Ambassador II Condominiums

Monday, May 9, 2016
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross (absent)
Member At Large: Anand Singla (absent)
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
No homeowner was present this month.

No quorum was present.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending April 30, 2016.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $50,714.11
Washington Federal Replacement Reserve: $208,385.46
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,392.02
Umpqua Bank 17 month CD: $235,876.90
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $704,468.49

Committee Reports
● No reports.

Security
● No vehicles or lockers were reported broken into this past month.
● No package thefts were noticed or reported in March. If you ship here, you may wish to include your call box code as part of your address label information.

Rules
● Recycling reminders: Recycling is now being picked up twice per week, on Tuesday and Friday. We have asked the City to remove the small containers. Glass now goes in the large recycling containers. The City has again revised the confusing list of acceptable recycling material. Plastic lids of all sizes are now allowed as long as they are attached to the jars or bottles. Apparently lids from glass containers are still not permitted. As always, the bottles must be rinsed.

Old Business
● Nonresident owners are encouraged to inspect their tenant occupied units on a regular basis. We have seen multiple instances in the last few years of non reported issues by tenants that have caused unnecessary damage to units and common areas.
● Annual pressure washing of the bridges, walkways, and courtyard was completed earlier this month.
● Homeowners or residents with decks are encouraged to clean them at least annually using an environmentally friendly cleaner. Clean decks greatly extend the life of the finish.

New Business
● Yet another plumbing leak occurred last month. A washing machine overflowed and damaged 2 units.
● It is that time of year when windows are open. Residents with dogs are strongly urged to keep them quiet and under control both inside and outside the unit. There are 64 households in three buildings facing the courtyard who may be disturbed or awakened by barking dogs. The barking is worse in the evening and early morning hours.
● We have terminated our old cleaning service for repeated non-performance. We have hired the company that has been cleaning the Dentist office satisfactorily for a decade. New cleaning days are Monday and Friday.
● The Board has prepared the new budget for our fiscal year that begins in July. There will be a ½% increase in dues. Details will be sent in a separate mailing.

Meeting concluded at 7:10 pm.

Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 13, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122 (not mailing address)

Monday, April 11, 2016
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross (absent)
Member At Large: Anand Singla (absent)
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present this month

A quorum not being present, this was an unofficial meeting.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending March 31, 2016.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $75,812.20
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve: $200,878.84
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,365.66
Umpqua Bank 17 month CD: $235,289.80
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $723,446.50

Committee Reports
● No reports.

Security
● No vehicles or lockers were reported broken into this past month. Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything you don’t wish to lose in lockers or vehicles. Leaving valuables or even non-valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Please wait for the garage gate to close completely. Residential garage burglaries are still up citywide. Seattle Police say the most common method of entry into the garage continues to be a trespasser walking through an open garage gate after a vehicle has passed through. Nonresident owners, please discuss this continued security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● No package thefts were noticed or reported in March. We continue to advise everyone to consider having packages delivered to your workplace or other secure address. UPS has a secure drop off location at the King of the Hill Grocery. Please check www.ups.com for more information. Amazon also has lockers at Safeway on 15th Ave, Pacific Place and at the Broadway Market. If you do ship here, you may wish to include your call box code as part of your address label information.

Rules
● Recycling reminders: Recycling is now being picked up twice per week, on Tuesday and Friday. We will remove the small containers and possibly one of the large containers soon. Glass now goes in the large recycling containers. Remember that pizza boxes and other takeout containers are considered contaminated and should not be thrown into recycling UNLESS they can be cleaned so thoroughly that a person can’t tell what the container held.

Old Business
● Nonresident owners are encouraged to inspect their tenant occupied units on a regular basis. We have seen multiple instances in the last few years of non reported issues by tenants that have caused unnecessary damage to units and common areas.
● The Board issued assignment of responsibility letters to unit owners responsible for last month’s leaks, as well as to a unit owner who found an issue that the Declaration defines as a homeowner repair.

