MacLaren Hill Condominium Association

New Officers Elected

2011-07-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

The new Officers for the MacLaren Hill Board of Directors are:

President: Rich Robbins
Vice President: Carolann Winther
Treasurer: Erv Berg
Secretary: Caitrin Mullan

Members at Large are:
Greg Barron
Craig Buske
Betsy Kremser

The Board page of this website is also updated with these changes

New Board Members Elected

2011-06-04T19:35:00.000-05:00

A voting majority of the residents of MacLaren Hill was reached through the recent ballots that were mailed to residents. These 4 individuals were elected and will serve 2 year terms:
* Craig Buske
* Betsy Kremser
* Rich Robbins
* Carolann Winther

The Board of Directors section on the website will be updated soon with the new Board and their positions.

March 2011 Minutes

2011-06-04T18:47:00.000-05:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*

MacLaren Hill Board Meeting March 29^th 2011

Homeowners Forum

Residents Present: Craig Buske, Joan Meneghal, Mike Brown, Fran Dao, Dick Madigan

Forum began at 6:00 pm
Greg Barron updated residents on future meeting times starting at 6:00 pm
Joan thanked the Board for their time and volunteering, and asked about the new process for online maintenance requests. Online maintenance requests can now be found through Cities Management website by logging into your homeowner account.
Greg gave a further update to residents about the current status of maintenance and the goal of handing off more to Cities in the coming days and weeks.
Craig spoke and told residents that he wanted to observe a meeting and was pleased to meet the new Management company
Joan asked about how many Board spots were up for reelection at the annual meeting in April. 4 slots will be up for a vote: Carolann Winther, Jon Guyer, Rich Robbins, and 1 vacancy.
There was discussion about turf and lawn damage that had occurred over the winter. There will be further discussion at the next landscape meeting, but the Board expects to have replacement happen this Spring.

Business Section of Meeting

Board Members Present: Rich Robbins, Greg Barron, Carolann Winther, Caitrin Mullan, Jon Guyer, Erv Berg.

Property Manager: Crystal Pingel

Business began at 6:30 pm
Welcome to MHCA’s new property manager, Crystal Pingel

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Jon made a motion to approve the February minutes, Erv seconded. Motion passes.

NEW BUSINESS

Insurance (D&O and Workers Comp) Discussion

Bob Mickelson from American Family Insurance came and gave some information on the Associations overall policies. Erv Berg gave a summary of the status of MHCA insurance and renewal
The D & O policy was not renewed in time and needs to be addressed
MHCA’s original policy that was in effect for years covered the management company
The new Cities contract shows that MHCA does not have to cover the insurance of Cities
Workers Comp insurance will need to be increased because we expect to hire Chris Schugg (maintenance) and the cleaners through Cities.
The new expected premium will be approximately $1500 for Workers Comp
Part of the new coverage can be reimbursed if there are no claims
The Board had approved the new insurance at a prior meeting, but was brought up for vote again to be official. Greg made a motion to approve Erv’s proposal, Carolann seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

Ice Dam Update

Crystal led the summary of the status of ice dams in the atrium
Building 1392 had almost $5000 worth of damage. $1000 deductible and MHCA received a check for $1800
Building 1390 had almost $6000 worth of damage. Paid $3000 deductible and received a payment of $3000 from insurance
1372 had $3300 worth of damage. $1000 deductible paid, and MHCA received a payment of $2335 from insurance
Regarding the snow raking/steaming claim, Bob will be following up with Giersten and be getting us more details.
Moving forward with any future damages like this, we need to have a more consistent policy applied. Homeowners should be contacting their personal condo insurance first before Association funds are utilized in repair work.
Crystal will be rolling all the numbers into 1 spreadsheet for a better summary
Bob complimented the existing Maclaren Hill website and asked to be on the vendor list. The website will be updated with his information since the Master Association Policy is through his office.

Management Transition Report

Erv, Rich, and Jon met with Cities to discuss financials and other outstanding issues @ Cities main office. Result of this meeting is the homeowner letter sent to residents regarding account balances.
Some individual ledgers seemed to be inaccurate and difficult to read. It is hard to know when exact payments had been made.
A common theme from the ledgers is the townhome electricity credit. There is some inconsistency in its application and some owners are being billed incorrectly. Cities is correcting this moving forward.
Spring Newsletter: Being put off until more of the transition is completed

Monthly Financials

Do not exist for this meeting, Cities is working on getting the allocations setup
There is a proposal from the Mullan group to audit the Jan-Feb 2011 financials from the transition timeframe.
Greg makes the motion to approve the transition audit, Cait seconds. Approval is unanimous.
Cost for the transition audit will be $480 and that amount will be deducted from the fiscal 2011 audit at the beginning of 2012.
We expect to see the 2010 audit results in mid April

MANAGEMENT REPORT

Discussion occurred regarding when meeting minutes will be posted online. The new idea is to post a note on the MacLaren Hill site stating that full minutes are available at the Cities Management site. Doing this will allow for residents to see more minute detail by using their resident accounts.
A small group of Board members (Erv, Greg, Caolann) will be meeting separately with Crystal to go over maintenance logistics and supervision responsibilities
Delinquencies were not addressed at this meeting, but will be at future meetings.
Cait asked about the way special assessments are rolled into the monthly square footage assessments. Unfortunately, Cities does not have a way of breaking these components out in their system. They are added together to reflect 1 balance.
Cities is suggesting we update the rules and regulations in section 6.4 to not show a dollar amount for resale disclosure. Cost of association documents is being removed since online access to the documents is available through Cities website. Crystal will be suggesting a rewording of the rules and regulations regarding the order in which payments are applied. Greg makes a motion to approve, Carolann seconds. Motion carries Jon will update the Rules and Regs to reflect the changes.
Moving forward, late paying resident collections will be handled by Dan Greenstein. Current legal action will continue to be handled by the existing legal group.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Crystal is looking for the original Energy Park contract that Rich signed. Board members will see if they have a copy.
Architect Report from Greg: The architect is looking in the attics and is seeing numerous items of concern. Wall caps are showing damage and vents are closed. A recommendation and presentation are expected in mid April. Plan is to have a special meeting to go over the results.
For the hiring of Chris and the cleaners, Cities will be conducting a background check. The cleaners have not been paid since February, so a check is being proposed to make them current. Greg makes the motion, Erv seconds. Motion passes
Annual meeting is going to be held Thursday April 21^st at 7:00 pm in the 1392 lounge
Boilers: There is a need for an atrium boiler tank to be replaced. Three bids were received, and Jayhawk had the lowest and most comprehensive proposal. Dowm time is expected for 24 hours but advance notice will be given to residents. The total cost for the work is $21,500 and will be split 50/50 with Bigos. Erv makes the motion for approval, and Carolann seconds. Motion carries.
Invoices were received from Fred Kreitzman regarding the work he did for us on the Cities contract. These bills will be paid from the legal/accounting funds.
Northern Air: This winter townhome heating in a cluster of homes. To repair this, some costs were fronted by residents. We have received final billings. Rich is proposing that $280 each be charged to two TH residents, and balance paid by Townhome funds. Rich proposes, Greg seconds. Motion carries.

