On Saturday, April 30, Jim Ljunglin '57 was elected to replace Michael Bruce '08 as the Elder Property Manager. Mike would like to thank the chapter for giving him the opportunity to serve as Property Manager from 2008 to 2011. He also wants to thank Jay Webb '61 for his past and continued service as Project Manager. Jay's efforts and expertise are invaluable and we all hope he continues to work his magic. We have several large items looming over the horizon, including bathroom renovations, flat roof replacement, vinyl siding, basement renovations, and sprinklers. We believe that we can complete either the bathroom renovations or the vinyl siding in FY13 (i.e. Summer 2012), which will go along with the expected completion of the wing electrical upgrades. Mike believes it is important for Jim to complete three tasks before August 2011:
Find a dependable, timely, and trustworthy "handyman." A good handyman is one that will be able to fix leaks, holes, and other small items for a fraction of the cost of our larger vendors. This person should also be proactive in visiting the house periodically and fixing things with minimal input from us or the Actives. We had one for a time, but he became complacent after the honeymoon period ended, and we had to let him go.
Find a reasonably priced cleaning company that will clean the kitchen and bathrooms periodically. Even though we don't want them to come on standard intervals, it would be useful to have someone on standby to do work for us within a reasonable time frame. Jay has already done a lot of research on this front, so this might already be done.
Have an architect and/or interior designer to give us a plan for the basement. Even if it is not acted upon for a year or two, it will allow us to show a real plan to the Actives and our bigger donors for inspiration.
Of course, the chapter is in desperate need of young blood. If anyone is interested in helping Jim out and eventually succeeding him, please contact the Property Committee.