The Lauren Condominium Association

Minutes of the Board of Directors - June 16, 1999

President Elizabeth VanderPutten called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Manager’s Office. Present were other Board members Mason Essif, Joe Morris, Adrienne Simenhoff and Waldemar Wajszczuk. Also in attendance were owners Brian Larkin and Eileen Collins and Property Manager Walter Krolman.

Treasurer’s Report

As of April 1999 the Lauren had $494,160 cash on hand. In April, we had income of $47,564 compared with expenses of $41,681 for a monthly surplus of $5,884.

Operating income was under budget by $1,807, found mostly in interest income.

Operating expenses were under budget by $7067 with maintenance and administrative expenses the largest variance.

There were no capital expenditures in April.

As of April 31, the Lauren had a total income of $193,256 compared to $178,579 for a year to date surplus of $14,676

As part of the report the Treasurer recommended and the Board agreed to have financial manager and accountant come to an upcoming Board meeting

Treasurer Joe Morris also addressed the issue of getting the financial reports in electronic form from Dubin and whether it would be possible to see what other financial reports are produced by other management companies. Building Manger Walter Krolman will look into these issues.

Action Items

Lobby Redecoration

Mokhless Al-Hariri and Matt Gifford of Georgetown Design gave an update on the status of the "Punch List" and possible redecoration of the Elevator.

Punch List

1. Bulletin Board The permanent Bulletin Board for the elevator lobby is expected to be here by the end of the month.
2. Infrared lock release Georgetown Design as well as Walter are looking into the possibility of installing and infrared lock release mechanism in the lobby for the front doors. This would allow people to exit without having to press the lock release handle on the front door.

Elevators

Mokhless and Matt addressed possible options for the elevator. They noted the choices are limited by Board’s concern about durability, weight, and the ability to remove ceiling panels when residents move in and out. As an interim solution, Mokhless suggested painting the background behind the panels a lighter color to improve brightness and to better match the upper floors. The Board agreed to the suggestion and asked Georgetown Design to make the change. The issue of lighting in the elevators was also discussed. Mokhless mentioned that options were limited due to the potential problem of the lighting being knocked out of place when people use the elevators for moving in an out. Finally, Mokhless and Matt showed samples of potential new wall coverings and flooring for the interior of the elevator.

Furnishings and Rugs

The Board reviewed comments submitted by residents as to their choices for furniture and a rug for the lobby. The Camden furniture was the most popular choice so the Board selected the Camden chairs and couch as the furniture for the lobby. The Board held off on selecting a rug with the hope that samples could be brought into the lobby to see how the rugs would look.

Conflict Resolution Procedure

The Board discussed the draft policy for resolving conflicts and handling the enforcement of rules in the building. The Board approved the procedures. Copies are available from the property manager.

Appointment of Noise Abatement Committee

Board President Elizabeth VanderPutten appointed a committee led by Brian Larkin, Roger Hirschland, Dave Lilling and Jason Juffras to work on noise issues related to idling buses, construction, etc.

Committee Reports

Noise Abatement Committee

Brian Larkin reported to the Board that the Committee has already been hard at work on noise issues and distributed a memo describing their activities to date and the Committee’s proposed actions. Among the actions already taken are:

1. David Lilling has identified the person in the DC government who is in a position to sell to the Lauren and to install 12 "No Idling" signs around the Embassy Square and the Lauren and has drafted a letter to that Department of Public Works (DPW) official.
2. Jason Juffras has contacted various DC agencies to determine who is responsible for enforcing the no idling law and is working on getting a copy of the current law.
3. Roger Hirschland is drafting a brief request that we would like the Embassy Square hotel staff to distribute to bus drivers requesting their cooperation-in the spirit of good neighborliness-in turning off their engines, and gently reminding them that idling is illegal and carries a fine.
4. The Committee is discussing a petition for residents to sign expressing their unhappiness about the noise created by excessive and illegal idling of busses at and around the Embassy Square Hotel.
5. The Committee plans to meet personally with the DPW person in charge of enforcement, the Metropolitan Police Department person in this division who is in charge of enforcement, and the manager of the Embassy Square Hotel. Our purpose will be to solicit their cooperation.
6. The Committee plans to write to each Lauren resident in an affected unit telling them that whenever an idling bus annoys them, there is something they can do right on the spot, and that is make two phone calls to the hotel staff and to the police department.

After Larkin’s presentation there was some discussion about what the Board’s role should be in this matter.

The Board adopted the following resolutions

1. The Board has agreed in principle to pursuing installation of the signs at a maximum cost of $1500.
2. To ask the Association’s Attorney to provide guidance on the issue of the petition.
3. To ask the attorney for an interpretation of the law and to provide a "plain English" version of the law.

Technology Committee

Waldemar Wajszczuk reported for the Committee and suggested that a meeting be setup for representatives of StarPower and Home Satellite Express to come to The Lauren to discuss their companies and products and to allow residents to ask questions. Building Manager Walter Krolman will try to arrange these meetings as soon as possible.

Review Status and Discussion Items

Within Unit Smoke Alarms

The issue of within unit smoke alarm placement was brought up at the Annual Meeting. To address this issue the Board is looking at the possibility of adding or changing positions of smoke alarms. The Building Manager will try to get direction from the fire department on the best location for the alarms. Discussions also included adding supplemental battery-operated units in each bedroom. The Board agreed to test install battery operated alarms in some units. A letter will be sent to all owners regarding the issue and the first twenty owners who respond will have their units included in the test.

Roof Report

Seal Engineering submitted its study of the roof. The principal conclusion of the report is that there is no immediate need to replace the roof. The report also went on to note that if the roof were to fail it would not be a catastrophic failure. The report did recommend some short-term minor repairs, which the Board agreed to effect.

HVAC

The Board discussed the building engineer’s proposals for automatic heating/cooling changeover systems for the chiller and boiler. Three proposals were submitted of varying technological sophistication. The Board decided to ask for additional information on these systems before making any decisions. Also, Eileen Collins noted the importance of keeping people comfortable and thanked the Board for returning the air-conditioning’s cooling ability to levels that existed in the past.

Next Meeting

Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00. Executive session followed.

Respectively Submitted

Waldemar Wajszczuk, Secretary

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