Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Do you get your money's worth?

When you dole out your condo fees every month...do you feel like you get a lot back in return? What could you live without in the Village and what do you think we need more of?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could live without the tennis courts.

Anonymous said...

I guess you don't play tennis, eh skippy?

Could you live without bonuses for the AV office workers?

The environment committee wants you to live without carbon dioxide; could you live without that?

Does the AV Board endorse the World Wildlife Federation or the World Wildlife Fund?

Anonymous said...

I'm with Anonymous1. I could live without the tennis courts, unless James Blake decided to come play.

Anon2, it's the National Wildlife Federation, and they endorse habitat-friendly places, not the other way around. I used to work there. Good people, and not in an uber-liberal way that may annoy you. Hunters and other outdoors people belong. It's all very Teddy Roosevelt.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and no, I don't think the office staff should get bonuses. I don't! What are they, AIG execs?

Anonymous said...

It's all very Teddy Roosevelt? Maybe the Eugenics part. I was under the impression that the NWF was part of that global warming cult.

Anonymous said...

If office workers and AV staff perform above expectations they deserve a bonus. If their performance isn't good they should not get a bonus. We are not talking about a lot of money here. We don't live in a socialist society. Making money and receiving bonuses for good work is ok.

As for condo fees, I wish they were lower. I understand we live in an old community and that requires upkeep. Residents should voice their concerns if they think money isn't being spent appropriately. Personally, I could live without the pool but understand other residents like this. I would also like to see better grass in some places. So long as the fees remain relatively low and only go up a small amount each year I am ok with it. If we start to see large increases we may have a revolt on our hands.

If people are interested in how their money is spent they should stop by a board meeting some time. It's kind of boring and the chairs are not that comfortable but it does give you insights into the community.

Anonymous said...

Hey, genius. I think if YOU feel the staff performed above YOUR expectations, YOU should feel free to give them some of YOUR money.

You see, it's not the amount, it's the principle.

TAKING one person's possessions and GIVING it to someone else actually IS socialism.

(And if their performance isn't good, they should lose their JOB not the bonus.)

What part of gubbermint do you work in, anyway?

Anonymous said...

"If office workers and AV staff perform above expectations they deserve a bonus. If their performance isn't good they should not get a bonus."

NO, that's called doing your job. If people don't meet expectations in ANY job, they should be fired. Who's doing the "evaluating" anyway?!

Arlington Village Owner said...

I'd just like to clarify that this post was about what you like in AV and what you could live without. It's not about whether the staff gets bonuses. That's a lost cause. They will always get a bonus even if they do a poor job. It is the AV way.

Anonymous said...

What I get back: among other stuff, snow removal, no water bills (our long term AV owners haven't had to pay these in a while and they are VERY expensive),
amenities that increase the value of my unit like the pool (I use) and the tennis courts (I don't use), no worries about my roof b/c AV will fix it, extra space outside of my unit in the storage & bike rooms

What I could live without: the bickering & backstabbing that is the AV way, & the mindset demonstrated by some of these comments that if I don't personally use it, then get rid of it; which is a very short sighted and ignorant

What we need more of: long-term planning and implementation of projects by our paid staff

Anonymous said...

If AV management can't get new contracts like pool and insurance to the Board 2 months before expiration, then they shouldn't be getting bonuses. For other staff like the porters, I see too many of them slowly walking around slowly picking up trash with those stick things and why slow, perhaps because at the same time they're chatting on their cell phones and the calls are obviously personal.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I do.

Anonymous said...

I feel I get quite alot for the small fee charged. So yeah, I get my moneys worth.

Anonymous said...

I like living in arlington village. I don't think my condo fees are too high and I think the staff does good work. So, I guess that means I do think I get my money's worth.

In terms of staff and bonus, I don't see anything wrong with giving a bonus to employees who work hard. Its not like we are paying these people a fortune and incentive to work hard is a good thing.

I do not know what the "av way" is but it sounds like something that people should get involved with to change instead of complaining about it on a website.

Anonymous said...

As part of my HOA fees I'd love to see DogiPot locations at the trash cans.

http://www.dogipot.com/welcome.htm

I am a pet owner and ALWAYS pick up after my pet, usually I find myself picking up after someone else's pet at the same time. It would be nice if we could encourage more people to be responsible - maybe providing the bags and a sign will be enough. They are cheap ($89.00 for the basic station with 200 bags running about $9.00) I certainly feel it is a better way to spend the HOA fees, then say a party out of the security budget...

Anonymous said...

The "AV" way means that is the way it has always been done so that is the way it will stay. If you think that every staff member is a perfect angel and works to the best of their ability every day...rethink yourself. They give everyone the same bonus no matter what. You can't fight it because the Board goes into executive session.

Anonymous said...

The AV condo fees are low compared to other area complexes but I wish they covered more like the outdoor light fixtures and decks. Everyone has to look at them and there's no way to force owners to maintain them. I would be happy to turn the tennis courts over to the dogs.

Anonymous said...

Outdoor light fixtures can be covered. call the management office. For the decks, put in a covenants complaint if a unit owner isn't maintaining the deck. Its the unit owners responsibility and they can be forced if the AV Board cares about this stuff.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see better, proactive, enforcement of negligent dog owners. Mostly the SWFs that get a dog to substitute for male companionship, then let it run wild.

I like the Dogipot 'idea', but only problem is that would encourage dog owners to stand around that area...maybe put them near the trash/recycling sites? On the other hand, AV will never refill the things...as that would take away from the Ravine budget, and the staff is busy running memos door-to-door...