The Lauren Condominium Association

Minutes of the Board of Directors, July 21, 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 Eileen Ahearn & Dave Lilling and Property Manager Walter Krolman.

Treasurer's Report

As of June 30, 1999 the Lauren had $522,461 cash on hand. In June, we had income of $49,072 compared with expenses of $51,998 for a monthly deficit of $2,926.

Operating income was under budget by $499.

Operating expenses were under budget by $355.

There were no capital expenditures in June.

As of June 30, the Lauren had a total income of $294,079 compared to expenses of $274,996 for a year to date surplus of $19,113 As a result of questions raised in last month's meeting, Walter reported that Dubin will start providing more user friendly financial reporting in August. Arrangements are also being made for the Association' s financial manager and accountant to attend the next meeting.

Action Items

Roof Garden Party

The Board selected Wednesday, September 29 as the date of the Annual Roof Garden Party

Parking Lot

After reviewing bids received for outdoor parking lot repairs and resealing, Brothers Paving was selected based on reputation and price. The date of the work is still to be determined. As soon as date is selected, parking lot users will be notified. The project is estimated to take 1 to 2 days. During that time lot users will be compensated for alternative parking arrangements they may have to make.

Insurance

The Board agreed to the renewal of the current insurance policies with The Travelers. They did so after consulting several companies to find ones that were cost competitive and inclusive.

Lobby Redecoration

After reviewing and discussing owner and resident comments, The Board selected the Nicasio Rug (the darker rug with the contemporary design) and the "Pineneedle" and black leather upholstery for the Patrician Camden Furniture (which the Board selected at the previous meeting).

Committee Reports

Noise Abatement Committee

The Noise Abatement Committee reported that they have drafted and sent to the D.C. Department of Public Works a letter requesting the purchase and erection of 12 No Bus Idling signs to be placed in the immediate area of the Lauren. The letter was sent by Certified mail and a receipt was returned to the Lauren property manager. There was no response by the time of the meeting but subsequent conversations have taken place between the President and the person in charge. It is likely that some signs will be installed at no cost to the Lauren.

The Committee is drafting a petition complaining about excessive noise and pollution created by busses idling. The petition will be sent to the Board for approval by the Lauren attorney and then circulate it among Lauren residents. The Committee believes the petition will be an important document in gaining the cooperation of the Metropolitan Police Department, the management of the Embassy Square Hotel, and the management of the Summerfield Hotels in enforcing the D.C. "No Bus Idling" ordinance.

The Committee has also obtained and forwarded to the Lauren property manager a copy of the No Idling law and have requested the Lauren attorney prepare a simple, "Plain English" version which the Committee plans to distribute to residents as part of a package.

When the petition is finished, the Committee plans to meet with the general manager of the Embassy Square Hotel and with the appropriate representative of the police department to seek their cooperation. A letter will be sent the Summerfield Hotels management.

Committee member Dave Lilling also addressed the Board and reported that he has had success complaining to the police about the noise problems. He advised the Board that the residents need to take the initiative and to make sure the Police follow through. The Police non-emergency number to call is 727-1010.

Exercise Committee

The Committee puchased a exercise rowing machine. It is available for residents use in the laundry room. Use is at residents own risk.

Technology Committee

Waldemar Wajszczuk reported that Property Manager Walter Krolman had arranged for representatives of Home Satellite Express and Starpower to address owners and tenants at a meeting on the evening of Wednesday, July 28th.

Review Status and Discussion Items

HVAC System

The Board discussed again the topic of installing a changeover system for the building's HVAC system. At present the Board favors the manual/automatic option. The Board, however, has some additional questions for the building engineer before making a selection. Their primary concern is ensuring that the system is stable and that frequent changeovers not adversely affect the workings of the system,

Laundry

The Board instructed Property Manager Walter Krolman to begin looking at new washers and dryers for the laundry room. The Board expressed its interest in pursuing a smart-card system rather than the increasingly antiquated coin-operated systems. The Board also asked the Property Manager to look into the possibility of additional dryers to help alleviate the bottleneck that occurs at peak usage times.

Property Managers Report

The recent problems with the north elevator going in the opposite direction of the indicator arrow were discussed. The situation will be looked into.

The Board also discussed the occasional problem of rats being seen around the exterior of the building. The Board asked the Property Manger to discuss the issue with our exterminator to see what other measures can be taken to prevent any future problems.

Finally, the noise produced by the pool pump was discussed. The Property Manager is trying to get the pool-cleaning contractor to identify and fix the problem

Next Meeting

Wednesday, September 1st at 7:30 PM

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:40. Executive session followed.

Respectively Submitted

Waldemar Wajszczuk, Secretary

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