Colonial Village Condominiums

January 15, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. Present at that time were Peyton Palmore, President, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Joe Sifer, Member-at-Large, and unit owners David Ritter and Thomas Kareth.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: Mr. David Ritter, nonresident owner of unit #198 at 1800 Queens Ln., asked the Board to investigate an unusual experience he had with a defective “circuit breaker” located below Dominion Power’s meter for his unit. He told the Board that an electrician had warned him that this defect could cause a fire. The Board promised to have Mr. Hedrick contact him about this problem as soon as possible. Mr. Ritter also requested to be put on CVIII’s mailing list for Board meeting agendas and minutes. The Board agreed to pass this request on to Mr. Hedrick.

Resolution Establishing a Move-In Fee: Several times during the past year while discussing the cost of renovating common hallways of CVIII’s buildings, the Board considered the possibility of instituting a move-in fee as a means of covering some of the cost of damage done to hallway walls, trim work and doors when residents move in or out of buildings. After discussion the Board’s 20 November 2000 meeting, a motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to institute a $100 move-in fee, which would be a one-time charge for resident owners and would be charged every time a tenant moved into a unit. Unit owners would be responsible for paying this fee for themselves and every time that a tenant moved into their unit. Only move-ins occurring after adoption of this resolution would be liable for this fee. To give unit owners thirty-day notice of this regulation and a chance to comment on it before it is implemented the Board requested that Mr. Hedrick schedule discussion of it at this meeting, and unit owners David Ritter and Thomas Kareth took advantage of this opportunity to ask the Board to justify the imposition of such a fee and its magnitude. Imposing a fee each time someone moved into a unit seemed to the Board to be a reasonable though admittedly not perfect way for charging the cost of repairing damage done by the moving process to those who actually did the moving. The Board used 1728 Queens Ln. as an example to justify this fee. This building has eight one-bedroom units, four of which have been continuously occupied by their original owners. The other four units together have seen at least sixteen changes of occupants. Damage to common area walls, doors and trimwork is obvious and fairly attributable to moving. Mr. Ritter acknowledged the existence of a gouge in the wall over the front door of his unit because some other resident was moving a couch. Both Mr. Kareth and Mr. Ritter asked the Board to consider inspection of each move-in and move-out, which would allow for the imposition of charges for damage where and in the amount needed. The Board said that it decided against this approach because it would restrict moving to CMI’s business hours on weekdays and thus would be inconvenient, or very expensive if a staff member had be paid overtime rates to show up during evening hours or the weekend. It would be expensive in any case because each moving event would require a “before” and an “after” visit from Mr. Hedrick or Mr. Kiman, diverting them from other work. CVIII only gets about fifteen hours of Mr. Hedrick’s time each week because we “share” him with CVI, CVII and the Commons. Further, if more than one person did the inspecting, and then the problem of arbitrariness arising from subjective judgment would arise. The Board agreed that a $100 fee was somewhat arbitrary and agreed to consider the possibility of reducing it to $75 at its next meeting. The Board agreed to earmark all revenue from the imposition of these fees for repairs to and renovation of hallways. With reference to this move-in fee the Board discussed a letter it received from Kelly Brown, nonresident owner of unit #248 at 1805 N. Rhodes St., asking to be put on record as being against a move-in fee. In her letter Ms. Brown stated that she was not charged such a fee when she recently moved into an apartment in New York city and thus could not understand why CVIII would charge such a fee and if it did, why the amount of $100. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to provide Ms. Brown an explanation based on the above discussion by letter or email.

Resolution Establishing Regulations for UPS Parcel Pickup at Key Blvd. Office: At its 20 November 2000 Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that there had been a substantial increase in the number of packages being left at the CMI office on Key Blvd. because residents were not home to sign for UPS deliveries. Given this increase, Mr. Hedrick suggested that it would be in the best interests of residents, CMI, UPS, and other parcel delivery services if CVIII had a set of regulations governing how CMI would accept these packages, how and when residents would retrieve them from the CMI office, and the liabilities of all parties involved. Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with his proposal for such a set of regulations, and after discussion a motion to approve them was made, seconded and approved unanimously. To give residents thirty day-notice of these proposed regulations and a chance to comment on them before they are implemented the Board requested that Mr. Hedrick send a copy of these proposed regulations to all unit owners and schedule discussion of them at this meeting. No one chose to comment at today’s meeting, so a motion to put these regulations governing the pickup of UPS deliveries left at the CMI office on Key Blvd into effect was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the December meeting were approved without change.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman was absent.

December Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick stated in a written report prepared for this meeting that CVIII had a year-to-date operating surplus of $2237 as of the end of December 2000. This compares favorably with the $6696 deficit CVIII had for the year ending December 1999. Details of the December financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office.

Correspondence: Mr. Hedrick provided the Board with copies of a letter from Mrs. Betty Davis, resident owner of unit 230A at 1829 Wilson Blvd., in which Mrs. Davis requested information on how assessments in general and hers in particular were determined. Mrs. Davis also asked whether CVIII was spending too much on lawn and tree maintenance. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to write Mrs. Davis and refer to her to Section E, Paragraph 7 of CVIII’s Public Offering Statement and Article IV, Sections 1 through 4 of CVIII’s Bylaws for information on how CVIII’s assessments were determined. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to invite Mrs. Davis to visit CMI’s office on Key Blvd to review her individual assessments. The Board also asked Mr. Hedrick to inform Mrs. Davis that it would be pleased to have her or any other interested resident join CVIII’s landscaping committee and assist the Board in controlling CVIII’s expenditures on lawn and tree maintenance. 3

Old Business:

Storm Drainage Project: Mr. Hedrick provided the Board with a cover letter and other material from Alpha Corporation that was supposed to provide a detailed breakdown of its bid of $9,250 to provide civil engineering drawings necessary to obtain permits from Arlington County for CVIII’s storm drainage project. Upon inspection it was discovered that the material covered by the letter was unrelated to storm drainage. The Board continued its own efforts to find out directly from Arlington County officials if such expensive drawings were necessary.

Landscaping Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board by way of his management report for this meeting that he had been in contact with T&J about setting up a meeting to discuss planting perennials such forsythia, daffodils, tulips and lilies to curtail expenditures of annuals flowering plants.

New Business:

Material Posted on Hallway Bulletin Boards: Mr. Palmore informed the Board that he had recently received a complaint from a resident about advertisements for pet sitting services, art shows, restaurants, et cetera posted on a hallway bulletin Board in such numbers that notices relevant to the operation of Colonial Village were being obscured. After discussion, the Board decided to restrict hallway bulletin Boards to material dealing with Colonial Village. Examples of such material include notices of upcoming Board meetings and their agendas, the minutes of Board meetings, notices and warnings from the CMI office, information about units available for lease or sale within Colonial Village, and social events being held within or directly relevant to Colonial Village residents. CVIII residents could post items of a more general nature on the bulletin Boards in the laundry rooms. Mr. Kiman would police posted material on a weekly basis for relevance and timeliness. A motion encompassing these restrictions was made, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Scheduling of Common Water Line Repairs: Mr. Palmore asked the Board to consider when would be the most convenient time for the greatest number of CVIII’s residents to shut off hot and cold water service in order to make repairs to water lines, valves and hot water heaters. Mr. Palmore illustrated his question by referring to the four-hour shut down of water service on Saturday morning, 13 January 2001, in order to repair three separate leaks in hot water lines in Building Three. Mr. Hedrick and Mr. Kiman said that they chose this day and time period, as they also had done on previous occasions, because it caused the least disruption to Dr. Gentry’s dental practice. Mr. Palmore argued that Saturday morning might be convenient for Dr. Gentry, but hardly so for the rest of the residents of Building Three. Saturday morning is a time when a very large majority of CVIII’s residents are at home, and in addition to eating and bathing, many are trying to do laundry or house cleaning. The Board discussed this matter and decided to ask Mr. Hedrick to contact Dr. Gentry and try to negotiate a period during the middle of the day on a weekday to make such repairs in the future.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session during which matters related to delinquent assessments were discussed.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 19 February 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05pm.

March 19, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. Present at that time were Peyton Palmore, President, Michael Bodden, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Joe Sifer, Member-at-Large, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting:

All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: No one was present to speak.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the 15 January 2001 meeting were approved without change. Due to the lack of a quorum, no meeting was held (and no minutes were taken) on 19 February 2001.

Reports of Officers:

President: Mr. Palmore informed the Board that he and Mr. Hedrick recently made a tour of the common areas of CVIII, during which they discussed current and future maintenance projects in general. Mr. Palmore said particular notice was taken of damage to the front door and associated trim of 1737 Queens Ln.

Secretary: Mr. Gerrity informed the Board that it had been advised by Mr. Wil Washington, an attorney at Chadwick, Washington, CVIII’s law firm, that proxies from absent members of the Board could not be used to make up the quorum needed to hold a Board meeting. A minimum of three members of the Board must be physically present for a Board meeting to legally occur.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman informed the Board that in addition to his day-to-day activities he was currently occupied with grinding off accumulations of rust, priming and painting CVIII’s wrought iron railings. Hot Water Heater Replacement in Building Four: Mr. Kiman informed the Board that a fourteen-year-old hot water heater located in the basement of 1821 N. Rhodes St. would have to be replaced in the near future because rusting had led to irreparable leaks. Mr. Kiman told the Board that he had obtained a low bid of $4100 for a replacement from API, a plumbing firm, with which CVIII had satisfactory past experience. Mr. Kiman told the Board that water line valves were organized so that hot water service to residents of Building Four would not be interrupted when this heater is replaced. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that the replacement heater would be paid for with funds set aside in CVIII’s Reserve Accounts for that purpose. Hot Water Line Repair in Building Three: Mr. Kiman informed the Board that there was a leak in a hot water line in Building Three, which he had repaired on a temporary basis. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that a permanent repair of this leak would be made during work hours on a weekday sometime within the next three weeks from the date of this meeting in order to minimize inconvenience to residents. The three-week scheduling window was the result of an agreement between Mr. Hedrick and Dr. Gentry, the dentist whose office is located at 1831 Wilson Blvd., to schedule Building Three’s water line repairs to minimize disruptions in his patients’ care.

February Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the February financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating surplus of $1236 as of the end of February. Details of the February financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. In his regular written report prepared for this meeting Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that natural gas consumption was $2426 or 67% over budget, year-to-date.

Correspondence: Mr. Hedrick brought to Board’s attention a warning letter he wrote to a resident of 1732 Queens Ln. about leaving bagged trash on the lawn and in the hallway of another building rather than depositing it in a trash room.

Old Business:

Move-In Fee: The Board has spent time at several of its recent meetings considering whether to institute a move-in fee as a means of covering some of the expense of renovating CVIII’s hallways. At this meeting, the Board reviewed a survey of damage to hallways that indicated that (1) buildings where a majority of the units were occupied by tenants had about 50% more damage to their walls and ceilings than buildings with a majority of units occupied by owners; (2) at least 40% more tenant than owner occupied units required repairs to the exterior sides of their entry doors and associated trim and jambs. As was the case in previous discussions, all members of the Board spoke in favor such a fee, differing only on its amount. A motion to institute a $100 move-in fee effective 1 May 2001 was made. This $100 move-in fee would be the sole obligation of a unit owner and would be charged each time they or a tenant of theirs moved into their unit. This motion was seconded and approved by a vote of three to one. The dissenting member of the Board, Mr. Sifer, asked to have these minutes show that he was in favor of a $75 move-in fee. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that CVIII’s by-laws did not require that unit owners notify the Board or its agents when they lease their units. CMI would know to charge this fee only if there was a change of ownership, application for a parking permit, or a survey of names on mail boxes. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to consult with Chadwick, Washington, CVIII’s law firm, on whether the Board had the authority on its own or had to seek amendment of CVIII’s by-laws to establish regulations requiring (1) that unit owners notify the Board of the presence in their units of tenants in terms of the number of lessees and the number of their lessees’ dependents; (2) for obvious public safety concerns such as fire or mayhem, that unit owners provide the Board with the identity of their lessees and their lessees’ dependents.

