Committee members, chairs reaffirmed at April MVF Board meeting

In any given year, more than 150 volunteers in the community fill positions on the boards of directors and committees, providing oversight and advice and helping make decisions that keep neighborhoods and Montgomery Village as a whole, the best it can be. Each year, the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Board of Directors looks to its standing and advisory committees for their expertise on matters that affect all Village residents. Also, annually, the MVF Board reaffirms the members who are eligible to serve on those committees.

At the April 25 MVF Board meeting, current members who wished to remain involved on all MVF committees were unanimously reaffirmed, noting the volunteerism demonstrated in the community. Additionally, committee chair and vice chair recommendations were also approved; full committee lists, including chair/vice chair positions can be viewed online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/mvf/committees. In other committee affairs, Sabeena Khanna was appointed to serve on the Recreation Committee.

Other Agenda Items

The MVF Board approved the purchase of pool chemicals for 2024 to Amato Industries, Inc. not to exceed $65,000. MVF Recreation and Parks Director Duncan Mullis reported that Amato Industries has provided chemicals for more than 10 years, and other bidders were not able to provide the full list of chemicals needed.

Staff presented bids to replace the retaining walls at Whetstone Community Center using wood materials along with additional draining and underground stabilization. After some discussion, the Board requested staff gain additional pricing for using stone materials instead of wood for better longevity.

Mullis reported that launching a pilot security camera system was one of MVF’s strategic goals for 2024. The aim of the camera system is to be scalable for future expansion and allow for remote access to authorized MVF staff to review cameras in real time. The proposal would have cameras to monitor exterior access points, money handling locations, and staff and public interaction locations at the MVF Office, maintenance yard, and Lake Marion Community Center. The chosen Avigilon cameras have 30-day storage and a 10-year warranty. The Board authorized the purchase, installation and 5-year licensing of the camera system from Dresner Group, LLC at the MVF Office at a cost of $34,511.91 and at Lake Marion Community Center at a cost of $22,890.13.

Mullis noted the trend for new and diverse amenities in MVF parks. He said the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan identified Bocce as a potential new park amenity. He explained the benefits of Bocce as a safe, multi-age, non-contact sport that fosters strategy, and an excellent tool for teaching conceptual visualization, turn-taking and critical thinking to younger players. Moreover, its non-impact nature makes it accessible to individuals with physical limitations who may face barriers in other sports.

The Board approved staff to proceed with gaining community input on adding bocce courts at either William Hurley Park or Lake Whetstone Park as potential locations. Village residents are urged to share their views regarding the concept by completing the MVF Parks Bocce Courts Survey by scanning this QR Code: [INSERT QR CODE] Residents are also encouraged to attend the Bocce Court Community Forum to be held via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, and information can be found on the Events calendar for Sept. 4 on www.montgomeryvillage.com.

Mullis noted that similar to the Bocce court idea, the Recreation Committee also discussed the idea of adding a disc golf or multi-golf course. Staff has identified a potential course that will span the greenspace around the MVF Office and the Apple Ridge Recreation Area, connected through the tunnel under Apple Ridge Road. He said that disc golf is a popular sport in the area, and the self-service amenity allows for both individual and group play.

He said that staff is considering various approaches to adding this new amenity, including a portable disc golf course, a permanent disc golf course, or a multi-golf course incorporating both disc and footgolf, designed to ensure current soccer pitches remain useable.

The Board approved staff to proceed with gaining community input on adding a disc golf or multi-golf course. Village residents are urged to share their views regarding this concept by completing the disc golf survey by scanning this QR Code: [INSERT QR CODE] Residents are also encouraged to attend the Disc Golf Community Forum to be held via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and information can be found on the Events calendar for Sept. 11 on www.montgomeryvillage.com.

President’s Remarks

MVF Board of Directors President Doniele Ayres presented a Certificate of Recognition to MCPD Chief Marcus Jones for having made valuable contributions to the Montgomery Village community upon his upcoming retirement of 38 years of public service. Chief Jones thanked everyone present for the certificate and said it was his honor to serve Montgomery Village. Ayres also presented a Certificate of Recognition to Rahul Khanna for his 7 years of participation on the MVF Recreation Committee. 

Ayres also thanked the organizers and volunteers who conducted the Rake the Lake event on Saturday, April 20, for working hard to keep the community clean.         

EVP Report

EVP Mike Conroy reported that the annual MVF Board Retreat is scheduled for Saturday, June 1, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Creek Board Room, 20125 Arrowhead Road. This strategic planning session is open for residents to attend. The final agenda and meeting packet will be available online in advance of the meeting.

Conroy also pointed out the new All Way Stop (AWS) intersection of Stedwick and Watkins Mill roads, near Stedwick Elementary School and the Watkins Mill Outdoor Fitness Area. He added that this is a very busy pedestrian and vehicular intersection, and the traffic measure will do a lot of good in time. He said the installation was not an MVF request, and Montgomery County Traffic Ops released a statement apologizing for the lack of advance notice. Additional signage, warning flags and social media messaging were also enacted to alert residents of the new traffic pattern.

In addition, Conroy reminded the Board that earlier last year, the Board approved sending notice to the county agreeing to 6 AWS at key intersections along East Village Avenue. He received notice from Traffic Ops that the installations would be finished by September 2024. As soon as notice is given to MVF regarding the installations, MVF will release that to the community to be aware of the new pattern along East Village Avenue.

In closing, Conroy said earlier in the week, MVF signed a stormwater easement for the extension of Stewartown Road, enabling Monument Realty to proceed with permitting and begin cutting in the road. He reminded the Board that the developer had since decided not to pursue converting the single-family home lots along this road to townhouses.

Treasurer’s Report

MVF CFO Daniel Salazar presented the Treasurer’s Report for the preliminary report and unaudited estimates for the month ending March 31, 2024. Salazar reported that overall, all MVF funds were ahead of budget projections by approximately $511,000, driven by higher Revenues in Investment Income ($307,000), Pool Membership/Fees ($33,000) and Camps and Classes ($82,000). Personnel and Operating costs were favorable to the budget by $51,000 and $43,000, respectively. He noted total Revenue was $2.9 million and Operating Expenses were $2 million through March; both were favorable to the budget.

Salazar said 337 units had been sold in Bloom Village and 18 units sold in Overlook, making Capital Contribution Fees favorable to the budget through the end of the month.

He said the Balance Sheet continues to reflect MVF’s strong financial position having $13.2 million held in Cash and Investments. MVF continues to hold more than $3.6 million in Undesignated Reserves. Assessment Receivables saw an overall decrease from last year, and the Delinquency Rate for March was reported at 8.2% (697 units), which is lower than the 10-year average. Last year’s delinquency rate was lower at 7.5% (637 units).

Next Meeting

The next MVF Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23 via Zoom. Residents are invited to attend; full meeting details, the meeting packet and/or participation instructions will be posted online at www.montgomeryvillage.com the week before the meeting.