May 2011 Majestic Isles News 1

May 2011 Majestic Isles News 1 2 Majestic Isles News May 2011 COEDITORS MANAGER’S CORNER Phyllis Cohen As you can well imagine, I get calls from Betty Wachtel residents about everything from roof leaks to STAFF water line breaks and a plethora of other issues. While I always do my best to answer Doris Davidoff the questions, sometimes I have to rely on the Stan Davidson information I’ve been given by our vendors. Claire Deveney The latest barrage of questions concerns the Jerry Fefferman smoke detectors installed in the homes, and I Edye Frankel went straight to Devcon for answers. Selma Friedman Sally Galan When Oriole built the homes here, the county Ellin Goldstein required that each house have a smoke Bobbe Greene detector before the county would issue a Gerry Herman Sue Horowitz Certificate of Occupancy for that residence. Guardian, the company that Elaine Jay installed the alarm systems, was later purchased by Devcon, which now Arlene Levin has the contract for monitoring all of the alarm systems throughout Naomi Marcus, emerita Majestic Isles. The question I keep hearing is whether the smoke Thelma Mechanic detectors in the individual homes are part of the monitored system or not. Paul Mendelsohn Barbara Portnoff The information I received from Devcon is that some alarms are Judy Radin monitored and some are not and that the way to tell if your smoke Elayne Rovner detector is hooked into the alarm system is to look at the little light on the Donna Shaneson detector. If you see a constant red or green light, it means that the smoke Joan Sorkin detector is hard wired to your house, but is not part of the monitored Gloria Steingart alarm system. If you see a light that flashes about every 30 seconds, your alarm is part of the system and is being monitored by Devcon. However, ADVERTISING I am finding out that this is not a foolproof method. COMMITTEE If you have a question, my recommendation is that you call Devcon Gerry Herman directly at 800-878-7806 and ask. If you’re told that you do not have a Sylvia Fefferman monitored smoke detector, it’s a simple matter for Devcon to make a Elaine Jay service call to your house and install a wireless smoke detector that will For ad information become part of your security system. There will be a charge for the new Call 561-364-8167 equipment and the service call. If the technician discovers that the smoke detector is, in fact, hooked into the system but is not recognized at the monitoring center, it may be that all that is needed is to have the For photos, information technician flip a switch. In that case you won’t be charged the service and back issues of our call, you don’t need additional equipment, and the oversight will be newsletter, starting with corrected before the technician leaves. April 2008, check out our website: Two more thoughts: If you didn’t purchase a carbon monoxide detector when the Association made a bulk purchase a few months ago, Devcon www.majesticisles.com can also install one that will become part of your monitored alarm. Devcon also offers an “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” emergency button The M.I. Newsletter is that could save your life in case of emergency. financially self-sustaining. Ken Miller, Association Manager All expenses are covered by advertising revenue. May 2011 Majestic Isles News 3 4 Majestic Isles News May 2011 Unofficial Highlights of M.I. Board of ! Ken Miller will send a letter to a resident advising Directors Meeting, April 7, 2011 of the county’s requirements for landscape buffer surrounding A/C unit. Minutes of the April meeting will not be available until the ! The old pool umbrellas will be sold for $35 each Board approves them at the next meeting. To inform and four will include the umbrella base. residents in a timely manner, we present the unofficial and abbreviated notes below. Treasurer’s Report, Sy Kugelmas As of Apr 7, 2011: M. I. PLANNING COMMITTEE ! Delinquent units: Our attorney will proceed By Janice Davidson against one unit which now owes $3,942. ! (Residents may request report of cash positions and statement of operations at the office.) COBWRA Report, Steve Bayer ! Motion that Majestic Isles purchase a ¼ page ad in Do you know if our Reserve Fund will be sufficient the COBWRA 30th Anniversary Program at a cost of for the future needs of our community? If the fund is $350 passed by unanimous vote. not adequate to meet those needs, future assessments Clubhouse and Pool Committee, Harvey Galan may be required to cover necessary property ! Pictures for the upstairs hallway and card room maintenance expenses. Are you willing to pay a have been ordered. nominal increase in your quarterly payments now