New Business
● We had yet another leak in March. Once again it was an original Bradford-White water heater that rusted through and damaged two units. It is far preferable to replace the tank every few years than deal with the hassle and expense of repairing your and other units. Remember that unit owners are responsible for at least the first $10,000 of damage before any Association insurance kicks in. Your condo owner insurance may cover part of this. Check your policy. The Board may choose to raise this amount in the future.
● Window and exterior dryer vent cleaning was completed. Next cleaning will be the first Thursday and Friday in October.
● Pressure washing of the West Building walks, bridges, and the courtyard will occur on May 4th. A reminder will be posted in the lobby closer to the event.
● The lower garden bed in the alley has been seeded with an assortment of flowering plants. We are hopeful that they will sprout and grow successfully and they won’t be destroyed by indigents or Redwood patrons. We expect the house and business across the alley from us will be torn down and replaced with a multiunit building which will change the amount of sun in the alley necessitating a revised grouping of plants.
● Homeowners or residents with decks are encouraged to clean them at least annually using an environmentally friendly cleaner. Clean decks greatly extend the life of the finish.

Meeting concluded at 7:00 pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 9, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122 (not mailing address)

Monday, March 14, 2016
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross (absent)
Member At Large: Anand Singla
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
No homeowner was present this month.
Meeting was called to order at 6:36pm. The February 2016 minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending February 29, 2016.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $78,066.63
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve: $195,374.63
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,365.66
Umpqua Bank 17 month CD: $235,289.80
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $720,193.72

Committee Reports
No report.

Security
● Vehicles were broken into this past month and there was no apparent forced entry into the garages. Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything you don’t wish to lose in lockers or vehicles. Leaving valuables or even non-valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17), please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely. The gate closes in less than a minute. Residential garage burglaries are still up citywide. The most common method of entry into the garage continues to be a trespasser walking through an open garage gate/door after a vehicle has passed through. Nonresident owners, please discuss this continued security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● Package thefts were discovered in February. We continue to advise everyone to consider having packages delivered to your workplace or other secure address. UPS has a secure drop off location at the King of the Hill Grocery. Please check www.ups.com for more information. Amazon also has lockers at Safeway on 15th Ave, Pacific Place and at the Broadway Market. You may wish to include your call box code as part of your shipping address information.
● The Board has found a vendor to repair the damaged gate on the SW corner of the west building that leads into the Summit Ave garage. Awaiting repairs.

Rules
● Recycling reminders: Recycling is now being picked up twice per week, on Tuesday and Friday and we are thrilled with the results. The recyclers do not want your used tissues. Please dispose as trash.

Old Business
● Once again we ask that homeowners contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (contact information is below) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant.
● The door at the bottom of the north stairwell will be replaced at some point. We continue to search for a vendor.
● Nonresident owners are encouraged to inspect their tenant occupied units on a regular basis. We have seen several instances in the last few years of non reported issues by tenants that have caused unnecessary damage to units and common areas.

New Business
● We have been beset by a variety of leaks. A water heater failure in a 4th floor unit affected all units below (leak origin unit owner’s insurance is primary). An improperly installed toilet affected at least 3 units (leak origin unit owner’s insurance is primary). A broken drain line affected a single unit (Association is responsible for repairs). A very small water intrusion was discovered while remodeling was being done in a unit. Source unknown at this time.
● The lobby is in the process of being repainted as part of our regular paint maintenance program. Adding one new color and rearranging the placement of existing colors create a new look while using our existing stock of paint.

HOMEOWNERS ALERT
If you have noticed that your clothes are not drying completely in a single drying cycle your dryer vent may be plugged. Although we clean out the end of the dryer vents semi-annually, we can only do the area outside of the wall. Cleaning out your dryer pipe can save time, reduce energy, prolong the life of your dryer, and if the vent becomes so totally plugged water that can’t be expelled from the pipe it can leak out and damage your ceiling. A service such as VentMasters (www.ventmasters.net) can professionally clean your dryer vent and inspect your dryer for proper operation. Bathroom fans and dryer vent pipes are the responsibility of each homeowner.

Meeting adjourned at 7:12pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 11, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.

Monday, February 8, 2016
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present this month.

