December 7, 2020 Minutes

River Hill Board of Directors

Meeting Minutes, December 7, 2020

Opening (Agenda 1):

Adam White, Vice Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 7:39 p.m. The meeting was held virtually via conference call using Zoom. The following members were in attendance: Harjeet Jandu, Matt Levine, Tony Miceli, Jian Ni, and John Wan. Alex Oh and Shyam Pillai, Student Members, were present. Renee DuBois, Council Representative, and Susan Smith, Village Manager, were present. The following residents were present: Dr. and Mrs. Greenberger (Morning Light Trail), Ms. Battle (Ocean Shore Lane), Mr. Crawford (Silent Sun Place), Mr. Lowe (?). Residents, Ms. DuBois, Mr. Oh, and Mr. Pillai left the meeting at 10:43 p.m.

Approval of the Agenda (Agenda 3):

Mr. Levine made a motion to approve the December 7, 2020 agenda with the addition of an Executives Session immediately following this meeting. Mr. Miceli seconded the motion. The motion passed (6-0-0). Student Advisory Votes – in favor (2). 

Announcement of Executive Session Meetings Held/To Be Held (Agenda 4A):

Ms. Smith announced the following:

• RHCA’s Board of Directors held a virtual Executive Session on November 2, 2020. Participants were: Harjeet Jandu, Tony Miceli, Jian Ni, John Wan, and Adam White. Also present was Susan M. Smith, Village Manager.At 9:06 p.m., Mr. Levine made a motion that the Board of Directors move into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing legal matters. Mr. Miceli seconded the motion. The motion passed (5-0-0).

  Mr. Miceli made a motion to end the Executive Session and adjourn the meeting at 9:25 p.m. Mr. Wan seconded the motion. The motion passed (5-0-0).

• RHCA’s Board of Directors held a virtual Executive Session on December 7, 2020. Participants were: Harjeet Jandu, Tony Miceli, Jian Ni, and Adam White. Also present was Susan M. Smith, Village Manager.At 7:05 p.m., Mr. Levine made a motion that the Board of Directors move into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing pending or potential litigation or other legal matters, business transactions in the negotiation stage, and personnel matters. Mr. White seconded the motion. The motion passed (5-0-0).

  Mr. Levine made a motion to end the Executive Session and adjourn the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Miceli seconded the motion. The motion passed (5-0-0).

• The Board of Directors will hold another virtual Executive Session at the end of tonight’s meeting (December 7, 2020) to continue the earlier session.

November 2, 2020 Board Meeting Minutes (Agenda 4B):

Mr. White made a motion to approve the November 2, 2020 Minutes. Mr. Jandu seconded the motion. The motion passed (5-0-1). Student Advisory Votes – in favor (2).

Resident Speak Out (Agenda 5):

Dr. and Mrs. Greenberger (Morning Light Trail) addressed the Board again regarding their neighbor’s lawsuit and reiterated their request for compensation from the association. Ms. Smith offered to follow-up with them following the meeting.

Ms. Battle (Ocean Shore Lane) reiterated her concerns regarding the repeated presence of food trucks in the Pointers Run neighborhood including concerns about community value and a lack of consistency with the community culture. She asked for the association’s support and asked that the association reach out to the county to pursue action.

CA FY22 Budget (Agenda 6A):

Mr. Levine made a motion to approve the draft letter to CA with the amendments recommended by Mr. Miceli. Mr. Wan seconded the motion. The motion passed (6-0-0). Student Advisory Votes – in favor (2). Ms. Smith will include the other village community associations on the distribution.

Food Trucks in the Community (Agenda 7A):

Ms. Smith provided an update on what she has learned to date regarding restrictions on the trucks in residential areas. The Board discussed the concerns raised by members of the community, the need to provide an opportunity for residents to discuss the issues, the presence of a 2^nd food truck location in the village, and alternative locations e.g., fire station, pool parking lot.

Mr. Jandu made a motion to have Mr. Miceli moderate a community Zoom meeting to discuss the food trucks. The motion failed for lack of a second.

It was the consensus of the Board to first encourage the neighbors to speak with one another about the issues, solicit community interest/support/opposition using the association’s communications tools, continue to explore options, and to invite representatives from the County Executive’s office and Council Representative Jung to an upcoming meeting to discuss solutions.

External Legal Audit (Agenda 7B):

Ms. Smith reported she is still waiting for information and clarification to be provided and expects to be able to make a recommendation at the next Board Meeting.

RHCA 990 & 990T (Agenda 7C):

Ms. Smith gave a brief overview. Mr. Miceli made a motion to approve the association’s 990 & 990T. Mr. Levine seconded the motion. The motion passed (6-0-0). Student Advisory Votes – in favor (2).

 FY21 2^nd Quarter Financials & Variance Analysis (Agenda 7D):

Ms. Smith reviewed the documents. Mr. Levine made a motion to approve the association’s FY21 2^nd Quarter Financial Reports and accompanying Variance Analysis. Mr. White seconded the motion. The motion passed (6-0-0). Student Advisory Votes – in favor (2).

RHCA FY21 Operating Budget – Revisions (Agenda 7E):

Ms. Smith reviewed modifications to the operating budgets for the 3^rd and 4^th quarters. Additional suggestions for reducing expenses were discussed including using less expensive paper for the newsletter, permitting residents to opt out of the printed newsletter, and eliminating or reducing the number of times print newsletters are distributed.

Development Advisory Committee (Agenda 8Ai):

Mr. Levine noted construction of the Cedar Creek development is on schedule. He noted that the development used to be a part of the same Board of Education polygon as the adjacent section of the Village of River Hill is no longer. He asked Ms. Smith to find out why the change was made. Mr. Levine reported he had spoken with the foreman for Robinson Overlook development and that construction is on schedule to open in the spring.

Teen Advisory Committee (Agenda 8Aii):

Mr. Oh reported that TAC members had helped with preparations for the Storytime with Santa and Santa Parade. The events went well and were well attended. Mr. Pillai reported that the On the Table session notes were being finalized to be sent to the County’s Department of Planning and Zoning.

Traffic & Safety Committee (Agenda 8Aiii):

Mr. Miceli reported on the meeting held at River Hill Square on November 14. Members of the committee, representatives from Erickson Living, Howard County Bicycle Advocates, Ms. Cheng, and Mr. Pillai of the TAC, and other interested residents attended. During the meeting, several unsafe driver actions were observed which highlighted the committee’s concerns. He reported the November 19 meeting with representatives from the State Highway Administration and the County’s Department of Public Works had also gone well. They appreciated the feedback from the community about the recent changes along the stretch of MD 108 from Linden Linthicum Lane to Sheppard Lane. Mr. Miceli reported he subsequently had a productive conversation with Steve Breeden (River Hill Square developer) about the safety issues that had been observed. They also discussed creating a formal pathway connection from the CA pathway behind Whistling Winds Walk to the opening in the fence at the rear of the River Hill Square center. Mr. Miceli expressed concern with the current lack of handicapped accessibility from the sidewalk along MD 108 and the safety of student access to the site.

Watershed Committee (Agenda 8Aiv):

Mr. White reported the Watershed Committee had held an informal Pull and Plant. 

Village Manager (Agenda 8B):

Ms. Smith reported that recent Howard County COVID-19 restrictions limit capacity at the facilities to a 10-person maximum. As a result, the events scheduled for November and one planned for December were cancelled. Ms. Smith has been in contact with the Howard County Health Department to determine whether the limit applies to religious institutions that rent space from the association. The Church of God has removed their equipment from Claret Hall and will not renew their lease. Ms. Smith noted given the rise in COVID-19 cases, some staff members are reluctant to work rentals, she is not inclined to permit churches to meet if more than 10 participants are permitted, and she is considering having daytime staff return to full remote work. Ms. Smith reported that Ms. Rossi is in discussion with a daycare provider who is interested leasing the Meeting Room. The Board supported the concept of a 2-year lease. Renovations at Claret Hall have been pushed to January and staff will work remotely while the improvements are underway.

Columbia Council Representative (Agenda 8C):

Ms. DuBois reported that CA is currently considering opening 18 pools during the summer of 2021. She briefly discussed the update to the county’s General Plan and expressed concern about CA’s involvement. She noted that the Symphony of Lights show will be held and a portion of CA land utilized though the access issue remains. She believes CA has mismanaged the 57 acres and thinks setting up a land trust or conservancy to maintain the property in perpetuity might be a better option.

Board Chairperson (Agenda 8D):

None.

Board Speak Out (Agenda 9):

None.

Adjournment (Agenda 10):

At 10:43 p.m., Mr. Levine made a motion to adjourn the meeting move into Executive Session. for the purpose of discussing pending or potential litigation or other legal matters, business transactions in the negotiation stage, and personnel matters. Mr. Wan seconded the motion. The motion passed (6-0-0). All remaining residents, Mr. Oh, Mr. Pillai, and Ms. DuBois left the meeting.

Submitted: Susan M. Smith, Village Manager

Minutes Approved:  January 4, 2020