Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Dear Residents: The 11th Management Council (MC) is pleased to present to you the Newsletter for the year 2013-14. This Newsletter aims to provide you with updates on various Social activities, Security, Landscape, Cleaning, the status of our Management and Sinking Fund and other activities in the Estate. On 23 Nov 2013 we celebrated our Aquarius Day. It was a grand success and we thank all the members and volunteers who have helped and contributed to the success of the Aquarius Day. The year was a significant one with respect to the Management Fund. We closed the financial year with a Surplus for the Management Fund for the first time in seven years. Council continued to maintain fiscal prudence in all our activities without compromising safety or the maintenance of the estate and closely monitored all expenses. However we are seeing significant increases in the charges of our Service Providers for this year and therefore will need to continue applying fiscal discipline in managing the Estate. In the coming year we also need to plan and prepare for the Repainting project which will absorb a lot of resources. MC is also proposing to enhance the security of the estate by installing better access control mechanism at the entry points to the estate. The 12th AGM at Aquarius by the Park is scheduled for 26 April 2014 and we would like to invite every SP who is able to contribute time or expertise to the estate to step up and volunteer. The MC will continue to serve you to our best abilities and endeavours to further enhance the estate which is Our Home. We thank you for the opportunity and lo ok forward to your continuous support and feedback. Let us continue to make Aquarius by the Park a safe, peaceful, harmonious environment and gracious community to live in. Thank you. Warm Regards, Vinod Martin Chairman 11th Management Council March 2014

Inside this issue Aquarius Day 2013 Social Activities Security Cleaning Landscape Management Fund and Sinking Fund Utilities M&E Updates Management Council and MA General 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8

Key Contacts
Management Office Main Guard House Email : 6243 0423 : 6241 5307 : ma@aquariusbythepark.org

Aquarius by the Park Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/AquariusByThePark

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Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Aquarius Day 2013

Gracious Community was theme of the Aquarius Day that was successfully held on 23 Nov 2013, continuing with the wonderful tradition that we have at Aquarius. This Annual Event helps to bring all residents together to participate in this community bonding event, to make new friends and re-connect with fellow residents. For the afternoon events in addition to Flea Markets and Water Games this year we had a Treasure Hunt and Art Competition for Children. The events attracted a great turnout, participation, and provided loads of fun and excitement for everyone. In the evening, we were honoured to have our MP of East Coast GRC and Advisor of Kg Chai Chee Constituency, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Manpower, gracing the event with his presence. The cultural event in the evening was filled with dancing, singing and musical instrumental performances. Residents were treated to virtuosos and exhilarating performances especially by our very own talented Aquarians.

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Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Social Activities

Poolside Umbrellas
The new pool side umbrellas were installed early this year to replace the old ones whose fabric was completely worn out. The colour of the new fabric chosen was the Aquarius blue to blend well with the colour scheme of the estate. We hope the new pool side umbrellas will enhance the resort feel around the very distinctive swimming pool that we at Aquarius have.

CNY Lion Dance & Dragon Performances

As part of the Chinese New Year the Council organised Lion Dance and Dragon Performances on 09 Feb 14. Many residents joined the CNY festivities which are part of our efforts to bond the residents of all races together.

Gym Upgrades
The equipment in the Gym was revamped with two new Treadmills replacing the old ones. The Council, noting the request of many residents, also obtained a new set of dumbbells. We hope the new equipment will help the residents in their fitness regime.

Neighbourhood Committee
The Bedok Reservoir View Neighbourhood Committee (NC) continues to collaborate with MCST in organizing various activities to knit and strengthen our social fabric. NC has initiated movements to nurture neighbourliness and harmony, where we as private residents can socialise and get to know each other better. And at the same time, we can share and exchange key information about your community (i.e. downtown line progress, dengue and crime alerts, feedback on government policies, etc). There were several events and celebrations, like the Chinese New Year Lion Dance performance, Valentines Day Run at Bedok Reservoir, Chingay parade at Bedok heartlands, Pulau Ubin Trip, Tennis Event, Outdoor Activities, Health Talk, Bollywood Workshop, Storytelling for Kids, Community service events and even our very own street party. Do connect with NC (and with your neighbours) through NC Facebook page for upcoming events and activities which we have in store for you and your families in 2014. http://www.facebook.com/brv.nc; Email: bedokrvnc@gmail.com Tel: 6241 9878

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Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Security - Cleaning
Security
Singapore is still one of the safest countries in the world. However, as a private estate and to keep the estate a safe environment for all the residents we are challenged to maintain a high level of protection. Safety and security are key focus areas of the Council. We brought in a new service provider early this year, Regent Security. Their well trained staff and increased technical support, like a Security Monitoring System, will help us protect ourselves and our assets. The Council is currently exploring options to better monitor the boundaries and potential problem areas. We are also researching possibilities to install an access control system at the entrance at the pedestrian pathway. Please help us by remaining vigilant, observing suspicious behaviours, and reporting those to Security. Additionally, encourage your family members and friends to comply with the Aquarius bylaws and to register at the Guardhouse and accompany them when they use the facilities at the estate. And to protect particularly our children, adhere to the speed limit of 15 km/h.

Cleaning
Maintaining high standards of cleaning in a property of the size of Aquarius with over 700 units is a challenge. We brought in a new service provider early this year, WYWY Cleaning Services, who has prior experience of rendering services to properties of our size. There are several areas like burning bin chutes or illegal smoking, killer litter, the basement car park, planter boxes on each floor, bird droppings, dumped garbage in public areas which require focused attention to bring and keep them up to better standards. The Council and MA are working with the Service Provider to identify these hot spots and prioritize as necessary. Additionally, we are making every effort to beautify our environment and have arranged for hi-jetting the pool area and other areas of high visibility as well as cleaned the BBQ pits and equipped them with new grills. Cleaning is an area which requires constant attention from the Managing Agent and the Council. This is also an area which requires a lot of cooperation and understanding from you as the Residents. We continue to face challenges in the estate from high rise littering, dog poo, and general negligence. There are many occasions when pet poo was found left on walkways and http://www.facebook.com/brv.nc the basement car park. We urge the cooperation from you as our fellow Residents to keep the property attractive. Please help our community Tel: clean 6241and 9878 to establish a higher level of cleanliness and order. We will not be able to afford cleaners who take care of every area of our houses and estate. The costs for cleaning companies are jumping to new heights and we will only be able to maintain the current level by looking after our environment ourselves. Only if we take action and avoid littering will we be able to live in a clean environment. Please remind the members of your households not to throw anything out of windows or off balconies and of the importance of cleanliness to keep rodents and insects at bay. Lets pr otect our beautiful environment!

Email: bedokrvnc@gmail.com

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Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Landscape

Landscape
The greenery and landscaping in Aquarius has always been a pleasant and prominent feature of the property. The walkway, visitors parking lots, the driveway, barbeque pits and car park are tastefully landscaped with a variety of plants. New features were added this year to the landscaping namely the bare patch near the childrens play area was planted with flowering plants and this area has been decoratively fenced to give it more structure. Some new Bougainvillea was planted in the raised planter boxes at the visitors parking lot and many more are needed. The landscaping along the driveway at block 3 & 5 was replanted to give it a facelift and several of the areas were fitted with lawn edging to prevent soil erosion. The landscaping contractor Nature Landscape has done a good job. However, in spite of all efforts, in recent times the plants have suffered severely under the ongoing dry weather conditions. The Council has been very concerned about the various cases of tree branches breaking off and in some cases even the tops of Coconut trees breaking off, posing a risk to the residents. The damaged trees were cleared off immediately. The Council is researching the root causes and identify lasting solution to this problem. A tree doctor was called in from the landscape vendor to inspect the landscape at the property. A formal report and recommendations are awaited, however, the preliminary reports indicate that most foliage in the property has aged and deteriorated severely. The ravages of time combined with poor soil have damaged the roots and trunks of the plants. Many of the palm and coconut trees are planted in shallow ground which has resulted in the trees suffering from lack of water and nutrients. Insects and fungi have done their share of damage. The coconut trees are old and have grown too tall to provide shade and beauty to the property. Pruning the coconut trees has become a routine which entails extra effort and high cost. The Council is in the process of preparing a detailed action plan to preserve and upgrade the unique landscaping features of the property.

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Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Management Fund and Sinking Fund

The Council is very pleased to report that for the first time in seven years the Management Fund (MF) for the financial year posted a Surplus at the end of the financial year 2013. This also meant that the overall Management Fund after being in deficit for many long months is back in Surplus. This is indeed a significant achievement for us as an Estate and the Council is relieved and satisfied that we managed to bring Management Fund finances back on track - back into a Surplus. One of the main factors was the increase in MF from July 2013 onwards approved at the last AGM. But even with the increase in fund contributions, we were budgeted to still have more than S$ 121,000 as a deficit. The Council is happy to report that we managed to achieve the Surplus by: Maintaining financial prudence in all our activities without compromising on the maintenance of the estate; Close monitoring of all expenses specially utilities expenses; Energy saving measures; Cost optimization measures; Exploring better and cost effective ways of repair and maintenance; Negotiating with suppliers. The total expenses for the financial year were reduced by more than S$ 72,763 compared to the previous year - a significant reduction of 4% overall when in general the cost of services has actually gone up significantly. The summarized numbers (including the comparison with 2012) are as follows [all amounts in S$]: Management Fund Income Expenses Surplus 2013 1,890,103 1,853,014 37,089 2012 1,728,820 1,925,777 -196,957 Sinking Fund Opening Balance Contributions Interest Received Utilization of Fund Closing Balance Please note 2013 numbers are un-audited. As we take note about the improvement in state of the MF finances, the Council would still like to maintain caution and continued financial prudence as we are seeing significant increases (of up to 20%) in cost of our major service providers like Security, Cleaning, and Shuttle Bus Service for the current year. These kinds of increases can significantly increase our spending again causing a severe strain on the finances. 2,013 2,222,336 328,560 21,607 53,531 2,518,972 2,012 2,014,383 328,560 12,559 133,166 2,222,336

