July Edition: Island Times

Food for Thought

Lightening & Thunder? What to do!

You observe and/or hear lightning and thunder, or thunderstorms are in the forecast.

A Severe Thunderstorm warning is in effect what should you do?

At Home

If you are at home, protect yourself and your family following the safety tips below:

Follow weather reports. Make sure a battery-powered radio is nearby.

Do not turn on the television.

Listen to The Weather Channel Radio Network for the most current information.

Lightning can cause power surges. Unplug all appliances before the storm hits.

Avoid using the phone. Telephone lines can conduct electricity.

Metal pipes also conduct electricity. Stay away from faucets, sinks, and bathtubs.

Close the blinds and shades of your window, then keep away from them.

Keep pets on a leash or in a carrier.

Away From Home

There are times when storms come up suddenly.

If you are away from home, protect yourself and your family by taking cover in the best shelter you can find.

If you are in or near the water, go to land immediately and find shelter.

If choosing between a building or a car, choose the building.

If choosing between a hard-top and a convertible, choose the hard-top.

If you're in a car, keep the windows closed.

If there is no shelter, find a low-lying, open place that is a safe distance from trees, poles, or metal objects that can conduct electricity. Make sure it is not likely to flood.

Assume a tucked position: Squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees with your head tucked between them. Try to touch as little of your body to the ground as possible.

Do not lie flat on the ground, as your fully-extended body will provide a larger surface to conduct electricity. Stay in a tuck position well after the storm passes.

Watch for local flooding you may have to move if water begins to accumulate.

If you feel your hair stand on end in a storm, drop into the tuck position immediately. This sensation means electric charges are already rushing up your body from the ground toward an electrically charged cloud. Minimize your contact with the ground to minimize your injury.

VA Law Requires Notice of All HOA Meetings

Concern has been expressed regarding notification of Island Homeowners Association Meetings. Notice of all meetings, i.e. Quarterly Meetings, Architectural Covenants Committee, Special Sessions, Work Sessions, etc. are required to be open to all association homeowners and appropriate notice must be given prior to the meeting. Homeowners are not required to be present. That is a personal decision.

ß 55-510.1. Meetings of the board of directors.

A. All meetings of the board of directors, including any subcommittee or other committee thereof, shall be open to all members of record. The board of directors shall not use work sessions or other informal gatherings of the board of directors to circumvent the open meeting requirements of this section. Minutes of the meetings of the board of directors shall be recorded and shall be available as provided in subsection B of ß 55-510.

B. Notice of the time, date and place of each meeting of the board of directors or of any subcommittee or other committee thereof shall be published where it is reasonably calculated to be available to a majority of the lot owners.

A lot owner may make a request to be notified on a continual basis of any such meetings which request shall be made at least once a year in writing and include the lot owners' name, address, zip code, and any e-mail address as appropriate. Notice of the time, date, and place shall be sent to any lot owner requesting notice (i) by first-class mail or e-mail in the case of meetings of the board of directors or (ii) by e-mail in the case of meetings of any subcommittee or other committee of the board of directors.

Notice, reasonable under the circumstances, of special or emergency meetings shall be given contemporaneously with the notice provided members of the association's board of directors or any subcommittee or other committee thereof conducting the meeting.

Unless otherwise exempt as relating to an executive session pursuant to subsection C, at least one copy of all agenda packets and materials furnished to members of an association's board of directors or subcommittee or other committee thereof for a meeting shall be made available for inspection by the membership of the association at the same time such documents are furnished to the members of the board of directors or any subcommittee or committee thereof.

Any member may record any portion of a meeting required to be open. The board of directors or subcommittee or other committee thereof conducting the meeting may adopt rules (i) governing the placement and use of equipment necessary for recording a meeting to prevent interference with the proceedings and (ii) requiring the member recording the meeting to provide notice that the meeting is being recorded.

If a meeting is conducted by telephone conference or video conference or similar electronic means, at least two members of the board of directors shall be physically present at the meeting place included in the notice. The audio equipment shall be sufficient for any member in attendance to hear what is said by any member of the board of directors participating in the meeting who is not physically present.

