THE ELIZABETH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
4601 North Park Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting September 15, 2009
Board Present:
Woody Cunningham ....................President
Alexandria Kielty .........................Vice President
Monique Fridell ...........................Treasurer
Judith Barth ................................Assistant Treasurer
Jeffrey Axelrad ............................Secretary
Charles Bressler ...........................Director
Dr. Alfred Muller .........................Director
Also present:
John Algner ............Community Manager, Legum & Norman
Mike Horan .............Property Manager, Legum & Norman
Martha Morris .........Recording Secretary
Call to Order: Mr. Cunningham called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm.
President’s Report
• Mr. Cunningham welcomed everyone and noted there are several significant projects now underway.
• Staff is available for residents’ comments and concerns.
• There were some glitches in the transition to the new financial system but they are being resolved.
• The Association is already seeing some cost savings from obtaining competitive bids on contracts.
• Management has changed procedures for major contracts and developed an addendum process that will protect the Association.
• Several major contracts are underway:
o AD Heath Company is conducting an evaluation of the horizontal piping replacement work that will be done on the lobby level
o Refurbishing Committee will make a report tonight
o We are about to start on the façade improvements approved at last meeting
o emergency generator contract; Legum & Norman can help speed this along
• Urged residents to get involved in committee work
Approval of Minutes
MOTION Dr. Muller moved to approve the minutes of the August 11, 2009 meeting as presented. Ms. Barth seconded the motion. The vote to approve was unanimous.
Treasurer’s Report
• Will no longer provide analysis of monthly and YTD results as Legum & Norman provides this in its monthly report.
• Noted a doubling in amount of delinquencies; it is hoped this is due to residents’ sending their payments to the old lockbox; asked Management to research this.
• Repeated her requests that L&N restate income statement presentation by adding a line item to for one-time extraordinary expenses related to the transition to outside management;and reclassifying transition expenses, including legal fees and severance costs.
• Prepared written Investment Procedures, revised as a result of transition to L&N, to be presented to Board for approval tonight.
• Dr. Muller inquired about the status of an application for a $1 million line of credit requested at an earlier Board meeting. The Treasurer indicated that she has not yet researched this project.
Old Business
Mr. Horan reported on three major contracts:
o AD Heath Company is evaluating the horizontal piping project. Notices will be sent out with the project start date.
o The façade work will begin at the end of September on Tiers 14 and 15.
o He and Mr. Algner are working with engineer Robert Faas to facilitate upgrading the emergency generator.
Mr. Algner reported on the following:
o There will be a pre-mobilization meeting at 1:00 pm on September 23 to discuss the façade work.
o After discussion with legal counsel on the draft AIA contract, he recommends that the references to arbitration be removed, which is standard at other associations. He recommends that the Board accept the contract as revised.
New Business
Garage Lighting — Mr. Horan reported that he has received two proposals for replacement of the lighting in the garage and stairwells with a third anticipated. He recommends Derick Associates because they will pass on an $11,000 Pepco rebate to the Association, they were able to provide a cost per fixture, and they estimate that the Association will save $37,315 in five years ($7,463 per year). He expects the brightness with the new fixtures to be the same or slightly better.
MOTION Dr. Muller moved to accept the proposal from Derick Associates for replacement of the lighting in the garage and stairwells with more energy-efficient fixtures at a cost not to exceed $28,100. Mr. Axelrad seconded the motion. The vote to approve was unanimous.
Residents’ Door Locks — Mr. Horan reported that a resident was unable to access his unit due to failure of the door lock. This represented a dangerous situation as the resident on separate occasions was locked outside then locked inside his apartment. Due to the age of the locks, they cannot be replaced nor are parts available for repair. Federal Lock and Safe has determined that the current door lock can be disabled and a new dead bolt can be added at a cost of $351. As a safety precaution, Management would like to inform residents of the options available and give them contact information for Federal Lock and Safe to allow residents to correct the problem individually, as door locks are the responsibility of unit owners. The new hardware will look similar to the existing materials. Ms. Barth said she would arrange for Mr. Horan to receive the information on the door hardware being considered by HDG so the new locks and new hardware are matching.Ms. Barth added that the Refurbishment Committee has looked into the possibility of replacing doors and locks; doors appear to be out of budget range but new hardware is being considered. Mr. Horan also offered to find a reliable, reasonable after-hours locksmith and place contact information at the front desk in case other residents also encounter a lock-out.
