Swann Keys - Community Bulletin Board

Welcome to summer 2019! The Board has made an effort to make the Community safe, sound and attractive for the summer. Please notice the beautiful flowers and manicured Community lawns. The pool is open and ready for a cool splash in the afternoon.

As our population expands, please be aware of the number of children playing; balls are being thrown and children forget what they are doing. Signs have been donated requesting your patience while driving on Swann Keys roads. Our speed limit remains at 20 miles per hour.

The pool experienced significant usage on Memorial Day weekend. Owners will be allowed to use the pool for July 4th weekend. Dues were due July 1st. After July 4th weekend, only those owners who are current with their dues will have access to our facilities. Please remember, your electronic passes(FOBs) are yours and have been furnished for you and your house guest, not to be passed on to other owners or non residents. Pool Rules are posted on the pool deck, are on the Website/Documents (swannkeys.org) and copies are available in the office. Please remember no child under 12 may be on the pool deck unless accompanied by an adult. The contracted pool company is not responsible for attending to unescorted children.

Additional items have been added to the playground. Through the generously of our neighbors, a swing for disabled children was added last month. We now offer tether ball and other sports activities. Mulch has been added to the swing area and the playground equipment has been power-washed. Replacement parts have been ordered for the shuffleboard and should be installed shortly. Use your pass to gain entrance to the equipment closet next to the Community Center. The Recreation Committee has been reviewing the internet to find a source for replacement for the Mini Golf Course. Reminder no bikes or skateboards should be in the playground area. NO DOGS/PETS ARE PERMITTED IN THE PLAYGROUND; SIGNS ARE POSTED!

The Water System is functioning properly at this time. Last month we replaced a salt tank and a check valve on the large pump. Recently, because of the iron smell and taste in the water, all streets were drained and this process will be done on a fixed schedule. Proposals are being prepared to request bids for an outside source to maintain and control our system. Anticipated repairs for the fall include reconditioning #2 Well; purchase of two dehumidifiers; painting the storage tank; booster motors for the storage tank; automatic switching from #3 Well to #2 Well during emergencies and replacement of the bladder tanks installed before the year 2000. In addition we also need a Plumbing Engineering Study to locate and design water usage from the storage tank as this is not the time of year to do any repairs or replacements. At the current time, we are pumping in excess of seventy five thousand gallons of water per day and all measurements are within the required reading for the State.

The Sewer System is functioning properly. You may notice the Welding Company working on the lift station hinges and cross bars. Once the weld breaks, the doors can become very loud. The large trucks continue to be the problem.

Please remember common courtesies: obey the speed limits, pick up after your dogs, keep trash in cans, grass clippings should not go in canals or your neighbor's property, golf carts may only be driven by licensed drivers, excess parking is in front of the playground. I have received calls on all of these items this month. Approved Rules & Regulations (June, 2017) have been recorded in Georgetown, DE. are on the Website/Documents (swann keys.org.) - copies are available in the office. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a great summer! George Kirkley, President

As you are aware, the Swann Keys Board of Directors has asked all lot owners to vote whether or not to accept a proposal from Artesian Resources to buy our water plant and wells.

The votes have been counted and the majority of the owners have voted to NOT accept the proposal.  As announced earlier, the Board has agreed to accept the vote of the owners as our final decision.  In accepting the decision, the Board will now refocus their efforts on continuing to provide you the best quality water possible.  

Thank you for your interest and participation in this process.  An active and concerned citizenry will make for a better community, one that we can all be proud of.

George Kirkley, President

In November, in an attempt to find a source for emergency water; we contacted Artesian Resources. They were presented with three questions:

1. Do they have the ability to furnish Swann Keys with water in case of an emergency?
2. Do they offer water treatment center management?
3. And finally, out of curiosity, is there a way to distribute treated water to all of Swann Keys' lots?

Attached,you will find the proposals Artesian presented to the Board of Directorsfor your review. In the coming weeks we are planning an informative educational seminar. This will assist you in making a decision as to what you feel is most beneficial for Swann Keys’ future. After the session,you will receive a ballot in the mail. If you have questions, please forward to the Office: info@swannkeys.comcastbiz.net. Your comments will be distributed to the Board for review.

