Highlighted in the October meeting of the Elizabeth Condo Board were these points: bulk rate for replacing locks on apartment front doors; discovery of asbestos in pipe coverings; new security cameras, energy efficient lighting for the garage; recommendations from the pet policy committee.
Present at the meeting these Board members President Woody Cunningham, Judi Barth, Charles Bressler, Monique Fridell and Al Muller and the following Legum & Norman representatives: Scott Murdoch, Senior Community Manager (newly assigned to the Elizabeth. He is the site manager of the Carleton in Friendship Heights) and Mike Horan, ECA Site Manager
Text that appears in italics has been taken verbatim from the October Management Report prepared by Mike Horan.
Management met with Hartman Group and Federal Lock and Safe to determine which lock will best fit with the future floor renovations. Management selected Federal Lock and Safe based on pricing and previous experience with the company. Federal Lock will provide a bulk discount, and a sign up sheet will be made available for residents wanting their locks changed. In addition to the information in the Management Report, Mike Horan stated that the cost of the lock replacement will be $265.
The first floor pipe replacement is well underway, by A.D. Heath, our contractor. During the initial phase Heath discovered asbestos in some of the pipe coverings. This discovery may push the project completion date into early next year. The asbestos removal will not raise environmental or air quality concerns. Removal will be done by professionals using industry standards and techniques. With regard to the need for asbestos abatement in connection with the first floor pipe replacement by AD Heath (as addressed in the Management Report), the contract was approved for $39,600, to be managed by AD Heath. Woody Cunningham emphasized that this will not pose any health hazard.
The exterior facade work that was approved for the 14th and 15th tiers has commenced and will continue through the middle of November. Residents in those areas have been notified.
See View Security has completed the installation of a new DVR system for the security cameras. Two of the older cameras were replaced resulting in an immediate difference in picture quality and clarity. Management recommends that all remaining black and white cameras be replaced with new digital color cameras. The Board approved a contract for $4800 to replace the 22 current security cameras with a new digital DVR system. This will include two additional cameras in the arcade and will allow us to recover data quickly in terms of times and locations. The Board also approved the expenditure of funds for two new monitors at the front desk in an amount estimated at approximately $2000.
Derrick Lighting will begin replacement of the garage lighting within the next two weeks. These lights will be brighter and use about 40% less energy. The Elizabeth should recover these costs through energy savings within 5 years.
Although expenses for L&N over the past three months are $2400 over the expenses under self-management, Al Muller pointed out that we already have a surplus of funds in excess of $90,000 due to L&N management.
David Drazin, of the Energy Committee reported that it now has a subcommittee which is engaged in finding engineering firms to help with projects coming up in the future. They have contacted 5-7 firms to see if they would have interest in consulting with us. Additionally, David reported that the committee is looking into purchasing wind energy through Pepco and is reviewing the resources and service offered by Bethesda Green to see if we could benefit from them.
Tobi Esler reported on the work of the Pet Policy Committee. The Committee has submitted a written report to the Board, and copies were made available after the meeting. Copies may also be obtained in the Management Office. The Committee recommended that all pets be registered using a new form (the form currently in use in the Carleton) and attaching a photo of the pet. The Committee also recommended amendments to the House Rules as these apply to pets, and a referendum on pets at the annual Association meeting in May.
Treasurer Monique Fridell mentioned that she is looking into lines of credit for the Elizabeth, both as backup lines of credit, and those appropriate for particular projects.
The Board approved establishment of a brokerage account for the Elizabeth with Morgan Stanley, and the transfer of our securities to this account immediately. This account will remain under the control of the Treasurer. The fee for this service will only be approximately $150 per year.
Landscape Design: The Board agreed to obtain a second proposal for landscape design. Charles Bressler will be contacting a Landscape Designer in this regard.
Social Committee: Judi Barth announced the following upcoming events:
October 30: a Halloween party for all children and grandchildren of Elizabeth residents on October 30. Mike Horan will decorate.
November 22: Sunday Brunch with an omelet maker. The Redskin-Dallas game will be shown on the big TV. There will be a nominal fee for attendance, as there was last year.
December 4: Box party to fill 300 boxes for the homeless – coordinated by Peg Downey in the West Lobby.
December 13: Annual Holiday Party
Renovation: Judi Barth said that the Refurbishment Committee met with the Hartman Design Group on September 22 to view the finishes and Phase II plans for the lobby, concierge area, party room and modernization of the rest rooms. The rest rooms will be ADA accessible, and this has already been approved by Montgomery County. She emphasized that since the plans are still a moving target, the Committee is not yet ready to present them to the Association members. The Refurbishment Committee presented the plans and finishes to the Refurbishment Advisory Committee, who were very pleased with all and gave them an enthusiastic endorsement. Judi described the new look as elegant, sophisticated, warm and inviting, and said that once installed, we will become the “pride of Chevy Chase.”
Hartman Design group is now in Phase II, and working on plans for the General Contractor. She is hoping that the installation will begin by February 1, pending completion of work on the first floor pipes.
Woody mentioned that renovation efforts are being closely coordinated with the first floor piping repairs and asbestos abatement project.
Over the next few weeks, Management will be meeting with all building staff, both as a group and individually, to go over performance expectations and discuss ways to optimize customer service.
The Board asked Mike Horan to look into getting a bulk discount rate for replacing toilets in individual apartments. Owners are reporting more and more leaking toilets that cause damage not only to their apartments but to others around and below them.
Management is looking into bilingual signs for the trash areas.
A resident suggested that people go to Strosnider's Hardware Store and buy moisture detectors to idenitify unexpected leaks from failing McQuay heating/cooling units. The devices cost about $15.
Al Muller discussed the possibility of purchasing a blood pressure machine (cost is $5,000) for the exercise room. It was pointed out that the Friendship Heights Village Center has a visiting nurse once a week who performs such services and that blood pressure machines can be found at local Giant Stores and Safeways.
The Board scheduled the next meeting for Thursday, November 19. At that meeting, the Board will set a new schedule of dates for coming meetings.
No comments:
Post a Comment