Welcome to the Baker’s Ridge Manor Homeowners Association (BRMHA)

Reminder about the Sewer

(posted Monday, August 19, 2024)

We are aware of the unpleasant odor coming from the water treatment plant.  We hope to correct that problem by replacing some of the air-lines.  We've ordered the material and hired a contractor, but it may still be a few weeks before that work is finished.  I'll send out another announcement when it's done.

I just wanted to remind you that the Department of Environmental Protection cited us for polluting West Virginia waterways, and we are facing stiff fines.  Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) significantly contributes to these violations.  Translation: our system has several points of failure that lets stormwater into the wastewater channels. Significant rain events swamp our system, leading to insufficient filtration. Consequently, our monthly chemical tests return results outside acceptable limits, and the effluent is causing some unpleasant downstream conditions in the Mon River.  Our plant operator is pushing a boulder uphill to bring our numbers into compliance.  If your home has gutter downspouts connected to the stormwater system, your home contributes to this problem.  Please disconnect them as soon as you can.  

As we've said in the past, connecting to MUB is the ultimate solution to that problem.  While that process is underway, it will be some time before we can retire our plant.  In the meantime, please be conscious of what your household sends into the sewer.  We are still getting an unacceptable volume of paper products, plastic tampon applicators, cooking grease, etc clogging the system).  Today, our plant operator asked me to remind homeowners that they should not send paint (even water-based paint) down any drain:

During our plant checks the past 2 weeks, we've noticed a white color in the effluent contact tank that we believe to be paint. Please let the residents know that discarding paint in a manor that it makes it's way to the treatment plant is detrimental to the treatment process and makes a bad situation worse. 

I'll be sending out some more communications in the coming days, but I wanted to get this out immediately.

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AGENDA FOR 2024 BAKER’S RIDGE MANOR ANNUAL MEETING

    Time: 6-8 p.m. 

    Date: Thursday, May 9 

    Location: Montani Room, Holiday Inn, 1188 Pineview Drive

PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES: Under Section 3 of the HOA Bylaws, property owners with unpaid bills or assessments are barred from attending or participating in the annual meeting. 

Section 3. Suspension of Right to Vote

A member may have his right to vote or attend meetings suspended for the period of time that the member's sewage bills or assessments are not paid. Access to said sewage system may be cut off when the bill is not paid; however, said service must be restored promptly when the bill is paid. The cost of cutting off and restoring service is a proper charge to a delinquent member. Liens for non-payment of sewage bills, assessments or other lawful charges of the Association shall be permitted.

AGENDA

CALL TO ORDER

Review sign-in sheet, confirm quorum exists, and call meeting to order. (Braxton Lewis)

OLD BUSINESS

President’s Report (Vicki Smith)

• Update on modernization of HOA business operations 
• Recap October 2023 collections policy and November special meeting discussion
• High-level view of progress on infrastructure issues
• Questions/Comments (10 minutes)

Treasurer’s Report (Emily Markle)

• Review current state of finances and cash flow situation
• Recap of unplanned expenditures in 2023-24
• Outlook for coming year
• Questions/Comments (10 minutes)

Wastewater Treatment Plant Report (Braxton Lewis)

• Operational report (staffing, testing, reports)
• MUB project plan and what homeowners should expect
• Questions/Comments (10 minutes)

Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) Problems (Mark Shea)

• Downspout disconnections
• Questions/Comments (5 minutes)

Dues Structure and Collections Policy (Vicki Smith)

• Review current delinquencies and implications for property owners
• Review new dues structure as announced
• Questions/Comments (15 minutes)

NEW BUSINESS

Election of officers for 2024-25

Community Concerns (Open Discussion)

Breezeline Inquiries – time permitting - (Corey Colyer)

• Discuss board’s responsibility and/or authority
• Address concerns: Where work disturbs shared infrastructure, vendor must leave things in as good as or better condition.

Motion to adjourn.

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ANNUAL MEETING IS SET FOR 6 P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 9 

Neighbors,

Before the 2024 annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, the Board of Directors would like to update you on several important issues:

• ongoing efforts to address infrastructure issues related to sewage and stormwater systems;
• a new future-facing dues structure that will begin July 1 and be reviewed annually;
• success collecting past-due and seriously delinquent assessments;
• and opportunities to serve on this all-volunteer board, make important decisions and become part of the solutions we need moving forward. Three of the five seats will be open, and we encourage those with ideas, time and energy to stand for election.

Please review all the details, including an FAQ, on this page: https://www.bakersridgemanor.org/p/News-Important-Updates

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REMINDER: January 2024 assessments must be paid within 30 days

The new Baker's Ridge Manor collections policy went into effect Jan. 1, 2024. Please remember that there is no longer a discount for “early” payment, and all bills are due within 30 days. Homeowners who need to make six monthly payments on their semi-annual bill must arrange to do so with Omni by calling 317-541-0000 BEFORE the 30 days expire.

To use the portal and take advantage of fast and secure electronic bill payment, you must set up your account at https://frontsteps.cloud/CaliberWEb2_OMSI. Select the Create Login link, which you’ll find under the gray Login button. Enter the Account Number from the enclosure in the Omni letter you received this month. Select the email address associated with your account. You should then see a screen confirming your account was created and directing you to your email. From there, click the link to complete the account creation process by creating your username and password.

If you have any problems with the portal or features within the portal, call Omni at 317-541-0000.

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Some downspouts must be disconnected from system by May 1

As discussed in the November special meeting, about two dozen homes in Baker’s Ridge Manor were found to have roof drains connected to the stormwater and sewer systems. To reduce the amount of clear water mistakenly entering our system during rain events, the Board of Directors is requiring disconnection for any home that failed smoke testing in 2021. The deadline for these improvements is May 1. Please review the attached infographic for a variety of options, as well as the list of affected homes below.

As previously explained, this is one of many projects that will be occurring on different timelines before we connect our system to MUB. The CEC engineers have determined these downspouts significantly contribute to the Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) problems with our sewage treatment plant. These I&I events are unfortunately too common, and they result in fines from the state Department of Environmental Protection as well as cleanup costs.

We appreciate your cooperation in this next step of our infrastructure improvement plan. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

AFFECTED HOMES

121 Bakers Dr.

125 Bakers Dr.

145 Bakers Dr.

120 Scenery Dr.

124 Scenery Dr.

128 Scenery Dr.

129 Scenery Dr.

133 Scenery Dr.

132 Scenery Dr.

136 Scenery Dr.

137 Scenery Dr.

157 Scenery Dr.

160 Scenery Dr.

101 Birch Ln.

102 Birch Ln.

109 Northview Dr.

111 Northview Dr.

219 Jaco Dr.

224 Jaco Dr.

223 Jaco Dr.

112 Poplar Dr.

116 Poplar Dr.

119 Poplar Dr.

152 Poplar Dr.

205 Poplar Dr.

206 Poplar Dr.

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MINUTES FROM NOV. 8 SPECIAL MEETING NOW POSTED

The minutes from the special meeting of Nov. 8, 2023, are now posted under the Annual & Financial Reports section of this site, which is visible to registered residents only. You will have to log into this site to get access or check your email for the document. If you have not registered your address and contact information with us, please click the "Register" link in the upper right corner and do so now. This will help ensure you remain apprised of important developments affecting the community. If you don't remember your password when you click Log In, you will see an option to reset it. 

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NEW COLLECTIONS POLICY GOES INTO EFFECT JAN. 1, 2024

The Directors of the Baker’s Ridge Manor Homeowners Association invite you to a community meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the Holiday Inn, 1188 Pineview Drive. At that time, we will discuss the financial collections policy that has been formally adopted and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. We encourage you to review the policy, which is posted in the Dues & Assessments section, and submit questions in advance to [email protected].

We will record this meeting for those who cannot attend then post a link here. Please note this is a public-facing website. You must log into the site in the upper right-hand corner to have full access to important documents.

These documents include notices of violation and a proposed Administrative Consent Order from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection over our sewage treatment plant. We are working with legal counsel to respond. You will also find recently completed reports by Civil & Environmental Consultants (CEC) on our antiquated sewage and stormwater infrastructure, which contributes to our violations. These reports will help guide development of a comprehensive corrective action plan over the next few months so we can continue to pursue a connection with the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB).

Though we can discuss our infrastructure challenges at a high level on Nov. 8, we are not yet able to estimate the impact on future dues and assessments. These problems have been decades in the making, and it will take time and professional services to develop realistic timelines and cost projections. For the first half of 2024, dues will remain unchanged. However, we will have a better understanding of future needs by the annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Holiday Inn on Pineview Drive.

The new collections policy is a strategic move that will strengthen the community’s ability to maintain adequate operational funds and to build up meaningful cash reserves. Being on stronger financial footing will also help the community obtain loans and grants for the work ahead.

We look forward to receiving your questions at [email protected] and to seeing you in person on Nov. 8.

Vicki Smith, President

Corey Colyer, Vice President

Emily Markle, Treasurer

Braxton Lewis, Secretary

Mark Shea, Member At Large

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Omni Management Services collects current dues and past-due balances for the Baker’s Ridge Manor Homeowners Association. Your balance is currently posted to your individual account in our online portal and will be included in the letter you receive.

To use the portal and take advantage of fast and secure electronic bill payment, you must set up your account at https://frontsteps.cloud/CaliberWEb2_OMSI. Select the Create Login link, which you’ll find under the gray Login button. Enter the Account Number from the enclosure in the Omni letter. Select the email address associated with your account. You should then see a screen confirming your account was created and directing you to your email. From there, just click the link to complete the account creation process by creating your username and password. If you have problems, call Omni at 317-541-0000.

We recommend creating a portal account regardless of which of the following payment options you choose.

This is the official source of information about the Baker's Ridge Manor HOA. Please encourage neighbors who have not signed up to do so by clicking the "register" link in the upper right corner. If you sell your home, please notify [email protected] immediately and provide contact information for the new owner so we can update the Directory.