2016 New Year Resolutions

Dr. Chao Wu

We are finally stepping into the year of 2016. There are two recent developments in our neighborhoods:

• County Executive Allan Kittleman is working with the United States Postal Service to bring the post office back to Clarksville.
• Outside River Hill, Route 32, to the west of Route 108, is going to be expanded to four lanes to the Route 70 intersection . This will reduce the traffic jams and accelerate development to the west.

What is my New Year resolution? As the representative to the Columbia Council from River Hill and a CA board member, I resolve to:

• Continue to bridge our residents’ concerns to the Columbia Association (CA) such that CA not only listens to our residents but also works hard to address their concerns.
• Work closely with other CA board members to approve the new budget for fiscal years 2017-2018.
• Advocate for election changes in villages which elect CA Board Members every year. Most other villages have elections every two years. I would like all board members to have a two-year term. This will bring more stability and continuity to the board.
• Seek an affordable plan to fix and maintain the ponds in CA open space. CA is conducting a survey of all ponds. Fixing and maintaining the ponds are very expensive.
• Prioritize CA facility improvements. CA is inspecting all buildings. The results of these assessments will inform the board as it makes improvement decisions pertaining to older buildings and how/when to build new facilities.
• Evaluate the CA annual charge. The CA annual charge rate is 0.68 cent for every $100 of the property assessment value for the last ten years. The highest rate CA can charge is 0.75. However, CA has lost track of why the rate was originally set at 0.68. I am hearing complaints from residents that they pay both the annual charge and membership fees and feel the annual charge is a little high. I would like CA to conduct a study and  analyze this annual charge rate. Please share your thoughts on the CA annual charge and membership structure with me.

What are CA’s short-term and long-term vision and mission? These are not easy to answer. However, we are always focused on creating and maintaining a dynamic and harmonious community.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@gmail.com Tel: 240-481-9637 Website: http://chaowu2016.com

Disclaimer: This letter only represents Dr. Chao Wu’s personal opinion. It does not represent River Hill Board of Directors nor Columbia Association’s Board.