Ambassador II Condominiums

Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2015.
Board Members in attendance:
Brien Sherman (President)
Jay Heath (Treasurer)
Shaun Ross (Secretary)

Introduction and Signin:
● Counting the number of persons present and proxies acquired, 30 persons attended and a quorum was met.
● The proof of meeting notice was provided to all attendees.
● The IRS form 70 604
was read aloud by the Treasurer as per federal law.
● The 2014 annual meeting minutes were approved as written by the membership.

Financial Report:
● The Treasurer presented budget highlights from the previous fiscal year. He also presented the 2015 /2016 annual budget for approval by the membership. A dues increase of 2.5% over the previous year was suggested. Four line items we reduced while ten were increased.
○ The 2015/2016 annual budget was approved by the membership as presented.
● The replacement of the alley vehicle garage door was funded with Reserves. We also replaced a compressor for our dry fire sprinkler system.

Old Business:
● Water heaters: The Board would like to remind all homeowners to please replace water heaters by the time the manufacturer’s warranty period ends. As a general rule if your water heater says Bradford White on the side, it’s likely the original equipment. This equipment is well past the end of its life and may fail without warning causing significant water damage to yours and surrounding units.
● Water Supply Valves & Hoses: If the water valves to your sinks, toilet(s), washing machine, and dishwasher are gray plastic, they are original equipment and should be replaced as soon as possible. These plastic valves have been known to fail without notice. We also urge everyone to check and change washing machine hoses every 5 years; braided hoses are more flexible and can last a decade.
● Toilets: The Board strongly urges residents to pay close attention to toilets. Several instances of spontaneous tank cracks over the years have been reported. If your toilet says “CRANE”, it’s also likely original equipment. Aged equipment is less efficient. Please consider replacing your toilet(s) with newer more efficient models.
● Homeowners and tenants need to pay better attention to what can be recycled. There are notices posted near the dumpsters for reference and on the City of Seattle website. If we lose our recycling containers or fines are imposed, our garbage bill could rise dramatically.
● According to USFA/FEMA, smoke detectors are recommended to be replaced every 10years. If your smoke detector doesn’t have a battery backup, it is well past its expected service life. Also remember that carbon monoxide detectors are now required by State law. Rental units must be equipped immediately. Whereas, resident owners are required to install CO detectors as a condition of sale.
● UPDATE: The CondoInternet and CenturyLink high speed internet services are not available due to high costs of rewiring the buildings.
● UPDATE: The Board has looked into the cost of separating the water main so each association has their own meter. The price of this project is cost prohibitive with little or no cost savings.
● Frustration with fellow residents and their barking dogs was addressed at the meeting just as a dog from Ambassador 1 started barking. The first step to resolving a barking dog issue is contacting the owner of the dog and try to work at resolving the situation between each party. If this doesn’t work, please contact the Board with a log of times and dates of the continued barking along with the unit number. Unfortunately, the Ambassador 2 Board has no jurisdiction over Ambassador 1 residents.
● UPDATE: Building maintenance by Friday Maids’ cleaning crew has improved dramatically. We have new personnel cleaning the building.

New Business:
● Nomination and election of two Board members. The incumbents, Jay Heath and Brien Sherman, were reelected to the Board for another 3year term each.
● The annual Reserve Study for the 2015 / 2016 fiscal year is scheduled for completion later this Summer. We anticipate the study to increase our very good standing above 85% funding of our total reserve needs. This is well above the average for comparable associations.
● In anticipation of an inquiry to reasons for another year with a dues increase, the Treasurer provided explanations for the continued increases to our reserves.
● The Board will be replacing the three courtyard lamp posts with bollard style light fixtures later this year along with the 25 garage lights. Seattle City Light has a program that subsidizes the cost of replacing high wattage fixtures with efficient LEDs. We will take advantage of this program.
● The Board continues to look into security options for the building and presented a few options with a semi-timeline
of implementation periods.
○ Rekeying the building: Probably next year.
○ Installing cameras: Will review once garage lights have been replaced.
○ Replacing the common door locks with electronic versions: Will review at a later date.
○ Creating a community watch program online: Has been implemented through ‘Nextdoor Capitol Hill Southwest’ (www.nextdoor.com).
● A member inquired about rules & regulations regarding the remodeling of their unit. The inside of each unit is the domain of each owner and each can pretty much do what they like to the space as long as it does not affect other units, common areas, or the building exterior.
● A member inquired about replacing the storage lockers, as some are in a sad state of disrepair: The storage lockers are assigned and owned by each unit. They are not the responsibility of the Association and can be replaced within the same footprint at owners expense. As has been mentioned before, the Board recommends not storing anything in your locker that you do not wish to lose. Thieves still target these units.

Meeting adjourned at 8:02pm.
Next annual meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, August 10, 2016.