November 9, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Pam McNeil (MA) --Modica Associates
David Modical --Modica Associates

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

The board held a special meeting with David Modica to discuss

• how to improve the efficiency of the communications between the board and Modica
• roof replacement
• the budget for 2011

Possible ways to improve how the board communicates issues to Modica:

• the board could consolidate all concerns into 1 email
• the board could conduct all communications with Modica through a trustee "liason", where trustees take turns acting as the liason
• the board and MA could hold a special meeting just to discuss capital repairs in order to prioritize and estimate costs for each

Possible ways to improve how Modica communicates issues to the board:

• the board asks to be notified of all issues in the buildings (perhaps a report sent out once a week)
• the board asks that for each issue MA provides a status, resolution and a recommendation whenever applicable

The following issues are outside of Modica's scope:

• problems with vagrants outside
• issues between units that do not involve problems with common areas

Roof Replacement

The roof replacement will also include the following:

• remove the chimney that does not get used in 111
• replace existing skylights in the common areas
• install security magnetic locks on the 2 doors leading out onto the roof

The board would like to get the work on the roof started in April or May.  The board currently expects the roof work to cost ~$105,000.

In order to protect the new roof, once it is installed, the board wants to install magnetic locks on the doors leading out to the roof to prevent residents from going out onto the roof.  Also, the board would like to establish a policy anyone going out to the roof has to be accompanied by Modica and pay a fee (for example, when a roof inspection happens for selling a unit). 

Budget 2011
The association has to raise money to replace the roof and to replenish the reserves.  In order to do that, the owners will be assessed in 2011 to collect $130,000 over the course of 9 months.  MA suggests to raise the condo fees by 5% in order to balance the budget for the year. 

MA estimates that the association might save about 15% in year on the heating bill, if we switch from using oil to using gas.  MA will investigate what it would take for the buildings to switch to gas to see if we can avoid raising the condo fees.

Convert Heating Boilers from Using Oil to Using Gas
MA will be meeting with the gas company on 11/10/2010 to determine how quickly we can do the conversion, and the gas company will provide us with the burners at no cost. 


These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Convert Heating Boilers from Using Oil to Using Gas

(11/09/2010) MA estimates that the association might save about 15% in year on the heating bill, if we switch from using oil to using gas. MA will investigate what it would take for the buildings to switch to gas to see if we can avoid raising the condo fees.  MA will be meeting with the gas company on 11/10/2010 to determine how quickly we can do the conversion, and the gas company will provide us with the burners at no cost.
(12/21/2010)  Oil to gas conversion-needs new gas service-$5,500, and to line chimney - $2-3000. On hold for winter since the benefit will basically need to happen next year.

October 19, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
107 Mail Room for general information
111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
DS has not written the letter to HADCO yet, but indicates that the letter will go out by 10/20/2010.
(Later edit: DS and MA confirmed that the letter was sent on 10/20/2010).

107 Laundry Room Floor
MA has contacted Capuccio and Vogt and obtained their commitments to honor the original bid price from 2009. However, the board needs to determine if the scope of the project has to change--e.g. the fire wall has to be put in.  The board will discuss the issues with David Modica at the November meeting.

Note:  Our laundry contract will expire in 2013. $850 is still available (from extension of the contract). MA to determine if the laundry company will upgrade our washers and dryers now.

Bad Smell in 107
Same

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
MA to schedule the work with Chiccarelli & Pires.  The work is expected to be completed sometime before the end of the year (before mid November). Temperatures have to be above 40F for the treatment to be effective.


Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Skylights for units 107-18 and 107-19 have been ordered.  Installation will take place once stock arrives from the factory. 

Repairing the ceiling in 107 common area is on hold until the skylights are fixed. 


Roof Replacement
RMX Northeast completed the roof study for our buildings and provided a proposal for a written spec that would cost $2000.  RMX Northeast were able to utilize the existing test cut performed by US Roofing Systems as a cost saver.  The result of the roof study served to confirm rather than add any value to the existing spec developed by Modica and Richard Roofing.  MA suggests that we do not need to hire RMX for $2000 to write the spec.

The board has the following questions for RMX Northeast:

• Are the sewer vent pipes leaking into the building?
• Why are they there?
• What do we do about these pipes?

MA also to ask RMX to provide the board with engineering specs for another building as an example.

Insulations would be 2 inches--the industry standard.  There would be a choice in which materials to use. 
Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors
Crescent Paint provided a revised proposal ($4950, up from $3500) that includes carpentry work to ensure that the 107 door closes appropriately.  (DM and MA met with John Farley of Crescent Paint to review the specs.)

MA to negotiate with Crescent Paint to use the first proposal and to add the work to fix the jam at the originally proposed price ($3500). 

This work can wait untill spring.

Financials:
MA brought three invoices to be reviewed by the trustees:

• $1300.00 to service all heating and hot water boilers
• $3577.50 to remove section of 4 inch cast iron main stack from basement ceiling in unit 1, and to perform additional work in unit 7. (The work was done on 09/09/10 and 09/10/10 and completed on Thursday 9/16/10. The invoice is for labor and materials.)
• $395.00 to clean and flush all accessible traps in both buildings.

MA to check if all three of these invoices have accidentally been billed twice.

Budget for 2011
The budget will need to include an assessment based on $80K (roof $70K and reserve $10K). Fees will be increased by 8%.