Storm Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that work on CVIII’s storm drainage project should start within the next month, that Arlington County was not going to require $9000 worth of engineering drawings to issue permits for CVIII’s storm drainage project, and that a civil engineering firm, GJB Engineering Inc., had been hired to assist Hix in the permitting process and to provides oversight of Hix’s work on site at CVIII. Hix would split the cost of GJB’s assistance in the permitting process with CVIII, and the total cost of GJB’s services would be $1000-$2000.

Landscaping Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Bartlett Tree Experts had completed the spraying and soil treatment of various trees and shrubs to control insects and winter tree pruning, save for a magnolia in front of 1733 Queens Ln. T&J Lawn Service was about to begin application of mulch where needed around trees and shrubs. 1729 Queens Ln.: Mr. Weiss brought to the Board and Mr. Hedrick’s attention T&J’s failure to supply the sedum plants and stake the Crape Myrtle located in front of 1729 Queens Ln. as contracted for last fall. Mr. Hedrick said that he would again contact T&J about this unfinished work. He informed the Board that he would continue to withhold a payment from T&J until this work gets done. Perennials: Mr. Weiss informed the Board that he and Mr. Hedrick met with T&J about using perennials to replace annuals. As a result of that meeting Mr. Weiss reported that perennials would replace annuals in the oval shaped plot located outside the Wilson Blvd. gate. Mr. Weiss estimated this would reduce CVIII’s future expenditures on annual flowering plants by at least one-third. The current use of annuals as accents in other locations in CVIII, particularly the triangular plot located at the head of the steps on the east side of the parking lot, would continue. Mr. Weiss agreed to look for ways to use perennials such as daffodils and lilies in scattered locations to improve the appearance of CVIII.

New Business:

Cleaning Unit Doors: Members of the Board brought to Mr. Hedrick’s attention a survey of CVIII’s hallways which indicated that the entry doors to at least 147(!) of CVIII’s units were dirty and required cleaning. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he had been in contact with Condominium Cleaning, the company CVIII uses for hallway cleaning services, and was told that cleaning these doors was covered in their contract with CVIII. The Board asked for and Mr. Hedrick agreed to provide it with a schedule for cleaning these doors.

Parking Lot Patrol by Arlington County Police: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that CVI had decided to no longer allow Arlington County police to patrol their parking lot for vehicles violating state and county ordinances, and the police apparently have interpreted CVI’s action to apply to all of Colonial Village. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that if it was still interested in having Arlington County police patrol CVIII’s parking lot for vehicles without the proper state and county tags and stickers, then it should pass a motion reaffirming CVIII’s desire for such a patrol, which he would forward to the police department. A motion to that effect was made, seconded and approve unanimously.

Proposed Increase of Labor Rate for In-Unit Service Program (IUSP): Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that the $18 an hour labor rate CVIII charges owners for in-unit service provided by Mr. Kiman has not been increased since 1991. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that a $30 an hour labor rate would better reflect a fair charge in comparison with outside contractors. After discussion, a motion to increase the hourly labor rate of CVIII’s In-Unit Service Program (IUSP) to $30 was made, seconded and approved three to nothing with one abstention.

Unit Window Cleaning Proposals: Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with three bids from contractors to clean unit owners’ windows. He recommended that of Crystal Window Cleaning Co. because it was a low bid and because they had done a satisfactory job cleaning windows on the past. A motion to award the window-cleaning contract to Crystal was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

Carpet Cleaning Proposal: Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with three bids to clean the common element carpets. He informed the Board that a fourth company, Clean Machine Carpet Cleaning, made an unsolicited bid several days prior to this meeting. Clean Machine’s bid was about 27% higher than the low bid. However, this higher bid seemed justified by its superior job cleaning the carpets in 1721 Queens Ln., at no charge. Mr. Hedrick suggested and the Board agreed to put off for a month awarding the carpet-cleaning contract to see how Clean Machine’s work at 1721 Queens Ln. held up

Doorbell for 1829 Wilson Blvd.: Mr. Palmore suggested that the Board consider installing a doorbell to satisfy the security concerns of some residents of 1829 Wilson Blvd. The rest of the Board was united in wanting to continue the Board’s current policy of encouraging residents of this building to resolve among themselves the issue of whether the front door to their building should be locked, and Mr. Palmore’s suggestion was dropped.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session for the purposes of discussing matters related to errors in the assignment of shares in CVIII’s common interest, negotiating CVIII’s contract for the year 2002 with CMI, and delinquent assessments.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 16 April 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

April 16, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. Present at that time were Peyton Palmore, President, Michael Bodden, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: No one was present to speak.

Reading and Approval of Minutes:Minutes of the regular session of the 19 March 2001meeting were approved without change. Minutes of the executive session of the 19 March 2001 meeting were approved with changes.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman informed the Board that in addition to his day-to-day activities he had finished grinding accumulations of rust off of CVIII’s wrought iron railings. He had primed these railings and would apply a final coat of paint as soon as the weather improved. The Board complimented Mr. Kiman on the activity log he recently began to keep, and Mr. Kiman agreed to maintain this log in the future. Hot Water Line Repair in Building Three: Mr. Kiman notified the Board that permanent repair of a leak in a hot water line in Building Three was completed on 5 April 2001. Hot Water Heater Replacement in Building Four: Mr. Kiman told the Board that a defective hot water heater located in the basement of 1821 N. Rhodes St. and serving all of Building Four had been replaced. 1721 N. Rhodes St., #102: Mr. Kiman reported to the Board that this unit’s broken bathroom window had not been repaired and a piece of plywood continued to be used as a substitute for a glass window pane. Mr. Hedrick said that he would contact this unit’s owner a second time about repairing this window.

March Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the March financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating surplus of $1146 as of the end of March. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that natural gas consumption (for hot water) was $2470 or 42% over budget year-to-date. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board it had under budgeted for CVIII’s 2001 tax liability on investment and coin laundry machine income, and this resulted in an income tax payment $1646 over budget for the first quarter of the year. Responding to a question from the Board Mr. Hedrick acknowledged that interest income on the investment of CVIII’s reserve funds was less than forecast because interest rates were declining, and, extrapolating from the its first three months, this shortfall would be in excess of $3000 for the entire year. Details of the March financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office.

Correspondence: Mr. Hedrick brought to the Board’s attention a letter from residents of 1816 Queens Ln. in which they said that Queens Ln. was not shown on maps of Arlington County. This caused problems when they had deliveries or service calls scheduled. In addition, they expressed concerns about the police and fire departments being able to find Queens Ln. when responding to an emergency. Mr. Hedrick suggested additional signs, but the Board felt that more signs would not solve the confusion arising from the fact that Queens Lane is a sidewalk, and not anything resembling a lane. After discussion, the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to contact these residents and inform them that the fire department inspects the common areas of CVIII once a year. The Board further noted that both the police and fire department maintain records in their vehicles that show the location of Queens Ln. With respect to problems with deliveries and service calls, the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to suggest that they do as everyone else living on Queens Ln. does - provide detailed directions to the drive way located next to 1735 N. Rhodes St., which provides access to the parking lot, which in turn provides access to Queens Ln.

Old Business:

Move-In Fee: The Board approved changing the date that the recently approved move-in fee would become effective from 1 May 2001 to 1 June 2001 so that Mr. Hedrick could distribute copies of this regulation to unit owners thirty days in advance of its effective date.

Landscaping Update: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Bartlett Tree Experts had finally completed all tree pruning contracted for last December. Mr. Weiss pointed out that Bartlett had still not taken away three mounds of earth left over from the removal of three spruce trees located at one time in front of 1805 Queens Ln. Mr. Hedrick acknowledged that was the case and said that he continued to withhold a $2700 payment from Bartlett until they eliminated these mounds. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had requested proposals from T&J Lawn Service for the following projects:

• Converting the Wilson Blvd entrance bed from annuals to perennials utilizing the same types of plants that exist in a bed in an island in front of 1729 Queens Ln.

• Relocating a large spruce located in front of 1729-33 Queens Ln. to a more prominent position at the same address and getting rid of two mounds of earth left over from the removal of two other spruces in front of 1729-33 Queens Ln. and then seeding this area.

• Creating mulch beds under the remaining large magnolias similar to what was done last year in front of 1816 and 1817 Queens Ln.

Mr. Hedrick also told the Board that he had again asked T&J to stake the Crape Myrtle and to plant the sedum in the bed by the front door to 1729 Queens Ln. as contracted for last year. In addition Mr. Hedrick asked T&J to replace at their cost three arborvitaes located on the east side of the parking lot, which died because T&J failed to spray them for bagworms as contracted for last year. Expressing frustration with Bartlett and T&J’s inability to finish jobs they started or get around to small projects, Mr. Weiss suggested that CVII look for a third landscaping firm/ tree surgeon to complete work the other two couldn’t get done. The Board discussed but did not act on Mr. Weiss’ suggestion.

Cleaning Unit Doors: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had had further discussion with Condominium Cleaning, the firm that provides CVIII with hallway cleaning services, about cleaning the exterior sides of unit entry doors. Mr. Hedrick said that Condominium Cleaning asked for a nominal fee to clean these doors, which would be added to its annual contract with CVIII. After discussion, a motion was made authorizing Mr. Hedrick to negotiate with Condominium Cleaning to clean the exterior sides of unit entry doors for an additional annual fee of up to $500 and no more. This motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The Board and Mr. Hedrick briefly discussed scheduling cleaning these doors. The Board noted that once Condominium Cleaning got caught up, then cleaning two doors a day would allow for every unit door to be cleaned twice a year, which would result in the satisfactory appearance of these doors.

Storm Drainage Update: Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that a starting date for work on CVIII’s storm drainage project was imminent.

Carpet-Cleaning Contract: Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with four proposals to clean common area carpeting. Mr. Hedrick recommended Clean Machine’s bid of $1450 based on the quality of its audition in cleaning the carpets in 1721 Queens Ln. After discussion, a motion to award the carpet-cleaning contract to Clean Machine Carpet Cleaning was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

Unit Window-Cleaning Contract: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had notified Crystal Window Cleaning that it had won the contract to clean the exterior sides of unit windows and that he had requested one week’s notice before the start of work so that an announcement of the dates of service could be delivered to each unit. Residents would indicate their desire to have the exterior sides of their windows cleaned by removing the screens from those windows.

New Business:

Termite Damage, Building One: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Callaghan’s Exterminating, having been asked to inspect the front door and associated trim of 1737 Queens Ln., reported evidence of damage caused by termites, but did not report finding termites themselves. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Callahan’s submitted a proposal to install the Sentricon system around Building One for $4900 and a $650 yearly fee to maintain a warranty. A discussion ensued, during which Mr. Kiman told the Board that this building had been treated for termites more than five years ago and it was possible that the damage Callahan’s found was the result of this past infestation rather than a current infestation. Given the expense of treating this problem, the Board decided to make sure termites really were present. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to have Callahan’s to return and demonstrate the existence of termites at this time in Building One to Mr. Kiman or Mr. Hedrick. If they were found, then the Board would make a decision on whether to use the Sentricon system or the traditional chemical barrier system to deal with this problem. As for repairing the damage to the front door and trim of 1737 Queens Ln., Mr. Hedrick told the Board that “Form Wood,” a synthetic material, had been used to make satisfactory repairs to similar damage elsewhere in Colonial Village, and he would have Renaissance Painting Co. use it to repair this door and trim when it does warranty work at CVII in the near future.

2001 Parking Stickers: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that the stickers authorizing use of CVIII’s parking lot from 1 May 2001 to 1 May 2002 will be distributed one month later than usual because the vendor could not supply the color originally ordered. The expiration date of current stickers would be extended until 1 June 2001. Community Towing had been notified of this situation.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session, during which the Board discussed matters related to errors in the assignment of shares in CVIII’s common interest and delinquent assessments.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 21 May 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 7:50pm.

May 23, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Peyton Palmore, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, unit owner Shirley McAlhaney, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick. Members of the Board asked that these minutes note that Mr. Sifer had missed three of the Board’s five meetings this year.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resignation and Election of Officers: Mr. Palmore resigned as President of CVIII’s Board of Directors. Mr. Bodden was then unanimously elected President of CVIII’s Board. Mr. Palmore was then unanimously elected Vice President of CVIII’s Board.

Resident Forum: Ms. McAlhaney did not speak.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the April meeting were approved without change.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report: Engineer: Mr. Kiman reported that in addition to his day-to-day activities he had completed sanding, priming and top coating the wrought iron railings of Buildings One and Three. The railings of Buildings Two and Four had been sanded and primed and lacked only a final coat of paint, and, when this was done, Mr. Kiman said that he would turn his attention to the railings of the pedestrian bridge. Mr. Kiman said that when he finished painting railings he planned to scrape and repaint the yellow curbs that give notice of fire lanes in CVIII’s parking lot.

April Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported in the April financial report that CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $1,145 as of the end of April. Mr. Hedrick noted that this compared favorably with the $4341 deficit CVIII had at the end of April 2000. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that expenditures on natural gas, which CVIII uses for hot water, were $2762 or 38% over budget year-to-date as of the end of April. Details of the April financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. The Board requested and Mr. Hedrick agreed to make sure that income received from move-in fees be shown as a separate item in CVIII’s financial reports. Correspondence: Mr. Hedrick brought to the Board’s attention his letters to Ms. Betty Davis and Ms. Tanya Flemons dealing with errors in the assignment of their common interests in CVIII and Ms. Davis’ signed release from present and future claims in this matter,

Old Business:

Reserve Accounts Study: The Board discussed the study of CVIII’s reserve accounts prepared by Mr. Douglas White of Thomas Downey, Ltd., focusing its attention on how to finance a deficit of $750,000, which Mr. White forecasted would accumulate between the years 2011 and 2016. Because CVIII’s By-Laws stipulates that Boards of Directors shall set aside reserves for predictable future expenditures on maintaining CVIII’s common elements, and, further, because CVIII’s By-Laws direct the use of special assessments only for unforeseen expenditures in a given year, the Board decided that the appropriate course of action was to increase assessments beginning in 2002 by amounts necessary to eliminate this forecasted $750,000 deficit. The Board decided to distribute copies of Mr. White’s report to unit owners around 1 July 2001 accompanied by an explanation of how the Board planned to finance this deficit.

Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Update: Mr. Hedrick brought to the Board’s attention a proposal from Bartlett Tree Experts to perform the following work:

•  Prune deadwood from two Tulip Poplars located northeast of Building Four.
•  Cut back that portion of a Hackberry overhanging the roof of 1817 Queens Ln.
•  Remove dead top of a Walnut located west of 1821 N. Rhodes St.
•  Prune Pin Oak located between 1729 and 1732 Queens Ln.
•  Elevate and prune a Pin Oak located west of 1735 N. Rhodes St.
•     Plant a large Hemlock in a sunny patch of lawn west of Building Four. This tree is currently sitting above ground with its dirtball wrapped in burlap by the walkway east of        Building Four.

Discussion ensued, during which Mr. Weiss asked Mr. Hedrick to find out why Bartlett had not pointed out the first five items above when they reviewed CVIII’s 2001 pruning needs with Mr. Weiss last fall. Consideration of all items in Bartlett’s proposal was put on hold until Mr. Weiss could examine these trees and report back to the Board. Mr. Hedrick presented a proposal that the Board requested from T&J Lawn Service to plant perennials in the oval shaped bed located just outside the Wilson Blvd. gate. After discussion the Board decided to eliminate yews from this proposal and asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain from T&J a drawing showing how they planned to arrange these perennials before voting on their installation this fall. A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously authorizing T&J to perform the following work:

•  Create mulch beds around the bases of Magnolias located at 1729, 1800, and 1813 Queens Ln. and 1727 N. Rhodes St.
•  Remove two dead “Eastern Red Cedars” located on the eastern edge and north of the steps in the parking lot.
•  Remove a diseased Hawthorn located in front of 1808 Queens Ln. and replace it with a single stem Crape Myrtle this fall.
•  Reduce the height of the oval shape bed located outside the Wilson Blvd. gate and plant summer annuals to cover this bed until perennials are planted in it this fall.

The Board discussed the relocation of a large spruce that was fighting another tree for growing space in front of 1729 Queens Ln. Given T&J’s very expensive $2800 bid to transplant this tree, the Board considered simply cutting it down and planting the tree sitting above ground behind Building Four in the more desirable location, but put off a decision until it had received the results of soil tests in this area requested from Bartlett. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that T&J agreed to replace at their cost several spruces on the east side of the parking lot that died because of a bagworm infestation resulting from T&J’s failure to spray these trees last year.

Window Cleaning: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had made reservations with Crystal Window Cleaning for July 9th through July 13th plus July 16th to have the exterior sides of unit windows cleaned. As has been past practice, residents are to indicate their desire to have the exterior sides of their unit windows cleaned by removing screens from these windows during the above time period.

Storm Drainage: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Hix & Sons would begin work on CVIII’s storm drainage system in early June. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Greg Budnik, a civil engineer hired to assist Hix in obtaining permits from Arlington County, had recommended the installation of additional cleanouts to facilitate clearing these drainage lines when they become clogged with debris washed down from roofs. Mr. Kiman endorsed Mr. Budnik’s recommendation, and, after discussion, the Board agreed to have cleanouts installed every fifty feet in long runs of pipe. Mr. Kiman brought to the Board’s attention Hix’s proposed use of corrugated piping to collect storm runoff from downspouts and catch basin s and then carry it to county storm sewer lines or dispersal points on CVIII’s property. Mr. Kiman questioned the durability of this corrugated rubber piping, particularly lines became clogged and plumbers’ snakes were used to clear them. Mr. Hedrick was asked to check with Hix on the feasibility and cost of substituting PVC piping for this corrugated piping, and report back to the Board as soon as possible.

Termite Infestation-1721-37 Queens Ln.: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Callahan’s Exterminating had reinspected Building One and found no evidence of active termite infestation. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Callahan’s would monitor Building One on a monthly basis. Mr. Hedrick asked that these minutes convey his request to residents that they notify him of any indication of termite activity, whether it is swarming outside or their presence anywhere in CVIII’s buildings.

Carpet Cleaning: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Clean Machine had finished cleaning CVIII’s carpets. The Board expressed its satisfaction with the job this contractor had done. Mr. Hedrick asked that these minutes convey his request to residents that they notify him of areas that needed additional work.

Hallway Renovations: Given the quality of recently completed carpet cleaning, the Board discussed the possibility delaying the start of hallway renovations until the end of 2002 or early 2003 by using Mr. Kiman to make spot repairs and, perhaps, painting the interior sides of building entry doors. To that end Mr. Hedrick was requested to prepare a review of Mr. Kiman’s current and planned future projects

Chimneys behind 1729 Queens Ln. and 1821 N. Rhodes St.: At the Board’s 20 November 2000 meeting, when Mr. Douglas White of Thomas Downey, Ltd. presented his study of CVIII’s reserve accounts, he advised the Board that the chimneys behind 1729 Queens Ln. and 1821 N. Rhodes St. were pulling away from their respective buildings. Mr. White recommended that this problem be corrected as soon as possible, and at that meeting the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain a bid to make appropriate repairs. When queried about this bid at this meeting, he said that a bid would be forthcoming at the Board’s June meeting.

Sealing Parking Lot: The Board asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to obtain bids to seal the cracks and/or the entire surface of CVIII’s parking lot

New Business:

A Web Site for CVIII: Mr. Gerrity reported to the rest of Board on discussion at a seminar held by CVIII’s law firm, Chadwick, Washington, which included as a topic how a web site could improve the day-to-day operation of a condo and how a web site could be used to increase a condo’s value by facilitating the sale and lease of units. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that CMI planned to be on line with its own web site within the next three months and shortly thereafter would offer assistance in developing web sites to the various communities it manages.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session, during which the Board briefly discussed matters related to delinquent assessments.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 13 June 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

June 13, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Peyton Palmore, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, unit owners Shirley McAlhaney and Stanton Stafford, resident Jodi Stewart, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting:

All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: Ms. Stewart requested that the Board have two bushes cut back. One blocked the sidewalk leading to the rear entrance to 1808 Queens Ln., and the other blocked the view from the front window of her unit at 1821 N. Rhodes St. Mr. Weiss said that he would inspect these bushes and report back to the Board.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the May meeting were approved with several changes.

Resignation of a Board Member: Mr. Hedrick brought to the Board’s attention a letter of resignation from the Board from Joe Sifer. Mr. Sifer stated in his letter that his schedule and other priorities made his continued involvement with the Board untenable.

Reports of Officers: President: Mr. Bodden informed the Board that he was actively seeking an individual to fill the seat on the Board from which Mr. Sifer resigned. Vice President: Mr. Palmore told the Board that, after an unsuccessful attempt to reach Mr. Sifer by telephone, he left a message thanking him for his service on the Board.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman reported that that in addition to his day-to-day activities he continued painting wrought iron railings at Building Two and Four and the footbridge. He planned to scrape and paint the yellow curbs indicating fire lanes in the parking lot during the second half of June. The Board discussed whether it would be better use of Mr. Kiman’s time to patch dents and dings in unit entry doors or paint the insides of the entry doors to buildings and opted for the latter, on which Mr. Kiman said he would begin work in July.

May Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the May financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $603.33 as of the end of May. This compared favorably with the $2424 deficit for the same period in the year 2000. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that as of the end of May natural gas consumption was $3015 or 31% over budget this year. Details of the May financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office.

Old Business:

Reserve Study and its Implications for Assessments:

The Board discussed the content and distribution to unit owners of a study of CVIII’s reserve accounts prepared by Mr. Douglas White of Thomas Downey, Ltd., a consulting engineering firm. The Board also discussed a cover letter from the Board to accompany this study, which specified the implications of this study for increases in assessments. A motion approving the content of Mr. White’s study with one change in its presentation, an amended version of the cover letter from the Board, and the distribution of both the study and the cover letter to unit owners on or about 1 July 2001 was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

Landscaping Update: Mr. Weiss informed the Board that he had inspected the various items listed in a proposal from Bartlett Tree Experts presented at the Board’s May meeting. Mr. Weiss made a motion that was seconded and approved unanimously authorizing Bartlett to:

• Prune deadwood from two Tulip Poplars located northeast of Building Four at a cost of $980.

• Remove the dead top of a Walnut located west of 1821 N. Rhodes St at a cost of $175.

Mr. Weiss made a motion that was seconded and approved unanimously to retroactively authorize Bartlett to:

• Cut back that portion of a Hackberry overhanging the roof of 1817 Queens Ln for no more than $175.

• Prune a Pin Oak located between 1729 and 1732 Queens Ln for no more than $350.

Mr. Weiss informed the Board that a large Hemlock currently sitting above ground with its dirtball wrapped in burlap by the walkway east of Building Four had died. He recommended that Bartlett be instructed to dispose of this tree. Mr. Palmore volunteered to elevate and prune a Pin Oak located in front of 1735 N. Rhodes St., saving CVIII $140. The Board accepted his offer. Mr. Weiss made a motion that the Siberian Elm located in front of 1725 Queens has a mulch bed installed around it to protect its above ground root structure from being further nicked and cut up by the lawn service. This motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Payments withheld from Bartlett Tree Service: Mr. Weiss noted that Bartlett Tree Service had still not removed three mounds of dirt adjacent to 1729 Queens Ln. left over from cutting down trees. He asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to add the payment for the work approved at this meeting to the $2800 in payments currently being withheld from Bartlett as a further inducement to complete this work.

Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Hix & Sons had begun work on Building Four on 13 June 2001. A motion was made to approve Change Order #1 authorizing Hix to substitute smooth walled pipe for corrugated pipe at an additional cost of $700 or 11.8% above the bid accepted by the Board for work on Building Four. Mr. Kiman told the Board that the smooth walled pipe Hix was installing was standard 40 PVC. Mr. Kiman told the Board that he was making a video record of Hix’s work so that CVIII would have a precise record of the underground location of pipes in case of future problems. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he would try to get on Arlington County’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board’s (HALRB) July agenda to obtain the permit needed to remove the Mulberry behind 1725 N. Rhodes St. so that work on Building Three’s drainage could proceed on schedule. He asked that a member of the Board accompany him at this HALRB meeting. Mr. Gerrity agreed to do so.

Hallway Renovations: The Board discussed what and how interim maintenance work should be done on the hallways of CVIII’s buildings before the start of full-scale renovations tentatively scheduled to begin in late 2002. It was decided that Mr. Kiman would repair large gouges and holes in hallway walls and paint the insides of building entry doors. Damaged unit entry doors would be repaired only upon the request of unit owners, Mr. Kiman’s time permitting. Mr. Weiss, with an eye to 2002, asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain estimates of the cost of using ceramic tiles instead of carpeting to cover the floors of CVIII’s hallways. Mr. Weiss reminded the Board that all had commented favorably on the use of such tiles during a recent inspection of the Commons’ buildings.

Window Cleaning: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that window cleaning remained scheduled for the week of July 9th and that notice of this service would be distributed to all residents during the week of June 18th.

Chimney Repairs and Sealing Parking Lot: Mr. Hedrick said that he was unable to get bids on these two projects for the Board to review at this meeting, but would have them for the July meeting. Mr. Palmore suggested that sealing cracks in the parking lot’s asphalt be done in the fall or early winter when cooler temperatures reduced heat induced swelling of existing tar and asphalt.

Cleaning Unit Entry Doors: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he had recently met with a representative of Condominium Cleaning, the company CVIII uses for hallway cleaning services, and set up a schedule to have the exterior sides of unit entry doors and their trim and jambs spot cleaned to remove finger prints and smudges. Starting 13 June 2001 at 1816 Queens Ln., Leo Guevara, CVIII’s cleaner, will do one building a day until he has done all Queens Ln. addresses and then he will do Rhodes St. addresses.

Carpet Cleaning: Members of the Board noted that foot traffic had already started to soil recently cleaned carpets in several buildings. Mr. Hedrick suggested that carpets in these buildings be cleaned on a semiannual or quarterly basis, possibilities the Board discussed but took no action.

New Business:

Dogs in Flower Beds: The Board discussed reports that dogs belonging to residents and their guests had been causing damage to flowers by playing and digging in the recently planted beds of annuals. The Board asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to prepare a notice that would be posted on bulletin Boards explaining this problem, asking dog owners to keep their pets under better control, and warning that if they did not, then the Board would require that dogs be leashed when in CVIII’s common areas.

Electrical Fuses: Mr. Palmore reminded the Board of how CVIII’s electrical system is fused. There is a breaker bar, which is a common responsibility in case of its failure, before power reaches each bank of meters for individual units. Each unit has a bi-polar breaker right after its meter. When a bi-polar breaker fails, replacing it is the responsibility of the affected unit owner. This individual should hire a licensed electrician to do this work. Finally, there is an electrical box in the each unit’s kitchen with individual circuit breakers protecting the distribution of power to kitchen appliances, heat pump and wall outlets. Mr. Palmore went on to point out that the most frequent cause of loss of electrical power in individual units was the failure of the bi-polar breaker after the meter for the unit. Mr. Palmore noted that it has been CVIII’s practice to carry an inventory of these bi-polar breakers, which it sells to unit owners at CVIII’s cost of about $100.This speeds the restoration of service and saves unit owners being charged several hundred dollars while the electrician they hired drives all over Arlington County trying to find the right bi-polar breaker. Mr. Palmore made a motion, which was seconded and approved unanimously, that CVIII continue to maintain an inventory of these bi-polar breakers. Mr. Palmore asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to distribute a memorandum on this subject to owners and residents.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session during which matters related to the towing of a resident’s car and delinquent assessments were discussed.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on16 July 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm.

July 16, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Peyton Palmore, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Stanton Stafford, Member-at-Large, unit owners James Crowder and Cicero Fain, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting:

All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Election of a Member of the Board:

Stanton Stafford was elected by a unanimous vote of the Board to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Joe Sifer. Mr. Stafford’s term will expire in October of this year with the election of Board members at CVIII’s annual meeting.

Resident Forum:

Mr. Crowder expressed his concern that the design and materials used to construct the metal boxes that house the electrical meters and breaker bars for individual units did not adequately protect these breaker bars from rain and condensation. This led to their premature failure. Mr. Crowder suggested to the Board that finding a way to protect these breaker bars from water damage would make more financial sense in the long run than unit owners continuing to replace them prematurely at a cost of $200 to $300 for parts and labor each time they failed. Mr. Kiman confirmed that water damage did lead to the premature failure of these breakers because of electrical arcing. He told the Board that damage caused by arcing could be reduced, though not eliminated, by having a licensed electrician tighten the lugs that secure these breakers. Mr. Kiman further told the Board that water seepage was causing these boxes to rust, and, because this particular type of box was no longer being manufactured, a different type of box or method would eventually have to be used to house these components of the system supplying electricity to individual units. The Board discussed Mr. Crowder’s suggestion and asked Mr. Hedrick to get an estimate for an electrician go around and tighten the lugs that secure the breaker bars for every unit in CVIII. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to explore the cost of replacement boxes of better design and materials. The Board also asked Mr. Hedrick to find out if some sort of cabinet that would protect entire banks of the existing boxes housing meters and breaker bars from the elements was available and, if so, at what cost.

Mr. Fain asked the Board to consider installing benches- similar in style, though of better quality, to those found on the Rhodes St. side of CVIII’s property- at shaded locations in the oval shaped courtyards that constitute Queens Lane. The Board discussed this matter, noting that CVIII at one time had such benches, but got rid of them because non-residents were using them as places to congregate and sleep. Nonetheless, the Board found Mr. Fain’s suggestion attractive. Several members noted that since the Wilson Blvd. gate had been installed there had been a marked decline in the number of non-residents using Queens Lane for a shortcut and other undesirable purposes. Mr. Hedrick was asked to look into the cost of installing such benches and report back to the Board.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the June meeting were approved without change

Reports of Officers:

President: Mr. Bodden informed the Board that during a recent inspection tour of CVIII he discovered that the uppermost interior portions of the shafts that house hallway skylights were unfinished wood. Mr. Kiman said that this state of affairs was the result of replacing the roofs of affected buildings. The contract with Pioneer Roofing did not specify that these portions of the skylights were to be painted or otherwise finished, and, consequently, they weren’t. The Board decided to correct this problem when hallways are renovated next year. Mr. Bodden also told the Board that he had found numerous places where mortar and bricks had been damaged.

Vice President: Mr. Palmore told the Board that he found the answer to a long-standing problem, the inability to get grass to grow in the area used as a dog run between Buildings One and Two. Mr. Palmore said trenches dug in that area for the drainage system revealed that the ground in that area was composed of gravel covered by a thin layer of topsoil.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman told the Board that in addition to his day-to-day activities he continued to monitor Hix & Sons’ work on the drainage system. He also continued repairing water damage to drywall in units #121 and #123 at 1733 Queens Ln., which was caused by a blocked scupper. Mr. Kiman informed the Board that several unit owners had approached him to complain that they had removed screens from their windows on the designated days but the window cleaning company failed to do clean their windows. Because this company was paid on a piece rate basis, the Board felt it was well motivated to find and clean windows without screens. The Board decided that this problem was the result of residents’ confusion about what days their buildings’ windows were scheduled to be cleaned, and no remedial action was necessary.

June Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the June financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $1397.87 as of the end of June. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that CVIII’s expenditures on natural gas were $4288 over budget year-to-date. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that this was result of increases in the price of natural gas, not increased physical consumption. The Board discussed reinvestment options for a $60,000 T-Bill maturing 30 August 2001. Mr. Weiss and Mr. Hedrick were authorized by the Board to get the best rate they could for a term of eighteen months or less. Details of the June financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office.

Correspondence: The Board reviewed a request from the new owner of unit #244 at 1801 N. Rhodes St. asking for permission to install hardwood flooring in his unit before moving in. The Board’s past practice has been to require only owners of second floor units who wish to install wood flooring to obtain permission from their neighbors and the Board. Because unit #244 is a first floor unit, the Board’s permission was not necessary. The Board reviewed a letter of complaint and Mr. Hedrick’s subsequent warning letters to the owner of unit #102 at 1721 Queens Ln. and his tenant about the latter doing carpentry on the Commons in violation of CVIII’s bylaws.

Old Business:

Landscaping Update: Mr. Hedrick presented to the Board a bid of $881.50 from T&J Lawn Service to plant perennials in the oval shaped bed located just outside the Wilson Blvd. gate. This proposal included a sketch of a suggested arrangement of the following plants: Karl Foster Grass, Crimson Pygmy Barberry, Autumn Joy Sedum, Happy Return Daylilies, and Euonymus. The Board was satisfied with the selection of plants and their layout, except the Euonymus, for which Mr. Hedrick was asked to request T&J to propose alternatives. Mr. Weiss advised the Board that half the Nandinas along the edge of the ivy bed just south of the Wilson Blvd. gate were badly stunted for want of sunlight. Mr. Weiss recommended that these Nandina be transplanted to other locations in CVIII where they would get more sunlight and that yews are planted in their place. Mr. Hedrick was asked find suitable locations for the Nandina and to get a bid from T&J to transplant them. Mr. Hedrick was also requested to get a bid from T&J to supply twelve to fourteen yews or similarly shaped plants 24”-30” in height to replace the Nandina along the edge of this ivy bed.

Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick asked the Board to approve a motion authorizing him to immediately pay Hix & Sons one third of a revised total bid of $65,954.00, with a second third to be paid when Hix was halfway finished and a final third when Hix completed its contract to CVIII’s satisfaction. Such a motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously approved. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain bids from Hix for the following items:

•  Replace two partially collapsed corrugated metal window well liners located on the south side of 1821 N. Rhodes St
•  Install an underground SCH 40 PVC line to collect runoff from the downspout adjacent to the front door of 1800 Queens Ln and carry this water to the nearest storm drain. Storm runoff from this downspout has been observed ponding in front of this building.

Dogs in Flower Beds: The Board reviewed and revised a letter to be posted on bulletin Boards that requested dog owners do a better job supervising their dogs when they are playing on the commons- in particular, keeping them out of the flowerbeds.

New Business:

Brick and Masonry Walls: The Board discussed Mr. Bodden’s report that he had found numerous instances where mortar and bricks were cracked and broken. Mr. Hedrick was asked to get at least three contractors to survey the state of CVIII exterior walls and advise the Board on what work needed to be done, when, and how much it would cost

Janitorial Service Contract: Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with a request from Clean Advantage Corporation, the firm that provides janitorial services to CVIII, for a 4.5% increase in its monthly fee. Mr. Hedrick noted that it had been thirty months since Clean Advantage last raised its fee. After discussion, a motion was made seconded and approved unanimously authorizing CMI to increase by 4.5% CVIII’s monthly payment to Clean Advantage Corporation. In addition to this 4.5% increase, Clean Advantage gave CVIII an option to increase (at CVIII’s further expense) the hourly wage paid to their on-site employee. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain additional information before making a decision on this matter.

CVIII’s Federal Income Tax Liability: CVIII is liable for federal income taxes when its revenues exceed its expenditures and, depending on which minimizes its liabilities, pays these taxes as either a corporation or a homeowners association. When queried on this tax liability, Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he was not confident of his ability to explain details in this area. He made a suggestion, which the Board accepted, that a representative of CVIII’s accounting firm, Geimer, Ehrlich & Assoc, P.C., be invited to a future Board meeting to give a presentation on this matter.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session, during which two requests for relief from late fees were considered and matters related to writing off delinquent assessments discussed.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 20 August 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30pm.