Click here to read Artesian Resources' proposal for water system services

George Kirkley, President

Last week, an owner felt the need to post a note of concern on Swann Keys Nextdoor. Please let me remind everyone that the Board of Directors does not respond to questions that are posted on that site. We do post “Alerts” because of our responsibility to try and keep you informed as much as possible. The official Website for SwannKeys is swannkeys.org and in addition to this; emails that are sent to the office [info@swannkeys.comcastbiz.net] are distributed to the Board of Directors.

Now let me review last week’s problems with our water system:

1. An electrical problem with #3 Pump caused the pump to flip the circuit breaker; we distributed water but it was from the Reservoir Tank which recently has been completely reconditioned. The “Alert To Use Water Sparingly” was to assist you in ensuring the 25,000 gallon tank supported us for more than six (6) hours. We are happy to report the electrical company responded within four (4) hours and all problems were averted.
2. On Wednesday, the iron level in the water spiked-problem was identified as a floatin #2 Brine Tank malfunctioned and brine was not distributed to #2 Softener-thus unacceptable water was distributed but within two (2) hours; this was rectified.

The water system has worked well with the changes and updates we have made this summer. As we continue to update our Well System, there will be some problems. Our emphasis is on minimizing the effects on our owners. Last week, we had electrical and mechanical problems. We have delayed the complete renovation of the filter and softener tanks until October to ensure minimal disruptions. Maintenance flushes the streets on three (3) week intervals. If a malfunction occurs, they will be flushed that day.

Always remember we are operating a Water Plant and not a home well system. Feel free to call Butch or myself and we would be more than happy to show you the system and explain how it functions.

George Kirkley, President

Swann Keys has been seriously affected by unprecedented snow and extreme cold. If you anticipate not living in your home for an extended period during the winter months, we strongly recommend that you winterize your home and call the office to request that your water be turned off at the street. To have the water turned back on the day before you plan on returning, call the office during regular hours:

Monday-Friday: 9am-2pm  |  302-436-5111

The water piping in front of your home has been installed below the freeze line; thus the possibility of a problem with the valve is doubtful. Valves were originally identified by a white pipe which must be visible at all times. If for some reason you do not see the pipe, please place something that would identify the location during snow. In the last week we have located valves buried under 7 inches of dirt and snow; this makes it impossible to assist you in your time of need. All of the call-outs recently have been frozen pipes under the home; we cannot assist with frozen pipes - You will need to call a plumber. Due to extremely unusual water usage (140,000 gallons per day as opposed to the usual 30,000 gallons per day), we rode by each property looking for major leaks and turned off water at the street. If for some reason we have closed your valve due to leaking, you have been notified by the office.

As many of you may already know, we experienced a rash of burglaries during November and December. We have had the total support of Delaware State Police. With the information from our camera system they have been able to identify the intruder and issue warrants. With the assistance of Maryland State Police, I am happy to report that the perpetrator is now in custody; many thanks to Chuck Der and Ron Young who assisted the police.

On behalf of the Board of Directors I would also like to thank our community volunteers for their exhausting assistance during this crisis.

George Kirkley, President

Maintenance - with generous assistance from the Sports Club and Ladies Auxiliary, we mulched the playground area, hung new swings, added two new park benches and replaced some chairs and umbrellas at the pool. We completed the paving of Mallard Drive and Swann West. The parking lines and STOP and SLOW street markings have been repainted. The Boy Scout bus stop now has a new seat for the children. The trees and bushes in our community common areas have been trimmed for the year.

Water system - all water filters have been repaired and re-bedded with new media. The softeners have had the internal material replaced and the outside support structures fixed. The Well pumps will be pulled and cleaned in late October (date TBD). As of September 10, 2017 the water system is functioning properly. We are now anticipating the review and recommendations from the contracted Water Engineer.

Security - We have received reports of people breaking into houses and physically staying in the house for days. There have been reports of seeing someone riding up the canals in a boat in the middle of the night shining a flashlight on homes. Secure your property - Lock your cars - Please keep an eye on your neighbors property.

Rental Properties - Per the Swann Keys Rules and Regulations: Lot owners are responsible for the actions of themselves, renters, children and guests.
 
Requirements for Lot owners who rent properties

• Post the SK Rules and Regulations, pool rules and the trash/recycle schedule in the rental property.
• Overflow trash must be placed in heavy duty BLACK trash bags.
• It is your responsibility to provide your pool pass to the renter if they are going to use the pool/clubhouse. The office cannot issue pool passes to the renters. Secure your pool pass with a deposit from the renters to insure its return.

