Columbia Association

CA School Service Care is hiring

CA School Service Care is hiring. Columbia Association offers the following Before and After School Care Programs: 1.) A.M. Program, 2.) P.M. Program and 3.) School’s Closed Programs.

  • AM Program: For elementary school students only. From 7am until the school day begins. Students attend the Before School Care program at their school.
  • PM Program: For elementary and middle school students. From after school until 6pm. Elementary school students attend the After School Care program at their school. Middle school students attend after school care programs at Lake Elkhorn, Dunloggin or Hammond. Transportation is provided from Wilde Lake Middle School, Oakland Mills Middle School, Harper’s Choice Middle School and Burleigh Manor Middle School.

There is a link here: https://www.columbiaassociation.org/services/before-after-school-care/

Please contact Michelle Miller if you are interested in the job.
Michelle Miller
Director, Community Services
6310 Hillside Court, Suite 100
Columbia, MD 21046
Phone:410-715-3170
email: michelle.miller@columbiaassociation.org
http://www.columbiaassociation.org

CA board meeting summary 2017-07-27

Resident speakout:

Allen Veinstain, Long Reach, two concerns: 1) Lakefront smoking problem, open space management does not have a law governing smoking from benches, 2) Columbia Gym renovation, concerning mold developed there. Mold can cause serve asthma.

Tim Lattimer, Long Reach, talked about Paris Agreement and urged CA to sign that too.

Pat Mercy, Oakland Mill, urged to sign the Paris Agreement with CA’s shared responsibility.

Alisha Nifeld, Oakland Mill, urged to sign the Paris Agreement. She wears a T-shirt with Indivisible HoCoMD sign.

Janet Ruth, Oakland Mill, urged to sign the Paris Agreement too.

Ginger Scott, Wilde Lake, has reservation on CA’s possible allowance to provide alcoholic beverage at Fair Hill Golf Court(2 beers is fine, 4 beers are too much), also supported to sign Paris Agreement. BTW, somebody urinated at the back of neighborhood and golf court.

Larry Leadsman, environmental attorney, urged to sign the Paris Agreement.

Michael Cornell, River Hill, former CA board member, urged to sign the Paris Agreement. Individual actions alone are not enough to combat this climate change. We need government agencies to lead this.

Joel Hurewitz,  Harper’s Choice, urged to support Paris Agreement.

Board Action:

  1. Annual charge rate is kept the same
  2. Proposed FY 2019 and Conditional FY 2020 capital budget parameters
  3. Board approved proposed charges for FY 2018 Advisory Committees

Board Discussion:

a) new town zoning. Jane Dembner of CA and Valdis Lazdins, Planning Director gave us a lot background.

b) plan for young adults. Milton created a draft plan to increase young adults’ participation in CA activities.

Board Action:

4) board approved some land easement and try to get State Highway Agency fund to help stream restoration program.

We Are In Need Adequate Public Facilities (The Villager, 2017-08)

We Are in Need of Adequate Public Facilities

Dr. Chao Wu

This article will be published on River Hill “The Villager” August 2017 Issue.

We are facing probably one of the largest school redistricting efforts in the Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS) history. The  current HCPSS redistricting proposal aims to move 8,800 students, the equivalent of 16% of the total student population county-wide, where the River Hill community is greatly impacted as follows:

Elementary Schools: Clarksville sends 42 students to Triadelphia Ridge; Pointers Run sends 160 to Clarksville, 38 to Dayton Oaks and receives 196 from Clemens Crossing.

Middle School: Clarksville Middle sends 28 students to Folly Quarter;  and receives 123 from Lime Kiln Middle and 33 from Wilde Lake Middle;

High Schools: Atholton sends 337 students to Hammond High and 614 to River Hill; Atholton  receives 325 from Hammond High and 420 from Oakland Mills; River Hill sends  227 to Glenelg High.

