Tiara Towers

Still a work in progress.....

As many of you already know there is a Club Room Re-decorating Committee, chaired by Linda Dicker and Jeri Bullock, and the Committee has participation of at least 20 owners at Tiara.      Material for the drapes has been selected by the Committee, with unanimously agreement.      The effort has now turned to furnishing the rooms.      One retail store that the Committee has been working with went so far as to bring into Tiara a sample loveseat and chair, and a new game/party table for everyone's inspection!      Many residents took the time to check out the furniture and give feedback via a Comment box placed in the room.

While the results indicated that most of those commenting like the new approach of combining a sitting area with an area for game/card/dining tables, many comments were received on the practicality of the table option with mixed reviews.    As a result the Committee is continuing its search.    Your feedback, as always, is appreciated.

As a matter of fact, if you go out looking and find what you think would be a wonderful addition for our Club Room, by all means, please take pictures, get sizes and estimates, and provide that information to the Committee.   There is money in the Furniture Reserves of Tiara's budget but it is limited, so keep that in mind as you look.   Send any and all ideas to Linda Dicker (801 N) or Jeri Bullock (1505 S).    We're waiting to hear from you.

For the past several years the Golf enthusiasts at Tiara have hosted a Sports Weekend.     It started as a day  (or two?) of Golf  competition followed by an awards banquet.     Over time it grew to include a Tennis tournament, Bocce Ball on the beach, and as well as Poker and Bridge games.        The games extended over a full weekend in late March, Saturday through Monday with the banquet on Monday evening open to anyone from Tiara who wished to attend.    Everyone who participated had a great time.

This year, so far, interest in a 2019 Sports Weekend seems to be lagging.   Or maybe you just haven't seen the sign-up sheet in the mailrooms, asking for you to indicate that you'd like to have the Weekend again this year.    Nello Zuech (1403 S) has agreed to organize the Sports Weekend but he really needs to know if there are sufficient interested players.

The proposed timeframe is March 24th for a Golf tournament at Fairwinds followed by a banquet, also at Fairwinds.    As many as 30 - 40 players can be accommodated but so far the signups are significantly less.      If you'd like to participate in a Sports Weekend, please visit the mailroom and sign up, or contact Nello at (772-801-5148) or by email (vsii@aol.com).

Everyone is welcome to participate - owners, residents, renters, guests, friends!     And all skill levels are welcome.

Watch the SuperBowl with your friends and neighbors.

Everyone's invited to Tiara's Super Bowl party, Sunday, Feb 3rd, in the South Party room at 6 pm.    Soups, chili, breads, beer, wine, coffee and dessert will be provided.    Sign up in the mailroom and pay $10 / person at the door.    

We're celebrating Valentine's Day early, on Tuesday February 12th

You're invited to join us for dinner at the Inn Restaurant at Ocean Village on South Hutchinson Island, on Feb. 12th, at 6 pm.      All owners, residents, renters, and guests are welcome.    You'll order off the menu and receive individual checks.    Sign-up sheets will be posted by Monday Feb 4th.    No pre-payment required, just sign-up in the mailroom by February 8th so that we get an accurate count for the restaurant.      If you would prefer not to drive contact Virginia Chartrand (505 S) to arrange a ride with other party attendees.

The first 2019 Member Meeting of the North Beach Association was held January 14th at Ocean Harbour North.    The highlights of the meeting were the introduction of the newest St Lucie County Commissioner Sean Mitchell, the election of officers and directors for the North Beach Association, and the discussion of an upcoming Beach Clean-up Day sponsored by the North Beach Association.

Commissioner Mitchell gave a brief bio and stressed that he will be focused on economic measures to promote growth within St Lucie County.

The Directors, representatives from each Condo Association/HOA on the island, were approved by the members.   New Officers for the NBA were nominated and approved for 2019.  They are:

Hector Rodriguez, of Seabreeze - President

Craig Mundt, of Seaward - Vice-President

Jean Downing, of Ocean Harbour North - Vice-President

Peter Bullock, of Tiara - Treasurer and Membership Officer

Jeri Bullock, of Tiara - Secretary

The NBA is sponsoring a Beach Clean-up Day on February 15th.   Volunteers from all Associations are invited and anyone at Tiara can volunteer by signing up in the mailrooms.    Volunteers will be assigned in groups to walk a short section of the beach, picking up debris for proper disposal.  Following the Clean-up Walk the NBA will host a Breakfast for all volunteers, to be held at Ocean Harbour North.

 North Beach Association

LOVE YOUR BEACH CLEAN-UP PROJECT

(From Avalon Beach to the State Park)

Date: February 15

Time: 8:30 am

CELEBRATE WITH BRUNCH AND MIMOSAS (Following Clean-Up)

Details:
Gathering Place: Ocean Harbour North Marina Clubhouse (Please car-pool if possible, parking is limited)

All supplies will be provided including gloves and bags

Groups will be bussed to their locations and picked up after the clean-up

Each group will cover a half mile stretch of beach.

