ECA Issues That May Concern You

Budget Workshop (March 19, 2015)

I attended the workshop meeting that included:

Board members: Steven Schattman, Sharon Bobb, Jim Jones, John McNerney, Alfred Muller, Jim Vuko. (Patricia Batey was absent.)

Others Present: ECA General Manager Terry Lee, Legum & Norman Regional Manager James Santos, and various members of the ECA Budget Committee.

Given that we are currently using our line of credit to fund the replacement of window and balcony doors and that the work was slowed considerably by adverse weather, the ECA is doing pretty well with the budget. Therefore, ECA did not borrow as much money as was originally planned for. In fact ECA borrowed over $1 million less than originally planned. The expected debt payoff is anticipated to be in 2019.

One issue that was brought up of critical concern is the increasing number of pinhole leaks throughout the building. This means that as our copper pipes age, they are springing leaks which are causing damage in individual apartment units and in common areas throughout the Elizabeth.

Can something be done about these pinholes leaks? Yes, pipes can be sealed to prevent future leaks. Recently this was done at the Carlton with success and is currently being tested at the Sommerset. Both buildings are much younger than the Elizabeth.

Is this procedure in our budget and what does it cost? Yes, $1.7 million is our projected budget for this project, but not until the Fiscal Year of 2021. Should we wait 5 years to fix this problem? How many more apartments will be damaged by pinhole leaks by FY 2021?

Given that problems with pinholes leaks in the ECA are increasing and we are poised to refurbish our hallways with new carpets, we are looking at the alarming possibility of additional remedial repairs that go well beyond the cost of stopping our pipes from leaking.

If you attended the February Board meeting, you probably know that approximately $200,000 in claims against our master insurance policy were made in 2014, primarily due to sewage backup. As a result the master insurance deductible is estimated to double from $5,000 to $10,000 for sewage backups and the cost for insurance will go up for the next five years. This does not take into account a unit owner’s out-of-pocket costs for pinhole leaks, or additional claims against the unit owner’s household insurance policy should he or she be unlucky enough to suffer such a problem.

The Upcoming ECA Board Meeting (March 24, 2015)

On the agenda now posted in our elevators is renewal of the Legum & Norman contract which has been going month to month since July. The contract involves a considerable amount of money.

Has the ECA Board conducted a performance evaluation of Legum & Norman? I do not know of one and think this is overdue. Yes, in the years they have worked for us some very good things have been accomplished.

Personally I would like to encourage that we go out for competitive bids to see what other companies can offer us. Given the concern about budgets and watching our money, I think it is imperative that we get our financial data on time for monthly board meetings. Consistently Legum & Norman has been unable to do this.

Those who live on the West side, have you heard the water pump noise in the elevator lobby? It has been going on for over a year without L&N finding a viable solution to the problem. It was caused by the installation of a new water pump in November 2013. Unfixed machine room noise heard in a lobby diminishes our property values.

These are just two areas of concern but, having spoken to a number of owners, these L&N management issues are not the only ones.

This sitting Board meets only one more time before the Annual Meeting on May 6. The decision for management of the Elizabeth should be addressed by the new board. This is a logical and expected strategy to ensure we have the best management solution by the board that will have to enact it.

If you feel strongly about this issue, write to the ECA Board now and ask that a Request for Proposal be written so that we can compare what management companies can offer us.

President Steven Schattman: sschattman@verizon.net

Vice-President Sharon Bobb: sbobb.sb@verizon.net

Treasurer John McNerney: strachasher@verizon.net

Secretary Jim Vuko: jvuko@conference.com

At-Large:

Patricia Batey: pat.batey512@gmail.com

Jim Jones: jonesjcz@gmail.com

Alfred Muller: g2mdal@aol.com

Here is a short report on the BuidlingLink event we had recently.

Please be sure your telephone contact information is correct in BuildingLink because your life, your family, and pets may depend on this (more details read below).

On Saturday, March 14, Robert Garcia of BuildingLink spoke to residents about enhanced features on the system and answered the questions of users. He addressed many of the key features of BuildingLink, and was pleasantly surprised to see how robust and well-developed our website is.  He was particularly impressed by our Library, which has 196 documents loaded, and our Pet Park, which contains the ECA’s House Rules regarding pets.

