CoM update and Facility Manager report - October 2020

Hi all,

There is a lot going on at the moment so it's a good time for an update from the CoM as well as the monthly FM report.

1 - Swimming pool update - The pool is fully working and ready to be used again as soon as the restrictions allow.  There has been some mixed messages about when shared residential pools are allowed to be used again so we are taking our advice from MICM.  They manage hundreds of Owners Corporations with shared pool so they are making sure they have the best and most up to date advice.

As has been communicated a number of times already, the repairs on the pool meant repurposing the solar return lines for use in the filtration system.  This is due to most of the original pipes under the pool having failed, most likely from small movements in the foundation.  What we have done is considered an emergency fix and will hopefully keep us swimming over summer.  Once the peak season has passed, we will then begin works on a more permanent solution which will involve mounting all new piping on the side of the pool opposite the entrance.  This means that if there is any movement from the pool, the pipes will move too and not be broken.

2 - Gate upgrade works - This project is still on track and will re-commence in the next month now that covid restrictions have been eased.  Gate Four was started before the stage four lockdown and will be the first to pick back up again.  We have asked the contractors to give us at least one week notice before they commence works so we can notify all residents.  As an addition to the existing works, Gate 3 will also be added to the upgrade list and the heavy solid steel gates will also be replaced with lighter gauge gates.

An additional part of the process will be to upgrade all the Willsmere remote controls with a new system as the original existing system is almost 30 years old and causing many issues.  The new remotes will operate like fobs and can be individually deleted from the system in case of loss or theft.  This will help improve Willsmere security and reduce frustration of residents.  More details will be provided soon.

The final stage in the upgrade will be to replace the gate motors and control electronics but we are holding this off as our motors are in reasonable condition.  The control electronics are all very old, but we have been able to source an alternate supplier so we can replace the controls modules relatively cheaply as they fail.

3 - LED lighting upgrades - This process is almost complete with only a small amount of lights left to replace.  The new lights user 50% less energy than the old lights and will be much more reliable.  The wiring to the old lights was 30 years old and not mains rated so many lights were failing or had already failed.

4 - Gym equipment upgrade - The lease on the equipment has expired and we were offered the choice of a balloon payment to keep the existing equipment or the option to start a new lease.  While the old equipment was in reasonable condition, the cardio machines were beginning to fail and the exercises offered by the weight stations was relatively limited.  As such, the decision was made to upgrade the equipment with a new lease.
The new equipment has many high tech features and as such we are going to bring Internet to the gym to allow the machines to deliver the best experience to residents.
Here is a link to the specifications for the treadmill -https://www.lifefitness.com.au/product/elevation-series-treadmill-discover-se3-hd-95t-se3-hd-app-wifi-ts/
All the weight stations will have dual uses, so this will effectively doubly the strength training available to gym users.
The old equipment is going to be removed very soon and the new equipment will arrive and be installed on November 5, in time for a grand re-opening on November 8.
Remember that all the Covid restrictions on bookings and numbers will still apply.

5 - Rat traps - there have been some report of rat in the complex.  WRGay, our exterminator contractor has checked the traps and we have added some extras.  The increase in vermin is most likely due because of residents spending more time on the property as well as more people eating around the grounds, since everywhere else is closed.  We also ask residents to not throw food on the ground to feed birds as this encourages rats as well as foxes.  Residents are also asked not to take rat traps and move them to their private property.

6 – Salto fob update – Protek Locksmiths now manage our Salto Fob system. They are very pro-active and have been working to get all our readers upgraded to the newest firmware. New firmware will bring extra features and better reliability.
For those that don’t know, the Salto system is not networked, due to the vast size of Willsmere. Information is passed around the complex to all readers via the fobs themselves. The main front entrance fob is connected to the management computer and when a resident uses that reader, their fob is updated with the latest system data. Every time they use that fob on a different reader, the fob updates the reader or vice versa. It’s essentially a ‘bush telegraph’ kind of system with the newer information being passed around.
The readers have the facility to report back if their batteries are running low, but as most residents have the original fobs with very low memory storage, this information wasn’t being relayed back. Jay has made some configuration updates that should help with this issue. He will also continue to check the batteries manually at regular intervals. Unfortunately the readers report battery life on a 1, 2,3 scale, with 1 being almost flat. They only report 1 for a very short time before failing and as a result, Jay will increase the frequency of battery checks. Please let him know if you do notice a reader with a red flashing light indicating low batteries.

7 – Community Forum - We are planning on holding an online community forum towards the end of November. More details will be provided once they are finalised. It will be great to bring the community together and share information. It will also be a test of whether an on-line AGM will be practical, since large gatherings don’t seem likely for any immediate future.

Thanks again to everyone.  2020 has been hard, but it's great to see the Willsmere community pulling together and being so supportive of each other.  It's just another example of what makes Willsmere such a great place to live.