Bring a friend, invite a neighbor, sign up in the mailroom at Tiara.   For more information contact Jeri Bullock, 1505 S, 510-914-0257.

The first Tiara Board meeting of 2019 was held January 29 in the South Club room.   Board President Bill Dicker prepared this summary.

Tiara Towers Condominium Association, Inc.

                            Board Meeting – January 29, 2019 – President’s Summary

    The meeting started with various committee reports.  The report of most interest involved the work of the decorating committee and the club room re-purposing committee which detailed work on the new drapes and the possible purchase of new furniture for the club rooms.  Examples of the furniture have been delivered to the club room for owner review and inspection (pictures to follow).

Old Business involved the completion of three projects: the pipe cleaning project ($72,689.00), the Cooling Tower HVAC valve project ($12,500.00), and the repair of the north building entrance gate ($1,200.00). The maintenance committee is obtaining estimates on the modernization of our parking lot lighting which will involve deactivated poles, cut poles and the install of new LED lighting to improve illumination where needed with reduced electrical and maintenance costs.

New business involved the following:

1. The purchase and install of new controllers for the chemical treatment of water in the HVAC system.
2. The inspection of all hurricane shutters to determine hurricane readiness. The inspection company will also lubricate the shutters of interested owners at $40 for interior units and $50 for end units.
3. New building and entrance codes (You will receive notification by email)
4. The purchase of 2% deductible hurricane insurance vs. the prior 3%.
5. Switching to a new vendor for phone service saving the association almost $10,000 over the next three years.
6. The levy of a one time assessment of $1,475.00 due with the next quarterly assessment payment to pay for the pipe cleaning project and the balance of the painting project not fully covered by reserves. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE READ MY ASSESSMENT REPORT INCLUDED IN THIS EMAILING
7. The approval of the paint contract with Twin Palms Painting and Waterproofing company ($510.193.90 minus reserves of $366,712.00) FOR ADDITIONAL INFO PLEASE READ THE ASSESSMENT REPORT MENTIONED ABOVE.
8. Amendment of the Architectural Review Documents to include the necessity of acquiring a St. Lucie permit for all hot water heater replacements as well as tankless water heater installs.

 

Respectfully submitted by

Bill Dicker – Association President

The Assessment Report, which has been published in the elevators and the mailrooms for the past week, is included for your review.

                     Assessment Report - Need for a Special Assessment

As part of business on Tuesday, the Board will vote on the upcoming assessment to cover the costs of the pipe cleaning project and the painting project ( $72,689.00 + $510,193.90 = $582,882.00)

With respect to the reserves keep in mind that there are no reserve monies for the pipe cleaning project because they were cleaned 7-8 years ago (but not cleaned as they should have been). Thus, no monies were put into the plumbing reserve for pipe cleaning. This has been mentioned and explained to the community in various formats for almost a year.

For the paint project, which was scheduled for 2018 but delayed until 2019, reserves ($366,712.00) have accumulated from the time of the last painting.  Estimates for this paint project were obtained over the last year from four companies - two of which were interviewed before one was hired.

The paint project is very comprehensive (4-5 months of work as the project takes place simultaneously on both north and south properties).   Catwalks and exterior walls of the two buildings, garageports, and garages will be painted – including the garage and garageport doors. All metal railings (buildings and pools) will be painted. All exterior window and slider frames will be painted.  The pool walls and entrance porticos, trellis, & gazebos will also be painted in both properties.  The cost of the paint project includes a 6% contingency to cover any structural or surface problems that may be discovered.  The necessity of an assessment for this project has also been frequently discussed as well as the fact that reserves only accumulate to 75% of expected costs – which is a decision association members (not the Board) make every year when they vote on reserve funding at the annual meeting.

No one likes assessments but there are times when they are necessary.  In the history of Tiara there have only been two assessments - one for the hurricane and one for the spas.

In consultation with our property manager and Elliott Merrill’s business office regarding the funding of the two projects vs. the nature of our overall financial picture, we have been advised that a one payment assessment ($1475), to be paid with the next quarterly assessment, is the best way to go if we are to maintain a stable balance sheet = paying our bills, paying for the pipe cleaning project, and making the periodic payments that are a part of the painting project.

 

Tiara Board

The Tiara Board is publishing an agenda for items to be addressed during 2019.

         Tiara Towers Condominium Association

Board Agenda for 2019

 

Paint buildings and garageports

Continue modernization program for Cooling tower/HVAC infrastructure

Continue to monitor elevator performance and planning for elevator modernization

Complete parking lot lighting project

Continue transition to LED lighting

Complete final phase of lobby decorating

Implement Club room utilization improvement plan

Secure estimates for transitioning pools and spas to salt (pools) and salt or bromine (spas) in 2020.

Begin planning for next step in providing bulk tv service vs. ending the service leaving owners to go their own way.

Continue to evaluate our rules and our security- garageports, pets, parking, cameras.

Investigate possible solar applications to reduce electric service costs

Continue maintenance programs with respect to shutters, hot water heaters, toilet flappers, AC condensation lines, landscape, etc.

Roof/parapet repairs.

Board President Bill Dicker has published a summary of the 2018 Annual Owners Meeting.

Tiara Towers Condominium Association, Inc.

     President’s Report – Annual Meeting – December 12, 2018 – North Building Clubroom

 

The annual meeting took place yesterday (December 12, 2018) when a healthy quorum was established.  The two major issues were put to a vote.  A majority of voting owners decided to remain with partial funding of the reserves as opposed to 100% funding. Three directors were elected to the Board: Ed Galvin, Bob Alexander, and Bob Fairclough.  The Board selected its officers for 2019:  Bill Dicker as President, Ed Galvin as Vice President, Alan Winslow as Treasurer, and Doug Chartrand as Secretary.  Recognition was given to departing Board members: Jeri Bullock and Bob Liepa.

While votes were being tabulated, committee reports were made regarding activities in 2018 and planned activities for 2019.  Significant projects were discussed: the nearly completed stack cleaning project, the upcoming painting of the buildings, garageports, and garage and garageport doors, and the modification of parking lot lighting.

 

Respectfully submitted by,

Bill Dicker

Update on the Stack Cleaning, posted by Board President Bill Dicker

As you all are well aware the stack cleaning project is nearly complete.  The up side is that the cleaning has been relatively trouble free and our clogged pipes are now clear of unwanted material AND should remain so for some years to come.  In the process of carrying out the cleaning we have learned a lot about our pipes and their locations.  We have also been able to fix some plumbing problems that we never knew about because they were hidden behind walls.

 

The downside of the project is that we had to enter 11 units and open the walls & in some cases disconnecting vanities to acquire access to the stacks.  As you know state condo law and  our documents require the Association to restore sheetrock and process it to a paintable condition.  The Association is not obligated to add texture or paint or to replace any other surface material (tile, wallpaper, wall paintings, etc.).

 

Thinking that this stack cleaning project is a special project, the Board thought there might be an exception to the law or in our documents.  We therefore consulted our attorney requesting an opinion on this matter of Association responsibility and received an answer late yesterday.

 

The attorney reported that this project is not an exception. Therefore, state law and our documents remain in effect.  In all cases where the Association has to open walls because of emergencies or other problems the Association will continue to fund those repairs that are an Association responsibility and will re-install sheetrock and process it to paintable condition.  It is the unit owners responsibility to do anything else they may feel necessary: texture,paint, etc.

Greetings to all Tiara owners. Our annual meeting is scheduled for December 12, 2018, at 10 a.m. in the North Club room.  This is a very important meeting as there are three vacancies to fill on the Board and four candidates.  This meeting is also an opportunity for all owners to vote on how the reserves are funded which has a direct effect not only on the amount of your quarterly assessment but also on how much money we put into our reserves.

Historically, owners have voted for partial funding of the reserves rather than replacement cost of the items that are covered by the reserves.   For, example the money we have put aside for painting the property is funded at 75% of the actual cost which means that there are frequently shortfalls between the cost of a project and the amount of money we have accumulated in the reserves when the time comes to actually carry out the project.

If you know that you will not attend the meeting or may not attend the meeting, it is important that you complete a proxy and a ballot and mail those documents to Elliott Merrill or a Board member as soon as time permits.

Our operations are challenged if we cannot hold the vote because we do not reach the necessary quorum. Please help the Board and your neighbors by either attending the meeting in person or submitting your ballots and proxies.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation and support.

Tiara Board of Directors

Board President Bill Dicker reports on the meeting held November 30th.

 

                                  Tiara Towers Condominium Association

                                   December 2, 2018

                             President’s Report – Board Meeting – November 30, 2018

 

The meeting was scheduled primarily to complete discussions on the budget for 2019.  The discussion focused on adjusting various line items (previously considered) to reduce those  amounts suggested by the management company.  Discussion also centered on the reserve schedule to make sure that various reserve accounts are properly funded.  Time was also  devoted to the assessment which will cover the stack cleaning and the painting of the buildings, garageports, and garage and garageport doors.   This assessment amount has not been determined as yet or the timing.  There was also discussion of the state of our elevators and the methods that will be employed to finance the expenditure of at least 1.2 million dollars to modernize them in the next few years.  The new Board will deal with the financing involved.

Motions were passed to replace valves on the roofs of both buildings which control the flow of water for cooling and heating (as part of our on-going modernization of that system); to repair the front entrance gate to the north building; and to temporarily suspend the rule that prevents exterior holiday lights on owner balconies (as an experiment).

A new committee has been created to address the use of the club rooms.  Many owners have complained that the space is not being utilized properly and resembles an empty restaurant most of the time.

Additional members to the fining committee have been appointed as two members are either candidates for the Board or a spouse of a candidate.

The meeting closed with a discussion of the maintenance committee’s proposal to remove and/or downsize many of the high parking lot light poles.  Many of these poles either don’t work or do not put out a proper amount of light because in some circumstances the poles and lights are surrounded by palm trees that deflect or block the light.  This will involve replacing the old school expensive bulbs with new LED bulbs which throw more light and use less electricity.

Respectfully submitted by

Bill Dicker