TheVillager

We are 25 Now (The Villager 2016-10)

 

We are 25 Now

This article will be published on October issue of  The Villager of River Hill community Association.

On September 17, 2016, we celebrated the Village of River Hill’s 25th birthday. This was a day for celebration. From a formerly rural area, we have become a vibrant community. We had our fourth annual Health fair at the same time and there was a great turnout. Jennifer Zhang, (Student Member on the Board of Directors), Henrietta Kan (Coalition Halting Obesity in Children Everywhere), and Jennifer Lynott (RHCA Events and Newsletter Coordinator) were instrumental in organizing this event. Our village manager, Susan Smith, contributed to making the day a great success. Howard County Council Chair Dr. Calvin Ball presented the Association with a certificate and Council Resolution to recognize this great moment. Michael Cornell, the Chair of the Association’s Board of Directors, made the opening remarks and shared his 20+ years’ experience in the village. Dennis Mattey, Director of Open Space and Facility Services, congratulated the community on behalf of the Columbia Association.   People of all ages, ethnicities, and faiths shared the joy of celebration.

Let’s Look Back

We are the last of Columbia’s villages to be developed, beginning in 1991. By local standards, we are far from Columbia’s town center, -bordering farms, the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, and homes on larger lots that are outside the County’s water and sewer districts. The composition of homes is quite different from all previous villages because almost 80 percent of homes are single family homes, while the remaining 20 percent consist of townhouses and condos. There are no rental communities in River Hill, though some homes are available for rent.

The name River Hill refers to an old plantation, dating back more than 100 years ago, which reportedly was one of the first in the state to free its slaves. The Village has two neighborhoods, Pheasant Ridge and Pointer’s Run.   Pheasant Ridge was named after a 1745 land grant. The poetic street names were selected from noted American writers Walt Whitman and James Whitcomb Riley. Claret Hall, the community center and home of the Association, was named for the 18th century land grant “White Wine and Claret”  that included much of the land that is now part of the village. See Ref 1.

Let’s Look Forward

Now the Village of River Hill includes 2,096 dwelling units and 6,520 people. Our village has one of the most successful shopping centers. We have one of the Columbia Association’s most utilized outdoor pools. The Columbia Gym is also loved by our community. Our children attend Clarksville Elementary, Pointers Run Elementary, Clarksville Middle School and Atholton and River Hill High Schools and they are among the best in the county.

The Clarksville/River Hill community is still growing. Though outside the boundaries of the Village of River Hill, Clarksville Commons, a mixed use development, is finishing construction. More housing units will be developed around the edges of the village, including the Simpson Oaks development currently going through the County’s approval process A new and larger United States Post Office will return to serve Clarksville. Stores will be built at the intersection of Route 108 and Ten Oaks Road. The River Hill Garden Center is expecting to be redeveloped.

At the same time, we need think about how the development in other areas will impact our village, for example, how will Columbia’s new downtown development impact our community? Recently, the Howard County Veterans Foundation expressed interested in building a memorial at the Lakefront fountain. This will modify the fountain either in context or in structure. What is the role of our village in the whole of Columbia and in Howard County?

Education, transportation, family and community are our priority and we strive to make them better. Civic engagement is a crucial part to build a better community. My vision is that through continuous and planned development, we will foresee a more diverse and prosperous community. I am looking forward to enjoying 25 more years of life here in the village until my kids graduate from college.

Ref 1: J.R. Mitchell, D.L. Stebenne, New City Upon A Hill, A History of Columbia, Maryland, P144-145

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.

Our Planned Community (The Villager 2016-9)

 Our Planned Community

This article will be published on the September 2016 “The Villager” of River Hill Community Association.

Recently our county was hit hard by natural disasters. A hurricane hit western Howard County. Then, there was the flash flood that hit old Ellicott City. The flash flood caused tremendous damage to the old, historical city which is located in a basin surrounded by hills. Some people blame the flood on too many developments uphill from old Ellicott City and the watershed management is not functioning as expected.  One Saturday I went to help clean-up the aftermath and saw the damage first hand. Some buildings’ basements were washed away and they are now supported by temporary structures to ensure safety. This experience made me think about Columbia’s future.

There is a heated community debate on the two different proposals for the Downtown Development Plan. See my August newsletter article “Columbia’s Downtown and Affordable Housing” (https://chaowu.org/2016/07/27/columbias-downtown-and-affordable-housing/) for more information. Some people are complaining we are losing control to developers. There are concerns that too large a concentration of affordable housing will be placed in the downtown area. Some people believe that the assumption that millennials will want smaller homes with less driving is unfounded.

Recently, I read a book by Joseph Mitchell and David Stebenne “New City Upon A Hill, A History of Columbia, Maryland”. The book gave me a complete and big picture view of how our city was formed and arrived at today’s unique situation. The diversity of villages, the village centers merging with the communities, the green space, the pathways and the parks, the less congested roads are the reasons I loved Columbia and moved here. If a planned community begins to grow unplanned, it will become a disaster eventually.

We should always be forward-looking when considering Columbia’s future. This community has been a planned community since the start. The community will grow. More people will move in. We would like more businesses to move in such that people living here can work here. Our population is growing older.

We have to properly plan to accommodate these changes. With proper planning, we will be better able to cope with new issues. We need all the community efforts to plan early, better and ahead.

 

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

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.

 

 

Columbia’s Downtown and Affordable Housing (The Villager 2016-8)

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Columbia’s Downtown and Affordable Housing

By Chao Wu

The article will be published on the August 2016’s River Hill Monthly Journal “The Villager”

The Howard County community is debating legislative changes impacting affordable housing in downtown Columbia.  The implementation of any changes will have a long-lasting impact on Columbia’s downtown and our county’s future. Therefore, it is important for there to be careful consideration by the decision-makers and for the community to understand the pros and cons of the changes being considered. The Columbia Association’s Board of Directors has been hearing presentations from all sides and will ask CA staff to testify in front of the County Council to relay the CA Board’s positions in August.

