Centro Condos (Henderson Developments) - Real Estate -

[Ontnut]

I did not say that I want to increase fees for security, but that I would not be opposed to a small increase if that means permanent security at the entrances all times. Of course, there's only 2 ways to get something extra, pay for it, or cut something else. I think the best way to find the funds at this point would be to go through the budget and re-organize/fund certain items. This will be difficult however, in the first year, because we really have very little idea what parts of the budget are over or underfunded.

Also, keeping maintenance fees as low as possible is nice, until a certain point. Every building needs a bare minimum budget to run, and a minimum budget to run so that desires and needs are met. Sure maybe a group of owners think we can squeeze by with the bare minimum of security at the lowest price, since that will save us money; but perhaps that's short sighted in that if something were to happen, such as a robbery or vandalism etc., that could have been prevented by having just 1 or 2 extra guards watching the main doors, we might end up having to deal with more serious issues than just maintenance fees. Of course there is no guarantee that this would happen, or that more security would prevent it, but it's something to think about. Would you be comfortable if your only child or daughter was living alone in a building for which security is decidedly lax? Just something to think about so that it can be discussed at the turnover meeting. I'd be more than happy to have to only pay 2 guards, if they can do an adequate job on their own, but this remains to be seen.

Also, there must be dozens upon dozens of cameras in the building, and the screen they watch it on isn't exactly wall-to-wall, so even small issues like people smoking in stairwells, become a big issue for 2 people to handle (as I've seen them struggle to ID, find and confront certain people who were suspected of smoking inside)...not to mention a lot of the time it seems as though the gate security could care less about actually doing their job - there's one asian guy in particular that always seems to be staring off into space.

Finally, keep in mind that there are ongoing sales of units, for which security guards must bring up potential buyers and stay with them the entire time they are there. That means whenever someone is viewing a unit, there is no guard on patrol and no guard at either main entrance. Just seems to be spread kinda thin imo.

Raising fees for security?? Bad idea...few reasons:

1. Fees are already going to go up as they always do in the first year.
2. Maintenance fees are already high. We don't need to add on. We need to incorporate and see what our fees are going towards right now and adjust accordingly. We don't want to go and spend and add on Maintenance fees right off the bat. If that is your mentality, applying for the Board is a bad idea. You want to keep maint. fees as low as possible.

As for security, everyone will have different opinions on this one...in the end, the guys in the gatehouse are there to watch all cameras and monitor parking. We have 2 right now, one to do that and one to patrol. That is good enough. We have cameras everywhere in the building. I don't think we need anymore guards, but as we can clearly see, this is debatable.

One thing I will agree on, the management in this building is not the greatest and something needs to be done about it once Board is created.

 

[Ontnut]

Just curious on this one...what happens if you raise the fees and then the security guards hired don't enforce the rules or are not there all the time and people start noticing this? How will you handle all the complaints you will get?

Well this would be on the security company would it not? You could just as easily ask the same question about the current security guards...and the answer would pretty much be the same...bring the issue to the attention of the security company, speak to the guards directly and if needed get property management involved in order to get new guards in

I feel like the hiring of new guards/raising maintenance fees for this application, might be a topic of discussion for the AGM anyway , rather than the turnover meeting. We'd need the support of majority of owners anyway before taking on a project that requires raising fees. Anyways, that's basically the job description for the board really...Deal with owner complaints and suggestions, propose solutions and implement approved solutions to those complaints, while maintaining and/or increasing property value. If you're afraid of dealing with complaints, probably not a good idea to run for the board lol...

 

[badmanj]

I agree, the budget needs to be looked at. Security isn't the greatest and if they are not doing their job, management needs to get rid of them. Too bad management seems to be lacking right now.

I did not say that I want to increase fees for security, but that I would not be opposed to a small increase if that means permanent security at the entrances all times. Of course, there's only 2 ways to get something extra, pay for it, or cut something else. I think the best way to find the funds at this point would be to go through the budget and re-organize/fund certain items. This will be difficult however, in the first year, because we really have very little idea what parts of the budget are over or underfunded.

Also, keeping maintenance fees as low as possible is nice, until a certain point. Every building needs a bare minimum budget to run, and a minimum budget to run so that desires and needs are met. Sure maybe a group of owners think we can squeeze by with the bare minimum of security at the lowest price, since that will save us money; but perhaps that's short sighted in that if something were to happen, such as a robbery or vandalism etc., that could have been prevented by having just 1 or 2 extra guards watching the main doors, we might end up having to deal with more serious issues than just maintenance fees. Of course there is no guarantee that this would happen, or that more security would prevent it, but it's something to think about. Would you be comfortable if your only child or daughter was living alone in a building for which security is decidedly lax? Just something to think about so that it can be discussed at the turnover meeting. I'd be more than happy to have to only pay 2 guards, if they can do an adequate job on their own, but this remains to be seen.

Also, there must be dozens upon dozens of cameras in the building, and the screen they watch it on isn't exactly wall-to-wall, so even small issues like people smoking in stairwells, become a big issue for 2 people to handle (as I've seen them struggle to ID, find and confront certain people who were suspected of smoking inside)...not to mention a lot of the time it seems as though the gate security could care less about actually doing their job - there's one asian guy in particular that always seems to be staring off into space.

Finally, keep in mind that there are ongoing sales of units, for which security guards must bring up potential buyers and stay with them the entire time they are there. That means whenever someone is viewing a unit, there is no guard on patrol and no guard at either main entrance. Just seems to be spread kinda thin imo.

 

[bunnie]

i hate the fact that there is lack of security in our buildings now and i say this because something else has happened tonight:

just after 8pm as I was watching the hockey game I heard a knock on my door and was confused because I was not expecting any guests, as I approached the door, looked through the peep hole I noticed this young man now standing infront of my neighbour's door knocking. I stood there watching him because I thought perhaps he had knocked on my door by accident, but at the same time he did not seem familiar (and I know my neighbours). And within a couple of minutes he moved onto the next door and proceeded to do the same thing, knock and wait. I immediately called the Gate House to advise them of a strange man knocking on ALL the doors and before I could finish my sentence, the guard told me he had just sent an officer up to check it out (I would later find out my neighbour had also called security). Once the guard got up to my floor he seemed confused that the man was gone. I opened my door and told the guard the man had gone through those sets of door (I pointed and he followed my direction). At the same time, my neighbour had also come out of their unit and we were discussing what just happened. They inform me that this man had knocked on their door and they had a conversation through the closed door. The man claimed he was trying to locate the superintendent and didn't know where he was and that he was not from this building. As the conversation continued a second guard showed up and I once again pointed to where the man and the other guard went. By the time we finished talking the two guards never returned nor did the strange man.

I emailed Jai immediately to advise him of what has happened and to ask him to advise what was the outcome of this situation. I want to know who this man was, how he got into this building, what he was doing, and if we called the police.

I know for a fact that tonight there were 3 guards since the two that showed up was not the guard who answered the phone in the gatehouse. But this is a perfect example as to if there were only 2 guards on site how would they of handled this situation? Not to mention that had there of been a guard in the main lobby in the first place this man may not of been able to enter the building or the guards would have arrived on the scene of the incident much faster than they did tonight.

 

[chazed]

Are you serious? That's really bad. I'm not sure if any of you were home during the day, but the fire alarm went off something like 3 or 4 times. Each time the security guy would come on (and you could hardly understand him) and he would say they're working on it. After each alarm, more and more fire trucks came to the buildings. Something really needs to be done about this... Also, Bunnie, what floor/tower are you in? That really concerns me.

