In this newsletter 
June Open Board Meeting
Place: Morristown Town Hall (200 South St.), Senior Center, 3rd Floor *
Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 **
Time: 7:00 pm
* Please note that the meeting room as changed
to the Senior Center on the 3rd floor.
** This
month's open board meeting has been postponed from the usual "third
Thursday of the month" to Wed,
June 22.
Topics to be covered at this month's meeting include:
- Overview of first transition meeting with Becht
- July board member elections
- Addressing dog waste problems
- Addressing unregistered dogs
- Organizing block party
Do You Keep a Dog at Morris Place?
Whether the answer is yes or NO!, the Association needs to know so that it can determine its legal liability and insurance requirements for dog ownership.
A form was sent to you last week. You are asked to complete the form and return it to Community Management by June 17, 2005.
If you did not receive the form, you can download it from the Web site at http://www.morrisplace.net/main/2regs/index.htm#5
Landscaping – Repairing the Winter Damage
With the weather on our side, repairs are now being made to landscaping damage caused by the harsh winter weather – and snow removers.
Fullerton, our landscapers (and snow removers), have already repaired damage to the sprinklers and sod. Matzel & Mumford are set to repair the dead trees and shrubs later in the summer or in the early fall.
In the upcoming weeks, the landscaping committee will meet with Fullerton to inspect the last of the winter damage and to plan the reparation. They will also discuss the dead ground cover in the quad entries, and look for a more winter-hardy plant specimen to replace the “lily turf” that died in most areas.
In the meantime, please let us know if you have any landscaping questions or concerns by completing the online Contact form, by e-mailing us at board@morrisplace.net, or by calling Candice Bladt at Community Management.
May / June Maintenance Update
Issue |
Responsible Party |
Status |
Comments |
Landscaping - winter damage - dead trees and shrubs |
- Fullerton - M&M |
Pending |
Some damage repaired. M&M to replace dead shrubs and trees late summer / early fall. Final inspection underway. |
Keeping Dogs at Morris Place
Dog owners and minders: Now that winter is well and truly gone (for now), you're probably enjoying nice walks around the community with your dog. Kindly be reminded that when walking your dog in the Morris Place community, you must:
- Immediately remove dog waste from the community grounds.
- Properly dispose of dog waste. You are not permitted to use storm drains or keep waste containers in common areas.
- Keep your dog on a leash at all times
- Register your dog with the Association by completing the Dog registration form. For more information on registering your dog, go to http://www.morrisplace.net/main/2regs/index.htm#5 .
If
you're willing to walk about 1 minute outside of Morris Place (turn
left at gates and cross the I-287 bridge onto Morris Ave), not only
does waste disposal become a less arduous task, but you'll find two
other excellent places to walk your dog (and get some nice shade along
the way): the Traction Trail and Washington's Headquarters.
If your dog likes to do its business closer to home (all of our homes), you might consider investing in a diaper pail sold at Babies R Us, Wal-Mart, or Target. According to one Morris Place resident, using these diaper pails to dispose of dog waste is very easy and keeps offending odors to a minimum because they have many layers. This resident buys the Safety First brand. Diaper Genie is another option.
Tell us about yourselves!
If you'd like to feature in the Resident Focus section of the newsletter, please let us know!
Water – A Condo's Worst Enemy (Part 2) 
Last month we noted that your washing machine is the most likely culprit when it comes to water damage, but there's another regular offender in your home: the water heater.
Water heaters generally last about 20 years – if you keep it well maintained. Proper maintenance is key – and is something that most homeowners neglect entirely, greatly diminishing the life of the machine. Checking the pressure valve and flushing sediment buildup from the water heater tank on regular basis will release pressure from the tank and increase energy efficiency. Lowe's recommends doing these routine tasks every six months. Home Depot recommends draining water and sediment every three months, while some plumbers recommend releasing some water as often as once each month.
Check your instruction manual for details on how to do these tasks, and remember that it is each resident's responsibility to take quick action in the case of water leaks. Especially considering the location of water heaters in Washington units, there is potential for significant and costly damage not just to your property, but also to your neighbor's .
Click here to read Water - A Condo's Worst Enemy (Part 1).
For other helpful information, refer to the Links, Tips, and FAQs section of the Web site.
Community Beautification - Creating a Container Garden
If you've walked around the community over the past few weeks, you'll have noticed that quite a few residents have planted flowers in containers and placed them on their patios and decks. This adds much beauty to our community.
It's very easy to plant summer annuals in containers that can be placed in entry quads or on patios and balconies.
How to make a container garden
- Visit a reputable garden center such as Agway on Ridgedale Ave., in Morristown. They have a great selection of summer annuals that will add color and beauty to your outdoor living space.
- Start with a large container, either clay or resin, and fill with potting soil to within 2-3 inches from the top. A good potting soil, such as MiracleGro Potting Mix, will fertilize your container garden for about three months.
- Determine where you want to place the container plant and how much sunshine it will get. For shady areas, such as the entry quad, consider annuals such as impatiens, tuberous begonias, caladiums, or fuchsia. For sunny areas, consider annuals such as petunias, geraniums, New Guinea impatiens, or alyssum, just to name a few.
- When planting your container garden, choose annuals that vary in color and texture, and plant them close together. Do not follow the spacing suggestions on the flower market packs for container gardens. According to garden center instructors, the plants grow better when they're packed in close together.
- Water regularly.
- Place your container garden where you can enjoy its beauty – and where others can appeciate it, too!
Where to find ready-made container gardens
Garden centers such as Agway in Morristown or J&M in Madison can give great advice. If you don't feel creative, these garden centers have pre-planted containers that you can bring home and instantly enjoy. You will, of course, pay for convenience of this instant beauty.
June 15, 2005: Here are a few items that didn't quite make it into the June newsletter on time ...
2005-2006 Budget
The Board has approved the 2005/2006 Budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. You will receive a copy of the budget in the mail soon.
As you know, we are all dealing with increasing inflation and insurance rates, as well as getting through our first full year as a completed Association.
For the most part, the budget will remain relatively unchanged, except for a few areas, as follows:
- Fire Sprinkler monitoring (which covers phone & electricity for all seven buildings) has increased to $8,400 per year, versus the previously budgeted $2,000. This figure is based on actual expenses for the past year from invoices received.
- The need for a superintendent to handle general clean up of the community and repairs has added $3,120 per year (or $60 per week) to the budget.
- Transfer to Capital Reserves has increased to $22,504, versus the previously budgeted $21,252.00, based on a reserve study done by the Association's accountant.
- Some minor operating expenses have decreased, including landscaping fees, general repairs, and common area electricity.
Monthly Association Fee Increase
Beginning July 1, 2005, the new monthly Association fee will be $166.00 per unit. This is an increase of $7.00 per unit, per month.
Paying by ACH
For those who pay the monthly fee via ACH, if you originally signed up for the service through the Community Management Web site and established a maximum monthly ACH, you may need to go back to the Web site and increase that maximum. Otherwise, you may be subject to late fees for ACH payments that don't match your new fee.
If you signed up with a paper application, the amount of the ACH deducted from your bank account will automatically be adjusted to your new payment amount.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call Candice Bladt at 973-773-6262, ext. 161.
First Annual Election - Candidate Deadline
If you are interested in running for and serving on the Morris Place Condominium Association Board, you are reminded to submit your Candidate Information Form by the June 24 deadline.
There are two ways to submit your candidate information:
- Complete the paper Candidate Information Form sent to you by Community Management and mail or fax it to Candice Bladt, or
- Complete the the online Candidate Information Form.
Candidate information forms received by the deadline will be compiled and distributed to all home owners before the meeting to be held in July 2005.
For more information, please call Candice Bladt at 973-773-6262, ext. 161.
Moving Sale
We [Diane and Richard Picciuto] have just sold our unit to a nice
young couple from Hoboken and we'll be getting "packed up" next Wednesday,
6/22 and moved out on 6/23.
My husband and I are relocating and we have a few items in great condition
that we can't take with us, all very reasonably priced (we'll also consider
best offers). Here's what we have:
- Large Screen TV (52" rear projection)
- New dining room table with 6 chairs
- Mission oak bedroom set (queen bed, 2 night tables, 1 dresser with 5 drawers)
- Matching oak desk and chair
- Misc. prints, lamps, etc.
Some really nice stuff if anyone is interested and can move it out
before we do!
If you're interest in any of these items, pleae call us (Diane and Richard)
at 973-682-9337 to stop by and check out the furniture.
Community Management Group
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
www.communityservices.com/
Emergency Response System: 973-773-6262
Morris Place Condominium Association Board of Trustees
Jeanette Balady, Jack Bartholomew, Jennifer Hua, Katerina Quinterno; Becky Yeamans board@morrisplace.net
Newsletter and Web Site
Morris Place Web site: www.morrisplace.net
Morris Place newsletter: www.morrisplace.net/newsletter
Contact: Jennifer Hua: jennifer.hua@morrisplace.net
Other Contacts
For other contacts, go to: www.morrisplace.net/main/5contacts
Last Updated June 14, 2005