November 18, 2019
Greetings –
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bel Mare’s Annual Meeting and Election of Directors will be held on December 9th at 5:30 in the Building 1 Social Room. Immediately after that will be the Organizational Meeting of the Board, at which Board officers will be selected by the newly-elected Board members. Right after that, the first meeting of the new Board of Directors will be held. The First Notice of the Annual Meeting has already been officially posted in the mail areas and elevators. The Second Notice will be posted and ballots mailed shortly, as well.
What follows below is an update on management, administrative, and maintenance activities from the past few weeks.
Best,
Valerie Biebuyck
Bel Mare Board President
Management and Administrative Work Completed by Toni and Marie
“New Resident Information” documents and forms reviewed and updated for placement on the website
Meetings with KVMDS Consulting, Valerie Biebuyck, Michelle Bencini to work on new Bel Mare website, which was launched on October 1st
Security footage reviewed to determine source of several infractions of rules and expectations of common courtesy. The residents responsible were notified and reminders sent to all.
Toni met with Patti Brown to coordinate plans for upcoming holiday decorating (which Patti oversaw this past weekend)
Toni met with realtors to review protocol for showing units and property
Toni attended a Castle training session for management of residential towers with an emphasis on fire prevention, annual elevator inspections, and waterproofing
Toni and Marie have been double-checking and updating owner mailing addresses provided by Condominium Associates.
With Marie’s support, Toni has been overseeing transition of financial services from Condominium Associates to Castle Group effective as of December 1st.
Toni has been updating the contracts book in light of termination of several vendors that had provided inadequate or untrustworthy service to Bel Mare.
Marie followed up with Frontier Communications after Peter determined that lines to Fitness Center fire alarm phones had been severed, perhaps inadvertently by contractors. Marie trying to get a credit for payments made while phone lines were inactive.
Marie spoke with Frontier Communications about updating our phone service, which will be implemented and result in anticipated monthly savings of $400
Marie obtained a partial credit of $484 in connection with a service call by ThyssenKrupp for elevator work.
Management discovered that ThyssenKrupp had not been servicing our elevators regularly in accordance with Bel Mare’s contract with them; accordingly, Marie successfully obtained a credit from them in the amount of $3834.
Marie has been posting all meetings and events on the new website calendar
As always, Toni keeps close tabs on and oversight of staff and vendor work and activity.
Maintenance Supervision and Work Completed by Peter
Tennis courts have been resurfaced and lines for pickle ball added
Building 2 pool and spa have been resurfaced in time for Thanksgiving visitors; repairs took longer than expected because damage to surface was more extensive than anticipated.
Sidewalks leading to Fitness Center and tennis courts powerwashed
Exterior stairs leading from Amenity level to ground floor powerwashed
Semi-annual servicing of air-conditioning equipment conducted. While the vendor was onsite, Peter inspected their work and noticed that they had replaced freon unnecessarily. Peter challenged them about this and successfully compelled them to rescind what they had intended to charge us for this. (Peter said, “Do you want me to call the Palmetto police and tell them you stole our freon, or will you just take that off our bill?” They elected to take it off the bill.)
For several months, Peter has been troubleshooting chronic problems that the Building 1 fire panel has had for at least three years. Finally isolated the problem and has undertaken necessary steps to correct it, including replacement.
Fitness Center fire panel replaced, along with smoke detectors in the two a/c closets that were interfering with operation of the panel.
Burned-out garage lights regularly replaced
Building 1 pool fill valve repaired to prevent overflowing
Peter has ensusred that routine maintenance on Fitness Center equipment is conducted
Building 2 domestic water booster pump parameters were compromised; Peter reprogrammed it and pump has been replaced.
One of the unit entryways had damaged drywall, which Peter repaired
Damaged exterior GFI outlet on north side of Building 1 repaired.
All 65 first floor exterior service doors have been painted.
Rusted hinges on exterior service doors replaced with stainless steel hinges.
Amenities deck floor drain arteries in pump room were clogged; Peter cleaned them with an augur and they are now working properly.
Trash chutes in both buildings cleaned.
Service elevators in both buildings stripped and new coat of wax applied.
Irrigation pump that serviced plantings on the amenities decks failed. Peter determined they had never been serviced after installation in 2007. Board approved emergency replacement. Plantings were hand-watered until pump could be replaced.
Peter came to Bel Mare after-hours on a recent weekend to assess the source of a chronic leak suspected to be caused by wind-driven rain. Because Peter investigated it during an active leak, he was able to determine the source and have the repair completed under warranty. Other minor repairs made to wall cap completed at same time.
Replacement of last set of delaminated windows completed
Two annunciators in Guardhouse were malfunctioning and have been repaired
Toilets seats replaced in all four Guest Suites
Wasp nests treated by Naturzone exterminators
Millepedes have been treated several times by landscapers and Naturzone exterminators
Ground prepared and fall annuals planted in front of fountains at both buildings
Peter met with the Maintenance Committee on November 8th to provide updates on work completed and in progress, and to update the Maintenance Priority List.
Eric and Patti Brown donated a flagpole and American flag for installation at the tennis courts with help from Peter, who also dug up lights that had been grown over with grass. Repaired so that the flag would be properly lit at night.
