All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: listserv, exit interview
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: taking down decorations, retreat
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: 2015 budget planning, email policy (proposal consensed)
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: email usage proposal
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: Email
All-Community
ACM, Sunday 9/28, Meeting Notes (by Shira)
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: sandbox cover, stuff from garage to be identified/claimed, moves
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: Community building
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: community cleanup, downstairs craft room, neighborhood kids, email etiquette
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: chickens & raccoons, bugs, marketing units, common house appliances
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: crown appraisals, committee structure. No decisions.
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: Mosquitos, garden tour, artwork in common house
All-Community
Decisions: Decisions: Keep using Hans's diary rather than the Wiggio calendar.
Topics: Topics: update on Crown status, calendar, brainstorm on welcoming
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: New listserv.
No decisions.
All-Community
Decisions: Decisions: terms of payment for special assessment (consensed).
Topics: Topics: sandbox, special assessment
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: assessment payment, meeting schedule, bike traffic. No decisions made.
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: swamp coolers, reserve & special assessment, carport number signs, common house cleanliness, ACM meeting schedule, work teams
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: units available, trees, roofing, common house usage
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: outreach to inactive residents
All-Community
Decisions: Decisions: Monthly fees increased to accommodate increase to reserve payments.
Topics: Topics: Budget amendment
All-Community
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: new door signs, maintenance, absentee nominations, passwords for p-or-w reporting site
annual
Decisions: Present: Linda Reed (facilitating), Mike Angelastro, Mike Polacek, Kathy Albury, Carol Smith, Shawna _ (until 4:25), Naomi Franklin, Kay Argyle, Hans Ehrbar, Amy Dwyer, Isabella des Etoiles, 4:00 Vicky Wason, 4:05 Mike Wason, 4:15 Maxine Hanks. Thirteen households.
Topics:
Discussion: Topics: Management election, approval of 2014 budget, reserve
All-Community
ACM, Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Decisions:
Topics: Topics: crown wrap-up, planning for elections, guest room signs
Discussion:
Proposal:
Proposal File: proposals/
Saturday 9:00 to 10:00, Logan is on a youth radio program, 90.9 FM.
Shira will survey when is a good date for dinner party at a Thai restaurant.
Safety/maintenance issue for management's attention: The metal edging on the central path bricks needs to be pounded down most of the length of the path, and/or the bricks needs to be reset with more sand underneath. Shakia cut her foot on the edging.
All the rain gutters have been cleaned. Matt will start tomorrow on the parking lot leaves.
Ron Case is starting. He will remove the deck boards to check the leak in Angelastros'. First the porch roofs on the east fourplex, then the flashing & leak on unit 23 (Susan & Richard's), and unit 26 (Wasons') where the ice dam was.
Amy is getting details on what is required for FHA certification.
Underutilized Spaces. Planning to replace the mattresses in the guest rooms. January 2 work party cleaning up the workshop.
Reclaim anything you own from the items in the middle of the garage. There will be a one-week notice, then the stuff will be disposed of.
Please return the community wheelbarrows to the garage.
January 10 deadline for panels at Parliament of Religions in Salt Lake City, next October. The focus is on climate change. Anyone interested in spearheading Wasatch Commons presenting a panel on sustainable community living?
Hans is looking at being able to use a FaceBook or Google account to log into the community website.
Listserv.
Due to a number of issues with Wiggio, Mike A is looking at other services.
Wiggio messages have a link at the bottom that allows you to respond directly to the sender of an email instead of to the listserv. This is not readily apparent.
Mike set up a listserv with Riseup.org (being used by the Sacramento cohousing where Michelle lived). Only eight of the people who tried were able to sign up.
Google may be overkill for our listserv. Very powerful features but complex.
Listserv Committee to investigate options: Mike A, Lynda, Shira.
Exit Questionnaire.
Interview residents who are moving out. Ask what brought them to the community, their reasons for leaving, what they would change.
If we could get information from people who look at the community and decide NOT to move here, it might be useful. A suggestion box. Those of us living here don't see the same things that give visitors a first impression.
Community members who are living here should be checking in with each other on these issues.
People respond more to very short surveys. Can ask a couple of questions that get swapped out every couple of weeks.
During budget planning it would be helpful to know how financially stressed how many residents are feeling, to know how tightly we need to budget.
Survey committee: Richard, Amy, Sandra, Mike A
Reminders: (1) Please check laundry lost-and-found and claim clothes. Lots of kids clothing.
(2) Reclaim items stored in the garage.
(3) Submit 2015 budget requests to management before the first Wednesday in December.
Manessa & Paul will be moving out by Nov 30.
Performance by Isabella's student Julie at potluck tonight.
Taiko, New Year's Eve 9:00 downtown
Shira will put up a signup sheet for reservations for a Thai restaurant, in observance of her 30th birthday, probably first Saturday in December. She will send out an announcement.
February 21 morning Cindy Turnquist, organizer of Sage Hill Cohousing will be using the common house. Vicky hosting.
December 6 international potluck at common house, Servas and some Ukrainians. Everyone welcome to attend with a dish. Sponsored by Vicky.
Drive for YWCA, womens and childrens coats. See Isabella.
Myste is recovering well, & Danielle is back home from her surgery. Sign up online to provide meals; a good idea to confirm with recipient an hour or so in advance of delivery. Daniells can use help with activities for the kids during her recovery.
A young couple has made an offer on #8. They've contacted Vicky. Isabella is also interested in purchasing it.
Both washers have had their error codes reset and are functional. The dryer should be repaired at the beginning of the week (parts were needed).
Pictures were sent out after the garage was cleaned up; only a few of the items have been claimed. They are in the middle of the garage. They will be going to Restore or otherwise disposed of if they aren't claimed. Once item-owners have had an opportunity to reclaim their items, they will be up for grabs for a week or two before being hauled away.
"Undecorating." Typically lots of enthusiasm about decorating, not so much about putting it away. Tend to acquire more stuff each holiday then it doesn't fit back into the bin(s) it came out of. The person who put up the decorations usually needs to be responsible for taking them back down. They will likely be more careful with items than anyone else will be. They can ask for help if necessary.
Retreat
Brainstorm. What do we want to get out of a retreat? What kinds of activities do we want to have?
Respect and sensitivity.
Laugh and have fun.
Focus on moving forward & improving, not merely rehashing old things that went wrong.
Rededicate ourselves to each other and the community.
A sense of connection and inclusiveness.
Get to know new people.
A feeling of safety.
Involve the kids, teens particularly, not just being babysat.
Educational presentations on communication.
