Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Update - 30th August 2011

Back Gate Codes
It is that time again, the back gate codes will be changing September 5th. You should have received an email with the code. If you did not, please let me know.

Labor Day
Property Management and Concierge will not be in the office Monday September 5th in observance of Labor Day. If you have a property emergency, please contact Sterling Property Services at (239) 947-4552, wait for the answering machine and a number will be given to call the on call manager.

Beach Area
The Resident helping with the new design of the beach area will be sending three options with prices to the Board by the end of September. At that time the Board will look at the three options and prices and will decide how to proceed with the proposed project. I will keep all residents informed on this project via the Blog.

Communication
All of the responses that I received back from my blog last week regarding communication were in favor of the blog and the way it is being distributed to all Residents (email and posted on http://nsyca.blogspot.com/).

Monday, August 22, 2011

Keeping an eye on Hurricane Irene
As most of you are aware, a hurricane is projected to hit Florida early Friday Morning. As of right now they are saying it will be a category 2 when it makes landfall in Florida. Every day I will be posting to the Blog updates about the storm and reminders of storm preparation. We all know that it is still early and a lot can change from now to Friday. The best thing to do is prepare but not panic. The association is already taking certain measures to prepare for the storm such as topping off the generator and fire pump diesel tanks, prepping the janitorial staff for securing the property, such as the pool decks, clubhouse and lobbies, having the elevators park at P2 in case of flooding among other things. The best place to monitor the Hurricane is the Weather Channel. Again, it is still early and Irene's path is subject to change. A few things all residents can do to prepare is make sure all flash lights have batteries and are in good working order and getting a few gallons of bottled water. Once the storm gets closer, please remove all lanai furniture, potted plants and fan blades. All of these items can become dangerous projectiles during a storm.


Stairwell Doors
Security has been noticing someone propping open the stairwell #1 door on the East Tower with a rock. These stairwell doors are locked for security purposes. Please ensure that front doors, garage doors, stairwell doors and gates remain closed at all times as Security will remove any items that are holding doors open during their patrols of the property.

New Exit Push Buttons

New push buttons have been installed for the gates at the back of the property.

Landscape
The landscape company will be spraying for weeds in the pavers and the beds again Monday August 22nd.

Owner and Resident Communication
I am looking for new ways to better communicate with all residents to make sure you are being made aware of any and all Association News. The blogs that I write are posted online at http://nsyca.blogspot.com/ and emailed to all residents that have provided me with email address. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. In the past, residents have requested a TV channel for the association. Proposals were received and the Board opted not to proceed with project as it would only be good for those that are on the property and the emails/blog reach all residents wherever they are. Thanks!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Blog - 17 Aug 2011

Weekend Concierge
Tammy, the weekend concierge, will not be in this weekend, August 20th and 21st.

Gym
New dumbells have arrived for the gym. Please remember to return them to the racks after use.

News Article
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2011-08-05/Fort-Myers-teens-steal-vehicles-for-a-joy-ride
I guess there has been some talk about the juveniles that broke into some of the storage units here at North Star. The kids are not associated with North Star and do not live here, they have been caught by law enforcement and are being prosecuted. Those affected by this unfortunate incident should have received mail from the LCSO. If you still have questions regarding the incident, please contact me.

Office Phone
Century Link was here this afternoon and believe that they have fixed the phone line. If you get a message stating the mailbox is full, please trust me, it probably is not, so email me and I will get straight back to you.

Landscape
The landscapers will be spraying for weeds in the landscape beds and in between the pavers today.

Feedback/Suggestions
If you have any suggestions on topics that you would like to be included in the blog, please let me know. I only get one or two responses from residents to the blog when I email it out. Any feedback, clarification or questions on an issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Pet Reminder
The weight restriction is 25 lbs. All pets must be registered with the association. Please see Michelle or I for the forms. Please be a responsible dog owner and pick up after your dog(s). Please throw the waste bags in the trash can located at the pet station and not in any other garbage cans - thank you!

Landscape
Due to the rain in the last few days, the landscapers were unable to mow a few areas of the property yesterday. Most of the areas they were not able to get to were by the retention ponds. They will try these areas again next. The irrigation clock was down for about a week as the wires in the ground were shorting out. The electricians have been here for the last few days rerunning wires and the system is operational again. Luckily, we had a lot of rain in the last week so the turf did not get stressed.

Security
Just a reminder, please keep all valuables out of sight in your storage units and cars. Also, it's a good idea to keep your cars locked at all times, even if they are in the garage. This is something the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wanted to remind all residents of. For those owners that do not use their storage units, we are asking you to still put a lock on the storage. This will prevent anyone from gaining access to your neighbors storage unit. I am working with the developer on the unsold units to get those locked as well.

Garage Lights
The Board has approved to install a bypass switch for the garage lights so we can turn all the lights on during the day as needed. This was requested from a few homeowners who were affected by the break-ins. The switch was installed yesterday and the lights will all be on 24/7 for the time being.

Miscellaneous Items
The step at the pool deck by the fountains is scheduled to be replaced, I am just waiting for a date from the vendor. As soon as they let me know when it will be replaced, I will include it in the Blog.
The weights that were delivered for the gym were not what was ordered. The correct set should arrive within the next week.
If you notice any ants or other bugs in your unit please call me. The pest control contract includes internal unit maintenance as and when needed.
Once again, we are having problems with the office phone stating that the mailbox is full when it is not and not allowing callers to leave a message. I have reported the problems to CenturyLink (again) and they are working on it.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Suspects Caught
I am sure most of you that were affected by the recent thefts are aware that the suspects have been apprehended. Due to the this incident, the Board of Directors and I are working on getting a few proposals and reviewing some prior proposals regarding security. Revisions to the security camera proposal have been requested to add cameras to all garages. A proposal has been requested for bars to be installed at the openings to the right and left of the 2nd floor garages making it impossible to gain access to the garage from this area. A proposal has also been requested and received to have a bypass switch installed for the garage lights so all of the lights can be on as needed. This was sent over to the Board of Directors for approval this morning.

Other Items/Issues the Board is currently working on
The Board is working on tightening up the lease restrictions for North Star. If the Board decides to change the leasing restrictions, a Special Membership Meeting will be called and all Homeowners will be notified well in advance along with the proposed changes. The Board is also looking to amend the Rules and Regulations in regards to smoking at the pool. The Rules and Regulations can be changed from time to time with just a Board Meeting and Board Member vote. If the Board decides to do this, I will inform all residents via the blog.

Status on Maintenance Items
The east tower garage key pad leading to the pool area is working but continues to chirp. A technician was out at the property yesterday and is looking into how to repair it. The two push buttons at the east end of the property (by the kiddie pool and tennis courts) are not working. We have had a lot of problems with water getting into the boxes and shorting out the wires. The company is looking into either a way to correct it with the existing buttons or a different type of button completely. The sensor at the west tower lobby door has been adjusted as a resident reported it not working correctly. One of our residents has volunteered to help with the beach project. He will be reporting to the Board in a month with three different opinions for the Board to review.

Elevators
Please DO NOT smoke in the elevators. Section 823.12 F.S., states that smoking in elevators is unlawful. It is unlawful for any person to possess any ignited tobacco product or other ignited substance while present in an elevator. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in S. 775.082, S 775.083, S. 775.084.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Vandalism Update
Michelle Waldron the NSYC Deputy Property Manager and Concierge has just been informed by the Sheriff's Office that they have apprehended the two individuals responsible for the vandalism and thefts this week.
In addition, the Sheriff's Office will be around for the next couple of weeks to do security checks and advise on any improvements that can be made to the property to reduce the chances of a similar event occuring.
Recent Vandalism and Thefts
During the early hours of the morning on 8/2 and 8/3 two vehicles were vandalized and a number of storage units were broken into in the West tower:

102, 106, 109, 113, 121, 122, 124, 133, 139.

The local Sheriff was contacted in both events and we ask you to continue with this course of action if you see any further suspicious activity at the property.

In response to these unfortunate events, the overnight security function has immediately been increased by an additional guard, who will patrol the storage unit and parking garage areas.
A local security firm will be on property today and/or Monday to identify securing the most vulnerable areas. In addition they will provide a proposal for a camera system to cover the peripheral boundaries, storage areas and parking garages.

If you have been affected by these unfortunate events, please contact the local Sheriff’s office and use the following case numbers for any homeowner insurance claims:

11-295-777 and 11-296-143