Meeting was called to order at 6:36pm. The January 2016 minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending January 31, 2016.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $76,415.30
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve: $189,869.90
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,365.66
Umpqua Bank 17month
CD: $235,000.00
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $712,750.86

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The lighting upgrades are working nicely and as expected. Adjustments are being made to the garage lighting sequences. We continue to monitor energy usage to get a longer baseline.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: Before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17), please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely. The gate closes in less than a minute. Residential garage burglaries are still up citywide. The most common method of entry into the garage continues to be a trespasser walking through an open garage gate/door after a vehicle has passed through.
● Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything you don’t wish to lose in lockers or vehicles. Leaving valuables or even nonvaluables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Nonresident owners, please discuss this continued security
issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● No package thefts were reported in January. We continue to advise everyone to consider having packages delivered to your workplace or other address. UPS has a secure drop off location at the King of the Hill Grocery. Please check www.ups.com for more information. Amazon also has lockers at Safeway, Pacific Place & at the Broadway Market. You may wish to include your call box code as part of your shipping address information.
● The Board is looking for a vendor to repair the damaged gate on the SW corner of the west building that leads into the Summit Ave garage.

Rules
● Please continue to pickup after your dog (Rule 10.5), consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking (Rule 10.3), keep dogs off balconies and decks when you’re not home (Rule 10.6), and please control their behavior when you are home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be and have been imposed for continued violations.
● Recycling reminders: We are awaiting comment from the Ambassador I Board in regards to revising our pickup schedules as that Association shares the garbage and recycling area with us. Please do not put shredded paper loose in recycling. In the the recycling bin shredded paper should be securely bagged OR shredded paper may be dumped unbagged in the green food and yard waste container.

Old Business
● Please contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (contact information is below) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are still several units that have not contacted Property Concepts with current emergency contact information.
● The door at the bottom of the north stairwell will be replaced at some point. We continue to search for a vendor.
● Our janitorial services have improved, however. We’ll continue to keep an eye on the quality.
● Nonresident owners are encouraged to inspect their tenant occupied units on a regular basis. We have seen several instances in the last few years of non reported issues by tenants that have caused unnecessary damage to units and common areas.

New Business
● The Board has approved adding Shaun Ross (Board Secretary) as a signer on the Umpqua Bank reserve account.
● Two more leaks have been reported; both on the first floor of the west building. One leak has been resolved while the other continues to be a mystery. Two other leaks are related to the roof. Permanent roof repairs will be made as weather permits.
● The Board has reviewed and approved a remodel request with caveats regarding common area drains and water supply lines.

Meeting adjourned at 7:13pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 14, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122 (not mailing address)
Property Concepts/Jack Taylor: 2069357951

Monday, January 11, 2016
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present this month.

Meeting was called to order at 6:32pm. The October 2015 minutes were approved as written. The November 2015 minutes were not official, therefore not approved. There was no December 2015 meeting.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending November 30, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $73,942.44
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve: $178,848.09
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,339.02
Umpqua Bank 17month CD: $235,000.00
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $699,229.55

For period ending December 31, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $82,147.82
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve: $184,365.15
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,339.02
Umpqua Bank 17month CD: $235,000.00
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $712,951.99

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The lighting upgrades (garage & courtyard) are complete. After evaluation and adjustments we will consider our next steps. Compared to last year at this time, our electricity usage has dropped by about 15%. We will monitor usage for a few months to get a longer baseline.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: So far in January, there have been two reported car prowls reported in the garage. Once again, please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17). The gate closes in less than a minute. Residential garage burglaries are still up citywide. The most common method of entry into the garage is for one to walk through an open garage gate/door after a vehicle has passed through.
● Please remove openers from your vehicle; it was necessary to recode the gate again this month. Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything in lockers or cars that you don’t wish to lose. Leaving valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Nonresident owners, please discuss this continued security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● Package thefts occurred again in December. There were at least 3 boxes rummaged through and left in a stairwell. We continue to advise everyone to consider having packages delivered to your workplace or other address. UPS has a secure drop off location at the King of the Hill Grocery. Please check www.ups.com for more information. Amazon also has lockers at Pacific Place. You may wish to include your call box code as part of your shipping address information.
● There was an attempted breakin. Someone was cutting the wire mesh on the SW corner gate into the Summit Ave garage. Thankfully, they were spooked by something or someone and were not successful in gaining access. We are looking into repairing the gate.