August 20, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Peyton Palmore, Vice President, Corbin Weiss, Treasurer, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Stanton Stafford, Member-at-Large, unit owners James Crowder and Betty Davis, Gary Ehrlich of Geimer, Ehrlich & Associates, P.A., Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.                                                                                                

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

CVIII’s Income Tax Liability and Accounting Procedures: In recent months the Board had questions on CVIII’s income tax liability and accounting procedures for writing off bad debt that Mr. Hedrick said that he lacked the knowledge to fully answer. To get the expertise necessary to answer these questions, he suggested that a representative of CVIII’s accounting firm be invited to a Board meeting. Mr. Gary Ehrlich of Geimer, Ehrlich & Associates was kind enough to attend this meeting. Income Taxes: Mr. Ehrlich explained that CVIII was liable for federal and state income tax on unrelated business income, which was the interest income from its investments and income from coin-operated laundry machines. CVIII could file as either a corporation or a condominium owners association. If CVIII filed as a corporation, then its federal liability would be 15%, less a small allowance for paying CMI to manage its investments. If CVIII filed as an owners association, then its federal liability would be 30%. CVIII’s liability for state income tax was 6% regardless of how it filed. Mr. Ehrlich told the Board that he had been doing CVIII’s books for eight years, and he had always filed CVIII’s taxes as a corporation. Accounting Procedures for Bad Debt: CMI prepares a balance sheet on an accrual basis for the Board’s monthly meetings, which shows CVIII’s assets being reduced by an “allowance for doubtful accounts.”  This allowance amounted to $6522 for July. Mr. Ehrlich explained that when his firm audited CVIII’s books at the end of the year, it was required to give a realistic statement of CVIII’s assets. This meant that if CVIII had delinquent assessments that it did not have a reasonable expectation of collecting, then a statement of CVIII’s assets must be reduced by a corresponding amount, i.e., an “allowance for doubtful accounts.” Mr. Ehrlich said that this allowance approximated the sum of assessments delinquent ninety days or more from the year of the audit or earlier. When the Board wrote off delinquent assessments, that portion ninety days or older and dating from the year of the audit or earlier should be deducted from this allowance so long as it did not exceed the allowance. If the amount of delinquent assessments ninety days or older being written off exceeded this allowance, the excess was to be charged against the to the bad debt account in CVIII’s annual operating budget. If delinquent assessments being written off were from the current year or less than ninety days old, they were to be charged to the bad debt account in CVIII’s annual operating budget.

Resident Forum: Mr. Crowder told the Board that he felt that the quality of CVIII’s cleaning service’s work had declined over the last several months. Specifically, he felt that the tile floors in the common areas of the basement of 1728 Queens Ln. were no longer being mopped and disinfected on a regular basis and that a bad odor emanated from the trash room in this building because of this. Mr. Crowder told the Board that it appeared to him that the hallway carpets in his building were not being thoroughly vacuumed and large stains and spots had reappeared on these carpets since being cleaned earlier this summer. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to monitor the cleaning service more closely and notify it of Mr. Crowder’s complaints. The Board noted that the source of trash room odors was most likely the failure of residents to deposit their trash in sealed bags. Mr. Crowder suggested that, because repeated efforts to grow grass had failed, the Board consider planting ivy to cover up bare spots under several trees in front of his building, 1735 N. Rhodes St. The Board agreed to try to find some sort of ground cover to eliminate these bare spots.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the July meeting were approved as amended.

Reports of Officers:

Vice President: Mr. Palmore told the Board that he and Mr. Hedrick continued to work on collecting material for a booklet for new residents, which would explain the essentials of how CVIII operated and the amenities found in CVIII’s immediate neighborhood. Mr. Palmore said that Mr. Mahmoud Ghannam, a past member of CVIII’s Board, had agreed to edit this material once it had been assembled.

Committee Reports: None.       

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman told the Board that in addition to his day-to-day activities he continued to monitor Hix & Sons work on the drainage system. Flooded Hot Water Heaters: Mr. Kiman advised the Board that Washington Gas recommended the replacement of the gas valves in hot water heaters that had been submerged in water. This happened earlier this month when heavy rains flooded the room that contains the hot water heaters that serve Building Three. Mr. Kiman said that the replacement valves would cost about $70 each plus labor. After discussion, a motion authorizing the replacement of three hot water heater valves damaged by flooding in the basement of 1728 Queens Ln. was made, seconded and approved unanimously. The Board thanked Mr. Kiman for working through the night to pump the water out the boiler room at 1728 Queens Ln. and to get two of the three hot water heaters located there operational. Assistance to CVI, CVII and the Commons: The Board noted the Mr. Kiman’s activity logs indicated that he was spending about eight hours a month working in other sections of Colonial Village. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he occasionally made use of Mr. Kiman to assist the less experienced maintenance engineers working for other sections of Colonial Village. He also told the Board that the maintenance engineers covered for each other when they were on vacation. Mr. Hedrick further explained that CVI’s maintenance engineer had recently quit and he was using Mr. Kiman for emergency repairs. The Board told Mr. Hedrick that CVIII wanted to be a good neighbor and, therefore, did not object to “loaning” Mr. Kiman to CVI, CVII or the Commons, but insisted and Mr. Hedrick agreed to make sure that CVIII was compensated in money or kind for Mr. Kiman’s time, particularly so since Mr. Kiman had a backlog of projects at CVIII.

July Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the July financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $1,676.46 as of the end of July. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that CVIII’s expenditures on natural gas were $4918 over budget year-to-date. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that this was result of higher prices for natural gas, not increased physical consumption. The Board discussed reinvestment options for a $60,000 T-Bill maturing 30 August 2001.  A motion authorizing Mr. Hedrick to reinvest this $60,000 in a CD with a term of twenty four to thirty six months was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Details of the July financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. Pioneer Roofing’s Warranty: Mr. Weiss questioned a payment of $290 to Pioneer Roofing for the repair of a scupper on the roof of 1729 Queens Ln.  When questioned by Mr. Weiss, Mr. Kiman said that a cavity behind this scupper that necessitated this repair should have been eliminated when Pioneer rebuilt this building’s roof several years ago. Mr. Weiss argued that this repair was covered by Pioneer’s warranty and asked Mr. Hedrick to seek a refund of this $290. Mr. Hedrick agreed to do so.

Old Business:

Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Arlington County’s Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board approved the removal of the mulberry bush in the courtyard on the south side of 1728 Queens Ln. Mr. Kiman informed the Board that Hix had completed all authorized work at Buildings Two and Four except for replacing wells around crawl space vents on the east side of Building Two and cleaning up construction debris. The Board pointed out that the sod used to cover trench work associated with these two buildings was not taking. Mr. Hedrick said that he would contact Hix about this problem. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that CVIII received bids from Hix for the following items:

• $598 to replace two partially collapsed corrugated metal window well liners located on the south side of 1821 N. Rhodes St

• $989 to install an underground SCH 40 PVC line to collect runoff from the downspout adjacent to the front door of 1800 Queens Ln and carry this water to the nearest storm drain.

After discussion, a motion to accept bids from Hix & Sons of $598 to replace two window wells at 1821 N. Rhodes St. and $989 to install an additional underground line at 1800 Queens Ln. was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Mr. Kiman and Mr. Gerrity advised the Board that during the heavy rains earlier this month they discovered water ponding to depths of at least eighteen inches against the south side of 1728 Queens Ln and six inches against the north side of the same building, and this explained why the boiler room in that building flooded. The Board noted that the courtyard on the north side of 1728 Queens Ln. was not included in the storm drainage project and asked Mr. Hedrick to get a bid from Hix & Sons to move storm runoff away from this section of Building Three. The Board asked what plans existed to camouflage the above ground portions of PVC pipe. Mr. Kiman said that they would be painted a bronze color.

Landscaping Update: Payments withheld from Bartlett Tree Service: Mr. Weiss noted that Bartlett Tree Service had still not removed three mounds of dirt adjacent to 1729 Queens Ln. left over from cutting down three trees. Mr. Hedrick said that he continued to withhold approximately $2000 in payments to Bartlett as an inducement to complete this work. Mr. Weiss suggested that Mr. Hedrick ask T&J to do this work and deduct their payment from the money being withheld from Bartlett.

1801 Queens Ln.: Mr. Weiss told the Board that a considerable amount of ivy and several dwarf yews appeared to have been removed by the drainage contractor. Mr. Hedrick confirmed that this was the case and said that Hix & Sons’ only contractual obligation with respect damage it did to landscaping was to replace sod.

Building Four: Mr. Weiss told the Board that plants and shrubs along the west side of Building Four appeared to have gotten short shrift the last time T&J pruned, citing in particular bushes crowding the sidewalks and a large shrub to the right of the front door to 1821 N. Rhodes St. He asked Mr. Hedrick to make T&J aware of this complaint prior to fall pruning.

Parking Lot: Mr. Weiss pointed out to the Board that when T&J removed two dead spruces on the east side of the parking lot, this created an invitation, frequently accepted by residents, to use the lawn as a short cut to the 1800 block of Queens Ln. He suggested that a row of flowering Spirea, similar to those on the other side of the steps, be planted to fill in the large gaps left by the missing trees and the smaller gaps between the remaining spruces. For the sake of uniformity, he further suggested that existing non-flowering Spirea in this area be replaced with the flowering variety. The non-flowering Spirea could be transplanted to other locations in CVIII. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to get a proposal from T&J to plant and transplant Spirea in this area as suggested by Mr. Weiss.

Mr. Weiss asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain proposals from T&J Lawn Service for the following work:

• Wilson Blvd Gate: Transplant the Nandina along the edge of the ivy bed outside the gate to other locations in CVIII and replace them with twelve to fourteen yews. Mr. Hedrick was asked to find new locations for the Nandina.

• 1729 Queens Ln.: Remove a large spruce that was fighting a Sycamore for growing space in front this building. The Board briefly considered relocating this tree elsewhere in CVIII until it learned of T&J’s prohibitive $2800 bid to do so.

• 1736 Queens Ln.: Remove plants, especially mint, installed by residents adjacent to the front door and replace them with small Nandina on the right side and mulch and annuals on the left side.

• 1800 Queens Ln: Remove plants installed by residents adjacent to the front door and replace with ivy.

• 1808 Queens Ln.: Remove a dying Hawthorn located in front of this address and replace it with a Crape Myrtle, as approved by the Board at its 23 May 2001 meeting. Mr. Weiss also asked Mr. Hedrick to have the ivy beds in front of this building trimmed back from the sidewalk.

• 1817 Queens Ln.: Removing the dead Cherry tree in front of this building and replacing it with a Kousa Dogwood.

New Business:

Unit Main Circuit Breakers and Meter Stacks: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he had solicited bids from FAB Electric, Kolb Electric and Mona Electric to inspect for and replace faulty unit main circuit breakers, tighten loose connections and replace the stacks that house the meters and main circuit breakers. He provided the Board with a partial bid from FAB Electric.

Damaged Washing Machine: Mr. Weiss informed Mr. Hedrick that a washing machine located in 1729 Queens Ln.’s laundry room was making loud noises indicating that it was damaged. Mr. Hedrick said that he would have the contractor inspect the machine.

Common Area Bulletin Boards: Several members of the Board reported receiving further complaints from residents about hallway bulletin Boards being so cluttered with material that notices from the Board and Association Management were hidden. After discussion, a motion was made to restrict hallway bulletin Boards to material posted by the Board and Association Management. If residents wished to post notices of units for sale or rent, furniture for sale, or social events, then they would have to use the bulletin Boards in the laundry rooms. This motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Damaged Park Bench: Mr. Weiss suggested the removal of a damaged park bench located about fifty yards north of 1821 N. Rhodes St. The rest of the Board accepted his suggestion, and Mr. Hedrick said that he would take care of it.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session during which the salaries of Stan Kiman and Leoncio Guevara and delinquent assessments were discussed. 