This redistricting is urgent and needed because of over-capacity issue in some schools. However, such a large-scale redistricting creates unnecessary burdens and pressures on our students, who are the primary focus of our educational system. This over-capacity problem was created by the imbalance between housing development, public facility development, and insufficient funding of our school system. The urgency of school capacity issues could be greatly mitigated in the future if the to-be-revised HoCo Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO) is modified accordingly.

The balance between school capacity and community development is not so difficult to fix. Just as when we see water leaking, the first thing we do is close the faucet. The overcapacity in our schools is caused by over-development. We need to reduce the speed of development first, and reducing the existing over-capacity now . Otherwise, over-capacity in our schools is like a leaking facet.

With the Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO) is currently being reviewed and planned to be updated  by the Howard County Council, we need ask the county council to decrease the ratio for school capacity limits from 120% to 100% and remove the maximum wait times but freeze new project developments when projects fail APFO adequacy tests. Currently when a project fails APFO test first time, it will be automatically pass after three years without another test. When capacity is permitted to be higher than 100%, it means we cannot smooth out the current school over-capacity issue. The result is that we will probably see another large-scale school redistricting in five years.

Adequate means “enough school capacity” to handle the additional students generated by development. Portable classrooms once used become quasi-permanent. A new high school has not been  built in the County for a while. Considering that each year HCPSS gains another 1000 students, we need plan ahead. The average elementary school has around 800 students. The annual increase of total students will fill a new elementary school each year. These students will eventually go to high school.

Adequate means “enough road capacity” to handle the additional vehicles generated by development. With many new houses and other facilities being constructed, I do not see much improvement to the local roads. One very example in our community is the intersection at Ten Oaks Road and Clarksville Pike, in front of commercial development under construction. The traffic is both congested and dangerous during peak traffic times. At least, there should be some work to widen both MD 108 and Ten Oaks Road in this location. Please also notice, there are two schools in the vicinity.

Furthermore, we need to be forward-thinking with our roads which means we need to build roads anticipating higher traffic volumes in the future. One example is Route 29. The State Highway Administration is replacing many intersections with overhead bridges which greatly improves the traffic situation. In fact, they should build those bridges when they first design/widen the roads. Planning ahead on the traffic patterns and traffic volumes while building a road may cost more money, but it is really worth the extra money. This upfront investment could be used to build a bridge, widen access to intersection, better signal control system, etc.

I am looking forward to your thoughts on how we ensure there are adequate public facilities.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@gmail.com  Website: http://chaowu.org

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.

List of Columbia’s 165 tot lots

3 Comments

Columbia Association has many tot lots to maintain. Some of them are tiny and some of them are large. They are scattered around into our community and serving us in different forms. Apparently, some of them need an upgrade and can serve our community better.

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Summary of CA Board Work Session 2017-07-13

Resident speakout:

Michael Glasgow. : Issues with Orioles game ticket with extra charge from CA. He felt that was not right.

Advisory Committee report:

Green and Golf Committee, Health and wellness committee, International Multiculture Advisory Committee (IMAC), Senior Advisory Committee(need committee members from River Hill, Hickory Ridge, Harper’s Choice), Tennis Committee, Art Center Advisory Committee, Waterrshed Advisory Committee (need committee members from River Hill and other village).

Work Session Topics:

  1. The board will keep the annual charge rate 0.68 and annual cap of 3.5%.
  2. The board will set 20 million dollars each in 2019 and 2020 for capital expenditures.

 

Seeking input for FY 2019 and FY 2020 CA Budgets

As a board member on the Columbia Association, I have the opportunity to submit new operating initiatives and new capital projects that are important to our community. Note CA spends around 70 million dollars per year.

I have to submit my proposals by close of business on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.  The new initiatives and major capital projects, as well as those submitted by the community stakeholders and staff will be the basis for the October 12, 2017 work session.  During that work session, straw votes are taken for each new initiative and each budget request to determine if that item should be included in the proposed draft FY 2019 and FY 2020 budgets.

