Posts

DATE: Monday, January 22, 2018
TIME: 3:31 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: January Board Meeting Reminder
TYPE: Community News

The January Board of Trustees meeting is TONIGHT, Monday, January 22, 7PM at the clubhouse. The main item on the agenda tonight is the 2018 budget. The full agenda can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/Agenda_1-22-2018.pdf

Minutes of the past few meetings are available at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2017/OpenMinutes_10-18-2017.pdf
https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2017/OpenMinutes_11-21-2017.pdf
https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2017/OpenMinutes_12-27-2017.pdf

Assuming the board approves a 2018 budget tonight, the 2018 payment coupons will be distributed in an upcoming newsletter. For this month, the fees were still the same at $171/month.

497:100:3:1:601

DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
TIME: 3:03 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: February Board Meeting Reminder, DCA Re-Inspection, and 2018 Fees
TYPE: Community News

The February Board of Trustees meeting is tonight, Wednesday, February 28th, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/Agenda_2-28-2018.pdf

Minutes of the January meeting can be found at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_1-22-2018.pdf

The next Board of Trustees meeting won't be until April.

The DCA re-inspection will probably take place in early April. We are still waiting on the final schedule from the State. We will be sending out letters to the units that require re-inspection.

In case everyone hasn't noticed by now, there was no change in the maintenance fees this year - they are still $171/month for all units. The payments coupons will still be going out in the next newsletter, which should be done soon.

497:97:4:1:599

DATE: Wednesday, April 25, 2018
TIME: 1:35 AM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: April Board Meeting Reminder, and Other Updates
TYPE: Community News

The April Board of Trustees is Wednesday, April 25, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda will be available tomorrow morning at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/Agenda_4-25-2018.pdf

And the minutes of the prior meeting will be at

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_2-28-2018.pdf

During this time of the year, the board is on an every-other-month meeting schedule, so the next meeting will be in June.

We are still in the process of cleaning up after the winter storm that broke a lot of our trees. It took about 3 weeks to get through the complex and remove all the larger damage. We have started to go through the complex again to remove the remaining stumps and clean up the smaller sticks and debris. We are currently working in the Abbot/Chippenham area, headed towards Hampshire and then Lancaster, the Buckingham area, and finally Canterbury. This is the usual sequence we follow. At the same time, we are treating the planting beds to prevent weed growth, and installing mulch. The plan is to do the mulching early this season, to avoid complaints later in the season.

There are still a lot of wounded tress throughout the complex. Given other priorities at the moment, we probably won't get to the pruning till later in the year.

The grass is beginning to grow, as it likes this cooler weather and the rain. Initial mowing will probably be next week. It may not be necessary to mow all the areas, but some will definitely be ready.

We have a large list of planting requests, made even larger with all the downed trees over the winter. We are trying very hard to do the planting this spring, in spite of the delays caused by the winter storms and the less than optimal weather.

The pool has been suffering from various leaks over the last several years. We resolved one of the problems last season (relief valve in main drain), and will be resolving the other problems (cracked skimmers) this season. The expectation is to have everything repaired in time for Memorial Day. The pool area will be needing some work in the near future as the concrete decking continues to deteriorate and the wood retaining wall continues to rot.

Our amended site plan application to the town for the two variances required to construct the maintenance building is moving forward, but not as fast as hoped. We were trying to make the March Zoning Board meeting, but obviously that didn't happen, and April has now slipped as well. The maintenance building application has been joined with the pond/hill application, to economize on the public notice requirements, which has also contributed to the application delays. We are currently hoping for a May Zoning Board appearance. In the background, work has continued on finalizing the design details and creating an accurate materials cost estimate. Assuming the approvals go smoothly, we should be in a position to finally begin early summer.

After some confusion over approval requirements, it was finally determined that the rennovations to the condo building walkways and construction of the dumpster corrals do not require Zoning Board approval, and thus can proceed straight to the permitting process. We are trying to resolve the remaining design issues with these two projects, and get some of the walks repaired this year. At least three buildings in the Lancaster/Hampshire area were cited by the DCA and have to be taken care of soon.

Speaking of the DCA, we are expecting the inspectors to return sometime in May, although we still don't have a solid date. Letters have recently gone out to all the unit owners that the DCA needs to re-inspect. It seems there are a few units on that list that may have already passed the inspection, but for some reason were not correctly marked as inspected. Given the number of units involved it is not surprising that there were some errors in the record-keeping. If you have received a letter, please make sure your smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors are installed and working. There will not be any fines assessed if the re-inspection is successful. If it is not successful, then any fines the association receives (which could be substantial) will likely be passed directly on to the violated units. Again, to avoid all the negative, please make sure your detectors are working, and that the inspectors can access your unit on the to-be-announced inspection day. Unlike in the first round, there will not be a choice of inspection days - there will be a DCA assigned day and that's it.

We will advise all units requiring re-inspection of the inspection date as soon as we know it. At the very least, we will post a notice on the front door. The notice could be short (we might be advised of the date only a few days prior). The association can assist with at-cost detector replacements if desired. We are also ordering another batch of replacement shed doors, which we are offering to replace at-cost. We realize access to the units for inspection will be problematic for some unit owners, so please contact the office for options when that time comes.

Kevin

495:98:6:1:600

DATE: Wednesday, May 9, 2018
TIME: 1:54 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting TONIGHT, and DCA Re-Inspections
TYPE: Community News

A few issues have come up since the April Board meeting and as a result there is a special meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled for tonight, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_5-9-2018.pdf

The DCA has finally settled on dates for the upcoming re-inspection. They will be here on May 18th and May 23rd. Letters went out yesterday to all units that need to be re-inspected, with the date of the re-inspection included in the letter.

495:100:6:1:602

DATE: Saturday, May 26, 2018
TIME: 2:56 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: 2018 Pool Season
TYPE: Community News

Unfortunately there is going to be delay in the pool opening this year. A few weeks ago we turned on the filter system it worked for a few hours and then suddenly the water entering and leaving the filter turned brown. The brown water was most likely due to a leak in one of the intake pipes, causing dirty ground water to be sucked in to the filter. Everything was shut down, and over the following two days the water level dropped about 18 inches, confirming that there is serious leak.

The pool has been leaking slowly for several years now, so it is not that much of a surprise that the situation has finally come to the point where it will need to be fixed. The pool made it through the entire winter without any signs of a leak, so we were not expecting to have a major issue like this.

The repair work has been prioritized so hopefully we will have the problem located and fixed soon. All the piping is under the concrete pool deck, some of which will have to be removed to get to the pipes. There is also a possibility that the leaking pipe is directly under the pool, which is going to complicate the repair. We never came across any drawings of how the pool was constructed, so some guessing has been necessary with how the pipes are routed which resulted in one surprise so far.

Kevin

498:100:6:1:605

DATE: Wednesday, June 27, 2018
TIME: 3:30 AM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Board Meeting Reminder, Community Internet, and Pool Update
TYPE: Community News

The June Board of Trustees is scheduled for Wednesday, June 27, 7 PM at the clubhouse. The final agenda will be available tomorrow morning at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/Agenda_6-27-2018.pdf

The minutes of the prior two meetings are available at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_4-25-2018.pdf
https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/SpecialMettingMinutes_5-9-2018.pdf

During this time of the year, the board is on an every-other-month meeting schedule, so the next meeting will be in August. The meeting on Wednesday will likely be an important one, as there are a number of internal issues the board is currently dealing with, and membership presence at the meeting might be helpful. There were a few well-attended meetings last year when some people were trying to take the association in a direction inconsistent with the majority wishes of the membership. This may be another such meeting.

Revised Community Internet Proposal
-----------------------------------
There will be guests at the Wednesday meeting - representatives of Northpoint Solutions, an enterprise IP consultant, will be attending to present an updated proposal for community-wide internet service. This proposal decouples the project from the re-roofing project and the maintenance building project, by temporarily locating some of the equipment in the clubhouse building, and installing some temporary wiring on the outside of the buildings. This new plan also avoids the staggered deployment issue, making service available to all units at the same time, rather than sequentially over a number of years as roofs are replaced. The project also could be externally funded, relieving the reserve fund of any burden, as there are some people who are very concerned about reserve fund spending.

There are a lot of variations on the implementation and the number of additional services provided, which will be detailed during the presentation. The office still receives occasional queries about the status of this project, as the costs of internet/phone/tv service continues to rise. We have already made an investment in the conduit infrastructure over the last several years, putting the association in the unique position of being able to provide a very cost effective service alternative. For more details you might want to try to attend this meeting. The presentation will be near the beginning of the meeting - around 7:30.

Pool Update
-----------
A few weeks before pool opening this season, there was a significant leak in the pool, and as a result a portion of the pool decking had to be removed in order to locate the leak. We think we have resolved most of the leak issues on the side that was excavated, and at the same time have made some code upgrades to the pool filtering equipment. It should be back together and finally ready to open in a matter of weeks.

The pool has been leaking water for the last several years, so one way or another we were going to be facing this issue eventually. We were hoping to be dealing with it off-season, but unfortunately that's not the way things worked out this year. There may still be leaks even after the current repairs, so the remainder of the decking will eventually need to be removed and replaced, but we will schedule that so it does not interfere with future pool seasons. At some point the fencing will need to be renovated, along with the retaining wall, which is quite deteriorated.

Holiday Trash Collection
------------------------
We are waiting on final confirmation, but according to the published schedule, there will NOT be townhouse trash collection on the 4th of July holiday. Therefore, if you are in a townhouse, either put your trash in a dumpster, or hold it till Friday. If this plan changes we will send another message. Also, the association office will be closed for the July 4th holiday, on Wednesday, July 4th.

Kevin

496:99:7:1:603

DATE: Monday, July 2, 2018
TIME: 2:55 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting TODAY, Recycling Schedule, and Pool Update
TYPE: Community News

Very little was accomplished at the Board of Trustees meeting last Wednesday. The minutes are available at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_6-27-2018.pdf

As a result, the board has called a special meeting for TODAY, Monday, July 2, 2018. Hopefully the members will be able to focus more productively on association business at this meeting.

As I mentioned in the prior community email, there are some issues with the board. I have been holding off on making public comments about the problems, but will be doing so soon. The board seems to be drifting off in a direction totally opposite to that of the membership and the management. This could have a profound and immediate impact on the future direction of Society Hill. More attendance at the board meetings would be helpful.

