the irrigation system, a rear yard zone that runs for 20 minutes will only deliver about about 0.13 inches of water and in some areas it is even less.  Where we have rear yard sprinkler head on the same zone with heads in the front or side yard, I have to set the timer to avoid over-watering the front or side yard, even if it means dry spots will develop in the rear yard.   Where a zone consists of all rear yard sprinkler heads, I set it to run for 30 or 40 minutes at 100%, depending on whether it includes half-circle or full-circle rotary heads. Actually, they should be set to run for about 40 and 65 minutes at 100% to receive the same amount of water as a front yard zone, however with only $37,500  available to spend in our budget for water this year, I have to manage our water usage judiciously.

This year's budget line item for water was set based upon the average amount we have spent on water over the past four years, plus 9% to accommodate the rate increase that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2012.  From May 18th through June 30th, I calculate that we have used $14,573 worth of water and we still have two-thirds of the season to go.  If the hot and dry weather continues for the rest of the summer and we continue at this rate of water usage, we will exhaust our budget line item amount for water sometime just before Sept. 1st.

Ignore the invoice you received from Rizzo Services

We have confirmed that Rizzo Systems mistakenly sent invoices to all co-owners of units at the Manors. Rizzo was given a list of names and addresses by the Township DPW which did not differentiate between individual residences and Condo Associations.  The manager for Rizzo Systems has indicated to Ryan Dorner of Kramer-Triad, that our Association will be able to continue paying the quarterly refuse collection bills for all Manors co-owners, just as we have done in the past with Allied Waste/Republic.  He also confirmed that Manors co-owners should not pay the invoice they received in the mail from Rizzo. Therefore, the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association will make the payment to Rizzo Services on behalf of all co-owners beginning with the bill due July 1, 2012. If you have already paid the invoice, contact Rizzo at 866-772-8900 and ask to have your individual account canceled because your Association is paying the bill.

Invoices from Rizzo Services

(to enlarge image, right-click and
open in a new window)

This newsletter that we all received from Rizzo Services states that, "The billing process has not changed......"  yet for the first time, residents of the Manors at Central Park are now being individually invoiced for solid waste collection.

Previously, the Association received a single invoice from Allied Waste/Republic and paid the quarterly bill for all 118 units.

Kramer-Triad has contacted Rizzo Services to  understand why the billing process was changed for co-owners of the Manors and will try to get it reversed.  According to Ryan Dorner, our community manager at K-T,  the response from the folks at Rizzo's office in Sterling Heights has been, "they have their own query in and will let us know “When they find out”.

As soon as we have an answer, I will post the information here.  The Board will also distribute a flyer to the front door of each unit to confirm whether or not we were successful in getting Rizzo's billing process reversed so that the Association continues paying the solid waste collection fees for all units.

In the meantime, I would check back here and hold off for a few days before sending any payment to Rizzo Services.

Golf and Support the CTF at the same time

What is the CTF?

The Children's Tumor Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non‐profit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by Neurofibromatosis (NF).  The CTF supports research that develops treatments for NF and they also support people with NF and their families by providing thorough, accurate, current and readily accessible information about the disorder.

How can you support the CTF?

Manors co-owner Linda Bouford is organizing the "Douglas R. Bouford Memorial Golf Outing" as a fundraiser for the CTF and she is looking for golfers, sponsors and prize donors willing to help make it a success.

Her 3 year old grandson Nicolas Cohoon has NF and this is a cause that is dear to her.  The golf outing will be at Sycamore Hills on Friday afternoon, Aug. 24, 2012 and is named in memory of her recently departed son.

Contact and outing information plus a registration form can all be found here.  You can also register on-line by clicking here.

Changes to our trash pick-up

Right-click on the image and
"open in a new tab/window"
to enlarge and read the letter.

A few days ago, every residential address in Shelby Twp. received this letter from the Township Supervisor regarding the fact that on July 1st, Rizzo Services will assume the responsibility of picking up all of the solid waste under the terms of Shelby Township's single waste hauler ordinance.

