Announcements

Hi Planters,

Our HOA Board has made one of our most difficult and significant decisions of the year that we firmly believe will elevate our resident experience.

As of August 1st, Compass Management will no longer serve as our property management company.

We’d like to welcome American Management Services (AMS) as Compass’ successor, led by Kathleen Waite (CEO) and Lauren Waite (Property Manager).

The decision to select AMS was the result of 4 months of requirements gathering, research, meetings, and interviews. We extensively researched 12 HOA Property Management companies, held talks with 5, interviewed 3, then interviewed 2 finalists before selecting AMS.

Factors we looked for included:

1. Resident Experience: A focus on the resident experience through strong processes that cut through ambiguity and delays in information and decisions.

2. Proactive Facilitation: A strong property manager who would support the Board and anticipate needs instead of reacting to or neglecting requests.

3. Digital First: Payments, interactions, work orders, all managed from one seamless platform, enabling both owners and tenants to easily be notified of updates.

American Management Services was selected because they met an extensive list of requirements, answered the questions the best in their interview, and came with solid referrals from other community clients.

Property Management company transitions are never easy. To levelset expectations, there will be transition misses and hiccups, and we will always work to provide fair and equitable resolutions to issues that arise. We ask for patience, respect, and grace to get us through a successful transition.

What are my next steps?

Owners - you will receive a welcome packet in the coming weeks and an Appfolio invite on August 1st, so you will need to download the app. Tenants and renters will not have access and will need to work through their owners or property managers.

8 things we love about Appfolio (for owners)

1. It works both online and there’s a mobile app

2. Easily update your email and mobile phone number without reaching out

3. Set up your HOA Dues payments digitally

4. Submit architectural requests with in-app workflows, communication, approvals

5. Submit maintenance requests digitally and see the status, and whether it’s been sent to the on-site or to vendors for repairs, and when it’s resolved (common area work orders will not be visible but will be handled)

6. See events in our association calendar

7. See meeting minutes and other documents instantly

8. Submit reimbursement requests and see the approval flow and can track status and progress vs repeatedly calling in

Excited? Learn more about Appfolio here. The Appfolio FAQ can be found here.

Owners Questions

What do I need to do to set up my payments?

We will provide instructions on app access and will work closely with owners to ensure they are set up successfully. Once app access is done, you need to provide your bank account number and routing number within the app.

Will this change or increase our HOA dues?

There will be no additional raises on dues associated with this transition, as it’s already accounted for in the latest assessment increase that was mailed to all owners. The new property management company costs us an additional $4 per unit per month.

What happens to any of my existing submissions (maintenance requests, architectural requests, reimbursements, etc)

Anything that’s in process currently will all be transitioned over into Appfolio, but there might be a slight delay, however if you don’t see it, reach out.

I have a property management company, what do they need to do?

They will not be part of this process, nor will they have access to Appfolio. Our HOA Board is here for owners, and while you may hire a property management company for your unit, you are, per the CC&Rs, wholly responsible for the actions of your tenants. Property management will need to call the AMS helpdesk for inquiries and actions.

Everyone Questions

Will this change affect my building or unit access?

No, for building access, Latch is wholly controlled by the P51 HOA Board as administrators, and access will continue as it does today through this transition. Your unit keys will remain as they are.

Will VOLO still be around?

No, we’ll be sunsetting the use of VOLO once Appfolio is fully up and running. We will message both owners and tenants through the system.

Will tenants be able to use Appfolio?

No, we are exploring the option however they will not be supported at the moment and will need to call the AMS helpdesk for inquiries and actions.

Thanks

Your Plant 51 HOA Board:

Elizabeth Fama - President

Scott Bruck - Vice President

Tyler Matcham - Treasurer

Jonathan Shan - Director

Christina Marie Freiheit - Secretary

Hi Planters,

We have a few updates for you, please take a few minutes and read through important information about what's happening in our community.

Incident - Fire Alarm on 5/11

• We had a situation where the B building first floor trash room fire alarm was triggered. We don't know if it was due to smoking/vaping or a faulty sensor, but the fire alarm sensor has been replaced by Intrepid, who also had to reset the system. Thanks for your patience.