Review of procedures, e.g., writing proposals, for newcomers.
Art project, e.g., a silk flag for each household.
Demystify ACMs for non-attendees.
Activity, build something lasting.
Start a project during the retreat to be worked on during following weeks.
Break-outs and choice of workshops.
Previous retreats have usually been on a weekend. Often has been held here, a few elsewhere. Holding it here it's easy to take breaks and run home.
Two full days seems a lot. Do business one day, fun another. Divide into one- or two-hour segments. Have different community members taken charge of sections.
An outside facilitator makes it a special occasion and might get people who don't attend ACMs.
Notice: Please submit committee budget requests by the end of November.
Reminder: Kids (including teens) are not to be in the common house without a supervising adult. Vicky will talk to the new families.
Kathy found a swamp cooler cover between her house and Carol's.
Kathy has a room-mate, Melanie.
Crown report. Linda P closed last week. Myste is closing on her unit tomorrow. She is accepting a bridge loan from Hans, with a balloon payment after five years. #8 is on the market for $130K.
Management report. Ron Case hasn't gotten our roofs scheduled yet.
Myste's surgery. Myste will be having retinal surgery Friday. The community can be of some assistance with minor care like meals, but not major care or someone staying with her at all times. It's not clear what she wants/needs/expects.
2015 budget
Management would like budget requests by the end of November so they can get started on the budget their first meeting in December.
The 2014 budget approved an increase in the amount for the reserve but forgot to notify Marci to change the monthly deposit, so some of the money currently in the checking account actually needs to go into the reserve.
The insurance premiums will be going up but not nearly as much as Travellers originally intended. Mike A contacted them to ask why they were proposing a large increase. They said it was because our property values had gone up. One problem: they've gone down, not up. Mike got them to check, and they reduced the amount of the increase.
Email Policy Proposal
Years ago, the community agreed that political forwards and discussion would go on a separate email list instead of the main community list. After a while people resumed sending political forwards to the main list. Since the change to wiggio the separate list doesn't exist.
Some people don't object to the political forwards on the grounds that it helps them understand what is important to others in the community.
Amendment: Combine and move the points on "Forwarding outside emails" and "Issues that are not directly relevant" from should not be used' to tips'. Thus, "Issues that are not directly relevant to the community or cohousing, such as forwarded outside emails that do not relate directly to the community or community building, may not be welcomed by all community members."
It's predictable that people won't always adhere to the points in this proposal. Nonetheless, it provides guidance.
Suspension would be difficult to implement fairly, and we aren't likely to do it anyway. Amendment: Remove "Repeated abuses could result in [suspension]".
Consensed as amended.
Events: Halloween party Friday 5:00 potluck and activities, 6:30 trick-or-treating around community, 8:00 music and dancing; taiko featuring Isabella.
Kay & Mary have signed a contract to get solar panels installed on their west roof.
Management report. Linda Parsons has purchased #14. Hans is providing a bridge loan for four years. UHC told Isabella the price will be $130-$140K for unit #8.
Gave Ron Case the go-ahead six weeks ago to do roof work. He hasn't scheduled us yet.
Hans recommends using Egauge to control solar panels.
Held meeting about Wasatch Elders units. Would like residents to be thinking about whether they would be interested in taking advantage of such units.
[Discussion only this meeting; next meeting will meet distribution requirements.]
Clarifying: This proposal regards email on the community listserv, not emails between individuals.
Change 3rd sentence 2nd paragraph always' to if at all possible': "Face-to-face conversation should be used if at all possible when issues or emotions are tense."
Discussed list of potential email subjects as yes, appropriate,' maybe,' or not appropriate.'
Appropriate: community event, family news, political candidate invited to Wacoho, political work that you yourself are doing, you want to reserve a common space (after you have written it on the calendar)
Not: info about politics (use separate list), forward from a political group
Probably not: you are offended by what someone said, you think you have been treated unfairly, you think there is a group of people having a negative impact on wacoho, you object to someone else's email
Instead of "maybe" the intermediate classification might be "caution, be careful, yellow light."
Careful: "You discover broken glass by the dumpster and clean it up." The motive (and the phrasing that results from it and reveals it) matters. Are you being reproachful? Are you patting yourself on the back? Are you letting other people, who might have also seen the glass, know that it's been taken care of?
Sat Oct 11, 10 a.m. Work party, clean dining room
Sat Oct 11, 1 p.m. Dance workshop
Thu Oct 16, 7 p.m. Meeting, discuss elder cohousing units
Sat Oct 18, 2 p.m. Seminar, Aging Successfully in Community
Sat Oct 18. Taylor Grave's bridal shower
Sunday 2:00 Inquiring Minds
"Aging Successfully in Community" Saturday October 18th 2:00-4:30 at Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Cindy Turnquist. Preregistration required, $10.
Taylor's bridal shower October 18th.
October 11, Saturday 1-3 p.m., workshop on 19th century quadrilles. Residents are welcome to attend. Small kids can attend if they are accompanied by an adult and can sit quietly.
Laraine would like help getting the dining room floor cleaned beforehand. Work party 10:00 a.m. Saturday.
Kids will be collecting pledges of donations for the Open Classroom Walkathon.
A copy of Diane Mushu Hamilton's new book Everything Is Workable, was donated by the community by the author. She was a member of Wasatch Cohousing for a short period during planning.
Reminder: Write names of guests, who the host is, dates of stay, and vehicle on the small whiteboard kept on the table in the coatroom.
Meeting Thursday October 16 7:00-9:00 p.m. for discussion about the elder-cohouser units Hans is planning. Who in the community might be interested in moving to them at some time in the future. Separate HOA. Owned or rented by the resident. A second-storey apartment for a caretaker. An area in the basement for food storage, root cellar. Need zoning variance to cluster units.
Linda: Report on cohousing conference in Boulder, attended by her, Carol, & Marina. Tours of Wild Sage, Silver Sage (elder), Nyland, Harmony Village. Sessions on kids in cohousing, aging in cohousing, forming communities.
Handout of policies from several other communities.
Choosing not to respond to upsetting emails puts a stop to chains of inflammatory emails before they stop. Not responding has the drawback of silence being interpreted as assent.
Attending community events is the best way not to get upset by emails because you take a person's comments in the context of knowing them, but upsetting emails keeps people from wanting to attend community events.
People choose to not be on the email list, but then they don't get official information like minutes. Our current list host allows us several separate lists; minutes and official announcements could go on a separate list, people who don't want all the back-and-forth could subscribe only to that. We used to have a separate list for political announcements, because some residents felt overwhelmed by the political forwards. (It's still official policy, but not enforced.)