The agenda for tonight's meeting is the same as the Wednesday meeting:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/Agenda_6-27-2018.pdf

However, there will NOT be a public comments session, as a considerable amount of time was already spent on public comment at the Wednesday meeting. The meeting will still be open to the membership, as required by law.

Holiday Recycling/Trash/Office/Mowing Schedule
----------------------------------------------
There was some confusion in the prior email on this topic, so to clear things up, recycling will not be this Wednesday due to the July 4th holiday. Recycling will instead be on Saturday, July 7th. Please avoid putting items out on Wednesday, as there will be no crew in that day to clean up any messes, and we don't want recycling blowing all over the place for 3 days until the Saturday pickup.

Trash collection is essentially unaffected by the holiday, so disregard any mention of that trash collection schedule in the prior email.

The management office will be closed this Wednesday, July 4th, in observance of the holiday.

We will be mowing the lawn this week, between the forecasted thunderstorms and the holiday. We should have it done by the end of the week. During the extreme heat, it is best to leave the lawn alone, but we are aware that it is getting high again in some areas. The irrigation system has been back on for over a week now. The Hampshire Court loop has been temporarily jumpered to another loop (green pipe behind building 17) so Hampshire will have some irrigation water while we wait for the water company to repair the broken curb-stop at building 16.

Pool Update
-----------
Another major leak was discovered in the pool last week during testing. The water was removed and the leak was repaired. The pool was re-filled again on Friday with more test water and things finally look normal. The water level did drop a little over the weekend, but most of that drop was probably due to evaporation with the high air temperatures. Assuming the water level continues to hold, we will start backfilling as far as we can in preperations for the electrical and building inspectors. I still have a few administrative things to resolve with the permits and will be working on that as soon as I can. At the last Wednesday board meeting I advised the board it is probably another 2 to 4 weeks to get the pool open. Aside from unavoidable overheads (like board meetings) I have been directing all my available attention to the pool.

Kevin

497:101:7:1:606

DATE: Wednesday, July 18, 2018
TIME: 3:37 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting TONIGHT, and Pool Update
TYPE: Community News

There will be another special meeting of the board, tonight, July 18th, 7 PM at the clubhouse. You can see the agenda at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_7-18-2018.pdf

There will be an attorney present at this meeting to answer several legal and related questions from a number of board members. There are several issues, many of which I thought had already been resolved years ago, that seem to be coming up again. Hopefully this will resolve everything and we can get focused again in a more positive and constructive direction.

There is currently no public comment session scheduled for tonight's meeting, however it will be up to the board to take questions or not. Regardless of comment, this will be a very interesting meeting.

Pool Update
-----------
The leak issues are under control, and we are currently working on getting past the building and electrical inspections so we can finish putting the pool decking back together. I was hoping to get that taken care of by the end of this week, and then work on the deck and remaining details next week. We also need to have the health inspection completed before we can open.

499:96:7:1:603

DATE: Wednesday, July 25, 2018
TIME: 7:31 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: July 18th Special Meeting Recap
TYPE: Community News

Society Hill Owners and Community Members -

The Board of our Homeowner's Association wanted to provide you a short update on some important topics. This message is coming from the Board.

As you previously saw, a Special Meeting of the Board was held on Wednesday July 18th.

The majority of that meeting was occupied by the Board in discussion with a lawyer who has extensive background representing HOAs in the State of New Jersey. His firm handles almost 400 Associations.

Prior to the meeting, each Board Member was given the opportunity to submit questions on topics of interest or concern to that Board Member. Four members did submit questions.

The lawyer provided us over 3 and 1/2 hours of his time to give candid feedback on our questions and related topics that came up during the discussion.

Topics that were discussed included: personal matters, finances, projects, the roles of the Board and Management along with more general feedback as to "good practices".

The Board did not make any decisions in real-time during the July 18, 2018 Special Meeting. No motions were raised.

Given the seriousness of all of these topics some Board Members feel that another Special Meeting is warranted in the near future. At this Meeting it is expected that Motions and other business will be conducted.

At this time it is planned that the Auditor will be present at the Special Meeting and available for questions from the Board and Owners. The upcoming Special Meeting is planed for July 30th and a separate email will be forthcoming.

The Board encourages all Owners to participate in the Special Meeting and further understand the current situation in the community.

Society Hill Piscataway Board of Trustees

498:107:7:1:613

DATE: Monday, July 30, 2018
TIME: 3:00 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting TODAY, Recycling Schedule, Pool Update, Editorial
TYPE: Community News

This is a reminder that another Special Meeting of the Board is scheduled for TODAY, Monday, July 30th, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_7-30-2018.pdf

As far as I know, there will be two guests at this meeting - the association's auditor, Mike Nulty, will be present, as will Mr. Cutolo, who will probably become the association's legal counsel. It is likely that some portion of this meeting will be in executive session. The agenda has 19 items of new business, which are currently not prioritized, but will have to be prioritized at the meeting because there is no way there will be time to get through all of them.

The minutes of the June regular meeting and the July 2nd special meeting are available below. There were no motions made at the July 18th Special Meeting, other than to enter executive session to discuss various matters with counsel.

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_6-27-2018.pdf
https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_7-2-2018.pdf

Recycling is this Wednesday. There are still a few residents confused about the recycling date. The calendar on the WEB site is accurate.

Pool Update
-----------
The first in a series of electrical inspections was completed late last week, which has cleared the way to finish putting the pool deck back together and begin re-filling the pool. Most of the crew will be working on the pool this week, which should get us back in operation by the end of the week. There will be more inspections to complete, including the health inspection, but all this should go smoothly.

Summer Picnic
-------------
At the July 2nd special board meeting, the board considered a motion to not have the summer picnic this year. The motion did not pass, so at that point in time the picnic was still on for Friday, August 10th. This has been the traditional date. However, the picnic is back on the agenda for the meeting tomorrow night, so I'm not sure what the plan will be after tomorrow. There will probably be another community email announcing the final plan.

Editorial Comments
------------------
Blinded by Hate - by Kevin Wine

After the election last fall, I thought things were good. I thought the results clearly indicated where the membership wanted the association to go. I though the board would clearly understand that message, and continue forward with the plans. In case anyone doesn't remember all the details, the "Kevin Haters" lost by well over a 6 to 1 ratio. Similarly, the ballot question to de-fund the maintenance building and initial phase of the community internet project failed by over a 3 to 1 ratio. The campaign was vicious, with a 9-page dossier outlining all the horrible things I've done and said, and a postcard asking you to vote for "Anyone but Kevin". Everything was brought up, from my dual board and administrative roles, to the reserve fund "depletion", to the unfinished projects, the roofs, and appearance of the property.

Unfortunately, things are not good. The support I was counting on from the board has not entirely been there. Some of the board members seem to have gotten caught up in the hate campaign, and are busy trying to get me out of the picture one way or the other. They are trying to take the association is a direction TOTALLY OPPOSITE to the clear mandate of the membership last November. This is both arrogant and foolish. In spite of the results of the ballot question, they are ordering me to stop work on all the projects. In spite of the results of the election, they are trying to remove me as manager. They are inserting themselves in all the personnel decisions, directly exposing the association to employment practices liability. They are obsessed with "punishing" me for allegedly not following their orders, and setting various traps for me to fall in to. Running this association is serious business, and they are playing a very dangerous game, with a potentially disastrous outcome.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars that have already been invested in project infrastructure, designs, engineering work, DEP permits, site plan applications, and attorney fees are in jeopardy. Instead of following through and finding ways of funding the open projects, some are trying to de-fund them and obsessing over how much money is in the reserve fund. I have been working very hard, often on my personal time, to minimize the cost of the maintenance building. I have conceived of and promoted projects that will reduced our operating expenses (pond water for irrigation) and directly save residents money (community-wide internet). I am getting very tired of re-litigating this every single year. I am getting tired of wasting energy fighting with people who still aren't with the program. I am getting tired of writing about it, and I am sure many of you are getting tired of reading about it.

To relieve the reserve fund of any burden from the community-wide internet project, I worked out an implementation and funding strategy with one of the internet consultants. The new plan decouples the project from both the maintenance building and the re-roofing projects, so it could be implemented over several months rather than years. It also leases/finances all the remaining equipment, so we wouldn't need to use ANY reserve money at this point. The total monthly cost for gigabit service is still around $25/unit, which is a lot less than "high speed" internet costs from the current provider. The alternative plan was briefly presented to the Board at the June meeting, after some resistance.

To save money (again) we have consolidated all the individual project site plan applications into a single application to the township zoning board. This will save several thousands of dollars in mailing costs (600+ certified letters) and professional fees at the eventual zoning board hearing. It has taken over a year to do this, and it was finally done about a month ago with all the drawings turned in to the town. But now everything is on hold - after all that. We haven't sent in the check for the application fee and the escrow.

I have seen the association run both ways - with contractors for 4 years, and then with employees for almost 10 years. The board is pressuring me to provide detailed cost accounting - they want to know how much time the crew spends on every task, to get a better idea of how much employees costs vs how much contractors would cost. While this would be nice data to have, there is a cost to collecting it, and the comparison is not that straightforward. We are doing far more with our crew than the contractors did. For instance, the old maintenance contract had a very narrow scope - there were many repairs that were not covered under the contract - they were a separate proposal and an extra charge. To make a fair comparison, the contracted cost would have to be updated (last data we have is from 2008, which is 10 years old), and those contracts would have to be written to include all the things we currently cover. We do all the irrigation repairs, spring startup up, fall winterization; all the building repairs - roofs, siding, gutters, carpets, lights, paint, stairways, pigeon nets, balconies, railings, common pipe leaks, walkway repairs/replacements; all the mowing, trimming, mulching, weeding, pruning, tree trimming, tree removal, plantings, turf repairs, leaf collection, and some pesticide application; tennis court repairs, road repairs, snow plowing, salting, snow shoveling; all the heavy equipment maintenance and repairs, most of the small equipment maintenance and repair; all the capital projects - pond dredging, irrigation mains, conduit trenches, junction boxes, sidewalks/bikeway, retaining walls, pool repair; administrative - accounts receivables, accounts payables, unit/resident/vehicle/vendor databases, work-order system, resident IDs, insurance claims, HR, benefits, payroll, closing statements, bank/mortgage questionnaires. And I'm sure I missed a few. Probably 80% of these items were EXTRAS, under the contractor model.