In order to fully implement BuildingLink, the following activities are planned.  All need input and support from residents:

1.     Test of the Emergency Broadcast System.  This system sends emergency alerts to all residents’ homes and/or cell numbers.  Examples of such alerts might be for false fire alarms, elevator outages, water shutdowns, and the like.

The alerts can be sent simultaneously to all residents, or, depending on the nature of the alert, can be confined to those on specific floors, tiers, or Towers. 

In order to test the Emergency Broadcast System, it is imperative that all residents (regardless of whether they use a computer or not) have their phone numbers accurately listed in BuildingLink.  If you do not use a computer, see the Concierge or go to the Management Office for assistance.  If you use BuildingLink, simply log on and complete your profile. (You may choose to keep your profile private or public at this time as well.)  Tests of the Emergency Broadcast System will be announced.

2.     The Bulletin Board is now loaded in BuildingLink and up-to-date.  If you do not have a computer, you may request a printed copy of the Bulletin Board at the Concierge Desk.  This is very convenient for all of our residents, because you no longer need to scramble for pen and paper if you see an item of interest on the Bulletin Board.  The printed copy is yours to take home, pore over, and use.

3.     Pet Registration.  Please make it a point to register your pets in the Pet Park, and load their adorable photos there.  The Pet Park enables pet owners to create and participate in pet-specific forums. If you do NOT have a computer, you may bring your information to the concierge desk or the office for loading.

4.     WebCam.  BuildingLink encourages its buildings to have photos for service providers who will enter residents’ homes. These would include: care givers, housekeepers, contractors, dog walkers, and those working in your apartment. This extra precaution allows the Concierge to recognize those you have authorized to pick up your key, receive a parking pass, pick up packages, or gain access to your apartment.  It is particularly helpful for any new person at the Concierge Desk, or someone filling in temporarily there.  Photos taken by the WebCam can be viewed ONLY by the Concierge and no one else.  Your neighbors cannot view the photos. Pictures which appear on profiles in the public directory are those uploaded by individual residents specifically to share in that forum.

Summary of ECA Board Meeting February 24, 2015

Board Present: Steven Schattman, Sharon Bobb, Patricia Batey, Jim Jones, John McNerney, Alfred Muller, Jim Vuko

Others Present: ECA General Manager Terry Lee, Legum & Norman Regional Manager James Santos. 

Highlights of the Meeting

ECA Treasurer reported that we have started drawing against our line of credit. The cold weather has saved us interest.

ECA General Manager will issue a revised schedule for window installation. Because of the time lost, the contractor will bring on extra crews and there may be some Saturday work which will not include demolition noise or window replacement. Window installation through the 7^th floor in the 19^th tier is next up for completion.

Claims against the ECA master insurance policy rising in 2015 due to sewage backup problems caused by "exploding toilets."

BuildingLInk will give a presentation Saturday, March 17, 2015 at 10 AM. This is for users already familiar with basic navigation of the BuildingLink system. ECA president urges everyone to upload a photo of themselves to promote community awareness. For example, you might then be able to learn people’s names by seeing their photosl Volunteers are needed. Call Pat Batey.

Board agreed to revew the Denzel contract.

Board agreed to purchase new device to bring winter cold air if a unit resident wants air conditioning in . This is more energy efficient.

Based on recommendation from the budget committee, the draft audit report has been accepted and sent back to the auditors for completion.

Noise from water pump continues. The problem is over one year running.

Committee Reports

Fitness: a new treadmill will be purchased to replace an old one.

Participation Committee continues to work on a campaign to update the ECA Bylaws starting with the initiative to lower the number of votes required to change ECA bylaws. Survey summary showed a surprising 85% indicating they would vote for the bylaw initiative. A separate proxy for the bylaw change will have its own proxy. The proxy will arrive and be distributed in several weeks. Volunteers are needed. Contact Jim Vuko.

Making a Difference Committee—on March 25 from 5-7, the committee will collect professional clothing to help financially disadvantage to get jobs. If possible, please bring clothing on hangers.

