North Star Yacht Club Association

Update - January 30th, 2012

2012-01-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

Flowers
The replacement flowers will be installed this week. There was 36 that need to be replaced. The areas where they will be replaced at are at the entrance, east tower and a few by the pool. The replacement plants will also be treated for fungus so this doesn’t happen again. As I stated before these replacements are at no cost to the association.

Back Gate Codes
It's that time again. The Back gate codes will be changing Monday February 6th, 2012. If you did not receive an email with the new gate code, please let me know.

Pet Owners
This is just a reminder to pick up after your dog. Picking up after your dog is not just a rule for the association, it is also for the health or your dogs and other dogs in the community. Please see link below reporting that Lee County has seen a rise in the Canine-Parvo virus.

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2012-01-27/Lee-County-sees-a-rise-in-canine-parvo-virus-#.TybYlCtSDx8.email

2012-01-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

Recycling Bins
Please remember there are designated bins for certain items
such as glass, paper, cardboard and styrofoam . Please break down all boxes.

Water Leaks
If you experience a water leak (dishwasher, washing machine,
laundry tubs, shower drain pans ect) please let me know. This way we can make
sure no other units were affected and if the association needs to get involved.

Men’s Steam Room
The plumber has spoken to the manufacturer and they feel it
is the scale build up on the probes causing the problem. Water Works will be
back out here on Monday to remove the probes and clean them off. At that time
they will also inspect the supply line filter and piping to make sure they are
clear as well. I will send out an update on Monday.

2012-01-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

Landscape
We have about 20 flowers at the front entrance that have root fungus. Greenscapes will be replacing these flowers at no charge to the Association. As soon as they have a date on when they will be installed, I will send it out in a blog.

Alarm Panels
The alarm company has silenced the alarm panels in the clubhouse and both tower lobbies while they finish up with the inspection. They will be done tomorrow. This way the panel will not beep that has been causing owners, guest, perspective buyers and vendors to be alarmed or concerned.

Garage Security Bars
I just wanted to take the time to explain a few delays we have had with the Garage Security Bars. First of all, Gulf Coast Metal Works had a delay with the holidays on getting paper work over to the office in order for a check to be cut for the deposit. The check was cut at the end of December and fabrication on the bars started. When I spoke to them on January 12th they still had about 4 more days with the fabricators and another 4-5 days for powder coating. I spoke to the company earlier this week and they are having a few issues with the powder coating. They will be out today to get a better match of what we already have existing for the garage bars on the first floor. We are looking at an install of late next week. I should know an exact date early next week and will post in a blog.

Men’s Steam Room
Water Works was here this morning to look at the steam room. Unfortunately, he was unable to fix it while he was here and is going back to the office to speak to the manufacturer. He believed it is the control board that is causing the problem and if that is the case, he will have it overnighted and installed at the beginning of next week. I will keep everyone update when more information because available.

Jan-Pro Schedule
With two weeks of the new crew working at North Star, they have been able to set out a schedule for the floors. Below is the schedule. The cleaners will try their best to adhere to the schedule but please keep in mind there might be times where they get behind due to things out of their control
like weather, emergency’s or other little things that we might need them for. I will know when this happens since they keep a log book for the floors. The days that only two floors are done, they also work on the stairwells so that all the stairs are cleaned once a month. And on Friday we have two cleaners hence the extra floors.

Monday: East Tower Floors 3,4,5

Tuesday: East Tower Floors 6,7,8

Wednesday: East Tower Floors 9,10

Thursday: East Tower Floors 11,12, PH

Friday: West Tower Floors 3,4,5,6,7,8

Saturday: West Tower Floors 9,10,11

Sunday: West Tower Floors 12, PH

Update - 25th January, 2012

2012-01-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

Theater
The theater is reserved for tomorrow night, January 26th from 7:30 to 12 AM for 805E.

Cigarette Butts
Please discard cigarette butts in the proper waste container. We have been finding a lot of New Port cigarette butts out by the pool that have not been proper disposed of.

Men’s Steam Room and Women’s Bathroom
The men’s steam room is not working and Water Works will be out here tomorrow to take a look at it. They will also be looking at the middle toilet in the women’s bathroom upstairs that is not working.

Pool Furniture
If you move the pool furniture, please move it back to where you found it.

Additions to the Massage Rooms, Gym and the Aerobics Room
A clock has been hung in the aerobic room. Also, hooks will be installed in the massage rooms to hang your robe.

Annual Inspection
I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for their patience with the Annual Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm Inspection. We were able to get in to all 170 units in 2 hours and 30 minutes, which is a record for us.

Elevators
Tomorrow, January 26th, 2012 the alarm company will be making sure the recall works for all the elevators. They will be starting at 10 AM and will take one elevator out of service to make sure they get the proper signals when the elevator reaches each floor. The test should take about 15 minutes per elevator. One elevator per tower will always be in service for residents use, it just might be a little slower after you call it since all residents will be using the one. I appreciated your patience.

Update - 24th January, 2012

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Water to the Buildings
The plumbing project is completed for the day. Water has been restored, we just ask that you run your washing machine first before anything else in case there is some debris in the lines.

Back Gates
Please make sure the back gates close behind you and please do not prop these gates open.

2012-01-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

Theater Reservations
The theater is reserved for 1206E on Sunday January 22nd, 2012 from 7-11 PM.
The theater is reserved for 405W on Tuesday January 24th, 2012 from 6-9 PM.

Reminders
Annual Fire Sprinkler Inspection
On January 25th, 2012 starting at 9 AM, we will be having the annual fire alarm inspection and the quarterly fire sprinkler inspection. Please be aware that alarms will be sounding during the inspection. We will also need access to all units to ensure the alarms are working in each unit and a visual inspection of the fire sprinkler heads will also be conducted. I will be accompanying the inspectors into the units.
Plumbing Renovations
On January 24th starting at 9 AM, the water to both buildings will be off while some plumbing renovations are completed. The water will be off anywhere from 3-7 hours. Unfortunately there will also be no water in the clubhouse. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
On January 31st, starting at 9 AM the plumbers will be drilling in the 2nd floor garages (in the west tower below the 08 stack and in the east tower below the 01 stack). The drilling will take about 2 hours. Water service might be interrupted this day. If it is, it will only be for a short period of time. They will be flushing out the pipes on the 2nd floor garage and the parking spots that are below these pipes need to be left open. The homeowners assigned to these spots have been contacted.
West Tower – P-074, P-075, P-076, P-106, P-107 and P-108
East Tower - P-074, P-075, P-076, P-106, P-107 and P-108
Also in the East Tower we ask these spots stay open as they might get some dust on them.
P-101, P-102, P-104 and P-105

Found Earring
An earring was found at the entrance doors to the clubhouse today, Friday January 20th. If you have lost an earring, please let me know or send me a description of the earring you lost.

Board Meeting Rumors
I have heard rumors about the Board having a recent meeting which was not properly noticed. Florida Statues along with the Association Documents states a Board Meeting must be posted 48 hours prior to the meeting on the condominium property. The Board Meeting was held on January 11th at 11 AM. The notice was posted in both towers and at the clubhouse January 9th at 9:30 AM. Also, the same day the board meeting was held, I put out a blog and one of the items was “Key Points from today's Board Meeting”.

Tennis Courts
It was reported during the Board Meeting that the tennis courts were very wet from the irrigation in the morning. I have had the irrigation tech look into this problem and I got his work order back completed. If you experience any further problems, please let me know.

Update - 17th January, 2012

2012-01-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Theater Reservations
402E has reserved the Theater for Friday, January 20th from 5 PM to 11 PM.

Clarification on the Committee's Report/Plan for the Grill Location at last week's Board Meeting
Beach Area – The Committee presented their idea for the beach area with a gazebo and paver path way and possible grilling areas located at both towers by the garden. The Committee should have a proposal to the Board prior to the next board meeting.

The grill location that the committee recommended was not in the beach area but in the garden areas at both towers. If you don’t know where the garden area is, please let me know and I can point it out to you. Of course, the Board has not approved anything at this time because the committee has not given a proposal to the board. We are hoping to have a proposal for review prior to the next board meeting from the committee.

Update - January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Beau Gate
Maingate has fixed the gate at Beau Drive. If you experience any more problems with it, please let me know.

Typo in Yesterdays Blog
Regarding the Rules and Regulations – The clubhouse will NOW be locked at 6 PM after sales leaves. The last email said not instead of now. I apologize for the confusion.

Response to NSYC Shutterfly Website Posted by Marlene Laskey
The Clubhouse will not able to be reserved on the following Holidays:
New Years Eve, New Years Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Homeowners brought this to the Board's attention before the end of the year with the theater reserved on New Years Eve by a homeowner. A lot of the homeowners wanted to have a Homeowner New Years Eve party and felt some Holidays should be left open for all homeowners. The Board considered this and at the Board meeting held on January 11th, the Board voted to put this into the rules and Regulations.

Update - January 11th, 2012

2012-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Parking Decals and Resident Information Sheets (last posted September 23rd, 2011)
For those new owners that have not filled out and returned a resident information sheet, please pick up a form at the North Star office or the guard house and return it to the office. Also, if you do not have a NSYC decal on your car, please send me an email or call me to set up a time to get one.

If you have parking decal number 219, please call me or come down and see me. Also, please do not take up two spots in the parking garage.

Back Gate Codes
The codes were successfully changed Monday morning. If you did not get the email with the code, please let me know.

Maintenance Fee Reminder
1st quarter Maintenance fees were due January 1st, 2012.

Beau Drive Gate
Maingate was out here today to fix the gate at Beau Drive. Unfortunately they were not able to fix it today but will be back tomorrow. Power has been turned of to both gates (entrance and exit gate). Do NOT use the gates located at Beau Drive, use the main entrance and exit instead.

Laundry/Towels on Balcony (Declaration, Section 17.7 – Unit Owners’ Personal Property)
No Rubbish, garbage, refuse or trash shall be kept, stored, or allowed to accumulate on any portion of the condominium property, except within designated trash receptacles. No linens, clothing, household fabrics, curtains, rugs, or laundry of any kind shall be hung, shaken, dried or aired from any windows, doors, balconies, terrace, or other portion of the condominium property.

Association Employees (Rules and Regulations, Section 29 – Use of Employees)
Employees of the association are not to be engaged by Unit Owners during such employees normal working hours, for personal errands or any other working, which is not within the scope of the applicable employees duties. The Board of Directors, through a management company engaged by the association, if any, shall be solely responsible for directing and supervising the Association employees.

With the new cleaning company staffed, I want to reminder homeowners of this. Any Questions, please let me know.

Key Points from todays Board Meeting
Beach Area – The Committee presented their idea for the beach area with a gazebo and paver path way and possible grilling areas located at both towers by the garden. The Committee should have a proposal to the Board prior to the next board meeting.
Projects/Vendor Selection: The Board decided to go ahead with the following projects, Trash Chute Cleaning, Dryer Vent Cleaning and switching of Propane to Natural Gas for the pool/spa heaters.
Proposals on Hold: The board chose to table the Back Gate Proximity Card Proposal due to manufacturer's suggestions. More information will be gather and provided to the board prior to the next Board Meeting.
Changes/Additions to the Rules and Regulations: (a)Power Washing the Lanais is not allowed. (b) The Clubhouse will not be locked at 6 PM after sales leaves, this will include the business center doors, clubhouse front doors, clubhouse back doors (first and second floor). If you have the Clubhouse rented out or if an event is going on, the clubhouse doors will be locked after the event is over. This will go into affect January 16th, 2012 (a) the Association does not allow any one person to reserve the clubhouse on Holidays or major sporting events. These days it will be open for all homeowners use.

2012-01-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Correction to Yesterday's Blog regarding the Reservations
Saturday Night, January 7th from 6:30 to 11 PM the clubhouse, theater and billiards room is reserved for 1102E.

Found Towel
There was a towel found this morning out by the putting green. It is a purplish hand towel. If it is yours, please let me know.

2012-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Annual Fire Sprinkler Inspection
On January 25th, 2012 starting at 9 AM, we will be having the annual fire alarm inspection and the quarterly fire sprinkler inspection. Please be aware that alarms will be sounding during the inspection. We will also need access to all units to ensure the alarms are working in each unit and a visual inspection of the fire sprinkler heads. I will be accompanying the inspectors into the units.