I'm not sure the board has thought all this through. I'm not sure they fully comprehend the consequences of what they may be about to do. They are going to be hard pressed to find a drop-in replacement for me. It is highly unlikely anyone else will be willing to do all three of the functions I currently provide - crew management, capital project design/management, and office management. Realistically, it's two separate people - forget about the capital projects for now. That's going to cost more - a lot more. It is likely that some of the crew would leave, which would be a serious problem. Much of the staff has been here for a number of years and is familiar with the operation and the work. It is not as simple as it may seem to recruit and train staff. The association has a considerable investment in its staff - not taking that seriously and handling the staff irresponsibly could be devastating to the operation. If I'm out, forget about the pool this year - I'm the only CPO - never mind the remaining repairs. We are also down to just 2 CDL drivers (me being one), and 2 pesticide applicators (me being one). In all probability, we would get forced back in to the contractor service model at considerably higher cost. I really don't think that's what the membership voted for. The board can still choose to oppose the membership, but such opposition could be politically risky.

It is certainly disheartening that every time I either step back a little bit or get pushed back, things begin to spiral out of control. I am still committed to following through on the plans, in spite of the board, because I think that is the direction the membership has repeatedly chosen over the last several years. I feel some responsibility to inform them when things veer off course. There are some internal issues on the board. I am still hoping the board finds some way to resolve those problems in a civil and respectful manner, but at the moment it is struggling. The board/management relationship is not healthy. It is not the first time the association has been in this situation, and it troubles me how easily things go south. I will spare everyone the details for now and give things one final chance to resolve. There is a systemic problem though, that will eventually need to be solved. Whether there are contractors or employees or some combination, nothing is going to work if the board is not functioning properly. Having our own staff allows us to get more done for less, in my opinion, but also puts a lot more responsibility on the board.

Unfortunately the board has still not been able to organize a meeting with me to discuss the problems. There are always two sides to every story. This applies to all the rumors that I hear circulating about me as well. There has been little or no effort to hear my side, and yet it sounds like decisions are about to be made. I know that everyone does not have all the information, and yet some are rapidly jumping to conclusions.

Tonight could be yet another showdown meeting. I have received very strong indications that this might be it. 7PM. Clubhouse.

Kevin

498:104:7:1:610

DATE: Monday, August 6, 2018
TIME: 7:34 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting Reminder **TUESDAY*, Community and Pool Update, Editorial Comments
TYPE: Community News

One of our board members asked to include an editorial prior to the other updates and editorials in this email. Following the editorial are the usual updates.

Response to Prior Editorial - Mary Thomas, Trustee
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I am not a Kevin Wine Hater!

Rather, I am a Trustee elected to insure the financial health of the association.

I am one of 7 Trustees tasked with making and voting for motions that bring about the appropriate and responsible actions of management.

I am a Homeowner who is disappointed that the landscaping is less than desirable.

I am angry that the problems of the pool, which deprived us of its use for the hottest months of the summer, were known to management as early as last September, but about which nothing was done until mid-May.

Most of all, I am tired of being threatened by Kevin Wine. He has consistently disregarded the motions of the Board------- i.e., overtime work on week-ends, continuation of projects for which there is not sufficient funding; refusal to comply with requests to provide staff work information.

I am being threatened for trying to make sure that all the members and residents can have a beautiful, functional place to live and, for making sure that Homeowners who want or need to move, receive the best value on their investment.

I am tired of Kevin Wine's continuous thinly veiled threats of litigation against Board members who disagree with him.

Board of Trustees Update: August 1, 2018
----------------------------------------

At the Society Hill Board of Trustee Special Meeting held on July 30, 2018 the Board and owners in attendance held a wide-ranging discussion with our Auditor, Mr. Nulty.

Mr. Nulty has recently commenced his work on the 2017 Audit and wanted to share his preliminary findings and other feedback.

The first comment was that in the 2016 Audit there were some recommendations made and the current observation is that "not much has changed". The overall situation while not terrible does not look good and remains concerning in his professional opinion.

The second point is that the Board is being asked (required) to provide a written plan as to how it will preserve money, if not try to increase it. This plan needs to look out for at least 18 months. Mr. Nulty said he would provide the Board his view of a plan we can use. It was later determined that August 31 is the deadline for the plan. Whatever the Board comes up with the Auditor will monitor and evaluate progress for several months. His point was that the Board actually has to prove they've taken the actions they put in the plan.

The auditor commented that the Capital spending is not in the Budget and asked why not - it should be.

The balance in our Reserve fund is lower than it should be per Mr. Nulty. He did not feel it was his role to define or recommend an actual fund balance that needs to be attained.

A key point he emphasized was that the financial picture must be viewed in Totality. Operating and Capital - everything. Thru the end of May (most recent financial statement) the Association has an overall 2018 YTD deficit of $38K, composed of a surplus of $57K in Operating and a deficit of $95K in Capital.

Various suggestions or good practices were mentioned that the Board should be implementing.

Overall it was a very engaging discussion but Mr. Nulty was very clear, he called the Board to action.

He raised the possibility of having to issue the final audit with some negative findings which is an extremely rare and undesirable result for an entity like our Association.

Due to a last minute conflict the lawyer we had spoken to at the previous Special Meeting could not attend. The Board is attempting to re-schedule our discussion with the lawyer in the very near future at another Special Meeting, as there are a number of key issues to be worked on. Stay tuned for that Meeting announcement.

The Board discussed the following Motions during the Meeting

1) To suspend the Summer Picnic for an indefinite period - the Board approved this Motion

2) To enter into a payment plan agreement with an Owner who is delinquent on their Maintenance Fees - the Board approved this Motion

3) To provide the Board direct access to the Community email list to send out communications (the list from which you received this email); currently only the Community Manager has direct access to the list - the Board approved this Motion

4) To require Management to allow the Board to review and approve any mass email communications prior to them being distributed - the Board approved this Motion

The Board would like to continue to provide you these updates on a regular basis after Meetings or when events warrant.

There will be yet another Special Meeting of the Board on Tuesday, August 7th, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda is similar to that of the July 30th meeting, and can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_8-7-2018.pdf

There will be one guest at this meeting, Mr. Cutolo, who will probably become the association's legal counsel. It is likely that some portion of this meeting will be in executive session. The board did get through about 4 agenda items at the July 30th meeting, so assuming nothing new is added, there are 14 items remaining.

The minutes of the July 30th special meeting are available at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_7-30-2018.pdf

Society Hill Board of Trustees

Pool Update
-----------
The pool is almost back together. The decking is 90% complete, the pool has been filled, the pump and chemical controller are running. The bonding and grounding certificate will be done this afternoon. The final electrical inspections will be next, followed by the health inspection.

More Editorial Comments
-----------------------
The Other Side of the Stories, Again - Kevin Wine

I was trying to be nice in my prior editorial by not going in to the details of some internal issues between some of the board members and management. However, I see that this is being brought up now. I am not threatening litigation against board members who disagree with me. I have not made any threats to litigate. I have advised the board on multiple occasions over the last few months that they might want to think carefully about their sudden interest and involvement in personnel decisions. In my opinion, that involvement is unnecessarily placing the board in a very precarious position in terms of employment practices liability exposure.

As a result of multiple incidents between management and a couple members of the board over the last few months, I had formally requested a "grievance hearing", as outlined in the association's personnel handbook, back in May. The board/manager relationship is technically an employee/employer relationship. It has been almost three months since the initial request, and in spite of multiple reminders, the board has still failed to schedule and hold that hearing. Instead, some members of the board have been trying to argue that I am not really an employee of the association, and therefore am not entitled to the protection of employment laws or the association's employment policies. Furthermore, the association's personnel handbook has language prohibiting harassment in the workplace, which was also violated multiple times by one board member and has yet to be addressed. I know I have advised the board, again multiple times and in multiple ways, that letting these situations linger, as they have, is not advantageous to the association's legal position, should things ever get to that point. It seems those warning are instead being interpreted as threats.

The summer picnic event, originally scheduled for August 10, was finally cancelled by the board at the July 30th special meeting. The picnic was already on the chopping block at the July 2nd special meeting, but at that time there were not enough votes to kill it. This time there were.

Although the excuse was money, I'm sure the real motivation, subconscious or not, was to punish me by cancelling "Kevin's annual resident party". The picnic is 0.3% of the annual budget. The association will be spending at least this much over the next few months on a new attorney, who they will end up using mostly to referee their conflicts. The annual picnic is not done for the purpose of making me or anyone else look good. It is done for the social health and well being of the community. It is one component of an effort to reconnect residents with one another and repair the much beaten and tattered social fabric. It is especially important in diverse populations, where inherent difference already tend to isolate individuals and groups. The isolation leads to a host of avoidable problems that would be easily solved if more people knew each other. The annual picnic, along with other efforts, has made a positive contribution to the social capital of the community over the last 10 years. I would suggest reading a book from a long time ago called "Bowling Alone", for a more complete explanation of what the annual picnic really is. The picnic is not just a cost - it has a benefit too. Regrettably, not all the board sees this.

By the way, the reason money is tight all of a sudden is because one board member has single-handedly tried to change the rules (the very thing they like to accuse me of doing!). No one trustee has the power to dictate the rules or policy of the association. For the last 10 years, the association has used capital reserve funds to cover capital repairs (fixing walkways, roofs, roads, etc.), capital equipment (vehicles, trucks, mowers, etc.), and capital improvements (maintenance building design, site plan applications, etc.). Recently, it has been decided, without the agreement of the entire board, and currently without a proper legal review, that capital funds are no longer allowed to be used on capital improvements. In spite of the suspension of capital improvement projects, the association still has several prior contractual obligations for improvement project design and application work that still have to be paid. Although a stop work order might satiate some egos, those projects had a lot of momentum behind them and it's not that simple to just stop everything on a dime. With the capital fund essentially held hostage on capital improvements, the bills had to be paid out of operating funds, which are not sufficient to cover capital improvement costs. This has created an artificial cash crunch.

