NewsFeb04

The cable contract was received from Comcast. The bulk rate contract includes all channels from 2 through 71. Owners will still need to pay their January Comcast Cable bill. If your January cable bill does not end at January 31, do not pay the bill. Comcast will prorate your cable service for the period ending January 31and send a final bill to you.

Mirrors have been installed in the parking garage to help avoid collisions at intersections. Also, new "5 MPH" speed limit signs will be posted shortly. Speeding, and high-risk driving inside the garage have been on the increase, and we again ask residents to show caution and care when operating a vehicle inside the garage. The Board of Directors wants to avoid installing speed bumps if at all possible.

The next Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, February 4. Renaissance Board Meetings are scheduled the first Wednesday of every month. These are routine business meetings of the Board of Directors and residents do not participate.

Please return the courtesy carts to the respective alcoves immediately after use, since other residents also need to use the carts. Also, please note that the carts on the 2nd floor have been moved into the mailroom alcove.

Some residents, in an effort to speed their departure from the main automatic (double-wide) garage door are resorting to a dangerous exit strategy that produces a major security vulnerability. In their haste, some exiting residents are activating the main garage door mechanism, and while the door begins to open, they drive out the "In" side of the door as soon as it becomes clear, apparently in an effort to save a few seconds by not waiting for the "Out" lane to become fully open.

This is a serious security risk. By exiting through the "In" side of the garage door, the "vehicle has exited" sensor on the outside of the "Out" lane does not detect that the car has safely exited the garage, and as a result, the gate stays open, waiting for the vehicle to pass over the "all clear" sensor. Unfortunately, the vehicle is long gone (through the "In" side of the door), so the door remains open until another car is detected exiting the garage through the "Out" lane. Under some conditions (particularly at night, with few vehicles exiting the garage), the automatic garage door can remain open for hours at a time when someone uses this exit shortcut, leaving the garage door open and totally vulnerable to unauthorized entry by people or vehicles.

Please do not take a shortcut through the "In" lane when exiting through the main garage door. Wait for the door to open completely. If you employ this questionable exit procedure you could be held liable for any consequential damages caused by your purposeful compromise of the garage gate security controls.

All vehicles that park in the garage must be registered with the Association. Vehicle license tags should be kept current. If you purchase a new car, rent a car, or obtain a new license tag, please remember to provide the Concierge with the new information. Unregistered vehicles that are parked inside the garage that cannot be identified as belonging to a resident run the risk of being towed.

All lessees occupying an apartment must register with the Building Manager, and are required to complete a renter application form, acknowledge that they have read the Renaissance Rules and Regulations, and pay a $100 renter application fee before they will be permitted to occupy their rental apartment. Move-Ins and Move-Outs must be coordinated in advance with the Building Manager. Time at the Loading Dock must be scheduled in advance by the Concierge. Two time slots are available at the loading dock Monday through Saturday (8-Noon and 1-5 p.m.) Owners are held responsible for the actions of their renters and guests.

The pond in front of the Renaissance building requires special care. Our Pond Service contractor periodically adds a dye to the water to prevent an overabundance of underwater plant growth. An environmentally safe blue/green dye is used to reduce the amount of sun that reaches the bottom vegetation and gives the pond a pleasing appearance. About two years ago, two carp fish were added to the pond. Their purpose was to eat the underwater vegetation and help keep the pond water relatively free of underwater growth.

In the beginning, when the fish were small, there was always the possibility that predatory birds might eat them. For two years nobody saw the fish, but we hoped that they were still in the pond, doing their job, since the vegetation seemed to be staying in control. Last month, both of the carp (they look like large goldfish) were finally spotted and photographed, casually swimming side by side, close to the pond surface. They appear to be at least 14 inches in length, and were apparently just catching a few rays before disappearing down to their usual hangout at the bottom of the pond.

The copier and facsimile machines in the conference room are there for the use of all residents. Recently, individuals who have experienced paper jams have attempted to make repairs on the copier and in the process broke parts and damaged the internal components. This has caused extended outages of the equipment. Please do not attempt internal repairs to the copier or you may be liable for any damages. If the copier jams for any reason, or does not work, please notify the concierge. Do not attempt to correct the error.