Landscaping Presentation – Mr. Bressler
Mr. Bressler arranged for a representative from Merrifield Garden Center to address the Board and community with ideas for a new landscaping design. Mr. Tom Wallerich distributed drawings to the Board and presented his various ideas for plantings in gardens around the building. . After his presentation, the Board agreed that they will need to place his proposal into the context of the current year budget. Mr. Horan distributed the specific proposal to Board members for consideration at a future Board meeting Also, it was mentioned that Landscape Maintenance was previously approved, with the contract awarded to Valley Crest.
Security System — Dr. Muller
• Door to lobby keeps jamming open; Mr. Horan is working on a resolution. The refurbishment may include new electronic doors.
• Some residents have reported that their visitors are still not always being announced. Mr. Horan will be meeting with all Front Desk staff to review procedures.
• Security Patrol – Mr. Horan and Mr. Cunningham have established an 8 pm – 4 am night shift schedule. This will ensure that residents will have an escort available to storage bins and from the garage at night and that the front desk position will be filled while the clerk is on dinner break.
• A resident had submitted a written report to the Board concerning a vehicle in the garage that the resident reported was leaking gasoline. Mr. Horan resolved this particular incident, but Dr. Muller has asked the security guard to note any vehicles in violation of the rules and report them to Mr. Horan for action.
• Mr. Horan is reviewing the Association’s security system, beginning with cameras. Mr. Horan reported that See View Security analyzed the security cameras and recording system. They are suggesting replacing the outdated tape system with a digital (DVR) system. As a second step, they recommend changing the cameras if the recording quality does not improve. They will upgrade one camera as a test. Mr. Horan will obtain at least one more bid for this work.
Committee Reports
Exercise Committee – Alexandra Kielty
Ms. Kielty reported that a summary of the results from the survey was distributed to residents today. 85 responses were received. The committee will hold another open meeting. The committee will obtain proposals for equipment replacement. The budget allows for replacement of pieces of equipment but not for refurbishing the exercise room. The committee hopes to have Hartman Design Group review the exercise area but expects a full renovation would not be feasible for 2-4 years.
Refurbishment Committee – Judith Barth
Ms. Barth noted that while the committee did not meet this past month, Hartman Design continues to work on the design plan for The Elizabeth. Next week the firm will present choices for fabrics and other design elements. The committee will then meet with the Advisory Committee for their review and evaluation. Ms. Barth expects that she will have design boards to present at the October Board Meeting.
Energy Conservation – Joan Rosenbach
The committee met on August 27.
• A new subcommittee was established to recommend an engineering contractor to the Board to provide recommendations for energy-saving measures and estimated payback.
• The committee welcomes additional members.
• The Association will sell Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs to residents at a discounted bulk price. Notices will be posted in elevators.
• Received an estimate of $3.2 million for new windows and doors. No action is required on this; the committee is just gathering information.
• Board Treasurer Fridell met with the committee and made a presentation on issues and options related to financing the purchase of energy-saving equipment.
Pet Committee – Tobi Esler
Ms. Esler reported that the committee had met twice and is focusing on House Rule 15B, which requires that pets be registered with management. The committee recommends that a new form be distributed to residents to ensure the list is up to date and complete. The committee asked management for copies of sample pet rules from other properties for their review and plans to have recommendations for the Board’s October meeting. The committee had asked management to place a notice in the elevators reminding pet owners of their responsibilities and plans to distribute more such reminders in the future.
