January 27th 2010

 

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NASSAU HOUSE ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
JANUARY 27, 2010     7PM

 

Board Members Present:   Michel Pytlarz, Sandra DeCesare, Roy Regeski,  Dawn Jenkins and Pat Robinson

Members Present:  Total of 40 members present and 54 proxy votes, giving us total of 94.  Michel certified that a quorum has been met.

Michel called the meeting to order and welcomed all owners.

Proof of notice of meeting and mailing was presented by Cheryl.

Reading of 2009 Annual Meeting Minutes:

Michel Pytlarz, President read the minutes of the last meeting, and were accepted and approved with the following exceptions:  Water heaters are to be replaced every 12 years.

Report of Officers:

Michel thanked the owners who volunteered to count the votes; Ruth Schneider, Anthony DeCesare, Val Davis and Nell Itahara. 

We are having some of the same problems as mentioned at our last annual meeting:

bullet Apartment Caretakers – We have been informed that vacant apartments need to be checked at least every two weeks, or you might have an insurance claim denied.  For instance if a water leak isn’t taken care of immediately, it could develop into a mold problem and more costly repair.   Toilets need to be flushed once a month to prevent odor problems.
bullet Balcony - All balconies must be cleared off when leaving the unit for any period of time.   
bullet Water Heaters – Later this year, the Board will be notifying owners who need to replace their water heaters.    Water heaters must be replaced every 12 years. 
bullet Water Alarms - Couple days ago we had a valve break from owners water line.  The water alarm was going off but no one paid attention.  Anthony DeCesare’s apartment on the floor below suffered water damage. If you hear an alarm going off, please call a Board member.  Michel and Roy have both had calls in the middle of the night for water leaks.   The water alarm should be located on the floor near your water heater and AC water lines, prong side down.  Alarms are property of the association.
bullet AC Water Valves – Owners water valves were replaced this year.  Now it is very easy for an owner to replace their AC, and we no longer need to shut down the AC system in the entire building.
bullet AC Well Shaft – We’ve had the corroded shaft repaired, however, the motor is making a lot of noise.  Michel will be checking to see if there is something that can be done.
bullet Waste Management – We’ve had to change out the size of our dumpster.  During the summer, we cut down our trash pick up days to Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  Now that more owners are in town, we’ve added back in Tuesday and Thursday; no pick up on Sunday.   Whenever possible, please hold onto your trash Saturday Nights and Sundays until the pickup on Monday lunchtime since we are having a problem with the trash bin and chute jammed full. We don’t want to have to rent a second container.  Once we finish the season, we will cut down on pick up days again to save money.  Someone stuffed rolled up carpeting down and broke the chute.  Please bring large items down to the trash room so the chute doesn’t get blocked up.  Also, all items must be put in bags and tied up; someone threw out raw meat that wasn’t bagged up.  
bullet Pool Heater – As you know, we have an economic problem and we are doing what we can to keep prices down.  We will shut off the pool heater in May until October each year.  We will also shut if off whenever there is a cold front; otherwise the pool heater has to work overtime.  Some wiring even melted when we left the pool heater on during the last cold spell.  We’re paying $2000-$3000 per month on pool gas.  We did hire a new pool company this year, as we were getting complaints regarding the previous company. 
bullet Grounds – Sandi has taken it upon herself to do the flowers on our property along with Miguel’s help, so we will not need to pay the landscaping company for that service. We used the flower credit and applied that to update the grounds outside the back doors.  Michel stated that Sandi has taken a load of weight off from him, and it’s been wonderful to have her on the Board.  She has gone above and beyond the call of duty. 
bullet Doors – Michel said some of the doors are looking shabby.  Doors for kitchen, front door, balcony and AC rooms are responsibility of the owners.  The Board can demand that the owners replace their doors.  The doors run about $300 each plus permit fee. The common area doors for laundry rooms and electric rooms would be a common assessment when they need to be replaced. 
bullet Permits - You need to get permits for just about anything now.  The city inspector is in our building quite often and has shut work down when permits are not obtained.  We are now responsible to insure from casualty any air conditioning units; we are not responsible for the maintenance or replacement of them.  If you do not get a permit for a new AC, the insurance company at their discretion may not pay out for any damages done; so it is in your best interest to obtain any required permits.
bullet Hurricane Protection – We confirmed by amendment last year that the doors and windows were going to remain the sole responsibility of each individual owner, as stated in our documents.
bullet Alarm System – We had an inspection and were lucky they didn’t tell us to get a new alarm system.  When it needs to be replaced, it will cost about $100,000.  Bass told us they will spread the cost out over a number of months.
bullet Sprinkler System – This will cost us quite a bit.  Charlie Christ turned down a motion to put this off until 2025.  It needs to be done by 2014; we may be getting an assessment.  Sprinklers will need to be installed in all common areas, but not inside each apartment. 
bullet City Ordinances – City ordinances are changing and making life more difficult for homeowners in condominiums, such as the requirement for permits.  Last year we had a property inspection of our building.  We hired a competitively priced inspector, everything was fine except for a couple of small cracks which were repaired; we are good for another ten years.
bullet Foreclosures – Most buildings have 15-20% of units in foreclosure.  We are fortunate to have only 4% going toward foreclosure.  The banks will not foreclose on these units because they then have to pay the maintenance; the government needs to force the banks to take responsibility. 
bullet Rentals – We have one apartment that has a renter whose one year term is expiring.  If the owner does not get the renter out after one year, there is a $50 fine per day for every day over their rental period. 

Reports of Committees:

bullet Fines - Sandi thanked all owners for coming and voting on the issues, and thanked the owners for their support. Lately, we have more and more people violating rules.  If an owner sees someone violating a rule, please provide a letter to the Board.  The Board cannot take action without a formal complaint in writing.  The Grievance Committee will be issuing fines to offenders.   
bullet Foreclosures – Roy went down to the courthouse for an auction on apartment 205, one of our delinquent units. However, the auction was cancelled.  Roy said we need to know why it was cancelled because if it was auctioned off today then someone would start paying maintenance.  Roy said it’s very difficult to get any information at the courthouse. 
bullet Treasurer - Dawn thanked everyone for allowing her to serve on the board for the last two and one half years.  Regarding maintenance, please double check how much you owe each quarter. Maintenance is due January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1.  If you are leaving town you can postdate your checks and leave them with the office, they will be locked up until they are due. 

Vote on Reserve Issue:

bullet 74 votes to waive reserves
bullet 8 votes not to waive reserves
bullet 70 votes not received

We have a quorum, majority of owners have voted to waive reserves. 

Vote on Financial Audit Issue:

bullet 69 votes to waive financial report audit
bullet 10 votes not to waive financial audit
bullet 73 votes not received

We have a quorum, majority of owners have voted to waive Financial Audit.

Vote on Rollover of Surplus Funds to Next Year’s Budget :

            84 voted to apply funds to next year’s budget

New Business:

bullet Bicycles – We’ve had a lot of issues with the bikes in the shed, as people are dumping their bikes there and rarely use them.  Michel has devised a bicycle license tag available for one year at a fee of $15.  Any bikes without the tag will be sold.  Michel made a proposal to Board that we adopt the licensing fee; motion approved.
bullet Letter from Owner – Michel received a letter from an owner stating their opinion of Michel’s letter sent with the annual meeting paperwork.  The owner did not agree with Michel’s views regarding pets, and felt that all owners have a right to be heard.  Michel said this is what the owners bulletin board is for, and, if someone has personal objectives, they should run for the Board.  The pet and rental regulations were known to owners when they moved in, and have been in force a long time.  The Board members tire themselves out trying to keep people within the rules, and it doesn’t help when they get chastised for it.  The Board members are unpaid volunteers. 
bullet Board Members – Michel thanked Dawn for stepping in as Treasurer.  Dawn has been promoted at work and is away most of the time.  She will be passing the Treasurer position over to Marisa Schenke Abreu.  Michel thanked Roy for his help and efforts.  Pat, our new Board member, has been a great help to us with his knowledge of water systems and contacts.  Sandi has been doing a tremendous job as Vice President. 
bullet Change of Board Members for Bank – Dawn Jenkins said we need to remove Alana Dawn Jenkins, Joe Hess, Tom Puntillo and Tony DeCesare from our banking information.  We need to add Sandra DeCesare, Patrick Robinson and Marisa Schenke Abreu.  Michel Pytlarz and Roy Regeski will remain as is.
bullet Count of Straw Votes

To change the document on rentals:  we had:

bullet  20 Yes votes
bullet 74 No votes
bullet 58 not received votes (not received is counted as a No vote). 

On the pet issue, we had:

bullet 18 Yes votes
bullet 76 No Votes
bullet 58 not received (not received is counted as a No vote).

Both issues have been turned down. 

Every couple years we have these issues come up. Michel asked for hand vote of owners present that we put this issue off for five years.  Majority of owners voted to put this issue off for five years.

A moment of silence was given for the passing of three of our owners this past year:

bullet Julia Higgins, Apt. 712
bullet Ann Basileo, Apt. 308
bullet Fannie Cavezza, Apt. 305

Michel said a welcome to our new Treasurer, Marisa Schenke Abreu, of apartment 312.  She sells medical supplies and will be stepping in and filling Dawn’s position as Treasurer.

Sandi recognized Cheryl in taking over a position where she did not know what she was getting into, but has done the job with professionalism; she’s organized, meticulous and has done a wonderful job.  Michel made mention that the office is open from 8:00-9:00 a.m. and from 10:00-12:00 noon; office is closed from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in order to have a chance to get work done without interruptions.   Cheryl thanked the Board for the opportunity to work for them. 

Motion was made to adjourn the meeting and seconded.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm

Minutes taken from tape.

Cheryl Koski, Office Manager