An official policy may not be the best way of approaching the matter. Educate residents, training in communication during a retreat. Send an automatic quarterly email reminding people of netiquette like signing emails, changing subject lines, no all-caps, refrain from emotional responses.
1. Susan and Richard sold their house to Hob's sister and will be moving out of WaCoHo in November (sad face). We will MISS THEM!!! And we will make sure to celebrate them and say farewell properly in the weeks ahead, but please reach out personally to wish them well on their new adventure!
2. Hans' conference on the environment and living well with LESS is at the University of
Utah this weekend! Signs up in the Common House, please ride with other Common
House members. Contact Vicky for more information.
3. Saturday 10/18 Senior Co-Housing Event, Creating Community as You Grow Older (check out our facebook page for more information)
4. Elections! Doug Owens (D) running for Congress in Utah 4 - Really important race against a Tea Party candidate. Please talk to Shira to get involved!
1. Reclamation of Under-Utilized Spaces
1. Sink might be found in bathroom closet for the pottery/art studio...
2. October, Marina and Shira and any new committee members who want to join will start looking into a budget and plan for interior decoration of the Common
House, new furniture etc in bedrooms and living room so guests can sleep there more comfortably
3. Shira will work with Vicky and other committee members to find new homes for stuff on back porch in the coming few weeks
2. Management
1. Sandbox - Mike A and Paul ordered something it is on its way
2. Roofs - Ron Case will look at the roofs of units 7, 13 and 26
3. Unit 8, (3 bedrooms) is owned by Utah Housing and is available for sale to low income folks. Contact Vicky/Scott if you are interested.
4. PLEASE COME TO MEETINGS! Even if you aren't on the committee, management would love new voices at the table. They meet the 1st and 3rd
Wednesdays of the month in the Common House
5. A new position on the committee may be open for a home owner in November
6. A rental representative is needed as well ASAP.
7. Come one, come all, the more the merrier
8. WORK TEAMS - Laraine organizes them for monthly CH cleaning. If you don't like your month, please contact her
3. Welcoming
1. Lots of interest in units on email and through facebook
2. Lots of interest in the senior event we posted.
The rest of the meeting was a sharing circle wonderfully facilitated by Isabella. We all shared with each other about how we regenerate ourselves and other personal stories and matters of importance to us and the community.
We used the following guidelines:
1) Speak from the heart
2) Listen from the heart
3) Be mindful of the time and how much you are taking of it
4) No cross talk keep the silence
5) Keep what is shared confidential to those in the room
Shira Barchilon Frank
(202) 957-5747
Hans is still collecting donations for cohousing.org. He's has received two. The goal is $500. Can give Hans cash or a check, and he will include your amount when he makes his donation. Make the check made out to cohousing.org if you want the tax deduction.
Jennifer Graves (former resident) will be using the common house for a birthday party for her father-in-law Sept 20 and on Oct 18 11:00 to 4:00 for a bridal shower for Taylor. (Wasons are acting as sponsors for the use.)
Mike A consulted with Paul Adams about sandbox cover. The Adams have a triangular shade cloth. UV stable and porous. A square one would be about $350. It could be hooked into position for shade when the box is in use. (The canopy currently over the sandbox is blocking the sprinklers.)
Reclaimed Spaces committee worked on the garage. Check email for pictures of items that need to be identified or claimed; if not claimed they will be disposed of. Talk to Marina, Shira, Mary, Kay, or Mike W.
Maintenance/Landscaping: Mary & Matt N screened more of the eaves holes to keep birds out. Pressure washed gutter covers so water should flow better over a smooth surface. Matt burned the path weeds.
Several bushes planted this summer on the Utah St entrance didn't make it. Mary has got a couple of bushes on fall closeouts and will be able to replace a few. Trimmed some branches back from roofs.
Moves/Mortgages
The farmers will be moved out of #22 by this weekend. Danielle will move in with her four children; Open Classroom family. Rent for a year then hopefully buy.
Sharon has sold BUG Farms to Coleman and Carla. Gilbert Gooch's house on Cheyenne St will be for sale. Hans is working on the issue of owning more units than the lenders approve of. Unit 8 has been sold to UHC.
Activity (with cake & ice cream)
Lots of plums on the trees in front of Linda R's & P's and lots of apples on the trees in Mary's field. Help yourselves. Note that the apples & some of the plums have worms because they are unsprayed, so it may be necessary to trim before use.
Messy crafts room is cleaned out.
National cohousing conference Sept 26-28 Boulder, Colorado. Linda R & Cindy Turnquist are planning on driving; contact Linda if interested in going.
If anyone in the community donates to Cohousing Org prior to Sept 30, Hans will match up to $250.
What Makes a Community?
To paraphrase JPK, ask not what your community can do for you; ask what you can do for your community. Things happen because someone wants them to happen enough to start them. For instance, the tomato party this morning happened because Sandra scheduled and encouraged it, whereupon other people stepped up to help.
Generalizations about particular classes of people can lead to assumptions that aren't true of a specific person who belongs to that class, for instance, that renters don't stay as long as owners.
Diversity isn't always comfortable or easy to live with. Feeling at home is easier with people who are like us. Sometimes the people you learn most from are the ones least like you. Income can be a greater diversity than color to live with.
Everybody comes into the community with their own dream, and everybody's are different. There's a balancing act, giving to the community & not letting yourself get frustrated by people who don't give.
Generally you feel closer to people you know better, but sometimes you don't want to know as much as you do, or would prefer to keep your own life more private.
Important: private items stored in messy crafts room should be reclaimed or clearly labeled to avoid being given away or put out on the street for the annual pickup.
Mike & Lynda have a 17-year-old granddaughter coming to live with them for a while.
Steve will be leaving soon. He is moving to Washington (with a few stops along the way).
Cindy will be attending a few meetings and potlucks. Degree in architectural technology. She is researching aging-in-place. Has become interested in senior cohousing & has plans to spearhead senior cohousing along the Wasatch Front. She has visited several cohousing communities & interviewed a lot of seniors living in cohousing. What can be learned in a visit is limited; she wants to learn/observe more about the day-to-day living of community, what works.
Laraine is looking for a group of six couples, to film doing authentic pioneer dances. All ages.
Carports are now lettered, starting A-K from north in Utah lot and L-Z in Cheyenne lot. Order of letters doesn't correspond to unit numbers.
The "Slam Ranchers" are moving from unit #22 at the end of the month. Four bedroom next, south end of triplex.
Linda has closed on unit #12. Congrats to our newest home owner.
UHC has been negotiating with the city to extend the loans on unit #8, which has been taking months. They have agreed to refund mortgage payment since February.
Does UHC's right-of-first-refusal have a time limit?
Mike fixed three major leaks on Utah St berm.
Week of August 25 is the trash pickup.
The Noorda house has city trash pickup, & owned by Hans, so it has the right to have a pile.
Shira has joined the Reclamation of Underutilized Spaces Committee. The committee is going to turn the messy crafts room from a storage room into a crafts room. They will find a place to store some of the items stored there.
People should reclaim any personal items within the next week. Then small items will be put on a giveaway table in the dining room and larger items on the back porch, for residents to adopt. Anyone is welcome to add to the giveaway table. Items not taken will go out for the pickup.
Also reclaim items from east of the carports and behind the workshop.
Stephen caught some neighborhood boys (estimated five to eight years old) lighting a fire with newspapers on the grate behind Wasons, and has seen them and others a number of times playing on the property. Stephen will file a police report.
There are issues both of the community's safety and the children's safety. It probably doesn't meet the standard of an attractive nuisance.
The longtime policy has been that neighborhood kids must be visiting/playing with/sponsored by a resident. If not they need to leave.
What you can do if you see them is to ask who they are visiting here. If they aren't visiting someone, explain that this isn't a public park, it belongs to the people who live here, and they should only be here if they are visiting someone here.
Find out who the kids' parents are. Take photos.
Because the community isn't fenced, some people really don't understand that it is private property. Post a discrete sign or two?
Gate the opening from the alley. Mary & the Bells would probably be agreeable. To legally close the alley, we (or Mary or the Bells) would need to purchase it.
List moderation can help with some issues, but a moderated list has its own drawbacks. Emails wait until the moderator is available. The community would have to agree on the moderator.
Some lists have a cooling off period when things get heated. Someone who sends impolite emails gets suspended for a few days. Would need formal criteria so it would be administered fairly.
Practice courtesy.
Sign emails, especially when not using your own account. Don't hide behind or snipe from email. Don't use email to be anonymous.
Talk to the person individually, in person or by email specific to the person rather than through the listserv.
Remember that conflict increases general stress levels even among individuals who supposedly aren't a party.
Don't make personal attacks.
recreation.gov has old Forest Service cabins that can be rented for $35/night, about ten places in Utah.
Naomi rescued a bag of canning jars and lids from the glass recycling. If someone has canning jars they don't want, leave them on her porch. She will be happy to share them with anyone who can use them.
The chickens have been moved to behind the (Cheyenne-side) carport on the south. They will be delighted to eat any kitchen scraps. Dry and crush eggshells so they are unrecognizable as eggs. Feed in the morning so it will be eaten before dark rather than attracting raccoons and skunks. Put scraps away from the gate.
The dumpsters don't have lids. Several people have seen raccoons in the dumpsters. Would Allied exchange the dumpsters for lidded ones? The phone number is on the dumpster.
:: Request for a volunteer to check with Allied about this.
Request for a volunteer to host Paul & Megan, a couple from Michele Frandsen's community, Southside Cohousing in Sacramento. Will be here July 31 & August 1.
Naomi is registering young voters from the community college and could use help in August.
Hob & Sandra have tentatively identified the bug infestation as strawberry root weevil. Harmless. They can be vacuumed up. Infestations usually peak and subside within a couple of weeks.
If interested in coordinating a visit for energy efficiency & natural gas inspection, contact Naomi.
Vicky is working on a document, half page or page for use in marketing #8. UHC has said they will take applications if we send them possible buyers. Anyone looking at the unit needs to understand community obligations, etc. Vicky needs some information on square footage, HOA fee, property tax -- Amy can supply much of this.
Process encourages everyone to read the information Maxine sent out about committee structure, for discussion at next community meeting.
Matt has talked about fixing the siding on his Dad's shop (Hans's property). Hans's eventual plan is to tear down the shop and house and possibly build elder cohousing units. As a result, it is not worth spending much money & labor on repairs. Old paint in garage could be used, although it is mostly interior.
If you have a project you want Matt to do, you can hire him privately for your own work, or talk to Management if it is community work.
Maintenance common house appliances
AllPro replaced the fridge compressor. The door isn't closing tight, so they will be coming back. If the seal on the door was bad it would have been overworking the compressor.
The ovens have never kept a consistent temperature. Maxine will ask AllPro about that. AllPro told Maxine that the damage to the heating elements can result from the oven doors being closed too hard. The doors are heavy and prone to slamming even when trying not too. Might be better to replace ovens. Useful to have two ovens for large meals. May not need to be commercial however.
Request Management to get an exterminator for spiders in common house.
Show-and-Tell: stories about making assumptions from people's grooming.
Apricots are ripe. Tree by clothesline, tree behind Laraine's.
Tomato-tasting party/potluck in August. Contact Sandra to help plan.
Sophie Frandsen will be having a screening of a movie that she wrote & produced & filmed in our wild area.
Linda printed sign-up sheets for Uncommon Night-Out. Anyone can act as coordinator for a night.
When giving the chickens scraps, provide it in the morning if possible or early in the evening so they have time to finish it before dark, to keep the skunks and peacocks from helping themselves during the night.
Reclamation of Underutilized Spaces committee has reclaimed a file cabinet, which will be going upstairs in the crafts area.
Crown appraisals
Linda's house appraisal came in lower than expected, at $85K. Her purchase price will be $59K, based on the formula rather than the market value (hence a "bargain sale"). That makes it not a good comparable for any other sales. Appraisers aren't supposed to use the sale price for short sales, bargain sales, etc. for comparables. However, Linda could share her appraisal with the other crown residents, who could share it with the appraisers for the other crown units, who could take it into account in their appraisal. Comparables need to be within a mile and sold in the last 90 days. Either the buyer or seller can dispute the appraisal with the bank.
Anyone interested in #8 should go to Carla or Scott at UHC to get qualified. Don't have to be a first-time home owner, but can't currently own a home.
Review of committee structure.
Two of the soccer coaches have got other hosts, so Vicky will be hosting just one this week.
Mosquitos are bad this summer. Put mosquito dunks in small drains. Dump out any containers that collect standing water. The tarp over the sandbox is waterproof and collects puddles from the sprinklers; replacing it with something permeable like untreated canvas might help.
Garden Tour, Saturday the 28th, 10:00 until 2:00
BUG Farms, the Bells, & the slam ranchers (#22) are on the tour. Wasatch Gardens contacted Hans for info to use in their publicity although we aren't officially on the tour. Grace will be selling lemonade. Last year people wandered out to the community garden. Stragglers were still coming through until 5 p.m.
