The March meeting of Elizabeth Condo Board highlighted such items as the annual audit, professional management, and the contract with Phyllis Hartman of the Harman Design Group related to the building refurbishment. Here is a thumbnail list of what took place.
A representative from DeLeon & Stang provided a quick overview of the late annual audit report (held up by the Board in favor of completing the Reserve Study first). Finances appear to be in good shape and under sound auditing principals. A question from the floor regarding whether window replacement would provide a tax break to either the building or owners yielded a positive response.
Among the items reported by treasurer Monique Fridell was that while delinquencies doubled in January and February, they went down 2.09% in this period. One case has gone to litigation but other cases have been resolved.
A considerable amount of time was spent discussing and voting on the contract with Phyllis Hartman relative to the building refurbishment. Jeffrey Alexrad wanted the contract to state that the ECA total budget limitation is $1.2 million. This limitation includes Hartman’s design work, materials and other contracted work. Monique Fridell wanted the Board to agree on a spending cap for Hartman’s design work.
The Board is closing in on details regarding how professional management will be handled. Once a contract is signed, there will be an information meeting (as early as April) including a presentation by Legum & Norman to discuss the details.
The nominating committee for election of three new Board members will be Peg Downey, Jerry Feldman, and Pat Peyser. They will accept candidate resumes until April 15. There will be a Meet the Candidates evening on April 23. [Current Board members whose tenure is up include Monique Fridell, Judy Gann, and Alexandra Kielty.]
A contract was agreed upon by the Board to begin maintenance work on the G-3 level of the parking garage. The work, which includes quick setting concrete, periodic jack hammering and concrete dust, will go on for two months. Plastic is available at the front desk to cover cars in the construction area.
Arcade owners asked for placement of planters and benches to spruce up the arcade. The Board authorized use of existing planters. Also it was mentioned that the new arcade sign was paid for by the arcade owners.
The Social Committee will organize use of the new West Lobby television. Residents wishing to use the TV will be able to sign up on a list available at the desk.
Comments from the floor included concerns about replacement of exercise equipment, having front desk staff answer the phone (and not make the caller go through the automated attendant), cars that leak oil destroying the membrane, residents running car engines for extended periods of time that cause toxic fumes throughout the garage, and cars that have no current tags on them.
Showing posts with label reserve study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reserve study. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Summary of December 2008 Elizabeth Condo Board Meeting
The December meeting of Elizabeth Condo Board was very important to the overall “health” of the building and its owners and renters. Here is a thumbnail list of what took place.
The Treasurer Monique Fridell gave a report on the contracted Reserve Study and the main point to know about this engineering and financial map of our future is that the report said we should be spending over $3 million to refurbish The Elizabeth. While we will not be spending more than the $1.2 million budgeted for the current refurbishing, the study supports the selection of Phyllis Hartman as our design company manager. Visit her website at http://www.hartmandesigngroup.com/index.php.
The Board, after considerable work and deliberation, is considering the Hartman Design Group after determining that none of the other designers came close to offering the kind of quality and support required to make The Elizabeth competitive with other condos in Chevy Chase and Bethesda. The bad news is that of the 5 areas for refurbishment, our budget will only be able to address at best three of the areas. Hartman recommended we refurbish, the corridors, the entrance lobby, and the party room. This would leave the west lobby and the bathrooms in the mail corridor as is. Several people mentioned that the priority should be to refurbish the west lobby over the party room.
Another big item decided is that there will no longer have a doorman. Many Board members (as well as Elizabeth owners) were frustrated with the personnel supplied by Securitas. Too often the doorman did not perform the services (opening the door, keeping the driveway clear, helping residents with packages, greeting people) expected. The decision was to eliminate one shift (saving $50,000) and keep two shifts of roving security personnel. Sharon Bobb pointed out that our management should have been more proactive in calling Securitas to say send us a different person to do the job, that the person sent was failing to meet our requirements.
Another significant bit of news is that condo fees will go up because the challenge to conserve energy by residents has not been successful. In all fairness, use of energy-saving light bulbs is a drop in the bucket versus replacing our old air-leaking windows. Does anyone besides me have big problems with daily layers of dust in their apartments? The Board President Woody Cunningham said the upcoming energy audit should address the issue of window and balcony door replacement.
