Highlights from the 11/12 HOA board meeting

The official minutes from the HOA board meeting on 11/12/15 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 by all four current board members and Building Manager Karen DeGraw. Property Manager Matt Brown was not in attendance. Approximately 12 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. It was noted that these amounts reported at the board meetings are often 3-5 weeks old, as the current financial report from Condominium Management is usually provided just after the date of each month's board meeting. Condo owners who would like to see these financial reports can view them in Karen DeGraw's office.

Committee reports:

• Safety Committee: 
  Committee Chair Pat Pound provided a report on the recent fire drill. The drill provided valuable information and practice to emergency crews, the building manager, and residents.
  
  Pat also raised the issue of cleaning the building's ventilation system for clothes dryers. All of the dryers are connected to common ventilation shafts, which must be cleaned every three years to prevent a fire hazard. Individual unit owners are responsible for cleaning their dryer ventilation hoses that connect to the common shaft; this should be done periodically to prevent a fire hazard!
  
  Finally, Pat noted the need for a painted stripe on the low curb in the traffic circle, near Carino and Associates. The depth perception of this curb can be illusionary, and can be a tripping hazard. A painted stripe would help alleviate this danger. The board voted unanimously to proceed with this painting.

• Social Committee:
  Holiday season drives: The food drive collection seems to be going well; click HERE for more information. Within the next few weeks, the Esplanade will once again sponsor a "Toys for Tots" drive; click HERE for information about last year's drive.
  
  A written request from the committee for new furnishings and remodel of the community room was tabled, until a member of the committee can be present to speak about the request. The board expressed little inclination to incur most of these costs until a greater need is evident.

• Finance Committee:
  Committee Chair Tim O'Donnell expressed a desire of the Finance Committee to preview the proposed 2016 HOA budget within the next few weeks. It was noted that last year, the committee did not feel there was adequate time to preview the budget prior to its being voted on, and the committee would like to begin their review earlier this year. A tentative meeting date of November 19 was set for the committee to meet with board members to discuss the 2016 HOA budget. Interested owners should contact Board President Debra Goodrich or contact Finance Committee Chair Tim O'Donnell.

Building Manager's report:

Below are a few of the projects that Building Manager Karen DeGraw is currently working on. This is not a comprehensive list of all she does - it is merely a glimpse of projects with which she is currently engaged.

• New door to lower parking garage: 
  This project has been of utmost importance; Karen and the board share all of the residents' concerns about the missing door. Karen is attempting to have the door replaced as soon as possible. However, the previous door had been in service less than 3 years before wearing out (the door had a 1-year warranty), thus Karen has been taking pains to examine different types of doors that will have a longer life and provide a longer warranty. After giving a report to the board on three different bids for three different types of doors, the board approved the purchase of a "counter balance" door with a 5-year warranty, for approximately $24,000. The board also directed Karen to see if a "rush" order of the new door is possible, to speed up the expected 6-week fabrication time.

• Upper garage door:
  The motor from the dead lower garage door was moved to the upper garage door, in an attempt to extend the door's life. The damaged screen on the upper door is being replaced by an auto insurance settlement from the individual who hit the door. Residents are reminded, once again, to let the doors open all the way before driving through.

• Roof inspection:
  A roofing company representative recently examined the building's roof (as a precaution). Some minor lifting of the roof's laminate surface was found at the edges; repairs are being scheduled. These repairs are expected to be minor, and the roof is otherwise in good shape.

• Hot water boiler:
  A tiny, pinpoint leak was discovered on one of the pipes that carries hot water from the building's boiler. This leak has been repaired, but in the process of the repair it was found that the boiler's igniters need to be replaced. Parts have been ordered. Concerns about the water temperature throughout the building have been addressed to Karen; Karen recently recorded hot water temperatures of 120 degrees on the 9th and 2nd floors, which is the correct temperature.

• Temperatures in the hallways:
  Regulating appropriate temperatures in the building's hallways has been a long, ongoing, challenging problem. Changes were made to the HVAC system during the recent warmer months, but now that colder weather has set in, Karen is learning to regulate the hall temperatures. Residents are asked to be patient with the temperatures in the halls. Unit doors that "buzz" with the changing temperatures should be sealed with weather stripping by the unit owners.

• Painting:
  All floors in the building now have had their walls painted (with a few minor touch-ups to baseboards still to be completed). Necessary painting of a couple walls in the community room and club room will be completed soon.

Old business:

• Changes to residential rules:
  For more than a year, as individual board members have come and gone, the board has drafted changes and clarifications to the building's residential rules. (To see these rules as they currently exist, follow the "Esplanade Documents" link from the Esplanade News website, or click HERE.) The long-discussed changes and clarifications are now complete, and the board voted to approve these new rules. The new rules will be mailed to all owners, but will not take effect until 30 days after the mailing. Changes that have been discussed include:
• Rules for reserving and usage of the community room and the club room.
• Establishing a minimum term for rental of units, possibly 6 months.
• A fine for homeowners who fail to notify the building manager and the property management company that they are renting out their units.
• More rigorous enforcement of $500 move-in and move-out fees.
• Extension of hours available for moving and having construction work done in units - allow such activity from 8:00-5:00 on all days of the week, not just Monday-Friday.
• Create language regarding "courtesy notices" before fines are levied for violating residential rules. Residents may receive a courtesy notice on a first violation, and a fine on subsequent violations for certain offences.
• Continue to allow holiday decorations in residential hallways, but place a time limit on those decorations.
• Add "Presa Canario" to the list of "dangerous dog breeds" in the rules.

New business:

• IStar request for reimbursement:
  Istar, the company which originally built The Esplanade and sold all units, has requested a $1,900 reimbursement from the HOA for property taxes IStar paid on the exterior public bathrooms. The board noted that these bathrooms never have been, nor are intended to be, controlled by the HOA; the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions indicate that IStar is responsible for transferring control of the bathrooms to the Foss Waterway Development Authority, or to the City of Tacoma. The board declined to approve payment to IStar.

Resident questions:

• Building security:
  A resident raised the issue of the building's security. Thus followed a lengthy re-hashing of security-related topics that have been discussed for years, including residents allowing unknown non-residents into the building; required emergency access to all floors; activating the fob control system for the elevators; locks on the P1 elevator foyer doors; additional security cameras; etc. etc. The bottom line: It is impossible to make the building 100% secure; the lower garage door is being replaced as soon as possible; residents need to be diligent about not allowing unknown persons into the building; the board (with an eye to cost-effectiveness) will continue to explore means of increasing the building's security.

• Additional resident questions/comments included the possibility of Christmas lights on the building's roof, and mitigating the slipperiness of the wood surface between the front door and the esplanade (when there is a frost).