Lovejoys are having a party using the common house that day.
Common House Furnishings
Committee has been talking about rotating artwork in the common house. Periodically put out a call for artwork loaned from the community. Ground rules: nothing personal if your offering is not put up, and the community is not liable for any damage. Paintings, posters etc. Exhibit of residents' own work.
Exercise: Conversation starters
Next ACM Wednesday July 9.
guest Becca Rolf: interested in a 1 or 2BR. Bicycle coordinator for SLC? Belonged to a forming cohousing group in Vermont. Stayed in our common house for a couple of weeks when she first moved to Salt Lake. Likes gardening.
Vicky & Mike will be hosting three soccer coaches, two staying in the c.h. & one in Wasons' house. June 22nd for one week.
Mike P is leaving some veggies in the c.h. fridge, up for grabs. Cherries behind #6 are ripe, anyone welcome to pick. Cherries behind carport also ripe. Pick them before the birds do.
Aitch & her family will be staying in the c.h. two nights until they can move into Lydia's #13, June 30 & July 1.
UHC says can't have anyone in #8 unless they have been qualified, so Stephen Willig will need to move. He may stay in #6 until Manessa & Paul sell their house & can buy #6.
UHC still hasn't purchased #8, despite Vivian moving out March 1. They've done the purchase prices for all the others but not #8; first they said they need to get a signature from someone at UHC, then that they are trying to negotiate taking over the loans instead of paying them off & getting new ones, and now they say a lender didn't calculate the interest rate right for #8 & #10. Scott Harmon is again saying they need the budgets since 2010; he says he has emailed Marci multiple times; Marci says she hasn't received any emails. Hans asked her to call them again.
American Express says they will sell their share of Wasatch Crown LLC for $1 to the managing member (us). No advantage to us in doing this at this point, & Hans has declined. We would need to hire a lawyer to look over the contract & maybe would have capital gains on the sale, since Wasatch Crown has about $300K in assets (the units) yet about equal liabilities. Once the units are sold, it will be far simpler to wind down the company. There will just be a few dollars in a bank account to be divided between the two partners, American Express & WCCA.
Planning to have Ron Case reroof Wasons'. They will add vents & install a membrane over the full roof instead of just at the edge. If the modifications cure the ice dams during the next winter, then we would have them do the same to more roofs next year & following. Lydia (#13) & Mike P (#6) have reported leaks around their swamp coolers.
The new listserv system, Wiggio, has a calendar system.
Hans's email diary works okay with the new listserv. Hans edits the diary, which goes out automatically at 3 a.m. if any changes have been made. Sending a request for a reservation to the list instead of Hans personally has the advantage of everyone seeing the original request, rather than having to check a calendar.
:: Rather than using Wiggio's calendar, continue current practice for reservations: Put on paper calendar, email the list, Hans adds to diary.
Address for listserv: wacohoresidents @ wiggiomail.com
Anyone can invite someone to join the listserv. Please follow to the guidelines the community has laid out: owners & residents are encouraged to be on the listserv; others only by special permission of the full community (rarely granted).
Ensure new households receive a copy of the "Customs" document. Keep it updated. Disclaimer that different customs have varying firmness or flexibility, and what is written isn't always how everyone must do something.
Strongly encourage coming at least to Sunday potluck.
Involve more residents in orientation, whether formally on the welcoming committee or informally.
Why?
-- It would be better for the newcomer. It's hard to retain everything when given a lot of information at once. Having many mini-orientations to different aspects would lower the learning curve.
-- Hearing multiple versions of a custom from different individuals gives the new household a feel for the range of behavior within agreements.
-- It would spread the load around. Since Vicky's phone is on our ads, facebook etc., she is one of the first people new households meet. Natural that they reach out to her when they have questions, which sometimes seems overwhelming when there are multiple new households.
How?
-- Reinforcing the concept that this is foremost a neighborhood, when a new household moves in, each resident household make contact on a different day. Basket of vegetables, knock & introduce yourself, write a note or email, offer an invitation to an NPS shopping trip. Could match day of month to unit #.
-- Buddy system. Designate one or two residents for that new household to ask questions of.
-- Different people have different passions. Residents can introduce new household to their area of interest.
-- If you have a project, ask a new resident to help you. Helping a neighbor or the community makes them feel more connected.
Reminder: Don't hang clothes on the clothesline overnight, except Monday, Wednesday, & Friday nights. Other nights they will get wet, and they will block the water from the grass.
Pia & Gaston will be moving June 1. They haven't been watering their lawn this year. Linda is concerned about the grass making it through the next several days of hot weather.
Hans has acquired a piece of property along the surplus canal, starting about High Street going south. Includes the road, down to the canal bank.
Activities: Show and Tell, Two Truths & a Lie.
The computer the listserv is currently on will quit being available at the end of this month, May 31. The community listserv & management listserv is switching to Wiggio. Mike A sent invitations to everyone. Reply to the message to join.
Wiggio sends out a summary of all messages once a day; Mike is working on getting that turned off. Mike tried setting up a listserv through Google Groups,
Saturday June 7, party or open house, possibly 3 to 5, for Paul's high school graduation.
Angelastros had two tons of sand delivered to the sandbox. Graded and washed. Temporarily covered by tarp. Looking for ideas for a cover that would be self-service by the children.
Workshop has a lot of clutter. Work party to clean up will be organized.
One-week notice: Any weeds in the bricks will be sprayed. If you don't want spray, please remove the weeds your own way.
Probable new owners for #6, Paul & Manessa Adams, fireman & school teacher. Three kids: sophomore girl, boy Gracie's age, little one Maya's age. They've been here for events in the past; acquainted with several residents.
Couple from DC, two women with teenage daughter, are moving into Lydia's. Renting for now, may purchase in the future. Interested in talking to people by skype.
Craigslist ad placed by Lydia's agent has generated a number of other prospects.
Proposed: No interest or fees if paid within a year. After one year, $5/mo until balance is paid off. After two years, minimum payments or payment plan may be required.
Background: Current reserve balance is about $15K. Probably should be around $200K for a complex our size and age. About $38K has been prepaid on the special assessment (much already spent). Crown units' shares will be paid at closing, within six months, about $15K.
$5/mo seems too low. Raising that fee provides more incentive to pay it off. Alternately, start charging sooner after six months or immediately.
Management anticipates that only a few households will not get the assessment paid off quickly.
