IMPORTANT: New Abloy locks being installed - January 31, 2012

New Locks and Keys
As a result of a recent security breach, the Expresso Condo Board has decided to update the building locks with new Abloy locks.  All the entrance points will be equipped with this highly secure modern locks.

New Keys
All unit owners will receive 2 keys free of charge.  Additional keys can be purchased up to and including Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at a cost of $20/key (they will be $75 after Jan. 31).

Additonal Keys
Unit owners wishing to purchase additional keys must contact Connelly & Company by Wednesday, January 25h, to advise how many additional keys are required.

Key Pick-up
Keys can be picked up at Connelly & Company between the hours of 8:30-4:30 between Monday, January 16th and Tuesday, January 31st.  Note: if additional keys have been requested payment must be made at time of pick-up.  Payment can be made by cash or cheque made payable to Connelly & Compnay.

Please Note: After January 31, 2012 the old keys will no longer allow access to the building.

We appreciate your patience during this time and look forward to the added security our building will have once the change it complete.

Board Meeting Updates

Hello Expresso!


You may have noticed we have a new property manager, I know I know we just got a new one!  Let's let the past be the past and embrace our new superstar Darynn!  Darynn has stepped up to the plate like no other property manager ever has (yes he is filling our email inbox but that is how we like it!!!).  Here are some updates for you...

1. Just want to remind everyone, if you are doing renovations in your unit that involve plumbing, electrical or structure you need to submit a request to the board to approve the work BEFORE the work begins.  This is to protect the integrity of the building and to protect your unit from unforeseen issues from inadequate work being done in units connected to yours.  We appreciate your attention to this if you decide to be handy!
2. The radiator pipes in 3rd floor units that we "knocking" should all be taken care of now.  If you live on the 3rd floor and are still experiencing issues please contact Connelly so we can fix the problem. 
3. A recommendation to install plate restraints was included in the last engineering study completed on the post tension cables.  It is important to us to ensure safety and compliance are a top priority so the plates will be installed in the next month.  These plates act as a barrier if a cable snapped (very unlikely) but it is better to be safe than sorry.  This is normal maintenance for post tension cable construction and I can ensure you our cable system is in very good shape and we will continue to be very diligent around ensuring it stays that way.
4. Darynn is making the final arrangements to have a complete security review of our building done.  We just want to make sure we are doing our due diligence to ensue the building is as safe and secure as it can be.  I will post an update once the review is complete so you are in the loop on the outcome.
5. We are looking into the carpet cleaning in the building.  The board feels it has been less than adequate lately and the carpets aren't as clean as they could be.  If we need to look at hiring a new carpet cleaning company we will.  Hopefully you will just be able to see the difference once we get this sorted.  Of course the hallways get a bit dirtier in the winter since Calgary is warm-cold-warm-cold but we just wanted to let you know we are on it (we like clean hallways too)
6. The underground parking garage door can be temperamental in the winter time.  If you haven't noticed the door doesn't always close properly, it comes down half way and then goes back up.  It may have something to do with the metal tracks expanding and contracting with the warm and cold air.  We are still on this and hope to have a resolution.  We understand this is a common problem for buildings in the winter but we would like to get this figured out.
7. We looked into having a keyfob system installed for the parking garage door but it was very expensive and you would still have to stop to swipe the key fob so it doesn't solve the issue of having to stop to insert the key and then not be able to get your car up the ramp.  With this said we are not going to a key fob system but will try to stay on top of the ramp clearing as best as we can so people can access the garage properly.
8. Just want to remind everyone lock boxes on the railing at the front door are only permitted from the Calgary Real-estate board, approved contractors and the fire department.
9. Our past Fire Inspection report showed we have a few repairs to do around the building to make sure we are up to code and safe.  We will be installing a back flow preventor, adding a sprinkler etc.  If you want more details please contact Connelly.
10. Just a reminder if you get a furry pet for xmas you need board approval for it to live in the building.  Please contact Connelly if you want the board to review the potential of having a pet in your unit.
11. The financials are in very good shape so no worries about money.  All the repairs and upgrades being done in the building are covered. 

Happy Holidays everyone, be safe!!!!!!!!!!!

Heat in the Building

Happy Friday Expresso!

It is that time of year again our heaters are starting to kick on.  I am having an issue with a valve in my unit and one other owner is having the same issue.  The value is knocking so we can't turn or heat on (if it gets to cold we will need a place to stay, haha just kidding!)

Status

Kyle is working this out with Excelair and Ainsworth.  We had some work done on the 3rd floor by Excelair and we need to ensure this is not a result of that prior to having Ainsworth fix it (they are our new building maintenance contractor).  With this said it looks like we will have to do a building shutdown to replace the valves in our units.  This will happen early next week so please watch the blog and/or the notice boards in the building for the notice. 

Thanks in advance for your patience to get this work done, supposed to drop below 0 at night next week (burrrr)

If you are having any issues with your heating system please let Kyle know ASAP.

Thanks
Elaina Venechuk
on behalf of the Expresso Board

AGM Update

Hello,

I apologize for taking so long to post the updates from then AGM, have to admit I have been enjoying summer as much as possible!

Before I get into the details I would like to set the stage for you.  The board met an hour before the AGM to meet Kyle, our new property manager, and discuss some items to ensure we were all the on the same page prior to owners arriving.  I have to admit we were a bit nervous about the transition to a new property manager, this is not uncommon for a building to have numerous managers over the years, there is a high turnover rate at all the property management companies in the city.  We arrived to a very warm welcome from Chris Connelly and Kyle.  They were waiting for us to arrive and even brought in sandwiches, chips, pop, coffee, tea...we were blown away, this is NOT common practice for a management company!  The board has a great discussion about things important to each one of us and that we wanted to discuss at the AGM.  I must say Expresso has a very collaborative and hardworking board so you are in very good hands.

A number of owners arrived for 7:00p and  we met quorum no problem!  We got started and approved last years AGM minutes, the financials, the auditor etc.  We got to the new business section of the agenda, here are some highlights...

Safety and Security

Our building experienced a break-in in August on the 3rd floor.  There were carpet cleaners in the building during the time of the incident and we think the door may have been propped open.  We will be contacting all our contracting companies to explain the situation and help them understand they are NEVER to prop the door open while doing work in the building.  Connelly and the board are now focusing our efforts the security of our building going forward.  Connelly is going to work with a security company in town and bring them onsite to do a Safety analysis of the property and building.  They will be considering things such as adding additional security to all the unit doors, upgrading the locks on the front and side doors, reviewing our camera system to see if it is adding value or if they can suggest upgrading the system etc.  Once we complete the walk around we will determine the appropriate solution to make sure our building is safe while being conscience of our budget.  We are willing to spend a little extra in this department to keep us and our things safe.

Water

As you may have notice there was a couple water stains on the carpet on the main floor.  Couple different issues here.

#1 - There were a couple instances where owners we doing renovations in their units without board approval and had caused water damage in a unit below and to the main floor carpet area.  We are working with the effected unit to make sure it is restored.

PLEASE READ:   It is mandatory that you inform the board of renovations you are doing to the unit that involve the structure of the unit.  We need to review the request and make sure you are using experienced contractors to complete this work.  Cosmetic things you choose to do inside the unit are up to you but when you start working on opening walls, floors, ceilings (see bylaws for full detail) you must put in a request. 

#2 - We have a pipe that has a hair line fracture that is causing the leaking near 1st floor door from the main lobby.  Our previous contractor kept patching it rather than fixing it all together which is not working.  We have contracted the work to a new contractor who will be replacing the part of the pipe to eliminate this leak going forward.  Please keep in mind this is going to require a water shut down, keep your eye out for when..will be in the near future.

