Volume XXXII, Issue 5

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Board

SCA Meeting
Thursday, January 18
7:00pm
Stone Mansion

Message from the Chairman

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season, and I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2007.

Speaking of the holidays, many thanks to Barbara Abar and her crew and to everyone who helped with a great Stoneybrooke Holiday Party on December 17.  Barbara asked to send a special thanks along to Kim Fairchild and Jean Luc for their Christmas carols and to everyone who contributed food.  A special thanks to Mike and Mary Pat Lynch for their special contributions.
 
Santa, you're awesome and, a photo is attached for your special scrapbook!

We now have a new representative for the Lee District Land Use Committee: Jessica Kaplan. Jessica had previously been involved in a condominium association and wanted to get involved in our community. When Tom & Carolyn Collins moved, vacating the Committee rep position, Jessica volunteered for duty. She attended her first meeting in November and provided an update in the December Sentinel. Her updates will now be a regular feature as she keeps us posted on the land use issues here in the Lee District. Jessica and her husband, Raphael, live with their two young children on Stoneybrooke Lane. Thanks, Jessica!

On to other matters…

As you know, at the SCA Meeting on January 18, we will vote on two issues: trash collection and a parking district. Included below is information detailing how the SCA Meeting will be conducted.

I want to repeat an important point that was made in the December Sentinel: This is a simple vote on whether or not to initiate a petition process for each issue. If the simple majority votes "yes," we will then ask for a person to volunteer to manage the process. If no one steps forward, the issue will fail and we will retain the systems we currently have. If the simple majority votes "no," the issues will fail then and there.

Another, more important point: You must be a member of the SCA vote. We will check membership at the door. If you choose to vote by proxy, we will also check to ensure you are a member. You will be able to pay for your membership at the door (January 18) but we will be unable to accept “the check is in the mail,” or “I’ll bring it over tomorrow.” Dues are $20 for the year.

Procedure for Stoneybrooke Issues Votes

The following outlines the process that will be used to manage the voting for the trash collection and parking district issues.

The votes on the issues will occur at the SCA Meeting on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at the Stone Mansion. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00pm.

1. As outlined in the Stoneybrooke By-laws, anyone voting must be a member of the SCA. Each household that has joined is a member and is entitled to one vote. Please note that each spouse or member of a household is not entitled to one vote each.
2. A table will be set up at the door of the January SCA meeting for residents to check in so that current membership status can be checked. Residents who have not paid their dues can pay at the table at the door that evening.
3. Upon entering the meeting, each resident will receive a handout of the presentation on each issue, the list of speakers who have registered, and a voting card.
4. The SCA meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 with a 5-minute presentation on county trash collection and a 5-minute period for questions and answers. Chairman Mike Jurkowski will give this presentation.
5. SCA members can sign up to speak, for or against the issue, over the next 45 minute period. Speakers will be limited to 5 minutes. They may take questions but will be limited to both speaking and answering questions within the 5-minute allotment. Thus, the meeting will accommodate 9 speakers for each issue. To register to speak, contact Mike Jurkowski.
6. At the end of the list of speakers, the vote will be taken. Those for the proposal will raise their hand with their card. A count will be taken. Those against will be asked to raise their hand with their card. Abstaining votes will also be counted.
7. The identical process will then commence for the parking district proposal.
8. Absentee balloting will not be permitted, in accordance with the SCA By-laws: “At all meetings, a member may vote by proxy executed in writing by the member. Such proxy shall be filed with the Secretary of the Board of Directors, before or at the time of the meeting.”
9. To vote by proxy, members should submit their proxy to the SCA Secretary, John Finamore. John will accept proxy votes at his house at 3905 Stone Mansion Court.
10. A form for proxy voting can be found here.
11. Proxy votes must be received by John no later than 9:00pm on January 18, 2007.
    The February Sentinel will include,
    a. The minutes, which will report the votes.
    b. The presentation and speeches. Thus, all speakers will be required to submit their speech electronically for inclusion in the February Sentinel.
    c. All residents, whether speaking or not, are invited to include their thoughts in the February Sentinel (as any resident is always welcome to do in the form of a letter to the editor).
    d. Any questions that were asked during the SCA meeting will also be included with answers
12. A Stoneybrooke resident will be required to manage the petition process(es). The SCA will be open to one person managing both petitions, or two people, each managing one. The SCA will allow one month, until the end of February, for a resident(s) to volunteer to do this. If no one volunteers, the process will be complete. Either way, the final announcement will occur in the March Sentinel. The announcement will be either announcing the volunteer and the process for the petition drive or that no one has volunteered, ending the process.
13. If no one volunteers to head up the petition drive, the SCA Board will no longer support these initiatives.
    

Message from Supervisor Dana Kauffman

The County’s a big place; our lives are complicated and busy; and when we need information, we need it at our fingertips. (And somehow, the need rarely occurs during 9 to 5 business hours.)

Fairfax County’s website is an excellent resource and it’s always available. You can reserve a library book, check bus schedules, check the complaint history of a company you’re thinking of doing business with, sign up for a Park Authority class or event, among many other things. The gateway to the County is http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/. From there, you can find information tailored to children and teens, as well as to seniors, volunteer opportunities, animals available for adoption, and free e-mail subscriptions to many of the County’s newsletters.

Here are a few useful sites.

Consumer Protection: This division investigates and mediates consumer complaints and tenant-landlord conflicts to determine whether consumer protection laws have been violated. Provides a complaint history on businesses, among other services.

Transportation: Browse the directory of public transportation services and get updates on the Springfield Interchange project, Wilson Bridge Project, residential permit parking district program and the Transportation Elements of the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan Map. Resources for commuters include carpooling, bicycle commuting, RideSources, and Metrochek.

Library: This site features numerous sources of information, both printed and online. You can search the catalog, access your library account, search online databases, and find the location and hours of any branch. You can also catalog, access your library account, search online databases, and find location and hours of any branch. You can also apply for a library card.

Land Use/Development/Zoning Complaints: This site has a wealth of information. You can find out how to get help if you have a neighborhood concern about possible zoning violations, check out frequently asked questions about planning and zoning issues, and get maps and information about your neighborhood. You can also read County staff reports on land use and zoning cases.

Property Tax Information: Check out this site for convenient payment methods, information about tax relief, County budget information, and a detailed report on the assessment of your own home.

Food Safety: From this site, you can read inspection reports for restaurants and other food service establishments inspected by the Fairfax County Health Department.

Free County newsletters: From this site you can subscribe to a number of electronic mailing lists, such as emergency information, and general news and information from many county agencies, as well as dates and schedules for Board of Supervisor and Planning Commission meetings and public hearings.

Hold the Date!

It’s not all about computers. Mark your calendars for the morning of Saturday, March 24 when the Lee District traditional town meeting comes to the Franconia Governmental Center.

Spring Yard Sale