Don't want to put pressure on households who are struggling; can't get money if people don't have it. Can be firm without pressure. Everyone has known about this for two years.
Besides the difficulties posed by a low reserve, there's a cost imposed by the necessity to keep talking and thinking about it.
$5/mo is equivalent to 2% interest on $3K.
Amendments:
Add at the beginning: It is vital for the well-being of the community for the reserve to be rebuilt. Owners are urged to pay the special assessment as soon as possible. For those who cannot, the following terms are offered.
Set the start date as May 1, 2014. Change "within one year. After one year " to before May 1, 2015. After May 1, 2015 "
Add: "After May 1, 2016, or if there is an emergency relating to the level of the reserve, the community may revisit " Delete "after two years."
Payment terms as amended: It is vital for the well-being of the community for the reserve to be rebuilt. Owners are urged to pay the special assessment as soon as possible. For those who cannot, the following terms are offered. No interest or penalty will be charged if the assessment is paid off before May 1, 2015. After May 1, 2015, a fee of $5 per month will be charged until the balance is paid. After May 1, 2016, or if there is an emergency relating to the level of the reserve, the community may revisit these conditions and set monthly minimum payments or require individual payment plans approved by the management committee for all units with a remaining balance. If a payment schedule alternative to these conditions is needed, contact the Management Committee to negotiate it. If a unit is sold, the full amount of the unit's assessment is due on closing.
Consensed. No stand asides.
Show-and-Tell.
The chicken coop's legs were getting unstable. It has been put onto a trailer that Matt wasn't using.
BUG Farms will be using water from Hans's house on Cheyenne for the north field rather than needing community water extended from the garden.
Asia (Linda R's granddaughter) is selling cookie dough as a fundraiser for her cheer group.
Discussed proposal for payment of special assessment within one year without fine. Clarified that the proposal has no required minimum monthly payment for at least the first two years. Those who can are encouraged to pay the assessment promptly. Further discussion and decision at next ACM.
Would like confirmation that people who have a conflict on Sunday would actually attend on Saturdays. No point in moving the date if it just creates conflicts for others instead.
Bicycles seems to be more of a problem on the east side with kids shortcutting on bikes. Speed bumps might slow traffic or just be perceived as a challenge, and would be a mild obstacle for carts & wheelchairs, so unclear if would help enough to be worth disadvantages.
Exercise: show-and-tell of significant objects.
Upcoming Events
Easter egg coloring Saturday April 19, 2:00 p.m., hunt Sunday April 20, 10:00 a.m.
Lynda will collect information on emergency contacts for each unit.
Cohousing visitors from Canada will arrive Sunday or Monday for two nights. Vicky is hosting but may need someone to greet them depending on when they arrive.
Vicky will be taking electronic waste to the U on Saturday.
Larraine has decided she will probably stay another year.
Lynda, Mike A & Hans installed sticky traps on fruit tree trunks and pheromone traps. Let Lynda know if any need to be reattached. Amy will forward a link to sign up for notices (from the extension service?) regarding the optimal time to treat for pests.
Vicky talked to a prospect named Steve. Single, no kids. He is moving from out of state in early May and will be the pastor of a local church.
Management report: UHC has sent their questions to our accountant. He is probably busy with tax season.
Swamp coolers
Mike W won't be doing swamp coolers this year. Management asked for bids from two companies, to do the summer prep for as many units as want to participate.. Got a bid from SwampTech; have asked him to come to Management meeting or an ACM but he hasn't.
People who will probably prefer to do their own: Kevin (his & Naomi's), Mike W, Mike P, Mary, Matt Morganti, Chris. Linda R won't need hers opened this year because she will be replacing hers; Richard probably also. Kathy & Hans don't have coolers. That leaves 15 or fewer. SwampTech quoted a price based on 20 coolers, indicated it wasn't good for fewer.
:: Kay will ask Mary how good a possibility Matt Noorda might be.
:: Hans will ask his tenants if they are interested.
Reserve & Special Assessment
Wells Fargo rejected the Declaration. The lawyer is asking them for clarification on their objection.
The reserve will be exhausted once Ron Case finishes the common house roof. Don't have money for next roofs unless more people prepay the special assessment. Approval of Declaration may be delayed,
Should we just go ahead with the special assessment instead of waiting for Declaration to be approved? The community consensed the formula already and have been using it for monthly assessments. Although we discussed offering a payment schedule for units that can't pay it all at once, we haven't approved one.
Since most assessments will be around $3,600, a minimum monthly payment of $100/mo would take at least three years to pay off. That is not good for the reserve, either from the point of view of needed repairs or potential sales.
Some households would find higher required payments a struggle.
Could offer incentives to pay off quickly: charge interest, charge a convenience fee. Could set a deadline for payoff, require a minimum payment each month that won't meet the deadline, allowing the household to determine when it can make higher payments.
Next ACM is April 27 Sunday. Management should get proposal on the payment schedule out by April 20.
Numbers are illegible and falling off. Occasionally visitors park in carports. An empty carport giving the unit number lets thieves figure out that residents are away. Despite assertions that "everyone knows" carports in a complex are always assigned, visitors do sometimes park in somebody's carport.
Could stencil reserved' on concrete parking bar. Straw poll slightly more people don't want reserved' signs than do want.
:: Decision: Take off numbers. Assign each carport a letter, not matching unit number. Put letters on bar above cars. Mike A will purchase and install the letters.
Ants are particularly bad this year. Please be very careful not to leave food out and to take out garbage and compost at the end of meals.
Someone has been walking from the front door to the bathroom in muddy shoes. Please take off muddy shoes at the door.
Meeting Schedule
Weekend ACMS have sometimes been on Saturday, morning in winter and afternoon in summer. Some have church commitments most of the day on Sunday. Attendance at potluck is smaller on ACM Sundays; it's a rush to get something ready and people have just spent two hours together. Some people work on Saturdays. Whenever the ACM is rescheduled to accommodate people who can't attend, the same people show up anyway. People schedule more activities on Saturdays, and a meeting in the mid-afternoon breaks up the day into less-usable chunks.
People who aren't here tonight will have opinions on this: Don't make a decision tonight.
:: Process will prepare a proposal.
Work Teams
If team leaders have team members who aren't participating, let Larraine know she can rebalance the teams. Team leaders feel responsible, and sometimes end up being the only one who does any cleaning. Maybe let the team leader judge whether we need to pay for a cleaning that month? Will be an added expense.
The team roster is posted in the mail room, and monthly sign-up sheets get posted. Some households have post office boxes and never see notices in the mail room. Even for households getting their mail here, if one person always picks it up, others in the household don't see notices.