The attorney is currently researching the legal question of whether capital reserve money can be used for capital improvement expenses. There is very specific language in our by-laws regarding the use of capital reserve money, which on the surface suggests this is not a problem. There is also specific language in our by-laws which again, on the surface, suggest the board is obligated to follow the direction of the membership on capital improvements. It may not even be within the board authority to cancel any of these projects. This doesn't seem to bother some trustees however, who just think they can do whatever they want whenever they want (which was part of the reason for the requested grievance hearing in the first place)

The pool has been leaking for at least the last 10 years. Up until last few years, the leak seemed to be confined to the top 5 inches of water. In order to keep the water above the skimmer intakes, we would have to add a couple inches of water every day. There was a problem, but it was manageable.

The situation began to change about 2 years ago. At the end of the 2016 season, several inches of water disappeared from the pool. The board was advised of this on October 20, 2016. The 2017 season sent OK, but we did have to add a lot of extra water on an almost daily basis. The pool made it through the winter without dropping any water. In May of this year, a few weeks before the scheduled opening however, it dropped almost 2 feet of water in one weekend. This was the first time it exhibited a drop of that magnitude. This was after a damaged hydrostatic relief valve (HRV), and an old HRV had been replaced about 2 years ago. A failed HRV could explain the drop, but again they had both just been replaced a year or so prior.

Given the evidence I had in May of this year, it appeared that we had a serious pipe failure, so an excavation was started to locate the source of that failure. In the end, I was unable to locate any failure in the main pipe in question, but did locate 2 other leaks in addition to the cracked skimmers we had removed for replacement at the end of the 2017 season.

While it has been known that the pool had a leak for several years, the magnitude of the leak did not reach an actionable level till May of this year. Although it would have been nice to do all this repair work off-season, I have been under a lot of pressure by various parties to not start any new projects before finishing the current ones. This was a factor in me not elevating the priority of the pool repairs prior to May of this year. I did, however, begin to replace the cracked skimmers at the end of the 2017 season, as that was a relatively minor repair job compared to what we ended up having to do. That is most of the rest of the story on the pool situation.

Property values in Society Hill have been increasing over the last few years. Units do not remain on the market for long, and there are very few units for sale. This would not be the situation if things were really as bad as some people are making them out to be. All the real estate transactions are a matter of public record, so what I am saying can be independently confirmed.

Kevin

496:105:7:1:609

DATE: Tuesday, August 14, 2018
TIME: 8:12 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Pool OPEN, Recycling WEDNESDAY, Vehicle Incidents
TYPE: Community News

Recycling Reminder
------------------
Recycling is this Wednesday, August 15th. The trash collection and recycling calendar on the WEB site is accurate and be be seen at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Calendar/Calendar.html

We are noticing quite a few units that are putting trash out too early or too late. The curbside pickup is generally in the morning between 8 and 10AM, Monday and Thursday. If you need to dispose of something early or you miss the pickup, you can always bring your bags to any of the 13 dumpsters located throughout the community. All the 3-story condo buildings have dumpsters for their garbage, and there is another dumpster at the clubhouse.

The Pool Is OPEN!
-----------------
The pool is finally open! Your patience was appreciated while the repairs and associated inspections took place.

The pool hours are 10AM to 8PM, everyday. The pool will remain open until Labor Day. If the weather remains hot this year and lifeguards are available, the season may be extended into September. Notice will be provided on the red signs and/or this email list.

If you don't have a pool pass, or your pass from last year has expired, please stop in the office and we will print you a new or replacement pass.

Everyone is expected to follow the pool rules. This will be a point of emphasis for the remainder of the season. This includes what you can bring into the pool area and what you can do or not
do in the pool area. The current pool rules can be found at (go to section 2):

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Legal/RulesAndRegs.html

Car Incidents on Canterbury and Chippenham
------------------------------------------
The office received reports of three vehicle related incidents that likely occurred over the weekend. Two vehicles were broken in to, and another vehicle was stolen. Two of the incidents were in the vicinity of building 2 on Canterbury Court, and probably occurred between 5 and 6 AM Sunday morning, August 12th. The other incident was on Chippenham Court, probably around the same time.

Since these incidents often occur in rashes, it is important to get the word out so everyone can keep a closer watch on things over the next few weeks. If any residents in either of these areas have video cameras, please take a look to see if there was any suspicious activity in the morning of Sunday August 12th and let us or the police know.

Lawn Mowing
-----------
We are aware that the grass is growing long in several areas throughout the complex. Mowing has resumed today and will continue until we get all the way back around to the areas we already did earlier last week.

Society Hill Board and Management

498:104:7:1:610

DATE: Friday, August 17, 2018
TIME: 1:48 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Pool Hours and Lifeguards Needed!!
TYPE: Community News

Just after getting though all the issues with the repairs to the pool this season, we are right up against another problem. Unfortunately, one of our regular lifeguard was injured (not here) and will be unable to guard for the remainder of the season. While we have two other guards, they have vacation, school, and other commitments that will impact their availability.

If anyone knows any certified lifeguards that are interested in guarding our pool, please let us know as soon as possible (your can reply to this email, of call 732-463-3434).

If we are unable to locate a replacement guard or guards, the pool hours may occasionally be impacted. At the moment, it looks like we will have to close at 5PM today, but will be open from 10AM to 5PM. The weekend is still up in the air. Again, if anyone knows any guards (have to be certified), please let us know.

The August Board of Trustees meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday August 27th.

498:104:7:1:610

DATE: Saturday, August 25, 2018
TIME: 6:19 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: More Vehicle Incidents, 2018 Call for Candidates, and Other Info
TYPE: Community News

More Vehicle Incidents
----------------------
Following the usual pattern, there was another batch of vehicle break-ins early Sunday morning, August 19th (almost a week ago), and another vehicle was stolen. Approximately 25 vehicles were involved, some here in Society Hill, and the others in Castle Pointe (across Morris Ave.). The stolen vehicle was from Society Hill, Chippenham Court. Both stolen vehicles were recovered, but at least one was damaged.

This follow-up incidents were exactly 1 week following the prior incidents on August 12th. Thus far, we are aware of one resident video showing a group of individuals around 3:30 in the morning on the 19th (Sunday). One person is seen opening a car door. If anyone else has video from Canterbury Court or Chippenham Court between 2am and 5am Sunday, August 19th, please check for any unusual activity.

The Piscataway police department is working on the case and asked us to remind everyone about locking their car doors, not leaving anything valuable in sight, or anything that might attract attention, valuable or not. Both of the stolen vehicles were driven away with the keys, so obviously don't leave the keys in the car. If anything looks suspicious, such as people you don't recognize hanging around, or people around at odd hours, don't be afraid to call the police (732-562-1100) and they will come out and check. Please try and get descriptions of any people involved (clothing, approximate height, weight, age, etc.) and any vehicles (color, model, license plate if possible).

Pool Update
-----------
The pool is open, weather permitting, from 10am to 8pm everyday until Labor Day, September 3rd. We will try to keep it open more if the weather is good.

Under the NJ Bather Code, we are allowed to classify our pool as a "special exempt facility", which relieves us of some of the public bathing area requirements. For the remainder of this season we have special exempt status, which means we are not obligated to provide a lifeguard, but may still do so when one is available. As mentioned in a prior email, we are having some difficulty locating guards at the end of the season. Under the new arrangement, all children under the age of 16 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT at all times when they are in the pool area. That adult must remain with the kids.

2018 Annual Meeting and Election
--------------------------------
Call for candidates! For anyone interested in running for a seat on the Board of Trustees this fall, the deadline to submit a candidate profile statement is Monday, September 24th, 4PM. All profiles should be mailed to:

Society Hill at Piscataway
555 Chesterfield Drive
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Note the address is 555 Chesterfield, NOT 550. The special election mailbox is 555 Chesterfield. All the profile statements need to go in that mailbox by the 4PM September 24th deadline.

Examples of candidate profiles from prior years can be found at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Election/Election.html

August Board Meeting
--------------------
Due to board members availability, the August board meeting will more likely be rescheduled for Thursday September 6th.

Donate Unwanted Household Items
-------------------------------
The Piscataway Senior Citizens Center has a used household items facility, where you can donate and/or purchase household items, clothing, electronics, and appliances. With residents constantly moving in and out, we see a lot of items in the dumpsters here that are still usable, so "recycling" those items is a good idea and can save a lot of money. The senior center is on Route 18 next to the JFK Library, less than a mile from Society Hill. For more information see:

https://www.piscatawaynj.org/senior_center/pandora

Recycling Reminder
------------------
Recycling is Wednesday, August 29th.

498:104:7:1:610

DATE: Thursday, September 6, 2018
TIME: 2:10 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Board Meeting **TONIGHT*, Candidate Profile Deadline, and Newsletter
TYPE: Community News

September Special Board Meeting Reminder
----------------------------------------
There will be a Special Board of Trustees meeting tonight September 6, 7PM at the clubhouse. The agenda is still the agenda from the prior month, plus some New Business items that have come up.

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_9-6-2018.pdf

The minutes of the last meeting are at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_8-7-2018.pdf

August 2018 Newsletter
----------------------
The August 2018 association newsletter was distributed about a week ago, and mailed to all the non-resident owners. A copy can be viewed on the WEB site in case you missed the printed version:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Newsletter/2018/NewsletterAugust2018.pdf

If you are a non-resident owner you should have received a copy of the newsletter in the mail by now. If you haven't, please contact the management office because we may not have the correct mailing address for you. It is important that we have your address for the upcoming election mailing.

Candidate Profiles Due Sept 24
------------------------------
Any residents wishing to run for a seat on the board of trustees this fall are reminded that the deadline for submitting your candidate profile statement is Monday September 24th, 4:00PM. Candidate profiles must be mailed or dropped off at the 555 Chesterfield Drive, Piscataway address. This is different from the regular 550 Chesterfield Drive address. There is a special mailbox for the 555 Chesterfield Drive address, which is being used to safeguard the election process, and will be used to receive all the incoming election related mail, including the ballots and proxies in October.

All the election profiles from the last several years can be found on the WEB site at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Election/Election.html

These are good examples of the profile format. Generally profiles should be 1 page max. After the deadline, only limited typographical and grammatical error correction is allowed. The individual profiles will be reformatted into a single document. Indents, bullets, and other formatting will generally be preserved as submitted. Proof copies will be distributed to all candidates prior to printing. Candidate position on the ballot, and in the profile document, is determined by alphabetical order.