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 27 September 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd. T

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.

September 27, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order:  With a quorum present, the meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Peyton Palmore, Vice President, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Stanton Stafford, Member-at-Large, unit owners Thomas Garrett, George Hinkins and Paul Killoran, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: In-Unit Washers and Dryers: Mr. Hinkins expressed his concern that the recent and spectacular increases in resale prices of CVIII’s units would or already had hit a plateau. He told the Board that several real estate agents had advised him that having the option of installing a washer and dryer in one’s unit was a standard feature of many condos in the area, and that prospective buyers would not pay higher asking prices for similar units in CVII unless they were able to install laundry machines. Mr. Hinkins asked why CVIII’s By-laws (Article XI, Section 1, Paragraph (j)) prohibited the installation of clothes washers and dryers within individual units. Mr. Hedrick and Mr. Kiman explained that CVIII’s common plumbing system lacked capacity and would have to be improved. Further, CVIII would have to get permission to install external vents for dryers from the Arlington County Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB). Mr. Hinkins asked the Board to have Mr. Hedrick get estimates of(1) the cost of the necessary improvements to CVIII’s common plumbing and (2) the effect of such improvements on resale prices. If these estimates of costs and benefits were favorable, Mr. Hinkins asked the Board to distribute a letter to owners soliciting their interest in making such improvements to CVIII’s infrastructure. The Board agreed to pursue this matter. Basement Entry Doors: Mr. Hinkins asked the Board to replace the wooden exterior entry doors to basements with metal doors, which CVIII already owned and were stored in a boiler room. Mr. Hinkins said that, while the appearance of these doors was of concern, the strongest argument for their replacement was the safety of CVIII’s residents. Some of these wooden doors were so badly warped that they would not close on their own and residents weren’t making the effort to completely close them. This left those doing laundry or depositing trash vulnerable to attack by intruders. Mr. Hinkins indicated that he understood that these metal doors were installed as exterior entry doors when CVIII was converted to a condominium, but the HALRB ordered them replaced with wooden doors because they clashed with the original design of CVIII. Mr. Hinkins said that he was prepared to appear before the HALRB and make forceful arguments, based on safety concerns, for the reinstallation of these metal doors. Mr. Kiman confirmed Mr. Hinkins’ description of the condition of these wooden doors, detailing the lengths to which he had gone to keep them from falling apart. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that it would be justified in replacing these wooden doors because they had exceeded their expected useful life of ten years. Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that it should plan on replacing the existing wooden doors with new wooden doors because the HALRB was not likely to reverse its original decision on the metal doors. With reference to the safety concerns raised by Mr. Hinkins, Mr. Killoran pointed out that basement and laundry room entry doors were frequently left propped open by residents. This might be justified by the need to carry bulky items into the basement, but residents were failing to close the doors when they finished. After discussion, the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to post a notice reminding residents of safety concerns and asking them not to leave basement and laundry room entry doors propped open. CVIII’s 2002 Budget: Mr. Killoran expressed his concerns about the11.43% increase proposed for CVIII’s 2002 budget. Members of the Board explained that this 11.43% included proposed increased contributions to reserve accounts to maintain brick and masonry exterior walls, and the Board was confident in its expectations that budget increases for the year 2003 and beyond would reflect little more than the rate of inflation. Mr. Killoran said that this answered some of his concerns, and he hoped to resolve the rest by examining the proposed 2002 more carefully in light of this information. 

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the August meeting were approved without change.

CVIII’s Annual Meeting and the Election of Directors: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that the following material had been distributed to unit owners earlier this month:

• Notices of this year’s annual meeting on 18 October 2001.

• Copies of the proposed budget for 2002.

• Resumes of two candidates, Dennis Gerrity and Christian Haymaker, for the two vacancies on the new Board.

• Proxy statements for owners who could not attend the annual meeting.

Mr. Stafford told the Board that he forgot to file his resume and, therefore, his name would not appear on proxy statements, in spite of the fact that he wanted to stand for reelection to the Board. The Board suggested that he post his resume on bulletin Boards in laundry rooms along with a note explaining his problem and asking those so inclined to write in his name on their proxy statements or ballots.

Reports of Officers: Vice President: Mr. Palmore reported to the Board that he had completed a first draft of a booklet that would explain to new residents how CVIII operated and would describe the amenities found in CVIII’s immediate neighborhood. Mr. Palmore said he had asked Mr. Hedrick to review this first draft, after which he would forward it to Mr. Ghannam for editing.   

Committee Reports:

Pet Committee: Mr. Bodden reported receiving complaints since the Board’s last meeting about dogs on the loose. He asked if anyone in attendance could comment on how dog owners were doing keeping their pets out of the flowerbeds. Members of the Board said that it appeared that three or four large dogs were still being allowed to run and play wherever they wanted. The Board discussed the matter, looking for ways to resolve this problem without requiring that all dogs be leashed when in common areas. Mr. Hedrick suggested and the Board agreed that he try to deal on an individual basis with the owners of these few dogs.     

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman told the Board that in addition to his day-to-day activities he had resumed top coating wrought iron railings at Buildings Two and Four. Mr. Kiman advised the Board that he had found a good price for hot water heater gas valves to replace those inundated when the boiler room in 1728 Queens Ln. flooded last month, but the vendor’s desired means of payment had complicated their acquisition. Mr. Kiman recommended the purchase of battery packs which would keep sump pumps running in boiler rooms in the case of an electrical failure during heavy rain storms. This would save CVIII the expense of replacing hot water heater valves if flooding occurs again. The Board asked Mr. Kiman to report back on the capacity and cost of such battery packs.

August Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the August financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $2,933 as of the end of August. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that natural gas prices had stabilized, with August expenditures $133 under budget, but year-to-date expenditures remained $4,785 over budget. Details of the August financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office.

Old Business:

Storm Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick presented to the Board for approval a proposal from Hix & Sons to collect storm runoff from a sump pump drainage line and down spouts found in the courtyard bound by 1735 N. Rhodes St. and 1728, 1732 and 1736 Queens Ln. and carry this water to a storm drain located at the northeast corner of 1735 N. Rhodes St. After discussion the Board decided not to include the down spouts located on the west side of 1736 Queens Ln. in this proposal. The downward slope of land on the west side of this building easily directed storm runoff into the parking lot’s gutter. A small amount of riprap would solve erosion problems. A motion approving Hix & Sons’ proposal as amended above was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Bartlett Tree Experts were scheduled to remove the large Mulberry from the courtyard on the south side of 1728 Queens Ln. on 9 October 2001. Notices reminding residents of this work will be posted 2 October 2001 in the hallways of affected buildings. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Hix would resume work on Building One as soon as Greg Budnik obtained the necessary permits from Arlington County. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick what was the holdup here? All CVIII wanted to do was run two 4” lines under three feet of public sidewalk and tap into a county storm sewer collection box. Mr. Hedrick could not answer this question.

Landscaping Update: Mr. Hedrick provided the Board with a lengthy list of proposed landscaping improvements from T&J Lawn Service. The Board decided to put off discussion of these proposals until Mr. Corbin, chairman of the Landscaping Committee, was present.

Roofing Warranty: At the Board’s August meeting, Mr. Weiss asked Mr. Hedrick to find out if a $290 repair of a scupper on the roof of 1729 Queens Ln. was covered by Pioneer Roofing’s warranty. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he discussed this matter with Pioneer and found out that the warranty was actually two separate warranties- one for two years on labor, which was Pioneer’s responsibility and the other for fifteen years on the membrane, which was the responsibility of its manufacturer, Sarnfill.  Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Pioneer’s warranty had expired because it completed installing a new roof on this building more than two years ago. Thus, CVIII’s only recourse would be Sarnfill, and Mr. Hedrick said that he would file a claim with this company, but warned the Board not to expect much in the way of compensation because it would be difficult to prove that a defect in the membrane caused damage to this scupper.

Unit Main Circuit Breakers and Meter Stacks: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he continued to solicit bids from FAB Electric, Kolb Electric and Mona Electric to inspect for and replace faulty unit main circuit breakers, tighten loose connections and replace the stacks that house the meters and main circuit breakers. He reminded the Board that he provided it with a partial bid from FAB Electric last month.

HALRB Guidelines for Replacement Windows: At its 21 June 2000 meeting, the HALRB developed a set of standards for the design and materials used for replacement windows at Colonial Village. In a letter to Mr. Hedrick, a representative of the HALRB detailed these standards and stated that if replacement windows conformed to stated guidelines, then the staff of the HALRB had the authority to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness right away and there will be “no Design Review Committee meeting to attend, no HALRB meeting to attend, and no waiting weeks for a decision to be made.” Mr. Palmore noted a conflict between the standard forbidding the use of solid vinyl windows outlined in this letter and the solid vinyl replacement windows that the HALRB has approved in the past. At its 6 September 2000 meeting the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to seek clarification from the HALRB on this point. When asked about this matter at the current meeting, Mr. Hedrick told the Board that he never received a response from the HALRB to his inquiry. The Board asked him to try again.

New Business:

2001-2002 Snow Removal Contract:  Mr. Hedrick provided the Board with a proposal from Snow Services, Inc. for 2001-2002 snow removal services. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that CVIII would have more control over costs and service levels if this proposal were rewritten in terms of a contract. The Board asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to work up such a contract for the Board’s consideration at its October meeting.

Fiber Optic Conduit Installation: Mr. Hedrick brought the Board’s attention to a letter from WorldCom warning CVII that they plan to install fiber optic conduit along Wilson Blvd. between Quinn St. and Court House Rd. Notice of this work would be given to residents by door hangers seventy-two hours prior to its start.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session to discuss matters related to a letter of complaint about noisy resident, delinquent assessments, and scheduling a week of Mr. Kiman’s vacation. 

The next Board meeting is scheduled for approximately 7:30pm on 18 October 2001, immediately after this year’s annual meeting, in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm.

 October 18, 2001 CVIII Annual Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum of unit owners voting by proxy and in person of 26.898%, the meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and, Stanton Stafford, Member-at-Large. Also present were unit owners Luke Bellocchi, Mahmoud Ghannam, Christian Hamaker, Paul Killoran, Gordon Meuse, Catherine Sharp and Violeta Tolosa, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the 19 October 2000 Annual Meeting were approved without change.

Unit Owners Forum: Mahmoud Ghannam had the following to say those attending this meeting:  He complimented the Board for making difficult decisions with respect to improving CVIII’s storm drainage system and increasing contributions to reserve funds by amounts sufficient to pay for $850,000 of renovation work on CVIII’s exterior brick and masonry walls over the next fifteen years.  He suggested that it would be easier for unit owners to consider a proposed budget if they had information comparing CVIII’s expenditures on various items in the budget with those of the other sections of Colonial Village or other similar condominiums. Mr. Hedrick said that he could probably get CVI, CVII and the Commons to provide such information to CVIII’s Board but he did not think that they would agree to share this information with all of CVIII’s unit owners. Mr. Hedrick noted that differences among CVI, CVII, CVII and the Commons were substantial enough that comparisons of specifics in their budgets might lead to confusion rather than better understanding. Catherine Sharp queried the Board in two subjects: She told the Board that her reading of a letter from Mr. Hedrick that accompanied the proposed budget for 2002 left her with the impression that unit owners’ assessments would increase by 11.43% a year for the next fifteen years, which would more than quintuple assessments according to her calculations. The Board explained that assessments for 2002 would increase by 11.43%, but increases for 2003 and subsequent years would be on the order of CVIII’s historical average of 3% to 4%.  She asked the Board to consider an amendment to CVIII’s by-laws that would place a cap of 11% on future increases in assessments and would require the Board to get the approval of majority of unit owners if it wanted to exceed this cap. Mr. Hedrick explained that Virginia state law required that the Board get the approval of a majority of ownership interest for any increase in annual assessments that exceeded 15%.Paul Killoran raised the following issues with the Board:

• He asked for an explanation of the account titled “IUSP.” Mr. Hedrick explained that “IUSP” referred to CVIII’s in-unit service program and provided an accounting of income generated by repairs to units made by CVIII’s maintenance engineer.