Per the terms of the single waste hauler ordinance, the selected provider is obligated to pick up solid waste from all single family residences and from those condominiums that consist of detached and duplex units.  However the ordinance does not require them to pick up yard waste from the detached and duplex condominiums since it is expected that the condominium association's landscape contractor handles all landscaping work and the disposal of the yard waste they generate.  That is why the solid waste hauler will not pick up bags of yard waste that Manors residents set out to the curb. 

Multi-unit residential complexes such as apartments and cluster type condominiums (such as Kensington) are not covered under this ordinance and therefore they must contract for their own solid waste hauling, as do all of the commercial and industrial businesses in the Township.

Because a unit in our condo association is not considered a "single family home", we will not be receiving the 95-gallon recycle cart mentioned in the Township's letter that went to all residences.  I am assuming that unless the Association is informed otherwise by Rizzo Services, there will be no changes to the types of containers we can use here at the Manors. Previously, each co-owner had the option to purchase (at their own expense) and use a blue 95-gallon trash cart, plus they were given a small blue bin to use for recycling items.  Our trash will also be picked up if it is placed at the curb in secured plastic trash bags or inside any other kind of covered trash container. 

I have been contacted by several Manors residents asking how they may apply for the senior discount and/or recycling incentives mentioned in the Township's letter.  The answer is that you cannot. You have not been an individual customer of the waste hauler and that does not change as of July 1st.  The Manors Condo Association holds a single account with the Township's single waste hauler and we pay the monthly fee for all 118 sold units directly to the waste hauler on your behalf using funds derived from your monthly Association dues ($60 per month for Units 1-14, $175 per month for all others).  The $1.93 per unit reduction in the monthly rate that begins when Rizzo takes over the contract means that your Association will have $1,366.44 less total expenditures for waste pick-up over the last half of 2012.

For additional information, visit http://www.shelbytwp.org/recycle - but keep in mind that a unit at the Manors is not a "single family home" under the Township's waste hauling ordinance and contract.

Remember - you are expected to do your part to keep the Manors looking clean and neat by making sure that your solid waste is placed securely at the curb!  That means that your trash must be placed at the curb inside either a COVERED container or within plastic bags that are tied shut.  The recycling items in your blue bin must also be covered so that they cannot be blown about by the wind  [click here for other important disposal information].  Your solid waste should be at the curb no later than 7 AM of pick-up day and no earlier than 6 PM the night before. Failure to follow these common-sense methods for placing your solid waste at the curb for pick-up can result in a violation and fine from the Board of Directors of the Manors at Central Park Condominium Association.

Ask for contractor references

Recently, there have been several different contractors soliciting work within the Manors for things like replacement windows, interior painting, home security systems, deck maintenance, etc.  A favorite line is that "I'm in the vicinity doing a job for (insert name) and ......." or "I'm doing a job over on the next street and ...."

When they come to my door and give me that kind of line, I let them know that "I'm on the Board and I don't recognize that name" or I ask them the name of the street and their response is always, "I can't remember, but it's two streets over."  In most cases, that is the end of their solicitation and they just turn around and leave.

I also hear about other solicitations from co-owners who call me to tip me off about a suspicious salesperson or ask if the salesman's claim that they are recommended by the Board is true, etc.  I also often hear from both satisfied and unsatisfied co-owners about the performance of specific contractors who did work for them.

Please be very careful before you agree to have work done by any contractor.  Always ask for references and check them out. 

You can ask me or another Board member if the contractor has been doing work in here or if we know the name of a contractor that has performed satisfactory work for a Manors co-owner.   We can also put you in contact with a Manors co-owner if the contractor provides an address as a reference.

If you are satisfied with someone who has done a good job for you, let me know and I can add them to a section of this blog.

Lawn appearance

Note the nice, green swath of lawn behind the tree which received enough shade from the tree on May 17 & 18 to avoid getting dried out like the lawn in front of and farther behind the tree (taken at 3 PM, looking north).

