River Place South Board Meeting Minutes-January 14, 2020

​River Place South Housing Corporation (RPSHC)
FINAL Minutes From the Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
 
In Attendance – Board of Directors

• Janice Mays, President
• Waqas Ali, Vice President (via conference call beginning at 6:32 p.m.)
• Sara Shahade, Secretary
• Lauren Hall, Director
• James McInerney, III, Director (via telephone)
• Vikram Reddy, Director
• Richard Villegas, Director

 
In Attendance – Property Management

• Joette Waters, General Manager
• Bryan Hernandez, Assistant General Manager
• Lisa Waters, Leasing Manager

 
In Attendance – Shareholders

• Nancy Greenberg, Unit 542
• Crystal Jobe, Unit 1007
• Bonnie Kline, Unit 926
• Jim Wolfe, Unit 421

 
 

1. Call to Order

The Board of Directors of the River Place South Housing Corporation held a meeting on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.  Board President Janice Mays called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
 
 

1. Resident Participation – Part I

Crystal Jobe, Unit 1007: (1) Ms. Jobe inquired about the door on the second floor of the parking garage.  Ms. Mays indicated she will find out when the door will be repaired.  (2) Ms. Jobe asked whether the gym is still on schedule for the 17th.  Ms. Mays indicated the work will take a bit longer than anticipated to complete, and explained the reasons for the delay.  However, the parking office is now open.
 
Bonnie Kline, Unit 926: Ms. Kline asked whether the three month minimum concerning unit rentals means an exact minimum of 90 days.  Ms. Mays stated the cooperative will not quibble over one or two days.  Ms. Waters stated 90 days is the accepted rule of thumb.  Ms. Mays explained that the person who signed the lease does not have to physically occupy the unit for three months, but they have the right to occupy the unit as part of the lease.  (3) Ms. Jobe asked whether it is permissible for family members or friends to utilize one of her units for a short period of time.  Ms. Waters explained Ms. Jobe should provide advanced notice to the management office that guests will be in one of her units.  However, if the guests would like to use the pool or gym, the Owners Association must be notified.
 
 

1. Approval of Agenda

Ms. Hall moved to approve the January 14, 2020 Board of Directors meeting agenda as presented.  Ms. Shahade seconded, and the motion carried unanimously (6-0-0).
 
 

1. Approval of Meeting Minutes (November 19, 2019)

Board members requested revisions concerning the November 19, 2019 Board of Directors meeting minutes – a meeting that was not served by the third party minute taking service.  Board members also discussed the remaining action items from the meeting.  Ms. Shahade moved to approve the minutes from the November 19, 2019 Board of Directors meeting as amended.  Mr. Villegas seconded, and the motion carried unanimously (6-0-0).
 
 

1. Reports
2. President’s Report: Ms. Mays reported the cooperative held a holiday breakfast that was enjoyed by many persons.  She thanked everyone who helped to plan and facilitate the event.

 

1. Treasurer’s Report: A Treasurer’s Report was not presented.

 

1. Owners Association (OA) Report: Please see the language under Crystal Jobe’s Resident Participation comments in Section II of these minutes.

 
 
  VI.Management Report
A.     A/C Split Units: A recent, semi-annual inspection of the individual A/C splits revealed a need to replace several units.  However, a solution was devised to repair many of the units rather than replace them.  The exception is two units in commercial space S300 that will be replaced once warmer weather arrives.
 
B.     Loading Dock Camera: Stanley will install a new camera at the loading dock to cover an existing blind spot at a cost of $2,000.
 
C.     Fire System Dialer Upgrade: VSC will install a new dialer for the fire system at a cost of $1,225.  The existing dialer is very old and replacement parts are no longer available.
 
D.    Fire Inspection: The building’s fire inspection was performed on Friday, January 3, 2020 and Monday, January 6, 2020.  Ms. Waters summarized the minor violations that were noted and will be addressed.
 
(Mr. Ali joined the meeting at this juncture via teleconference at 6:32 p.m.)
 
E.     Janitorial Staff: Issues have been occurring with some members of the janitorial staff, and there has been difficulty employing and retaining reliable workers.  Two janitors have been replaced during the previous two months.  The newest janitor began working on Monday, January 13, 2020.  Management is seeking service from an alternative company due to other ongoing issues.
 
F.      Railing Replacement: A railing will be replaced at the basement level in the rear of the building near the boiler room.
 
G.    Annual Meeting: The Association’s 2020 Annual Meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.  Management will send notices to owners during the third week of January.
 
H.    Commercial Tax Rate: An appeal involving the cooperative’s commercial tax rate resulted in a reduction of the commercial space value by $1 million, and a refund of $12,030 (including a bit of interest).  That money has been deposited against the tax expenses for the 2019 calendar year.
 
I.       Reserve Accounts: Management awaits an update concerning the transfer of funds from the existing accounts to the new account with FirstService Residential.
 
J.       “No Smoking” Bylaw Change: The bylaws change to prohibit smoking in the building became effective January 1, 2020.  Letters were sent to shareholders and renters concerning the matter, and signs have been posted on the property.  The cigarette disposal container near the sidewalk leading to the building was removed.  The only cigarette disposal container that remains is on the west corner of the front of the building.  The Board must still make a decision concerning the penalty that will be imposed for violations of the smoking ban.
 
K.    Parking: Ms. Waters asked that the OA consider ways to prevent people from parking along the fire lane across from the gym.  Parking violations in that area prevent Cordatis from backing out of their spaces.  Ms. Mays indicated she will speak with the OA concerning the matter.
 
L.     Rentals: The cooperative has 100% occupancy for its commercial rentals, while parking occupancy is at 82%.
 
 

1. Old/Unfinished Business

Please see Section VI of these minutes.  Additionally:

1. Land Lease Update: Mr. Ali reported a meeting has been scheduled with the landlord for the month of February 2020 to discuss the land lease.  He will attend the meeting to represent River Place South.  Also in attendance will be M.J. Schmelzer representing River Place East; Hashmat Ali representing River Place North; Pat Fairman representing River Place West; and the leadership for Monday Properties.

 

1. Bonus for Reports of Disabled Smoke Detectors: During their previous meeting, the Board of Directors suggested that the cooperative offer the staff a $25 bonus for reporting any intentionally disabled smoke alarms.  This would include covered smoke detectors, removed batteries, and missing smoke detectors.  The Board of Directors authorized the ongoing bonus of $25 to staff for each such report.

 
 
 

1. Resale Notifications

No resale notifications were presented.
 
 

1. New Business

No topics of New Business were presented.
 
 

1. Resident Participation – Part II

Bonnie Kline, Unit 926: Ms. Kline inquired what the Board decided regarding the cooperative’s loan.  Ms. Mays stated the Board of Directors will discuss the matter during their upcoming Executive Session.
 
 

1. Temporary Adjournment to Executive Session

The Board of Directors temporarily adjourned the Open Session at 6:43 p.m. to hold an Executive Session to discuss the pending refinance of the loan and several upcoming reserve projects.
 
 

1. Decisions from Executive Session

The Board of Directors has agreed to a two-week extension for Board members to explore additional banking options for refinancing the River Place South loan.  If no other options are found by Tuesday, January 28, 2020 the Board agreed to move forward with the offer from Bank of Charles Town.
 
 

1. Adjournment

The January 14, 2020 Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
 
 
These minutes were respectfully drafted and submitted by: