Good evening, and welcome to the 31st annual meeting of the Lauren Condominium Association.

I'm Roger Hirschland, president of your board of directors. Fellow board members are Elizabeth VanderPutten, first vice president; Dwight Clark, second vice president; Amy Bertha, secretary; and John Filice, treasurer. Former board member Barrett Witkin, who served with distinction, resigned in February of this year because he moved from the building, but we are glad that he is still a fellow owner. The board unanimously invited Amy to succeed Barrett, and we were delighted that she enthusiastically accepted the appointment and has served thoughtfully since that time.

Let's have a look at how the Lauren is doing.

Our finances are sound. John will address the details, but we got a satisfactory audit for 2010 and have a robust reserve fund. Our special reserve fund dedicated to replacing our heating and air-conditioning system down the road is on track. We have no owners in arrears at this time. Especially in hard economic times, that's quite an accomplishment, and for that we can all be grateful to each other.

The building appears to be in good condition. We encountered some unexpected failures and weaknesses in the brick façade this past year, requiring immediate repairs, but they were accomplished promptly and with expertise, thanks in large part to our consulting engineer Dave Fyffe, of Seal Engineering. There may be further reinforcements down the road, but nothing further is needed immediately. As you know, we installed three new and highly efficient water heaters last year, reserving our options for a fourth, to be determined by the performance of the first three. Many of us discovered that there wasn't enough hot water in cold weather during the morning rush-hour, or "shower hour," so we have ordered a fourth heater to be installed. That should provide all residents with sufficient hot water during the coldest days of next winter and beyond. We have relied on the expert advice of Building Engineer Jack McNabb, who alerted us early on that we might need that fourth heater.

Our new decor, with which we have now been living for almost a year, is holding up well, with a few issues-such as scuff marks around the elevator entrances and some peeling paint-which we are addressing as the need arises. We've been spiffing up the front office over a period of time, and that's just about complete.

This past year, we've taken quite a number of preventive actions as well as undertaking some innovative procedures. There's a large, new grill for everyone's use on the rooftop garden. (Much appreciation goes to owner Wayne Rhee for researching our options and making recommendations.) There's a pair of flashing lights at the top of the driveway to warn pedestrians of cars emerging from the garage. (Thanks to owner Thomas Zawalich for that idea.) The elevators have simple but attractive notice boards, eliminating the need for taped up messages of importance. We have new elevator wall and floor pads for move-ins and move-outs. There are new bushes along 20th Street and new trash receptacles on the roof. We donated abandoned bicycles to a charity (thanks again to Wayne Rhee for that idea), and we had new water valves installed, which are common elements, to replace those that were no longer functioning.

Maintaining infrastructure and making improvements is what we aim for. But we can always do better. One of those areas where your board would like to do better is addressing water leaks in our 37-year-old building. You know, I once called Pepco to come check on my stove because I smelled gas. The serviceman came promptly but could find no leak. I apologized to him for what appeared to be a false alarm. He backed away from the open oven and looked at me. "Sir," he said, "we consider any gas leak an emergency. You did the right thing in calling us." Well, I'd like for future boards and management to adopt that mantra for water leaks, as well. Any water leak, large or small, must be considered an emergency, even after the site of a leak is located and shut down. Any water issue must be actively addressed by professional help until the problem is fixed, with no exceptions.

What about projects coming up? How do we keep a 20th-century building contemporary in the 21st century?

Something that will affect almost all owners and residents-in a positive way-is our plan to replace both sets of front doors with sliding telescopic doors. After residents have done the entrance dance for almost four decades, snaking their way awkwardly between the set of double doors up front, our entering and exiting the building should become much, much easier, especially when we're carrying groceries, luggage, or anything other than ourselves. That project is currently in the planning stage, but we trust it will be implemented promptly over the summer by the next board.

And, if you've recently stood under our awning out front during a rainstorm, you will have noticed with clarity the need for a new canopy. That project is under way, and should be completed by mid-summer.

We are currently having a reserve study done. This is an important objective look at the condition of our building and infrastructure by outside experts, which outlines what may need to be replaced when, and at what cost. It provides an indispensable guideline to your board of directors and management to follow in planning, budgeting, and monitoring how the building is operating.

As board members, we try to address questions, suggestions, and requests promptly and fairly. There are times that we simply cannot make everyone happy, but without exception, that's because we feel we have to maintain rules designed for the comfort and convenience of the majority. For example, we have issues related to tobacco smoke disturbing other residents. In response, we've put pressure on owners and residents to accommodate those who are bothered by the second-hand smoke. And another issue-requests for permission to have dogs on a very intermittent and exceptional basis. We've turned down perfectly reasonable requests for minor exceptions to the rule against having dogs. We get no pleasure from denying requests, but we feel we cannot fairly make exceptions to rules that others are required to follow. Please know that every request, suggestion, or complaint receives careful consideration by your board.

I'd like to acknowledge and thank our staff for helping to make us, as residents, safe, comfortable, and satisfied in day-to-day living at the condominium. Our grounds look terrific, our building is clean, we've had excellent security, and the service at the front desk has been a big help in getting us mail, packages, messages-and in admitting our guests. Our management company, Simmons Management Group, has been attentive to financial details; and our legal counsel, Joe Douglass, has been exceptionally helpful on many occasions in providing clear, sensible, and fair guidance to management and the board. A big thank you to all of them. And, as always, many thanks to Brian Larkin, president emeritus of the Lauren and long-time webmaster, for maintaining an always up-to-date website with information for and about the Lauren Condominium and our immediate community.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve on the board this past year. We have tried to be diligent in working to protect your investment, your comfort, your safety, and the condition and appearance of our building, and I thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Other board members may wish to make a few comments at this stage, before moving to the election of board members for the coming year.