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
