April 2, 2008
Dear Neighbors,
The FMB met on Saturday March 29, 2008. The reports of committees are summarized below. Our condolences go to the family of Mary Barrett, a resident since 1973, who passed away at 95 in March.
Financial Report: Frank Fiorentino reported that the year-to-date expenditures are on budget. However, the contributions to the reserve account were not made in the last two months for 2007. That matter was corrected by directing two months of contributions from revenues this year to bring the 2007 financial statement in line with budget. Consequently, there is a two-month deficit in contributions to reserves for this year. This matter may be resolved this year from expected revenue sources not yet realized.
The Reserves Committee suggested that the FMB consider postponing the regular painting cycle scheduled for this Spring for the shingled units along the waterfront and one row back fronting on Sea Pines Drive. To reduce ongoing regular repairs and leakage, the 30-year old shingles would be replaced with new shingles and a new moisture barrier using non-corroding nails. The FMB discussed whether to eliminate the painting cycle, save the estimated $35,000 cost to repaint the units, and install the new material; the costs would be funded either directly from the reserves account or with a bank loan to be repaid from regular contributions to the Reserves Account. This project may require a year to implement and could also replace the "rubber" decks in these areas. The FMB approved retaining Noblin & Associates to conduct "engineering services required to properly implement replacement of the siding and trim." These engineers have performed work at Sea Pines and numerous other condominiums. The Board will decide on the matter of replacement after Noblin completes its investigation of existing conditions and preparation of "Plans, Specifications and Bid Documents."
Grounds and Maintenance Committee: Tree work on Landing Lane is virtually complete; stump grinding should be finished soon. The landscaper is cleaning up the complex after the winter and is ready to apply fertilizer.
Reminder: All renovations to interiors of units and any changes to the exterior of a unit must be approved by this committee. A letter restating the policy will be sent soon. In the meantime please note the following. Forms requesting approval of a variance may be obtained on line or from the Clubhouse. File these forms with Mercantile on line or via the mail. Please allow sufficient time for the committee to review requests. Telephone calls demanding immediate approvals are not acceptable. The volunteers on this committee are owners and are not on call to correct for poor planning on the part of owners desiring an approval. The information contained in the request must be complete and comprehensive. Attach the contractor's proposal with the description of work to be done. The contractor must be licensed and insured.
Further, one owner has been fined for conducting work excluded from a variance request and not approved by the Grounds Committee. The FMB has fined that owner $10.00 per day from the date beginning when they were informed by the managing agent that they were not in compliance and through the date when the variance either is approved or the violation is remedied.
Please note that replacement windows must adhere to the Sea Pines standard for style, color and size. An existing window cannot be replaced by a window of a different size. Crank-out/jalousie windows are not acceptable. Changes to windows implemented by some recent owners have had to be corrected because they were not in compliance.
Clubhouse Committee: A question arose as to whether one of the existing treadmills should be repaired or replaced. The answer will be made when the committee finishes its survey of expected demand for the exercise facility. In the meantime, a sign-up sheet will be placed in the room to determine interest in the facility.
Pool Committee: Several issues were discussed.
Rules Committee: The FMB approved rules and regulations for boat registration and storage. You can read them on the website of Sea Pines and the bulletin board in the Clubhouse.
Bluff Committee: The FMB addressed concerns expressed by several board members regarding total expenditures for Bluff trimming. State law and town regulations require strict adherence to requirements when making any changes within one hundred feet from the edge of the bank overlooking the Bay. Sea Pines has worked to satisfy seemingly unduly restrictive demands by the Conservation Commission in response to earlier problems, to seek approval every three years for an Order of Conditions (OOC) that allows Sea Pines to trim the Bluff and the pathway to the beach, and to apply for an order that permits Sea Pines to conduct each trim. Current work by the committee addresses the need to comply with the prior OOC issued in 2003 and the current OOC issued in 2007, in addition to developing a protocol that the CC would accept in the future, thereby reducing compliance expenditures. The current dialogue in the FMB "is about the money."
The committee described how outside professionals are working directly with CC people to help them appreciate the motives and efforts of Sea Pines. Preliminary feedback has been refreshingly positive. In addition, the committee has been developing innovations to reduce the costs of future trims. A long-term plan will be submitted to the FMB when the anticipated results of the proposed changes can be assessed.
Legal Matters: No legal matters were discussed in the open meeting.
Another Matter: I have been asked to remind owners that if they want to park their vehicle in another owner's garage they must obtain permission directly from the respective owner. This matter becomes an issue when people leave for a while in winter and owners see empty garages in which their second vehicle could fit temporarily.
For the FMB,
Jim Dalton