FAQ
Wow, how come there so much happening in this building?
We are a community-oriented building. We have lots of social activities and opportunities for you to participate in helping our community thrive! The Monthly Events calendar posted near the mailboxes and elevators is a great source of information.
How do we maintain a vibrant and respectful community?
We are committed to working respectfully with one another. We work to be open to hearing how our actions affect our neighbours. And, at the same time, we are confident that we can respectfully discuss when our personal freedoms feel infringed upon by the actions of our neighbours. Because we share space, and because we want to be a strong community, these are the interactions we must expect.
What is with all the kids?
We are a family-friendly community. We recently counted more than 60 school-aged children in our building. That means that many units in the building have children, and of course, some units do not. The children bring us joy and energy and sometimes they are noisy or inconsiderate. Our children are the youngest members of our community, so we need to remember that they are also learning from us how to find a balance between expressing themselves authentically and respecting the freedoms of others.
Who do I go to if I have a concern about my neighbours?
If we have issues with each other, we respectfully speak with our neighbours first.
Who is on the Co-op Board?
The Board of the co-op is made up of 7 elected Member positions. The board handles the governance of the co-op and meets monthly. Consider running for the Board! It is a great opportunity to learn more about our community the CHFBC, CHF Canada, and co-operative living. See our Contact List for our current Board members.
Can I attend Board meetings?
Yes! Members are welcome to attend the open portion of Board meetings. If you want to bring something to the Board's attention, a great idea, a sublet request, a recognition for a co-op member or members, a suggestion or contribution to the community please email info@athletesvillagecoop.com. Emails that are received by the Wednesday before the monthly Board meeting will be brought to the Board for review.
Who is the AV Coop Coordinator and what do they do?
The current on-site property Coordinator is Bechir Ndarama. The Coordinator of the co-op is a staff position hired by COHO, the management company for our building. This person manages the building's systems, move-ins and outs, and many other management tasks. The coordinator is also the liaison between Members and the Board. If you have a request, idea or concern that you want to bring to the board’s attention, you can email the coordinator asking him/her to bring your email to the board. You can also talk with board members in person of course. Emails to the Board must be submitted the Wednesday before the Board meeting. Board meeting dates are posted on the monthly events list in the elevator and the lobby. The coordinator is our employee and should always be treated with respect. If you would like to send feedback about an exceptional experience or give feedback please email a member of the Board. Your feedback will be brought to the next Board meeting.
What are the AV Coop Committees and how can I get involved?
We encourage, but do not require, Members to volunteer or be on committees. The strength and vibrancy of our community hinges on Members volunteering. Choose something you are interested in, like to do, or are passionate about, and talk with other Members about how to help or start that project/committee. See our Committees page for more details.
How do Members communicate with each other?
We use a mix of informal (chatting in the hallway, lobby, playground, Facebook, Slack) and formal (email, posted notices, meetings) communication methods:
- Official announcements/notices will be emailed to you and sometimes also posted in the lobby and delivered to your door.
- A monthly events calendar is posted in the lobby, in elevators, and available online: http://tinyurl.com/pblzn2qo
- Official meetings take place for our Annual General Meeting or Member Meetings – where Members may have the opportunity to vote on issues that affect our community. Members will receive a printed info package delivered to their door in advance of the meeting
- See our list of Social Media options to join various Facebook and Slack channels.
Am I allowed to do X? What is the rule about Y?
Who do I contact if there is a problem with my unit or the building?
- During business hours call our coordinator (Dee, currently): 604 873 1006
- On weekends, evenings and holidays call the COHO Repair Services out of hours emergency help line: 1 877 651 8301
For non-urgent problems with my unit (e.g. light not working):
- Submit a work request via COHO websitehttp://www.coho.bc.ca/our-services/maintenance-services/subm it-a-work-order/
- or get a paper form order from the wall outside the common room, fill it out, and hand it into the Coordinator’s office.
How do I share a concern or request about how some process works in the Co-op?
Write a letter to the board and email it to the coordinator (info@athletesvillagecoop.com ) asking for your letter to be given to the board.
Systems in our building and how they work
Our building was built for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of the Athletes village (hence our name). It is an environmentally sustainable building with LEED Gold certification. Some of the systems here will be familiar, and others may not. Here are a few tips.
- Toilets: The water in the toilets comes from our rainwater cistern and therefore can be discoloured.
- Tap water temperature: varies a lot and sometimes you have to leave the water running for a long time to get either hot or cold water. If you get nothing but hot water, or nothing but cold water, report it to the Coordinator.
- Elevator: Your fob is required to get down to P1 at all times and for all floors (except the Ground floor) after 9 pm in the evening.
- Heating in your unit: We have a unique system of heated water in capillary mats in our ceilings. The system is similar in principle to radiant floor heating but located in our ceilings. Therefore DO NOT PUT ANYTHING INTO THE CEILINGS of your unit, because it could damage the capillary mats located there.
- Thermostats in units: We only have heat, not cooling systems. Red light means "heat is on"; Green means "heat is off"; no light means "hold at the current temperature." Thermostats typically need recalibrating annually.
- Lights: The CFL lightbulbs are finicky and some just aren’t working (fixtures in the dining room, storage closet, and bedrooms). There is a project underway to replace them with LED fixtures. If your lights aren’t working, report it to the Coordinator.
How does the common room library work?
Our volunteer librarians maintain the library! Using the library:
- Borrow whatever you like, for as long as you like. No borrowing records are kept.
- Return library items to the bin at the end of the adult fiction section.
- There is a diagram of the book sections in the library.
- Catalog (This is a snapshot of the collection and does not guarantee an item is available): Adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and children’s novels are cataloged at http://www.librarything.com/tags/avcooplibrary
- Donations: Please contact April ( ensapril@gmail.com ) before leaving any donations. There is very little room for new items. We would consider adding items in excellent condition, and of current or lasting interest.
How do I book the common room and what are the rules?
- Check the availability of the common room here -Co-op Common Room calendar: http://tinyurl.com/j5zr6gg
- Email the Coordinator asking to book an available time
- There are guidelines for using and cleaning the common room posted in the room
- Be sure to clean up after yourself!
Can I store things in my parking stall in the garage?
No. There is absolutely no storage allowed in the parking garage. The board issued a statement on June 15, 2018 saying that fines will be applied to members who leave items in their parking stalls. There are no approved items. You cannot store bikes, child seats, tires, wagons or any other items in the parking stalls. This will be monitored by members who have volunteered to monitor the parking area. The fine is $200.
Where can I store my bike(s)?
- There are 5 bike storage rooms in the parking garage. To be assigned a spot to park your bike, please contact the Bike Committee at avcoop.bikes@gmail.com before putting anything in the Bike Storage rooms. Space is currently tight in the bike rooms, so there may be a bit of a wait.
- Bikes cannot be stored in the hallways.
Where can I put my recycling/compost/garbage?
- Place all recycling in the appropriate bins in the recycling room. Rinse recyclables, do not put plastic bags in the organics bin, and put glass bottles in the glass bottles bin. Large broken items that are garbage do not go in the garbage room. Broken furniture, lamps and junk must be kept in suites until junk removal dates or disposed of by members at the appropriate places in the City. The garbage/recycling room is video monitored, please be respectful of Mark and the work of COHO in our common spaces. Members who do not follow the guides will be subject to a $400 fine.
- Info about the city’s recycling program here: http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/recycling.aspx
- There is a junk pickup once or twice per year allowing Members to dispose of large items that can’t go in our recycling or garbage area. The coop will send out a notice about the timing of this. Here are some resources for disposing unwanted things between those times :http://tinyurl.com/nbju3on
How does the Laundry room work?
The laundry room is located on the first floor in the hallway between the lobby and the inside door to the common room. Most units in the building do not have ensuite laundry and so make use of this shared facility. It can be busy at times so remember to remove clean, wet clothes from washers and clean dry clothes from dryers as promptly as possible. Please keep in mind:
- Use only compatible laundry soaps.
- No dryer sheets are allowed (they emit chemicals into the air when in the dryer that are harmful to Members who live above the dryer vents).
- Two machines are designated as Allergy Free machines. Follow posted instructions carefully.
- If you experience a problem with a machine, please call the phone number posted in the laundry room for the company to come provide service.
What are the rules for using the courtyard?
- The courtyard/playground is located on the ground floor on the interior of our U-shaped building. This is a space shared by all Members. There are toys that have been donated by Members that are available for all to share. The Events Committee organizes a tidy of this equipment seasonally.
- The wading pools and water toys are for any member to use. Please empty them before you leave the courtyard, so not leave any standing water unattended.
- Don’t slide down the courtyard slide with a child on your lap, this has resulted in broken bones.
How can I use our Lobby and Common Rooms?
The Lobby and Common Room are our indoor, shared spaces. These are places to meet and spend time with your neighbours. The lobby can be a busy spot with Members coming and going, checking their mail, children playing, etc. Please enjoy the space and also be aware of noise levels and keeping passageways clear for Members to pass through. There is a box of toys for sharing. Please put them away before you leave the lobby.
The common room is accessible with your fob (from the inside) or your key (from the outside). It has two sides, one that is more open and the other that has a kitchen, table, and our Coordinator’s office. You can book this room for your use (see above for how to do that). If the room is not booked by a Member, anyone is welcome to use it, bring children in to play with the toys, read the books in our library there, etc. As our Coordinator has their office just off this room, please be aware of noise levels during office hours. There are toys and items here for sharing. Please put them away before you leave the room.
How can I use our rooftop gardens?
We have two rooftop gardens for all Members to enjoy. They are located on the 5th floor on the North and South sides of the building. The communal gardens are organized by the garden committee and are open to all Members. Please leave garden spaces as they were found. Please take time to tidy kids toys, sweep, weed, coil hoses, etc. to keep our gardens looking their best.
Is there free wifi?
Yes!
Lobby wifi (password: columbia)
name: AV public
name: 2.4 G AV Coop Lobby
name: 5G AV Coop Lobby
Common Room wifi (password: columbia):
name: AV public
name: 2.4 G AV Coop Common Room
name: 5G AV Coop Common Room
Where do I pick up my mail?
Mailboxes are located in the lobby.
Is there anything I should know abour our breezeways / hallways?
Hallways and breezeways are shared spaces. They must be kept clear for Members to walk or to get a wheelchair through. Please respect city quiet hours of 8 pm - 8 am.
When does power washing happen?
The balconies and breezeways are power washed once a year. Please be aware that the balconies and breezeways do not have gutters, so anything you spill will fall onto the balcony/breezeway below you.