Rules
● Please continue to pickup after your dog (Rule 10.5), consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking (Rule 10.3), keep dogs off balconies and decks when you’re not home (Rule 10.6), and please control their behavior when you are home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be and have been imposed for continued violations.
● Recycling reminders: Our recycling efforts are so successful that about one week in three we are forced to dump recycling into the trash to avoid huge overflows. We are in discussions with the City to pick up recycling twice per week, probably two bins instead of three. That would give us a total of 4 bins per week of space. It is still necessary for boxes to be emptied of non recyclable materials and flattened. The recyclers don’t want your lids from drink containers. Throw away your pop, water, and milk caps.

Old Business
● Please contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (contact information is below) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are still several units in which Property Concepts does not have current emergency contact information.
● The courtyard and garage lighting upgrades were installed 11/10 and 11/11. The city inspection of the lighting was approved.
● The door at the bottom of the north stairwell will be replaced at some point. We are searching for a vendor.

New Business
● Davey Tree Service was on site in December and removed the three Sumac trees from the alley. Now that the trees are gone, the ivy on the east wall will be removed before Spring.
● The Reserve Study has been completed and is now posted on the website. All owners are encouraged to review it. This was a very extensive review and many changes were made to our funding goals. As a result our total percentage funded has dropped. We are likely to need in excess of a half million dollars in maintenance projects in the next 5 years. We have funds saved to meet these needs, however we will likely boost the amount collected to maintain our current strong financial standing.
● Two securement arms on the bike racks have been replaced.
● Nonresident owners are encouraged to inspect their tenant occupied units on a regularly basis. We have seen several instances in the last few years of non reported issues by tenants that caused unnecessary damage to units and common areas.
● A new electrical circuit was installed in the trash room.The previous wiring failed and it was deemed cheaper and safer to run a new circuit.
● Our insurance renewal has been approved by the Board. Premiums are slightly lower for 2016.
● A new account was established at Umpqua Bank to insure that member funds are below the FDIC insured limit.
● The Board is reviewing our janitorial services, as we’re not happy with the current vendor.

Meeting adjourned at 7:29pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 8, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122 (not mailing address)

(no official meeting commenced as no quorum was met)
Monday, November 9, 2015

President: Brien Sherman (absent)
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla (absent)
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present this month.

Informal discussion began at 6:33pm. The October 2015 minutes were not approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending October 31, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $81,982.73
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve CD: $408,314.87
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,339.02
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $701,736.62

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The lighting upgrades (garage & courtyard) are complete. After evaluation and adjustments we will consider our next steps.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: Please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17). The gate closes in less than a minute. SPD reported again this month that residential garage burglaries are up 60% citywide since last year. The most common method of entry into the garage is for one to walk through an open garage gate/door after a vehicle has passed through.
● Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything in lockers that one does not wish to lose. Leaving valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Bicycles are a favorite target, as well as items stored in vehicle trunks. For owners who rent their units, please discuss this security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● The holiday season is fast approaching and we advise that everyone pick up your packages as soon as they arrive or have them delivered to your workplace or other address. Holidays are the busiest times for thieves. UPS has a secure drop off location at the King of the Hill Grocery. Please check www.ups.com for more information. Amazon also has lockers at Pacific Place.

