Highlights of ECA Board Meeting July 28, 2021

 

Board Present: Joe Bucherer (President), Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Francine Klein, Lyle Schwartz, Jeremy Siegfried, Christopher Wemple

 

Board Absent: Elisa Siegel

 

Others Present: Richard Springer, General Manager; Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer)

 

President’s Report

The President gave a brief report stating significant progress had been made on the corridors, work in the storage rooms has begun, and the board is reviewing the policy on guest parking. Lyle Schwartz and Richard Springer will deal with these issues in their reports. The President encouraged every to attend July 29^th town Hall Meeting to discuss the development at 5500 Wisconsin Ave.

 

Resident Comments

Resident questions were raised about guest parking and landscaping on the east side of the building.

 

Treasurer’s Report

The Budget and Finance Committee will be recommending the reclassification of certain expenses from the operating budget to the reserve operating account.  The Budget and Finance Committee has recommended a pay down of the loan of approximately 50,333.55. The Board unanimously approved that payment.

 

The work on the audit has begun. 

 

Manager’s Report

Notices have been sent and articles have been removed from parking spaces.  Bicycles were not removed (as the bike room is crowded and disorganized. The bike room will be part of the ongoing reorganization of the storage areas0.  Also shopping carts were not removed.

 

The President and General Manager have begun to clear out some abandoned items that were on the floor in Storage Room G2. Items removed from G2 are in the staging area on G-4.  This will enable current residents to review these items, to ensure no items were removed by mistake. G3-G4 contain footlockers It is anticipated that shelves can be placed in those rooms, after the abandoned or discarded items have been removed, this will make it easier for residents to use the storage areas and to review and label their boxes and other items.  Mr. Springer has labels for all residents to use to label their boxes.

 

The Compost bins on the east side of the building has been relocated.

 

One hot water storage tank ruptured and has to be replaced. It was determined that a second storage tank should also be replaced. The second storage tank is the same age and is scheduled for replacement in the near future. Driving this decision is the high cost of insulation which includes renting a crane to lift and place storage tanks ($30,000).

 

Lyle Schwartz, Committee Chair, Corridor Committee

 

The Committee and Phyllis Hartman met with potential construction contractors.  They were given the specs to prepare a bid, as part of this process a building walk through with the contractors was conducted by the committee.  Engineering staff was made available to answer questions.

 

The President indicated that there  was a proposed change to the guest parking house rule.  The Board voted to distribute the recommended change to the residents.  A town Hall Meeting on Sept. 1 will be held to review the recommended changes and to answer questions.

 

(Copies of the recommended Guest Parking change was sent out via building link today, July 29, 2021) (Other copies will be distributed under the doors).

 

 

 

 

Highlights of ECA Board Meeting June 30, 2021

Board Present: Joe Bucherer (president), Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Francine Klein, Lyle Schwartz, Elisa Siegel, Jeremy Siegfried, Christopher Wemple

 

Others Present: Richard Springer, General Manager; Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer)

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

Mr.  Bucherer acknowledged the horrific tragedy of the condo collapse in Florida and said the integrity of our building and its adherence to building code is in good order.

 

The RFP to begin hallway renovation has been launched.

 

He initiated the possibility of converting our pool from chlorinated to salt water, making comments that the conversion cost is not prohibitive, that it is easier to heat a salt water pool, and there are health benefits.

 

An update to the reserve study is planned for next year.

 

LEGAL REPORT

Mr. Tucker reiterated that the Elizabeth Condominium Association is following building code and that it is up to the Board to make decisions for the Association.

 

MANAGEMENT REPORT

Two-way radio amplification update: Installation of the equipment proceeding with antennae that are less obtrusive than previously imagined.

 

Composting: 150 bins have been distributed and the program seems to be working well.

 

Auto break-ins occurred at the Highland House and Willoughby  but not at The Elizabeth. People entering the garage late at night should report and suspicious activity.

 

Landscaping has been updated and every effort is being made to keep the plants watered.

 

Pool fan was replaced resulting in less noise.

 

STORAGE COMMITTEE

Pat Peyser presented a comprehensive report on what is being done to clean up storage which includes abandoned items, some of which are expressly forbidden by fire code and house rules. Check Building Link for what is allowed.

 

Ms. Peyser said that residents will be asked to visit storage and get their boxes marked as well as remove any items not permitted. Further information will be provided. Visits to our three storage rooms will be coordinated by management and identification tags to identify legally stored items will be provided.

 

OTHER BUSINESS

—Units C1-C3 in Arcade was sold to investment group making inquiry last month about fence, but it is not clear what business will occupy that space.

 

MOTIONS

Mail corridor and lobby renovations contract decided and awarded to Palmer Brothers.

 

Overhaul of chiller #2 approved.

 

Draft guidelines for approval of operating expense exceeding $15,000 as well as operation of contingency funds approved.

 

The meeting ended at 7:35 pm.

Highlights of ECA Board Meeting May 26, 2021

 

 

 

Board Present: Joe Bucherer (president), Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Francine Klein, Lyle Schwartz, Elisa Siegel, Jeremy Siegfried, Christopher Wemple

 

Others Present: Richard Springer, General Manager; Romaine Cureton, Assistant Manager (AM); Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer); Robin Manougian, John Manougian Insurance Agency

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

Mr.  Bucherer opened the meeting with praise for ECA members who helped get us on good financial footing. His aim as the new president of the board is to effect open communication and transparency, focus on committees and their work, and continue to make repairs and upgrades which will improve quality of life and help increase our property values. His comments in more detail can be seen in the current newsletter.

 

You are strongly encouraged to read the newsletter and see where you can help with committee work. The newsletter has substantial information in it and is worth your time.

 

Resident comments were moved to the front of the meeting after the President’s Report. Mr. Bucherer said that those raising issues should also be prepared to help resolve the issue. He allotted 15 minutes to this portion of the meeting, saying each speaker would have 3 minutes.

 

ADDITIONAL PAYMENT ON LOAN    

Another $150,000 payment was authorized by unanimous consent.

 

LAWYERS REPORT

            Mr. Tucker outlined 3 bills passed by the Maryland legislature. (Last month he mentioned that these might become laws.)

—The State will require filing of condominium reserve studies every 5 years.

—Electric car charging stations: condo owners will be allowed to install charging stations in their parking spacing if it meets code. Owners pay for equipment, installation and possibly the electricity?

—Virtual meeting are officially deemed acceptable not only for emergency situations like the Covid pandemic but any time from now on. (ECA will continue with Zoom meetings.)

 

Composting was also mentioned and encouraged. We are now ahead of the curve having implemented composting last week.

 

MANAGEMENT REPORT

            Composting: 100 bins were distributed and the first compost collection pickup happened with both large collection bins full. Another 100 bins will be distributed to those wanting to participate.

           

Two-way radio amplification update: Installation of the equipment will cause some drilling noise.

 

OPENING OF BUILDING RESOURCES

The Board voted unanimously to open the West lobby, party room, business center and fitness center on June 15. Look for an announcement to know what limitations will apply. Thanks to Karen Bues for moving this project along.

 

OPENING OF VILLAGE CENTER: June 14, 2021

 

 

OTHER BUSINESS

 —Fitness Center: some equipment will be eliminated. New equipment will be purchased.

—Large unit in Arcade under consideration for sale to a group wanting to put a fence around a patio terrace. Board had a special meeting and said not possible because the terrace is common space. Questions were raised about why the special board meeting did not say the potential buyer wants to establish a daycare center in that space. The ECA Board cannot prohibit who buys an arcade space.

 

NEIGHBORHOOD REDEVELOPMENT

5500 Wisconsin will undergo redevelopment. A public meeting will be held at the Friendship Heights Village Center the evening of June 7. [Redevelopment is also going to happen at Mazza Gallery.]

Highlights of ECA Board Meeting April 28, 2021

 

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

 

Others Present: Richard Springer, General Manager; Romaine Cureton, Assistant Manager (AM); Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer); Robin Manougian, John Manougian Insurance Agency

 

PRESENTATION ON OUR MASTER INSURANCE COVERAGE

The bottom line is that financial health of our Association is excellent and the only thing we need to do  to make it better is review the electrical panels (used to be called fuse boxes) in all our units and be sure that each owner upgrades to code. When we had that exceptionally bad year in 2015-2016 (excessive water damage incidents), we lost our top-rated coverage with Insurance  Co. of Greater New York (GNY). What turned around our situation at that time was the ePipe project (as led by then Board president Sharon Bobb), which Ms. Manougian said helped us move in record time (1 year) from the bottom-of-the-barrel insurance coverage to above average coverage. Since we have had 5 years without claims against our master policy we are now able to move back to the top-rated coverage of GNY. The Board decided to go with GNY and to keep our $15,000 deductible. One board member favored a $10,000 deductible. Owners will be given additional information so they can ensure their policies cover the building deductible.

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

            Mr.  Schwartz urged everyone to turn in their proxies to ensure we make quorum and can conduct the annual meeting on May 5.

            This is Zlatan Beca’s last board meeting. He is not running for reelection. Mr. Schwartz thanked him for his service.

            The corridor & hallway renovation is moving forward. A list of acceptable construction companies is being compiled. When demolition begins depends on vaccination levels.

