Shoes in the hallways

It is winter and it is a mess outside.  We are all coming into the building with wet shoes. It is important to remember the hallways are common property and therefore shoes should not be left outside your unit door. 

This is also an issue when it comes to liability, if a resident, visitor and maintenance man trips and falls our building insurance becomes liable which you pay for as an owner.  It is also required by the fire department to have our hallways clear in case of an emergency evacuation. 

I have noticed a number of units with shoes outside the door in the hallway.  To avoid any potential issues we are asking you please bring them into your unit.

Thank you for your attention and understanding to keep our common property neat and safe for all residence and visitors.

Expresso Condo Board

Example: (not from our building)

Fall Update

Hello Expresso!

It's looking a lot like winter outside, fall was here and then it was gone.  The board has been meeting once a month and like usual there is nothing major going on but we wanted to fill you in on all the little things going on...here goes.

1. First and most importantly we have welcomed a new member to the board.  We are thrilled to have the extra help and support.
2. We continue to receive great service from Darynn, our property manager, and the folks at Connolly.  If you have ever been on a board before you will know this isn't always the case so a special thank you to Darynn on behalf of all the condo board and other Expresso owners.
3. The Recirc line in the ceiling of the first floor is repaired, we can all breathe a sigh of relief as we don't have to deal with the small leak anymore.  You are probably wondering what is taking so long to repair the holes in the roof.  This is our opportunity to look into insulating the pipes in the ceiling as they contribute to the higher temperature in the second floor hallway.  This isn't work that has to be done, it would be classified as a nice to have.  The board is waiting for a second quote, they will be considered against the budget and then we will proceed to insulate the pipes and then fix the ceiling or just fix the ceiling.  Once we decided I will post a note to the blog so you are informed.  Trust me, we all want the holes fixed so we appreciate your patience, especially those on the first floor!
4. Carpet and hallways - if you are anything like the board you will also be dying to have the carpets replaced and the hallway walls freshened up.  Carpet replacement is a major expense and therefore a line item in the Reserve Fund Study.  It is scheduled for 2015, this seems like a long time to us too.  We have the discussion on the table to figure out what to do, they are still being cleaned, yeah I know...it's hard to tell.  More to come.
5. Regular cleaning - if you are wondering when the cleaners are on site...they are here on Thursday's and Friday's.  I have asked Darynn to please ask them to spend a little additional time the next few weeks.  I know the third floor in the west hallway doesn't seem like it is getting the vacuum love it needs.  This is our only attack to have our common area look and feel clean till we figure out the carpet situation so bare with us.
6. Snow removal and the dreaded driveway - yup it is that time of year again, we pray that when we stop to open the garage door with our key that we are able to make it up.  We have asked Darynn to ensure the snow removal company salts really well and thoroughly remove the snow.  We will keep on this...another option is to have a bag of salt and a shovel at the door and all owners can throw a bit out in between the snow removers coming.  I will ask about this, I am pretty sure there used to be something like this set up.
7. Just another reminder to keep your windows closed when it is below 0 outside.  The cold air can freeze the pipes, if this happens we are all going to be sorry as it would be a huge expense to all owners.  Thank goodness we get chinooks, please us the warmers days to air out your unit.
8. Parking - just wanted to remind everyone to ensure your parking straight in your spots.  I have noticed cars parked at an angle and some not pulled in all the way.  Both of these cases can cause issue for others.  Thank you for being respectful.
9. Fire Alarm - the sprinklers went off due to a malfunctioning pump, f451 did an inspection our system on Friday and will be providing a list of deficiencies if there are anymore.  The  system did directly alert the fire department, which is the way it is designed to work.

Water Leak on First Floor

Hello Expresso!

As you are probably aware we had another water leak from the Recirc line on the 1st floor.  This has been a difficult situation for the board to deal with as we have been investigating what other work we could pursue when getting into the ceiling to fix the line. 

I want to let you know the board has committed to this issue and we are going to call a impromtu meeting to decide what we are going to do, we have all the information we need to make the decision and get it fixed ASAP.

Once we understand when and how the leak is going to actually be fixed I will post the information to the blog and put up a notice so you know the post has been made.

I want to appoloize to all the people on the 1st floor who have had to put up with the leaks, wet carpet and terrible appearance.  I can promise you we have been trying to figure out the best solution.  We have been investigating options to potentially insulate the piping in the ceiling to try to prevent some of that heat rising to the second floor. 

We had good intentions but now find ourselves faced with a pressing need to fix the leak and understand we have to proceed with the work to fix the Recirc line soon. 

Thank you for your patience and more to come.

Expresso Condo Board

Summer Update

It's summer time in beautiful Crescent Heights!  Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather.  Few things to let you know about but generally there is not a lot to report.

1.      IMPORTANT - Annual Fire Inspection - July 25, 2012 - It is crucial ever unit comply, this inspection will not be complete until every unit is inspected.  Notices will be posted around the building and you will receive a note in the mail with instruction on where to drop off a key if you will not be home.  Please help make this a painless as possible for the board and make the appropriate arrangements. 

2.      We would still like to have one or two more board members.  We are running a moderate risk having so few people on the board, one person leaving leaves a significant gap.  Please let us know.  It is an hour or two of your time a month and you would be helping out alot!

3.      Eruption Plates - the only outstanding work is some stucco and the contractor will schedule it now, they were waiting for the rain to stop.

4.      Carpet Replacement -  the board has been discussing replacing the carpet in the building (we are well aware it could use it:).  Couple different things going on here, first there is some work on a water line on the first floor so we wouldn't do anything on that floor till this is fix.  It is also very expensive and a reserve fund line item.  The last reserve fund study schedule replacement for 2015.  This is still on the table but we didn't budget for it and it would come out of the reserve fund, we want to make sure we are doing to right thing and we haven't made a decision yet.  We are however talking about getting the cleaners; the carpet can sure use it!

5.      AGM Meeting - August 14th, 2012 and Connolly & Company - you will receive the official notice in the mail complete with instructions for what you do if you can't make it.

Other than that there is no too much to report, people are out on their decks more so please make sure you are being respectful and kind to your neighbors!  Enjoy your summer, see you at the AGM!

City of Calgary Census Call

Hello Expresso Owners (hope you are enjoying the beautiful weekend!)

Just a quick note, there are a number of units who haven't been home when the Census canvasser has been in the building.  It is required by law you complete the Census.  For information on why this initative is important please click here www.calgary.ca/census. 

We realize you are probably busy and haven’t been home when the Census canvasser came to your unit (she has been here 4 times).  It is required by law to complete the following questions for the Census.  The canvasser has made a special exception for us; you have two options to send this information.

By email: cmaitland@shaw.com

Phone: (403) 289-3627

Include the following information and answers...

1.     Unit address

2.     # of residents in the unit

3.     Do you own or rent?

4.     What school do you support? (public, catholic, private or unknown)

We ask that you take a few minutes ASAP to complete this important task.

Thank you,

Condo Board of Directors

Happy Spring Expresso!

Here are the updates from the last condo board meeting...

1. Board Members - First and foremost, we are looking for more board members.  Our amazing president is selling her condo and there will only be 3 people left on the board.  We need at least one more person.  It is important our building is managed and maintained properly to protect our investment.  Three people is not enough to stay on top of everything (as you know we manage the property in our spare time).  Our property is in amazing shape so the time commitment isn't as bad as you might think.  The board meets for about 2 hours every couple months to talk through important agenda items.  The rest is done through email. The email portion is about an hour a week total and you will be making important decision for you and your neighbors.  Please contact Connelly if you are interested!  Thank you in advance, our property is at risk without additional members
2. Eruption Plates - you may have noticed some work going around on the exterior of the building.  We had eruption plates installed in key places around the building.  These plates are a safety precaution for the post tension cables.  The cable system is in great shape, this is simply our due diligence to ensure we have a safe and secure building for our owners and visitors.  The work is complete, thank you for your cooperation!
3. Balcony Rules - Many of us have bikes and understand it can be frustrating and a bit un-nerving to store bikes in the parking garage.  This is a reminder that bikes are NOT allowed to be stored on balconies.  We don't want to have to take extreme measures to have people move their bikes so please  store them in the garage.  This is a condo and this rule is not unqiue to our building.  A good lock can go a long way.
4. Spring Clean-up - We are going to do the spring clean in the parkade after the streets are swept and the spring stormy season is over.   Please keep your eye out for the notice around the building and make sure your car is parked outside when the parkade clean is scheduled.
5. New carpet - We discussed and received quotes to replace the carpet around the building.  This is a very expensive venture and we have decided not to replace it this year.  We are going to get a good deep carpet clean once the weather clears up.
6. New building lock/keys - Everyone should have their keys, we are pleased with the new locks so far.  If you have any comments, concerns or feedback let us know

Like always if you have any questions contact Connelly!

Happy Spring from the Condo Board of Directors!