In December our regular mailman Scott was transferred to another area. The United States Post Office has not assigned another person to deliver the Renaissance mail. All mail must have an apartment number in the address; otherwise the mailman will return the mail to the sender.

The February movie is "S.W.A.T." starring Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell. Their first assignment: transport an international drug kingpin into federal custody - after he's offered $100 million to anyone who will free him. The movie will be shown in the media room on Thursday, February 5 at 7:30 p.m. Popcorn and sodas will be provided.

The resident web site at (http://RenCondo.com) and the Internet message board sometimes contain information that could be misinterpreted or misunderstood by non-residents. Beginning on February 1, 2004 they will be protected by a password, which must be entered before access will be authorized.

The password is the same simple code sequence (omitting the floor number) that is used for elevator access to non-penthouse floors, making it easy to remember and use.

As of February 1, 2004, the lobby doors to the building will be locked and residents will have to use their proximity card. Please make sure that your proximity card is valid and that you carry it with you when leaving the building. Your apartment key will still open the two doors leading from the garage, and the door in the service elevator hallway.

You are reminded that the proximity cards do not have to be physically touched to the proximity reader, but need only be passed near the reader. You can probably leave the proximity card in your wallet or purse (preferably in an outside pocket of a purse), and when it is held near the card reader the card should be successfully detected and the door unlocked.

Some residents have voiced health and safety concerns and have asked that their apartments not be "sprayed" for pests. Our pest control contractor does NOT use any sprays or aerosolized products inside the Renaissance building. Only modern bait gels are employed. Gelled bait is designed to be eaten by the pests and carried back to the colony.

Preventive pest control in a high-rise building is an important and necessary maintenance task, requiring periodic entry of pest control technicians into all apartments. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated.



