In this newsletter

News | Rules & Regulations | FAQs | Resident Focus | Household Tips
Classifieds |  Local Links | Contacts

Welcome to the Morris Place newsletter!

Welcome to the Morris Place newsletter, a resource for the Morris Place community that makes it easy for residents to keep informed about what is going on in the community.

The aim of the newsletter, and accompanying Web site (www.morrisplace.net), is to help strengthen our community through communication. Please read the newsletter and let us know if you'd like to contribute news, announcements, tips, or anything else. We hope that by sharing common goals, concerns, and interests we keep our community a great place to live, while protecting our investments.

Content from the Morris Place newsletters will be maintained at the Web site so you can locate important information without having to go through the newspaper archives. Some sections of the site, such as Classifieds and Household Tips, will be updated throughout the month. Rest assured, you won't have to access the site often to keep abreast of important issues affecting our community; the monthly newsletter will alert you to all important news and updates.

Important: Although we encourage you to express your thoughts via the newsletter and Web site, the best way to voice your ideas for the community and to weigh in on community decisions is by attending Morris Place open board meetings.

Introduction to Community Services and the Board

The Board

The members of the Morris Place Condominium Association Board of Trustees are Jeanette Balady, Jack Bartholomew, Jennifer Hua, Pete Pangis, and Becky Yeamans. To learn more about the board members, go to Resident Focus.

The principle function of our board is to oversee the Morris Place Condominium Association's budget and expenses, to establish rules and regulations for the community, and to ensure proper upkeep of our common property – called "common elements" in legal documents you received at closing. In particular, the majority of the board's time is spent on consulting with our management company, Community Management. The board also chooses the contractors who perform functions such as engineering inspections, snow removal and landscaping. And in the short term, it's the board's job to complete a successful transfer of the property from Matzel & Mumford to the association, after ensuring that all our facilities have been properly built and fitted out – and to work with the builder to rectify any problems with communal property prior to the transfer.

Community Management

Community Management, the management company retained by the board, oversees the day-to-day upkeep and maintenance of the common elements in the community. This includes landscaping, sprinkler maintenance, snow removal and minor repairs not covered under residents' individual warranties. In addition, Community Management handles routine financial affairs of the Association, such as paying landscapers, collecting maintenance fees from residents, and the like. Finally, Community Management handles the administrative tasks such as enforcing the association's rules. Candice Bladt, whom many of you have met at our board meetings, is our property manager.

Candice and other managers at Community Management also respond to emergency problems (only with common elements) during non-business hours. Go to the FAQs to learn more about the emergency response service.

Warranty Services

There's an important point to note regarding both the board and Community Services. Neither handles repairs and warranty work on your property. If your fire alarm is faulty or you're seeing "nail pops" in the walls of your unit, it's your responsibility to contact Matzel & Mumford's warranty service office directly. This is the case for all maintenance and repairs needed inside your residence. For common elements such as burned-out light bulbs in each entry way or a snow-covered sidewalk, Community Management is your contact.

Open Board Meetings

Place: Rm 201, Morristown Town Hall (200 South St.)
Date: Fourth Thursday of every month
Time: 7:00 pm

Important topics to be discussed at this month's open board meeting include:

• Approval of the 2004/2005 Budget.
• Need for a child-friendly area: your say.
• Rules and Regulations: resolution pertaining to satellite dishes.
• Rules and Regulations: resolution pertaining to dogs.
• Rules and Regulations: use of propane grills.
• Rules and Regulations: general notes.

We look forward to seeing you at the Thursday, August 26 meeting.

Budget and Association Fees

The 2004-2005 Budget will be approved at the August 26 open board meeting. If you're interested in seeing how our association fees are being put to use, we encourage you to attend the meeting .

Community Management will send you a copy of the budget once it has been approved, followed by a copy of the annual audit when it is available.

Community Management welcomes residents to make an appointment with the accounting department to go and visit the office and view details of the financials.

Maintenance & Inspection Report

Here's an update on the status of maintenance issues currently or recently under review.

If you would like to draw attention to a common element problem that hasn't been noted above, please contact our property manager, Candice Bladt, or come to the open board meeting on August 26.

Getting to Know Everyone

Many residents are interested in participating in Morris Place events and activities (e.g., block parties, barbeques, community meet & greet, local bike-rides, local walking trips etc.) We think it's a great way to foster a positive community, and look forward to receiving proposals for events.

If you'd like to organize or help run a Morris Place event or activity, please let us know: www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

Neighborhood Watch

Unfortunately, not even Morris Place is untouched by crime. Over the past few months, several cars have been broken into within the complex. You can help reduce potential break-ins by keeping your cars locked, by parking in your garage, driveway, or other well-lit areas, and by being on the lookout for suspicious activity.

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Propane Gas Grills

According to Paragraph 11.01 of the Morris Place Condominium Master Deed (Exhibit 1 of the Public Offering Statement), "Electric barbeque grills are the only type of grills permitted, except if other types of grills are allowed by the Rules and Regulations."

Association Rules & Regulations regarding the use of propane gas grills will be discussed at the August 26 open board meeting. Be sure to attend if you use, or intend to purchase, a propane grill.

Dogs

Association Rules & Regulations regarding the registration, insurance, and control of dogs will be discussed and decided at the August 26 open board meeting. Be sure to attend if you have, or intend to get, a dog.

Satellite Dishes

Association Rules & Regulations regarding the installation, size & type, and location of satellite dishes will be discussed and decided at the August 26 open board meeting. Be sure to attend if you have, or intend to get, a satellite dish.

Trash Removal and Recycling

To protect the good name and image of our community, and thus to protect our individual investments, please be sure to:

• Place household garbage at your curbside after 5 pm the day before pickup.
• Refer to the sanitation and recycling collection schedule (shown below). Only put out trash that is scheduled to be collected; for example, flattened cardboard boxes will only be collected on Saturdays.
• Ensure that trash is kept in containers with secure lids or in strong, securely tied garbage bags or containers with secure lids; avoid putting trash out in plastic grocery bags that can open or break easily.
• Keep trash cans and recycle bins in your garage on non-collection days.

The sanitation and recycling service schedule for Morris Place is below. If you have any questions, please call the Morristown Department of Public Works directly at 973-292-6670.

Notes

1. Large trash includes non-metal furniture, wood, and mattresses. Processed wood must be tied in bundles no more than 4-foot in length or 1-foot in diameter.
2. (a) Recycling containers must be either metal or plastic, and must have handles. Cardboard boxes or milk crates are not acceptable as recycling containers.
   (b) Recycling containers must be clearly labeled as such.
   (c) All recyclables must be emptied and rinsed.
3. (a) Cardboard boxes must be neatly flattened and tied into a bundle with string or they will not be collected.
   (b) Newspapers must be bundled with string and must not exceed 1-foot in length.
   (c) Magazines and mixed paper must be bundled with string or placed in a cardboard box or paper bag that can be taken away.
4. Large appliances and tires must have an official town sticker to be picked-up. These can be purchased at the Tax Collectors Office at Morristown Town Hall. Cost: large appliances $5; car tires $2. Tires must be removed from rims.

Parking

The POS has very specific parking regulations for all of us to follow. Abiding by these regulations makes our streets safe for traffic flow, gives trash collectors and the postal service room to do their jobs, and helps maintain the good image and reputation of our community. As a reminder:

• Each unit has 2 parking spaces: one in the garage, one in the driveway.
• Parking is not permitted on the streets of the community – this includes parking horizontally in front of driveways. Cars parked on the road have blocked trash collectors from doing their job.
• No commercial or recreational vehicles can be parked overnight on the streets or driveways.
• There are approximately 34 unassigned parking spaces. If you must use the parking areas, please park with consideration (i.e., do not take up 2 spaces).
• Only three parking spaces are located between buildings 1, 2, 3, and 4. Again, please do not use these spaces if you have a garage or driveway in which you can park your car.
• Do not park in front of the post-boxes. Mail delivery has been blocked several times because of this.

Cigarette Butts

Kindly do not dispose of cigarette butts in front of your driveway. The wind blows them into other residents' driveways and entrance areas.

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1. Who do we contact if there is a community-wide problem?

For all life- or property-threatening emergencies, call 911.

To report other situations that require immediate attention (e.g., no heat, no water), call the emergency response service of Community Services at 973-773-6262.

You'll need to provide the following information to the Community Management operator:

• Name of complex: Morris Place
• Your name, unit number, and telephone number.
• Description of the problem.

Please do not call board members regarding emergency situations. While board members are available to discuss residents’ interests, they are not emergency contacts or maintenance staff/personnel.

To learn how the emergency response service works after-hours and on weekends, go to www.morrisplace.net/main/faqs/index.htm#afterhours.

2. What should I do if my, or a neighbor's, carbon monoxide detector sounds?

If your carbon monoxide detector is sounding, call the Fire Department. The Fire Department has specialized equipment to test the air for carbon monoxide. A sounding detector could mean that there is a high concentration of Carbon Monoxide in your home. Carbon Monoxide is called the "Silent Killer" because it can reduce the amount of oxygen we breathe, and since Carbon Monoxide has no smell, we have no idea when there is a leak.