• Assessment may need to be higher to build up reserves further
• How can we cut down on the office supplies costs?  MA to review what items were involved.
• Can the board collect all owners' email addresses in order to make necessary announcements by email?  
• MA raised management fees by $75/month
• The $73K for capitol repairs might be a low estimate.
• The board decided not to finalize the 2011 budget until November.  The letter about the assessment should go out to the owners next month. Assessment should be done over the first 6 months of the year.
• The buildings' insurance – based on the new policy amount, includes earthquake
• The recent mandate requires the association to transfer 10% of the income to reserves.  MA to talk to an attorney to understand what this means. $73K roof repairs can be part of that 10%. 
• Landscaping
• The board will consider changing landscaper
• The board will consider not having regular maintaince done
• Can janitors pick up trash in the garden;

Miscellaneous

• Queensberry Street gate has been repaired by Ninos Iron Works, but it still squeeks.  (Later edit:  the gate has been fixed).
• MA has received no further complaints regarding the presence of vagrants.  The board does not think the pot smoking/vagrants problem is serious enough to warrant outer door locks. People should call police if they see any issues.
• Wires:  Dave Modica wanted to send certified letters before MA goes in to remove the wires and charge the owners. The letters have been sent out. Dave Modica will go in and remove the wires, if there is no compliance by 10/31/2010.
• Faucet in 107—still needs to be fixed, but the water has been shut off for the winter.
• The light in the courtyard is out.  Probably the bulb needs to be replaced.
• Recycling in 107: Someone continues to put trash in the recycling bins. MA to move the recycling bins into the courtyard and put up signs to indicate the new location for the residents.
• The board would like to present the list of expenses over $1000 at the owners meeting.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

September 21, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
107 Mail Room for general information
111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
David Sherf will write the letter to Hadco.  The board will wait for a month once DS sends the letter. After that we could send it to collections if deemed to be effective.  If collections is successful, we would receive 66% of the $250.00.

107 Laundry Room Floor
David has been talking to Doug about the finding behind the walls of the laundry room.

• MA to let us know when the contract with the laundry provider renews
• MA to email the specs to the board, and then rebid with inclusion of the firewall.
• MA also to check status the bid from March 16.

Bad Smell in 107
Same

Landscaping
Item Complete.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
MA to schedule the work with Chiccarelli & Pires ($1600).  They will probably be available mid October.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Both units 107-18 and 107-19 had previously agreed to the skylight replacement, but the work has not been done yet.  (107-19 is under agreement to sell, and there is a contingency in the P&S to replace the skylight.)  The two units are doing the work together.  MA expects that the work will be complete within the next couple of weeks.  MA to let the board when skylight work is being scheduled.  (DM would like to meet with the contractor before the work is started.) 

MA scheduled Cresent Paint to come and repair the ceiling in the 107 common area on the top floor for 9/23/2010, because renters have been complaining about the hole in the ceiling.  The board still wants to wait to fix the ceiling until work on the skylights is complete.  MA to reschedule the work with Crescent Paint.

Roof Replacement
MA provided the board with the proposals for the installation of the white replacement roofing materials. 

• US Roofing - $75,075 (the lowest) 
• Maurice Richard - $78,000

Both Maurice Richard and US Roofing agreed to come and talk to the board if needed.

Carlisle (makes the roofing material) has the best manufacturing warranty in the business. DM to check what the Carlisle specifications are (as the proposal states that the roofing will be installed per Carlisle specs).

The board discussed the pros and cons of white PVC roofing, particularly in a dense urban environment.

• The white roof reflects more light, and does not absorb as much heat as the traditional roofing
• Good in the summer
• Maybe not so good in the winter
• In an urban environment, the white roof would get dirty faster.  (Once it is dirty, it is no longer as efficient as it is designed to be.
• The white roofing is most successful in the South and South West.
• The white roofing is most often used in an industrial setting, not for one building.
• Maurice Richard:  you can paint a black roof white for the same effect.  The downside is that you will have to repaint it.
• PVC is carcinogenic.  If the white roof is installed, there will be no possibility of a roof deck.

MA to get references for similar buildings from US Roofing with white roofing over 10 years old, and ask these associations for feedback.

We currently have a contractor spec, not an engineering spec.  DM suggested that it would be helpful to have an engineering spec for the roof, to make sure that everything is done correctly, and nothing is missed. An engineering spec should cost no more than $4000.  An engineering spec can be re-used indefinitely.  With the engineering spec, we would need to re-bid the roof work.  The board decided to consider getting the engineering spec for the roof.  MA to obtain several bids for the engineering spec.

There is space under the roof deck.  It is air space (ventilation).  DM would like to know if we can increase roof insulation by using some of that space.  MA to find out if an engineer can help us with the insulation--determine how to better insulate the roof.

The board would like to complete the work on the roof before next winter.

Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors
MA obtained 3 proposals for refinishing of the front entry doors. 

• Cresent Painting - $3500
• Vogt & Company - $7600
• Brian J. Hernon - $4700

Cresent Paint came in at $3,500, which is significantly less than the other two choices. 

The 107 front entrance door does not close well and is jamming.  Can it be fixed by putting in a continuous hinge. DM thinks that the problem with the door is the uneven floor.  Also there is no sealing strip (weather strip) on the door. One possible fix might be to cut the door ~quarter of the inch and put a sweep under the door. Can a carpenter solve this problem? MA to ask Crescent to look at the door. DM will meet with them.