Other New Business
Floor Reps – Tobi Esler
Ms. Esler reported that she and Stephanie Olshan are Co-Chairs. They met with Mr. Horan on September 10 and explained the purpose of the committee, which is: 1) to welcome new residents; 2) to keep management informed of resident concerns; and 3) to collect proxy votes for the Association’s annual meeting. The committee is working on adding items to the welcome packets. Also, they asked management to post bilingual signs in the trash rooms reminding residents and others who use them about proper bagging and disposal procedures.
Other
Ms. Kielty asked about the status of the pool area plants. Mr. Horan recommends removing them. Ms. Gann noted that these plants belong to residents and should be offered to them before disposing of them.
Ms. Kielty asked about the status of the fan blower in the pool area. Mr. Horan will look into it.
Ms. Fridell reviewed a memo she had distributed to the Board regarding investment procedures for Reserves. The current account is at Wachovia Bank in “brokered CDs” in a program called “CDAR.” Legum & Norman and the auditors are recommending that all investments be consolidated under one roof and Ms. Fridell is recommending that as the several non-Wachovia CDs come due over the next 7 months, that they be transferred to the Wachovia program. She recommends against cashing in any CDs prior to maturity due to penalties that would be imposed. By April 2010 all investments will then be consolidated. At that time, if the Board wishes to consider moving the entire investment portfolio, they can do so.
MOTION Mr. Bressler moved to adopt Ms. Fridell’s recommended Investment Procedures. Mr. Axelrad seconded the motion.
Discussion. Mr. Algner noted that John Rhodes, president of Legum & Norman, had proposed investment procedures and that he is in agreement with the Board’s actions. Mr. Cunningham added that he also recommends this procedure and that the Board is welcome to discuss if it wants to change brokerage firms once the investments are consolidated by April 2010. The vote to approve was unanimous.
Residents’ Comments
• A resident complimented Mr. Horan on the job he is doing so far. She noted that some residents have already replaced their door locks. She also noted that some of the original toilets are breaking and flooding, and asked management to obtain a bulk rate for owners to replace this item. She asked if the leases that are presently used by owners comply with Maryland and county laws. The Board confirmed that they do. The resident also asked that Legum & Norman research tax credits available from the federal and county governments for energy conservation measures and how to finance such expensive projects.
• Two residents debated the first speaker’scomplaint that the second speaker did not relinquish the exercise machine he was using to her after 20 minutes as required by the rules. The second speaker said he offered the machine to a resident in a wheelchair and disputed the facts recited by the first speaker, who thereafter reiterated her statements.
• A resident commented that the tax credits for window replacement will expire in 2010. He also asked about the positioning of the cameras in the elevators and noted that a vendor had been in the exercise room today repairing some of the equipment.
• Mr. Cunningham stated that House Rules should be followed and that if residents have complaints, they should bring them to the attention of management. Secondly, he noted that the Association has established procedures for resolving disputes between residents that can be invoked if necessary.
• A resident reported that an individual on a walker or in a wheelchair cannot get past the first piece of equipment in the exercise room because the equipment is too close together.
• A resident who is new to the community suggested that the Association might consider forming a Finance Committee.
• A resident cautioned that the responses of the exercise facilities survey should be divided into two groups: those who use the facility and those who do not. Residents who do not use the facility might not be as willing to spend funds on amenities such as televisions when those who do use the facility might be in favor of such an option. Secondly, the resident said that dog owners are entitled to respect. Thirdly, she noted the need to follow the pet rules in light of the upcoming refurbishment project.
• A resident agreed that residents should clean up after their dogs but that residents should also be polite to pet owners.
• A resident passed on a compliment to Ms. Fridell.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on October 20, 2009.
Adjournment
There being no further business brought before the Board, the President adjourned the meeting at 9:50 pm.
Martha Morris, Recording Secretary, prepared the initial draft of these Minutes.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey Axelrad, Board Secretary
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