Annual Report: The Year in Review

May 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024

The River Hill Community Association (RHCA) Board of Directors (BOD) is responsible for overseeing the Association’s operations, establishing Association policies, and advocating on behalf of the community. The BOD generally ensures that the Association is working to enhance the quality of life for the owners and residents of the Village of River Hill. During FY24, Kevin Bruening served as the BOD Chairperson, assisted by Vice Chair Rob Mekelburg. Also serving on the BOD were Moe Imran, Mark Combs, and Balbir Lakhanpal. Eric Greenberg served as River Hill’s Columbia Council Representative and ex officio Board member for the year. Day-to-day operations of the Association are performed by a paid leadership team.

Informing The Community

The Association’s offices are located at Claret Hall, 6020 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville (in the River Hill Village Center). The offices are open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Claret Hall is also open to the public during meetings of the Board of Directors and its committees. Association staff are available during these times to respond to residents’ questions, concerns, and requests. A variety of information is available for residents online, including Architectural Guidelines, Exterior Alteration Applications, Village of River Hill Legal Documents, and The Villager.

The Association uses multiple tools to communicate with residents with The Villager being the most popular. The Villager is a monthly newsletter delivered by carriers who live in the community. The carriers in FY24 were Brayden Avrunin, Ari Berkowitz, Benjamin Chen, Eden Clemmer, Garrett Donnelly, Wendy Gu, Carson Li, Sayyeed Mohammed, Nitesh Parikh, Sasha Patel, Noah Vilk, and Julia Windsor. The following siblings also served as carriers: Isaac and Lucas Chiang; Adam, Connor and Ryan Hawthorne; Jonah and Josie Just; Caris and Liam Luke; Emersyn and Lysbeth Lukin; and Samantha, Sean and Sydney Smole.

The Association also maintains a website: www.villageofriverhill.org along with a Twitter (now X) account @RHCAClarksville, three Facebook pages: www.Facebook.com/RiverHillCommunityAssociation, www.Facebook.com/ClaretHallMD, and www.Facebook.com/WatershedCommittee, and an Instagram account: @villageofriverhill. Lastly, residents are strongly encouraged to sign up for Association email blasts through Constant Contact which can be done by visiting the Association’s website and entering an email address in the “Stay Informed” section of the sidebar.

Involving the Community

The Association continually seeks to involve and engage members of the community. Residents serve on the Association Board of Directors, committees of the Board, and volunteer at special events throughout the year. The Association offered the following community events and programs in FY24:

  • Block Party grants
  • CA Open Space Appreciation Luncheon
  • Doggie Paddle and Splash
  • Flea Market and Village-Wide Yard Sales
  • Food on the 15th year-round collection
  • Haunted Hallow’s Eve (in conjunction with the River Hill merchants and Kimco Realty)
  • Independence Day Parade
  • Master Gardener Seminars
  • Prepare for Success School Supply Donation Site
  • River Hill Pool Party and National Night Out
  • School’s Out Bingo
  • Village Election Day
  • Visit with Santa

The Association makes space available for rent at the Meeting Room (located next to the River Hill Swimming Pool) and Claret Hall. Columbia lien payers and nonprofits
receive a 10% discount on the rental rates, and the buildings are rented for a variety of social events and meetings. The Association is committed to involving residents of all ages. There
were two Student Members of the Board of Directors, Elinor Tu and Amanda Wang. The Teen Advisory Committee (TAC) is key to meeting this objective. The TAC members contribute
countless hours to support Association sponsored events, making them a success. The members of the TAC during FY24 were Andy Davis, Emily Dong, Brett Goldstein, Hallie Goldstein, Rahul Goyal, Josie Just, Barbara Lembas, Grace Li, Sydney Lynott, and Rohan Pillai. RHCA continues to support local youth by continuing to charter Boy Scout Troop 618. Michael Cornell, a former Columbia Council Representative and RHCA Board member, serves as the Chartering Organization’s representative.

Throughout the year, the Association continued to support local organizations with in-kind and monetary donations made to Boy Scout Troop 618 and The Village in Howard.

Improving the Community

The Association continuously works with residents, Howard County, Columbia Association, and other organizations that are integral to benefitting the community. These efforts take many forms by providing community input on local development projects, and enforcement of the Association’s Maintenance Covenants and Architectural Guidelines. The Board of Directors and the Development
Advisory Committee also advocated for thoughtful and sustainable growth.

The Architectural Committee (AC) ensured that the Village’s covenant process ran smoothly, and changes were made to the Architectural Guidelines to generate a more environmentally friendly community. The following members of the community served on these committees: Syed Ahmad, Jim Kirk, and Sarah Rohbin.

In FY24:

  • 154 Exterior Alteration Applications were reviewed by the AC and final decisions were made.
  • The Covenant Advisor processed 53 requests for Letters of Compliance.
  • The Association received 60 complaints; the majority were residential property maintenance issues. When appropriate, complaints are referred to the responsible departments within Columbia Association, Howard County Government, Kimco Realty, and Maryland State Highway Administration.
  • Exterior Alteration Applications were mostly for tree removal and maintenance requests for material or color changes. Other Exterior Alteration Applications included patios/decks and water remediation projects.

What Lies Ahead

The Association was in the last year of a five-year management contract with Columbia Association. The contract allows the Association to manage Claret Hall and the Meeting Room and retain the rental revenue to fund Village operations. The contract defines the operational relationship between CA and the Villages and structures the financial reporting requirements. The management contract will be renegotiated during FY25, with the intent of providing long-term certainty for the Association.

What can River Hill’s residents do to help? Let the Association know what is important to you. Share your concerns and ideas with the Board of Directors and staff. Participate in programs the Association offers, or volunteer in some capacity. The doors of Claret Hall are open, and we invite you to stop and visit. Let us know what your vision is for the future of the Village.