Financials
Unit owner of 111-20A paid maintanence through August, 2010.  We waived the 2010 late fees as agreed.

Budget for 2011
Considerations when putting together the budget for next year:

• Assessment for the roof
• Consider making assessment bigger than the roof costs to replenish the reserve

MA to do the preliminary budget for the next meeting.


Miscellaneous

• Queensberry Street gate is scheduled to be permanently repaired by Ninos Iron Works next week, and the work should cost ~$50
• Vagrants on the door steps: MA had issued a notice to the residents to encouraging them to contact the BPD Precinct Four whenever there is a problem with vagrants disturbing the peace outside of the building.
• Occasionally school kids smoke pot on the door steps.  What can we do to discourage them?
• Unit 107-21B: The residents have no knowledge of the cable wires.  So David Modica will remove the wires right away.
• Unit 107-2: MA to send a letter to the owners asking them to remove the wires by 10/31.  Otherwise, the wires will be removed at the owners' expense.  
• Oil tanks: we are grandfathered in.
• Iron fence on Queensberry Street side: the board decided to wait till spring to do the repairs.
• The faucet outside by 107 entrance is leaking and still needs to be fixed. 

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

August 17, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information

111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
MA made one further phone call to Hadco, asking for a final refund of $250.00. MA has received no response and therefore asked David Sherf to write a letter.

107 Laundry Room Floor
The board discussed possible ways to repair the floor: pouring the slab on grade vs floating slab.

• Floating slab—is lifted on joists above the soil, creating a "gap" between the ground and the floor.
• Slab on grade—is poured down against the soil, thus sealing the so called "gap".

The current floor is a concrete slab on joists with plywood on top.  The proposal (whose?) is for thicker concrete slab with the floor. 

The board needs the following questions answered before deciding on the "slab on grade" floor:

• Are there any pipes between the current "floating slab" floor and the dirt?
• Is there a significant price difference between the 2 types?
• If plumbing work needs to be done (pipes burried to allow for the "slab on grade" floor, what would the extra costs be?

Fire code violation was discovered when the laundry room wall was opened. No insulation (no 2nd layer of sheet rock) between the laundry room and an abutting unit.  David Modica is aware of this problem, and this minor issue will be fixed with other work in the laundry.

MA to request 2 specs from Wolf Rock Development and ask about pros and cons. The board will review the specs.

[Later edit:  In an email David Modica reminded the board that we have reviewed bids for this work and questions the need to rebid the work.  Notes about previous bids can be found here -- the latest bid information was noted in the March 16th Meeting Notes.]

Bad Smell in 107
The BWS contractors have found the problem.  The pipe in the street is not only sagging, but also collapsing.
This is now a major problem that with effect the entire block. The city will now have to rip up the entire street from Queensberry to Perterbourgh in order to fix the problem.  The time line for this work is not known, but the smell can intensify at times until the problem is repaired.  David Modica continues to work with BWS to try to get some idea of what it is involved for going forward.

DM met with David Modica in the laundry room and looked into the cut in the slab.  Failed pipe (in the street) was leaking and filling up the space under the slab.  The town should fix the pipe.

Landscaping

Tree was cleaned up where the branch was cut.  The faucet (by the 107 entrance) is leaking.  A rhododendron bush has died (on the Jersey Street side of the building).  MA to inform Malkasian about the dead  rhododentron bush. 

[Later edit: The dead bush has been removed.] 

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs

Chiccarelli and Pires has estimated repairs of the sidearms at $1,600.00 with the additional costs of permits.  The board has reviewed the bid and approved it.  MA to schedule the work sometime before November. 

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm

• Unit owners of 20-19 and 20-19 have agreed to replace the skylights. MA forwarded them a couple of proposals and put them in touch with each other.
• Cresent Painting will be happy to repair and repaint the ceiling on the top level of 107 for $550.00 (includes replacing the ceiling) We need to wait till the skylights are repaired before scheduling that job.

Roof Replacement
MA has received two roofing bids. Richard Roofing was the least costly by far, at $69,000.00. Two more bids are coming (from Eagle and Cappucio).  We are using Maurice Richard’s scope/spec.
DM proposes that the board considers using white rubber roofing.  It is supposed to be good at reflecting heat.  MA to request prices for this version as well.  The board asks that the spec is revised to include the repairs/replacement of the damaged roof decking--there should be an allowance for fixing the decking (the amount to be discussed with David Modica).

Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors
MA recieved bids for sanding and refinishing the front entrance doors.  Corinne pulled out bids from last year, and both companies would honor the prices.  (Vogt & Company - $7600 total, and Crescent Painitng—3^rd bid. $3500 total.)  The board eliminated Summer Painting.  DM will talk to Vogt & Company(the high end bid), and MA will talk to Crescent.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Earthquake insurance will be included in the master policy.  No flood insurance, because we are not in the flood zone.  Item Complete.

Financials

Overdue unit owners have agreed to pay the balances before September 1.  MA to send reminders and let the board know when the payments arrive.

