Bermuda Bay Condominium Newsletter

Hours for the office : MWF - 7:00am - 3:30pm Tuesdays 7:00-2:30pm Th - 8:00am - 4:00pm

Admin will be in the office: M-F 9:00am - 1:00pm

Current Contact information for the Board:

President - Tori Elvir - bermudabaypresident@gmail.com

Vice- President - Adriana Lein- bermudabayvicepresident@gmail.com

Treasurer - Mike Martin - bermudabaytreasurer@gmail.com

Secretary - Chris Boyd - bermudabaysecretary@gmail.com

Director-at-Large - Vivi Iglesias - bermudabaydirectoratlarge@gmail.com

Property Manager: Josh McCollum, LCAM - bermudabaymgr@condominiumassociates.com

Administrative Assistant: Christine Dickey - bbboffice@condominiumassociates.com

Bermuda Bay Security Phone Number: 727-902-7219

Contact the chairperson of the committee(s) you are interested in volunteering for and they will give you more details on meetings and purpose. Contact information below:

Environmental Committee - Tom Shaw - fltshaw@yahoo.com

Review Committee- Patti Brazil brazil.patty@gmail.com

Social Committee: Marcia Montgomery, Gail Oliviera

skeets11@gmail.com gailoliveira61@gmail.com

Beach Restoration Committee - Kerry Morrison Imzchef@comcast.net

Stair Committee - Tom Shaw fltshaw@yahoo.com

Courts and Sports Committee - Robin Ward - Rifkasema@gmail.com

Kayak/Trailer and Boat Committee - Barbi Martinson boutfintime101@gmail.com

Security Committee: Gy Lein gyora@me.com

Landscaping Committee- Barbi Martinson boutfintime101@gmail.com

The REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS COMMITTEE - Susan Hoffman susankatzhoffman@gmail.com

ARC COMMITTEE - Roger Daisley hrdaisley@gmail.com

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE - Meredith Bordman mrkbdn@yahoo.com

Vote to waive the audit – 135 voted yes and 70 voted no. Vote to waive the audit passes.

Vote to roll over surplus funds – 201 voted yes and 4 – voted no. Vote to roll over the surplus funds passes.

Vote on the Amendments:

Vote to extend the balconies/lanias – 173 – yes and 38 – no. 75% not achieved

Vote to limited ownership – 140-yes and 67 – no 75% not achieved

Vote to accept the change to the 75% vote – 145 – yes and 67 – no 75% not achieved

Chris Boyd moved to reconvene in 60 days to relook and work the vote. Adriana Lein – second. Passed unanimously.

Results of the Board of Directors:

Mike Martin - 102 votes

Roger Daisley – 95 votes

Tori Elvir – 95 votes

Susan Hoffman – 47 votes

Christina Stokes – 44 votes

Cynthia Waites - 14 votes

Laurel Poletti – 12 votes

We have 90 days to finish getting votes on these amendments. We want to clear up any questions that you might have surrounding these amendments. The VOTE to extend the balconies is SO IMPORTANT.

Perhaps you were not clear and had doubts about voting, so we will try and clear up some misgivings that you might have here. If after a better understanding you decide YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR NO VOTE TO A YES, there is a way to do that.

How to change your vote!

Q: I voted “no” because I didn’t understand the proposed changes. Now that you’ve explained it, I’d like to vote “yes.” Is it too late?

A: NO, it is not too late. You have until March 24 to change your vote. If you want to change your vote, contact the office [insert phone number and e-mail] for the necessary forms.

Q: In simple terms, what does the first proposed amendment do?

A: The first proposed amendment (#3 on the ballot) changes the Declaration’s language relating to common area (that is, public space) and limited common area (that is, public space that is dedicated to a particular owner’s use).

Without the amendment, the Declaration defines your limited common area as the patio or balcony originally built adjacent to your unit. If you (or a previous owner) added onto that patio or balcony, the additional patio or balcony section is still “common area” that is not exclusively yours (according to the Declaration). That results in legal uncertainty (at best) that has created a serious problem as some of those extended balconies had to be removed for the stair project.

In order to allow the Board to approve a rebuilding of a lanai on an extended balcony or patio, or to approve a future extended balcony or patio, the Declaration needs to be amended to allow such approval to create “new” limited common area. There is no record of any prior vote to create that “new” limited common area, so we need to take that vote now.

Q: I got City permits and Board approval for my extended balcony and lanai. Why isn’t that sufficient?

A: It is certainly sufficient from the perspective of the City. But without a 75% vote of the owners to create your extended limited common area, you do not have any assurance that you actually have a right to the exclusive use of your extended balcony and lanai. So you gain that assurance (and don’t harm any of your existing arguments) if the amendment passes.

Q: The language of the amendment seems to limit my balcony to a size smaller than what I have now. Isn’t that a problem?

A: The drafters of the amendment did not want to give the Board a “blank check” to take over common areas for exclusive use of owners. The dimensions in the proposed amendment seemed to be the most common dimensions of the extensions already in place, and the engineers advised us that this was the easiest extension to build safely. But there is also language in the proposed amendment that “grandfathers” any existing balconies, patios, or lanais that are larger than the specified size.

Q: If the amendment passes, it seems to require me to reapply for permission to have my lanai, even though I got ARC approval years ago. Why is that?

A: In order for the Condominium Association documents to reflect reality (in terms of what areas are limited common areas), the Board needs to have a record of who has what! Right now, we don’t have that. So in order to maintain a proper record, any owner who has an expanded balcony or patio (with or without a lanai) will be asked to submit an after-the-fact form describing what is there now. The Board does not expect to deny any of these forms - it is primarily for creating a proper record.

Q: I read the amendment, and it looks like it gives the Board the right to impose a special assessment just on me!

A: There is a good reason for that scary language. If something happens to your extended balcony that imposes a cost on the Association, and the “something” is attributable only to your balcony (for example, it blows away in a storm and needs to be replaced or sealed), it is only fair for the cost of that “something” to be imposed only on the owner - just as would be the case if a problem arises inside your unit (such as a leaking washing machine) that results in a cost to the Association. That is the only purpose of this language and the only time it could be used to impose a special assessment on only one owner.

Q: I don’t have an extended balcony or patio, and have no intention of creating one, so why should I bother voting for this amendment?

A: Well, someday, you (or a subsequent owner of your unit) might want an extended balcony. And even if that were not to happen, don’t you care about the peace of mind of your fellow owners? And without the amendment, the Association remains vulnerable to potential future lawsuits relating to the balconies, which costs all of the owners lots of money to defend. So please, do vote even if it doesn’t affect you.

The bottom line is that this amendment MUST BE PASSED if anyone is to have an extended lanai or balcony. Without a YES vote the extensions will not be supported by our documents and legally no one should be able to have one. Please VOTE YES for Amendment Three.

We have been plagued with many mainline pipes bursting in 2022. As a community, we must begin to look for solutions in 2023. The more we wait, the more expensive the repairs and patches become. Josh recently attended a professional seminar on solutions for our pipes. The Board will be sharing information on this topic at an upcoming Town Hall meeting in the near future. This is to inform the community of solutions, pricing, and a possible plan of action. Stay Tuned for more information.

My wife, Marilyn, and I have owned our Bermuda Bay unit since 2011. Prior to that, we rented various units here for four years. We refer to our unit as our “cottage” because it is our second home. But it is really much more than that. We truly love Bermuda Bay and have made a lot of friends here over the years.

I am retired from full-time work. My career spanned 35 years in the Financial Industry. I was fortunate to be employed by a bank that offered many opportunities for me to grow and expand. While at the bank, I worked in a wide variety of areas such as: Branch Banking; Corporate Auditing; Mutual Funds; Pension Plans; Estates & Trusts, and Information Services. During the six or so years leading up to my retirement, I was referred to as the “Tech Guy” by the business executives and the “Business Guy” by the tech people because I was the bridge between the two. I could speak their respective language and jargon. I often supervised teams ranging from a dozen to twenty-five people.

Each year, I spend about half the year at Bermuda Bay and the other half at my condo in Canada. During my time as President of my Canadian condo, I was able to effectively mange its affairs while wintering at Bermuda Bay. With communication tools being as effective as they are, I had no problem attending meetings via conference, participating in phone calls and doing anything else my position on the board required, even if I was not physically on the property at the time. I foresee being able to do the same thing for Bermuda Bay. I will be able to stay abreast of what’s happening in our beloved Bermuda Bay.

In February, we will be taking our 42nd cruise - a 10 day Caribbean cruise with some Bermuda Bay friends. Prior to COVID, we used to go to Europe in the summer and have been to 10 or so countries including Russia. We have stayed several times in St Maarten, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, & Dominican Republic. Visited most Caribbean islands while cruising over the years. Aside from loving the Florida sunshine, people who walk by my lanai know I spend a lot of time trading in the stock market as well as the options market. It takes a lot of work, but it is worthwhile and I enjoy doing it. Together they cover my Bermuda Bay unit costs and expenses.

Both my wife and I went to the same high school in Montreal (Verdun, actually), but we weren't together until some time later. We got married in 1969, in Vancouver BC where we lived at the time. I have moved around a fair bit with my work - Montreal to Vancouver to London Ontario to Toronto and back to London where we live now. Marilyn and I have a son and a daughter, plus five grandchildren. Their ages range from 14 - 19. Two are currently attending University.

Bermuda Bay is facing some very obvious financial struggles and, with my extensive financial experience, I am one of the more qualified persons to help guide the Association through this. There has been a significant increase in the costs assessed to each unit owner. Some of these costs are outside of our direct control. But many are within our control and I will do whatever I can to rein in those costs. We cannot withstand a continual significant increase of our fees.

There are many things around Bermuda Bay that need to be improved or restored. Some of those include returning our Board Meetings to the Club House; reviewing the many rules that have been relaxed over the years; restoring the effectiveness of the Fining Committee; bringing our landscape up to a standard previously enjoyed, and identifying where we might be able to increase our revenues to offset our ever-increasing expenses.

A BIG Thanks to everyone who made this special tradition happen. Despite the earlier rain, the activities went off without a hitch.

Special thanks goes to:

Tim, Paul, and Jimmy who prepared the pit and tended to the tree burning.

Gail - Social Committee President - for set-up, hotdogs, clean-up, and planning

Donnie - who bought and shot the Fireworks

David, Susan, and Mike for the incredible music

Tori, Jason, Cynthia, and everyone else who contributed help in collecting trees and money

To ANYONE who helped make the festivities happen. It takes a village and a lot of people make this happen behind the scenes. Just one of the reasons it is so great to live here.

Josh will be email blasting the corrected and updated SCHEDULE for demolition and stair building in a few days. Keep your eye out for this important email.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here are some updates on outstanding issues in the community.

 The Family Pool or Back Pool has received its operating permit and is open. There are still issues that we are working through i.e. Night light Certification, Replacement of damaged tiles, filters are plugged which in return is not allowing the heating pumps to heat the pool as quickly as normal. All these things are actively being addressed.

 Owner’s gate is operational.

 We have received 21 applications for the 3rd maintenance personnel and are working through the screening process.

 The potholes and paving repairs have been getting delayed due to weather, but a vendor has

been hired to address and will complete the repairs asap.

 Currently receiving proposals to relieve some of the standing water that accumulates on the

sidewalks in front of building 60 and 61.

 7 Raccoons were removed from the property. The service with Wildlife Controls has ended but if issues continue, they would be more than willing to come back onsite to continue trapping.

 17 new tenants have joined BB this week so if you see a new face make them feel welcomed and assist them should they need help onsite.

 Due increases start this month so be sure to make sure the correct amount is being pulled for Jan. 2023.

I want to thank everyone for their patience and support over the holidays with the death of my step-father. I appreciated all the prayers and condolences for my family. I am back into the regular routine now, and I look forward to the successful conclusion of several projects in 2023. We all need to keep our eye on the prize: a safer, more beautiful community. Please consider extending your patience as we all work together to tackle the necessary steps to complete our on-site projects. As always, my office is open to assist the community in any way that I can. I look forward to my continual residency as your property manager in 2023.

Email: bermudabaymgr@condominiumassociates.com
Website: https://condo.cincwebaxis.com/cinc/home/
Location: Bermuda Bay Beach and Racquet Club, 4201 38th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
Phone: 727-864-0735