There are two proposals in front of the County Council that amend the current legislation governing affordable housing as Columbia’s downtown is further developed.

Joint Proposal

One is the joint proposal mainly developed by Howard County Government and Howard Hughes Corporation (Columbia’s master developer). In this proposal, the parking requirement is greatly reduced, the housing density in downtown will be increased (from 5500 total units to 6400 total units), and a public financing scheme called tax increment finance (TIF) of $170 million will be implemented. Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment. Through the use of TIF, the county government will divert future property tax revenue from this Downtown Development to Howard Hughes for its willingness to take responsibility for ensuring the development of affordable housing. Howard Hughes will have a 40-year binding rights under Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement such that no future legislation can change this proposed Downtown development plan.

In the joint proposal, the affordable housing units are proposed for the following locations: 100 at the Banneker Fire Station, 100 at Toby’s Dinner Theater, 150 at the existing library site, 90 units at a temporary fire station and 60 at the transit center. These units will be mixed with market rate units. Since the 900 units in downtown currently under construction do not offer affordable housing, another 5,500 units (the original number of units proposed in the 2010 Columbia Downtown Development Plan) are being proposed. This will make the total number of units 6,400. The Central Library, currently under renovation, will ultimately be replaced by housing units. A new library location has not been determined.

Jen Terrasa’s Proposal

The second proposal has been submitted by Councilwomen Jen Terrasa (District 3). This proposal requires 15 percent of Howard Hughes’ or any other developer’s units to be affordable. It ensures that downtown Columbia develops with a full spectrum of housing options as envisioned in the Downtown Columbia Plan (2010).

Advocates for the joint proposal want to make sure the housing will happen sooner by giving Howard Hughes financial incentives provided by TIF and binding the company to an agreement that requires a specific number of affordable housing units are built. Advocates for the Terrasa proposal support the simplicity of the proposal and argue TIF is only used to help the revitalization of blighted or economically depressed areas, which Columbia’s downtown area is not.

Here are my thoughts on the affordable housing in downtown after reading and reading all available materials.

Total Units for Downtown

I believe there is a need to have a cap on the total units developed over the next 40 years. Columbia has been a planned community from the start when Jim Rouse envisioned this new city. Without a cap, we can not plan the infrastructure accordingly. Having a set number of housing units will require any proposed future increase be considered in an open and public process. This is a good planning tool and is needed to ensure Columbia remains a planned community.

The county has been waiving the affordable housing requirement (usually 10%-15%) for developers in other parts of Howard County. Developers do not like to build affordable units because they will make less profit. The 900 downtown housing units currently under construction have no affordable units built as originally proposed as part of the 5,500 total units. That is the reason the joint proposal will give another 5,500 units to Howard Hughes.  I am concerned that if this happens again, the developer will simply say we could not achieve the affordable housing goal after 6,400 units are built, and the county will probably simply agree to increase the total unit number.

Density for Downtown

I believe that increasing the density for downtown in order to achieve affordable housing is reasonable. It is in the best interest of our community to have people who work in Columbia and Howard County able to afford to live here.

Affordable Housing Distribution

Others in the community debate that there are too many affordable housing units located in downtown or Columbia. The following data were obtained from CA board chair Andy Stack’s paper shared on my website. Howard County has 1,337 Section 8 vouchers and of these 1,068 are located in Columbia, which is 80%.

Howard County has 1,260 units of Section 8 Project-Based Housing and 1,154 (92%) of them are in Columbia. (If Monarch Mills, which is located on Oakland Mills Road just outside of Columbia’s boundaries, is included, then 1,191 (95%) are in the Columbia area.

Howard County has 1,646 units that receive the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit ( LIHTC) and 372 (23%)  units, or 451 (27%) if Monarch Mills included, are in Columbia. So Columbia has 2710 units (Section 8 + LIHTC) of the total 4245 units of Howard County, which is  over 64%.

Considering that only 33% percent of the population of the whole county is in Columbia, I believe there is room for the affordable housing to be reasonably distributed around the county.

40 year Binding Agreement

I am concerned about the 40-year binding agreement with Howard Hughes. Yes, it ensures stability for Howard Hughes, but I believe it will be a problem for Columbia in the long term. It prevents our future legislators from making reasonable changes if needed. We must admit, nobody can accurately foresee Columbia’s development in 40 years.

Better Planning of Infrastructure

The Downtown Columbia Partnership estimated the following improvements to the infrastructure are needed to accommodate the downtown’s growth: a new elementary school ($30 million), a new fire station ($30 million), a new library ($40 million), a new arts center ($20 million), traffic improvement ($75 million), a new transit center ($9.5 million) and a new parking garage for Merriweather Post Pavilion ($50 million). The total is $254.5 million. Note, the TIF for Howard Hughes is estimated to total $170 million. I think more infrastructure should be proposed: another elementary school ($30 million), a new middle school ($60 million), a new high school ($180 million), a new hospital ($200 million). That is another $370 million. So total new spending for Columbia Downtown can easily top $1 billion.

Howard County Public Schools have been overcrowded and need money for upgrades and expansion. When we plan for the new Downtown, we should prepare enough schools, hospitals and roads to accommodate this change. It is always better to plan earlier, clearer and with careful financial considerations.

If you want to share your thoughts, please come to a CA Board meeting, county meetings, or email me.  The county council is expected to vote in September on the proposed legislation.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@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.

Columbia Downtown Future

CA In Action (The Villager 2016-6)

This article was published on The Villager, in June 2016

The Columbia Association has a new Board of Directors for the 2017 fiscal year (May 1, 2016 – April 30, 2017). Andy Stack from Owen Brown is the new chair. Dick Boulton from Dorsey’s Search is the new vice chair. We also have a new Board member from Town Center, Lin Eagan.

This year, the Board Operation Committee (BOC) is running with a different structure. Besides the chair and vice chair, all other board members will take turns sitting on this committee. I will serve on the BOC in July. The purpose of the Board Operation Committee is to ensure the effective functioning of the CA Board and to oversee the Board’s relationship with the CA President/CEO. I am also sitting on the Risk Management Committee, which oversees CA’s general liability self-insurance program.

The Board has many new tasks in front of it:

  1. Continue improving customer service.
  2. Approve FY-2018 budget which will invest in our continuous growth and maintain fiscal health.
  3. Implement new membership/pricing structure
  4. Investigate the pond survey results, which will help us understand the cost of CA’s pond maintenance.
  5. Roll out a five-year Capital Budget plan.
  6. Enhance CA’s influence in planning and development of Columbia:
    1. Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia
    2. Redevelopment of Long Reach Village Center
    3. Redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center
    4. Commercial covenants
    5. New Town Zoning
    6. New Welcome Center
  1. Develop an implementation plan to attract and retain young adults
  2. Prepare for the Columbia’s 50th Birthday Celebration

On a personal note, I have been working to establish Columbia’s China Sister City program. I will continue to devote some time to this effort.

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://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.

Initial CA Facility Assessments Conducted – Capital Budget Increases Result (The Villager 2016-7)

(This article was published on The Villager, July 2016.)

Initial CA Facility Assessments Conducted – Capital Budget Increases Result

The Columbia Association (CA) Board requested that a facility survey be undertaken to understand the physical condition of all CA facilities and enable the findings to be incorporated into long-term planning. The purpose of the facility assessments is to create an inventory of the capital improvement projects necessary to maintain the facilities under their current program and use. General and monthly maintenance issues were also included as ancillary observations. After reviewing the initial results, I am very concerned that we have to spend so much each year just to maintain the existing facilities.

All CA buildings will be evaluated by FY2020. The assessments cover the following service areas: site/civil, structural, envelope (roof and siding), interior, mechanical & plumbing systems, electrical, accessibility (ADA) and aquatics (Athletic club only). The following CA facilities were surveyed in FY16: Athletic Club, Ice Rink, Stonehouse, Art Center, Teen Center, Other Barn, and the CA Maintenance Facility. The results of these building surveys are now available (Link: https://chaowu.org/2016/06/20/ca-facility-survey-result/ ) The initial surveys found that the buildings are structurally sound but showing their age aesthetically and  in the mechanical systems. Large numbers of HVAC components or mechanical systems have reached or are soon reaching the end of their American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) estimated service life.

The results from these building assessments have been prioritized and the high cost items incorporated into CA’s Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). The CIP was created as a component for the Columbia Association Economic Model and allows for better tracking of and planning for future major expenditures. Capital projects are those which are more than $100,000. In each year’s CIP, the expenditures cover several areas: community centers, aquatics, community service, sports & fitness, open space, IT, CAT I&II, CAT III. The CIP includes all previously planned and proposed capital projects:  Swim Center Phase I, II & III (FY17 – 19), Long Reach Tennis Center (FY17), Ice Rink (FY18), Athletic Club (FY18-19).

Projects identified in the seven building surveys as high priority items were added to the FY18 capital budget. Medium priority projects and low priority projects were added to the FY20 and FY22 capital budget estimate, respectively.  The cost for CA to maintain its existing assets, fund the capital projects already planned and proposed, and fund the projects identified by the initial building survey are estimated to be: $23.14M in FY18, $19.55M in FY19, $17.19M in FY20, $16.52M in FY21, and $17.45M in FY22. Please note, the current approved FY18 capital budget is $17 million. CA is projected to be short $6M if we fund the high priority capital projects identified in the initial building survey. Furthermore, the CIP exceeds planned capital expenditures over the next five years.

Unfortunately, there are some buildings which are not performing well and they are very expensive to maintain. The CA staff has been working actively with the village associations and other parties to revitalize them; but, viable plans have not yet been identified. I understand that many residents are emotionally attached to these facilities. However, the community and the needs are changing such that we should also think about the future. Some CA Board members, including myself, don’t want CA to be overstretched financially.

Enjoy the summer sun and fun.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@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.

 

 

One Year Review on the CA Board (The Villager 2016-5)

One Year Review on the CA Board
Dr. Chao Wu
(This article was published on the Villager, May 2016.)

As another River Hill Board of Directors Election and election has come and gone again, I realize that I have been serving as your Council Representative for a year.

During the last year, I have been writing monthly articles in The Villager to bring what happens at Columbia Association to our residents. I created a new blog at http://www.chaowu2016.com( now http://www.chaowu.org) which discusses many issues inside and outside CA. I have been attending many meetings, both that of our Village Board and CA Board. I served as Vice-Chair, then Chair for the Planning and Strategy Committee, and voted to pass the FY2017-2018 budget. This budget has the largest-ever capital budget for CA. I serve in the audit committee and pay close attention to how CA is running and CA’s governance regulation. I have been talking to our residents, responding to their concerns, coordinating efforts between different stakeholders to get residents’ concerns addressed and get problems solved.

During the last year, CA re-opened the Hobbits Glen golf course, moved the CA Headquarters from downtown to the new location, and brought the membership service online. CA has been involved in the downtown development. The Inner Arbor Trust continues its Chrysalis construction on Symphony Woods. CA has also been investigating and exploring a new membership structure and pricing.

CA has officially approved a new sister city, Tema, Ghana. I also led the effort to initiate a new sister city with Liyang, China.  CA’s International Exchange and Multiculture Committee has created a China Sister City subcommittee to foster this relationship. I strongly believe culture and education exchange will benefit our residents, especially our young generation to help them build a strong sense of global citizenship.

Nevertheless, among all achievements, we have many more issues to overcome. Our residents may notice the low participation rate in the River Hill Board of Directors Election. In six of Columbia’s Villages, there was only one contested election for the Council Representative position. It is unfortunate that many elections are uncontested or do not even have enough nominations to fill the vacancies. Why is there not enough interest from our residents to serve on these boards? Is this because our residents feel CA or our Village Board are not relevant? Getting more people involved with our community is critical to the overall health of River Hill. Since our residents are the primary stakeholders for our community, we want to hear from you and encourage your participation in the ongoing changes in our neighborhood.

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.

