fall 2024 parlor sale

Nov 29, 2023

Dear Owners and Friends,

The Board of Directors is pleased and excited to announce an opportunity for you, your family, or friends to acquire a parlor from the inventory of Association–owned shares. These shares have been deeded back to the Association by their former owners. And rather than adopt them, the Board has decided to transfer them immediately for the price of $100.00 per share. In doing so, the Board hopes to add committed owners to our Association and to avoid the loss of assessment revenue that this large inventory creates.

If you decide to acquire one of the four shares being offered, you must pay the 2024 assessment of $1,727 and the Suites will cover the transfer cost. You can start to use the new share while the transfer is in progress.

The parlor transfer offer is ongoing throughout 2024

We will accept email requests for the transfer during normal reservation times.

Thank you in advance for your interest and participation in the 2024 Fall Parlor Sale.

Best Regards,

Cynthia Reid
General Manager
San Francisco Suites

APEC conference

Nov 20, 2023

Apec Conference November 11-17, 2023

The Apec Conference will be held at the Moscone Center with President Biden, White House staff, and foreign dignitaries staying on Nob Hill at the Mark Hopkins and Fairmont Hotels.

20,000 attendees are expected.

These 2 areas are designated as Red Zones and will be highly monitored by 1,000 Secret Service personnel.

The Apec Conference will be the biggest gathering of world leaders in San Francisco since the founding of the United Nations here in 1945.

The Charter was adopted at the SF Opera House on June 25, 1945. The next day, it was signed at the Herbst Theatre Auditorium of the Veterans War Memorial.

It will be a challenge traversing the City during this time, We were just informed by the Secret Service that Powell Street is in the Red Zone and cars will not have access to the Powell St Loading Zone. Valet service has been discontinued since November8-19

 Fortunately, Pine Street is considered a green zone and accessible by car. You can arrive at the Suites before 3 pm, park your car and the Houseman will help bring your bags in. Then you will need to 

self-park at 750 Bush Garage.

There is a lot going on at Union Square this November, the Christmas Tree arrives November 9 and the ice rink is open from 10 am to 11:30 pm

After checking out the sales and commencing with holiday shopping, stop by for lunch:

  • Miller & Lux Provisions Patisserie and Miller & Lux Provision’s Rotisserie on Union Square Plaza
  • Rotunda at Neiman Marcus
  • Chotto Matte rooftop restaurant across from Macy’s

Call the Concierge to secure your Thanksgiving reservations or if you want to have dinner at the Suites, you can always order a takeout turkey feast from Harris’

The hot theatre ticket this holiday season is “To Kill A Mockingbird” with Richard Thomas at the 

Golden Gate Theatre December 12-January 17. This was one of the finest theatrical experiences that I have attended in the last 20 years. It is recommended highly.

Lastly, if you happen to be at the Suites on November 13 and you see our President of the Board, Chuck Meibeyer, you can wish him “Happy Birthday”.

Let’s hope that the other two Presidents; President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China have a peaceful and fruitful meeting during the Apec Conference.

I enter this holiday with much gratitude for the wonderful owners, board members and excellent staff at the San Francisco Suites.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cynthia Reid

October Light in san francisco

Oct 28, 2023

October Light in San Francisco

The “sea light” as the SF poet Laurate, Ferlinghetti, called the special light in San Francisco, becomes softer and more burnished with the beginning of autumn. The Hunter’s moon will be revealed this weekend to herald in the Halloween festivities. The lobby in the Suites is draped with garlands of orange and yellow foliage and festive wreathes are hung at the two entrances and soon the welcoming fragrance of hot cider will fill the air.

At the beginning of October, Fleet Week returned with the Blue Angels after a year hiatus. They flew overhead during the memorial service for the San Francisco icon, Senator Diane Feinstein, and left a heart in the sky. It was a fitting tribute to the first San Francisco woman mayor who took over the leadership during the assassination of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk and brought calm to the City. Diane Feinstein was instrumental in bringing Fleet Week and the Blue Angels to the City in 1981 and without her foresight the San Francisco cable cars would have become extinct. The City mourns her passing but she has left a lasting legacy.

Union Square has just welcomed Chotto Matte, a new Japanese Peruvian rooftop restaurant and bar that seats 400 and has sweeping views of the Bay. 50 O’Farrell where Macy’s Men’s department store was once located. The restaurant is open from 11:30 am to 12 midnight, This will be a difficult reservation to secure but there are a few seats at the bar for walk-ins.

Over at the Presidio, the romantic Mediterranean restaurant with views of SF Bay, Dalida has opened at 101 Montgomery near the Presidio Inn. The hours are 5-9 pm.The restaurant serves eastern Mediterranean cuisine by the husband-and-wife team, Laura and Sayat of Noosh.

The Apec Conference will be held November 14-19. 20,000 attendees and dignitaries from 20 economies will meet at Moscone Center. Security will be will tight at Moscone, Union Square, Embarcadero, and Nob Hill. Please be aware that you will not be able to park on Powell as it will be blocked off. You can arrive to the Suites on Pine St and the valet will park your car or you can self-park at the Bush Street garage. Please call the front desk for assistance. www.apec2023sf.org

If you are looking to purchase additional shares, VOTA will hold a foreclosure auction in January 2024 for shares that have delinquent assessments. 8 Masters and 5 Parlors will be listed for auction. The minimum cost, as of today, starts at $2,340.50. Some shares have unpaid property taxes. I will send out a more detailed notice to the Association in December.

Lastly, if you need to experience more of the special San Francisco sea light or are in need of a restorative time to meditate during these difficult times, please visit Grace Light at Grace Cathedral which is an immersive light installation with music to heal your soul and then return to your “home away from home” and sit by the fireplace and sip a cup of hot cider.

 

Warmest wishes,

Cynthia Reid
General Manager
San Francisco Suites

BOD Open Meeting Sept. 16th 2023

Oct 16, 2023

Draft

San Francisco Suites

Board of Directors Open Meeting

September 16, 2023

1. President Chuck Meibeyer called the meeting to order at 11:02 am.

2. Board Directors present:

Chuck Meibeyer, President
Fred Munroe, Vice-President
Dwight Walker, Treasurer
Geoffrey Bellah, Secretary
Jeff Reichel, Director-at-Large
Others present:
Cynthia Reid, General Manager

3. Owners Forum: No owners were in attendance.

4. President’s Report:

President Meibeyer announced that the Suites was able to secure insurance to replace the non-renewal by Farmers of our property policy, effective August 31, 2023, from Gallagher Risk Management Services, but at an egregious increase from $39K annually to $140k annually. We did mitigate the increase somewhat by raising deductibles and by reducing the earlier erroneous estimate of the building’s footage. Meibeyer recommended that the Board seek competitive bids for insurance next year well before the renewal date and expressed hope that the insurance crisis in California will have abated by then so that our annual premium could be lowered.

5. Approval of Minutes: Treasurer Walker moved, and Vice-President Munroe seconded the motion that the minutes from the July 29, 2023, open meeting be approved. The motion passed unanimously.

6. Treasurer’s Report:

Walker stated that of July 2023 there was $548K in the Operations account and $758K in Reserves, noting that the Operations number does not include the insurance premium of $140K that must be paid in full and immediately. Also, with 13 shares delinquent in paying their assessments, there is currently a shortfall of $23K in anticipated revenue. Otherwise, our projected revenues are good. On the other hand, expenses are well within the budgeted range for the year, with the exception of $18K in overtime costs, a budget anomaly which will be remedied by recent hiring and more flexible scheduling. With several projects soon to commence – a mandated digital fire alarm system, new carpeting, new lobby wallpaper – the Reserve account will drop somewhat by the end of 2023 and again in 2024, and the Board will decide in its 2024 budget how much to replenish it.