Surplus / Deficit
50000 0 2007 -50000 -100000 -150000 -200000 -250000
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Aquarius by the Park Newsletter 2013/14

Utilities M&E Updates

Electricity and Water Consumption Utilities (Electricity and Water) comprise the biggest expense category for the estate contributing to about 27% of the total expenses under the Management Fund (in 2012). One of the focus areas of the Management Council this year has been managing and reducing the Utilities expenses. The Council is happy to report that the Electricity and Water Consumption of the Estate has been reduced significantly during 2013 resulting in the reduction of Utilities expenses by more than 14%. Electricity Consumption/Charges (per month) Year 2011 2012 2013 Units (Kwh) 127,191 130,665 121,820 Charges (S$) 35,322 39,039 33,149 Water Consumption/Charges (per month) Year 2011 2012 2013 Units (CuM) 2,839 2,771 2,266 Charges (S$) 6,677 6,858 4,942

This was made possible by a combination of the following measures: Strict monitoring of Electricity and Water readings on a daily basis; Swift action including identification and prompt rectification in case of any defects / leakages that effect the Utilities bill. This included activities like the replacement of sensors, valves, and over hauling of pumps; Adjusting the timing of some lights in the basement Car park. Earlier many of the lights were switched on 24 hours. The Council in a phased manner reduced the timing of some lights to 12 hours without jeopardizing safety; Adjusting slightly the timing of the lights in common areas like lift lobbies; Using the LED lights inside the lifts.

Maintenance Activities
Following are some of the major repairs / replacements done during this year: Pool Bar: Basement Carpark: Club House: Water Feature: Motorized Valve: Transfer Pump: Booster Pump: Sump Pits: Pressure Tanks: BBQ Pits: Gym: Fire Protection System (WIP): Playground: New Water Cooler Replacement of Exit Lights Replacement of overhead lights Replacement of Starlite pool pump Replacement of motorized valve for tank #2 at Blk 21 roof top Replacement of float valve at Blk 11 basement Replacement of sensor electrode at Blk 21 roof top Replacement of pumps for Pit # 1 and 4 Replacement at Blk 5, 11, 13, 19 and 21 Replacement of BBQ and ash trays for all BBQ Pits Replacement of two Treadmills and a new Dumbbells set Replacement of fire panels Replacement of faulty heat detectors Repair of swing

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Management Council and Managing Agent

Management Council
The following are the members of the 11th Management Council Vinod Martin o Chairman o Finance-Admin SubCom o M & E, Building Defects SubCom Clarissa Bellstedt o Secretary o Finance-Admin SubCom o Security SubCom Neo Chye San o Treasurer o Finance-Admin SubCom o M & E, Building Defects SubCom Ashish Kapahi o Member o Security SubCom Balaji Ramaswamy (resigned) o Member Christian Mailhes (resigned) o Member John Ng o Member o Finance-Admin SubCom o Social SubCom Li Ying Guang o Member o Social SubCom Lim Jui Liang (co-opted new member) o Member o M & E, Building Defects SubCom Rakesh Rawat (resigned) o Member Saraf Virenda Govind o Member o M & E, Building Defects SubCom o Housekeeping SubCom Srividhya Srinivasan o Member o Social SubCom o Housekeeping SubCom Titty Thomas Varghese o Member o Housekeeping SubCom Vijaya Ranga Prasad o Member o Security SubCom o Housekeeping SubCom

11th Management Council 2013-14

Managing Agent
Steadlink is the current Managing Agent. The following are part of the MA team Dennis Ong o Condo Manager Robert Reyes o Assistant Condo Manager Bobby Wee o Property Officer Angie Ng o Admin Assistant P Kuppamah (Raaginee) o Facility Supervisor

Essential Service Providers

Managing Agent Steadlink Asset Management Pte Ltd Shuttle Bus Technicians Air Tech Engineering & Consultancy Pte Ltd Lift Security Regent Pte Ltd Refuse Disposal For Internal Circulation Only MCST 2669 Cleaning WyWy Pte Ltd Swimming Pool Landscape Nature Landscape Pte Ltd Pest Control Metro Tours Pte Ltd Hitachi Elevator Engrg (S) Pte Ltd Sembwaste Pte Ltd Page # 8 CU Water Services Pte Ltd ABJ Pte Ltd