Comments from Floor

Praise was extended to ECA weekday mornings life guard Mohammed Ali for making sure the pool is opened 6-9 AM Mon-Fri.

Praise was extended to Early Kelly, ECA engineer for 23 years of service and to remind people he will retire in a year or do.

Bylaws Update Initiative Needs Your Support

Please  Help Update Our ECA Bylaws

The Board of Directors has launched a Bylaws Update Initiative which seeks to lower the number of votes required to change Elizabeth Condominium Association Bylaws from 75% to two-thirds of ECA members.  In order to achieve this goal, 75% of ECA members must vote to approve this change at the May 2015 Annual Meeting. 

Why This Change Is Important

The current limitation makes it difficult for our Board to respond in a timely fashion to challenges facing our community.  A 75% majority vote requires extraordinary effort and expense to achieve, especially where a sizeable number of the apartments are not owner-occupied.  Today 101 or 28.7% of Elizabeth apartments are being rented.  The proposed update is in line with Maryland condominium law and the vast majority of condominiums in our state.  Maryland law states that bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of unit owners unless a higher percentage is required in the Bylaws.  Two-thirds is a super majority and is sufficient to prevent a small number of homeowners from changing bylaws and forcing their will on the rest of the community.  The proposed update will allow for somewhat greater flexibility in making changes in the operation of the Association, when appropriate.

We Need Your Help

A great deal of manpower will be needed to get the 75% of votes required to pass this update.  If you would like to help you just reply to this email and someone will contact you.

Please tell your friends.  Thank you!

James Vuko, Participation Committee Chair / jvuko@conference.com / 301-913-5934

Summary of ECA Board Meeting January 27, 2015

Board Present: Steven Schattman, Sharon Bobb, Patricia Batey, John McNerney, Alfred Muller, Jim Vuko

Absent: Jim Jones

Others Present: ECA General Manager Terry Lee, Legum & Norman Regional Manager James Santos, and Ken Kosteva, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (he answered questions from audience.)

Highlights of the Meeting

Energy tax credits were renewed but we did not prepare our certification, according to ECA Treasurer John McNerney. Jim Santos answered this and said it would have cost more than we could have saved to complete certification. Our windows are not energy star rated but they exceed the star rating standards.

Balcony demolition on the 6^th tier exceeded noise levels experienced with other tiers. Demolition continues in 4^th and 6^th tiers but these are the last tiers.

Window fasteners issue requiring large expense.  For some months, the  outside building renovation team has been aware of window fasteners (nails) that may be weathering badly. Terry Lee presented a change order to the Board without the Board having been informed about this problem at the time the issue surfaced. The Board tabled decision on this issue to allow adequate time to research the problem.

Approval and funding to write documentation related to environmental safety granted.

Quality Air scheduling of HVAC replacement has been disrupted because shutting down water in a tier has been curtailed due to the cold weather. They are  working on a new schedule.

A $100,000 insurance claim was filed for the recent sewage backup problems.

No candidate has been vetted for assistant engineer. The hope is to identify a qualified military veteran.

BuildingLInk presence in lobby. A large screen will be mounted in the mail corridor as an aid for residents to determine whether they have any packages at the front desk. While a public discussion was held at the Design Committee meeting, the decision for where the screen would be placed was mostly determined by Board members who also were not interested in poling ECA residents relative to the use of BuidlingLink. At this stage, BuildLink will provide good administrative support for accurate package delivery. It is unclear how useful the BuildingLink screen mounted in the mail corridor will be since there is no immediate access to the front desk for package pickup.

Participation Committee is kicking off a campaign to update the ECA Bylaws starting with the initiate to lower the number of votes required to change ECA bylaws. Volunteers are needed. Contact Jim Vuko, Jackie Lapidus, or Jean Umiker-Sebeok.

Social Committee – is planning a meet and greet for new residents some time in late February. In April the plan is for wine tasting party, similar to the one held last year.

Making a Difference Committee—will collect professional clothing to help financially disadvantage to get jobs.

Noise from water pump continues. Resident asked for public assess to Mendoza. The problem is over one year running.

Issue of second-hand smoke discussed. Suggestions included making the Elizabeth a smoke-free building but grandfathering in current smokers.