ColonialVillage I, A Condominium
Dec. 20, 2006 – Minutes
(Next Meeting: Jan. 24, 2007)
The December CV1 Board meeting was convened at 7:00 PM. Present were three Board members (Neil Chritton, Charles Edwards and Geoff Schwartzman); David McPherson, Condo Manager; and one unit owner. Board member Mary Kardauskas joined the meeting for the executive session. Board member Michael Cardman submitted a vote on several agenda items in advance by email proxy.
1)Minutes – The November minutes were approved without change (Chritton motion, Cardman second).
2)Homeowners’ Forum – A unit owner reported that the small floor mats just inside the main hallway doors were missing at three locations: 1802 and 1804 Lee Highway and 1913 Rhodes. David said they would be replaced.
Board member Neil Chritton suggested that we look into installing at least one industrial grade, upright washer and dryer in each laundry room to handle things like comforters and small rugs. David said that the issue would be the capacity of the plumbing to handle the volume of water. He will look into it.
3)Manager Report –
a)Project Status – David reported that January will see the commencement of many projects, including the boiler room project at 1917 Rhodes, the stormwater drainage projects, and the hot water pipe replacement at 1903-2005 Key Blvd.The latter project will require periodic water shut-offs.
b)Contract Calendar – David said he planned to establish a “contract calendar” so that annually renewable contracts, such as gutter cleaning, would always be renewed promptly. The Board strongly endorsed his initiative.
c)Storage Rooms – A number of “cages” in storage rooms contain severely deteriorated items, such as moldy mattresses. Such items may present a danger to other belongings stored in the area. With respect to cages with such items, owners will be notified by letter to remove the items or the cage will be opened by management and the contents discarded. (Note: The Board has approved a letter to be sent out with the Resident Handbook in January that will give residents a one-month grace period to remove items stored outside of cages.)
d)Security Incident – Management posted a notice informing residents of an attempted sexual assault in a CVII laundry room. Residents are encouraged to carry keys and keep common areas like this locked.
4)Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer Chuck Edwards had focused on the Reserve Study (see below) over the past month, so President Geoff Schwartzman reported on the state of the budget. We are currently running an operating deficit of about $2,200, which is less than 0.4 percent, despite unusual expenses such as massive tree damage and some unexpected unit repairs. This is a big turnaround from previous years.
David noted that $25,000 of our funds are located in a money-market account paying only 2.75 percent, and he will look into a higher-paying account. With the present interest-rate environment, he feels we should seek to have our assets earning at least 4 percent, on average.
David reported that we had an emergency expense of $2,300 to replace 55’ of copper supply line at 1920 Rhodes St.
David also indicated that in the future, when he develops the annual budget, he will adjust it to reflect the seasonality of our expenses. At present, our budget spreads each expense line over the whole year, even if the expense is normally experienced as a lump sum at a certain time, such as spring. This makes it difficult for the Board to track expected expenses.
5)Landscape/Web Site – Landscape Chairman Chuck Edwards presented the 2007 contracts for T&J Lawn Maintenance for signature by the President.
Design proposals for the 2007 planting program have been received from Behnke’s Nursery; Chuck indicated that he felt the designs were worth the cost ($600). David will contract with Vicente Contractors to remove dead plants and prepare sites for planting. Bids for the actual planting — to take place in March and April — will be solicited later from Behnke’s and Merrifield nurseries.
In a related matter, the Board unanimously approved (Schwartzman motion, Chritton second) Chuck’s proposal to solicit bids for planting six trees this spring.
Chuck also reported he had completed work on the Web site, Layout of the Resident Handbook had been delayed due to illness in the production contractor’s family, but a first draft would be available in a week or so.
6)Old Business —
a)Reserve Study — Doug White of Thomas Downey Consulting Engineers submitted a revised reserve study. Virginia law requires condominiums to produce a reserve study every five years. This study projects infrastructure needs for the next 40 years and the reserve contributions required to fund the identified needs. This gives the Board guidance on setting assessments. Mr. White’s study shows the condominium to be somewhat under-reserved in light of major approaching projects (asbestos removal from the boiler rooms and major mortar repair). Without an increase in reserve contributions, additional funds would be required beginning in 2011.
The reserve study is not a formal commitment; the Board may alter the assumptions or defer or accelerate the identified projects. The Board made two sets of changes: (1) updating the anticipated 2007 expenditures to reflect just-approved projects; and (2) requiring Doug White to add three hypothetical funding scenarios. With the specified changes, the Board unanimously approved the study (Schwartzman motion, Chritton second, Edwards “aye,” Cardman “aye” by proxy). When the revised document is received, it will be posted on the Web site ( Unit owners may also request a copy at the management office.
b)Stormwater Drainage Projects — The Board unanimously approved eight additional stormwater drainage projects presented by Hix & Sons Drainage. Depending on site conditions, the projects will total between $22,686 and roughly $23,500. In addition to drainage repairs, associated air conditioner condenser pads will be reconstructed. This is a reserve expense. Work is expected to commence in January.
Together with projects approved at the April and October meetings, the Board has approved a total of $65,000 in stormwater drainage/condenser pad repairs for 2006. This is on top of $43,000 spent in 2005, for a total two-year expense of $108,000.
These infrastructure elements were originally installed around 1980, at the time the complex was redeveloped. The drainage design was poor and the pipe used had a very limited life. At present, much of the stormwater draining from the roofs ends up in our basements. It was time to overhaul these infrastructure elements. The newly installed PVC pipes are much more durable and easier to maintain than the original pipes. It is expected that we will not face major expenditures for drainage and condenser pads for another 20 years, although we may have to replace a few condenser pad timbers in the coming years.
The proposals were approved unanimously (Edwards motion, Chritton second, Schawrtzman voting “aye,” Cardman voting “aye” by proxy).
7)Carried Over —
a)Reserve Study – Chuck proposed to send a letter to the owners describing the results of the Reserve Study.
b)Hall Lights – The previously discussed issue of hall light design was deferred to February.
8)Next Meeting – The next CVI Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at 7:00 pm in the CVI Meeting Room at 2021 Key Blvd. (side entrance).
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CV1 Minutes, 12/20/06