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Letter from the President
The board held another successful meeting at the Gulf Winds East , A building lobby.
The convenience of holding our monthly board meetings on site, has received a number of compliments
and support from the community.
We had conversations regarding the preparation for the return of the birds;
Cleaning the kitchen in building B and having it ready for our entertainment committee.
Cleaning and clearing the pool storage shed for storing GWE essentials
Purchased a storage unit that's in the pool area for housing aerobic equipment
Cleaning the walkways on all three levels in every building
Power washing sidewalks and gutters around the complex.
Trimmed the trees, cut back the excessive growth and manicured the shrubs.
Upgraded the pool pumps from 1.5 hp to 2.5 hp for better filtering.
Fixed and repaired the hot tubs fuses and circuit breakers that were constantly shorting out.
Fixed a large open patch of lawn that will be filled in and covered with sod. Over time, this large "puddle" in the lawn was
caused by the unusual amount or rain we received this year.
Installed security solar motion detector lights around the garage storage shed since this area is always
in total darkness. And, these lights did not require an electrician and/or permit.
So far, these are the only owners that have come forward volunteered for the following committees;
Entertainment ; Maureen Arnold, Betty Smith and Pam LeCourt
Landscaping; Janet Orey, Debbie Molly and Tammy Defrere
Dogs and pets,
Rules, regulations & fines
Parking;
Old Business
The board determined that the mulch, from Vision Turf, will be applied to our grounds after the height of the hurricane season;
We are being cautious so hopefully it will not be blown away and/or washed away which will diminish the mulching effect.
Sent a letter to the electric company, " Casagranda " explaining that GWE would be willing to pay the final invoice when and if they can produce a bid and/or detailed work order before said work was completed.
Water intrusion updates; this work is still ongoing. There were eleven units in all that needed attention.
The board determined that the trex fencing, to enclose the four inner pond piping, was not cost effective.
And, we were not even sure if we could even secure a permit for adding that fence to our property.
Instead, we went with four foot high bushes and camouflaging tents which will blend with the existing bushes. It was a fraction
of the cost and as an added bonus, this work will not require us to pull a permit.
Q & A session
After receiving $17000 from the insurance company for restoring the garage storage shed, after meeting with the Collier County inspector ,
we found out that a permit was never pulled for the electrical work done before the job was started. If and when we do go forward, we were told that our request will be subject to a grievance hearing at Collier County . Obviously, these unforeseen additional costs were not budgeted for so we will revisit this project next year.
Dog committee rules and regulations.
Restricted access to the pool storage shed.
Vision Turf to cut the tall grass along the Manatee road sidewalk since we were sited for non-compliance.
FYI
If an owner and/or tenant needs to have a large appliance disposed of , place it next to the large trash bins and then
call Waste Management at 239-252-2380. Items such as washers, dryers, love seats, sofas, refrigerators, etc... Waste Management charges $47.40 for that service. Then just give your check to our CAM Katelyn. Trust me, It's a lot more convenient and cost effective than doing it yourself .
If an owner talks with a vendor and then gets them to do work that is not on our current contract, GWE will be forced to send that owner the additional incurred expenses.
It is not permitted for an owner, who do not live in A and/or B building , to wander around for any reason at any time.
We must respect their rights to privacy, safety and security.
Please familiarize yourself with the Governing Nuisance Regulations so that we may all coexist peacefully.
Robert Polo
GWE President
.
From the President of GWE
President's Message
We are fast approaching a new 2024 season here at GWE. We would like to let the owners and renters aware
of what we have recently done and/or plan to do for the good of our association. We are all owners
here and we all would like to improve the aesthetics and increase the marketability / value of our investment.
The following, is a list of accomplishments, concerns and issues that has been addressed by your BOD within the
last five months.
Individual unit water issues
Gutter repairs where needed
French drain installed
Maintenance chores and special projects
Grounds and building concerns
Repaired the pool coping
Pool pumps upgraded to 2.0 hp
Hot tub sensors replaced again
Tree, bush and shrub trimming
Mulching, flowers and fertilizing
Sweeping frog dropping, all 3 floors
Power washing walkways & hallways
Fencing the inside pond piping
Sewer cleaning to reduce gutter sludge
Upgraded office lighting
Elevator repairs (E Building)
Elevator locks, changing for security issues
Maintenance/Storage shed security lighting
Complex security cameras repaired
Fountain Ponds time change 9:30 to 9:30
Pool motion sensored lights
Fob security and restrictions
"A" building board meetings via zoom
Established GWE website." GWECONDO.COM"
Actively looking to start a DOG committee.
Required residential parking stickers. For security reasons, we need to know who is parking on our
property. All owners and renters need to register their vehicle(s) with our management company, Seacrest Southwest.
It's a painless process. First, call Katelyn at ( 239-261-3440 ext. 149 ) Then, visit the office
with the proper information, drivers license and vehicle registration. A parking sticker will be given
to you at no cost . Please take care and place the sticker on the lower left side on the inside of the front
window of your vehicle.
FYI, before we tow an unidentified vehicle (non-stickered vehicle(s), a notice will be placed on the windshield,
for 24 hrs. prior to its removal at the owner's expense.
Security and safety has and will continue to be a top priority here at GWE.
So, if you " see something, say something". Go to our new website GWECONDO.COM and let us know your
observations, concerns, suggestions and possibly a positive comment, which will be read to your hard working
board members.
Maintenance/Storage Shed,
We have recently received our insurance payout for the unfortunate fire that our maintenance shed experienced about
a year ago. While we were looking into its restoration, a call was made to the county for permitting inquiries. Per our CAM,
Katelyn, they ( the county ) will more than likely initiate a " stop work order " and not allow us to use our shed at all. It's because
when the shed was being built, the electrical wiring that was used in the shed was illegal and was installed without a permit.
If a request for a permit was made, they ( the county ) would open an investigation and would transfer said requests to their
compliance department. We would immediately be in violation and if allowed to proceed GWE would have to pay some serious
fines. We may have to table our initiatives until next year.
Dog Rules, Let us reiterate the existing rules when it comes to our Dog Policy.
Every dog must be leashed at all times.
Owners must pick up their dogs poop. ( like it or not )
Dogs are not allowed in the pool area, tennis courts and the inside pond walkway.
Owners must restrain their dogs from excessive barking and fighting with other dogs.
All dogs must have a collar and be licensed with the county.
Immunization and health history of each dog is required
All emotional pet animals must have the proper paperwork to substantiate that claim.
Currently, 2 dog owners are grandfathered in butthere is a strict one dog per unit policy.
New pet requests should be presented to the board prior to ownership.
If any of the above rules and regulations are violated the board will decide if said animal can
still be part of our community.
Our new dog committee will be established to organize and categorize each pet . Sign on to our newly
created GWE website, GWECONDO.COM, and join the team.
Robert Polo
GWE President
Recap of Board Meeting held on Friday, August 30, 2024
We had our first "A" building board meeting. Yes, there were a few audio glitches but
going forward we will be switching over to the meeting application called " ZOOM"
as opposed to the Microsoft meeting platform . "TEAMS". We are confident that this change will make a noticeable difference August 30th recap / for those of you who were unable to attend.
1.The long awaited Structural proposal was approved for E107
2.The landscaping proposal for mulching throughout the complex was tabled.
I/we felt that given our current hurricane and rainy season, it was too soon.
3. The E building elevator , Which for some reason, that I am not privy to, is the only elevator in our complex that it stuck with our last elevator companies, "Otis", proprietary parts and equipment . Our current company " Delaware" will have to order the parts which will take about 12 weeks to receive and 4 to 5 days to install. I/we negotiated with Delaware to reduce
their contract price down from $30k to $27k. Currently, we have $24k in our budget designated for this project. The remainder will come from our tedious cost cutting.
BTW , since we replaced our elevator doors with new locks, I have not had to reboot a single elevator so far ! Just for perspective, I have rebooted 14 elevators during my first 3 months as President .
Two new board members were appointed.
Darlene Tsakos and Brian Orey
Now we have 7 board members !
Discussions were held on the following ;
Plans for restoring the maintenance shed/garage
Determining structural integrity first and foremost.
Electrical upgrading
Blown in Insulation
Window and frame
Portable A/C unit
Emptying and disposing of contents
For those of you who are not aware of the history concerning our shed, some time ago , there was a chemical fire that dramatically damaged the inside of our maintenance garage. While trying to put out the fire the main door and side window was badly damaged. Tools, equipment and supplies were also lost. It was exhausting but after many months of battling with the insurance company, GWE received approximately $17kto either rebuild or restore the facility to functionality. So, now you know where all the funds are coming from for all of the proposed repairs.
The housing of the pipes around the pond area. As you walk around the inside walkway you will see plastic piping, sprinkler censors and water pumps which are currently covered with a brown tarp. In my opinion Aesthetically , it's an eyesore, not to mention that these tarps covered the censors and did not allow the pumps to breathe. I propose a fully accessible enclosure that will protect it from the hot Florida sun, allow the pumps to breathe and expose the sensors so that they can do their thing.
There were a few good ideas that resulted from the meeting.
Bushes that would circle and protect. Sun resistant mini sheds that could be easily opened for service and repairs and a camouflage rock that would cover it all. Since this is not a one size fits all situation, I will be measuring them all individually and pricing out the above suggestions.
Stay tuned !
Robert Polo
GWE PRESIDENT
August 23, 2024
Last week, we/the board passed our special assessment of $583.15, which is due on or before September 2nd.
Description: Special Assessment - Operating Cash Shortfall and fund the insurance payment.
Total Amount Due: $583.15
We have recently launched our new website, "GWECONDO.COM", please go and check it out.
A company called "Naples Gutter Solutions" has recently cleaned out the gutters in the following Buildings A,B,E,G,H. They removed a number of bottles, wrappers, leaves and sludge that disrupted the natural drainage and disbursement of rain water. This necessary maintenance cleaning helped relieve the uneven rain flow which negatively impacted some of our first floor units.
We have noticed that there are about 25 email addresses that are bouncing back and not getting through. If you have recently changed your email and would like to receive correspondence from the board and our management company " Seacrest Southwest " please forward your current email addresses so you won't miss out on what's going on in your community at Gulf Winds East.
As most of you know, GWE has experienced an unusual amount of water issues this year. We have hired a company called "Wright WayLeak Detection " to help us analyze and resolve each and every one of them. Their report is just about finished. WWLD will be communicating with the individual owners as to who will be responsible and how to proceed with said repairs. The GWE board appreciates your patience and looks forward to getting everyone's water issue resolved as soon as possible.
Our new maintenance man, Eric, started on Monday, August 19th. Eventually, he will transition into a more regular maintenance roll after he addresses some of our long term neglected projects around our complex.
Moving forward, we will be clearing the clogged sewer next to the D & E buildings. After many phone calls, the county said that it was not their responsibility because it was located in our parking lot. We are working on this project as we speak. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.
The exposed pipes around our pond should be and will be enclosed. We have contacted several vendors for ideas and suggestions as to how we should aesthetically and functionally protect those pumps from the elements.
We are also working on getting the maintenance shed repaired with many improvements, Stay tuned!
Robert Polo
GWE President
============================================================================
August 16, 2024
GWE Community,
It's official, GWE finally has a full-time Maintenance Technician! If you see Eric around the property, say hello and give him a warm welcome. Eric has the necessary experience and desire to make GWE a cleaner and safer community. We know it is so wonderful to finally have a Maintenance Technician on property, but please remember if you have an issue or something that needs to be addressed in your unit, you must submit a work order through AppFolio/Seacrest Southwest.
Eric will be helping GWE transform the shed into a functional maintenance shed/office space. Moving forward the shed will have a new garage door, side window, and electricity, including lighting/outlets and A/C.
If you have any specific concerns about the property/community, or would like to speak with the Board, please visit our NEW and IMPROVED website at GWEcondo.com and summit your requests.
We have launched this new website out of necessity since our previous site will be expiring soon. Please be patient, as we are still adding and streamlining this site to bring you a more useful and informative experience.
Our website designer will be running a test ZOOM meeting in the lobby of the A building this week. If successful, we will be able to hold GWE Board and other meetings on-site going forward. The TV is mounted, Comcast has installed the Wi-Fi, and the lobby will be a cool, comfortable, and convenient venue to accommodate all owners to attend.
We are looking forward to all of the upcoming improvements here at GWE. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please reach out.
Thank you,
Robert Polo
GWE President
Rob Polo Recap of Board Meeting
December 6, 2024
This recap is a continuation of my efforts to communicate with the owners of GWE. I feel that it's important for every owner to have the right to know what's going on in their community and how it may affect their investment. The following is my recap of our Friday, December 6th Budget Meeting.
For cost saving, time and convenience , I/we converted the A building lobby into a meeting hall. I believe that it resulted in more attendance and owner participation.
To start the meeting , a quorum was established with six board members in attendance. Brian Orey, Darlene Tsakos, Doug Saturnino, Roseann Marinelli, Mitchell Stern and myself, Robert Polo.
Per the posted agenda, the only " New Business" was the discussion and vote for the upcoming 2025 GWE budget. The first inquiry went out to all the board members. Since the board was in agreement, the owners were encouraged to ask any questions exclusively about the budget. Some owners chose to bring up non budget related issues that had to be rejected. These questions/issues were later discussed after the meeting was adjourned. When the owners concluded their Q&A session about the 2025 budget, a board vote was then initiated. All board members voted in favor of passing our 2025 GWE budget.
You will be happy to learn that our 2025 budget only showed a modest increase to our quarterly condo fees which currently includes our bulk rate cable charge per unit. The meeting was then adjourned.
One question that was later discussed ; There seemed to be a misconception that GWE was in arrears and possibly in a collection status with our Xfinity account in the amount of $8000 dollars. According to our management company, Seacrest Southwest, Xfinity is on automatic payment. To be sure that this invoice did not fall through the cracks, I asked them to send me a copy of this paid bill which reads that $8247.39 was paid back in early November. To verify, I am holding this paid invoice in my hand as we speak.
Another question that was brought up; This budget meeting should not have been held because the non SIRS portion of our Rimkus report did not list the specific items that were scheduled in our reserves. Since the board was aware of this oversight, we contacted our management company and asked this specific question. We were told that since our original budget numbers will not be changed in any way, we can go forward with our meeting.
So, at the behest of our management company we conducted our meeting accordingly.
And, since the Non-SIRS portion of our budget was removed from the report, Seacrest, our management company, also inadvertently omitted the worksheet from the documentation that was mailed to owners along with our 2025 budget. Therefore, an amended set of documents to include the pooled reserves will be sent out to the owners next week.”
The final concern was later sent to the board via email; They complained that the board could not remove the non SIRS portion of the Rimkus
report ( which totals about $924K ) and that our SIRS reserves had to be in place for December 31, 2024. And, they intend to pursue this point with their attorneys. Amazing, I'm glad that these people are no longer on the board. If this was the case, these owners would want us all to pay a special assessment of $7000 to $10,000 per 162 units on or before by the end of this year. The reality is that NON SIRS reserves have NOT been eliminated from GWE's reserves.
During our negotiations with our engineering company, Rimkus, allowedGWE to extend our reserve budgeting to 2026.They told us that it was within their authority and accordingly their final report stating such which would subsequently be filed and recorded in the state of Florida. The following is our documentation regarding this matter.
a
Iqbal Ahmed, P.E.
Practice Leader | Construction Science
941-248-8139 | iqbal.ahmed@rimkus.com | rimkus.com
10405 Technology Ter, Lakewood Ranch, FL, 34211
Ahmed, Iqbal
Nov 7, 2024, 4:45 PM
to me, Katelyn, Darlene, Douglas, Brian, Roseann, Justin, Mitchell
I have substantially completed the revision. I appreciate you sending an organized invoice list. I was able to change a few line items (plumbing, exterior doors and fire alarm systems) among other changes previously discussed. At the moment I am waiting on final numbers for the Estimated Starting Balance (2026) and Current Annual Contribution. Please keep in mind I have removed the Non-SIRS portion of the report when providing the starting balance. Upon receipt, I will make the change and issue a report accordingly.
Thank you,
Robert Polo
GWE President
A New Message From Robert Polo
This Impacts All of Us at GWE
We have all heard about the tragedy that happened when a 12 story condominium tower collapsed in Florida and 98 people died. And, we all can understand and appreciate that the Florida lawmakers are taking steps to prevent "the next one ", so, the SB 4-D law was born.
With that being said, does anyone in the Florida Legislature realize that they created a devastating " Man Made Financial Disaster " for the whole state of Florida with their overreach in their attempt to protect people who live in condos that are 3 stories and higher ?
1. Is there anyone,in the Florida legislature, who realizes that all actions cause an equal and sometimes consequential reaction ?
2. Did any lawmaker foresee that their short sightedness created a domino effect which will have a long term negative impact on the Florida real estate market for the next 5 to 10 years ?
3. Did they understand that property values will be dramatically reduced and liens, foreclosures and bankruptcies will become more common with condominium property.
4.Did they also account for the elderly on fixed incomes along with the lower middle class who reside in condominiums ?
5. Did they account for the people who may lose their life savings and many will be forced to either leave the state and/or not move to Florida as a retirement destination.
6. Did the Governor, who signed SB 4-D into law, take into consideration the doubling and tripling of property insurance in Florida ?
7. Could the Governor have tried to keep property insurance companies from leaving the state ?
8. Did the Governor forget about the devastating financial impact of each and every major Florida Hurricane ?
9. Why do Florida Lawmakers want to commit political suicide ?
10.Do they realize that there will be about 5 to 10 million Floridian voters that will be negatively impacted by this new law, SB 4-D ?
11.Why wasn't there a gradual roll out ?
12. Why are all other Floridian condominium owners forced to pay for the mismanagement of the 12 story Champlain Towers ? .
A few weeks ago, I wrote to Governor DeSantis and asked why didn't these Florida lawmakers take into consideration the full reach
of their short sighted SB 4-D law ?
I am still asking for all condominium owners to call/write/email their representatives and to let them know that this new law needs to be
dramatically adjusted and it should be re-written by someone who understands the rule of action vs reaction.
To all condo owners and concerned Floridian Voters
Go to FLGOV.COM then click on " Contact ", They say that every single " letter" ( contact ) is considered 1000 people feeling the same way so please add to my voice . Your voice and your vote will matter !
Robert Polo
Concerned Floridian Voter
Board Recap from Robert Polo
Recap 11/15/24
On Friday, November 15th at 10:30 the BOD held their monthly meeting in the lobby of the A building.
The turnout was approximately 12 owners and there were another 12 that called in via zoom. All GWE board meetings are posted on our website and on the outside of our Cam's office. As a reminder, our website is gwecondo.com.
We are looking to hold our year end budget meeting as soon as our management company, Seacrest Southwest, returns with
the final numbers to the board for our sixth review. All owners will receive a copy and proper posting will take place.
We are hoping for a December 6th BOD meeting which will also be held in the lobby of our A building.
This year, our timing was subject to the finalizing of the Rimkus report. ( the engineering company we hired to satisfy the Florida
law SB 4-D ) .
For the past three months, I have been informing the owners of GWE that this Florida Sirs mandate will require Gulf Winds East to increase its budgeting reserves in the up coming years.
My recap messages have been sent out via email to all owners and its then posted on our website, gwecondo.co.
Recently, I have heard that one or two owners claim that the board has not communicated this message well enough.
So, if I may, a brief history behind the new SIRS mandate.
After the collapse of a 12 story condominium in Florida, the Florida legislators established and passed the SB 4-D law which
mandated all older Florida condominiums ( 3 floors and up ) to adhere to a "Structural Integrity Reserve Study" SIRS. Rimkus
Engineering conducted our review in which GWE paid approximately $23k for a Sirs and non-sirs report . Fortunately for us, Rimkus gave
us a deadline of November 7th to finalize our negotiations with them. Within that time frame, we met with the head of their
engineering team , Iqbal Ahmed, via zoom, to discuss and possibly reduce our mandated overall reserve increase which they established
in their final report.
For a better understanding of what this all means, please feel free to google, " Making sense of the new SIRS requirements".
I am very pleased to announce that this board successfully removed the, " non-sirs" section of the Rimkus final report. Ultimately, this has saved GWE $924K in reserve funding. In addition, we had the initial start date changed from 2025 to 2026.
Along the way, we challenged their estimated calculations resulting in more financial concessions .
And finally, after reviewing 19 boxes of old GWE files, invoices and cancelled checks, an additional $223k plus an approx. $200k in
structural costs were estimated down from their initial starting point.
a. At the meeting, our agenda indicated a Sirs/Budgeting Update from the president, please see the above paragraph.
b. Grounds ( landscaping ) update, due to our last hurricane, soffit repairs were needed for a number of buildings.
Therefore, this unpredicted added expense will be offset by the additional spending incurred by our yearly mulching.
We felt that it would be fiscally irresponsible for us to beautify rather than repair .
c. Airbnb Violations;As you may already know, Airbnb rentals are not allowed at GWE for a number of reasons. We found one
in G building and our Cam sent out an appropriate letter to that owner warning them of the consequences if this should happen again.
Proposal Approval,
Since the management company did not send out the proper timely notification to the owners for transparency reasons we
were not allowed to discuss and vote on a. Pest Control and b. Soffit repair proposals.
Introducing our new cam.
Please meet our new cam Barbara Canto LCAM. She is our 4th cam since January 2024. This is her personal statement to the owners.
I’m a dedicated mom to two young daughters—a 2-year-old and a 7-month-old—and I've been passionate about customer service since graduating high school in 2015. I began my career as an insurance agent with an auto insurance brokerage and later worked as a client coordinator for a land surveyor company. Since joining Seacrest Southwest, formerly known as Southwest Property Management, I've developed a strong interest in property management. I worked hard for my CAM certification, and it’s been a rewarding journey serving communities ever since.
The challenges and rewards of property management make this role incredibly fulfilling, and I’m passionate about making a positive impact on the communities I manage. I look forward to working with the Gulf Winds East Board and serving all of you in our community.
Please note that my onsite hours will be from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. I’m here to help and support you, so feel free to reach out anytime! You can contact me by email at bcanto@swpropmgt.com or by phone at 239-261-3440 ext. 152.
Barbara, GWE CAM
GWE' Maintenance man and unauthorized work ;
Our new maintenance man, Anthony, is not permitted to perform tasks for any individual unit owner, unless otherwise
permitted by our cam and/or the board. He works for the whole of GWE and we feel that the liability risk of entering and working for an individual owner is unwarranted.
Recently, one exception did occur, Anthony assisted a unit owner because of the extreme condition that were caused by the unit above. The following notice was sent to the owner of that unit .
GWE DOC'S CLEARLY STATE :
“Alterations, modifications, installations, and additions to the unit and common elements must
be approved by the Board of Directors. Unit Owners are responsible for submitting an ARC
request and obtaining approval prior to commencing any work.”
Next Steps:
1. Cease all work immediately until further notice.
2. Submit an ARC request via AppFolio with details of the work being performed, including
vendor information and proof of licensing and insurance, for Board approval.
3. Remit a $100 offset charge payable to the association , ( Gulf Winds East ) no later than 11/22/2024 to cover
the expense incurred by the Association. This fee is necessary as the association’s onsite maintenance personnel,
is only employed to perform daily chores for GWE.
Tenant Evaluation and Get Quorum were briefly discussed.
T.E. is a software program that would allegedly streamline our leasing process.
G.Q. is also a software program that would essentially allow for electronic voting by the owners.
Both programs have merit and will be researched and discussed further at a later date.
The following are ideas that GWE should consider for future consideration:
1. We have discussed this option in the past and would require an owners vote. I would like to reduce the number of board members from our current number of SEVEN to FIVE. Even though GWE has 162 owners we have found it challenging to generate enough interested
participants to take on the responsibility of governing our association.
You would think that everyone would be interested to participate and learn as to how and why things are being implemented
and the effects it will have on your investment.
Here is a brief outline as how things are managed at GWE. Our annual HOA contributions total is approx. one million dollars.
Our Management company assists and at times guides us accordingly. Our on site CAM handles the day to day administrative
duties and our maintenance man administers and addresses the communities physical needs. Ideally, the board offers guidance
and votes on the different proposals presented for repairs and to beautify our grounds.
During our year end meeting, there will be a request to new candidates to run for the board and hold an office for it's full term.
Please consider this election as an opportunity for everyone to get involved in there community.
2. As you all know, our cable fee is $150 per quarter or $600 a year. Currently, this charge is included in everyone's HOA payments .
I would like that change removed from our condo fee and allow everyone to have or not have their own internet / Wi-Fi coverage.
I will be reviewing our contract with Xfinity to determine our options.
If you have any questions, concerns and/or opinions please feel free to email them to me for further clarification.
Robert Polo
GWE President