Notes from Meeting Held on 20th March 2007
Notes from the meeting held last Tuesday. I can't be arsed formatting it nicely in the blog. If you are on the email distribution list, you will receive a nicely formatted version. If you are not on the email distribution list and want a nicely formatted version, email cityislandleeds@googlemail.com and ask for one.
· Cleaning/Litter
· Cigarette ends, littler, news papers, shoes, items of clothing, steps to the canal are a right state, etc
Response: In response to the spate of recent complaints, Tony has been on this of recent weeks, and the situation should now be a lot better. Additionally, a new grounds maintenance company has been commissioned to replace the old, expensive and not very good one. They are tending to the gardens on a fortnightly basis including a litter pick, so the situation should stay improved.
· Car park is still in a state
§ Response: The machines that Cinderella can use are restricted in the car park, and the one that they can use is not so good. Additionally, it costs £800 a go, and so it is a book balancing act of number of visits versus cost. Residents are contributing to the issue, but not using bins.
· Communal areas are still not great in terms of cleaning. Especially lifts.
§ Response: Accepted. Action: Accent to speak to Cinderella's.
· Bonaire
Lift entrance in Bonaire is in poor condition and needs resealing, the lift also smells.
Response: There is a strip of wood missing from the lift, this is due to the flooding issue, and allows easy testing of the lifts. As soon as testing of the lifts is finished, this will be replaced and resealed.
§ Damp smell from flood.
Response: Accent have had dehumidifiers in, but it has not made much difference. Accent are waiting on the insurance claim to come through to finance and finish this work. The insurance loss adjuster was not happy with the two quotes he received hence the delay. Also several other leaks since the main one have contributed to this.
· Bonaire carpet tiles dirty and smelly.
§ Response: They will be replaced when the insurance pays out.
· Dumping of furniture, erect signs warning of CCTV, and what the penalties/alternatives are.
§ Response: Letters and signs to be erected warning of consequences for dumping furniture, and to communicate the alternative which is to phone the council who will remove these items free of charge as part of your council tax.. Action: Accent to place signs and or send letters / CIRG to email and blog. At the moment, Cinderella removes thae items which has a cost, which means that everyone pays for it which is not fair. We will have Cinderella take everything that is there at the moment, but from then on we can start afresh.
· Smoking/littering in communal areas
§ Response: From July it will be illegal, as it will be in all public places across England, signs will be erected informing people of the law. Action: Accent. If you know who is responsible, inform CIRG or the concierge, Accent, or security, and then a letter can be sent warning them as to future conduct. Action: CIRG to email and blog
· Maintenance
· Missing bulbs inside and out
Response: There has been a delivery of bulbs, so should start getting better in the coming weeks. Bulb replacement is actually left to build up, as when there are so multiple outages, it costs less to buy in bulk and it takes tony less time in doing it all together.
· Knocked down wall outside management suite.
Response: The work order has been placed, bricks ordered, should have been done this week, but are waiting on black mortar. The person responsible for the is paying for the repair to the damage they caused. Probable timeline: within the month.
· Carpet tiles/ Mats for lift areas (as per previous meeting)
Response: Accent to chase mats for each entrance. Action: Accent.
· Window cleaning
Response: As per the blog entry, this will happen during the week beginning 26th March. If you have a high level apartment that has abseil points, the cleaning company will need access to your apartment or your windows and all of the peoples windows below you will not get cleaned, so if you have an apartment with abseil points please contact Tony the concierge on 0113-243-1380 to arrange access for them. Letter have been sent to each apartment informing people of this. The cleaning company will be on site all week with Tony is managing it all day to day. Tony is also endeavouring to contact all estate agents to see if they can help with facilitating access. This is all reliant on the cooperation of apartment residents. Action: Tony.
· Broken pipes in car park, leaking
Response: Some have already been replaced, but the company involved has been out again today (20th March), and they are going to replace them all, however, this is down to Gleeson’s.
· Piazza entrances don’t close properly
§ Response: They do now. All entrances have been replaced with Magnetic locks. However, I noticed today that ours is defective again. Action: Tony/Accent to resolve.
· Part/Full time caretaker?