Miscellaneous

• The gate on Queensberry Street side was repaired again but whether or not it is a permanent fix remains to be seen.
• MA have sent a letter to unit 21B asking to remove the wires from the window. No answer has yet been received.  MA suggests a legal letter sent via certified mail.  The board requests MA to send another letter to 21B and give them a deadline to remove the wires.  After the deadline, the unit owner will be subject to fines. 
• Wires in a 107 1^st floor unit.  MA to send a letter.
• The board requests that no hard copies of the financials and bills be made.  The board will review them electronically. 
• MA to find out if there is a new requirement (from state? from insurance companies?) about oil tanks. 
• The iron fence on the Queensberry Street side is severely rusted.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Flowers

This weekend a few trustees combined their resourses and got together to plant a few flowers in front of our buildings.

July 20, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information

111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement

Refund request resulted in Hadco (the window contractor) refusing to refund the final $500. (Hadco have refunded $350 to date.) Corinne had made the request again with a cc' to Modica's attorney. This did not yield a positive result. The board would like to ask David Sherf to send a letter to Hadco, asking to split the remaining $500 and return $250 to the association.

107 Laundry Room Floor

Same.

Bad Smell in 107

David Modica has been working hard to get this solved. Due to the recent weather, there has been no available manpower to do anything in recent weeks. David has been assured that as soon as possible, there will be another camera test which will investigate a different area.

Still waiting for the report from BW&S.

Doug thinks that there maybe cracks in the foundation or cracks in the sewage pipe. Doug proposes to cut away part of the ceiling in the laundry room where he thinks the pipe is, investigate if there are any cracks, and seal them with cement. Doing that might stop the smell. Doug thinks that the smell is trapped between the 1st floor and the basement ceiling. MA to discuss this solution with David Modica, confirm where the pipe is, and see if this can be done.

MA will repeat the request for the report from BW&S.

Bill has not detected the smell since BW&S has been on site.

JM Mechanical: David Modica has indicated that he does not believe we can get either of the two invoices reduced because the smoke tests were ordered, and the manpower utilized.

Landscaping

Modica had the tree branch cut. Doug thinks that the branch was not cut cleaning. MA to request to recut it cleanly.

David Modica spoke to Rick Malkasian regarding the overage on the landscaping budget. (The bill came for $1150, after the board asked Malkasian to work with $1000). He has agreed to honor the $1000 budget amount and will write off the overage. The board members will consider getting together and planting some annuals using their own resources.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs

Chiccarelli and Pires has been to the property and a price is forthcoming.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm

Letters were sent to unit owners of 107-18 and 107-19 (units with skylights that had leaks). Unit 107-18 has refused, and 107-19 has been sent 2 letters. MA will contact the 107-18 unit owner to find out the reasoning for his refusal. The board request that a deadline of 8/15 would be set to receive an answer.

Richard Roofing speced the work and created a proposal for the skylights work. The units can bring their own contractors in, as long as the board approves the work.

Roof Replacement

Richard Roofing has developed the scope for the roof replacement and it has been distributed to two other contractors, Eagle and Cappucio, for bidding. MA to send the scope out to the board.

Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors

Same.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible

Paula Modica reports that the insurance company has visited and revalued all of the properties. There will be no earthquake or flood coverage but the good news is that increases will be negligible and we were able to negotiate replacement costs. The deductible will remain at $15,000. The board plans to talk to the agent during the next meeting.

Financials

Two units (111-16 and 111-20A) are behind in paying their maintenance fees. MA will let the board know how much each unit owes in late fees. The board will make a one time offer to the unit owners--the board will wave the late fees if all the maintenance fees are paid up by September 1st, 2010. MA to notify the two unit owners of the offer.

Miscellaneous

• Power Outage: The electric company had no reports of any outages on the dates in question (on 6/13 and 6/14) and advised calling when the outage occurs so that a source can be determined.
• Modica repaired the gate on Queensberry Street side.
• MA will check out the cord/antenna coming out of a 107 basement unit.
• The board reviewed the "Modica Cleaning Specifications for QCT" document, and discussed options of cutting down on janitorial services in order to cut down on costs. The board concluded that maintaining the cleanliness of the common areas is important enough to continue with the current levels of janitorial services. In turn MA will discuss the work with the janitor and will do a walk through the building with the janitor in order to improve quality.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Roof Replacement

(07/20/2010) Richard Roofing has developed the scope for the roof replacement and it has been distributed to two other contractors, Eagle and Cappucio, for bidding. MA to send the scope out to the board.

(08/17/2010) MA has received two roofing bids. Richard Roofing was the least costly by far, at $69,000.00. Two more bids are coming (from Eagle and Cappucio). We are using Maurice Richard’s scope/spec.


DM proposes that the board considers using white rubber roofing. It is supposed to be good at reflecting heat. MA to request prices for this version as well. The board asks that the spec is revised to include the repairs/replacement of the damaged roof decking--there should be an allowance for fixing the decking (the amount to be discussed with David Modica).

June 15, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Nancy (MA) --Modica Associates

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information

111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement

No money from HADCO. Is it time to request David (DS) to write a letter to Hadco?

107 Laundry Room Floor
Same.

Bad Smell in 107

BW&S was at the building yesterday and today with a full crew and a police detail. BW&S was able to pump down far enough to access our lines. BW&S performed a dye test and the dye came back into the BW&S lines; therefore, they were able to determine that the water is flowing from the buildings to the BW&S lines.

BW&S performed a camera test and saw no breaks in the lines. However, there may be a sag in one of our lines, so more investigation is needed. BW&S will gives us their full report.