Remember - your renters become part of our community when they are here. Give them a copy of the SK Newsletter for community information.

It is required that you report your renter’s information to the office in case of an emergency.

George Kirkley, President

Trash Removal - We were on the phone for hours trying to contact someone local who could/would take care of the problem.  All local telephone numbers we had went to an out-of-state call center or the sales representative's voicemail.  We found out later that, even though his voicemail was still active, he no longer works for the company.  Board Director Diana Shade, who negotiated the original contract, also spent hours on the phone trying to reach someone local.  She then rifled through her old files and found a name and number of the Regional Manager, which turned out to be a good number, and she was contacted.  I understand trash has been picked up today.  Beverly is checking on the recyclables.

Water - The Chairman of Maintenance and the Water Committee has spent over two weeks attempting to fix the system. It looks as though our contract with Sharp Culligan does not contain a preventive maintenance clause. Thus, minimal if any corrective actions have been taken since the last major repairs in 2012. Currently, the problem was pinpointed to be in the filter tanks, which filter iron from the raw water coming from the well.  We have three filter tanks, of which, only one is functioning properly.  Sharp Culligan ordered the parts on August 1st for filter #3, which is being repaired today.  On Sunday, filter #1 clogged with stones, which is being corrected today. After consultation with our water engineer, I have requested a rebuild on all 3 filter tanks  

Some of the issues we have been dealing with since June 1st:  Stones in the softener tank, failure of small well pump, stones in filter tank #3 followed by #1; test on #3 well shows need for acid wash and cleaning, legs on #3 softener tank collapsed, stone blocking brine intake to #3 softener, elbow on #1 softener needed to be replaced, meter recording number of gallons per day clogged, 

The Water Committee has had face-to-face meetings with the owner of Sharp Culligan and C. Shultes Wells.  C. Shultes Wells feels it would be better to wait until the end of September, when there are fewer people in Swann Keys, to pull the 25 horsepower pump and clean the well.  The reasoning for that delay is we will be operating on our 20,000 gallon reserve tank intermittently during their three days of repair. All the meeting discussions and repairs have been shared with our contracted  Engineer. He is withholding his review and recommendations until the system is operating properly.

Please know your Board of Directors is working hard to correct problems and are dedicated to improving our infrastructure.

George Kirkley, President

We have engaged a professional engineer to analyze our system and offer recommendations for future improvements. He has in his possession the last six months repair activity and a list of questions that have been presented to the Board. We will experience water system problems intermittently, Sharp states our levels are not harmful to your health.

To assist owners in recovering from excessive iron in the water system we have established the follow recommended process.

You will be notified by email and the front board if we are aware or anticipating a problem. 

The iron will accumulate in your hot water heater. Turn off the circuit breaker to the hot water heater and let it empty. When water becomes cool turn off and allow to refill. Turn power back to tank.Turn on water and let run for five minutes. This should empty your internal pipes. The Maintenance dept will be emptying the outside lines at the same time.  

The Board apologies for any in hard ship this may cause. We are on a well system as is everyone else in lower Delaware. The iron enters our system at 11 parts million and exits the system at a range of .10 to .17.  Well below the industry standard of .30.When iron is in system it has to drain out.

We had a friendly visit from Sgt.Trimmer D.N.R.E.C. . He was concerned about resident dumping of yard waste in waterways and marshland adjacent to  Swann Keys property owners. There is a minimum $500.00 to $1,000.00 fine if you are cited. Yard waste may be disposed of at any Delaware Solid Waste facility.If the amount is small enough to be bagged you could put it in your trashcans for Monday pickup.

NEXTDOOR SWANN KEYS is a valuable site for general information exchange, however; everyone should realize that the ONLY OFFICIAL WEBSITE for Swann Keys is swannkeys.org. This site is not for discussing the BUSINESS of Swann Keys. Please use this site ONLY for: selling items; looking for an item; lost and found items; recommendations for workers, etc. 

Ronnie Young, President

Boat Parking: ‘Sussex County has an ordinance on the books that states you cannot park a boat, trailer, or camper in front of your house’. There was a complaint registered by one of our homeowners and the County visited the office to meet with our President. After much discussion, the homeowner withdrew his complaint. If no one else complains, the County will leave us alone. If they have to come back; they will send you a letter first, then a fine.

George Kirkley, President