Introductions – Board Members and homeowners in attendance introduced themselves to everyone present.
The necessary 40% representation for a quorum to conduct an official meeting was achieved, as 48.398% of homeowners were in attendance or had submitted proxies.
Reading and Approval of the 2007 Meeting Minutes was waived, as no official meeting had occurred in the previous year, due to lack of a quorum.
President Forrest Rode delivered a President’s Report detailing accomplishments and completed projects by the Board of
Directors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008.
Treasurer Pete Segall and Property Manager Suzanne Heidema jointly delivered the Treasurer’s Report. They reviewed last fiscal year’s expenditures, commented on expenses known to be increasing for this fiscal year, and discussed how the budget increase for this year was calculated.
Elections were conducted for four (4) vacant board positions. Candidates present gave a brief description of their credentials, and explained their goals for the Board. Joe Whiting, Pete Segall, Steve Wilson, and Renee Fentress were then elected to the Board.
The floor was opened for homeowner discussion, and many topics were touched upon:
• Discussion of the proposed Bicycle Shed construction. (The bicycle rack in the garage interfered with the placement of the recycle bins. The rack was temporarily relocated adjacent to the south elevator, but so many bicycles have been attached, that it now intrudes into the adjacent parking spot. Not unreasonably, the parking spot homeowner wishes the rack relocated permanently to a suitable location.) With our upcoming deck-recoating project, there will be an opportunity to construct a bicycle shed in an alcove on the east side of the north building. This will get the bikes out of the garage; provide enhanced security for the bikes, and ease cleaning and maintenance for the Resident Managers within the building. NOTE: A tally after the meeting, of surveys submitted on this topic shows 17 yes votes for construction, and 7 no votes on construction.
• Discussion of purchasing coin operated washers and dryers and setting up a laundry room. (The building was originally constructed with a laundry room, complete with the necessary plumbing, but has never been used for this purpose.) The room is now used by the Resident Manager for storage
of his personal tools and supplies. Three potential benefits were mentioned that might ensue. Livability of the studio units might be enhanced if the washers and dryers in those units could be removed, and the laundry space combined with the existing closet to create large walk-in closets, with more usable space. Also, large commercial style washers and dryers could be placed in the laundry room, enabling the washing/drying of blankets, comforters and other bulky items which can’t typically be accommodated in the existing stack washers and dryers. Lastly, many condo associations of our size net $4,000 - $8,000 annually from their laundry operations. This can be an important revenue stream, and is a means of having the rental population subsidize the homeowners’ dues to a significant degree. NOTE: A tally after the meeting, of surveys submitted on this topic shows 12 yes votes, and 12 no votes.
• New legislation effective June 2008, requires a Reserve Study every three years, with reviews in the intervening two years, or requires statements of non-compliance in Resale Certificates. When queried, the Board advised they intend to get a Reserve Study conducted this fiscal year, and the Property Manager has already commenced soliciting bids.
• It was noted that the developer of the proposed condo development next door, won their lawsuit permitting them to move forward. We have had conflicting feedback from two contacts within their company. One executive said they would be awaiting a better real estate market before proceeding. The Project Manager indicated there is a 30-day appeal period following the lawsuit decision, and if there were no appeal then they would consider whether to proceed. We had hoped to integrate our deck repairs with their construction cycle. By using the same contractors, we could avoid some mobilization costs. (The developer will be waterproofing our south garage wall, and building us a new sidewalk-courtyard on the south property line, at his expense.) The Board said they would begin soliciting bids for the deck repair due to the uncertainty of the construction schedule next door.
• The attorney for the condo association (Dan Zimberoff) was in attendance, and in response to questions gave a description of our planter damage lawsuit. (This included strengths and weaknesses of our case, defenses for some defendants, and allocation of the proceeds.) We are still working through a couple of homeowner claims. He also commented on our pending dispute with King County over sewer charges that should have commenced in 1990 for 15 years and were never billed. (Approximately $61,000.) He is hopeful that we may be able to persuade the county that all, or a significant portion of the debt is barred by a statute of limitations. (This is a unique set of circumstances with no precedent or case law to rely upon.)
• Several folks expressed their strong wishes to have a viable website for the condo association, that would facilitate better dialogue within the community. Board Member Joe Whiting described his frustration with getting a password and some other information from a previous Board member who now lives out of state. That has prevented him from updating the existing website, or moving it to a new location. It was noted that the newest Board Member (Renee Fentress) ran on a platform of wishing to enhance the website. The Board indicated their eagerness to have her take on that project. This will be a major step in enhancing communication between the Board and homeowners.
• A few homeowners spoke about their wish to see the interior hallways redone (new carpet, paint, trim, etc.) The Board noted that we have about $250,000 in cash reserves, and about $200,000 will have to be spent on the upcoming deck repairs and new first floor siding. That project will have priority as it affects the water integrity of the building. The upcoming Reserve Study will also influence priorities. The homeowners responded that they would just like some sense of a timetable, and to know if it could happen within the next couple of years. The Board committed to soliciting some bids, so some sense of the cost could be ascertained.
• Complaints surfaced about pigeons cooing on the roofs, and volume of the audio deterrents deployed there to drive them away. We had a bird expert out from a pest control company to evaluate the circumstances. It’s very difficult to drive pigeons away from their birthplace. Their favored technique currently is to deploy birth control, which makes the pigeons sterile, and let the colony die out. In addition to deploying the noisemakers, which emit the sounds of predator birds, we have had a carpenter board up all access points to prevent nesting under our roof decks. There is little more we can do, until this generation of birds dies off.
• One homeowner suggested adding more board members or starting a committee, so someone could specifically focus on website management. One problem with increasing the number of Board Members is that it would require an amendment to the Bylaws, by vote of 60% of the homeowners in favor. Also, its better to have an odd number of Board votes to make decisions and avoid ties. Lastly, it would increase the number of members having to be present to have a quorum and conduct business, which is sometimes difficult with vacation and business travel.
• A couple of homeowners voiced the thought that the ceiling insulation in the garage is tacky, and could it be removed? A straw poll of those present showed overwhelming support for removing it, with no opposition voiced. The Board will explore removing it.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:30 PM
Next Board Meeting – Monday August 25, 2008 6:30 PM (Starbucks at Olive Way & Summit). Homeowners wishing to attend should reconfirm meeting time with Suzanne Heidema on August 25, to confirm no rescheduling of the event. Suzanne may be contacted at (206) 329-5221 or e-mail moc.nsm|amediehs#moc.nsm|amediehs
08/07/08 UPDATE
It was missed in the above minutes that there is a reported silverfish issue in the North Building. The Board will discuss possible solutions.