WATERWAYS MANAGEMENT COMPANY
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING NO.34
7.30 PM ON WEDNESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2011
MINUTES
Present: Miles Thompson (Chairman), Mireille Levy, Sally and Richard Doyle,
Martin French, Nick Robinson, Derek Summers.
In attendance: Rebecca Hill (Managing Agent)
Minute taker: Miles Thompson
- Apologies
Paula Reynolds, Louise Robertson, Nicholas Orme, Raquel Stremme. - Private Business
None. - Approval of minutes from meeting 33 (06/07/11)
The minutes of the meeting were approved as a correct record. - Matters arising
4.1 Progress on Welcome to the Waterways booklet
A version of the booklet had been circulated to all members of the committee. The
Chair encouraged all members of the committee to read it and if they spotted any
typographical error or other improvements then they should pass the details to the
director overseeing the finalising of the text. - Health and Safety
5.1 The Managing Agent reported that the next Waterways-wide on site health and
safety audit had been booked to take place before the end of September. - Update from Managing Agent
6.1 Identity theft
The Managing Agent was awaiting details from the Crime Prevention Officer about
post box designs for the apartments, that would be resistant to tampering and
therefore to exploitation by criminals attempting identity theft.
RESOLVED
The Managing Agent to write again to the Crime Prevention Officer (copying in the
Chair) and to provide a progress report at the next meeting.
7 Items from WRA
7.1 Nothing to report; no-one from the WRA was present at the meeting.
8 Subcommittee round-up
8.1 Treasurer
8.1.1 OM were thanked for their efforts in producing the accounts earlier than in previous
years (by 15 August). This was providing valuable additional time to allow for the
accounts to be scrutinised.
8.1.2 The accounts have to be submitted before the end of October.
RESOLVED
(i) The Managing Agent to make recommendations to the Treasurer on the
extent to which reserve funds should be used this year to off-set one-off
maintenance costs falling on current members for works undertaken during
the last financial year. The recommendation on the amount to be used is to
be provided alongside information on the size of each relevant reserve fund
after the recommended sum has been withdrawn and how much the affected
members of the Company would have to pay were no contribution to be made
from the reserve funds.
(ii) The accounts will be circulated to all members of the committee with a
deadline by which committee members must return any comments on the
accounts to the Treasurer. Subject thereto, the Treasurer and the Chair are
authorised to sign-off the accounts.
8.2 Apartment Block Subcommittee
8.2.1 Last meeting 20 July; minutes to be copied to Chair once approved at next meeting
on 26 September.
8.2.2 Redecoration and carpeting of some apartment blocks is due to commence soon.
The Managing Agent will shortly be writing to the affected members.
8.2.3 Following extensive internal building works to one of the apartments in Complins
Close (no.37), the Managing Agent had written to the freeholders of the block to
establish whether or not their required consent had first been obtained for the work.
They have confirmed it was for all works except for the installation of wooden
flooring. It is understood the freeholder has written to the leaseholders to require the
wooden flooring be replaced with carpeted flooring.
8.2.4 Changes to gas regulations to be introduced in 2013 will require visual inspections of
boiler flues. This may require the installation of inspection hatches in some cases.
The Managing Agent will shortly be writing to affected members with details about
this. Where possible, hatches should be provided within the demise of the leasehold
and not in communal parts of the building.
8.3 Garden Subcommittee
8.3.1 Update on culvert maintenance
The County Council had been contacted regularly and had not responded to date on
the issue relating to ownership of the culvert. Both the local County and City
Councillors had been approached for help in securing an answer from the County
Council.
RESOLVED
If no progress has been made within ten days of the meeting then the Managing
Agent is to write again to both councillors (copying in the Chair) and asking for them
to raise the matter with the line manager of the County Council officer from whom we
had been told to expect a response.
8.3.2 Possible land purchase
It was believed the property had now been sold. No further contact had been made
by them. The matter was declared closed.
8.3.3 Resurfacing of parking and manoeuvring areas on west side of Cox’s Ground
Some parking spaces were demised to the adjacent houses. The manoeuvring
areas may still belong to Berkeley Homes. No record has yet been found by the
managing agent to evidence that the land had been transferred to the Company.
Confirmation of ownership is being sought from Berkeley Homes.
8.4 Parking and Traffic Subcommittee
8.4.1 The kerb stone on the roundabout-by-the-lake on Elizabeth Jennings Way had been
repaired. Otherwise nothing to report.
8.5 Feedback
8.5.1 Nothing to report.
8.6 AGM Subcommittee
8.6.1 Subcommittee to report to next meeting of Management Committee with a plan of
preparation for the next AGM; with a view to holding meeting in March again and
therefore to proceed to book a meeting hall if deemed by them to be appropriate to
do so at this time.
8.7 Scrutiny Subcommittee
8.7.1 A meeting in August had been poorly attended due to members’ other commitments.
Next meeting was arranged for Monday 17 October at 7:30pm.
9 AOB
9.1 Nothing raised.
10 Date of next meeting
10.1 Monday, 21 November, Anchor, 7.30 pm