 

 

 

 

The Snow, CA’s Governance and a New Tennis Facility (The Villager 2016-2)

The Snow, CA’s Governance and a New Tennis Facility

Dr. Chao Wu

(This article was published on the issue of Feb, 2016)

CA’s Snow Removal Efforts

The historic February snow is finally over and it is amazing there were minimal power outages. People have been asking how the snow removal was handled by the Columbia Association (CA). Generally, I was satisfied with the snow removal process and appreciate our staff’s great effort.

CA’s snow removal priorities and practice are to open up the parking lots at the facilities (50+ lots) first, then clear the pathways (93 miles) and finally plow the sidewalks (25 miles). The general approach was to open the primary pathways, then open the pathway and sidewalk entrances where the large mounds of snow end up, then clear the sidewalks and secondary pathways. The location of schools is certainly a part of the decision process of where CA sends resources. For example, they finish up he pathways in the residential neighborhoods before they plow the CA pathway in the Gateway business park.

Safety is a priority; but, there is no 100% safety guarantee. Even if CA cleans the majority of its pathways, it takes coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, the county, the Howard County Public School System CA,  businesses, and residents to improve snow removal and enable pedestrian access.

CA’s Governance

Recently there has been heated debate about our county’s Board of Education election and board meetings. One interesting point on the need for board members and staff to work together really resonated with me.. During the snow storm, some CA board members criticized a resident as “self-centered/self-interested” when the resident simply asked, with a neutral tone, questions related to CA’s snow-cleaning process.

CA is both a non-profit organization and a homeowner’s association. As CA board members, we are supposed to make policy decisions and evaluate the staff who are charged with carrying out those policies. The staff is generally made up of full time employees and the board members are volunteers. There tends to be complacencent and a feeling that the board should just follow staff suggestions. The board members and staff need to work as a team and welcome constructive criticism and suggestions to better serve our residents. Board members and staff should not take it personally when questions arise.

Long Reach Tennis Facility

CA is budgeting 8.15 million dollars in FY17-18 for the Long Reach indoor tennis facility. Given that construction cost estimates for both the Hobbit’s Glen Clubhouse and Haven on the Lake were severely lower than originally projected and both projects required supplemental funding requests by CA staff to the CA Board, CA has revised its construction project methodology.  This project will be developed using a revised large project construction methodology employing what is commonly referred to as the Construction Manager Guaranteed Maximum Price delivery method.

This project management program was selected following CA staff interviews with their counterparts and Howard Community College and Howard County Department of Public Works regarding their experience with various project delivery methods and best practices for large projects and researching various alternatives. . Both the Howard Community College and the Howard County Department of Public Works experienced positive results and recommended the Construction Manager Guaranteed Maximum Price large project delivery method.

Architectural and construction management services for the Long Reach indoor tennis project were procured through CA’s “Request for Proposals” process.  The request for proposals process is a solicitation by CA for the procurement of design and construction management services with contracts awarded based on the best combination of price, prior experience and proposed work team.  CA solicited 47 design firms and received 5 proposals for design services. CA solicited 7 construction management firms and received 5 proposals.  Interviews were held with short-listed design and construction management firms. The proposals for both design and construction management services were reviewed by an internal CA selection committee and scored based on pricing, prior experience and work team.  Final selection was based on the highest ranking firms in consideration of pricing, prior experience and their proposed work team.  GTM Architects was awarded the architectural and design services contract and Lewis Contracting was awarded the construction management services contract.

I will keep a close eye on this big project and hopefully what we are promised will be delivered as expected. Once constructed and operational, we expect his new 6-court indoor tennis center will be loved by Columbia’s tennis community.

If you have any input on these topics, please share with me.

Thank you.

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.

Proposed New Membership Structure (The Villager 2016-3)

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CA Considers New Membership Structure

(This article will be published in The Villager, March 2016.)

CA Staff Proposed New Membership Structure

Columbia Association (CA) is working to improve our fitness membership services and increase community participation. The current Package Plan membership structure is very complex. Therefore, CA staff recently recommended a six-category membership structure based on the study by consultant Club Intel:

  • Fitness membership:
    • one fitness club (all equipment and group fitness classes); One guest pass for use each month.
  • Recreation membership:
    • All outdoor pools; Swim Center with SplashDown; Sports Park; SkatePark; Ice Rink; All outdoor and indoor tennis courts; One guest pass for use each month.
  • AquaFit membership:
    • Recreation Membership; All three fitness clubs and everything in them; Discounted green fees; Two guest passes for use each month.
  • Weekday Golf Membership:
    • Eight-day advance reservations; unlimited green fees on weekdays; both courses; Handicap fees.
  • Seven-Day Golf Membership:
    • Eight-day advance reservations; Unlimited green fees on all seven days, both courses; Handicap fees.
  • Golf-Fit Membership:
    • AquaFit Membership; Seven-Day Golf Membership; KidSpace free; Two guest passes for use each month.
  • Haven on the Lake and Hobbit Glen Golf Course memberships would continue to have separate membership pricing.

The key success indicator for a new fitness membership structure is an affordable price with great customer service. Currently CA has approximately 20,000 memberships (6000 of them are non-CA residents) and Columbia has around 100,000 residents. We want to serve as many residents as possible and still maintain quality service. I believe CA’s fitness program, pathway and open space are an integral and enjoyable part of our resident’s daily life.

My primary thought on the membership rate is that we should provide a relatively low rate to residents (they already pay the Annual Charge fee) and a market competitive rate (a little lower than other commercial facilities in our community) to non-residents.

 Membership Without Price

Without a price tag for the membership structure proposed by CA staff, it is difficult to make a decision. If the price is really low then the facilities may become overcrowded. If the price is too high, many residents will not be able to afford memberships. We have to strike a balance between these two factors. At the same time, CA needs to have a healthy fiscal condition too. I am expecting the CA Board will soon receive more details from staff on the projected membership numbers and projected revenue.

  My Proposed Membership Structure

Instead of bundling many facilities and services together, I prefer a more flexible membership structure which gives more freedom to our members.  It is obvious that for elderly families and families with young kids, their needs are quite different. For example, I seldom see elderly people swimming in the outdoor pools.

