FEBRUARY 2005 NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

As you read this the Finance Committee should have finished their review of the budget for the coming year (FY06). The budget is very close to the current one and every attempt is being made to avoid any dues increase, and if necessary, to keep such to a minimum. At this point the board of directors is discussing the best approach to funding the urgently needed updates/replacement of the Harbour Inn Pool, Marina, Business Office, Police Station and several other amenities. The options range from borrowing the money, increasing the dues to a special assessment. Some combination of these options may be the result. The Long Range Planning Committee has been wrestling with this for months and is to make a recommendation to the board of directors at the January 27th meeting.

Currently, the approach is to get conceptual plans to rebuild the pool rather than completely replace it. This would lower the cost by approximately 50% and retain the current configuration. A pool design company is working on the drawings now. For less than $10,000 we can fix the safety issues and do temporary repairs on the needed areas. This would buy us another year to finalize pool plans, get a contractor lined up and decide on financing.

The underground fuel tanks at the marina must come out of the ground by next March. I am getting proposals now for a replacement system. This can?t wait as the law and the possibility of a major fuel leak must be addressed now. Any system should include a new pump with a credit card reader. This would allow us to get out of the antiquated KEYTROL system with all its inherent problems.

The new play set for Aquia Park is scheduled for installation in the next 60 days. Weather will be the biggest determining factor. A replacement shelter house for Rudolph Park is in the mill and I expect it to be erected as weather permits. It will be similar to the one erected in Friendship Park. This is all part of the parks upgrade promise made by the board of directors last year. Future planning includes additional shelters at Briar Patch Fields and the marina. The road into the wetlands park at the end of Delaware Drive will be stabilized and ready for use this spring.

I have been directed to develop user fees and deposits for the play fields. This is to allow for an income stream to assist upgrading the fields and make users more responsible. The demand has become so great that scheduling is a real problem.

For those with contiguous lots there has been a significant change in policy. A letter has notified all owners of contiguous lots that they must requalify to maintain the status. The basic requirements have not changed but for those that made lots contiguous just to avoid dues on an investment lot there is a significant change. If a contiguous lot is subdivided back to individual lots dues back to December 2004 (the date of the new resolution) will be collected. This is to keep people from ?gaming? the system.

For information all Aquia Harbour owners and employees are now eligible to join the Virginia Credit Union. They have a convenient office in the Town Center next to Radio Shack. A reminder- winter has been mild so far but snows are inevitable. Please when you shovel your driveway do not throw the snow into the street. This just makes the road more dangerous for all. When you shovel throw the snow to the right (facing away from the house) as then the plow will carry it away from your driveway. If you shovel to the left you will just get it plowed back into your drive and cause frustration. Hopefully, we?ll have little to no shoveling to do.