If you have any thoughts/projects/initiatives to be considered by Columbia Association through my advocacy, please contact me directly.

Thanks.

Chao Wu, Ph.D

Board Member of Columbia Association

 

Some recent important CA activities and date

11 June 2017 — Books in Bloom, Columbia’s First Book Festival; at Chrysalis

11 June 2017 — CA Summer Picnic at Sports Park 4-8 PM

14 June 2017 — Design Advisory Panel meeting on Lakefront Core Design Guidelines

15 June 2017 — Luminarium sneak preview at Lakefront (invitations were sent out by Columbia Festival of the Arts)

16-18 June 2017 — Lakefest at the Lakefront

17 June 2017 — Columbia’s 50th Birthday Cake Cutting at Lakefront 7 PM

18 June 2017 — Reception for “heART of Columbia” exhibit at HCC

21 June 2017 — Wilde Lake’s 50th birthday celebration at village center 5-8 PM

21 June 2017 — People Tree Birthday & Bells dedication at Lakefront 

21 June 2017 — Columbia Orchestra’s POPs Concert at Chrysalis in celebration of the Columbia’s 50th Birthday 7 PM

22 June 2017 — CA Board Meeting

22 June 2017 — Longest Table event for 50th Birthday

22 June 2017 — CA’s World’s Largest Swim lesson

24/25 June 2017 — CA Open House

26 June 2017 — Audit Committee meeting

Swim Center is closed until early September.

Athletic Club closed 30 July to 28 August 2017 for renovations (phase 1)

Howard Dialogue : The longest Table

Columbia Association is a sponsor of The Longest Table, an event seeking to build new relationships and discuss the future of Columbia. Tickets are now available via Eventbrite: click here.

You are invited to the table!
We provide the dinner; you provide the conversation. The first of its kind in the state, The Longest Table is an idea to build new relationships and talk about the future of our community. Share a meal and conversation with someone you don’t know — to enhance the experience of getting to know different people, guests will not be seated with their companions — exchange stories about life in Howard County, and discover both common ground and new ideas. The dialogue starts when you come to the table.

Adult tickets limited to two; student tickets limited to one per person.
We are seeking people to be “table hosts” and facilitate conversations. If you are interested, please complete this form.
Additional details at ChooseCivility.org.

We are Neighbors and Friends (The Villager 2017-06)

We are Neighbors and Friends

The article is published at River Hill Villager, 2017-06 issue.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “neighbors nearby are better than relatives faraway”. That is so true in today’s world since more family members are scattered around the globe. Instead, many families have been neighbors for more years than they have live with or near parents and other relatives.  At a difficult time, or for convenience, a friendly neighbor can often offer greater help than a relative not in the area.

I am writing this article  following two of my experiences in the neighborhood. The first  experience is an example of a not so friendly situation. A family sought my help because their neighbor always parked their car along the curb in front of their home. River Hill’s Covenants do not address areas within the public rights-of-way and the location and manner in which the vehicle parks is not illegal and therefore there is no action the police can take  However, the parking of the car did cause difficulty for the family when backing out from their garage and there appears to be enough space in their neighbor’s driveway to park which adds to their frustration. Though the family talked with their neighbor, they were unable to resolve the issue and asked for my assistance. I tried to mediate and have not succeeded yet.  In another example, some neighbors are very friendly and considerate. I know of two neighbors who both have dogs. They set up regular play-dates for their pets. When one neighbor has a vacation, the other neighbor takes care of their dogs and cats, and vice versa. This level of cooperation is a tremendous help to each resident and to their pets.

We are now living in a more compact world and in Howard County, Columbia, and at in the villages we are dedicated to creating a more walkable environment which will lead to more interactions with each other. The most important element of  a good neighborhood is our neighbors and our connections to one another.

