A response to Nathan Weinstein open letter

Mr. Benson, candidate to the Board, was kind enough to share this response to be posted in aquariusuno.com

Howard Benson         January 8, 2026

We would like to respond to Mr. Weinstein’s opinion letter. He has made many incorrect assumptions. No one has doubted that the 50-year recertification project was needed.  When speaking to many residents they question why are there only skeletal crews working on days when there are no weather constraints. Increasing the manpower could speed up the project.

Aquarius Lobby Main Entrance 2014

 Mr. Weinstein seems to want to blame many of our communities’ problems on the previous board of directors without giving them credit for what they have accomplished.  The Aquarius was on the verge of collapse with the pool deck being held up with temporary supports. Many of the balconies were in dangerous condition and the building had concrete breaking down and falling to the ground. We were very close to being a Surfside type disaster.
 That board of directors took over from previous boards that did not want to spend money on the proper preventive maintenance of the building or developing a reserve fund to avoid large assessments. Some residents do not want to give them credit for their contribution as unpaid volunteers to save this building and significantly increasing the value of our property.

 The current BOD has used  licensed engineers and other professional to complete the project and meet the codes of the state of Florida as they should.
 Mr. Weinstein seems to be implying that the previous BOD did not go through the same steps of using professional consultants and passing proper inspections. They had open meetings with the contractors and engineers that anyone in the community could attend. At that time, residents were complaining about the size of the assessment causing significant hardship. It was decided to delay some of the renovations to be completed at a later time as a cost saving. Were mistakes made?  Of course there were. Could things have been done better? Of course they could. Anyone involved in any type of extensive renovations knows not everything goes as planned.  I am not trying to protect the previous BOD. But Mr. Weinstein is it fair to be comparing far more extensive project years later to a project that is not yet complete? Your consistent criticism without acknowledging any of the accomplishments of a BOD that was in office over 4 years ago is extremely mean spirited and borders on slander of your neighbors that did their best to improve our community.

 We would like to address transparency. When developing a budget to be discussed for approval, which most people do not deal with routinely, shouldn’t it be emailed to the community at least a week before the meeting? It can then be properly reviewed by others. Showing it on a screen at a meeting that no one can read is not being transparent. Ned who is very familiar with financial statements had major questions about discrepancies unanswered. You take a lot of pride that the board reduced maintenance fees. You quote the Sun Sentinel that maintenance fees have gone up on average $500 per month across Florida. Most properties are not on the beach, which have much harsher conditions. First Service’s website says maintenance fees should rise with inflation on a yearly basis to avoid severe increases or large assessments. Our making good financial decisions should be based on reasonable clear budgets or are we repeating mistakes of the past? Forcing us to deal with constant money shortages.

 Lobby and pool furniture are chosen without input of residents. In other communities’ different options are presented so the community can have input on the choices. That is how to avoid getting plastic lounge chairs at the pool that older people can’t get into or out.
 We admit that according to the Bylaws of the community only 48 hours are need to call for a board meeting but just because it is legal does not mean more notice should be given so more people can attend. Why is the management office closed for such a large portion of the day? Why do so many residents feel management is not meeting their needs or treating them with respect. Are they understaffed?

 Why is the building always looking shabby?  The fountain repairs are taking forever You go to the west pool and there are piles of broken lounge chairs.   Light fixtures are broken exposing the wires to the elements. We will be needing to replace the wiring as well as the light fixture if not repaired in a timely manner. We have rusted tables around the pool deck and incomplete cement tables outside the gym. These things have been going on for months. It does not take much effort to address these issues. Call 1-800-Junk and get the junk cleared out. Have a maintenance program that fixes minor problems before they get worse.

 We appreciate the work this board has done over the past 4 years. These are voluntary positions that are unpaid. There are seasons for everything. It is time for the building to make some changes in the direction and start to improve the quality of life. These are extraordinary buildings and we should make the Aquarius great again.  Let’s make it the paradise it once was. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results We think it is time to have new ideas for the BOD with a fresh perspective. We would like for you to consider voting for us for the BOD

Sincerely

Howard Benson
Leon Behar
Philippe Cooper
Ned Taljic

.o0o.