Page 3 - New York Cooperator January 2019

DEPARTMENTS: 4 Pulse/Calendar 5 Questions & Answers 26 Service Directory COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — JANUARY 2019 3 Publisher Yale Robbins yale@cooperator.com Executive Vice President Henry Robbins henry@cooperator.com Associate Publisher Joanna DiPaola joanna@cooperator.com Senior Editor Hannah Fons hannah@cooperator.com Associate Editors David Chiu david@cooperator.com Pat Gale patgale@cooperator.com Staff Writers Michael Odenthal michael@cooperator.com Alan J. Sidransky alan@cooperator.com Art Director Shirly Korchak shirly@yrinc.com Production Manager Aetna Dowst aetna@yrinc.com Vice President of Advertising Tom Christmann tom@yrinc.com Advertising Directors Rick Levin rick@cooperator.com Fred Marks fred@yrinc.com Peter Chase peter@yrinc.com Ted Olczak ted@yrinc.com Ben Toro Jr. ben@yrinc.com The Cooperator is published monthly by Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 683-5700. President: Yale Robbins, Executive Vice President: Henry Robbins. Subscriptions are available free by request to co-op and condo board members and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Cooperator, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. ©Yale Robbins Publications, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Application to mail Periodicals postage rates is pending at New York NY. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: cooperator.com/subscribe February Board Relationships March Exterior Maintenance/Expo Issue April Landscaping, Lawn Care & Curb Appeal May Design June Law & Legislation July Budget & Finance August Insurance/Board Training COMING UP IN THE COOPERATOR TABLE OF CONTENTS THIS MONTH’S FOCUS: MANAGEMENT ON THE WEB: 6 SEIU-32BJ Gives Amazon HQ an OK By David Chiu NYC’s Most Expensive Condo Projected to Sell Out at $4 Billion By Mike Odenthal Get on Board! By AJ Sidransky Addressing Management Problems By Mike Odenthal Most of the time, when a problem arises in a multifamily building or community association, the go-to solution is to get management on the phone (or text, or email). The refrain usually goes something like: “Management will take care of it!” “They’ve seen this a million times!” “What can’t they handle?!” 8 10 12 16 Running Small Associations By A J Sidransky Condominium associations come in all sizes and shapes. They can contain hundreds of units, or as few as two. While many of the issues faced by associations are universal regardless of size, small condominium associations do face some unique challenges that set them apart from their larger cousins. Those challenges touch all aspects of life in these communities, from legal to management to social issues. Welcome Aboard By Mike Odenthal An employer – including a board or property manager – can do a lot to mitigate an employee’s jitters and set him or her up for success. Whether this means providing new hires a thorough-but-concise employee manual, a probationary period, a mentor, or a veteran employee that the new staffer can shadow varies from job to job, employer to employer, and even employee to employee (everyone learns differently!). Board Operations: Non-Resident Board Members By Mike Odenthal Occasionally those who do not reside in an association pursue board membership – usually due to some combination of free time and personal and/or financial interests. While there’s nothing inherently problematic with having non- residents on a co-op or condo board, it does present certain considerations. 18 Amending Rules By Mike Odenthal Co-op, condo, and HOA boards are tasked with a great many respon- sibilities – including determining and promoting both the day-to-day and longer-term interests of their residents. BOARD OPERATIONS: 20 Soundproofing By A J Sidransky Do you remember when you were a kid that the closest thing you had to a cell phone at the time was two cups with a string tautly attached between them, and then speaking into one cup to see if your friend holding the other could hear you? MAINTENANCE: