Flamingo Newsletter 6

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD):

Newsletter 6:

-Lobby Remodeling:

The remodeling of the lobby is complete and we hope you are enjoying the new décor.

-Parking:

After months of tough negotiations with AIMCO we have finally succeeded in obtaining the administration and the collection of the monthly parking fees for the Flamingo South Tower tenants, effective April  1st .  In the past the Association collected parking fees from the owners only and for reasons unknown all others were paying directly to AIMCO.  Still on our agenda with them is the final status of the BODs request to designate parking spaces for all South Tower Residents.

The BOD is also exploring the possibility of an exclusive valet service to the residents of the South Tower.

-Resort Passes:

We have concluded the bidding process from companies regarding the installation of a new security system, passes and additional cameras in the floor lobbies, etc.  This work will begin shortly and we will keep you informed as to its progress.

We are also planning to install a card reader pass system on the door connecting the South Tower with the Center Tower by way of the skywalk. This would eliminate unwanted foot traffic from that side.  These measures will increase security from all entrances into the South Tower..

-Maintenance:

We have received the new unit number signs since many were broken due to vandalism. The maintenance dept has begun installing them.

-BayWalk Project:

AIMCO contacted us regarding the BayWalk Project i.e. creating 15 feet wide easement along the entire bay frontage for public access.  The project also calls for the repair of the Seawall as well as the upgrading of the entire North and South pools and pool deck areas. They showed us the renderings of their proposed project. We sent it to our legal counsel for advice.

-Elevators:

As we have mentioned before we are designating one of the elevators for pets and service related use for safety and sanitary reasons. The elevator company will be working on the change of switches shortly.

-Loading Dock:

We have plans to change the roll up door to another heavy duty type to be operated by the access card system 24/7. This way residents with bicycles can have easier access to a larger spaced elevator and meantime lobby elevators will be freed up .We are currently contacting door companies.

Best Wishes,

Flamingo Association Board of Directors TheFlamingoBOD@hotmail.com

Kirk Kesapyan, Pres

Riccardo Olivieri, VP

Scott Shames, Sec’y

Dear Flamingo Board,

Thanks for everything that you are accomplishing at The Flamingo. I know it's a big job, and often unappreciated. Your accomplishments in such a short period of time are fantastic. I was not surprised that AIMCO was forced to drop their monthly fees although great job in getting them to write us a reimbursement check!

Also to hear that the South Pool heater is finally repaired. Now we can actually use the pool.

The Lobby is coming together too. Looks great!

Unfortunately the Resort Pass situation has continued to give me headaches. I will site 3 current situations that must be affecting everyone. My son and his in laws are at The Flamingo now. They had to take my resort card since they were arriving in the evening and had no way to get a Resort Card upon arrival. A problem that needs correcting ASAP.

My 70+ year old Aunt and Uncle were there last week and were stressed going back and forth between the Center and South Tower office trying to get a Visitors Pass purchased and activated correctly, even though I went to extra lengths ahead of time to make sure they would not have problems.

I have another guest arriving in the evening next week. I cannot get them my resort card as I will be using it up til a couple days before. They will tehrefore arrive in the evening with no Resort Card. Hopefully we can come up with a temporary solution to this problem as we evaluate installing a resort pass system in the South Tower.

Also, when I am at the Flamingo and have my family come down to visit me, it is not practical for them to use my pass as I need it, nor is it reasonable for each of them to be required to pay $25 to get a Resort Card every time they visit.

The only suggestion I have currently is to issue a controlled number of GUEST PASSES to persons who are current in their Association fees and have not violated the short term rental rules.

When I purchased my unit, I was promised and given two guest cards for my two bedroom condo. My understanding is that Aimco took these away. Is this legal?

The Guest Pass elimination has not solved the short term rental problem but has made life very difficult for those of us who invested in the property with the intention of allowing our families to enjoy it with us.

I think that owners who are following the rules are being unfairly penalized because of those that break the rules, especially where the Resort Passes are concerned. Hopefully we can discuss this further.

Also, just to keep you updated on Direct TV in the building. We continuously have problems with it. Currently it is completely out in my unit 1122 and the company they use to work the wiring in our building cannot come out until next week Tuesday. That is crazy. My son is therefore required to be there his entire week stay with no TV. Also, I have Atlantic Broadband Internet which uses the same lines as Direct TV. The Internet is also out, making life impossible for my sons work.
Are others experiencing this problem with Direct TV?

Thats my positive and negatives for now.

Thanks Again!!

Michael Tersigni

Newsletter 5

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD) and Committees Chairman:

We are happy to announce that the south tower pools heating system has finally been properly repaired.  We hope you continue to enjoy the facilities and the improvements currently in progress.

In addition, our social committee in conjunction with The Fontainebleau would like to invite all of our members to “Sundance” The Flamingo resident’s party being held this Sunday evening February 13^th at Arkadia Lounge hosted by Belvedere with complimentary beverages from 11pm-midnight.  Be sure to pick up your complimentary admission tickets, located at the lobby south tower security desk. 

Also, this Sunday afternoon, the University of Miami’s advertising department will be hosting a fashion show by the South Tower pool beginning around 4pm. We look forward to seeing you all there, enjoy!

Respectfully yours,

Kirk Kesapyan, Pres

Riccardo Olivieri, VP

Scott Shames, Sec’y

Tony Anderson, Committees Chairman

Newsletter 4

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD):

Here is some exciting news to report:

-$273,759 Reimbursement Received from Aimco:

As we reported to you our audit of the “REA 2010 budget” aka Common area expenses is still in progress. However, we take great pleasure in reporting to our members that as part of corrections caused by the ongoing audit we have received $273,759 reimbursement from Aimco. This is obviously wonderful news for all of us!  Hopefully more to follow as we complete the 2010 audit and start looking into the previous years…

- Your Assessments Have Been Lowered

We are pleased to report that the Board has been able to adopt a new budget that has lowered each members’ assessments for 2011!   We will continue to analyze cost savings measures throughout this year to keep your assessments as low as possible while still maintain a high level of service and upkeep to the building.

-Lobby Remodeling:

The remodeling of the lobby is in progress and should be completed within two weeks, subject to delivery schedules.  Once again we apologize for the inconvenience. The scope of work was driven by two separate factors: First, by the need to change the badly damaged wallpaper and to make the entire space brighter and easier to maintain (the old material was no longer available).  The refinishing of wood panels and replacement of skirting boards damaged by humidity and mold was caused by the flood that occurred in June of 2009 is also in progress together with fresh paint and improvement of the lighting.  On the other hand the security officers’ desk is being refurbished along with the re-upholstering of the furniture.

Second, the scope of work had to be expanded in view of the ongoing litigation we have with the insurance carrier.  For members who are not familiar with this lawsuit, it consists of a claim for flood damages to the lobby area which took place, during the flooding of June 2009. The former BOD took legal action to collect on the claim, unfortunately no adequate evidentiary documentation to support the claim was ever collected or produced at the time. After consultation with the lawyers representing the Association we have been advised to take further action to substantiate our claim;  (1)remove and replace part of the drywall damaged by humidity and mold in order to expose partially damaged materials as evidence (besides the necessity to comply with state health regulations), (2)removal and replacement of centerpiece stones and wood (clearly loosened by the flood) in order to expose the condition of the supporting base. This way we would be in compliance with the inspection requirements of the insurance company’s claim adjusters. The stone will be replaced along with the repair of the wood components upon the conclusion of their investigation. Naturally our ultimate goal is to recover some of the expenses from the insurance claim together with the increase the value of our members’ investments.

-Architectural Committee:

Should you want to be involved in future projects and dedicate your time sign up in our Architectural Committee chaired by Tony Anderson tanyc1@gmail.com.

-Parking:

This is another area where no legal study of our rights to parking was apparently ever done in the past.  We have one more meeting with Aimco regarding the final status of the parking. We will advise you of the details when it is completed, but expect to be able to improve the parking situation for all of our residents.

-Resort Passes:

This is a sensitive subject with most of our members. We are making every effort to sever our ties with Aimco in order to process the resort/guest passes in-house within our own South Tower facility. We are receiving bids from companies to acquire the hardware/software including the installation of a new security system and the installation of additional cameras in the elevators and floor lobbies, etc.

-Maintenance:

You may have noticed that we have started painting the elevator exterior door frames along with the damaged door frames on every floor. We have also ordered new unit number signs since many were broken, vandalized or missing to keep up with the uniform standard. We will also have someone available over the weekends to clean up unexpected messes created by pets, etc..

-Blog:

The official Flamingo South Beach blog has been created and is available to members.  Please feel free to visit and discuss topics of interest regarding the property.  http://flamingosouthbeach1.blogspot.com/

Best Wishes,

Flamingo Association Board of Directors TheFlamingoBOD@hotmail.com

Kirk Kesapyan, Pres

Riccardo Olivieri, VP

Scott Shames, Sec’y

Flamingo Newsletter 3

January 2011

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD):

Happy New Year!

The Flamingo South Tower Association 2011 budget was adopted during the Membership and BOD meetings held on Jan 19^th.   As mentioned, the BOD has created Reserves for the first time and will fund the Reserve account throughout the year. The Assoc. will have these funds set aside (approx. $600,000) for any unexpected major repairs.

We have also created a line item for remodeling projects such as; the work for the beautification of the lobby which is in progress and is expected to be completed by the end of January. The new décor will be more welcoming, trendy and impressive.

One of the lobby elevators will be designated for pets, baggage and other lightweight packages separated from the other elevators.

We are also excited to announce that we were able to provide our members approx. 10% savings on their monthly assessment fees.  You will be receiving the new coupon books in the mail within the next few days.

Our Best Wishes,

Flamingo Association Board of Directors

Kirk Kesapyan, Pres

Riccardo Olivieri, VP

Scott Shames, Sec’y