MARYMOOR TRAILS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
OCTOBER 23, 2023

The Board of Directors meeting was called to order October 23, 2023, at 6:00pm via Zoom. Attending: Michael Niksa, President; Josh Gibson, Treasurer; Van Chesnutt, Landscape; Linda O’Hara, Secretary; and Tim Hollingshead, Morris Management. Also attending was Jehan Bharucha, Project Manager from Improcon. Chris Cho, Buildings, was unexpectedly unable to attend.

Homeowners’ Forum

Several homeowners joined the meeting to discuss several issues. Some homeowners elected to stay on through the meeting and listen to the Board discussion.

• New Windows
  Homeowner in Bldg. C is doing a kitchen remodel and would like to replace the patio door and kitchen window.  Jehan Bharucha, our project manager, contributed extremely important information. Jehan said HOW the window is being installed is extremely important because, if not done correctly, it will cause problems for the association down the road.  Jehan recommends the contractor provide details on how the window will be installed, and what grade of window will be used. The proposal can be run past Jehan to make sure there is proper installation. Another homeowner asked if Morris Management has recommended contractors and suppliers for window replacement. Tim said that this is where Morris works with Jehan. Jehan’s work and inspection and approval will be billed to the homeowner doing the window replacement. The homeowners also said some smoke sensors are of concern. Tim says this is all being handled through TYCO and is scheduled.
   
• Fire Danger from EVs
  A homeowner from Bldg. I voiced concerns about electric cars and lithium batteries. He noted that electric cars are here to stay and living in a building with other occupants, there is no control over who buys an EV. He said that the board needs to provide a clear statement and guidelines as there are DIY types who wire in a charger and do not do it properly.  Tim Hollingshead stated that Marymoor Trails already requires that when installing a charger, residents fill out an ACC request, get board approval, and that the work be performed by a licensed electrician. The homeowner recommended we make this clear in communication to the community. Tim agreed this is a good idea, and the Board should take this up. Homeowner recommended we look at legal possibilities of restricting EVs to outdoors. The homeowner also recommended we think about building a carport with charging stations, designed so that only owners can charge their car there.  The Board took up several of these suggestions in later discussion and will actively look into installing EV charging stations in upper parking areas.
  
  
• Electrical Evaluation of MMT
  Jehan Bharucha, our project manager, gave an overview of proactive electrical preventive work that could be done by Marymoor Trails to address concerns about EVs and electrical safety. Amperage of all panels in garages is 100 amps minimum. Random checks proved fine. We do not have existing problems. Jehan noted that one Tesla can take 40% of those 100 amps. If a car is using 40% it can cause problems when an appliance is turned on. This extra draw from electric chargers can put a strain on the existing panels. Jehan recommends a new analysis on the main transformer as more and more people are EV. Going forward as we start to draw more juice, we could start to run into overheating and run into fire. Jehan recommends we start with an electrician’s analysis: If loaded with more power draw what would the impact on these panels be? If we do not get enough data, we’ll need to engage an electrical engineering firm to get an idea regarding what is safe for our complex, and how to allow more and more EVs. Once we are past this stage, we can give permission. Jehan estimated the cost for an electrician would be around $3,000.  The Board thought this was an excellent idea and will pursue this plan with Jehan.
  
  
• Fire Alarm Panels
  A second homeowner from Bldg. I expressed real concern about Johnson Controls (JCI) and Tyco. The building fire panel was buzzing for at least one week, with red lights, and JCI was unresponsive and uncommunicative to multiple calls from Tim, the homeowner, and a board member. A third homeowner from Bldg. I, who was coincidentally working with Jehan on an original builder construction issue, said a tech was checking things out. He said when an interior wall water leak sprang in Bldg. I, it took out the fire alarms in one unit. Homeowners in Bldg. I were and are concerned – don’t they monitor those boxes?  What good is the fire alarm system if they don’t come out?  Tim says it may be time again, to look at other companies than Johnson Controls. There are rolling 5-year contracts. Tim says JCI is one of the worst companies he has ever worked with at Morris Management. This will be taken up at a future Board meeting.
  

