Montego Bay Civic Association Spring 2015 Newsletter

SAVE THE DATE!

April 1, 2015 Annual Dues payment DEADLINE

April 11-12, 2015

FREE Bulk Pick-up!

April 18, 2015 General Membership Meeting

May 1, 2015

Late Penalty applies to Annual Dues not received and deposited

June 5, 2015

DEADLINE to Declare running for the Board or President or Secretary

June 6, 2015

FIRST ATURDAY Yard ale

101 West 130th St. Ocean City, MD 21842

Telephone: 410-250-3080 Fax: 410-250-7104

Montegobayoc@comcast.net www.montegobaycivicassoc.com

BALLOT COUNTING

HOME HEIGHT

ROOF PITCH

DORMER ROOF STYLE

GARAGES

SETBACKS

Mail-in or Bring Your Ballot to the April 18, 2015, Meeting!

Your vote will decide which standards to

keep and which standards to

change. Ballots were mailed out in March 2015.

Counting of votes will begin on

April 18, 2015. Can’t find your ballot? Contact

the MBCA Office.

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 2 of 8

GETTING YOUR DUE Your Homeowners Association (HOA) dues help pay for maintaining Montego Bay's common areas and amenities. Not only does that help protect your property values, it ensures you will always be proud to call Montego Bay your home.

Items covered by the HOA • 1 Membership Activity Card • Insurance on amenities • Maintenance of swimming pools, tennis courts,

shuffleboard courts, pond, putt-putt course, and streetlights.

• Landscaping and upkeep of Association-owned lawns, pond, trees, bushes, flowers, bulkhead, equipment, and buildings, etc.

• Assessment amount for the community reserve fund

Items not covered by the HOA

• Full time management staff • Property management for privately owned lots • Notification of potential violations of standards or

emergency condition of property • Dispute resolution • Intermediary between homeowner and city

services • Roadway and sidewalk maintenance • Violations of Ocean City laws and regulations

regarding parking, noise, rental, disturbance of the peace, unsightly construction sites, etc.

DUE DATE FOR 2015-2016 ANNUAL DUES is APRIL 1, 2015

The 30-day grace period ends on April 30, 2015. A 10% late penalty is applied on May 1, 2015, and your membership card will be deactivated until payment is deposited in the MBCA bank account.

Make sure your mailing address is always up-to-date. Failure to receive your annual dues notice sent to the wrong address is not justification to waive the late penalty.

Your neighbors may call Public Works for you. To make sure someone lets you know what is happening with your property, you have a couple of options – leave your contact information with your full-time neighbors, hire a local service to monitor your property, or sign up for the free “residential security check” service with the Ocean City Police Department.

You might think that being notified is what you pay your dues for – but that is not true (see sidebar). If the majority of the owners vote for notification services, then your annual dues will be increased to hire those services for everyone’s benefit.

You are responsible for monitoring your property throughout the year, not the Association. A “Good Samaritan” or “Good Neighbor” principal may protect an individual from unintended damages, but it will not protect an Association getting involved outside of its authority.

The Association cannot release your contact information to anyone who would like to notify you. Periodically, there have been suggestions that the community have a directory so that neighbors could call neighbors. That has never received general support. However, if someone (or a group) can work up a volunteer opt-in web-based directory that is password protected, it is likely the Board would approve adding such a link to the MBCA website. Other than providing a courtesy link, the MBCA will not participate in such a directory service.

(reprinted from the Ocean City Police Department website: http://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/programs/)

Are you going on vacation for a week or two? Do you own a second home in Ocean City that is currently unoccupied? Let us know and we will check on it up to five times per week while you are away. The Residential Security Check program is completely free and gives citizens that leave their homes piece of mind while they are away. Simply contact the OCPD at 410-520-5395 or fill out the Residential Security Check form to sign up. Employees will ask a series of questions so that any officer that completes the check will know what to look for at the residence.

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 3 of 8

Pools & Recreation Committee

MAKING WAVES! The Pool Committee is looking forward to an exciting 2015 pool season. Best Aquatic Management will once again provide pool management and lifeguards.

