Board Meeting 06 2008

Board Meeting Minutes for June 3, 2008

ATTENDING:
Forrest Rode, President
Steve Wilson, Vice President
Joe Whiting, Secretary
Erika Ayer, Member at Large
Dan Jacobs, Homeowner

Minutes for March 19, 2008 and April 23, 2008 meetings approved.

Association finances presented to the Board by Property Manager Suzanne Heidema. We continue to be in good financial shape, with minimal accounts receivable. Suzanne has started the preliminary work on the budget for the July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009 fiscal year. Early indications are that increases for insurance, utility and other ongoing routine costs will increase in the 8% - 10% range. Our upcoming courtyard and siding repairs (estimated $200,000) will have to be dealt with during this upcoming budget year. As well, a new revised state law on condominiums will have costs and implications for us. (Those associations that fail to comply, will see their units decline in value and saleability.) Our Reserves for future repairs will have to significantly increase, and our dues will have to significantly increase. The Board directed the Property Manager to promptly send a “heads up” letter to homeowners about a prospective hefty dues increase, so they have as much advance notice as possible, and so when the finalized numbers are available the “sticker shock” will be minimized.

Homeowner Issues:
• A plumbing issue recently victimized homeowner Dan Jacobs. This is the third episode since he has owned the unit, and previous repairs by the Association haven’t completely solved the problem. The Resident Manager has secured a new plumbing bid from Day & Nite Plumbing to replace a 2” pipe with a 3” pipe to better handle drainage. Dan described for the Board the damage sustained, the history and previous repairs done, and made a reimbursement request for damages. The Board agreed to pursue the plumbing repair with the larger 3” pipe, and developed a plan with Dan on the damage reimbursement. (The Property Manager will arrange an inspection and estimate from a carpet company.)
• Homeowner Erika Ayers has damage to a bathtub created by the Resident Manager when doing a plumbing repair in her unit. The Board will reimburse the cost of refinishing to repair the tub.

The Board authorized an upgrade to our elevator service contract, so we have 24/7/365 coverage. (We recently had to pay overtime for a weekend service call.) The enhanced coverage will cost about an additional $90 per month.

Steve Wilson provided the Board an update on the proposed sewer tax from King County, which is owing for the years 1990 –2005. The Association attorney concurs with the Board’s analysis that this is not properly an association debt, and that King County should be pursuing the individual homeowners who owned during the interval 1990 – 2005, if anyone. The Board has no authority to accept liability for this debt on behalf of owners who have purchased since 2005. (The county had proposed a 15 year payment plan commencing in 2008, at the cheaper 1990 rates, rather than “billing back” to 1990, to rectify the oversight.) The attorney will attempt to have the sewer department remove the association as a party to this collection effort, and hopes to have news for us within two weeks. There will be a fee for this special project, as it is not within the scope of his ongoing representation services for us.

There are complaints from residents on the fifth floor of pigeons cooing, and possibly nesting. The Resident Manager will be directed to investigate audio alarms intended to drive birds away. If the audio signals do not disturb dogs, cats, and pets within the units, the Resident Manager will purchase and deploy to discourage pigeons from roosting and nesting on our property.

Next Meeting Date: July 15 at 6:30 P.M. at Starbucks

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