7. General Manager’s Report:

Manager Reid reported that currently, the Association owns 19 Parlor shares and 1 Master share. In that inventory, 12 Parlors have already been adopted, and 3 more were adopted in the recent September Adopt-a-Share. However, that leaves 4 Parlor shares and 1 Master share not providing revenue of $7,715 to account for their lost assessments. At this time VOTA has foreclosed on 8 Master shares and 5 Parlor shares, an unprecedented number, due to delinquent assessments, which will come up for auction this year. Even so, during the past few months, 4 Master shares have been sold by owners. Also, the Board authorized in July putting the Suites’ owned Master share and one Parlor share on the timeshare resales site RedWeek, and there seems to be some purchasing interest being generated there. Given the high number of nonrevenue-producing shares in foreclosure and in the Suites’ own inventory, Reid asked the Board to give her the flexibility and discretion to offer shares for sale at the lowest reasonable price, a request which the Board took under advisement. Gloria Soto has been selected as “Employee of the Quarter.” After being introduced to the Board and complimented for her dedication to the Suites, Gloria accepted a cash gift from the Association.

8. Old Business:

A. President Meibeyer reminded the Board that it had already approved the Lobby wallpaper project, during the September Emergency Session with a budget of $64K, so no action was required at this meeting.

B. Funding for installing new carpeting in 13 suites was discussed while the Board considered two bids, one including the moving of furniture, the other not. Munroe moved that the Board accept the lower bid from Eddie’s Carpets, which does not include moving costs, Walker seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

C. Manager Reid updated the Board on the installation, at a cost of $55K, of the new digital fire alarm system over two days in January 2024 when the Suites will be closed to guests.

D. The Board of Directors’ Summer Auction for 4 Parlor shares and 1 Master share elicited no bids.

E. The summer Adopt-a-Share, however, resulted in three Parlor adoptions.

F. The 2024 Reserve Study Report is not complete but will be available for the Board’s review and approval at the November meeting.

G. Reid mentioned that some owners would prefer a smaller, more user-friendly coffee maker. The Board will consider replacing the current on-demand coffee makers if a similar, perhaps smaller, but less complicated maker can be found.

New Business:

A. The Board looked over four different possible budgets for 2024, two offered by Manager Reid and two by Treasurer Walker, with each varying the amount put in Reserves and the increase for Operations. And each slightly varying the 2024 annual assessment, from $1727 to $1797, or an increase between $172 and $242 per share. (This amount incorporates the $123 per share to pay for the costs of new insurance.) Munroe moved, and Bellah seconded the motion, that Walker and Reid work together to come up with a draft for a recommended 2024 budget, based on the third option, and with a targeted annual assessment of $1727, for approval at the November meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

B. Manager Reid reported that two Association-owned shares, a Parlor and a Master, will be placed with the timeshare resales site RedWeek for sale, as an experiment.

C. Manager Reid asked the Board to approve a Fall 2023 Parlor sale of Association-owned shares. If successful, the sales will help replenish the anticipated shortfall in assessment revenue. Bellah moved that such a sale be held, Munroe seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously.

Forward Planning: The Suites will be closed to guests for the entire month of January 2024 in order to commence and complete several major projects, new carpets in the suites, new wallpaper in the lobbies, and a new digital fire alarm system.

The open meeting adjourned with unanimous consent at 12:34 p.m.

Respectively submitted,

Geoffrey Bellah, Secretary

BOD open meeting july 29, 2023

Sep 19, 2023

 

San Francisco Suites
Board of Directors’ Open Meeting
July 29, 2023

 

  1. President Meibeyer called the meeting to order at 11:11 am

2. Board Directors present:
Chuck Meibeyer, President
Fred Munroe, Vice-President
Dwight Walker, Treasurer
Geoffrey Bellah, Secretary
Jeff Reichel, Director-at-Large

Others present:
Cynthia Reid, General Manager
Jo Ann Trembath, Owner
Pamela Murphy, Interior Designer

3. Owners Forum: An owner asked the Board to consider installing shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers in the suites.

4. President’s Report: President Meibeyer summarized the current fire insurance crisis in California in which many carriers are pulling out of the state, and not creating new or not renewing policies. San Francisco Suites has been directly affected by this crisis in that Farmers Insurance, which has covered the Suites for over 35 years, has notified us that they will not renew our coverage effective September 1, 2023, – even though we have a sterling record of no major claims and significant improvements in fire prevention/alarm equipment – because our building is over 100 years old. The Suites is now faced with trying to secure insurance coverage, and the prospect, if a carrier is found, of a 50% to 150% increase in the premium. The Board is consulting with various brokers and agencies to find adequate, reasonably priced coverage. (California’s Fair Plan is a possibility but ensures only for fire and tends to be expensive) Once quotes are available, the Board will need to act quickly, as insurance coverage is mandated by the CC & Rs.

5. Approval of Minutes: The corrected minutes of March 11, 2023, were approved unanimously after Geoffrey’s motion was seconded by Dwight.

6. Treasurer’s Report: Dwight stated that the Association’s “cash position is strong.” We have enough cash in the Operations Account to sustain us through the year, which is a positive change from previous years when incoming assessment revenue temporarily covered expenses in the last months. Dwight also suggested that we might consider transferring money from our low-interest Axos account to a higher-interest Money Market account, which could also have the advantage of being more accessible for withdrawals.

7. General Manager’s Report: Manager Reid delivered a beautiful and moving paean to the City of San Francisco, reminding everyone that the city has survived past crises and come through them stronger and better.

  1. Financials – As of June 30, 2023, our Operations Account has $646K, and our two Reserve Accounts have $754K.
  2. Association-owned Shares – The current inventory is 20 shares: 12 Parlor shares have been adopted for the coming year, and there is a Master share up for auction. There will be 7 Parlor shares available for adoption in September. The Board approved a trial listing of an Association-owned share with Red Week to determine if the site could be a valuable resource for marketing and selling shares by the Association and owners.
  3. 2023 Assessment – 14 shares are in foreclosure with VOTA for nonpayment of the assessment.
  4. Insurance – As mentioned by President Meibeyer in his Report, Farmers will not renew our insurance coverage, and the Board is seeking a new policy with various brokers and agencies.
  5. Maintenance Projects – An updated digital fire alarm system that has been mandated by the SF Fire Department will be installed in January 2024. Many of the items identified by the Reserve Study for replacement or restoration have been assessed, including most notably a new hot water tank, new skylights and outdoor flood lights, refurbished Board Room chairs, new Roman blinds, and new grab bars and new stools in the bathrooms. The building’s exterior trim has been repainted. Upcoming are new coffee makers, new carpeting for suites, and new wallpaper in the lobbies.
  6. Houseman Jeffery Bascara is the Employee of the Quarter. Chuck praised Jeffery for his diligence and dedication, especially unusual for a new employee, and presented him with a cash award.

8. Old Business:

A. Interior Designer Pamela Murphy presented the Board with various carpet samples as possibilities for replacing the current in-suite carpeting. One important feature of the samples is their resistance to wine stains, a frequent problem at the Suites. The Board asked Murphy to solicit various price bids for the sample she recommended and which the Board preferred. Murphy also showed samples of wallpaper for the upper and lower lobbies; after some discussion and disagreement about the samples, Fred moved that both of Murphy’s samples be accepted, one pattern in the upper lobby, and a combination of patterns in the lower, subject to the artistic ability of the installer to hang both patterns and approval of total cost. Geoffrey seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

B. President Meibeyer reported that the Board has approved a competitive bid for a new digital fire alarm system, an upgrade that has been mandated by the city of San Francisco and will be installed in January 2024.

C. The Tax Collector for the City of San Francisco held an auction for shares delinquent in paying property taxes; the Association purchased a SFS Master share with a large tax bill for only $100 and has placed that share up for auction.

D. Grab bars have been installed in the baths, and shower stools have been purchased for those needing them.

9. New Business:

A. President Meibeyer described a situation in which the Association might pay the back taxes on 14 foreclosed shares to return the shares to our inventory so they might be sold.

Chuck asked the Board for a motion of approval. Fred moved that only Parlor shares be included, Geoffrey seconded the motion. The motion was held, pending more information about cost-effectiveness, but soon after passed unanimously.

B. The Board of Directors’ Summer Auction of one Parlor share and one Master share elicited no bids.

C. The next Adopt-a-Share opportunity will be in September.

D. Manager Reid presented the Board with the 2023-2024 Reserve Study. Reid showed that several of the items required for replacement or refurbishment had been completed; others were appropriately and sensibly deferred.

10. Forward Planning: Two major projects, lobby wallpaper replacement and in-suite carpet replacement, are tentatively scheduled to be completed in January 2024, when the Suites will be closed to guests.

Adjournment: The open meeting ended at 3:02 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Geoffrey Bellah, Secretary