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About The Starlight Express
The very First Issue of Starlight Express Newsletter
was created by the Editor and Chief Pat Ifft
on
February 29, 1992 and since then is maintained
and produced monthly by her for 17 years!
All Starlighter's owe immense gratitude to Pat in keeping them
informed with all happenings good and bad.
Thank You Pat
Volume XVIII, No. 7
December 6, 2009
Pat Ifft, Editor (eifft@tampabay.rr.com)
Webmaster, Louisa Simos
www.starlight-tower.com |
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As I write this,
the elves
are working on the outside lighting, the wreath is hung,
and Starlight is preparing for its 52nd Christmas
holiday season. We had hoped that all the exterior work
would be finished by now, but the building does look
regal in its new paint, and with the many improvements
accomplished in the recent rehab. The a/c covers will
arrive shortly, as will the completion of the seaward
fence. Then the new lighting fixtures will be installed,
and the new roof will top it all off.
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Owners meeting
A
special meeting of Unit Owners was held last Wednesday, called
to vote on three issues.
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Owners voted to WAIVE the year-end audit by a CPA, in lieu
of the current year-end financial statement being provided;
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voted to WAIVE a fully funded Reserve Fund; (we will have a
partially funded reserve fund);
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voted to carry over any surplus funds to next year’s
operating account to be used as a credit towards future
maintenance fee assessments. Had this not been agreed to,
carryover funds would become taxable income.
Immediately after the meeting, the Board met and adopted the
2010 proposed budget.
Some questions that were answered:
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We will have a partially funded reserve
fund. ($18,333). This was added in to the Operating budget
based on lending requirements from financial institutions
and to enhance our association’s position in the real estate
market.
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Being sensitive to the financial burden of the loan and the
addition of the partial reserve funding, the Board
significantly streamlined the Operating Budget for 2010.
This results in lowered maintenance
payments (about 8%) for those who prepaid their share of the
loan and lessened the impact of the additional loan payment
for those who chose to finance.
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About $146,000 of the $270,000 loan was paid in advance by
owners before the deadline of 5 p.m. on December 2.
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The loan is for 4 yrs at 6.75% interest.
Beach renourishment news:
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On Monday night, November 30,
the St. Pete Beach City Commission voted
unanimously to recommend to Pinellas County
Option 2 of the four options
presented by the engineers for the stabilization
of Upham Beach. Option 2 provides for a total of
4 groins, and the removal of
the present groin in the center of Upham Beach,
which will allow more wave action so that
surfing can be enjoyed there. (View the
presentation online at
www.stpetebeach.org. Click on “Press
Releases – Upham Beach Presentation”).
Repairs to the two badly damaged groins will be
undertaken during the renourishment project.
Permitting will begin early January, with
renourishment due in May or June.
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Kevin Hing,
(Apt. 702) is Chairman of the Beach
Renourishment Committee, which performed due
diligence in recommending Option 2 to the City
Commission. This option will cost $4million, a
saving of $1 million over the next preferred
option. Starlighters have been very supportive
of this beach stabilization effort, attending
meetings and writing to public officials. We
thank Hugh McGuigan and
Marlene Reid, who have worked for many
years to get some relief for our constantly
eroding beach and most especially to Kevin, who
has spent countless hours searching for the best
available answer to beach preservation.
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What incentive can we
offer,
to encourage unit owners to run for the Board? How about
the gratitude of the Board members who plan- to serve
again? And the satisfaction of helping to oversee the
governance of Starlight. It does take time, patience,
and a willingness to give back. More information will be
included in a mailing going out soon. If you have
already served, consider “re-upping”. If you have never
served, will this be the year?
Through President
Marlene Reid’s perseverance, the
Pinellas County Water Dept. refunded $8,000 after
detection of a major leak in one of our pipes from the
street. Money most appreciated.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you have a mat on the walkway,
please remove it. We are reminded that moisture building
up underneath the mat will have a detrimental effect on
the cathodic system imbedded in the walkway.
New faces
Starlight has a new manager from Resource Property
Management. Her name is Loey Antonucci,
and she was introduced at the owners meeting last
Tuesday by former manager Diane Falgione,
who is changing to a part-time position with Resource.
Thanks, Diane for your help through the renovation
project. Welcome to Starlight, Loey.
 And
here we’d like to introduce our new maintenance person,
Tracey Brown. Tracey has worked for
Resource for two years, and comes to us from her former
building in Treasure Island. Tracey has two grown sons,
and she and her husband Chris spend their leisure time
in and on the water, surfing and diving. They also
motorcycle, and recently traveled to northeast Ohio
(their former home) in a 22-hour, 1100-mile trip. If you
haven’t met her yet, take time to introduce yourself to
our newest Starlighter. Welcome to Starlight, Tracey!
Some people news...
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Evangelos & Louisa Simos (908) are pleased
to announce the engagement of their daughter Maria
to Mr. Neil Sogard.
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Hugh McGuigan (501) is home from Bayfront
Hospital….we wish him healthier days ahead.
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Our sympathy to Al Stucko (108) whose
younger brother James passed away on
November 28 in Aiken, South Carolina.
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Many thanks to Sophie Bryk (608) for her
ongoing work with the flowers and plants on our grounds.
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And thanks to DD Wales and Arlene
Kuhn for working on the holiday lighting. It’s not
easy to sort out miles and miles of lights…..especially in
the rain!
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Welcome to Starlight Lois and John
Towey (607), arriving in January for 3 months; and
Sandra Szopa and Heather Burdash
in 506.
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Christy Hayes, our longtime maintenance
person, has transferred to the Key Capri complex in Treasure
Island. She is doing well, and sends her best regards to all
her friends at Starlight.
Merry Birthday...
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...to
these December folks:
Belated to Doug Latawiec – 2nd and
Faride Trujillo – 3rd;
Carol Stucko – 6th;
Skip Curcio
– 7th;
Hugh McGuigan – 18th;
George Wolff – 20th. |
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Starlight
Tower - December 2009
Starlight Express Newsletter
