Monthl y CA OCT 2012
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F C O L U M B I A A S S O C I AT I O N
From Good to Great: get the latest
on what’s
happening at Columbia Association with
thisweek@CA a brief weekly
video series. you can watch the
videos online anytime at bit.ly/thisweekatca
Connect
with CA! It’s easier than ever to find us. ColumbiaAssociation.org/CAToday
Facebook.com/CA.ColumbiaAssociation Issuu.com/CA-ColumbiaAssociation Twitter.com/CA_Today YouTube.com/CATVchannel
2 CA Releases First Quarter Finance Report for FY 2013 3 Why I Serve: An Interview With Watershed Advisory Committee Member Dan Kirk-Davidoff 8 Be a Part of Your Community Events
Learn more about Connecting Columbia at ColumbiaAssociation.org/ConnectingColumbia.
Connecting Columbia ignage and wayfinding to help you get where you want to go. New pathways and pathway links to connect to more places. And programs to encourage you to use the pathways more frequently for health, recreation and transportation. CONNECTING
S
You’ll find all this and more in Connecting COLUMBIA Columbia, an Active Transportation Action Agenda, which is Columbia Association’s (CA) new blueprint and strategy for expanding the reach of CA’s current 93.5 miles of pathways for bicycling and pedestrian use. The report is now available for review at ColumbiaAssociation.org/ConnectingColumbia. The Action Agenda focuses on three main areas: Increasing connections and reducing missing links, including new short pathway segments, as well as longer ones, to connect to key destinations; adding directional signage to make it easier to get from here to there; and working with the Howard County Government as it enhances the safety of pathway intersections with roadways and expands on-street bikeways. Enhancing the design of our pathways, including a new standard width of 10 feet for most pathways. Inspiring and motivating more pedestrians and cyclists to use Columbia’s pathways by improving pathway maps and routing tools; expanding educational campaigns to increase pedestrian and cycling activity; and improving user comfort, security and safety through partnerships with the Howard County Government and other agencies. Continued on page 3
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C A M O N T H LY 1
First Quarter Finance Report for FY2013 Released by CA
Organization-Wide Summary Columbia Association (CA) finished the first quarter of FY2013 at $1.2 million, or 5 percent, better than budget. Total income of $41.6 million was essentially flat for the quarter, and $469,000 or 1.1 percent higher than the same period in FY2012. Total operating expenses of $15.8 million were 6.9 percent below budget, and $1 million, or 6.8 percent, higher than the first quarter of last year. Although it is early in the year, CA anticipates ending FY2013 with an increase in net assets of $4.1 million. During the first quarter, the Finance and Internal Audit teams prepared for and participated in the annual independent audits performed by Reznick Group. The results of the audits were presented to the Audit Committee by Reznick and shared with the Board of Directors. At the same time, the team participated in the Spectrum launch on the security; facility cash handling and close-out; billing and collections; and accounting and reporting aspects of the project.
Community Building and Sustainability During this first quarter, the bureau continued to help Columbia remain vibrant and responsive to changes and trends that affect the whole community. A major first quarter milestone included the Howard County Planning Board’s approval of the final development plan, neighborhood design guidelines, neighborhood concept plan and implementation document for the first phase of Symphony Woods Park. Other ongoing initiatives this quarter included routine pathway widenings and improvements; tot lot replacement; the reconstruction of the Lake Kittamaqundi lakeside decking; continued work on the Active Transportation Action Agenda — a project to expand the reach and connectivity of our pathways; implementation of watershed management projects, including stormwater management projects; start-up implementation of the rain garden program; completion of the Aquatics Master Plan; and initial site selection for a dog park in Columbia.
Community Services The Community Services Division finished the first quarter $700,000 ahead of budget. The positive variance over budget is primarily due to increased tuition and 2 C A M O N T H LY
enrollment income from School Age Services and Camps due to increased enrollment and savings in operating supplies, and fees and smaller savings throughout each of the expense lines. Some of the important programs that are supported by the first quarter subsidy of $665,000 from the annual charge are: the Summer Lakefront Festival, Columbia Archives, Sister Cities, Columbia Art Center, Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, Youth and Teen Center @ The Barn, covenant enforcement fees and access to camps and before and after school care for income-qualified youth. In addition, it provides support to the village community associations in the amount of $1,168,000.
$
LearnMore
For the full report and further explanation of individual variances throughout CA’s operations, please refer to the FY2013 First Quarter Board Report, available at CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, MD 21044 or online at bit.ly/fy13firstquarterboardreport.
Open Space Management The Open Space Management Division ended the first quarter better than the budget in total operating expenses by $641,000 and with a decrease in net assets of $2,928,000. This represents a favorable variance of $714,000. All of the departments in the division had total operating expenses less than the budget at the end of the first quarter. Even considering the major storm that occurred this summer, and the greater emphasis on outdoor recycling stations, reforestation and other Open Space projects,
Land Maintenance expenses were less than budget in all line items through the end of the first quarter. The RV Storage Park was better than budget through the quarter in total operating expenses and is currently at 99 percent capacity. By the end of the quarter, $2.9 million of annual charge revenue was used to protect and maintain the environmental assets of Columbia.
Sales and Marketing Sales of new and renewal Package Plan memberships were up 205 memberships over the same time last year, and 125 memberships ahead of budget. During first quarter, 2,137 Columbia Cards were issued. We expect our direct mail, email marketing and print advertising campaigns to continue to bring in new members. We grew our partnership with Howard County Tourism to promote CA activities and programs; participated in MACMA’s annual membership conference; developed a work team to promote the 50+ Expo; worked with facilities to update signage internally and externally featuring the new CA logo; continued to provide outstanding sales and service to residents who visited the Membership Service Center and Maggie J. Brown Welcome Center; and developed and distributed the CA Activities Guide to 36,000 resident households.
Sport & Fitness A number of new programs and highlights occurred during the first quarter of FY2013, including the opening of the 23 outdoor pools on Memorial Day weekend; launching Spectrum NG; offering inexpensive lessons and safety training through the “Columbia Swims” program; continuing CA’s partnership with the police on their initiative in the Community Athletic Program; offering the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League to more than 2,300 participants with 14 teams; hosting Columbia Gym’s successful Group Fitness Expo; and expanding special offers to Columbia Card holders. The division completed the quarter 6.4 percent behind budget and is expected to also fall short of budget at year end by 13.2 percent. This is due to a large number of relatively small variances at virtually every facility. Every effort will be made over the next three quarters to focus on and improve upon these variances.
Why I Serve:
CA Watershed Advisory Committee Member Dan Kirk-Davidoff By David Greisman
an Kirk-Davidoff is the Oakland Mills representative on Columbia Association’s (CA) Watershed Advisory Committee. Kirk-Davidoff, who by day is a meteorologist who works on the forecasting of renewable energy, has been on the committee for a year. The 44-year-old and his wife, Heather, have lived with their family in Oakland Mills for seven years.
D
What led you to serve on CA's Watershed Advisory Committee? “One of the things that attracted me to Columbia in the first place was the ambition to be an ecologically thought-out community. ... And the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is just a hugely important issue. The Chesapeake Bay could be this colossal source of nourishment and environmental good. It could really be a flourishing ecosystem. It’s just all gone to heck because we've been treating it like a sewage tank. [The bay is] going to be the big environmental project of this region for the next 10 years to fix it up. I’d love to see Columbia involved with that.” What are you and the committee hoping to accomplish? “We are hoping to have Columbia be a great example of how you set up a community that has lots of people in it, but works in such a way that the water that comes out of that community isn’t heavily polluted.”
Dan Kirk-Davidoff CA Watershed Advisory Committee
Why is this work on Columbia's watershed so important? “If we do it right, for one thing, we won’t have to spend as much money dredging our lakes, because we’re going to keep a lot of the muck that winds up at the bottom of the lakes from getting to the lakes in the first place. We’re going to contribute to cleaning up the Chesapeake and will be a good example for other communities. And we’re going to have healthier streams and a nicer natural environment to walk around in.”
