Highlights from the 5/14 HOA board meeting

The official minutes from the HOA board meeting on 5/14/15 should be available on this blog in the next couple weeks or so. In advance of the official minutes, below are a few highlights from the meeting, attended by four board members (Rodger Morris not present), and a handful of other residents. Property manager Claire Scott of Condominium Management was also present to answer questions and help facilitate the meeting.


Treasurer's report:

• The treasurer's report was presented by Claire Scott, due to the imminent resignation of board treasurer Karen DeGraw. More on Karen's resignation below. Claire verbally gave the dollar amounts in the HOA's operating budget and reserves.
• It was once again noted that the HOA budget, while still financially solvent, is not as flush with reserves as projected at the start of the year. This is due to a number of factors, including higher insurance premiums (due to the increased value of the building) and higher-than-expected insurance deductibles paid out for damages caused by water leaks and other issues. See additional notes, and the board's plan for dealing with these financial setbacks, in the April meeting summary HERE.
• The plan for re-allocating funds will require a revised HOA budget. This revised budget must be ratified by a vote of the entire HOA, thus the June 11 meeting will be a general meeting of all HOA members. The general meeting is also necessary to elect a new board member (see below).

Committee reports:

• Fitness Room Committee: 
• Committee chair Tom Ebenhoh submitted a proposal for the purchase of several small items for the fitness room, including yoga/exercise mats. The requested items are those most-often mentioned in the fitness room survey conducted by the committee last fall. The board approved the purchase of these items, up to a cost of $350, to be spent out of the "club room fund." 
• On the subject of sun shades for the fitness room windows, the board found the estimated cost of $2,500 - $3,500 too much to spend at this time.
• Tom also noted the deteriorating condition of some of the large equipment - treadmills, ellipticals, etc. Tom noted that the board should be planning to replace this equipment, and Claire Scott added that the replacement costs for these machines is included in the building's reserve funds.
• Citing his busy schedule, Tom respectfully resigned his position as committee chair, but indicated he is willing to continue serving on the committee. The board is seeking a volunteer to serve as chair of the Fitness Room Committee. Please contact the board if interested.

• Landscape and Grounds Committee: 
• Committee chair Charlie Wollitz reported meeting with a representative from Go2 Property Services, to get clarification on several landscape issues. One such issue was the containment of the bamboo on the south side of the building. Although the board has received bids for $6,000 - $10,000 to contain this bamboo, Charlie stated that he thought the job could be completed for about $1,000 by simply constructing concrete walls inside the planter, to contain the bamboo's growth. Similarly, Charlie was able to get clarification on some of the building's irrigation issues. Apparently the irrigation system must be turned off in the winter to avoid freezing the lines, which causes plants under the building's overhangs to die. Charlie noted that the simplest fix would be for a few volunteers from the building to water these plants with a hose periodically during the winter months.
• A few residents in attendance at tonight's meeting volunteered to brighten up the building's exterior this spring with some flower plantings. This project may include flowers on the west side of the building and/or near the front door. The board asked for a dollar cost estimate to be presented at the next meeting, so the planting could take place in June.

• Club Room Committee: 
• Committee chair Jose Rivera asked about the status of the old office furniture in the club room. The board indicated that the office furniture is owned by IStar, and as the company seems to have abandoned it, the furniture can be moved.
• Jose reiterated previously-stated plans for the club room: craft space, cards and game space, moving in the old TV from the community room and purchasing a new TV for the community room, etc. The board asked for dollar cost estimates on these updates, so plans can move forward.

• Safety Committee: 
• Committee member Laurie Bischof stated that she has plans to do a "walk-through" of the building with new building manager Karen DeGraw to convey various ongoing safety concerns.
• Committee chair Pat Pound reported on several developments:
• Ordering of a replacement "knox box" panel for the front door, as the old one is defective.
• Need for elevator service to check on proper installation of control panel, and questions regarding elevator recall to lobby during a fire. Claire Scott said this service should be provided to the building as part of its contract with the elevator service company.
• Committee once again recommends U-shaped, fixed handles on the outside of the fire exit doors, with push-bars on the inside, which will be both secure and ADA-compliant.
• Pat proposed coordination of the annual building evacuation drill and the annual unit-to-unit sprinkler inspection - it would be convenient to have both of these on the same day.
• Pat also proposed, and the board approved, a building "Safety Fair" to be held in the lobby on July 18. The fair would feature local safety experts and information on disaster preparedness and building safety features.

• Finance Committee: Report deferred until June meeting for lack of time.

Old/ unfinished business:

• Building resident and board member Karen DeGraw has been hired as the new building manager. This will necessitate Karen's resignation from the board, and the election of a new board member. Board president Debra Goodrich noted that it would be nice to have a new board member with financial experience, perhaps a CPA. In order to elect a new board member, the June 11 meeting will be a general meeting of all HOA members. 
• The board asked Claire for an update on the recent leak(s) in the 2nd and 6th floor trash rooms. It seems there are pumps in these rooms that circulate hot water to the building, and excess pressure from the pumps has caused leaks. A temporary fix has been applied, but Karen will be arranging a more permanent fix, as well as larger access panels to facilitate better access to the pumps.
• A survey to assess satisfaction with Condominium Management is still under development.
• The board would like to schedule a "Coffee with the Board" event for a morning sometime after the June 11 general meeting.

New business:

• The board expressed reservations about the HOA website provided by Condominium Management, and questioned if it is worth the $600 yearly expense being paid for it. Although the website does provide a tool for residents to check their HOA account status, general opinion was that more people are using "The Esplanade News" to access HOA news and documents. It was also noted that board members have NOT been receiving email from the "esplanadehoa1515" email address, and there was concern that some residents' messages to the board were not getting through. Former board president Jose Rivera promised to rectify that situation.

Resident input:

• Several residents expressed concern about traffic in the lower garage, particularly cars coming down the ramp at the same time another car is turning from the north end of the garage to go up the ramp. Another resident expressed concern for the excessive speed of some drivers in the lower garage. Arrows painted on the ground and speed bumps were thought to be possible solutions.
• A resident suggested the idea of inviting a representative from the Hollander Hotel Group for a Q&A with Esplanade residents. (Hollander is the company that owns the lot immediately south of The Esplanade.) Given the impact this development will have on The Esplanade (if and when the project ever gets underway) it was thought that a Q&A might be informative. The board supported individual residents setting up such a meeting, but did not want an official meeting with Hollander, as the board was wary of getting into any negotiations with the company.