March 2025 Updates

Recap of by Community Member Elizabeth Chaponot

Virtual Meeting Held on March 12, 2025; 6:00 pm

Attendees:

• Michelle Ferriera (managing agent, FSR)

• Gizelle Cadogan (president)

• Benay Curtis-Bauer (director at large)

• Cassandra Adams (treasurer, vice president)

• Justin Molineaux (interim Secretary)

• Will Leben (owner)

• Thomas Horn (owner)

• Kim Cotton (owner)

• David Cotton (owner)

• Phuong Vo (owner)

• Elizabeth Chaponot (owner)

• Pratyush Mechineni (owner)

• Natasha Stewart (owner)

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. EXECUTIVE SESSION ACKNOWLEDGMENT/ANNOUNCEMENT

III. OPEN FORUM

Justin (board member): Brought forward a question that had been raised on Facebook by a member which was a request for an additional charging station. While this is a valid request, we need to prioritize the major projects currently underway. Justin pointed out that this was a profit center. 

Will Leben (owner): Asked why this is considered a profit margin and whether it should be provided at cost. Response: The cost of the station and its ongoing maintenance is the HOA’s responsibility.

David Cotton (Owner): Reported a rodent issue in Building 3 and was unable to find the service request button on the FSR site. The previous button was removed and replaced with a “Help” button located in the lower right-hand corner of the board.

IV. CONSENT CALENDAR

• Approval of minutes - January & February 2025

• Financial Statement - January 2025

  • Benay: Asked questions regarding the presentation of financial statements. Some items may need to be reclassified.

  • Justin: Inquired about how gas is billed and requested that bills be reported in the month they impact. He noted delays in entries into the system, with January showing $0, December reflecting $30,000, and the monthly budget set at approximately $11,000. Can we ensure bills are associated with the correct month to improve accuracy?

• Approved Proposals

  • Board question on Boiler Maintenance: Has the maintenance been scheduled? The bill provided in the Board package was for the blower kit. The company is supposed to schedule the inspection, ideally in one visit. They stated that they have the parts in-house, so the repair should happen quickly.

  • Board question on Sump Pump Bid: The initial bid was missing one unit, resulting in an increased cost of $6,000.

  • Phuong Vo (Owner): Requested visibility into the financials. Justin explained that the detailed financial package is currently only accessible to the Board due to its extensive nature. He acknowledged that this may be frustrating and expressed interest in reviewing options to provide greater visibility for those who want it.

• Board votes to approve the consent calendar

V. REPORTS

• Management report

  • 15 of 62 units are rented, meaning 24% tenant-occupied, 76% owner-occupied

  • Monthly Site Walk (last tuesday of each month) documented the following issues:

    • Walkway Coating: Peeling & cracking. Reviewed & photographed, especially building 5 stairway.

    • Fire Extinguisher Boxes: Paint needed.

    • Stair Rails: cleaning and cobweb removal needed.

    • Utility Room: Global Maintenance’s cleaning supplies must be moved.

    • Recycling Room: light switch does not turn off properly, bulbs are out.

• Work order report

• Communications Committee Update:

  • Monthly Focus: Communication regarding the elevators and boilers.

  • Board Participation: A plea for Board participation was made, and we have members in this meeting who have expressed interest—either in response to this latest request or previously. Does the Board want to address them directly or take this opportunity to ask them questions?

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• Board Election Update

  • Board Candidate Applications: We have received two candidate applications . One additional candidate is needed (there is one vacant position and 2 positions up for renewal). Phuong Vo stated she will be submitting an application.

  • Application Deadline: The deadline will be extended to April 18, 2025, to allow time for at least one more candidate to apply. This adjustment moves the vote to June Meeting.

  • Election Volunteers: We will be soliciting volunteers to help run the election. Thomas Horn has volunteered to assist. We will need at least one more
    
    

• Governing Document Amendments/Policies

  • These will be reviewed in a live town hall-style meeting with members to discuss the CC&Rs. A potential session may be scheduled for May to facilitate this discussion.
    
    

• Waterproofing Project

  • Electrical Room & Waterproofing: California Consultants is taking bids for waterproofing in exterior walls and electrical room work. One bid from JB3 was received in December ($133,000), and another vendor will be solicited on March 14. The Board has requested that California Consultants keep the first bid active.
    
    

  • Elevator Tower Roof: This is part of the larger waterproofing project but was removed from Phase Three due to its urgency. A bid was received for repairs to the elevator tower, mailroom, and stairwell. The roof has been patched, and the full repair was scheduled for Thursday, the 13th, but was rescheduled for Tuesday the 18th  due to the storm. The project is expected to take two days.
    
    

• Monitoring Wells

  • Project Timeline & Storage:

• Work is planned for March 19 and is expected to take two days.

• Materials removed during the project will be stored in the garage until disposal.

• Parking restrictions in place along Adeline and 41st Street.

  • Waterboard Refund:

• Once the project is finalized, we will proceed with completing the refund process from the Waterboard to recover costs.
  
  

• Survey for energy efficiency. 

  • Bid Received: One bid for a specialist to review our systems at $200 per hour, with a total expected cost of $2,000 – $4,000.

  • Motion & Approval: Justin moved to approve spending up to $4,000 for the review. The Board approved moving forward.

  • Final Report Requirements: The report should include:

    • Cost breakdown

    • Timeframe for completion

    • Potential ROI on system change-outs
      
      

• Walkway surface coating 

  • This remains on the list of projects but on hold until other things are reported.

VII. NEW BUSINESS

• Alarm System Contract Review:

  • A new vendor has acquired the previous alarm system company and is presenting a new contract for Board review.

  • The previous contract (from 2013) is outdated.

  • The Board requests a second bid to ensure the proposal is reasonable before making a decision.
    
    

• Sump Pump Repairs :

  • What is a Sump Pump? A sump pump is a device used to remove accumulated water from a basement, crawl space, or low-lying area to prevent flooding and water damage. It pumps water away from the building to keep the area dry and protect the foundation.

  • Board Decision: Given the overall state of disrepair and the need for a comprehensive system review, the Board votes to proceed with the full replacement and repair of all sump pumps at once.

  • Two options presented:

    • Full system upgrade – Repair or replace all eight sump pumps and address all necessary system upgrades for $47,000.

    • Single repair – Fix only the one currently down for $6,900.

  • Board Decision: Given the overall state of disrepair and the need for a comprehensive system review, the Board votes to proceed with the full replacement and repair of all sump pumps at once.

VIII. NEXT BOARD MEETING 

• Wednesday, April 9th, 2025