Post Tension Cables

You may or may not have seen the last Engineering Study completed on the post tension cables in the cement slab in the parkade (if you are interested you can purchase it off Condo Docs).  The report came back that the cables are all in good condition and there was no recommendation to replace any of them or open up and cement for further investigation.  What the Engineer did suggest was that we install heavy duty reinforcement plates at the ends of the cables "just in case" one of the cables did decided to snap.  If this sounds a little contradictory to you, it does to us too.  This study was done during the down turn in the market and we think they may have put this in the stir up business.  Is it a safety measure to add these plates? YES...Is it a good idea "just in case"? YES.  The other issue here is CMHC read the report and had a note on the Expresso Building file that they want to see the board approve this work prior to insuring mortgages for this building.  Needless to say we didn't have a choice but to go forward and do this work.  Jane worked hard wit CMHC and they have lifted all "notes" on our file and our building is back in pristine order, buy and sell away:)  It is not a terrible thing to add these plates, it's just another example of how we can all be proud of well maintained building!

Fall and Spring Walkaround

Starting this fall Connelly will be dedicating some time early fall and when Spring arrives to do a walkaround of the building.  These are both great times to walk the building inside and out to talk note of all the little maintenance things that need to be done.  It is a great way to be proactive rather than reactive.  Thanks to Connelly to stepping up their level of service!

New Board of Directors

A special thank you to Jane, Lindy, Tiffany and Rod for volunteering to stay on as your board of directors.  I (Elaina) will still be attending meetings to make sure we keep you informed through the blog.  Thank you Jane for stepping up as President, Jane brings tons of history to this role as well as a solid business sense and great personality! All of the board members are extremely dedicated and all bring a wealth of knowledge to manage the Expresso afairs. The next year will be just as organized as past years!  Help me thank them if you see them around the halls!

Other than that the board just discussed little things going on that aren't really worth mentioning (if you are curious I guess you will have to join the board lol)!

Enjoy the rest of your summer everyone and if you have any questions, concerns, comments ANYTHING...please let Connelly know!

Bye for now...
Elaina on behalf of the entire Expresso Board of Directors

New Property Manager

Hello,

The Expresso building has a new property manager, Kyle Hughes.  Please help me welcome Kyle.  The board will be working closely with Kyle to ensure a smooth transition and continue with business as usual.

Kyle will be with us for the AGM and since he is new to the role we will be as prepared as possible to answer all of your questions.  Of course if we don't have an answer on the spot we will follow up with the information you are looking for after the meeting.  Please come prepared with any questions or concerns you have about the building.

Thank you,
Elaina Venechuk

What's going on in Calgary??

Globalfest 2011

If you haven't been to Globalfest before I highly recommend it.  The fireworks are amazing and it makes for a perfect summer night out!

AGM

The AGM is coming up fast and we will have a complete update for to as to what we have been up to the past year as well as what is on the table for the year to come.  If you have specific topics you would like us to touch on please comment to this post and I can do some prep work to ensure I am providing the information you are looking for. 

Look forward to seeing you all there.  If you are unable to make it please make sure you send in your Proxy so we still reach quorum and can run the meeting.  Also if you are interested in joining the condo board to get involved with important decisions that impact your home and investment at Expresso we would welcome you to join.

Elaina Venechuk

Updates from July Board Meeting

Hello Expresso Owners:)  Hope you are all enjoying your summers and the weather now that is is beautiful!

First off I want to let you know Chad Edwards stepped down as President of the board and Elaina Venechuk has taken over the duties.  On behalf of the board and Connolly I would like to thank Chad for all his hard work and dedication to ensuring the Expresso building was financially stable and maintained properly so we can all enjoy living here knowing our investment/home is being looked after.  Chad was on the board for a total of 4 years, the last 2 as President, and has added great value over the years, he will be missed but he has more then done his duty for the Expresso building.  Thanks again Chad!

What else is going on around the building???

