Response to Jim Jones' Petition

I was out of town and not at the November meeting. Upon my return, I received many calls regarding the "petition". I have since received a copy of the petition (but not from the source).

To begin with, the committee was never the Redecorating Committee; in fact, it has always been the Refurbishing Committee, which was put into place by our last President, Woody Cunningham. Refurbishing is not redecorating but much more expansive. One familiar with interior design would know the difference.

From day one, there have been individuals (including a Board member) who have resented the fact that they were not selected for this Committee; in fact, those individuals have consistently put road blocks before the Committee. On the other hand, this Board Member was invited to meetings with the design firm and informed other Committee members and design firm members that he was pleased with the items selected. He also noted that he would expect expenditures to do above the budget; they had in the last renovation and "even the Government goes over budget".

As to the letters received by Mr. Jones and friends, it is my understanding that these letters were not available at the meeting. In fact, it is my understanding that when asked to produce the letters or names of those writing them, Mr. Jones could do neither.

With regard to the costs of refurbishing the Lobby level, those trying to distort the facts have said that the cost of furnishings and art would be in addition to the $1.25 Million originally budgeted for the project. This is not true. The cost of furnishings and art are, in fact, part of the original budget.

Any additional costs incurred were the result of 35 years of wear and tear and the lack of improvements by previous management and Boards. I would note that we should be very grateful to Legum & Norman, and Scott and Jim specifically, for their assistance and expertise in the areas of store front window replacement, pipe replacement and other areas that had deteriorated over the years.

I would note that on the positive side, we (the Committee) have received many letters and oral comments that are positive in their commendation of the work already completed. Many of these individuals have also encouraged the Committee to go forward with the hallways so that the Elizabeth Condominium reflects its place within the Friendship Heights Community. Our committee members, who are on the Board, can and will share those letters with those wishing to see them.

Several real estate agents have walked through the renovated lobby areas and have had only positive comments. We have heard from many of them that our building is now the most attractive in the Friendship Heights community. They have mentioned that the value of our units has increased as a result of this work and completion of the hallways can only increase our values more.

Unfortunately, many residents do not attend Board meetings and are not aware of the breadth of work done to complete the lobby level.
A number of these individuals have been frightened by those, who denigrate the work performed thus far and the future work, voted upon by the Board, and required to be completed to ensure the value of our properties.

It is truly unfortunate that we have residents who will polarize our residents and distort the true facts to get their own way and not work as a community.

As to the current work, it is important that residents wait until the lobby level is completed with furnishings and art work before deciding whether they like it or not. As I have said before, it is like a cake....unfrosted, it is not attractive but the frosting completes the picture....So it will be with the furnishings and art work.

As to the hallways, it would be my hope (and not necessarily that of the rest of the Committee) that the design firm will produce two recommended scenarios for the hallways. A public meeting would then be held, and residents would have an opportunity to vote on which the resident prefers. The decision would, thus, be a community decision.

Since I am not on the Board, I am not privy to all the financial ramifications being considered. However, I do know that The Elizabeth has the lowest condo fees of any of the buildings within Friendship Heights and, in fact, is the only one never to have had an assessment. (One cannot count the $16 I understand was assessed for the mailboxes several years ago).

We are now feeling the pain of not raising condo fees each year; unfortunately, we cannot "cry over spilled milk" but must face up to the fact that our building is 35 years old and needs a great deal of work done to bring it up to acceptable standards.

For those who have lived in private homes, you know that roofs must be replaced, plumbing and electricity must be updated and other work must be performed. A condominium is no different. Most of us have a great deal of money invested in our homes and want them kept up-to-date and in good shape.

I look forward to the completion of the total refurbishment of The Elizabeth so we may all benefit from living in a beautiful, updated and first class residence.

Judy Gann

Refurbishment Issues - Response to Jim Jones

1. Mr. Jones states in his petition, “Beyond the more than $ 1.3 million already spent on "refurbishing" and making partial structural changes in the lobby, an additional large sum will apparently be required for furniture and artwork.” Nothing could be further from the truth!

The truth is that many years ago the ECA Board set aside a budget for the refurbishment project, and this budget includes all furniture and artwork, and the Hartman Design Group has stayed within that limit. This budgeted limit did not include unanticipated construction costs, such as correction of leaking windows and pipes, which needed to be addressed regardless of the renovation. In other words, all of the structural changes, the furniture, furnishings, artwork, etc, are coming out of the budgeted amount. For Mr. Jones to say otherwise – or to lead others to believe otherwise – is nothing more than fear-mongering of the worst kind.

2. Mr. Jones asks that the current “Decorating Committee” be increased from its current composition of three members to, “…to at least seven, and that the individuals added to the committee consist of at least three Association members who have signed this petition.” The committee of three has done an outstanding job of marshalling this project through to (almost) completion. And, just as important, is the fact that all of the other designers with whom the Board spoke, and there were many, said the job as described in the statement of work could not be done for the budgeted amount. It is to the credit of the Hartman Group and this committee that the job was done for the budgeted amount…and in fact, that they could give the Elizabeth so much more than was originally envisioned for the same budgeted amount because the Hartman Design Group

• Took advantage of economies of scale and used its greater purchasing power to get us the best products at the lowest cost;
• Due to its exceptional design and technical expertise was able to give us high quality products at a lower cost;
• Worked hard to bid out work out to many vendors to get us the lowest possible cost; and
• Took advantage of the highly competitive marketplace in the current lagging economy.

To make any changes to the composition of the committee at this stage is not only unwarranted, it is foolish!

3. I think it is important to point out that the last time we renovated, more than 20 years ago, as I recall, we spent more than $2M on the renovation. And, as I recall, there were huge cost overruns. In fact, I have been told that the cost overruns were approximately $200,000!

