Hi all,

Here is the regular CoM update along with the Facility Manager report.

1 - Gate upgrade project -The second stage of the project is the replacement of the aging remote controls with newer and more secure units.  We had hoped to have this underway by now but there was a delay getting the new remotes in as they were being shipped from Italy and Italy has extra quarantine controls now which holds up a lot of international transport and shipping.  The good news is that the units arrived last week and we are ready to begin the replacement program soon.  The replacement process will be that residents bring their old remotes to the office to have them swapped over to the new ones.  There will be an overlap phase where old and new remotes continue to function but eventually the old system will be shut down so we recommend everyone gets their remotes swapped as soon as the official notification is sent out.  We will also be using this time to conduct a fob audit of the existing Salto fobs.  This will help us remove any fobs that are not in use by current authorised residents and contractors and further improve security.  Stay tuned for more information on when this process will begin.

2 - Insurance Update - There have been lots of previous updates over the last few years about the fact our premiums have increased dramatically due to a number of large claims, some by residents.  We are working very hard to reduce our claims and this has been paying off over the past two years but we still have a few years left.  As a result, the decision was made to increase our excess in order to save $40k on premiums and reduce the risk of more claims from residents leaving taps on in their apartment.  A letter was sent to all owners last week advising of this and recommending that owners take out the appropriate insurance, whether that be land lords insurance or homeowners.  In most cases this may be as simple as adding accidental water damage to the existing contents insurance if it isn't already there.

This is the same information that has been given out numerous times since 2018 when the premiums dramatically increased in cost so should not come as any surprise.

Year

Insurance Premium Paid

Total cost of claims made

2016

$127,273.90

$167,123.43

2017

$140,260.81

$116,195.71

2018

$241,508.00

$297,589.10

2019

$252,602.13

$0

2020

$247,223.28

$17,785.88

3 - Abandoned cars in the visitor car park - we remind everyone that the visitor car park is for short term use only. We are working with the council to have at least one car removed as it has been abandoned and is no longer registered.  It is always a very complicated process to have abandoned cars removed from private property but is much easier once the registration expires.  We are also revisiting the idea of having a private towing company on retainer to make this process simpler.  The towing company takes on all legal responsibility for the removal.

4 - LED light replacement - almost all common property lights have now been replaced.  The visitor carpark is still to be completed as Bone Electricians are still sourcing suitable holders for those poles.  They are slightly non-standard.  The light pole that has been knocked crooked by a car will be repaired at that time too, as it will be cheaper to do both while we have the high access equipment onsite

5 - Willsmere Kitchen Garden movie night - At the start of 2020 we had high hopes of holding community movie nights each month, either in the garden on warm nights or in the library over colder months.  Covid put a stop to that but we are aiming to have our next movie night on Friday February 26. Of course our crazy summer weather or Covid restrictions could still put a stop to that so we are playing it by earand adapting as needs change.  Watch this space!

6 -Willsmere AGM -after an epic two year run that sometimes felt even longer, we have announced the date of the next AGM.  It will be held over Zoom and there will be an email sent out with details on how to register.  It is improtant to note that if you wish to vote then you can't use the zoom web browser option and must use the Zoom app.  Ideally we would have held an AGM in person but with the constant changes in regulations this is not possible.

7 - Facility Manager's report - The FM report can be downloaded from here.

Location

Willsmere is located at 1 Wiltshire Drive Kew VIC 3101. Visitor access is via Yarra Boulevard.