 

LAWYERS REPORT

            Mr. Tucker said contract work on hallway renovation moving ahead and he briefly outlined 3 bills coming out the Maryland legislature.

—The State will require filing of condominium reserve studies every 5 years.

—Electric car charging stations: condo owners will be allowed to install charging stations in their parking spacing if it meets code. Owners pay for equipment, installation and possibly the electricity?

—Virtual meetings are officially deemed acceptable not only for emergency situations like the Covid pandemic but any time from now on.

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT

            Judy Gann reported:

—The League of Women Voters ran the Meet the Candidates program with great success.

—Ten people are calling ECA members who have not submitted their proxies. The push is on to establish quorum.TURN IN YOUR PROXY IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.

 

MANAGEMENT REPORT

            A complete copy of Mr. Springer’s Management Report is available electronically.  Here are some of the highlights:

            Elevator Update

Mr. Springer said the elevator was scheduled to be fixed last week but that didn’t happen and he didn’t expect additional information from Otis until April 30. He will issue more info via BuildingLink once he knows what the status is.

Two-way radio amplification update

Lord & Company, the selected contractor, is completing the final drawings for the project and will submit them to Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.

 Miscellaneous:

—Emergency procedures are being worked on. Bottom line is that people with mobility issues should shelter in place and call 911 (not the front desk) to report on their situation during an emergency. There will be no list kept at front desk.

—G4 Deck: looking into possibility of just painting the floor because this would be a much lower cost then what was previously under consideration. Caveat is that paint will have to be maintained.

 —Fitness Center: awaiting recommendation from FC Committee and Covid19 Task Force to open Center possibly in June.

—BBQ Grills cannot be used on our party room terrace because Montgomery County Codes requires 50 feet distance from the building and our terrace is 42 feet deep.

Composting Is Coming to the Elizabeth!

 

On April 14, 2021, the Elizabeth Condominium Association held a town hall meeting on composting. Thomas Fazio from Compost Crew provided a brief tutorial on what composting is, its benefits, and how it can be enacted here in the Elizabeth.

 

Largely, composting is the collection of food scraps that one usually puts in the trash. It can however include used paper towels and napkins that are soiled with food residues. More information will be provided by our management on what else can be composted.

 

Food wastes like banana peels, eggshells, orange peels, etc. cause methane gas which pollutes our environment. However, compost processing yields rich natural fertilizer which is known as black gold.

 

Here are some of the benefits of composting:

—Eliminates bad odors in our trash rooms and trash shuts.

—Reduces infestation of rodents.

—Gives new value to our food dollars.

—Promotes a healthy green environment.

—Creates new jobs.

 

Look for a brochure under your door next week to explain how composting will work at the Elizabeth. The Association will pay for all composting bins and the liners that go with them.

 

Our Board Members and General Manager are enthusiastically on board with this project which was brought to their attention by our neighbor Karen Bues. I encourage you to support this important project.

Highlights of ECA Board Meeting March 24, 2021

 

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

 

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

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

            Mr.  Schwartz opened the meeting with a brief statement saying that the condo had weathered a difficult year.  Our success is due to the cooperation of our residents and the new management direction.

 

LAWYERS REPORT

            Mr. Tucker discussed a potential new requirement by the State requiring the filing of condominiums reserve study and to follow the recommendations contained in the study. He will continue to track this.

 

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT

            Ms. Gann gave an update on committee activities.  Notices and postings have gone out on schedule. At this time the Committee has received 2 applications. A third individual has indicated interest.  Last call for nominations April 7. Ms. Gann emphasized that it was important to turn in your proxy even if you decide not to vote so it can be counted in the quorum. This year the elections will be virtual. The League of Women Voters will be handling the elections. Electronic voting is not possible this year, but will be the future. A process is being set up for proxy collection, which will include drop off, mail and email of scanned proxies. A resident asked does the provision to nominate at the annual meeting still be possible?  Mr. Springer replied that this option will still be available.

 

TREASURER’S REPORT

            Mr. Wemple, stated he wished to respond to questions raised at the Budget and Finance Committee about the investments with Morgan Stanley. He explained the concept of laddering investments (selecting different amounts and expiration dates for investments). Typically, this allows the condo to take advantage of different rates for short and long-term investments, The past year has made the decisions more difficult because there is little variation in rates.

 

MANAGEMENT REPORT

            A complete copy of Mr. Springer’s Management Report is available electronically.  Here are some of the highlights:

            Elevator Update

The meeting with Michael Blades and Associates and Otis Elevator was postponed due to a death in the family of the Service Manager for Otis.

Two-way radio amplification update

Engineers were on site to measure the signal reception.  Draft plans are being prepared to be submitted to Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (MCDPS). MCDPS has been kept informed of our progress.

 Mail Corridor and Adjacent Lobby Refurbishment.

Mr. Springer met with Phyllis Hartman to review the project. A preliminary budget has been developed. A recommendation will be made at the April meeting.

 

OLD BUSINESS

            Draft Budget

The Draft Budget along with a narrative describing the development and review process is part of the Management Report. Mr. Bucherer moved to accept the draft budget. Approval of the budget is scheduled for the April Meeting.

 

            G-4 Condition and Assessment and Estimated Projected Costs

WJE estimated Costs for this project $483,500. Management recommends that the Board not move forward on the project.

 

NEW BUSINESS

            Consider League of Women Voters Proposal for 2021Annual Election

After a brief discussion the League of Women Voters has been selected to handle the 2021 condo elections.

            Consider Contract for Composting

A resident presented information on composting. A full description of this service is in the management report. It was suggested that the General Manager conduct a survey to determine resident interest. A pilot project is another approach that could be used, no decision was made at this time,

 

RESIDENT FORUM

 

Three residents noted that their apartments had excessive humidity. It was determined that a study needed to be made to determine if the problem is universal or limited to specific tiers. A resident survey will be conducted.

 

A resident suggested that grills be installed in the back  for the residents use.

Highlights of ECA Board Meeting February 24, 2021

 

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

 

Others Present: Richard Spring, General Manager, Romaine Cureton, Assistant Manager (AM) Jeremy Tucker (ECA Legal Counsel, Lerch Early & Brewer), Jeremy Powell (auditor, GoldKlang)

 

I am pleased to say that a welcomed change has come to our Board Meetings and how the building management is proceeding under our new General Manager Richard Springer. Therefore the nature of these reports will be briefer because you as owner at the Elizabeth may get the Board Meeting Packet in electronic format (via email I recommend) if you want additional details.

 

President's Report (see Board Meeting Packet if needed)

The president mentioned emergency radio antenna, corridor renovation, and the audit report which will all be addressed in upcoming special meetings.  One of community Raymond Quarterman unit 906 died February 1. He was an original owner.

 

Audit Report

The Elizabeth Condominium Association is in good financial shape and we are continuing to aggressively pay down the loan which financed window and balcony door replacements.

 

Legal Report

 

Our ECA counsel Jeremy Tucker reported that a survey of Arcade owners was conducted revealing that the majority of ECA parking spaces are being used by customers coming to the Arcade. This also brings up another question and that is how many of ECA parking spaces are being used day after day by hired caregivers.

 

Management Report

The main point addressed was upcoming March 5 elevator inspection.

 

However, Mr. Springer is a major player in the meetings and provided additional information about our service contracts and how approval will be handled (either by Board or GM—see Board Meeting Packet Old Business for the  complete chart). For now we will continue with concierge and housekeeping services until our GM has time to fully evaluate. Contracts from various vendors were included in the Board Meeting Packet.

 

Air Quality Report

The COVID-19 19 Task Force issued a 2-page report summary (see Board Meeting Packet) that essentially says most of our common areas are safely getting conditioned outside air. You can request the full report (Air Quality Enhancement Study) which is 35 pages. Here’s what the report says:

 

The Lobby and Party Room receive conditioned ventilation air via their individual units and associated

air ducts. The Business Center does not. However, there is no way to monitor usage of any of these

areas to be sure that MoCo Health Department and CDC guidance on limiting group size, masking and

social distancing are observed or to monitor for illness. Therefore, the Task Force recommends deferring

action for two months until we see what percentage of the population are vaccinated and what the

general community standards and practices are.

 

There was some discussion about opening the West Lobby in day time hours only when management is on duty to monitor use.

 

Air in individual apartments do NOT get outside air directly. The Hallway Renovation Project does raise some concerns but our fall timeline may mitigate those concerns.

 

Pool Hours

 

The Air Quality Report gives the pool system relatively good grades, and we continue to observe

the Health Department requirements.

 

The recommendation is to resume 7-9 am swim hours (presumably Mon-Fri?) allowing 6 swim reservations per day. Additionally, an individual would be allow a reservation 4 times a week. This additional time requires a second life guard to cover the added hours.

 

The air temperature was fixed and should now be registering in 70’s degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Since COVID restrictions occurred, pool hours are in high demand.

 

Garage

 

Bids are being collected for putting down a membrane/painted floor on the G-4 level of the garage. This is strictly a cosmetic project which will cost around $12,500 according to Wiss Janney Elstner Associates. It will create noise and dust. After all the money and time spent recently on garage repairs, I am not in favor of this project and think the money could be spent on other projects.