November 19, 2010 To contact the ‘publisher’ or to receive an copy of this update, please write to John Matranga at Volume 48, Issue 1 Property Manager’s Update the large trees in the courtyard be removed down to the root flare. This is done in order to let the tree breathe properly. Covering the root flare often leads to a thinning canopy of leaves, and makes the tree more susceptible to disease. Finally, an electrician and plumber were on site yesterday to determine the best way of running the electrical lines and the natural gas lines for the new grills. Autoscrubber – During the November meeting, it was decided that the building should purchase an autoscrubber in an effort to better clean and maintain the common floors in the Lobby and the back hallway. Happily, the maintenance staff has put the machine to good use, using it to strip off the old wax, scrub the floors, and apply six coats of high gloss wax in the Lobby. The results are, I think, very noticeable, and the new machine allows the staff to get better results from their floor maintenance efforts. Future plans for the terrazzo floor in the Lobby include having the pock marks filled in, and using a diamond pad to thoroughly clean and polish the terrazzo. Three Way Valve – A water shut off was scheduled for Thursday of this week for floors two through thirteen in the North Tower, however, when the technician showed up and matched the gasket to the flange, he determined that the wrong gasket and bushing kit had been delivered. So, he did not work on the valve, and we will not be charged for his time. The work will be scheduled as soon as the correct rebuild kit arrives. Heretofore we were lead to believe that the rebuild kits were not available, but persistent searching through multiple vendors seems to be getting us closer to the parts. By the way, this three way valve is a back up or safety feature, and controls domestic hot water temperatures for the entire lower level of the North Tower. Auditor – In an effort to maintain the highest level of accountability to the unit owners, the board of directors voted during their November meeting to retain the CPA firm of Frost, Ruttenberg & Rothblatt to conduct the annual audit of the Association’s financial records. Patio Project – Delivery of the pavers for the patio is expected by Friday of this week. Interestingly, the pavers are made from recycled toilets (rejected for failing to meet quality control) from Kohler, Wisconsin. Presently, the planter beds are about 80% complete, so we’re close to being able to install the pavers next week. A few problems cropped up during the construction, and all are being addressed. The first problem was that of damage to the newly poured membrane. During the course of digging a drainage trench, the membrane was damaged in several spots. The repairs have been made to the membrane, and the membrane was retested for water-tightness. The contractor will be responsible for the cost of the repairs and the testing. The second item is that of waterproofing the brick wall between the planter beds and the wall. Chief Engineer, Martin Garcia, brought this to my attention and pointed out that this arrangement would eventually damage the brick wall. I’ve contacted the landscape architect who will arrange for a protective board to be installed in all areas where there is a planter against the wall. Additionally, during the course of inspecting the work, our landscape architect ordered that the 12 to 15 inches of additional dirt built up around the base of Christmas Tree Deliveries If you are planning on getting a “live” tree delivered, please stop at the front desk and pick up your free tree bag. Placing your tree in the tree bag during delivery will prevent needles from littering the hallways to your unit. We thank you for your cooperation.