§ Response: The new grounds maintenance company are cheaper, and visit more regularly, so matters should improve anyway. However, Accent do want a full time caretaker, but it’s not going to happen this year, as the salary provision is not in budget. Also, they need some stability in City Island, for a levelling off of service provision. Secondly, there are implication with having the concierge manage another member of staff in terms of contract and salary implications. Also the second phase of City Island will facilitate cost savings on this front. So after these factors, Accent are committed to a full time care taker.
· At the base of Bonaire, looking out onto the canal, there are two wooden cupboard-type structures that hold electrical works -they are very shoddy and rickety and would benefit from being boxed in properly.
§ Response: Being used for City Island II, and will not be permanent.
· is the central piazza water feature cleaned/filtered on a regular basis?
§ Response: It has been winter so gets like that. However, it is build in to the gardening contract for a full annual clean, other than that Tony keeps on top of it in the interim.
· Catalina lift mirror cracked for over a year
§ Response: Accent to chase. Action: Accent.
· Security
· Every bike shed broken in to and bikes stolen (reiterates need for swipe out, but what where security doing)?
Response: Every bike shed has not been broken in to it was Westray only. However, the are getting rid of padlocks and chains on some sheds, and are going to start using the integrated locks built in to the doors. People will then have two options, 1. Use the secure bike shed by going and signing out the key from security, or 2. Continue to use the not so secure bike sheds. They are waiting for further suggestions from the security company.
· People entering,
Challenged by security but let in anyway, knocking on doors pretending to be police
i. Response: Action: CIRG to contact the Police
Fliers through doors every day. Even a threat of stabbing to Tony from these companies.
ii. Response: Action: CIRG to contact the police and see if we can prevent them via littering laws. Other suggestions were that residents could return the fliers to the companies in question in an unstamped envelope, so that they incur the postage. It was also noted that although we can do all we can to prevent them from entering illegitimately, there is nothing to stop them flyering when they have been invoted in legitimately to deliver a pizza.
· in Elba a resident has been switching off the power to the fire windows at the end of the corridor which enables this window to be left propped open and allows their friends to enter the building this way when they are having parties
§ Response: Accent, know who they are, and have been in touch with the owner, and the issue is now being escalated. Action: Accent.
· Video entrance system, has it ever worked?
Response: We believe so, Tony to provide instructions, then people can feed back if it works or not. Action: Tony.
· Police
Response: There has been no notable crime apart from bikes, and has been much quieter of late. Hopefully security measures at City Island have contributed to this. The police helicopter was for people breaking in to the Monks Bridge development stealing equipment – people have been convicted for this.
· Fire safety
Notices. Response: Notices are now placed on the communal boards confirming test procedures and confirming exit routes - that is some progress.
Voids in the riser cupboards. Response: It’s not a breach of rules – the gaps are not relevant, the fire box runs the height of the building rather than the width.
The fire doors in basements needs shaving to ensure it doesn't stick open. Response: All basement doors are being looked at, being repaired and also painted. Action: Accent.
Door to the stairwell on 6th floor of Faroe needs adjusting to make it fully close. Response: Accepted. Action: Tony.
· Faroe bin doors always open
Response: The bin doors will be fitted with combination locks. Action: Accent.
· Miscellaneous
· Fire windows being left open
Response: Security are tasked with closing these. If they are not closed, call security and tell them. They open due to the fire testing. Tony is meant to do it once a week, but as it is so time consuming (Tony has to close them all manually), it only gets tested once a month, Tony has logged the windows that are damaged. Mayfair to action defective ones. Action: Accent.
· Inappropriate use of balconies
Response: Notices on notice boards, state no washing. For Rent/sale signs are not allowed, and Accent ring the estate agents to have them removed. Also, Other Estate Agents complain to Accent about this, as its give unfair advantage.
Washing. Response: It’s not meant to be there, it blows off, and litters the development. Accent will write and warn repeat offenders. Let SIRG or Accent know about repeat offenders. Action: CIRG to email and blog.
· Motorbikes in car park – are they allowed, are they regulated?
Response: Motorbikes are allowed so long as they do not park in an allocated parking space, if they do they will get a parking ticket. Accent and City Permits agreed this some time ago, which is in fitting with other developments.