What can other residents in Columbia and in the area do to help? “Lots. The first and most important: Don’t dump stuff in your drains. That would be the most obvious thing. Don’t over-fertilize your lawn. Do anything you can to slow the flow of water from your property into the streets. That might mean planting trees or bushes or a rain garden instead of grass, so water can go into the soil and not just run off. “When you can, support larger efforts to do the same things on Columbia properties. If you belong to a church, synagogue or mosque in the area, you can think about putting in water retention facilities like rain gardens in the parking lot. And when CA comes around and asks politely about planting trees in some of the meadows in the area, you can be supportive of that. “You can also go to the Columbia Watershed website, ColumbiaWatershed.org. Check it out and understand a little more about how water enters and leaves our community [Information on how to get a rain garden in your yard is also available on the website].”
From Good to Great:
Connecting Columbia Continued from page 1 The Action Agenda is an example of planning ahead to address our community’s future infrastructure needs and our changing lifestyles. Cost estimates for these projects are included in the report and can be used for planning and budgeting purposes. The Action Agenda prioritizes the projects and identifies four pilot/demonstration projects that can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively. These pilot projects will demonstrate key solutions including a pair of directional signage projects — one in east Columbia and one in west Columbia. Connecting Columbia — investing in our pathways and programs so you can walk…amble…meander… run…jog…hike…stroll…strut and/or bike a bit longer.
The action agenda recommends adding 51.5 miles of new pathways to create a more interconnected pathway system:
11.7 miles (23%)
38.2 miles (74%)
1.6 miles
Columbia Association
Howard County Government (includes potential sidewalks and pathways within the road rights-of-way)
(3%) others
10th Annual
hear my voice TEEN DAY &
teenidol SINGING COMPETITION
Sunday, October 14 • 3-6pm
Downtown Columbia Lakefront
Call 410-992-3726 for more information
C A M O N T H LY 3
International Exchange and Multicultural Programs at Columbia Association
school More than 850 Columbia / Howard County high
see the
Sister Cities High School Exchange!
A’s students participated in C
World with Columbia Association’s International Exchanges!
High School Exchange
4 C A M O N T H LY
In August, 2011, the CA Board approved CA gets a new Friendship City: a proposal to develop a new sister city relationship in Ghana, West Africa. The city that was chosen was Tema, a planned community 16 miles from the capital city, Accra. Until now, Columbia has had two European sister cities, Cergy-Pontoise, France (1977) and Tres Cantos, Spain (1990). A Friendship City Agreement between CA President, Phil Nelson, and Mayor of Tema, Hon. Robert Kempes Ofosuware, was signed on July 16. Discussions focused on finding common interests and developing ideas for future exchanges for adults and teens between Columbia and Tema.
Tema, Ghana!
!
WHO 35-50 Columbia/ Howard County high CA Sister Cities school students in Level III+ of Spanish or French participate in Columbia Association’s (CA) Summer Sister Cities High School Exchange program with Columbia’s Sister Cities in France and Spain. WHERE Cergy-Pontoise, France, (near Paris) and Tres Cantos, Spain (near Madrid) WHAT The teens live with a Spanish or French family for two weeks, experiencing a new culture. A few days after they return, the same Spanish or French teen they lived with comes to stay here, during which the American teens introduce them to their life and friends here. COST The program fee for 2013 for Columbia residents on CA-assessed property is $650 and $790 for Howard County residents. Estimated airfare is $1,100-1,500. MORE INFO Information sessions for parents and teens will be held at CA headquarters on Wed, Oct 24; Tue, Nov 27; Thu, Dec 6; and Wed, Jan 9. Applications are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/ TeenExchange or calling 410-715-3162. Deadline is Fri, Feb 22.
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The earlier and more frequently Americans are exposed to native-speakers of other languages, to their cultures and to opportunities to spend time abroad, the more comfortable and competent they will be at appreciating cultural differences, avoiding stereotypes and understanding how local and global issues are related. — Valerie Montague Chair of CA’s International & Multicultural Advisory Committee & Columbia-Tema Sister Cities Committee
Bon Appetit! From October 12 to 21, 10 Columbia residents will participate in the 2012 French Cuisine & Culture Exchange in Cergy-Pontoise, France, where they will live with a host family, take cooking lessons from a renowned chef, dine at local restaurants, visit a French farm, attend a cheese festival and visit markets and sites around Paris. In 2013, Columbia will host French visitors for a week of American cuisine and culture.