Plumbing Renovations
On January 24th starting at 9 AM, the water to both buildings will be off while some plumbing renovations are completed. The water will be off anywhere from 3-7 hours. Unfortunately there will also be no water in the clubhouse. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.
On January 31st, starting at 9 AM the plumbers will be drilling in the 2nd floor garages (in the west tower below the 08 stack and in the east tower below the 01 stack). The drilling will take about 2 hours. Water service might be interrupted this day. If it is, it will only be for a short period of time. They will be flushing out the pipes on the 2nd floor garage and these parking spots that are below these pipes need to be left open. I will contact the owners of these spots directly but also want to make sure no one else uses them.
West Tower – P-074, P-075, P-076, P-106, P-107 and P-108
East Tower - P-074, P-075, P-076, P-106, P-107 and P-108
Also in the East Tower we ask these spots stay open as they might get some dust on them.
P-101, P-102, P-104 and P-105

Back Gate Codes
We had a problem with putting in the new back gate codes on Tuesday and yesterday. Someone will be out before the end of the week to look at it and if they are able to correct it the new gate codes will be put in Monday, 1-9-12.

Reservations
With Michelle out today and tomorrow, I was not able to post reservations to the Shutterfly website so I am posting them in the blog instead.
Tonight, January 5th from 8 to 10 PM the theater is reserved for 608W.
Saturday Night, January 7th from 6:30 to 11 PM the clubhouse and card room is reserved for 1102E
Marlene Einstein will be setting up Mah Jonng on Friday, January 13th at 1 PM in the card room. Those that are interested, please email her at meinstein01@gmail.com.

Missing Plant
On Tuesday, it was reported to us by our inside plant company that one of the plants in the clubhouse is missing. If you move one of the plants for a party, please remember to move it back. We have searched the lobbies, clubhouse and closets and have not been able to locate it. If you have it, or know where it is, please return it or let me know. If it does not show up, the company will be charging the association for the missing plant.

Update - Jan 3rd, 2012

2012-01-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Dog Etiquette
When you take your dog outside, please remember the dog needs to be on a leash at all times while on the common property. This is for the safety of your dog, other dogs and residents. We are still having issues with owners not picking up their dog's waste. If you are a dog owner, please make sure every time the dog is taken out that the waste is picked up and discarded in one of the pet stations trash can.

Reservation Notices
Please do not remove the reservation notices that are posted at the theater, billiards and card room. In the last two weeks we have had two reservation notices removed from the door and people other than the party that reserved it using the area.

Super Sliders – Resident Recommendation (originally posted October 13th, 2010)
We have gotten complaints from residents regarding noise coming from the upstairs when chairs or furniture are being moved around on the tile. One of North Star’s Residents provided me with some information on furniture sliders that they have used in their condo. The name of this product is Super Sliders by Waxman. They can be found at Lowes or Home Depot for just over $4 for 4 of them. They are self sticking and are to be applied to each leg. They eliminate the noise you hear when sliding a chair across the floor.
*This is just a reminder since we have been getting calls from owners complaining about noise from units above them*

Flowers
Due to the frost warning for Lee County, Greenscapes will be covering the plants with frost cloth this afternoon.

Email
My email was not working earlier today, I was able to send emails but not received them. It is now working fine but I apologize for the delayed response in answering the emails that were sent yesterday and this morning.

2011-12-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Window Washing Reminder
Just a reminder, the Inaccessible windows will be washed tomorrow December 28th and Thursday December 29th.

Theater/Clubhouse Reservations
We had a homeowner reserve the theater from 5-8 last night through Michelle. When the homeowner came down to use the theater another resident said that they reserved it through Michelle from 5-10 and kicked the other homeowner out that reserved it. After looking on Michelle’s calendar, it does show, (not in Michelle’s handwriting and it was not there Friday before she left) the clubhouse from 5-10, not the theater. This was not properly reserved through Michelle. Michelle puts all of the reservations on the NSYC Shutterfly website, please refer to that calendar and do not reserve anything on your own or put it on. We do know who this party was and will be discussing it with them.

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing TUESDAY January 3rd due to Monday being a Holiday. You will be receiving an email with the codes.

Washing of Cars on Association Property
Section 20 of the Rules and Regulations states:
“No owner, occupant, or other person shall conduct repairs, maintenance, washing or restorations on any motor vehicle, or other vehicle, or race the engine of any motor vehicle, upon any portion of the Condominium Property.”

Rules and Regulations – Reminders
Leases – All leases must be approved by the association. Leases must be no less than 30 days and no more than 4 times a year.
Pets – All pets must be registered with the association. No more than 2 household pets are allowed and the weight restriction is 25 pounds each.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe New Year and I will see you all next year!

2011-12-27T06:37:00.002-08:00

Spa Heater
A replacement spa heater has been installed at zero notice by our pool company Tri City. Suburban propane will be here today to make the final connection, so by later today we will be up and running.. sorry for any inconvenience this caused last night.
I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.. I will be back in the office Tuesday Morning... Merry Christmas! Michelle Waldron

Update - 21 December 2011

2011-12-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

Window Washing
The inaccessible windows will be cleaned December 28th and 29.

Parking
Please make sure you are parked in your assigned parking spot. We have received a lot of complaints in the last couple of weeks due to people parking in the wrong spots. If you are unsure of your assigned parking spot, please let me know.

Association Mailing Address
If you are down here this winter and would like to receive your association mail at the property address, please send me an email letting me know to change your mailing address to the property address. I can only change it if an homeowner puts the request in writing.

2011-12-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

AC in the Gym and Aerobics Room
The AC controls in the Gym and Aerobics room have been unlocked. The AC company does not recommend the AC being below 68 degrees. If you do turn down the temperature, please remember to turn it back to 74 degrees when you leave.

Update on the Beau Drive Resident Gate
The gate company was out Wednesday afternoon to adjust the Resident exit gate at Beau Drive so it does not hit the curb.

Flowers and Flower Beds
New river rocks will be installed at the flower beds located at the entrances of the towers and the islands out by the pool. There were a few annuals that did not make it through install and will be replaced at no cost to the association.

Popcorn Maker
If you use the popcorn maker, please clean it out after you are done.

Accepting Packages
If you need Michelle to accept a package please make sure the company knows that her hours are 8 AM to 4 PM.

Update - 14 December, 2011

2011-12-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

Pool and Spa
The propane company was out here Monday afternoon. They checked for a leak and found nothing. They did refill the tanks and came out again today to make sure the usage was correct. The system on the spa heater was in lock out. I was able to get the faults to clear and it is up and running again. On a side note, the association is looking into using natural gas instead of propane. The cost per gallon for natural gas is about $0.90 as opposed to around $2.50/gallon for propane. As I am just starting to gather information and pricing it looks like the spa and pools heaters would be able to run on natural gas which means we would not have to get new heaters. We do have a natural gas line that we can hook up to on the property. They would be able to use our existing underground tank. I would like to thank Dave Large for getting me in touch with Teco Gas

Beau Drive Gate
Please do not push these gates open to walk through them. We have pedestrian gates on Beau Drive by the marina walk way. Please use this gate instead. The reason why the gates do “give” a bit is if a car does bump it, it will not cause damage to the gate/motor. Also, when exiting the property, please wait for the gate to stop moving before passing through the gate. We are having issues with it hitting the curb and bouncing back a bit. A work order has already been put into Maingate. Once they correct the problem or find a solution, I will update the owners via the Blog.

Update - December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

2012 Budget/ Quarterly Maintenance Fees
The 2012 Budget was Approved by the Board of Directors on November 21st and coupons were mailed out last Friday. The new quarterly amounts are:

Type A - Aquarius $2,029.00
Type B – Libra $1,905.00
Type C – Capricorn $1,760.00
Type D – Orion $2,132.00
Type E – Perseus $2,354.00
Type F – Pegasus $2,460.00
Type G – Polaris $3,190.00

The fees are due by January 1st, 2012. If you have any questions regarding the quarterly dues, please let me know.

Back Gates Key Pad
At the Board Meeting the residents in attendance asked about a fob system for the back gates instead of the key pads we currently have there. I am working on getting prices and will provide them to the Board Members. It would be the same system we currently have for the garages into the clubhouse. This way we would not have to distribute any other fobs/keycards. I will keep you informed if the Board decides to approve this project.

Holiday Hours/ Vacations
Property Management and Concierge will be closed Monday December 26th and January 2nd. Michelle will be off December 20th and I will be off December 22nd-23rd and December 29th-30th. Sales will be closed December 24th, December 25th and January 1st . On December 31st, they will be closing at 2 PM.

Pool/Spa
The propane company is coming out today to look into a possible leak. A homeowner reported this morning that there was a very strong propane smell Saturday night over by the spa.

Trash Chutes
Please remember not to put cardboard or styrofoam down the trash chutes.

2011-12-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

HE Detergent
We have had issues in two units with soap suds coming up in their toilets/drains. The engineer and plumber has asked the association residents to start using HE detergent in the wash machines. We are hoping this will correct the problem as it has in other communities.

Screen Door Flyer
Attached is the flyer for the screen door that would not attach to yesterday's email.

Office Phone Line
Century Link was out here again yesterday to look at our phone line (239-656-1430) and it looks like they finally found the issue. Let’s hope this fixes the problem. If you experience any message stating "the mailbox is full" then please let me know.

2011-12-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Back Gate Codes
Just a reminder, the back gate codes changed last week. If you did not get the email with the codes, please let me know.

Board Meeting Report
Here are the items that were decided on at the Board Meeting that was held on December 2nd at 12 PM:

Phantom Screen Doors
The Board has approved the Phantom Screen Door for homeowners to install at their front doors. Please see attached flyer from Lowes. This is the only screen door the association will allow homeowners to have. Lowes will need a letter from the association saying the Board of Directors have approved this door for the association. Please let me know if you are looking to do this and I will provide you the letter.

Security Cameras/ Security Bars for the Garage Openings
The Board has approved the Security Bars for the garage openings on the second floor. They will be installed around the 1st of the year. The Board did not approve the Security Cameras but discussed the issue at length.

Smoking Policy
The association had an incident over the summer at the pool regarding smoking. A poll was put on the Associations’ Shutterfly Website on whether smoking should be banned on all common areas of the association or if there should be a designated smoking area. The results were:
Smoking should be banned – 5 votes
Smoking should not be banned – 5 votes
Designated smoking area – 4 votes
At this time the Board decided not to take any action on this and felt homeowners, smokers and non smokers, should be considerate and respectful to others as it is everyone’s home.
Just a reminder smoking in the elevator is not allowed. It is against the Law.

Lease Restrictions
The Board is working on tightening up the lease restrictions within the Association. This matter has been turned over to the Association’s attorney to draft the amendment with the language the Board would like. The Members will vote on the proposed Amendment at the Annual Meeting.

Holiday Party
Reminder, the Holiday Party is tomorrow! Contact Michelle if you have any questions about the Party.

2011-12-02T12:08:00.001-08:00

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing Monday December 5th. If you do not receive the gate code via email, please let Michelle or I know.
Thank You.

URGENT - PHONE LINE ISSUE

2011-11-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

We are having issues with the office phone line. Please use 239-656-1796 to get in touch with Michelle or I. Century Link is working on the issue but line 1, 239-656-1430, is not working at this time and is not rolling over to the other line. If you cannot reach us by phone, please use email.

2011-11-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Window Replacement – East Tower
Tomorrow, Friday November 18th a window is being replaced. If you are in the 7 stack of the east tower you will see rope and cord hanging outside your living room window. The 3rd, 4th and 5th floors will see a swing station outside of the living room windows for a short time while they work their way up to the 6th floor to do the work. They will also be using a generator that will create a bit of noise. I apologize for inconvenience this may cause.

Offices Closed
The offices will be closed Thanksgiving and the following Friday.

Update 16th November 2011

2011-11-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Recycling
Please be careful when throwing glass bottles into the recycling totes. We have had a few incidents of broken glass in this area.

Wasps
We have been battling with wasps up on the roofs. The East tower roof was sprayed at the end of last week and the West tower will be sprayed today or tomorrow morning depending on the wind. The wasps are finding tiny holes in the tin roof where the slats meet. We have been working with a pest control company and the roofers to find a solution. I will keep everyone updated via the Blog.

Budget Meeting
The Budget Meeting is being held Monday, November 21st at 3 PM in the Clubhouse Theater. All Owners were mailed Notice of the Meeting and the 2012 Proposed Budget in accordance with the Florida State Statutes.

Mailing Addresses for Homeowners
If you need to change your mailing address to the property address for association mailings for the winter season, please let me know.

Update - 8th November, 2011

2011-11-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

November 13th to 19th is Safety Awareness for Elevators. I received an email from the Elevator Company, Kone, today and thought it was a good idea to share their safety tips and reminders.
Elevator Safety Tips
• Be mindful of floor levels before entering or leaving elevator
• Stand aside for exiting passengers
• Enter and exit carefully, watching your step
• Don't try to stop a closing door with anything, including hands, feet, canes, etc. Use the Door Open button or wait for the next elevator to arrive
• Hold pets and children firmly
• Stand clear of the doors-keep clothes and carry-ons away from the opening
• Hold the handrail and stand back from the doors
• If the doors do not open when the elevator stops, push the door open button
• No unauthorized person should enter the elevator shaft

Back Gate Push Button and Key Pad
Both the key pad and push buttons have been fixed. Let me know if you experience any problems with them.

