Highlights from the 2/13/19 HOA general meeting

The official minutes from the HOA general meeting on 2/13/19 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 four board members. Building Manager Karen DeGraw, and Property Manager Kevin Ducotey of Condominium Management were also present, along with a very full house of approximately 80 Esplanade residents.

UPDATES ON CONCRETE CIRCLE

Outgoing Board President Pete Cribbin opened the meeting by announcing that the HOA now has enough "yes" votes to proceed with changes to our building's CC&Rs, to allow residents to use the concrete circle as a 15-minute drop-off zone (currently, Article 23.6.2.iv. of the CC&Rs  allows only emergency and utility vehicles in the easement).

Pete then turned the microphone over to Scott Carino, owner of one of the Esplanade's commercial units. Scott is a member of the board's task force on re-opening the circle, and has been instrumental in both the legal work and the construction phases of the project. Scott gave a summary of the work thus far, including these revelations:

• After crews pulled up the concrete in the circle, it was discovered that the waterproof barrier protecting the lower garage had failed long ago, and that drains to move the water away from the barrier had never been installed in the original construction.
• The lack of drainage no doubt has been the source of water leaks in the garage for some years, and although patching from the inside has helped mitigate the problems, now the issue should be solved permanently.
• The next step in the construction will be to install a temporary covering of the area, in order to dry everything out, as well as the installation of new drains.
• The decorative silver dome in the center of the circle will be replaced with a planter.
• There will be a "height-restrictor" installed at the entrance to the circle, in order to prevent overweight vehicles from driving in the area.
• Scott, who has vast experience in construction, said that he believes the new circle construction "should last 100 years before we ever have to talk about it again."

A few residents had questions about some of the particulars of the construction, including the aesthetics of the height-restrictor. Resident Ken McDonald was particularly upset with Scott's handling of the legal permitting of the area, and made his feelings clear.

SUMMARY OF THE BOARD'S ACTIVITIES

Next, Pete gave an abbreviated report on the board's work this past year, including:

• Washed the building's exterior
• Repaired sidewalks on Dock Street damaged by tree roots
• New garage door opening system installed (Pete also noted that there have not been any thefts in the lower garage since the new system was implemented)
• All three roofs have undergone preventive maintenance
• A Trex deck on the second floor was replaced due to damage
• New painting, carpeting, and hard surfaces installed on residential floors
• Negotiated a significant reduction in the dues the Esplanade HOA pays to the FWOA; the City of Tacoma will now pay for more of the upkeep on the esplanade

TREASURER'S REPORT

Board Treasurer Denice Faust provided a brief update on HOA finances, noting that operating fund came in under budget for 2018.

ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS

To fill the two open spots on the HOA board, there were six candidates. Each candidate spoke for a few minutes on their qualifications and their desire to help serve the community. Ballots were then collected and tallied, and the two new board members elected were Margo Holm and Pat Pound.