Monthly Archives: October 2010

Annual Meeting Post-Mortem

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That wasn’t at all like last year’s. The turnout was very small and there was surprisingly little shouting. I don’t have any other meeting to compare against so I don’t know if last year’s was the norm or if they’re usually more like tonight’s. Does the low turnout mean people are satisfied or too fed up to bother? We’ll know soon enough.

I don’t understand how it’s at all possible that letters people say they’ve submitted don’t get replies. I can say for a fact that any letter that’s reached us has been replied to and only Eugene and Gennady have the key to the shareholder letter box. We’re very responsive to people even when they might not like our answers; you can see proof of that here.

To the woman who told me to change the tone of my writing…no. As I said in person, I am who I am and you get the real me from day one no matter how we interact. I’m not rude — and rarely crude — but I don’t have time to don the velvet gloves for anyone. You and every other person who emails me, stops me outside, or posts a comment here usually get instant priority and detailed responses. That’s my time you’re getting for free which I do willingly but on my terms. I’m one of nine that represent you but I don’t work for you. Pay me a salary and I’ll comply with your requirements. Meanwhile, if you find me lacking in one way or another you’re free to try someone else that can better cater to your sensitivities.

Sunday 11/14: Swing to the sounds of the Gene Holm Orchestra

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Sunday November 14th, 2010
SWING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE MUSIC OF THE GENE HOLM ORCHESTRA
$5 includes
11am mingle and possible swing dance lesson
12pm Full Kosher lunch
1pm-3pm music for your listening and dancing pleasure.

JASA of Luna Park

Located at the Luna Park Community Center
2880 West 12th Street (between Surf and Neptune Ave.
For reservations, please call Adrienne or Feride at 718-996-6666

Anonymous Letter

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I just got this under my door:

I don’t know what it means when they say “have not yet received an answer from the election company”. Maybe someone else can enlighten me?

1) Not true. There was a bid and the results were even posted in the lobbies for a while. On top of that, Scott Silberman isn’t a contractor, he’s an engineer, so it’s ridiculous to write he “offered to complete necessary labor”. He was proposed as the owner’s rep but HPD didn’t even let him bid for that position because they felt his small operation (it’s really a one-man consultancy) couldn’t handle overseeing a project this size. The reason he keeps getting brought up is because he originally favored making Luna Park a permanent construction site and repairing as needed. Who wants to live like that? What they fail to mention is that we brought him back in after the last election and he said that if the free city money brings the full facade repair to nearly the same cost as his plan then he would favor full facade repair! You will never hear Tatyana mention it but it’s in the minutes: http://www.box.net/shared/xq4a2sja6k

2) This is true.

3) Why do they say it’s an extremely high annual interest rate? It’s actually very low for a commercial loan of this magnitude.

4) Tatyana is not a licensed architect nor does she work on similar projects. I think she gets coffee for people who work on school buildings. It’s true we discovered the necessity of asbestos removal after the fact but it’s also true we reduced our costs by changing the insulation requirement. Things like this happen on jobs of this scale. The fairytale comment is just someone being ignorant and it’s important to note how Tatyana fought tooth and nail to hire Superstructures — calling them the best in the city — but can’t stop insulting them now that they disagree with her.

FYI, none of the items in that letter are “gross violations of Mitchell-Lama Laws” and absolutely everything has been approved by HPD, the agency charged with enforcing compliance to those rules. Duh. I’d love for this ignorant anonymous person to step forward here and tell us what they’d do differently for shareholders going forward. All I hear are complaints about things they know little about and can do even less to change but nothing at all on what they plan to deliver if elected.

Will fear work?

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This was a topic of conversation over the weekend amongst some of us, inspired by the events at last week’s candidate meeting and the ugly lies and attacks in letters distributed since. We were speculating whether manipulation through fear will bring success in the election for those who use it. The opposition (Tatyana, Mikhail, Efim) went completely negative in everything they’ve said or written, including that despicable Pat Minichello. They do it because they expect it to work as it has in the past. Although Keith disagreed with me, personally, I think fear will work because too many people don’t bother to get informed directly. They rely on others to tell them what things mean. Even those opposition candidates regurgitate rumors instead of actually checking invoices and finances. When your source of inside information is Tatyana — someone who didn’t remember there was a window bid process or the installer she voted for — you’re likely to have a lot of facts wrong.

On one side, the side I’ve endorsed, we have Gennady, Irina, and Mark. They didn’t get up at the candidate meeting and talk about other people, they focused on the past year’s VISIBLE results and their desire to continue. While up there, they were subject to personal attacks including prying into whether someone is still happily married. Are you serious, Pat? You’re a lunatic.

In the middle there’s Peter Rey who, I admit, has made me chuckle more than once. I think he only wants what’s best for his Men’s Club but that’s his duty as president of that club. I’d rather elect him than the next three…

On the other side, we have Tatyana, Mikhail, and Efim. I don’t know Efim well but he struck me as a bit arrogant. Then again, I probably strike people that way too. At least he could speak English well, unlike Mikhail. How in the world could anyone can vote for a person who can’t function in English? He could be my best friend in the world and I’d say the same thing. All business is conducted in English; lawyers, accountants, contracts, vendors, politicians, HPD. I thought it was hilarious when he said Tatyana would translate for him since she herself is barely over the line. Ahh, Tatyana. She’s been on the board for three years and the only thing she did was to create a committee in her final year she could use to campaign for her re-election. Tatyana’s not even a real licensed architect, she just plays one for elections and no one knows better. I wish she actually knew what she was talking about, I’d endorse her if so. All she does is spend time and money without producing anything. She also constantly lies. She claimed we tried to prevent her from attending meetings with our contractors but that’s a blatant lie. The truth is that she’s been present anywhere she’s ever wanted to be but they think she’s such a drooling moron they don’t like talking to her for more than a few minutes because it wastes their time and our money. She once told us that emergency votes are wrong and against the rules until I found a vote from the 2008 meeting minutes where Tatyana passed a motion to allow emergency votes!

Supporting those three is Pat Minichello who is very good at manipulation through fear. He’s like a lawyer when he writes something cost “up to $37k” or “no more than $100k”. That could mean it cost $2. Why not write “up to $1 billion”? It would be just as true. Or when he says we were fined $10k by the FCC but fails to mention our lawyer got the fine reduced to $400 and a promise to not do it again. It’s in the minutes — which he always reads — so this was purposefully misleading. Pat, the same jerk that chased me, Keith, and Gennady to run is now playing so dirty he’d try to get Gennady evicted from his apartment in order to win power for whom he supports. I’ll never forget Pat telling me I had to be removed because I “got in the way of his payday” by continuing LP in the Mitchell-Lama program. I’ve come to believe he’s addicted to the power he has over the people who follow him so mindlessly.

What I just wrote is my own personal opinion. I won’t be slipping it under anyone’s door but I had to get it off my chest; it’s hard to be lied about and not say anything at all.

By-Law Amendment Explanation

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To all shareholders:

We’ve proposed a by-law amendment which you will be voting on this election. Below is an explanation of the legal language and why we added it.

What it says: The Board may enter into agreements with third parties for the rental, use or occupancy of commercial and/or public areas owned by the Corporation provided that in each instance: (i) such agreements (regardless of how characterized) shall be in writing approved by the Board; and (ii) the user and/or occupant of such premises shall pay the Corporation rent or use and occupancy charges at prevailing market rates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may, without charge, grant permission for the infrequent limited hourly use (“Limited Use”) of community facilities by not for profit organizations providing services to shareholders. Limited Use shall not: (x) entail any physical alteration to the premises; (y) last more than 2 hours; or (z) prevent the premises from being used for other purposes immediately prior to or following such Limited Use.

What it means: While it’s true that the board of directors has always had the power to determine at which price to rent our commercial spaces, it’s also true they have no guidance as to when they should charge market and when they can let someone use our property for free or without a written agreement. Are you ok with sweetheart deals that are very difficult to undo? It comes down to trust. Do you trust this board of directors to consistently try and get the best deal for our assets? What about next year’s board? Five years from now? We prefer to take trust out of the equation by writing it into our by-laws. If you agree, vote “YES” or “FOR”.

Sincerely,
Luna Park’s Board of Directors

Election 2010 – Candidate Endorsements #2

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To All Shareholders:

In the past year, you’ve gotten a taste of what a stable and functional board can do for Luna Park. We have an online blog and file archive to keep you updated on what’s going on, to give your feedback, and read meeting minutes or other notices. Dog runs, picnic area with inflatable pools, new fencing, trees, gardens, key fobs, gym; all free, funded from savings found in our existing budget, or expected to pay for themselves! The facade project is under way and moving rapidly. It will bring beautiful facades, new roofs and windows, halt the hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines we’ve had to pay, and get rid of those ugly sidewalk scaffoldings we’ve wasted millions of dollars on.

Ask yourselves, even though we’ve had some smart directors over the years, would any of this have happened before? Any past Luna Park board would’ve spent an entire year and thousands of dollars on professional reports to see if dog runs are possible without moving forward and a new election would cause the whole process to start over! Would they have even looked at a patch of grass and seen anything but grass? If you elect the right people, we’ll be able to explore new intercoms, lobby doors, saunas, a pool, extra gym features, a security fence around the whole block, better policy enforcement, parking lot expansions, a multi-level parking lot, self-storage, community room, hallway tile replacement, trees, gardens, and more. We have many ideas with the energy and skill to see them become reality but a lot of projects take months or years of preparation and motivation. None of these things are possible when new directors arrive filled with accusations and an unwillingness to listen to the old.

Keep a good thing going. Please vote for Gennady Rotberg, Irina Zeltser, Mark Tsalner, and choose YES/FOR on the ballot amendment.

We are hopeful of your continued support,

Keith Murphy – President, Anna Treybich – Vice President
Sally Stein – Treasurer, John Shkolnik – Assistant Treasurer
Gennady Rotberg – Secretary, Eugene Lyubronetsky – Assistant Secretary
Irina Zeltser – Director, Sherrie Rozinsky – Director

Cablevision Customers May Lose Fox Channels Midnight Tonight

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 Cablevision and Fox are still unable to reach an agreement to continue services and this will have an effect on all cable subscribers and non-subscribers.The current contract expires midnight  tonight. Please view attached link below.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-15/cablevision-s-n-y-viewers-may-lose-giants-lions-fox-telecast-in-fee-spat.html

Gym Enrollment Starting 10/25

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To All Shareholders:

Our office will begin accepting gym enrollments on Monday, October 25th in advance of our soon-to-be-announced grand opening. All Luna Park residents will be able to enroll so don’t camp outside the office like it’s a new iPhone release. The official gym policy and waiver documents will be viewable at http://mylunapark.com and also be given to new members at signup. The important highlights are as follows: You must be 18+ years of age (we might change this later.) If you hurt yourself or damage our property, you’re responsible. If you’re a pig, rude to your fellow members, or sneak in unregistered guests, we will revoke your membership and ban you. Gym hours will be 5am-midnight (if we need to adjust the hours, we will.) There are three parts to gym membership: 1) key fob, 2) laminated ID card, and 3) annual subscription.

1) The key fob to access the gym will be the same one you use to get into your building lobby; you won’t need to carry two. Only paid members will get the special gym access; it’s controlled from a central computer system so we can change it as needed without replacing the fob. We’ll describe the key fobs in more detail in another letter but there will be a one-time $15 deposit per fob that you get back when you surrender the fob. Lose the fob, lose the deposit.

2) We need to verify the person holding the fob is the one subscribed as a member. A card with a picture does that so you’ll need it with you whenever in the gym. There will be a $5 fee for making the card (it might end up less than $5) which you’ll have to pay once a year when your membership renews.

3) You’ll be required to fill out a registration form and sign a liability waiver. We will only have one type of subscription: annual from 1/1-12/31. Everyone will be on that schedule and renew on 1/1. Joining in the middle of the year will result in a prorated cost for the remainder of that year and then, starting at the next 1/1, you renew like everyone else at full price. We won’t be issuing refunds if you decide to cancel halfway through the year because one of the ways we’re keeping this cheap is by avoiding complexity in managing the gym. You’ll have two weeks after signup or renewal to cancel and get a refund.