Pool and Spa – Out of propane
A propane delivery will be here today or tomorrow for the spa and pool heaters.

Tree Trimming
The tree trimming will be taking place tomorrow and Thursday.

2011-11-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Back Gate Codes
The Back gate codes will be changing Monday November 7th. If you did not receive the email with the code, please let me know.

Trash Chutes and Dumpsters
Please do not throw carpet and construction debris down the trash chute. Earlier this week someone put a roll of carpet down the trash chute and clogged the chute. If you have big items that need to be discarded, please make sure you call into WastePro for a special pick up. Their number is 239-337-0800.

Pet Stations
The west tower pet station is broken. A new one has been ordered and will be replaced once it comes in.

Beach Area and Volleyball Court
The beach area and volleyball court will be getting new sand. The board is also looking into doing some additional plans in this area along with some benches and/or picnic tables. Any enhancements, once board approved, will most likely be done in the beginning of 2012.

Garage Sweeping
I just want to thank those homeowners that have sent in suggestions, recommendations and information on the cleaning of the garage floors.

2011-10-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

Elevators
If you are moving items in or having furniture delivered, please contact Michelle or I so we can schedule to have the elevator pads put up. Also, if you are moving in or out, please let us know so we can lock out an elevator for you that way two elevators are not being tied up.

Fountain Lights
It was reported that a few of the fountain lights are possibly out. Tri-City Pools will be here today to take a look at it.

Garages
A few weeks ago, the janitorial staff tried to clean the sand out of the garages and tried something new. This did not work. We are looking into a few other ways (with the help of suggestions from NSYC residents) to get the garages cleaned of the sand. Any suggestions are welcomed to help us with this problem. Maid to Perfection will be getting me prices and different options to present to the board.

Building Lights
All of the ballasts that needed to be replaced have been taken care of except one that needs a new socket. Orlando checked the building lights once a month.

Update on Key Pad and Push Button
Both should be up and running by the end of the week. The parts come in on Wednesday and the company will be out Thursday or Friday.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Spa Push Button
The push button by the spa is jammed and the vendor has ordered parts to install inside of the box to prevent this from happening again. The reason we switched to this button is due to water intrusion with the other buttons so we decided to try a non mechanical push button.

East Tower Garage Key Pad
The key pad by the east tower garage has been playing-up for some time now. We have replaced the key pad 3 times. The vendor has recommended a key pad that has a membrane covering the buttons which should not allow water into the box, which they believe may be the problem. They have ordered this and I will let you know when it is scheduled to be installed.

Spa
The spa has been fixed. If you experience any problems with it, please let me know.

Fountain Motor
The circulation motor for the fountains behind the pool has died. The motor has been ordered and will be installed shortly.

Landscape
The sabal palm trees will be trimmed November 14th and 15th but I am trying to get this moved up to November 9th and 10th. I will let you know what date it will be, once Greencapes get back to me.
The flowers will be installed November 17th or 18th depending on the flower shipment.

Building Lights
Orlando checked all the building lights yesterday. We have 7 building lights that need new ballasts and 8 of the recessed can lights by the elevators that need new ballasts. Someone will be out later today to work on the 7 building lights and a work order has been put in with the electricians to fix the recessed can lights.

Update - October 12, 2011

2011-10-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Light out in Fountain
It was reported to me that a light in the fountain out by the pool was not working yesterday. Today Tri-City Pools was here and was able to replace the light bulb. If you notice any other lights out, please let me know since I am not here at night.

Alarm from Panel in the Lobbies
I am aware of the panels in the lobbies beeping. Every time they beep I do get a call from the monitoring center. The fire alarm company was out here Friday, Monday and yesterday trying to pin point the problem. They are continuing to work on the issue.

Reminder for Quarterly Dues
Just another reminder, the fourth quarterly maintenance dues were due October 1st. Those that have not paid as of today will be receiving a letter in the mail and interest we accrue on their account.

West Tower Elevator #2
The elevator is now up and running again. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

October 14th, 2011
I will be out of the office October 14th, 2011.

Elevator Problem

2011-10-11T13:49:00.001-07:00

Elevator Down
West Elevator #2 is not working. The elevator company has been called and will be out tomorrow morning. The elevator is stuck on the 8th floor. I apologize for this inconvenience. An update will be sent out via email when the elevator is up and running.

Update - Theater Projector

2011-10-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

This morning, I received an email from a homeowner that was at the Monday Night Football last night in the theater. Due to the issues with the projector for last night’s football game, we are looking into another projector. One NSYC Resident also contacted me about the old projector, as he might be able to repair it for the Association so we can have a spare. The company will be giving me a proposal sometime today for the Board to review. The Board is aware that the Association does have events going on in the theater more this month, and will try to expedite this but they also want to make sure we get one that will work for the Association. I appreciate everyone’s patience in this matter.

Update - Oct 10, 2011

2011-10-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

Theater
The projector has been installed and is up and running. However, they will be back tomorrow to replace the lens and adjust the picture to fit on the screen. Currently the picture is not fitting to the entire screen due to the lens but at least it will work and not turn off in the middle of Monday Night Football tonight.

Back Gates
It was reported this weekend that the back gates leading from the pool to the garages were not working. This morning both of the gates were checked and are in working order. If you have any other issues with these gates, please let me know.

Noise
Please be mindful of your neighbors. Noises do travel from your unit to others, especially if you have tile floors.

Guest Parking
With season right around the corner, please leave the guest spots at the circle of the towers for guests.

Trash
Someone is leaving trash in the west tower parking spot P-050. It looks like someone was changing oil and doing some work on their car and left a lot of debris in this parking spot. This is an owners spot. Do not leave trash in a parking spot or in the garage. The condominium documents states “no owner, occupant, or other person shall conduct repairs, maintenance, washing or restorations on any motor vehicle or other vehicle or race the engine of any vehicle, upon any portions of the condominium property”.

Grills
Please remember gas and charcoal grills are not allowed on Association property. The only grills that are allow are electric grills per the Rules and Regulations.

Spa
Friday afternoon, the spa was up and running. Sometime during the weekend, the heater failed and locked out the system. The pool company was here this morning to take a look at it. It is not something they can fix and another company who has worked on the heaters in the past has already been called out.

2011-10-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Theater Projector Update
Approval has been given to purchase a new projector for the theater. The current projector fan is causing the unit to overheat. To fix the fan on the projector would cost about the same to replace it and we would be without a projector for a few weeks. The new projector will be installed Monday.

Fire Alarms and Fire Protection Quarterly Inspection
Friday, October 21st starting at 9 AM the quarterly inspection will begin. The alarms should NOT sound.

Annual Fire Extinguisher Inspection
Fyer Fyter will be on property today and Friday to inspect and service (if needed) all of the fire extinguishers on the property.

Front Gate Entry System
We have discovered that there was a problem with one of the phone lines which resulted in new owner and tenant updates not being uploaded to the system. This should be resolved today. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

I will be out of the office Friday, October 14th. If there are property emergencies please contact Michelle at 239-656-1430.

Update - 28th September, 2011

2011-09-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Personal Codes
Please do not give out your personal codes to vendors and/or guest. We are trying to keep the property secure but when residents are giving out their personal codes, it just opens the doors to a lot of people. Just think if those people you give codes to, either it is a guest of vendor, they could possibly give it out to someone else. We have 24 hour security for this reason, to let your vendor and/or guest in. The phone number to contact security is 239-961-8923.

Pool Area
The spa heater is down, a work order has been put in. I will let you know when the spa is up and running again. One of the large umbrellas has been broken. I am in the process of having someone take a look at it and hopefully they will be able to fix it. I will have Orlando put one umbrella at either side of the pool area to accommodate both towers.

Window Cleaning Reminder
The inaccessible windows will be cleaned tomorrow and Friday.

Bell Carts – West Tower
Please remember to return the bell carts to the lobbies. We have located one of the bell carts and new wheels need to be put on it. Once this one gets repaired it will be returned to the Lobby. We are still looking for one more missing cart.

Gym
Thank you to the person that returned the weights to the gym. We should always have 14 sets of weights in the gym.

Update - September 27, 2011

2011-09-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing Monday, October 3rd, 2011. If you have not received an email with the new code, please let me know.

Theater
Please do not use the sleep timer on the TV in the theater. Also, there were instructions on the back side of the door that someone has removed. This makes it very difficult for others who are not as familiar with the theater to use it. Michelle will be putting new instructions on the back side of the door. We are having an issue with the fan in the projector. The company was out here today and diagnosed the problem. They will be trying to get this fixed without disrupting the service of the projector and will be getting back to me later today.

Gym
We are missing a set of weights that have not been located at this time. Please DO NOT take the weights out of the Clubhouse. If you take the weights to the aerobics room, please remember to return them.

2011-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Window Cleaning
The inaccessible windows will be cleaned September 29th and 30th.

Resident information Sheets and Vehicle Decals
For those new owners that have not filled out and turned in a resident information sheet, please see attached form. Please fill out and return to the North Star Office. You can also pick the forms up in the North Star office or the guard house. Also, if you do not have a NSYC decal on your car, please send me an email or call me to set up a time to get your decal. If you are not here right now but will be this winter, I will have designated days and times for residents to get the decals like we did last year which will be posted in the Blog.
Many thanks!

Update - September 14th, 2011

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Elevators
The display indicating what floor the #4 elevator is on in the East Tower is not working. Also, the West Tower #2 elevator is saying it is out of service but is still running. This elevator is working but there is a problem with this display board keeping the Out Of Service message on. Both display boards have been order and will be installed when they come in.

Push Button – Back Gates
The push button that was reported as not working Monday is now up and running. The cause of the failure was someone hitting the button too hard and causing the wires to get pinches. The mechanical buttons do not need to be hit hard to allow the gate to open.

Window Cleaning
The window cleaning for inaccessible windows will be done September 30th. A reminder notice will be sent out via the blog and also put on the bulletin board in both towers.

Update - September 12, 2011

2011-09-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

West Tower Cabana AC Update (emailed to West Tower cabana owners 9-12-11 at 9:15 AM)

The compressor was installed last Friday but they were not able to turn on the system until they got all the checks done. They were not able to complete this on Friday and are back this morning to do all the checks. The AC will be up and running by mid day. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for everyone’s patience’s in this matter.

Recycling
Please remember not to put trash with the recyclables. The recycling company will not pick it up if there is trash in with it. Also, all boxes must be broken down. Due to the Holiday last Monday, the trash and recyclables were to be picked up a day later then their scheduled pick up, which for the recyclables was Saturday. For some reason they were not picked up. A work order has been put in to get these picked up today.

Clubhouse TV’s
When done using the TV’s in the gym, aerobics room, card room, billiards room and the theater please remember to turn the TV off.

Marina Gates
It was reported to me this morning that the push button on the gate leading out to the marina is not working again. I have placed a work order with Safety Signal.

Pool Area
The step out by the pool deck will be installed this week. Also, please remember to put the umbrellas down when you are done using them.

Update -September 9, 2011

2011-09-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

Data Logger for the Booster Pump
The last leg of the boost pump project will be taking place today. The data logger will log the City pressure coming in to the property. The expense for this logger will be absorbed by the developer. Because of the valves that were put in at the end of July, it will allow the logger to be installed without disrupting water service to the buildings. At most, the booster pump will be turned off for 2-3 minutes but this should not be noticeable.

Trash Chutes and Dumpster Rooms
The trash chutes and dumpster rooms in both towers have been cleaned and deodorized.

Tower Luggage Carts
Please remember to return the luggage carts after you are done using them.

Activities
Michelle is getting ready for Season to come. She is working on events for homeowners to enjoy such as movie night and yoga. Yoga will be starting up in October. Michelle will provide more information on these events in her Newsletter.

Update - September 7th, 2011

2011-09-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

West Tower Cabanas (as emailed to owners of the west tower cabanas 9-6-11 at 9:42 AM)
Over the weekend it was reported that the AC in the West Tower cabanas was not working. The a/c company was called out and they were here on September 4th. The compressor was found to be locked up and burned out. A new compressor was ordered and it will be installed on Friday if they get it Thursday, as expected. At that time they will also investigate what caused the compressor to fail. One good thing is the compressor is under warranty. If anything changes with this, I will let all West Tower Cabana owners know. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We take measures to prevent things like this happening by having a quarterly preventative maintenance program on all of the common area a/c units (which included the cabanas since they are serviced by one unit). Unfortunately a compressor can be in good working order and the next day it can fail. These things are out of our control and cannot be predicted, but I assure you we are working to get it resolved as soon as possible.

General Reminders
Please do not leave anything in the breezeways. We are noticing toys and pool items left outside of unit doors for days. With Season approaching fast, please remember to park in your designated parking spot. If you do not know if you are parking in the correct spot, please contact me. Every month I try to put a reminder to dog owners about picking up after their dogs. It has been noticed on the East Tower over by the parking lot, someone or more are not picking up after their dog(s). Please do the right thing and pick up after your dogs. It is a privilege to be able to keep a dog at the property, not a right. Also, no tenant, lessees, invitees or visitors shall be permitted to bring pets on the property or into any unit without prior written permission and consent of the Condominium Association. All animals must be registered with the Association. If you have not registered your animal(s) with the Association, please let me know and I will get you the form to fill out. This is not just an Association rule but for the safety for all so we know whose dog is whose in case of emergency.

Pergola Columns
The pergola columns out by the pool and in both garden areas have been a source for frustration for BBL (original builder), the Board and myself. The Board has selected a company that gave a proposal that could possibly correct the problem we have been having with rust stains coming through at the joints. Due to other products and solutions that we have tried, the company is going to work on one of the columns and then the board will decide to do all of them if the proposal works. A few vendors that we have had come to the property to take a look at the issue recommended painting the columns. This is something the board does not want to do as it would change the look of the columns.

Cleaning of the Garages
The garages will be cleaned October 13th-14th. We will be able to work around the cars that are in the garage but if you are here during this time, please park your cars outside. A reminder will be sent out in early October via the Blog.

Gym
The Leg and Arm press were reported to me as being hard to adjust. A work order was sent into the fitness equipment company. They should be out by the end of the week.

Pool Area
The Association will be installing a clock by the water fountain as requested by one of the homeowners. The clock should be up by the end of the week.

2011-09-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

During Business Hours and After Hours Service
During Business hours, if you have a questions or issue, please call the North Star Office at 239-656-1430. After hours, for property emergencies, please call 239-947-4552. On the answering machine there is a number to call for the on call manager. If for some reason you are not able to get in touch with the on call manager you can call Security at 239-961-8923 and they will get in touch with me. If you are a tenant and having an issue with something inside you unit, please get in touch with your rental agent or owner of the unit. Just a reminder, Property Management, Concierge and Sales will be closed Monday September 5th in observance of Labor Day.

AC Units
We have received a few calls regarding AC units not working. Most of the time it is from the batteries in the thermostat. To replace the batteries, remove the thermostat off the wall and replace the batteries on the back side of the thermostat.

Back Gate Codes
Just a reminder, the back gate codes will be changing Monday, September 5th. If you did not get an email with the code, please contact security at 239-961-8923.

East Tower Elevator
Elevator 5 in the east tower is not in service at this time. Parts have been ordered and once they come in they will be installed and the elevator will be back in service.

Update - 30th August 2011

2011-08-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

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/).

Projection of Hurricane Irene - Updated August 23rd, 2011 at 11 AM

2011-08-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

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!

Blog - 17 Aug 2011

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-08-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Back Gate and Codes
Just a reminder, the back gate codes will be changing Monday, August 1st. You should have already received an email with the code. If you have not, please let me know. The east tower key pad leading from the pool to the garage was replaced yesterday. The technician also checked all the back gates to ensure they were working properly. If you experience any issues with any of the gates, please let me know.

Gym and Aerobics Room
Please do not turn the a/c in these rooms below 68 degrees as it is causing the a/c to freeze up. If you do turn the a/c down while you are working out, please set the temperature to 76 degrees when you leave. This will keep the a/c unit from freezing up and will save energy cost.

Dog Stations and Pet Restrictions
Dog stations are located at either end of each tower. When removing the doggie bags from the station, please pick up all trash and dispose in the trash can located at the pet station. We have been having problems with people removing the bags and leaving the unused bags on the floor. This is not only wasteful but is also littering the grounds. Also, the station at the west tower is broken and from what it looks like it was due to excessive force in removing the bags. Another station will be ordered and installed. Just another reminder, if your dog/cat is not registered with the association, please contact me for the correct forms that need to be filled out for the associations records. The restriction is 2 pets no more than 25 lbs and they must be registered with the Association. PLEASE make sure you pick up your dog’s waste, failure to do so could result in fines, and/or removal of the pet.

East Tower 2nd Floor Garage Door
Today at 2 AM, Security and I were alerted to the east tower 2nd floor garage door not opening. Security was able to manually open it to allow cars to exit the garage. A work order was called in this morning. The company is hoping to get out here today or tomorrow, if not Monday for sure. We did try the reset button on the motor but unfortunately that did not work.

Cigarette Butts
Please do not throw your cigarette butts off of your lanai.

Parking Reminder (Originally Posted April 8th, 2011)
The documents clearly state that boats, trailers, commercial vehicles, oversized vehicles and trucks are not allowed on Association property without prior Board of Directors approval. The Association can tow per the Association documents at the owner's expense. This can be found in Section 19 of the Rules and Regulations. All that is needed is a sign to be posted at the property. The Board has reviewed this and signed a contract with Red’s O.K Auto and Towing. When the Board has given Association approval to a few individuals, there has been restrictions and time frames on how long it can be on the property and unfortunately this has been abused. In some cases, owners have failed to get Association approval. We have the name and numbers of a few places where you can store a boat or trailer. Please contact Michelle or I for this information.

Vacations
Michelle will be out of the office Monday, August 1st and Wednesday, August 3rd. I will be out of the office Thursday, August 4th and Friday, August 5th.

2011-07-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Reminder
The water to the entire building will be shut down on July 27th starting at 8 AM and should be back on within 6-8 hours. The association will be having some much need plumbing repairs which will consist of a new motor that needs to be replaced in the booster pump, replacing a valve that has a slight leak and isolation valves that need to be installed. An engineer has been working with North Star over the last few months along with the associations plumber and boost pump installers and inspectors. We are doing all three of these items at the same time to prevent the building from being shut down more than once. Once the isolation valves are installed, work to the pump will be able to be done without turning water to the entire building off. This day we will have limited staff with only security and myself on property. Michelle, Sales and the janitorial staff will be off. If you are having work done in your unit please do not have them on the property July 27th as there will be no water. The fire system (ie fire sprinklers) are on a different system so there will be fire protection. If we have to turn the water off at the street, a “fire watch” will be set up for the day. A fire watch is just a person that we will hire through our security company to walk the property during the water being turned off. You will not have to do anything inside of your unit prior to the shut down. Once the water gets turned back on, please run the cold cycle in your washer before you turn any other water source on. This is to flush out any particles or rust that might have gotten stirred up when turning off the water. If you are up north or not at the property doing this project, when you return there is no need to do this as anything in the pipes would have already been flushed out. The minor discoloration in the water that might occur is not harmful. When the water is turned back on, I will send an email to all residents. I apologize for this inconvenience that this may cause.
If you have tenants or guest in your unit during this time, please make sure you make them aware of this.

East Tower Garage Gate leading to the Pool Area
The last week we have been experiencing problems with the back gates. All of the problems have been corrected except the east tower garage gate leading to the pool area. You can go out the gate(to get to the pool) but cannot go from the pool to the garage. A new key pad has been ordered and will be installed when it comes in. A notice has been posted at the gate (inside and out).

Women’s Steam Room
The women’s steam room has been not working correctly. A new sensor has been order and should be here either today or Monday.

Flowers
Some of the annuals have not done so well at the entrance of the property. Greenscapes have been replacing the failing annuals at no cost to the association.

Back Gate Code
The back gate code will be changing August 1st, 2011. You should have received an email with the code. If you did not, please contact me to be put on the email list.

WATER OUTAGE - JULY 27TH

2011-07-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

The water to the entire building will be shut down on July 27th starting at 8 AM and should be back on within 6-8 hours. The association will be having some much need plumbing repairs which will consist of a new motor that needs to be replaced in the booster pump, replacing a valve that has a slight leak and isolation valves that need to be installed. An engineer has been working with North Star over the last few months along with the association's plumber and boost pump installers and inspectors. We are doing all three of these items at the same time to prevent the building from being shut down more than once. Once the isolation valves are installed, work to the pump will be able to be done without turning off water to the entire building. This day we will have limited staff with only security and myself on property. Michelle, Sales and the janitorial staff will be off. If you are having work done in your unit please do not have them on the property July 27th as there will be no water. The fire system (ie fire sprinklers) are on a different system so there will be fire protection. If we have to turn the water off at the street, a “fire watch” will be set up for the day. A fire watch is a person that we will hire through our security company to walk the property while the water is off. You will not have to do anything inside of your unit prior to the shut down. Once the water gets turned back on, please run the cold cycle in your washer before you turn any other water source on. This is to flush out any particles or rust that may have got stirred up when turning off the water. If you are not at the property during this project, when you return there is no need to do this as anything in the pipes would have already been flushed out. The minor discoloration in the water that might occur is not harmful. When the water is turned back on, I will send an email to all residents. I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. Another email will be send out next week with additional information about this project and accommodations that are we are in the process of trying to make for all residents.

If you have tenants or guest in your unit during this time, please make sure you make them aware of this.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

2011-07-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Trash and Recyclables
Just a reminder for disposing of Trash and Cardboard boxes, Cardboard boxes are not to be thrown down the trash chute. All trash must be in a bag and tied tightly. Please see attached pictures of the problem we encountered during this past holiday weekend. This can cause severe damage to the trash chute and it takes the cleaners away from their normal day to day jobs to take care of these unnecessary issues.

Dates to Remember
The window cleaners will be here July 18th and 19th. They will be washing the inaccessible windows in both towers and clubhouse, not the lanai sliders. The quarterly fire alarm and sprinkler inspection will be taking place on July 14th starting at 9 AM. The alarms should not sound.

Clubhouse Doors
In a previous blog, I informed all owners that there are certain doors in the clubhouse that had to remain closed due to the fire marshal's requirements. I forgot to add that the door in the business center on the second floor has to remain closed which automatically locks. You can exit the 2nd floor of the clubhouse to go to the business center but cannot access the 2nd floor of the clubhouse from the business center anymore. I am looking into finding a better solution with the fire marshal. Also the gym and aerobic room doors are to be pushed, not pulled. The hand bars have received minor damage due to them being pulled.

Weekend Hours
Tammy is the weekend concierge, her hours are Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM – 5 PM and can be reached at 239-656-1430. Security is here 24/7 and can assist after those hours for property issues as they know how to get in touch with me after hours if I need to be contacted. Their number is 239-961-8923.

Update - 29th June 2011

2011-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Reminder on Dog Restrictions
All pets must be approved and registered with Association. If your pet is not registered with the Association, please contact me for the appropriate forms and any assistance in the process. All dogs must be under 25 lbs, fully grown.

Bikes and Scooters
Please lock up all bikes and scooters underneath the 2nd floor parking ramp at each tower. Do not lock up bikes or scooters anywhere else on the property.

Resident Access Codes
Please do not give out your resident access codes to guests and/or delivery people.

Clubhouse Doors
The billiards room, card room, kitchen and hallway doors have to remain closed at all time per the fire marshall. All the door stoppers have been removed. Please do not prop these doors open.

Gym
Mr. and Mrs. Schneider purchased an Ab Chair and have put it in the gym for resident use. Thank you very much Mr. and Mrs. Schneider! I am sure it will get a lot of use!

Back Gate Codes
The back gate code will be changing July 4th. The new gate code will be 1975*.

Office Hours
Our office will be closed in observance of 4th of July. IF you have a property emergency, please contact Sterling Property Services at 239-947-4552, there will be a number to call on the answering machine for the on-call manager.

Update - 15th June 2011

2011-06-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

We are having a problem with the water pressure booster pump as of this morning. I was able to reset it and bring the pressure back up to 110 PSI, where it should be. Since then it has gone down three more times. We were able to restart it each time but it seems like it might go down a few more times before the company gets out here to fix it late this afternoon. If you notice NO water pressure during the work day (8AM-5PM) please give me a call. If you have a problem after those hours, please contact security as they will have instructions on what to do and who to call. The units that will be most affected by this will be the higher floors. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please remember you can always use the showers in the locker rooms in the clubhouse if needed.

The A/C in the East Tower lobby is currently not working. The company was out yesterday and have ordered the part that is needed. They will be here this afternoon (6-15-11) to replace it.

The gate by the tennis courts is not working so please do not use it. A new part has been ordered and I will let everyone know when the gate is working again.

If you are having work done in your unit that causes noise (ie tile, carpet) please let Michelle or I know how long the workers will be in your unit so that we can inform the owners in the surrounding area.

I will be out of the office this Friday, July 17th. If you have any problems or questions, please contact Michelle at the front desk at 239-656-1430 or the main office of Sterling at 239-947-4552.

