Town Crier Articles

A Primer on the Division of Labor in the New Town Residential Association
Posted on July 1, 2026 6:44 AM by Jack Espinal, Treasurer
 
As a followup to Everett Lunsford's  April primer article on “New Town”, let’s focus on our homeowners association. There are four specific entities in the New Town Residential Association (NTRA).
 
The Board of Directors - this is the Association’s governing body. Who are we? Five volunteer members elected to staggered terms.
  • Established by the Association’s Articles of Incorporation to serve Members of the NTRA
  • Officers that legally represent the corporation, per the NTRA Bylaws
    • President (Must be a member of the Board)
    • Vice President
    • Secretary
    • Treasurer
(We also have created non-voting support positions for an Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.)
  • Fiduciary responsibility to the Association and its Members
  • Formally makes decisions for the Association at monthly Board meetings
NTRA Committees – staffed by volunteers from throughout New Town.
  • Appointed by the NTRA Board
  • Assist the Board in the management of the community
  • Governed by a Board-approved Charter
  • Generally, bound by the same rules as the NTRA Board
We have one very special committee, the Architectural Review Committee (ARC), which is the only Committee that can make independent decisions on behalf of the Association.
  • Interacts through our management company directly with residents
  • Evaluates proposed changes to the exteriors of homes
  • Ensures that the look and feel of the community is retained
  • Ensures compliance with the New Town Master Plan and ARC guidelines
  • ARC decisions can be appealed to the Board of Directors
Our Management Company or Managing Agent – Chesapeake Bay Management (CBM).
Paid to run operations, i.e. perform day-to-day tasks for the community. Staffed by one manager and an administrative assistant. The Management Company works directly for the Board of Directors.
 
CBM's duties include:
  • Collecting assessments
  • Maintaining financial documents
  • Conducting exterior home inspections and follow-up
  • Managing violations
  • Obtaining proposals from contractors
  • Organizing and providing support for meetings
  • Overseeing work performed by contractors
  • Responding to owner questions and concerns
As you can imagine communications between each of these four entities is critical.
Comments
No Comments
Archives
RSS Icon