Once every month (excepting Summer), my Co-Op board meets to discuss issues before it. Tonight, was this month's board meeting, and as usual, minutes were taken and hours were lost. Although I can't go into any detail, I can say that we were frustrated coming into the meeting, as we'd get a series of excuses from one person as to why things haven't yet been taken care of.
It seems like we have the same basic problem every month. Under the first management company, our goal was to find out where we were financially and move forward from there. With the second management company, our goal was to keep up to date with things and not let someone return us to the position we were in with the first company. And now, with the third company, the problem is holding one person's feet to the fire, so that things get done when we need them done.
Sadly, problems like those we have are common with cooperatives/condominiums and their management companies. It takes an alert board to keep a management company in line. But how many people have what it takes to do this? I don't. Thankfully, the president of our co-op does, and I will help her keep this complex on track until a new generation of people are ready to take on the mantle of running this place.
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Right now, I attend board meetings as Mario. But after this Spring's public meeting, I plan to attend more of them as Marian. This will give me more time during the week to live life as my authentic self. Even if I spend much of my time with RQS as Mario, I have found that I need to get out as Marian to live a balanced life. I can only imagine what it will be like when I attend my first public board meeting as Marian....
