Vehicle Removal – Parkade Washing
May 18, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
Please be advised that Valley Power Sweep will be on site June 9th & 10th to conduct power sweeping the parkade including washing of edges around pillars and bike areas in the parkade. It will be required that residents must remove their vehicles from the parkade during the scheduled time from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
SOLO
VEHICLE REMOVAL FOR PARKADE CLEANING
Wednesday, June 9th 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Duo & Treo
VEHICLE REMOVAL FOR PARKADE CLEANING
Thursday, June 10th 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Items in parking stall areas must also be cleared out as the management company, strata plan and
contractor will not be responsible for any items that accidentally get wet or damaged. ‘ If your vehicle is leaking oil, etc. the vehicle owner is advised to have it repaired so as not to leak onto the clean parkade.
Vehicles not removed on Wednesday, June 9th from their parking stall will be
towed at the owner’s cost. Thank you for your cooperation.
Parkade Washing Vehicle Removal PDF
Junk Amnesty May 29
May 13, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
SPRINGTIME
JUNK AMNESTY DAYS
Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, May lOth
The strata is holding Junk Amnesty Days on May 29th and 30th , where owners can complete Spring Cleaning of the cupboards, furniture, etc.
Clean Sites Rubbish Disposal will be on site to pick up the following ACCEPTABLE ITEMS ONLY’:
Example: General Household Items
- Small appliances
- Furniture
- Paint cans (maximum 5 per unit please)
Renovation/Construction debris i.e. drywall is not acceptable.
Residents are permitted to drop off their unwanted items (acceptable items only) in the area blocked off in the Solo building’s interior visitor parking area on Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, May 30th
- Items will be removed on May 31. 2010
This is a ONE TIME OFFER. Residents are reminded that the garbage room is for garbage and recycling only, not unwanted items. Residents are required to dispose of their own unwanted items. Residents noted disposing
unwanted items in the garbage room will be charged for the cost of removal.
Annual General Meeting Reminder
March 24, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
March 23, 2010
MEMO TO: The Owners Strata Plan LMS-3170
FROM: Bunny Porteous
RE: Annual General Meeting
Dear Owners:
Just a reminder that your Annual General Meeting is scheduled for:
DATE: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
TIME: 6:45 p.m. (Registration) 7:00 p.m. (Call to Order)
LOCATION: Club Solo – 2228 Marstrand Avenue, Vancouver
If you are unable to attend the Annual General Meeting, please give your proxy vote to a neighbour or friend who will be attending. You may also fax your proxy to Vancouver Condominium Services at (604) 684-1539.
The Original AGM Notice and Proxy can be found here: http://www.soloduotreo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/AGM-2010-Notice-PDF.pdf
Spring Window Washing
March 16, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
Please be advised that IBM will be onsite starting Monday, April 5th (weather permitting) washing all inaccessible windows by hand, exterior railing glass and all skylights.
WINDOW WASHING
Solo Building:Monday, April 5th to Thursday, April 8th
Duo Building:Thursday, April 8th to Friday, April 9th
Treo Building:Monday, April 12th and Tuesday, April 13th
*Weather Permitting*
PLEASE ENSURE THAT WINDOWS TO BE WASHED ARE CLOSED DURING THIS TIME.
Accessible balcony windows can also be arranged at residents’ expense – contact IBM at 604-244-3900
Cost $25.00 (to be paid upon completion – no invoicing)
Message From The President
March 12, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
LMS 3170 – Message From President
2009/2010 was a remarkable year for our strata corporation with several milestones and achievements we can all be proud of. Some of the highlights for the year include the following:
- Upgrade of The Security System – This year we upgraded the computers and all the software that controls our video and access control systems. The net result was a more secure building and user friendly database which allows us faster response times on user requests.
- Strata Website Goes Live – Our new web presence at www.soloduotreo.com went live enabling us to streamline communications and increasing the access to information for owners, residents and stakeholders. It also helped save on admin costs and assisted us in going green as all of our minutes and notices (except SGMs and AGMs) are now posted on line and we no longer print them.
- Full-Time Care Taker Hired – This year we terminated our building cleaning contract and hired a full time non-resident caretaker. This provided us with 7 day a week cleaning and gave us much better responsiveness on maintenance issues like move in / move out requests, changing of light bulbs, and sanitation of the refuse areas. Since Kevin Costea and his team at Cordial Building Services took over maintenance of our strata lot we’ve had a far cleaner and more presentable property.
- Exterior Maintenance Project Completed – This year we completed the exterior maintenance project. What began 36 month three phased program at a one million dollar budget, was completed this summer for a final price tag of just Four Hundred Thousand, saving us over Six Hundred Thousand Dollars. To accomplish this we used funding from the first phase of three approved special levies of $333K each and took $116,000 from the Contingency Reserve Fund (CRF), thus eliminating the need for the other two special levies of $660,000. We still need to pass a special levy to replace the $116,000 we borrowed from the CRF but this will be a one time levy for a much lesser amount than what was originally budgeted and approved. The bottom line is this: we were able to fix deficiencies in our aging envelope and proactively protect ourselves for another 10 years in record time and significantly under budget. The strata council wishes to thank all of our residents for their cooperation and Bunny Porteous & VCS for helping us oversee this program.
Looking forward to 2010 / 2011
We have made great strides in securing and maintaining our mutual investment and have been able to do so with no strata fees increase for the last two years. But with the introduction of the HST this year we will see an increase in our cost on virtually every line item in our budget of 7%. Since the HST comes into effect July 1st, we are budgeting a Strata Fee increase of 4% and a further 3% next year to offset the increased expenses created by the HST. In 2008, we replaced the carpet in Solo and Duo and continued the carpet fund for Treo which is 3 years younger than Solo. Look for new carpet in Treo within the next 12 months. And finally we continue to build a Roofing fund. The Buildings are at the 10 year mark and we have been advised to anticipate the life expectancy of our roof for another 3 to 5 years. This fund allows us to be prepared for the eventual replacement without having to call a special levy.
Sincerely,
Howard Olsen & Marc Prefontaine
HRTC Tax Credit
March 10, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
Please find enclosed the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) Schedule. If you are eligible for
the HRTC with respect to your unit and have not otherwise satisfied the requirements, this.
schedule may be included when filing your 2009 tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA) by the end of April 2010.
Olympics Security Bulletin
February 7, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
Olympics Safety and Security Issues
Increased number of visitors into the area.
The Olympics will provide an opportunity for out of town visitors to stay with friends in the area, and most likely inside your building. As well, the Olympics will be a great festival experience, therefore providing more opportunities for friends to get together. Certainly there will be more non-residents coming in and out of your buildings during this time. Visitors do not tend to obey building rules as much. As well, they are less likely to take your building’s security seriously; will they really be as diligent as you are about ensuring the
parking gate closes?
Do’s:
- Remind your guests of the building rules.
- Meeting your visitors at the front door is preferable to buzzing them in.
- Remind visitors to not let other people into the building, and ask them to make sure the doors close securely behind them when leaving.
- Be extra diligent when going through doors not to let strangers into the building.
Don’t’s:
- Never lend out your keys or fob to your guests.
- Do not lend out your parking spot.
- Do not hold open doors for people: everyone should have their own keys.
- Do not publicize when you are not home: this information can get into the wrong hands.
Increased security pressures into the area.
As a large police presence is felt downtown, there is a chance criminal elements can be pushed outward from the downtown core, and leak into your neighborhood.
Do’s:
- Report all suspicious activity to the police and call Provident Security.
- Be more observant of what cars are parked in the area, and people walking or biking near your buildings.
- Stop at the parkade gate when entering and leaving to ensure no one sneaks in.
Don’t’s:
- giving money to panhandlers is not recommended, as they can bring in other negative elements to your area.
- Do not leave anything in your car: even an empty box is an invitation to a thief.
Contacting Provident Security
You can contact Provident Security 24 hrs a day. This is a great way to let us know important information. It is also a way to report ongoing incidents or security concerns. Contact Provident Security for anything from a suspicious person, to requesting a Safe-Walk to your vehicle.
604-664-1087
Olympics Bulletin – Door Sign PDF
Earthquake Preparedness
February 1, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
Be Prepared – We Are All On Our Own
With recent very tragic events in the world, we felt that this would be a good opportunity to remind all owners and residents that they need to be cognizant of their vulnerability in such disaster. VCS remains concerned that most owners are somehow under the impression that council and VCS will take care of them in the event of a serious calamity such as an earthquake when, in fact, that is simply not the case. The attached bulletin hopefully dispels such notions.
Download Earthquake Preparedness PDF
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AN EARTHQUAKE
We recognize that this is a sensitive topic due to the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti; however, it is imperative that we all understand the reality of dealing with the aftermath of a major earthquake …
- You are on your own. Do not count on your strata council or management company for assistance.
- There is not a supply of food, water, blankets or other survival provisions stored anywhere on the property. You are on your own and need to prepare accordingly.
- If there is natural gas service to your strata corporation there is no plan for shutting off the gas supply.
- There are no arrangements for alternate living quarters if you are unable to return to your strata lot. You are on your own.
- Depending on the severity of the earthquake, you may not be able to telephone/email the management company for assistance.
- The contents of your strata lot, your automobile(s) and other personal property are not insured by the strata corporation. If you have made improvements to your strata lot, such improvements or betterments are not insured by the strata corporation either.
- The strata corporation is insured for earthquake damage; HOWEVER, there is a deductible which means that there is no coverage for damages within that deductible. Generally the deductible is 10% of the value of the strata corporation although in some instances (ie. Richmond) the deductible could be 15% or 20% of the value of the property. In most cases this will amount to millions of dollars. Your strata corporation does not have reserve funds available to meet such a huge deductible. Repairs will have to be funded by one or more special levies. These could be substantial.
- There is NO government plan or fund to assist either you or your strata corporation. You are on your own.
- While it would be nice to hear that there are plans and that there is a safety net, your strata council and VCS bring you the above information in an effort to alert you to the reality of an earthquake scenario. The Government of Canada advises you should be prepared to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours. Accordingly, you need to develop your own personal plans for survival. Like many people, you will not be adequately prepared and that is “human nature”. Please remember, however, that “You are on your own” is the hard truth and the only rule that counts.
For further information, please visit the following websites:
Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General:
http://www.pep.bc.ca/hazard preparedness/earthquake preparedness.html
City of Vancouver Earthquake Preparedness Tips
http://vancouver.ca/emerg/prepyourselfiearthquaketips.htm
Public Safety Canada – What To Do during an Earthquake
http://www.preparez-vous.ca/flfearthquakes-what·to-do-eng.pdf
Download Earthquake Preparedness PDF
HRTC-Home Renovation Tax Credit
January 28, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
HOMEOWNER RENOVATION TAX CREDIT (HRTC)
• This bulletin is directed to those strata lot owners who principally reside in their strata
lots. It does NOT apply to non-resident owners. The federal government’s tax credit
program (HRTC) is only for resident owners.
• The H RTC is for your 2009 tax return, which has to be filed with the Canada Revenue
Agency (CRA) by the end of April 2010.
• The HRTC does NOT apply to:
(a) Your regular strata fees paid in 2009/2010 (from January 27,2009 to January
31,2010)
(b) Projects funded by special levy or the strata corporation’s Contingency Reserve
Fund, or other similar fund if that project was initiated prior to January 27,
2009.
(c) Projects funded by special levy or the strata corporation’s Contingency Reserve
Fund or other similar fund if the project was initiated between January 27, 2009
and February 1, 2010 for the uncompleted portion of the work after February
1, 2010. Only that portion of the new work completed between January 27,
2009 and February 1, 2010 is eligible.
• The total cost of an eligible project (new work completed) must be divided by all the
owners of your strata corporation, using the usual unit entitlement formula.
• The HRTC applies to eligible expenses of more than $1,000, but not more than
$10,000, resulting in a maximum non-refundable tax credit of $1,350.
• VCS will not be able to provide you with the required HRTC information until the end
of February. If you plan on submitting your 2009 tax return to the CRA early (i.e. not
at the end of April) VCS will NOT be able to provide you with information prior to the
end of February.
• Once VCS has the documentation ready, at the end of February, it will be distributed
to you.
• For more information, please contact the government website at:
www.cra-arc.gc.ca/hrtc/
Water Shutdown Feb. 4
January 28, 2010 by Howard Olsen · Comments Off
ENTIRE SOLO BUILDING WATER SHUT DOWN
Thursday, February 4th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Please be advised that Milani Plumbing will be conducting repairs
in unit 402 on Feb 4th. and will need to shut off water in the Solo Building from:
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thank you for your co-operation.
