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President's Message

The property looks great and all projects are on schedule. Hopefully we will not have any major storms and the oil will stay away. Please remember to have a plan to protect your property in the event of a storm. Also keep in mind before starting any painting or construction projects to contact the administrative office for the rules and regulations along with helpful advice.

Key West has a new Naval base commander, Captain Patrick Lefere; we wish him well. I have extended our greetings and informed him that we want to maintain our good relationship with the Navy.

There were a number of changes made to the Florida Statutes that govern homeowner’s associations and condominiums that became effective July 1, 2010. A complete rundown of these changes is available in the Community Update from the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff by clicking here. Past issues are also there and contain many other interesting articles on community association issues.

The Truman Annex property owners associations have been fortunate not to have experienced the delinquency levels that other communities in South Florida have. Changes to the Statutes now enable condominiums to collect up to 12 months of unpaid regular assessments as homeowners associations have been able to do in the past. Other changes enable community associations to collect assessments directly from tenants and to suspend use rights to swimming pools and other amenities when an owner is delinquent in the payment of assessments. Another significant change involves access to an association’s official records. Owner email addresses, telephone numbers, emergency contact information and other addresses of unit owners are now no longer subject to unit owner inspection. What this means is that the administrative staff can no longer provide owners with rosters that contain this information.

Please attend our monthly Board of Directors meetings on the second Monday of each month at 4:00 p.m. in the administrative office and contact any of your Board members at any time with your suggestions, comments and concerns.

With Best Regards,

Harold Berry
President, TAMPOA

Harbour Place

We have now completed the balcony and deck replacements for the Annex Building. I think that everyone is quite pleased with the finished look and the job that our contractor did. We will begin the next phase of the project - the roof of the Administration Building around the beginning of 2011. After the roof is completed, we will then begin work on the balconies and decks of the Admin Building.

So far, we have had a quiet summer. The plants along the waterfront have been trimmed down to promote healthy growth. They are filling in nicely. The plants on the front side of the Administration Building have been trimmed as well. Our grassy areas are looking a little brown at this time due to our watering restrictions. We hope that the recent rains will remedy this. We are hoping that the Coral Creeper on the mound will fill in more as time goes on.

Let’s hope for a season free of hurricane and / or oil damage.

Sincerely,

Tony Marcussen
President, HPCA

The Mills

Summer has arrived in Key West and there has been a great deal happening at Mills Place. Yesterday the Schooner Western Union was launched and is now back in the water. The ship will be outfitted with its riggings and life preservers before being moved back over the The Bight. Our view is restored and the constant sound of generators is gone! The old trash dumpster that was full of holes was replaced with two smaller ones. The smaller ones were necessary because they have to be pulled out by hand to the truck. The trash area has been enlarged and the recycling containers have been moved into that area. The old recycling area has had the gates removed and has been cleared. The trash and recycling are now in one area. Work is underway on the fences throughout Mills Place. All of the rotted parts of the fence are being replaced. It is amazing how many feet of fence we have in our community! The latches on the gates to the pool area have been raised to meet the State of Florida code. We are still in discussion with the attorney about the necessary steps needed to bring our pool fencing up to meet the State code. Along with summer comes hurricane season. Our trees have all been trimmed. All owners should make any preparations that are necessary for their units and have a local agent in place should the need arise. We look forward to seeing everyone return in the fall and we hope for a quiet summer season!

Sincerely,

Linda Harra
President, Mills Place

The Foundry

There is not a lot of news to report concerning The Foundry as we enter the summer season. Most activity remains related to bringing the fence at The Foundry / Admirals Lane pool into compliance with city and state code. We have requested that TAMPOA remove the trees located on their property that impact the code regulations in respect to the fence height and replace them with new native trees that would not be a safety issue with respect to the pool. We also requested additional trees be removed and replaced to promote additional sunlight on the pool and pool deck during the winter season. Both the Architectural Control Committee and the TAMPOA Board have approved the tree removal The Foundry plan. TAMPOA is now presenting the plan to the tree commission for approval.

As we enter hurricane season, I ask that each owner inspect the drain on the second floor balcony (large building) to make sure it is not clogged, so that if we have severe rains the water will not back up into the unit. Also, if you are considering replacing your wooden sidelights, windows and doors, please replace them with PGT hurricane-proof glass. I suggest contacting Sterling Christian in the administrative office for guidance and recommendations for installers. Again, once all units have converted to the impact resistant glass, we would be able to save about 30% on our wind coverage. The cost premium for PGT glass over standard glass has come down significantly in recent years. I have also corresponded with as many of you as possible about individually treating your unit for termites. If you did not receive the correspondence, please let me know and I will provide any information to you.

Your Board, Rob Hoopes, Phil Wilson and I look forward to receiving any ideas or comments you have relating to The Foundry. Have a great summer!

Bruce Baumann
President, The Foundry

Porter Court

“Summer time and the livin’ is easy” and in fact it’s our quiet time around the Court. Some of our owners have been in and out and renters are joining us periodically.

Of course there’s always something going on with our pool and whirlpool pumps, but with our crack Maintenance team, glitches seem to get ironed out quickly. The summer landscaping plan actions have been taken. We’ve trimmed some of our foliage way back to make way for new growth for the fall. New pruning patterns have been implemented - they’re particularly noticeable around the bougainvillea outside our front gate. Also, we’ve accomplished our coconut removal. Now we’re waiting for our share of rain - of course be careful for what you wish for - but June was a particularly dry month.

