October 18, 2016 Portofino South Condominium Association meeting

Present: ML, PK, GD, BG, KG (by phone), HM (by phone), MD, JS (by phone), also manager and office assistant

Absent: PR

ML gave president’s report commending preparations by the staff prior to Hurricane Matthew.

GD gave treasurer’s report stating there were no delinquencies.

Manager’s report stated staff closed 60 percent of owners’ shutters and that he “felt responsible” to help with closing them. He requested a solution to remove injury liability of staff closing owners’ shutters. He suggested bringing in a company twice a year to maintain the shutters and charge owners. BG and GD agreed something should be done to ensure all units’ hurricane shutters are maintained.

Manager quoted $1200-1500 to re-build a fence and gate to keep pool inaccessible from the street and $300 to repair wooden fence in guest parking lots damaged by the hurricane.

Manager discussed some dis-ease over the current elevator maintenance company and said damage to the drive on one of the main elevators may have to be paid out of pocket (over $10,000). The elevator is inoperable and was damaged by the generator used to run it during the hurricane-associated power outages.

Manager asked board for local bank recommendations to put reserve fund ($180,000). Reserve fund previously held by Morgan Stanley.

MD gave credentials committee report and stated she had interviewed the occupants of unit 212.

Pool committee chair stated she thinks the committee is not currently needed and should be disbanded.

GD spoke for decorating committee and showed samples of chairs and pictures of tables as possibilities for the card room furniture. Motion to proceed with purchasing the chairs and tables at about $6000 was passed.

GD gave the committee’s ideas for counter, bar, refrigerator, and sink to be installed in card room.

BG proposed to send two changes to the Declaration of Condominium to the lawyers. The manager suggested sending the new Declaration of Condominium to owners in November. The Declaration must be approved by unit owners before it takes effect.

Manager presented 2017 budget, stated it was very similar to last year with some changes in insurance, gas, and replacing exhaust fans on the roof. Income from antenna leases will be about $31,000. GD suggested special assessments for ceiling tiles and lighting in two to three months and for painting and restoration in eighteen months, with the parking lot project being included in the budget. BG opposed paying for the parking lot project out of the budget and stated it should be a special assessment. BG and GD noted that our current budget does not fund reserves and so special assessments are necessary. Budget was not voted on.

Portofino South Condominium Association Board of Directors Meeting September 20, 2016

Martha Lee called the meeting to order at 7:00pm

Roll Call-Present

Martha Lee – President

Pam Kittinger – Vice President

Gregory D’Elia – Treasurer/Secretary

Margie Daley

Parker Reid

Betse Gori

Helen MacDonald–phone

John Schaefer–phone

Keith Gornick- absent

Betse Gori made a motion to waive the reading and approve the minutes of the May 17th board meeting.  Gregory D’Elia seconded the motion.  Helen MacDonald requested that the minutes be amended to change the discussion of the TV rules and regulations until the October meeting.  Motion carried unanimously.

No president’s report

No vice presidents report

No secretary report

Gregory D’Elia gave the treasurers report with the recommendation that we look into the proper allocation of the cost of the pool remodel and the card room remodel since neither of these projects were in the 2016 budget.

Frank Lagalante gave the manager’s report—see attached

Barbara Tattersfield gave a report on new furniture & tables for the card room.

Pam Kittinger made a motion to give the decorating committee a budget of 25K to present a proposal to finish the room with tables, chairs, sink, bar, and refrigerator and anything else needed.  John Schaefer seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

Helen MacDonald made a motion to distribute the revised “Declaration of Condominium” to the unit owners the most economically and legal way possible.  Margie Daley seconded the motion.

A discussion regarding the issue of “airbnb” and have we properly addressed this in our revised documents.

Motion carried unanimously.

Betse Gori made a motion to approve the additional expenses submitted by Keshavarz Gregory D’Elia seconded the motion.  Discussion: Parker Reid requested that the contracts to go to our attorney for review.  No other board members felt that was necessary.

Martha Lee, Pam Kittinger, Gregory D’Elia, Betse Gori, John Schaefer, Helen MacDonald and Margie Daley were in favor of the motion.  Parker Reid opposed the motion.  Motion carried.

New business:

Geraldine McNamara spoke to board and those present to thank everyone for their support on Dede McNamara’s passing.

Valerie Barto requested that we hold a meeting in the summer to keep the community informed.  She was told that if anyone wanted information they should contact the Office for details on any projects that were being done.

Frank Lagalante requested that the board dismiss the current engineer FAE for the cooling tower and chillers project and replace them with KAMM Consulting.

Gregory D’Elia made a motion to dismiss FAE Engineering and retain the services of KAMM Consulting Inc.  Margie Daley seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously

Gregory D’Elia made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Pam Kittinger seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

______________________________________

Gregory D’Elia, Acting Secretary

An Article from Becker and Poliakoff

7 Year Rule Does Not Apply To All Condo Records

By Joseph Adams on September 29th, 2016Posted in Official Records, Operations

Question: I recently contacted my condominium association asking to review various records since I have some serious questions about how things are being done. I asked to see all the election documents and was told the management company only had last year’s results. I thought records had to be kept for 7 years? (C.O. by e-mail)

Answer: Section 718.111(12) of the Florida Condominium Act generally requires an association to keep official records at least 7 years and to make such records available to the unit owners for their inspection within five working days of a written request. However, as with most rules, there are exceptions. Specifically, the law states that, “ballots, sign-in sheets, voting proxies, and all other papers relating to voting by unit owners must be maintained for 1 year from the date of the election, vote, or meeting to which the document relates.”

The other exception to the 7 year rule is board member certifications which must be kept for 5 years from election or for the duration of the director’s uninterrupted service, whichever is longer.