Attendees acknowledged the distribution of the meeting notification. A quorum was declared.

Present were Board Members President Roger Hirschland, Treasurer John Filice, Secretary Elizabeth VanderPutten, First Vice President Dwight Clark, and Second Vice President Barrett Witkin, along with a sufficient percentage of owners in person or represented by proxy (59.6%) to constitute a quorum. Also present at the meeting were Property Manager Walter Krolman; legal counsel Joe Douglass from the firm of Whiteford, Taylor, Preston; and Greg Carlsen, of Carlsen Contracting.

Reading of the minutes of the 2009 Annual Meeting was waived by consent of Membership.

After introducing the board members, the president reported that the building and finances are in good shape. He reviewed the process by which the hallways, lobby, and elevators were recently renovated at a cost of about a third of most of the original bids, and he introduced and complimented both contractor Greg Carlsen, of Carlsen Contracting, and redecoration committee chair and owner Erin Erlenborn. He noted that damaged landscaping has been replaced after the ravages of the snow, through the guidance of the board secretary and treasurer, as well as the expertise and fieldwork of building maintenance chief Cacho Salinas.

The president also reported on the new hot-water heaters and a new, much smaller, and infinitely more efficient boiler on the roof level, both of which should lower condo fuel bills and provide greater reliability.

Deferring to the treasurer for a full report, the president nevertheless assured owners that income, expenses, and investments are on a sound footing, stressing that the next board would have to closely monitor the status of the dedicated HVAC fund — the heat, ventilation, and air-conditioning reserve fund — that is being put aside for eventual replacement of the entire system building-wide.

He also mentioned the installation of new electronic equipment on the roof that allows owners to continue to use the building TV antenna, necessitated by the fact that broadcast signals were changed from analog to digital.

Representing the consensus of the board, the president strongly urged owners to include a nonsmoking clause in any lease for renters in the building.

He reported on a localized collapse of bricks on the south façade of the building and explained its probably cause, as well as options for repair — to be addressed by the next board with advice from contracting engineering expert Dave Fyffe, of Seal Engineering.

After praising the maintenance and desk staff for excellent work and uncommon loyalty, the president explained to owners a few details of how the board meetings are run, what kinds of issues are discussed, and who on the board has responsibility for which duties.

The president acknowledged owner Brian Larkin as the condo webmaster and praised him for the richness of information posted for all to see and use. He also introduced condo counsel Joe Douglass and thanked him for his expertise, advice, and support.

The president concluded with these thoughts: "I'd also like to express my personal view about the fact that we have competition for the next board. I'd like to note that we're all neighbors, living either down the hall or above or below each other. And after this evening, we will still be neighbors. We must all work together as congenially as possible to keep our building the premium place it is to live. If the new board is constituted differently from the present one, I commit myself and trust in my colleagues here to lend whatever support and expertise may be helpful to ensure a smooth transition. There are, after all, a myriad things to watch, consider, and act upon during the year. It's important that each board is as well informed as possible about the challenges and pitfalls that it faces for the new condo year."

[For the full text of the president's address, see http://www.lauren.org/presrpt10.htm .]

Treasurer John Filice thanked property manager Walter Krolman for keeping track of the Lauren's financial details, and Ted Hart, our investment counselor with Smith Barney, the firm that manages our investments.

The treasurer stated that our finances are in good shape. He explained that, upon Mr. Hart's advice, our funds have been placed in two accounts. One is our capital reserves to which we contribute $14,083.33 a month. These reserves at the end of March 2010 were $717,873.31. The second fund, to which we contribute $8,552.52 monthly, is entirely separate and is dedicated solely for the replacement of the heating and air conditioning system. This HVAC fund had a current balance of $371,984.16. In addition, we have a small operating cash fund, with a March 31 balance of $35,392.23.

Most capital expenses this year mainly involved finishing the redecoration of the halls and elevators. He referred to the reserve study which the board uses in budgeting capital expenditure. It details anticipated capital expenditure for 10 years. He said a copy is available in the manager's office for owners to inspect. The last five-year reserve study was completed in 2007. A new study will be needed in 2011. He noted that the board had been accurate with budgeting. "Over the past 5 ­10 years," he said, "our budget estimates have fallen within two percent to three percent — plus or minus — actual expenditures." He noted that "on average, condo fees have gone up about 4.3 percent a year."

[For the full text and charts of the treasurer's report, see http://www.lauren.org/am10b.pdf ]

Elizabeth VanderPutten spoke briefly. "There is not much that I could add to the substantive discussion given by Roger and John. But I do want to make a few points.