Rules
● Please continue to pickup after your dog (Rule 10.5), consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking (Rule 10.3), keep dogs off balconies and decks when you’re not home (Rule 10.6), and please control their behavior on the deck when you’re home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be and have been imposed for continued violations.
● Recycling reminders for this month:
○ Shredded paper now should be dumped, loose, in the food and yard waste bin.
○ Pizza boxes go in the compost container, once all plastic, seasoning packets, and metal pieces have been removed. No pizza boxes in recycling bins.
○ Cardboard boxes must be flattened!
○ Styrofoam, random bits of plastic, and other non recyclable materials go in the trash bins. These items are not recyclable.
○ Food can’t go in the recycling bins. They have their own bin called the compost bin.
○ Unwashed food containers, also can’t go in the recycling bins. They need to be dumped in the trash containers.
● The Board members are no longer willing to police the disposal bins for free as the hours involved are becoming excessive. If the unit residents of both Ambassador I and Ambassador II will not police their own discarded materials then dues will be increased to pay for a service to manage the containers. This is a totally unnecessary dues increase that can be avoided. Offsite
owners please discuss this with your tenants.

Old Business
● Please contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (his contact information is at the bottom of these minutes) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are still several units in which Property Concepts does not have current emergency contact information.

New Business
● Davey Tree Service will be out on Friday, December 18th to remove the three remaining Sumac trees from the alley. Once the trees are gone, the ivy on the east wall will be removed.
● The courtyard and garage lighting upgrades were installed 11/10 and 11/11.
● The door at the bottom of the north stairwell will be replaced in the coming weeks, as the existing one is rusted beyond repair.
● The Reserve Study is still in the works and should be completed before Thanksgiving.
● Two securement arms on the bike racks are in need of replacement. They’re on order and should be replaced before the end of the year.

Informal discussion adjourned at 6:53pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2016 at 6:30pm in Unit E108. There will be no Board meeting in December.

Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122
Property Concepts/Jack Taylor: 2069357951

Monday, October 12, 2015
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla (absent)
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present at the meeting this month. Meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. The September 2015 minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending September 30, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $77,720.22
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve CD: $402,784.24
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,312.40
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $691,916.86

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The Board will proceed with a slow and deliberate upgrade of our most vulnerable areas. The lighting upgrades will begin shortly as outlined below.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: Please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17). The gate closes in less than a minute. SPD reported again this month that residential garage burglaries are up 60% citywide since last year. The most common method of entry into the garage is for one to walk through an open garage gate/door after a vehicle has passed through.
● Because of the continued rise in residential garage burglaries, we strongly advise residents to not leave anything in lockers that one does not wish to lose. Leaving valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. Bicycles are a favorite target, as well as items stored in vehicle trunks. For owners who rent their units, please discuss this security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● There was a report last month of a package being opened in the lobby. Other packages may still be rifled through or stolen from the lobby and hallways. The holiday season is fast approaching and we advise that everyone pick up your packages as soon as they arrive or have them delivered to your workplace or other
address. Holidays are the busiest times for thieves.

Rules
● Please continue to pickup after your dog (Rule 10.5), consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking (Rule 10.3), keep dogs off balconies and decks when you’re not home (Rule 10.6), and please control their behavior on the deck when you’re home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be and have been imposed for continued violations.
● All vehicles on the property must be owned by residents of the condominium or guest thereof. The owner of a parking space may rent his/her parking space only to an owner or tenant of Ambassador I or II (Rule 4.7). No subleasing of spaces by tenants. Fines will be assigned.
● Please refer to the recycling instructions regularly sent by the City to your mailbox. There is a copy of this flyer posted by the recycling bins as well. The Board is considering increasing staff hours to regularly sort through our garbage and recycling. This would entail an increase in dues to pay for someone to sort the bins, which can be avoided by self policing one’s disposables. It is time once again to remind all residents that no food goes into recycling containers. This includes pizza boxes, paper plates, cups, cans, or jars unless these are so clean that one cannot tell what was on or in the containers. Also, please remove caps from plastic jugs and glass jars. The recyclers don’t want them and they don’t allow the containers to be flattened.

Old Business
● Please contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (his contact information is at the bottom of these minutes) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are still several units in which Property Concepts does not have current emergency contact information.

