Highlights from the 2/9/17 HOA general meeting

The official minutes from the HOA general meeting on 2/9/17 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 three current board members; with Dave Rodenbach and Kory Keath absent. Property Manager Matt Brown and Building Manager Karen DeGraw were on hand. A full house of Esplanade residents - perhaps 40 or 50 people - were present.


Preliminaries:
Minutes of the last general HOA meeting were approved, residents were welcomed, and board members were introduced.


Preident's report:

Outgoing HOA President Debra Goodrich gave a rundown of board accomplishments in 2016, as well as challenges on the horizon for the next board:

• Damaged carpet near the elevator on 4th floor was replaced with "carpet squares," which are easier to replace, but may or may not match the existing carpet well. Debra noted that one challenge in the building is finding replacement parts and furnishings that sync with existing items.
• Two new garage doors were purchased and installed, both of which seem to be functioning much better than the previous doors.
• New HD cameras installed in the upper garage and other places.
• Ownership of the restrooms on the north side of the building were transferred from the HOA to the Foss Waterway Owners' Association.
• Two new treadmills were purchased for the fitness room after the untimely deaths of the previous machines.
• A new investment policy for reserve funds was drafted and implemented, with the help of the Finance Committee.
• Revisions to the building rules and regulations were implemented.
• A new landscaping vendor was hired, and improvements to the landscaping are ongoing.
• Club Room was painted, and furnished with a few new items, with input and assistance from the Social Committee.
• The building's development company (iStar) was relieved of its final attachments to the building; control of a lower-garage storage room was gained by the HOA by purchasing and reselling construction materials in the room. The room will eventually be made available for storage of bikes/kayaks.
• Vents into the lower garage were covered, mitigating water leakage into the area.
• Building's exterior was pressure-washed and caulked.
• Progress made on changes to the building's insurance deductible; will continue in 2017.
• Defibrillator located in the building's lobby.
• Ongoing repairs, communications, upgrades, etc.

Additional ongoing projects which the board expects to continue in 2017 include:

• Better regulation of hallway temperatures.
• Change from keys to fobs for ground-level external doors.
• Resurfacing of the elastomeric surface on all concrete decks (not the 2nd floor "Trex" decks). Even though the surfaces may not appear worn, it is necessary to recoat the surfaces to prevent degradation of the decks from UV exposure.

Debra also outlined two challenges that the new board should expect to face in the next year:

• There is no "owner's manual" for the building. There are many complicated systems, such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire suppression, etc. Every time a new vendor is hired, they must be educated from scratch on the systems. Karen DeGraw has gained much knowledge of these systems in her time as Building Manager, but there is no permanent record.
• Communication between Karen, the board, and a few individual homeowners is an ongoing challenge. Without naming names, Debra mentioned a handful of "terrible and mean-spirited" emails that have been received by both Karen and the board, as well as a few individuals who have tended to take an "inordinate" amount of Karen's time with their demands. Debra did say that in her opinion, 98% of the residents she has dealt with in her time as President have been "very pleasant," although she added that "some people just cannot be pleased."

Financial report:

Board Treasurer Pat O’Donnell provided end-of-year balances in both the operating fund ($44,000) and the reserve fund ($1.3 million). She also noted that the yearly financial audit for 2016 should be available soon. Abbreviated HOA financial documents can be seen HERE, and complete, unredacted financial information is available from Karen DeGraw or Matt Brown (see their contact information HERE).

Election of new board members:

Outgoing board members in March are Debra Goodrich and Dave Rodenbach. Prior to this meeting, two homeowners submitted their names as candidates for the board: Pete Cribbin and Kathryn Vernon. The board asked if any other homeowners wanted to submit their names for election to the board, with no respondents. Both Pete and Kathryn spoke briefly, outlining their hopes for the HOA and their willingness to serve the community in this way. Once again, the board asked if there were any other homeowners interested, again with no response. As there were only two volunteers for the two open spots, Pete and Kathryn were elected with a simple show of hands from the crowd, rather than paper ballots. Pete and Kathryn will serve a two-year term, as representatives of the residential units.

Kelly DeLaat-Maher of Smith-Alling was elected again as the board member representing the building's commercial units (a one-year term). Kelly's cooperative nature and expertise in condominium law were noted by the board as great assets to the HOA.

Resident questions and comments:

• A few clarifying questions were asked regarding items above, and that information has been inserted into the notes above where appropriate.
• Two residents asked questions about the building's reserve fund and the reserve study that guides expenditures from that fund. Property Manager Matt Brown and the board indicated that the reserve fund is in excellent condition, funded at "eighty something" percent.
• A resident inquired about an item in the budget regarding a legal settlement against the HOA. The board replied that the HOA had paid "less than $1000" to settle a small claims court matter. However, the board declined to name the individual who brought the claim. While that information is "not a secret," the board preferred not to give specifics about the matter in open session; individual HOA members who would like more information can inquire with Karen DeGraw or Matt Brown.
• A resident asked about the dirt and moss growing on the ledges beneath windows, and wondered if these ledges could be cleaned during the next window washing. Karen agreed to follow up on this request.
• A question was asked regarding when the building's tax abatement will end, and homeowners will need to start paying yearly property taxes. General consensus from the crowd was "Sometime in 2018 or 2019."
• A resident inquired about cracks in the lower garage's concrete roof, which were seen to be leaking water. Karen stated that she was aware of this, and that a patch is needed in the floor of the upper garage. The board noted that there are several areas of concrete patching in and around the building that should be completed in 2017.
• Social Committee Chair Sallie Zimmer pointed out that Club Room has a new card and game table, which will be put to use at this Sunday's "Chocolate Lovers' Game Day."
• Debra Goodrich asked if the Social Committee could host a "meet the board" coffee sometime in the next few weeks, to give residents a chance to meet the new board members, and Sallie agreed.

At the close of the meeting, the outgoing board members were thanked with a round of applause, and all meeting attendees were invited to enjoy wine and snacks provided by the Social Committee.