2011-06-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

If you see something broken or have a concern about something with the buildings, please contact Michelle or myself. Please do not ask the janitorial company (i.e Tomas, Orlando or Jose) to take care or look into maintenance issues around the property. They are a janitorial company and not able to fix certain things at the property (like work on the garage doors, gates etc). If they do and get injured, the association could face a lawsuit. I have already spoken to the janitorial company and advised them if they are approached by a resident for a maintenance issue they are to refer the homeowner to Michelle or myself.

Umbrellas
Please remember to put the umbrellas down when you leave the pool area.

Steam Rooms
Please do not use the steam rooms until further notice. We are in the process of doing some general maintenance in the steam rooms and they need them completely dry.

Beau Drive Gate
The resident gate is now up and running. If you have any problems with this gate, please let me know.

Pets
We are still having problems with owners letting their dogs urinate on the trash can and pillars in the west tower. Please be responsible dog owners.

Third Quarter Maintenance Fees
Just a reminder, the quarterly fees are due July 1st.

Update June 2nd, 2011

2011-06-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing Monday, June 6th. The new gate code will be 1518*.

Steam Rooms
The Steam Rooms will be having some work done today. The Steams rooms will be closed Friday Morning at 8 AM and will reopen Monday Morning at 8 AM.

Resident Gate (Beau Drive)
The Resident entrance gate at Beau Drive is not working, please use the main entrance to enter the property. I will let you know when the gate is operational again.

Garage Door
The west tower second floor garage door is not working and will remain open. Security has been asked to keep a close eye on this until the parts come in and it get repaired.

2011-04-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Annuals and New Plantings
The Annuals and new plantings were installed last Wednesday. Greenscapes (the landscape company) was out here yesterday and will be back today to finish up on adjusting the irrigation for the plants, flowers and a few hot spots that we have around the property.

Going Green
By the end of the week we should have a proposal to reduce the building lights in an effort to go more “green”. Once the proposal is received it will be sent to the Board of Directors for their review and final decision. We are still working some of the issues out with the garage lights. There are some areas that are dark and we are in the process of correcting those areas. Tri-City Electric is here today to see what can be done. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

TV in Aerobics Room
The TV for the aerobic room has been installed. We are waiting on getting brackets to mount the DVD player and the electrical outlet for the DVD player will be installed today. When you are finished using it, please turn the TV and DVD player off.

Pool Baths
We will be purchasing mats for the pool bathrooms since the tile tends to get slippery. We should have the mats with a week or two.

2011-04-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

Annual Meeting / Board Meeting
At the Annual Meeting that was held last Thursday, Larry Ziegler was re-elected to the Board of Directors for North Star Yacht Club. At the Board Meeting, the Board of Directors approved the following projects/expenses:
• Change in the Window Washing Company which will save the association $1,430 a year and we should get much better service with the new company as we had problems the last two cleanings with the old company.
• The association will be purchasing a power washer for projects around the community.
• A TV and DVD player will be ordered for the Aerobics Room.
• The Board of Directors are looking in to changing the Sandy Beach area as it does not look appealing. If you have any suggestions on what we can do with this area, please let me know. We are very open to suggestions, especially from those that over look the Beach area.
• The new Flax Lilies at the circles of each tower have been approved. The Summer Annuals and new plants will be installed April 20th.
Amendments to the Rules and Regulations
• Clubhouse and Gym age restrictions – Currently the association Rules and Regulations state no children under the age 12 are allowed in the recreational facilities without adult supervision. The Board of Directors decided this age limit needed to be increased due to some of the homeowners expressing concern at recent meetings and open forums. The new age is 16 years old, anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
• The Board approved the use of electric grills on the property.

Parking
The documents clearly state that no boats or trailers are allowed on association property without prior association approval. The association can tow per the association documents at the owners expense. This can be found in section 19 of the Rules and Regulations. All that is needed is a sign to be posted at the property. The Board has reviewed this and signed a contract with Red’s O.K Auto and Towing. The required signage will be on the property by Monday at the latest. When the Board has given association approval to a few individuals, this has been subject to certain restrictions and timeframes and unfortunately this has been abused. In some cases, owners have not received association approval in advance. We have the name and numbers of a few places where you can store a boat or trailer. Please contact Michelle or I for this information.

Seasonal Residents
In my last blog, I added some reminders for the seasonal residents when they leave to head back up north. It was brought it to my attention I should remind owners to remove fan blades from their lanai fans and bring in all lanai furniture.

Window Washing
We have hired a new window washing company. They will be starting April 12th and finishing April 13th. The new company is The Clean Up Group.

Quarterly Fire Sprinkler and Alarm Inspection
The Quarterly Fire Sprinkler and Alarm Inspection will be taking place Monday April 11th starting at 9 AM. No alarms should sound.

Exit Gate by Spa
The exit gate by the spa leading to the marina is not working. Safety Signals should be out here today to fix it. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

2011-03-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

Dog Etiquette
When you take your dog outside, please remember the dog needs to be a leash at all times while on the common property. This is for the safety of your dog, other dogs and residents. We are still having issues with owners not picking up their dogs waste. If you are a dog owner, please make sure every time the dog is taken out that the waste is picked up and discarded in one of the pet station trash cans.

Flowers
The winter annuals have been removed. Greenscapes has submitted a proposal for flax lily to be installed at the entrances and circle of the towers since the annuals do not do well in these areas. These plants will do much better in the shady areas and will be permanent, which will save the association about $2,600 a year. The Board will be discussing this proposal today and I will let everyone know what was decided and when they will be installed.

Seasonal Residents
Just some reminders for the seasonal residents.
•Turn off the water source serving the unit to ensure against any water damage in the event of a leak within the unit.
•Provide courtesy notification to the association office of any visitors utilizing the unit in the unit owners absence - this serves as a security and safety function for both the unit and the association.
•Provide the association with a phone number where you can be reached to ensure the associations ability to contact you in the event of an emergency within your unit.
•It is mandatory that the unit owner sets the units temperature control to 78-80 degrees to discourage the growth of mold or mildew within the unit.

Back Gate Code
The back gate code will be changing Monday, April 4th. If you have not received an email with the code, please contact me.

Parking
Commercial vehicles, boats, trailers, RV’s and other similar vehicles are not allowed on association property without approval. If you are granted approval with the association, there are restrictions on where they can be parked and the amount of time. Please contact me for further information.

Update - 24th March 2011

2011-03-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

Visiting Guests
If you have guests coming to see you and they are not on your Resident Information Sheet, please remember to call or email the Security Officers at the gate. The phone number is 239-961-8923 and the email address is nsycsecurity@gmail.com.

Trash/ Cigarette Butts
On January 6th, I posted in the blog about throwing cigarette butts off of the balconies. This is not only littering but also can fall down to the 3rd floor balconies since they have the extended lanais. One of the third floor balconies was just cleaned and three days later there are 3 cigarette butts. If you do smoke on your balcony, please use an ash tray. When you are done using the ash tray, please dump it right away as the wind can cause the butts and ashes to go flying.

Annual Meeting – Phone Conference
A NSYC homeowner spoke last year about possibly having a conference call facility for those homeowners that will not be able to be present for the annual meeting but would like to listen or participate in the meeting. At this year's Annual Meeting we will be able to have this option. If you would like to call in, please let me know and I will provide you the call in number and pass code to get on to the conference call.

Landscape – Flowers and Additions
The flowers will be removed from the beds today and new summer flowers will be planted shortly. The flower beds at the circle in front of both towers, the association will be putting in a permanent plants since the flowers do not do well in this area. Flax Lilies will be installed, once I know the date, I will included it in the blog.

Garages
Last Thursday and Friday the cleaning company worked very diligently to manually sweep the 1st floor of each tower. Next Thursday they will be sweeping the East Tower 2nd floor garage and next Friday they will be sweeping the West Tower 2nd floor. If you are able to, please move your car to the back parking lot on the designated days.

Beach Area / Pool Furniture
The beach area behind the west tower will be raked today by the landscapers and Orlando has started cleaning the pool furniture. He will be doing a few a day and rotating the ones from storage.

Parking Spots
There are a few parking spaces that are soiled with oil. The homeowner who is assigned to the parking spsce is responsible for the maintenance and appearance of the parking space per the association documents. It also states no vehicles are permitted on the property that leak oil. If your car is leaking oil, please do not park it on the pavers, use the side parking lot until you can get the leak fixed. A wonderful product to remove oil stains from pavers is call Pour and Restore and can be found at ACE Hardware.

2011-03-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Computer Room
The computer and printer is almost up and running in the business center. The last computer that was installed there was vandalized by someone so please report any misuse if you witness it.

Damage to the Card Room Chairs
Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot damage done to the chairs in the card room. Please try not to abuse the chairs.

Men’s Steam Room
The problem for the men’s steam room has been found. The part has been order and will be installed next week. The men’s steam room is working intermittently. If it is not working and you would like to use it, please come to the front desk and we will have you use the women’s steam room if it is not in use and post a notice on the door letting the women know there is a gentleman using the steam room.

Front Fountain
The pump at the front fountain has a leak and will be shut down to prevent any damage to the motor. A service call was placed today and a technician should be out on Monday.

Possible Projects in the Works
Trash Chute Cleaning – We are working on getting proposals for possibly cleaning the trash chutes. Preventative maintenance like cleaning the chutes will help extend the life of the entire chute system and saving the association on future costly repairs. It also helps control the odor and bacteria. The Board of Directors have received one of the proposals. I am waiting on the others proposals to provide to the Board.
Garage Lights – A proposal was received for switching ½ of the lights off during the day to save energy. The return of investment is about 13 months and would save the association roughly $122.00 a month. The Board of Director have the proposal and will be reviewing it.

Roof Inspection – Every year, West Coast Enterprises inspects the roofs and provides a proposal (if needed) and recommendations to extend the life of the roof. This took place this last week and we are waiting to get the written report, which I should have mid next week. The inspection is at no cost to the association.

Update - March 9th, 2011

2011-03-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Concierge Hours
Michelle’s hours are Monday thru Friday 8 AM to 4 PM. The weekend concierge is Tammy and her hours are 9 AM to 5 PM. Tammy will be able to help on the weekends with all your concierge needs.

Open Forum Meeting
We will be having an Open Forum Meeting, as we have done in the past, before the Annual Meeting. This will be to hear any issues that have not been brought up previously so at the Annual Meeting we can discuss what the board has decided on those items. The open forum meeting will be Wednesday March 16th at 6 PM.

Maintenance Issues
Here are some of the maintenance issues we have been working on for the past month or so:
Landscape – We had seven irrigation decoders and one valve that went bad. Greenscapes have been at the property last Friday, Saturday and Monday to get these zones up and running. Due to these zones being off for a little bit, the annuals started getting stressed and in these areas are not doing so well. Greenscapes will be replacing some of the flowers, at no cost to the Association, next week. As of the beginning of April the property will be mowed every week. The pruning of the shrubs will be taking place this week.
Clubhouse – The men’s steam room is still having some issues but Water Works are working quickly to diagnose which circuit board is causing the problem. The office phone number (239-656-1430) is having problems and is saying the mailbox is full when it is not. I have been trying to work with Century Link to get this problem corrected. If you get that message, please call back in 10 minutes or send a quick email. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we get this problem corrected. The TV in the sitting room in the clubhouse is not working. The TV’s power source went bad and we are looking into a replacement TV.
Parties – Just a reminder, if you reserve the theater, card room, and/or clubhouse, please make sure you leave it in the condition you found it in.
Pool Area – One of the gates by the spa is not closing properly. New hinges have been ordered and the gate will be adjusted by the end of the week. One of the large umbrellas broke last week. Please remember to close the umbrellas when you are done using them. Failure to do this will cause the umbrella arms to snap. We are working to get the umbrella repaired since the large umbrellas cost close to $1,500. There is a step that is broken by the fountain. We have put a red cone by it to keep people away from this area for their safety. The cleaning staff will start cleaning the pool furniture.
Towers / Garages – The garages will be vacuumed next week. The east tower will be done Thursday, March 17th and the west tower will be done Friday, March 18th. I have been working with Wayne Wiles on the tile issue in the towers. There is this product that chemically etches the tile to make it more textured to cause less slipping. This product would cost about $16,000 to do the floors plus labor. If the Board does decided to go with this, we would try to get the maintenance guys to do it within their hours so there would be no additional labor cost. Wayne Wiles will be letting us try this product out to see how it works on some spare tile. I will keep the community updated on this issue.
Curbing– The curbing around the property has been cleaned and will be cleaned on a monthly basis.

Questions – You can always email, call or put a note in my box on my door at any time with any questions, complaints, comments or concerns.

Back Gate Code

2011-03-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

The Back gate code will be changing on Monday March 7th, 2011. You will be receiving an email with the code. If you have any questions, please contact me at 239-656-1430.

