Present at the meeting: Woody Cunningham, Jeffrey Axelrad, Judi Barth, Charles Bressler, Monique Fridell, Alexandra Kielty, Al Muller (late), Scott Murdoch, Mike Horan, recorder of meeting minutes
Treasurer’s Report
-- Monique Fridell will meet February 23 with volunteers to complete the fixed asset write-off project.
Management report (no president report this meeting)
--Staff stayed over more than one shift during the blizzards. Good report on loyal employees.
--Engineering study delayed. Only one proposal on time, two came in late and now waiting the 4th.
--Piping complete.
--Electronic water detectors arrived.
--Lock replacement project just starting tomorrow. 89 signed up for replacements.
--Management staff working on a personal handbook.
--Next month L&N website program will be demo-ed.
--House Bill 842 –asking for support. Gives associations limited priority over the first mortgage. Give the association limited lien of first 6 months. Asked for this to be in an email.
L&N changing banks.
--Landscaping proposals won’t be in until next month.
OLD BUSINESS
--Façade work done.
--Emergency generator $199,000. Had larger bids just under $300,000. Going with Power Services.
MOTION: emergency generator purchased approved.
Renovation:
--Had to have modifications. Architect plans were hand delivered to the County on February 23 in compliance with 2009 IECC Code , the latest energy efficiency code. Could take as long as 6 weeks. We will use LED lights where appropriate. Will have the ability to dim the lighting and will be up to date for all the codes.
--Next couple of days invitation will go out to residents to hear about renovation design plus samples. Wine & cheese reception on March 9 at 7 PM. Bid letters are being worked on by Hartman Design Group. These are expected to be out the first week of March.
Exercise Room update:
--Board previously agreed to include $17,000 for equipment.
--Fitness Resources not responsive to request for repairs. Got a new contractor.
--Will have an open meeting to decide some issues about equipment and use of space.
Meet the Candidate Night: April 21
MOTION: Moderator of meet the candidates program will not be a Board member. President will choose moderator for meet candidates night.
NEW BUSINESS
Snow blower didn’t work properly. Also we need a commercial one $1200-$1300. We have one for home use.
MOTION: Commercial snowblower approved for future purchase.
Set date for meetings
Board workshop: no comments from the floor in this meeting. Discuss & approve a budget for next year. A new 5 year plan. March 11. Monique Fridell said this is too much to do in one meeting. Also they won’t have all the data needed. Pepco bill always late.
Floor Captains Report:
--Mail being thrown around in mail corridor. Worry over missing 1099s. Suggestion is to take misdirected mail to front desk so that reception can return that mail to the postal worker for proper handling. Contact Stephanie Olshan (Skolshan@aol.com) for how to reach our USPS representative for any complaints.
--Trash being thrown on floor in our trash rooms.
--Floor captains are now welcoming newcomers.
Report from Election Committee: The Committee report was given as follows
ELECTION COMMITTEE REPORT
TALKING POINTS February 22, 2010
Intro of Committee
--Alenier, Bobb, Downey, Feldman
Qualifications of Committee members
--All owners, some original owners.
--Experience with past election committees.
--Experience as Election Judge.
Memo Calling for Board Candidate Nominations
--Same memo sent out every year.
--Reminds candidates of what Board members are responsible for.
--Memo went out this year Feb 1.
Candidate Questionnaire
--Most owners do not come to monthly Board meetings or Meet the Candidates Night.
--Difficult to compare candidates on equal footing.
--Elections Committee wanted a uniform way to compare candidates.
--Notices will go up around the building to remind people to respond to this call.
--People who come to monthly meeting should be encouraging others to run or run themselves.
Election Committee products cleared by ECA lawyer to ensure everything is in accord with MD condo law & ECA Bylaws
Proxies
--every year lots of confusion & issues about proxies.
--Recommendation to have absentee owners vote their proxies, put them in a sealed envelope and to sign across the seal.
--Send proxy to front office or front desk for placement in lock box.
--Same procedure for proxy carried by a representative to the meeting.
Electronic Voting System
--simple to use.
--uses barcodes.
--quickly tabulates votes.
--Instantaneous Quorum (No waiting, no wasted time).
--$2 per unit and well worth cost.
--approved by ECA lawyer & used by L&N. we are not guinea pigs.
Timeline
--Help ECA be in accord with MD condo law & ECA Bylaws.
--Call for Candidate Nomination.
Discussion of Election Committee Recommendations:
1. Several Board members were unhappy with the questionnaire because they felt it unfairly eliminated or intimidated possible candidates. The committee explained that the basis of the questionnaire came from a text developed by Monique Fridell and sent to Woody Cunningham in Dec 2008. Dr. Muller pointed out, the League of Women Voters uses a questionnaire in its work.
2. The committee was accused of forcing candidates to provide information that some candidates would rather not reveal. The committee explained that the questionnaire, which is similar to one suggested by the ECA lawyer Jason Fisher, is designed to provide as much information as possible to unit owners who do not live here or attend Board meetings or the Meet the Candidates Night and to provide information relevant to the fiduciary obligations of a Board member, as outlined in the President's Call for Nominations sent out February 1, namely: “financial operations, personnel management, capital improvement projects, budgeting, planning, maintenance and repair projects.” It was also pointed out that candidates could submit a blank questionnaire, fail to answer some or all of the questions, refuse to submit a photograph, and that owners could infer what they like from the submission. Candidates may also submit a resume, bio, or CV, if they wish.
3. Several Board members were not pleased with the Timeline suggested by the Elections Committee and did not understand the Maryland Condo Law that requires the call for candidates to go out 45 days before the notice of election. A compromise was struck and the date extended from March 1 to March 15. The Call for Candidates went out in early February under the ECA President’s signature but apparently not with consensus of the ECA Board.
4. A couple of Board members questioned use of sealed envelopes for proxies. Scott Murdoch said this was standard practice in other elections he had been involved in.
5. The Elections Committee, a group of owners called into service by the ECA president, issued a comprehensive written report to the Board on February 11, 2010, containing recommendations for Board action. In delivering its oral report, the Committee welcomed questions by the Board and residents and the opportunity to clarify its recommendations. Although it seemed obvious, the Board had to be reminded that they could accept, reject, or modify the recommendations. The Elections Committee spent considerable time collecting information, writing various documents including their recommendations, and meeting with Legum & Norman representatives to review the electronic balloting system and the ECA lawyer to ensure full compliance with Maryland Condo laws and the ECA Bylaws. The Committee recognizes that while the Board has every right to ask questions, doing so in an angry hostile manner, or impugning the motives and integrity of committee members is not only unprofessional, but disgraceful business practice that will discourage other volunteers from working with future boards. It should go into the record that the Committee was treated rudely and disrespectfully in a public meeting and not thanked for their work.
6. The Board approved use of the electronic balloting system, including handling of proxies delivered in sealed envelopes.
[Note: This summary includes some of the highlights of the ECA Board meeting held in February. A more detailed report will appear in the official ECA minutes for February which will be published after approval in March. Readers of this blog are invited to comment with additional information or clarifications.]
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