Summary of ECA Board Meeting June 24, 2019

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Board Present: Lyle Schwartz, Zlatan Beca, Jimmy Walen, Christopher Wemple

Absent: Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Elisa Siegel

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

Highlights of the meeting:

President’s Report:

Resignation of Rhonda Taller.  She and her husband owned two units.  Elections matter. Let go of the past.  Elect new people and get the hall renovation done. (Notes from her letter that she asked be read into the record.)

Merv filters brought up again. Decided that we will use 4/5 pleated filters as available. Merv 8 will be provided at no cost but only after owner signs a waiver regarding the problems associated with Merv 8.

Legal: None

Management Report

Garage Project: Project is 56% complete.  More weekend work.

HVAC maintenance delayed because a failure of the Key Link System. West side will be completed by June 28 when work begin on the East side.

Unit 1801 condemned: discovered after a leak detected in 1701.

Committee Reports

Fitness Center:  July 17, 2019, town hall meeting to renovate the fitness center.

Storage Room: Dangerous junkyard. Asking for help.

Motion: Approved 2 motions to improve control of water temperature in the pool and to replace the exhaust fan.

Motion: Approve a replacement refrigerant monitor control panel in boiler room.  This affects a/c.

Comments from the Floor

--A number of people voiced concern about getting 3 bids for various jobs especially those involving plumbing issues.

--Lunch hour for the staff in management needs to be accommodated.

--July 4 party at Friendship Heights Village Center.

--Compliments for the newsletter.

--Number of expressions of concern about checking condensate lines and other sources of water in the individual units.

Next meeting: July 23, 2019.

Summary of ECA Board Meeting May 28, 2019

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

Absent: Rhonda Taller

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

Highlights of the meeting:

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Lyle Schwartz touted two accomplishments of the previous Board: the revised Employee handbook under the leadership of Rhonda Taller and passage of the no smoking bylaw which was approved May 1, 2019, and goes into effect August 21. The smoking ban which covers the entire property includes visitors, guests, and contractors.

Schwartz stated there is no known end date for the garage project and there is a undetailed plan for hiring a temporary part time person to join the management team.

MANAGEMENT REPORT

Garage Project:

General Manager reported that the garage project is 46% complete and the Association has paid $600,405.85 for this project so far. Work will sporadically happen on the weekends with jackhammering.

Budget:

The approved 2019-2020 budget was distributed to all owners either under their unit doors or through the mail for non-resident owners. A copy can be found on Building Link.

Maintenance:

Condensate leaks have occurred since air-conditioning has been turned on in the face of hot, humid weather. Management has delayed maintenance which was compounded by confusion over acquisition of the appropriate Merv filters.

Resident Garage Door:

The door was hit by a car and broke. Because a set of springs were in house inventory, the door was repaired immediately.

MOTIONS DEALING WITH OUR LOAN

Three motions dealing with our loan were approved by unanimous vote. This includes making the 4^th prepayment on the load for $75,000 for fiscal year 2018-2019, re-amortizing the loan (to lower the interest rate), making three prepayments of $150,000 each in fiscal year 2019-2020.

Next Meeting: June 25, 2019

Clogged Condensate Lines & Leaks

I don’t know about you but every time I leave my apartment when the air-condition is on and the humidity is high, I worry about the HVACs above me and their condensate lines. Will I come home to water damage?

It’s time to ask management about the schedule for clearing the condensate lines and when our filters will be changed and on what schedule?

Yes,  I know that apartments above me have already experienced water leaks from condensate lines being clogged. Until the condensate lines are cleared, there may be many more leaks to come

ACTION Requested: 2019 FHV Election

The Friendship Heights Village Council Election is Monday, May 13, 2019.

Carolina Zumarán-Jones, our Elizabethan neighbor, is running for re-election and deserves our support.

Background:

—Seven seats are open with eight candidates running.

—In theory, each Council member represents one of the eight buildings making up Friendship Heights.

—The goal of this election is to get a cooperative set of Council members who will work well together, given the discord that happened in the recent past.

—The election of the entire Council Board only happens every two years.

Why You Should Vote:

—Friendship Heights Village is a special tax district with a significant budget that comes from your tax dollars. This budget supports such services as the free shoppers shuttle bus, all sorts of programs at the FHV Center (i.e. blood pressure screening; live music programs; free film screenings; book club, classes—Tai Chi, language learning, arts, etc.), security (parking regulation and Montgomery County Police presence because of our support of a Police Field Office on North Park Avenue), maintenance of three neighborhood parks for our enjoyment; snow removal; compliance for ADA requirements (family friendly streets); venue for all National and State elections.

—Preservation of our green spaces (parks) is a critical concern and one that FHV Council takes seriously if we elect the best people.

—Addressing the needs of a changing demographics: we have more young people and more elderly people. We want Council members who will address both populations.

Recommended candidates to vote for:

Kathy Cooper, Paula Durbin, John Mertens,  Michael Mezey, Bruce Pirnie, Melanie Rose White, and Carolina Zumarán-Jones.

Why one candidate needs to be retired:

At the last Council meeting, the sitting Board voted  (4-3) to censure Michael Dorsey for uncivil behavior, making the Council meetings unproductive.

Do you civic duty and vote. Polls at the Village Center are open 7 am to 8 pm.

Election Results

The Tribe has spoken:


Jimmy Whalen
Zlatan Beca
Elisa Siegel
Jimmy Whalen – 37.54%
Z Beca – 36.10%
Elisa Siegel – 32.74%
Al Muller – 22.98%
Molly Frantz – 18.94%
Babs Eisman – 3.8%

New Officers:
President – Lyle Schwartz
Vice President – Z Beca
Treasurer – Chris Wemple
Secretary – Mak Dehejia



The smoking ban passed.
Qualifications for board membership tabled.

Summary of ECA Board Meeting April 23, 2019

Board Present: Zlatan Beca, Makarand (Mak) Dehejia, Monique Fridell, Al Muller, Lyle Schwartz, Rhonda Taller, Christopher Wemple

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

Highlights of the meeting:

Legal:

New directors must take CCOC training within 90 days. It is an in-person 4-hour class at night or on weekends in Rockville. Online training not currently available.

Management Report

Garage Project:

General Manager is asking that work on the weekend be allowed to speed up the project. This will involve some jack hammering, beginning at 9 AM.

Budget:

1% or 2% increase in condo fee? These options were deliberated.  Mr. Beca favored 2% or even 3% increase; Ms. Taller explained her concerns that this is an old building and often in need of repair; Ms. Hall pointed out that one catastrophic flood could wipe our comfortable financial position.  Al Muller repeatedly argued for a 1% increase.  In the end, the vote was 4 to 3 for a 1% increase.

Window Cleaning:

Will take place May 2-3.

Meeting Location:

The Board discussed where to best have the monthly meetings and decided that  the West Lobby is preferable because there is more room and it gives better access to people with walkers. Fire and Safety issues were of a concern in the party room which is only rated for 49 people, and where there is only one safe exit in case of fire.

Spring landscaping:

Spring flowers will be installed the week of May 6.

Other Business

Embezzlement Report:

The Board distributed a written summary of the embezzlement reports and summarized the findings under all doors. There were three such reports: ECA, Gates Hudson, and forensic audit firm. The reports emphasized that the fraud was perpetrated by one highly placed and trusted employee of Gates Hudson and that since learning of that event, Gates Hudson has worked to tighten its internal controls as has the Elizabeth, in accordance with recommendations. All embezzled funds have been returned with interest, and all funds expended in connection with the embezzlement, to include time spent by our Counsel and our General Manager, were paid by Gates Hudson.

The Gates Hudson contract was renewed for one year in March.  It will be up to the new Board to consider an RFP for Management Companies (to include Gates Hudson) when the time comes next year.

Motion: unanimously approved some changes to the budget including a significantly large amount for elevator repair which Otis said we do not need to do until 2021. Monique Fridell asked for a letter from Otis be attached to this change.

Motion:

1% condo increase was approved 4 to 3.

Motion:

Approved unanimously the budget with 1% condo fee increase.

Committee Reports

Newsletter:

Copies are at the Concierge Desk and have been emailed from BuildingLink.

Fire & Safety:

Instructions for residents in case of fire or fire alarm sounding were reviewed by the Fire Educator.  He suggested the instructions be simplified and easy to read for people whose eyesight is not sharp or who are not fluent in English, and to use more graphics so that people  can still understand the instructions.  The Committee needs the support of a graphics artist to follow up on these suggestions. 

Additionally, it was suggested that the Elizabeth should plan a program of regular education for residents, like Town Halls, on the subject of what to do in case of a fire, or fire alarms, so that people know that it is their responsibility to prepare for such an event.  Those who need assistance evacuating in case of fire, should have an exit plan at the ready, and people ready and able to assist them.  The responsibility belongs to each and every resident.

Again, residents ask that the Management office make full  use of  BuildingLink for notification of fire status since the fire alarm often sounds for a long time and only the Fire Department can turn off the alarm after doing a full investigation.

Comments from the Floor

— Rhonda Taller spoke of the importance of the upcoming election and selecting the right individuals to serve on the Board.  Elections have consequences

— One individual mentioned that the Management Office needs training on BuildingLink.