County Health Department Regulations require an adult (18 or older) to accompany all children under the age of 15.

Memorial Day Weekend to June 12th

May 23, 2015 to June 12, 2015 Pool hours – 11:00am to 4:00pm

June 13, 2015 to September 7, 2015

Office Pool hours – 10:00am to 6:00pm Oyster Pool hours – 10:00am to 7:00pm

September 8, 2015 to September 14, 2015

Office Pool – Closed Oyster Pool hours – 10:00 am to 7:00 pm

SEE YOU IN COURT! Tennis Court hours –

Every day – Year Round 7:00 am to 8:00 pm

President’s Corner:

Thank goodness, the cold spells are a thing of the past . . . at least until winter begins December 21, 2015! If nothing else, I am sure the cold and freezing temperatures made everyone aware, particularly the 1,200 who do not live here full time, the value of getting to know their neighbors and sharing contact information.

If you have not arranged to have your property monitored throughout the year, anyone who leaves their home vacant can always access the Ocean City Police Department website and sign up for their free “residential check” service. If there is anything amiss – such as water leaking out from your home, busted windows, vandalism, etc., they will

notify you. Summer is almost here! Memorial Day Weekend, May 23rd, starts the pool season! Make sure you have

your membership card so you can open the gates to the pools and tennis courts. Remember, if you let in any guests (whether you know them or not), you are responsible for their conduct and liable for any injuries. Before the membership cards were in use, many weekly renters and owners of properties around the Montego Bay area were using our pools and tennis courts. There were incidents last year of non-Montego Bay people waiting until a member opened the gate and then they entered the pool and tennis court areas, claiming they had left their membership card at home. Protect yourself and the Association and let people you do not know use their own membership card to open the gate. If your card does not open the gate, please go to the Office to make sure your account is up-to-date.

I am pleased to let you know that the Association is running like a well-oiled machine. So much so that the Board of Directors meetings have been cut from 12 a year to 5 a year. After all, it is really a matter of proposing and approving a budget and then the rest of the year is implementing the budget. But there are occasionally times when certain decisions, outside of budget implementation, need to be made to maintain the standards of the community. That is why the Board authorized a referendum ballot related to the standards for lots in the community to ensure that the community can move forward when more than half of the owners agree that something is important enough that it affects the overall good of the community and Association. Those issues were presented to you in draft in the last newsletter so that everyone had a chance to look the materials over and provide feedback. You should have received, by first class mail to your primary mailing address, the final materials and the ballot. If you did not, please contact the office for assistance.

The first Friday in June is the last day you can declare to be a candidate for the Board of Directors, including the position of Secretary (you must live here full time) or President (you must live here full time and have served one term as a Director).

I just know this is going to be a great summer! Please be safe and enjoy your favorite beach activities!

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 4 of 8

I APPROVE TALLER HOMES (no taller than 17-feet vs. existing 15.foot limit)

I APPROVE THAT IF AT LEAST 50% OF OWNERS SEND IN A BALLOT, THE MAJORITY OF RESPONSES WILL DECIDE THE ISSUE.

AMENDMENTS BALLOT INFORMATION! The referendum ballot questions are supported by the information in both information

pages. Please review all information and then cast your vote.

Counting Amendment Ballots – 50% Participation and then Majority of Responses

There has been widespread dismay that when more than 50% of owners vote and an overwhelming majority of the votes approve the measure – the measure fails because 762 votes were not in favor. When an issue is important for more than half of the community, it is a disservice not to vote. Choosing not to vote should be a vote of confidence for those who do vote. If at least 50% of owners return their ballot that means that there is community-wide interest and the issue is important, then the majority of the responses received should determine the outcome.

If you vote YES: The amendment to the Declaration of Restrictions and the Bylaws for voting by the general membership, except for elections, will be: “… requires participation of greater than 50% of the General Membership eligible to vote and approval by greater than 50% of the ballots received.”

Community Restrictions and/or Ocean City Codes – The Choice

The Montego Bay community standards were based on the Town of Ocean City code for Mobile Home Residential Districts. Those codes are changing. The MBCA Board of Directors unanimously agree (December 13, 2014) that Owners should determine significant changes to architectural standards, and not a simple majority of seven Board members. The Board approved sending out a ballot asking owners what standards, if any, to add to the Declaration of Restrictions.

If the general membership votes to include specific standards in the Declaration of

Restrictions, then Section 3a will be amended as: “All homes and items built, placed, or grown on a lot must adhere to the Town published code for Mobile Home Residential District, except for exceptions outlined in this document. The Association rejects any exceptions or variances the Town may grant to the published code.”

Currently, the Town code allows homes to be built 2-feet higher than the traditional Montego Bay 15-foot maximum.

If you vote NO: The amendment would be: “The height of homes shall be no greater than 15-feet as measured from the crown of the road, in front of the lot, to the top plate where the roof meets the wall.”

If you vote YES: The amendment would be: “The height of homes shall be no greater than 15-feet as measured 2-feet above the crown of the road, in front of the lot, to the top plate where the roof meets the wall.”

Measure: The vertical distance from base flood

elevation or two feet above grade, whichever is greater, to the highest point where the exterior

walls meet the roof. 15 Feet 17 Feet

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 5 of 8

7/12 Roof Pitch

9/12 Roof Pitch

I APPROVE STEEPER ROOFS (no greater than 9/12 vs. the existing 7/12 roof pitch)

I APPROVE GARAGES (within the foundation of the home)

I APPROVE CLOSER SETBACKS (if the adjoining lot is not buildable)

I APPROVE SHED ROOF DORMERS

Currently, the community standard is a roof pitch cannot exceed 7/12 or be less than 4/12.

If you vote NO: The amendment would be: “No home shall have a roof pitch greater than 7/12 and no less than 4/12.”

If you vote YES: The amendment would be: “No home shall have a roof pitch greater than 9/12 and no less than 4/12.”

Currently, shed roofs are not allowed in

Montego Bay (other than a ground level bonafide shed) to avoid creating the perception of a two-story home, similar to a “cape code” or “salt box” design.

If you vote NO: The amendment would be: “No home, or extensions thereof, shall have a shed-roof, with the exception of an attached shed or awnings over windows and doors, as established and published by the Board of Directors.”

If you vote YES: The amendment would be: “Roof designs shall comply with the Town of Ocean City published code.”

Currently, there are no garages in Montego Bay. The Town code and the MBCA Restrictions do not

address the issue of garages. Comments have been received that as long as an owner decides to give up living space for a garage, they should be allowed to. The garage would have to be within the foundation of the home based on the required setbacks for the lot. The off-street parking pad for at least two automobiles will still be required and cannot be enclosed or modified as a carport.

If you vote NO: The amendment would be: “No lot shall have a garage.” If you vote YES: The amendment would be: “Garages may be built as part of a home within the foundation

of the home. The Board of Directors shall have the discretion to establish standards for garage doors, and such standards must be published.”

Currently, the

community standard and the Town Code are a 5-foot rear

setback (except for waterfront lots), a 15-foot front setback except for the front portion containing the 20-foot deep driveway, and a total side setback of 15-feet.

If you vote NO: The amendment would be: “No home, a single shed, elevated deck, or other extension of the home shall be built closer than 5-feet to any lot line and there shall be no less than a 15-foot side-to-side total setback, and shall comply with all other published Town of Ocean City setback requirements.”

If you vote YES: The amendment would be: “No home shall be built closer than 5-feet to any lot line and there shall be no less than a 15-foot side-to-side total setback. No single shed, elevated deck, or other extension of the home shall be built any closer than 5-feet to any lot line, unless the adjoining lot is not buildable, and shall comply with all other published Town of Ocean City setback requirements”

Codes and Restrictions are silent on garages. It is likely the

Town would approve them if they are contained on the lot and

meet garage-codes.

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 6 of 8

MBCA Communications

Committee Newsletter

Editor, writer, and layout:

Tony Kendrick Photographers: Frank

Guillén, Bob Chapman, and June

Shaffer

The Cold Snow 2015 Photos by Bob Chapman

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 7 of 8

Household Hazardous

Material and Electronics

Recycling Day April 18, 2015 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, at the Park and Ride facility in West Ocean City.