i hate the fact that there is lack of security in our buildings now and i say this because something else has happened tonight:

just after 8pm as I was watching the hockey game I heard a knock on my door and was confused because I was not expecting any guests, as I approached the door, looked through the peep hole I noticed this young man now standing infront of my neighbour's door knocking. I stood there watching him because I thought perhaps he had knocked on my door by accident, but at the same time he did not seem familiar (and I know my neighbours). And within a couple of minutes he moved onto the next door and proceeded to do the same thing, knock and wait. I immediately called the Gate House to advise them of a strange man knocking on ALL the doors and before I could finish my sentence, the guard told me he had just sent an officer up to check it out (I would later find out my neighbour had also called security). Once the guard got up to my floor he seemed confused that the man was gone. I opened my door and told the guard the man had gone through those sets of door (I pointed and he followed my direction). At the same time, my neighbour had also come out of their unit and we were discussing what just happened. They inform me that this man had knocked on their door and they had a conversation through the closed door. The man claimed he was trying to locate the superintendent and didn't know where he was and that he was not from this building. As the conversation continued a second guard showed up and I once again pointed to where the man and the other guard went. By the time we finished talking the two guards never returned nor did the strange man.

I emailed Jai immediately to advise him of what has happened and to ask him to advise what was the outcome of this situation. I want to know who this man was, how he got into this building, what he was doing, and if we called the police.

I know for a fact that tonight there were 3 guards since the two that showed up was not the guard who answered the phone in the gatehouse. But this is a perfect example as to if there were only 2 guards on site how would they of handled this situation? Not to mention that had there of been a guard in the main lobby in the first place this man may not of been able to enter the building or the guards would have arrived on the scene of the incident much faster than they did tonight.

 

[centroguy]

Hi I'm a new resident. Need some quick help. Much appreciated.

I understand that (cold) water is included in the maintenance fees, but heating & cooling are not, which are billed based on the heat pump electricity usage.

But what about HOT WATER? Is it covered in the condo fee? If not, does it show up in my EnerCare electricity bill? Thanks.

 

[Ontnut]

Are you serious? That's really bad. I'm not sure if any of you were home during the day, but the fire alarm went off something like 3 or 4 times. Each time the security guy would come on (and you could hardly understand him) and he would say they're working on it. After each alarm, more and more fire trucks came to the buildings. Something really needs to be done about this... Also, Bunnie, what floor/tower are you in? That really concerns me.

What happened to Bunnie is exactly what I meant when I said that we won't have enough guards patrolling/able to respond if it's just 2. I'm glad to hear you and your neighbour didn't have anything really bad happen to them. You should demand a reponse and/or resolution from Jai regarding this!

Yeah the fire alarm yesterday morning was BRUTAL. I worked most of the night until 1 or 2, and the fire alarm went off for like an hour straight at what, 6:30? Did anyone find out what the actual problem ended up being?

 

[Ontnut]

Hi I'm a new resident. Need some quick help. Much appreciated.

I understand that (cold) water is included in the maintenance fees, but heating & cooling are not, which are billed based on the heat pump electricity usage.

But what about HOT WATER? Is it covered in the condo fee? If not, does it show up in my EnerCare electricity bill? Thanks.

I'm not sure. I don't see it on my enercare bill anywere. Just shows electricity charges. Can ask Jai I suppose.

 

[irene]

i find the fire alarms obnoxiously loud and beyond annoying. it went off yesterday morning at 7am for a good 20+ minutes. it is unnecessary that they have to be beeping in the hallway and in your unit continuously, and the effing thing is LOUD. the super didn't even come back on after to advise that everything was clear. also, if you need to investigate something, why not investigate a bit first, and then sound off the engines. plus, i understand that a lot of condos have something in their unit that allows them to turn off the alarm from inside, why don't we have that?

been catching up on all your posts and i agree, security is seriously lacking here so hopefully once the board gets elected, some serious changes can take place. one evening, i was walking home from stc and i passed by the townhouses to get ot the south entrance and i was quite taken back to see a security guard sitting on a chair in one of the unfinished townhouses..just facing the window looking out to the street. is that his idea of "patrolling"???

here's another rant/annoyance.. people bringing very young kiddies into the gym and just letting them play with the fitness equipment. wtf? first, they can get hurt, and second, they can also wreck equipment with misuse. then there's the creepers that just go to the gym to creep on people, women in general. if you're not there to work out, then don't be there. it's unfortunate that as a unit owner, i would have to feel uncomfortable in a shared space.

btw when are the finishing touches all around the towers going to be done? there still appears to be a lot of WIP things particularly in the hallways and doorways.