This concept can also be extended to land development. Adding a wall to reduce sound disturbance or a fence to avoid light pollution are soft and friendly measures developers can take to give consideration to residential neighbors. Improving traffic conditions around commercial development as early as in the design phase as possible will increase acceptance from the neighborhood as well. Surely, some residents do not want any changes in their neighborhoods and the surrounding area; but, most our residents are reasonable and ask no more than necessary to protect their peaceful existence. Their concerns should be respected and honored.

We are neighbors and have the potential to be friends.  If we cannot be friends, at least, we can be considerate of our neighbors. A greeting, a smile, or offering to help with kids or pets are ways we can assist each other. Let us embrace our neighbors.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@gmail.com  Website: http://chaowu.org

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.

New Vision for Lakefront of Columbia

3 Comments

During last CA’s board meeting on May 25th,,  CA’s consultant Groundswell Design Group shared their idea about the Lakefront development. There would be an open connection between the lake and the mall.

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The original document is attached here.  The file is too large to be put here. Please email me if you like a copy of it.

CA board meeting summary 2017-05-25

Resident speakout:

Paul Verchinski, Oakland Mill, DC metroplex, oakland mill village board, BWI Roundtable, BWI airplane noise issue because of next-gen implementation. Asking for CA endorsement to send a letter for mitigate the noise issue. People wake up at 5:00 AM because of that, the noise last until midnight. More than 10 metro-cities are suing the FAA.

It seems this airplane noise is the next problem after Merriweather Post Noise hang there for several years.

Allan Feinstein, disabled man, falling three times at swimming center. Columbia gym is much better. Mats are needed at the Swimming Center. Handicap accessible bathroom is needed. Mold in Swimming Center. New swimming center park lot has only four handicapped parking space. His falls was not documented after his report.

Nina Basu: Long Reach board chair, their board voted to support the County’s Long Reach Village Development Plan.

Reports/Presentations: 

  1. Presentation on Planning for Columbia’s Lakefront, from Groundswell Design Group.
  2. The board experienced live video-streaming of board meeting. It will go online on June 22.

Board Action:

  1. Purchase exception – Graphic design services and production-Columbia Gym, Athletic Club and Supreme Sports Club
  2. Endorse CA President’s letter to DPZ to support Long Reach Village Center urban renewal proposal from Orchard Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chrysalis Rental Pricing Structure

The CA board got the document from Inner Arbor Trust about the Chrysalis Rental Rates and terms.  For non 501(c)(3) entities, $320/hour and $1280 minimum rental; or $250/hour, $1000 minimum for 501(c) 3 entities.

Using Merriweather park at Symphony woods has a different pricing. See pictures below.

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This was taken at 25th Wine in The Woods event. It was a great event.

2017 CA’s scholarship award to high school students are out

Columbia Association awards $2,500 scholarships to six community service-minded seniors

I have the pleasure to work with one award recipient Jennifer Zhang who is our student board member. She has done a lot to promote healthy and happy life, volunteering and fun for young kids. She is a truly amazing young lady with bright future. Thanks a lot for her contribution. 
Columbia Association (CA) is proud to announce and recognize the recipients of the Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship Award, a $2,500 scholarship awarded to six graduating high school seniors who have shown extraordinary dedication to performing community service. They are:

Jacob Lampf, from Atholton High School, is an intern with the Howard County Executive Office who conducted interviews and outreach for the Humans of #OneHoward initiative. The initiative promotes community dialogue and reinforces the county’s shared goals of diversity and inclusiveness through a series of community conversations and educational events. Lampf has also served for two years as a student voice on the Howard County Health Council. He participated in the Leadership U Howard County program, working with a group of his peers to assemble and distribute Welcome Home Baskets to veterans who had recently moved to Columbia. Lampf will attend Indiana University in the fall.

Kaitlin Landfried, from Hammond High School, is a graduate of the Leadership U Howard County program whose team project involved creating a “safe space” social and networking event for LGBT teens. Landfried’s passion for making Columbia a better place for LGBT individuals has continued on through volunteering at events that serve the LGBT community. She also volunteered for the Image-In Clothing Giveaway, which was sponsored by TransAAction Maryland and supported by PFLAG Columbia-Howard County. Landfried will attend University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall.