"First, I want to thank Roger for his extraordinary leadership as Board President. Anyone on a Board of an institution with as many employees, issues and budget as the Lauren must be ready to devote considerable amount of time to the work. We have all done that — from scrutinizing budgets, reviewing contracts, dealing with emergencies, serving on various special committees or special assignments — such as decorating and landscaping.

"However, Roger has gone above and beyond all of us. It is a good thing he is semi-retired, since I think he works full time on the Lauren issues. Much of this is reported in the minutes, but not all. Roger as President is the supervisor of Walter and through him the rest of the staff. He is the point of contact for most comments from owners (generally positive, but of course not always). He is the one who stays up with Walter all night if the air conditioning is off. We owe him a really big thank you.

"I would also like to thank our staff. They keep our landscape beautiful; our hallways and common areas clean and safe and do a myriad of things that we rarely notice. The Lauren has been committed to providing decent wages and benefits to staff. In almost all cases, owners and tenants treat our staff with the dignity and respect they deserve. As a result, we are fortunate to have long term, trusted employees who make our home a good place to live.

"Finally I would like to acknowledge the owners and residents of the Lauren. With few exceptions, we are a community that respects each other. We do not impose noise or music or smoke on each other. We follow the rules designed to ensure that all of us have a wonderful, safe place to live. I am pleased and proud to live here."

None

Adriane Fugh-Berman, Joe Morris, and Wayne Rhee agreed to serve as Board of Electors.

• Wayne Rhee (1007) (declined the nomination)
• Adriane Fugh-Berman (911) (declined the nomination)
• Rhonda Binda (612) (nominated in absentia)
• Thomas Zawalich (111)
• Roger Hirschland (906)
• Elizabeth VanderPutten (1004)
• Dwight Clark (917)
• John Filice (812)
• Barrett Witkin (913)

Rhonda Binda purchased her unit in 2006. She is an attorney and was formerly a senior associate with a Washington law firm. She is currently a Senior Advisor in the Office of Global Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of State. Mr. Zawalich provided her background in her absence.

Dwight Clark, an architect, has lived in the building since 1996, purchased in 2000, and has been on the board since 2000. He works with Framaco International Architects. He is a design and technical manager for a $110-million project in Serbia. He said he feels a sense of responsibility to help out and serve the building. 

John Filice has lived and owned in The Lauren since 1988. John's business entails Marketing Consulting to Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Developers who pursue Federally Funded projects. He served on the Board in the early '90s and returned to serve again since 2006.

After teaching junior high school for seven years, Roger Hirschland wrote and edited for the National Geographic Society for more than two decades, then was an editor at the Peace Corps for six years before retiring. He now freelances as an editor for various agencies from home. He led the Lauren board for several years in the 1980s, and has been president of the Lauren board for the past four years. He has lived in the building since 1980.

Elizabeth VanderPutten has lived in the building since 1977, before the Sunderland Apartments was converted by tenants to the Lauren Condominium, and served on the Lauren's first board of directors. She is a program director at the National Science Foundation, supporting research on education and learning.

Barrett Witkin lives in unit 913 and has been a resident for three years. He is an executive with Accenture, a management consulting and technology services firm.

Thomas Zawalich purchased his first unit in 1997. He has a background in engineering, and since 1991, through his company Travel Document Express, has facilitated the procurement and distribution of travel documents for clients.

The following owners were elected to the Board of Directors:

• Dwight Clark
• John Filice
• Roger Hirschland
• Elizabeth VanderPutten
• Barrett Witkin

John Filice talked about some conversations he has had with owner Wayne Rhee. Wayne spent a lot of time talking with employees and the results need to be shared. Wayne reported that pretty consistently the front desk staff commented that some residents blame the staff for carrying out Lauren policies and procedures. These fall into three areas: dogs, keys, and bicycles through the front door. People forget their keys and get angry that the desk personnel are not immediately available. Others insist on bringing their bicycles or furniture through the front door. The board urged all owners to comply congenially with condominium rules being enforced by front-desk personnel.

Mokhless Al-Hariri (103) pointed out that the outside parking lot might need resurfacing.

Danny Nguyen (304) asked about the bike room and the apparently abandoned bikes. The board asked Manager Walter Krolman to institute the roughly tri-annual bike-culling process, wherein owners tag their bikes. Those bikes not claimed will be donated to worthy causes.

Joanne Johnson (710) noted that often movers prop the N Street door open. Although condo policy requires that the staff watch the doors, Brian Larkin (1004) added that people who move do not always schedule their moves, which makes it difficult to schedule staff to watch the door.

Thomas Zawalich (110) asked about waste in the stairwell. The board acknowledged the issue and reported that they have decided on a course of action to identify the person responsible.

The annual meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Elizabeth A. VanderPutten, Secretary