Recycling September 12th
------------------------
Recycling will be next Wednesday, September 12th. A calendar of the recycling days was distributed with the newsletters and should be a good guide for the remaining months of 2018. The WEB site calendar is also accurate:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Calendar/Calendar.html

500:105:7:1:613

DATE: Saturday, September 8, 2018
TIME: 10:07 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Community Update from the Board of Trustees
TYPE: Community News

At the Society Hill Board of Trustees Meeting held on September 6, 2018 the Board decided to make a change in the staffing of the Community Manager position. Kevin Wine remains as the President of the Board but will no longer be the Community Manager as voted by the Board.

A search for a replacement Community Manager will commence as soon as possible.

In the interim the Board has asked our current staff member Aidan Landis Adebiyi to step in as Acting Community Manager effective immediately.

The intent is to minimize disruption in day to day activities that are outward facing to the community and we appreciate your patience and consideration if you experience any issues. If so, please document them.

The Board believes the focus should be on the following areas:
- Improved Physical Appearance of the Community in all aspects; this also means expecting residents to do their part to follow the common rules or understand the consequences of being fined
- More frequent, more transparent, more useful communication with the Community; "what's going on" in plain language
- Analyzing our Financial situation and determining a prudent course of action to get it back on an acceptable path

The Board will attempt to give everyone an update as soon as possible after each Board Meeting going forward or whenever a noteworthy event occurs.

There is another Board Meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday September 19th. A notice will be sent out once that Meeting is finalized.

Society Hill Board of Trustees

500:105:7:1:613

DATE: Sunday, September 9, 2018
TIME: 12:14 AM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Community Update from the Board of Trustees
TYPE: Community News

A search for a replacement Community Manager will commence as soon as possible.

In the interim the Board has asked our current staff member Aidan Landis Adebiyi to step in as Acting Community Manager effective immediately.

The Board will attempt to give everyone an update as soon as possible after each Board Meeting going forward or whenever a noteworthy event occurs.

There is another Board Meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday September 19th. A notice will be sent out once that Meeting is finalized.

Society Hill Board of Trustees

500:105:7:1:613

DATE: Tuesday, September 18, 2018
TIME: 6:25 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Board Meeting TOMORROW (Wed), Election Reminder, and Editorial Comments
TYPE: Community News

September Special Board Meeting Reminder
----------------------------------------
There will be an additional September Special Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, September 19, 7:00 PM at the clubhouse. The agenda can be found at:

http://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/Agendas/2018/SpecialMeetingAgenda_9-19-2018.pdf

The minutes of the last meeting are at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Board/OpenMinutes/2018/OpenMinutes_9-6-2018.pdf

Pool Closed
-----------
The pool is closed for the season. More renovations are planned for the near future and the pool is expected to open on time next year.

Candidate Profiles Due Sept 24
------------------------------
This is another reminder that owners wishing to run for a seat on the board of trustees this fall will need to submit their candidate profile by Monday September 24th, 4:00PM. Candidate profiles must be mailed or dropped off at the 555 Chesterfield Drive, Piscataway address - this is the blue mailbox in front of the clubhouse which is being used to safeguard the election process, and will be used to receive all the incoming election related mail, including the ballots and proxies. Please do not put your regular out-going mail here.

Election profiles from the last several years can be found on the WEB site at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Election/Election.html

Editorial Comments
------------------

Submitted by Kevin Wine

At the board meeting last Thursday, September 6th, the board decided to end its relationship with me as the community manager. After several months of antagonism between me and some board members, this comes as no surprise to me, but I know it will come as a surprise to many others. I mentioned the possibility in prior emails - and it has finally become a reality. The board attempted to send an email announcing the change last Saturday (Sept 8), a copy of which is included below after my comments.

Although no formal written reasons were given, I know there were some issues that angered some board members. Last year the board had ordered me to severely limit the Saturday work hours, but then later approved the 2018 budget which included Saturday work hours. Therefore, I kept the Saturday work hours until they threatened to fire me at the August meeting, even though it was approved in the budget. Several months ago, the board ordered me to stop all the design and approval work on the capital improvement projects. I resisted, because the board does not have the legal authority to over-ride the decisions of the membership on capital expenditures. There was a lot of momentum behind that work, and it took multiple months to bring it to a halt. Some board members didn't understand this, and became angry. In May, one board member ordered me to fire 3 or 4 summer temps, after just a week earlier the board said I could still make hiring decisions as long as it was within the budget. In June, that same board member ordered me to make another personnel policy change, which I refused to do since individual board members do not have such authority. Around that same time the board did begin passing motions to formally insert themselves in all personnel decisions, which created some tension since those decisions are typically left to management. I am also accused of "spending all the money", specifically the capital reserve money. It was my job to spend money, and as a non-profit corporation, that is what we are supposed to do by law. Over the last few years, the owners have approved various capital improvement projects at the annual meetings, and I have been spending money on those projects, along with numerous capital repair projects. This has consumed cash from the capital reserve fund, but it has gone to these projects, it has not been "wasted" as some suggest, and the improvement expenditures were authorized by the owners. And finally the pool - it is apparently my fault that I was not able to predict that the leaks would be much worse this year.

I also know there was a political component to the decision, perhaps even more significant than all the issues listed above. This is the first time in the last 10 years where a majority of the board members did not support the arrangement with me in the management position. There have been a handful of residents chipping away at me from the outside for the last few years and trying to undermine me in any way they can, as last year's election clearly showed with the very negative attacks ("Anyone but Kevin"). The individuals behind that attack - Michele Timper, Teresa Douglas (ran and lost), and Brian Timper - have been trying to pressure the board in to a variety of decisions over the last several months, my termination being one. Their plans are laid out very clearly in written recommendations to the board from over a month ago. It appears that enough board members have bought in to the hate plan and have begun implementing it, beginning with their de-capitation attack on me. In effect, the association has been taken over by this small group of un-elected individuals. Owners should be angry that their elected representatives - the board members - are allowing the clear personnel vendettas of three people to take over their association. They should be further angered that one of these individuals lost the election last year (by a 6 to 1 ratio), and they are probably not best suited to be making decisions that directly effect the lives of nearly 2000 people. There is a board meeting tomorrow night (Wednesday), 7PM. It might be time to remind the board that they are violating the wishes of the membership at large.

There is another election just around the corner. Two of the board members that have bought in to the vendettas and that voted to terminate me as manager are up for election - George Tsacnaris and Douglas Sanford. The third member up for election this year is Carlysle Chan - he was absent from the Thursday board meeting. Two of the other 4 members that voted to terminate me are up for election next year - Tong Zhou and Mary Thomas. These are also the same 5 members that cancelled the community picnic this year. I had to excuse myself from the voting, because on this matter I was in a conflicted position. The only opposing vote to my termination was Atif Nazir.

Several people have been asking me what am I going to do next. The answer is that I am going to leave it to all the owners to decide. My fate, as well as the fate of all the employees and the way we currently provide services, is going to be voted on this fall. There will be candidates that support the current configuration, and there will be candidates that don't. I am comfortable leaving the decision to the owners. This has been the central issue in the annual elections of the last several years, and every time the answer has been the same. The support last year was by a 6 to 1 ratio in favor of continuing forward. If the owners decides to do a sudden U-turn this year, as apparently the board has already decided, that is fine - I will exit the scene.

I'm sure there will also be questions on the ballot this year relating to the various capital improvement projects that were underway until I was ordered to stop working on them. Many of the projects have already been approved by the owners, and a ballot question last year to cancel some of the projects failed miserably. Undaunted, those opposed to these improvements are not letting up, so expect to be answering some of the same questions again this year - and probably every year - till they are either cancelled or built.

Several people have also asked me how I'm doing. I'm doing just fine. This is round 4 or 5 (I lost count really) of hostility toward me over the last several years, so I am more than used to it. It is a sad comment that this is something I should have to get used to, but that seems to go with the territory. Four or five more emotional trauma victims are a little bit further, but not completely, out of my life. I feel sorry for them, their situations, and the sequence of life events that have made them who they are. I have even helped many of them over the years personally, and continue to help others even to this day. I understand their psychology, which is helpful in handling their behavior. It is an explanation for what they do, but not an excuse for it. I think a lot of owners see it from this perspective as well, and understand the dangers of having such individuals in positions of control and power over others. It is not fair to impose their drama on all of Society Hill. This problem is not unique to here - government and politics in general tends to accept and promote such individuals to all its levels, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Managing Society Hill for the last 8 years has not been an easy task. I do want to thank all the residents and owners who have have supported the configuration we are in and my role in it. I was doing many many things for the association during those years and accomplished a lot. I leave with several major and critical projects still on the table, which I know many owners would still like to see completed.

I know that I am probably not an easy person to manage. I am fiercely independent, constantly outside-the-box, have a different perspective on things, and need a logical basis for what I do. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty, and I am not a "yes man". I realize this can be a handful for someone in charge of me, but these are not bad qualities. A sophisticated manager (or board) would be able to channel that, trust my judgement, know when to step in, and know when to step out.

Was the decision personal? From some of the things that were said to me over the last few months, it is very hard to discount that possibility. Look at what was written in last year's election. It is human nature to get angry when someone disagrees with you. There are some people who have never moved beyond that level. Instead of having a rational debate, they try to "win" the argument by getting angry. I've see that anger first-hand from a couple of people this year. They are personalizing the issues. They are attacking me personally when I don't agree with them. They think that by pushing me out as manager they will "win" all the arguments, and get their way. We'll see...

If it wasn't for my sense of responsibility to a majority of the owners, who have been very supportive over the years, I would have walked away about 3 months ago when some of the board members were getting totally out of control. But I stuck it out, because I ran last year and my message was to keep moving forward with the staff and the projects, and along with Atif Nazir and Tong Zhou, we won in a landslide against the anyone-but-Kevin group. Unfortunately, a few months ago Mr. Zhou made the choice to turn against me and breach his trust relationship with the owners and those that supported him in the election. While that is certainly his right, I feel that I owe a huge apology to the owners that voted for me, Mr. Nazir, and Mr. Zhou, because the voters trusted me and the candidates that I ran with to follow through on their promises. While I suppose there was some way for Mr. Zhou and I to work things out, his behavior on multiple occasions violated all boundaries of decency, and I cannot allow myself to be abused in that manner.