· Car park one way system/convex mirrors
Response: Mirrors fitted. One way system will not be progressed as it has been decided that this would make it more dangerous, as people who park close to the exit who are forced to travel around a full one way loop to get to it would not adhere to the one way system.
· Full building inspection of communal areas
Response: Pricing in today, to provide detailed inspection and top identify other defects, prioritise, define other areas of concern, to review defects already reported, and to advise on the future inspection regime: £3822.60. This is a lot cheaper than originally quoted. Action: Accent to progress, this may happen as early as the 30th of March. Action: CIRG to advertise the report and its use, and to ask for a communal list of communal area defects. The report will be presented in full at a future meeting, and CIRG will summarise to the group.
· Electric heaters on stairwells do we need them turned on all the time?
Response: It’s not all the stairwells, it’s just the foyers. Agreed that they are not needed. Someone is switching them on, as Tony has been switching them off. Action: Accent to take the fuses out of the heaters.
· Excessive volume of lift voices
Response: Next time Kone attend to lifts, Tony will ask if they can turn down all of the lifts down. More formally, Accent to raise an order. Action: Accent.
Off Agenda:
· Passive infrared Lighting.
o At the last meeting it was out to tender, however, it was double the price we expected, @ £63,000+VAT, instead of £30,000. Accent went back to another company, Forster Downes, and they can do it for £27,383 NET. Foster Downes will PM it instead of Accent, at the same 12% that Accent would have charged.. Total is £30.669 + VAT.
· Car Park Exit
o Car park exit is now swipe only. The loop has been closed meaning that the shutter does not automatically raise when you (or a criminal) drives your car towards it, you have to swipe out instead.
· Extra Agenda
o Unconfirmed reports, buton very good information suggest that the Green Bank development is not going to happen, anytime soon, and probably not in the next 12 months.
o Monks Bridge is in a similar state of flux,
· Gleesons Builders
o Contractors are squeezing vans between bollards. Action: Tony to sort out.
· Banging Front doors
o The dampers close the apartment doors too hard. This is easily resolvable, via a small adjustment. If this is happening to you, ask your neighbour, or ask Tony to ask your neighbour if they would mind letting Tony make a slight adjustment so the door closes more gently.
· Cleaning/Litter
· Cigarette ends, littler, news papers, shoes, items of clothing, steps to the canal are a right state, etc
Response: In response to the spate of recent complaints, Tony has been on this of recent weeks, and the situation should now be a lot better. Additionally, a new grounds maintenance company has been commissioned to replace the old, expensive and not very good one. They are tending to the gardens on a fortnightly basis including a litter pick, so the situation should stay improved.
· Car park is still in a state
§ Response: The machines that Cinderella can use are restricted in the car park, and the one that they can use is not so good. Additionally, it costs £800 a go, and so it is a book balancing act of number of visits versus cost. Residents are contributing to the issue, but not using bins.
· Communal areas are still not great in terms of cleaning. Especially lifts.
§ Response: Accepted. Action: Accent to speak to Cinderella's.
· Bonaire
Lift entrance in Bonaire is in poor condition and needs resealing, the lift also smells.
Response: There is a strip of wood missing from the lift, this is due to the flooding issue, and allows easy testing of the lifts. As soon as testing of the lifts is finished, this will be replaced and resealed.
§ Damp smell from flood.
Response: Accent have had dehumidifiers in, but it has not made much difference. Accent are waiting on the insurance claim to come through to finance and finish this work. The insurance loss adjuster was not happy with the two quotes he received hence the delay. Also several other leaks since the main one have contributed to this.
· Bonaire carpet tiles dirty and smelly.
§ Response: They will be replaced when the insurance pays out.
· Dumping of furniture, erect signs warning of CCTV, and what the penalties/alternatives are.
§ Response: Letters and signs to be erected warning of consequences for dumping furniture, and to communicate the alternative which is to phone the council who will remove these items free of charge as part of your council tax.. Action: Accent to place signs and or send letters / CIRG to email and blog. At the moment, Cinderella removes thae items which has a cost, which means that everyone pays for it which is not fair. We will have Cinderella take everything that is there at the moment, but from then on we can start afresh.
