Summary: June 10, 2011 Board Meeting

1.  Repairs to 31 Balconies and Railings.
We have received estimates from 2 contractors to repair the 31 balconies and railings based on the drawings by architect Russell Rosen. Lowcountry Residential Construction (Rich Darnell) and Blanchard Construction have provided estimates. Note that Blanchard is the contractor who recently did the repairs on the West side balconies. We never received an estimate from NBM (Tom Nelson). The Board is consulting with Russell Rosen about these estimates and also checking on references and licensing requirements. If there are no issues or concerns, then we agree to accept the lowest bid for this phase of the balcony/railing repairs. The Board is still evaluating the remaining repairs to other balconies/railings, and these will be repaired or replaced as needed. This work is needed to maintain the integrity, safety, and appearance of the building. The Board agrees that an assessment will be needed to complete this work. A letter with details will be forthcoming shortly.

2.  Rental of Parking Spaces.
The neighbor who requested to use a parking space in the Murray Blvd. parking lot has made no further inquiry about his request and we have not seen his red truck in some time. Due to possible liability and zoning issues, along with the feedback from FSH owners/residents, the Board declines to allow the use of Murray Blvd. parking lot by any neighbors for rental purpose. If we hear from our neighbor again regarding his request, we will inform him of our decision. At our last meeting, we agreed to consider renting spaces in the South Battery parking lot, but we tabled this proposal until we can do a cost analysis. No further action on this proposal is planned at this time.

3.  Excessive Water Bills.
Since repairing the faulty shut-off valve on the cooling towers, fixing a toilet leak, and addressing a filter leak problem in the pool, we have noticed a reduction in the water bills. We will continue to monitor this situation.

4.  Pool Rules.
The pool is open for the summer! We ask that you please comply with all of the posted pool rules. Our pool is considered public and is regulated by the state of South Carolina. If we are found to be non-compliant, then DHEC can close the pool. The rules are posted on the web site (fortsumterhouse.org) and on the front lobby desk.

5.  Front Door Entry Key System.
We have a new front door entry system for the King St. entrance. There have been some complaints about the new system producing confusion for guests. We will be posting additional instructions at the King Street entrance to clarify how to use the new system.

6.  Proposal for Dehumidifier on 7th Floor.
The Board investigated installation of a commercial-grade dehumidifier on the 7th floor to alleviate the moisture and inconsistent temperatures in our hallways. The cost of installation was estimated at $5800. However we learned that the unit is not usable in the attic space due to the excessive heat and lack of ventilation. Furthermore the unit has a loud noise level and it produces additional heat. In an effort to find another solution, we tried closing some of the air vents on lower floors to reduce the air flow, but this produced condensation and wet carpets. We decided against installation of a dehumidifier. At this time, we have not found another solution to this issue.

7.  Update on Roof and Solar Panels.
Dick Donohoe reports that he met with Randy Bates Jr, his business partner Chuck Thompson, and an SCE&G representative to discuss the proposal for a limited installation of solar panels on the roof. Our goal was to cut our electric costs in half, but the proposal would only save us $3000 a year and there was a 7-year payback period. SCE&G reported that they only have 84 solar installations in their entire area. We determined that solar energy technology is still too expensive and that it is best to encourage all owners/residents to apply conservation measures to reduce electric costs. These include installation of storm windows and this is strongly recommended by the Board for all units.

8.  Conserving Energy.
The Board has taken some steps to reduce energy consumption. If you are up late, you may notice that the front lobby chandelier lights are turned off from about 10:30 PM to about 6:30 AM. We are trying to do the same thing in the back lobby. We also discussed the possibility of installing motion detectors in the halls and lobby.

One resident has installed interior storm windows to conserve energy. If you are interested in seeing these interior windows, contact Board member Dick Donohoe.

If you have ideas for conserving energy, please let us know!

9.  Resurfacing of Terraces on 2nd & 3rd Floors.
The Board has asked Joe Yetsko and his staff to resurface the terrace flooring on the 2nd and 3rd floor terraces (East exposure) with a charcoal grey sealant. The Board asks that these owners clean their terrace area in preparation for this maintenance work. This includes clearing away any dead scrubs, removing tall and/or unsightly items, and complying with the rules and regulations for the terraces (limited common elements) that are posted on the FSH web site (click Rules & Regs above). If owners are unable to clean the area, the FSH will hire someone to do this work and include the cost on the owner’s next regime billing.

10.  Amendment to Master Deed – Usage of Commercial Space on 1st Floor.
The Board has received very little feedback regarding this amendment. We agreed to put this amendment before the Association for a vote at the Annual Meeting on October 31, 2011. A 2/3rds majority vote is required to pass this amendment to limit the usage of commercial space on the 1st floor. Details of the proposed amendment are in the Meeting Summary dated January 28, 2011.

11.  Amendment to Master Deed – Minimum 6 Month Rental of Apartments.
The Board received some feedback regarding this amendment. There was a request to see the legal documentation related to the 6 month requirement for rentals and compliance with South Carolina law. For clarification, according to the SC Accommodations Tax law, anyone renting for a term of 90 days or less must have a business license and pay accommodations sales and use taxes. At the last Annual Meeting, the Board understood that the consensus among those in attendance was to limit rentals to a minimum of 6 months to comply with the law and to minimize the resident turnover in the building. The Accommodations Tax documents are posted on the web site (click Add’l Links above). The Board agreed to put this amendment before the Association for a vote at the Annual Meeting on October 31, 2011. A 2/3rds majority vote is required to pass this amendment to require a minimum of 6 months for all rentals. Details of the proposed amendment are in the Meeting Summary dated January 28, 2011.

12.  Master Deed and Rental of Apartments.
This is a reminder about rentals. The Master Deed requires that your lease agreement be submitted to the Building Manager, Joe Yetsko, prior to any renters moving into the building. For your convenience, there is a sample lease agreement posted on the FSH web site (click Add’l Links above).

13.  Pressure Washing the Building.
The Board agreed that the building needs to be pressure washed. Considering that the balcony repairs need to be completed, we would like to get estimates for a staged pressure wash and do the North side first. We further agreed that the pressure washing will not include window washing of individual units or any storm windows.

14.  Security Signage.
We have purchased 4 security/surveillance signs to inhibit usage of our property as a bathroom, two for each parking lot.

15.  Reminder about Carts.
The 4 green carts under the back lobby stairs are for the use of all residents. Please remember to return the carts after use, so that they are available for other residents. It is not the responsibility of FSH staff to return the carts to the lobby!

16.  Building Security Guidelines.
There have been reports of unauthorized persons appearing inside the building. We think that some owners or residents may inadvertently be allowing strangers to follow them inside when they open the entrance door. This is often called tail-gating and jeopardizes the building security. Please do not allow unknown persons to tail-gate when you enter FSH. The Security Guidelines are posted on the web site (click Rules & Regs above) and on the bulletin board in the back lobby.

17.  Fort Sumter House Web Site.
We post the Board meeting summaries and other information of interest for FSH residents on the Fort Sumter House web site and blog located here: https://fortsumterhouse.org/. Some items posted on the site are: the FSH Master Deed documents, rules & regulations, a sample lease agreement, a web site of current listings, and much more. Please visit the site! We welcome your comments and feedback, and any suggestions to enhance the site.