WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Community Association Legislation Is Going to the Governor



CAI’s Florida Legislative Alliance (FLA) has been working with the Legislature to pass Senate Bill 714 (SB 714), which would provide several important changes to requirements imposed on community associations in Florida.
SB 714 provides much needed relief to cash-strapped associations, and removes troublesome insurance provisions created last year. If your community sees benefit in this bill, please make it a priority to email the Governor with your strong message of support as soon as possible. There are groups that are opposed to this bill and will be seeking a gubernatorial veto.
You have the opportunity to help make your community association a better place by sending your message of support. CAI, CAN, CALL and other groups fought to create these benefits for your association. Please help in the homestretch to see this bill safely into law.

Please email Governor Crist at Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com --- today --- if you support SB 714.
If SB 714 becomes law, it will provide the following:
1. For policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2009, coverage under a unit owner's residential property policy (HO-6 policy) shall include property loss assessment coverage of at least $2,000 for all assessments made as a result of the same direct loss to the property, regardless of the number of assessments owned by all members of the association collectively when such loss is the type of loss covered by the unit owner's HO-6 policy. A deductible of no more than $250.00 per direct property loss shall apply.
2. If a deductible was or will be applied to other property loss sustained by the unit owner resulting from the same direct loss to the property, no deductible shall apply to the loss assessment coverage. Every HO-6 policy must contain a provision which states that the coverage provided by such policy is excess coverage over the amount recoverable under any other policy covering the same property.
3. A condominium that is one or two stories in height and has an "exterior means of egress corridor" (aka catwalk) is exempt from having to install a manual fire alarm system as required in Section 9.6 of the Life Safety Code.
4. A property insurance policy or program (aka SIF) that was issued before January 1, 2000, and which has provided uninterrupted property insurance coverage for a group of no fewer than three communities is NOT subject to review and approval by the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) until renewed after July 1, 2009.
5. The notice for the board meeting at which insurance deductibles will be established NO LONGER needs to state the proposed deductible, the funds available, the board's assessment authority or an estimate for any potential assessment needed to pay such deductibles.
6. Clarifies that the association's coverage excludes all personal property located within the boundaries of a unit and which serve only such unit and that such property insurance coverage shall be the owner's responsibility.
7. Removes the requirement that the association be named as an additional insured and loss payee on the owner's HO-6 policy.
8. Removes the requirement that the association inquire as to each owner's HO-6 coverage and removes the ability of the association to purchase or "force place" any missing unit owner policies.
9. Changes the standard for the association's insurance coverage from "full insurable value" to the "replacement cost".
10. If the number of board members whose terms have expired exceeds the numbers of candidates running for those seats, each expired board member would now become eligible for reappointment to the board rather than having to run for re-election.
11. Co-owners of a unit would both be eligible to serve on the board only IF they own more than one unit and are not co-occupants of any unit. Timeshares would be specifically exempted from the co-ownership occupancy restriction.
12. Adds fines, fees and special assessments to the list of items that render an owner ineligible to serve on the board if not paid for 90 days.
13. Removes the requirement to sign and send in a Candidate Certification form before an election and replaces it with the requirement that each newly elected director must certify in writing within 90 days after being elected that he or she has read the association's declaration, articles of incorporation, bylaws and current written policies. These newly elected directors must also certify that they will work to uphold such documents to the best of their ability and will faithfully discharge their fiduciary duties to the members. In lieu of this written certification, directors may also submit a certificate that they have satisfactorily completed an educational program administered by a Division-approved educational provider. Failure to file either the certification or the educational course certificate will result in the director being unable to serve any longer on the board.
This act will take effect upon becoming law.

Senate Bill 714 passed April 29, and will be presented to the Governor some time over the next few weeks. Once the Governor receives a bill, he will have 15 days from the date of presentation in which to take action. Bills can become law with the Governor's signature or without it. A gubernatorial veto kills the bill.


For more information on CAI-FLA, contact your local chapter Executive Director.

Gandy Construction

We knew that this day was coming. The future is here. Left hand turns at our front gate on Gandy are a now a thing of the past.
Early this morning, traffic was reconfigured to allow for the construction of the center median on Gandy at our entrance. Its time to make use of the West Shore gate, if you haven't already. The gate will be altered this afternoon making it functional 24-7.
Be careful out there. Traffic is a nightmare!

absent board members???

Last night, a very important meeting was held in our park concerning bus service, mass transportation, possible new rail service, police matters, etc. It is disheartening to note that only ONE board member was present at this advertised meeting. There were only about 12 residents there..There were quite a few other interest groups outside our park that were present to express their input....WHERE WERE YOU? Where was our board support to rrepresent our park ???????????

Regency Cove Shore Patrol

The usual Old Tampa Bay boat traffic, combined with our own seawall construction, has left a devastating toll on our shoreline. It is not unusual for plastic bottles and fishing debris to wash to our seawall. Unfortunately it has gotten much worse. This afternoon a three-man shore patrol crew cleaned up our waterfront. No fanfare, no appreciative audience.

If you see them around the park (Ron Jeffries, Tim Reynolds, aand Mike Ross) just give them a nod, and a quiet "Thanks, Pal!" We do appreciate every effort to keep our beautiful waterfront clean.

New Directors Sworn In

Patti Fennessey and Paul McCumber, our newest elected directors were sworn in this past week in private ceremonies with our President, Ron Herb. We look forward to a productive year with our newest members of the board.

Disaster Recovery Meeting

I am really slipping! I was so preoccupied setting up the Disaster Recovery meeting this morning that I forgot to advertise my own event. Our speaker was Sheri Taylor, Disaster Management Director, United Way of Tampa Bay. She brought the 50 attendees through the Recovery Process which involves a myriad of social services and government agencies, assisting us in meals, water, clean-up efforts, and financial assistance.
We learned that the maximun FEMA payout is $28,800, and you better go through your insurance companies first, because FEMA traditionally denies claims. Watch out for full-replacement insurance, because there is a time limit in which you must complete your replacement purchases, ( 6 months )or forget it! Lots and lots of information was presented, and we will make sense of it as we prepare our Disaster Plan for Regency Cove.

We are a few people short of the FEMA training for community emergency first responders. Please watch for a sign-up sheet in the Info Room. We need 35 to get the training here.

New Web Site

You can now access the new web site at www.regencycove.com.

It will be necessary to login and get a password to access all areas of the site. The board will determine a policy as to who will enter the private parts of the site. Please go through it and check out all the items under the horizontal tool bar. We are adding new material every day.

There will be a delay in receiving a log-in password if you are not a resident, or on my current shareholders list. When the office opens on Monday, I can check names.

I honestly don't know if past residents will be allowed to access the private sections of the site. I will continue writing this blog for awhile, but its getting difficult to manage both.

Link to New Website

Although we are waiting for the new host to point our new site to the old regencycove.com domain (address), we have been given a temporary shortcut to the new site. Why don't you check it out?
www.regencycove.com

Login and get your password when you visit. It may take a day because I am not at the computer all day.

I am looking for a volunteer to take photos of the amenities, ie pool, exercise room and other apsects of the park.

We could also use a typist to help us fill in the new pages. Any volunteers? Call the office and leave a message for Sandy.

Board Meeting Today

Today at 2:00 there will be a meeting of the board of directors at Goodwin Hall.

New Web Site Coming

There will be an exciting change to our web page in a few days. After Easter Sunday, the site may be down for a day or two. We don't know what to expect.

We are switching web hosts to a company that only deals with homeowner associations. There will eventually be links to our governing documents, to online forms, to the Outlook, and all the usual sites. Residents will be asked to log on and get a password, so parts of our site will be for residents only.

Last month we had just under a thousand hits to the web page. Peggy is constantly getting calls about our sales and rental ads. This new web site will only increase interest in Regency Cove. Keep your eyes peeled. And don't get upset when you are asked to sign up for a password. Let us know what you think.

Board Members Elect Officers

At the BOD organization meeting this afternoon at 2:00 in Goodwin Hall, the eight directors present elected their officers for this year. After secret ballot votes for president and vice-president, Ron Herb will remain as president, Susan Dunphy will remain as vice-president. In uncontested elections, both Sandy Ross will remain as secretary and Rose Reis will remain as treasurer.

In two days a meeting will be held to set the agenda for the April 14 , 2009 Board Meeting. It is po

Water restrictions

There is much confusion in the community about the new tighter watering restrictions. Be sure to follow the city of Tampa Regulations, and not the Hillsborough County regulations:

City of Tampa Water Restrictions


Irrigation of turf is only allowed by hand watering, with one hand held hose fitted with an automatic shutoff nozzle, or a watering can or pail.

Even-numbered addresses, or addresses ending in the letters A-M only on Tuesdays.

Odd-numbered addresses, or addresses ending in the letters N-Z, only on Sundays.

Locations with no address, including medians, right of ways and common areas, only on Sundays.
Turf irrigation is prohibited at all times on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Irrigation for non-turf landscaping by hand watering and micro-irrigation (devices that apply a maximum of 30 gallons per hour per emitter) is permitted on any day during allowed hours.

Irrigation by any means is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

Click here for more information: http://www.tampabaywater.org/

Board Organization Meeting

The meeting of the Board that was supposed to be held immediately after the annual meeting last month will be held Tuesday April 7, 2009 at 2:00. The directors will elect the officers. Committee assignments will follow.

Photos from Volunteer Picnic

Everyone appeared to have a good time at the Volunteer Picnic yesterday. Two representatives from the Office of Neighborhood Relations came to meet the people of Regency Cove.
The Board wishes to thank all of the wonderful people who volunteer their services to make this place better. To all of the people who prepare our food and drinks, to all the club officers, and the activity directors, the folks who raked and planted, who serve on committees when asked, or who pick up trash when they see it, the Board of Directors say THANK YOU!
(We volunteer too.)