Winter, 2010-2011*
*if you may be moving, please leave this newsletter for the new
owners!
Snow is coming……….
Snow
removal services for the 2011-2012 season will once again be handled
by D & D Snowplowing who took care of the massive amounts of snow we
had last season. What
can you expect from D & D this year?
Here’s a breakdown:
D&D is
contracted to remove snow when it is 1" or more. (Under 1" is
treated with salt/sand mixture only). During larger snowfall, D&D
will make pass throughs to assure that the roads are open and people
can get out and emergency vehicles can get in.
They will come out to Longmeadow once the snow has stopped
falling and will clear all the roadways first. Then they will clear
the walks and parking spots, including between cars. Once they clear
between the cars, residents will be asked to move their cars briefly
so that the lot can be fully cleared of snow. (If you will be out of
town in the winter months, please consider leaving keys to your
vehicle(s) with a neighbor so that your car will not get plowed in
in your absence.) D&D is contracted to finish all touch up and
parking areas within 6 hours of the storm's end.
They will return the next day, if necessary, to clean up any
missed spots. Since
there is such a large area that gets sun in the morning and is shady
in the afternoon, melting and refreezing frequently occurs.
D & D will return to the property up to 24 hours after
clean-up to touch up spots and be sure nothing was missed.
They will not return 3 or 4 days later for melting and
refreezing. Therefore,
sand/salt barrels are place around the property to help residents
with the problem areas of melt and refreeze.
They are already in
place, so please take advantage of them!
D&D will
pre-treat walkways before any known ice storm and also after the
storm's end.
Residents may also want to look out for their elderly or infirm
neighbors and put sand down on their steps and walkways as well.
If you
have any questions or concerns about the snow removal process or the
contractor, please contact Arin Hayden at Levey Miller Maretz at
203-387-9700.
The
Board noticed last year that people were attempting to move cars
before plows were finished with roadways.
Please clean off cars early but wait until the roadways are
clear and they tell you to move your cars before attempting to do
so. This will hopefully
avoid the clumps of snow and ice between cars.
Please move your car
back to your numbered or normal space after the space has been
cleared. It doesn’t
help if you just leave your car somewhere else and that space
doesn’t get plowed.
VACATIONERS:
While you are away, the car
you leave behind can create
enormous problems for
your neighbors. Please
be sure to leave a key with someone so that your car can be moved in
case of a storm. Not
only will your neighbors thank you, you will be much happier when
you return and your neighbors aren’t yelling at you!
If you
are elderly or otherwise less agile, we recommend you stay inside
during icy or snowy conditions and wait until the plows have a
chance to
put down
sand/salt and give it a chance to work before you venture out.
No one needs broken bones to remind himself how dangerous ice
can be! If any of your
neighbors are elderly and should not be walking in the snow, please
volunteer to take their car keys and move their car(s) out of the
way when you move yours.
Just A
Reminder:
shut off and drain your outside faucet to avoid freezing and
flooding during the winter months.
Special Meeting of the Association,
November 2011
The Board thanks
those of you who took the time to show up for the special owner’s
meeting in November.
Those of you who were in attendance and the earlier Annual Meeting
of the Association learned about our problems with water drainage on
Greenwich Way, Jackson Drive, and parts of Penn Common.
Longmeadow has 81 units with crawl spaces throughout the
property; 61 of these have issues with water and there are numerous
areas that have water drainage problems outside of the units.
The work went out to bid and two different quotes were
received for the work with Robert Austin, LLC being the lowest
bidder. At the November
meeting, the Association approved special financing for the project
with 51% approval or 111 votes (2 “no’s” and 1 abstain).
The Board and management company are moving forward with
seeking out funding for part of this project through a $500,000 line
of credit with The Milford Bank, converting after 15 months into a 7
or 10 year loan. We
will let owners know the end result of the financing.
We hope to start
work on the drainage in the spring of 2012.
Crawl spaces will be fixed on a “worst case comes first”
basis. The management
and Board are aware of the issues, so there is no need to turn in a
work request for any crawl space issue you may notice.
Christmas Trees
For
those of you who have a live cut tree, please do not discard it in,
or place it alongside, any dumpster.
Please place it either on your back patio or on the side of
your unit for collection. (During
winter storms, trees blow around and end up in the roads or against
cars.)
Christmas trees will be collected during the 2-3 weeks following the
holiday.
Animals and Pets
As
always, we have to make our appeal -- Please! Please! Please!
Clean up after your dog.
People are becoming very lax about this and, as winter
approaches, it is very important that you clean up before everything
freezes into unsightly clumps.
Remember:
there is to be no chaining, leashing, or tethering of any
animal outside of your unit at any time -- not even if you think
your pet is harmless!
For those of you who have chosen to install back patio fencing, dogs
are
NOT to be left
on the back patio – they should be on a leash with you at all times,
and are not allowed to be loose.
Please let’s keep everyone safe!
DO NOT
leave food outside or otherwise feed any wild animals (including
squirrels) anywhere on Longmeadow property.
This has become a problem in many areas.
Even if you 'think' you are only feeding birds, you may be
attracting unwanted wildlife: the skunks, raccoons, muskrats, geese,
and rodents that live in the "protected" marshlands running next to
our homes.
Work Requests, Maintenance and Emergencies
Requests for maintenance should be addressed directly to Levey
Miller Maretz by filling out a work request form.
Work request forms can be found on the outside of the
clubhouse in the black mailbox.
Once filled in, please keep one copy for your records and
place the balance of the forms in the gold slot at the clubhouse.
You will hear back from the management association within a
reasonable amount of time concerning your request.
Please don’t address maintenance items verbally with any of
the workers you see around the complex.
They can’t handle the problem – and are not responsible for
reporting it to the management company.
Every work request is scheduled through Levy Miller Maretz.
With cold weather fast approaching, please be especially vigilant
for sounds of running water.
Emergencies
should be called in immediately to Levy Millar Maretz at
203-387-9700.
Important Contact Information
Your Board is always available to help with problems, but in most
cases there is little a Board member can do except relay your call
to the appropriate channels.
Remember, there are 215 units and it is impossible to
remember every time someone mentions a potential problem.
The following numbers are to help you when you need to decide
who to call or how to take action:
In Case of:
EMERGENCY,
fire or health ………………….Call 911
Gas
Leaks……………………..Call 1-800-513-8898
Urgent
maintenance issues,
such as frozen pipes,
no
water,
running water,
serious water
leaks…………...Call Levey Miller
Maretz
203-387-9700
Other non-urgent repairs…Fill out work request
Landscaping
issues…….…...Fill out work request
Plowing
issues
call
Levey Miller Maretz
203-387-9700
General
comments…………..….Write
your Board
Your Clubhouse
With the newly-refinished hardwood floors and a new refrigerator
downstairs, the clubhouse is a perfect venue for holiday parties and
is available for rental! Please contact Levy Miller Maretz at
203-387-9700 to reserve the clubhouse now! Contact any board member
if you would like to use the clubhouse for uses other than parties,
such as for meetings, recurring events, etc.
Special pricing is available
for these events or for events geared towards Longmeadow residents!
Dumpster Etiquette
You may have noticed new signs posted on the dumpsters.
This is just a reminder that dumpsters are to be used for
normal household garbage.
Building materials, mattresses, furniture, propane tanks and
any other flammable items, rolled up carpets, etc., are not to be
placed in or alongside dumpsters.
Any resident noticing someone putting the above items in a
dumpster should contact Levy Miller Maretz immediately with the
person’s name and unit number so that the appropriate action can be
taken.
When possible, please throw your trash to the back of the dumpster
so that it doesn’t clog the doors.
This is particularly important with the holidays around the
corner and the large amounts of trash generated.
Bulk Trash
All bulk trash items such as refrigerators, washers, dryers,
furniture, tires, etc. are not to be placed in dumpsters.
The City of Milford provides bulk trash pickup during the
summer – typically in July or August – and you will receive a notice
when our bulk trash pick-up is scheduled.
Some things you should be checking....
Owners are reminded that they are responsible for the internal
plumbing and items that can leak and cause damage.
These items must be inspected regularly.
Water heaters have a finite life (usually not much beyond the
warranty period!) – usually around 5 years -- and will eventually
leak. It is a good idea
to inspect hot water heaters before a large serious leak develops.
If your washing machine is still connected to the hot and
cold water supply with old rubber hoses, they should be replaced
with flexible metal burst-proof hoses.
Any signs of leakage or swelling in a hose is a sign that the
hose is about to burst.
Again, flexible metal burst-proof hoses are the way to go.
Do you have a dish washing machine?
Have you checked the flexible hot-water hose feeding it?
Again, rubber hoses have a very finite life.
This host too should be replaced if it is rubber (definitely
if more than 10 years old or if it is of questionable quality).
For the dishwasher too, the metal flexible burst-proof hoses
are the way to go.
Dryer air vent hoses or ducts should be periodically cleared of lint
to improve the efficiency of the dryer and reduce the risk of fire.
A unit owner can be held responsible for consequential
damages to their own property and that of their neighbors if it is
due to his or her negligence.
Condominium living is not totally maintenance free and free
of responsibilities.
Maintenance and safety items are a great investment…and some may
make the perfect gift for someone who thinks he or she has
everything!
It’s best to call a plumber and have him replace all the hoses in
your unit at the same time – it saves time and will save you worries
in the end!
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors....
It is very important for Longmeadow residents to have both smoke
detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in their units.
Longmeadow units are heated
with gas and C02 can build up to deadly levels without anyone
knowing about it.
Unlike gas, you cannot smell C02.
If the smoke and C02 detector units are over 5 years old, if
is best to replace them.
They have a finite useful life.
Follow the instructions on the packaging for proper placement
locations and intervals.
If you did not replace the batteries during this past year,
then they should be replaced as soon as possible.
The rule of thumb is every time you change your clocks, you
should change the batteries in your smoke and C02 detectors!
CO2 detectors should be in each sleeping area at minimum.
And remember, neither smoke or CO2 detectors will detect and
warn you of leaking natural gas!
If you smell gas, call the gas company immediately or 911.
