This post is written out of deep frustration and concern regarding the ongoing chaos in our building’s package receiving area. This is a severe, Board-created problem that is impacting every resident, especially during the holiday season.
Staffing Crisis and Disciplinary Actions
The situation in our receiving area has led to a significant loss of staff: Two in receiving, one in the office
- Employee Dismissals: This is now the third employee to be dismissed recently for issues related to allowing contractors into the building.
- Voluntary Resignation: This past Monday, an employee arrived to work after the weekend closure and quit immediately upon seeing the massive, unmanaged volume of parcels with absolutely no assistance provided.
- Unsubstantiated Accusations: Our Board President is reportedly making serious accusations that cannot be substantiated, further fueling this toxic environment.
Current State of the Receiving Area
On Tuesday, 12/9, when attempting to pick up packages you easily could witness the alarming lack of control:
- The receiving room was empty and the door was left visually unlocked . (Now a fear this may lead to another unjust dismissal.)
- Seeing the bins overflowing with unmarked packages, I decided to help out. I grabbed a marker and began labeling boxes with unit numbers to assist our staff and neighbors.
- Incredibly, I was asked by security to stop assisting. This came after a phone call was received by the security person. This tells me someone in our hierarchy does not want the problem solved, or at least not by residents.
Instead of planning holiday parties, the Board should be prioritizing the function of essential services. This reflects poorly on the leadership, The board should have pitched in as they created the problem. This probably would not suit a penthouse board member’s perceived appearance.
This situation is far below the standard of maintenance and management we expect. This level of service is an embarrassment.
Urgent Issues Caused by Board Inaction
This board mismanagement has led to several critical problems that directly affect our community:
- Little to No Package Notification: It is gift-giving season. How can residents track and retrieve time-sensitive gifts without a proper notification system? Certainly unexpected gifts?
- Perishable Items Risk: What happens to food items or medications that require refrigeration or cold storage?
- Increased Association Liability: Once the Association has signed for a package, it is responsible for it. If items go missing due to negligence, we—the residents—will bear the financial cost.
- Security Risk: If the receiving office is unstaffed, the room must not be left unlocked!
- Financial Question: With three staff members gone in the last five days, why are we still paying for salaries not being used? Why not offer a partial refund of dues instead of prioritizing a holiday party?
This is not an FSR Issue: How do we know this? It does not happen at any of the hundreds other buildings they manage.
Call to Action
The Board must be held accountable for this mess. You need to make your issues and concerns known immediately. They must see that this current approach is completely unsustainable and dangerous. When their policies fail, the Board’s responsibility is to step up and resolve the problems they created.