Our coop has a seven person board.

We have a summer pool committee that consists of one board member and three residents.

We have an interior decoration and refurbishment committee that consists of one board member and several residents. Several years ago, they engaged an interior designer who prepared the “new look”. Separately we dealt with the design of the new mailroom. Then, we engaged several contractors to bid on the work. Based on the feedback from the interior designer; the building manager, the committee and myself selected a contractor to perform the work. Our legal counsel then worked out the formal documents.

For capital improvements such as the $1,300,000 elevator upgrade and new larger generator, we had two board members and six residents.

For our window replacement program, we have one board member and one resident who is a former general contractor as our committee. The building manager and the superintendent oversee the project, but do read much further below.

Our landscape program is managed by one board member and our building manager.

Our union negotiation committee had several board members and the building manager. Being in NJ, we have a separate contract (not a group contract among a number of high rises) for our maintenance and janitorial staff.

We have a 24x7 security firm. The day-to-day security operations are managed by the building manager and our resident superintendents. (We have two.) For contract negotiations and occasional summit meetings with our security provider, our building manager and two board members are engaged.

For our inside parking deck overhaul, our building manager dealt with our outside engineering consulting firm that wrote the RFP. Then, the engineering firm and our building manager reviewed the bids and brought term to my attention. Based on the recommendations, we selected a contractor and then our legal counsel worked out the necessary legal documents.

Please note that the president is an ad hoc member of the committees, but remains on the sidelines.

Also, all should be aware that we have a zero punch list policy to the greatest extent possible. By this, I mean our outside engineering firm will be on site during the work or while the work is in progress to validate the work and the quality of work. Thus with the window replacement program, the contractor does not leave the apartment until our engineer reports zero defects.

For our elevator upgrade we hired an outside elevator consulting firm that wrote the RFP fore the elevator and for the generator, provided a list of bidders, and then evaluated the responses. The consultant then interviewed the firms with us. Finally, the consulting firm was on site several times a week to monitor the work and approved progress payments.

The committees cannot make any financial commitments or sign any documents. Legal documents are signed by the secretary with the approval of the board for expenditures over a certain amount.

Legal counsel is engaged as necessary.