Subject: Summary of QL Town Hall meeting, May 2, 2023
Summary of QL Town Hall meeting, May 2, 2023
Thank you to all the community members who participated in the May 2nd Town Hall to discuss the proposed revisions to the Rules – in person, online, and in writing. We are very appreciative of the thoughtful contributions to the process.
Questions centered on two topics: unit maintenance requirements, and parking. Below is a synopsis of the comments raised:
Unit Maintenance Requirements
Could there be a slower rollout of the inspection requirements?
- Many items do not need to be completed until 2024 and
- The committee is looking at extending others if possible.
Who conducts these inspections; what is done with the data; and what kind of support must be sent to the Association Office?
- The unit owner selects the licensed vendor of their choice;
- Once the inspection/service is completed, the unit owner sends the contractor receipt to the Association Office.
How do I find a vendor and is a group rate available?
- We will provide a list of contactors who have agree to this scope of work.
- Unit owners may hire from the list if they wish.
- Unit owners are not limited to these vendors, as long as the contractor selected provides a copy of their current contractor’s license and proof of Insurance in order to work at Queen’s Landing.
- Some vendors have already offered group rates and discounts on service and equipment, as well as payment plans.
What’s included in the inspection and how will it be enforced?
- We will provide a checklist of the minimum required items to be addressed/inspected by the service provider.
- The Association checklists mirror the typical regular inspections that many unit owners already engage.
- The inspection, replacement monitoring and verification will be done exactly like the dryer vent program, through the unit owner file and violation process.
Why replace a perfectly good hot water heater while it’s working just fine?
- According to the Community Association Underwriters Inc., storage water heaters have an expected life span between five and ten years. That is why it is strongly recommended to condo associations to enact a program to replace heaters before their life expectancy.
- The ten-year replacement clause is consistent with neighboring associations, which utilize Kent Island water.
Is there any kind of water alarm system that could be an alternative?
- Many associations are now requiring this in addition to the hot water heater inspection and replacement, rather than an alternative.
Can you accommodate households that don’t use a system, such as a clothes dryer?
- We cannot monitor usage, so the same rule needs to apply in order to be fair to all.
- Unit owners can certainly remove a clothes dryer they do not use, which would eliminate the need for a dryer vent cleaning. The same could apply to a fireplace.
I have my system inspected twice a year, does that count?
- Yes certainly, as long as the contractor is licensed and insured, and completes the checklist provided by the Association.
- The checklist mirrors what most contractors already use.
What will this cost us?
- Cost will vary depending on the configuration of the unit, for example:
- Complexity of the dryer vent duct configuration,
- Whether or not you have a fireplace or a fire suppression sprinkler system.
- Some vendors have offered group rates and discounts on service and equipment, as well as payment plans.
Tell us again why we need to move in this direction?
- Over the last seven years, Queens Landing has incurred about $400,000 of unit repair costs for fire and water damage. (This does not include poly pipe issues.)
- It is likely most of these issues could have been prevented by the changes we are proposing.
Parking
Why can’t we have at least one parking space assigned per unit?
- The Queen’s Landing Declaration does not give the Board or Association the right to assign parking.
- Absent specific language to the contrary, we are not allowed to give preferential or disparate treatment in the use of the Common Elements.
- Perhaps some building neighbors could informally come to agreement on how to more fairly allocate parking.