• He asked for an explanation of the account titled “Move In Fees.” Mr. Hedrick explained that the Board approved a $100 charge applicable every time a unit changed residents to recoup some of the cost of repairing damage moving caused to common areas such as hallways and entry doors.

• He asked why CVIII was budgeting $2,075 for telephone service for 2002. Mr. Hedrick said this amount was normal when compared with expenditures over the past five years.

• He questioned spending $1500 a year to clean common hallway carpets, saying that he didn’t see much difference in the appearance of these carpets before and after their cleaning and any further cleaning was wasteful given the Board’s plans to replace these carpets in 2002. Several members of the Board took issue with Mr. Killoran’s assertion, arguing that cleaning these carpets improved not only their appearance but also the smell of common hallways. Further, for the sake of keeping assessments down, they said that the Board wanted to get a couple years of additional wear out these carpets and, therefore, would continue to have these carpets cleaned.

• He pointed out to the Board that several of the lamps that provided nighttime illumination of Queens Ln. were on twenty-four hours a day. He said this was a waste of unit owners’ money. Mr. Kiman explained that these lamps were turned on and off by sensors that measured light. If these sensors were located on the shady side of a building or under the shadow cast by a large tree or both, and this was the case for the lamps that Mr. Killoran was discussing, then they might be “fooled” into sensing in the middle of the day that it was dark enough to turn on these lamps. Mr. Kiman said that he would try to adjust the location of sensors so that the lamps in question would operate correctly.

He asked the Board to clarify the following statement in its cover letter that accompanied the study of CVIII’s reserve accounts that it commissioned: “These increases in assessments (to cover the cost of renovating brick and masonry exterior walls) are in addition to normal yearly increases in assessments to make up for inflation.” The Board admitted to a poor choice of words here. The budget-making process was not a matter of arbitrarily increasing budgeted expenditures by estimates of the rate of inflation, but, rather, each individual account was reviewed with the goal of getting CVIII the lowest price consistent with desired quantity and quality. Historically, these increases in CVIII’s annual budget have approximated the rate of inflation, and this is what the Board should have said in this letter rather than “normal yearly increases in assessments to make up for inflation.”

Reports of Officers: None.

Management:

Mr. Kiman and Mr. Hedrick decided not to speak in order to keep the meeting short.

Committee Reports: None:

Election of Members of the Board of Directors: Mr. Hedrick explained the requirements of the CVIII By-Laws with respect to the election of members of the Board of Directors. Mr. Hedrick explained that there were two vacancies this year, both due to the normal expiration of three years terms. Inspectors of Election: Unit owners Mahmoud Ghannam and Gordon Meuse were appointed inspectors of the election of members of CVIII’s Board of Directors. Candidates for Election to Board of Directors: The names of Dennis Gerrity, a member of the current Board, and Christian Hamaker appeared as candidates on the proxy statement distributed prior to this meeting. Mr. Hedrick asked if anyone else present was interested in standing for election to the Board, and if so, to please step forward. Stanton Stafford did. Mr. Gerrity, Mr. Hamaker and Mr. Stafford briefly introduced themselves as candidates to those attending this meeting. Election Results: Given the required quorum, Mr. Gerrity and Mr. Hamaker each received more of the common interest voted by proxy and in person at this meeting than Mr. Stafford. Further, Mr. Gerrity and Mr. Hamaker each received more than 50% of the common interest voted by proxy and in person at this meeting. Therefore, Mr. Gerrity and Mr. Hamaker were elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms.

2002 Budget: After discussion, the Board decided to amend the proposed budget by reducing account #46405, Interest Income from Investments, by $4000 to $9,350 because of continued declines in interest rates, reducing account #52150, Natural Gas, by $3200 to $18,300 because of the reported decline in natural gas prices to a three-year low, and reducing account #60150, Income Tax, by $800 to $4,200 because of the reduction in expected interest income on investments. A motion to approve the proposed 2002 budget as amended was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

Election of Officers: The newly constituted Board decided to delay the election of officers until Mr. Palmore and Mr. Weiss were present

Executive Session: None.

The date and location of CVIII’s 2002 Annual Meeting will be announced in September 2002.

The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

 October 18, 2001 CVIII Board Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 8:20 p.m. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, President, Dennis Gerrity, Secretary, and Christian Hamaker, Member-at-Large, unit owner Mahmoud Ghannam, Maintenance Engineer Stan Kiman, and Association Manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: None.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the September meeting were approved without change.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

Engineer: Mr. Kiman said that he had nothing to report beyond his day-to-day duties, and these were detailed in his activity log.

September Financial Update: In a written report prepared for this meeting Mr. Hedrick advised the Board that, after making allowances for errors and omissions, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $2619.44 as of the end of September. Details of the September financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. Mr. Hedrick noted that, while natural gas prices had begun to decline, year-to-date, and CVIII’s consumption of natural gas remained $4,695.04 over budget.

Old Business:

Pets: Mr. Hedrick brought to the Board’s attention a letter from a resident of Building One in which she complained about specific residents letting their dogs, or dogs they were walking, run and play unleashed in common areas of CVIII. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to write the individuals mentioned in this letter and request that they exercise their dogs in CVIII’s common areas in accord with CVIII’s bylaws and Arlington County ordinances.

Storm Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick told the Board that Hix & Sons had informed him that Greg Budnik had resolved its permitting problems with Arlington County and it planned to resume work on Buildings One and Three on 22 October 2001. The Board noted the presence of a gully, the result of erosion caused by storm runoff, on the north side of 1821 N. Rhodes St. Mr. Kiman said that he had redirected a drainage pipe to keep this problem from worsening and would look for soil to fill in this gully. Mr. Hamaker asked if the storm drainage project included eliminating ponding on several sections of sidewalk on Queens Ln. Mr. Hedrick said that the work being done by Hix was designed to move storm runoff away from the foundations of CVIII’s buildings, not its sidewalks. Mr. Kiman said that this accumulation of water on sidewalks disappeared soon after it stopped raining.

Landscaping Update: The Board reviewed a list of projects proposed by T&J Lawn Service. A motion was made authorizing (i) $1,600 for fall annuals to be planted in the triangular plot of land at the head of the steps on the east side of the parking lot (ii) $881.50 to plant perennials in the oval plot just outside the Wilson Blvd. gate. This motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with a list of trees recommended by Arlington County to replace the mulberry behind 1727 N. Rhodes St. that was removed. The Board put off a decision on this replacement tree until a future meeting.

HALRB Guidelines for Replacement Windows: The Board reviewed a letter from Ms. Karen Huston, owner of unit # 187 at 1736 Queens Ln., in which she told the Board that the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) had denied her request to replace the windows in her unit with vinyl windows that were fusion-welded and carried the Energy Star approved label issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, even though the HALRB had previously approved the installation of this specific type of window in at least two CVIII units, #230A at 1829 Wilson Blvd and #242 at 1735 N. Rhodes St. Ms. Huston said the HALRB based its denial on a letter from Mr. Hedrick dated 5 October 2000, which specifically excluded any type of solid vinyl window from being used as replacement windows in CVIII. The HALRB told Ms. Huston that if it received written notification that the type of solid vinyl Ms. Huston wished to install was acceptable to CVIII, then it would likely approve her application. After discussion, the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to write the HALRB requesting its approval of the following revised guidelines for replacement windows in CVIII:

• The new window must be of the same dimensions as the one it replaces.

• The new window must have the same amount of lights (glass) as the one it replaces.

• The new window must be of the same type, i.e. double hung, as the one it replaces.

• The new window must have either true divided lights or simulated divided lights or internal mullions;

• The new window must have narrow mullion bars, no more than 7/8” inch wide;

• The new window can be of wood (or wood clad in metal or vinyl), metal, or vinyl.

• Vinyl windows must be fusion-welded and must carry the Energy Star approved label issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The new window must match the color of the one it replaces. Mr. Bodden gave Mr. Hedrick a set of detailed manufacturing specifications for solid vinyl windows carrying the Energy Star label. The Board asked that these specifications be forwarded to the HALRB with the letter on revised guidelines for replacement windows.

2001-2002 Snow removal Contract: The Board reviewed a contract for snow removal service for the winter of 2001-2002 that Mr. Hedrick proposed CVIII sign with Snow Services, Inc. The Board questioned increased fees in comparison to those charged by this firm last year, and asked Mr. Hedrick to obtain bids for snow removal service from two other firms. Mr. Hedrick agreed to do so.

Unit Main Circuit Breakers and Meter Stacks: Mr. Hedrick presented the Board with the following proposals to clean and torque meter sockets, circuit breakers and switches: FAB, $3.685; Kolb, $2,556; Mona, $4,150. Mr. Hedrick noted that Mona’s bid was verbal; that FAB quoted a $20 labor charge to replace defective unit circuit breakers; and that none of these firms provided a bid to replace the stacks which house the meters and circuit breakers. The Board decided to put off discussion of this matter until its November meeting. 

Exterior Building Entry Doors: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had requested bids from Hodges Company and House of Doors to supply replacements for a number of warped and damaged wooden exterior doors to buildings. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that metal doors CVIII had stored in a boiler room had been rejected by the HALRB once; and, regardless of their greater durability and lower maintenance costs, he had every expectation that they would be rejected a second time if CVIII tried to use them again. The Board asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to try to find metal replacement doors that would meet the approval of the HALRB.

New Business: None.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session to discuss delinquent assessments.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm on 19 November 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

 November 19, 2001 CVIII Annual Meeting Minutes

Call to order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. Present at that time were Peyton Palmore, vice president; Dennis Gerrity, secretary; Christian Hamaker, member-at-large; Betty Davis, unit owner; Stan Kiman, maintenance engineer; and George Hedrick, association manager.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

Resident Forum: Ms. Davis thanked the Board for its efforts during the past year. She complained to the Board that the gasoline powered blowers used by T&J lawn service created “great clouds of dust” composed of dirt, dead vegetation and fertilizer that soiled the interior of units and aggravated the health of residents with breathing difficulties. She suggested that these problems could be eliminated if dead leaves were raked up by hand and sidewalks were swept clean with brooms. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to inquire of T&J how much it would charge to do such work manually and report back. She also suggested that the Board designate some portion of the commons where dog owners could let their pets run unleashed. The Board noted that recent complaints about unleashed dogs were cast in terms of requests that the Board enforce CVIII’s bylaws, which required that dogs be leashed when in common areas. For the Board to create a dog run would require an amendment of CVIII’s bylaws

Reading and Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the October meeting were approved without change.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report: Engineer: Mr. Kiman informed the Board that in addition to his day-to-day responsibilities he had completed top coating all wrought iron hand railings except those on the pedestrian bridge, and he would work on the latter as time and weather permitted. Mr. Kiman told the Board that he was also working on scraping and repainting the yellow curbs in the parking lot that indicated fire lanes. During the next several weeks he would also be occupied with preparing CVIII for the winter by putting hoses away, cutting off water to exterior faucets and clearing roofs and scuppers of dead leaves. Gutter-1735 N. Rhodes St.: Mr. Kiman told the Board that, while there was some rot in the fascia on the north side of 1735 N. Rhodes St., the gutter that was pulling away from this fascia could be properly secured by installing longer screws rather than going to the expense of having the gutter taken down and put back up and replacing the fascia. Privacy Fence-Building One: Mr. Kiman said he would repair several Boards that had popped loose of their nails and a section of the privacy fence on the east side of Building One that had become detached from one of its supporting posts. Exterior Windowsills: Mr. Kiman said that he would be on the alert for and attend to exterior windowsills that had cracks that required caulking to prevent leaks.

October Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the October financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating deficit of $3,423.63 as of the end of October. Details of the October financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. Mr. Hedrick noted that the price of natural gas was declining, but, year-to-date, gas consumption remained $4,013.38 over budget. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to check with Lynn Wood of CMI with respect to a $1,060.33 charge for bad debt found in CVIII’s 25 October 2001 “Income Statement.” The Board asked Mr. Hamaker to find out from Washington Gas if the way CVIII purchased gas affected the price it paid- that is to say, was CVIII required to pay spot market prices for natural gas or could it use long-term contracts to lock in good prices.

Old Business:

Landscaping Update: The Board reviewed a list of projects proposed by T&J Lawn service. A motion was made authorizing the expenditure of (i) $255 to remove homeowner planted annuals and perennials located by the front door of 1736 Queens Ln. and replace them with healthy nandinas from the Wilson Blvd. walkway and mulch; (ii) $375 to remove homeowner planted annuals and perennials located by the front door to 1800 Queens Ln. and replace them with five flats of ivy; (iii) $115 to replace a dead yew located by the front door of 1729 Queens Ln. with a healthy shrub of the same type; (iv) $115 to replace a dead yew located by the front door of 1809 Queens Ln. with a healthy shrub of the same type. This motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The Board discussed a dead, or nearly so, evergreen located by the front door of 1812 Queens Ln. Mr. Palmore offered to remove it to save CVIII money. The Board accepted Mr. Palmore’s offer.

2001-2002 Snow Removal Contract: Mr. Hedrick provided the Board with bids on CVIII’s 2001-2002 snow removal contract from Emery, STM and Snow Services, Inc., the firm CVIII used last year. After discussion, a motion to award the 2001-2002 snow removal contract to Snow Services, Inc. was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Snow Services’ bid was unchanged from last year, except for a requirement that CVIII make a $1000 refundable deposit on this year’s contract.

Unit Main Circuit Breakers and Meter Stacks: Mr. Hedrick again presented the Board with the following proposals to clean and torque meter sockets, circuit breakers and switches: FAB, $3,685; Kolb, $2,556; Mona, $4,150. Mr. Hedrick noted that Mona’s bid was verbal, that FAB quoted a $20 labor charge to replace defective unit circuit breakers, and that none of these firms provided a bid to replace the stacks which house the meters and circuit breakers. The Board put off making a decision on this matter, reasoning that it would be a waste of money to clean and retorque these meters, breakers and switches and then shortly thereafter replace the stacks that house them. It asked Mr. Hedrick to continue his efforts to gets bids on replacing the current stacks with ones that would provide more protection from rain and humidity.

Termite Damage-1737 Queens Ln.: The Board noted that Renaissance Painting Co. had been working in CVIII this month. It reminded Mr. Hedrick that several months ago he said the next time Renaissance was working at CVIII that he would have it repair termite damage to the trim around the front door of 1737 Queens Ln. Mr. Hedrick and Mr. Kiman said that the latter could and would make these repairs, but he had been waiting for one final report from Callahan Exterminating that it had found no further evidence of termite activity in Building One. Mr. Hedrick told the Board that termite damage to the front door 1737 Queens Ln. was such that it should be replaced and he had included it in bids he was soliciting for replacement entry doors elsewhere in CVIII. Exterior Building Entry Doors: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that he had received a bid of $1,709 per door from Hodges Company to supply and install replacements for a number of warped and damaged wooden exterior building entry doors. The Board felt this price high, observing that Hodges was a firm that dealt with the carriage trade, and asked Mr. Hedrick to get additional bids. The Board further discussed using metal doors that CVIII had stored in a boiler room. Mobil Corp. had installed these doors when it converted CVIII to a condominium in the late 1980s. However, the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) ruled that the doors’ appearance or the way that they were hung clashed with the design of the rest of Colonial Village III, and the HALRB required that they be replaced with the current wooden doors. Because these metal doors had already been paid for and were said to be more durable and have lower maintenance costs by Mr. Kiman, the Board decided to see if the HALRB could be talked into letting CVIII use them this time around. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to schedule an appearance to discuss this matter at the HALRB’s January 2002 meeting.

Parking Lot: The Board reminded Mr. Hedrick that it had requested that he obtain bids to seal either the cracks in or the entire surface of CVIII’s parking lot. Mr. Hedrick said that he would try to have these bids available for consideration at the Board’s December meeting.

Chimney: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Consolidated Waterproofing, Inc. had advised him that the chimney behind Building One was leaning so far from the building that neither the parapet nor any portion of the building’s wall was sturdy enough to secure bracing that would prevent this chimney from continuing to pull away from the building and eventually collapsing. Consolidated Waterproofing, Inc. provided an informal bid of $35,000 to demolish the chimney, to construct a concrete pad capable of carrying the chimney’s weight and keeping it true, and to rebuild the chimney using the original bricks. As an alternative to rebuilding this chimney, Consolidated Waterproofing, Inc made an informal bid of $5,000 to reduce its height by ten feet. This would reduce the chimney’s mass by enough that what was left could be safely braced to the building. The Board discussed simply demolishing the chimney. Mr. Kiman pointed out that it served one useful purpose, carrying the exhaust pipes from Building One’s gas fired hot water heaters. The Board also discussed the possibility of constructing a flying buttress that would keep this chimney upright. Because the HALRB’s approval was necessary for whatever CVIII did with this chimney, the Board asked Mr. Hedrick to schedule an appearance to discuss this matter at the HALRB’s January 2002 meeting.

New Business:

2001 All-Village Holiday Party: After discussion, a motion to contribute up to $125 to cover CVIII’s share of the cost of this year’ holiday party for residents of CVI, CVII, CVIII and the Commons was made, seconded and approved unanimously. This party will be held on 13 December 2001 in CVII meeting room in the basement of 1702 N. Troy St.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session for the purposes of discussing Holiday bonuses and matters related to delinquent assessments.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on 17 December 2001 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

December 19, 2001 CVIII Annual Meeting Minutes

Call to Order: With a quorum present the meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. Present at that time were Michael Bodden, president; Peyton Palmore, vice president; Corbin Weiss, treasurer; Dennis Gerrity, secretary; Christian Hamaker, member-at-large; Michael Leventhal, historic preservation coordinator for the Arlington County government; and association manager George Hedrick.

Proof of Notice of Meeting: All unit owners in attendance acknowledged the timely receipt of notice of this meeting.

HALRB Approval of Replacement Windows and Doors and Chimney Repairs: This fall, in the process of reviewing a unit owner’s application to replace her windows, Arlington County’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB), whose approval is required for the installation of any replacement window in CVIII, came to the conclusion that unless CVIII’s Board developed more detailed and restrictive standards, then CVIII ran the risk of (i) having a hodgepodge of replacement windows in terms of styles and materials under existing standards or (ii) having the HALRB impose a single standard of its own for replacement windows. Because of concerns about the appearance of CVIII and the high costs of the standards that some members of the HALRB wanted to impose on CVIII, the Board asked for and was granted an opportunity to develop its own set of tighter standards for replacement windows. To that end, the Board asked Michael Leventhal, historic preservation coordinator for Arlington County, to attend this meeting to advise the Board on how to proceed with CVIII’s efforts to obtain HALRB approval of standards for replacement windows. The Board also asked Mr. Leventhal for his advice on getting HALRB approval of replacement entry doors for buildings and chimney repairs. Replacement Windows: The Board explained to Mr. Leventhal that owners wanted to install solid vinyl windows because the cost of a good quality vinyl window was about half that of a good quality wooden window. Owners also wanted internal mullions because they made it easier to clean the glass. The Board was favor of vinyl windows because they would not require exterior painting or glazing. Mr. Leventhal recommended that the Board hire an architect to prepare a technical description of these windows with particular attention paid to their three-dimensional exterior appearance. He warned the Board that the HALRB would not accept internal mullions. He suggested that standards for construction include among other items a requirement of virgin as opposed to recycled vinyl, a minimum standard for milage (thickness), chambered sashes and frames for sturdiness, and a transferable warranty at least twenty years in term. He recommended that standards for design and construction be general enough that CVIII was not locked into a situation where unit owners could buy from only one manufacturer. Mr. Bodden volunteered to find an architect to develop these standards for replacement windows for CVIII. Exterior Building Entry Doors: CVIII has a number of warped and damaged exterior entry doors to buildings, particularly those to basements containing laundry and storage rooms, which the Board would like to replace with metal doors CVIII already owned. These metal doors were installed as entry doors when CVIII was originally converted to a condominium. The National Park Service, which had the right to impose standards on the exterior appearance of CVIII at the time of conversion, required their removal because they lacked a three-dimensional appearance consistent with the rest of CVIII. Mr. Leventhal told the Board that there was a chance that the HALRB would approve the reinstallation of these metal doors, but it was more likely that doors with a three-dimensional appearance would be required. He suggested that the Board use the architect it hired to develop standards for replacement windows to help find an appropriate design for these doors. Mr. Leventhal emphasized the contribution that a sturdy frame made to the length and quality of service gotten from heavily used doors. Mr. Leventhal told the Board that he felt that a high quality wooden door properly sealed and hung would give just as good service as any metal door. Chimney Repairs: Mr. Leventhal suggested that the Board hire a structural engineer to advise it on how to deal with the chimney behind Building One, which, because it was pulling away from the building, threatened to collapse. Because this chimney served no purpose other than to conceal the exhaust pipes for Building One’s hot water heaters, Mr. Leventhal was of the opinion that the HALRB would allow it to be shortened or demolished if so recommended for safety reasons. If the latter was the case, the HALRB would probably require the exhaust pipes to be boxed in with brickwork for cosmetic reasons, something that could be done for modest expense compared the $30,000 CVIII was quoted to rebuild this chimney. The Board asked and Mr. Hedrick agreed to solicit a bid for a structural engineer’s analysis of how to deal with this chimney from Thomas Downey, Ltd.

Resident Forum: None.

Reading and Approval of Minutes: The Board forgot to vote on the minutes of its November meeting.

Reports of Officers: None.

Committee Reports: None.

Management Report:

November Financial Update: Mr. Hedrick reported that, after making allowances for errors and omissions in the November financial report, CVIII had a year-to-date operating surplus of $4,898.36 as of the end of November. Mr. Hedrick explained that the $8322 change from November’s operating deficit was the result of (i) several large delinquencies being paid off; (ii) legal expenses associated with delinquent collections, for which CVIII had not been reimbursed, now being carried on CVIII’s books as account receivables rather than cash expenditures. Details of the November financial report are available for unit owner review at the CVIII office. Investments: The Board discussed reinvestment options for $67, 645 in CDs maturing on 28 January 2002. Given expectations of rising interest rates, a motion authorizing Mr. Hedrick to reinvest this $67,645 in a six month CD was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Utilities: Mr. Hamaker told the Board that he had been in contact with Washington Gas and had learned the following: (i) 2002 natural gas prices are forecast to be twenty three percent lower than those of 2001; (ii) CVIII buys natural gas at the going rate from Washington Gas, currently about sixty cents a therm; (iii) it was possible for CVIII to enter into long-term fixed price contracts for natural gas. The Board briefly discussed the possibility of entering a long-term contract for natural gas but decided not to because of its lack of expertise in this area. The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to investigate the effect of electric power deregulation on how much CVIII pays for electricity.

Old Business:  

Storm Drainage Project Update: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that Hix and Sons had received the necessary permits from Arlington County to complete drainage work on Buildings One and Three and work on the latter should be finished by Christmas.

New Business:

Wilson Blvd. Gate: The Board asked Mr. Hedrick to see if Mr. Kiman could install some sort of insulating device to reduce or eliminate the clanging sound made when the Wilson Blvd. gate is used.

New E-Mail Address for CVIII’s Association Manager: Mr. Hedrick informed the Board that colonialvillage@netzero.net was his new e-mail address.

Executive Session: A motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously to go into executive session to discuss delinquent assessments, the possibility that a unit owner was operating a business in Building One in violation of CVIII’s bylaws, and to hold a hearing on the revocation of a unit owner’s parking privileges.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on 21 January 2002 in the conference room in the CMI office at 1903 Key Blvd.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.