Message from Eugenia Rosen and Mike Alpert to the new BOD and many others

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO LADY

Message from Eugenia Rosen and Mike Alpert to the new BOD and others

Congratulations to the new Board. May you work harmoniously together to bring the building to a quality lifestyle for all unit owners.

Mike Alpert – 1805 S and Eugenia Rosen 1105 S

Other messages:

Thank you everyone that participated in this democratic exercise. We will need the help and union of all of those that want our Aquarius be a place of our pride, our comfort and our well being. Only with the support to the entire community we will be able to move forward and improve our building. There is  a lot of work to be done but we can do it!  Cecílio Augusto Berndsen

Thank you Joel, Buck and Cecilio for your guidance and support. Could not have done it without you.  Victor Rocha

I just want to thank everyone who supported my candidacy for the Board.  I can assure all of you that I will not let you down. I would like for us to meet as a group including Linda and discuss strategies prior to our formal election to the Board. Please let me know when it would be convenient for us to meet ASAP. Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for your trust in my ability to serve our community.     Buck Gupta

Thank you. Congratulations to you too.  Hope we can work together well.   Sofia Ferenburg

Congratulations   Paul Finfer

CONGRATULATIONS.  I am very happy. WELCOME to the board and good luck.  Gilbert Melloul

Congratulations. Now the ball is in your court. Manuela and Bernardo Berndsen

Hi Cecilio,   I want to congratulate you. Hopefully with your expertise, knowledge and abilities can return the Aquarius back to its past glory. Also, to bring back a harmonious state.  All the best,  Abe  Lederman

Congratulations  Zina Blueband

Congratulations  Pam Ippolito

Congratulations for the election. You can count with our support.  Aldo Pires

.o0o.

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Aquarius Condominium Election Day – January 19, 2016

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

AQUARIUS-3D logoAquarius Condominium Election Day

January 19, 2016

 

 

By Cecilio-Augusto F. Berndsen, Candidate to the Board of the Association

 

It is that time of year again.

An old building with a lot of potential. Owners are ready to cast their votes. Candidates have shown their platforms.

It may be useful to think: Should I protect my investment or should I let the decay take over? Are we really protecting our valuable asset or are we being frugal to the point of loss? Penny wise and pound foulish?

Where are we headed? Is proper management the constant firing of managers, employees and vendors? Certainly not.

What is the cost of so much in fighting?

I think it is time pause and reflect. To continue to neglect, to manage by firing, to distrust any service or vendor that comes into the building may give us the worst. 

Have we ever thought about the cost and time to train and educate a new manager? A new Security team leader? A new maintenance crew? Think again and vote.

It is time to change! Vote with your head not with your heart. Let’s bring Aquarius to a status where everyone can have a safe, comfortable and trouble free life.  

 

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.          Albert Einstein

vote counts

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Quick Updates: Lobby, Central HVAC work and Valet Deck

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO SILHOUETTEQuick Updates: Lobby, Central HVAC work and Valet Deck

 

 

1   –    Lobby

The City of Hollywood has inspected and approved the repairs in the air conditioning of the Lobby. The work of Vmech has granted Aquarius the approval and closing of the City Permit for this portion of the Lobby reconstruction.

Now the work of reconstruction will proceed!

2   –    Central Air Conditioning system of the building

The kick off meeting happened in the morning of January 15, 2016. Dan Austin presented the blue prints of the new system and enumerated the modus-operandi of the work. The completion of the project should be achieved in approximately 16 weeks. Mr. Austin is the Mechanical Engineer hired by Aquarius to design and supervise the work. The work will be performed by Vmech, under the surveillance of Mr. Austin.

Present were William Colleman, Regional Manager, David Slavin, Community Manager and two Engineers from Vmech that will be directly involved in the project execution.

From the Aquarius Condo Association were present the President Ilya G. and Director Boris E. A small number of owners were present among them Pam I., Peter S., and Cecilio-Augusto B.

Mr. Gonorovsky, President of BOD informs that the compressors and other components of the new system have been ordered and should arrive in a few weeks.

The HVAC contract, denominated Prime Construction Contract has been posted in the aquariuscondo.net  web site under Documents, select the category Contracts, look for Prime Construction Contract at the bottom.

3   –    Leaks Found in the Garage under the Valet Deck

Mr. Gonorovsky and A&P are working with CSI – the General Contractor responsible for the project – for a prompt solution of the water leaks occurring in several points of the west side of the garage.

ACG, the Engineering firm responsible for overseeing the project, has been called to offer suggestion.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.

