December 9, 2024 Volume 2, Issue 4

The Play Membership Should Cost Columbia Residents $0 and You Can Help Make This Happen

It’s become clear that we’re paying too much to enjoy the amenities Columbia offers its residents and there is no financial advantage to living in Columbia. In fact, it’s a financial disadvantage. The average annual assessment paid by residents is $1200. For that amount of money we have beautiful open spaces, walking paths and play areas. However, if you live in a development that is not on Columbia Association (CA) assessed property, you get to enjoy all of that for $0. Think of the folks who live in Glenmont, Sewells Orchard and Ecker’s Hollow who regularly walk, run and bike into not only Oakland Mills, Long Reach and Owen Brown but the other Columbia Villages as well. All of this provided to them free of charge. 

The solution to this problem is for the Columbia Association (CA), whose annual income relies on residents paying the annual assessment, to provide real value to residents for living in Columbia. The first step is to stop charging residents living and working on CA assessed property for the Play membership. The Play membership currently includes:

  • Access to 23 Outdoor Swimming Pools
  • Access to Columbia Swim Center
  • Access to SplashDown (3-story high, indoor waterslide)
  • Access to 5 Tennis/Pickleball Facilities
  • Columbia Athletic Club Indoor Tennis*
  • Long Reach Tennis Club*
  • Owen Brown Tennis Club
  • Racquet Club at Hobbit's Glen
  • Wilde Lake Tennis Club
  • Access to Columbia Ice Rink
  • Access to Columbia Skate Arena
  • Access to Columbia SportsPark
  • Miniature Golf
  • Batting Cages*
  • Columbia Skatepark
  • Complimentary Monthly Guest Passes

*Additional fees and restrictions may apply

In FY ’25, the current budget year, residents will have paid $48M in annual assessments and another roughly $10M to purchase CA memberships. Non-residents pay slightly more for a membership to one of CA’s facilities, however, when you include the annual assessment, the resident is paying quite a bit more. 

 

One of CA’s most popular programs is the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League (CNSL), fondly referred to as summer swim team. However, you can’t join the summer swim team if you don’t purchase a CA membership. This is a cost barrier for a lot of kids living in Columbia who would love to join the swim team. Again, people who don’t live on CA assessed property don’t pay the annual assessment and can buy a membership and join the summer swim team and still aren’t paying as much as Columbia residents.  

On December 12th the CA Board of Directors (BOD) will get its first opportunity to see the draft budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Over the past months I have been talking to and working with several of my fellow board members to increase the value to residents from the annual assessment. If the draft budget does not include a $0 cost Play membership for residents, then we will not vote to approve it. 

You Can Help Make This Happen

I encourage you to not only share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors, but more importantly to also tell CA what you think. Below are multiple options on how to do this. I recommend doing all of these.

  1. Email the CA Board of Directors Use this link to complete the online form and tell the CA Board of Directors to make the Play membership $0 for residents.
  2. Use this link to sign up for Resident Speakout. You can speak to the CA BOD directly during Resident Speakout. The deadline for signing up is 5pm the day before the BOD meeting (December 11th at 5pm). You can sign up to come in person or you can choose the virtual option. Residents get 3 minutes to speak and often the BOD has follow up questions. 
  3. Reach out to your CA Council Representative directly to tell them you want a $0 cost Play membership for residents:



4.Share this information with all of your friends and neighbors.

Get A Columbia Card for Discounts and Guest Passes


If you live on CA-assessed property but don't purchase a CA membership, you can request a free Columbia Card to access our facilities at a reduced, pay-as-you-go rate.

To get your Columbia Card, you can fill out the online form. You can also reach out to CA’s Customer Care Team via email at CustomerCare@ColumbiaAssociation.org or by calling 410-730-1801, and choosing option 6, between the hours of 9:00AM and 4:00PM Monday - Friday.

Neighbor Spotlight

Want To Be In the Neighbor Spotlight?


If you or anyone in your neighborhood are doing neat things, send me an email telling me a little bit about it with your contact information.

Meet With Karin At The OM Farmer's Market

 

The Oakland Mills Farmer's Market is closed for the season. It was a wonderful year meeting up and talking to all of you. Hope to see you there in 2025!

Watch Columbia Association Board Meetings Live


The Columbia Association (CA) broadcasts Board Meetings live on its YouTube channel. You can use the Watch link found on the CA website for upcoming meetings: Watch CA Board Meetings Live or you can go directly to CA's YouTube Channel and stream the meetings from there: Columbia Association Live Stream.


Announcements

Please Consider Serving on the 55+ Aging Well in Columbia Advocacy Committee


The mission of the Aging Well in Columbia Advocacy Committee (AWCAC), is to identify to the Columbia Association (“CA”) the special needs of Columbia's seniors, herein defined as Columbia residents who are 55 years of age or older (55+).

 

Goals

1. Inform and advocate to CA on community issues and opportunities as they relate to Columbia’s 55+ population.

2. Review CA policies and programs related to the mission of this Committee and recommend changes as appropriate.

3. Assist CA in disseminating information about the needs and concerns of Columbia’s 55+ population.

4. Encourage a broad range of businesses, organizations and associations to contribute to the richness of the quality of life of Columbia's 55+ population.

5. Increase public awareness of Columbia's 55+ population as a distinct and active population within the Columbia community.

For more information contact Virginia (Ginny) Thomas at ginny.thomas65@gmail.com or call at 410-992-7984 if you are considering volunteering or if you want to share with us your concerns about the needs of 55+ individuals.



Sustainability Internships at Howard Community College


Each semester (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer) there will be a maximum of two internship opportunities available for students at least sixteen years of age.

*Students must apply to the Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor prior to the start of each term. Interns are selected on the basis of resume, recommendations and personal interview.


The goal of the internship program is to give each intern a near professional work experience in a professional setting while providing an educational experience in sustainability.


Interns will go through the Human Resources onboarding process similar to any new employee. They will be subject to background checks. receive identification and parking passes. They will be required to take the same required training every new employee receives and specialized training required for things like; power tool safety, ladders and hazardous materials handling as appropriate for their assigned tasks. Additional training is available as an option.


In addition to working on ongoing projects of the Sustainability Office interns will select and develop one project of their own. They will receive support from the department, students, volunteers and other interns. Management of that project and reporting on it's results is a large part of the internship's learning experience. 


Opportunities will be provided for interns to attend sustainability related meetings and conferences both on and off campus. There will be no additional costs but transportation may not be provided.

Throughout the term interns will keep a journal or scrapbook either digitally or on paper that tracks their internship project experience. This will be reviewed at midterm and final but will remain the intern's property. The department will make a digital copy.


To date our track record of our former interns going on to employment or continuing their education in sustainability fields is 100%. We have the highest expectations for our interns and expect the same commitment to the program.


We look forward to working with you.

Bob Marietta, EHS Manager

Howard Community College

10901 Little Patuxent Parkway

Columbia, Maryland 21055

443-518-4962

RMarietta@HowardCC.edu

Other Local Newsletters

Oakland Mills Community Association Mailing List

The Oakland Mills Community Association shares information on local events as well as updates on maintenance going on in your neck of the woods. For example, street repaving. A good list to be on.

The Columbia Association offers three newsletters:
  • Do More With CA - a weekly newsletter with all things CA
  • CA Digest - monthly community updates and events
  • CA Fit - Keeping health and wellness top of mind


Click here to sign up for one or all of the CA Newsletters.

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