• We have been managing a couple leeks in units which have caused the water leak onto the carpet on the main level.  Of course we want to make sure the leak won't occur again and then the carpets will be cleaned in that area.
• Fire Alarm testing - We are required by law to test our fire alarm system, there were a significant number of units we were not able to access.  We are waiting for the report to come back and arrangements will be made with the units that we could not get into and the testing will be charged directly to the unit (as stated on the notice all units received initially).
• Vents installed in 3rd floor units - Vents need to be installed in all the units on the 3rd floor of the building to circulate air properly.  Unit owners will be notified when we need to get into the unit to install the vents.  It takes about 45mins and we will provide the option to leave your key with a board member if you can't be home.
• 2011 AGM - The AGM date has been set for the end of August, please watch your mailbox for the official letter from Connolly.  We encourage you to come to the meeting and touch base with the board.  We welcome anyone who is interested in joining the board!

Reminders

• If you are doing renovations in your unit please refer to the bylaws so you know the type of work that needs to be approved by the board before commencing.
• If your car or any other items in your storage locker leak you are responsible for the clean up, thank you.

Over all the building is in great shape and it is just maintenance the board is focused on.  If you have any questions, concerns or comments please call Lynda at Connolly!

Thank you and see you at the AGM!

Elaina Venechuk on behalf of the Expresso Condo Board

Updates from the March Board Meeting

Knock on Wood!

Hello Expresso!

I appologize for taking so long to post the updates from our last meeting, better late then never they say!  The overall tone of the meeting was very positive, our building is in good shape:)  Remeber I am providing a high level on this blog rather then the board producing a hard copy newsletter.  For detailed minutes please visit http://www.condopapers.com/.

Updates

• Our Accounts Receivable account is the lowest it has been in a couple years!  Thank you everyone for paying your condo fees on time. 
• To make a long story short there is a unit called a "Makeup Air Unit" in the parkade and it has been heating the parkade which is not the intention of this unit.  The board agreed heated underground parking is what we have all been enjoying and does have a positive impact on our property value.  We have approved a heating unit for the parking garage and it will be installed in the next month or so. This unit will not increase our operating budget as when it is installed the Makeup Air Unit will be running more efficiently and therefore using less energy.
• We ALL know about the garage door situation, man could it have broke down when it was any colder!  We've had contractors looking at the problem and we are not the only building who experiences issues when the temp drops that low.  Hopefully the cold weather is over and we are are in the clear for awhile.  We totally get that when that door is open we are using a ton of energy and our belongings are exposed so we will continue to talk about how we could prevent this from happening next year, no promises, when the weather gets that cold sometimes it is out of our control.
• All the chip repairs and painting has been completed in the stairwells and hallways.  We are very happy with the job and hope you are to! 
• Don't know if the plastic sticky stuff on the front door bugs you as much as it bugs us but we are talking about solutions so delivery drivers don't stick them to the door and if they do the cleaning staff clean them off.
• Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to Jane who worked hard to get all the lock boxes removed from the gate by the front door, looks much better.  Thanks Jane!
• Folks on the first floor are probably aware of the value leaking in the ceiling (this may be news to others).  We are talking to a contractor about how we can permently fix this problem.  Will probably require us to access the leaking value directly and fix it so it doesn't leak anymore (or at least during our life time LOL).  More to come on this, we will most likely just go ahead with the work sooner then later so we thank you in advance for your patience while this work is being done, a special thanks to all first floor folks for your patience!
• The September 2010 Post Tension Cable Engineering Report suggested slab end restraint plates be installed at where the cables end in the concrete slab ceiling  in the parking garage.  The board discussed this suggestion in great detail and agreed this work should be done in a timely fashion.  The post tension cable construction in this building was completed extremely well when the building was being built and therefore hasn't experienced any issues to date.  We have to keep in mind post tension cables, like any other building constructing, needs maintenance.  Since we have a surplus in our Operating Budget we are in a position where we can put some money in the cable system. We are in the processes of contacting contractors to see who can complete this work.  More to come.  FYI - If you would like a copy of the Engineering Report check condopapers and if it isn't there please contact Lynda at Connolly.
• The second floor floodlights are burned out. Arrangements have been made to replace all light bulbs, both interior high stairwell lights and exterior floodlights.
• We are looking at options to drain the Planter Box Outside #105 better.  Currently if to much water soaks the soil in that box it is causing water issues in a unit in the building.  We are on it and determining the best, most attractive solution.
• Do you enter the building through the west side door?  I do.  I totally understand that people like to have dogs as pets, there a lot of you who have pets in our building.  It is a bit upsetting when the large dog next door jumps up on the short fence and barks like crazy when you are walking by, freaks me out!  Also I find the tenants are slacking a bit on the poo pick up and with the warm weather it gets really smelly.  They cleaned up some of the poo so I haven't called 311 yet but I almost got my arm ripped off the other day again when I was walking up.  Is anyone else having issues with the large dog next door or the poo smell?  Please comment to this post on the blog if you are.  If the issue continues I will need to call 311, just want to make sure we are all enjoying a comfortable lifestyle living at Expresso!