Questions for Dave Modica

• When will the BW&S report become available, and would it be possible to get the report by the end of the week?
• Why did JMechanical charge the association twice?--$1840 and $1780

Landscaping
The plants for $1000 have been planted. Modica cut the branch on 111 Jersey Linden Tree. Stil waiting for updates on the Aphid treatment.

Later edit: After the meeting the board walked around the buildings and looked at the landscaping in front of the buildings. The board did not see any annuals planted. From April 20, 2010, meeting notes: "The board decided to ask Malkasian to work with $1000 (total, labor inclusive) to add plantings and improve the landscaping with the following specific requests: 1) no arbovitaes, 2) add approximately $100 worth of annuals in locations Malkasian sees fit."

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
Same. The sidearms still need repairs.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Waiting for status on the sky lights owners for fixing them. Status on the ceiling patches. MA to start getting roof bids for full replacement.

Repolishing Wood on the Fronnt Doors
Same. MA to bid sanding and polishing the front doors of 107 and 111.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Same

Preparation to Renew the Laundry Contract
Besides looking into getting new type of machines, the board also would like to consider contracting a different vendor. Currently, our contract is with Automatic Laundry Services (ALS).

Miscellaneous

• Questions for Modica:
  • What was happening with the power outages during the night? (on 6/13 and 6/14)
  • What services are included in the Janitorial Work? Can the janitor the weeds/common area outside?
• The gate on Queensberry side does not close. The door also may need oiling.
• A basement unit in 107 on the back courtyard side has a cord coming out of the unit. Is this an antenna? The board is concerned that whatever it is, it is not legal.
• Line of credit

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

May 18, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium TrustBill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information

111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
Modica has not heard back from HADCO yet.

107 Laundry Room Floor
Same.

Bad Smell in 107
The city attempted smoke test. However something is still blocking the drain. Board was given the phone number of Mike Ross, City council, to call and inquire about if BWSC can move on testing their own drain lines. Dave M indicated that the problem was likely to be on the BWSC lines. So the board will hold on hiring drain company to camera 107’s main drain line until BW&S can camera their sewer lines on the street. BW&S is to let Dave Modica know when they have camera their lines on the street. Dave Modica will continue to call BW&S to learn when their lines have been camera. The association has already paid $1,840 for plumbers to be there with no smoke coming into 107/111, so we want to be sure city does their end well this time.

Landscaping
Modica will cut down loose branch of the linden tree in front of 111 swinging in the garden, not the actual limb but the branch. Board will wait on hiring Arborway Tree to cut the limb for $330 to see if City will actually cut as Modica has been calling Parks Dept. to report a safety issue and City might be coming out to actually cut limb due to pressure Modica has been placing on City. Board voted to wait on city to cut the limb before paying Arborway to do it, pending whatever the cut-off date for treating for Aphids is. Modica to confirm with arborist what cut-off date is to treat for Aphids. Arborway’s price to cut limb is $330 and treat for Aphids is $210.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
Modica may apply a patch until new long term solution is found.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Patches and lap sealant added per Doug's request. No leaks have been noticed since lap sealent applied. The ceiling will be kept open until next big storm. Also, possibility of new roof was brought up to make sure that the building is protected against this type of damage going forward.

Repolishing Wood on the Fronnt Doors
Same.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Modica will continue to collect bids at the $5,000 and $15,000 deductible levels.

Move In Fees
Item complete.

Preparation to Renew the Laundry Contract
The board would like to investigate getting the "over-under" type machines to increase the number of machines in each laundry room.

Miscellaneous

• Line of credit is still on hold pending dire need. At this point there is no immediate need for a line of credit.
• Letter to 111-11 owners RE A/C: item complete
• MA checking on building settling reimbursement from city: no payments available to condo associations, item complete.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Preparation to Renew the Laundry Contract

(05/18/2010) The board would like to investigate getting the "over-under" type machines to increase the number of machines in each laundry room.

(06/15/2010) Besides looking into getting new type of machines, the board also would like to consider contracting a different vendor. Currently, our contract is with Automatic Laundry Services (ALS).

April 20, 2010, Meeting

Attending:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

107 Mail Room for general information111 Mail Room for general information

Window Replacement
MA sent the letter and gave Hadco 30 days to reply. If there is no response, the next step would be for David to send a letter to Hadco.

Bad Smell in 107
The smell has returned in 107 (see email from 4/15). The smoke test will be performed to determine where the sewage smell comes from and how bad the damage might be. Smoke test is currently scheduled for Thursday if the city sewage lines are cleared by then on the corner of Queensberry and Jersey Streets.

107 Laundry Room Floor
On hold until the smoke test is done.

Landscaping
The board met with Rick Malkasian (of Rick Malkasian Gardens—the company that has been doing our landscaping so far) to discuss improving the plantings around the building. The board decided to ask Malkasian to work with $1000 (total, labor inclusive) to add plantings and improve the landscaping with the following specific requests: 1) no arbovitaes, 2) add approximately $100 worth of annuals in locations Malkasian sees fit. The board would like this landscaping work to begin right away.

The board also discussed the linden tree (city tree) near 111 Jersey entrance with MA and Malkasian. (Some of the tree branches are growing into the fire escape of 111, and thus may be a fire hazard.) MA will find out the price for cutting down the branch closest to the building. MA will also find out the price for spraying the Jersey side linden tree and another linden tree (also a city tree) on Queensberry side of the building. MA will also find out if we need city permission to cut down branch and/or spray these city trees.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
Chicarelli will not do the work. MA will talk to B&M Restoration about cost for applying partial fix.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Contractors fixed the problem with the damaged door of 107-19 (put in the new beam), and found no structural damage. DM did not like the quality of these contractors’ work. (They were Wolf Rock Construction).

Roof repairs (excluding skylights) to take place tomorrow. (A skylight is the owner’s responsibility. Skylight in 107-18 failed a long time ago and was sealed incorrectly. This improper seal now increased the effects of the leak. (Both skylights in 107-18 and in 107-19 are old. The skylight in 107-19 has been patched, but its seal was done correctly as opposed to the one in 107-18.)

MA to notify unit owners that skylights need to be replaced, and give them 60 days to do it. 107-18 and 107-19 both need higher curbs and/or better curbs. MA to ask them to present specs for the work before the work is done to protect the common areas. The board will review the specs promptly (within 3 business days) not to hold up the work.

The board questioned why the improper seal was not discovered earlier and proposed to add inspection of all skylights to our yearly roof inspection. MA stated that the skylights are already being inspected as part of the roof inspection.

The 107 door to the roof has wood with sealant on it, and the sealant is failing. The door needs to be resealed. Currently, resealing the door is not included in the quote from the roofer for fixing up the leaks in the roof. MA will ask roofers to fix the door as well (and hopes that it will be at no additional charge).

The ceiling in the common area will stay open until another big rain storm to make sure that the roof patches are holding up. MA to ask unit occupants in the nearby units to keep an eye out for any new leaks.

MA to start asking for estimates to replace the roof.

Repolishing Wood on the Fronnt Doors
On hold.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible
Our insurance policy will be renewed in August. Can we renegotiate the deductible down to $5K for the common areas. The board thinks that while the deductible of $15,000 is appropriate for individual units, it is hard to manage for the common areas.

Move In Fees
In the efforts of raising income for the association, the board decided to increase the move-in fee for all owners. Starting on June 1st, the move-in fee will be $150 as opposed to $50 (currently).

Miscellaneous

• The board will consider being approved for a line of credit so that when we are ready to do the work, we can proceed even if we do not have enough cash in the reserves.
• MA has sent the letter to the 111-11 owners about the AC unit being installed too early in the year.
• MA to check if there is any money from the city available for dealing with the building settling due to the ground water issues, (when MA calls the city about permission to treat and trim the city trees around the property).

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Renegotiate Insurance Deductible

(04/20/2010) Our insurance policy will be renewed in August. Can we renegotiate the deductible down to $5K for the common areas. The board thinks that while the deductible of $15,000 is appropriate for individual units, it is hard to manage for the common areas.

(05/18/2010) Modica will continue to collect bids at the $5,000 and $15,000 deductible levels.

(08/17/2010) Earthquake insurance will be included in the master policy. No flood insurance, because we are not in the flood zone. Item Complete.

March 16 Meeting

Attending:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
107 Mail Room for general information
111 Mail Room for general information

Second Means of Egress
Item complete.

Window Replacement
The unit (111-2) has the correct panning. MA to send another letter to Hadco to demand the rest of our money. What can we do to prevent this situation from happening in the future? --In the future we will only reimburse owners for window panning once the work is complete and the panning is to spec.

107 Laundry Room Floor
We had bids from multiple places: Vogt & Company (wood floor), and Capuccio Construction (bid for mud floor after we provided the spec, recommended by Dave Modica).

Capuccio Construction bid included adding a layer of concrete onto the foundation, tile on top of that (as opposed to laying tile on an elevated floor), as well as removing the wall behind the washing machine, and replacing it with a water resistant green dry wall. When the wall is removed, Dave Modica and the plumber will inspect the plumbing and electrical hook ups behind that wall.

MA to request a reference for Capuccio before the next meeting.

Consider moving the vent such that the hot air does not blow on the Emerald Arborvitae.

Deformation Monitoring Points (DMPs)
The board wants to have all the DMPs checked this year (both the new and the old ones), and afterwards the board wants to have all the DMPs checked every two years. Item complete.

Torn carpet in basement
A patch was added. Item complete.

Landscaping
Malkasian provided a bid for mulching ($800) and for maintance ($1320), which is in our budget. Beyond maintenance, no landscape improvements can be made right now because the association has no money. The board will meet with the landscaper in April to decide what new plantings to make so that the landscaping work can start once the funds become available.

Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
MA needs to find companies that do casting within 6 months. DM suggests to make a simple repair for now just so that there is no big gash. Might get a year out of the patch. In 2001 it was about $20,000 to do both buildings side arms. For the patch, it will be impossible to get the same aggregate. MA to get a price from a mason for the patch.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm
Multiple units have water damage from leaks from 3/15/2010 Noreaster. Units involved are 107-5, 107-10, 107-15, 107-18. Another unit in 107 has damage around the door (unit 107-?). The side of the door this unit is sheared, so there is possible serious structural damage. The contractors were working on it on 3/16/2010 already. They should take out a part of the wall above the unit door to see if there is more structural damage. MA will do the walk through with a mason and the roofer to assess the damage and to determine the cost to fix, and to see if the cost to fix will be over $15,000.

Repolishing Wood on the Front Doors
Polishing the front doors (note that this is not the same as restoring the lobby) has been put on hold due to low cash flow. Modica has previously received several bids for this work. One high end bid was for ~$3600 per door; another bid from Summer Painting was ~$850 per door.

Miscellaneous:

• A work order for the lentil sitting in courtyard was issued to be moved to the boiler room. Please let MA know if the lentil is still in the courtyard.
  Lentil is still in the courtyard.
• 111-11 has a AC unit that is in too early. MA to send a letter to the owner.
• MA to check if there is any money from the city available for dealing with the building settling due to the ground water issues.

Agenda for April:

• Brainstorm the capitol repairs. Wish list for the capitol repairs to be done by June.
• Brainstorm ways to raise income for the association (e.g. increasing fine fees, etc.)

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Water Damage/Leaks Due to the March 15 Storm

(03/16/10) Multiple units have water damage from leaks from 3/15/2010 Noreaster. Units involved are 107-5, 107-10, 107-15, 107-18. Another unit in 107 has damage around the door (unit 107-?). The side of the door this unit is sheared, so there is possible serious structural damage. The contractors were working on it on 3/16/2010 already. They should take out a part of the wall above the unit door to see if there is more structural damage. MA will do the walk through with a mason and the roofer to assess the damage and to determine the cost to fix, and to see if the cost to fix will be over $15,000.

(04/20/10) Contractors fixed the problem with the damaged door of 107-19 (put in the new beam), and found no structural damage. DM did not like the quality of these contractors’ work. (They were Wolf Rock Construction).

Roof repairs (excluding skylights) to take place tomorrow. (A skylight is the owner’s responsibility. Skylight in 107-18 failed a long time ago and was sealed incorrectly. This improper seal now increased the effects of the leak. (Both skylights in 107-18 and in 107-19 are old. The skylight in 107-19 has been patched, but its seal was done correctly as opposed to the one in 107-18.)

MA to notify unit owners that skylights need to be replaced, and give them 60 days to do it. 107-18 and 107-19 both need higher curbs and/or better curbs. MA to ask them to present specs for the work before the work is done to protect the common areas. The board will review the specs promptly (within 3 business days) not to hold up the work.

The board questioned why the improper seal was not discovered earlier and proposed to add inspection of all skylights to our yearly roof inspection. MA stated that the skylights are already being inspected as part of the roof inspection.

The 107 door to the roof has wood with sealant on it, and the sealant is failing. The door needs to be resealed. Currently, resealing the door is not included in the quote from the roofer for fixing up the leaks in the roof. MA will ask roofers to fix the door as well (and hopes that it will be at no additional charge).

The ceiling in the common area will stay open until another big rain storm to make sure that the roof patches are holding up. MA to ask unit occupants in the nearby units to keep an eye out for any new leaks.

MA to start asking for estimates to replace the roof.

(08/17/2010)

• Unit owners of 20-19 and 20-19 have agreed to replace the skylights. MA forwarded them a couple of proposals and put them in touch with each other.
• Cresent Painting will be happy to repair and repaint the ceiling on the top level of 107 for $550.00 (includes replacing the ceiling) We need to wait till the skylights are repaired before scheduling that job.

Help the Agassiz Road Duck House!

The Fenway Civic Association asked property management companies in the Fenway area for help finding volunteers to help with the Agassiz Road Duck House Project. Here is the information they have provided:

Call for Volunteers:

Sign up for a 3-hour shift of data collection

The Fenway Civic Association and City of Boston are working to restore and activate the Duck House, a historic building on Agassiz Road in the Back Bay Fens. We need more data to supply to potential occupants! That’s where you come in. Sign up to help count the number of passersby.
Materials and snacks to be provided.

WHEN: Fri. 4/16 and Sun. 4/18 (Rain Date: Sat. 4/17). Three hour shifts between 7am & 7pm.

HOW TO SIGN UP: Email your name, phone, and availability to: CommunityEnterprise@wit.edu by Mon. 4/12.

TRAINING SESSION: 7-8pm, Wednesday 4/14 at the Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Ave.

For more information, take a look at this presentation made by Erica Mattison at the Fenway Civic Association Annual Meeting on November 6, 2008.

Notes from the Annual Meeting on February 16, 2010

Attending:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates

Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Ning Hernandez --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

Distribute to:

107 Mail Room for general information
111 Mail Room for general information

Financial Review

Going over 2009 spending/budget

Comments
107 owners ask for electric locks to be installed –it is on our long term plan
Questions on the quality of landscaping

• seems like the quality of landscaping done is poor for a high price
• price may be reasonable
• the work is maintenance only
• Board Action Item: Ask for notice for when the landscaper is coming. Then we can post for the owners to see what it is before, and what it is after.

Questions about how the reserve got so low

• $19000 deficit
• we partially used the reserve to pay for the window and panning work and due to the fuel costs rising
• trustees did not want to raise the fees while the masonry project was in progress
• now is the time to catch up
• new regulations on the amount of money the association is required to have in the reserve
• the goal is to maintain the reserve at or above the required amount (10% of the annual income needs to be set aside)
• Board Action Item: The board will monitor the assessment and see if that needs to become a regular fee to maintain the reserve

Suggestion from an owner

• provide a multi year budget/plan, long term approach that the trustees might have in mind. Currently, even if the trustees might have such a plan, it is unknown or unclear to the owners
• Board Action Item: The board is working on a capital plan, planning to have that by June.
• DS—tried to do a multi year plans in the past, but new regulations affect the plans
• How can we keep the monthly fees down, so that the condos can remain attractive to new buyers

Question about the budget

• What is the raise that is not part of the assessment
• It is to avoid operating at a loss
• Do we expect the monthly fees to continue rising every year
• The assessments are happening nation wide due to the new regulations
• Are our maintenance fees inline with other associations
• Historically we have had very good fees

Owner Question—can you take a tax deducting for paying for the masonry work?