		THE RENAISSANCE NEWS February, 2004 CABLE TV The cable contract was received from Comcast. The bulk rate contract includes all channels from 2 through 71. Owners will still need to pay their January Comcast Cable bill. If your January cable bill does not end at January 31, do not pay the bill. Comcast will prorate your cable service for the period ending January 31and send a final bill to you. All units were activated during the week of January 19. If you do not have cable in your unit, please notify the Management Office. GARAGE SAFETY Mirrors have been installed in the parking garage to help avoid collisions at intersections. Also, new "5 MPH" speed limit signs will be posted shortly. Speeding, and high-risk driving inside the garage have been on the increase, and we again ask residents to show caution and care when operating a vehicle inside the garage. The Board of Directors wants to avoid installing speed bumps if at all possible. SOCIAL COMMITTEE The Social Committee will host a coffee social on Saturday, February 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Club Room. Come meet your neighbors! BOARD MEETINGS The next Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, February 4. Renaissance Board Meetings are scheduled the first Wednesday of every month. These are routine business meetings of the Board of Directors and residents do not participate. COURTESY GROCERY CARTS Please return the courtesy carts to the respective alcoves immediately after use, since other residents also need to use the carts. Also, please note that the carts on the 2nd floor have been moved into the mailroom alcove. DANGEROUS GARAGE PRACTICE Some residents, in an effort to speed their departure from the main automatic (double-wide) garage door are resorting to a dangerous exit strategy that produces a major security vulnerability. In their haste, some exiting residents are activating the main garage door mechanism, and while the door begins to open, they drive out the "In" side of the door as soon as it becomes clear, apparently in an effort to save a few seconds by not waiting for the "Out" lane to become fully open. This is a serious security risk. By exiting through the "In" side of the garage door, the "vehicle has exited" sensor on the outside of the "Out" lane does not detect that the car has safely exited the garage, and as a result, the gate stays open, waiting for the vehicle to pass over the "all clear" sensor. Unfortunately, the vehicle is long gone (through the "In" side of the door), so the door remains open until another car is detected exiting the garage through the "Out" lane. Under some conditions (particularly at night, with few vehicles exiting the garage), the automatic garage door can remain open for hours at a time when someone uses this exit shortcut, leaving the garage door open and totally vulnerable to unauthorized entry by people or vehicles. Please do not take a shortcut through the "In" lane when exiting through the main garage door. Wait for the door to open completely. If you employ this questionable exit procedure you could be held liable for any consequential damages caused by your purposeful compromise of the garage gate security controls. VEHICLE REGISTRATION All vehicles that park in the garage must be registered with the Association. Vehicle license tags should be kept current. If you purchase a new car, rent a car, or obtain a new license tag, please remember to provide the Concierge with the new information. Unregistered vehicles that are parked inside the garage that cannot be identified as belonging to a resident run the risk of being towed. RENTERS All lessees occupying an apartment must register with the Building Manager, and are required to complete a renter application form, acknowledge that they have read the Renaissance Rules and Regulations, and pay a $100 renter application fee before they will be permitted to occupy their rental apartment. Move-Ins and Move-Outs must be coordinated in advance with the Building Manager. Time at the Loading Dock must be scheduled in advance by the Concierge. Two time slots are available at the loading dock Monday through Saturday (8-Noon and 1-5 p.m.) Owners are held responsible for the actions of their renters and guests. THE POND The pond in front of the Renaissance building requires special care. Our Pond Service contractor periodically adds a dye to the water to prevent an overabundance of underwater plant growth. An environmentally safe blue/green dye is used to reduce the amount of sun that reaches the bottom vegetation and gives the pond a pleasing appearance. About two years ago, two carp fish were added to the pond. Their purpose was to eat the underwater vegetation and help keep the pond water relatively free of underwater growth. In the beginning, when the fish were small, there was always the possibility that predatory birds might eat them. For two years nobody saw the fish, but we hoped that they were still in the pond, doing their job, since the vegetation seemed to be staying in control. Last month, both of the carp (they look like large goldfish) were finally spotted and photographed, casually swimming side by side, close to the pond surface. They appear to be at least 14 inches in length, and were apparently just catching a few rays before disappearing down to their usual hangout at the bottom of the pond. COPIER The copier and facsimile machines in the conference room are there for the use of all residents. Recently, individuals who have experienced paper jams have attempted to make repairs on the copier and in the process broke parts and damaged the internal components. This has caused extended outages of the equipment. Please do not attempt internal repairs to the copier or you may be liable for any damages. If the copier jams for any reason, or does not work, please notify the concierge. Do not attempt to correct the error. MAIL In December our regular mailman Scott was transferred to another area. The United States Post Office has not assigned another person to deliver the Renaissance mail. All mail must have an apartment number in the address; otherwise the mailman will return the mail to the sender. MOVIE NIGHT The February movie is "S.W.A.T." starring Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell. Their first assignment: transport an international drug kingpin into federal custody - after he's offered $100 million to anyone who will free him. The movie will be shown in the media room on Thursday, February 5 at 7:30 p.m. Popcorn and sodas will be provided. NEW PASSSWORD The resident web site at (http://RenCondo.com) and the Internet message board sometimes contain information that could be misinterpreted or misunderstood by non-residents. Beginning on February 1, 2004 they will be protected by a password, which must be entered before access will be authorized. The password is the same simple code sequence (omitting the floor number) that is used for elevator access to non-penthouse floors, making it easy to remember and use. PROXIMITY CARDS As of February 1, 2004, the lobby doors to the building will be locked and residents will have to use their proximity card. Please make sure that your proximity card is valid and that you carry it with you when leaving the building. Your apartment key will still open the two doors leading from the garage, and the door in the service elevator hallway. You are reminded that the proximity cards do not have to be physically touched to the proximity reader, but need only be passed near the reader. You can probably leave the proximity card in your wallet or purse (preferably in an outside pocket of a purse), and when it is held near the card reader the card should be successfully detected and the door unlocked. PEST CONTROL Some residents have voiced health and safety concerns and have asked that their apartments not be "sprayed" for pests. Our pest control contractor does NOT use any sprays or aerosolized products inside the Renaissance building. Only modern bait gels are employed. Gelled bait is designed to be eaten by the pests and carried back to the colony. Bait gel is usually applied to cracks and crevices located inside closed cabinets where pipes enter and leave the unit from the common elements. The bait gels used at the Renaissance is approved for use inside residences, hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes, motels, schools, pet shops and zoos. Preventive pest control in a high-rise building is an important and necessary maintenance task, requiring periodic entry of pest control technicians into all apartments. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated.