Strata 2286 Newsletter
February, 2012
1. The board of strata 2286 held it's annual winter meeting on Feb. 11, 2012. The minutes from that meeting will be posted on the strata web site.
2. Just in case you forgot the url for the strata web site, it's: . On that site you can find all contact information for our bookkeeper, maintenance supervisor, strata president, and a realtor who deals with long term rentals (look under links). In the secured section of the web site are all documents that the board feels is necessary for owners to have. The username for this section is: greenroof. The password is: polarpeak
3. The board would like to commend Leslee Valavaara, our bookkeeper for the excellent job she did in preparing the financial reports for the most recent board meeting.
4. At this point, most owners have complied with the board request to have their hot water tanks replaced, as their age is at a point where failure is increasingly likely. If you have yet to replace your tank, the board is once again advising you to replace it, as failure of the hot water tank is likely to cause significant damage to either the common property, or the property of other owners, and our insurance deductible ($25,000) on water and sewer damage means that claims below this amount cannot be made. Please note that the strata has a bylaw which makes the owner responsible for any amount to repair water damage originating from his/her unit providing the board has made you aware of a concern. There is also a bylaw requiring owners to carry personal property insurance to cover any amount of damage caused by water or sewer problems up to the amount of the strata insurance's deductible for these items ($25,000)
5. The wireless internet system has become a constant problem for the strata. Owners complain that it is slow and intermittently cuts out. We have had Isosceles, a local computer company that installed the internet system in 2007, come out on several occasions to check the system for concerns. For the most part, they have found nothing. The wireless radios and the antennae mounted in the parking lot are functional. According to them, the problem is that the system was never designed to accommodate the number of wireless devices that now come with owners and renters, especially on weekends and in the winter. More recently, we have been in contact with them, and based on their advice, we will be contacting Shaw Cable to have them provide a faster cable hookup that should increase the bandwidth significantly. They (Isosceles) are also looking into technology to “turbo boost” the antennae. Hopefully these changes will provide a system which is more functional under heavy load. It should be understood that even with these proposed changes, the system will be problematic under heavy load. If you use your computer for work while at the strata, or are here often enough that you want better access to the internet, Shaw can hard wire your unit and provide you with the same internet that you have in your home. Almost all of the permanent resident owners have done this. If that is a direction in which you would like to go, contact me and I will give you the phone number for the local Shaw technician.
6. Once Shaw Cable has installed the upgrade to our system, there will be a change in the security access code. You will be informed of the new code at that time.
7. As you know, the Stanford Inn agreed not to renew their contract with the Downhill Riders Club out of Edmonton for this winter. As a result, this has been the best winter since the Strata was built regarding unacceptable behavior and fineable bylaw offences.
8. One of the owners who rents through an online company has asked us to inform owners considering renting privately through online companies such as Owner Direct, Home Away, etc. that generally these owners indicate that during the first year with these companies there will be an adjustment period in which revenue returns may not be what you expect. However, in his experience, you will find that during the second and subsequent years you will find returns to be very good.
9. One of the items of concern brought up at the board meeting was the fact that the outdoor lights in the strata remained on during the day. This problem will be rectified shortly.
10. As you know, strata fees went up 3% as of Jan. 1, 2012. Please check Schedule G on the strata web site to see what your new fee is.
11. During the years 2008,09,10 the delinquent accounts receivable for the strata at times were as much as $28,000 due to upaid strata fees and assessments. As of Feb. 2012, as a result of due diligence by the board, this amount has been reduced to less than $2500.
12. Last May, a Roof Envelope Study was contracted and completed by a Calgary Engineering firm on behalf of the Strata board in an attempt to determine the cause of ongoing water damage to the internal walls/ceilings of some units in the strata. It's findings were reviewed at the last AGM, and a course of action was determined. We will complete some preliminary investigations in the spring with roofing contractors in an attempt to gain some insight as to the problem. If your unit experiences leakage, please contact Del Cleland, strata president.
13. One item that got much discussion at the recent board meeting was the Contingency Reserve Fund (CRF), how to report it, and how much to contribute annually. We will have the reporting issue solved shortly, and will post it on the web site. The CRF is currently in very good shape. A full accounting of this fund will be presented at the next AGM.
14. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact the Strata President, Del Cleland.
On March 15, 2012 the security code for the wireless internet will change.
The new code is: fernie2286wifi2.
This code will be required to access our system from this date onward.