Cire Nicholson, from Oakland Mills High School, volunteered with Allied Soccer, a varsity sport for teens with disabilities. Nicholson noticed that some of her peers were mean to those students, and so she became their advocate. As a peer assistant, she worked closely with the students on the field during practices and attended all of their games. Nicholson also is a peer assistant at the National Family Resiliency Center in Columbia, sharing her experience as the child of a divorced family in order to help others. She served in a leadership role, guiding group discussions and making sure everyone in the group stayed engaged and participated. Nicholson will attend North Carolina A&T State University in the fall.

Olatokunbo Olaniyan, from Glenelg Country School, created a nonprofit organization, Hope for Sickle Cell, to increase awareness of sickle cell disease. Olaniyan was just 4 years old when she lost her mother to sickle cell disease. Olaniyan also created a website, hopeforsicklecell.org, to spread awareness, and made a presentation to Congress advocating for research funding. In addition, she participated alongside her peers in Rebuilding Together Howard County, taking a lead role in organizing the rebuilding of an elderly couple’s home in Columbia. Olaniyan will attend Washington University in the fall.

Aaron Park, from Long Reach High School, applied his passion for plants and horticulture by helping his community garden association. Park has been involved with sustainable gardening for the past 11 years. He shared his ideas about natural pesticides, irrigation techniques, conservationism and genetic preservation with his fellow gardeners. Park also recently completed a successful heirloom tomato fundraiser that gave many gardeners rare, organic and healthy plants to grow. He has a passion for music and has performed regularly for years at his church. Park will attend University of North Carolina in the fall.

Jennifer Zhang, from River Hill High School, has served since her freshman year on the River Hill Teen Advisory Committee, including two years as the committee’s chair and the student member of the River Hill Village Board. Among Zhang’s responsibilities was promoting the volunteer and community spirit of River Hill, encouraging teen involvement. She also has been a member of Angel’s Network, the oldest community service club at River Hill High School. In 2016, she was the youth recipient of the Governor’s Service Award, recognized for outstanding community service and contributions to the state of Maryland. Zhang will attend University of Pennsylvania in the fall.
About Columbia Association

 

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit community services corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses — and was named the No. 1 small city to live in by Money Magazine in 2016. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.

  

Columbia Art Center seeking visual artist for 2018 Women’s International Exhibit

The Columbia Art Center is holding its first Women’s International Exhibit, March 5-30, 2018.  As you may be aware, the month of March is Women’s History month in the United States. Women’s International Day was founded in 1909 and is observed on March 8th. Women’s International Day was initially observed to fight against the unjust conditions of women in the garment industry which was the consequence of a tragic fire in a warehouse. This day is now devoted to honoring the achievement of women across the globe and to bring awareness to the many challenges and struggles women have overcome throughout history.

The exhibit will be featured in both of Columbia Art Center’s Main and Window Galleries.  A gala reception and awards ceremony will be held on Women’s International Day, Saturday, March 8, 2018, 3-5pm.

With this exhibit, it is our honor to celebrate the women in our lives, in any form: grandmothers, co-workers, mothers, daughters, sisters, teachers, friends, spouses, life partners, or bosses.  All of us have had women in our lives who have, time and again, impacted and enhanced our way of life. Please help us celebrate their achievements in this show with your art.

Artists will be given the opportunity to submit up to three pieces to be in a group exhibition of women artists. We look forward to sharing your art with the community.  We believe a show of this depth will promote timely and vital messages including that the future for young women everywhere be equal, just, safe and life-affirming.

Please contact CA’s Trudy Babchak at trudy.babchak@columbiaassociation.org.