Twinning! In September, a four-member delegation from Columbia visited Cergy-Pontoise, France, on the occasion of their “Twinning Ceremonies” (“Jumelage”) and signed a Sister City 35th Anniversary Proclamation. The event brought together the sister cities of Cergy-Pontoise, France; West Lancashire, England; Erkrath, Germany; and Columbia.
Learn about other cultures with CA’s Multicultural Programs Culture Cafés Culture Cafés are free events for the entire community where residents of all ages can share their cultures and discover the diversity of Columbia. In April, CA collaborated with Howard County Library System on an East Asia Culture Café, which highlighted the cultures, dance, music and food of China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines. A South Asia Culture Café will be held on Sun, Nov 4, from 1:30-4:30pm at the Howard County Miller Branch Library. The event will highlight the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Families are invited to enjoy the cultures of South Asia during an afternoon of displays, music and dance performances and story times. South Asian snacks and refreshments will be provided. Culture Café “Passports” will be available, which can be completed for door prizes.
Get Reading! CA’s International Book Club meets monthly to explore multicultural and international themes in literature on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm at CA headquarters. All books are selected by International Book Club members and are in English. Through a partnership with Howard County Library, book selections are reserved each month at the Howard County East Columbia Branch Library. Fall selections are as follows: Oct 10, War Dances by Sherman Alexie; Nov 14, Faithful Place by Tana French; and Dec 12, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Adults and teens with an interest in reading books with international and multicultural themes are welcome to join the club!
CA’s International & Multicultural Advisory Committee (IMAC) advises the Program Manager for CA’s International Exchange & Multicultural Programs. The mission of IMAC is to foster international understanding and to celebrate the diverse cultures of Columbia/Howard County. Members assist with sister cities exchanges and multicultural events. IMAC has various subcommittees, including the Tema (Ghana) Sister City Committee and the Cergy-Pontoise (France) Sister City Committee, and various ad-hoc committees to plan events such as culture cafés.
Contact Information CA International Exchange and Multicultural Programs Celebrating diversity and promoting cultural understanding through multicultural community events and international exchanges for youth and adults. 410-715-3162 • International@ColumbiaAssociation.org Facebook.com/CAInternational Twitter: @MulticulturalCA
C A M O N T H LY 5
Dock Renovations Continue at
Summer Lake Kittamaqundi Shutdown Recap
I
By Mark Scott
f you live or work in Columbia, you know that we enjoy a very activity-rich environment. There’s a lot to do here! This makes
it important to take calculated breaks to tune
things up. Columbia Association (CA) knows that this is especially essential for lasting success for all our fitness facilities. CA closes select facilities for one week each during the summer for cleaning, renovations and
upgrades.
Recently,
Columbia
Gym,
Supreme Sports Club, Columbia Athletic Club,
Crews are currently in the process of replacing the bell tower boardwalk, the third of four such projects at Lake Kittamaqundi in Downtown Columbia. Work on this phase began in August and was expected to last six weeks, weather permitting. The first section to be completed was near where paddle boats are being rented out. Some pilings had badly deteriorated and had to be replaced near to the water level, according to Daniel D’Amore, Columbia Association’s (CA) Director of Open Space Management. “It was by far the worst section,” he said. The second section was the “L-shape” that runs parallel from Clyde’s to Sushi Sono. The deck boards were replaced there, though the underpinnings were in pretty good shape. With the bell tower section, “Some of the pilings need to be addressed, but most of them are in good shape,” said Craig Garrison, an operations manager for CA. “Forty percent of the main beams are being replaced. It’s age. The part we’re working on now is probably 40 years old.” Coming up next will be the final phase, which is the curved section of the boardwalk that runs along the rock wall. Before that begins, however, there will be work done on the rock wall itself.
