Management/Legal Documents Committee meeting minutes
for Tuesday, August 22nd

Members Present:
Jeanine Kindlien #503
Joshua Hosterman #407
Amy Joy Allen #407
Justin Olson #607
Kurt Holtze #605
Abby Merlis #605
Laurel Cazin #604
Jan Grover #502
Deneen Gannon #608

Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm

Objectives -

1. Washing the windows - when will this get done?
2. Removing the exterior window paint - when will this
get done?
3. The Tilsner proposed rent credit policy - when will
this be approved?
4. When will we receive updated washers and dryers?
5. Many units in the Tilsner have moths in them - what
can be done about this?
6. Water coming from the pipes and ceilings of the
sixth floor units - what can be done to fix this?
7. When will the 'pipe upgrade' project finally be
finished?
8. How can we get security cameras approved for the
Tilsner?

Also - Jim Duncan and some others are interested in
getting roof access for a garden patio - how can we
make this happen?

New Issues -

-Kims attendance - not being around enough - can we
get more time allocated for her at this building from
Real Estate Equities?

-Is our new management company doing enough for the
Tilsner?
-Air conditioning not working on the 6th floor,
leaking windows not getting addressed.
-Why can't we install window air conditioning units
when some residents have window boxes for flowers?
-Roof not insulated well enough to keep the cool/heat
in on the 6th floor.
-What is Management company's responsibility toward
addressing the above items and what is the
cooperative's?
-Why did we switch management companies?
-Who's making a buck off the Tilsner? Artspace
investors or Management company? If we're paying so
much in rent, why is there never any money for
addressing maintenance issues?
-Laurel has been unable to claim renter's insurance
benefits on water damage to her home electronics
unless the roof gets fixed first - so, when will this
happen?
-How to get maintenance requests taken care of on time
rather than taking forever as they have more recently?
-When will the 'big issues' with the building's
systems be taken care of? Some repairs have been put
off for years despite switching management companies.

Old Issues - What to do next?

Kim talked to Jane at T.C. housing, Jane e-mailed the
partnership
review of e-mail (see attachment)

- Questions about the year 2014 - buying out the
building - talk vs. something in writing.

-Questions we want answered about e-mail

-Questions re: the Tilsner's mortgage company - debt
changing hands
-raising rent to pay off debt but same old story
-Hire a lawyer to act as liaison between groups,
interpret legalese?
-Slow response time on their part - why this is the
first time we're hearing about some of the items
brought up in the e-mail
-Management - new organization, excuses -
doesn't fly with us
-Maintenance - they list 15 separate issues
-Why are we still talking about painting over
graffiti in stairwells when we have so much other
more important stuff that needs to be fixed?
-Justin moves to oppose the re-painting of stairwells
-Why aren't we commissioning residents to paint the
stairwells with murals that everyone can be proud of?
-The language in this letter is deliberately vague -
what does the 'document expiration date' mean?

We don't need cosmetic issues taken care of, we need
the big issues addressed!

People need to get together to make these things
happen - we require a united front to act effectively.

-Lack of participation in co-op activities as a whole
-What are the problems we absolutely need to see
resolved? We should focus on these.
-2007 budget frustration about rent going up - but
repairs never happening as promised.
-Who signs off on raises for Kim, Earl, and Vicki?
Where does this money come from?
-This being a co-op, issues the management company
doesn't want to address get pushed off on us - who's
responsibility are they actually?

Painting and cleaning credits - our version vs. theirs

HOLY SPREADSHEETS, BATMAN!

-How to negotiate most effectively?
-Questions as to whether or not previous years credits
apply to current rent.
-The need for committed people on the painting and
cleaning committees to make this newly proposed system
work - including co-chairs.
-If the chairs do not keep up communication with the
partnership, they can re-nig on the whole rent credit
policy.
-Time frames - they drag their feet communicating with
us on our issues, but they want prompt responses from
us.
-Paperwork scare tactic - they're trying to make it
look too complicated for us to be worth it for us.
-Should we abandon the rent credit system entirely
because of the runaround?
-Due to errors in their calculations, some people's
rents have actually gone up rather than down unless
corrected by the tenants.
-Contracting painters to do the work would actually
cost the co-op more.

Decided - that we should pursue an equitable
rent-credit system.
People should review the photocopies of the
partnership's proposed system and we should discuss
more at our next committee meeting in two weeks.

We need to pick our top 5 issues to make our primary
concern:

-Last year's 9% rent increase - precipitated by a need
to replace windows - has this money been allocated
yet?
-How these things get dealt with on our parts now will
drastically impact the amount of control the
partnership has over the building as opposed to how
much control the co-op itself has. Question of
bringing in a lawyer raised again.
-Could we barter for legal services?
-Jan will call her son-in-law who's a real-estate
lawyer and ask some questions on our behalf, in the
meantime, we should all look in to this as much as we
are able.
-Jan is a community mediator and can bring some
insight as to how these processes work.
-Pro Bono legal work a possibility?
-We should consult springboard for the arts more on
this issue.
-Obtain copies of city codes - Landlords and Tenants
Rights and Responsibilities booklet accessible on the
internet at

www.ag.state.mn.us

People are to go home and do research
-e-mail committee members & pool information so we can
make a better argument for our cause.

To get a lawyer on our case, we'll need a statement
that says who we are, what we're looking for in a
lawyer and what kind of issues we're looking to have
resolved.
-what is our standing as a co-op/nonprofit
organization?

-What are our powers as a co-op?
-What powers does the partnership hold?
-Under a normal lease situation, rent is escrowed if
maintenance requests are ignored - what kinds of legal
protections do we have as renters?

Until we have answers to these questions, we have no
real sway - we need answers to proceed effectively.

Top 5 problems we want addressed

-Pipes
-Windows
-Roof leaking/insulation affecting cold/heat retention
on the 6th floor
-Communication delays with partnership
-Management company not doing its job

Info we want
-Air conditioning units - why they can't be installed
in windows by tenants
-More info on buying out the building in 2014 - in
writing.
-What it would take to get roof garden/patio.

-Leaky pipes in almost all the storage units in
apartments
-moths in the units
-mice in basement

-We have beef with Real Estate Equities storing their
crap in our basement community spaces

10 issue list will go to the Liaison meeting.

Will shoot-out an e-mail to everyone with summary of
these issues

STICK TOGETHER!
POWER IN NUMBERS MAKES IT HAPPEN!

Get people to e-mail partnership?
Slide notes under their doors?
How to generate interest/concern?

Meeting adjourned.
--Jeanine Kindlien