SPRING EDITION 2020
TO THE POINT
THE NEWSLETTER OF POINT MCKAY WEST
RENAISSANCE MANAGEMENT
handles our day to day issues. If you have concerns please
direct them to our Property Manager,
VICKI WELLS
403-239-6390 ext. 6
and simply identify yourself as a resident of
Point McKay West.
You can also reach her through email:
vicki@
renaissancemanagement.ca
If you like, you may cc the Board at
[email protected]
To date, almost half of our residents have opted for an email
copy of this newsletter
If you prefer a “green” copy of TO THE POINT, please email the
Board, Attention: Tracy Brooks. We’ll need your unit address and
email.
Are you wondering about
-the Annual General Meeting for 2020?
-when the asphalt will get fixed?
-how your money gets wasted?
-PMW Condo Policies and Bylaws?
-the special assessment?
-this handsome bob-kitten?
Find this and so much more inside …
Update from last year’s AGM
Why is there cause for a special assessment?
There is unusual settling in the block of units 545-555 which is
being addressed by RJC Engineering. The affected owners are being
kept up to date about the work in and around their units. Given the
current information, it is unlikely that this will be an insurance
claim, but the possibility will be reviewed once we have determined
the cause of the settling.
How does this affect me as a fellow owner?
Though our Reserve Fund will pay for this work, it will be
costly and the funds will need to be replaced. There will be a
Special Assessment which is expected to be around $4000 depending
on your unit factor (established when the property was built, and
dependent upon square footage, etc.)
The last Special Assessment was in 1999-2000 when we replaced
everyone’s roof.
How and when is the Special Assessment payable?
When the work is completed, exact costs will be calculated. Then
options will be provided for different payment plans. You WILL NOT
be expected to come up with a lump sum.
Why not increase condo fees?
It is important to keep Condo Fees low, to stay competitive in
the market.
What about my unit? Should we pay for an assessment of the
entire property to feel more secure about the situation for other
units?
The engineering company has looked at the property twice and did
not see any issues.
This situation is unusual and paying for ‘another look’ at this
point will not be helpful as we cannot know what has caused this
problem until the work is done.
What is the relationship between RENAISSANCE MANAGEMENT and the
Board?
How do things get done at Point McKay?
The Board is a group of your neighbours; volunteers who work
with Renaissance Management for the betterment of our community. To
get something done, direct a concern to The Board or to Vicki at
Renaissance. Simple issues under $1000 can be handled without
discussion with the Board. For bigger issues we depend on
Renaissance’s years of experience and knowledge of companies who
provide services to condos. They gather quotes and make
recommendations, then decisions are made jointly with the
Board.
How can I have a voice?
You can share your thoughts or concerns by emailing the
management company [email protected] or The Board at
[email protected]
To be a Board Member; you need be an owner in good standing
(Condo Fees up to date, no unpaid fines) and be willing to work
with a group of your neighbours to help PMW be the best it can be.
Board positions will be open at the next Annual General
Meeting.
Things to Know
Changes to
THE CONDOMINIUM ACT
Changes to the Condominium Act require that our Policies &
Procedures and our Bylaws documents be updated.
A new copy of the Policies & Procedures was put in your
mailbox at the end of March. Please know what is in it.
If you’ve lost your copy, you can find it on our website. Expect
to see an updated copy of the Bylaws by the end of the year.
RESERVE FUND STUDY
Our new 30-year Reserve Fund Study is almost complete and we are
in good financial shape.
Did you know that you can buy DEDUCTIBLE INSURANCE COVERAGE from
you home insurance provider?
Should you have an accident, ie. bathtub overflow or the like,
that causes damage to another unit, you could be responsible for
the $10,000 deductible required to fix your neighbour’s unit.
SHAGANAPPI PUMP STATION
At this point it appears that the fenced parking at Riverside
Towers and access from Montgomery View will not be restricted until
Fall 2021.