 

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Was the concrete restoration destruction?

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

Was the concrete restoration destruction?

In this post we have three opinions about the work done in the Valet Deck. Do you have something to say? If you are computer savvy register yourself in the WordPress.com system and you may paste your comment. If you prefer you may sent the material directly to ceciliob@gmail.com.  All material welcome. Vitriol, offensive or ilegal content will not be posted. All material is subject to approval. Submissions may take several days to show in the blog.

Bellow find the opinons of

  • Joel Cohen
  • Boris Goldberg
  • Victor Rocha

___________________________________

from Joel Cohen,    joelcohenlaw@gmail.com

Dear Unit Owners:

Our condominium has undergone and will continue to undergo concrete restoration to address the problems caused by 43 years of exposure to salt water on our ocean front buildings.

Understand, we are talking about concrete restoration (removal of bad concrete and replacement of new concrete with necessary waterproofing). This is not concrete destruction. That is a misnomer. We are not destroying; we are replacing and restoring.

When the 2015 Board took over on January 19, 2015, the lobby and the valet deck were closed and had been closed for months.

We were faced with a $570,000.00 deficit from the 2014 Board’s miscalculation of the actual cost of the West Pool Deck concrete restoration project.

The soffit on the valet deck had to be replaced. The south wall of the valet deck was too heavy and the weight had to be reduced. The western portion of the garage below was flooded by water when it rained and aluminum pans had been placed by prior Boards to catch the concrete that was falling from the ceiling below the valet deck.

We engaged a landscape architect and an engineer who developed a scope of work for the valet deck. We solicited bids and received 3 bids. We selected CSI, since they were the low bidder and were already on site and ready to commence work.

Only the intervention of a small group of misguided unit owners blocked commencement of the work for 3 1/2 weeks. The job was contracted for at $2.1M, but came in under budget at approx. $1.9M.

When John Y. and Joel C. were recalled on a technicality on July 21, responsibility for the Lobby project and the Air Conditioning project became the responsibility of the current Board. Over five months have passed and the Lobby and Air Conditioning projects remain incomplete.

And to add insult to injury, we do not have surveillance cameras, we have substantial leaking in the eastern part of the garage, the FOB system is not working in many places, we have a dearth of services for the unit owners and we have a Board that operates in secrecy.

You may ask why: Ask Ilya G. and Sophia F. why. I am at a loss to understand why they do not listen to the manager and the regional manager who are trying to guide the current Board and have been met only stiff resistance to progress.

Oh YES, when all the restoration is complete, Aquarius will be the pride and joy of Hollywood Beach again.

Oh YES, Boris Goldberg, Aquarius will survive and be better than it is now. Your written tirade is nothing more than the ramblings of an old man divorced from reality. You have manipulated the facts and written with an absolute disregard for the truth.

“There are three kinds of people…
People that make things happen. People who watch things happen. People who don’t know what’s happening!”     John Madden

 

Let’s join together to be part of the solution in harmony and not part of the problem.

Respectfully

 

Joel Cohen   Units 1401 S and 1208S    oelcohenlaw@gmail.com     954-922-7988

_______________________________________________________

Will Aquarius Survive?

By Boris Goldberg*

1. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

Imagine: The buildings stand like skeletons, stripped off balconies, windows absent. The buildings are surrounded by devastation. Access to the ocean is closed off. This is not a scene from a horror movie. It’s a very realistic glimpse of our future. Not in some symbolic way, but literally. Do you realize that the day after the election, the new president would be enabled to sign the more than 20th amendment to the contract with CSI, which originally covered construction of the upper deck pool. And the company, with consent of our president, will bite into you like a vampire, and will proceed to suck out your blood money. This would have already taken place, were it not for the group of residents—primarily Sofia—had they not made a miracle happen. Working day and night, sending out letters, making phone calls, they gathered the number of votes required to recall John Youssef and Joel Cohen. Alas, today…

2. Cohen is Eager to Return to Power.

A large group of candidates has gathered beneath his banner. And they are supported by an army of vociferous supporters whose decibel level drowns out logic. It seems that only yesterday they were screaming: “Demolish the valet parking area!” Now, they are screaming: “Demolish the balconies!” Cohen’s last year’s project ended up costing us $4 million. Now, we are staring at a $16 million proposal for the new project. And that’s just for starters. But what is the basis for saying that we must urgently start to demolish the balconies? Could it be that it’s more important to fix the plumbing system and the elevators? As for the valet parking area, please note the existence of a letter from an engineer from our engineering company, who wrote that there is no such urgency, and that the cost of structural work should be in the order of $900,000, out of $2.1 million. The rest, he writes, would be classified as…

3. “Architectural Changes and Enhancements”

But the ruling triumvirate of the time—consisting of a chemist, a debt collector and a kindergarten teacher with a black belt in martial arts—determined that they know better. They gave an order to CSI: “Demolish!” They weren’t stopped by the Declaration of Condominium, which states  that “Improvements and alterations costing in excess of $10,000 shall not be made without the approval of 2/3 of the entire voting power of the membership of the Association.” Florida Statute 718.113 (2) (a) requires that “75 percent of the total voting interests. In the interpretation of the Florida Fourth district Court of Appeals, approval is required for any effort “to palpably or perceptively vary or change the form, shape, elements or specifications of a building from its original design or plan or existing condition in such a manner as to appreciatively affect or influence its function, use or appearance.” But Joel Cohen considers himself an absolute monarch, which puts him above the law. To paraphrase Louis XIV, his actions amount to stating:

4. “I am the Condominium.”

Whenever he felt like removing anyone from the meetings of the construction committee, he simply did so. Whenever he felt like lavishing gifts, he did just that. Thus, with a single signature, he released CSI, the general contractor, from responsibility from causing the flooding of our lobby. As you may have guessed, the $350,000 or more so generously shelled out by Cohen didn’t come from his own pocket, but instead came from all of us. In another act of largesse, Cohen signed a contract with the manager, which bound us to pay him $35,000 in the event he is fired for any reason. As any absolute ruler, Cohen is guided by the maxim:

5. “Divide and Conquer:”

He and his supporters perpetuate a propaganda campaign: “Those Russians want things done on the cheap: A patch here a patch there. We need to demolish everything, then build anew.” For starters, not everything needs to be demolished. And second, discrimination based on ethnicity or country of origin is unlawful. Joel Cohen’s supporters are trying to spark enmity between those born in the US and those who have immigrated here, in order to seize power and act counter to interests of both groups. Cohen et al. also divide Aquarius residents based on another principle: their wealth. Those who flaunt their wealth are encouraged—by Cohen—to shout: “You can’t afford to live here? Then get out!” It’s tempting to pose this question differently: “You have too much money? Move to Trump Tower.”

6. Do I need more than others?

Why am I running for a seat on the board? Why do I not lie around on the beach and say, like others, “Let it play out whichever way it does.” I put together a petition to the Governor of Florida, I collected 60 signatures, and what was the result? A bureaucratic  kiss-off. Together with others, I turned to DBPR to lodge a complaint about flagrantly unlawful actions. We were met politely, but were told that this matter lies outside their authority. Besides, what’s done is done; you can’t roll back the clock. If elected, I will stand in the way of future violations of the law. However, if I am alone, or if there are only two of us, we would be rendered powerless. We must form the majority of the board.

7. Ask Yourself: Why?

I am turning to all Aquarius residents, whatever their native language: English, Spanish, Russian, French, Hungarian. I turn to you without regard for your wealth. If you intend to cast a vote in support of Joel Cohen, Linda Satz et al., consider the picture that’s worth 1,000 words. And ask yourself: Why? Why would I vote for those who have partially demolished my building and who swear to complete its demolition? Why would I vote for those intent to push me into debt? Why would I vote for those who will, for many years, force me to live amid the rubble? Why would I vote for those who will devalue my apartment? Why would anyone want to buy any apartment in a nearly demolished building encumbered in massive debt? This is the moment of truth. Aquarius; Will it Survive? The future of Aquarius—and your future—are in your hands. It has been said that every nation gets the government it deserves. Indeed, every condominium deserves the board of directors it has.

  • Boris Goldberg also signs as Boris Fiasinov,     comfortravel@list.ru      PH5S
    754 263 6003

_____________________________

Victor Rocha,  Apt. 1404 N and 502 S   virocha@comcast.net

Well people, it is happening!!

An old fashioned propaganda and scare tactic campaign. Boris Goldberg is making stuff up which is absolutely untrue and he is stating it as though he had evidence to support his positions. He does not. Nothing that he says it’s true. He cannot support any of his statements with any evidence. Are we really going to fall for these scare tactics and this propaganda campaign?

We’ve got to be smarter than that. Please take a moment to reflect upon what I am saying. Boris Goldberg, who does not speak English very well. Nevertheless, its obvious that he had someone assist him in drafting this document full of inaccurate and unsupported allegations.

Please be smarter than what he thinks you are, I know you are smarter than that.

Vic Rocha 1404-N and 502-S.

Posted in Board of Directors, Construction & 50 & 40 Year Recertifications | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Verbally insulted and physically assaulted? Is this justified?

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO LOVEVerbally insulted and physically assaulted?  Is this justified?

 

 

 

Note from the aquariusuno.com blog:

Not long ago the Aquarius previous 2014 Board of Directors decided engage STAR Contracting – the contractor before CSI – to do the concrete restoration on the West Pool Deck in a litigation. STAR sued us for some $76,000 and filed a construction lien.

The 2014 BOD hired a unit owner lawyer to represent the Condo.  His fee was some $28,000.  The Condo had to post a $110,000 cash deposit to clear the lien. The first 2015 BOD of John Y and Joel C. had the Assad law firm take over the case and it was settled for $28,000 at a minimal attorney fee. STARS got its money. Aquarius paid for both: part of STARS invoice and Legal Counsel expenses.

Now the situation seems to be worse. In addition to our inability to treat the people that work with and for us in a professional manner, we now have an allegation of criminal acts such as assault and battery against the current President of the Board of Directors. There are at least four witnesses to this very unnecessary and ridiculous behavior. Are we ready to relive the STARS nightmare not only with civil litigation but with a criminal prosecution on top of that? Can you imagine the damage that this has done to our reputation as a community in Aquarius within the community of Hollywood?

Please read both email messages bellow and try to understand the imbroglio some members of our BOD seem to bring to us.

 

CSI_logo

From: Wally Frigon
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 2:22 PM
To: ‘David Slavin’; ANDY CAICEDO; Javier Hermoza
Cc: William Coleman; Boris Eydelnant; Eugenia Volcheck; Ilya Gonorovsky; Linda Satz; Sofia Feremburg; John Brown; Josh Slater (JSlater@contractingspecialists.com)
Subject: RE: Attached Bumper ‘Solution’

David / BOD,

Please be advised that CSI SE had submitted the bumpers and the attachment prior to execution and they were accepted. As an attempt to resolve the staining the EOR recommended the attached and CSI SE is executing this repair.

Now as of today CSI SE Staff has been verbally insulted and physically assaulted by a member of the Association BOD. We have also been told that we will not receive our outstanding December Payment or any more money from Aquarius Condominiums which is a breach of contract.

I would like to make the following recommendations. Let CSI SE finish our contracted work today, then we can meet on this coming Monday Morning like professionals to discuss the issue of the fastening of the parking bumpers. However, CSI SE will require the release of our outstanding Approved and Certified December Payment prior to any further repairs! If we can perform a reasonable inspection and develop a complete punch list this Monday CSI SE will get this work completed quickly so as not to delay the opening of your new valet entrance.

We have also been unjustifiably threatened that LDs Liquidated Damages will be applied. It is important that everyone involved understand that the original completion date given by CSI SE was January 4th 2016, however, when you add both the bad weather days and the added work days submitted and agreed to on each signed change order the contracted completion date is much later in the year. Despite the added days given by the Association BOD CSI SE was still able to complete all work except for Punch List Work by the original date of January 4th. Therefore, there are no applicable LDs in this situation.

CSI SE is only interested in completing this successful project for our client and leave with them happy and satisfied. So please let me know if this coming Monday Morning January 11th will work for a meeting.

Thanks

Wallace L. Frigon Sr.
Principal
T/ 508.222.2377  •  C/ 617.590.6893  •  F/ 508.222.2580
453 South Main Street / Attleboro, MA 02703       

CONTRACTING SPECIALISTS INCORPORATED
http://www.contractingspecialists.com
BOSTON  •  FORT LAUDERDALE  •  PORTLAND  •  WASHINGTON, DC

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of price has faded.”

Ben Franklin 

Aquarius logoFrom: David Slavin [mailto:dslavin@apmanagement.net]

Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 1:53 PM
To: ANDY CAICEDO; Wally Frigon; Javier Hermoza
Cc: William Coleman; Boris Eydelnant; Eugenia Volcheck; Ilya Gonorovsky; Linda Satz; Sofia Feremburg
Subject: Attached Bumper ‘Solution’

 

Dear Andres & Wally,

The Board wants to inform you that ACG’s  attached solution to the rusting pins or Bolts affixing the parking bumpers is completely unacceptable. The president had ordered that the bumpers be ripped out and replaced with new bumpers that will be affixed correctly. We want no rust on our new bumpers.

David Slavin, LCAM

Property Manager,   Aquarius Condominium Association, Inc.
2751 South Ocean Drive
Hollywood, FL 33019

Office: 954-921-7924   Mobile: 561.414.7343
Fax: 954-921-9768
dslavin@apmanagement.net

.o0o.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Aquarius Central Air Conditioning Contract – not all is clear

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO WATERAquarius Central Air Conditioning Contract – not all is clear

The official site of the Aquarius Condo. Association posts a contract celebrated for the replacement of aging Central Air Conditioning. You can see this contract in the aquariuscondo.net and as an attachment to this post.

The contract was signed by the President of the Aquarius Condo. Ass. and one of its Directors January 7, 2016. The consideration is of less that $ 400.000 (four hundred thousand) and should be completed  in 16 (sixteen) weeks after signature, that is January 7, 2016. After that a fine of $ 500 per day should be imposed excluded the conditions of the contract.

The contract was signed after six months the initial bid had been completed. A & P  have recommended the contract celebration with the firm awarded:  Vmech of Miramar, Florida.

A few owners have expressed a few doubts about this contract. Here a sample of messages that were exchanged:

 

  • Arkady Chase, PH 05N, January 6th, 2016

Bill, [Bill Coleman, Regional Manager, Atlantic Pacific Management, Management firm for Aquarius Condo. Association]

A couple of weeks ago I discussed with you the status of our air conditioning system for the hallways, and even provided you with a report that was presented to our Association in 2010.  The report specified that this system needed to be balanced with other building systems.  Based on prior years experience, the hallway air conditioning system was a subject of seemingly endless repairs.

I believe that I am expressing not only my personal concern but also concern of many other residents who were constantly paying for these repairs, and replacement of compressors.  Although I am not an expert in this field, but by talking to some HVAC specialists, I came to the understanding that the hallway system must be tightly integrated with other HVAC systems in the building.  This is a process that apparently requires high level of skills  and substantial experience.

I overheard that your management recommended signing the contract with a company that apparently is doing work in our lobby, and so far has not completed the work to the satisfaction of the city of Hollywood (the work did not pass either of the two inspections).  What was the selection criteria for this company for this project?  Was it based specifically on the lowest price, or are there some other merits involved?  We will be living with this system for many years, and I, and I suspect other residents as well, would like to make sure that we are getting the highest level of equipment and service for our money.

Respectfully yours,

Arkady G. Chase, PH5N

_______________________________

Cecilio-Augusto Berndsen, January 6th., 2016, 1005 N

Back in July 2015 we had 3 firm proposals from reputable HVAC firms.

At that time we already had the funds and the specifications.

Now, several months later, we are still debating the issue. We came to (1)  custom HVAC system (original competitive bid – RFP)  to   (2)  off the shelf approach and (3) back to custom, the original RFP.

I have two questions:

1) Could we see references of VTECH? Evaluations, Dun Bradstreet reports, jobs evaluation  ratings, credit rates etc would be of great value to assure the Aquarius Owners that we are hiring a company that will delivery the object of the contract on time and within budget.

2) If the original scope for HVAC was incomplete or wrong shouldn’t start a new RFP? Wouldn’t this be only fair, sound and proper?

On the theme of scope. VTECH was not to able detect problems in the duct-work of the Lobby how could they correct the scope of the Central System? The City of Hollywood refused their permit application and refused to close the partial permit more than one time.

Cecilio A. Berndsen, via email mail    ceciliob@gmail.com

________________________________

Pam Ippolito, January 6, 2016.  1104 N

For any of you interested we have an owner running for the Board,  who just happens to be a mechanical contractor that is:  handles AC, HVAC etc, his name is Sal Marmolino,1505N. His info was given to Sophia F. Vice President by Teresa Marmolino.

Did Sophia ever call for his assistance? “NO”.

Sal has his license renewed every year as required, should he be needed. He has a wealth of knowledge that Aquarius could be using, but does it sadly not.

People let’s unite and help with each others abilities. We are a wealth of untapped fortune.

P.S.:  A number of years ago Sal was on the board when an AC job was being done. Sal went to check on it. He found it to be in the process of being done wrong. Sal had it stopped and done over the right way. This was just one of the many examples where we all can bring our expertise into play.

Don’t be jealous of someone because of their knowledge. Let Aquarius benefit! Let Aquarius shine. Smile Don’t frown. Turn that frown upside down. Smile. We live in a paradise.

Pam Ippolito

___________________________________________

BHAGWAN (BUCK) GUPTA         Apt. S 804 Cell: 786-402-4269      bgupta1@yahoo.com          January 10,2016

I want to raise the following questions just for clarification:

Who is the Engineer of record for this project?
Have the plans been reviewed and approved by appropriate Agency ?
Did the Engineer approve an initial deposit of 50 percent of the contract?
Does the deposit represent acquisition of all equipment to complete this job ?
Has the contractor qualified and pulled a permit for his scope of work?
Are we going to have separate contracts for electrical, sheet metal, etc.?
Once the permit has been pulled, a notice of commencement needs to be filed to protect Association’s  interest that stub Contractor’s and suppliers are paid to avoid any lien being filed for non payment by our contractor.I
Who is going to monitor this project ?

Bhagwan  (Buck) Gupta     via email     bgupta1@yahoo.com

 

Bill Coleman offered several justification in two email messages and promised a meeting to better clarify the doubts.

A sinopse of this meeting will be posted. The meeting date has not been established.

Click HERE for the Vmech contract or click here     2016 01 06 Air Vmechac primeconstructioncontract

.o0o.o0o.

Posted in Construction & 50 & 40 Year Recertifications, Contracts, Management Office, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Aquarius Board of Directors Meeting of January 5th. 2016 – Budget

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

Aquarius logoMeeting of the Board of Directors of Aquarius Condominium

 

Date: January 5, 2016

Location:  2751 S. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 3019 at the Multipurpose Room of Aquarius

complete proposal available here  →    2016 BUDGET AND RESERVES

Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting for 2016 Regular Assessment and Reserves Funding.

 

  1. Meeting called to order 7:10 pm.
  2. Proof of Notice of meeting: certified by the BOD Secretary Linda Satz.
  3. Quorum of the Board of Directors certified by BOD Secretary Linda Satz. Present: Ilya Gonorovsky, Linda Satz, Sofia Feremburg, Boris Eydelnant and Eugenia Volcheck. Quorum of owners required by Law to decide on the approval of Reserves not obtained. Proposal to start with the Budget discussion and conduct second quorum verification at later time.
  4. Bill Colleman, Regional Manager of Atlantic Pacific Management, Aquarius Condo. Management firm presented the 2016 budget. The 2016 Budget has the same grand total of the 2015 budget. Regular Assessment (Maintenance quotas) will not change if budget proposal is approved. Budget proposal was prepared with a zero base approach. Some additions on hours of Security Personnel, Pool  Services,  Management fee, improved health insurance and a few merit pay increases on regular staff are possible thanks to some reduction on insurance premiums. Mr. Colleman assures owners that all staff will have their payments maintained or improved under 2016 budget. Some owners express concern about the way the BOD handles personnel matters with frequent layoffs. Mr. Colleman assures the total correctness of A&P handling the legal aspects of the payroll. Owners raised questions regarding costs incurred in 2015 such as fine for the dismissal of the Andrew Surdovel. Mr. Colleman informed that fine would be paid up by A & P Management without onus for the Aquarius.  Elevated legal counsel fees: The President of the BOD informed that the legal fees were already brought into acceptable level and no increases are foreseen.
  5. General aspects presented by Mr. Colleman: He believes this budget without any increase will be able to support the regular maintenance of the building even considering the pressing needs of an aging building. In Mr. Colleman experience well maintained buildings that avoid surprise large special assessments have reserves. He recommends a long range plan where the “life expectancy” of al facilities and installations such as elevators, air conditioning, concrete, other appliances, paint, floors are established and regular replacements and repairs are timely done.
  6. The proposed US $ 4,333,872.80 proposed budget for Reserves, is in Mr. Colleman assessment adequate for the most immediate needs of the building. A more complete evaluation would require specialized personnel to evaluate the needs and preparation of a solid propose a long range master plan.
  7. The Board votes on the Regular Assessment 2016 Budget for maintenance and approves the US $ 2,288,828.03. The motion carried with 4 votes to 1. Linda Satz, former Treasurer and present Board Secretary, votes against the proposed budget in the grounds it is not sufficient to cover the real needs of the Condominium Association. She also pointed out current deficit in the 2015 budget has not been addressed by the BOD.
  8. David Slavin, Resident Manager of the Condo. Association reports that the quorum to consider the funding of Reserves was not met. Colleman informs that the owners have 90 days to reconvene and, if so desired, reject to proposed Reserves. If there is no formal rejection of the reserves they, according to Florida Law, should be imposed.
  9. Meeting adjourned.

 

Minutes recorded and submitted by Linda Satz, Board of Directors Secretary for the Aquarius Condominium Association.

 

.o0o.o0o.o0o.

 

 

 

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An Assessment of Current Projects Undertaken by the Aquarius Condo. Association

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO WATERAn Assessment of Current Projects Undertaken by the Aquarius Condo. Association

by  Bhagwan (Buck) Gupta   with contributions of Victor Rocha. Both are candidates for the Board of 2016.  Their electoral information sheets can be seen by clicking their names. New TABS will open.

Valet Deck

The valet area, driveway, parking areas, soffits, water wall feature, lighting and painting of columns and other exterior surfaces, are all scheduled for final inspection on Monday January 4th. Based on a casual walk-through of that area, it looks like the majority of these items are going to pass the inspection.
I am concerned that the plaster on the soffits was not given enough time to dry out prior to being painted to meet the deadline date for completion of project.The downside to that is if any moisture is trapped underneath the paint, sometime in the future, the paint will start peeling off.

The other concern is that while the valet area is ready for opening, subsequent to passing the inspection, the Lobby area is nowhere close to being completed for several weeks or months for repeatedly failing to comply with inspectors’ comments.

Lobby

Based on the face value of the inspection report, it is clear that there is a total lack of coordination among the sub-contractors responsible for finishing the project in compliance with County Code requirements. The following items demonstrate this pattern:

Obviously the person drawing the plans for the county’s review and approval, failed to specify the areas designated to have firewall protection. If in fact the County Code requires the separation of these areas in case of fire, the configuration for A/C system, including the duct work and any penetrations through the Firewall must be sealed to meet those requirements.

Contractors or subcontractors submitting plans for pulling the appropriate permits should have known The County Code requirements from day one. According to the comments in the inspection report, inspections were not being undertaken by the subcontractors on an ongoing basis to avoid these last-minute surprises at final County inspection. Now, the question is for the Association and the Board to determine the malfeasance and misfeasance on the part of any and all parties involved in this process, while it tries to implement corrective actions and /or redo the work to meet the requirements. Again, who bears the costs associated with these mistakes in terms of time and money? This project clearly reflects too many cooks in the kitchen but no one is responsible for the outcome. Construction projects of this magnitude cannot run without adequate supervision and controls in place.

Elevators

On another note, the inspection certificates posted in all elevators expired in August 2015. If an accident were to occur, the Association and its Board would be held responsible for not addressing safety to life issues.

40 Year Re-certification

Finally, we need to hire an Architectural firm which can coordinate the work of other engineers, i.e., structural, electrical, mechanical, and any other specialty required for the 40 year certification. It is not a question of if we have to meet these requirements, we must meet these requirements or we will be fined excessive amounts on a daily basis until we comply. The board must file a formal plan with the County as to how it plans to meet those requirements.

 

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Five Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before Serving on Your Association’s Board

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO LADYFive Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before Serving on Your Association’s Board

 

By Donna DiMaggio Berger

2015   Posted in Board Eligibility,     Elections     Florida Condo & HOA Law Blog

Before agreeing to serve on your community association’s Board of Directors, please do yourself and everyone else a favor and run through these five questions first.

1. Do I have time to serve on the Board?

Running and being elected to your community’s board of directors can be an exciting experience as it is an affirmation of sorts. However, once the election is over there is that little matter of actually attending meetings and handling the work that may be delegated to directors. In self-managed communities, your successful service on the Board is likely to be even more dependent upon your ability to carry your share of the workload. If you have certain circumstances in your life which would prevent you from being an active and responsible director, you should reconsider your decision to serve.


vote counts2. Can I make unpopular decisions?

Being a community association director should not be a popularity contest. As a director, you will be asked to make decisions which can upset your neighbors. These decisions can range from having to lien and foreclose on the nicest guy in the community as well as passing a costly special assessment to make necessary roof repairs. You cannot play favorites and you should not abstain from casting your vote because you want to be liked. Also, trying to “fly under the radar” by allowing a dominant director or directors to make all the decisions or abdicating control entirely to a manager is a choice that will likely come back to haunt you.

If you cannot bear the thought of making someone unhappy (including yourself), then serving on the Board might not be for you.

 

3. Do I have an ax to grind with anyone?

Do you see serving on the Board as an opportunity to help your community or is it a chance to use the position with a less than noble goal in mind?  While there is nothing wrong with new Board members joining with a goal towards correcting a former board’s mistakes, there should be concern if the battle is a more personal one with a neighbor or vendor. Board service requires a neutral stance where you are making decisions based on the overall good of the membership and not for personal gain.

Be honest with yourself about your intentions for serving on the board because if they aren’t good, you won’t fool anyone for long.

