WATER

On Monday, June 17th, a co-op maintenance man paid us a visit with papers in hand.  His purpose was to inform us that we seem to use a lot of water.  He asked us how many people live in the unit, did we water flowers, or did we have any leaky faucets.  I told him about our upstairs toilet's valve, which doesn't shut off properly.  

On November 2, 2011 I had forwarded a list of work orders to our Property Manager, which I had resent to the office on August 23rd and on September 13, 2011, containing a work order for the toilet.  We did not hear back from the co-op. 

The maintenance man wrote up a work order for repair of the toilet.  That was almost two weeks ago - no one has yet to come by to do the repair. 

Seeing that other members were also questioned about their water usage, the visits may have been prompted by higher water rates being charged by the city, rather than members' usages.

We are being inundated with water news lately.  CHF has posted news about flooded out housing co-ops in Calgary.

http://www.chfcanada.coop/eng/pages2007/enews.asp?id=614&type=eNews


Ottawa as well needs a little more sunshine.

MEMBER SELECTION

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS

It was determined some time ago by the co-op sector, that Committees have never worked in the past and will henceforth be considered obsolete.  The reason for this transformation in thought processes is because we have an abundance of Property Managers, who are seeking well-paid positions in co-op housing developments. This allows for more control at the top echelon of power and unites all co-ops under one umbrella.  Property Managers can easily be transferred from one co-op to another; therefore co-ops will never be without good governance.

However, there is one issue left outstanding. Because Committee structures are still enshrined in our By-laws, members must still participate four (4) hours per month.  To achieve this goal, we have formulated a concept in member participation entitled:  Totally Useless Committees.

The Board of Directors have created a Participation Committee of hand-chosen members.  This Committee will draft members to sit on the following:

TOTALLY USELESS COMMITTEES

1.  Eyelash Trimming - Equipment will be provided

2.  Sewing Needle Exchange - No Blunts accepted

3.  Motor Oil Trench Cleaning - Wear hip boots

4.  How to Read a Menu - Reading glasses an option

5.  Pet Name Recitals - Duplicates will not be accepted

6.  Ear Lobe Enhancements - Individual assessments

7.  Star Gazing - Nite time viewing only

As Participation is mandatory according to our By-laws, any member refusing to sit on the committee to which they are delegated, will be subjected to fines - yet to be determined.  Repeated failures to participate will inevitably result in eviction notices.

THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING AT YOUR CO-OP.

Facelift

The co-op has been undergoing lots of cosmetic changes this week.  Staff, at the behest of our Property Manager, have been mowing and de-weeding common areas throughout the co-op, especially sprucing up the procession route for VIPs to see how well our co-op is continually maintained.  The occasion is a media glitz for a kick off BBQ for the new play park. 

Last summer at the height of the severe drought affecting great swaths of Eastern Ontario, I wrote the Property Manager strongly suggesting that in light of the fact that volunteers were not cutting the common area hayfields, that the co-op hire someone to do so.  Not only were the hayfields unsightly, but they presented a fire hazard as well.  The Property Manager's response to me was that she would NOT hire anyone anyone to mow the common areas, that she would rely on volunteers to do it - and then she thanked me for my suggestion.  The hayfield mound never did get mowed.

This makeover is superficial in the extreme.  As soon as the hype is over and the media wrap up their session, the common areas will again be unkempt, the play park will be strewn with garbage, which is never picked up by parents and the Property Manager will have increased her public exposure, which was the point of this whole exercise to begin with.

On The Edge

Here at last ...

 RATS! - Can't park here 

Oh - I see a spot

NO problemo

A little backing up

 ET VOILA

Piece of cake

Sometimes it's hard to know where to draw the line.



(Unfinished playpark in co-op - ingredients:  Lego, toy cars, dried green split peas, skewers, toothpicks, Swarovski orange crystals - all prepared by Co-op Dweller)

Greener Pastures

Our latest newsletter is upon us.  Drinking and drugging night crawlers have been seen again - advice is to call the police.  Parking in designated snow removal areas is not permitted at any time, however maintenance contractors do it ALL the time.  A word about the snow removal area - it used to be a landscaped burm until a Board of Directors had a gravel truck pour tons of stone chips on and down the hill.  Once this eyesore had been established, the evergreen trees at the bottom of the hill took the brunt of the snow piling.  What remained after the snow melt?  Dead, broken branches of the crippled, dying trees and all manner of garbage.  This Spring the garbage was only cleaned up moments before media showed up for the play park announcement.

The newsletter stated that "City of Ottawa's bylaws requires cats to be leashed".  That is not true.  The City's bylaw states:

The Animal Care and Control By-law No. 2003-77 regulates cats in the City. Cat owners may not be required to keep their pets leashed or indoors, but they are expected, under the Animal Care and Control By-law, to be responsible for their pet’s outdoor activities such as preventing damage to or disturbance on another resident's property.

The newsletter stated that satellite dishes are not to be installed on units or fences and that any damage resulting from such installations will be charged back to the members.  The fences are dilapidated - some completely rotted out.  This may be the co-op's way of introducing new fencing in the co-op.

A note in the newsletter stated that our Property Manager will be away from June 4th - 6th (she doesn't work on Fridays).  CHF is holding their AGM in Calgary on June 5th - 8th (which includes the weekend).  I notified the office that I wouldn't be able to go - to ask the alternate delegate.  I later asked the alternate delegate if she would be going - she said 'no' - that the co-op has no money.  If our Property Manager is attending CHF's AGM, I would hope that the co-op is not paying for her expenses, as she is a Contractor.  And in no case shall there be double billing!

The newsletter ends with a quote:

Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.

                                        Clarence Thomas

It seems that our Property Manager has turned over a new leaf.  That is such a relief.

Who is Clarence Thomas anyhow?  I guess we all can benefit from a good education.

North End United Housing Co-op

Newman - thanks for your post re North End United Housing Co-op.  Here's the link to the Grant Thornton report:

http://www.grantthornton.ca/services/reorg/bankruptcy_and_insolvency/northendunitedhousing 

NEU was formed in 2009 amalgamating four existing co-ops for a total of 131 units.  You can access more information at the following link:

 http://tinyurl.com/7dhaog5


Thanks again for the information.