May 2011 Board Meeting Agenda 5.24.11

2011-05-19T18:47:00.002-05:00

Agenda for MacLaren Hill Condominium Association

Input
Homeowner open forum

Treasurer's Report

(1) Review April's Financials from Cities Management
(2) Review previous financials from JSP Management
(3) Update on progress of 2010 Audit and Transitional Audit

Committee Report
Provide updates on committees and projects planned for summer

Manager's Report
(1) Review Homeowner Correspondence
(2) Updates from Chris Schugg on Maintenance and Violations
(3) Discuss Painting Bid- Scholdenfelder is updating
(4) Summary recent maintenance expenses
(5) Benefits package for onsite maintenance personnel

Unfinished Business
(1) Update on Atrium Building Attic Insulation Project
a. Bids received
b. Board decision to be made a June meeting

(2) Attrium Carpet Cleaning Bids- Review and vote to proceed with one

New Business

(1) Container Gardens- Atrium Buildings
(2) Landscaping plans

(3) Board decision- replace existing maintenance vehicle

Next Meeting Date 06/21/2011

Special Landscape Meeting: Saturday May 7th

2011-05-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

What: Special Landscape Meeting
Location: 1392 1st Floor Lounge
When: Saturday May 7th 10:00 am

Spring is upon us and with it comes a chance to enjoy the outdoor spaces at MacLaren Hill. Join the Landscape Committee and other residents for a special meeting to discuss seasonal outdoor maintenance issues and get your questions answered!

This is your chance to get your opinions and feedback heard!

Did we mention the refreshments and opportunity to have your morning coffee with other residents?

Plan on joining your neighbors if you have:

• Feedback on snow removal or lawn care services

• Ideas for enhancing our outdoor spaces

• Curiosity regarding what’s on tap for landscaping projects and plans this summer

Guests on-hand (or the hot seat!) to answer questions:

• Outdoor Images Manger & Certified Arborist, Paul Lulic!

• All new, on-site Maintenance Supervisor, Chris Schugg!

• Various board members!

We hope to see you there!

Unable to attend or want to get more involved in the Landscape Committee? Contact Greg Barron (651-917-9927) or Carolann Winther (651-246-0878) for more information.

Sign up on CitiesManagement.com

2011-04-04T19:21:00.000-05:00

As a friendly reminder, the new Cities Managment website offers fantastic services for homeowners. Logging into your homeowner account will provide association information and content that is not available on MacLarenHill.com

April 2010 Annual Meeting Minutes

2011-04-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*

Minutes of the Annual Meeting
MacLaren Hill Condominium Association
April 19, 2010
1392 Carling Drive Lounge Area

Officers Present:
President, Kerry Scott
Vice President, Allison Sandve
Secretary, Catherine Mason
Treasurer, Rich Robbins

Board Members Present:
John Guyer
Erv Berg
Carolann Winther
Sandy Durand and property Manager Bill Gores represented Durand and Associates.

An informational session preceded the meeting. Representatives of the Port Authority and Ever-green Energy came to talk about the proposed changes in the heating/cooling system. (For notes on that session, see New Business item A at the end of the Minutes.)

Call to Order
The meeting started at 7:35 p.m. At that time, we were assured we had a quorum, so President Kerry Scott went ahead with approval of the Minutes of the 2009 Annual Meeting, approval of the Agenda and Officers’ reports even though we did not have the certification numbers determined yet. John Guyer moved to approve the Agenda for the 2010 meeting and the Minutes of the 2009 meeting. Allison Sandve seconded. The motion carried. Proof of Notice of Annual Meeting was presented. The notice was sent out on March 25, 2010.

At 7:45 p.m. the roll and proxies were certified with 24.99 % of homeowners present and 27.71% represented by proxy. No indication of the proxies that were sent to Durand and Associates to be counted only and are not to be included in the voting for members of the Board was provided. The total representation was 52.70%.

President’s Report
Kerry Scott, current president, thanked everyone for serving the Association, especially our outgoing Board Members. All who participated in Association activities, including the planning of the Association summer ice cream social and the holiday get together were thanked for their efforts. Kerry has been on the Board for six years and has decided not to continue. Several Board members left during the year, Carol Roth had health issues, Tom Duke moved, and Dean Reed had personal reasons for leaving the Board. Carolann Winther, Erv Berg, and Allison Sandve stepped in to fill out the remaining length of the terms of the Board members who had resigned. At the 2009 Annual Meeting, Bill Gores indicated that Bigos owed the Association a considerable amount of money for its share of the heating/cooling costs. This proved to be wrong. The confusion regarding the heating/cooling billing with Bigos was due to the labeling of the bills. There was no money owed to us by Bigos. On Association finances, Kerry talked about the fact that in the past five years we have not raised dues. We have worked hard as a Board to control costs by being proactive in selecting vendors and repairing rather than replacing where possible. The property is in good condition. Recently, we have undertaken a search for a new way to manage the Association. Originally, the Board considered a plan with a separation of the management and the financial accounting, but in the end a new full-service management company was chosen. Jason Parr of JSP will be introduced at the end of the meeting. Another concern is the outside lighting. The lighting system for the Association is controlled in the hotel building and there are problems with it. It is being reviewed and some changes are probably needed. We have asphalt work that needs to be done, but it is only surface—the understructure is in good condition. There are some major landscaping being planned. For 2010, there is $10,000 in the budget for landscape replacement for the townhouses and $10,000 in the budget for the Atrium buildings. A request was made to take pride in our neighborhood and pick up the trash around the buildings. Also pick the rock up off the lawns. Finally, take some responsibility for safety and if something seems untoward, please call the police. Recently, two units went through foreclosure and they were both sold and are owner occupied. There has been water infiltration in the Atrium buildings this spring. In the past we had a fire with the heat tape on the roof of the Atrium building. The Board considered a number of options regarding preventing ice damming. We went with Jeff Berg from Durand and Associates recommendation to put in bubble packing. This failed to keep us from getting ice dams. We will need to be vigilant in removing the snow from the roofs and/or come up with a new system to keep the area under the roof cold in the winter so that the ice dams will not build up. Better ventilation is needed. It was noted that 2009 was an especially bad year for ice dams in MN.

Vice President’s Report
Allison Sandve is the current vice president of this Association. She has also been involved in the Communication Committee. She thanked the homeowners for their patience with us during this transitional period.

Secretary’s Report
There was no secretarial information to report. The Association files are currently being maintained by Durand and Associates and will be transferred to our new management company. Old files are on property and are still in need of attention. Some old material needs to be removed and other information needs to be put into files. Homeowners are asked to volunteer to help with this project.

Treasurer’s Report
Rich Robbins has been our treasurer for about four months. He did not provide a report, but indicated that Bill Gores would update us on the state of the Association financially.

Committee Reports

Atrium Committee Report
Carolann Winther has taken over as the chair of this committee. She reported that the committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month. Homeowners are invited to attend and participate in the Association. The location rotates between the Atrium buildings. The next project is the planting of the Atrium planters and homeowners are requested to help out.

Townhouse Committee Report
Catherine Mason reported on this committee. In 2009 we welcomed several new townhouse owners to the Association. Some concerns were the storage of materials on decks and in the Association common areas. In addition, landscape is an issue. Some parts of the Association landscaping are over 20 years old, so we need to replace aging landscape material including the arbor vitae in front of the townhouses and some of the bushes along Spencer Road. In the summer of 2009, the Board authorized the money to relocate some of the sprinkler heads to better water the lawn. Finally, it was suggested that painting be done on an annual basis to better maintain the property and to spread out the cost. This committee is meeting on the second Saturday of the month in the 1392 lower lounge area at 9:32 a.m.

