June 2020 Edition

PO Box 504, Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 www.fernie2286.com username: greenroof password: polarpeak

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1. Board of Directors Update

2. Annual General Meeting

3. Use of Decks & Courtyards

4. Spring Walk Around Update

5. Home Owners Insurance

6. Hot Water Tanks

7. Selling your Condo

8. Cable / WiFi Upgrades

9. Swallow Nesting Problems

10. Garbage / Recyclables

If you have any announcements or issues you would like included in the Fall newsletter, please forward to Del Cleland, Strata President dcleland787@gmail.com

As we approach warmer temperatures of July and August, owners and occupants will be socializing on their decks/courtyards. Please keep in mind that all decks/courtyards are directly adjacent to other decks/courtyards sharing the same space. Please do not smoke in these areas; please take your socializing inside your unit after 11PM in order to comply with the quiet time bylaw.

Strata newsletters are the strata council's way of keeping all owners informed regarding strata operations, along with items of interest to owners. It is important that, in our strata where there are 44 unit owners living in close proximity, which requires a general set of rules (bylaws) governing the activities of diverse ownership, we keep everyone in the loop. This is the intent of all newsletters.

The strata web site is: www.fernie2286.com username: greenroof password: polarpeak This allows access to all documents and information referred to in the newsletter.

Board of Directors Update

The minutes of the June AGM, held on June 13,2020 have been posted on the strata web site. All financial documents reviewed at this meeting have also been posted on the web site.

Selling Your Unit If you are selling, most realtors will contact me with a request for several documents. All these documents can be found on the strata web site. You can allow your realtor to access these documents as required.

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Homeowner Insurance It is important that all owners purchase homeowner's insurance (as per the bylaws) to cover contents and the interior of the unit. •Review your insurance to make sure there is a clause that covers the strata's deductible should the strata make a claim on the strata's insurance that involves your unit. •Failure to carry this insurance may result in the owner being held personally responsible for the cost of damage. •FYI, strata insurance's policy deductible for water and sewer damage has gone up this year to $20,000. You can review the strata insurance summary for 2020 on the website. •If your unit has a water break, and it causes damage to another unit, the strata will not cover the damage to the affected unit; your homeowner's insurance policy provider will initially have to be contacted for coverage of this damage.

Hot Water Tanks Hot water tanks were mandated to be replaced in all units as per the bylaws in 2011. They will be 10 years old some time next year (2021). Please check your tank to see when it exceeds 10 years of age and plan to replace it at this time. If your hot water tank leaks and causes damage to your unit or another, you will be responsible for the repair cost.

Spring Walk Around

Each spring, the strata council goes over the entire property with our maintenance provider to generate a 'to do' list. This list identifies a list of maintenance, repair, replacement and upgrading items that will be addressed by maintenance and sub contractors over the course of the spring/summer.

Similarly, here is a list of 'to do' items for owners to address:

c Check all water supply hoses in your condo to make sure they are tight and aren't leaking. Water is our constant enemy because of the damage it can quickly cause.

c Pull your dryer away from the wall and check the vent hose going into the wall. Lint can build up and create a fire hazard. If you live on the ground floor, the external dryer vent outlet can be found underneath the decks. Please check these as well. For all others, the dryer vent outlet is higher up on the outside walls. Maintenance will check these outlets when they repair/replace the plastic vent covers.

c Keep your decks/courtyards clean and neat. These areas are limited common property. That is, they are for your exclusive use, but they don't belong to you; they belong to the strata and as such the strata regulates how they can be used. Check the bylaws to see what you can and can't have on decks/courtyards. Recyclables must be stored in closed containers. You can't store anything in these areas in plastic garbage bags – period.

c If you rent your unit short or long term, it is your responsibility to inform renters of all pertinent strata rules (bylaws), especially the bylaw that says 'no smoking' on limited common property.

c Do not use your BBQ up against a stucco wall. It will blacken the wall with soot. If this has already happened, it is your responsibility to clean it.

Report all concerns regarding strata bylaws to me ASAP.

Several owners have inquired as to how to upgrade their cable or WiFi service with Shaw. Currently, every unit has been provided with one basic cable TV modem and one WiFi modem. Each TV requires it's own modem, so if you want more than one TV to be functional, you need to either purchase or rent extra modems from Shaw. These modems do not allow for PVR'ing shows; they do not give you HD TV. If you want PVR capabilities or HD you can upgrade your modems. Shaw offers Blue Sky TV that gives you all of this. You can either rent or purchase this system from them. The strata offers a basic TV package of 60 or so channels. Owners can set up their own individual account with Shaw that adds to the basic package. Owners would then pay the difference between what the strata provides as part of the strata fee and what they want. The same can be done with WiFi. The strata provides High Speed 10 bandwidth. This is enough bandwidth for several devices and a smart TV (netflix and you tube). If you want more bandwidth, again you can upgrade to what you want and just pay the difference on an individualized account. To set up your account: Contact Shaw Cable. Ask for special accounts. The account numbers they will ask for are: 1200 building – 018-7655-2457; 1300 building – 018-7655-2431. - You can individualize your account by providing them with your unit number or the SSID code on the white

sticker on either modem. If you have difficulty, contact me, and I will help out.

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Swallow Nesting Problem Swallows are a constant problem every spring/summer and have been since our strata was built. In the past we have engaged maintenance to knock down the nests. • The BC Wildlife Act protects swallows and considers it an offence to knock down a nest that is occupied by a bird or an egg. If we continue to knock down nests, the strata may be liable for a significant fine. Last year we knocked down a nest that was occupied by chicks, and we were issued a warning. The next infraction may result in a fine. • Other strata’s in the area are adopting a variety of different solutions to this ongoing problem. The red roofs are continuing to knock their nests down; Pinnacle Ridge have installed netting in the dormer apexes, but initial reports are that this solution is not working all that well. • Our strata has decided to power wash the affected decks once a week for the duration of the nesting season. We hope that this will be done every Friday. • The cost of knocking down nests vs. power washing the decks is approximately the same. It should be noted that, although unsightly, swallow droppings do not contain any parasites/diseases that are transferable to humans. •The Strata Board are looking into a proactive solution to be implemented prior to the 2021 nesting season.

Cable / Wifi Upgrades

Garbage / Recyclables

At the south end of the parking lot, owners and occupants will find a yellow dumpster for recyclables. You can place cardboard that is not contaminated with grease/fat, plastics numbered 1-6 only, paper, and tin cans in this bin. Please make sure the tin cans are cleaned. DO NOT place metals other than tin cans in the bin. DO NOT place recyclable beverage bottles and cans in this bin. DO NOT place any type of glass in these bins. Contaminating the bin will result in its contents being placed in general garbage and this defeats the purpose of recycling. Alpenglow, our maintenance provider, manages the wooden bin by the dumpsters for recycling all beverage bottles and cans. DO NOT place bottles/cans in this bin that have been used as cigarette butt receptacles. Bottles/cans used for this purpose are contaminated and cannot be recycled, so throw them in the grey garbage bin.