Thank you and if you have any comments please keep them professional and comment on this post! Fingers crossed the snow is gone and the nice weather is here!!! 15 above on Sunday! 

Happy Spring Everyone!

The Expresso Condo Board

Any Units for Rent?

Just curious to see if anyone is looking to rent out their unit in the building?  My mom is looking for an apartment to rent as hers was flooded and ruined downtown.  If you know of any units in our building for rent please send me an email. 

Thank you
Elaina Venechuk
enicv@hotmail.com

Updates for January Condo Board Meeting

Hello!  Here are some updates from the condo board meeting on January 25.

#1.  The budget has been approved by the board and you will receive a copy mid-February.  You will have an opportunity to review and provide any comments you may have before we finalize it.  Watch for it in your mailbox!

#2.  You probably noticed the snow removal was less then perfect in the last part of 2010, we did to!  We spoke with the contractor and we are happy with the work their work since, we hope you are to.

#3.  You have probably noticed the nicks and scrapes in the stairwells and we are moving forward to have them fixed up.  This work will be done next month.  Watch out for wet paint during this time please and thank you.

#4.  It's been awhile since the carpets have been cleaned (we are a bit off schedule, we would typically clean them in the Spring and Fall) so the board agreed even though it is winter we will get them done now to clean them up and then take a look again in the Spring to see if we need to do them again after winter (we all know Winter in Calgary can make one heck of a mess!)  This work will also be done next month.

#5.  We received some feedback from the contractor that fixed the front door by the buzzer.  They said that the door can becomes slightly unaligned when we stick our keys in and pull on them to open the door.  I have to admit I usually have my hands full and do this but won't anymore, if you could also be careful not to do this that would would be great and can help prevent the door from not latching properly and keep us all safer.

#6.  Lynda and Marty joined us for the meeting, it was great to have them both here on behalf of Connelly showing their commitment to our complex, we are happy with the current level of service they are providing.

If you have any comments, questions or concerns please call Lynda at Connelly or feel free to post a comment on the blog! 

Tip of the Month

Did you know you can contact the Calgary Parking Authority to get a parking pass to park on the road!  We knew!

Reminders

Please remember to pay your condo fees on time, the last thing the board wants to do it have to track you down to pay.  We all have a responsibility to pay the full amount on time!  Thanks for your cooperation.

Gararge Door - It's Fixed!

Thank you for your patience while the garage door was fixed this weekend.  Connelly did their best to get repair men out as soon as possible.  The motor on the door couldn't have went at a worse time...burrrrr! 

Thanks again for your patience and hopefully it warms up soon!

Doggie Do Do

Please help us keep our property clean! We have noticed lots of doggie do do around the complex.  Remember your pets are like kids, if they poo you have to clean it up.  As owners and tenants we are responsible to collect and dispose of the waste. 

If you notice a tenant and/or owner not disposing of their pets waste appropriately, please contact Lynda at Connelly & Company (403-228-1557) and appropriate steps will be taken.  Thanks for you help!