· Smoking/littering in communal areas
§ Response: From July it will be illegal, as it will be in all public places across England, signs will be erected informing people of the law. Action: Accent. If you know who is responsible, inform CIRG or the concierge, Accent, or security, and then a letter can be sent warning them as to future conduct. Action: CIRG to email and blog
· Maintenance
· Missing bulbs inside and out
Response: There has been a delivery of bulbs, so should start getting better in the coming weeks. Bulb replacement is actually left to build up, as when there are so multiple outages, it costs less to buy in bulk and it takes tony less time in doing it all together.
· Knocked down wall outside management suite.
Response: The work order has been placed, bricks ordered, should have been done this week, but are waiting on black mortar. The person responsible for the is paying for the repair to the damage they caused. Probable timeline: within the month.
· Carpet tiles/ Mats for lift areas (as per previous meeting)
Response: Accent to chase mats for each entrance. Action: Accent.
· Window cleaning
Response: As per the blog entry, this will happen during the week beginning 26th March. If you have a high level apartment that has abseil points, the cleaning company will need access to your apartment or your windows and all of the peoples windows below you will not get cleaned, so if you have an apartment with abseil points please contact Tony the concierge on 0113-243-1380 to arrange access for them. Letter have been sent to each apartment informing people of this. The cleaning company will be on site all week with Tony is managing it all day to day. Tony is also endeavouring to contact all estate agents to see if they can help with facilitating access. This is all reliant on the cooperation of apartment residents. Action: Tony.
· Broken pipes in car park, leaking
Response: Some have already been replaced, but the company involved has been out again today (20th March), and they are going to replace them all, however, this is down to Gleeson’s.
· Piazza entrances don’t close properly
§ Response: They do now. All entrances have been replaced with Magnetic locks. However, I noticed today that ours is defective again. Action: Tony/Accent to resolve.
· Part/Full time caretaker?
§ Response: The new grounds maintenance company are cheaper, and visit more regularly, so matters should improve anyway. However, Accent do want a full time caretaker, but it’s not going to happen this year, as the salary provision is not in budget. Also, they need some stability in City Island, for a levelling off of service provision. Secondly, there are implication with having the concierge manage another member of staff in terms of contract and salary implications. Also the second phase of City Island will facilitate cost savings on this front. So after these factors, Accent are committed to a full time care taker.
· At the base of Bonaire, looking out onto the canal, there are two wooden cupboard-type structures that hold electrical works -they are very shoddy and rickety and would benefit from being boxed in properly.
§ Response: Being used for City Island II, and will not be permanent.
· is the central piazza water feature cleaned/filtered on a regular basis?
§ Response: It has been winter so gets like that. However, it is build in to the gardening contract for a full annual clean, other than that Tony keeps on top of it in the interim.
· Catalina lift mirror cracked for over a year
§ Response: Accent to chase. Action: Accent.
· Security
· Every bike shed broken in to and bikes stolen (reiterates need for swipe out, but what where security doing)?
Response: Every bike shed has not been broken in to it was Westray only. However, the are getting rid of padlocks and chains on some sheds, and are going to start using the integrated locks built in to the doors. People will then have two options, 1. Use the secure bike shed by going and signing out the key from security, or 2. Continue to use the not so secure bike sheds. They are waiting for further suggestions from the security company.
· People entering,
Challenged by security but let in anyway, knocking on doors pretending to be police
i. Response: Action: CIRG to contact the Police
Fliers through doors every day. Even a threat of stabbing to Tony from these companies.
ii. Response: Action: CIRG to contact the police and see if we can prevent them via littering laws. Other suggestions were that residents could return the fliers to the companies in question in an unstamped envelope, so that they incur the postage. It was also noted that although we can do all we can to prevent them from entering illegitimately, there is nothing to stop them flyering when they have been invoted in legitimately to deliver a pizza.
· in Elba a resident has been switching off the power to the fire windows at the end of the corridor which enables this window to be left propped open and allows their friends to enter the building this way when they are having parties
§ Response: Accent, know who they are, and have been in touch with the owner, and the issue is now being escalated. Action: Accent.
· Video entrance system, has it ever worked?
Response: We believe so, Tony to provide instructions, then people can feed back if it works or not. Action: Tony.
· Police
Response: There has been no notable crime apart from bikes, and has been much quieter of late. Hopefully security measures at City Island have contributed to this. The police helicopter was for people breaking in to the Monks Bridge development stealing equipment – people have been convicted for this.
· Fire safety
Notices. Response: Notices are now placed on the communal boards confirming test procedures and confirming exit routes - that is some progress.
Voids in the riser cupboards. Response: It’s not a breach of rules – the gaps are not relevant, the fire box runs the height of the building rather than the width.
The fire doors in basements needs shaving to ensure it doesn't stick open. Response: All basement doors are being looked at, being repaired and also painted. Action: Accent.
Door to the stairwell on 6th floor of Faroe needs adjusting to make it fully close. Response: Accepted. Action: Tony.
· Faroe bin doors always open
Response: The bin doors will be fitted with combination locks. Action: Accent.
· Miscellaneous
· Fire windows being left open
Response: Security are tasked with closing these. If they are not closed, call security and tell them. They open due to the fire testing. Tony is meant to do it once a week, but as it is so time consuming (Tony has to close them all manually), it only gets tested once a month, Tony has logged the windows that are damaged. Mayfair to action defective ones. Action: Accent.
· Inappropriate use of balconies
Response: Notices on notice boards, state no washing. For Rent/sale signs are not allowed, and Accent ring the estate agents to have them removed. Also, Other Estate Agents complain to Accent about this, as its give unfair advantage.
Washing. Response: It’s not meant to be there, it blows off, and litters the development. Accent will write and warn repeat offenders. Let SIRG or Accent know about repeat offenders. Action: CIRG to email and blog.
· Motorbikes in car park – are they allowed, are they regulated?
Response: Motorbikes are allowed so long as they do not park in an allocated parking space, if they do they will get a parking ticket. Accent and City Permits agreed this some time ago, which is in fitting with other developments.
· Car park one way system/convex mirrors
Response: Mirrors fitted. One way system will not be progressed as it has been decided that this would make it more dangerous, as people who park close to the exit who are forced to travel around a full one way loop to get to it would not adhere to the one way system.
· Full building inspection of communal areas
Response: Pricing in today, to provide detailed inspection and top identify other defects, prioritise, define other areas of concern, to review defects already reported, and to advise on the future inspection regime: £3822.60. This is a lot cheaper than originally quoted. Action: Accent to progress, this may happen as early as the 30th of March. Action: CIRG to advertise the report and its use, and to ask for a communal list of communal area defects. The report will be presented in full at a future meeting, and CIRG will summarise to the group.
· Electric heaters on stairwells do we need them turned on all the time?
Response: It’s not all the stairwells, it’s just the foyers. Agreed that they are not needed. Someone is switching them on, as Tony has been switching them off. Action: Accent to take the fuses out of the heaters.
· Excessive volume of lift voices
Response: Next time Kone attend to lifts, Tony will ask if they can turn down all of the lifts down. More formally, Accent to raise an order. Action: Accent.
Off Agenda:
· Passive infrared Lighting.
o At the last meeting it was out to tender, however, it was double the price we expected, @ £63,000+VAT, instead of £30,000. Accent went back to another company, Forster Downes, and they can do it for £27,383 NET. Foster Downes will PM it instead of Accent, at the same 12% that Accent would have charged.. Total is £30.669 + VAT.
· Car Park Exit
o Car park exit is now swipe only. The loop has been closed meaning that the shutter does not automatically raise when you (or a criminal) drives your car towards it, you have to swipe out instead.
· Extra Agenda
o Unconfirmed reports, buton very good information suggest that the Green Bank development is not going to happen, anytime soon, and probably not in the next 12 months.
o Monks Bridge is in a similar state of flux,
· Gleesons Builders
o Contractors are squeezing vans between bollards. Action: Tony to sort out.
· Banging Front doors
o The dampers close the apartment doors too hard. This is easily resolvable, via a small adjustment. If this is happening to you, ask your neighbour, or ask Tony to ask your neighbour if they would mind letting Tony make a slight adjustment so the door closes more gently.
posted by City Island Residents Group at 12:27 AM