4. Mr. Jones also states, “…the Board's enthusiasm for the Hartman design firm is not widely enough shared by Association members.” Clearly, he and I speak to different people. Most I meet and speak with every day are extremely enthusiastic about the work done by the Hartman Design Group, and in fact, they all ask the same question: When will the Hartman Design Group begin work on the residential corridors? They cannot wait for work to begin on their floors. One of the reasons that the committee has gone forward to Hartman for a design for the corridors is, once again, to take maximum advantage of the competitive marketplace in the still lagging economy. Based on the number of people I meet who are supportive of continuing the renovation project to all residential floors, I must conclude that the Board’s enthusiasm for the Hartman design firm is widely shared by Association members.

5. Mr. Jones concludes that “….condominium fees will have to be raised substantially yet again, or a crippling assessment will have to be paid by Association members in the difficult financial conditions anticipated for the immediate future.” Mr. Jones unfortunately overlooks the fact that for many years our condo fees were not raised at all, and for many years they were raised only minimally, while our neighboring condos continued to manage effectively, raising condo fees appropriately and adequately funding their reserves. The result is that the other buildings have kept their infrastructure (and interior design) up-to-date, while ours has been neglected. If Mr. Jones is arguing against raising our condo fees, he is, in fact, urging the same irresponsible financial management that got us into this jam in the first place!

6. At the November Board meeting, I am told that Mr. Jones referred to “we” when speaking about his petition, and that he repeatedly refused to reveal who “we” were. I find this lack of transparency to be odd to say the least. Some have speculated that Mr. Jones is the “we” and hoping to get support for his own petition by leading others to believe that he represents a large group.

We are a building of 353 units. It would be strange, indeed, if everyone were to agree on everything. However, what I find particularly alarming is that that people here are not able to disagree respectfully or professionally. They do so in a divisive fashion – by whipping up the uninformed with rumor and innuendo, employing misrepresentations, misstatements and fear-mongering, and circulating petitions.

We have a Board, elected to properly manage our funds and protect and enhance our property values. I feel they are doing a fine job of this. If there are those among us who wish to help, they can make their views known by writing to the Board or speaking out at meetings. If anyone wishes to complain, he/she should at least have their facts right! In any case, if owners feel that any Board member has failed to properly carry out their duties, he/she can vote his/her mind at the upcoming election. Causing disruption, spreading misrepresentation, fear-mongering, or otherwise engaging in divisive actions is not helpful and diminishes the worth of every owners’ property.

If Jim Jones is alarmed, - so am I. I am alarmed at the tactics and strategy used by neighbors who wish to disagree.

Refurbishment Issues Raised by Jim Jones

Several members of the Elizabeth Condominium Association realize with growing dismay that the Association faces a dire financial situation that will affect every Association menmber. In the belief that the lack of appropriate attention to a large proportion of members' concerns will continue unabated if we do not speak out, we are united in our appeal to the Board for consideration of the critical financial issues this petition addresses. We are circulating a petition (in synthesis below) to the Board that details our concerns. You may obtain a copy gor signing by sending an e-mail to Jim Jones (jonesjcz@prodigy.net), or otherwise notifying him by leaving a note in his box (Unit #307).

Beyond the more than $1.3 million already spent on "refurbishing" and making partial structural changes in the lobby, an additional large sum will apparently be required for furniture and artwork. In addition, the recent engineering evaluation report (Mendoza Report) introduced in the open meeting of the Board on October 18 and available for study on the Elizabeth website, estimates that more than $900,000-exclusive of labor-is required to replace all equipment required to ensure the health and safety of residents. The report advises that about half of this amount should be invested in the immediate term to replace equipment. The total amount required for essential maintenance and completion of the lobby appurtenances does not include other measures proposed at the meeting: insulation of windows, other vital maintenance suggested by the engineering consultant, any work on unit doors, or, indeed, any other enhancements of interior appearance wished for by the Decorating Committee. Clearly, when the costs of necessary infrastructure work are added to the cost of additional decoration, condominium fees will have to be raised substantially yet again, or a crippling assessment will have to be paid by Association members in the difficult financial conditions anticipated for the near future. Therefore,

1. We urge strongly that all future work of decorating, including any work to be done on floors one through eighteen, be carefully and knowledgeably coordinated for economic viability with the costly and far more necessary work required to maintain the building's infrastructure. Fully detailed information about the projected cost and plan for payment of any undertaking that affects the appearance or the structural integrity of the building should be provided to all Association members well in advance of the signing of any future contracts, not only by means of oral presentation by Board members in open meetings, but also in hard copy as well as electronic text.

2. Although the Board's enthusiasm for the Hartman design firm is not widely enough shared by Association members, the Board has already signed an agreement with that company to provide the design for floors one through eighteen. In consideration of the high cost of the work already done on the lobby and the very great need for structural maintenance, we urge that no work on the upper floors be undertaken until a plan that coordinates the expense of all work on necessary infrastructure repair and decoration is completed and shared with Association members for their input.

3. We ask that the number of those on the Decorating Co0mmittee be increased from the current three members reported by the committee chair in the public meeting of the Board on October 18, to at least seven, and that the individuals added to the committee consist of at least three Association members who have signed this petition. The responsibilities of the expanded Decorating Committee should include monitoring cost/work to stay within a tight budget and ensuring that Association members are kept informed in a timely way that allows them to make a precise analysis of details and costs that will enable them to present their reactions appropriately to the Board.

Summary of November 15, 2010 Elizabeth Condo Board Meeting

Present at the meeting: Alexandra Kielty, Charles Bressler, Molly Frantz, Monique Fridell, Seth Levine, Al Muller, Scott Murdoch, Jim Santos, recorder of meeting minutes. Judi Barth was absent.