We know our gym won’t be perfect on the first day, and we also expect some early crowding that will smooth out after a little while, so anyone joining in 2010 will get the remainder of the year for free plus all of 2011 for $100 plus card and fob fees. You won’t be charged anything at all until the gym officially opens for use! We’ll be eager to hear your feedback but please be constructive and patient with us. We’ll have more information on lockers, attendants, personal trainers, and saunas after the gym’s first phase is up and running. We expect the gym to pay for itself and become profitable in under two years.

Sincerely,
Luna Park’s Board of Directors & Management

Key Fobs

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To All Shareholders:

Starting this week and extending over the next few months we’ll be rolling out a new key fob system to every building as part of our enhanced security initiative. A key fob is a small plastic item you can add to a keychain that has a unique identification built into it. When pressed to a special reader it checks the owner’s permissions and opens up if allowed. These readers will be placed at lobby doors, laundry doors, the gym, and will eventually cover everything we want to control access for. All readers are controlled by one central system so we can remotely disable someone’s access or grant more (like when you enroll in the gym) without requiring new fobs or keys. We can even specify at which hours of the day it works (example: the gym door won’t let members in between midnight and 5am but cleaning staff can still enter.) In case of power outage, the readers switch to the open position; this is a required safety measure for all such systems.

Until the system is installed and everyone has a key fob, our doors will have regular key locks. The system installation is quick, a few days per building, but it will take much longer to get a key fob to every resident. You’ll be able to arrange fobs for children, cleaning ladies, babysitters, etc. We’ll install first at building #2 where the gym is located and then it’ll be #1, #3, #4, #5. Gym members will be the first recipients of key fobs during this rollout. When it’s your building’s turn, you’ll receive a letter under your door with instructions on how to arrange key fobs for your household. Each fob will require a $15 deposit which you get back when you surrender the fob. Lose the fob, lose the deposit. For households that request it, we can spread the key fob deposit over a few months to accommodate financial circumstances. We’re paying for this system — including the fobs — by using the deposit fees. In this way Luna Park lost nothing from its own money and each shareholder gets back their deposit when they leave the complex. We call that a win-win.

Sincerely,
Luna Park’s Board of Directors & Management

Board Meeting – 10/5

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Tonight’s meeting was all about security. As mentioned in my previous post, we had an incident on Sunday where some teens robbed another teen at knife-point. Those robbers are apparently staying as guests in a Luna Park apartment (we know this because they’ve been arrested) and the victim is also a resident.

Crime statistics are up all over the city and the cops can only do so much. It falls on us to escalate our response. The full board met with the leadership of Park Avenue Security and gave them a very simple goal: to make Luna Park unwelcome to everyone that misbehaves or doesn’t belong. We want residents to feel safe! We discussed and came up with some steps. Existing security personnel will be shifted around to focus on trouble spots and times. They will also be subject to more stringent quality control so they’re doing their jobs and confronting problems. We will have two golf carts with handgun-carrying guards (retired cops or military) driving around during certain shifts, seven days a week. All guards will be armed with cameras and instructions to break up groups and discourage trespassing. Troublemakers that live here will either be reined in by parents or the families will be dealing with our attorneys. This is also true for residents bringing outside troublemakers to our property. If you’re the parent of a teenager or someone trying too hard to be cool on the streets, warn him/her that their poor judgement might have consequences for your entire household.

As we finalize the details get this rolling we’ll send out an official letter expressing these same sentiments but readers here get the news first.

Crime Around Luna Park

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This morning we found out that some teens robbed another teen at knifepoint last night. No neighborhood is ever perfect but our block doesn’t feel safe anymore. The board and staff will be having an emergency meeting tomorrow with our security vendor to increase our coverage and possibly put some elite guards with guns into certain shifts. It’s going to be expensive but we can’t avoid it. We’ll also step up efforts to get a government grant to put a fence around the whole block.

Tree Planting Photos

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I only took a few photos but there will be more from NYRP, including video. The event was a success and, even though the best results will be years from now, we’re proud of having begun it today.