Author: Skytrack

E-Waste Collection Event

Dear Skytrack Community,
 We are pleased to announce the first of what we hope to be many Skytrack e-waste collection events.  For this trial, we will be allowing residents to leave their unwanted items listed below from this Sunday 10/3 through the following Sunday 10/10 in collection boxes in the lobbies of 134 Boerum and 15 Bergen, next to where recycling is deposited, and in the recycling area at the 1st floor of 120 Boerum (upstairs residents must go down to first floor at 120).  For larger items that will not fit in the collection boxes, please reach out to Val in advance, and he will assist in getting them to the proper spot for collection by the City. 

Acceptable items:

  • TVs
  • VCRs, DVRs, and DVD players
  • Cable and satellite boxes
  • Video game consoles
  • Computers: including small servers; monitors; laptops and their peripherals (such as keyboards, hard drives, mice, etc.)
  • Printers/scanners
  • Fax machines
  • Small electronics: including tablets; mobile phones; MP3 players

NOTE: Appliances, batteries, and light bulbs are NOT accepted.

Assuming this goes well, we intend to continue with periodic collection events, which will be announced in advance. This first event was scheduled for these dates because it works for those who are coordinating the collection with the City, including the Super.

Foreign Materials in Drains

With the assistance of professionals, we have determined that in certain instances recent sewage backups that have caused significant damage at Skytrack have at least in part been the result of items that should never be allowed to go down toilets/drains — including “wipes” — which became lodged in sewer pipes, causing partial or complete blockages.  Out of respect to all of our neighbors, please ensure that no foreign materials other than toilet paper ever go down our toilets/drains.  This includes items that are purportedly classified as “flushable,” which in reality, are not. 

In addition to causing severe backups in residents’ apartments and preventing drains from working properly for some, allowing objects and materials like wipes down drains also costs all of us financially, as we collectively have to pay for totally unnecessary emergency plumber service calls to clean drain lines when they become clogged because of these materials.

The Board is continuing to work to take all feasible steps to prevent flooding during heavy rainstorms.  While we cannot control mother nature or fix the deficiencies of the NYC sewer system, we can control what goes into the drains in our apartments.  Ensuring we all do our part with respect to this matter will unquestionably only help the situation.  Thank you for your careful attention to this.

Flooding Update

As an update, the Board, newly formed committee, management, and Super have been working on a daily basis to address the flooding situation.  We will be hiring an engineer to analyze exactly where the water is entering and leaving the system and causing water to enter specific apartments which, in each case, is different. 

Yesterday the committee completed a three-hour walk-through with an eye towards providing the expert that we will be hiring a complete accounting of the issues and mitigation steps taken so far, so the expert will be best equipped to provide recommendations for additional steps to be taken.  It is also our intention to install and confirm check valves are working wherever they are needed or will help, and work with the expert on this. 

We will continue to provide updates as we progress. Thank you.

Actions to take about 9/1 9:00-10:00 PM Downpour

For the many apartment owners whose apartments experienced flooding during the September 1st hurricane Ida 9:00-11:00 p.m. downpour, we request that you report your experience to the below entities. The more reports the city receives, the more likely we are to get action taken to protect us from future storms

From: Susannah Pasquantonio <pasquantonios@nyassembly.gov>
Date: Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 1:51 PM
Subject: [BoerumHill] Flood Issues & Water Damage
To: <main@boerumhill.groups.io>

Please help NYC Office of Emergency Management assess the impacts of recent severe weather by reporting storm damage here: https://on.nyc.gov/report-damage. This tool is for data-tracking purposes only. Report concerns to 311 and call 911 for emergencies.

For those with flood damage: file a Water Damage Claim form with the City Comptroller’s office. Access the form here: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/services/for-the-public/claims/e-filing/

You can send the locations of the flood to our office as well, so we have a general sense of where it occurred and so we can also share it with the appropriate agency,  but please email it directly to simonj@nyassembly.gov

Thanks, and please stay safe – we know it was a difficult night & morning for many of you.

-Susannah 

Susannah Pasquantonio (she/her/hers)

Chief of Staff

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon

341 Smith Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

718-246-4889

In the meantime, the Board of Managers is attempting to set up an emergency meeting to address this topic again.

Significant Rainfall Predicted!

While the Board and Super are actively working to alleviate issues with respect to sewer backups, which are largely the fault of inadequately sized sewer mains that service our building, please limit water use, including toilet flushes, during intense periods of rain.  And when significant rain is forecast please refrain from starting dishwashers, washing machines, and taking baths and showers. Using as little water as possible may prevent sewage from backing up into lower level apartments, which obviously has the potential to cause severe damage. The Board reserves the right in an emergency to temporarily turn off water for a short period of time if it seems that it may help prevent sewage backup.

HEATING SYSTEM WORK

As mentioned at the Annual Meeting, we have made arrangements so that work on the components of the heating system owned by each Unit (e.g. radiators, valves, and thermostats within Units) can take place this summer. The window for such work will be either the week of August 23 or August 30.  To the extent you wish to do any such work, please inform EM Holding or Val now so that you can be added to the list and we can ensure the work is able to happen.

You may use any plumber of your choice, though some recommendations (in alphabetical order) are:
B&D Plumbing 718-625-1396
Einstein’s Plumbing 718-246-4095
Sallustio Plumbing 718-858-9080
Weiss Plumbing 718-875-3926

Flooding

To minimize water backups in lower level Skytrack apartments, please avoid heavy water use such as dishwashers, washing machines, and baths, and please minimize toilet flushing if at all possible, during periods of heavy rain this afternoon and through the evening.

Heating System Work

As mentioned at the Annual Meeting, we have made arrangements so that work on the components of the heating system owned by each Unit (e.g. radiators, valves, and thermostats within Units) can take place this summer. The window for such work will be either the week of August 23 or August 30.  To the extent you wish to do any such work, please inform EM Holding or Val now so that you can be added to the list and we can ensure the work is able to happen.

You may use any plumber of your choice, though some recommendations (in alphabetical order) are:
B&D Plumbing 718-625-1396
Einstein’s Plumbing 718-246-4095
Sallustio Plumbing 718-858-9080
Weiss Plumbing 718-875-3926