If your neighbor's detector is sounding, try to contact him or her immediately. As a last resort, you can call the Fire Department to investigate. They'll have to break your neighbor's door down, but at least you'll know whether the detector was actually functioning as it should or whether it was defective.

Note: Eventually we will be putting together a community telephone book for those interested in having their contact information listed in case of emergency. In the meantime, it's probably a good idea to get your neighbors' contact information.

3. Why is my smoke detector chirping?

When a battery starts to run low on power, the smoke detector chirps intermittently to alert you to change your battery.

However, you should not wait until it chirps to change the battery. Batteries last about 1 year in a smoke detector before they start to lose power. A good rule of thumb is to change your batteries when you change your clocks; this will ensure that your smoke detector has a good battery in it at all times.

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Morris Place Board Members

We thought we'd start off the Resident Focus section by introducing you to our board members.

Jeanette Balady	Jack Bartholomew	Jennifer Hua	Peter Pangis	Becky Yeamans

Please refer to the Resident Focus section of the Web site to learn more about the board members.

If you'd like to feature in next month's Resident Focus section, let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Advice Sought

Q. How do you remove calcified water from the dishwasher?

Advice Offered

We have yet to receive any tips or referrals.

If you have any home improvement/repair questions, referrals, or tips, let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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No ads placed yet.

Looking to buy or sell something? Looking for a service or got one to offer? Let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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There is a great deal to do in and around Morristown, and a great many resources out there pointing the way. Here are a few of the best:

Morris County Visitor's Center

Morris County Visitors Center
6 Court Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
973-631-5151
www.morristourism.org/

The Morris County Visitors Center (MCVC) provides services that market Morris County as a tourist destination, encouraging visitors and residents to take full advantage of the area’s exceptional historical, cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities.

Here are some of the services they offer:

• Information: hundreds of materials representing the historic, cultural, and recreational entities in one central location.
• Personal assistance: the office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm, and Saturday mornings during the summer when guided walking tours are given.
• Calendar of events: posted monthly, featuring all there is to see and do in Morris County.
• Tour services: for groups needing assistance in planning an area visit.
• Encouraging heritage/cultural tourism: through active measures that promote preservation and understanding of our local history and culture.
• Walking Tours: self-guided tours throughout the year, a special heritage education tour geared for 3-5 grade students, and guided summer walking tour series.

And they have all the maps (free) you could possibly want, including the NJ State map, the Morris County Bicycle & Pedestrian User Guide and map, and the Morristown Historical Walking Tour map.

Morris County Park Commission

www.parks.morris.nj.us/temp_index.htm With over 31 recreational, cultural, historic, and educational sites waiting to be discovered, the Morris County Park System invites you to explore over 13,500 acres of picturesque landscapes, a multitude of recreational facilities, and historic and cultural sites.

Throughout the year, recreational and sporting activities within the park system abound. Play a challenging round of golf at one of three award-winning golf courses. Stroll through exquisite gardens at exquisite arboretums or hike on a well-groomed trail network. Take private ice-skating lessons or attend an outdoor concert. Choose from hiking, camping, bicycle tours, equestrian activities, swimming, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, and sledding... there is something for everyone.

Some of us have been to, and highly recommend, the following: (all of these places are accessible by bike from Morris Place)

Traction Line

The Traction Line Recreation Trail is popular for biking, jogging, cross country skiing, walking and strollers. Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the Trail. It's located about 100 meters from Morris Place, and goes all the way to Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park.

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

An arboretum is a collection of woody trees and shrubs cultivated and labeled for educational and scientific purposes. The beautiful 127-acre Frelinghuysen Arboretum more than satisfies that definition, offering visitors a serene place to relax as well as to learn more about plants well-suited to the soils and climate of Morris County. Surrounding a magnificent Colonial Revival mansion, the woodlands, meadows, beautiful gardens and distinctive collections of trees and shrubs of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum make the ideal setting for leisurely strolls and summer concerts. Self-guiding trail booklets are available at the reception desk to enrich one's visit to this singular property.

Loantaka Brook Reservation

The Reservation includes Seaton Hackney Stables, South Street Recreation Area, Loantaka Brook Park at Kitchell Road, and the Loantaka Way trail access area. It encompasses more than 570 acres and is adjacent to one of the more populated urbanized areas of the county. There are nearly five miles of trails in the park which provide biking, jogging, hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing opportunities. Three ballfields provide area softball teams with facilities for friendly competition. Completed in 1989, the renovated South Street Recreation Area has a new group shelter, larger parking lot, and a Joint- Use Exercise Cluster, for use by disabled and able-bodied individuals. The fun arch, formerly located at the Kitchell Road area, has recently been replaced by a more creative play area that clearly offers greater chances for happy times for youngsters. Although the most common uses of the park are for trail- oriented activities, the picnic facilities are frequently busy on sunny summer days. Currently efforts to preserve the Loantaka Moraine, wetlands, and other sensitive areas adjacent to the Reservation are under way.