to possibly prevent the need for assessments? ! The color on the bottom of the card room wall will be toned down. These are some of the questions for which the ! The new umbrellas came in for the pool area and Planning Committee will need answers in order to everything looks nice, with the fence, plants, prepare for the fiscal future of Majestic Isles. It is canopies, and frames. not a matter of if, but rather when, additional funds ! The painting of the homes is completed and a new will be needed to maintain a safe and secure color choice has been added. community and preserve our property values. ARC Committee, Joel Rosenthal Our Homeowners Association Documents state, “The ! A notice will be put on Channel 63 requesting Reserves shall mean funds necessary for periodic volunteers for the ARC Committee. maintenance, repair or replacement of existing Insurance Committee, Janice Davidson Association property.” Based upon projections in the ! The committee has been through the proposal, and 2008 engineering study, there will be a shortfall in recommends accepting it as written. Reserve Funds over the next few years. Do you want ! Motion to accept the proposal as written passed by to wait until we are faced with these large unanimous vote. assessments or would you rather prepare and set funds aside for the inevitable major maintenance Unfinished Business costs so that this may be avoided? ! Discussion about recovering the spare chairs in the ballroom vs. purchasing new chairs. Ken Miller One example of the type of question that may come is to check on what type of foam would be used in up in relation to setting funds aside now, is whether the chair seats if the chairs are recovered. our residents would prefer to maintain our existing ! Motion to reduce the hedge height on the east side exercise equipment or would rather replace the equipment as recommended in the Reserve Study? of the community to 8 feet was not seconded. ! Motion to accept M&P’s proposal to remove the You, Majestic Isles residents, are the ones who must zerbina from behind 5778 Seashell Terrace, passed answer the above questions. by unanimous vote. ! Motion to accept Larry Schner’s (our attorney) The next meeting of the Planning Committee is on proposal to proceed with the foreclosure on home in Friday, May 6, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Please attend and arrears passed unanimously. make sure your voice is heard! Please patronize our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in the Majestic Isles News May 2011 Majestic Isles News 5 FROM THE PRESIDENT GOOD AND WELFARE By Joel Rosenthal GET WELL One of the most common complaints Greta Oestreicher you hear in Florida is that Board of Muriel Swersky Directors members do not listen to make every effort to listen and MESSAGES encourage participation from our residents. My family and I are overwhelmed by the kindness At the beginning of each meeting we open the floor and generosity of all our Majestic Isles family and to anyone who wishes to address the board. Even friends. Your response to my husband Herb's passing during the meeting you may raise your hand and be has touched our hearts deeply. recognized for your input. Several improvements to Marilyn Friedberg our community have been the result of suggestions To all my friends and neighbors: Thank you for your made by residents at meetings, but the decision is up cards, donations, visits and phone calls during my to the majority of Board members. We also have recent surgery. They contributed immensely to meetings during both the day and evening each speeding along my recovery. This is truly a month so residents have a choice or can attend both. wonderful community! Joining committees is another way of getting Muriel Swersky involved with the decision making process. Please note: We reserve the right to edit for length During the summer months, residents can access (30 word maximum) and clarity. Submit items to information online (www.majesticisles.com). You Elaine Jay by email at [email protected] with Good can also receive weekly and monthly updates from and Welfare as the subject. Acknowledgement of each Ken Miller by giving him your e-mail address. email will be sent as verification of receipt. Hurricane season is approaching. Be sure to take proper precautions to your property if you plan trips. Have a great summer. ABSENTEE BALLOT CHANGE Take the Majestic Isles Tour: A change in state law requires voters to make a ENJOY OUR NEW LOOK new request for an absentee ballot for each 2- By Harvey Galan year election cycle (now through the Nov 2012 I would like to thank the members of the decorating General Election).

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