New Business
● Davey Tree Service was out to inspect and schedule the Sumac tree removal. Since our project is small, they’ll fit it into their schedule when they’re in the area. Unfortunately, the alley Sumac trees have come to the end of their life and need to be removed.
● The courtyard and garage lighting upgrades approval by the City of Seattle is in process. The contractor was out to inspect the garage and finalize his specifications on the smaller parts needed. If all the permits and approvals are on track, we should have the lights installed before the end of the year.
● Window & vent cleaning was completed a week after previously scheduled upon the contractor’s request; Thursday and Friday, October 8th and 9th.
● After the heavy rain on 10/10, a leak developed at the north end of the west building. Thankfully, the leak doesn’t look to have been much. There was no obvious sign of where the leak occurred. Part of the roof was repaired around a drain and vent stack which is the most logical location. We’ll have to wait for another downpour to verify the repair was in the right location.
● The Reserve Study people were out to do an onsite survey prior to completing the official 2015 Reserve Study.
● Ivy on the east side of the east building has been climbing on the stucco. A notice has been sent to the unit owner(s) to ask for its removal.
● Two securement arms on the bike racks are in need of replacement. They’ll be ordered shortly and replaced before the end of the year as long as they’re in stock.

Meeting adjourned: 7:05pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2015 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122

Monday, September 14, 2015
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present at the meeting this month.
Meeting was called to order at 6:38pm. The August 2015 minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending August 31, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $71,855.28
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve CD: $397,252.73
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,312.40
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $680,520.41

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The Board discussed the homeowners comments from the annual meeting held last month. We will proceed with a slow and deliberate upgrade of our most vulnerable areas. There will be no need for a special assessment. We will begin with lighting upgrades as outlined below.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: Please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building (Rule 3.17). The gate closes in less than a minute. SPD reported again in September that car thefts and prowls continue to be above average in condo garages. The most common method of entry is to walk through an open gate/door after a vehicle has passed through.
● We strongly advise that residents not leave anything in lockers that one does not wish to lose. Leaving valuables in plain sight (lockers or vehicles) is an invitation for thieves. For owners who rent their units, please discuss this security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● Packages may still be rifled through or stolen from the lobby and hallways even though reported incidences have fallen. The holiday season is fast approaching and we advise that everyone pick up your packages as soon as they arrive or have them delivered to your workplace or other address. Holidays are the busiest times for thieves.

Rules
● Please pickup after your dog (Rule 10.5), consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking (Rule 10.3), keep dogs off of balconies and decks when you are not home (Rule 10.6), and please control their behavior on the deck when you are home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be and have been imposed for continued violations.
● All vehicles on the property must be owned by residents of the condominium or guest thereof. The owner of a parking space may rent his/her parking space only to an owner or tenant of Ambassador I or II (Rule 4.7). No subleasing of spaces by tenants. Fines will be assigned.
● Recycling containers continue to be misused (Rule 3.10). Boxes must be empty of Nonrecyclable materials and flattened so as to make room for your neighbors material. Please refer to the recycling instructions regularly sent by the City to your mailbox. There is a copy of this flyer posted by the recycling bins. The Board is still considering increasing staff hours to regularly sort through our garbage and recycling. This would entail an increase in dues to pay for someone to sort the bins, which can be avoided by self policing your disposable items.

Old Business
● The annual HOA meeting was held on Wednesday, August 12, 2015. The minutes were sent to all owners at their address listed with Property Concepts; minutes may be viewed on website too.
● Please contact Jack Taylor at Property Concepts (contact information is at the bottom of these minutes) to make sure he has current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are still several units in which Property Concepts does not have current emergency contact information.
● The Board continues to look into transferring some reserve money into a couple new accounts so the money is safely under $250K in each account and FDIC insured.

New Business
● Board officer positions were discussed and the positions remain as previously assigned.
● The sample garage light fixture was received in late August and installed near the recycle bins. We have decided to select this fixture for both garages. The Board has also selected the courtyard lamp post replacements. We’ve authorized Pacific Lamp to move forward with the bid and with getting the paperwork in for the City of Seattle rebate. The light fixtures should, hopefully, be installed before the end of the year depending on approvals by the various agencies.
● Window & vent cleaning have been scheduled for Thursday and Friday, October 1st and 2nd. Please remove your screens from your windows or ask your tenants to perform this task for nice clean windows.
● The Board has voted to remove the remaining Sumac trees from the alley, as they’ve all shown root rot and drought stress. Unfortunately, they’ve come to the end of their life. Since the big windstorm in August, our request to have the trees removed is currently a low priority for Davey Tree Service. They’ll contact us to coordinate a removal date once there is room in their schedule.
● The people who do our Reserve Study have been contacted and will coordinate an onsite visit with a board member or the association manager.

