Hello and Warm Winter Wishes,
For those of you who are here in residence you have seen that we have been extremely busy with the day-to-day operations as well as completing and initiating several projects. My goal as your President, along with those Board of Directors who are cooperating with our goal, is to ensure the operational needs are met and completed in the most efficient, both timely and financially, manner possible. The following should assist with keeping you up-to-date as disproving any lies or rumors being told. If you are hearing anything on the contrary to my updates, I encourage you and beg of you to contact us directly to discuss before believing the falsehoods. This is a lengthy update, as we have been extremely busy the past few weeks! Due to months of neglect on several items, I fully expect our To Do list to be long for quite some time; please be patient as we plan to inform each of you on the ongoing progress of our home.
We welcomed our new Property Manager Ryan, with SENTRY Management with open arms on December 1. In a little over a week he was able to begin the enormous task of working hard to get our affairs in order. Multiple projects have been ongoing, others neglected for months and others that he brings a fresh lens to assist us as Board of Directors with seeing and ensuring we are following the statutes and what is in the best interest of all of you, owners. Working through our Property Manager, Bernie Swenson, Dave Aull and I have allowed him and staff to work diligently on the following projects:
• Phase One - Units ending in 15 work continues to progress with significant repair work needed and with that comes significant costs. Yes, we are over budget for Phase One due to these repairs. We continue to monitor along with our engineer hired for this scope of work, Charles Adams, to ensure the work is being done as required. We have also learned major items were never in the scope of work for the contractor hired earlier this year and are working to determine costs associated prior to work starting (i.e. items not included in current contract: partitions between balconies, the brick wall on roadside of the building, wall by shuffleboard court that had a portion removed during initiation of construction) Due to the fact that other items we were previously told were FREE were not (pool pump room and shuffleboard court/garage ceiling repairs costing us $34,400 total), we are working to get out in front of costs that were not included in the contract to ensure we have an accurate budget and plan for payment in place based on the scope of work necessary.
• Garage: Our walls have been painted a bright white (waterproofing/sealing paint), along with the parking lot lines and space numbers! There is area of one wall that continues to leak when it rains and we are investigating options for repair. Our maintenance projects continue to include painting to bring our common areas back to the beautiful place we deserve. In the coming weeks and months you will continue to see progress.
• Our maintenance and custodial supplies have been previously been unaccounted for. Our staff has now taken the time necessary to complete inventory as required. We have found this will allow for significant cost savings as a result of this task. Example, why buy another light bulb or filter when we have 50+ each in inventory; we will not automatically run to the store to purchase items without first knowing our inventory record and where each item has been used.
• With the assistance of Peter Stavros and Charlie Blake we continue to work on the project of ensuring every pipe and turn-off valve in our building and on our roof being properly labeled and visible by purchasing very clear, reflective signage. This is not an easy task and we appreciate the additional hands to assist with inventorying and determining the appropriate signage. This also brings us towards providing a safe workplace as required.
• In addition, we have had many safety concerns in regards to the south entrance not being safe due to lack of one-way traffic. This is a one-way entrance, the appropriate stanchions are now in place and a large one-way sign has been ordered to be installed next week.
• Our Property Manager will continue to take us on the journey of finding significant cost savings – previously most items were purchased at retail. We have found multiple items that we have the ability as a business to purchase wholesale (i.e. through Amazon business pricing/Corporate Business pricing for various vendors); and if that is not an option, we have hunted to find the cost savings direct to consumer.
Examples:
o Previously smoke detectors for use in the building were being purchased at the cost of $100 each. On day three, Ryan was able to find us the same product for $48 each total. This is significant cost savings considering the potential to replace several of these per month in units and common areas.
o OfficeDepot – utilizing cost savings measures and business pricing and business rebates. Instead of paying full retail price for the cost of paper @ $75. We were able to purchase paper for $12 and to stock up with these sales simply by taking the time to review appropriate business sales and rebates.