Merriweather Movie Nights

Merriweather Movie Nights

Have you bought your Merriweather Movie Night tickets yet?
Downtown Columbia Arts & Culture presents a summer of
Merriweather Movie Nights featuring food and drinks from
Manor Hill Brewing and Tavern. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
with enough time to purchase dinner and head for the lawn
before the projector starts rolling at 7:30 p.m. The following
movies will be featured in the coming months:

May 27: Grease
June 28: The Last Waltz
July 26: Moana
August 30: School of Rock

General Admission is free, reserve seating is $10. For more
information and to reserve your tickets, visit DCACC’s website.

By the way, Columbia Association provides financial support to Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture each year.

CA board meeting summary 2017-05-11

I am starting to serve my second term on CA board, representing River Hill. All future CA board meetings will be streamed online in real time.

Resident speakout:

Russ Swatek: New Town Zoning is important. CA should weight in.  It is better to get the new zoning done with five experience council members since four of them will not be there next year. BOC happens quarterly in the new CA year.  What can CA do in Kittleman’s Long Reach “Village Green” ?

Brian England: new time zoning and governance issue..  The original comprehensive sketch plan was lost.  suggested to create a interim Columbia Planning Board since the county is not doing that. The interim solution is based on the 2007 and 2014 New Town recommendations. He would like CA to take up this issue now.

Joel Hurwitz: CA board now has half of woman board members. talked about Long Reach Village Plan

Nina Basu: New President of Inner Arbor Trust

Board Election:

  1. We elected Andy Stack as the board chair, and Dick Boulton as the vice chair as last year.
  2. I will continue sitting in the Risk and Management Committee.
  3. I will serve as board liaison to the International and Multiculture Advisory Committee.
  4. Gregg and Lin will be in the Inner Arbor Trust.

2017-2018 CA board meeting schedule:

2017-2018 CA board meeting

 

 

2017 Pool Study by CA and County Government (Sharing the lane)

Apparently, I was not aware that CA and County Government did a pool study before. I really appreciated that one CA staff shared the study result with me.

Three primary findings are ( 50-meter pool)

  1. CA or the county government do not have land for 50-meter pool,
  2. The construction cost is around 14-20 million dollars,
  3. The operating cost yearly is around 1 million dollars.

2017 Pool Study by CA and County (sharing the lane)

Findings/Recommendations

Based on the Work Team’s analysis and research, the most common size for indoor pools that are used for competition is the 25-yard pool (Option B). This option would provide a competition level pool that is less costly to construct. Option A (the 50-meter pool) would provide a higher level of competitive pool, more lane capacity, and operate and provide lane configuration options of 50 meters as well as 25 yards.

Capital Investment Sharing

The actual details of an investment agreement would have to be worked out. The starting point would be equal investment by all parties. However, that would need to be modified based on further detailed analysis and also on land acquisition roles.

Facility Operation

The Work Team finds that the most appropriate option would be for one organization to operate the new indoor aquatics facility while the other entity (or entities) would participate in cost-sharing through a grant. Given the County’s more favorable liability terms, the Work Team finds that it may be more advantageous for the County to operate the facility. However, if a facility were built on campus at HCC, another option would be for the college to operate the facility.

Land

No suitable, existing CA or County lands for such a facility were identified by the Work Team. In the future, should HCC funding for an HCC athletic facility become available, the potential for an aquatics facility partnership with HCC for an on-campus location should be more thoroughly investigated.

Timeframe

In the short-term — five to ten years — the County, HCC and CA have committed their limited discretionary dollars to other capital and operating priorities. CA has large planned and programmed capital investments in a number of its facilities, which are older and must be updated to maintain and extend their useful life to serve the Columbia community. These include more than 42 buildings, many of which are over 40 years old. Related to aquatics, CA has made a commitment to renovate its threepool, 11-lane indoor Columbia Swim Center to extend its useful life for another 10 to 15 years. This is 11 CA’s largest indoor aquatics facility. This reinvestment will allow time to explore other options to expand indoor aquatics facilities and continue to explore a future shared aquatics venue with the County. The County has many competing interests for capital dollars for everything from public safety and schools to storm water, transportation and library facilities. Capital projects are already planned and programmed for the next several years. Related to recreational investments, several large projects are underway and must be completed, including Troy Park and Blandair Regional Park. In response to the continued, steady increases in enrollment at HCC, the college has established priorities for academic buildings and other capital investments and these take priority over a new athletic/aquatic facility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there is a spirit of cooperation between CA, the County and HCC, the Work Team finds that there are challenges to overcome to a potential partnership approach, including lack of identified capital and operating funding and operational protocols. The Work Team also finds that the earliest possible construction timeline, given the other financial commitments of the organizations, would be 10 years into the future (2027) and perhaps beyond that date. Should a location be identified for the facility and a decision made to move forward with funding obligations, then the Work Team suggests that planning and engineering for the facility begin three years prior to the desired completion of construction. The Work Team recommends that this potential partnership approach for an indoor aquatics facility be revisited again in three to five years to monitor changes and opportunities.

Please refer to my previous post on the 50-meter pool study. https://chaowu.org/2017/05/05/50-meter-pool-is-needed-in-hoco/

 

50-meter pool is needed in HoCo

4 Comments

I do see there is a need for a 50-meter pool in our county or Columbia.

Recently several parents told me there was a need for a 50-meter pool ( indoor). They have to drive their kids for a hour for training. Today,  I received an presentation from Michelle Grey, Columbia Masters Swimmer.

It convinced me that both the county government and CA should work together to build such a facility to meet our residents’ need.

Attached is the presentation. 2017 Need for a new pool v3 It is a very informative presentation.

I am looking forward to your feedback.

CA Board Review of 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

The following is what CA board chair Andy Stack shared with the board members and CA staff. With his consent, I am sharing it here for your reference too. I would like to thank Andy for his great leadership. I also thank Michael Cornell for his great leadership in River Hill Village board in the past several years and he left the board this year.

CA Board Review of 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

Since we have only a few days left in our fiscal year, I thought I would give the Board a final update on the Board tasks for FY-2017. I want to thank you for the work you have done throughout the year. It was a productive year.

1.    Elect CA Board Chair and Vice-chair  MAY —– COMPLETED

2.    Elect Inner Arbor Representatives   MAY —– COMPLETED

3.    Appoint CA Board members to Audit and Risk Management Committee   MAY —– COMPLETED

4.    Determine schedule for service on Board Operations Committee    MAY —– COMPLETED

5.    Approve appointments to Village Architectural Committees    MAY/JUNE —– COMPLETED

6.    Approve CA President/CEO’s FY-2017 goals/objectives       JUNE/JULY —– COMPLETED (BOC approved goals on August 29th)

7.    Approve IRS form 990       SEPTEMBER —– COMPLETED

8.    Review FY-2016 Audit and FY-2017 financial reports    JULY, SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER, MARCH —– COMPLETED (The FY-2016 Audit and the First Quarter and Second Quarter reports and Third Quarter reports were reviewed by the Audit Committee and Board); the Board approved the FY-2018 budget in February

9.    CA President/CEO’s Mid-term Evaluation     NOVEMBER —- COMPLETED

10. Approve FY-2018 budget     JANUARY/FEBRUARY —- COMPLETED

11. CA President/CEO’s yearly evaluation & bonus decision   APRIL ——–COMPLETED (The Board reviewed the results of the evaluation and discussed the evaluation with the CA President/CEO at the end of April)

12. Implement new membership/pricing structure —– approved new membership structure & pricing which is currently being implemented by CA staff; Implementation is goes into effect on 1 May 2017; CA staff has provided a timeline of the communications planned to roll out the new membership/pricing structure; staff is being trained to handle the new membership structure; CA Board approved new pricing as part of the FY-2018 budget approval; communications have gone out to our members, the villages, and the general public; web site has been updated; now the Board will monitor the impact of the changes when it reviews the dashboard.  —- COMPLETED

13. Pond Study     JULY/SEPTEMBER —– study was presented in September; Board discussion and vote scheduled for January; CA staff presented a priority list of ponds to be addressed and strategy for addressing the ponds; Board discussion occurred in January and Board concurred with strategy; Board decided no formal vote was required  —- COMPLETED

14. Five-year rolling Capital Budget (Facilities maintenance)   JUNE/JULY —— Board received briefing in June, will continue as part of the budget process; Board approved the FY-2018 capital budget which was based upon the facilities assessments  —- COMPLETED

15. Enhance CA’s influence in planning and development of Columbia  —– Board approved position on affordable housing; continue to monitor redevelopment of Long Reach and Hickory Ridge Village Centers as well as the ongoing study of the Oakland Mills Village Center; RFP for Long Reach is available; Kimco presented plans for Hickory Ridge to the DAP in December; Oakland Mills study results presented in November; CA staff researching issue of commercial covenants; work on this topic will continue throughout the year; sent letter to Howard County state delegation regarding Merriweather Post Pavilion noise issue; new Welcome Center project has been canceled; County released RFP for Long Reach Village Center; Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty gave CA Board an overview of the Downtown Columbia Affordable Housing and TIF legislation; Kimco discussed the village centers they own with the Board in March; final Oakland Mills Village Center study were presented to the community in March; CA Staff continues to follow the proposal to create an Innovation District in Gateway; Kimco plans for redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center were approved by County’s Design Advisory Committee; in March DPZ presented an overview to the Board of the process to revise the County’s development guidelines; County announced that a developer has been chosen for the Long Reach Village Center; CA staff continues to work with Howard Hughes Corporation on the issue of commercial covenants; Chrysalis (new amphitheater in Symphony Woods) was dedicated and opened to the public; CA staff continues to follow the development in the Crescent area and the new proposed cultural center in Columbia; on a monthly basis, CA staff continues to update the Board concerning developments affecting Columbia   —— Task will continue into the next fiscal year

a.    Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia

b.    Redevelopment of Long Reach Village Center

c.    Redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center

d.    Commercial covenants

e.    New Town Zoning

f.     New Welcome Center

16. Develop an implementation plan to attract and retain young adults (CA facilities) ——- Task will be held over to the next fiscal year

17. Columbia’s 50th Birthday Celebration   MARCH/APRIL  —–  In November, Board received status report; kickoff occurred in March; many activities planned for the next several months  ——- Task will be held over to the next fiscal year as the Birthday celebration continues into September 2017

With your help, we accomplished a lot this year.  Please inform your villages of all our accomplishments. People need to be aware of the good work the CA Board has done. Thanks.

Andy Stack

2017 and 2015 River Hill Village Election result

1 Comment
I will serve my second term on the Columbia Association and river Hill Village Board. I will miss Michael Cornell for his leadership and great mentor during my first two years at Columbia Association.
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River Hill Community Association
  Election Results
2017

Thanks to everyone who came out to vote today.
The quorum was met. Here are the final results:

Quorum: 34
Absentee Votes: 4
In Person: 100
Total Votes: 104

River Hill Village Board (May 1, 2017-April 30, 2019):

Richard Thomas 91
Dalia Shlash 80
 
One open position on the Association’s Board of Directors remains. This seat will be filled by appointment on May 1.
 
River Hill Council Representative (May 1 2017–
April 30, 2019)
 
Chao Wu 103
 
Ballot Questions to Amend the Association’s By-Laws – All Proposed Amendments Passed
 
In Favor     Opposed
#1                                           82                  12
#2                                          81                   13
#3                                          77                   16
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2015 River Hill Election Results

Many, many thanks to everyone who came out to vote on Saturday! Here are the results:

Quorum:                     53 

Absentee Votes:          0

In Person:                   80

Total Votes:                80 

River Hill Columbia Council Representative (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2017):
Chao Wu                     80

River Hill Village Board (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2017):

There were no candidates for the three open positions on the Association’s Board of Directors. These three seats will be filled by appointment after May 1.