Hi TJ - Once you receive responses on what evening/date works best for those interested in attending I am happy to reserve the pub for the meeting to take place. However, I will not be in attendance. As I stated in the response on Friday I am happy to meet with 1-2 representatives that are chosen to represent the group.
Please know that I do want to hear the concerns of those that live in the building. I never claimed to be perfect. As I also stated there is always room for improvement.
I would also like to address theelevatorvoice. I appreciate the constructive feedback and the items that you addressed and you are right. Some of these policies have changed or been amended since we first opened. I am referring back to your post A: You stated that you just recently moved in a few months ago so you may not have known that we had allowed up to 70lbs until more recently we did reduce the weight limit B: Again you are right; it does state in the lease that no alcohol is allowed. However, we gave the benefit of the doubt and allowed it because we wanted people to be able to go enjoy themselves poolside or while grilling but some abused this with the kegs and coolers and so we had to step in and start enforcing the policy for the benefit of everyone who would like to enjoy the rooftop without having to worry about the type of behavior they would have to encounter C: Please refer to my post on Friday. The guest policy should be enforced by all concierges at all times. If this is not happening please notify us.
Please understand that as we have grown situations have occurred that we could not have predicted but that have prompted us to change or amend policies. I do understand that some may not agree and we are open to suggestions but these suggestions will need to be in benefit to the building and not for a select few.
I am again more than happy to meet with Representatives from your group and work together. I would love to have a property everyone is happy and proud to call home. I believe it will make all of our lives happier and more peaceful.
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of all of your residents, I would like to notify you in advance that 8 out of the next 10 times any of us come in the building with a guest, the guest policy will not be enforced. I'm not sure if they have a magic 8-ball back there or what, so I can't say for sure which 2 times our guests will have to sign in.
But seriously, folks, I'll chip in $100 for Melanie if she will spend one day as the Concierge in her own building and enforcing all of her own rules. Anyone else want to sweeten the pot?
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteJust a quick point, and it may be something you're considering because many of us have said it at one point or another: the guest policy cannot be enforced by a single concierge, especially not during peak hours. There absolutely needs to be either a doorman/security guard or a second concierge specifically tasked to enforce the guest and building entrance policies present during these hours to help with the increased volume. Having a courtesy officer chase down and confront people who refuse to comply with the policy after the fact is not the answer, because some people are walking right by with no hassle from the concierge.
We have had a couple of times where both of us were required to show our keys or I had to explain to the concierge that we both live here since my girlfriend doesn't always carry her key, but this is now largely ignored. If the concierge isn't required to view a key from every adult coming through those front doors, then the policy is not being enforced as it should be.
Thanks for the follow-up, Melanie. A very brief reply:
ReplyDeletePoint A: Whether the weight limit is 50lbs or 70lbs, there are dogs that are easily over 100lbs in the building. Again, I personally don't care about the dog issue, but the non-enforcement affects your credibility.
Point B: No arguments there, but again--your (not you personally, but the building's) credibility is in jeopardy for writing policies and not uniformly enforcing them.
Point C: 1pm last Friday; concierge didn't ask my friend for ID or to sign in. The thing is, the concierge was chitchatting with another building staff member and someone from the leasing/management office. It may have been you (I've never met you, but I know it wasn't a leasing agent.)
What is the best way for me to reach out to you? I am in complete agreement that a mob scene in the pub room may not be the best way to start a tenant organization and that meeting with a few people first and having them be intermediaries may be more productive. However, I want to make sure that I work with you, not for you.
Good points ElevatorVoice and SnakeGriffin. However, I don't think that a mob scene is what the tenants on this blog are trying to get - what we want is a community meeting with our so-called building manager.
ReplyDeleteMost of us here HAVE written and called Melanie a number of times - only to not get responses, no resolutions, no feedback. This meeting would enable Melanie to finally engage the community, something that hasn't been done in the almost year that I've been here.
I'm actually offended and shocked that Melanie won't meet with a tenant group to hear us out. For a community manager, she sure does avoid her community.
As for the dogs, I'm shocked that some of the breeds are allowed in the building. I'm also shocked that both management and pet owners don't take better responsibility for the pets. Our awesome building maintenance team is left to clean up (again, I've never seen management address the issue, only maintenance clean it up - this is wrong). I would argue that its long overdue to remove the dirty Jefferson entry rug from the front doorway.
I agree with the guest policy as well as far as the enforcement being completely random. I’ve had guests chased down and ignored – what gives? And I did hear about an armed and uniformed DC police officer acting as the building courtesy officer. I overheard what sounded like a neighbor re-hashing what happened, and I’m pretty shocked that concierge/management would go to such great lengths as to send an armed officer to a tenant’s door who didn’t sign in a guest. Really? The tenant wasn’t breaking a law, and FAR worse has happened in the building. It’s incidents like these that drive good people out of the building and away from the community.
Again, most of the folks that live here are good, hardworking people that shouldn’t be hassled or harassed by fickle and poorly managed building policies. I’m also greatly concerned by the lack of communication from both leasing officers and management. I was never formally informed of some of these policies, some of these policies are nowhere to be found in my lease, and from what I can see none of these policies are posted anywhere in the building for tenants to see.
I again will say that the way management is avoiding addressing these issues and concerns will only lead to even more unhappy tenants and an exit of what potentially could be longer term tenants and good citizens of the community.
Wow! Is anyone else on here tired of DFT speaking on behalf of them or speaking at all? I for one am. I am a grown adult who is capable of handling any grievances I have with the appropriate people without having to notify the masses. I haven’t always received immediate responses but have gotten a response to all of my concerns and inquiries even if I had to follow up a 2nd time. I wouldn’t want to speak with some of you either. You DFT seem to be very belligerent. Even TJ had to put you in your place at one point. What is your real issue? You haven’t really said much but jump on and respond to every single response in every single thread. My man do you have a life? And if you’ve been here almost a year I’m assuming you have given your notice since you seem so unhappy?
