AUGUST 24, 2018
SPECIAL MEETING
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| Pres Eileen Bendis |
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| Treasurer John Amatulli |
Roll Call -
Board Members Present: John Amatulli, Eileen Bendis, John Laprade, Fern McBrideBoard Members on conference call: Stephanie DeAngelis, Richard Robins, Kevin Suszko
Approval of Minutes -
Minutes of the May 30, 2018 meeting were distributed and posted in advance. A motion was made by John Amatulli to accept the minutes as written The motion was seconded and passed by general consent. President Eileen Bendis read her President’s Report. Click Here to read the President’s Report.Financial Report -
By John Amatulli, Treasurer |
| Richard Robins |
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| John Laprade |
*Copies of the complete Financial Report are available in the office or the password protected website (1regencytower.com) - only to members.) . - editor*
New Business
- Select Contractor for Balcony / Concrete Restoration Project - A motion was made by Richard Robins to select MCW (Metro Caulking and Waterproofing, Inc. / MCW) as the General Contractor for the concrete restoration / balcony project. The motion was seconded and passed by general consent.
The Options Package will be mailed and emailed next week. Everyone will have choices to make. The most awaited one will be a poll on selecting to repaint the aluminum picket railings or replacing the present railings with glass. Another poll will be selecting the balcony flooring. If you 1) wish to keep your tile and the engineer says it is okay or, 2) removing your tile and replacing with either the preselected tile or the knockdown finish. The third questionnaire is regarding shutters. Many residents have said they would like to remove their old inoperable shutters. The contractor has agreed on a very inexpensive price to have them removed. This is the responsibility of individual owners. The deadline to return the polls is September 28. The responses to these polls will determine the final amount of the assessment.
Manager
Andy Surdovel
Even though the Board has the authority to make these decisions in accordance with our governing documents, it was decided to put it out for a vote. The final count will be from the majority of responses received by September 28, 2018.
Secretary
Fern McBride- Attorney Authorization - Our attorney has requested that we select one or two people to be authorized to make calls to his office. John Laprade made a motion that our Board President and our General Manager be authorized to make calls/communicate with our attorney. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- Ratify Employee Health Insurance - Our employee health insurance contract was renewed, changed from United Healthcare to Aetna, and needs to be ratified. Richard Robins made a motion to ratify our employee health insurance contract with Aetna. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- Update on Comcast - Andrew Surdovel - We now have three Internet Hot-Spots at Regency Tower. They are in the Lobby/Exercise room, Game room and the Pool/ Beach patio. These can be accessed by using your Comcast email and password. In the weeks to come, Comcast will be wiring the outside of the building that will replace the existing rusted raceways that house the TV cables. Comcast has appropriated $86,000 for the cable replacement. A swing stage will be used to navigate the building when replacing the cables on each stack. (i.e. 01,02,03 etc.) Once this outside wiring is completed, Comcast will start to wire each unit. Comcast will coordinate this interior wiring with each unit owner. Finally, once the wiring is completed, Comcast will set a date to install the TV and Internet component boxes. The estimate for the completed work is end of November or Thanksgiving.
- Gym Equipment: Discussion was held on the condition of our gym equipment, investigating purchasing new equipment, and the appreciation of further suggestions.
- Kayaks: In response to Mr. Tamm, #411, wanting a kayak rack placed on our beach, he has been asked to provide information on location, size, charges to kayak owners, and storage in the event of a hurricane.
- Attorney Authorization - Our attorney has requested that we select one or two people to be authorized to make calls to his office. John Laprade made a motion that our Board President and our General Manager be authorized to make calls/communicate with our attorney. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
Adjournment -
No further business. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m.Fern McBride
Well, it’s finally here. The long-awaited ballot on the balcony railings will be sent next week!
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| Aluminum Picket Balcony Railing |
There is negative rhetoric going around our association, the likes of which I have never heard before. This is disruptive, destructive, deceiving and divisive. It’s pitting neighbor against neighbor.
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| Glass Panel Balcony Railing |
We want to dispel any rumors surrounding the concrete/balcony restoration project. There is a group of uninformed owners contacting people they have never met or spoken to saying the project assessment to each owner would be between $30,000 and $50,000.
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| Eroded Building Column |
As you know, the Board of Directors of the Regency Tower has the authority to make “alterations or improvements” to the common property without requiring a vote of the unit owners. It was the Board’s decision to undertake this sorely-needed project. The Vice President of a group of owners, Ron Lenzi, filed for arbitration with the Division of Condominiums to challenge this decision. The arbitrator sided with the Association.
Lenzi was not satisfied, so he appealed the decision to the Circuit Court, which likewise decided on the side of the Association. Lenzi then appealed to the 4th District Court of Appeals and once again lost (case no. 4D17-2507 - June 20, 2018). The cost of this to our association was well over $25,000 in attorney fees, which we all must pay. Why is this not an important point that this “group” seems to avoid in all their derogatory literature about the board?
Out of necessity, this board is going to go forward and make this building a Jewel on the Galt with much time, consideration, cost containment and as little inconvenience as possible.
Until next time,
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Eileen Bendis
Board President
AUGUST 2, 2018 
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| General Manager Andrew Surdovel |
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| Board President Eileen Bendis |
Security Reminders:
FOBs are for unit owners use only and are not to be given or lent to anyone.
Please inform Security when you or your guest leave; you must turn off your water.
The Hurricane Season (June 1st thru November 30th) is now upon us. Please read over the valuable information on this subject that we recently sent you via email. Make sure to have your Hurricane Kit ready now. If you will not be in residence, please remove all items from your balcony.
Security cannot dispatch Maintenance staff to your unit. Please schedule any current or future maintenance issues with the Office.
Please schedule all incoming contractors and deliveries with Christine in the office.
All paperwork needs to be completed before projects can begin.
If you have an overnight guest, please notify the office via email, phone or fax of their stay dates. Security will then be able to register the guest more efficiently.
Speed limit in the garage and outside parking is 5 MPH; please abide.
All vehicles should be locked, especially those parked outside.
Use the Service elevator when in bathing attire.
Maintenance is still working on the doors leading to the small balcony at the stairwell on the North side. These metal doors are in poor condition and will need grinding and coats of oil-based rust-preventative paint. The new tile floors in the office are now finished and look beautiful. We are awaiting delivery of some new furniture that will complete the project and eliminate Home Depot cartons being used as tabletops. Maintenance is also busy painting the walls in the Office. In the kitchen area of the Office we are installing cabinets, a drop ceiling and new lighting.
The cooling towers are scheduled for maintenance the week of August 6th. Our vendor, Smart Air, will work on one tower at a time; the cooling tower maintenance will take a total of two days. This will not require a shutdown of unit owners’ A/C’s.
Comcast has completed installation of three (3) WiFi Internet Hot Spots: Lobby/Exercise room, Game room and the Pool/Barbeque patio. The Internet is now available. You need your Comcast email (xxx@comcast.net) and password to use the WiFi Hot Spot Internet.
Comcast is now working on the exterior wiring for the new Xfinity setup. Comcast will then arrange a date/time with each unit owner for the new digital network and Internet wiring and installation in their unit. This should happen in the next two months.
Please get familiar with the website. You can write work orders, reserve the BBQ grill, and reserve the Rendezvous room on the website. All updates are posted on the site. Again, our Concierge Plus website is: 1regencytower.com.
| Eileen R. Bendis |  |
Andrew Surdovel |
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| Board President | General Manager | |