Highlights from the 10/8 HOA board meeting

The official minutes from the HOA board meeting on 10/8/15 should be available HERE in the next couple weeks or so. In advance of the official minutes, below are a few highlights from the meeting, attended in person by all four current board members, as well as Property Manager Matt Brown and Building Manager Karen DeGraw. Approximately 10 other Esplanade residents were also on hand.

Treasurer's report:

• Board treasurer Dave Rodenbach provided the balances in both the operating fund and the reserve fund.

Committee reports:

• Safety Committee: 
  Committee Chair Pat Pound provided details regarding the upcoming building fire drill on Saturday, 10/24. A time for the drill will be announced. The drill will include audio public address announcements and a building evacuation. Residents who would like assistance navigating the stairwells may contact Safety Committee members Pat Pound or Lynette Chandler, or Building Manager Karen DeGraw.

• Club Room Committee:
  A new 75" television has been installed in the community room, and the old television will be repurposed. Filling holes and painting will complete the project.
  
  Excess furniture left by the sales staff has now been removed from the club room. Excess money from the TV purchase will be reallocated to purchase a pool cue rack for the club room.

Old Business:

• Parking: 
  The board has been in contact with the City of Tacoma regarding the possibility of residential parking permits for Dock Street. It is unclear at this time how receptive the city will be to this.
  
  After hearing resident concerns regarding the loss of parking permits in the upper garage, the board is negotiating with Republic Parking for possible nighttime-only permits. These permits would likely be issued on a month-to-month basis and would cost about $75 (plus tax) per month.
  
  After negotiations with the city, a loading zone will be established on Dock Street just outside the entrance to the traffic circle. The loading zone will be for commercial vehicles up to 30 feet long.

• New House Rules:
  The anticipated release of new house rules has been delayed so that rules may be incorporated for the club room and community room. Rules for these rooms will likely include provisions for cleaning the rooms after events, defined purposes for each room, liability, etc.

• Ongoing projects:
  Building Manager Karen DeGraw summarized several projects on which she is currently working. These include:
• Window cleaning is currently scheduled for 10/27 - 11/9. For residents new to the building, window cleaners are suspended from the roof and will clean all of your exterior glass, including deck railings. Expect to see cleaners outside your windows at any time during the cleaning days.
• Painting of the 9th floor walls will begin on Monday. After the ninth floor, the painters will move to the 8th and 7th floors.
• Repairs to the tile on the 9th floor have started.
• Replacement carpet is being sought to patch bleach spots on carpet.
• Locks have been changed on the club room so that residents may now access that room. Locks were also changed on the 8th floor storage room and the Building Manager's office.
• The large overhead door to the upper garage has been temporarily repaired after being struck by a car. A permanent repair has been scheduled, to be paid for by the driver's insurance coverage.
• A plumbing malfunction in the parking garage was repaired; possible cause was poor plumbing design in one of the commercial units. Cost passed on to the commercial owner.
• Possibility of additional security cameras and/or repositioning some security cameras is being explored.

New Business:

• Social Committee proposal: 
  A proposal from the Social Committee for updates to the community room is under review. Updates include new furniture, cabinets, paint, etc. The board will have further discussion on the matter, with an eye to keeping HOA dues stable.

Resident questions:

• Fitness room:
  A resident posed a question about updates and repairs to the fitness room, including replacement of aging equipment. The building's reserve study indicates equipment should be replaced in 2017, although it may not be possible to wait that long.

• Operating funds vs. reserve funds:
  A question was asked about how it is determined when operating funds vs. reserve funds are used for maintenance. The board advised that they were unaware of any policy or dollar amount regulating this, but determined to seek more information from Condominium Management.

• Building security:
  A question was raised regarding building security and access to the residential floors through the parking garage. This issue has been debated at length for many years. Issues include the expense of construction for securing the SE stairwell; emergency access into and out of the garage; the pros and cons of activating the fob mechanisms in the elevators; the continuing problem of non-residents entering the front door on the heels of residents; etc. No new resolutions at this time, although there was general acknowledgement that the building could be made more secure.
  
  Karen DeGraw did agree to look into the possibility of adjusting the delay time for the closing of the overhead doors into the garages. There was agreement that the doors stay open too long after cars have passed through. It was noted, however, that a shorter delay time will also shorten the lives of the motors, as the doors will have to open more frequently.