Clean Up and Spruce Up!

• Keep your property neat and trimmed to community standards and store items out of sight (not under a tarp).

• If neighbors have to swerve or duck to avoid a tree or shrub blocking the sidewalk – it’s time to prune them back.

• If the light of the lamppost is blocked on any of the four sides – it’s time to prune back what is blocking the light.

Ocean City’s Spring Clean-up

& Free Bulk Pick-Up!

April 11-12, 2015 The Town of Ocean City is once again offering to residential property owners’ bulk pick-up on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12. Items can be put out on the curb throughout the day. Items on private property will not be picked up – move them to the curb. Items not picked up on Saturday can remain on the curb Saturday night for Sunday pick-up.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!

Help Move Bulk Items to the

Curb – April 11, 2015

Some residents in Montego Bay may need a helping hand to move bulky or heavy items to the curb for bulk pickup. If you want to help, or if you need something moved to the curb, please contact Tony Kendrick, 301-502-7250 or Tony.Kendrick@montegobaycivicassoc.com and you will be called when a request comes in. It was successful last year and very much appreciated! Thank you!

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Underground Tanks Could Hide Potential Problems

(This is an informational article and should not be the basis for individual decisions. Individual research and consulting with a professional is advised.)

“I just wanted to let owners know it could happen to them,” said one of four owners faced with

clean-up costs for a failed underground oil storage tank. “Cleaning up an oil spill runs into thousands and thousands of dollars. I wish I had known something like this could happen. I would have done something to prevent it.”

Three homes on Gulf Stream Road, and one on Sandy Hill, have had their underground oil tanks fail recently. Even if an oil tank is no longer used, it can still pose a potential oil spill problem if it was not closed properly. The community is approaching 50 years of age and there are still original homes with original systems.

Reports indicate that tanks installed before the late 1990’s have a life expectancy of 15-20 years. The American Petroleum Institute estimates 50% of underground storage tanks will develop leaks within 15 years of installation. The Maryland Department of the Environment strongly recommends the replacement of underground storage tanks that are older than 20 years of age.

How much could it cost to clean up an oil tank failure? If the spill is taken care of before the oil seeps into the groundwater, the costs are significantly less. The typical cleanup costs range from $20,000 to $50,000. If there is a leak, the owner has to comply with Federal and state cleanup laws. Most insurance policies do not cover pollution cleanup costs.

Removing an underground storage tank that has not leaked can run from $1,500 to $2,000, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A minor leak cleanup may run from $1,500 to $10,000.

The Maryland Department of the Environment does have a residential heating oil tank site cleanup reimbursement program. If you are eligible, you could have up to $20,000 of cleanup costs covered. The phone number for the reimbursement program is 410-537-3400. For more information, contact the Maryland Department of the Environment;

Waste Management Administration; Oil Control Program; 2500 Broening Highway; Baltimore, MD 21224; phone: 410 631-3442

MBCA Spring 2015 Newsletter Page 8 of 8

Montego Bay Civic Association Spring 2015 Newsletter

Spring General Membership Meeting And

Saturday, April 18, 2015, 10:00 a.m. at Northside Park, 126th Street bayside, Ocean City, MD

All Owners are encouraged to participate in your Association meetings.

View the newsletter in color (and as large as you wish) at:

www.montegobaycivicassoc.com

“If the American Flag is flying, then it is are open”

Summer MBCA Office Hours (March 15th through September 15th) Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Winter MBCA Office Hours (September 16th through March 14th)

Wednesday, Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Montego Bay Civic Association 101 West 130th Street Ocean City, MD 21842

Montego Bay Civic Association

Board of Directors 2014-2016 Vice President – Linda Herzberg

Treasurer – Monica Cofiell Betty Bellarin, George Carter,

Eileen Furnari, Jim Price, John Shifflett

Board of Directors 2013-2015

President – Barbara Reniak Secretary – Tony Kendrick Kim Schulz, Dennis Julian

Barbara Rayner, Tom Seibold