Update 8th Feb 2011

2011-02-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

Tile Floors in the Towers
The tile in the walk ways in each tower can be slippery when wet. I have instructed our Janitorial Company to only use water on the floor as some homeowners feel the slipperiness is caused by the cleaning product. The Janitorial company has spoken to the manufacturer and have had a representative out to the property and they were unable to find any film left by the cleaning product. I have also spoken to Wayne Wiles who installed the tile. This tile was specifically picked by the original developer because it was graded for outside use and non-slip. There was another type of tile used that had a higher grade of non-slip which was used on the outside of the 2nd floor of the clubhouse by the pool. Cliff with Wayne Wiles was not able to recommend anything for the issue we are having when we spoke but he will look into this and get back to me. In the meantime, the janitorial company will be dry mopping the floors when they are wet and using fans to help dry the floors. Please be extremely careful walking on the floors if they are damp.

Card Room Chairs
The janitorial company has been looking for replacement wheels for the card room chairs. They have not been able to find the wheels locally and are in the process of finding them on the internet to order them. As soon as they get ordered, shipped and arrive at the property, they will be installed.

Garages
I have received some complaints about the garage floors being sandy, mostly the first floor garages because of the pavers and the sand that is used to lock the pavers in. In the past we have used a blower to help clean the garage and also swept the garage. This obviously has not helped and the janitorial company and I are looking into vacuuming the garages. Since they do not have a shop vac big enough for the job, they are looking into renting one. Once I get a price from the Janitorial company, the information will be presented to the Board.

Pest Control
The Association does have a contract with a pest control company. They service the perimeter of the property 4 times a year and will do inside the unit and balcony if needed. However, they will not be able to spray your balcony for flying insects. If you are experiencing problems with pests in your unit, please contact me.

Aerobics Room and Fitness Room
Last year, a homeowner asked about having a TV with DVD players in the Aerobics Room. Unfortunately it was not in the budget last year but I promised to revisit the idea in 2011. I have received pricing for the TV, DVD and install from one vendor and researching some other options. Once I have all the information gathered, it will be sent to the Board. Right now, we have two machines down in the fitness room, the bike and one of the elliptical. Commercial Fitness will be out sometime this week to repair both items. I have heard back from 12 residents from the blog posting on February 2nd about possibly purchasing more gym equipment. I will be forwarding the information I received from the 12 homeowners over to the Board this week.

I will be out of the office Friday February 11th and Monday February 14th. If you have any problems or questions on these days, please contact Michelle at 239-656-1430 or the Sterling Office at 239-947-4552.

2011-02-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

Questions, Comments, Concerns and/or Suggestions

If you have any questions regarding the condo association or the rules of the association, please contact me by either email or a phone call. I try to make myself approachable and available to all residents. Also, please remember that Larry Zeigler is your resident Board Member and any issues can been brought up to him as well.

Pool

Solar Blanket/Alternative Heating Options – it was brought to my attention by a resident attending the homeowner happy hour on Tuesday night that some of the homeowners were talking about ways to cut costs for the association. Any suggestions are welcomed, and please share with me. One of the items discussed which was been brought up before is a solar blanket for the pool and spa. I did the research on this last October before the budget was approved. There are a few problems with the solar blanket after talking to the pool company. Here are some of the issues:
• The blanket is only allowed to be on the pool while the pool is closed (dusk to dawn).
• While the blanket is on, no one is even allowed to be by the pool area.
• North Star does not employ someone around dusk to put the cover on.
Something they recommended is a TURBO FISH. This is a liquid that is applied to the pool, a little at a time, which creates a molecular bond on the water's surface to help keep the heat/cool in and prevents evaporation. There are some mixed reviews with the product, I have requested documentation on the savings from other communities using this before sending it before the Board again.
I have also looked into geothermal pool heaters instead of the gas heaters we are currently using. I got a proposal from a company in October and met with the sales rep a few different times. The cost for this is about $93,000. This is something the board is not considering at the current time but I wanted to make sure we have a proposal on file for the future to give us a ball park figure.
Diapers in the Pool – Children that still use diapers are allowed to be in the pool, however, they must wear swim diapers such as little swimmers by Huggies.

Garage Lights

This was another one of the items brought up at the homeowners' happy hour that one of the residents informed me about. Some of the residents have asked about having the lights in the garage turned off during the day to save energy cost. After rereading the life safety code, it looks like we might be able to put SOME of the lights on a photocell but some lights will have to remain on at all times to comply with the Life Safety Code. This is something I will look into, get pricing and present to the Board of Directors.

Update - 2nd February 2011

2011-02-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing Monday February 7th, 2011. You will be getting an email with the code. Just a reminder, I change the gate codes the first Monday of the month, not the 1st of the month.

Front Walking Gate
All residents will be receiving the front walking gate code via email. This gate does not have the same code as the back gates and does not change every month.

Gym
We are thinking about buying more equipment for the fitness room and would like to poll the residents to see what equipment you would like to see up there that we currently do not have. If you have any request for the fitness room, please send me an email with what you would like see to added to the equipment that we currently have.

Update January 11th, 2011

2011-01-11T06:43:00.000-08:00

Comcast Issues
If you are experiencing problems with your internet service, please contact me with the problems. We are developing a list to present to Comcast regarding the outages we have been experiencing.

Annual Fire Alarm and Sprinkler Inspection
On January 26th starting at 9 AM, we will be having our annual fire alarm and sprinkler inspection. We will need access into each and every unit. A North Star representative will be with the inspectors and will have keys to get into the units if no one is home at the time of the inspection. Please remember that it is a requirement of this inspection for the alarms to sound. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Parking
Boats, Trucks, Trailers, Commercial Vehicles, and oversized vehicles to be left, kept, stored on the condominium property must first obtain the prior written approval of the Board of Directors of the Condominium Association. No campers, camper trailers, motor homes, or other type of recreational vehicle is allowed on the condominium property. There is a trailer and a boat on a trailer, if these are yours, please contact me immediately.

Spa
The spa heater repair company was out again yesterday to fix the spa since it went down over the weekend after repair last Wednesday. They were able to get it back up and running.

Update 6th Jan 2010

2011-01-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone

Cigarette Butts
Please do not throw cigarette butts from the balconies. We have had a few complaints from owners of lower floors units, especially the third floor, regarding cigarette butts being dropped from higher floors. Instead, please use ash trays and dump the ash trays frequently, as on windy days the butts can get blown around.

Pet Restrictions
Please remember your association documents state that owners can have two dogs of no more than 25 pounds each. No lessees, tenants, invitees or visitors shall be permitted to bring pets on the common area or into any unit without prior written permission and consent of the condominium association.

Spa Heater
The spa is up and running again. The company was out yesterday and repaired it while they were on site.

Hand Towels in the Fitness Area
We have been having some issues with the hand towels disappearing from the fitness area. I have instructed the janitorial company to pick up 30 more hand towels as there are none left. Please do not remove the towels from the fitness area, when you are done please put the towels in the basket. Tomas will wash and replenish the towels as needed. In addition to the hand towels, the association has ordered sanitary wipes and a dispenser to wipe down the equipment after/before every use.

Men’s Massage Room
Please do not remove the pool furniture and place in the men’s massage room. For the last few weeks, when Tomas comes in there has been a pool chair from the pool deck in the massage room. If you would like a chair in the massage room, please contact me.

Update - 29th December 2010

2010-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

Back Gate Code
It is that time again - the Back Gate codes will be changing Monday January 3rd. You should have received an email with the gate code, if you have not, please contact me at 239-656-1430.

Office Hours
Our office will be closed Friday, December 31st, 2010. Have a safe and Happy New Year!

2010-12-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Holiday Hours
Our office will be closed Friday, December 24th, 2010 and December 31st, 2010. I will be on vacation starting December 22nd and returning December 29th. If you have any questions or problems regarding the property while I am away, please see Michelle. She will be able to assist you or point you in the right direction.

Spa
The spa has been shut down due to the motor burning out. I have already signed the proposal to replace the pump and the company is ordering it. They are going to try to get it installed tomorrow, December 17th but if they are unable to they will be back Monday to install it.

Update - December 7th, 2010

2010-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Annual Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm Inspection
The annual fire sprinkler and fire alarm inspection will be taking place on January 26th starting at 9 AM. It is necessary for the alarms to sound for this inspection and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

White Trailer
There is a white trailer located by the east tower that has been at the property for some time. The trailer is not approved by the association to park in that location for any time frame. The trailer has PA tags which we tried to look up but we were unsuccessful. If this is your trailer, please contact me immediately.

North Star’s Resident Christmas Tree
I would like to thank all the owners who participated in last Friday’s Homeowner Holiday Party and contributed Christmas ornaments to the North Star Resident tree. The tree was donated to North Star by Jody Buckmeier, one of North Star’s residents. I would also like to take the time to thank Michelle for her hard work on setting up this Christmas tree and decorating it with the Blue and Silver ornaments and Silver stars. We hope to make this a yearly event put on by Michelle with the hope of the Residents' tree growing with homeowners ornaments.

Exterior Building Lights
One of Orlando's standard tasks is to check the building exterior lights once a month. If in the interim you notice a light out, please contact me and we will get it replaced as soon as possible. We do understand that there are a few lights out on the building and walk ways. We have ordered more lights that will hopefully be in this week for Orlando to replace. Please do not remove bulbs from the common area fixtures for any reason.

Many thanks,

Update - 30th November 2010

2010-11-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Back Gate Codes
The back gate codes will be changing Monday, December 6th. If you have not received an email with the new gate code, please contact me at 239-656-1430 or amy@sterlingpropertyfl.com.

Reminder of Events
Friday, December 3rd, there is a Homeowner Holiday Party. You should have received information from Michelle on this event. If you have not, please contact her for the information. Please remember to contact Michelle if you are wanting to reserve the theater, card room, billiard room, clubhouse etc. The month of December is filling up fast.

Homeowner Quarterly Dues
Shortly, all homeowners will be receiving their quarterly coupons in the mail. Your maintenance fees are due on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st 2011. If you do not receive your coupons by the 15th of December, please let me know.

Parking Decals and Resident Information Sheets
In order to get your parking decals, the resident information form needs to be filled out and returned to me. We have 37 owners that have picked up their parking decals and we have only received 60 resident information sheets. The resident information sheets are for the security guards and it is very important that you fill out the form and return it.

Office Hours - Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Property Management Office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, 2010 and will be reopen on Friday, November 26th from 8 Am to 12 PM. If you have any after hour emergencies, please contact Sterling Property Services at 239-947-4552 and wait for the after hours emergency number that you can call, but please note that this is for emergencies only. The Sales Office will be closed Thursday and Friday and will reopen on Saturday.

All of us at North Star would like to wish you and your family a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Blog update - 3rd November 2010

2010-11-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

A/C in the Tower Lobbies
I have locked the thermostats in the lobbies of each tower due to someone turning the a/c down to 70 degrees. Please do not change the temperature in the lobbies. If you have a problem with the temperature, please let me know.

Clarification on Pool Rules
In the Blog posted November 1st, it stated some of the pool rules per the Florida statues. One of them, which I got a call from a resident on stating some of the residents are confused by it, was the food and drink policy. Food and beverages are not allow in the pool or in the wet deck area. The wet deck area is considered 4 feet from the pool's edge and water features. Beyond 4 feet from the pool's edge, food and drink is allowed( but please remember.. NO GLASS! ).

Power Washing Project
We will be starting to power wash the pavers by the front of the lobbies starting Friday, November 5th. Maid to Perfection, our janitorial company will start working at the west tower. Because it will be within Orlando’s regular hours, the association will only have to pay for the rental of the power washer and not any additional time. The rental is only about $100.00 for a day and both towers should be done in less than a day.

Access into North Star
Please remember to make sure you call or email the security guard if someone will be coming to the property for you if they are not on your permanent guest list, whether it is a vendor or guest. If you need us to provide access to the vendor/guest into your home, please contact Michelle or I to schedule this.

Association Flood Insurance
Since the Association’s flood insurance renewed recently, we have received a lot of calls and emails from Homeowner’s for proof of insurance for their mortgage company. If you get a letter in the mail requesting this, please send me the letter you received from the mortgage company and I can get it over to the insurance agency and send you a copy of the flood insurance declaration page for your records.

Rules and Regulations for North Star Yacht Club
If you have any questions about the rules and regulations or where to find them, you can pick up a copy at the front office.

Resident Board Member
Larry Zeigler is the Resident Board Member. If you have any questions or problems, you can always talk to him and he can discuss it with the Board of Directors if action is needed. Also, you can always contact me at 239-656-1430, or drop off a note in my box on my door after hours or via email at Amy@sterlingpropertyfl.com.

