Notification 2 (New City): Project Start

Delivered as I was posting the picture of the scaffolding is a letter from New City Contracting dated today with the subject “Notification #02 — Project Start”. It’s addressed to residents in units “101-108- 201- 208- 301- 308- 401- 406” (actual punctuation and spacing). I’m not sure if that means it has been delivered to all units in the building or only those units actually shown; the dashes make it confusing.

Also confusing is that this is apparently notification number 2, but I don’t recall notification number 1. Perhaps it was delivered earlier only to units on the west side of the building, as scaffolding was erected there on 31 October, if I remember correctly. Further confusing the issue is the reference to the “project start”. I thought the project started on 24 October? What do I know? I just live here and pay the bills!

Anyway, scaffolding will start to be erected on Thursday, 24 November and actual work on the balconies will start on Monday, 28 November. Again, not sure if this is for the whole building or just the specific suite numbers explicitly mentioned above. This work — involving removing the railings, flooring and ceilings and doing necessary repair work — is to take 4-5 weeks. Your guess is as good as mine as to exactly where this fits into the schedule posted on the notice board.

The letter (signed by New City project manager Alex Mikaelian) asks residents to remove everything from their balconies, and notes that balconies will no longer be accessible as of Monday, 28 November.

I’ll be adding this letter to the Documents page shortly.

More scaffolding has arrived

In other breaking news, a bunch of scaffolding was unloaded into the common area on the south side of the building this afternoon.

By the way, does anyone in 202, 203, 302 or 303 have any comments on the application of deck membrane on their decks that has presumably happened by now?

FREE to a good home

We’re de-cluttering, as they say, and are giving away a couple of items. If they’re not gone by next weekend, unfortunately they will head to the dump or (in the case of the TV) the electronics recycler.

If you’re interested in taking one or both of these or at least having a look, please let me know.

Entertainment centre free to a good home (Kitsilano)

Very nice, almost antique (by today’s standards) entertainment centre. Well-crafted wood, not cheap Ikea stuff. It’s yours for the taking, free, gratis and for nothing. Just come and pick it up. You’ll need a dolly.

Details:

• Width: 1435 mm / 56.5″
• Height: 1150 mm / 45.25″
• Depth: 535 mm / 21″
• Glass door to shelves for audio/video components or CDs, DVDs, books, etc.
• 5 shelves, 3 that extend on rollers
• 1 drawer with a removable frame to organise cassettes and VHS tapes
• The TV compartment has a swivelling base for the TV and it extends out of the unit part way
• Doors to cover the TV when closed that retract into the unit when they’re open

Contents of the unit shown in the pictures are not included. However, we’re also giving away the TV, so you can take both if you want them. Available for pick-up morning, noon and night.

Emails responded to promptly.

Sony Trinitron colour(!) TV free to a good home (Kitsilano)

27″ Sony Trinitron TV. Was working last time we watched it, which was before we bought the flat-screen about a year ago. Comes with manual. It’s yours for the taking, free, gratis and for nothing. Just come and pick it up.

We’re also giving away the entertainment unit it’s sitting in. You can have both! Available for pick-up morning, noon and night.

Emails responded to promptly.

Notice 4 (Williamson): Balcony deck membrane

The latest notice from John Williamson Inc., dated 17 November, advises that the application of liquid deck membrane to the decks of units 202, 203, 302 and 303 will begin “immediately”.

Emphasis is placed on the fact that this stuff doesn’t smell particularly good, but that the smell should dissipate within twenty-four hours and that it is approved for exposure for a short duration and in ventilated conditions. The notice also advises: “Should you currently suffer from any pre-existing health disorders related to eye, skin, liver, kidney and respiratory organs or if you have an infant, you may wish to consider keeping your windows close [sic] during the application period.”

Further information on Vulkem 350/351 (including product information and material safety data sheets) can be found in a web search or on the Tremco Commercial Sealants and Waterproofing website.

BC Hydro notice of meter exchange

Under the heading of “better late than never” — on my part, not anyone else’s — is this notice from BC Hydro and Corix Utilities informing us that we’re getting (or had installed) smart meters on 14 or 15 November between 08:00 and 20:00.

Smells in the hallways

After years of wondering, I’ve finally figured something out. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed that when stepping into the hallway, occasionally there is a “certain” smell lingering there. The smell is unmistakable to anyone who has lived in Vancouver long enough, but there’s no visible source in the hallway.

I think what happens is that the smoke rises to the roof, where it’s sucked in by the make-up air unit, and then pumped throughout the building. Voila! A free high for everyone. I feel so grateful!

On the topic of smells caused by smoking, I heard it said recently that someone claimed that people on lower floors wouldn’t smell someone smoking on an upper floor. While it’s true that smoke rises, smells diffuse through the air in all directions independent of the smoke (and gravity). Something to keep in mind.

Of course, the issue of smoke and smells is addressed in minutes and notices several times a year. However, I’m guessing it’s usually only neighbours immediately adjacent to the source of the problem who complain, and I’m guessing that sometimes others just shrug their shoulders and ask, “What’s the big deal?” Now it’s clear to me that one person can be responsible for pumping unwelcome smells throughout the building, making the issue everyone’s problem.

Added and reorganised documents

I’ve been busy scanning a whole bunch of documents and adding them to the Documents page. Besides the fact that I have uploaded a copy of every digital document I already have, there isn’t really any logic to what is there and what isn’t; I haven’t picked a specific date and uploaded everything sent out since that date. Given the time and resources available to me (unlike Strataco, I’m not being paid), I’ve picked a bunch of documents that seem to be the most important at this time, and that’s what you see. If you notice something missing that you’d like to see made available here, please email me a PDF version of that document and I’ll slot it in.

Please also note that anything I have scanned and much of what I have received from Strataco is not searchable. In that respect PDF documents come in two flavours:

1. Original digital documents that contain searchable text, and
2. Scans of paper documents that are, essentially, just analogue images of text and therefore not searchable.

Obviously searchable digital documents are preferable. However, Strataco does not consistently send searchable digital PDFs of documents they create, even though they can and should. (One month they’ll send the minutes in a searchable PDF created from an original Microsoft Word document, and the next they’ll go to the trouble of printing the minutes, scanning them and then sending that non-searchable PDF.) We’ll never manage to have everything in a searchable format, but certainly we should press Strataco to provide us with searchable PDFs of everything they create.

I’ve also tried to organise the Documents page a little better. To some this organisation might make sense; to others it might not. In my mind, things get a little confusing when one document is distributed to Owners multiple times, especially when (especially in advance of annual and special general meetings) packages of documents are distributed that contain many discrete documents. Then, do you file everything in chronological order, or do you separate correspondence and reports? And when a letter has another document attached (let’s say relating to finances), do you file them together or does the document go under finances and the letter under correspondence? All weighty questions. 🙂

In the digital arena you can at least cross-reference things more easily, and that’s what I’ve elected to do. For example, under Correspondence is a letter with the subject “Make-up Air Unit Replacement” dated 30 June 2011. It’s a one-page letter to which was attached a six-page proposal from Honeywell dated 4 February 2011. Under the link to the letter is a link to the proposal. And in the Administration section of the page the Honeywell proposal is listed, under which it’s noted that it was attached to the cover letter. All are linked so that it’s clear what’s connected to what, but that causes some apparent duplication.

Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve added:

• Council, AGM and SGM minutes going back to November 2010.
  • It’s worth noting that the minutes of the 30 August 2011 Council meeting were never (to my knowledge) “officially” distributed (strange as that may seem), so you can get a copy here if you don’t already have them.
• 2011/2012 operating budget and strata fees.
• Insurance documents.
• Honeywell make-up air unit documents and correspondence.
• A place holder for a copy of the contract between LMS 2833 and Strataco Management Ltd. (do you have a copy you can send to me?).
• Several EXP/Trow and RDH documents.
• Several documents from John Williamson Inc. and Strataco related to the building envelope repair.

Feedback, as always, is welcome.

Notice 3 (Williamson): Remembrance Day holiday

I’m a little late in posting this, but notice number 3 (dated 10 November) from John Willimason Inc. informs us of the fact that Friday, 11 November (Remembrance Day) was a holiday, and no work was conducted on that date.

Commenting period extended to 90 days

After finally having someone other than me post something here, it immediately occurred to me that perhaps the default comment period after a blog post (14 days) is too brief. After all, Council meetings only take place every two months or so, so if there is an issue under discussion here it doesn’t make sense to cut off the discussion after only two weeks.

So I’ve increased the comment period to 90 days. After 90 days comments on a particular blog post are automatically closed. This should be enough time to allow comments on an issue before and after a Council meeting, without the issue going stale. After 90 days, if necessary, someone can always make a new blog post on the issue, summarising and updating the issue to that point and refreshing the discussion.

Your thoughts?

Report 1 (Williamson): Building Remedial Report

Yesterday (8 November) Strataco emailed a copy (dated 3 November) of what I assume is the first of the monthly reports promised by John Williamson Inc. I presume that hard copies were also distributed yesterday to those who have not chosen to receive them via email.

Reference is made in the report to the schedule of work that is posted on the notice board, and that it “is not cast in stone”. This, of course, is obvious, and no reasonable person would insist otherwise.

However, I’m looking at the schedule and I’m looking at the calendar and I’m looking back at the schedule and I can’t help but notice that the balconies on all four sides of the building are supposed to be demolished by Friday, 11 November (the day after tomorrow), but New City Contracting is still working on the balconies on the west side of the building, where they started. To my knowledge nothing has happened on the north, south and east sides of the building, although to be honest I haven’t made a point of looking down the east wall lately. It’s also interesting to note than demolition was supposed to start on the north side of the building and finish on the west, so the schedule went out the window almost from day one.

Just sayin’.

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Updated 2011-11-11: Added the date of the report to the text.

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