A couple of our long-time-onmarket residences have sold. Nice to see some action in what has been a quiet real estate market.

Savor the Summer.

Alan J. Montgomery
President, Porter Court

Shipyard

As we begin the summer “tropical” season it’s good to see how great everything is looking. The Maintenance staff, along with the landscaping crew, is hard at work keeping the buildings and grounds in great shape. They have been busy identifying and repairing any areas needing work on the outside of the buildings in anticipation of the painting cycle in January.

Our recycling efforts continue. We hope those owners who rent their units encourage their tenants to participate in recycling their trash. Since there is no separation of cans, bottles, paper, etc. it’s quite a bit easier than before.

We now begin a somewhat quieter time here at Shipyard. We hope that we do not experience any tropical events (we try not to use the H word) but are well prepared should something happen. In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe and happy!

Regards,

Mike Caron
President, Shipyard

Community Association Fundamentals

You might be surprised at how many of our neighbors don’t understand the fundamental nature of common-interest communities. Community Associations Institute, a national membership organization that represents the interests of common-interest communities like ours, developed 10 basic principles that answer three essential questions: What is the basic function of a community association? What are the obligations and expectations of homeowners? What are the core principles that should guide association leaders?

1. Associations ensure that the collective rights and interests of homeowners are respected and preserved.

2. Associations are the most local form of representative democracy, with leaders elected by their neighbors to govern in the best interest of all residents.

3. Associations provide services and amenities to residents, protect property values and meet the established expectations of homeowners.

4. Associations succeed when they cultivate a true sense of community, active homeowner involvement and a culture of building consensus.

5. Association homeowners have the right to elect their community leaders and to use the democratic process to determine the policies that will protect their investments.

6. Association homeowners choose where to live and accept a contractual responsibility to abide by established policies and meet their financial obligations to the association.

7. Association leaders protect the community’s financial health by using established management practices and sound business principles.

8. Association leaders have a legal and ethical obligation to adhere to the association’s governing documents and abide by all applicable laws.

9. Association leaders seek an effective balance between the preferences of individual residents and the collective rights of homeowners.

10. Association leaders and residents should be reasonable, flexible and open to the possibility - and benefits - of compromise.

Be Healthy, Swim Healthy

During the past two decades, Giardia and Cryptosporidium (Crypto) have become recognized as the most common causes of waterborne illness in the United States. Giardia and Crypto are microscopic protozoan parasites. They are protected by an outer shell and can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods of time which makes them resistant to regular chlorine disinfectant found in swimming pools. These parasites are spread by accidentally swallowing water that has been contaminated. Even the best manicured pools can spread illness.

We can all help prevent recreational water illnesses. Please notify tenants and guests prior to their arrival that anyone who must wear a diaper or similar garment is not permitted to enter any association swimming pool. Unfortunately, if there is an accident Health Department regulations require that the pool be shut down for up to 24 hours to allow it to be shocked with chemicals to kill any dangerous parasites that may have been released into the water. If you see anyone enter a pool who is wearing a diaper or similar swim pants, as they do not adequately prevent the spread of these parasites, please contact Security immediately at 305.294.3995 and they will handle the matter.

A Message From the Post Office

We have received notice from the local U.S. Post Office that we need to change how we print certain Southard Street addresses. For example, what we call 208-08 Southard Street should be addressed as 208 Southard Street, #8. Post Office computers read our old version as 20808 Southard Street which does not exist, so mail could go missing or be undelivered. We will soon be correcting our internal billing system to reflect these changes.

Thank you.

Our Gated Community

Please be advised that although the Truman Annex and Shipyard communities are gated, the general public is allowed to enter the property freely and to access places such as the Little White House. Please note that the Association does not monitor who enters or exits the communities. Members of our staff are available to help homeowners with issues such as parking and violations of homeowner bylaws. The Security Manager can be reached at the office, 305/296-0556, between 8am and 4pm during the week. The Security Staff can be reached at the Southard Street entrance gate, 305/294-3995, after hours and on weekends. Emergencies should first be directed to 911 followed by a call to TAMPOA Security. The police department’s non-emergency phone number is 305/809-1111. Thank you.

A Message From Mosquito Control

Mosquitoes are known nuisances. Not only do mosquitoes bite and suck blood, but they leave an itchy reminder of their visit. As humans, we often promote their breeding and ability to multiply by supporting their life cycle with water. A mosquito’s life revolves around water. Its eggs are laid in water or areas expected to flood. Once the eggs hatch, the mosquito larvae must stay in the water through their pupal stage. These stages happen quickly in the Florida Keys - in as little as five days. When the adult mosquito emerges from water in residential areas, they do not travel far from their water of origin. Female mosquitoes searching for blood meals can become a problem for residents. If you want to reduce mosquitoes around your home, please remove unnecessary water-holding containers. A Mosquito Control inspector can help you identify problem areas as a benefit to you and your neighbors. Please call The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District at 305.292.7190 for more information.

Hurricane Reminders

Hurricane season in the Atlantic, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico runs from June 1 to November 30. Outdoor items should be taken inside including patio furniture and potted plants. In the event that such items cause damage, the owner will be held responsible. Approved hurricane shutters may be kept closed from the middle of August through the middle of November, once a hurricane warning or watch has been issued provided that all reinforcing hardware has been painted to match the shutters.

Storm panels should not be installed until a warning is issued and they should be removed within 72 hours after the storm. Please make arrangements to have someone look after your home. The TAMPOA maintenance staff will not be able to help you as they are responsible for securing the Association property. Thank you!