2010-11-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Front Resident Gate
Last week, the front resident gate had some work done to it due to damage caused by a vehicle. A return trip was necessary due to a sensor problem but as of Friday, everything should be working again. If you are still having problems with your remotes please check your batteries as a first step.

Landscape
The winter annuals will be installed on November 19th. The Mimosa weed at the back of the east tower is starting to die off from the herbicide the landscapers sprayed two weeks ago. We are closely monitoring this area as it has always been a source of problems due to the soil that was used during installation. By the end of the week, Greenscapes should be putting down a liquid application of iron to green up the turf at no expense to the association.

Pool Hours and Pool Bathrooms
Since the pool is closed from Dusk to Dawn, the pool bathrooms will also be locked during these times. The security guard will lock them every night and unlock them every morning. Also, I know some of our residents are upset about the pool closing at dusk. As I have stated before, this is a Florida State Statue. The association does not meet the requirements for lighting specified in paragraph 64E-9.006(2)(c) to allow for night swimming. I would also like to remind all residents of a few rules before season starts. Please remember there is no food, drink, glass or animals in the pool or on the pool deck. Do not dive into the pool or run on the pool deck, this is for your safety.

Parking Violations
We are still having a huge problem with homeowners not parking in their designated space. I do have the capability to look up license plate numbers to find the owners of the vehicles and will send out violation notices accordingly.

Back Gate Code Reminder
As of today, the back gate codes have been changed. You should have received an email October 26th. If you did not, please contact me.

2010-10-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Steam Rooms
The Steam Rooms are up and running. We have readjusted all the settings and locked the doors to the boiler room as the problems we have been experiencing are from the settings being changed. Someone was changing the temperature from 110 degrees to 140 degrees. This was causing serve damage to the boilers. The correct setting is between 100 and 120 degrees, therefore we are keeping it at 110 degrees.

Parking Decals for Residents
In the last three days, at the times specified in my previous blog, we have had only 19 residents pick up their parking decal. I will be handing out more decals to those owners that are down here to come pick them up. The schedule will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9AM – 11AM, 2PM and 4PM. If you are currently not at North Star, you can get your parking decals when you get into town.

Resident Information Sheets
We are about half way there! 46 owners out of 93 have turned in their information sheets. Thank you very much to those that have turned them in so quickly!

2010-10-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Resident Parking Decals
The parking decals have arrived. I will be assigning parking decals for resident vehicles, Wednesday to Friday from 9 AM to 10 AM and 2 PM to 4 PM. If you cannot make it within these times, please call me at 239-656-1430 to set up a time. It should only take a few minutes at the most.

Resident Information Sheets
If you have not turned in your Resident Information Sheet, please turn them into me as soon as possible. You will not be able to get your decal until you turn the form in.

Guests/Vendors
If you are having guest or a vendor coming to your home and they are not on your permanent guest/vendor list, please remember to call the guard at 239-961-8923 or email him at nsycsecurity@gmail.com. If you do not, the guard will call you, if he does not get in touch with you, your guest or vendor will be turned away.

Back Gate Codes
It is that time again. On Monday November 1st, 2010 the back gate codes will be changing. You should have received an email advising you of the new gate codes. If you have not, please call me at 239-656-1430 or email me at amy@sterlingpropertyfl.com

Clubhouse Refrigerator
We understand by a nasty note that was left on the refrigerator a few weeks ago, that a few residents are upset that some of the employees at North Star keep food items in the refrigerator. Please understand that people working at North Star need to keep their food refrigerated as we do not always have the opportunity to leave for lunch. On many occasions, people (homeowners as well as employees) have had food go missing. Please be considerate and do not take food out of the refrigerator that you did not buy. We also had all the non dairy creamers containers, about 3 of them, go missing this week already. Many thanks for your consideration.

Update October 19th, 2010

2010-10-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Recyclables and Trash
Please remember not to put trash in the recyclable containers by the garage doors. WastePro will not pick up the recyclables if there is trash in the bins. Orlando has had to pick out trash including food on a daily basis. We do have pictures and receipts and are trying to track down the offender.

Trash Chutes
Do NOT put cardboard boxes down the trash chute. Over the week in the east tower the trash chute got clogged because of cardboard boxes.

Possibility of Fining for Condominium Violations
The Association has the right to fine any homeowner that does not abide by the Condominium Documents and/or the Rules and Regulations of the community. Florida State Statutes allow an association to impose a fine if allowed for in the association documents up to $100.00 per day per violation with a maximum of $1,000.00. A new law went into effect this year, if the fine is $1,000.00 or more the association can put a lien on the property.

New Email Address for the Gate House
We have an email address for the gate house. It is nsycsecurity@gmail.com and the phone number is 239-961-8923.

Update - October 13 2010

2010-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Resident Information Sheets/24 hour Security
If you have not turned in your resident information sheet that was sent in the packet with the budget meeting notice, please return them as soon as possible to Michelle or myself. If you have renters in your unit, please make sure they get the paperwork as they will need to fill one out as well. The information sheets will be given to the Security Company on October 15th as they will be here 24 hours a day and the gates will be closed at all times. We are also in the process of ordering parking decals for all residents and temporary permits for guest. As soon as we get these in, we will notify all owners and residents.

Landscaping
The winter annuals will be installed early to mid November. The mulch will be laid at the beginning of January.

Super Sliders – Resident Recommendation
We have gotten complaints from residents regarding noise coming from the upstairs when chairs or furniture are being moved around on the tile. One of North Star’s Residents provided me with some information on furniture sliders that they have used in their condo. The name of this product is Super Sliders by Waxman. They can be found at Lowes or Home Depot for just over $4 for 4 of them. They are self sticking and are to be applied to each leg. They eliminate the noise you hear when sliding a chair across the floor.

Gym
When you are done using the free weights, please return them to their proper spot in the gym. On several occasions, they have been left in the aerobics room.

Unit Owners Personal Property – Section 17.7 of the Condominium Documents
No linens, clothing, household fabrics, curtains, rugs, or laundry of any kind shall be hung, shaken, dried or aired from any windows, doors, balconies, terrace or other portions of the condominium property. No articles shall be placed on balconies, patios or similar areas. The foregoing shall not prevent placing and using patio type furniture, planters and other items in such areas if the same are normally and customarily used for a residential balcony, patio or terrace area.

Dogs
We are still getting numerous complaints of dogs urinating by the entrances to the towers, inside the lobbies, and in the garages. If your dog urinates in these areas, please clean it up immediately. It is the dog owners responsibility to clean up after its pet, not the janitorial company’s responsibility. Every day time is wasted for the cleaning staff to clean up this mess when they should be cleaning other parts of the condominium property.

Steam Rooms
Both Steam Rooms are currently out of order. I will let you know when they will be up and running again.

If you have any questions regarding any of these items, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Update - 30th September 2010

2010-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Back Gate Codes
On Monday, October 4th, the back gate codes will be changing. You should be receiving an email with the new gate code. If you have not, please contact me at Amy@SterlingPropertyFL.com or 239-656-1430.

Dog Owner Etiquette
We are still getting complaints of Dog Owners letting their dogs urinate in the lobbies, elevators and hallway floors. This is not only against the rules but it is also disgusting for your neighbors. If you are a dog owner, please be responsible and clean up after your dog. We understand accidents do happen but please clean it up immediately.

Umbrellas
With more homeowners coming down for the season, I would just like to remind everyone to make sure they put the umbrellas down when they leave the pool area. I would like to thank all the homeowners who have been closing the umbrellas after they are done using them.

Parking and Storage Spots
Please remember to park in your designated parking spot. If you are unsure about your parking spot or allocated storage, please call or email me.

2010-09-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, please make sure you pick up after your dog. We have had several complaints regarding dogs that have urinated in the walkways, elevators, lobby’s of the towers and the garage. If your dog urinates in places other than the designated areas (i.e. the grass) please make sure it is wiped up.

The handrail in the east tower garage at the entrance of the clubhouse has been installed on the ramp. We apologize for the delay as it was to be completed at the end of August. The contractor ran into problems with fabricating the handrail.

We have been experiencing problems with the west tower elevators. Late yesterday afternoon, September 23rd, it was reported to me that the elevator sounded like it was rubbing or hitting something at every floor. The technician was here at the property this morning and adjusted the clutch on the elevators which was hitting the metal fascia inside the shaft. If you experience anymore problems, please let me know.

The tower floors are being maintained on a two week rotation. If you see problems with your floor being dirty, please let me know and we will have Orlando address it immediately.

Authorization to Enter (section 7.5 of the Declaration) – The Declaration states in case of an emergency to prevent damage to any common element or to any other home, the association or authorized persons by it may access the home with no advance notice required. For instance, if the home floods, the association, or persons authorized by it, may gain access into the unit to prevent damage to the unit or other units around it. This has been the procedure and will continue for the protection of all homes and the association.

Unoccupied Homes (Section 31 of the Rules and Regulations) – Any Unit owner who shall leave his unit unoccupied on a temporary or permanent basis shall:
A. Turn the water source serving the unit to ensure against any water damage in the event of a leak within the unit. (posted to the NSYC Blog September 15th, 2010)
B. Provide courtesy notification to the Association Office of any visitors utilizing the unit in the unit owners absence, which notification serves as a security and safety function for both the unit and the association.
C. Provide a key to the Association office for any vehicles intended to remain in the unit owners designated Parking Spot to ensure the Association may move vehicles for the purpose of repairing or maintenance of the parking areas.
D. Provide the Association a phone number where you can be reached to ensure the Associations ability to contact you in the event of an emergency within your unit.
E. It is mandatory that the unit owner set the unit's temperature controls to 78-80 degrees to discourage the growth of mold or mildew within the unit or the exterior of the home. (posted to the NSYC Blog September 20th, 2010)

Play Equipment, Strollers, ect. (Section 17 of the Rules and Regulations) – Bicycles, Tricycles, scooters, skateboards, and other play equipment, baby strollers and similar items shall not at any time be left, kept or stored in the hallways or other common elements of the condominium or in the limited common elements (including porches, patios, terraces, balconies, lanais), except in the limited common elements which are specifically designated for such storage use, if any.

Bicycles are to be stored in the bicycle rack located under the 2nd floor garage ramp on both towers. Also there has been a stroller that was left at the pool area by the stairs leading to the 2nd floor of the clubhouse. Earlier this week, it was moved to the door leading into the kitchen, but at this time no one has picked it up. Please remember when leaving the common areas to take all personal belongings.

If you have any question regarding any of these items posted in the blog or other items you see around the property, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you!

2010-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

The carpet in the theater, card room and billiard room will be cleaned Thursday, September 23rd starting at 7 AM and should be complete by 10 AM. This is at no extra cost to the association as Tomas will be able to do it within his work week.

Safety Signals was at the property last Friday to install the magnetic strip to the door leading from the East Tower garage to the pool area. After installing the magnetic strip, the door still did not work. The engineer found that there are low voltage wires from the power supply that need to be checked. This takes two guys and they will be on site by Wednesday, September 22nd, if not earlier. I will keep you informed. Once this gets fixed, we will be repairing the gate that connects to the wall, as it has pulled away from the wall; most likely from being tugged on.

The pool and spa have both been shut down per the Health Department. The flow meter in the pool is not working properly and the gate by the west tower garden is not automatically shutting as it is suppose to. Tri-City Pool Service and SFR Services have both been out to fix these issues. The health department will be re-inspecting the pool and spa today. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Friendly reminder, please remember to change your A/C filters once a month. Failure to do so can cause the unit to freeze up. Also, the Association’s Documents states all homeowners must keep their temperature controls no higher than 80 degrees to discourage growth of mold or mildew in the units.

NSYC Update

2010-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

As you know, we are diligently touring the property many times a day, but if any owner should see anything that you feel is getting missed or not being taken care of in a timely fashion, please do not hesitate to contact me either by phone or email.

The exit gate from the east tower garage to the pool area is still not working. First it was the sensor and key pad that failed, which have been replaced. Now we are having a problem with the magnetic lock. The company, Safety Signals ordered the wrong part and has since then ordered the new part. If the part is in stock, it will be installed tomorrow.

Garage Doors by Roy North were in touch with me this morning regarding the 1st floor garage doors in both towers. We will need new motors in both garage doors and I have given them approval to go ahead and order the parts. The parts should be delivered Friday and be installed on Monday.

The cleaning company switched to a different floor cleaning product for the tiled areas. We have received complaints about the fragrance of this new product so I have asked the company to switch back to the old cleaner as it had a more pleasant smell.

The Marketing Directors are working with the developer to come to an agreement on the banner that is located on the East Tower. As soon as I get more information, I will post it via the NSYC Blog. I just assure all residents that they are still working on this issue and it has not been falling on deaf ears.

