Several members of the Elizabeth Condominium Association realize with growing dismay that the Association faces a dire financial situation that will affect every Association menmber. In the belief that the lack of appropriate attention to a large proportion of members' concerns will continue unabated if we do not speak out, we are united in our appeal to the Board for consideration of the critical financial issues this petition addresses. We are circulating a petition (in synthesis below) to the Board that details our concerns. You may obtain a copy gor signing by sending an e-mail to Jim Jones (jonesjcz@prodigy.net), or otherwise notifying him by leaving a note in his box (Unit #307).
Beyond the more than $1.3 million already spent on "refurbishing" and making partial structural changes in the lobby, an additional large sum will apparently be required for furniture and artwork. In addition, the recent engineering evaluation report (Mendoza Report) introduced in the open meeting of the Board on October 18 and available for study on the Elizabeth website, estimates that more than $900,000-exclusive of labor-is required to replace all equipment required to ensure the health and safety of residents. The report advises that about half of this amount should be invested in the immediate term to replace equipment. The total amount required for essential maintenance and completion of the lobby appurtenances does not include other measures proposed at the meeting: insulation of windows, other vital maintenance suggested by the engineering consultant, any work on unit doors, or, indeed, any other enhancements of interior appearance wished for by the Decorating Committee. Clearly, when the costs of necessary infrastructure work are added to the cost of additional decoration, condominium fees will have to be raised substantially yet again, or a crippling assessment will have to be paid by Association members in the difficult financial conditions anticipated for the near future. Therefore,
1. We urge strongly that all future work of decorating, including any work to be done on floors one through eighteen, be carefully and knowledgeably coordinated for economic viability with the costly and far more necessary work required to maintain the building's infrastructure. Fully detailed information about the projected cost and plan for payment of any undertaking that affects the appearance or the structural integrity of the building should be provided to all Association members well in advance of the signing of any future contracts, not only by means of oral presentation by Board members in open meetings, but also in hard copy as well as electronic text.
2. Although the Board's enthusiasm for the Hartman design firm is not widely enough shared by Association members, the Board has already signed an agreement with that company to provide the design for floors one through eighteen. In consideration of the high cost of the work already done on the lobby and the very great need for structural maintenance, we urge that no work on the upper floors be undertaken until a plan that coordinates the expense of all work on necessary infrastructure repair and decoration is completed and shared with Association members for their input.
3. We ask that the number of those on the Decorating Co0mmittee be increased from the current three members reported by the committee chair in the public meeting of the Board on October 18, to at least seven, and that the individuals added to the committee consist of at least three Association members who have signed this petition. The responsibilities of the expanded Decorating Committee should include monitoring cost/work to stay within a tight budget and ensuring that Association members are kept informed in a timely way that allows them to make a precise analysis of details and costs that will enable them to present their reactions appropriately to the Board.
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