Has it been taking more than an hour to dry your clothes lately? Relief is coming soon.
International Village will be replacing its aging washers and driers with brand-new machines over the next several weeks as its eight-year lease contract with Aaxon has come to an end. Rather than renewing the contract – which was based on a 50/50 revenue-sharing arrangement under which the association and Aaxon each collected approximately $4,500 in laundry revenue per month – the Board of Directors last month opted to purchase new Maytag machines from Mesmen Inc. at a cost of approximately $127,000.
Purchasing the washers and driers instead of entering into a lease agreement will allow the association to collect 100 percent of the revenue from the machines once they are installed, instead of just 50 percent. At that rate, the machines will not only pay for themselves in about a year’s time, but over the long run they will result in a significant net revenue gain that hopefully will enable the association to continue reducing maintenance fees.
The new Maytag washers and driers will utilize a new smart card system and new card-reloading machines that will soon be set up in the clubhouse so residents can familiarize themselves with them before the new laundry machines are installed.
In other actions last month, the Board:
John Labriola
International Village will be replacing its aging washers and driers with brand-new machines over the next several weeks as its eight-year lease contract with Aaxon has come to an end. Rather than renewing the contract – which was based on a 50/50 revenue-sharing arrangement under which the association and Aaxon each collected approximately $4,500 in laundry revenue per month – the Board of Directors last month opted to purchase new Maytag machines from Mesmen Inc. at a cost of approximately $127,000.
Purchasing the washers and driers instead of entering into a lease agreement will allow the association to collect 100 percent of the revenue from the machines once they are installed, instead of just 50 percent. At that rate, the machines will not only pay for themselves in about a year’s time, but over the long run they will result in a significant net revenue gain that hopefully will enable the association to continue reducing maintenance fees.
The new Maytag washers and driers will utilize a new smart card system and new card-reloading machines that will soon be set up in the clubhouse so residents can familiarize themselves with them before the new laundry machines are installed.
In other actions last month, the Board:
- Approved a new lawn maintenance contract with Davey Commercial Grounds Management (formerly known as Lawn Logic) following the expiration of the association’s one-year contract with Smart Choice. The switch came after months of complaints regarding the previous vendor’s failure to adequately pick up leaves. The new contract specifically requires leaf pickup, and compliments regarding the superior landscape work have already been pouring in.
- Approved purchasing a new security camera system for the association’s residential buildings following the recent membership vote in favor of installing cameras in the common areas. The system will consist of 12 cameras per building. Although I have not been an enthusiastic supporter of security cameras, my main objections to the camera plan advanced in 2013 by AMG (which I’m happy I was able to stop) were its massive $150,000 proposed price tag and the attempt to push the project through without the required membership vote. By doing things the right way and rejecting AMG's preferred vendor, we have not only respected the democratic process, but we will be spending a tiny fraction of what AMG and the 2013 Board were saying was needed. The total cost of equipment and installation will be an estimated $10,000. That’s a total savings of about $140,000!
John Labriola
International Village President
