#i figured our city council would be who to email. or maybe our town government office

[sparklehoard]

Lololol my city's fighting to get our min wage to a little over 21$. I got a raise and im making 1.70$ more than a lot of other workers. I'm making 20.70$

If they do raise the min wage amount am I just getting bumped up to the new 21 or do I still keep my 1.70$ lead?

[biofunmy]

So You Want to Join Your Co-op Board?

The people who sit on co-op boards in New York City generally skew older than the rest of the shareholders in those buildings. One reason: Sitting on a board can be a thankless and all-consuming task — one that is definitely unpaid — which makes the toil of running a building impractical for most people who are in the early stages of their careers or starting a family.

“It’s kind of like having a part-time job on the side,” said Melissa Leifer, a licensed real estate saleswoman for Keller Williams NYC TriBeCa. “It’s easier if you’re retired.”

But there are some young shareholders who are stepping forward and taking responsibility for their co-op buildings and the work that needs to be done there.

“Young people may want the amenities and structure of the building to reflect their lifestyle,” said Stewart E. Wurtzel, a partner of Tane Waterman & Wurtzel, P.C., a law firm that counsels about 150 local co-ops. “They may be more budget conscious. If they’re new parents, their interest in the building’s common areas may be to be more family-friendly. And they may be happier with a virtual doorman, or more concerned about package- and food-delivery capability.”

Carol J. Ott, the publisher and editor of Habitat, a magazine for co-op and condo board members, said people usually join their boards to address maintenance fees: whether they are rising too fast or remaining artificially low (and the building is consequently being neglected). In smaller buildings, she said, new buyers are often recruited: “You may have been flattered, and it’s hard to say no when you’re the new kid in town.”

Regardless of the reason, new shareholders should take a few months — or a few years — to learn about the building and its inhabitants before taking a seat on the board, said Arthur Weinstein, a lawyer who represents about 100 co-ops in the New York City area.

Mr. Weinstein, a founder and board member of the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums, also recommended scrutinizing the proprietary lease and bylaws, the documents that govern the co-op’s existence. “It’s very sad to see someone who’s not familiar with the basics, the very landlord-tenant relationship that exists between the co-op and its owners,” he said. “Without knowledge of the proprietary lease, a board can easily make an incorrect decision with potentially expensive, detrimental consequences.”

Still, the necessary training can sometimes occur on the job, said Phyllis H. Weisberg, a partner at Armstrong Teasdale and a leader of the firm’s cooperative and condominium law practice area. A newer resident, she pointed out, may have expertise in a field like engineering, finance or law that would prove useful in co-op deliberations.

While longtime residents “may have a better understanding of the culture of the building,” she added, “they do not necessarily have a monopoly on good ideas.”

For those who are intimidated by the complex skill set required for building oversight, the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums offers seminars for new board members, and Habitat has an online platform called Habitat U. Some law firms, including Armstrong Teasdale, also offer their own classes. These programs focus on the governing documents, the board’s responsibilities, legal matters and finance and insurance basics.

Mr. Wurtzel’s advice to new directors is simple: “Listen and learn — and then speak your mind.”

We talked to five shareholders who recently joined their co-op boards and asked them to share their experiences. (Their responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Sara Ansari, 36, pastry chef and translator

Neighborhood: Upper East Side

When she joined: May 2018

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 100 units

Why did you join?

I’m into politics and community activism, and I liked the idea of participating in this little micro-democracy.

Did you have to campaign?

It was between me and one other person. It was scary for me because I don’t like public speaking, and two days before the election I was informed that we would have to stand up in front of the shareholders’ meeting and present ourselves.

How much of a time commitment has it been?

Last year, it was a lot of time. We were inspecting the facade, and I needed to understand building ventilation and how the exterior walls were constructed. And because the facade repair coincided with the terrace restoration, I had to call the roofing company to learn about waterproof membranes, and paver companies to learn about how much heat is retained and reflected by different materials.

The biggest challenge for me has been getting up to speed on the complexities of running a building in New York City, and becoming conversant in real estate issues, as we have several street-level commercial spaces. Also tax issues and a number of complex financial issues. You have to wear so many hats. A lot of it has been trial by fire.

What surprised you?

What was shocking and eye-opening was the annual shareholders’ meeting. That was much more contentious than I’d anticipated.

What advice do you have for others?

In the beginning, my impulse was to think, “I’m the youngest and newest to the building … is it even acceptable to put myself forward and say I’d like to help?” It’s a little bit compounded by being a woman. I think you have to override that feeling. I really mean this: Everyone’s perspective is really valuable, including your own.

Justine Champine, 29, fiction writer

Neighborhood: West Village

When she joined: February 2019

Size of board: Six members

Size of building: 14 units

Why did you join?

There would be sudden water shutdowns and other inconveniences, and I had no idea why these things were happening or when they would happen. I joined and realized that everything was going on in these meetings.

Did you have to campaign?

Because it’s a small building, anyone can join.

What kinds of decisions do you make?

It is an older historic building, built in the mid-1800s, that needs a lot of specific attention and upkeep. It’s not just, “Who can do this for the right price?” but “Who is qualified to work with something so old?”

How have your ideas been received?

I’m the youngest by far, and I feel like I’m picking up everything as I go along. Everyone else has much more experience. But they take me seriously.

Has it been a good experience?

I like it a lot more than I thought I would. As a fiction writer, I love listening to people’s stories. It’s a constant revolving door of the tiny fascinating issues of this microenvironment that I live in.

What surprised you?

I was surprised by just how long things really do take, the process of selecting new companies to provide services to us and getting things rolling. I always found it frustrating, but now that I’m on the board I can see why the process has so much inertia.

What advice do you have for others?

Even if things have been done one way for decades, it won’t help to assume that they can’t change radically, even faster than you think. The change you can effect may be bigger than what you can imagine.

Julia Keinan, 26, financial analyst

Neighborhood: Rose Hill

When she joined: December 2018

Size of board: Five members

Size of building: 16 units

Why did you join?

The board approached me about it. One reason I agreed was that I wasn’t happy that they raised the maintenance fee. I wanted to be part of that conversation.

How have your ideas been received?

They expect me to have opinions on these conversations that I’ve never been a part of before: whether this unit can be combined with that unit, what are the laws involved. It’s empowering that they value my opinion so much, but I definitely have had to be like, “I have to look this up and get back to you.”

How much of a time commitment has it been?

Everyone has very busy lives, and our president lives out of state, so we don’t actually meet that often — just two or three times since I joined. We have a group text that is always buzzing, an email thread that is a little bit less active and a few conference calls.

What surprised you?

We are self-managed to save money, and I didn’t think there would be quite so many decisions happening all the time. I knew that we would have to interview potential tenants, but I wasn’t quite sure how much detail went into it. Once, a mattress had been left outside, and we had to figure out what to do with it because it was disposed of illegally. Even getting paint colors picked for the doors, it’s a big discussion.

What advice do you have for others?

Maybe talk to a few members of the current board to really understand what you’re getting into. I’m happy that I’ve done it, but I really didn’t know what I was getting into.

Alan Law, 37, software developer

Neighborhood: Hell’s Kitchen

When he joined: October 2016

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 20 units

Why did you join?

At the annual meeting, a couple of shareholders announced that they didn’t want to do it anymore. They were looking around the room in silence to see if anyone wanted to join the board. People weren’t exactly scrabbling to fight over a seat. It was an ad hoc decision, on a whim.

How have your ideas been received?

I’m kind of analytical; I like looking at numbers. When the intercom system was starting to have issues, we debated replacing it with a digital system that was voice-only or a video intercom system, which was more expensive. I made the case that the video intercom only added $30 to $40 per shareholder; in the life span of the system, that wasn’t that much for a very modern improvement. We went with the video system.

Also, the carpet in the front hallway gets a lot of wear and tear, and it gets gross during the winter. It’s something I personally hated. I brought that up to the board, and there was a debate, because people thought it would be noisy without it. Finally, we removed it and kept it as exposed tile.

How much of a time commitment has it been?

The meetings end pretty quickly, half an hour to an hour. Because the co-op is in good condition and generally people are pretty happy, there’s no real need to have a long conversation.