• We had one small printer and fax machine in the office that was in need of being replaced due to wear. In addition, we have a large all-in-one machine that we are currently under contract with which includes the cost of ink and servicing. Instead of buying new machines, we were able to pay a nominal one-time service fee for an IT specialist to come and review our options. I’d also like to thank Shirley Ellsworth for giving of her time to assist with set up. As a result, all computers (4) in the office can now print to the same large machine in addition it is also our fax machine. This is a long term cost savings for replacement costs as well as individual ink cartridges for multiple machines are no longer needed.
• We will continue to purchase as many items as we can taking advantage of business to business pricing, seeking out savings based on needs and minimize buying items required for our operation @ the full cost of retail unless we absolutely have to.
• Our entry doors were neglected for many months and immediately Ryan has been able to work on getting bids through SENTRY’s list of approved vendors to create a plan as a BOD to make these repairs and/or replacements necessary. As part of this scope of work, the entry door to our pool pump room is also being addressed. Our pool pump room meets code and once we install the required fan and secure this door no further work has been deemed necessary by any contractor or service provider.
• The boiler has been serviced for winter months as required. In addition, the cooling tower was also serviced (to remove signs of algae growth and clean since it had been neglected for an extended period of time)
• The lower lobby DBOT office continues to leak during heavy rain storms. We had another flooding of the office and quickly mitigated any damages by drying it out immediately. R&J Coatings has now caulked those windows properly in attempt to waterproof our “wall of windows”; in addition, Ryan is looking into the sump pumps/drains on our property to ensure they are 1. Serviced when necessary 2. The appropriate equipment for each location
• Roof – Within a couple of days, Ryan was able to get R&R Industries out on property to provide the necessary repairs to our roof, as I had previously been told the company would not return our phone calls from the office. We are also working towards a plan for those units who incurred water damage from the roof leaks due to lack of repair post Hurricane Irma.
o Roof Fans – Ryan is working on a plan to repair the (bathroom) fans that our staff can complete on their own and will use a contractor to complete any repairs above our own in-house capability. In addition, he is obtaining bids for the replacement of kitchen fans, which were removed from our roof I’m being told quite a few years ago. Currently, there is no way to vent your kitchen without opening your sliding glass door (direct correlation with smoke detectors sensing smoke/fire over burned toast). We will continue to investigate the repairs necessary.
• Elevator – We have received the first check from the carrier for elevator repairs due to Hurricane Matthew, and expect in total close to 100K. Our property manager will ensure the funds received are used based on the repairs submitted, nothing less. We will not allow funds for a major project surrounding safety to go elsewhere. Each dollar amount is allocated based on the bids received for necessary repairs as agreed upon with our carrier.
• Financials: The reality is the transition from our accountant to SENTRY has not been the best and our financial records have been proven to be confusing at best. Our accountant through November 30, 2017 has been non-cooperative during the transition to SENTRY. We have incurred minimal legal bills to request her to comply with the statutes, as she became non-responsive to our written requests and phone calls. This delay blocked SENTRY from setting up our accounts with them quickly as well as an attempt to block our employees from receiving their final paycheck from us as the association. We will continue to ensure the appropriate records are turned over to our care, custody and control; as our records were taken often weekly to the accountant. As a result of this, during the transition, please do not be surprised if you are requested to furnish copies of your own cleared checks as proof of payment as we are finding that we continued to have a year where checks were received this year in the office, deposited and not accounted for on the individual statement. This is no fault of SENTRY only our own Associations lack of organization in the year prior. I am working with them to provide any and all records that we have to the best of our ability. The trouble is we cannot recreate records that simply do not exist in the office. If we are unable to find these records, we will be asking you as the owners to assist us to ensure our records are accurate. We by no means wish to extend costs due to a previous lack of organization or missing records, on to you the homeowner. We will do everything in our power to use your records as necessary to ensure we are accurate in our reporting. This may be a first for the Association in a long time, and I have all of the confidence in the professionalism of SENTRY to accomplish this efficiently and timely. Please be patient, it is in our best interest.
• Our Property Manager also met with Brown & Brown insurance to review current claims and our Hurricane Matthew claim. The work to be done from the Hurricane Matthew claim is significant. We continue to find records, receipts and proof of payments to send in an effort to obtain recoverable depreciation. Truth is, this process was ignored since January and the carrier is being extremely patient as we continue to review and determine next steps. This does mean additional projects will need to be reviewed by the Board and decisions will need to be made to ensure we receive every penny due to us from this claim. I have full confidence in our Property Manager to see these items through to the end and ensure the BOD is notified and in compliance.
• HydraDry/Insurance claim – as indicated in the previous Towers Journal, we are pending final review for our insurance claim portion of the bill for HydraDry. As it is standard procedure when filing a claim, the carrier must review coverable costs associated and determine funds due to us as a result of the damage. We have paid HydraDry $34K of what was only a verbal agreement @ the time of service of $60K in total. HydraDry understands this is the current payments to be received until the insurance determines the remainder of the bill to either come from the carrier directly or from our Association funds.
• Clubhouse: Along with common areas, the holiday decorations are abundant and beautiful for your enjoyment! In addition, new chairs & updates to furniture have been ordered for the Clubhouse as this has been a major safety concern for many months. We are patiently awaiting their arrival!
• Laundry -- It was determined that the keys to our laundry machines were not accounted for previously and multiple keys were missing. Due to this, we have changed out the locks for the laundry machines in an effort to secure our funds. As a direct result of this project, our income continues to increase significantly, total for two months: $6412.00 October: $3419.50 November: $2992.50
In addition, bids are being received to move forward with replacing the old machines on several floors as we continue to see machines out of order. Due to constant complaints and break downs with the machines purchased this summer, we are obtaining bids for the correct type of machine for our use and again, will not be purchasing @ retail pricing.
Security
As previously reported, we have been experiencing increased vandalism to our property. In recent weeks the vandalism has minimized and the repairs have been completed if not, in progress. Example: Vandalism to the metal railing along the steps to the beach from our pool deck – this railing has now been replaced as a vandal sawed this off in the dark of night. However, I must address one very important topic: If you See Something, Say Something. If someone before you has propped a door open, please take the time to secure our building and close the door behind you. If residents are locked out of our building do not let them in unless you personally know them or are willing to confirm identity and residency using ID. We recently had two individuals trespassed from our property, these individuals were simply “let in” on multiple occasions, not to anyone’s fault or bad intention, and did not belong or reside here. In an effort to avoid further damage to a unit and safety of our residents, we acted swiftly with law enforcement and owner to have these individuals removed. We must not take our own individual safety and the safety of our residents for granted. This is your home, our home and we must not make assumptions. With that said, please have a plan in place if you lock yourself out of the building. Have neighbors available to you via cell phone who may be willing to assist you if needed. Think Safely and Think Smart.
UPCOMING EVENT: Board Member Education Certification Class has been booked for January 13, 2018. This class will provide all elected board members and any owners who desire to attend, the opportunity to complete a division approved educational curriculum for condominium association business. Topics covered will include Community Operations, Budgets & Reserves, Records Access, and Bids and Contracts. More information to be posted.
I am personally thankful to have owners and members of the BOD step up to assist with various projects, with no other interest in mind except to serve for the betterment of our building. While some have refused to work with us and continue to work against us, we will continue to move forward. We will continue to address what is necessary and what is needed. In such a short period of time, we have a tremendous increase in productivity and positive business results. We will continue to complete work as our Property Manager guides us as well as depend on the expertise of experts for said projects. We will continue to operate as a business and as a result I fully expect the savings to be passed on to each of us homeowners.
I am wishing you and yours the very best at this special time of year of merriment and wonder! Our halls are decked with Christmas Cheer and we are wishing you all the Hope, Wonder, and Happiness that the Season can bring!
Christina Honeycutt
DBOT President
______________________________________________________
Dear Owners;
In answer to the many inquiries regarding the outcome of the railings I would like to inform the owners the Towers will continue to have the concrete balustrades. The vote for the aluminum railings fail just a few votes short of passing the percentage of votes required by the Association bylaws. I would like to thank everyone who voted and was part of the process. We love to see the owners taking an active role in the decision making. There were very few owners who voted against the railings, but we had owners who did not get their vote in and unfortunately our bylaws require 75 percent of all owners and we fail just short of that goal.
Charles Mohler, President
Daytona Beach Ocean Towers
386-677-1492 Office
386-677-4093 Fax
daytonabeachoceantowers.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
THE DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, in accordance with the Bylaws Of the Daytona Beach Ocean Towers Association and Florida’s Condominium Act that a meeting will be held at the following date, time and place:
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Daytona Beach Ocean Towers Clubhouse
2800 N. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL. 32118
AGENDA
1) Roll Call
2) Approval of minutes
3) Acceptance of the resignation of Michael DeHaven
4) Appointment of a new Board Member
5) Treasurers Report
6) Approval of Chuck Adams Engineer
7) Approval of building project with aluminum rails and paint color
8) Approval of R&J Contractor
9) Approval of funding for first phase of building project from Loss Special Assessment
10) Approval of funding for additions to the roof project (not included in 2016 contract) from reserves
11) Approval of pool project and funding from the reserves
12) Adjournment
DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
Budget & Finance Committee
Saturday, `May 6, 2017
Clubhouse
Agenda
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of previous meeting minutes
4. Discussion of sources of money on hand
5. How to pay for 1st Phase of Building Repair
6. How to pay for Pool Contract
7. How to pay for connecting fans on roof
8. Comments & Concerns
9. Adjournment
DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
Building & Grounds Committee
Friday, May 5, 2017
Clubhouse
Agenda
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of previous meeting minutes
4. Discussion of Pool Contract
5. Discussion of First Phase of Building Repair
6. Open floor for discussion
7. Adjournment
DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
Saturday, April 29, 2017
2:00 P.M. in the Clubhouse
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Insurance Claims
• Property Insurance
• Flood Insurance
6. Building & Grounds Recommendations
7. Adjournment
March 3, 2017
Dear Owners/ Rental Agents:
In accordance with the Florida Statute 718, and the Rules and Regulations adopted by The Towers, the Owners’ Documents, and the summary of those rules in the Administrative Handbook, we would like to remind you of the following information concerning your rights and obligations as they relate to renting your unit, and the procedures necessary for listing your unit for sale. The enforcement of these rules and procedures is necessary to insure that all owners and guests are secure and to enable the Towers to interact with outside agencies with correct, up to date information in case of an emergency. Also, due to the expedited work to be contracted in the coming months, Towers Management must have the ability to contact guests regarding the safeguarding of their vehicles.
Rentals:
• Rentals:
An overview of Rental procedures is found on page 1 of the Rules and Regulations. Also, Section D of the Administrative Handbook, pages 24-25, details the procedures for renting Towers condos. We would like to stress the fact that all leases over 90 days, must be on file at The Towers office, as is described on line 13 of page 12 of the Administrative Handbook. Parking permits will be issued to renters once a lease or rental agreement is shown. The parking permits will be good for 90 days maximum, and may be renewed every 90 days – up to a one-year period - after BOD review. Rental/lease agreements longer than 1 year must be executed by a Florida licensed attorney. Open-ended contracts will not be accepted. Missing or expired parking permits may result in the vehicle being towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.
Do not assume that the lease will be approved for renewal. Tenants are expected to follow The Towers’ rules the same as an owner. Section 2 of page 412 of the Owners’ Documents indicates that the owner has the duty to maintain the unit, even if not in residence. Renters and Lessees must allow access to the unit for maintenance issues.
If a tenant does not comply with Towers rules, the lease may not be renewed, and the tenant will be expected to leave. Owners are responsible for fines issued as a result of their renter’s actions. Finally, page 25 of Administrative Handbook, line 9, reminds owners that The Towers is obligated to report subleasing to Volusia County.
• Listing For Sale:
Section G of page 20-21 of The Towers Administrative Handbook describes the procedure to follow when listing your unit for sale. This is also posted outside the office. Please review this document if you decide on that action. It is the owners responsibility to see that the sales agent is familiar with, and follows, these rules so that you do not run into any issues that may delay a transaction. It is especially important that you adhere to Article X of the Ownership Documents (page 414) which refers to the Right of First Refusal; therefore, you will need to bring a copy of the listing to The Towers office to be posted in the glass case a minimum of 48 hours before accepting an outside offer. This would constitute notification of intent so that owners can contact you/your agent if interested in purchasing your unit. It is expected that your notification will begin the process that the office/BOD must do in order to approve the transfer of ownership in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Administrative Handbook. Ownership transfer cannot be approved at the same time as the request. Communication with the Towers Management is essential to insure a problem free process.
These rules are derived from State and local laws, Towers By-Laws, and the Administrative Handbook. Violations could result in sanctions placed upon the Towers. Such violations may result in fines levied against unit owners. If you utilize a real estate agent or Property Manager, it is your responsibility to see that these rules are followed. Please refer to the above pages, and contact the office if you have any questions. The rules are in place to protect you as individuals, and The Towers as a community. We ask for your cooperation in making The Towers as secure and pleasant as possible.
DBOT Board of Directors
DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
NOTICE TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS OF
BUILDING & GROUNDS COMMITTEE
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
Monday, February 20, 2017, at 10:00AM
Clubhouse
AGENDA
1. Chairman’s Comments
2. Organize Committee/ Appoint Officers
3. Adjournment
The Towers Review ….. January 2017
Audit: We are in the process of completing our annual audit with the independent audit firm of Martin, Klayer & Associates with the assistance of our bookkeeper Brenda Bray.
Committees: The Committees have been chosen and are posted on the Towers website "daytonabeachtowers.com" and the bulletin board outside the Towers office in the lower lobby. The committees will start meeting soon. The committees have already started taking an active roll around the Towers.
Flood: Albert has met with the flood adjustor and collected the final estimates for the needed repairs and hopefully we will be hearing something soon.
Garage: Albert has been in contact with Keith from GC to repair the water leaks still in the garage. GC was once again on site Saturday January 28th to reseal the upper deck to stop the leaks. However the rain on Sunday not only proved this to be unsuccessful but brought forth more leaks. GC contract was paid in full by the previous board president with no monies being held back for failure to complete the contract satisfactorily.
Minutes: The minutes of the January 10 "2017 Annual Owners Meeting & Election" have been posted on the Towers website "daytonabeachtowers.com." Copies are also at the front desk and can be picked up at your convenience.
Personnel: We have advertised for a maintenance man, and have already interviewed a couple candidates. The personnel committee will be meeting to go over other applicants with recommendations to the board. Until we get someone hired the trash dumpsters are being taken out by Charles (and, sometimes Don with Albert helping). Anyone wishing to volunteer would be welcome.
Plumbing: We had an emergency water leak, we traced it and discovered that it was coming from the hot water in the 15 stack. We called a plumber, and was told that the pipes from the 5th floor to lower lobby needed to be replaced. The plumber came out and replaced the pipes. Even though it was emergency service, the charges were quite reasonable. We were able to negotiate the cost from $8,100 to a total cost of $4,900 for a savings of better than $3,000. With a minimal expense to the Towers for the damage caused to owners units for drywall repairs, vanity removal and installation we incurred the cost of $4,265.
Pool: The water level became low enough to cause the heater to shut off. We added water and once the water level rose, we had to wait until the gas dissipated before turning the heater on. Once we were able to turn the heater on we discovered the pump had stopped working due to damage caused from it being allowed to circulate the salt water from hurricane Matthew. The replacement pump has been installed, the heater is now working and the pool is warm enough to swim and enjoy.
Rentals/Listings: A letter detailing the procedures to follow for units for rent and listing for sale was developed by Dave and Don. It has gone out to all BOD for review. It will be posted on the Towers website at "daytonabeachtowers.com" and distributed to the owners.
Roof: On December 19th the previous Board of Directors voted 4 - 2 to approve a contract with R&R to include repairs all-inclusive for the main building roof replacement and paid them a set-up fee of $81,000. R&R was on site January 23 but indicated that the Verizon transmitters needed to be moved in order to begin the services. We contacted Verizon and that has been taken care of and R&R has now started on the roof. It is expected that they will be here each work day. The ending date of services was not included in the contract. R&R completed their set-up last week and will begin work (weather permitting) this week at which time we will try to get a time frame from them when they may be completed.
Saturday morning coffee/tea: Many people are enjoying visiting with each other over pastries and coffee/tea on Saturday mornings at 10 O'clock. A voluntary donation of $1 is appreciated, get your morning sugar dose.
Social hour: It’s nice to see quite a few people at this event. It is a lot of fun, and we encourage you to attend Thursday nights at 5pm. Please bring finger foods to share, and show off your skills! Don't forget to bring your drink, see you there!
Washers & Dryers: We are looking into purchasing new washers & dryers which have not been replaced in several years, repairs are just not cost efficient. We are in the process of gathering estimates and ask for your patience, as you can see there is a lot that needs to be accomplished here at the Towers. The repair man ask that we remind owners to please not overload the washers, this is causing the pumps to fail. Not to wash heavy comforters, rugs, etc. in the washers. Remember to clean the dryer vents, clean up after yourselves, remove your laundry in a timely manner and turn off the light. These are all complaints that we receive multiple times a day and very much appreciate your cooperation.
Notice
There will be an advance meeting in the clubhouse for the impartial (tally) committee at 7 PM just before the Annual Owners meeting, Tuesday January 10/17 at 8 PM. This is for the impartial committee to validate the outer envelopes in an open forum.
Ballots will still be accepted at the 8 PM meeting.
The impartial committee members are William Hall (Chairman-Headteller), Sid Hansen (1009), Paula Blais (616)(1609), Carol Hall (1208), Mark Bigelow (12), Carol Nelson (115), Joy Newby (1412), Joan McGuire (1112), Pierre Roy (1016), Gus Nelson (115) Alternates Bernie Swenson (906) and Dave Somerville (1011)
DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN TOWERS
Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, December 19, 2016
10:30AM in the Clubhouse
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approve prior meeting minutes
4. Treasurers Report
5. Motion to approve pending contracts for;
a. Building north side concrete repair and painting of entire building
b. Re roof clubhouse and main tower, including replacement of exhaust fans and all insulation
c. Re carpet the hallways, lobby and clubhouse
d. Painting and wallpaper of the 16 floors in the main tower
6. Adjournment
Notice
Impartial (Tally) Committee
Any owner interested to be on the Impartial (tally) Committee for the upcoming Board of Directors election to be held on January 10, 2017, please notify the office.
Eligibility
The impartial committee members shall not include any of the following or their spouses:
• Current board members
• Officers and
• Candidates for the board
Owners
There will be an informational
meeting on
Friday, December 9th, 2016
at 4:00 pm in the DBOT
clubhouse.
This is not a Board of Directors
meeting.
Dear Towers’ Owners and Residents:
Each year during the holiday season, the unit owners and residents of the Daytona Beach Ocean Towers have the opportunity to express appreciation to all of the Association’s employees by contributing to the Staff Holiday Fund.
If you choose to contribute to the Staff Holiday Fund, a separate check should be made payable to “DBOT Staff Holiday Fund”, and can be dropped off or mailed to the Towers Office by Monday, December 19, 2016 in order to allow time for accounting and distribution prior to the holidays. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
DBOT Board of Directors
BUDGET SELECTION MEETING NOTICE
Board of Directors Budget Selection Meeting
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
6:30 PM in the Clubhouse
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Members Vote Tally of Budget #1, #2 and #3
5. Board of Directors Passing of Selected Budget
6. Treasurer’s Report
7. Comments and Concerns
8. Adjournment
Board Organizational Meeting
NOTICE
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
6:30 PM in the Clubhouse
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Ray Bunnell Resignation
4. Director Appointment
5. Officers’ Election
6. Adjournment
