Condo I – October 2026
WELCOME TO OUR NEW NEIGHBORS!
Oliver Cardenas, Natalia Cardenas & Nahla – 71 Skyline Dr.
Budget and Commons Charge Booklets – A copy of the budget for the October 2026 – September 2027 fiscal year and the new commons charge coupon booklets were mailed to all homeowners. If you have not received your coupon booklet yet, please contact the HOA office. If you have set up a reoccurring check with your financial institution, remember to adjust the amount due. As a reminder, Commons Charges are due on the first of the month. Homeowners have until the tenth of the month to submit their payment without penalty. After the tenth, a $50 late fee is charged.
September’s Open Meeting – Thank you to those who attended the Open Meeting in September. The budget was reviewed for the new fiscal year, which starts in October and ends in September. Residents in attendance had a chance to ask questions and make comments.
Fire Prevention Safety Checklist – October is fire prevention month. Fire prevention is of utmost importance for multi-dwelling residents. A careless act by one resulting in a fire will impact surrounding neighbors as well. Following these safety tips can help keep all of us safe.
• Make sure you have a working back up smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
• If you hear the outside FACP box beeping, notify the board immediately. On the other hand, if you hear the alarm sounding, call the fire department and knock on your neighbors’ doors to alert them.
• Open flames are a risk. Never leave stovetop cooking unattended. Contents can spill out of a pot and cause a fire. Keep pot holders, dish towels, and anything else that can catch fire away from the stove when it is on. Keep a box of baking powder open and within easy reach so you can smother a stove fire quickly.
• Clean your oven, stove, and microwave on a regular basis.
• Invest in a fire extinguisher specific for the kitchen.
• Burning candles are a fire risk. Never leave lit candles in a room unattended. Instead, replace real candles with battery-operated candles, lessening the risk of fire. Dip birthday candles in water just to be sure they are not smoldering before placing them in the garbage.
• Do not store rags, paint, or other flammables near your gas burner or hot water heater.
• For those with fireplaces, note chimneys that are not maintained can be the cause of fire. Fireplaces and chimneys must be cleaned and checked to make sure nothing is blocking the inside of the chimney.
• Do not overload outlets or extension cords with too many plugs. Use surge protectors and replace worn-out cords.
• Do not overload washing machines and dryers. Clean dryer lint traps after every use. Put in a work order for maintenance to clean the lint from your dryer and the vent at least once a year.
• Do not smoke indoors and keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
• Liquified Petroleum Gas / LPG Tanks – are not to be stored any place on the property inside or outside. The only LPG tank anyone should have is the one attached to their barbeque grill. Improper storage of an LPG tank as it applies to multiple residence settings is a violation of fire code, TOB Local Law 30-9.
• Open Flame BBQ’s must be kept 10 feet away from any combustible surface. Int’l Fire Code 308.1.4
This list is by no means complete. Always use good judgment when it comes to fire prevention and safety.
Reflective clothing – It is getting dark earlier. Stay safe when out walking, jogging, or biking at night. Carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing and footwear.
Parking Plaza 1 Basement Access – The basement located at Parking Plaza 1 will be open on Saturday, October 10th from 1:00 – 1:15 p.m. for those needing access.
Building 5 – By the time you read this article, work around Building 5 should be just about finished. The finished product includes new cement walkways, improved drainage, and a new retaining wall.
Spotted Lantern Fly – Our arborist, Giacomo of Red Dragon Organics has infused two host Tree of Heaven in Condo 1 with pesticide to kill the Spotted Lantern Fly.
He informed us that certain nectar-rich native plants help to combat the Spotted Lantern Fly by drawing in beneficial insects such as the praying mantis, lacewings, wheel bugs, parasitic wasps, bees, and more which we now know feast on the SLF nymphs. These insects offer free, non-toxic, natural pest control. The native plants include Milkweed, Goldenrod (Ragweed is the allergen, not Goldenrod), Purple Coneflower, Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot, Joe-Pye Weed, Blue Wood Aster, Switch Grass, and Serviceberry.
Wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, bats, yellow jackets, bluejays, cardinals, warblers, robins, and catbirds feed on the SLF. September through November is peak egg-laying time for the SLF. Keep stepping on them.
Prevent Rodents from Coming Inside– As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, furry, warm-blooded critters might be looking to move inside where it is warmer. It is a good idea to rodent proof your unit now. Did you know mice can slip through a hole the size of a dime? Check for openings behind the stove where the gas line enters, where the plumbing pipes enter your unit, along the molding, and under vent covers. You can insert steel wool, green scouring pads, foam insulation, use caulking, or spackle to seal up cracks and holes inside your unit. Home improvement stores sell various critter repellents that keep mice away. Mice dislike the smell of peppermint oil. Soak a cotton ball and place it in areas you think mice might be entering your home. Or buy an Ultra Sonic Plug-In Device. Mice hate the ultra-sonic beeping sound emitted by these electronic devices. Don’t worry, the sound is inaudible to humans.
It is also a good idea to check for cracks and holes on the outside wall and the slab below it. The place where the air conditioning pipe enters the building is a likely place for rodents to enter. You can plug up openings using the same materials as mentioned above or submit a work order asking maintenance to do it.
Do you have old paint you no longer need? Did you know that liquid paint can be recycled?
1.) Liquid paint can be recycled. Liquid paint can be dropped off at the Brookhaven Landfill, Costello’s Ace Hardware, or a Sherwin-Williams store. Call organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or Angels of Long Island to see if they can use it. Check paintcare.org for paint recycling locations, hours, and details.
2.) If you are not able to get to a paint recycling location, you need to take steps to harden unwanted latex or water-based paint before disposal. Never put liquid paint in with your household trash. Instead, buy a paint hardener at your local hardware store. It is simple to use: open the paint can, add the powdery paint hardener, stir well, and it will turn into a solid in a matter of minutes. Even kitty litter or lots of shredded newspaper will work to absorb liquid paint and eventually harden in an open can. Once hardened, simply throw the open can into the trash. Leave the lid off so the sanitation worker knows the paint is dry. If cans are tossed filled with liquid paint, they explode in the truck when compressed and can leak from the truck onto the road, other vehicles, or property.
3.) Oil-based paints are hazardous and are not to be thrown out with household garbage, whether they are solid or not, because of the harm they do to the environment by polluting our soil and water. Instead, oil-based paints must be properly disposed of at the Brookhaven Town Landfill, Sherwin-Williams stores, Costello’s Ace Hardware or at a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event. Check paintcare.org for other disposal locations.
“Trick or Treat”