BROMLEY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER, 1998

 

DOLFIN POOL UPDATE

by Barbara Chamness

 

The 1998 season at Dolfin pool brought numerous substantial improvements, resulting in a pool that's in the best shape it's been in for many years. During 1998, we purchased a new pool heater. a new sand filter system, and a new pump and motor. These new systems got us the cleanest, clearest water many of us have ever seen! 1998 improvements to the clubhouse included a completely repainted inside including the walls, floors, and benches, a renovated office complete with a tailor-made cabinet; and we cleaned out the pump room and storage room to make the spaces much more usable and accessible for equipment use and storage. Additional outside improvements include the addition of new pool deck chairs, and a freshly painted east fence. All these improvements were made possible through generous donations of time, peoples' skills, financial donations, and increased revenue from memberships. We have had a very active and committed pool board this season and we wish to thank every one of them for their generous contributions. We also want to thank the numerous Dolfin pool members and neighbors who have collectively donated $4360.00 so far toward the capital outlay of $10,565 spent on the heater, filters, and pump/motor. Every single donation has helped us to get this far toward paying off our new equipment. Our momentum with increased membership, totaling 58 memberships at the end of the season (twice that of 1997!), has also helped tremendously toward paying off these equipment debts. Our budget projections for the end of 1998 suggest we'll have a net debt of about $3000 for the year. It is our goal to pay this off in 1999 and prepare to replace the tile around the pool for the 2000 swim season. As always, we welcome any persons interested in becoming pool board members--an active board really makes things happen at the pool! Thanks again to everyone who has helped to make 1998 a good season at Dolfins. We look forward to opening with warm and clear water next Memorial Day weekend and to welcoming returning and new members to the pool. Please feel free to contact Barb Chamness at 769-8485 or Connie Mahowald at 663-0971 with donations, questions, ideas, or interest in pool board membership.

 

WELCOME TO NEW RESIDENTS

As old neighbors move out and new move in, BHA sends best wishes to those leaving and a warm welcome to those moving in. New residents might like to know that garbage day is Wednesday. Trucks can arrive as early as 7 a.m. Put garbage cans at curbside on Wednesday morning. Your new home should come with two recycling bins. Also put those at curbside. The Ann Arbor Observer comes once a month to homes in the city. Often it contains further information about City of Ann Arbor services, such as the Fall leaf pick-up from the gutters in the street: simply sweep the fallen leaves into the street and the city will pick them up and make use of them as compost. City ordinances that can come into play at the local level include a leash law (dogs must be walked on a leash), snow removal ordinance (sidewalks should be cleared, from side to side, shortly after a snowfall), and a noise ordinance concerning disruptive noise during hours when many people might reasonably be expected to be sleeping. These ordinances are designed to ensure that the City continues as a fine place for all to enjoy.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANN ARBOR!

Recently, The Ladies Home Journal ranked Ann Arbor the number one city in the nation for women to live in (Ann Arbor News, Thursday, October 8, 1998). Among the criteria cited were: low level of crime, education and job opportunities, health and child care availability, the strength of the local economy, and the level of presence of women in city government. Congratulations to all who share a part of this honor. At the neighborhood level, hopefully we will all be inspired to continue to work together in constructive and creative ways to foster a strong, positive environment for everyone!

 

LOCAL POLITICS

Council member Jane Lumm will soon be leaving Ann Arbor City Council as one of our representatives. She has long been a friend to Bromley, from coming to our Homeowners Association public meetings and sharing thoughts with us, to responding to e-mails and phone calls from individuals and neighborhood groups, to coming to broadly-based public meetings such as the one described below. BHA sends its best wishes to Jane with the hope that she will continue her own tradition of public service in other contexts well suited to her interests. Congratulations, Jane, on a fine job and thank you!

 

AREA-WIDE SMOKE-TESTING OF SEWERS

Recently, the Orchard Hills-Maplewood Homeowners Association, in response to citizen complaint, held a public meeting with city officials (and others, including Mayor Sheldon, Council members Lumm and Kwan, and Joe Upton). The purpose of the meeting was to set a strategy for determining the extent to which sewer hook-ups in the far northeast corner of the city conform to house-to-sewer hook-up standards. As BHA understood from attending that recent meeting, the city will force a non-toxic smoke through the sewer system in all of Bromley (and elsewhere). Non-compliant homes will experience some smoke coming out of various outlets (pipes that may have become unintentionally hooked into the sewer system over the years). City workers will study the pattern of results and go from there.