Meeting was held in west lobby of the Elizabeth.

The major thrust of this meeting was concern over money.
Items include:

Board approved $2225 so that Ruppert Landscaping can create a master plan for the ECA landscaping. This money will be applied to installation and maintenance after $10,000 is spent with them.

Red flag waved over what money remains in the ECA reserve fund (about $400,000) and working capital fund ($485,000).

Generator project, which has suffered a cost overrun of $90,000, is expected to be completed after Thanksgiving.

Renovation project suffered a cost overrun of $120,000 because of window replacement in the West Lobby. This was not an expected expenditure but the completion of the West Lobby made no sense if the leaking windows were not replaced since it would ruin the new carpeting.

The Board approved $5003 to upgrade our package tracking software, which has been running on a version that was not ever fully operative since the Association never bought a bona fide version of the software.

The new business center of the Elizabeth will offer a copier, computer with printer, and a fax machine for use by residents. Most of this equipment has been donated.

Because of one unit owner who has failed to pay condo fees for more than one month, delinquencies are up and there is not relief in sight.

Discussion held regarding raising the rent of the Elizabeth-owned apartment. Apparently the rent has not been raised in the last couple of years. ECA condo lawyer needs to weigh in on this.

Discussion about liability of allowing un-supervised children in the lobby areas.

Discussion about whether the party room should be rented or used free of charge like the pool and exercise rooms.

Jim Jones presented a call to sign a petition that would put a temporary stop to spending for the renovation and various maintenance projects until a larger committee could be put in place that would represent a wider segment of ECA members. While he said the petition represented a group of people, he would not say who his petition-writing team was.

Window washing has been postponed until the spring.

October 2010 Minutes of ECA Board Meeting

THE ELIZABETH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
4601 North Park Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting October 18, 2010

Board Present:
Alexandria Kielty .........................President
Dr. Alfred Muller .........................Vice President
Monique Fridell ...........................Treasurer
Molly Frantz ...............................Assistant Treasurer
Charles Bressler ...........................Director
Judith Barth ................................Director
Seth Levine .................................Secretary

Others Present:
Scott Murdoch ...............Community Manager, Legum & Norman
James M. Santos ...........ECA General Manager
Jana Bowcut .................Recording Secretary, On the Record
Walter Mendoza, PE ......Mendoza, Ribas, Farinas and Associates

Call to Order: Ms. Kielty called the meeting to order at 7:42 p.m.

Ms. Kielty called the meeting to order at 7:42 p.m.

Ms. Kielty introduced Walter Mendoza, a mechanical engineer and founder of Mendoza, Ribas, Farinas and Associates to discuss the firm’s report which the Board commissioned to analyze in greater detail the general recommendations of the 2009 Reserve Study, with particular focus on near term structural component replacement and energy conservation measures.

Mr. Mendoza provided an overview of the report, which covers the following:

1) A review of the Reserve Study.

2) A field inspection of building equipment to determine which equipment should be replaced between now and 2015.

3) Recommendations for energy savings and environmental impact.

4) A prioritization of the repairs with cost estimates of replacement of each piece of equipment (page 35).

5) A recommendation of the repairs and the sequence in which they should be conducted.

6) A review of the facilities maintenance program currently in place.

Mr. Mendoza summarized information from the report regarding the condition of building equipment and areas that will need attention over time. Many tasks will need additional professional engineering consultation before exact replacement costs can be determined.

Mr. Mendoza recommended beginning a program to replace the windows as the current ones are not energy efficient. Dr. Muller inquired how the replacement would be done in phases in a cost effective manner. Mr. Mendoza recommended starting with the windows that would have the greatest return in energy savings, such as the ones on the west/northwest part of the building.
Ms. Fridell reminded the audience that the Board held a public workshop on August 24, 2010 to discuss the Mendoza Report and asked Mr. Mendoza to repeat for the benefit of this audience the emphasis the Report placed on the considerable near-term energy savings to be reaped by replacing pumps in the building’s infrastructure. Mr. Mendoza explained that ECA’s existing pumps run 24-hours-a-day, regardless of whether water is running through them or not, which consumes a lot of energy. There is new technology available where pumps can be controlled to reduce the horsepower when water demand is low, resulting in immediate energy and cost savings.

A resident inquired how the universal McQuay fan-coil unit replacement could be conducted. Mr. Mendoza stated that the project could be executed one tier at a time, starting at the top of the building and working down, or vice versa. He cannot develop an estimate for this work until the condition of the piping can be determined. Another resident asked if humidifiers could be added in units. Mr. Mendoza stated that they could, but they are prone to breaking, so they would have to be of good quality and therefore expensive. However, Mr. Mendoza added that once the windows are replaced, the interior air will be much more comfortable due to less air and temperature transfer between outside and inside conditions due to non-efficient single-pane windows currently in place.

A resident asked if the Mendoza Report will be available in the Management Office or on the website, to which Mr. Santos responded that it is already available in the Office.

Ms. Kielty thanked Mr. Mendoza and stated that the Association will continue to work with Mendoza Rebas in moving forward on a number of projects recommended by the firm.


Approval of Minutes:
MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Mr. Bressler seconded, to approve the September 20, 2010 regular meeting minutes as amended. The motion passed unanimously.

President’s Report: No report was given.

Treasurer’s Report: Ms. Fridell stated that Deleon & Stang (D&S) is preparing draft audited FY 2010 financial statements. The audit has been going smoothly, although D&S has identified some booking errors along the lines of those Ms. Fridell and Mr. Murdoch have been working each month to correct. D&S may choose to address this in its FY 2010 Management Letter to the Board.

Old Business:
Lobby renovation: Mr. Santos provided the following updates regarding the renovation:
• The final stages of detailing and touch-up painting are being done in the West Lobby. A walk-through with the designer and a meeting with the architect were held to discuss areas that need to be addressed.
• The tile floor in front of the front desk is not yet completed but is expected to be done within the next ten business days.
• All of the glass doors were delivered and installed, but did not meet the approved shop drawing specifications. This will be corrected at no cost to the Association, and the metal will not be cleaned and sealed until the changes are made. Different hardware with longer handles will be installed.
• The power door-opener controller is to be replaced on the East lobby wing door.
• Installation of the audio/visual equipment is about 99 percent complete. Verizon has been working to ensure everything is working correctly. There will be Fios WiFi capability for the business center.
• The FOB door access control program and additional security cameras are progressing toward completion.
• Lobby and Party Room furniture will not be delivered for several more months, as explained at the September 2010 Board Meeting.

Emergency Generator: Mr. Murdoch reported that approval for the amended air flow redesign was obtained from Montgomery County last week. The contractors have updated their bid information and the new cost estimate is $520,000, versus the original cost estimate $425,000. Installation should be completed within the next three weeks. Ms. Frantz asked how much this exceeds the budget for this item, to which Mr. Murdoch responded $50,000. Mr. Murdoch will provide the Board with a more detailed description of the contract change orders.

Website: Mr. Murdoch stated that all of the current resident data has been uploaded into the website. Mr. Levine stated that problems with logging on have been resolved, but if anyone is still having difficulty, they should contact him at “sgl@greatoaktitle.com”. The Mendoza Report has already been uploaded and can be found under “Resources” and then “Condo Documents.” More features will be available on-line in the next few weeks.

Cost Estimates: Ms. Frantz asked if there were any updates on cost estimates for the balconies, doors, and fan coil McQuay units. Mr. Santos stated that he is working on this due diligence on an on-going basis and is preparing a master plan for all of the HVAC needs in the building, which would include all pumps, horizontal piping and fan coil McQuay units. He has obtained some cost estimates and is preparing Scopes of Work in order to be able to issue Requests For Proposals within a few months.

In the meantime, the Board has approved the installation/performance testing of a sample of a new, energy-efficient window in the Management Office.

Employee Group Health Insurance Renewal: Mr. Murdoch stated that the renewal was received from Kelly Associates showing a surprising less than two percent reduction in premiums with no changes to current benefit levels.

MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Ms. Frantz seconded, to approve the renewal of the employee group health insurance plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield at a cost of $6,833 per month. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business:
Landscape Committee Recommendation: Committee Chairman, Jim Rich, reported that they had interviewed four landscape companies and had developed a comprehensive landscaping plan with three components: a master plan, implementation phase, and maintenance contract. The committee has identified Ruppert Landscape to create the master plan, but may not recommend using the same firm for implementation of the master plan. This vendor has done other work in the neighborhood and would charge $2,250 to develop the master plan.

Ms. Fridell stated that while she was pleased with the Committee’s due diligence and had no problem with its recommendation, she was concerned that only the Ruppert Landscape bid was provided in the Board package, and that no competitive information on other bids had been presented to the Board for its vote on the contract. Mr. Rich clarified that three bids had been obtained from Ruppert, Lasting Impressions and Merrifield, and the Committee will provide that information to the Board. Ms. Fridell reminded Board members and the audience that when the Board votes on contracts, there needs to be documentation supporting the fact that research was done on multiple vendors and that a competitive price/value proposition was selected.

Dr. Muller recommended that the Board vote on the landscaping design contract at the November Board Meeting when documented bid comparison could be presented. Mr. Santos will assist the Committee in preparing the proposal analysis and cost comparison.

Corridor Renovation Project Management: Ms. Barth stated that the Hartman Design Group and the construction general contractor, HBW Group, completed an extensive walk-through and suggested that the varying configurations of ECA’s tower hallways will be a challenge due to multiple short hallways and wall angles. The planning process is expected to be completed by February 2011, and the entire renovation process may take a full year because of the inability to seal off areas in an occupied building in order to install carpet, millwork or wall cover without interruption from pedestrian traffic. The general contractor proposes to work on three floors at a time, and could even alternate between floors in the East and West towers. Cost estimates have not been obtained yet, but they will be broken down into options so that the Board can choose the parts that are feasible and within budget.

Ms. Frantz inquired about opportunities for residents to participate in the renovation planning. Ms. Barth responded that planning is still in early stages. Ms. Kielty stated that there is a great deal of opportunity for input via the Renovation Committee and its advisory committee, and that residents may certainly express their opinions to Committee and/or Board members at any time during the process. Ms. Frantz stressed that formal opportunities for resident input need to be built into the beginning of the process rather than left to an informal, ad hoc basis. Ms. Barth reminded Board members and the audience that on March 9, 2010, Hartman Design Group made a public presentation of proposed design finishes and the committee received no negative feedback at that time. Dr. Muller suggested having one or more public meetings where residents can comment on hallway renovation design proposals, and then the Committee could convey these observations to Hartman Design Group.

Members of the Renovation Committee are: Judy Gann, Judi Barth, and Alexandra Kielty.
Members of the Advisory Committee are: Joan Rosenbach, Gerald Feldman, Barbara Smith, and Sharon Bobb.

Committee Reports:
Energy Conservation Committee: Chairwoman Joan Rosenbach reported the committee met on September 23, 2010. One item discussed was holding another Compact Fluorescent Lamp sale. The committee will work with Mr. Santos to obtain the best items and prices. Mrs. Rosenbach reminded the audience that the U.S. Department of Energy is offering rebates on purchases of Energy Star-rated appliances. Rebates are also available to residents through PEPCO. A flyer has been prepared with information on how to contact PEPCO and will be distributed in residents’ mailboxes.