Mike P has flyers describing his unit. He'd prefer to sell but is open to renting.
Hans is planning a conference on liberation from consumerism, Thursday Oct 2, the day before LDS general conference starts.
Chickens are currently in front of Carol's. If the noise becomes objectionable, let Kathy know and they will be moved sooner.
People who asked for items to be on the agenda didn't attend. Would it be helpful for weekend meetings to alternate between Saturday and Sunday in different months?
Earth Day weekend electronics recycling.
Mary & Matt will be making runs out to the dump for compost Monday or Tuesday. If anyone has hazardous chemicals such as paint or household chemicals etc., set them in the back of the white Chevy truck and she will take them to the disposal/reuse facility.
Once Sharon gets back, Steven will be house-sitting in #9 until it is sold. Sharon will be here for about a month. She will be making arrangement for someone to take over B.U.G. Farms.
Scott is interested in working on straightening up the shop. Anyone who has incomplete projects in garage or workshop, please retrieve them.
Houses Available
UHC is still calculating price on #9. UHC will purchase it, fix it up, and start marketing. Don't have to be a first-time home buyer, but can't currently own one.
Isabella is interested in sizing up but would need to sell her 1BR first.
Got a professional arborist to work on fruit trees, both orchard & east carport, to fix damage done in pruning by well-meaning community member. Hans split cost with community, and Mary paid for work on her trees. Several peaches have peach borer; without spraying, will survive several years.
Planted about ten Pixwell gooseberries and red currants bushes on north side of west driveway.
Lots of thistles on west berm available for pay-or-work hours.
Mike A said he'd be willing to pay $150 towards the cost of moving the maple tree from the orchard to somewhere on community land such as west berm. Arborist estimated cost would be around $300.
Tree-moving company Larry Layton, 435-640-2203
Will be getting a new high-efficiency swamp cooler for the common house. Mike A checked; the community will be eligible for the rebate.
The cost of reroofing the c.h. will use up everything in the reserve. Accepted Ron Case's bid, $28K. Got three bids; one for $15K had problems with things done not to code, shingles of questionable quality.
Once they pulled the shingles off , they found popping nails and sagging plywood. Added $11K for sheathing.
New shingles have a 50-year guarantee.
Recent issue of entire common house being reserved so that guests are undisturbed.
Early policy was that households each had two weeks use of the guest rooms. Residents can reserve particular rooms such as the sitting room, dining room, or kitchen. Reservations avoid conflicting activities in the same space; however, policy has always been that residents can go into common house during someone else's event. Large numbers of guests, needing multiple rooms, have always been okayed at an ACM. On the few occasions someone has wanted strict privacy for their event, it has been only for a couple of hours and has been okayed beforehand at an ACM.
Resident children aren't permitted in the common house alone; an unattended guest child would definitely need to be okayed by community on a one-time basis.
Kathy will talk to Maxine.
Red Honda in west lot belongs to Matt Frandsen. He is in Sacramento with Michele & Sophie.
Process meets Sunday evening after potluck before an ACM
Laraine is sponsoring a folk dance Friday the 28th in the common house.
African dinner-and-song , fund raiser, March 15(?) hosted by Linda P.
Management report: The condo declaration copies have been sent to all the lenders that hold mortgages.
Crown report: The deadline for a decision to buy or not is the end of this month (even though we still don't have prices). If a tenant chooses not (to attempt) to buy, they have thirty days to move out.
UHC is sending us a check closing out the reserve they hold. Tenants buying their unit get the unit's reserve share. The share of the reserve from any unit not sold to the current tenant will be used to do any renovations needed before selling, then the ex-tenants get the balance if any.
Vivian told Linda R that she has notified UHC that she is moving out. The unit will be sold, not rented again. UHC told Hans we could send them applicants, but he doesn't have the criteria.
Linda has a leak in the roof near her swamp cooler that should be looked at the next time Ron Case comes to look at the Wasons' roof.
Outreach to inactive residents
A number of residents (mostly new renters) participate so little that people wouldn't recognize running into them on the path.
Ideas to entice people into participating
- Visit or postcard, saying we missed you at the last ACM, this is the date for the next.
- Deliver door card and schedule of year's ACMs.
- Schedule events to invite people to. Plan one at each ACM.
- "Around the world" dinner, with each course at a new house.
- Themed potlucks.
- Put cards with conversation starters on the potluck tables.
- Phone list update
- Barbecue at potluck
First meal cooked by #22 was at solstice, so good turnout. Meal in January not as well attended. Announcement was a couple of weeks before. For next meal, put notice on whiteboard, posters on c.h. doors, notes on doors, reminder emails. Encourage them to keep connected to the community after they move to the Cheyenne house.
Saturday morning, 9:30 coffee & treats, 10 to noon to discuss senior cohousing & aging with Cindy Turnquist. No charge to community members.
Mark is finalizing his move-in date to #8.
Sandra will update the phone list. Let her know if you have corrections.
Mary has been pruning fruit trees. She & Matt N moved a standard plum tree that had been planted too close to semi-dwarfs west of the garden, into the orchard in a gap where a previous tree had died.
Work party to spread compost on lawn will probably be in late March.
Maintenance will be putting netting over vents on all units to keep birds from nesting in stove hoods.
Management intended to raise reserve deposits $2K this year. Budget that was approved didn't do that. Increase monthly fees an average of about $6/mo in order to raise the $2K.
Formula to calculate adjusted square footage' includes extra for decks. On the stacked units, for instance, the one-bedroom with a deck has a higher monthly fee than the two bedroom.
Our condo fees are unusually high for a condo. The main reason is it would normally take several hundred units to support common areas as extensive as ours.
6.2% increase consensed.
people not maintaining decks; more labor from residents would mean less maintenance cost in budget.
Committee Structure
Possibly a task force structure, pursuing concrete goals. Would have to figure out how that could interface with budgets given to standing committees.
February 23rd is Questioning Mind on air pollution.
Friday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. Vicky will have a special class taught by Planned Parenthood at the common house, for 7th and 8th graders and their parents. Suggested she post a sign on the entrance suggesting people use the back door to get to the laundry room.
Celebrations/decorating. Marina & Lynda made up new door signs. The signs have three colors: green for happy to have visitors, red for not a good time for visitors, gray for okay to knock. The red is reflective to be noticeable, and the green is lighter than the red to be more distinct, especially in low light. One sign will be put in each mail folder. There are suction cups to hang them on the door glass.