All the problems are solvable - some of them easily. I have always looked outside the box to find other ways of increasing revenue or decreasing expenses, and have identified several possibilities. Some of these ideas have been in progress for a couple of years now, but are in jeopardy of being cancelled. While these projects may be unconventional and complicated, this does not make them any less viable or justify attacks on me for pursuing them. If they are cancelled, at least $400k of plans and existing infrastructure will be lost. The problem is that these projects require a sophisticated and supportive board, and continuity over an extended period of time. While we have had that in the past, it was not long enough to realize the anticipated cost savings or additional revenues, and the consequent improvement in reserve funding levels.

Over the last 10 years my life has intersected with the lives of hundreds of people. I have always felt some sense of social responsibility in my position, both as a manager and as a board member. I know that not all the board members understand what I mean when I say this, so some of my actions may seem strange or unusual. Some of that sense translates in to helping others that are struggling with various problems in their life. I know some people judge me for this, and I think it was also a factor in the boards recent decision.

Prior Community Email
---------------------
At the Society Hill Board of Trustees Meeting held on September 6, 2018 the Board decided to make a change in the staffing of the Community Manager position. Kevin Wine remains as the President of the Board but will no longer be the Community Manager as voted by the Board.

A search for a replacement Community Manager will commence as soon as possible.

In the interim the Board has asked our current staff member Aidan Landis Adebiyi to step in as Acting Community Manager effective immediately.

The Board will attempt to give everyone an update as soon as possible after each Board Meeting going forward or whenever a noteworthy event occurs.

There is another Board Meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday September 19th. A notice will be sent out once that Meeting is finalized.

Society Hill Board of Trustees

502:105:7:1:615

DATE: Saturday, October 6, 2018
TIME: 1:56 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Candidate Night - Annual Meeting and Election
TYPE: Community News

2018 Meet the Candidates Night
----------------------------------------------------

The 2018 Meet the Candidates Night is scheduled for Monday October
8th, 7:00 p.m. at the clubhouse. The Annual Meeting and Election mailing
materials will be mailed the same day and should be in some mailboxes as
early as Tuesday. In the meantime, candidate profiles can be viewed on-line at:

https://www.societyhillpiscataway.com/Election/CandidateProfiles/CandidateProfiles2018.pdf

This year there are a total of eight (8) candidates running for 3 seats
on the board. The eight candidates, in alphabetical order, are
Teresa Douglas, Jotin Kehair, Farhan Qamar, Doug Sanford, Dashmesh Singh,
Michelle Timper, George Tsacnaris, and Wendy Zhang.

There will be a question and answer portion of the event so feel free to
submit your questions ahead of time by emailing
management@societyhillpiscataway.com. If anyone would like to volunteer
to moderate the, please contact the office before 3:00 p.m. on Monday.

You will notice that the board decided to simplify the ballot this year.
The proxy form and the ballot have been combined on one piece of paper.
The annual meeting will be a board member election meeting only.
Meaning voting on other issues will be conducted separately in the future.

You can vote for candidates in one of two ways - either absentee or
by proxy. Both methods will have the same result this year.
Recent changes to the NJ State laws regulating complexes such as ours now require
that an absentee ballot be made available to the owners. Most owners will just
vote absentee by simply checking the candidates of their choice, and completing
the usual name, unit number, and other blanks at the bottom.
The proxy/ballot form would then go in the green envelope and that's it.

Last but not least, please remember to mail all election related
material to 555 Chesterfield Drive, Piscataway, NJ 08854. The election
materials are slightly different than in previous years so please
remember to read over everything carefully before submitting it, If you
are bringing your proxy/ballot envelope to the office in person, please
put it directly in the blue mailbox in front of the clubhouse. Do NOT
PUT OTHER MAIL IN THE BLUE MAILBOX, because that box is for in-bound
election mail only and will not be opened often. If you mail your
proxy/ballot envelope, it will be placed in the blue election mailbox by
US Postal Service personnel.

Line Dance Class
------------------------
Line Dance Class will be this Wednesday, October 10th at 7:30 p.m.

502:104:7:1:614

DATE: Saturday, October 13, 2018
TIME: 1:19 AM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: URGENT - Suspicious Incident - Hampshire Court
TYPE: Emergency Announcement

The Piscataway Township Police Department is requesting assistance in a suspicious incident investigation. Earlier today, 10/12/18, at approximately 2:20PM, a witness stated that a black male, unknown age, between 6'0''-6'4'' tall, wearing a white t-shirt, white sneakers and black shorts was seen pulling or dragging a young female, around 5 years of age. The female is described as a white female, with shoulder length blonde hair, red pants or shorts, white t-shirt, with no shoes on. The black male was first seen dragging the child across Hampshire Ct, then observed dragging her up the stairs, by the arm, at building 250-261 Hampshire Ct. Anyone with information please contact Piscataway Police HQ at 732-562-1100. Thank you.

501:105:7:1:614

DATE: Monday, October 22, 2018
TIME: 8:57 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: October 22nd Annual Meeting and Election, Plus more
TYPE: Community News

Annual Meeting and Election
-------------------------------

The 2018 Annual Meeting and Election is scheduled for tonight, 7:00 pm at the clubhouse. So far we have received 181 returned ballots with around 100 more needed to reach a quorum. This is usually the case every year, so those of you that attend tonight will aid in helping decide a future date at which we will most likely have the necessary ballot count to proceed.

Please remember to fill out your absentee and proxy ballots and mail them back to us as soon as possible. If you have misplaced yours, or want to change your vote, please contact the management office for a replacement.

Board Meeting Wednesday October 24th:
-------------------------------------

There will be a Board of Trustees meeting this Wednesday, October 24th, 7:00 pm at the clubhouse. There is a planned Executive Session for the Board to discuss personnel matters so from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm the meeting will be closed to the public.

Suspicious Incident Update:
---------------------------

Last week there was an emergency community email that went out regarding a situation on Hampshire Ct. We have not received any further information from the police but will be sure to send an additional update when and if we do.

Editorials
----------

Below are three editorials from those involved in the board of trustees election.

Society Hill Owners:

Some of you received a notice from the current Board President Mr. Wine. Yes, Mr. Wine is still a Board Member so his statement that he was "pushed to the side" is hard to comprehend and factually incorrect. Mr. Wine is one Board Member out of seven. That has always been the case and remains the case.

You all have a responsibility - which is to elect members of the Board. As Owners you have never had a direct role in the hiring or firing of ANY employee.

At this time, or over the past 10 years, there is no "conspiracy". Conspiracy of what exactly is Mr. Wine referring to? We have an Accountant that provides us a monthly financial statement, we have an Auditor that conducts an Annual Audit and we now have an Attorney to help us with legal issues and guidance - ALL OF WHOM Mr. Wine voted to retain.

Society Hill does not employ the services of a Management Company now or over the past 10 years. What conspiracy? The current Board does not keep looking back 10 years for incidents. Those are long done and gone. The Board has been trying to look forward.

Mr. Wine wrote in an egotistical manner "If I don't have a supportive board ...". The Board is not the possession of one individual.

Improvements (or Projects) should be decided by the Owners. In fact EVERYONE AGREES on this concept. What Mr. Wine and his 3 candidates continue to neglect to mention is that the Board has received Legal Advice in writing that any Improvements must include for the Owners an understanding of how they will be PAID FOR. Every single time in the past the Owners have asked about authorizing an amount for a Project that question completely left out where the money to fund the Project will come from. If the owners want to fund an Improvement and they are told where the money will come from that Improvement can proceed. So far, this has NEVER occurred. So, yes, you will likely be asked again of your interest in the various Projects but this time you will understand how much YOU have to pay for them. There is no pile of money sitting in an account. If you want to pay for a Garage or other projects they will be implemented. It is that simple. Again, there is no pile of money already in existence for those projects.

Mr. Wine and the 3 candidates neglect to mention that our Auditor "read the riot act" to the Board a few months ago regarding his professional analysis of our financial situation. The Auditor has no motivation other than to do his job. He has a reputation to uphold and is doing his job.

Finally, a Candidates Night was held on October 8th. 2 of Mr. Wines candidates Mr. Kehair and Mr. Qamar DID NOT ATTEND. So none of the owners or other candidates had an opportunity to discuss the issues that are important with them. It is extremely disappointing that they choose not to attend and face the owners, whatever the reason they had. The 5 other candidates that Mr. Wine and his candidates continue to write false statements about all participated and answered every question that was asked. Mr. Singh did participate.

Board Members are required to act in a fiduciary manner and need to evaluate all situations as they occur. That is some of what the Board has done this year.

Get the facts, they are your friend. Tune out the noise.

Signed,

George

Teresa

Michele

Doug

Wendy

The Sad Truth

by Teresa Douglas

A lot of fliers and emails have been sent out about this upcoming Board of Trustees Election and I apologize to the homeowners and residents who feel bombarded by all the different statements and claims being made. My fliers and this editorial are a response to the distortions and falsehoods being shared by some candidates running for the board and I hope that you take the time to think about what is being shared and whether it is just speculation or whether they are facts supported by evidence. In the best of worlds, most of the things I have mentioned in the flier should have been communicated to the homeowners a long time ago.

The fact that homeowners were not aware that the former community manager and current board president used associations for bail for a roommate is a problem. This happened on more than one occasion.

The fact that the former community manager had been given a budget of ten thousand dollars on summer help and instead spent 55 thousand is a problem. That's forty-five thousand dollars over budget!

The fact that we have been spending thousands of dollars on a project that has yet to be approved is a problem. The township is likely never going to approve the garage the way it is being presented to them and asked that Society Hill fix a number of issues before approval ever occurs.

The fact that we were spending money on projects while the property was deteriorating is a problem. If you look at the grounds and clubhouse area now you will see the changes and the improvements since a change in management was made.

If you think these statements are not true, please feel free to ask the past and present board members or the former community manager himself. There is documentation to support every statement made above and yet none to support the claims of the other three candidates running for the board. If you are comfortable voting for candidates who want to return the property and clubhouse to the dump it was just months ago, then please vote for them. If you want this community to be a beautiful and peaceful place to live, free from pool monitors who are intoxicated (selected by Mr. Wine), lifeguards who are intoxicated (also hired by Mr. Wine), then please consider other candidates for the board. We will work to return this place to a community we can be proud of with an informed board that cares about Society Hill.

Editorial Comments
------------------

by Kevin Wine, President

After only 2 week in to the 2018 election, we already have over 150 ballot/proxies returned. At this rate we should have enough proxy/ballots to meet the quorum requirement in another 2 or 3 weeks. I assume the blue mailbox will be opened again this evening at 7pm to count any additional green envelopes that were returned since Friday.

I don't know if it is going to be mentioned above, but in case it isn't, all owners should be aware that the delinquency voting rule has changed this year. For the past several years, an owner was only considered delinquent if they owed more than $25 for more than 30 days. This year, the rule (apparently) is that if you owe ANYTHING 3 days prior to the annual meeting your vote will be disqualified. There are a number of units this year that have residual balances, such as $10 late fees, $96 parking spot rental fees, or other charges. THIS WILL DISQUALIFY YOUR VOTE, so please check your account to make sure you are current. This may be an "every vote counts" election year!

I am not trying to tell owners how to vote, but I do want all owners to be aware of the weight of the decision before them this year. Candidates Jotin Kehair, Farhan Qamar, and Dashmesh Singh represent the choice to continue forward with the employee service model and the various improvement and repair projects (maintenance building, security cameras/internet, pond/hill landscaping, etc.). Candidates Teresa Douglas, Michele Timper, George Tsacnaris, Doug Sanford, and Wendy Zhang represent the alternative, who either by intent or accident, are very likely to return the entire association to the failed management company and contractor model of the past, with most or all of the improvement projects canceled. THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE VOTING ON THIS YEAR. The owners need to make a decisive decision - just like they did last year (remember that? 37 vs 246?) - one way or the other, so we can all finally move forward.

I see that the negative personal attacks on me have already started from various feedback I've received from some owners and two flyers that appeared at my door the other day. Both flyers, which were delivered by candidate Teresa Douglas, implied that I have stolen money from the association. After two and a half years of drooling over the financial records, the finance committee members have failed to find any evidence to back up their accusations. This is because there is no money missing from the association. They know this, they have been told this multiple times, and yet they still make these claims. In one of the flyers they thoughtfully provided with the definition of "embezzlement". To that I would respond with the definition of "defamation" :)

I see that I am also being accused of wasting money. In early September I provided a long list of repairs and improvements that were made to the property and the buildings over the last 10 years. This list was requested by the board as a "condition of continued employment," (guess they didn't like it) and is included further below. Money has also been spent on designs, approvals, and some initial infrastructure for several capital improvement and repair projects. That money will only be "wasted" if the critics succeed in finally canceling those projects. Capital money was used for:

-Replacement of all the Buckingham and Chesterfield Drive bikeway and sidewalk with paving stones

-Retaining walls along several sections of the Buckingham and Chesterfield Drive bikeway and sidewalks

-Installation of communications conduit under all the Buckingham and Chesterfield Drive bikeway and sidewalks

-Reconfiguration of all irrigation zones along Buckingham and Chesterfield Drive

-Installation of drip irrigation zones for berry plantings along Buckingham and Chesterfield Drive

-Installation of communications conduits to junction boxes at each building

-Installation of pull-strings in all communications conduits

-Installation of a 4" reclaimed water main under several sections of the Chesterfield Drive sidewalks

-Installation of communications conduit and junction boxes down Hampshire Court, and across Lancaster Court parking lots

-Dredging of the pond

-Installation of reclaimed water intake field under pond

-Installation of 4" reclaimed water main from Lancaster irrigation loop to future pump shed at building 17

-Stacking of pond dredging and walkway project spoils at end of Lancaster Court

-Hundreds of irrigation system repairs, including replacement of almost all of the 135 zone valves and cracked PVC tee fittings.

-Several pinched irrigation poly pipe re-routing around trees

-Re-siding the left end of building 31

-Re-roofing of building 3

-Installation of communication conduits and wiring in building 3 for existing CATV, Satellite, and future IP services

-Design of community-wide internet system

-Design of reclaimed irrigation water system and pumping station

-Site plan engineering drawings and architectural drawings for maintenance garage

-Shop drawings for maintenance garage

-Site plan application for maintenance garage

-Site plan application for amended maintenance garage plan, pond landscaping improvements, reclaimed irrigation pump shed, dumpster corrals, condo building walkways, and Hampshire Court speed impediments

-Purchase of JCB 2CX12 loader, JCB 416 loader, CAT 256C loader, Bering box truck, Freightliner dump truck, Ford Ranger pickup truck, Ford F250 pickup truck, Ford E250 van, Honda CRV

-Many repairs to capital heavy and other equipment

-Purchase of numerous other landscaping and maintenance equipment, including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, snow pushers and plows, concrete mixer, welders, chain saws, leaf vacuum, leaf blowers, string trimmers, golf cart, gator

-Recent repairs and improvements to swimming pool

-Resurfacing of pool (needs to be done again!)

-Over 100 townhouse walkway replacements

-Several condo building breezeway concrete partial replacements

-Replacement of several sections of breezeway carpeting

-Numerous common-element pipe and internal damage repairs

-Internal structural repairs to units

-Repair to concrete throughout complex for DCA inspection

-Repair to several breezeway steps for DCA inspections

-Fabrication and installation of "pigeon netting" for many of the 192 second and third floor condo units

-Numerous repairs to roof vents, pipe vents, chimney flashings, and step flashings

-Repairs and replacement of condo building decks

-Repairs to siding

-Numerous repairs to gutters and leaders

-Repairs to building soffits

-Repair, replacement, and installation of street signs

-Reinstallation of several electric meter panels

-Replacement of several electric meter panels

-Re-painting of parking spots

-Repair of numerous potholes

-Major repair to asphalt and base on Norwich Court

-Replacement of both playground surfaces multiple times

-Installation of 9 "poo bins"

-Extensive repairs to shed by pool

-Repairs to rear clubhouse office

-Clubhouse security system upgrade

-Total reconstruction of all four irrigation pump sheds

-Tennis court net post replacement

There are various legal questions being raised again regarding capital expenditure approvals and the use of capital money for improvement projects. These questions have been put to multiple attorneys over the years, and we have been operating under those opinions. I am suspicious of any new opinions that are suddenly contradictory to the past opinions.

The maintenance building has been under attack for a couple of years now. A variety of people and forces have conspired to delay it. Some board members tried to get it completely cancelled at last years annual meeting. Failing that, they tried again this year by ordering me to stop working on it, even though they don't have the legal authority to do so. It needs to be made very clear that if this building is cancelled, it is the end of the employees. The Township of Piscataway is only tolerating the equipment and piles of supplies in the parking lots, the gray shipping container, and the materials under tarps, because there is an application to the zoning board to construct a facility to neatly house everything. If that facility is cancelled, the Township will force us to remove everything from the complex, which will make it impossible to function with employees. We will be left with no choice but to return to the contractor service model. I am not sure all the candidates and owners
realize this. I know I have explained it multiple times at the meetings and in emails to the board and the community. This is one example of how some people may unwittingly return us to the contractor model.

***PISCATAWAY BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS***

Just in case there isn't another community email between now and the general elections on November 6th, I wanted to mention the Piscataway Board of Education elections, which are also on November 6th. One of our Society Hill Board members, Atif Nazir, is running for re-election to the Board of Education this year, along with his running mates Isaac Peng and Ira Stern. I have been involved with Board of Education elections over the years and was even a candidate once or twice. As mentioned at the Society Hill candidates night, the Piscataway school system is one of the reasons people want to live here in Piscataway, and credit for that is due to Atif, Isaac, and Ira, and the entire current Board of Education. Unlike the Society Hill Board, the Piscataway Board of Education has been functioning very well the last few years with all members participating in civilized and respectful debate, with a lot of improvements to the school system as a result. And just like here in Society Hill, there are some other candidates that are trying to disrupt that progress. While it is good to have contested elections, the motivation for the contest in this case is not genuine. The Board of Education candidates keep moving around on the ballot every year, so this time Atif, Isaac, and Ira can be found in column K.

Kevin

502:105:7:1:615

DATE: Monday, October 29, 2018
TIME: 8:34 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Board of Trustees October 24th Meeting Summary
TYPE: Community News

The Society Hill at Piscataway Board met on October 24th.
As we noted recently, we intend to provide a short summary after each meeting.

Key Items:
In making future steps regarding the overall appearance of the community the Board has decided to sharpen the Violations process and fine schedule. The goal is not to be punitive but make sure everyone does their part to keep the community looking well. All Non-Resident Owners should be aware that your tenants are required to follow the same rules as all Resident Owners. There are no exceptions planned - so make sure your tenants are aware - otherwise you (the Owner) will have the violations posted to your account.
Bottom Line: the Board expects all Residents (owners or tenants) to do their part to make the community look better - and keep it that way.

The Board also decided to adjust the Late Fees and reduce the ability of Management to waive Late Fees for owners that do not pay on time. Owners should be aware that Management (the office staff) will no longer have the ability to waive Fees, with limited exceptions.

Correspondingly the Board needs to have all charged Late Fees be reflected as income due to the Association on our Financial Statement. Until now this has not been done.

Staff Item:
The Board authorized the hiring of a general maintenance worker to fill a position that has been vacant. If anyone is aware of a candidate please contact the Office and provide the information. The search is intended to be held within the next 10 days so the sooner the better to submit anyone.

Election Update:
At the Annual Meeting held on October 22 a quorum was not reached. Therefore the Annual Meeting/Election was pushed out until December 19th. If you have not yet voted please do so! Also, you must be current (in"good standing") on your maintenance fee payments to be eligible to vote.

Next Meeting:
The Board decided that a meeting in November is warranted. The target date is the 20th, pending confirmation from all Trustees.
At that November Meeting the following are the expected main topics: Election Procedure updates/Plan for December and a report from the Auditor regarding the 2017 Audit. This is an important topic and we strongly encourage all Owners to attend and understand the report and be able to ask the Auditor your questions.

502:105:7:1:615

DATE: Saturday, November 17, 2018
TIME: 7:54 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Board of Trustees Meeting November 20 - Other Announcements
TYPE: Community News

Upcoming Activities:

Board Meeting Tuesday November 20
---------------------------------

There will be a Board of Trustees meeting this coming Tuesday, November 20, at approximately 9:00 pm (NOTE START TIME) at the clubhouse.

