June 10 Meeting

Victoria Village Atrium Association

Board of Directors’ Meeting
June 10, 2024 

Board members present: Sarah Wise, president; Larry Sagstetter, vice president;
Margie St. Jacques, treasurer; Hank French, secretary; Ann McNattin, member at
large. Also present: Mike Severson, building manager.

13 Homeowners present.

I. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.

II. Secretary’s Report: Moved, seconded, and voted to approve the minutes
for the May 2024 board meeting as written.

III. Treasurer’s Report:

a. For May 2024, the opening balance was $507,999.42 and the closing
balance was $524,862.15. This represents an increase from the
opening balance of $16,862.73. As of the end of May, we had
$68,885.79 in our operating checking account, and $460,976.36 in
reserve accounts. (Note: The reserve accounts are one operating CD
with North American Bank, a money market account with Premier
Bank, a Premier CD, an NAB CD, a savings account with Royal Credit
Union, and three CDs with Royal Credit Union.) Moved, seconded, and
voted to approve the Treasurer’s Report.

IV. Committee Reports:
a. Welcome Committee: There have been no new residents since the last
board meeting.

b. Recreation Committee: The committee is planning an outdoor parking
lot party for the Atrium community. The date, time and details will be
announced soon.

V. Management Report:
a. Roofing Vendor Report: Mike Severson reported on his roof
walkthrough with Eric from United Roofing who reported that there
wasn’t anything about our roof replacement needs that he hasn’t
encountered before. Mike was told he would receive a pricing estimate
by May 31st, but he has yet to receive the estimate. Mike will follow
up with United Roofing regarding the pricing estimate and report
back to the Board.

b. Skylight Replacement Estimate: Mike has received a proposal from W.
L. Hall Co. to replace our skylights at a cost of $273,782.00. In Mike’s
opinion this estimate is far too high, and he will seek more vendor
quotes and report back to the Board.

VI. Old Business:
a. Excel Energy: Mike has been in contact with Excel Energy regarding
their Multi-Family Building Efficiency Program. He is arranging for a
free on-site assessment by an energy conservation specialist of our
common area energy needs/usage. Based on the assessment, Excel will
provide us with a detailed report of energy savings opportunities at
the Atrium. The Board will take the report up at a future meeting
after the assessment has been completed.

b. Waste Wise: The Ramsey/Wahington County Recycling and Energy
Board (R&E), following a meeting with two Board members and a
homeowner recycling volunteer, has provided us with free recycling
bins and bags for each unit. If you have room for and would like a
recycling bin for your unit, you can pick one up in the workroom which
can be accessed from the Community Room. There is a sheet on the
Bulletin Board near the main entrance on which you can indicate you
have taken a bin for your unit.

c. Smoking Survey: A survey of homeowners was taken between the May
and June Board meetings on whether or not the Atrium should become
a non-smoking building in individual units as well as in the common
areas. Two questions were asked on the survey. The first question
asked if individual units should be included in the no-smoking ban
which is now limited to the common areas. The second question asked
if present owners should be exempt from the ban if it is approved, i.e.,
the ban (if approved) would apply only to future homeowners. As to
question one, out of 45 votes cast, 33 homeowners agreed that the
Atrium’s common area no-smoking ban should be expanded to include
individual units and 12 homeowners disagreed. As to question two, out
of 42 votes cast, 19 homeowners agreed that present homeowners
should be exempt from a rule change while 23 homeowners disagreed.
(There were 3 surveys with no response to question 2). The Board
determined that deciding whether or not we should hold a formal vote
on extending the smoking ban to individual units should be tabled
pending further discussion.

d. Handyman Issues: Mike shared his conversation with our handyman,
Doug Copas, in which he clarified both work schedule and job
assignments.

e. Vacuum Cleaner Issues: It was reported that one of the common area
vacuum cleaners needed to be repaired. Larry took it to the repair
shop and it is back and working again. One of the common area outlets
that is used by the cleaning women when vacuuming is not working
and the Atrium’s handyman will replace it.

f. Rain Garden Update: Steve Deal, owner of Xylem Landscape Designs,
along with one of his employees worked on removing invasives from
the rain garden. They will also do a fall cleanup of the rain garden in
August. Near the bridge, there are several dead dogwoods that Steve
recommended be removed and replaced with chokeberry shrubs to
both beautify that portion of the rain garden and prevent erosion on
the slope by the bridge. Moved, seconded and voted to accept his
proposal to remove the dead dogwoods and plant two rows of
chokeberry shrubs in their place at a cost of $800.00.

a. Grounds Care: Mike reported that AMI (Association Maintenance, Inc.)
will reseed at their cost the portions of the north lawn that were torn
up on three different occasions by their heavy mowers when the lawn
was saturated due to rain the day of or the evening before mowing.
Mike has requested that they not mow between the garden boxes and
the building if they can see that the lawn is saturated there. As AMI will
be doing shrub trimming soon, Mike will ask them not to trim the
hydrangeas and not to trim the dogwoods planted around the north
end vent.

b. Generator Proposal. Mike reported that the emergency backup
generator on the roof is off-line due to a malfunction in the control
board located in the mechanical room. We will have no backup power
until the generator is back on-line. Mike presented a proposal from
Allied Generators to replace the control board at a total cost (parts, trip
charge and labor) of $4119.85. Moved, seconded and voted to accept
the proposal.

VIII. Homeowner comments: 

a. A homeowner suggested that we post a sign in the mailroom asking
delivery persons to carefully check the address on packages before
leaving them at the Atrium as too many packages are being left at the
Atrium that are addressed to neighboring townhouses. It was agreed
to post such a sign in the mailroom.

b. A question was asked about removal of the dead ash trees on the east
and west sides of the building. It was reported that the tree removal
was being scheduled. In response to a question as to whether or not
the trees will be replaced, it was reported that they probably will not
be replaced although a firm decision has not yet been made.

c. A homeowner asked about the need to remove individual unit rooftop
air conditioners when the roof is replaced. Mike reported that the
vendor we are considering to replace the roof has indicated that the air
conditioners will probably not need to be lowered to the ground, but
they will need to be moved on the roof. Mike noted that there is a
possibility that very old machines might not continue to function after
being moved. He suggested that owners of old air conditioners might
want to have an HVAC technician examine it to judge the probability of
it needing to be replaced after being moved.

d. In response to a question, it was reported that the malfunctioning
sump pump adjacent to the garage door has been replaced.

e. There was a question about e-vehicle chargers and whether or not we
should have some installed at the Atrium. It was reported that the
Board has discussed this issue and, while we recognize that at some
future point we may well want to install e-vehicle chargers, given the
expenses we face with the upcoming roof and skylight replacements,
this is not the time to install e-vehicle chargers.

IX. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

X. The next Board meeting will be on July 8 at 6:30 p.m. It will be a board
members only meeting.

Respectfully Submitted

- Hank French, Board Secretary