The stressed appearance of the lawns is due to the very low humidity (<30%) we had last Thursday and Friday (May 17 & 18) along with those cloudless skies and temps in the upper 80s.  The blazing sun and hot, dry wind turned the shadeless grass into straw.

While we had received about 0.95 inch of rain between May 7th and 12th, only 0.1 inch of rain fell between May 13th and the 18th.  So the lawn was already dried-out when it got hammered on the 17th and 18th.

The stressed-out areas of lawn will slowly recover now that we are watering it nightly, which began last Friday night (May 18th) after the water meters were installed earlier that day.

BoD Meeting Minutes - March 30, 2012

Approved Minutes of the 30 March 2012

Meeting of the Board of Directors of the

Manors at Central Park Condominium Association

1.      Meeting was held at the offices of Kramer-Triad Management Group, L.L.C.,

      320 East Big Beaver Road, Ste 190, Troy, MI 48083.

2.      Meeting began at 10:08 AM EDT; Quorum was established with three Board Members being present.  Board Members present: President Mike Grobbel, Treasurer Larry Cybulski, and Secretary Bhartan Amin.  Also present: Ryan Dorner (Kramer-Triad property management).

3.      Approved the agenda for this meeting.

4.      The Board formally approved the 22 February 2012, meeting minutes.

5.      Management Report presented by Ryan Dorner.

a.       The Board approved to get the Association’s FHA approval, not to exceed $1,000.  Authorize Wegner and Associates to file for the recertification.

b.      According to the Detroit Free Press, Shelby Township’s water rates can increase by 5% for the 2012-13 fiscal year that begins in July.

c.       There is an issue with the 550 style vents and interior leaks in the unit.  The Board asked Ryan to obtain bids to replace these vents with snow-proof vents.

d.      Ryan to obtain updated lawn repair estimate from Grant Meldrum (GM Prolawn).

e.       Due to damage caused by vehicles at the corners of private access drives, the Board approved to install 3 boulders per corner, for the total of 18 at the cost of $450.  Will not use the crushed limestone.

f.        The Board reviewed an Alteration / Modification Request for a satellite dish installation in the non-approved location.  The request was denied.

g.       The Board reviewed the updated Renters’ report.

h.       The Board reviewed the Violation report.

i.         The Board reviewed the Open and Closed Work Order reports for the month of February 2012.

6.      Discussion

a.       A special election for the final layer of asphalt paving will take place on 14 April 2012.  There are no updates from the Shelby Township.

                      i.      Update:  The election was held on 14^th of April and the measure for the special assessment passed.  Approved by 74.97% of the members in value, with 119 ballots cast in favor and 4 ballots opposed.

b.      The GM Prolawn will repair garage doors in the second week of April.  The notices will be sent out by the 6^th of April.

c.       Need to amend Bylaws to permit recovery of attorney fees.

d.      Radon detector loan policy and use agreement was reviewed and approved.

e.       Window issues at units on Lexington Ave East and Watling.  The co-owners are unable to locate any window repair facility for just one window.  Ryan to get bids from a window repair facility.

                      i.      Update: Ryan obtained a bid from Independent Window Repair, Inc.  The Board has forwarded the bid to co-owners.

7.      The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Friday, 8 June 2012, at 10:00 AM EDT, at the Kramer-Triad office on Big Beaver Road, Troy.

a.       Update: Meeting is rescheduled for Monday, 18 June 2012, 7:00 PM EDT at the residence of the President Mike Grobbel.

8.      Meeting was adjourned at 12:22 PM EDT.

Visteon demolition update thru May 10. 2012

UPDATED:
Click here for photos showing the demolition progress through July 12, 2012, along with the air monitoring report.

Columbia Technologies appears to have finished their underground soil mapping project for the Ford Motor Company that took place on the vacant parcel to the north of the Manors and Kensington condos.