Holiday Week Office Hours
-------------------------
The office is closed on Thursday November 22 and Friday November 23

Recycling
---------
Recycling is Wednesday November 20

Trash Collection
----------------
Pickup will occur on Thursday November 22

Annual Meeting and Election
---------------------------
Reminder that the Election will be held on December 19. Please return your proxy as soon as possible so we can ensure having a quorum.

Additional Announcements:

New Violations Policy in Effect
-------------------------------
As previously communicated at the October 24 Board Meeting the Board implemented an enhanced Violation process. All residents are strenuously reminded to immediately remove all recycling, garbage containers, and clutter in front of their unit.

Let it Snow
-----------

The first snow storm of the season hit pretty early this year, but we were not caught off guard as the forecast from last weekend had shown some type of precipitation planned for Thursday. The association does its own snow removal which means we are able to start to clear up things once an inch or more has accumulated or the snow has stopped - whichever comes first. Streets are pre-salted then plowed and then salted again
and walkways and steps are shoveled and ice melt is put down. For your convenience there are buckets of ice melt under the stairs at all of the condo buildings. The grounds and maintenance staff already spread ice melt when conditions require, but because of slip and fall lawsuits, buckets are there for residents to use at their discretion. A routine check of all the steps and breezeways is also done in the subsequent days.

504:105:7:1:617

DATE: Tuesday, November 27, 2018
TIME: 10:51 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Update from November 20 Board Meeting
TYPE: Community News

On Tuesday November 20 a Society Hill Piscataway Board Meeting was held.

Several important topics were discussed.

Report from Auditor
-------------------

Prior to the open (public) portion of the meeting a workshop session occurred at the request of the Association Auditor Mr. Michael Nulty. Present at the session was 6 members of the Board - the 7th member joined approximately 75 minutes into the session
plus members of the Finance Committee and the Association attorney Mr. Hubert Cutolo.

Mr. Nulty read a prepared statement to the Board and then a lengthy discussion ensued.
As required by his position Mr. Nulty raised some extremely serious concerns.
Subsequent to the meeting Mr. Nulty sent the following message, which the Board has authorized for the entire Community to be made aware of:

"The information that has been disclosed to me since the inception of the 2017 audit has raised many questions about Society Hill Piscataway.
This information that has been disclosed to me is in regards to prior periods, in which audited financials have already been released.

The information that has been disclosed to me is alarming and concerning. The information questions not only management integrity, and processes done by the association but a litany of problems that were not previously disclosed during prior years audits. These matters will be diligently investigated.

With that said the prior years audit reports may not be relied upon. The years that I will be opening up will be according to statute guidelines. While, the information that has been disclosed to me may not materially affect the audit reports that have already been released, or change the previous opinions given, I have no choice but to continue to investigate matters that have been brought to my attention to make sure that the financial statements that have been released are materially accurate.

I will be sending out a formal letter addressing this in further detail. The letter that I do send out will need to be distributed to all board members, management, homeowners, lenders, creditors as well as any party that may have used the financial statements for those periods.

While this process will be onerous and the outcome(s) of this investigation be uncertain, I have no choice but to follow up with the information that is currently being disclosed to me."

Other Board Activity
--------------------

The Board decided that a reorganization of Officer Positions was appropriate at this time rather than waiting for the results
of the upcoming Election.

The current Officers are:
President - Mary Thomas
Vice President - Atif Nazir
Secretary - George Tsacnaris
Treasurer - Vacant

The remaining Board Members are Trustees (non-Officers): Mr. Sanford, Mr. Chan, Mr. Zhou, Mr. Wine

It is expected that another reorganization will occur after the Election.

The Board also decided to suspend the ability of individual Owners to submit Editorials for either email or Newsletter distribution.
Communications, such as this one, will come from the Board as a whole.

Important Election Update
-------------------------
Again, the Board strenuously encourages all Owners to participate in the Annual Meeting on December 19 which will occur
coincident with the Election.
Every Owner has the ability and option to change their proxy (their vote for Board Members) at any time up to and
including at the Annual Meeting.
This Meeting is your opportunity to better understand the current state of the Association to guide your important decision
in the Election.
The Board plans to have both the Auditor and Attorney present, subject to their availability, to speak with the Owners.

Remember that you must be in "good standing" - current on your maintenance fee payments - to be eligible to vote.

Special Board Meeting November 27
---------------------------------
The Board is holding a Special Meeting to further review Election procedures and several other matters.

Regards,
Society Hill Board

504:104:7:1:616

DATE: Saturday, December 8, 2018
TIME: 11:22 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Special Board Meeting December 11
TYPE: Community News

Special Board Meeting Tuesday December 11
-----------------------------------------

There will be a Special Board of Trustees meeting this coming Tuesday, December 11, at approximately 7:00 pm at the clubhouse. Owners are encouraged to attend.

Winter Office Hours

-------------------
The management office is now open every weekday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Annual Meeting and Election Update
----------------------------------
A reminder that the Annual Meeting and Election will be held on December 19th. Payment for all due maintenance fees needs to be in by 3 days before the election in order to be in good standing for your vote to be counted for the election. Please
return your proxy as soon as possible if you have not yet done so.

503:105:7:1:616

DATE: Saturday, December 15, 2018
TIME: 6:09 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Annual Meeting and Election this Wednesday 12/19, Notes from 12/11 Board Meeting
TYPE: Community News

Final Reminder - Annual Meeting and Election
--------------------------------------------

The Annual Meeting and Election will be held on Wednesday December 19th in the Clubhouse starting at 7PM.
Food will be provided starting at 6:30.
The Association Auditor and Attorney will both be present to provide feedback to the Owners and answer YOUR questions.

The Board encourages every Owner to attend and participate in a respectful manner.

For your vote to be counted you must be a member in good standing.

December 11 Board Meeting
-------------------------

On December 11, 2018 a Special Board of Trustees Meeting was held.

The Board was represented by 5 members with the following members not present: Mr. Nazir, Vice-President and Mr. Chan, Trustee

The meeting began with a spirited statement by an Owner regarding his view of the state of the community
which lead to a discussion on the same topic with a few Board members responding.

The board acted on the following:
Moving to a new vendor for payroll processing in 2019. Excepted annual savings of $750.

Entering into a (limited cost) 2 year contract with a company to manage the pond appearance.

The Board requested a clarification on charges from our current payroll vendor which appeared excessive.
Management provided some feedback and the Board requested appropriate further action to be taken.

The following topics were discussed but no actions taken:
Pool Management contact for summer 2019 - the Board asked to receive updated proposals
reflecting the various options (lifeguard or no lifeguard, attendant or no attendant)

Possible purchase of the large storage container that is currently adjacent to the tennis court near
the clubhouse. Currently this container is rented on a monthly basis A purchase would be more
cost effective if the container is to be used going forward.

Updates to the Personnel Manual and procedures

The Board also held an Executive Session to discuss homeowner payment requests which had been submitted

504:104:7:1:616

DATE: Friday, December 21, 2018
TIME: 8:48 PM
TO: All Residents
SUBJECT: Annual Meeting Summary and 2018 Election Results
TYPE: Community News

The 2018 Society Hill Piscataway Annual Meeting was held on December 19.

Thanks to all the Owners that came out in person for this important activity.
Special Acknowledgement to the Board Members and Owners that provided food for everyone to enjoy.

Although the main purpose of the Meeting was to conduct the Election for Board Members some other topics were covered.

The 3 Board Officers (currently there is no Treasurer) each made some remarks.

The Finance committee shared a very penetrating set of concerns that they view the Board as a whole has not addressed over the past 2 years.

Our Auditor Mr. Nulty and our Attorney Mr. Cutolo were present.
Mr. Nulty shared the current status of the 2017 Audit, which is not yet complete.
In previous emails from the Board we have tried to communicate that Mr. Nulty has raised some serious concerns, notably about controls and the reserve fund. Those topics were again described in more detail to the Owners present.
Mr. Nulty continued to emphasize that the Board as a whole has not responded to his request from the summer to provide a forward looking Plan. The Plan to talk about controls (it was noted and agreed that several new controls have been put in place since September despite the Plan not being approved) and how the Reserve fund balance can be built back up.
As of right now there is no specific date to get the 2017 Audit completed, but it is being worked. Many findings came up this year and they must all be fully investigated before the final report is issued.

Mr. Nulty and Mr. Cutolo responded to many questions from the Owners present. The most common topics were controls, overall finances and self-management.

In addition, the Board had just received immediately prior to the Annual Meeting a notice from our Insurance Agent. He gave the good and bad news. Good is that he was still able
to obtain 1 quote for 2019, but only 1 quote. Leaving the Association no other option for now.
That quote is over $25,000 more than the cost for 2018. That total for Property and Liability, plus Directors and Officers coverage, is now about $238,000, up from $212,000 in 2018.
The Board will have to find a solution to fit this $25,000 increase into the 2019 Budget or mitigate it in some other manner.
The agent explained the increase is driven by two factors: the very high loss ratio in our Community, a measure of risk based upon past claims and related factors, plus the fact we are self-managed increases the liability risk.
The agent was clear to state this does not mean self-management cannot be done. That is not his point.
His point was informational so that the Board and everyone understands the factors the Insurance companies look at in making their decisions. The letter ended by saying that if the 1 company that is still willing to provide us coverage declines next year (2020) as the other companies have our ability to get other coverage would be even more costly.
The Agent will be present at the next Board Meeting to further explain the Proposal and answer any questions.

Election Results
----------------

The following 3 Candidates received the most votes and are elected or re-elected to the Board:

Doug Sanford: 147 votes
Wendy Zhang: 159 votes
George Tsacnaris: 139 votes

All the materials from the Election (ballots) are in the possession of our lawyer.
At the request of one Board Member additional information regarding the Election results will be provided to everyone as soon as the law firm submits that data to the Board.

Please welcome Wendy as a new member of the Board. We thank Mr. Chan whose term is now over for his many years of service on the Board.

The first meeting of the new Board will be held on December 27.
Please try to attend.

Additional Notes
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The office will be closed on December 24 and December 25.
Trash Pickup is on the normal schedule.

Society Hill Board of Trustees

504:104:7:1:616

SaveTheHill.org

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