Voting by secret or written ballot in an open meeting shall be a violation of this chapter except for the election of officers.

C. The board of directors or any subcommittee or other committee thereof may convene in executive session to consider personnel matters; consult with legal counsel; discuss and consider contracts, pending or probable litigation and matters involving violations of the declaration or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto for which a member, his family members, tenants, guests or other invitees are responsible; or discuss and consider the personal liability of members to the association, upon the affirmative vote in an open meeting to assemble in executive session. The motion shall state specifically the purpose for the executive session. Reference to the motion and the stated purpose for the executive session shall be included in the minutes. The board of directors shall restrict the consideration of matters during such portions of meetings to only those purposes specifically exempted and stated in the motion. No contract, motion or other action adopted, passed or agreed to in executive session shall become effective unless the board of directors or subcommittee or other committee thereof, following the executive session, reconvenes in open meeting and takes a vote on such contract, motion or other action which shall have its substance reasonably identified in the open meeting. The requirements of this section shall not require the disclosure of information in violation of law.

D. Subject to reasonable rules adopted by the board of directors, the board of directors shall provide a designated period of time during a meeting to allow members an opportunity to comment on any matter relating to the association. During a meeting at which the agenda is limited to specific topics or at a special meeting, the board of directors may limit the comments of members to the topics listed on the meeting agenda.

(1999, c. 1029; 2000, c. 905; 2001, c. 715; 2003, c. 404; 2004, c. 333; 2005, c. 353.)

Clarification

Typically, a blog is an internet forum in which individuals may "post" information or opinions. It can be a forum for comment or discussion of a variety of issues and/or items. Due to the various unknowns within the world of internet security it is not uncommon for someone to wish to be anonymous when posting. This is no reflection on the "post-er" other than a show of prudent good sense in respect to their personal safety and privacy. The majority of blogs require either that an account be established or alternatively the blog restricts posts to only those that are allowed by the blog owner(s). In the case of The Island Blog, posts are restricted for approval to prevent vulgar, crude, malicious, or slanderous posts and comments, which are of no benefit to anyone.

Our society has become much too quick to pass judgement, foster ill will, and function under the assumption that free speech is license to write and speak in a manner that casts a poor light on all associated. The Island Blog will continue to be available to all wishing to share and receive information relevant to those living in Montclair and on The Island.

Prince William County False Alarm Unit

Local Law Enforcement personnel respond to thousands of alarm calls each year, over 99% of them being false alarms. These unnecessary responses resulted in an enormous burden in manpower and costs to the citizens. Every year hundreds of thousands of dollars are expended responding to false alarm calls; which in turn reduces the time available to respond to real emergencies. In order to help reduce the false alarm burden, Prince William County has enacted legislation designed to reduce the false alarm problem.

For More Information: http://www.pwcgov.org/apps/CryWolf/default.asp

Pause & Ponder...

Quote for the Day

Live for something. Do good, and leave behind a monument of virtue that the sands of time can never destroy.

--Thomas Chalmers 1780-1847 Theologian and philanthropist

PWC Police Alerts

Congratulations, Island Board Members!

Congratulations, Island Board members, for giving fellow homeowners the opportunity to voice their concerns and frustrations over the recent MOPA inspections of our properties which resulted in numerous violations. It also was appreciated that MPOA was represented and given the opportunity to explain the change in personnel that resulted in a more thorough inspection and stricter interpretation of the covenants. We all have, over the years, received violation notices for what we might have considered petty items; however, we simply complied with the rules and regulations by either filing a new PIR , or by making the necessary repairs/replacements. We then hoped we would “pass” the follow-up inspection or, if not, we could appeal the decision. Nothing has changed. This process has been ongoing since the development of the Montclair subdivision.

We all take pride in our community and we want it to be preserved. We all moved to The Island because of its unique and pristine beauty which, let us not forget, is maintained through the covenants. So rather than be divided, let’s all work together to keep The Island a very special place to live.

Angela Tabone