I prefer to exclude group lessons and classes from the membership structure. They offer added-on value such that they should be purchased separately.

1: Basic Membership

  • Members have freedom to adjust the structure twice a year.
  • Members may choose only one from the following facilities:
    • (1) Columbia Athletic Club;
    • (2) Columbia Gym,
    • (3) Supreme Sports Club,
    • (4) Outdoor pools,
    • (5) Columbia Swim Center,
    • (6) Skate Arena, Ice Rink, Sports Park;
    • (7) Fairway Hills Golf Club, and
    • (8) Tennis Facilities

2: Advanced Membership

Choose three of the facilities from the list above.

3: Full Membership:

Have access to all the facilities from the list above.

4: Luxury Membership

Include Haven on the Lake or Hobbit’s Glen Golf Course or both. These two facilities are expensive and premier If customers have the basic or advanced membership, they will get a discount on Haven on the Lake or Hobbit’s Glen Golf Course memberships.

5. Guest membership

  • For every membership type, members should receive one free membership in any other facilities for themselves. I believe this will expose them to different facilities, especially Haven on the Lake or Hobbit’s Glen Golf Course and hope they will use other facilities later.
  • For every membership, members should receive one or two guest passes

 6. Different Price Scheme

CA resident and non-CA residence price; Low-income price; Family and non-family price; Short-term visitor price.

By providing such a structure, I believe it will be easier for members to participate in programs and services that better match their needs.  I would really appreciate your input on the CA staff proposed membership structure and on my concept. Please email me at superbwu@gmail.com or the whole CA Board atboard.members@columbiaassociation.org.  We really need to hear from you.

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.

 

 

2016 New Year Resolutions (The Villager 2016-1)

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.

A Diverse Community (The Villager -2015-12)

A Diverse Community

During CA’s Board of Director’s meeting on Dec. 10, I was elected to be the chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee. We will hold another public budget forum on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in the Wilde Lake Village Center. The public is welcome, we are always looking for your input.

On December 17 I attended and spoke (for myself) at the Howard County Board of Education meeting to promote the inclusion of the Lunar New Year into the public school calendar. I heard speeches from people having different ethnic and religious backgrounds and each one promoted calendar schedules that are more inclusive . Two words – “Rouse Vision” especially caught my attention. Columbia was founded on a vision of inclusion.

Here is a quote from the Columbia Association’s website that provides some background :

   Columbia is a well known example of the New Town Movement in the United States. It shares similarities with Reston, VA, Woodlands, TX, Irvine, CA and others. But it stands out in its innovative approach to planning that included a 6-month period of inter-disciplinary meetings bringing together experts in fields as diverse as education, recreation, sociology, transportation, and religion as well as architects and engineers. Columbia is also unique for its purposeful goal to be an integrated community at a time before the Fair Housing Act of 1968 made it illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, color, national origin or religion.

This is the vision James Rouse, Columbia’s developer, had more than 50 years ago. Today, with everyone’s effort, we have a more diverse community than ever. This diversity ofrace, color, national origin and religion, is still unfolding in front of us. To honor our diverse community’s requests reasonably is a big, important and difficult task for policy makers.

It is important for us to learn from other communities. Sometimes, it is easy to see the differences rather than the commonalities. However, with civility in mind, our diverse community can seek common ground, promote harmony, and find peace together.

I want to say Happy and Prosperous New Year to all of you.

 

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.

 

Village of River Hill

One Community (The Villager 2015-11)

One Community

By Chao Wu
Finally, as a part of the FY17 and FY18 budget process, the CA Board of Directors has approved building a new indoor tennis court in Long Reach. We had more than 40 tennis players attending the last CA board meeting and the oldest player is 85 years old. I hope everybody will enjoy and use this 6-court indoor facility when it is built.

CA Board members have diverse views on pond maintenance especially when many board members realized the yearly maintenance fees are not cheap. Some ponds may be converted to wetlands in the future for better, easier and cheaper maintenance.

The CA Board has approved a living wage ($12.36/hr) for all full time employees. However, the Board did not approve a living wage for part time and temporary workers due to cost concerns. With the popular trend of paying a living wage or even a $15 minimum wage, the Board needs to think about how CA can pay our employees fairly and attract the best talent while maintaining fiscal responsibility. We are proud that we are leading the trend in this living wage battle. Neither Howard Community College nor Howard County government has a living wage program for employees.

Here, I would like to share some numbers on CA’s employee expenses. I really appreciated that CA’s Vice President Susan Krabbe prepared the following data for me:

Expenses distribution
Expenses 2015 2014 2013 2012
Full time $13,672,773 $14,793,132 $15,682,129 $15,129,935
Part time $5,224,247 $6,129,287 $6,605,219 $6,307,761
Temporary $2,000,883 $1,489,882 $1,460,667 $1,403,781
Total Operating Expenses $58,857,000 $57,932,000 $60,006,000 $55,654,000
Staff number
Staff Number 2015 2014 2013 2012
Full time 271 260 257 250
Part time 796 728 709 792
Temporary 659 699 628 692
Expenses distribution percentage
Salary (% of Total Operating Expenses) 2015 2014 2013 2012
Full time 23.23% 25.54% 26.13% 27.19%
Part time 8.88% 10.58% 11.01% 11.33%
Temporary 3.40% 2.57% 2.43% 2.52%

The average annual salary breakdown is:

Average salary
Average Annual Salary 2015 2014 2013 2012
Full time $50,453 $56,897 $61,020 $60,520
Part time $6,563 $8,419 $9,316 $7,964
Temporary $3,036 $2,131 $2,326 $2,029

Notes:
1. All salaries information is for the calendar year noted. The 2015 information is through mid-October.
2. The team member numbers are as of the summer maximum, either July or August of the years noted.
3. The team member numbers represent actual team members, not the number of positions.
4. Total expenses are for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2012, April 30, 2013, April 30, 2014 and April 30, 2015.

Several observations:
1. CA spending on the staff expenses is gradually decreasing over the last four years. This indicates CA is working more efficiently.
2. Average expense for full time employees is also decreasing. Actually, I am not sure whether this is good or bad.
3. CA is hiring more full time employees. For part-time and temporary employees, the numbers fluctuate a little bit.
I attended the River Hill Community Association’s Volunteer Appreciation Party and was overwhelmed to see so many people contributing their time and effort to making our community better. I also would like to thank our Association’s staff for their highly efficient and effective work.

I just want to say “Happy Holidays” to all, my dear residents.

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.

CA Going Green (The Villager 2015-10)

Going Green
By Chao Wu

CA News
The Columbia Association (CA) is preparing for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 budgets. It is my first time sitting on the Board of Directors for CA and the process is very interesting. I have some things to share:

1) In the new proposed budget, in a capital project directly related to River Hill, we will replace CA plans to replace the current River Hill Pool wading pool with and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant(AD) beach entry wading pool. that includes The modifications will include interactive play features, a slide and additional shade cover to protect the children and parents sitting at the wading pool. from April to October 2016.

2) Ponds are expensive. CA has around approximately 40 ponds. We spent around 1 million dollars on a pond in the last several years for safety and to meet new regulations too. CA is currently conducting a comprehensive survey on of all the ponds ( the survey results will be available next year) now. This study will enable us to will understand the full cost on of maintaining our ponds.

3) Residents are really concerned. We had more than 30 residents attend the October 8 CA board meeting who spoke out on the Dannon Garth Pond in Long Reach during Oct 8th meeting. That was the first time I saw so many residents attending CA’s board meeting.

4) There will be more board meetings to discuss the budget. They are held on Oct. 22, Nov. 12 is the next time the draft budget will be discussed. and more. The boards will vote on this new budget in February 2016. We are still looking for resident inputs.

Going Green
“Going green” is coming to many people’s minds because we realize that we need a sustainable development compatible with our environment.

CA has always been focusing on “Going Green”. CA is taking several strategies to achieve the goal such as: use using more green/renewable energy sources and increase utility efficiency.

Furthermore, going green is both a choice and a life style. Each time in summer, when my son and I walk into the men’s change room in the Columbia Gym and my son is trembling because of the low temperature, I do not feel the “going green” strategy is implemented there.

“Going green” requires us to use less energy if possible. In the winter, we could choose to wear a sweeter sweater at home with for comfort. In the summer, we can choose to wear a shirt without a suites in office to stay cooler. When we wash heavy items such as clothes,/blankets, and quilt covers, we can hang them in the backyard and let the nature do the dry workd (remember to obtain Architectural Committee approval for a clothesline.) When we go to Giant and buy small stuff,items, we can try to walk there if possible. Furthermore, we can use many outdoor facilities in our neighbourhood for exercise.

CA is working to provide convenience to our residents’ life for exercise. We are connecting and widening more trails such that we can hike and bike with longer distances and more safely. CA is maintaining lakes with excellent landscaping such that while walking along it, we can also enjoy the beautiful lake scenery.
In the past Saturday morning, I hiked with some other folks in our beautiful trails for an hour. While walking, some leaves were flying around, and some were following my steps, with and there were so many colors.

I really love this 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.

CA by Numbers ( Part II, The Villager 2015-9)

CA by Numbers (Part II)

By Chao Wu

I always want to keep our residents informed so that you can provide input and help the Columbia Association’s Board of Directors (CABOD) make intelligence decisions.

For people who attended,listened, or checked CA’s September 10 BOD meeting online, an updated membership study was proposed. This study reflects our continued effort to improve our customer service and satisfy the needs of our residents. The number of membership types will be smaller, some membership types will have more programs available and the price will be raised ( a lot! ). The CABOD and has not approved the new membership structure yet. If you want to have a look at it, please check the CA website for the meeting packet under Sept 10 atwww.columbiaassociation.com/board/meetings/agendas-packets-minutes or you can email me and I will send you a copy.

CA’S Planning and Strategy Committee will have two meetings discussing the 2017-2019 budget. One is on Oct. 8 and the other is on Oct. 21. You are welcome to attend them or send me or the board your suggestions.

At the same time of CA’s meeting, County Executive Mr. Kittleman came to Clarksville and listened to local residents in a Town Hall Meeting. Many residents spoke out about their concerns too. Many residents are really concerned how our community is going forward with a diverse and growing population and how new development will preserve River Hill as a coherent community.

In the last Villager, I shared figures showing how CA spent funds in in Fiscal Year 2015. In this issue, I will present some other statistics showing the demographics in our neighborhood. The data is abstracted from 2010 census data and CA’s 2015 village study handbook.

In terms of population distribution, the Village of River Hill has the highest Asian American rate (26%) and the lowest African American rate (6%) when compared with Columbia and Howard County. Please see Figure 1.

Figure 1: Race distribution in percentage among River Hill, Columbia and Howard County (2010 Census data)

Race Distribution in River Hill, Columbia and HC

Then if we look at the age distribution, River Hill has the highest percentage of people of age 10-19 and age 40-49. Please see Figure 2.So, we are the youngest village in terms of the age of our residents. However, approximately 30% of River Hill residents are over 50 years old. Over time, our population like that Columbia- and County-wide is going to age. This is one reason that CA is preparing more senior-accessible services.

Figure 2: Age distribution among River Hill, Columbia and Hoard County
Age distribution

Our local and large communities are changing fast and the change is unavoidable. It is very important for us to understand our mission, vision, and expectations as we prepare for these changes. .

Based on the changing demographics, where do you think CA should be focusing its efforts? What services and amenities will be important to you and your family over the next few years and in the long term?

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.

CA by Numbers ( Part I) (The Villager 2015-8)

CA by the Numbers (Part I)

By Chao Wu

The village and CA are quiet and people are on vacation. After I came back from my vacation in late July, I found that the uneven sidewalks in front of my house were fixed. That is really nice. And I received a large handbook and a bill from the Columbia Association (CA), as many of our residents did. Yes, CA is collecting money from us in the name of “Annual Charge”. In this issue, I would like to share some general information with you.

Columbia Association’s Board of Directors (CABOD) will hold a pre-budget public input forum on Thursday, Sept. 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in the Wilde Lake Village Center. The forum will be hosted by the Board’s Planning and Strategy Committee and is open to the public.

Representatives of CA’s BOD will join our River Hill Board of Director’s meeting on Oct. 5 in order to reach out to our residents. Please come and share your thoughts.

1.     CA Responsibility

Some people in our neighborhood are confused about what CA does versus what the county does. On the CA website, we can view the following table and find CA actually is doing many things for our residents. CA contributes to funding for River Hill Community Association staff and the operations of Claret Hall, River Hill’s community center, and the Meeting Room too. The following table is extracted from CA website http://www.columbiaassociation.com/about-us/who-handles-what:

River Hill Community Association

Columbia Association

Howard County
Enforcing covenants Maintaining fitness facilities,
golf clubs, tennis and basketball
courts and swimming pools		 Schools and library
management
Advocating for residents
at the village, Columbia
and county level		 Operating the Columbia Ice Rink,
Columbia Horse Center
(via lease), Columbia
SportsPark/SkatePark		 Water and sewer
management
Facilitating information sessions
and community meetings		 Operating the Columbia Art
Center, Youth and Teen Center
at the The Barn, Columbia
Archives and Volunteer Center
Serving Howard County		 Road maintenance
and snow removal
Hosting individual village
events and partnering with
all villages for Columbia-wide		 Providing Before and After
School Care to Howard County
students		 Waste and recycling
collection
Creating village master plans Developing plans to protect
and restore Columbia’s
watershed		 County parks and
recreation facilities
Communicating to residents
via newsletters, websites
and social media		 Organizing free summer
concerts and films at the
Downtown Columbia Lakefront		 Watershed management/
restoration
Providing resources and
referral services for residents		 Providing summer camps Inspections, licenses
and permits
Fostering partnerships between
villages, Columbia Association,
Howard County, local businesses, and non-profits		  Maintaining approximately
3,600 acres of open space		 Planning and zoning
management
 Managing, maintaining and
renting out CA’s village buildings
and neighborhood centers		  Developing plans to improve
the connectivity of the
pathway system in Columbia		 Historic preservation
Offering programming, including classes, camps
and lectures		 Police, fire and rescue
services
Encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor
connectivity via
block parties, beautification
grants and block captains

2.     CA Income and Expenditures

Let’s look at CA’s income and spending. These numbers are important as a reference since CA’s board of directors is working on a new two-year budget (2017-2018). In FY2015, CA’s revenue totaled $70.576 M. CA’s Sport and Fitness programs, which includes the income from Package Plan memberships and fees for fitness classes, generated the greatest amount of income ($28.103M). The following data was extracted from “CA at a Glance, Columbia Association Annual Report 2015”:

2015 CA Incomes by Percentage

2015 CA Income by percentage

2015 CA Spending by Percentage

2015 CA Spending by percentage

  1. Large CA Vendor Expenditures in FY 2015 (quarter ended on April 30, 2015)

CA’s Annual Report itemizes all vendor spending greater than $25,000. In order for you to have a sense of CA’s large expenditures, I have listed those greater than $300,000:

Vendor Paid Description
Autlex Electric 354,971 Electrical work-various facilities
BGE 1,388,306 Utility
Brinton Building Services, Inc. 1,112,752 Construction services multiple locations
Crawford Advisors, LLC 2,907,225 Benefit advisors
DLA Piper US LLP 312,379 Legal services
Fidelity Engineering Corp 344,749 HVAC maintenance and repair Ssrvices
Fidelity Investments 2,604,275 Employer/employee 401kpension service fees
JP Morgan Chase Bank NA 1,416,928 Procurement card payments
Marsh USA, Inc. 628,544 Insurance broker and insurance Premiums
Paetec 306,632 Telephone and Internet services
Redhead Companies, Inc. 376,937 Creative advertising services
Scott-Long Construction, Inc. 4,690,871 Hobbits Glen Golf Club construction services
Shapiro &Duncan, Inc. 399,208 HVAC repair and maintenance
The Baltimore Sun 338,895 Advertising and recruiting
Two Center East Business Trust 624,158 Rent-headquarters building
Whiting-Turner Contracting 4,134,136 Haven on the Lake construction services

I am concerned about keeping CA’s expenditures reasonable and that new programs and facilities provide a good return on investment. Although the Annual Charge and membership fees increase yearly, even when there is no new construction project underway the costs of maintaining and running the facilities also rise annually. As more facilities are built, even more money is required to operate and maintain them.  The CABOD has to make difficult decisions during the budget process and cannot fund all budget requests. ………….

Thanks for reading this. Hopefully the data are . Let me know what you think and where you’d like CA to focus its efforts inFY17/18 and beyond.

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.

People Spoke Out (The Villager 2015-7)

People Spoke Out

by Chao Wu. The article is published in our Villager.

I am now serving as the vice chair of the Columbia Association’s (CA) Planning and Strategy Committee and also sitting on the Audit Committee. We are going to begin work on a two-year budget for CA soon. The budget will steer CA’s short term and long term projects and visions to guarantee that Columbia will continue to be the top place to live in America. Here are some recent developments in our communities:

At the Village Level

During the May 11 River Hill Board of Directors meeting, around 80 residents had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with four Howard County Council members. The residents focused their comments on the MD 108 Design Guidelines project. Many people spoke out on several key issues:

  • A need to set up a traffic light between Linden Linthicum Lane and Clarksville Pike. It is really difficult to make a right/left turn during peak hours.
  • An objection to the River Hill Garden Center expanding development and a proposal to align the Sheppard Lane traffic light (for example, perpendicularly) to provide a better view for drivers and lead to less congestion, and better safety around the school zone.
  • An objection to the Donaldson funeral home. The funeral home does not fit well with many surrounding residential homes, churches, and schools.
  • An objection to the continuous development at the intersection of 108 and Ten Oaks Lane. When the residents bought homes nearby, they were not aware that the area had been zoned for commercial uses approximately 10 years beforehand.
  • A problem at the Whistling Winds Walk Corner. In the morning, high school kids going to River Hill High School close their car doors too loudly when they are dropped off by their parents.

