Re: Next Steps regarding HVAC replacement

[Joe Mack]

Thanks Tom, 

First - I don't speak for the board here. I am  just sharing my thoughts on the matter. Nothing more. I want there to be transparency here. But I dont want it construed as a board sanctioned message, a position, or in any way shape or form a commitment re how I will address this in more formal board discussions. I will, as Gandhi is purported to have said, change my mind as the truth reveals itself to me.

re the owners' issues with who pays for the whole engineering assessment of roof, I'm of more than one mind:

• My job is to ensure the board upholds the HOA bylaws and other supporting documents (rules etc...) that rule our community.
• My job is, as well, to ensure that I take in to account the perspectives of ALL residents, not a subset in any reading of those bylaws and documents. I take that role extremely seriously even if I don't benefit from it (which, in this case, as a 4th floor owner myself, I don't, should i support a position that the 'subset of owners who have a direct stake in this' be asked to bear the financial burden on the analysis.)
• I repeat for all to hear: Don't join a HOA Board to get popular. I didn't. I know full well some will be happy and some will not in our decisions. What I do hope for is they see my reasoning is valid and consistent. Otherwise, they can bring it on, I guess. I have tough skin.. ☘️😄

***

• Let's wait for one of the owners to get a bid on the assessment. It's not clear to me if this is a big enough deal for the board OR the owners to dig our heels in the sand
• If it is large and the owners want to make an issue that a FUTURE analysis is scheduled in the HOA reserve, said  roof engineering analysis  is scheduled for 2032 (I believe). It is funded through a reserve that builds / accrues every year and is not fully funded until the targeted date. Those owners should acknowledge that it would be reasonable for the board to say if you want to wait until the funding is there, then we agree. Otherwise the board has to decide what to push out to accomodate the spend and we just went through a very rigorous look at the reserve and pushed out what we can given the reserve status (more on that over a drink) which is not dire by any means but it is not at the optimal level that I (I am deliberately not saying 'we') would like. Past decisions dug into the reserve. If I were on the board at that time, I would probably have resisted those spends.
• I think I recall you bringing up some of the owners dissatisfaction that the reserve study plan for the roof replacement is out of alignment with the  manufacturers 'useful life' of those HVAC systems sitting up on it. While that seems a reasonable perspective, the reserve is concerned SOLELY with common areas and the HVAC systems are NOT common areas, they are the property of indivdual residents. The roof is the common area. I can understand the misalignment. I could equally take the position that owners should be aware of the reserve study and have caught this as well. In any case, i dont think this holds water.
• Hope this helps and/or clarifies MY thinking. There is nothing that should be construed as combative in my response. Just responding as I see things.

Feel free to share it with owners who are raising these concerns. And please ask them to NOT contact me individually. 

Thanks, as always, Tom and Julie

Joe

On Wed, Jun 17, 2026 at 8:27 PM Thomas Hellie <thomas...@gmail.com> wrote:

Diana and Joe,

I’m forwarding the message I sent to some other 4th floor Raleigh owners today. Please let me know if any of the Vaux-related details are inaccurate! I never heard whether the analysis of the roof would be applicable (and at least partly paid by) the HOA so I didn’t mention it in my email, but I should warn you that several owners believe that this analysis will almost certainly be applicable to the Vaux replacement of common area HVAC equipment a few years from now, thus making it applicable to all unit owners.

Watts Inc projected a cost of about $55,000 per unit owner, which was shocking to us. American has proposed about $25,000. We await two additional proposals, which should arrive very soon. I will be I touch again after we (try to) reach a group consensus on which vendor to use. I should warn now that some of the required details of the ARC form may put us in a catch 22 situation, but I will let you know if and when that’s the case.

Thank you for serving on the Board! It’s a lot of work, I know, and I really appreciate it.

Best,

Tom Hellie

Unit 401

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: Thomas Hellie <thomas...@gmail.com>
Date: June 17, 2026 at 6:53:04 PM PDT
To: julie...@gmail.com
Subject: Fwd: Next Steps regarding HVAC replacement



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded 

On Jun 17, 2026, at 2:56 PM, Thomas Hellie <thomas...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear neighbors,

We previously received estimates from Watts, Inc., and American Heating and Cooling. We have asked for estimates from AAA Heating and Cooling as well as Climate Control and have urged them to move quickly, as we have all been working on this for months and several of us are wearying of this process. I know that at least one unit had issues with its AC last weekend.

Once we have received proposals from all four vendors, we need to reach a consensus on which one we want to accept. We don’t all have to participate in the project though costs will be affected if we have a smaller number of installations. Presumably we will each be required to sign a contract and possibly pay individual deposits to the chosen vendor. The vendor will make arrangements for a crane and city permits—but we will need to propose an installation date, which could take a long time because we need to take the following steps:

1. EACH UNIT must submit the Vaux proposal form to Kin Living. It is found on the Vaux website, where you need to login, click on “information” and then download the ARC application form, which you will need to fill out and send to Kin.

2. Kin will review each proposal form and may respond with questions.

3. Only after Kin is satisfied will the proposals go to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) of the Vaux Board of Directors. The committee is comprised of a small number of Vaux unit owners who are volunteers. I don’t know how often they meet, but the board liaison member has been sympathetic to us.

4. The ARC will ask questions of each of us, many of which may require details and explanations from the company we choose. At its meeting in April, the Vaux Board of Directors warned that it will require an inspection and approval from an engineering firm, a roofing firm, and/or an electrician. Based on my conversations with Board members, all 4th floor owners (or maybe just those of us undertaking this project) may be required to pay for the inspections. The American Heating proposal may save us from some or all of these charges because American did the original installations and seems to have baked this into its proposal. Watts, which proposed to charge two times as much as American, doesn’t promise to do this but we would hope for it. While we don’t yet have an estimate from Climate Control, its representative has warned that it may need the Vaux to engage and pay a roofing company. I don’t believe that AAA has addressed this topic yet but will presumably do so.

5. Once the ARC has its questions addressed, and is convinced that engineering, roofing, and electrical systems are adequate, the Board will review an ARC recommendation at its next monthly meeting. Presumably the ARC motion will be adequate but we will want to have some or all of our unit owners present at that meeting. Only after the Board approves this project can we commence with HVAC replacement.

I know that all of us are away at times throughout the year. Indeed, Julie and I were emailing you about some of these matters while we were traveling in France, and we have more trips planned for 2026. In order to continue moving forward on what has already been a very slow process, I hope you will consider responding to emails, signing a contract, or submitting a proposal form even if you aren’t present in Oregon. To that end, can you please confirm whether you will be able to check or respond to emails while you are traveling?

Thank you.

Tom Hellie

Unit 401

503-863-9372