Update on Items under the Stairs
Dear Residents,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inform you of an important update regarding the parking of bicycles under our staircases.
Effective immediately, you are now permitted to park your bikes under the stairs, both at the front and back of the building. This adjustment is intended to provide a more convenient and accessible area for bike storage. However, it is crucial that we adhere to the following guidelines to ensure safety and maintain accessibility:
1. Keep Walkways Clear: Please ensure that bicycles are parked in such a way that they do not obstruct the passage for pedestrians. It is important that the pathways remain clear to allow residents to walk by without any difficulty.
2. No Flammable Items: In accordance with regulations set by the Fire Marshal, no flammable items may be stored under the stairs. This rule is in place to prevent any potential fire hazards and to ensure the safety of all residents.
We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines. Your understanding and efforts to keep our buildings safe and accessible are greatly valued. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Trying to make your Paradise Better!
Best regards,
Rafael Ferreris Jr, LCAM
Bermuda Bay Beach Property Manager
Our Own Resident Artist - Dawn Daisley
Dawn Daisley
Print Impressions
dawndaisleyprintimpressions.com
dawndaisley@yahoo.com
917-797-0998
SUMMER UPDATE EXHIBITIONS 2024
Artwork in two exhibitions, but alas, nothing local.
Three pieces are in Creede, Colorado at their annual National Small Print Show and displayed at Creede Repertory Theatre's lobby for in-person viewing from May 25 through June 23, 2024. The show's highlights can be viewed and bought virtually from this link.
Another three are in the 44th Mini Print International of Cadaqués, 2024 from June 29 to September 30, 2024. The exhibition will also travel to Wingfield, UK from July 27 to September 1, 2024, with potential stops in Spain and France.
UPCOMING
I'm thrilled to have a studio space at THE FACTORY in St. Pete. I'll be exhibiting three pieces in their gallery space within the FloridaRAMA lobby and cafe. Stop by, especially on the downtown St. Pete 2nd Saturday art walks!
I LAUNCHED ARTASTIC EXPLORATIONS WEBSITE
ArtasticExplorations.org HAS BEEN LAUNCHED. The first adventure is an upcoming workshop for ARTASTIC EXPLORERS for an immersive weekend print workshop on September 20-22, 2024. The work created will have the opportunity to be exhibited at THE FACTORY, St. Pete in October 2024. The information is on the new website and I will also send a separate email for all the details of this exciting event.
Construction Update August 2024
After much consideration and as a last resort, Paul Terry, on behalf of Bermuda Bay, served the contractor on July 15 with an Order of Suspension and a Seven Day Notice of Intent to Terminate the Contract. The engineer has already provided us with the Certification of Sufficient Cause to Terminate the Contract required by the contract documents. We had a forensic architect, Martin Currasco of Fiebig Architecture, inspecting the project on July 30-31, 2024 to document the defective conditions. We will thereafter interview four experienced contractors: Tailored Reconstruction, Reconstruction Experts, EmpireWorks and Viktor Construction to select one to take over the job, correct the defects and finish the balconies. The first three contactors specialize in repairing construction defects, and our attorney has worked with all of them for over 10 years.
Defect findings have been completed and Bermuda Bay is waiting the final report. With this information, the construction firms bidding on the process can make educated and informed proposals for us to review. So at the moment we are still in a little waiting game before we can move forward. The Board will then entertain a Town Hall meeting, with Paul Terry present, for questions and answers after we have bids from the four construction firms.
Treasurer’s Report - August 21, 2024
Bank Accounts
Overall, we have a total of $568k in the various bank accounts.
Operating Account
In the operating account the balance is negative $70k. That is an accounting number. The bank does not see it that way as there are many checks that were issued just before the end of the month and not yet cashed. But we do have a significant shortfall in our Operating Account as several expenses have ballooned.
By rights, we should be discussing a Special Assessment but having only just received the accounting data there was not enough time for me to analyze the situation and get it on this meeting’s agenda.
While reviewing the accounts, I noticed some Reserve Fund expenses, primarily related to the Stairs & Balconies Project, were paid by the Operating Bank account. Theses will need to be corrected and a proper process put in place to assure expenses are paid by the correct bank account.
There are several expenses that will be well over budget by the end of the year.
The usual culprits are:
We incurred a substantial increase in the cost of insurance overage so we will be about $85k over budget.
Legal fees will be well over budget primarily due to construction issues. There have also been some expensive lawsuits regarding collections.
Plumbing issues continue to be a problem and the total cost is projected to be over-budget by about $70k. Many of our plumbing problems are caused by people flushing improper items. This also causes problems with the lift station. It is important we conduct a review of this year’s invoices and bill the applicable owners where applicable.
Storm water expenses are 100% over budget.
Repairs to the security gates have been much higher than usual.
Reserve Fund
The Reserve Fund currently has $361k in the bank. As stated above, several Reserve Fund expenses were paid through the Operating Account. Once that is corrected, the balance in this account will be reduced such that we will be well below the year-end target.
Delinquencies
Delinquencies amounted to just over $41k. Since I wasn’t able to report the June numbers, I will now report that is an increase of $68 hundred since May. But it is even worse when comparing to where we were at the start of the year. Since then, the delinquencies have increased by a net $18k. More alarming is the arrears that are 90 days or older have increased by $23k this year, currently
sitting at $28k. The worst offenders are with the attorney for collection. Demand letters and/or
reminder notices are regularly sent to the other owners who are in arrears. While in arrears, these owners are incurring interest charges and notice fees.
Balcony Deposits
We have $258k in deposits from owners for extended balconies. Prepayments have been received from all the owners who have requested extended balconies. In June, $15k was improperly transferred to the Operating account. Correction by CA is still outstanding. These deposits are on hold until the respective balcony is completed at which time the applicable amount will be used to partially offset the payment we make to the contractor.
Bermuda Bay Beach Condominium Association, Inc.
Email: bermudabaymgr@condominiumassociates.com
Website: https://condo.cincwebaxis.com/
Location: Bermuda Bay Beach and Racquet Club, 4201 38th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
Phone: 727-864-0735
Twitter: @BermudaBayStP