• More information about what to do in these situations here: https://sites.google.com/view/p51-/emergencies/fire-alarm

Incident - Trespassing

• We've been notified of a few incidences where individuals have followed in after others.

• While there are no rules around tailgating (as we don't want individuals to put themselves at risk) there are best practices that include calling the police and notifying members of the community as was done.

• On the mitigation front:

  • We will explore additional Latch options, however no amount of Latching will ever take the place of community awareness and involvement in preventing tailgating.

  • Video surveillance: The South Garage gate has a 360 camera, however South pedestrian entrance and stairwells are not currently covered, and are being evaluated in future phases.

• Please see more details around tailgating here: https://sites.google.com/view/p51-/security/tailgating

Schedule - Door, Hallway, and Stairwell Repainting

• C-West is - restarting Wednesday May 24th for the hallways; May 31st for the unit doors. Painters are now testing negative for COVID.

• All other buildings will be notified once schedules are planned and ready.

• Please see more details here: https://bit.ly/p51painting

Schedule - Annual Window Washing

• Window washing will be conducted at the end of the month on Monday 5/23-5/27

• To prepare, you need to take off your screens, or your windows will not be washed.

• Please see more details here: https://bit.ly/p51windows

Policy - Parking

• Please do not park in handicap spots without the correct tags - we have multiple individuals who need the spots and it's not temporary parking. Violators will be towed.

• Please do not park in EV spots unless you are charging.

• If you need to do loading zone style parking, please turn on your emergency blinkers.

• If you need parking for Guests, register for Cahill Park street parking, or ask your friendly neighbors on the google groups.

Thanks

Your P51 HOA Board

Hi Planters,

We have a few updates for you, please take a few minutes and read through important information about what's happening in our community.

1. C-West Elevator Issues - Thanks for reporting this to Compass, we have been actively working with ThyssenKrupp (TK) Elevators, our elevator repair company, to troubleshoot and diagnose. The diagnostics are challenging as the issue doesn't happen regularly, Board members have tried to replicate but have been unable to. TK was here Wednesday but was unable to replicate the issue either, but will also be back on Monday. When you encounter an issue, please report it to Compass with details around which floor you started and were trying to reach, and what specifically happened. If you are not comfortable, please use the staircase in the meantime.

2. Sail Internet Crews in Garage 4/22 - Sail Internet teams will be in the garage Friday (today) to remove some old infrastructure cabling, and will be on ladders, and we want to ensure they can safely work. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND SCAN FOR CREWS/RESIDENTS/CHILDREN/PETS/ETC, we've noticed a few folks speeding and we don't want to see anyone hurt.

3. Door, Hallway, and Stairwell Repainting

   1. What's happening?

      1. At the last Board meeting, after several months of discussion, we approved the hallway painting proposal, and will start painting your front door, hallways, and stairwells.

   2. When will this start?

      1. We will start with CW the second week of May. Please stay tuned for detailed scheduling - everyone will be notified of the exact date their door will be painted and we will use the same great communication protocols we have in the past including door notices, emails and SMS text messages.

      2. This whole process for all four buildings will take approximately 12 weeks.

   3. What do I need to do?

      1. Provide Access - We will require leaving your door open for approximately three (3) hours. During this time, the painters will remain in the area as well as either a board member or Junior. Ensure that if your door is open that your pets do not have an escape route

      2. Owners - please work with your tenants or property managers to confirm your tenants are aware of these activities.

      3. Clear your hallway and door decoration - we will paint the hallways and doors so decorations must be removed, or we will remove it at owners' cost.

   4. What if I'm not there?

      1. Painting is mandatory and cannot be rescheduled. You will need to make arrangements to either be there to open the door or have a friend or neighbor around. As a last resort, you can provide a key to Junior to open the door for you (a waiver will need to be signed as usual).

   5. What happens if I fail to make arrangements?

      1. If there is no one to open the door, the HOA will get a locksmith to unlock the door and that unit will be billed for the locksmith. We do not at the moment have a cost estimate but expect it to cost hundreds.

4. Below are activities coming up next week that we've messaged about previously (in case you missed it)

   1. Gym Rooftop Water Pump Repairs - on Wednesday April 27th we will be installing a new pump and heat exchange unit on the roof of the Gym/Lounge which should fix the vibration noise issue. Between 9AM and noon, the front entrance may not be available for use as there will be heavy equipment in the area, so we recommend entry/exit via the garage and north/south gates.

   2. Fire Alarm Inspection - on Friday, April 29th between 8:30AM and 11:00 AM, there will be audible alarms going off throughout the building so we can conduct make-up fire alarm inspections on units that did not provide access in the last inspection cycle. Access is mandatory per the National Fire Protection Agency code 72. Units impacted have had notices posted on their doors today. Failure to provide access will mean those units will be billed for Intrepid's return visit along with additional administrative fines.
      
      If you are not at home during this date and time, please work with a friend or family to make the unit available. Owners with tenants and property managers - please confirm with your tenant that they are aware of this request. As a last resort, residents can contact Compass and provide Junior with a key to coordinate access. This must be provided by April 15 (Friday) - note this date has already passed.
      
      As mentioned, the alarms will go off for everyone, not just those whose units were not inspected, so please plan your at-home meetings and activities accordingly:

      1. All units in C-West will hear the alarm from 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

      2. All units in C-East will hear the alarm from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

      3. All units in A will hear the alarm from 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

      4. All units in B will hear the alarm from 10:30-11:00 AM

We appreciate your patience, cooperation and support on all of these and past topics. The building is aging and maintenance is being addressed, and has been a top focus of the volunteer HOA Board. Our goal has and always will be to ensure the best resident experience and to maintain the fiscal sustainability of the HOA and your property value.

Thanks

Your P51 HOA Board

Hi Planters, we have some more updates for you:

Hot Water Loop - Energy Mechanix will be working on the final phase of the hot water loop, and hot water will not be available Tuesday March 1st thru Thursday March 3rd, 9AM - 4PM daily. While it's an inconvenience, this will be the final work that will repair hard water damage in the piping. With our softeners and mesh filters in place, this will hopefully ensure the hot water loop's longevity.

Gym Lights – Our electrician has rescheduled his availability so the gym shutdown will be forWednesday and Thursday, March 2 and March 3, so please plan accordingly.

Junior Contact Protocols – Junior Cosentino is our building maintenance point of contact accountable to the HOA Board. We want to be mindful of his time and manage his workload

• He directs, manages, and coordinates with vendors like the one mentioned above, and directly supports building maintenance (e.g. minor electrical and plumbing work, bike room mount repairs, various facility repairs, etc).

• He does not do in-unit work that requires a plumber, electrician, or handyman. In water shutdowns, he posts notices to affected units and guides plumbers to the correct water shut-offs.

• His hours at Plant 51 are from 8AM - 3PM and he should not be contacted after hours or weekends and holidays. To reach out to Junior directly, you must have an active work order and his number provided through Compass. For emergencies (e.g. in-unit major leaks and flooding), utilize the after-hours emergency Compass line (408) 226-3300.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Your Plant 51 HOA Board

Happy Friday Planters, we've got a few quick updates for you:

Gym Lights – We have been working on scoping replacements and just approved funding at the last HOA meeting. The parts were ordered and have arrived, we've ordered a scissor lift and scheduled the electrician to do the work. The gym will need to be closed for two days while work is occurring. The tentative dates are 2/28 and 3/1 (Monday and Tuesday), and are subject to change based on appointment availability, and will be updated here.

Bikes –Thanks to everyone who has tagged and registered their bike, we’ve removed bikes without tags.

• If you need to access a bike that has been removed, please contact Compass Helpdesk and mention you're at 88 Bush Street / Plant 51, and that you’d like to talk to Junior – you must describe your bike beforehand and show ID.

• If your tag fell or falls off, we can always issue replacements that are more secure, or you can grab a replacement and re-register.

• More info here.

Horizontal Cleanouts and Car Moves - We’ve finished and Aquatek was been able to hit all the openings they needed to in the tight timeframes they’ve had to work. Thank you to all who moved their cars or provided temporary parking spots for the displaced vehicles.

