Summary: October 29, 2012 Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of The Fort Sumter House Association was called to order by the president, Dick Donohoe, at 6:30 on Monday, October 29, 2012.

Members of the Board of Directors in attendance were:

Dick Donohoe – President
Joy Jarvis – Vice President
Glenn DeBiasi – Treasurer
Beth Dixon – Secretary

Also present at the meeting was:

Joe Yetsko – Manager of FSH

On behalf of the FSHA Board of Directors, Dick Donohoe took a moment before the meeting to recognize George Boniface for his leadership and service to the Association. George has served on the board for the last 6 years and, as president, helped steer the Association through the major project of repairing the building foundation. We appreciate his service to the Association.

1. Welcome to New Owners
This year we welcome these new owners to Fort Sumter House:

Beverly Bishop in Apt 203
Julian and Alice AvRutick in Apt 309/310 (also owners of Apt 601)
Lucian and Sue Del Priore in Apt 407
Russell Holliday and Hal Cottingham in Apt 502
Howell and Nancy Beach in Apt 505/506
Donald and Teresa Sanders in Apt 510
Albert and Christabel Nazareth in Apt 702
Steve and Gail Anastasion in Apt 709

2. Calling of the Role and Certifying Proxies
Joe Yetsko confirmed that we satisfied the quorum requirement (>50%) for a valid meeting. The percentage of ownership is based on square footage owned, not headcount. Thank you to all who sent in proxies!

Present:                              20 owners (46.49% of ownership)
Proxy:                                 12 owners (21.64% of ownership)
Not present / no proxy:  21 owners (31.87% of ownership)

3. Proof of Notice of the Meeting
Proof of notice of the meeting was confirmed. The letter scheduling the meeting was dated and mailed on October 10, 2012, meeting the requirements of the Master Deed.

4. Approval of Last Meeting Minutes
A motion was made to approve the minutes from the 2011 Annual Meeting and it was seconded. The minutes were approved and are posted on Fort Sumter House web site (fortsumterhouse.org).

5. President’s Report:
New Staff:
We have added four (4) new staff members in last year: Joseph McNeil and Eric Green are building custodians, Rodney Gladden handles the night shift, and Chris Weiner is the new maintenance technician. Lanwood Beall has been here for many years serving as custodian and in many other capacities. For more information on our excellent staff, see this link: https://fortsumterhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/MEET-THE-FORT-SUMTER-HOUSE-STAFF.doc.

Security – FOBs and Cameras:
We now have a new security system and cameras installed. The parking areas are under camera surveillance and the entrances can be accessed via FOBs. If you do not have a FOB for the entrances, please see Joe Yetsko.

Completion of Balcony Repairs and Assessment:
The balcony repairs are completed and we want to thank all owners for paying the assessment in a timely manner.

Completion of Pressure Washing the Building:
The building was pressure washed in June and looks very good.

Completion of Water Heater/Plumbing Inspections:
All but a few apartments have been inspected for problems with plumbing and appliances. This past year, two (2) water heaters burst. In August, a water heater burst and damaged the two (2) apartments below. The insurance companies of the FSHA and the owner of the unit with the failed water heater are in the process of resolving who is responsible for paying for the resulting damages. Note that according to the Master Deed By-Laws, Section VI Maintenance, Upkeep and Repair, the responsibility lies with the Owner when their plumbing equipment fails and causes damage in their and/or other apartments.

Apartment Access Compliance:
There are a some apartments with a dead bolt or keyed chain lock that are inaccessible in case of emergency or safety issue. FSH Management must have 24/7 access (via master key) to all apartments. Paragraph 26 (c) in the Master Deed stipulates the requirement for easement into every apartment for purposes of “… maintenance, repair or replacement of any of the common elements therein or accessible therefrom and at any time for making emergency repairs.”

Update on Cell Tower Leases:
Currently we lease space on the roof and in the electrical room on the ground floor to AT&T and Verizon. These leases provide revenue to FSHA and help us manage the building without increasing regime fees. We are currently in negotiations with Verizon about installing a generator onsite.

Sliding Glass Door Replacement and BAR:
A group of owners have been working with Classic Remodeling to get approval from the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) for replacement doors that match the existing narrow-stile doors. The original sliding doors were installed in 1976, are 36 years old, and have no historical significance. Many of these original doors are showing signs of significant rot. Seven (7) years ago the building code was changed to include a Design Pressure Rating of 50 (DP50) for wind. Our sliding doors do not meet this rating. According to Classic Remodeling, sliding door manufacturers do not make a wooden sliding door in the same narrow-stile with DP50. They found a custom made narrow-stile vinyl sliding door with DP50 and presented this alternative to BAR. We attended the BAR meeting on October 24, 2012 and they suggested that we consider a wooden French sliding door with DP55 that has a wider stile than our existing doors. The French sliding doors reduce the glass viewing area by 8” at the bottom and 5” on the other three sides. Furthermore they look distinctly different from the existing narrow-stile doors. The BAR deferred from making any decision and Classic Remodeling is investigating further. Stay tuned for new developments.

Bicycle Storage Room Clean Up:
The bicycle storage area near the loading dock is very overcrowded and there are many untagged bikes. FSH Management is taking an inventory of all bicycles and is in the process of cleaning up this area. Owners were notified in a letter on September 10, 2012 that any untagged bicycles left in the bicycle storage area were subject to disposal after October 29, 2012. If you do not have a tag or sticker for your bicycle, please see Joe Yetsko immediately to obtain one. If you do not do this and do not have a tag or sticker, your bicycle may disappear soon.

Also note that all items left in this area are left at owner’s risk. The FSHA does not assume responsibility for missing or damaged items left in the bicycle room or in any Common area.

Change to Sq. Footage in Units 609/610:
The Master Deed needs to be amended to reflect the change in square footage and new percentages in units 609 and 610 in Exhibit E. There were no objections.

Maintenance / Repair List:
The maintenance / repair list was mailed to all owners. The highest priority items are the HVAC upgrade and insulation for the chill water pipes and risers. Currently we are seeking proposals for the HVAC system.

6. Financial Report:
The financial statements were mailed in the October 10, 2012 mailing to all owners. All questions about the budget and financial statements should be directed to Joe Yetsko or Glenn DeBiasi.

7. Unfinished Business:
There was no unfinished business.

8. New Business:
Several owners in attendance asked that the pet policy be revisited. Owners on the first floor specifically mentioned that security was an issue. The last time we presented an amendment to allow dogs and cats was in May 2009. It did not pass. We then presented a ‘cats only’ pet policy at the annual meeting in October 2009 and this also did not pass. The board will discuss this request at the next board meeting.

9. Election of Board Members:
A notification letter about the Annual Meeting and election of officers was duly sent out on October 10, 2012, as required by the Master Deed. Joy Jarvis and Beau Clowney were elected to the Board for two (2) year terms by majority vote.

10. Adjournment
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting and it was seconded.