Some residents have expressed concern about toilets leaking and causing damage or wasting water. With the help of Mr. Santos, the committee is researching water efficient models and expects to share options with residents for general information purposes. She reiterated that many McQuay fan coil units in the building are in need of repair/replacement. The Committee would like the Board to clarify whose responsibility McQuay unit replacement would be – individual owners or the Association. Ms. Frantz stated that the Board has asked Lerch Early, ECA’s external counsel, to provide a formal opinion on this based on a reading of ECA’s By-laws.

The Energy Committee consulted with the electrician from PowerServices about installing motion-sensitive lighting in various common areas such as the mailbox hallway, public restrooms and the Party Room. A resident stated that in her opinion, the bright lighting near the elevators was excessively wasteful from an energy perspective, and queried whether it was necessary. Once the contractors leave, the lights can be dimmed ; the Committee will inquire if this can be done immediately.

Mrs. Rosenbach also encouraged interested residents to consider joining the Energy Committee.

Floor Representative Committee: Co-Chairwoman Stephanie Olshan reported the committee met on October 8, 2010, with Mr. Santos to discuss the historical roles of floor representatives and to define their future roles. They also discussed the need to re-activate the move-in notification process with Management. The committee is developing a questionnaire for floor representatives to complete to measure the representatives desired level of participation in the Committee. Another meeting will be scheduled in the near future and the committee will report to the Board on a quarterly basis.

Ms. Kielty announced to residents that Wanda Powell, the new Assistant Manager, will begin working at ECA on November 1, 2010.

Contracts:

Ms. Fridell repeated to Management the Board’s previous requests that any/all contracts presented to the Board for a vote be included specifically on the Board Meeting Agenda.

MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Ms. Barth seconded, to approve the Densel Company to perform the annual cleaning and analysis of the boilers for $7,592.00. The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Santos proposed that the Board consider paying an additional fee to expedite receipt of Board Meeting minutes from the minute-taking firm, On the Record. Currently, the contract stipulates that the minutes will be received within ten business days. After discussion, Board members asked Mr. Santos to verify the cost of a guaranteed five-day return with On the Record.

MOTION Ms. Frantz moved, Ms. Fridell seconded, to approve expediting receipt of meeting minutes within five business days, once Mr. Santos reaches an agreement with On the Record. This would be expected to cost below the $30 fee for return of draft minutes within three to nine business days. The motion passed unanimously.


Comments from Floor:
On behalf of the owner of unit 309, the tenants, presented an issue to the Board regarding cigarette smoke/odors seeping into their unit. Despite having insulation and air filters replaced, the problem is unresolved. Both Mr. Santos and ECA Engineers have inspected the unit and have tried to identify nearby residents who may be smoking. The owner is committed to resolving the problem. Dr. Muller proposed consulting legal counsel about what actions ECA can take to protect the health of affected parties while respecting the legal right of owners to smoke inside their own apartments. .

A resident expressed her negative opinion about the appearance of the new floor coverings in the elevators. Ms. Kielty stated that Renovation Committee members and many residents agree, and are considering options for improvement/change. A resident inquired about the proposal to install a piano in the West lobby. Ms. Kielty responded that no decision has been taken. The owner of unit 215 expressed at length her concerns about the quality of the elevator floor tile, common area lighting, new glass doors and the carpet selection in the party room.

A resident reported a smell of urine outside the door of the first floor exit to the East side mezzanine level. She expressed concern about future damage this could do to new hallway carpeting and suggested frequent washing of this area. Dog owners should be reminded not to allow their dogs to urinate on common area premises.

A resident expressed concern about a recent fire alarm, which was ultimately proven to be false, but which required him and other residents to walk down 14 flights of stairs. He asked if there was a mechanism by which residents could be notified immediately that the alarm is false before they begin evacuating the building via the stairs. Mr. Santos stated that such an announcement might not be heard over the sound of the alarm and that if residents were already in the stairwells, they definitely would not hear such an announcement.

A resident flagged a corner where two walls meet in the West lobby hallway that is already being repeatedly damaged and then repaired.

A resident asked why the Association cannot purchase more microphones for the Board Meetings. Mr. Santos responded that audio/video enhancements will include overhead speakers and wireless microphones; he will ensure that there are plenty of microphones for everyone.

A resident expressed his opinion that white baseboards in some areas of the lobby will easily show scuff marks.

Mr. Bressler asked if more lighting and artwork would be added on the East lobby. Ms. Barth responded that some additional lighting may be installed to showcase art. However, she explained that the corridors on East lobby are relatively narrow and art could be damaged by passing luggage carts. Dr. Muller commented that he had asked Hartman Design Group to prepare a set of art samples that could be considered “non-controversial” for presentation to the Renovation Committee. Ms. Barth stated that she intends to invite the Board to view the art samples.

Ms. Kielty reminded residents that Hartman Design Group is an award winning firm and that its cost-conscious design and extensive contractor relationships have enabled ECA to accomplish a more extensive renovation – including Party Room and public restrooms -- than the Board initially had estimated. Dr. Muller added that his experience with Hartman Design Group is that principals always react positively to suggestions. Mr. Bressler complimented the work done on the Party Room.

Residents complimented Mr. Santos on his excellent performance and his responsiveness in emergencies.