SPEED BUMPS
and
ASPHALT
Our asphalt has really taken a beating. We are gathering quotes
to have it repaired this summer. Due to last year’s less than
accommodating weather, the speed bumps were not painted. You will
see BMD out doing them this year.
Charging of e-VEHICLES is NOT PERMITTED in PMW
Our infrastructure will not support the electricity draw
required. We are investigating how this could change in the
future.
Changes to
VISITOR PARKING
Shortage of parking has always been an issue here. This summer
the signage will change to
VISTORS ONLY-24 HOURS.
By summer all households will receive new guest passes to be
displayed by your visitors at any time of day or night.
How your money gets wasted
The Board does not clean up a mess like this. We pay other
people to clean it up, using your Condo Association $$$.
Know that there is a RIGHT WAY to recycle:
· CLEAN the food from containers before they go in the bin. When
a load is contaminated by food, or other things that don’t belong
there (like styrofoam), the entire load goes to the dump instead of
being recycled.
AND they have the right to FINE us, another big waste of our
money.
· Plastic bags need to be bundled into one bag, so that they can
be easily separated from other items.
· Boxes need to be broken down flat and INSIDE the bins. Please
invest in a box cutter. Un-flattened boxes take up more room,
leaving negative space in the bins and adding to overflow
problems.
· If the container can be crushed, crush it.
· It is important that the bins can close.
· The recycling bins are emptied every Monday, organics every
second Wednesday. If bins are full, go to another enclosure or come
back later.
· Please DO NOT leave ‘free offerings’ or bottles in the garbage
enclosures.
P.S. THANK YOU to those who help to keep our costs down by
recycling thoughtfully.
Yes, there is a ‘chopper’ in the compost collection truck, but
it cannot deal with this. A tree needs to be cut into manageable
pieces and must fit
INSIDE THE BIN in order to be taken.
Check Calgary.ca under RECYCLING or COMPOSTING. Look for What
Goes Where.
Type in what you have to get rid of and they’ll tell you how to
do it properly.
Sharing Space in Condo Land
POLICIES & BYLAWS As the outside of our units is considered
Common Property, here are some of the common expectations for use,
that are meant to keep us living together harmoniously.
Find out more at pointmckay.wordpress.ca
LANDSCAPING By keeping our balconies, decks, shrubs, flower beds
clean and gardens clean and in neat trim, we maintain a uniform
presence and keep up our property value.
ELECTION POSTERS and FOR SALE signs may be displayed in your
window, but not on the lawn.
BBQs
Use of charcoal BBQs or converting your fireplace to burn wood
are not permitted as these would raise our fire risk and fire
insurance premiums.
Gas BBQs are fine, but butane, propane, etc. are not to be
stored in garages.
AIR B&B
is currently prohibited at PMW.
QUIET HOURS
We are all expected to “not make undue noise or disturbance” and
to use and enjoy the Common Property “so as not to unduly interfere
with the use and enjoyment of others”.
DOGS
We do not have size restrictions for dogs, though owners must
attain approval from the Board for their pets. Residents are
expected to keep dogs leashed within the complex and to pick up
after their dogs.
The central park area between the Drive and the Grove is
designated dog-free.
Please respect this.
The City of Calgary demands that all dogs have and wear a
licence as soon as they reach
3 months of age.
RENOVATIONS
need to be approved. You submit your plans to The Board and we
help you to stay on the right side of the Policies &
Bylaws.
If you are working on your place this summer, know that
construction noise is restricted, so plan your power-tool time
for
8am-5pm M-F and 9-5 on Saturdays. Sunday is meant to be a quiet
day.
See the last page for more info on RENO’s.
HOT TUBS
Due to our noise restrictions, hot tubs are not permitted at
Point McKay West.
AIR CONDITIONERS
Are not permitted because of the noise caused by the cooling fan
that runs while the unit is operating.
CATS
As per Calgary bylaws, cats are not to be allowed to roam.
Critters at PMW
This beauty and her kit (or maybe 2 – see cover) were around
this winter. Bobcats tend to subsist on rabbits and hares. They
prefer to avoid people, hunting at dusk and dawn. If you saw her
and her family at all, you are a lucky one.
Weasels are fierce little hunters closely related to ferrets and
mink. Like mice and voles, they do not hibernate. Weasels like to
eat mice, voles and rabbits. Technically they are nocturnal though
we were visited on a Sunday morning this winter. This is not the
guy from our yard - he was ‘way too busy to pose for a photo.
Voles mainly eat lawn grass roots in the winter. Their tunneling
leaves trails in the lawn. They rarely live past 12 months.
Mice store food for the winter and burrow against structures
where they might discover that your place is warmer than theirs.
Mice live for 5-7 years.
CAL-RID RODENT BAIT STATION INSTALLATION
As much as we may have moved here to enjoy being close to
nature, no one wants little creatures as roommates. We have hired
CAL-RID to install and maintain bait stations for this year, to
bring down the mouse population.
Do not move the black box. It is most effective sitting against
the foundation of the home. The traps are designed with ramps and
baffles such that mice must enter the trap to get the bait. The
trap is accessed with a key for safety and the portion needed for a
mouse is much lower than would affect any other predator.
Upkeep and Beautification
TREE CARE
The Arborest
Expert Tree Service
Many of our evergreens were trimmed of some lower branches in
the fall, to let light into the space below. This summer The
Arborest will treat the Oyster Scale on some of our shrubs.
LANDSCAPING and SNOW REMOVAL
Bark Mulch Depot
We have enlisted BMD to improve our flower displays over last
year’s. They will be in soon to amend the soil in our beds and do
planting. We are adding some perennials this year, to offset our
long-term costs.
WINDOWS
To save some money, only the upper windows of our units are
being washed in late spring. So, we’ll be washing our own street
level windows this year.
FENCES, PAINTING
Condo Coatings
Phase 2 of the fencing plan starts soon. River-facing units will
get new fences, and last year’s fences will see their first coat of
Walnut stain. A 3-year painting plan also begins with south facing
aspects of some units and at the end of the plan we will all have
the same colour of trim and garage doors.
NEW ADDRESS NUMBERS
As fences are replaced and repainting is done, we are also
replacing the old plastic numbers which are disintegrating. We are
looking to choose a new style of house numbers to modernize the
look of our community.
2019-2020 BOARD of DIRECTORS will remain until the next AGM is
permitted to occur, in the fall of 2020.
Position
Name
Position
Name
President
Joan Wilson
Vice President
John Seigner
Treasurer
Steven Marinoske
Member at Large
Janine Borys
Newsletter & Landscaping Comm.
Tracy Brooks
Board Secretary & Landscaping Comm.
Allyson Berrenechea
The Board has an email address: [email protected]
SPRING 2020
TO THE POINT
ARE YOU PLANNING RENOVATIONS THIS SUMMER?
Renovations inside your home or outside in the yard need to
comply with PMW bylaws.
Completion of a Request and Undertaking Form needs to be
submitted to Renaissance Management for the Condo Board, that
includes:
· Drawings of the unit (including the unit number, please) –
with highlights of the renovations
Learn more on our website or call Renaissance Management.
TRADES often require Visitor Parking while working during the
day. They may possibly need to access the back of the unit.
Remember that this must be
approved first, as it is on common property.
Thank you to those who participate in keeping Point McKay West a
clean, safe and beautiful place in which to live.
What’s on your mind?
Your Board are just a few of your neighbours who take some time
every month
to think about ‘the greater good’ for
PMW. Share questions or comments using our website.
PS. Baby rabbits are out. Though they look ridiculously small,
everything I’ve read says that they are just fine
(much better off actually) without our intervention.
Point McKay West has a website, begun in 2017. Besides a little
advertising, it has information on the history of our area, as well
as the forms required by the Board for when you are proposing work
on your unit. https://pointmckaywest.wordpress.com
