Frank Miner: 2008 Civic Pride Award Recipient

On Friday, September 5th, The Cheshire Democratic Women's Club will be honoring Frank Miner. A donation and the following letter was sent giving testimony to Frank for his dedicated service to Old Towne.

"On behalf of the Executive Board of Old Towne Condominium Association, I would like to extend our appreciation to you. As treasurer of the Association for many years, your work was thorough and concise and your collective efforts revealed the care and commitment you had to our community and its unit owners. We know your dedication to get things done was the key to establishing the principles we follow today. You personify excellence and serve as a standard for others to emulate. Congratulations and may the path you follow be filled with happiness."

David Maddern, President

Our Paving Project

Well, folks, we are about 99% done! Sweeping the main road is last on the list and should be done shortly. Thank you to all unit owners for their courtesy and cooperation. We realized that having vehicles displaced from their garages was not only inconvenient but, for many, difficult. However, the calls received by the Board were only to express how pleased owners were with the new paved cul-de-sacs. We have a walk through schedule with US Pavement to go over some minor issues, some emailed in by unit owners and what the Board has observed. All in all, we are very pleased.

Board Memo

As many of you know, it is not a perfect world. However, we think Old Towne is a lovely community. As your Board, our goal is to maintain and protect this for the future.

With new owners joining Old Towne, the Board of Directors thought it would be informative to review our meeting process. Any resident may attend these meetings. We ask that a business atmosphere be maintained as there are many details to cover in one meeting.

At times, delinquent payment and other owner issues need to be discussed and it is necessary to ask non-board members to leave so they may be discussed in private. This is done to protect and respect the confidentiality of owners.

An open forum is available if Unit Owners wish to present a matter to the board. Owners will be provided five minutes to present their issues. It is important to remember that the board is empowered by the declaration, bylaws and rules. Anything that falls outside of this has no place at the meeting and thus, it is not a forum to vent, make accusations, rant or speak out of turn.

The condominium association operates as a business and as such the minutes that are recorded reflect this. The minutes are not available online because they often contain private owner issues. The minutes are available after the board meeting that accepts them as accurate. Unit owners may request a copy by submitting a written request to the management company.

Board members receive no pay or compensation of any kind. They pay the same fees as everyone else and are subject to the same rules. They do, however, have the burden of running the association, working on committees, preparing for meetings, dealing with owner issues, management issues, building, landscape, pool, etc. Anytime a owner can offer a solution to a problem, it makes our jobs easier and we appreciate it.

Anyone that needs to communicate with the Management Company or Board should do so in writing and in advance of the meeting. This allows us to have it distributed to all board members and have it put on the agenda. Having an item in advance permits the meeting to be conducted timely and helps us do our job more efficiently.

We have several issues to deal with in the months ahead such as our landscaping issues, upgrading the remaining decks and patios, seeking information on chimney caps and gutter guards, etc. We are making progress and trying to lessen how these projects impact the association budget. Support your neighborhood, your condominium and your directors. Thank You.

Tranquility

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
~ George Gordon, Lord Byron
from 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'