ReplyDeleteI’m not on here to defend anyone. Nothing is perfect. There are things that could improve but 1 thing I do have to agree with Melanie on is if this is used constructively to give feedback to management maybe it could do just that and things would have the opportunity to change and get better. Some of you seem to still not be doing that and just saying that management is horrible or management sucks. That doesn’t help. Tell them why and give them the opportunity. That’s what grown folk do.
The things I am upset about overall are the no alcohol at the pool. I am one who likes to grill and have a beer while talking to other residents or friends I have visiting and am a little frustrated this is no longer allowed. I know how to act responsibly and I respect those around me that I can control myself and have a beer or 2 without getting rowdy or act immaturely. Theelevatorvoice I see you made the comment about it should have been enforced all along since it is in the lease but at the same flip it was nice that it was allowed. So I’m not only frustrated that management had to start enforcing it I am frustrated at the ones that caused them to have to start enforcing it. I’m also perturbed with people not picking up after their pets. I not happy when the elevator doors open and there is urine left inside. NOT COOL. I live on a higher floor and do not care to take the steps. But honestly both of my irritations are more about how inconsiderate some of the other people living here are and not anything management has done.
I’ve had a couple of issues with management but as a grown man I went in and met with them and we were able to resolve the issue. Maybe some of you should try that instead of just sitting on this site nitpicking. Some of you really are worse than the kids I deal with on a daily basis. Sad…
Anonymous @7:54,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for writing. I appreciate and respect your comments. You like everyone else in this building have your opinion and you are entitled to express them on this blog anytime you want.
I don't think, however, that DFT is trying to speak for everyone else. I think DFT as a resident, is just expressing their frustration and anger, which has long been simmering.
From what I hear, the experiences in this building run the gamut. Also, I think your perception of a particular post may, in part, be a symptom of this particular type of forum. It might seem as if one person is more aggressive/passionate/concerned/angry, because they post more often. In a building this size only a small sampling of people will even take the time to write. That may say something in and of itself about management! So like you, DFT has a right to post as long as the posts are not unreasonable.
With that aside ... this blog was started because a great deal of the tenancy expressed anger and frustration with the very sort of thing that you make mention. People would call a half dozen times, leave a message, and then never hear back. Happened to me on several occasions when I first moved in. The friendly leasing agent that showed you your apartment suddenly turned into an unhelpful, angry bitch when some pretty basic questions were posed that every tenant would have the right to ask. I know because it happened to me. Can you imagine a leasing agent getting all pissy because you ask for a copy of your lease? Well it happened to me!
What are people supposed to do when they go up to the roof to enjoy themselves and it becomes impossible to stay because a small group of tenants and twenty or thirty of their closest friends have the roof commandeered with their drunken antics? Well that used to be a regularity and it took, I think, this blog, as well as some vocal tenants, to get management to do anything about it. Fights in the hallways, strange people wandering the building, people punching holes in the walls, dog crap everywhere, the police being called, etc, etc.
Anonymous, it hasn't always been very hospitable or efficient around here and I think that tenants speaking up for themselves and for others has gotten this building on the right track. I applaud you for your straightforward approach to dealing with the issues you have experienced at the Jefferson, but I don't think its fair for you to diminish others concerns or tactics. We're all individuals and we all have our own level of comfort with confrontation and the like.
In terms of tenants meeting with one another ... well first off, residents have been expressing the need and the desire to do this for as long as this blog has existed, and secondly, it has come to this point for a reason.
Thanks you for your post. I hope you will choose to remain engaged here and I look forward to having your feedback and suggestions.
Wow! Does anyone else on here think that Anonymous @7:54 has an underdeveloped sense of irony? For someone who seems to be so adamantly opposed to airing of grievances in a public forum, you seem to have little problem with lecturing the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Anonymous @7:54, when grown adults are treated like children by an "authority" that is supposed to be working in their interests, they will find whatever forum they can to regain some measure of control over their own living conditions. While none of us is perfect, as you and Melanie seem to be fond of pointing out, I think we are all looking for a solution to a very difficult problem. And for the record, I am not tired of DFT speaking his/her mind. In fact, I think that DFT tends to write very thoughtful and reasonable posts even if I do not always agree with them.
Can someone from the building's maintenance department please vacuum the 7th floor? Its a disaster and hasn't been done for at least 2 months.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 754. You're not being a productive part of this process by attacking your fellow tenants. Chill. I want to voice my complaints and find a solution, that's it. So far, management hasn't listened and I think this has Bren a goo opportunity for ignored and upset tenants to reach resolution.
ReplyDeleteI just got word of this blog. Not sure how after 7 months I haven't seen this yet! I'm impressed that the tenants are coming together like this, but dissapointed that management doesn't seem very supportive in participating to help resolve the problems. I, like many people on the blog, have experienced similar situations with the leasing office ignoring my emails when I voice a concern or complaint. I'm glad to see that something is being done to eradicate the bottleneck that is the management team.
ReplyDeleteWow. Was this letter from Melanie taken out of the chapter "What a manager shouldn't do?"
ReplyDeleteSad she won't participate, won't respond, and doesn't listen.
Unfortunately, Melanie's comment is indicative of a big part of the problem in this building. Given the problems that exist here and the apparent widespread discontent, I would think that management would want to send a representative to attend this inaugural meeting. Instead, the immediate response is that she will not be there. Sorry to complain, but it is exactly this sort of disdain and lack of concern that bothers me the most.
ReplyDelete