A resident inquired about the status of renovation plans for the exercise room. Ms. Kielty responded that approximately $17,947 was approved by the Board as part of the 5-year reserve expenditure plan for FY 2008, for purchase of exercise equipment and that this expense is included in the current Five Year Plan . Robin Schattman, Jim Jones, Ms. Kielty and Ms. Fridell are serving on the exercise facility committee, which previously identified equipment from Heartline [vendor] to purchase; however, Ms. Fridell explained that these purchases were postponed because the Exercise Committee wanted to determine how much space would be available in the Exercise Room if it were renovated, and whether that could be done on a cost-effective basis. The Board approved $2,600 to be paid to Hartman Design Group for a preliminary design survey of the Exercise Room. Hartman delivered these designs in April 2010; however, no renovation action has been taken to date due to the projected expense and the fact that not much additional space could be gained from a redesign due to placement of mechanical equipment Ms. Kielty noted that additional equipment could still be purchased without any renovation and that the Exercise Committee could make such recommendations. Associa, L&N’s parent company, receives a 40 percent discount off the price of Heartline equipment , which might enable to purchase more/better equipment with the $17,947 budgeted amount.

A resident observed that the exercise room needs an exit sign. Mr. Santos will follow up.

Adjournment
The President adjourned the meeting at 10:32 p.m.
The initial draft of the minutes, upon which these minutes are based, was prepared by Jana Bowcut of On the Record.
Respectfully submitted,
_____________________________________
Charles Bressler, Board Secretary

September 2010 Minutes of ECA Board Meeting

THE ELIZABETH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
4601 North Park Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting September 20, 2010

Board Present:
Alexandria Kielty .........................President
Dr. Alfred Muller .........................Vice President
Monique Fridell ...........................Treasurer
Molly Frantz ...............................Assistant Treasurer
Charles Bressler ...........................Director
Judith Barth ................................Director
Seth Levine .................................Secretary

Others Present:
Scott Murdoch ...............Community Manager, Legum & Norman
James M. Santos ...........ECA General Manager
Jana Bowcut .................Recording Secretary, On the Record

Call to Order: Ms. Kielty called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Approval of Minutes:
MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Ms. Barth seconded, to approve the August 16, 2010, regular meeting minutes as amended. The motion passed with two abstentions by Ms. Fridell and Mr. Bressler, who had not attended.

President’s Report: Ms. Kielty stated that a working meeting was held on August 24, 2010, to discuss the five-year Reserve Expenditure plan, which will be voted on by the Board in this meeting. There will be a briefing from the Mendoza Company on their report at the October meeting. The lobby construction is progressing, and should be near completion in late October. Ms. Kielty expressed appreciation to Mr. Santos and Mr. Murdoch for their oversight of the refurbishment and many other projects.

Treasurer’s Report: Ms. Fridell reported that the FY 2010 audit is underway.

Old Business:
Lobby renovation: Mr. Murdoch reported that the bid received for a complete storefront glass (lobby front of building) replacement was $18,000 in addition to the $24,000 quoted to replace the window flashing. The work has been completed and carpet can now be installed. Current cost projections for the project, with an estimated completion date of early to mid October, total $1.3 million.

Mr. Santos stated that the lobby level carpet installation is scheduled to begin September 23, 2010. The audio visual equipment is being installed in the ceiling as well as new security cameras. Tile floors are being installed in several of the rooms and millwork, particularly behind the front desk, is in progress. The front doors need calibration, weather-stripping felt on the glass edges is under consideration. The satin brass finish needs to be cleaned and sealed, which has been discussed with the contractor (HBW Group) and they will assume responsibility to complete. The door access control project will move forward this week, but no lock cylinders will be removed until management is ready to transition to key fobs, which will be in four to six weeks. Dr. Muller thanked Mr. Santos for posting fulsome construction updates for the residents.

Mr. Bressler asked about the costs and need for interior door replacement for the five condominiums on the lobby level. Mr. Santos responded that this was included in the scope of work to ensure a uniform look on the lobby level, but the Board will need to discuss whether other resident doors throughout the building should be replaced to match. Ms. Barth stated that keeping the existing doors on the lobby level was considered, but the costs of restoring them and putting on new hardware was greater than purchasing new doors.

Ms. Barth reminded the Board and residents that even though the lobby level construction will be completed this fall, the full set of furniture ordered will not arrive until the end of the year. The Hartman Design Group will place all of the furnishings at one time. Dr. Muller suggested that the Board consider devising rules about what will be allowed in the refurbished space, such as food, drink, pets, bicycles, etc.

Emergency Generator: Mr. Murdoch stated that plans are progressing, but there is still an issue with the air flow design. The challenge is to ensure adequate air intake and exhaust for the generator while meeting the County noise limitations. The architect and mechanical engineer will submit the planned changes to the County for permits. The project is planned to be completed within the next six to seven weeks.

Ms. Fridell noted that the Management Report stated that the project’s cost overruns of the generator project will reduce future expenditures. She then asked if Mr. Murdoch could quantify those future costs. Mr. Murdoch responded that he could not, but that the Five-Year Reserve Expenditure plan provides for some electrical upgrades, some of which will be brought forward to be implemented now in this project. Mr. Santos added that there were items in the main switchboards that had to be replaced for $10,000, which is an expense that will be incurred now and not in the future.

Website: Mr. Levine reported that he recently met with Mr. Santos, Mr. Murdoch and Ms. Kielty to review the first draft. All residents are welcome to view it at “www.elizabethcondo.com”. Once the website is finalized, residents will be given detailed instructions on registration. An IT company will be hired to add some advanced features to the website. Mr. Santos stated that the primary goal of the website is for communication. There are currently about 25 unidentified unit owners in the building, and Mr. Santos has been trying to contact those residents. Mr. Bressler inquired if the front desk has the capability of finding a resident who, for example, may have left their car light on in the garage. Mr. Santos stated that given the lack of a unified Association database, he would be the only one who could identify such an owner, but that should change once better communication tools, such as the website, are in place.

Party Room Air Handler: Mr. Murdoch stated that installation is complete and the air handler is running well. An Energy Management System software upgrade will be installed in the engineer’s office, which will enable him to monitor the air handler. Dr. Muller inquired if the installation delayed completion of the party room, to which Mr. Santos responded, that it had not.

Five-Year Reserve Expenditure Plan: The Board discussed projected costs of various items in the Five-Year Reserve Expenditure plan, such as the door security system, skylights, exterior light fixtures and canopies. Mr. Santos recommended addressing the canopy item this year since several are leaking and could impact the aesthetics of the lobby refurbishment work. Ms. Frantz asked if all the building canopies should be done together in a single design plan. Mr. Santos suggested choosing those that are the highest priority and save the others for later. He added that because an architectural firm is currently working with the Association, that he could consult them about work on the canopies and skylights and obtain some costs. The Board agreed to have Mr. Santos explore this.

It was clarified that the $700,000 included in the Five-Year Reserve Expenditure plan for the common hallways includes funds for hardware on the condominium doors, but not for replacement of refurbishment of those doors.

MOTION Ms. Fridell moved, Mr. Bressler seconded, to approve the Five-Year Reserve Expenditure plan, as amended by discussion, to be included as Supplemental Information in ECA’s FY 2010 audited financial statements. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business:
MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Ms. Barth seconded, to begin negotiations with the Hartman Design Group to initiate design work for the next phase of refurbishment, which is the renovation of the hallways in the east and west towers. The motion passed unanimously.
Dr. Muller asked that the HDG be asked to provide the full-range of options regarding the unit front doors (from cosmetic to refurbishment to replacement) as part of any proposal on the hallway refurbishment project. Ms. Frantz reiterated how critical it was to have that information available when decisions are made regarding the refurbishment of the hallways.

Ms. Kielty suggested that the luggage carts be replaced. The current carts are difficult to manage and often bang into walls. Ms. Barth stated that the renovation advisory committee previously discussed this and recommended purchasing these before the renovation is completed. Mr. Murdoch said he will research some options.

Managers Report:
Dr. Muller requested that the items to be discussed by Management also be included on the Board meeting agenda and distributed to the Board and the residents before the Board meetings.

Mr. Santos stated that he obtained one additional window washing proposal since the September Board meeting. Valcourt Building Services provided a proposal that was about $2,000 more than the original proposal by Extra Clean, Inc., which has been hired by The Elizabeth in the past. He added that he will obtain another bid, but Mr. Santos expressed concern about waiting any longer due to the weather. Mr. Santos recommended hiring Extra Clean, Inc., and adding balcony doors and screens to the contract. Ms. Barth stated that last year Extra Clean, Inc. missed a number of windows and had to return to finish the job. She suggested that this be brought to their attention when they are hired. Mr. Bressler felt washing the windows should be deferred until next spring. Ms. Frantz felt that the owners should be responsible for cleaning their own balcony doors.

MOTION Dr. Muller moved, Mr. Levine seconded, to accept the proposal from Extra Clean, Inc., for $7,525.00 to clean the windows, balcony glass (sliders and stationary) and screens. The motion passed, with Mr. Bressler and Ms. Frantz opposed.

Mr. Santos stated that a number of balconies need to have some repair work and painting done, but it is a time consuming process and there are not many good weather days left this year to complete this. Some residents want the work done soon. The Board was unclear about whether the balcony work expense was the responsibility of the unit owner or the Association and agreed to table the discussion.

Mr. Santos stated that a medical request was made by a resident in a neighboring building to use The Elizabeth’s indoor pool for 30 days. Some board members were concerned that The Elizabeth could be liable if an injury occurred, but Mr. Santos stated that the individual could be asked to complete a waiver of liability. The Board agreed that Management should accede to the request on such a condition. Ms. Frantz offered to sponsor the individual as her guest.

Contractor Policy Draft: Mr. Santos prepared a policy draft to minimize the Association’s risk and interference with operations when residents hire contractors to do work in their units. The draft incorporated the House Rules. Some feedback from Mr. Murdoch was incorporated into a second draft and third one will be prepared to incorporate the feedback from the Board. The Board agreed that it is important to implement requirements in regards to contractors’ presence in the building, insurance and qualifications. Mr. Murdoch stated the importance of creating a policy or standard that is practical and enforceable. Ms. Frantz suggested looking at how other buildings handle this. Mr. Bressler suggested that when an owner submits an application for work to be done, they should inform the contractor of the Association’s policy.

A question was raised about whether a staff member doing work in the building would be held to this policy. Dr. Muller responded that staff members typically do minor repairs and should not be held to these rules to the same extent. Mr. Murdoch stated the intent of the policy was for outside parties, not the staff. This interpretation was not universally held. Instead, the extent of a renovation project should be the measure, not who does the work. Dr. Muller also stated that the rules should be reasonable and that there should be penalties imposed if a contractor breaks a rule.

Committee Reports:
Energy: Committee Chairwoman Joan Rosenbach reported the committee has not met since the September Board meeting and therefore had no report. A meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 23, 2010.

Fitness: Ms. Kielty stated she would no longer be able to lead the Fitness Committee due to her extensive responsibilities as Board President and a participant of the Refurbishment Committee. She announced that a volunteer is needed to lead the Fitness Committee. Interested residents should talk to Mr. Santos.

Landscape: Committee Chairman James Rich reported the committee had a number of meetings last month with Mr. Santos and four potential vendors. A master plan will be developed, installation will be done in stages (possibly by a different vendor), and then maintained over time. During FY 2010, the Boar approved $20,000 to be allocated in the FY 2011 operating budget for the landscape design as a separate line item from maintenance.

Social: Ms. Barth stated that the annual Halloween party will not occur this year due to renovations. Instead, the Committee expects to hold a special children’s event during the holiday season.

Open Forum:
-A resident asked for clarification about the Mendoza Report. Mr. Murdoch explained that Mendoza, Ribas, Farinas and Associates is a professional engineering firm that was commissioned to review the Reserve Study and the Energy Audit with focus on the short-term items. He prepared a report to aid in developing a five-year plan with respect to mechanical and energy issues. A workshop was held in August that reviewed the results.

-A resident inquired if window and door replacements are included in the Five-Year Reserve Expenditure plan. Mr. Murdoch responded that the these expenditures are expected to occur beyond the scope of the current Five- Year Plan as the Mendoza, Ribas report identified other energy savings expenditures which were considered more urgent priorities.

-A resident stated that he agreed with requiring proof of insurance from outside contractors. He also stressed that only licensed contractors should remove asbestos.

-In regards to the window washing, a resident requested that special attention be given to apartments with storm windows. The resident also reminded the Board that when it considers replacing interior unit doors, it is important to note that any existing door that is removed or has holes in it has lost its fire retardant quality.

Adjournment
The President adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m.
The initial draft of the minutes, upon which these minutes are based, was prepared by Jana Bowcut of On the Record.
Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________________
Charles Bressler, Board Secretary

Summary of October 19, 2010 Elizabeth Condo Board Meeting

Present at the meeting: Alexandra Kielty, Judi Barth, Charles Bressler, Molly Frantz, Monique Fridell, Seth Levine, Al Muller, Scott Murdoch, Jim Santos, recorder of meeting minutes.

Meeting was held in newly renovated Elizabeth Party Room.

The big items for this meeting were the engineering report summary by Mendoza, which has made the ECA Board change its direction about window, door, heating/cooling replacement, and corridor renovations.

Highlights from Mendoza’s Summary of Engineering Report

While it is now clearly established that the ECA has no choice about immediately needing to undertake large projects like replacing windows, doors, and failing McQuay units, Mr. Mendoza said the Association can save a huge amount of money by updating boilers that are oversized and run 24/7 and by updating the new system with new technology that will have boilers working only when needed. He said the pay back will be immediate and he has seen this work in other buildings. He said work on the boilers and four pipes segmented into two for winter and two for summer must be addressed as the first priority

He recommended that window and door replacement start with tiers facing north and west. He said do as much as you can afford as soon as possible. Jim Santos said that the first replacement window will go into the General Manager’s office within days as a first test.

Replacement of McQuay units requires the following steps:
--Pipe replacement as needed throughout the building
--Replace pipe insulation (asbestos might be involved)
--Clean up any mold
--Install temperature controls

Questions were asked about humidity control and humidifiers. Mr. Mendoza said if all the energy saving renovations are addressed including boiler renovation, window/door replacement, new heating and cooling units for individual apartments the humidity problems would likely be solved. He says humidifiers cause more problems than they solve.

The Mendoza Engineering Report is available in paper copy in the General Manager’s office and can be downloaded from the new website.

Treasurer’s Report

Ms. Fridell said work is being done on the preliminary auditor’s report and some mistakes are being found.

Lobby Renovations:

West Lobby work is in final stages. New furniture will be delivered in several months. The new glass doors will be replaced at no additional cost because of various problems. Handles will be lowered on the new doors. Use of the Lobby is under discussion and new rules in conformance with the House Rules will be issued.

New door security system: Key fobs have been delivered to the General Manager’s office.

Installation of TVs & audio equipment: complete and wifi is working in both lobbies.

Emergency Generator: Finally got Montgomery County approval on redesign. It seems there were some issues with the contractor not working to approved code. Sound attenuation was one of the issues. The project should be complete within three weeks.

ECA Website: owners and residents are invited to establish login identities and use the system. See my note on the new website.

Employee Health Insurance: the price for the same coverage by CareFirst BlueCross/Blue Shield has gone down! The Board approved renewal.

Landscape Committee:
--four contractor were consulted
--The plan is for the selected contractor to develop a landscape master plan, do the installation and maintenance.
--Ruppert is the contractor recommended by the Landscape Committee (Ruppert does landscape work at the Carleton.
--Committee will gather additional data for the Board.

Corridor Renovations
--No work will start until carpet and wall coverings arrive but nothing has been decided or selected.
--Once work starts it will take a full year to complete since hallways cannot be sealed off. The plan is to work on three floors at the same time and possibly alternate between East and West towers.
--One question is whether apartment front doors have to be replaced or just the hardware. Discussion is that many doors have been compromised by holes and adjustments for carpeting. This means these compromised doors are not fireproof.
--Board has received letters requesting lighter-colored carpet for the hallways. Also request for design options that can be voted on by the owners.

Energy Committee:
--May plan another CFL light bulb sale. There are new kinds of bulbs including three-way and chandelier models.
--Will be forthcoming instruction for getting PEPCO rebates on newly purchased energy efficient appliances.
--Need new members to work on the Energy Committee

Floor Committee: wants to restart welcome to new residents. The effort was halted in April with lack of cooperation from the former assistant to the ECA General Manager.

New Assistant to the General Manager: as of November 1, Wanda Powell will begin that job.

Winterize/clean boilers: Board approved hiring a contractor to perform this job.

Expediting delivery of Board Meeting Minutes: Board gave approval to spend an additional $30 per month to expedite delivery of typed Board meeting minutes.

Snow Removal Equipment: Board told General Manager to move ahead with procurement of snow removal equipment. This was approved at the end of last winter.

Comments from the Floor:
--Unit 309 has a problem with invasive cigarette smoke filtering into their bedroom presenting a health issue for a premature infant.
--Floor covering in the elevators may be affected by the elevator lighting and that will be addressed.
--Piano for West Lobby: no purchase has been made yet.
--Unit 215 is not pleased with lobby renovation. Her list of complaints included: lowered ceilings, light fixtures do not meet her standards, new glass doors are too heavy to open, new carpet is too dark and shows lint.
--Light sensors: would they make sense for mailbox corridor and restrooms?