Highlights from ECA Issues Workshop on January 8, 2013

Present: Directors: Ted Ariev, Charles Bressler, Ilo-Mai Harding, John McNerney, David Robinson, Steven Schattman, Herman Stekler, ECA General Manager Jim Santos

The purpose of this meeting was for ECA Board members to discuss various issues in a relaxed setting. Board members as a group are not allowed to meet except in public forum. This meeting was not to resolve issues but just to discuss them.

Discussed were the following topics:

Building security

Storage

New and creative financing possibilities

Two new steering committees (one to support the Treasurer and the other as oversight on architectural design)

Raising number of rental units

Bylaw amendment changes

Hallway remodeling contract

Cleaning up the Arcade

Garage trash

Hiring building security guards is expensive and not a service we need all the time. Ilo-Mai Harding suggests we get more cameras. Charles Bressler is concerned with garage security. Board members are concerned about an unofficial member of our community who sits on our property and is aggressive toward residents of the Elizabeth.

Storage in the Elizabeth seems to be at capacity and contains items that should not be there like furniture and tires. Some Board members suggest that there are many abandoned items and that we need to establish a policy for cleaning house. Garage trash falls into this line of discussion also with things placed in parking spaces that are not supposed to be there.

President Ted Ariev discussed two new committees to support ongoing work for the Association. One is a financial committee to support the duties of the Treasurer. The committee members are John McNerney (Chair), Peg Downey and Joe Salcetti. The other committee, the architectural control committee, is led by David Robinson and includes Peg Downey, Jim Jones and Lyn Thayer.

Creative financing might include the option of paying one’s condo fees for the whole year. The benefits would be that the condo owner could pay at the old condo rate and the ECA would have benefit of significant money early in the year to defray new project costs. There is another creative financing option that involves buying into a bond that would pay between 3-5% interest. The investment level might be at $10,000. The bond would help pay for our big improvement projects without borrowing.

Rental units are now over 30% and growing rapidly. This is an issue of concern for many reasons but will eventually affect property values. The Board would like to put a cap on how many units can be rented as the Carleton does across the street. The industry standard is about 35%. To make this kind of bylaw change requires 75% agreement, which is next to impossible to achieve.

Bylaw amendment to effect bylaw amendment change agreement from 75% to 66 2/3% still has not been brought to a vote. Renewed efforts will be led by Charles Bressler to get the votes needed to make this change.

The hallway renovation project has seen something like $44,000 paid to the Phyllis Hartman Group with no satisfactory plan. If Hartman Group comes back to finish the job, what additional money would be charged. The Board needs to follow up on this contract and see what is possible for completion of the work.

Cleaning up the arcade would include replacing the ceiling and installing new lighting.

On Sunday January 13, the residents and owners are invited to the party room at 7 pm to discuss any of the issues mentioned above or any new items.