Mike A had Affordable come look at the c.h. & workshop furnaces and provide an estimate for a yearly maintenance visit each fall. The rate would be $81.65 per furnace, thus $325 four furnaces. If community members wanted they could get their own furnace checked at the same time for the same rate. They recommend changing the filters monthly. Mike P used to change the filters each year, even after he moved out;
There are bits of candy all over the living room rug, and the kitchen counters had crumbs. Possible the vacuum couldn't be found for cleanup, but as a result there were ants in the kitchen, and there are ants in the sitting room.
The Kenmore vacuum has reappeared. All three vacuums turned on, when Mike A tried them, but he didn't test their suction.
Management report. Vivian notified Management that she will be moving out March 1. She's concerned whether she would qualify for a mortgage because of her repeated layoffs. If she purchases she will be paying tens of thousands under market value, but she would need to keep the unit for three months before she could sell. Hans and Kay both talked to her about this and couldn't dissuade her.
Hans is setting up password-protected access for the new p-or-w reporting page. User names are wacoho' plus the unit number, with a leading zero for the single-digit units. Households should tell Hans the password they want.
Maxine had sent an email pointing out that Richard had said he would be willing to stand for Management again, and that she had let a couple of people know (although nobody on Process?) she wouldn't be at the first hour of the Annual Meeting and wanted the voting postponed. She's disappointed the election was held before she got there. Richard had changed his mind back and forth, and his final decision was emailed just to Hans, not the entire community. He and Susan weren't home during the meeting. The policy has always been that nominees must give their consent to be nominated.
:: People willing to be nominated but who won't be at the annual meeting should send an email saying so to the listserv, rather than a private conversation or email with one or a few individuals.
Management report. Amy told Hans she needed to get a couple more pieces of information, and was hoping to get the draft of the new declaration mailed on Monday to the mortgage institutions. There are about ten, since a number of households have paid off their units.
See Naomi for voter registration forms.
If the work reporting system is down, send your entry to Mike A and he will enter it.
The continuing members of management are Hans, Mike A, and Mike W. Kay and Richard are finishing their two-year terms. Need to elect two owner-representatives , a renters rep, and a Crown rep. (Crown isn't officially finished until all the units are sold, which will be this year.)
Elected to Management as owners reps: Kathy & Kay.
New fees will start the beginning of the month after the budget is passed thus February. We've always made it retroactive to January, but that is extra bookkeeping work and a lot of confusion.
The undivided interest is based on the formula okayed last year, which will be in the new Declaration.
With the exception of some nondiscretionary items that increased, the operating budget is the same as 2013.
The various landscaping budgets were consolidated weeding, trees, etc.
Actual electric bills have been reduced by the solar panels, but the budgeted amount includes the waiver of Naomi's monthly fee as repayment of her loan to the community.
Actuals for 2013 were about $15K below the 2013 budget. Some HOAs roll any under-expenditure of the budget into the reserve at the end of the year.
Per new state law, reserve management needs to be approved
Budget for water on the east side was increased, in anticipation of Sharon's farm in the north field.
Need to get a programmable thermostat for the workshop. Nobody there most of the time
Amy called UPL about the meters. She also asked them about the Blue Sky program., and they transferred her to the "Blue Sky representative." The rep call it a "donation" but it isn't tax-deductible; couldn't say what it gets spent for; said Rocky Mtn uses it to "gauge interest." 25% of funds go for Administrive costs. UPL is proposing to charge an extra fee for net-metering. Given their questionable commitment to renewables, do we want to continue with the Blue Sky program?
There's a leak in the office roof. Mike A will see about getting someone here to look at it.
Budget: Consensed. Stand aside Mike W, just because he came in late.
Consensed, no stand asides. Amy will contact UPL
State law says we need a line item in the budget for the reserve, which we do, and that we need to issue a report to the community (not just those present ).
According to the calculations Mike has been doing, a fully refunded reserve would be $213,000. We currently have about $30K. Following the special assessment, the balance will be $120K. The new budget increases the amount going to the reserve to $20K annually (from $12,480).
Reserve is currently held at University of Utah Credit Union (insured) and Oppenheimer money market (not insured). Low-risk, low- (near nonexistent) return.
Could count money moved from operating fund against amount of special assessment, or just used to as a step towards full funding of the reserve.
That Management be authorized to move money not spent from last year's budget from operating funds to the capital reserve. Consensed.
This is a separate issue from where the capital reserve is held.
As part of determining how much to move, Management needs to decide how much float the operating fund needs to keep. Clarify how much of excess in operating fund is from prepayments of special assessment.
Interest has been expressed in the community having input in any decisions to move the reserve.
Anyone interested in seeing the community's books online is welcome to get access. See Mike A.
Sunday is a Questioning Minds event, Tony Angie speaking on "international law and how it applies to you."
Hans is teaching a course Tuesday & Thursday evenings on what needs to be done to keep climate change's temperature rise below 2 C.
The fifteenth year of our Crown program has ended. We've never been out of compliance, so American Express gets its tax break.
Over the years we've spent operating funds making capital improvements rather than the capital reserve. Some large expenses led to Wasatch Crown getting behind on paying monthly assessments this year
(owed by the company, not by the tenants). The contract says that UHC and Wasatch Crown must come to an agreement on how any funds left in the capital reserve is to be used. Suggested to UHC priorities should be paying off debt of monthly assessments; refurbish any units that don't get sold to the current resident to help attract a buyer; pay special assessment. UHC expressed concern about proposed rent increase. Rent increase was to pay off deficit. Since UHC was agreeing that the reserve could be used for the deficit, rent increase can be scrapped.
One hold-up on getting sale prices is determining whether capital gains tax will be owed.
UHC has a little flexibility on extending the six months that the resident has to come up with a loan., if the resident can show a good faith effort towards getting a loan.
UHC said we should go slow with the sales until we get the declaration refiled and can approve the special assessment.
Kay and Richard are finishing the second year of their term on Management. Mike W was elected last
January. Mike A and Hans filled in the end of the terms of people who resigned and then were elected last January. Richard is willing to run again if needed. Kay is not. So need at least one person to run, and better two.
Marina showed a prototype of the combination notice she is making for the guest rooms. If the bed is made up a host doesn't know whether the sheets were changed or just tidied, yet a stripped bed isn't as attractive for tours of prospective buyers. The current policy list is a full page of small print. There isn't an occupied sign to alert residents to stay out. The notice will say when the bed was changed, include a shorter policy list, and serve as an occupied sign.
Marina would appreciate anyone who would like to help her make signs to improve on the red/green signs. She will be working on them upstairs in the common house Friday around noon.
April 25, 2020