ACM Nov 9, 2022
Topics:
Wednesday, November 9 2022, 7:00-9:00 p.m In-person and online.
Present: Eliza, Ben, Vinnie, Kay, Vicky, Mike, Lauren, Linda, Joe, Renae, Laura, Beth, Scott, Amy, Marina
Notetaker: Kay
Co-Facilitators: Mike and Eliza
Four items in storage bin for future discussion: fire pit, nonresident parking, Slack software, civility. Can suggest future topics on form at page linked from listserv email trailer.
Budget
Discussion led by Ben.
Reserve. The deposits to the reserve will increase more this year than the 3% we have been doing.
We are doing a reserve analysis.. Last was in 2017.
A reserve is to budget for items that need replacing/repair less often than three years but more often than thirty years. It's a planning tool. Some things will last longer than the reserve analysis estimates; some will need repacing sooner. Some will cost more and some will cost less. The goal is to avoid having to do any special assessments when we need to pay for a big ticket item.
Changes from previous analyses: Move certain items from operating budget. Tree work, wooden dumpster enclosures, common house and workshop swamp coolers, under-deck roof membranes. Some of these should always have been in the reserve.
Analyst recommends we increase our annual deposit to $4950. Only part of this is an actual increase rather than a transfer, because some things we have been paying for out of operating funds. All reserve expenditures have to be approved by Management.
Most landscaping work will still go through the landscaping operating budget.
Professional Mediation. Include an amount for professional mediation if we need it.
Playground. We may want to consider removing the old common house play structure ($1500) because it isn't up to code (splintering wood, exposed nails and bolts, preserved wood). (Vinnie would find it entertaining to do demo.) Removing it would reduce our legal liability. Doesn't give a good first impression to visitors. A good playground would be a draw for younger families.
Removing it would probably need to wait until thaw. Make it inaccessible until then?
Estimate for replacing it with a professionally built structure was $30-40K. Could ask for donations, fundraise, look for grants, etc. Rehabbing the north play structure was about $2000 plus $1K for ground cover (fall surface). Can get used playgrounds but would require a contractor to move and reinstall it.
Parents Committee has had some discussion. They would welcome help from people whose lives aren't as busy and/or from grandparents or other people who care about the issue.
How long would the spot be bare? Removing it might be motivational to get it replaced. Getting it replaced professionally would probably get it replaced faster than DIY. Adding play structure to reserve would increase amount to $5225.
A benefit of getting a commercial play structure would be lower maintenance.
If we increase fees 6% we have $2K to distribute among committees. Fully funding all committees would require $16K. Committee might consider looking again at their requests and see if they can streamline them.
We do have about $50K float in the operating checking account. It is very helpful to have float to adjust discrepancies in bills coming due etc. but we don't need $50K. About $10K will be insurance premium. Some could be used to increase the reserve account, fund committee requests, pay for the playground, etc. without increasing fees as much.
The new solar panels are not included in the reserve analysis. They would increase the amount needed significantly and are not something we are relying on for electricity.
A consideration if we get a nice playground is that there aren't other nice playgrounds nearby and neighbor kids will be attracted. We approached this before by asking neighbor parents to sign waivers and asking kids to be visiting a resident rather than coming to play by themselves.
Committee Requests.
$500 dining room refresh
$800 mediation
$7,550 ($1750 AED, 800 cameras, $5K fire mitigation)
$400 celebrations
$150 welcoming
$750 cohousing.org
$500 dog run remediation
$365 irrigation seeds soil and grow lightbulbs
$160 zoom subscription.
Dog Run. 20 to 30 ft of fence on boundary needs to be fixed to be secure for dogs. (Fence actually belongs to the neighbor.)
Fire Mediation. Had contractors do a walk-through. Estimate from Atlas was $10K, including $5K for trimming shrubbery around units. $5K labor clearing brush, mowing etc. Could be DIY but we aren't doing it adequately. This is landscaping maintenance, but if putting it under Safety and Security gives us motivation to get it done, it's all to the good. Weedwhacking everything isn't how nature does it.
Fence on north also needs work. Belongs to neighbors and would be their HOA's responsibility.
Committee Reports
Halloween was awesome!
Financial reports are posted on the bulletin board. Ben will work with Linda to post it on the wiki.
Reminder about pay or play. Two ways to contribute, working hours or paying, both respectable. Five days grace period to report hours. If you need an exception, come talk to Management, and please be pro-active and do it ahead of time if you can. The current system lets each person decide what is appropriate as community work. Hours can be credited to other people and can be banked, but we need a better way of reporting and tracking that.
Some storage units on west side have some leaks from installation of solar panels. Check your storage units and let us know if you have any leaks so we can have Gardner fix them.
Announce your committee meeting schedules over email so interested people can attend, and post your minutes both on email and on the wiki.
Encouraging people to do a survey on cohousing, which Vicky sent the link for.
Backpack left in parking lot, now in mail room. Should be turned over to police if can't be identified. Mike will do that.
Peace Corps Saturday 6:00 11/12.
Renae and Victor will have guests in the c.h.
Sunday aftn Vinnie will be installing a new washer and dryer. Let Vinnie know if you know of people who will take the old ones.
Nov 19th potluck, friends of Laura's but community is welcome.
Linda has raspberry starts to give away.
Joe passed out snow shovels.