Please remember to turn off the water to your units when you leave the property for an extended period of time. I would even suggest if you go away for the weekend to turn it off to avoid any possible water leaks.

Update - 13 September 2010

2010-09-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

The medallion on the east tower that fell off of the building earlier this year has been reattached to the building. I would like to thank everyone for their patience in this matter, as we had to go through the proper procedures with the construction company, BBL.

Just a reminder, if there is an emergency after hours, please contact 239-947-4552 and wait for the answering machine to pick up. There will be a number provided for after hour emergencies. Please call that number to speak to the on call manager. If there is an emergency after hours, please DO NOT CALL the North Star Office, 239-656-1430, as the message won’t be listened to until the next morning. We are in the process of call forwarding the two phone lines we have here for Michelle and I to the Sterling Office after hours. When I have this up and running I will let you know. Please note that if it is an emergency requiring first responders, ONLY call 911.

For those West Tower owners that use the 1st floor parking garage, the garage door is in the process of being fixed. It was reported to me on Sunday and the company was out this morning. We need to get a new starter and the repair company are trying to find one locally.

Blog Update - 2nd September 2010

2010-09-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

New Back Gate Codes
On Tuesday, September 7th, the back gate codes will be changing and you will receive an email with the new gate code. If you do not, please contact me at Amy@sterlingpropertyfl.com or 239-656-1430.

Update on Medallion
The Medallion was not able to be reattached last week as scheduled due to inclement weather. Currently, they are shooting for today Thursday, September 2nd, to reattached the medallion.

Association’s New Bank
The Board decided to switch from BB&T to CNL Bank for the operating account to keep within the FDIC limits. For those of you who use online banking, please ensure you amend the mailing address. A letter and replacement coupons will be mailed out within the next day to two.
The new mailing address to send your payments is:

Sterling Property Services
PO Box 24479
Tampa, FL 33623-4479

Please also ensure the check is made payable to North Star Yacht Club and please note we are unable to accept any post-dated checks. Many thanks

Update - 20th August 2010....Great news on Medallion

2010-08-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Stains in the Pool

Tri-City Pool Service have started treating the copper stains in the pool with their initial treatment today, Friday, August 20th, 2010. After the
initial treatment, they will maintain monthly treatments to control this
issue on an ongoing basis.

Medallion

The medallion is scheduled to be reattached to the building on Wednesday,
August 25th. If this gets canceled due to weather or something out of our
control, I will post an update it on the blog.

Update - Wednesday August 18th

2010-08-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 16th, the heater company fixed the spa heater. If you experience any problems when using the spa, please let me know.

Elevator 3 in the East tower is out of order. Kone, the elevator company have ordered a new motor board and will be in tomorrow afternoon. If any elevator should stop running out of business hours, please contact Sterling Property Services at (239) 947-4552 and call the emergency phone number that you will be given on the answering machine message. One of the elevators in the West tower was having an issue with the clutch dragging which was causing a sound when going past the 10th floor. This was fixed this morning and you should not hear this sound anymore.

Please be aware that under the Rules and Regulations for North Star Yacht Club, kids under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult when entering and utilizing any recreational facility.

The irrigation clock for the property has malfunctioned and an electrician will be at the property August 19th to work on the power going to the irrigation clock. With the afternoon rain showers we have been getting, we should not see any stress or loss due to the irrigation being off.

With a lot more people moving in to North Star, please remember these units are not completely sound proof.Please keep this in mind during the hours of 11 PM to 8 AM.

Update - Friday 13th August

2010-08-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Update on Gates by the Dock
The lock bolt has been installed at the gate by the spa. The gate and access system have been adjusted to prevent the gate from getting caught up, which should allow the gate to close and open more easily. In the interests of security, please remember when closing the gate to make sure it closes all the way and locks.

Update on the Spa
Yesterday, August 12th, ACES was out here to repair the spa heater. Unfortunately, they misdiagnosed the problem and had to order another part. They will be out at the property Monday Morning to install the new integrated control for the spa heater.

East Tower Handrail
The ramp leading from the clubhouse to the east tower garage will be fitted with a handrail by the end of the month. Please take care in this area in the interim.

Update 9th August 2010

2010-08-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Back Gate Push Buttons
The new push buttons were installed Friday, August 6, 2010. We are still waiting on the locking bolt for the gate by the spa. We expect this to be fixed at the latest by the first part of next week. In the interim, the pad lock will prevent anyone from forcing the gate open to gain access into North Star Yacht Club.

Lights in the water feature by the pool
Three lights were reported broken at the end of last week. These lights have been ordered and will be replaced once they come in. I will keep everyone updated on this issue via the Blog.

Water Pressure
Any residents experiencing low water pressure, please contact me via email. I will be going into all developer units starting this week to test the pressure and can do the same for any owner experiencing the same problem. If the pressure is below the guidelines, RJ Vann will be contacted to recalibrate the Pressure Reducing Valve.

Spa Update
A part has been ordered for the spa. As soon as it comes in and is installed, I will post it on the blog.

Spa Update

2010-08-05T05:38:00.001-07:00

The pool company thought they had fixed the problem with the spa heater but it has gone down again. Tri City Pool Service has called out a specialist company, ACES, to complete the repair. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.

Push Buttons at Back Gates

The new push buttons have been ordered for the gates by the spa and the wading pool. They should be delivered tomorrow or Friday at the latest and Safety Signals will install them at that time. Also, the push button at the gate by the tennis court is working now.

Monday 2nd August 201 Update

2010-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last night, there was a pretty good storm that hit North Star Yacht Club. Lightning has damaged the push buttons leading from the pool to the marina walk causing them to not respond when pushed. Safety Signals was out here early this afternoon to take a look at the issue and was be able to replace one of the push buttons but they only have one in stock. The one that is working is the gate by the spa; please use this one in the meantime. The other two push buttons will have to be ordered. The key pad works fine as all three were checked this morning. You can come back into the property from the marina walk using the new code. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause but can assure you we will get it back up and running as soon as possible. Also, the stationary side of the gates that has the security bar going into the pavers is also being worked on to install locking mechanisms. I will keep you posted on this issue via the Blog.

The new pool company, Tri-City Pool Service, has started today. I got a report over the weekend that the spa was not as hot as it should be. It was noticed that on the heater it stated it was locked out. The pool company took a look at this problem this morning and it looks like the heater went into lock out mode due to a power surge at the property. They were able to reset it and it should now be in working order. Please let me know if you experience any problems with the spa.

The men’s bathroom out by the pool is currently out of service. The plumbing company, RJ Vann will be here today and will hopefully be able to repair it but in the interim, you can use the bathroom in the clubhouse by the front desk.

There was an incident over the weekend with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office being called to the property. The Officers were unable to gain access through the front gate and one of our residents was able to let them in using their clicker. The gate system has the “yelp system”; this means when an emergency vehicle (fire engine, deputy) hits the sirens on their vehicle, the gate system opens the gate to allow entry. I did speak to the LCSO this morning and informed them that they need to use this when coming to the property when the gates are closed.

At the clubhouse door leading to the east garage, there is a step that is not very visible and we have received some suggestions about it. I am working with a company to install a handrail. In the meantime, we have put up two traffic cones in the area to bring people’s attention to it to avoid anyone from tripping.

New Gate Code

2010-07-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Please remember that the gate code is changing on August 2nd. You should have received an email with the code, but if you have not please contact Amy via email at Amy@SterlingPropertyFL.com or at (239) 656 1430. Many thanks.

Pool Hours and Rules

2010-07-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, there were problems with people being in the pool after hours causing a disturbance. Please remember, for safety reasons, the pool is closed from dusk to dawn. This will be strictly enforced by Diamond Security. I had a meeting with Diamond Security this morning and have addressed the issues over the last weekend with the owner. This issue was also addressed with the individuals involved.

Also, a polite reminder, no animals are allowed in or around the pool area.

Spa and Women's Steam Room Repairs

2010-07-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was reported on Tuesday morning that the spa and women's steam room are not working. Technicians will be on the premises today to look at both problems and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Reminder of Pool Rules:
Please do not dive into the pool as this can cause serious injuries - we do not want to see anyone get hurt while they are enjoying the pool - Thank you.

Front Gate Hours:
Due to the continued concerns of the majority of residents, the front gate will now only be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (to accomodate the Sales Office). These new hours will commence tomorrow Friday July 9th.

Landscape

2010-06-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

It was reported to me by a homeowner that we are having issues with ants on the west side of the property where a lot of owners walk their dogs. This area will be treated tomorrow, July 1st. The treatment usually takes about 48 to 72 hours to rid the area of ants. Until then, please use caution when walking dogs in this area as the mounds are not very visible. The treatment will not harm dogs if they walk in this area.

The sod is starting to come back in the area where the irrigation wires were cut (as explained in a previous blog) and the rain we have received in the last week has really helped. The landscapers have noticed that the sod behind both towers is not as green as it should be. As the soil in this area is very poor, Greenscapes is working on getting this area up to par with the use of different types of fertilizers. Greenscapes is also looking into the health of the Medjool Palms at the pool area as the fronds are turning brown prematurely, which could be a sign of a pest attacking the tree.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the landscaping, please let me know.

New Pool Company/Rules for Grills and Trash Disposal

2010-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

As of August 1st, 2010, North Star will have a new pool maintenance company, Tri-City Pool Service. We have had many issues with the current company, Jackson Pool Service, with response times and repairs. Earlier this month, I solicited bids from three companies due to the problems we were having with Jackson Pool Service. Tri-City Pool Service offers a wireless control system. The pool will still be serviced 3 times a week but the wireless system will alert the technician and service manager with any changes or problems with the pool at any given time. I feel this will be very beneficial to North Star and the residents. One of the major issues we have been having is the staining around the returns. Jackson Pool Service has applied acid to these on several occasions but we have seen little to no results. Tri-City Pool Service will be able take care of this as soon as they come aboard. This will be an ongoing issue as the pipes for the pool system are copper but I feel with the new company it will be better controlled. They will also be locking the gate by the pool heaters and equipment to prevent unauthorized persons in this area.

I have been asked many questions regarding what types of grills, if any, are allowed on the balconies. The Rules and Regulations state no gas or charcoal grills are allowed on the limited common elements which include the balconies. At the Annual Meeting, the President of the Association suggested a few residents form a committee and provide a proposal to the association for installation of a gas grill by the pool or court yards. If you would like to help with this, please contact me at 239-656-1430 or email me at Amy@SterlingPropertyFl.com.

Also, we are having problems with trash not properly being disposed of. We have seen bags that are too big to fit down the chute, which causes the door to the chute to break and boxes not broken down and in the wrong area of the garage. Please remember to break down all boxes and bring them down to the proper receptacle on the first floor garage in your tower. If the items are too big to fit in the door of the trash chute, please take it downstairs to the dumpster. Many thanks.

2010-06-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

We have had some wonderful afternoon storms here at North Star recently. However, over this past weekend one of the large umbrellas by the pool was broken by the wind as the last person using it did not put it back to its closed position. When you leave the pool area, please be sure to bring your umbrella down and secure it with the ties. This is very important to avoid it becoming a projectile, potentially causing personal injury or property damage....Many thanks, Amy

July 2nd Pool Party

2010-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday July 2nd starting at 11AM, Michelle will be hosting a pre-4th July Pool Party. All residents are encouraged to attend. Sandwiches and soda's will be provided. Goodies will be given out to kids. Please contact Michelle at 239-656-1430 for more details.

It was discovered that someone intentionally cut the irrigation wires to the east side of the property. Due to this, a lot of the sod has suffered but the landscapers feel the stressed areas will recover and green-up nicely.

We are still having issues with the pool heaters as someone is changing the temperature to 90+ degrees. We will be looking into locking the gates as this problem is still occuring.

2010-06-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

North Star Yacht Club is launching another communication initiative called the Open Forum Residents' Meeting, with the first event on June 30th, 2010 at 6 PM. Your Resident Board Member, Larry Ziegler and I will be giving updates on all projects currently in progress as well as informing you of any major tasks that have been completed or that are upcoming. Residents will also have the opportunity to ask us about any concerns they may have. Wine and Hors D’oeuvres will be served.

Also, on June 18th, 2010, our landscape company, Greenscapes, will be installing new Annuals for the summer. After much discussion , it has been decided to go with a different type of flower that has not been planted at North Star before. Please let me know what you think.

Some owners have been changing the temperatures on the pool heaters, which is both a cost and safety issue. If you have a problem with the temperature of the pool please contact me to discuss. DO NOT change the temperature or mess with the pool equipment.

I have also received complaints from a few residents in the West tower regarding a dog that has been allowed to relieve itself on the trash can outside the lobby doors, the decorative vase inside the lobby and various places in the garage. Please be a responsible dog owner and clean up after your dog.

Thank you for the interest in your Association,

Amy