Buildings Report

• Bldg. B Pin Piling – Great news on Bldg. B pin piling – as of the end of this week 100% completion status for pin pilings.  The last batch being done are the deck piles. An aged drain had to be re-routed to make room for the piles. Jehan reported that the Pile King team is excellent; as is Master EIFS. All hand work, backbreaking, all done with a smile on their face. When the exterior work is done, we will move to interior work on Unit B-108. Jehan reported that the homeowner of Unit B-108 has been extremely cooperative in regard to the exterior AC unit and has opted to replace the old unit.  MMT HOA will compensate homeowner for what it would have cost to remove and re-set.

• The depth of the footings on the south side of Bldg. B was much deeper than expected, instead of 7’ the pin pilings were going down 29’.  Jehan recommends additional piling be put on the remainder of the south wall of Bldg. B. We will have money left over, due to his careful project management, and additional pilings are called for by the pile depth that is being needed. This will call for a permit extension from City of Redmond. Now, due to the rainy season starting, this may be something that has to be done next year. Tim asked what is the estimated ballpark cost – cost per pin pile is $1,200 installed. Add to that contractor excavation and backfilling. Jehan is confident in the very good contractor we have to work with and estimates we would need about 6 more piles. A total of $7,200 plus the other additional costs, probably $20,000 total. The BOD unanimously approved.

• Bldg. C Deck Footings — Jehan observes that Bldg. C also has deck posts that have been kicking out a bit, observing movement around the pilings of the decks. We have no- knowledge of what repairs would cost. This is because doing the deck footings requires some dismantling of the decks. Gene is doing some deck repairs in the complex and has noted that some of the deck fascia in Bldg. C is in bad condition. Michael asked for a list of which units and what needs to be done.  This work will be added to the list for Gene and his crew.

• Tim got BOD approval to get pricing for what needs to be done on Bldg. C deck footings.  The weather could be an issue – some cities require all work to stop in wet weather and some work may have to be done next year.

• Siding Replacement as Needed — Marymoor Trails buildings currently have cedar siding which is expensive and hard to obtain. The question arose: Is it OK to blend with Hardie Board? We are not talking about recladding the whole face of a building, just around a door or window, or on a badly weathered wall. Can make a close color match?  Jehan recommends Hardie Board whenever south walls have to be replaced. Do just the weathered south facing walls all at one time when needed. Good news –Contractors are actually starting to ask for work, labor prices are stabilizing even though materials prices are not yet coming down. Michael and Jehan will work on a bid plan for south and west facing walls.

• Window Fell Out – In unit M, a homeowner’s outside pane of a back window fell out onto his patio umbrella and broke. The window is upstairs and the inside pane is still there. Rose Hill Glass came out to measure for a replacement and said they have never seen anything like it before. Based on what we have heard from Rose Hill, replacement will be in early December..

Budget for 2024

Tim shared the proposed rough draft 2024 Budget, with several different options which were reviewed by the Board in detail and discussed at length. Tim built in cost-of-living increases in some areas to reflect what he is seeing for utilities, landscaping, tree maintenance, general maintenance, deck repairs, fire monitoring system. (Morris’ management fee is 6%, the same as last year.)  The big driver on our 2024 budget is the cost of insurance, which is required by law. Following the fire in Bldg. J, we asked 37 insurance companies for bids; 35 companies outright refused to consider us. Upon reviewing our situation, another declined to provide us with a bid. The only company that would insure us was/is Lloyd’s of London, whom we have now as our insurer. We hope that in April, when it is time to renew, that the fire claim in Bldg. J will be closed and our rate will come down. We used to pay $50,000 per year for insurance. Since the fire, we recently had to pay $220,000 for insurance. We hope it will come down, but we have no guarantees. After substantial discussion, the Board budgeted $150,000 for insurance in 2024, noting that we will take any extra from reserves if it is more than that and will be obligated by law to repay in the next budget if so. The insurance is the primary driver of our 2024 budget and subsequent dues increase which right now is expected to be between 16% and 20%.  A full review of the budget and homeowner approval is scheduled for the November meeting. Full budget details will be provided by Morris Management to all homeowners.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Monday November 20, 2023, at 6:00 pm via Zoom. This meeting will be budget review, discussion, and approval by Marymoor Trails homeowners. Further details and budget materials will be distributed in advance of the meeting.