BUILDING OPERATIONS

The new water rates are kicking in this year, and much like rents in the city that never sleeps, they are skyrocketing. We've already told you how boards can save money by taking a cold, hard look at the, erm, toilet. Another obvious place where boards might translate water savings into dollar savings, however, is in the shower. Right now, a 20-minute shower costs $95 per year in water alone, not including the cost of heating it. And if you're thinking low-flow means low pressure, we have some good news for you.

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A READER ASKS: I live in a small co-op building in Brooklyn. I've been here for about two years. After doing some spring cleaning, I noticed a weird smell in my bedroom. It smelled as if I had cleaned with dirty water or a dirty mop, a very strong, unpleasant smell. I checked my mop to see if maybe it was the cause, but it didn't smell bad. After shifting some furniture around, I saw, very near the radiator, a black spot the size of a dollar coin surrounded by a few smaller, dime-shaped black spots. My husband says that we should just clean it ourselves, rather than drag the property manager into this. I think we should notify the board, even if we do clean it ourselves. I know it's small, but what if the problem behind the wall is a lot bigger? 

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When it comes to making capital improvements, co-op and condo boards understand perhaps better than anyone else that timing is everything. A major project, such as replacing the elevators — especially when you have only one — requires a lot of planning, a lot of coordination, a lot of money, and a lot of damage control. When a building's elevator is out of service, residents complain — and rightfully so. But when you have to not only spend a lot of money that might make shareholders and unit-owners feel a little nervous and take the elevator offline so that work can begin… well, residents are probably going to complain some more.

There are steps a board can take, however, to reduce inconvenience and keep tempers from flaring up too much.

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Tram-Thuy Nguyen, 37, died in Bellevue Hospital after being fatally struck by a sheet of plywood that was ripped away by high winds from a condo construction site where St. Vincent's Hospital used to be. The incident happened just days after plexiglass fell onto two parked cars from One57, and just a few weeks after a falling piece of drywall seriously injured a construction worker inside a luxury TriBeCa apartment building. Nguyen's death has been described as a freak accident, but Community Board 2 chair, Tobi Bergman, told DNAinfo that "there are indeed freak accidents in the world that may be unavoidable." The board is therefore reportedly calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Buildings (DOB) to "create a program, similar to the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative, that would shine a light on construction accidents around the city." According to DNAinfo, the mayor's office did not directly address the resolution, but quoted de Blasio spokesperson Wiley Norvel in an e-mail saying: "There is no higher priority for the Department of Buildings, or this administration, than safety. That’s why [DOB] Commissioner [Rick] Chandler is spearheading changes that will improve compliance at building sites to protect workers and the public."

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A green roof isn't a roof garden — access is usually limited to weed-pulling and other maintenance. Many buildings with green roofs keep their roof doors locked and let staff or volunteers go up once or twice a week to pick weeds (and maybe, as a little perk, bring a book and relax for a while).

A green roof — that is, a layer of vegetation that covers your entire roof — can help keep your building cool, reduce rainwater flooding and pollution, and clean the air. It's a costly but effective way to make your building more environmentally friendly. It's not for everyone, but if your board is considering a green roof, here's what you need to know. 

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At the Brevard, a co-op with more than 400 units on East 54th Street, Forbes-Ergas Design Associates relocated the concierge desk to a more central location and added several closets directly behind the desk. Although it looks like an elegant wood-paneled wall, the structure is actually quite functional, hiding the closets that contain packages, dry-cleaning, and even laundry bags, which can be stored within easy reach of the concierge.

Another issue is that the amount of information that can be provided to the concierge and to residents is expanding. Part of this comes from improved security monitors and cameras that can better cover the hallways, elevators, and other parts of the building. Monitors can be placed within the desk so that a concierge is sitting or standing behind or just over them.

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Construction at the megatower on Billionaires' Row may almost be finished, but it has stopped for the third time in less than a year. According to the Daily News, the Department of Buildings (DOB) halted construction at One57 after "a four by four-foot piece of Plexiglass fell from the 22nd floor of a glitzy new tower at 157 W. 57th St., crashing onto two parked cars." Yikes! The Wall Street Journal, which originally reported the story, adds that "Extell Development can’t resume building until it shows it can carry out the job safely." Luckily, nobody was hurt, but after three incidents, people are getting increasingly anxious about walking anywhere near the building. You can't blame them, either. Even if it had been a single incident, falling glass from a building, especially one that tall, is pretty scary indeed. 

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Josh Fox has been on the board of the 206-unit condominium at 340 East 23rd Street for the entire seven-year life of the building, and president for the last three. In that time, he has proven himself a certain kind of board member, one who is more than a board member. He acts more like manager — a take-charge guy who has obsessively turned the idea of money-saving into an art form. Among his accomplishments: he has negotiated lower utility rates with the gas and electric companies; found a different bank to lower banking fees and interest rates; found a new landscaping company at a reduced cost; reupholstered outdated building furniture to avoid replacement costs; started e-mailing building documents to board members instead of printing them; and has instituted a dozen other practices intended to decrease costs and/or increase revenues. Such actions shouldn't be surprising, either: Fox is the founder and CEO of a company called Bottom Line, which analyzes nonprofit corporations and municipalities and helps them control their costs.

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A READER ASKS: I'm a doorman in a midsize co-op in Yonkers. I read your article about how boards can back up the concierge when a building resident puts him in an awkward position about the building rules. I really identified with it, especially because we have one of those building carts that building residents can use to take packages and groceries up to their apartments. That's what my problem is about. We only have one cart, and some people will take it and then not return it. Others wheel it back into the elevator and leave it in there, but don't call me at the desk to let me know so I can grab it and put it away — which can be annoying to anyone else using the elevator. When the cart goes missing and someone else needs it, I have to scramble to track it down while apologizing to the frustrated tenant. What can I do to improve this process and prevent the cart from vanishing? How can I get the residents to cooperate? 

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If you think being a concierge is easy, think again. The concierge is the gatekeeper, and depending on the building, a wearer of many hats. He is tasked with keeping the property and its residents safe, by greeting, announcing, and directing visitors to their destinations — and preventing unauthorized persons from gaining access to any of the apartments or common areas. He has to sign for and store packages and dry cleaning for the residents, and let them know when their fast-food delivery orders arrive. He is a juggler of sorts who has to find that perfect balance between following the board's orders and keeping the residents happy.

You'd think that wouldn't be such a difficult task, but sometimes the guardian of the gates may end up feeling like he's stuck in the middle of his duties and a unit-owner's wishes. That was the case for one concierge, whom we'll call John Smith, who formerly worked in a medium-size condo in Westchester.

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