Meeting adjourned: 7:23pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 12, 2015 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122

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.

Monday, August 10, 2015
President: Brien Sherman
Vice President: Venus Chan (absent)
Treasurer: Jay Heath
Secretary: Shaun Ross
Member At Large: Anand Singla (absent)
Association Manager: Jack Taylor

Homeowners Forum
● No homeowner was present at the meeting this month.
Meeting was called to order at 6:35pm. The July 2015 minutes were approved as written.

Treasurer’s Reports
For period ending July 31, 2015.
Bank, Savings and Investment Accounts
Checking: $67,023.60
Washington Federal Replacement / Special Assessment Reserve CD: $391,721.88
Sound Credit Union Savings: $211,312.40
Petty Cash: $100.00
Total Assets: $670,157.88

Committee Reports
● Security Committee: The Board continues to examine a variety of security proposals. The new budget has additional funds to begin upgrading security. The comment period has ended. Thanks to those who gave input. For additional information or a refresher as to what the Board is considering, please checkout the Ambassador II Security Proposal Outline on the association’s website. Options discussed at the annual meeting.

Security
● CONTINUED REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS: Please wait for the Summit Ave garage gate to close completely before proceeding to your parking space or away from the building. The gate closes in less than a minute. SPD reported earlier this summer that car thefts and breakins are rising in condo garages, and the most common method of entry is to walk through an open gate/door after or once a car passes through. This is also the easiest way for locker thieves to enter. Do not leave anything in your locker you do not wish to lose. Leaving valuables in plain sight is an invitation for thieves. For owners who rent their units, please discuss this security issue with your tenants, as it’s their security too.
● Packages may still be rifled through or stolen from the lobby and hallways even though reported incidences have diminished. We advise that everyone pick up your packages as soon as they arrive or have them delivered to your workplace or other address.

Rules
● Please pickup after your dog, consider using a Citronella collar to curb barking, keep dogs off of balconies and decks when you are not home, and please control their behavior on the deck when you are home. While in the common areas, dogs must be leashed at all times. Your neighbors will be appreciative. Fines will be imposed for continued violations.
● Once again recycling containers are being misused. There is absolutely no clothing or shoes allowed in recycling. Just because it’s plastic does not mean it is automatically recyclable. Please refer to the recycling instructions regularly sent by the City. There is a copy of this flyer by the recycling containers. The Board is considering increasing staff hours to regularly sort through our garbage and recycling. This would entail an increase in dues to pay for this, which can be avoided by proper sorting of disposable items.

Old Business
● At your earliest convenience, please contact Property Concepts to make sure they have current phone number(s), mailing address, and email address for you and/or your tenant. There are several units in which Property Concepts does not have current emergency contact information.
● The Board is still waiting for a sample garage light fixture. Once received, it’ll be installed in the alley garage near the recycling dumpsters so everyone can see the light output. We hope to do this soon.
New Business
● The annual HOA meeting was Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Minutes will be sent to all owners current addresses.
● One of the alley Sumac trees was hit by a passing truck and fell on Friday, July 31st, taking out a section of fence. The tree was removed and the fence was replaced the following day. This is the third tree to fail and fortunately there have been no injuries. The Board has voted to remove the remaining Sumac trees from the alley in the coming months, as they’ve all shown root rot and drought stress. Unfortunately, they’ve come to the end of their life. One tree will take out power lines if it falls, and the other remaining tree would likely damage the Redwood tavern. This creates significant liability issues for the Association.
● The Board has been looking into transferring some of our reserve money into a couple new accounts so the money is safely under the $250K FDIC insured amount.

Meeting adjourned: 7:22pm.
Next Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2015 at 6:30pm in Unit E108.
Ambassador II Condominium Homeowners Association:
506 E Howell St, Seattle, WA 98122