 

[bunnie]

What happened to Bunnie is exactly what I meant when I said that we won't have enough guards patrolling/able to respond if it's just 2. I'm glad to hear you and your neighbour didn't have anything really bad happen to them. You should demand a reponse and/or resolution from Jai regarding this!

Yeah the fire alarm yesterday morning was BRUTAL. I worked most of the night until 1 or 2, and the fire alarm went off for like an hour straight at what, 6:30? Did anyone find out what the actual problem ended up being?

I am completely frustrated with the management of this building, this is the response I received from Jai:

"Our apologies for the inconvenience caused by this incident. Yes, you are right
according to the security I have been told that this person has a friend who
apparently he was told lives on the third floor. He was waiting for his friend
in the lobby and then his friend asked him to go upstairs. After you called the
security, he was escorted down to the gate house and was asked to wait for his
friend there. It seems he had gotten into the wrong building.
I am sure that with the cooperation of the residents, we will be able to make our security tighter and stronger."

after talking to several people I learned that this man was trying to borrow someone's phone so he could call his friend because he was lost... he made his phone call at the gate house and was escorted to the front of the building and waited for his friend to come get him - which turns out was THREE guys in a car! excuse me, but if your friend lives in the building he would not need a car to come get you... wtf

oh and fyi the police were not called...

 

[bunnie]

Hi I'm a new resident. Need some quick help. Much appreciated.

I understand that (cold) water is included in the maintenance fees, but heating & cooling are not, which are billed based on the heat pump electricity usage.

But what about HOT WATER? Is it covered in the condo fee? If not, does it show up in my EnerCare electricity bill? Thanks.

I believe hot water is billed with your Enercare bill as in order to get hot water you use electricity, I'm pretty sure.

 

[Ontnut]

I am completely frustrated with the management of this building, this is the response I received from Jai:

"Our apologies for the inconvenience caused by this incident. Yes, you are right
according to the security I have been told that this person has a friend who
apparently he was told lives on the third floor. He was waiting for his friend
in the lobby and then his friend asked him to go upstairs. After you called the
security, he was escorted down to the gate house and was asked to wait for his
friend there. It seems he had gotten into the wrong building.
I am sure that with the cooperation of the residents, we will be able to make our security tighter and stronger."

after talking to several people I learned that this man was trying to borrow someone's phone so he could call his friend because he was lost... he made his phone call at the gate house and was escorted to the front of the building and waited for his friend to come get him - which turns out was THREE guys in a car! excuse me, but if your friend lives in the building he would not need a car to come get you... wtf

oh and fyi the police were not called...

That sounds suspicious to say the least...

 

[Wildymyst]

Sounds like a change in management and security is in order for the future!

 

[Solaris]

i find the fire alarms obnoxiously loud and beyond annoying.

understand that a lot of condos have something in their unit that allows them to turn off the alarm from inside, why don't we have that?

Although it is common to have this in 'most' new condos, I can tell you Centro is not the only one without the 'fire alarm in-suite mute botton', because I discovered at Solaris too Tridel's construction team decided to cheap out and eliminate this as well, which is super annoying to not have this with the FREQUENT false fire alarms that we are getting

 

[doug]

I believe hot water is billed with your Enercare bill as in order to get hot water you use electricity, I'm pretty sure.

Do you have an electric hot water heater in your unit?
Does each unit have a chiller on the balcony and a boiler inside for heat and AC?
If not, then heating, cooling and hot water are supplied by a central plant, you pay the electricity bill to run the fan in your heatpump, since that's all it has in there that consumers power.