Columbia Swim Center, Columbia Ice Rink, and Owen Brown Tennis Bubble all took the necessary time, diligence and hard work to keep CA facilities in tip-top shape. The various shutdowns are staggered so that you can always go to another facility while your usual gym undergoes improvements. While Supreme Sports Club was closed, I was able to work out at Columbia Gym and found significant changes since my last visit there, such as: A new personal training studio on the upper *level with new flooring, lighting and specialized equipment and redesigned KidSpace areas *withRenovated new features, games and toys New and upgraded fitness equipment *featuring state-of-the-art cardio machines from Cybex®, Life Fitness® and Precor® in the Package Plan Plus Room and Women’s Gym new array of modality training tools such *as Abody bars and bands, kettle bells, core and medicine balls, hand weights and more All these improvements were added to the standard annual maintenance procedures,
CA today your connection to the Columbia Association
including servicing and fine-tuning equipment, resurfacing
flooring,
painting
updates,
reupholstering selected furniture, repairing tile and regrouting showers, maintaining pools, deep cleaning wood benches and floors in saunas and more.
6 C A M O N T H LY
See What’s Happening with CA by Visiting Our Blog at ColumbiaAssociation.org/CAToday
CA Supports Annual
50PLUS
E X P O
in Howard County
O
By Keithan Samuels
Columbia Association
Proposing Legislation to Reclassify CA and Columbia Villages
N FRIDAY, OCT. 19, FROM 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M., THE HOWARD COUNTY OFFICE ON
The COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION (CA) BOARD OF DIRECTORS and
Aging will host its 14th annual 50+ Expo at Wilde Lake High School. The event
the boards of the 10 villages are considering proposed state legislation
showcases different businesses, programs and activities in Howard County that appeal
to the mature adult population. This year, Columbia Association (CA) will be a major sponsor at the expo. CA team members will take over Wilde Lake’s counseling center and showcase various CA programs and services that are offered to the older adult community. CA has been involved with the 50+ Expo for several years. In the past, CA participated as an
that would reclassify them as “nonprofit community service corporations” instead of homeowners associations. On Oct. 16, CA will host two public sessions for Columbia residents to testify about the legislation. One session will be held at 1 p.m. and the other session will be at 7 p.m. In addition, the legislation will be discussed at multiple meetings of the CA Board and the board’s External
exhibitor. CA team members would promote programs such as Fit Beginnings, WINN (When
Relations Committee, some of which will have opportunities for
If Not Now), Volunteer Center Serving Howard County and Columbia Matters —
resident speakout.
CA’s monthly television show.
This proposed change would benefit CA and the villages, which predate
The 50+ Expo benefits the older adult population of Howard County in many ways. “The event
the Maryland Homeowners Association (HOA) Act and whose unique
is a great way for members of the 50+ population to learn what Howard County offers to them,”
operations do not fit well within the umbrella of that act, according to CA
says Megan Monahan, Marketing Manager at CA. “The event features more than 150 exhibitors,
General Counsel Sheri Fanaroff.
health screenings, flu and pneumonia vaccines, entertainment, healthy aging seminars, lifeenrichment workshops, entertainment, food and more,” Monahan adds. For more information about the 50+ Expo or the Howard County Office on Aging, please call 410-313-6410 or visit howardcountyaging.org/50plusexpo
While CA consists of about 37,000 properties, the average size of associations covered under the HOA Act is about 131 properties. And so when new legislation is introduced that could amend the HOA Act, it is written in response to a problem at a much, much smaller homeowners association that does not have the kind of structure or internal controls that CA does. Those potential amendments, while beneficial to the average HOA, could have a detrimental effect on CA and the villages. For example, a proposal to require homeowners associations to provide printed budgets to every homeowner would have cost CA more than $500,000. (CA posts the budget online and provides copies to the villages.) Such consequences are why CA has been spending at least $50,000 a year and numerous staff hours monitoring and responding to the more than 20 proposed amendments that come before the state legislature each year. And such consequences are why CA is seeking to be reclassified, in order to avoid the need to keep reviewing legislation so often, determining its impact on CA and the villages, deciding how best to address each proposed bill, crafting an amendment or exception to the bill, speaking with state delegates and senators, and sometimes even testifying at hearings. The proposed legislation, as written, would not change at all the way CA and the villages conduct their operations. The bill would cement, and in fact enhance, the same kind of protections and transparency
CA offers a variety of activities for mature adults, check them out at bit.ly/caseniors.
provisions in the HOA Act. For more information on the proposed legislation and opportunities for public comment, go to ColumbiaAssociation.org/ProposedLegislation.
C A M O N T H LY 7
October
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Pruning – A Master Gardener Seminar
Hear My Voice Teen Day and Columbia Teen Idol Competition
Thu, Oct 4 • 7pm • Kahler Hall 410-730-0770.
Sun, Oct 14 • 3-6pm • Downtown Columbia Lakefront • 410-992-3726.
Family Bingo Fri, Oct 5 • 7:30-9pm • Long Reach Community Association 410-730-8113.
Hear My Voice Columbia Teen Idol Semi-Finals Fri, Oct 5 • 7-10pm • Slayton House 410-992-3726.
Father and Son Get Together Ages 4-10
Oakland Music Cafe: Joe Isaacs & Billy J. Carter Sun, Oct 14 • 3:30-6pm • Historic Oakland Manor • 410-730-4744.
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn about more great events happening in Columbia!
50+Expo
Afternoon Tea
Fri, Oct 19 • 9am-4pm • Wilde Lake High School • 410-313-6410.
Thu, Oct 25 • 4:30-6pm • Historic Oakland Manor • 410-730-4744.
Girls’ Night Out: Wire-Wrapped Bracelets
Perennials – A Master Gardener Seminar
Fri, Oct 19 • 6:30-8:30pm Columbia Art Center ArtStaff@ColumbiaAssociation.org.
Thu, Oct 25 • 7pm • Kahler Hall 410-730-0770.
CA Board Meeting Music in the Mills presents: “John Milton Wesley” Sun, Oct 14 • 5-7pm • The Other Barn • OaklandMills.org.
Thu, Oct 25 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters • For updated dates and times, please visit Columbia Association.org.
Lively Arts for the Little Ones Presents: “Pam the Kindersinger and Rascal Too” Fri, Oct 26 • 10am • The Other Barn OaklandMills.org.
Haunted Hallow’s Eve
Fri, Oct 5 • 7-8:30pm • Supreme Sports Club • 410-381-7559.
What is the Maryland Reptile and Amphibian Altas?
Fri, Oct 26 • 6-8pm • Claret Hall Events@VillageofRiverHill.org.
Oakland Mills Cultural Arts Festival
Thu, Oct 18 • 7pm Kahler Hall 410-730-0770.
Pajama Party
Sat, Oct 6 • 11am-4pm • Oakland Mills Village Center OaklandMills.org.
Yard Sale
Fri, Oct 26 • 7pm • Owen Brown Community Center • 410-381-0202.
50+Halloween Lunch for Hickory Ridge Village Residents Only
Sat, Oct 6 • 8am-3pm Owen Brown Community OBEvents@ColumbiaVillages.org.
Fri, Oct 26 • 11:30am-1pm The Hawthorne Center Joan@HickoryRidgeVillage.org.
Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House: Dennis Gilbert (photography) and Elizabeth Galloway (oils and pastels)
Monster Mash Dance Grades 6-8
Thu, Oct 11 through Sat, Nov 10 Hours vary • Reception: Sun, Oct 14 3-5pm • Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House CJBlack@ColumbiaVillages.org.
Sat, Oct 27 • 12pm • Kahler Hall 410-730-0770.
Choose Civility Youth Art Show Thu, Oct 11 through Sun, Oct 21 Hours vary • Reception: Tue, Oct 16 5:30-7:30pm • Columbia Art Center Art.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.org.
CA Board Meeting Thu, Oct 11 • 7:30-11pm • CA Headquarters • For updated dates and times, please visit ColumbiaAssociation.org.
8 C A M O N T H LY
Fri, Oct 26 • 7-10pm • Columbia Gym • 410-531-8984.
Halloween Party
Halloween Party for Children Sat, Oct 27 • 1-2:30pm • Long Reach Community Association 410-730-8113.