Anonymous said...
The newsletter said that the Slab Leak Remediation Project was proceeding. It looks like the Board has decided to tear up the walls and ceilings in all 136 units rather than just dig a trench under the 34 units that have water mains underneath and replace the corroded water mains in place.
I know something about it because Ed John fixed a slab leak under my unit some years ago. I also had my shower valve replaced while he was there and the pipes behind the walls looked pretty good after he wiped them off with a rag. I seriously question whether it's necessary to go that far. Tearing out the walls and ceilings can't possibly be the only option.
The cluhouse and lavatory areas looked like Hurricane Katrina went through for almost 2 months after they started work. I talked to Sisco when he was putting up the drywall in the clubhouse and he said that he only gave an estimate for the clubhouse, not for the whole complex. A few blogs ago, Todd in 122 stated that he didn't think there was an actual project and that the clubouse was fixed on strictly a run-and-gun basis and was not a part of any formal project. My talk with Sisco would seem to bear that out.
Hopefully, the board will put a little more thought into the next phase of this project. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not willing to have my walls and ceilings ripped out and then wait a month to have them fixed.
5:45 AM
6 comments:
I agree. Going through the walls and ceilings seems like a really extreme solution to this problem. This almost seems like a last resort. I hope the Board of Directors puts more thought into this than they do with the warnings and fines.
Me too. I don't think there is an actual project to replace the rusted out pipes with quotes and estimates and all that. I overheard a conversation between the tall guy (maybe Rene, maybe not) and a Pro-Serv guy that also gave me the impression there was no formal plan. And I also don't think that almost two months from start to finish to replace the pipes in one building is acceptable.
Go to restoremypipes.com. They restore pipes without tearing up your property. They coat the inside of copper pipes with an epoxy coating that seals the pipes and will prevent them from ever leaking again.
I hate to shoot down your idea, but the expoxy coating in the pipes concept was explored by the board about 3 years ago. One of the board members spoke with some people and businesses who had this procedure done, including a local hospital.
The conclusion was that the coating decreases the inside diameter of the pipes just enough to restrict the water flow which decreases pressure. The longer the runs of pipe, the more pronounced this problem becomes. Between the hot and cold water mains and the supply and return lines, we have over one and a half miles of underground pipe in Parkridge, so this concept was not considered further.
I am also distressed that the Board (at least according to the newsletter) is going ahead with the plan to tear out the walls and ceilings to rerun the pipes and I question if this is what's best for the community or what's easiest for Pro-Serv. I'm glad to see I'm not alone, for a change.
Todd in 122
A bit off topic, but does anyone know when the next vote is to elect the board of directors? I'm really hoping our current president doesn't see re-election.
I hate to disappoint you, but the current president of the Board is going to be on the Board for a long, long time. Last year (on his fourth try, by the way) he conducted a successful campaign to get himself elected. His campaign was based on his perception that major changes were needed on the board.
He shook hands in the laundryroom on weekends, mailed out a flyer outlining his ideas just before the election, and so forth. When the day of the election came, he had put up signs and balloons, and even had some people wearing campaign buttons with his name on it. Like I mentioned, he worked very, very hard to get that position.
However, even with all his effort, there was just barely a quorum of ballots. Most years it takes two months to get enough ballots in for a quorum and most off-site owners just send in their proxies.
Now, here's why he's going to be there as long as he wants. First, because there have to be five board members, there have to be at least six candidates running for office, and at the end of the day, he would have to come in sixth in order to be voted off !! As long as he gets his friends to give him all five of their votes and x number of off-site owners just send in their proxies without voting for a specific candidate, he's in.
Second, the level of interest in the politics of what actually goes on here among the off-site owners is very low, so unless someone is willing to work as hard as he did to generate interest, or he commits some atrocity, there will be just barely a quorum which makes it relatively easy to get re-elected.
Being on the Board is a tough job. Hard decisions have to be made, and there's nowhere to hide if you do something stupid. If you've ever attended a board meeting, being on the Board can be like being in a shooting gallery.
By the way, to answer your specific question, the election is held at the annual meeting in April. My advice is to wait it out. Sooner or later he'll get tired of it. It took me seven years. Maybe it won't take him that long.
Todd in 122
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