It’s been quite a peaceful past several weeks. The Board of Directors is on hiatus. We’re taking July off and probably won’t meet again until August 19, unless something urgent comes up. But some of you have been asking me for an update about the clubhouse roof, so for those who have not had a chance to check out the video of our last meeting on June 10, which I posted several weeks ago, here’s a recap…
We approved a $117,000 contract with Todd Knapp Inc. to install a Durolast roof, for which we will receive an $8,000 FPL rebate. We didn’t really have much of a choice, because as I previously reported, Citizens Property Insurance is refusing to reinstate the clubhouse's canceled wind insurance coverage until a new roof is in place. The new Durolast system will cover the entire flat roof area, but we saved about $65,000 by going with the contractor’s recommended option of removing only the damaged parts of the old roof instead of the whole thing. The new roof will come with a 20-year warranty. While working on the roof, Todd Knapp Inc. also will install an $18,900 new air conditioning system to replace the current failing system. Work on the new roof is expected to begin by around the end of next week and take about three weeks to complete.
At the same meeting, the Board approved a $30,000 tree-trimming contract with National Property Services, arguing that it will reduce the risk of property damage from trees during a hurricane. I voted against the contract because I never got an explanation as to why it’s costing nearly twice the $15,750 we paid Lawn Logic to perform comprehensive community-wide tree-trimming in 2010.
The Board also OK’d a $3,925 contract with Atlantic Southern Paving to install four speed humps at strategic locations around the Village as a pilot project to test their effectiveness. Although I was glad we shot down a much costlier plan to install 24 speed bumps at a cost of $14,500, I voted against the final contract because I think we should be saving as much money as possible for more critical projects, since by my calculations our special assessment fund will soon be down to only about $250,000 after accounting for the aforementioned projects plus the recently completed $10,350 clubhouse termite-tenting.
Finally, we put off discussion of an $11,000 plan to reinforce a delaminating portion of the Grenoble building’s brick façade while we explore other alternatives including removing the affected section and applying a paint-like material to the underlying wall to match the look of the façade.
In other news, the Association will host a meeting this Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. in the clubhouse to discuss the possibility of creating a play area to address the needs of the community’s growing number of families with children. All residents, whether owners or tenants, are invited to attend or send an email to admin@internvillage.com to share their ideas about what type of recreational facilities should be installed and where. Among the ideas currently under discussion is converting one of our underutilized tennis courts into a basketball court. Funding options under consideration include asking our current owner-investors to pay for the changes, since the tenants they collect rent from make up the majority of the Village's families with children.
Why are there so many children at International Village? Most of the units are one bedroom. The covenants specify that the maximum residency of a one bedroom apartment is two people.
ReplyDeleteA previous management company told me that it is two people and a child. I check with County authorities; there is no such entitlement. Our covenants hold: residency is two people, be it a mother-and-child, two roommates, or a couple.
There have been at least three units on the third floor of Orleans that were over-occupied. One contained a family of four, and the other so many related people that I was never quite sure of the number. All these situations have been resolved -- for the time being as two of the units are empty.
Over-occupancy has also contributed to the water use problems. A family that cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment may well be washing diapers and clothing in the sink, rather than paying for a washing machine.
I do not wish to live near a playground with screaming children. I do not wish to pay for playground for renters' children.
I do not like that the covenants were altered to allow more rentals, which is a step down for any condo community.