Memo

To: All Village Association Condominium Owners

From: Village Condominium Association

Date: November 10, 2008

Subject: Village Winter Memo

Village Homeowners,

We have several items to discuss as we head into the winter months.

· Water Pipe Freeze Prevention

· Proper Stove / Fireplace Usage and Ash Disposal

· Proper Fire Wood Storage

· Winter Village Parking

· Village Snow Removal

· Propane Costs

· Village Association Calendar of Events

Water Pipe Freeze Prevention

During the heating season we continue to have issues with interior water supply lines freezing and rupturing due to unit temperatures dropping below 32 degrees. To assist in the cost of heating your unit, an additional R10 rating of insulation and vapor barrier was added to the exterior of our complexes with the installation of the vinyl siding. In addition low temperature sensors and sprinkler monitoring have been installed to minimize our risks.

The following are a few reminders to assist in mitigating costs to you and the Association from the resulting damage of frozen pipes.

• Always insure your unit’s heat is never set below fifty degrees Fahrenheit. When outside temperatures drop below zero be certain to set your heat at a minimum of sixty degrees Fahrenheit.

• In areas prone to freezing ie, plumbing by outside walls, consider leaving kitchen sink and bathroom vanities cabinet doors open to assist in warm airflow.

• On ground floor units with Rinnai style propane heaters insure that the outside vent is clear of snow, leaves and other debris. If these exhaust vents become obstructed the heaters will not start as safety measure.

• Consider using a buddy system when away for extended periods for someone to check your unit periodically. You all have at least three buddies on the mountain, your directors.
• Consider when away for extended periods turning off the main water supply line to your unit with the valve located in the closet by the hot water heater. This will insure in the event of a ruptured pipe only the water in interior pipes will be discharged. We have discussed this issue with a plumber and he mentioned it is ok to turn off electricity to the hot water heater as a cost saving measure and shut off the main water supply line to the unit. However, one needs to be very careful not to drain the water from the hot water tank and then turn power on to the hot water heater; it will instantly burn out the heating element. Hence always turn on main water supply valve before using water in the unit.

Proper Stove/Fireplace Usage and Ash Disposal

Do not heat your unit with wood burning stoves or fireplaces. Our wood burning stoves and fireplaces are not designed for continuous heating, and are appropriate for occasional use only. Using your wood burning stoves and fireplaces incorrectly is a significant fire hazard and must be stopped immediately.

Please dispose of ashes in the ash can which is located near the trash / recycling shed. Do not use the trash receptacles for ash disposal.

Owners please discuss with your tenants and insure they understand the proper use of the wood burning stoves and fireplaces.

Proper Firewood Storage

Firewood must be stored in the interior of your unit, do not store firewood on ramps, balconies or next to the buildings. Our ramps and balconies are not design to support the additional weight of the wood and are an eyesore to other owners and guests. Owners please discuss with your tenants and insure they understand the proper storage of firewood.

Winter Village Parking

Our snow removal contractor will be making a single parking lot pass by 6:00 AM and returning in the afternoon to complete, as long as the access road is plowed. Please assist in our snow removal efforts by moving your vehicle out of the Village parking lot no later than noon on days with significant snow fall. This way our parking lot can be completely plowed, insuring we have enough parking spaces for our residents and guests.

Please be cognizant that our parking lot gets smaller with each snowfall and following some general rules of conduct will insure we all have a place to park:

Move your car out of the parking lot after the first plowing swipe by noon

Vehicles not moved are plowed around causing major obstacles for others and curtails the usable parking area.

Do not take up more that one space in the parking lot

Please do not park diagonally or sideways and utilize your space as efficiently as possible.

Drive cautiously

We have had several reports of vehicles being hit and damaged in our parking lot. Even with the recent grading and resurfacing, along with regular plowing and sanding, our parking lot gets very slippery; please drive with extreme caution keeping insurance deductibles in our pockets.

Do not park in front of ramps

We have had several reports of folks slipping and falling attempting to get around vehicles parked in front of walk ramps, please be courteous and allow ample walkway to the ramps. Sand buckets for residents use are being place at ramp entrances to augment our snow removal efforts.

Owners please discuss with your tenants and insure they understand the proper parking lot etiquette.

Village Snow Removal Approach

Bolton Valley has some of the most sever and snowiest weather in Vermont, snow removal is a major expense and a challenge to maintain for the Town, Resort and the Associations on the mountain. To address these types of concerns while maintaining a very tight budget and not raise your Assoc. fees, Village Assoc. has designated Dave Parot who is resident at the complex as point person for snow removal. Given our tight budget this approach reduces our operating expenses significantly.

Village Association 2009 Calendar of Events

Village unit owners are welcome and encouraged to attend any and all meetings, however we do ask that your discussion topics are added to the agenda prior to the meeting to insure we utilize our time efficiently and effectively as possible.

Meeting	Date	Time	Location	Primary Objective
Village Assoc. Board Directors Meeting	Tuesday January 27th, 2009	7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET	Ries Village Unit #227	Scheduling Maintenance Tasks & Contractors for 2009
Village Assoc. Board Directors Meeting	Tuesday May 12th, 2009	7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST	Ries Village Unit #227	Owners Annual Meeting Mailing and Agenda
Bolton Valley Association Presidents Council Meeting	Saturday May 16th, 2009	10:30 AM to 12:00 PM ET	Black Bear Inn	Mountain Business
Village Assoc. Annual Owners Meeting	Saturday June 27th, 2009	9:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST	Bolton Valley Lodge, Bryant Room	Assoc. Business

Please see the Village web site for the latest updates and for all Association related information.

https://home.comcast.net/~itele2/

Sincerely,

Mike Nielsen

Village Director