For some tips to prevent plumbing backups, see the community wiki page (link).

Reminder: If you have a plumber come by due to a backup, please ensure they provide footage in their report to determine eligibility reimbursements (if it’s within-unit it’s your cost, if it’s beyond and in the common stack the HOA will cover the cost).

Building CW Gym/Lounge pump vibration sounds – We’re working on getting the pump replaced with our vendors, thanks for your patience.

Hot Water Loop - We'll be working on the final phase of the hot water loop and will message you of any updates via VOLO and here

Packages –We’d like to prevent the mail room from becoming a target for package thieves, please remove your packages promptly and use an app to track (e.g. the “Shop” app) or have a family/friend/neighbor pick it up for you if you are away.

Accidents in Elevators – If your dog happens to have an accident in the elevator, you are responsible for cleaning up as best you can and then contacting Compass either by email or phone and reporting it so White Magic can thoroughly clean the area. Please be respectful and considerate to everyone else here, and do the right thing.

Hi Planters,

Your HOA Board is committed to proactively prevent plumbing sewage backups and have done a lot to make that happen. Last year the HOA Board had Aquatek clean out the vertical plumbing pipes in the building stacks, and retrofitted the horizontal plumbing in the garage with cleanouts.

What is happening?

• Aquatek will use the cleanouts in the garage above car parking spaces to flush the horizontal pipes. Any spot with a cleanout cap will need to be moved.

• Not every spot is affected, so if you don't see your spot and unit listed, you are not expected to move your car. Check spots before unit numbers in case there are discrepancies.

• Aquatek will be using heavy machinery and strong cleaning solutions so cars in affected spaces must be moved.

When is this happening?

• Feb 7 (Monday) through Feb 16 (Wednesday)

• There will be 9-12 AM as well as 1-4 PM shifts, you will only need to move them for one of those 3 hours.

What happens if I don't move my car?

• Owners who do not move their car will be billed $746 that Aquatek charges to return and complete the cleaning.

• The HOA is reasonable - if you weren't listed by accident, we will try to accommodate a reschedule move on another cleanout day. Unless it is a mistake, we will not offer reschedules under any other circumstances.

What is the schedule? Note: unless otherwise noted, both cars must be moved

• Feb 07 (Monday)

  • 9AM - Noon

• • • Spot 106 - Unit 2151

    • Spot 107 - Unit 2149

    • Spot 108 - Unit 2147

    • Spot 109 - Unit 2145

    • Spot 110 - Unit 2143

    • Spot 111- Unit 2141

    • Spot 112 - Unit 2139

    • Spot 113 - Unit 2137

    • Spot 114 -

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 098 - Unit 4144

    • Spot 099 - Unit 4141

    • Spot 100 - Unit 4137

    • Spot 101 - Unit 4140

    • Spot 102 - Unit 4133

    • Spot 103 - Unit 2162

    • Spot 104 - Unit 2160

    • Spot 105 - Unit 2158

• Feb 08 (Tuesday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 091- Unit 4155

    • Spot 092- Unit 4154

    • Spot 093- Unit 2132

    • Spot 094- Unit 4149

    • Spot 095- Unit 4148

    • Spot 096- Unit 4145

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 086- Unit 2181

    • Spot 087- Unit 2166

    • Spot 088- Unit 2165

    • Spot 089- Unit 4160

    • Spot 090- Unit 4161

    • Spot 143- Unit 4153

    • Spot 144- Unit 4152

    • Spot 145- Unit 3103

    • Spot 206- Unit 3158

• Feb 09 (Wednesday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 073- Unit 3174

    • Spot 074- Unit 3171

    • Spot 075- Unit 4170

    • Spot 076 - Unit 4167

    • Spot 077 - Unit 3170

    • Spot 078 - Unit 3167

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 069 - Unit 3178

    • Spot 070 - Unit 3175

    • Spot 071 - Unit 4174

    • Spot 072 - Unit 4171

• Feb 10 (Thursday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 061 - Unit 3186

    • Spot 062 - Unit 3183

    • Spot 063 - Unit 4182

    • Spot 064 - Unit 4179

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 055- Unit 4188

    • Spot 056 - Unit 4187

    • Spot 057 - Unit 3188

    • Spot 058 - Unit 3187

    • Spot 059 - Unit 4186

    • Spot 060 - Unit 4183

• Feb 11 (Friday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 042 - Unit 4199

    • Spot 043 - Unit 4198

    • Spot 044 - Unit 4195

    • Spot 045 - Unit 4194

    • Spot 046 - Unit 4190

    • Spot 047 - Unit 4189

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 036 - Unit 3189

    • Spot 037 - Unit 4211

    • Spot 038 - Unit 4207

    • Spot 039 - Unit 4206

    • Spot 040 - Unit 4203

    • Spot 041 - Unit 4202

• Feb 14 (Monday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 030 - Unit 3202

    • Spot 033 - Unit 3195

    • Spot 034 - Unit 3194

    • Spot 035 - Unit 3190

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 027 - Unit 3207

    • Spot 028 - Unit 3206

    • Spot 029 - Unit 3203

    • Two handicap spaces next to space 27

• Feb 15 (Tuesday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 023 - Unit 4110

    • Spot 024 - Unit 4107

    • Spot 025- Unit 4106

    • Two handicap spaces next to spot 25

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 017 - Unit 4122

    • Spot 018 - Unit 4119

    • Spot 019 - Unit 4118

    • Spot 020 - Unit 4115

    • Spot 021 - Unit 4114

    • Spot 022 - Unit 4111

• Feb 16 (Wednesday)

  • 9AM - Noon

    • Spot 001 - Unit 2127

    • Spot 002 - Unit 2125

    • Spot 003 - Unit 2123

    • Spot 004 - Unit 2121

    • Spot 005 - Unit 2119

    • Spot 006 - Unit 2117

    • Spot 007 - Unit 2115

    • Spot 008 - Unit 2113

    • Spot 009 - Unit 2111

    • Spot 010 - Unit 2109

  • 1PM to 4 PM

    • Spot 014 - Unit 4127

    • Spot 015 - Unit 4126

    • Spot 016 - Unit 4123

    • N garage gate entrance area - 1 hour

Where can I park instead?

• Reach out to members of the Google Group to see if someone can offer you temporary parking.

• Cahill Park Parking (on Bush Street) will soon require a permit, so be sure to register here: https://sanjose.getapermit.net

What if I'm not at home/available during the time slot?

• Ask a friend, family, or neighbor (on the Google Group) who can help move your car

What can I do to prevent plumbing issues and reduce the frequency in which this happens?

• See the following link on the community-run wiki: https://sites.google.com/view/plant51/maintain-and-repair/plumbing-preventionfix

My unit number does not match the spot listed

• If there's an error mapping the spot and unit, the spot still needs the car moved, please reach out to helpdesk@gocompass.com
  

Thanks

Your Plant 51 HOA Board
If you missed the email message, or would like your contact removed because you no longer live at Plant 51, contact helpdesk@gocompass.com

Hi Planters,

Great news, the bike door repairs are done, and we are reopening the bike kitchen located next to the front entrance.

A few things to note:

1. You will need Latch to get into the room, you can tap as you do everywhere else, or look for the "BICYCLE KITCHEN" option in your door options.

2. Your bike will need to be both tagged and registered with us. Look for the signs located on the concrete pillar facing the bike kitchen, and on the right next to the fire extinguisher in the Building A bike closet. Grab a tag, place it on your bike on the frame below the seat post, then scan the QR code there to register your unit to it. This helps us notify you if it needs to be removed, and helps us in any investigations.

3. Any bikes that are not both tagged and registered by February 14 will have their locks cut and the bikes will be stored until the end of May, when they will be donated.

   1. To claim your removed bike, you must coordinate with Junior through Compass, and provide the matching bike's description, a matching key (we will keep the locks) when you meet with Junior.

4. Bikes in the bike kitchen hanging on a loose or damaged rack MUST be removed from the damaged rack and elsewhere in the next week or the bike lock will be cut off and stored elsewhere until - we need to do repairs on any broken racks and those cannot be used.