There is a new sign for the commercial section of The Elizabeth. To put in the sign they had to dig up the landscaping planter, which means there will be additional plants installed. Also, a significantly large tree died and that space needs to be addressed as well. I understand that one of the problems with our planters is that because they are fairly shallow, this limits what plants and trees can be selected. I would like to suggest that now is the time to rethink the roses that now stand forlornly in the boxes along the right side of our walkway as you face the building.
One other issue that went unnoticed in the meeting but was reported in the management report involves two incidents with dogs. An unleashed dog bit a person in our building and two dogs had a fight on the first floor. The management report did not say what follow up actions were taken. The condo house rules say something to the effect that pets can be removed if they are deemed a nuisance. Both my husband and I who grew up with pets have experienced bad behavior by dogs living here in The Elizabeth. I have said before in the meeting comment periods that I advocate that dog owners should bring their pets in through our side doors and not through our lobby. I would also like it made clear that pets are not allowed on our common area furniture and that pets should not be spending time in our lobbies in any case.
The next social events will involve two TV events (the presidential inauguration and a final Redskins football game) and a possible wine-tasting party led by a knowledgeable resident.
The Board promised me timely receipt of the November meeting minutes in electronic format and delivered on that promise. In case anyone is wondering, minutes are not made public until they receive approval one month after the meeting being documented.
The Treasurer Monique Fridell gave a report on the contracted Reserve Study and the main point to know about this engineering and financial map of our future is that the report said we should be spending over $3 million to refurbish The Elizabeth. While we will not be spending more than the $1.2 million budgeted for the current refurbishing, the study supports the selection of Phyllis Hartman as our design company manager. Visit her website at http://www.hartmandesigngroup.com/index.php.
The Board, after considerable work and deliberation, is considering the Hartman Design Group after determining that none of the other designers came close to offering the kind of quality and support required to make The Elizabeth competitive with other condos in Chevy Chase and Bethesda. The bad news is that of the 5 areas for refurbishment, our budget will only be able to address at best three of the areas. Hartman recommended we refurbish, the corridors, the entrance lobby, and the party room. This would leave the west lobby and the bathrooms in the mail corridor as is. Several people mentioned that the priority should be to refurbish the west lobby over the party room.
Another big item decided is that there will no longer have a doorman. Many Board members (as well as Elizabeth owners) were frustrated with the personnel supplied by Securitas. Too often the doorman did not perform the services (opening the door, keeping the driveway clear, helping residents with packages, greeting people) expected. The decision was to eliminate one shift (saving $50,000) and keep two shifts of roving security personnel. Sharon Bobb pointed out that our management should have been more proactive in calling Securitas to say send us a different person to do the job, that the person sent was failing to meet our requirements.
Another significant bit of news is that condo fees will go up because the challenge to conserve energy by residents has not been successful. In all fairness, use of energy-saving light bulbs is a drop in the bucket versus replacing our old air-leaking windows. Does anyone besides me have big problems with daily layers of dust in their apartments? The Board President Woody Cunningham said the upcoming energy audit should address the issue of window and balcony door replacement.
There is a new sign for the commercial section of The Elizabeth. To put in the sign they had to dig up the landscaping planter, which means there will be additional plants installed. Also, a significantly large tree died and that space needs to be addressed as well. I understand that one of the problems with our planters is that because they are fairly shallow, this limits what plants and trees can be selected. I would like to suggest that now is the time to rethink the roses that now stand forlornly in the boxes along the right side of our walkway as you face the building.
One other issue that went unnoticed in the meeting but was reported in the management report involves two incidents with dogs. An unleashed dog bit a person in our building and two dogs had a fight on the first floor. The management report did not say what follow up actions were taken. The condo house rules say something to the effect that pets can be removed if they are deemed a nuisance. Both my husband and I who grew up with pets have experienced bad behavior by dogs living here in The Elizabeth. I have said before in the meeting comment periods that I advocate that dog owners should bring their pets in through our side doors and not through our lobby. I would also like it made clear that pets are not allowed on our common area furniture and that pets should not be spending time in our lobbies in any case.
The next social events will involve two TV events (the presidential inauguration and a final Redskins football game) and a possible wine-tasting party led by a knowledgeable resident.
The Board promised me timely receipt of the November meeting minutes in electronic format and delivered on that promise. In case anyone is wondering, minutes are not made public until they receive approval one month after the meeting being documented.