Patriots' Path

If you enjoy recreational activities like biking, horseback riding, cross country skiing and hiking, the Morris County Park Commission has the trail for you. Patriots' Path is a gradually developing network of hiking, biking and equestrian trails and green open spaces linking several dozen Federal, state, county and municipal parks, watershed lands, historic sites and other points of interest across Morris County. The purpose of the trail system is to provide opportunities for passive outdoor recreation while protecting and enhancing the environmental and aesthetic integrity of the stream valleys and uplands through which it passes.

The trail system is stabilized in many sections with crushed stone and gravel, other areas are left as narrow paths on earth and rock and shorter sections in Morristown and Morris Twp. area are paved. Several miles lie on cinder and gravel beds of old railroad lines. Sturdy hiking boots and a cool refreshment are recommended when long walks are planned. Learn more here.

Morristown, NJ Online

www.morristown-nj.org

From their Web site: Morristown, NJ Online is hosted by the Morristown Partnership, where we bring the people, businesses and organizations in our community together. Morristown offers a great diversity of quality stores and businesses available in a warm, friendly and quaint village setting. The energized downtown is the perfect setting for dining, entertainment, special events and of course shopping!

Their site covers a lot of ground, including: Things to Do and Special Events, News, Business Directories, Restaurants, Community (Education, Places of Worship, and Town Government), Exploring Morristown, and much more!

Official Morris County Web Site

http://www.co.morris.nj.us/

Morris County’s Official Government Web site is a useful tool that makes it easier for Morris County residents to learn about, and access, the services and programs offered by the county government and many of the non-profit agencies in the county.

Check out the comprehensive News section of the site; it includes everything from information about Computer and Electronics Recycling Day, to career seminars, to country grants, to how you can help control mosquitoes. It's well worth checking out. The site also has a lot of good information on county municipalities, schools, libraries, transportation, and demographics, and a comprehensive listing of government and non-profit links.

Prevention Works-NJ

www.PreventionWorks-NJ.net

PrecentionWorks-NJ is the official Web site of Morris County Safe Communities / Northern NJ SAFE KIDS! Their mission is to reduce fatalities, injuries, and property damage due to unintentional injuries on the road, at home, and at play.

They offer good advice on safety at home, on the road, and at play. They also have a lot of links to related information, a newsletter, and quarterly meetings in Morris Plains.

Got any local places or events to recommend? Or interested in something in particular? Let us know! www.morrisplace.net/forms/contact

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Community Management Group

Community Management: www.communityservices.com/

Candice L. Bladt, Property Manager
Community Management Corporation
1030 Clifton Avenue
Clifton NJ 07103
973-773-6262 Ext. 161
973-773-4932 (Fax)
bladt@communityservices.com

Emergency Response System: 973-773-6262

Morris Place Condominium Association Board of Trustees

Janette Balady, Jack Bartholomew, Jennifer Hua, Pete Pangis, Becky Yeamans: board@morrisplace.net

Newsletter

Jennifer Hua: jennifer.hua@morrisplace.net

Matzel & Mumford

Warranty Service Office: 732-888-5511; 732-888-1935 (fax)

Services

Department of Public Works, Morristown: 973-292-6670
Electrical: J.Van Houten Electric, Inc. 973-584-8441
Gas: PSE&G: 1-800-880-7734
Heating / AC: Cleworth & Son: 732-297-4841
Plumbing: Polo Plumbing: 732-767-1800
Power: JCP&L: 1-800-545-7738
Roofing / Siding: A.P. Roofing & Siding: 908-879-8190
Water: South East Morris County M.U.A.: 973-326-6880

General

Police, Morristown (non-emergency): 973-538-2200
Fire Department, Morristown (non-emergency): 973-292-6606
Morristown Memorial Hospital: 973-971-5000
Mayer of Morristown, Mr. John Delaney, 200 South St: 973-292-6629
Library, Morristown and Morris Township: 973-267-5880
NJ Transit, Bus and Train Schedules: 800-772-2222
Newark International Airport: 973-961-6000
Post Office, 150 Ridgedale Ave:973-539-5890; on the green: 973-539-5617

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Last Updated August 22, 2004

Copyright © 2004-2005 Jennifer Hrazdil Hua, Morris Place Condominium Association