Venetia Online

The City of Miami Fire Prevention Division (fire Marshall) will be conducting a fire alarm test throughout our condominium on Friday, October 31st, 2008 about 10:00 a.m. Testing will be conducted for about ½ hour. Please disregard any alarm sounds you may hear during aforementioned date and time.

The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for all Fire Safety Permit inspections and reviews of plans for construction. This testing of all fire devices will be conducted because of the plans for the soon to open coffee shop on Mezzanine Floor to ensure that all phases of the remodeling under construction meet the required Fire and Life Safety Codes.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, however this inspections ensure the safety of the owners, residents, and employees of the Venetia Condominium.

For The Board Of Directors
Fabie Verona, C.A.M.

There were four attendees present from the studios. Sharon Dodge, Venetia President introduced mechanical engineer, Albert Shub, who had examined and evaluated the boiler, and noted it’s lack of efficiency and obsolete technology, and resulting hot water delivery problems. He and Ariel, Venetia’s chief engineer, agreed that it should definitely be replaced with two efficient gas units that will cost relatively little money, will cost much less to operate, and will eliminate the costly repairs and maintenance that the Association presently pays for this boiler.

The earlier idea of installing individual “on demand” gas water heater units in each of the units was found to be impractical, since it required considerable retrofitting of the electrical wiring and would result in burdening the studio unit owners by requiring the costs of heating hot water to pass to studio owners. Sharon stated that the Board would likely vote to replace the boiler with two new gas heaters. A discussion followed about hot water delivery systems, and then moved to discussing the air conditioning coils in the studio units. Sharon indicated that the coils, which are inside the walls of the units, are the studio owner’s responsibility to maintain and service. She said that bids were being obtained for insulating the pipes in the studio halls that were “sweating” and causing moisture problems and that it would be done. Read more…

VENETIA HALLOWEEN PARTY

Come one and come all on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 6:00 PM in the Venetia Lobby.

All Venetia KIDS AND RESIDENTS are invited to a HALLOWEEN FEAST !!!!!!!!

Your host: Capt. Lazaro Perez, Kent Security Services

Thanks to all of you who attended the Town Hall meeting for studio owners. For those of you unable to attend, we want you to know that the meeting was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 as planned. The following is a summary of what was discussed:

The meeting was called by Sharon Dodge, Venetia, Board President to discuss the long-standing problems of the studio owners and to find solutions to all that are possible to resolve.

Among the problems or issues was the moisture problem produced by damaged or poor insulation in the hallways of the studio floors, the continuing AC problems, lack of quick, reliable access to hot water, possible new solutions for the hot water problems, and the ongoing concern for the Studio’s inequitable share of maintenance, now paid in accordance with our condo docs.

Ariel Fernandez, Venetia Chief Engineer presented his finding that the building’s boiler (that provides hot water to the studios alone) is being used at only 25% of its full capacity and that it costs over $8000 per year to maintain. He said that it makes sense for us to replace it with a superior solution for studio hot water. Ariel has been investigating the possible use of individual “tank-less” water heaters that could be installed in all the studio units, as well as another solution, replacing of the “old” boiler with two small gas boilers, similar it our pool heaters that are more contemporary in engineering, very efficient, cost effective and reliable. Sharon told the group that the Board has now hired a mechanical engineer to make final recommendations and a plan for one or the other, which ever turns out to be most effective. The Board will request the redistribution of SA funds previously allocated to a chiller renovation (now found to be “not needed”) in order to fund the new solution for the studio hot water. Read more…

Fresh from from todays Herald front page…

He frequents the pool at The Venetia condo building. He leaves his Jaguar with the valet. He uses the gym. He’s also behind on his mortgage and isn’t paying his condo association fees.

Neither is his lender, and the association’s board worries the bank is delaying foreclosure to avoid paying dues as well.

Sharon Dodge, president of The Venetia’s association, angrily told a crowd of South Florida condo dwellers at a meeting this week that 134 units were not paying maintenance fees in the 382-unit building. Of those, at least 35 are in the hands of lenders who aren’t playing fair.

”Something needs to change” Dodge said, drawing rowdy applause from the crowd that sat beneath chandeliers in the Loews hotel ballroom in Miami Beach.

To read the full story, visit: the MiamiHerald.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Board of Directors of Venetia Condominium Association, Inc. will be held at the following date, time and place:

Date of Meeting: Monday, October 20th, 2008
Time of Meeting: 6:30 p.m.
Place of Meeting: Conference Room - Mezzanine Level

AGENDA
The order of business of the regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be as follows:
I. Determination of a quorum – President’s call to order
II. Review and approval minutes from July 29th, 2008 Board Meeting
III. Board and Committee Reports:

• State of the Venetia Finances - Quick Summary by Candace Vassillion,Advisory Board Member, Venetia Board of Directors
• Discussion with AFS about contracting to do A/R for Venetia in 2009
• Recommendations from the Finance Committee about proceeding to shift A/R from Continental to AFS after their review.
• AFS Contract Discussion with Michael Gongora from Becker & Poliakoff

IV. New Business

V. Unit owner questions and comments

** This is a working Board of Directors meeting and unit owners who wish to address the Board on any of the issues must be prepared to sign up to speak in turn, by 6:30 PM.

Questions and comments from each attendee will be limited to two minutes.

For The Board Of Directors
Fabie Verona, C.A.M.

Take a look at some spiffy new places and things within our building!

The 2nd floor Library corner or “nook” space was donated by Dr. Jay Hess, who also donated the beautiful brand new leather sofas and tables in the Library and on the main floor of the mezzanine. Gisella Ortiz our Venetia Admin, donated the prints on the Library walls. Total cost to the Venetia for one gallon of paint - $28

It’s a suggested “Take one, Leave one” free Library, and it is a great place to pass along your unneeded books, magazines, and videos along to your fellow residents. Plus, it is nice place to relax and hang out, or meet friends when you don’t want to be in your unit. One resident decided to spend a few hours there, relaxing while loud construction went on in her unit yesterday.

Seems the new collection process is working. The graph below shows the # of individuals who have made payments arrangements and/or payments on their maintenance and/or assessment balances in arrears and shows incredible growth over the last six months.

Great work!