2024-09-03 Special Urgent Meeting – Sewer Backup Repair & Mitigation 561 – 563

Meeting Validation

Notice was given verbally to all board members on or about 29 August 2024.

Quorum met.

Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM.

Motion & Discussions

This special meeting also had the 3 unit owners present – 561 – Jolynda Wilson, 563 – Lisa Berryman, and 565 – Karen Chesley. The purpose was to devise a plan and timeline for repairs of the broken main sewer line and coordinate schedules with the homeowners.

Hire Howard Plumbing

Motion to hire Howard Plumbing to cut through the kitchen floors of 563 and 565 to repair cast iron sewer line that has obvious hole in it at a cost of $7656. Motion brought forth by Ms Fink, seconded by Mr. Payne.

Discussion – The community’s worst sewer nightmare is this case. After numerous attempts of other plumbers to clear the lines from 561 through 565, Howard was in the process of jetting it when their jetting tool became lodged in a hole in the line and they couldn’t get it out. The camera showed the jet had fallen down into the hole indicating the hole was fairly large. With the camera it was clear the hole was fairly large.

The line in question ran from the end of the building at 561 under the kitchens down to 569 where it turns and goes out to the cleanout and out to the street to the deep main. We discovered there is a cleanout in 561 and possibly interior cleanouts in all the end units. We need to investigate this further.

The backup that initiated this effort occurred in the laundry area of 561 and 563. Both these units were already in the process of mitigation but wanted reassurance that the line was fully cleared. To gain this reassurance the BOD provided jetting of the line which is when the tool got lodged. Howard technicians were able to locate the tool and therefore the hole using the camera and it’s location device. Unfortunately the hole was under the kitchen in 565.

There was no dispute that this was a shared line and would be an expense of the Council. Because of the urgency of the situation and because Howard has already done mapping of our sewer system, the BOD decided against getting further bids on this work.

Motion to hire Howard for the work was passed 3 in favor, 0 opposed.

Hire Eco Clean for Restoration

Motion to hire Eco Clean to perform all other work that was not included in the plumbers proposal, including moving the private possessions out of units of 561, 563 and 565 into temporary storage, removing all flooring, replacing all flooring and moving all possessions back into the units after the plumbing repair was completed at a price not to exceed $18,000. Motion brought forth by Ms Fink, seconded by Mr. Payne.

Discussion – We needed a general contractor to prep the area for the plumbers and preserve the owner’s possessions, provide the storage units, and move the furniture, appliances, cabinets and counter tops in a way that would not require total replacement of these. Mr Sharma with Eco promised they could do all this. Again because of the urgency and the confidence of working with Eco Clean in the past the Board did not seek other bids for this project.

Eco Clean would provide the temporary storage pods, moving services, cleanup services, drying of units, restoration and final replacement of anything that was damaged or removed during the repairs.

Motion was passed 3 in favor, 0 opposed.

In the end Eco Cleans invoice came in significantly lower than expected at a cost of $11,905.

Meeting adjourned at 7:55 PM.

Minutes approved 19 November 2024 2 in favor, 0 opposed.