• Probably not, but please check with your tax accountant

2010 budget

• Increases are due to the deficit of $19000 in the reserve and the new regulations
• Q: why an assessment and not a fee increase overall
• trying to soften the blow
• buyers do not see the assessment, but only the condo fees
• Increases in oil, keys & locks fees (would be more if we go with installation of the electric locks), and landscape fees
• Q: Can we get rid of bushes and make a nice rest area for the residents
• rest area might imply that passers by will stop by there as well

Old Business Review

• Q: Is there any money from the city available for dealing with the building settling due to ground water issue?

New Business for 2010

• Q: is the laundry room problem only present only in 107
• Yes
• Q: Are people complaining about mice/bugs/rats?
• Rat population in the alleys has spiked
• If you see something, please call Modica
• Fixing landscaping may help with the rat infestation

Capital Repairs Review

• Trustees are looking for ideas/feedback on the repairs
• Q: about the side arms on the main entrance in 107 (terrazzo)
• Chunks are coming off, and it cannot be really fixed
• It was not done right, and the association settled (several years ago)
• Q: what is the 10 year plan
• Sealing doors
• We have old gas burners and 2 large oil burners—DM would like to have it redesigned to use just gas
• Q: how is our roof doing
• Roof has been checked, and is in good shape
• New gutters have been added
• It is at the end of its life, but we are not seeing problems yet
• Usually, when the roof is at the end of its life and problems start, it can last another 2 years with repairs
• Q: Concerned about structural problems
• We will need a touch up job in 15-20 years
• Last masonry job was about 15 years prior to this one, and it was only in certain spots
• Q: should we be concerned about slanted stair cases—No. Tested during the structural tests when the walls were cut into to check how sound the building is
• Heat loss issues
• All windows were sealed during the masonry project
• Upper units get hot and residents open their windows
• Restoration of the front metal doors
• Was estimated in 2005, but postponed

New business

• Q: planters in the yard: Can an owner garden them and make them look nice?
• Yes, please do
• Gates slam shut really loudly—what can we do about it
• Heavy smoker in 107
• Is the owner aware that the renter is smoking?
• Smell of the sewer
• It was cleared for awhile, but it is back
• When 107 laundry is being fixed, the pipe system underneath the laundry room floor will be examined
• The pipes were examined with a camera
• Q: does the city have responsibility to fix this? Not really.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Status Update Since September

Distribute to:

Corinne Getchell (MA) --Modica Associates
Yelena Chigirinskaya (YC) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Douglas McClennen (DM) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust Bill Gentz (BG) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
Ning Hernandez (NH) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust

David Sherf (DS) --Trustee, Queensberry Condominium Trust
107 Mail Room for general information
111 Mail Room for general information

Second Means of Egress
Same.

Window Replacement
Hadco paid $375 of $825 deposit they took for panning, $150 per each window, 3 in total, and that was cost to Hadco. So the refunded was $375. MA does not think that we are going to get anymore money from them. What does the association want to do?

107 Laundry Room Floor
The board and MA exchanged many emails about what the specs for the work should include, and what a reasonable price for the work might be relative to what a contractor is proposing. The latest info to be discussed during the next trustees' meeting.

Deformation Monitoring Points (DMPs)
MA checked with Dave Modica and he suggested checking every two years with the existing DMPs and every year for the new ones. However if new construction is going to continue on Boylston, the board may want the existing DMPs to be checked sooner.

2008 Financials
The financials on the masonry project costs were mailed out to the owners in January. Item complete.

Torn carpet in basement
Same.

Landscaping
Moving the vent would be tied in with fixing up the 107 Laundry room. At that point, it would be investigated if vent can be moved or positioned such that it still vents properly but avoids blowing on the Emerald Arborvitae.


111 Laundry Sink Tap Is Leaking
Item complete.



Terrazzo Sidearms Need Repairs
The work cannot be performed during colder temperatures. MA did have Chicarelli look at them. Chicarelli needs spec #’s of casting finish. MA not sure if DePaoli will respond as Assoc. did not pay in full for work as Board was not satisfied with the work. MA to contact DePaoli to see if will provide any info.



Miscellaneous:

• A work order for the lentil sitting in courtyard was issued to be moved to the boiler room. Please let MA know if the lentil is still in the courtyard.
• 107 Outdoor glass has been replaced. Item complete.
• Front doors polishing is put on hold due to low cash flow.

These minutes are written to Yelena’s best recollection. Please notify her of any discrepancies immediately.

Please Come to the Annual Meeting

Our annual owners' meeting will be held on the evening of Tuesday, February 16th, 2010. (The exact time and location is yet to be determined, and will be announced here as soon as we know).

At this meeting the trustees plan to discuss our annual budget as well as our reserve funds. There are several capital repair projects on the association's "to do" list, but of course they cannot be all done at the same time. The trustees would like to hear feedback from the owners as to what projects the owners find most important and would like to see completed first.

Hope to see you all at the owners meeting!