You can voice your concerns and send email to the following recipients:

Howard County Dept. of Zoning:  wmackey@howardcountymd.gov and rkudchadkar@howardcountymd.gov

County Executive:  akittleman@howardcountymd.gov

County Council:  councilmail@howardcountymd.gov

Board of Education:  BOE@hcpss.org and superintendent@hcpss.org

Your input will be greatly appreciated and hopefully our residents’ opinions will help the officials make the proper decision on these key issues. If you do not do it now, it will be even more difficult to have changes made to accommodate residents’ reasonable requests once construction has occurred. It is never too late to email or call our elected officials.

At the CA level

The CA Board of Directors and senior staff spent one and a half days at a retreat to discuss “trust” among Board members. It was a great opportunity to learn more about each other and hopefully this retreat will improve CA’s operations and management.

The CA Board has elected two new representatives to the Inner Arbor Trust Board: Dick Boulton and Gregg Schwind. The related Symphony Woods project previously created a contentious debate among CA Board members. We continue to guide the development of this project and hopefully we will soon have a wonderful central park in the downtown area to benefit Columbia’s residents.

CA is launching a membership and service satisfaction study. We are hoping to have a reasonable membership fee and quality services to improve CA’s reputation. In the survey presented by Club Intel, CA’s reputation is at the edge of falling to an unsatisfactory level (Zone of Pain). At the end of the year, more results will be presented to the Board which will take actions to improve CA’s image.

If you happen to read the CA Board meeting minutes, you may notice that CA headquarters will be relocated to a new location (away from downtown area) to reduce operating costs. One of my first important votes was to approve the moving budget, which was three times of the amount that was initially proposed. I voted yes, since I believed the staff was not prepared to provide a good estimate for such a big move in such a short time. However, I will keep a close eye on any future spending.

CA is really promoting an active and healthy life style through many activities. Trails, lakes and gyms are amenities all can enjoy this summer. CA’s outdoor swimming pools are open. Hobbits’ Glen Golf Course reopened May 31.

I have been busy channeling residents’ concerns to the proper divisions within CA. A muddy sidewalk close to the Columbia Gym, dying trees in the open space, and debris in Lake Kittamaqundi are all issues raised by residents that I have conveyed to the CA management team. Hopefully solutions to these types of issues will be resolved soon and CA will work with other stakeholders when needed. It is these kinds of small improvements that make our quality of life better.

Many debates around our community have been centered on the conflict between commercial development and the community’s desires. As we have more people move into our county and the county becomes more diverse than ever, what is our vision for the long term? I would like a balanced approach which cherishes the wonderful residential areas and welcomes robust development with a clear plan to preserve the high quality life of the community.

What is your vision for CA? Would you mind sharing it with me and others? Speak up.

 

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

The views presented herein represent the personal opinion of Dr. Chao Wu. They not necessarily represent those of the River Hill Board of Directors nor the Columbia Association’s Board.

Make a positive impact (The Villager 2015-6)

Make a positive impact (The Villager 2015-6)

(This article is published in our Villager.)

Upon The Villager’s call to make an impact, I submitted my nomination petition and ran a small local campaign for River Hill’s Columbia Council Representative position. For the first time, I brought my daughter with me to knock on our neighbors’ doors one by one. Talking to them and asking for a vote was quite a different experience for me. Now I am the community’s new council representative, and I feel honored to serve both River Hill and all Columbia residents.

Our community is always watching what the Columbia Association (CA) and Howard County Government are doing. When I knocked on one neighbor’s door, he thanked me for coming forward to serve our neighborhood and then complained about a road near the Columbia Gym. He said the problem has been there for 15 years and has not been fixed. While I had complained about the road to myself, it is muddy when raining and slippery when snowing, I had never thought this was a big problem for others. At that moment I realized this condition is actually affecting many people in the community, and as individuals we all have a responsibility to take steps to improve situations that are of concern to us. I will make sure that each complaint or concern that I receive from our residents will be heard, considered, forwarded to the appropriate organization for resolution when necessary, and factored into my decision-making.

In today’s society, it is not difficult to make a living if we work hard. However, to make a positive impact is not all that easy. For the majority of people, our family is our highest priority, and that is what we focus on. As residents of River Hill, how can each of us make a positive impact on our community?

We just need to get involved. We need to spend extra time and energy to dedicate ourselves to the issues that are important to us. We need to balance our job, our family, and our community involvement. Since volunteering in the community may not lead to a direct benefit to one’s family, sometimes we don’t have the support for a huge time commitment. However, there are many small ways that individuals can make an impact in our community. We occasionally need to get out of our comfort zone, deal with people from other backgrounds, and learn new stuff, all of which is challenging and even a little scary.

To serve the people, it is very important to listen to others and take a balanced approach. A positive impact for one group may mean a negative impact for another group. Elected representatives need to make choices when we vote. As your Columbia Council Representative, I recognize that at times I will have to make difficult choices. Our community is more complex than ever. Issues such as “not in my backyard”, green energy, social integration, big business bullying little people, and corrupt politicians are among those I heard about from residents when I talked to our neighbors. These various viewpoints will make the decision-making process much harder and require patience and collaboration from all involved parties.

We don’t need to be a significant figure to make an impact. Our participation and leadership in any activity will make an impact. Volunteering to help count the number of pedestrians on a section of the CA pathways is one way to make an impact. Serving on the Board of Directors of CA is another way to make an impact. We just need to get involved in the manner that works best for us as individuals and for our families. I hope to make a positive impact on our Columbia community, and I will devote my time to make our quality of life better.

I am looking forward to hearing from you on the matters that are of importance to you. Chao Wu, PhD River Hill Representative to Columbia Council Columbia Association Board of Directors Email: superbwu@gmail.com Tel: 240-481-9637.