Summary of ECA Board Meeting June 30, 2020

Summary of ECA Board Meeting June 30, 2020

Board Present: Lyle Schwartz (president), Zlatan Beca, Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Elisa Siegel, Christopher Wemple

Absent: :  Jimmy Whalen

Others Present: General Manager MaryAnn Hall, Assistant Manager Romaine Cureton, Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer)

Highlights of the meeting:

—Delinquencies: are high at around $70,000 with $31,000 for garage spaces maned by Chevy Chase Land Company who are neither in their office or answering their phones according to attempts by our General Manager to resolve this.

—Garage Project: The unending work is now scheduled for completion the end of August. This last period, CPR failed to lay down the floor coating but painted lines. Now this work will have to be corrected.

—Management Office: The management office is now open with General Manager and Assistant General Manager in residence. However, the door is locked. Appointments must be made to see them.

—Elevators: The Montgomery County elevator inspection failed because the garage elevators had water pooled underneath them mixed with hydraulic fluid. Our chief engineer is working to resolve this problem.

—Annual Meeting & New Candidate Nominations: anticipated for September. A discussion ensued about allowing new candidates to either be nominated or self-nominated. However, this has to happen quickly given that a company has been hired to handle the election which will include electronic voting, mail in ballots and ballots placed in the management suggestion box mounted on the wall outside the management office.

—Candidates’ Public Forum: A suggestion was made to have candidates speak on issues facing the building. Connie Rowe was appointed to run this meeting.

—Pool Opening: July 8 (11am to 7 pm, 7 days a week—not mention made of time for a break) is when limited use of the pool is supposed to begin but this depends on getting the cleaning supplies necessary to keep the pool area safe. Once it opens, make appointments with the concierge who will lend a special fob for access. You will be required to fill out a disclaimer form attesting to your health and that you will not hold The Elizabeth responsible if you get Covid19. Masks must be worn to enter the pool area. Two people can use it at one time or small family units, no guests for a 45-minute session. 15 minutes will be allotted for cleaning. Glass doors to the outside will be open to keep the air circulating.

—Fitness Center: Because air circulation in the Fitness Center is poor, there will be no access to this facility at this time. Coronavirus makes this facility too risky.

— Contractors working inside individual units: According to Elizabeth house rules, individual unit owners are supposed to notify the management office and let them know that contractors are in the building and to schedule an elevator if needed. This has not been enforced for a long time and presents risks during this pandemic period. Our General Manager and AGM said this has been an ongoing problem. The owners give key fobs to their contractors and they park usually on G-1 in spaces assigned to residents. Board discussed criteria that any outside contractor had to wear a mas,k sign papers that they were healthy, and have business policies that ensure that employees are required to meet certain standards. Pat Peyser asked how the Association was going to enforce this since enforcement of rules and Bylaws seemed to be very hit or miss. The board insisted that enforcement would be done up to and including stopping the work. Legal Counsel Jeremy Tucker had said no building among his clients in Friendship Heights had opened their building to outside contractors, we would be the first. The board agreed to open the building to outside contactors. This a position was passed  by the Board. 

—Acquisition of Radio Antenna to comply with Police and Fire Communication Requirements: Bids are being collected.

— Guidelines for Window Cleaning and other Upkeep Services: Our GM said the cleaners sometimes have to go into apartments to complete their work.  It was not clear what these exceptions entailed. Board members Elisa Siegel and Francine Klein said now that management has returned to the office, it is time to pay attention to the building appearance and that the marble and brass and contractor should be allowed to come in the building as long as they follow the Elizabeth’s rule on social distance and masks and certify the health of their employees. 

—Corridor Renovation: No mention

—Meeting Documents: President Lyle Schwartz said that the June meeting was delayed because the Board lacked information to conduct the meeting. While there were 5 documents sent with the Zoom link for the rescheduled meeting (June 30), the management report was not among these documents. A limited supply of management report copies were left at the front desk. (Does this make sense in time of a pandemic?) Documents sent included: Meeting Agenda, Investment Guidelines for the Elizabeth Condominium Association, Recommendation for In-Unit Renovations, Phase 2 Montgomery County Guidelines for Re-opening the Pool, Phase 2 Montgomery County Guidelines for Re-opening the Fitness Center.