 

4. Am I willing to read and comply with the governing documents?

I have been reading governing documents for two decades and I have yet to come across a set which would qualify as a thriller. When you include amendments passed over many years, some governing documents can be comprised of hundreds of pages of legalese so reading them is not on most people’s “Wish List”. Still, if you agree to serve on your community’s Board, you have an obligation to read those documents. No, you do not have to perfectly understand them-that is what your association attorney is there to explain. You do, however, have to be prepared to comply with them along with everyone else. Also, attending a class each year will not only make you a better director, it might make you happier serving on the board.

5. Do I have skills that would assist the community?

Despite what some owners might think, association directors are not tied to a standard of perfection. These volunteers are human and they will make mistakes. Community association directors are tied to a reasonableness standard so one of the greatest skills you can bring to your Board of Directors is that of being a reasonable person willing to listen with an open mind, eager to seek assistance from experts when an issue is beyond your skill set and mindful of the tone and content you use when communicating with members, fellow directors and vendors.

I served on my HOA Board for a two-year term and during that time we undertook some major community projects, we made a few mistakes and I found myself on the losing end of more than one vote. I applaud everyone who volunteers and serves on a community association board with the right intentions. It is not an easy job but it does give you a different perspective from that point forward!

This material was suggested by Eugenia Volchek. Additional articles on Condominium Association legal aspects may be found by clicking HERE where this paper was originally posted

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Aquarius Lobby was going to be ready by Christmas – it is NOT

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Cecilio Augusto Berndsen

LOGO LOVE

Aquarius Lobby was going to be ready by Christmas – it is NOT

 

Since the BOD of Ilya G., Sofia F., Boris E. and Eugenia V. replaced John Y. and Joel C. in late July 2015, a curtain of secrecy has been drawn across our beloved Aquarius.

We were promised that our Lobby would be completed by Christmas which with the on time completion of the valet deck and stunning water feature would make our dream of a partially restored Aquarius a reality.

But Ilya, Sofia and Boris have repeated the project mismanagement of earlier boards. The trio has made the cardinal error in running a construction project themselves:  they failed to have a general contractor in charge of the entire project, but rather have subjected us to a profusion of conflicting contractors without coordination and without a competent project supervisor, especially since the trio removed Andy Surdovel as manager – the only really good manager we have had in so many years – before the ongoing construction was completed.  Remember the old adage:  never change horses in midstream.

A relatively simple project to restore the lobby (some drywall, a ceiling, ductwork etc.) is stalled by problems with the City of Hollywood, contractors evading responsibility and invoice payments delayed. Contractors do not work if their progress payments are withheld repeatedly.

What have we profited from illusory savings of dividing up tasks among a number of contractors just to have the frustration and increased expense of project mismanagement and repeated delays that very often result in poorer quality.

Now the opening of the Lobby has no date of completion in sight.

Just compare what has happened with the Valet Deck PROJECT that had one contractor CSI and has been completed on time and under budget.

All we are left with is an illusion promulgated by the trio of saving money while our beloved Aquarius further falls into disrepair.

Talking about results: has any one seen the contract for the Central Air Conditioning of the South and North towers?  The plans, RFP with the bids and firm proposals from reputable firms were ready by July 2015. Andy Surdovel and the previous Board worked hard for it.

Where is the contract for Air Conditioning? Where is the time line? What is the price we are going to pay? Are the funds ($375.000) provisioned by the Special Assessment enough? The last known estimate was of about $420.000. This new Board refused to work going after imaginary alternatives to save money.

Money was not saved. Time wasted and the building under the threat of mold and mildew and legionnaire’s disease caused by poor ventilation and insufficient climate control.

Why this “savings” behavior imagines that procrastination results are real saving?

Does anyone value the time we waste in a building with growing problems? Secrecy, hesitation is what we have. It is time to change.

No end on sight!

Bellow a fraction of the dismal PERMIT REPORTS prepared by the City of Hollywood Department of Development Services.  This will result in additional delays. The department includes Building, Community Development, Engineering & Architectural Services, Parking and Planning. Complete details and Building Permits history can be found in the City site at this URL: http://apps.hollywoodfl.org/building/PermitStatus.aspx   or directly Aquarius Condo. Ass. related: http://apps.hollywoodfl.org/building/psInspectionResults.aspx?PermNum=M15-101262

You may register to receive automatic notices of updates from the City of Hollywood, Dept. of Development Services. The updates service is free of charge.

2015 12 29 Hollywood Permit Rep B15-102332

2015 12 29 Hollywood Permit Rep B15-102332A

 

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Posted in Construction & 50 & 40 Year Recertifications, Contracts | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments