notes from condo board meeting, 7/28/08

Westmoreland Board members Jose Calvo, Jennifer Hastings, and Emil Tabakov, Zalco property manager Dennis Freeman, friendly, community-spirited resident Joy B., and your humble hyperlocal resident-reporter present (where were the rest of you?) Here are some unofficial notes I recorded. I'll post the official meeting minutes to the Westmoreland Terrace Condo email list when I receive them.

Six items presented at the meeting:
1. Fidelity bond responses needed from Board members for State Farm master insurance policy. I didn't understand what this item was about, but it didn't seem important.

2. Verizon Fios contract approved by 3-0 vote. Before the vote to approve, I followed up with my question dating back to the October, 2007 Board meeting. Specifically, I asked Dennis whether the contract included any exclusive clauses. He didn't answer that question, but offered to email me a copy of the contract. I look forward to studying the contract. Some Board members said that they had looked at the contract, and while not having legal expertise on the matter, they didn't see any exclusive clauses. It's not clear when Fios will be installed at Westmoreland.

3. The Board signed off on two payments. One, to Culberson, was for $44,641.62 as the first payment on the facade work being done to building 1301. There will be a second payment and then a release payment. The other payment was $15,905.18 to Structura for structural engineering work at Westmoreland.

The Culberson bill does not include the cost of repairing the canopy between 1307 and 1309. Initially the cost estimate for the canopy repair was about $53,000. But the relatively new roof of the canopy was not properly installed and led to significant structural damage to the canopy. The cost of the canopy repair is now estimated about $70,000.

Roof conditions appear to be better than originally thought. The drain spouts added to 1336 are working well. It now appears that the schedule for roof repairs can be drawn out over a longer period.

The current stage of building repairs should be finished in 30 days.

4. The Board consider the rising cost of the door-entrance phones. Residence who have the door entrance box calling their long-distance mobile phone numbers are increasing the cost of the door-phone boxes. Normal charges of $20/per month/per building (for 10 buildings) are increasing by an additional $3-4 per month up to $16 per month from increased calling charges. The Board resolved to notify residents of this issue by mail and posted notice.

5. The Board approved audit language related to excess assessment income at year-end. This apparently is a regular, tax-related technical exercise.

6. The Board discussed the difficulties with a resident who has removed an internal wall in the resident's unit. This is not permitted by condo rules, and the resident is required to replace the wall. If the resident does not replace the wall, the condo association will replace the wall and charge the cost to the resident's assessment. The Board discussed how much additional time the resident should be given to make the required repair.

The next regularly scheduled meeting is the fourth Monday of next month, 7pm, in the condo office.