Social Committee Report
John Guyer has been serving as the chair for the Social Committee. He organized the ice cream social in the summer and the holiday pot luck party that was held in the 1372 building which was beautifully decorated for the occasion. Both events were successful. In addition, John maintains the Association web site. He indicated that the slide show of the Port Authority presentation will be put up as soon as it is received.

Landscape Committee Report
Rich Robbins is the chair of the landscape committee. He reported that the committee is working hard now to plan what we would like to see around our grounds with regard to replacing edging and plants and rock. We are also concerned with the emerald ash borer. Around the two western-most townhouse buildings there are about 50% of our Association ash trees. So far, no trees are infected.

Annual Manager’s Report
Bill Gores, the Property Manager, gave his report on the current state of the Association. The Association is financially solid. The final audit figures are not available yet. There are no lawsuits against the Association currently. Insurance is carried in adequate amount. It comes up for renewal in October of this year. Unpaid assessments for the entire Association are approximately $6,500.

General Meeting
Nominations
There are three vacancies to be filled on the Board. The candidates listed in the packet were Kerry Scott and Catherine Mason. Kerry Scott had decided not to run for re-election at this time. Susan Schnasse submitted her name in nomination. Caitrin Mullan has also placed her name in nomination. Nominations were taken from the floor. Erv Berg nominated Greg Barron. After the votes of the homeowners were tabulated, it was announced that the new Board members are: Catherine Mason, Caitrin Mullan and Greg Barron.

Old Business
The issue of the heating/cooling payments supposedly owed by Bigos was discussed under the President’s report. Again, it has been determined that there was an error of understanding and no money was ever owed to the Association. Bigos was being billed correctly.

New Business
A. Energy Park Heating and Cooling Project:
Laurie Hansen, representative of The St. Paul Port Authority, was present to explain the proposed change to the heating/cooling system. The Port Authority hopes that the change will take place beginning this summer. A slide presentation was given about what is coming in the next year or two. The Energy Park Heating and Cooling plant will be changed from a two-pipe to a four-pipe system. The Port Authority will continue to own the system for heating and cooling. Ever-green Energy manages the system. The representatives from Ever-green Energy, Andrew Kasid and Jeff Volovsek, explained what the new system would allow. We would be able to have either heating or cooling as we determine. The water will come from a central boiler and a central chiller through the different pipes. Right now there are critical times when there is the need to changeover from heating to cooling and that takes time. With the four-pipe system, the homeowners can have heating or cooling when the businesses have the opposite. The Port Authority will need to put in new pipes. It will entail some construction on property. Each building will be able to choose heating or cooling as required. When asked to clarify what he meant by “building,” the representative explained that means heating or cooling can be chosen at our central distribution point. This means that because our heating/cooling comes through the Association garage, the entire Association, both Atrium buildings and townhouses, will need to choose heating or cooling. There are going to be changes in the rates and the charges for the heating/cooling. More information on the economics will be provided later. Energy Park/The Port Authority will need to come back to us to get our agreement on the changeover to the energy system. The Port Authority is working to determine costs and will present to us what will be a cost-effective system for us. We have the possibility to opt out, but then we would need to find an alternate source of energy. One unique aspect of a central system is that you do not need to have your own furnace and/or central air conditioner. The other benefit is with energy savings that the central system can provide. The Port Authority through Ever-green Energy can interrupt the system to conserve energy/ make use of cheaper alternatives for providing energy. As to the timetable: right now they are in design and engineering phase. The financing will come from consumer use, Port Authority money, and bonds. The bond is a revenue bond and the financing rate will be based on the history of the system, the payments that have been made, etc. This will affect how much we pay for our energy in the future. The individual units will not require retrofitting because the entire complex (our Association and Bigos’ part of the Atrium buildings) will be changed at the main input source (the pumps in the Association garage.) We will need to make a plan as to how and when to changeover from heating to cooling and vice versa. The Port Authority is looking at about a 16-month period for planning and construction. The new pipes will run alongside the current pipes and it does not appear that the current pipes will need to be replaced. The old pipes have about a 50-year lifetime and the new pipes will have about a 100-year lifetime. The Port Authority is operating on the knowledge that different users have different needs at different times and so a four-pipe system would serve more people. Two years ago the Port Authority met with all the “major groups” to discuss with them the plan for this new project. There was a consensus at the meeting that we had not been consulted. The representative from Ever-green explained that Bill Gores had attended a meeting where the general terms were discussed. Bill Gores indicated that the follow-up meeting he expected had not occurred. In any case, the Association was not informed of the proposed change by either the Port Authority or Durand and Associates. The new project is based on the use of new technology and a European model that uses renewable energy sources such as wood chips. A request was made that the Port Authority provide the Association and homeowners with some further information about what are our options and the opportunity to see the plan in print so that we can understand it. Having the control of the system would allow us to maintain heat in the spring and fall when we want it and the businesses want cooling. However, it appears that the four-pipe system would be controlled in one place for all the townhouses, the Atrium buildings and the Kendrick. It was stated that our contract is running out in July of 2012 and that we will need to determine what we want to do about providing heating/cooling for our property. It is the position of the representative of Ever-green Energy that we will need to opt into a system by then or go out and get alternative heating/cooling. Homeowners were reminded that there is no gas line for this area at all and we would need to acquire electric heat.

B. New Management Company:
The new management company was introduced to the membership. Jason Parr is the head of the company. He handed out welcome packets to the owners. The new maintenance person’s name is Matt. JSP will take over on May 1st and have been working with Durand and Associates for the last couple of weeks on the transition.

C. Lighting problems:
The wire for the Association lighting on property (the lamps on the fire lane, on Spencer Road and on Carling Drive) was originally laid without being put into any protective conduit. There are recurring problems with the system including the breakers in the hotel and breaks in the lines underground. Muska Lighting is working to determine the extent of the problem and to provide the Board with options for future repairs. It should be at least two weeks before there are working lights again.

Kerry Scott was thanked for her work for the Association. With the completion of the business section, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Joe Schnide moved. John Guyer seconded.

February 2011 Minutes

2011-04-03T21:06:00.002-05:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*
MACLAREN HILL CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
February 22, 2011
1392 Carling Drive, First Floor Lounge
Homeowner Forum

• A request was presented to the Board of Directors regarding the placement of a for sale sign for their home at the entrance to Carling Drive off of Energy Park Drive. The Board agreed, unanimously, that this is acceptable. It was noted that open house signs, however, need to be taken down immediately following the open house.

• Concerns were brought to the Board’s attention by a resident regarding snow being piled up in front of his townhome door. After both heavy snow falls received recently the snow removal provider pushed snow up to the front door of his townhome making the only entry or exit from the townhome through the garage. The resident was assured that this was brought to the attention of Outdoor Images, and shouldn’t happen going forward.

• Letters were submitted by roughly nine homeowners after the last heavy snowfall regarding concerns about the timeliness of snow removal. A letter submitted by two townhome owners was read to the Board of Directors per the owner’s request. These complaints, as well as photos taken of areas with snow accumulation, were given to Board President, Rich, for review and consideration. No further discussions on snow removal practices occurred.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. Quorum of Board present

• Board Members Present: Richard Robbins, Caitrin Mullan, Jon Guyer, Greg Barron, Erving Berg, and Carolann Winther.

• Board Members Absent: None

• Owners Present: Rebecca Guza, James Wollack, and Brian Parker

• Managers Present: Jason Parr, Shannon Moraga and Rachael Aure JSP Properties LLC.

Secretary’s Report

• The January 25, 2011 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes were approved with minor revisions. 1st by Jon, 2nd by Carolann. Motion Carried.

Committee Reports

• The Atrium Committee reported the attendance of a Guest Speaker at the last Atrium Committee meeting regarding the care and maintenance of the roofs. This guest speaker, from the University of Minnesota, recommended at the informative session that snow be removed from the roofs after heavy snowfall to avoid ice-damming problems. Also, as a preventative measure, that soffit vents should be unclogged to allow air flow into attic ways to prevent over heating of the attics

New Business

• The Board of Directors reviewed a letter submitted by an owners, in response to the Association’s previous decision on reimbursement. Unfortunately the Association’s governing documents state that the Association cannot reimburse for personal property, and can only reimburse for items, such as carpeting, on a depreciated basis. With those guidelines having been set forth by the governing documents the Board of Directors is unable to extend any further reimbursement.

• Discussion occurred on thoughts of reallocating some line items in the Reserves to reflect findings and suggestions given in the recently conducted Reserve Study. No action was taken on this item, but the breakdown of reserve categories and future replacement costs laid out was thought to be a very helpful reference.

• Discussion occurred on Special Assessment payments received through January 31, 2011. As a reminder to all owners – the first installment, if an installment option is desired, of special assessments is due by March 31, 2011 for both Atriums and Townhomes in the amount of $400.00 or $500.00 respectively.

Ongoing Business

• A request from a townhome owner, for reimbursement for electrical costs caused by use of space heaters was provided to the Board of Directors for review. A motion was made to approve a reimbursement in the amount of $100.00 for extra electrical costs caused by the use of space heaters. 1st by Rich, 2nd by Greg. Motion Carried.

• Discussion occurred on pressure testing options used to determine the amount of heat escaping into the attics causing ice-damming on the roofs. The architect’s recommendation was to do pressure testing to determine the extent of heat escaping as well as removing attic installation, resealing attic floors, and unclogging all soffit vents as a way to prevent ice-damming. Further discussion was made regarding removal of snow from roofs after latest snow fall. As a proactive measure a motion was made to allocate up to $15,000.00 to do strategic removal of snow in known problem areas from Atrium roofs to prevent ice-damming. 1st by Jon, 2nd by Rich. Motion Carried.

• A townhome owners insurance letter regarding the decline of coverage for exterior sheet rock bowing was provided to the Board of Directors for review and discussion. The topic was tabled for a later meeting.

Other Business:

• None

Adjourn - Meeting adjourned at 8:49pm

An Executive Session Followed.

Time Change for Tuesday March 29th Board Meeting

2011-03-27T08:37:00.000-05:00

The Board Meeting will be starting early on Tuesday, moving from its normal time of 7:00 pm
* 6:00 pm is the Homeowners Forum
* 6:30 pm is the start of the business meeting

March 2011 Board Meeting Date Change

2011-03-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

The March Board of Directors Meeting is moving from Tuesday March 22nd to Tuesday March 29th.

Time remains 7:00 pm and is in the 1392 lounge

January 2011 Board Meeting Recap

2011-03-03T16:11:00.001-06:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*

Homeowner Forum
• None

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. Quorum of Board present

• Board Members Present: Richard Robbins, Caitrin Mullan, Jon Guyer, Greg Barron, Erving Berg, Carolann Winther, and Allison Sandve (who stepped out of the meeting after it was called to order).

• Board Members Absent: None

• Owners Present: None

• Managers Present: Jason Parr, and Rachael Aure JSP Properties LLC.

Treasurer’s Report

• Bigos’ shared utilities receivable– for 4th Quarter- is $9,624.

• Dues outstanding totaled $25,159 as of December 31, 2010.

Secretary’s Report

• The December 21, 2010 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes were approved with revisions. 1st by Jon, 2nd by Caitrin. Motion Carried.

• The January 18, 2011 special Board of Directors Meeting Minutes were approved as written. 1st by Greg, 2nd by Rich. Motion Carried.

Committee Reports

• The Atrium Committee reported concerns expressed by homeowners regarding the conditions of common areas. Interest has been expressed to heighten owners’ awareness of common area conditions, and treat all areas as part of their home. Further planning and research will be done regarding different methods of beautification for Atrium Common Areas. Some ideas included: extra hours of cleaning during winter months, additional rug/mat rentals from Ameripride for both inside and outside of entryway doors, clean-up initiatives in garages, and also forming building liaisons to watch for possible crime or theft within each building.

• The Finance Committee reported interest in providing tax information to Michael Mullen CPA to begin the Association’s tax preparation. A proposal on cost for review and tax preparation will be provided to the Board of Directors and a vote will be made on whether to move forward with Michael Mullen CPA.

New Business

• The Board of Directors recognized Allison Sandve’s resignation from the Board, effective January 25, 2011, and would like to extend a sincere Thank You for the time she served on the Board. It is felt that as Vice President she was an important leader amongst the Board, and also always made sure owners and residents remained at the forefront of Board decisions.

• The Board of Directors would also like to welcome Erving Berg onto the Board of Directors. Erv will be filling Catherine Mason’s former position on the Board, effective January 18, 2011, and will serve out the remainder of the term through March 2012.

• The Board of Directors reviewed a letter submitted in response to the Association’s final decision regarding a request for reimbursement. After careful review of the letter and discussion regarding the Association’s governing documents the Board of Directors are unable to extend any further reimbursement.

• A request for reimbursement for electrical costs caused by use of space heaters was provided to the Board of Directors for review. The request was tabled until the final invoices for work done within the owners unit have been received and reviewed.

• A request for reimbursement was submitted for the clean-up of damages caused by water infiltration from a neighboring unit. A motion was made to approve this reimbursement by Caitrin, 2nd by Jon. The Motion Carried. The movey will be reimbursed, and the cost of reimbursement will be charged to the neighboring unit.

• A request for reimbursement was submitted for the costs of space heaters for the townhomes to assist with heating during contractor work on the system. A motion was made to approve the expenses.

Ongoing Business

• The Board reviewed inspection reports from the City of St. Paul regarding updating a non-functioning Air Handler in 1392 Carling drive. The equipment necessary to complete this repair on currently on order, and re-inspection of the issue has been rescheduled for the second week in February.

• Estimates from Clean Response were provided to the Board of Directors regarding interior repairs needed due to water infiltration caused by ice dams. No action was taken during this board meeting regarding these proposals.

o A request for the Association to cover the costs of repair was also received from an owner and the Board of Directors will be extending the information to the owner that he must first provide documentation that a claim was submitted to his HO6 or personal insurance policy before further action can be taken by the Board of Directors.

• Three Proposals were reviewed by the Board of Directors for repairs needed to the pump bearing assembly and seal kit in 1392 Carling Drive. Proposals were received from JSP Properties, Erickson, and JayHawk Mechanical. A motion was made by Greg to accept Jawhawk Mechanicals proposal for repair. 2nd by Carolann. Motion Carried.

• An insurance letter regarding the decline of coverage for exterior sheet rock bowing was provided to the Board of Directors for review and discussion. The topic was tabled for a later meeting.

Other Business:
• Discussion occurred on Bigos’ shared service billing. 4th Quarter (October-December 2010) charges were billed to Bigos, and settled. Payment will be reflected in the January 2011 financial statement.

Summary of Items Voted On:

1. Motion to approve the December 21, 2010 Meeting Minutes. 1st by Jon, 2nd by Caitrin- Motion Carried.

2. Motion to approve the January 18, 2011 Special Meeting Minutes. 1st by Greg, 2nd by Rich – Motion Carried.

3. Motion to approve reimbursement request by 1372 Carling Drive #106 and 1345 Spencer Road in the amount of $150.00 and $74.95, respectfully. 1st by Caitrin, 2nd by Jon – Motion Carried.

4. Motion to approve proposal for Atrium Pump Repair in the amount of $1250.00. 1st by Greg, 2nd by Carolann – Motion Carried.

Next meeting – February 22nd, 2011 at 7pm in 1932 Carling Drive

Adjourn - Meeting adjourned at 9:07pm

An Executive Session Followed.

Management Notice

2011-03-02T12:29:00.000-06:00

We are in the process of final contract negotiations with a new property management company and hope to have a contract finalized soon. As soon as we do, will post and email contact information.

In the meantime:

REQUESTS FOR ACTION

Please hold any requests for action unless they are urgent or an emergency. JSP Properties will not respond to any requests for action.

In the event of an emergency, contact a board member who will see to it that resources are dispatched.

MONTHLY DUES CHECKS

If you have already sent your monthly payment to JSP Properties, it will be transferred to the new company. Please do not send any further checks to them. If you wish, you may make your regularly monthly check out to “MHCA” and give it to a board member. Or, hold you payment for a few days until a new payment address is posted.

Snow Removal Feb 25th

2011-02-24T07:25:00.002-06:00

URGENT NOTICE

All cars will need to be moved from Atrium Parking Lots Friday February 25th form 12-2pm. Outdoor Images will be completing snow removal and cleanups

Thanks for your cooperation and patience during this winter season

JSP Properties LLC

January 2011 Atrium Committee Notes

2011-02-14T07:20:00.000-06:00

Attending: Erv Berg, Flo Isackson, Joan Meneghel, Carolann Winther

There is a growing concern about the cleanliness and general appearance of our property. We all need to be reminded that, as homeowners, we are responsible for the upkeep of the entire property – not just the interior of our own units. If we all take pride in keeping the common areas neat and clean, there will be less of a need to pay for additional cleaning in these areas.

Particular problem areas:

Building entrances – please wipe you feet – especially in rainy or snowy weather. The cleaning crew cleans the floors in the entry areas twice a week, and these areas still continue to be extremely dirty. The salt buckets in the foyers need to be handled carefully so the salt goes outside on the icy sidewalk – not on the carpet inside the building. I will be contacting Ameripride about renting more door mats during the winter months so we can help protect our carpets.

Trash rooms and waste baskets by the garage entrances -- Your trash needs to be placed in the dumpsters in the appropriate trash room. Trash is not to be left on the floor by the garage door or on the floor of the trash rooms. I realize that recently there have been delays in having the dumpsters emptied and the recycling bins replaced. Hopefully, this will not continue to happen. If you are hauling trash from your unit to the trash room, and you leave a trail of grease or other fluid on the carpet, please clean it up as best you can and immediately report the incident to the property manager so someone can follow through quickly. A prompt cleanup may save the carpet from permanent stains. If you have large items such as furniture or appliances to dispose of, you must contact the property manager to make arrangements to have these items hauled away. They cannot be removed during the general trash pickup.

Let’s all work together to keep our property clean so we can be proud of the place we call home. Thank you!

The next Atrium Committee meeting is scheduled for February 9th at 7:00PM. This meeting will convene in the 1st Floor Commons Area at 1392. We will be joined by Richard Stone from the University Extension Services. He will be speaking to us about ice damming and some of the solutions to the problems caused by this condition. Thanks!

Atrium Committee Meeting Wednesday February 9th

2011-02-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

Atrium Committee Meeting

Guest Speaker Richard Stone, Extension Educator in Housing Technology

University of Minnesota Extension Services

Richard Stone will speak to us about ice damming and how to deal with it.

This is a very important meeting for all atrium homeowners.

If you are having problems with water damage in your unit due to ice damming or if you simply want to know more about what it is going to take to remedy the situation in the atrium buildings, you will benefit from attending this meeting.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 7:00 PM

1st Floor Commons Area, 1392 Carling Dr.

Contact Carolann Winther if there are questions

December 2010 Board Meeting Recap

2011-01-26T17:21:00.002-06:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*

MACLAREN HILLS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

December 21st, 2010

1392 Carling Drive, First Floor Lounge

Homeowner Forum

• Thoughts were expressed regarding the open Board of Directors Position. Currently a seat on the board needs to be filled, and one homeowner offered the suggestion that Susan Schnasse fill that seat as she had ran in the previous election.

• Concerns were expressed regarding the cost of recent Association projects and upgrades. Discussion occurred on the Board of Director’s process in choosing vendors for repairs and projects needed at the Association. While cost is a deciding factor there are other components- such as longevity of service, knowledge of the property, previous satisfaction and recommendations, and availability- which contribute to the selection and use of different Vendors.

• Many concerns were raised regarding the Association Dues increase as well as the Special Assessment. The change in dues was much higher than many owners were expecting, and there were many concerns expressed regarding re-sale of property. Thoughts were shared regarding special assessing more to owners rather than raising dues as much. Explanation was made that Special Assessments are only used for Capitol Expenses, or projects that need to be done, such as painting of the townhomes or upgrading the Atrium’s elevators, while Dues are used towards Operating expenses, or reoccurring costs, such as energy costs and lawn care or snow removal. It was expressed to concerned homeowners that this change in dues is a result of many pressing factors such as changes in energy costs, government mandated upgrades to the elevators, and changes to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act requiring the Association to have adequate funds in the reserve.

• Discussion occurred on the snow removal procedures that occurred after the heavy snow fall the weekend of December 11th. Concerns were expressed that parking spaces, walkways, and parking spaces were not cleared of snow in a timely fashion and many owners were stuck on the property until the snow removal vendor was able to clear the snow off the property. This was a serious matter, and there was further review of the snow removal contract which stated: “Normal clean-up will be completed within 12 hours after the cessation of snowfalls. Please note that snow plowing will only commence after the snow has exceeded trigger depth (1.5”). Clean-up will be extended an additional 18 hours when the accumulation is greater than six inches.” A meeting will be held with the snow removal vendor, Outdoor Images, for further explanation and reinforcement of procedures moving forward.

• A resident expressed concerns to the Board that walkways on the property are very icy. As a reminder to residents there are salt buckets available at the entryways of the Atrium buildings, and they are for use at any time by any resident if the walkways seen to be slippery.

• Concerns were expressed by First Floor Atrium owners regarding snow being pushed down off of the parking lots, and piled up against their patio doors. This was not a procedure condoned by the Board of Directors, or done by the Association’s snow removal vendor. If anyone sees someone pushing snow up against the Atrium buildings please notify your Management Company.

• A townhome owner requested further explanation of reasoning behind dues increase and special assessment amounts. Explanation was made by the Board of Directors that factors contributing to the change have put a great pressure on the Association to attend to items that previously had not been necessary. With unfortunate events such as the collapse of one of the man-hole covers, new state regulation on Elevators, changes to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act requiring adequate reserve funds, and a deficit in revenue caused by the lack of dues increase in the previous eight (8) years the Board of Directors had to move forward with a change in the dues. Comparisons to other Association’s as well as the Executive Summary of the Reserve Study conducted by Reserve Advisors are available to owners upon request if further information is desired.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 8:20 p.m. Quorum of Board present

• Board Members Present: Richard Robbins, Caitrin Mullan, Jon Guyer, Greg Barron, Allison Sandve, and Carolann Winther

• Board Members Absent: None

• Owners Present: Fran Dao, Joan Meneghel, Janet Johnson, Erving Berg, Joe Schnide, Jerry Stenstadvold, Dunette Combs, Eileen Donnelly, Jennifer Noonan

• Managers Present: Jason Parr, Shannon Moraga, and Rachael Aure, JSP Properties LLC.

Treasurer’s Report
• Dues outstanding totaled $23,067 as of November 30, 2010. As of meeting date, this amount has been reduced by roughly $8,000 from recent dues collections against the outstanding amount.

Secretary’s Report

• The November 23, 2010 minutes were approved with one wording change. The motion for approval was made by Greg, and 2nd by Jon. Motion Carried.

Committee Reports
• No Landscape Committee meeting was held this month due to weather conditions.

• The Social Committee reported a very successful holiday social. 25 residents attended and two (2) bags of food were collected during the social and brought to the Salvation Army for donation. The Board of Directors and the Association would like to extend a big Thank You to Joan Meneghel and Flo Isaacson for the wonderful decorating job they did.

• A report was made the Rules & Regulation’s, ad hoc, committee that revisions to the Association’s Rules and Regulations are still underway and it is projected that the project will be complete early in 2011, and the Rules in Regulations will be available to owners in paper form as well as electronically on the website.

New Business
• Discussion occurred on the request for reimbursement presented to the Board by a resident in 1392 for damages to items in his storage unit after a pipe break in the Mechanical Room in 1392 caused 3,000 gallons of water to run down into storage areas. The Association has already started the process of contacting the Master Insurance Agent for a claim for damages caused to the Association and repairs that will be needed. The Board of Directors advised Joe to start a claim with his personal insurance company and provide all corresponding documentation to the Board. The Association’s Governing Documents prevents the Association from reimbursing any costs for personal property.

• A request was also presented to the Board by a resident in 1390 for reimbursement for carpet replacement due to a water leak caused by ice-damning. After review of the documents provided to the Board it was discussed that as carpeting is a permanent fixture of the unit that was damaged due to an event outside of the unit the Association approve to assist in covering the cost at a depreciated rate. A motion was made by Allison for reimbursement in the amount of $500 towards cost of replacing carpeting, and 2nd by Jon. Motion Carried.

• A request was presented to the Board by a resident in 1372 for reimbursement for replacement of carpeting and furniture damaged due to water leak caused by failed garage membrane. The Board of Directors reviewed this request, and items that are not permanent fixtures of the units such as area rugs and furniture cannot be reimbursed by the Association per the Association’s governing documents. As the carpeting was damaged due to an issue outside of the unit, and it is a permanent fixture of the unit the Association did agree to make a motion for reimbursement at a depreciated value. A motion was made by Greg for reimbursement in the amount of $500 to go towards replacement of the damaged carpeting, and 2nd by Carolann. Motion Carried.

• A proposal for work to be done in a unit in 1372 was presented to the Board of Directors to move forward with repairs needed to bathroom fixtures. These repairs are necessary in order to stop water leaking down into below units. The Board made a motion to approve this proposal in the amount of $1,684.91, 1st by Allison and 2nd by Jon. Motion Carried. This amount will be charged to the owner.

• A request was presented to the Board by Jon Guyer regarding an exception to the pet policy in the Atriums, and the permission to have a dog in the unit. The Board of directors decided to table this request for the month of December for further review of the Rules & Regulations and Policies regarding pets. This request will be reviewed again at the January Board of Directors Meeting.

• Documentation was provided to the Board of Directors by a townhome resident on Spencer Road, regarding the owner’s personal insurance company’s decline for coverage of exterior sheet rock bowing. The Board of Director’s tabled this discussion for the January Meeting.

• Discussion occurred on the need to rebuild/repair the Atrium’s heating pumps/valves. Currently there has been some difficulty in getting grease into the motor’s which can cause the pump to burn-out. The Board of Directors requested three proposals be provided for review on rebuilding/replacing these items, and a decision will be made after review of those proposals.

• Discussion occurred on the possible need to rake snow off of Atrium roofs to prevent ice-damning. Snow raking was recommended by Management to the Board on December 13, 2010, but did not receive approval to complete at that time due to concerns by the Board that shingles can be damaged from raking the snow, and a steam treatment might be more preferable. A motion was made by Jon to commence snow removal from roof, 2nd by Allison, after further discussion the motion was withdrawn. Further review of estimates and comparisons for snow raking, as well as steam removal, will be acquired and presented to the Board for later consideration.

• Discussions occurred on the proposals presented to the board from Northern Air and Jayhawk to replace a motor and pump in the townhome’s pump house. A motion was made to accept J-Hawk’s proposal for replacement of one pump and one motor pending detailed written agreement of all items to be replaced/repaired. Motion was 2nd by Greg. Motion Carried.

• Discussion occurred on a request presented to the Board bya resident for a one time waiver of the Special Assessment voted on by the Board. A resident expressed concern that she closed on her townhouse, and was not made aware of the Special Assessment prior to closing. The Board of Directors reviewed the dates of these occurrences, and upon further review noted that the regular assessment increase as well as the special assessment had not been voted on prior to the purchase of her townhome. Therefore, there would have been no way to make the owner aware of it before hand. The request for a one time waiver was denied by the Board of Directors.

Ongoing Business

• A proposal from Otis Elevator was provided to the Board of Directors for upgrades required by State Law by 2012. The Board of Directors will review this proposal and new State Code Requirements and discuss the proposal further at the January Board of Directors Meeting.

Summary of Items Voted On:

1. Motion to approve the November 23, 2010 Meeting Minutes. 1st by Greg, 2nd by Jon- Motion Carried.

2. Motion to approve Request for Reimbursement carpet replacement in the amount of $500. 1st by Allison, 2nd by Jon – Motion Carried.

3. Motion to approve Request for Reimbursement for carpet replacement in the amount of $500. 1st by Greg, 2nd by Carolann – Motion Carried.

4. Motion to approve Proposal for repair of bathroom fixtures to repair leaking into lower units from Clean Response in the amount of $1,684.91: 1st by Allison, 2nd by Jon- Motion Carried.

5. Motion to approve J-Hawk’s proposal for replacement of one pump and one motor, in Townhome Pump House, contingent upon a detailed written report of items to be replaced. 1st by Rich, 2nd by Greg. Motion Carried.

6. Prior to Board of Directors Meeting by email vote: Approval of BEI’s repair proposal for 1372 repair. Motion Carries by unanimous Vote.

7. Prior to Board of Directors Meeting by email vote: Approval of homeowner request to hold memorial service in 1390 Carling Drive lounge on December 12, 2010 from 1-5pm, including time for clean up, for a long time MacLaren Hill’s Resident. Motion Carried by Unanimous Vote.

8. Prior to Board of Directors Meeting by email vote: Approved the purchase of 90 Carbon Monoxide detectors, to be provided to all Atrium Residents in compliance with new City of St. Paul Ordinance. Motion Carried by Unanimous Vote.

Vendor List

2011-01-24T19:03:00.000-06:00

This section of the website contains a list of vendors, services, and maintenance organizations that have done work for the Association or for indiviidual owners. If you are looking for a company to do work on your unit, you may want to consider some of these companies:

Carpet Cleaning
ZeroRez

Cooling/Heating
Jayhawk Mechanical
Northern Air

Electrical
Erickson
Muska

Exterior Maintenance
BEI
All Glass Inc.
American Eagle Exteriors

Handyman/General Maintenance
HandyMan Connection

Snow Removal Friday Jan 21

2011-01-18T23:19:00.000-06:00

From 2-4pm on Friday Jan 21st, form 2-4pm cars will need to be moved from Atrium Parking lots. We will have Outdoor Images coming in to do a clean up of the lots due to the most recent snow falls. Bigos has given permission to park in the Kendrick lots during the plowing.

Car Parked on Carling Drive

2010-12-31T09:39:00.000-06:00

There is a car parked on the south side of Carling drive in front of 1390/1392 Buildings:
Make/Model: Nissan Sentra
Color: Champagne

If this is your vehicle please remove it as soon as possible so that the area can be cleared of snow.

Additionally, if anyone has any information regarding this vehicle or it's owner please contact us as soon as possible.

If this vehicle is not removed by January 10th, 2011 it will be towed.
Thank You,
JSP Properties LLC

Atrium Trash Chute Notice #2

2010-12-29T20:48:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION – 2ND NOTICE
It has been noted once again that waste is being incorrectly disposed of. All owners/residents should note, per your Association’s Rules and Regulations, that:

1. All trash must be tied tightly, in plastic bags only.

2. No boxes or unwrapped trash is to be placed in chutes.
(When unsealed trash is put down the chute it sticks to the sides, and has a tendency to create an intense aroma!)

3. Please take all cardboard to 1390 trash room. Additionally, please flatten boxes and place in green container.

4. No furniture is to be placed in any trash room in front of room, without notifying Management. There is a charge of $35.00 for each piece.

5. If chute is plugged, please do not leave trash in this room. Take it to the garbage room and inform the staff by calling (651) 324-2877 or go to www.jspproperties.com.

Thank you for your Cooperation.
JSP Properties LLC

Parking Notice: Thursday December 30th

2010-12-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

Outdoor Images will be at the Association to remove snow from parking areas on:

Thursday December 30th, 2010 from 12:00pm-2:00pm CST

Please remove all vehicles from parking lot for this clean up. They will also attempt to remove snow from Carling Drive if all vehicles are moved from there as well.

It is important for the safety and convenience of all residents to have the snow removed from parking areas. Please be sure to have all vehicles removed from parking lots no later than 12:00pm CST in order for snow to be completely removed.

November 2010 Board Meeting Recap

2010-12-22T15:57:00.002-06:00

*The below notes are NOT official minutes and are a recap. For full text, contact a board member.*

Homeowner Forum
· An owner attended the homeowner forum to discuss the status of the water infiltration into her unit. Foundation experts were at her unit the previous day, and stated that what they propose to be done is a water barrier is placed from the ceiling of her unit to below the foundation level. This will stop any water from infiltrating her unit in the event that it is still leaking down from the above garage membrane. A formal proposal will be presented to the Board of Directors for review later in the week.

· A resident has with concerns regarding carpet patching in the 1390 building. Recently a plumber was out inspecting and repairing piping in the building to alleviate water leak issues, and had to cut a square of the carpeting in the hallway in order to gain access to these pipes. It was reported that the carpet was patched back together poorly. The Board of Directors is currently working on obtaining and reviewing a proposal for carpeting in the hallways of all common areas. This will alleviate the problem. In the meantime discussion occurred regarding putting an access plate in place of the cut carpet to allow easier access to these pipes incase future issues arise.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m. Quorum of Board present.

· Board Members Present: Richard Robbins, Caitrin Mullan, Jon Guyer, Greg Barron, Allison Sandve, and Carolann Winther

· Board Members Absent: None

· Owners Present: Rolla Breitman, and Erving Berg

· Managers Present: Jason Parr, and Rachael Aure, JSP Properties LLC.

Treasurer’s Report

· Bigos is current – through October 31, 2010, on its shared services amounts owed to the association.
Secretary’s Report

· The October 28, 2010 minutes were approved with one wording change. The motion for approval was made by Allison, and 2nd by Caitrin. Motion carried.

Regular Business
· Discussion occurred on the proposal set forth by BEI to repair the 1392 deck/stair deficiencies. The current space between stair risers is a City Code violation as they are spaced too far apart, and the hand railing is not the appropriate height. BEI set forth a proposal to fix these deficiencies for $480.00. A motion was made by Greg to approve this proposal, and 2nd by Carolann. Motion Carried. BEI will commence work on the deck/stairs beginning Monday November 29, 2010.

· Discussion occurred on an additional proposal set forth by BEI to implement the same grading/water leak repairs to 1392 that were implemented at 1372 to attempt to alleviate the water infiltration affetcting the 1372 Unit. The proposal obtained from BEI would go forward with repairing the sloping grading and installing a French drain outside of 1392 to attempt to alleviate the water infiltration issue as well. A motion was made by Greg to accept BEI’s proposal, and 2nd by Allison. Motion carried.

· An additional proposal from BEI for the advanced repairs to the 1372 unit are currently being put together, and will be given to the Board of Directors later this week for review. This proposal will state the cost that would be incurred by placing a water barrier from below the foundation to the ceiling to prevent any water infiltration.

· The Board of Directors reviewed and discussed the cash flow analysis and reserve expenditures set forth by Reserve Advisors after the Reserve Study was completed. These documents provided a replacement timeline on items in the Association (i.e. boilers, mailboxes, intercoms, windows, ect). The Reserve Study also offers a recommendation on what needs to be contributed to the Association’s Reserves in order to finance all of these capital expenditures. A follow-up will be made with Reserve Advisors to add a few missing components the Board of Directors would like to see added into the reserve study including the copper piping in the Atriums, and the sump pumps at the Townhomes.

· The Board of Directors reviewed Agreement Amendments set forth by the Port Authority/Energy Park for the upcoming upgrades to the “Hot and Chilled Water Service Agreements.” The main changes in these agreements include extending the timeline for service to September 30, 2036 as well as the increase in costs that will be incurred in 2012 to finance the new four-pipe heating/cooling system that will be put in place in late 2011.

· Discussion occurred on a proposal set forth by American Family Insurance for the addition of a Workman’s Compensation policy to be added to the Association’s current General Insurance Policy. This will protect the Association and its owners/residents in the event that a vendor or worker inside the building or on the grounds gets hurt. The proposal from American Family Insurance would be an addition of $366.00 a year in insurance costs. A motion was made to approve this addition to the Association’s insurance by Greg, and 2nd by Jon. Motion Carried.

· A proposal was provided for the Board of Director’s review from Otis Elevators for the upgrades to the elevators needed to comply with the 2010 law changes that will be taking affect. In the interest of time for this meeting the proposal was tabled by the Board until the December meeting, and will be reviewed further at that time.

Ongoing Business

· Discussion occurred on the 2011 Budget finalizations. With the information received from Reserve Advisors it has come to the Board of Director’s attention that in the coming years there are a lot of costs that the Association will incur in maintenance that has been deferred. Some examples of this include the sky lights, chimney caps, soffit vents, and elevator upgrades in the Atriums. Although there are fewer items for the Townhomes there is a need to cover costs for paint touch ups, and repayment of the Reserve Amount to the Atriums from the Street Lighting and Asphalt projects. Due to these deferred maintenance costs as well as upcoming increases in energy costs the Board of Director’s reviewed many options to cover these expenses while still maintaining a respectable level of dues costs for the owners/residents in the Association. Some final changes to the budget for 2011 included a slight raise in dues than what was previously projected for 2011, and increased reserve contributions to comply with the upcoming law changes on “adequate reserve contributions.” In order to finalize the budget two motions were made:

o A motion to approve an increase in dues for both Atriums and Townhomes – approximating 11% on consolidate basis, was made by Jon and 2nd by Rich. Motion Carried. This dues increase will be effective January 1, 2011. Each homeowner will receive an individual letter outlining changes to their costs.

§ Note: Garage costs for Atrium owners will decrease from $4.33 to $3.00 per month. This will also be outlined in the letter owners will receive regarding cost changes.

o A motion was set forth to approve a special assessment for the Townhomes in the amount of $32,000. The cost will be $1,000 per Townhome owner and will be due in two payments of $500. The first installment will be due in full no later than March 31st, 2011. The second installment will be due in full no later than June 30th, 2011. Owners have the option to pay an additional portion towards this assessment with their monthly dues, or to pay it in one lump sum prior to the due date. This motion was made by Jon and 2nd by Rich. Motion Carried.

o A motion was set forth to approve a special assessment for the Atriums in the amount of $72,000. The cost will be $800 per Atrium owner and will be due in two payments of $400. The first installment will be due in full no later than March 31st, 2011. The second installment will be due in full no later than June 30th, 2011. Owners have the option to pay an additional portion towards this assessment with their monthly dues, or to pay it in one lump sum prior to the due date. This motion was made by Jon and 2nd by Rich. Motion Carried.

§ Note: These assessments will be further detailed on a per-owner basis in letters to be sent out no later than November 30th, 2010.

· Discussion occurred on the plumbing repair made to 1372. Plumbers located the source of a water leak experience by another owner in 1372 which was caused by an un-caulked bathtub fixture. This is an instance in which it is the owner’s responsibility to be sure all plumbing fixtures are sealed and caulked to prevent water leaking and erosion. All owners are encouraged to check their faucets, bath tubs, toilets, and dishwashers for proper caulking or any visible leaks. The Board of Directors will currently working on a preventative maintenance lists all owners can enact in their own units to help prevent damage to their property, or the property of their neighbors. Be on the lookout for that information soon!

Other Business

· Discussion occurred on the use of Salt versus Sand to combat ice on walkways during the winter months. The consensus believes that Salt is preferred for spreading on walkways/driveways around the Association as it does less damage to carpets and flooring in both Atriums and Townhomes when tracked indoors. Sand will be used on a limited basis to improve traction when glare-ice is present, though.

o Discussion also occurred in regards to Management help out on the grounds with shoveling and salting walkways when the 1.5” trigger is not met for Outdoor Images to come out. This will help with keeping the walkways safer for owners/residents, and removal of the snow drifts and accumulation will help prevent ice from building up as well.

· A contract extension from Outdoor Images, Inc was presented to the Board of Directors to extend the Association’s use of Outdoor Images for lawn and snow care through October 31st, 2011. No changes in service or cost will be incurred by this contract extension. A motion to approve this contract was made by Allison and 2nd by Greg. Motion Carries.

· Discussion occurred on Catherine Mason’s resignation from the Board of Directors. The Board would like to extend their Thanks and Appreciation to Catherine for her dedication and service to both the Board of Directors and the Association.

o With Catherine’s resignation there is an opening on the Board of Directors. Homeowners are encouraged to explore the possibility of getting involved and joining the Board of Directors. If you have interest in this position we encourage you to attend the December 2010 Board of Directors meeting for further information and discussion about the opportunity.

Next meeting – DUE TO HOLIDAYS - 7:00pm on December 21st, 2010. 1392 Carling Drive, 1st floor lounge.

Adjourn - Meeting adjourned at 10:28 pm

MacLaren Hill Board Meeting moving to Dec 21st

2010-12-14T22:32:00.000-06:00

Due to the Christmas Holiday, the the Board meeting schedule for December 28th will be moving to December 21st. The meeting location remains the 1392 lounge.

Saint Paul Mayor's Note on Weekend Snow

2010-12-14T22:28:00.002-06:00

Dear Saint Paul Friends and Neighbors,

This weekend’s storm was a historic weather event, and for as frequently as we use the term ‘snow emergency,’ we now find ourselves in the middle of a snow emergency on a level we are prepared for but not accustomed to. While this is no consolation to those of you who are facing snowy streets and sidewalks, please know the City of Saint Paul is working as hard as possible to address these concerns as quickly as we can.

Across the City, our employees have been working continually since Friday night to clear the roads. Our plows are faced with the daunting task of clearing 284 million cubic feet of snow – enough to fill more than a million cement trucks. Currently, we have more than 130 pieces of equipment across the city working to clear more than 1800 lane miles of snow. It’s a historic response to a historic event, and I’m proud of the round-the-clock effort our employees are making.

Finally, it could take ten days or more to get driving conditions back to normal on every street, and we ask for patience and support as we move forward. While we currently have 88 plows clearing the snow off of City streets, this needs to be a joint effort. We are a community of neighborhoods and we will need neighbors helping neighbors to get through this. This is especially true for our elderly and disabled residents who rely on those around to pitch in and help clear their driveway and sidewalk. If you are able to help, please visit http://www.twincities.com/ for an interactive map to find those who need help.

Ultimately, clearing a storm of this size in an urban environment, working around cars on streets with heavy traffic, is a monumental challenge, but it’s a challenge the City is going to meet. We also need to be clear that this operation is not a matter of hours. It will take several days or more to get driving conditions back to normal on every street, and we ask for patience and support as we move forward.

Please direct any comments or concerns to 651-266-8989. Updates can be found by checking www.stpaul.gov or calling 651-266-PLOW (7569). Thank you for your continued patience.

Sincerely,

Chris Coleman, Mayor

MacLaren Hill Winter Social Dec 16th

2010-12-14T22:25:00.000-06:00

The Winter Social will be held on Thursday December 16th beginning at 6:30 pm in the 1372 lounge.

Join others in our MacLaren Hill community for the annual winter social. Whether you’re new or a long time resident, this is a great chance to meet your neighbors. Coffee and punch will be provided, please bring an appetizer or dessert to share.

The MacLaren Hill Social Committee will be collecting food for an area food shelf during the winter social. Please consider donating non‐perishable food items to help alleviate hunger in local families this season.