Has it been a good experience?

To be honest, it might be a little selfish for me. If I don’t like the temperature or the way the hallways look, it’s easier for me to propose changes on the board than calling up the management company and asking them to change it, because they still have to go through the board.

Monu Singh, 43, labor lawyer

Neighborhood: Yorkville

When she joined: March 2019

Size of board: Seven members

Size of building: 56 units

Why did you join?

I’d just moved in and was interested in learning more about how a building is operated and taken care of. I also liked the idea of being able to contribute to my community.

Did you have to campaign?

Seven of us ran on a slate. I got up at the annual meeting and gave a little speech. I wasn’t kissing babies and shaking hands; I wasn’t debating.

What kinds of decisions do you make?

For the past few years, we’ve had a spate of young families moving in, and their needs or wants may be different from somebody who doesn’t have kids. Should we have more toys so the kids can play? Should we have a whole play area? How do we make that happen while staying within the constraints of our budget?

Has it been a good experience?

When you’re looking to buy an apartment in New York City, you hear all kinds of horror stories about boards, how they’re cloaked in mystery and you don’t know whether they’ll let you into the building. I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience.

What advice do you have for others?

You have to be prepared to do research, get quotes from vendors, run numbers and talk to people. Nothing is going to change unless you pick up the ball and move it.

Jonathan Vatner is the author of “Carnegie Hill,” a novel about an Upper East Side co-op published by Thomas Dunne Books in August 2019.

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

Sahred From Source link Real Estate

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[arttakesactionhouston-blog]

Artist Town Hall subgroup 9 notes:

Group 9 TOPIC: Local/State Government & Civic Action ATA Town Hall Scribe: Moderator:

ATA Opening Statements & Points of Concern:

●  Sciences and arts coming together in the stem and steam movement and how the two work together and somehow they are not correlating the two

●  Gentrification and people being moved around what happens to old people losing

●  Need for creative voter registration efforts & get out the vote campaigns

●  Concern about govt. ethics violations, but phone calls and emails feel ineffective

●  Need to ensure that voices are heard

●  Desire to see indigenous led prayers and camps be established in texas

●  Interested in seeing artists going out and raising awareness

●  Example of street action: In 1992 artist went through River Oaks discussing politics

●  Need for cultural accessibility outside museum district

●  Need for a collective museum efforts to create networks outside of the museum district

●  Putting ideas into an actual space not about the creative space but the transient nature

of artists in houston and across the world

●  Civil disobedience with artists bringing artists into the activist community artists

supporting the activists

●  Moved by Anthony Bordain’s show talking about how houston is the city of the future

message that houston is one of the most accepting places in the world to put out facts including rice survey cohort that works with pushes the facts that are there and creating messaging for our diversity

●  Getting art into neighborhoods houston is huge and diverse there is always the drive to bring people in to see the work what if we worked on getting more work into local neighborhoods (combine with access to museums)

●  Healthcare for artists, making healthcare affordable to artists and everyone

●  Influencing legislation and writing representatives

●  Creating govt. pay systems for artist similar to European model - looking at legacy

clauses if you passway a percentage of your art goes back to the state - in ny freelancers union and have a little bit of protection, sawyer yards they force close galleries while they have events

●  Actually call and annoy representatives express yourself

●  How as artists we can initiate better public transportation i think our scene suffers major

because we are not very mobile

●  Pop up gallery shows or finding funding to get publicity on the administration and get the

work out there business and financial education for arts people

●  Circular design and sustainability getting ideas into school districts with compost

●  Inter collaborative-cultural-faith project

●  Develop agency to support ideas and action a real place owned by artists in a neighborhood and community - privately owned artists spaces - artist co-op

●  Making houston more friendly for people with disabilities and special needs

Breakout Session/Group Notes

For Registered voters: Get people to in a red state vote creative solutions

(Kelly rachel mat jessica, jennifer, caroline) The reason i was interested in this i thought the whole thing was going to be a part of this That is my number one thing is to get rid of ted cruz it is possible I recently found out that ted poe is in montrose that the lines are drawn haphazardly Making his little red spot in montrose Learn more about city council members and get them take attention Mayor who is arts friendly The council members are swayed by mayor and has show he is arts friendly People may be registered and they just don’t bother they focus on presidential and miss out on the little one People who get their feet wet in politics and get people excited Republicans say just nasty things that are going through Other than arts funding the afta bill texas is going to start refusing refugees There is so many things it’s not like democrats are perfect One meeting BLM they endorse a candidate and they held that you get them to vote I became a registrar because i teach at hcc and got people registered but to get people to actually vote had to go during class to get people to vote only how do you do that in a larger scale you actually cancel class what was the feedback they were excited because it was the first time they voted It was great but you make it such in effort to register then to get to the voting it is a whole nother thing it is hard to get to the polls you have to work there is an education gap the artist are more liberally minded an education of the things that are going to affect us is that the trickle effect the museums would be more accessible if people learned more about them and from their council member connecting their issues to a person who can enact that change there are moments that are other communities that there are things going on at the local level that people in the arts appreciate about about their city they have just figured out a way to get invested in portland you can vote by mail so there are systems in place for easier voting Voter term limits a you can’t really get to know the person who is there and To stay invested in a local level what is t that these people do and it is kind of square and perception with young people that I think people think that way about artists that is similar Do you guys know of any organization s that are

TOP texas organizing project Article in harper's bazaar One shining beacon after the trump election swayed a lot of texas communities for being blue whether it was driving people around to get them to vote knock on peoples door and explain issues and go to high schools to register them to vote untapped population would be good for us to partner with another organization or we all become deputy voters it is really easy an hor long thing i just got re registered i didn’t do outreach but just for my students now i feel like i have two years or a year The next local election that is really soon in may just went to get deputized and there was an election that i didn’t even know about School board up for office and wonder if it might be worthwhile to target a particular district was excited by looking at numbers and culberson who went for hillary we think we are more powerful than we think we are there are small increments what is an area that has somewhere where we can see the needle move a couple of notches, it is the ted poe district of find a neighborhood that had really low numbers and one of the projects i gave my students was a get out the vote poster it might raise the chances that they would actually get out and vote It is about being a part of the process you are apart of the process even if you don’t vote Educating people and making people to have a comfort level you don’t have to be an expert to have an option about these things if we are focusing on people who are supportive of the artist and that directly affects our community Raising the profile of people that vote Creative messaging around staying engaged to reform Educate regular people about who your council person is text and image gifs when i found out ted was in my district i was like i don’t understand and you feel dumbfounded and they are so far off the mark Geting with the other agency maybe we can get a page on their website to get visibility Ellen city council member sends out newsletter all of the people write a story about it there is more There is a way to affect change immediately we should get it in there and empower people to be a part of the process

A link to find out more about your representatives

Actionable items

1. All get deputized to register voters

2. Find out what is on the ballot for the next election and when is the next election

3. Research districts where we could move or impact the vote that was a few points off

from going blue

a. Power to move the needle

b. Research voter turnout

c. Particularly district 7 which has been identified as swing

d. Within high traffic areas - high schools or reach out to orgs with information of the

neighborhood and ties

4. Research organizations that are getting out the vote and strategies - TOP (texas

organising project) - mission is to get people in urban areas interested and information

5. Cheat sheet with information

6. Make a cool sticker or button that says I registered or I voted

All of the organizations work together eventually the media was going to them for the news they were at the meetings Voter registration table t is always ghost town is there a way to do a hybrid of do you know your official is there a graphic way to do that or checkbox

Or show them how to google it If we are looking at people who are registered it would be easy for them to walk past the table and say i oted or i am registered I am sure that art collector see the artists names and don’t know who is who and how do you break that wall and introduce people to the artists with more information and I would be interested to see a google doc that you can go through and see who is on the ballot who has been in office to communicate that more broadly to a group Initiate change culberson that has most potency for change - they are gerrymandered that way District 7 What is a graphic interesting way to catch people's attention for those who are registered to vote and gets people to come to the table with an activity to make more engaging or inviting Bar and council people finding places in that location to be able to do the education Calling volunteers and saying hey we found this area and send people wiht materials An invitation for people to learn something is a better way to bring people in Everyone has friends that don’t vote and i have trump friends and people who don’t believe in climate change but it is interesting to hear the other side and he watches the news but what news I like the idea of targeting a specific district and simplifying the information houston matters breaks down the issues really easily - but either they are long or hard to read Information about how legislators are impacting the art world that dialog is important too even if it is just adding Colberson said he would not want arts funding cut or get rid of the nea he said that but Some of his answers were surprising i know he is lobbying for the arts I keep just thinking about my students are spanish speaking and when they started to vote they told their family members and they became interested if there is a way we can target or provide a curriculum to go over information distributing a project or a powerpoint and then it would dipser through and informative maybe it is a voting day cheat sheet here is everyone and quick facts about both sides of the table here is everything you need to know Connect them to people close to them it is a nice experience getting together and bringing family Along with a super cool i voted sticker - create a cool sticker or button that can be reusable and wear everyday I feel like to me that was a limitation for those who didn’t speak english and the voter id issue

The organization does it have numbers to make a small effort at the local high school in that area we are going to come in and show you how cool this is and put together something really simple to build up the numbers in that area One registered and one is in the mail - how do you do that?

That is a cool actionable item of how to do that - search voter deputization houston a list of all of the upcoming trainings that they have 2 or 3 a week and spread out all over I was hoping to get involved in something like this Harris county democratic - they need people to sit at tables and register people

What is the most doable goal i like the idea of finding a particular neighborhood with in district 7 and we get deputized and we pick an event to go to and register voters a prototype of a cheat sheet and see how people respond to it and see if it creates a higher level of activity that just a list to sign up to vote

We don’t have to be googling and there are issues listed if you have your list you would know and call them to ask what is going on with funding etc. make sure there is enough topics in there and contact information Even if you don’t vote or are not registered you are still a part of it You have to give people power

● Rachel - Start a cheat sheet ● Jennifer - Research target areas ● Kelly - List of upcoming elections

What council members have voted for in the past I feel like people are so concerned about themselves and not about what affects everyone around them he support s They have pitted us against each other i am thinking about the postcard writing party Easy flli books with name of representative Dan had a one on one with ted poe - israel, lgbt, arts funding followed up with chief of staff and starting a millennial advisory board Involved at individual o2 montrose Smaller elections Getting the hispanic vote and translating material I don’t know the org off the top of my head but there was a huge push for voter and voter registration affiliating themselves with Made a difference in harris county I am hoping that if we say we are going to go to this neighborhood and say we are going door to door that we can get more people to come with us Email list of friend in local politics will just blast the info of who to contact for each issue or each politician and contact information could be something so easy to post on facebook and showing their friends Coordinating and figuring out how you can already add on to what is going on in the neighborhood each on of these neighborhoods they are going to be doing this work that is tied to the neighborhoods and tied to the people but if someone knows the people

Postcard party it was really succinct and wonderful way to trigger issues that you care about and tie it to a person(council member) template so that people can change it up Can we look stuff up - why A lot of people my age don’t vote but have an opinion 25 and just when you ask they say the don’t want to vote

Hard to find out what the vote is for - but found the next date Hispanic population doesn’t vote but they will if there is something they care about Why do you think they don’t vote Why did you vote - because my mom took me to vote and it is how we group The processes for it haven’t been incorporated Doing anything about community hard to feel invested in a system that doesn't help you Idea that like being relevant is essential If you are existing in a community outside of that sphere you are still subject to the laws there is a lot of people working on people are being represented or in your neighborhood The least likely voter is their orientation is hyper local for COH it is statewide city council and they are the ones who got the new DA and Tax assessor and sheriff this is TExas organizing project Are they mobilizing - they ride people hard once you get on their email they email you all the time once you vote they fold you into community organizing stuff They are the ones who pushed the sheriff and protesting outside and hold these people accountable Did you join the group once you join you are going to be working they have a dedicated We are talking about affiliating or finding a group to join there is swing left, democratic party there is a lot of good energy You can’t get all of them but if you get all the rural people statewide you focus on local issues and elections Battlegroundtexas.org information about how to get deputized