NewsDec03

The Board of Directors election was held on November 6th at the Unit Church. The following owners were elected to the Board:

COMMITTEES - Committee membership is a great way to get to know your neighbors and voice your ideas for continual improvement of the Renaissance. The committee meetings are always interesting and often fun! Committee participation generally takes less than a few hours per month.

All committees can use your help, but the Pet Policy, Security and Rules & Regulations committees are particularly interested in new members!

Contact the committee chairperson listed below directly or call the Property Manager at 957-3957 for their contact information. Your help will be sincerely appreciated.

At the Owner's meeting on November 6, 2003, it was clear that a majority of the owners were unhappy with attempts by City government to nullify the Amendment to the view Corridor Easement that set limits to the height and placement of buildings associated with the future construction of a Florida West Coast Symphony facility.

Some owners suggested voluntarily contributions to a legal action fund, others wanted the Association to take action to make the City government aware of the displeasure of a majority of Renaissance owners; and others wanted to file suit in order to join the Declaratory Judgment lawsuit, if only to preserve our right to appeal the decision.

On November 10, 2003 the newly elected Board of Directors met in emergency session to address the issues and to formulate a strategy regarding the Declaratory Judgment matter in which the City sued the developer of the Renaissance and the Florida West Coast Symphony.

· To prepare letters to the Mayor and each Commissioner, outlining the Association's position and asking each Commissioner to honor the height and location limits codified in the Amendment to the View Corridor Easement, regardless of the outcome of the Declaratory Judgment.

· To prepare a petition letter for signature by Renaissance residents that will be delivered to each Commissioner at the November 19, 2003 public hearing.

The Board acknowledged that some Renaissance residents are of the opinion that the symphony should be given whatever it needs in order to build a first class facility on City land across from the Renaissance, and the Board acknowledged that those residents would be free to speak on behalf of their views at the public hearing without interference.

The Board felt that they had an overriding responsibility to defend the rights of those owners who purchased their units with the expressed understanding that their view would be protected for 99 years from any structure taller than 68 feet being built on City land in the Cultural District.

The Board did not approve a proposal to invite the Mayor, Commissioners, government officials, Symphony Board members, officials and orchestra performers to discuss the issues in a friendly and social way. The Board felt that most officials would not be able to attend because of time constraints and would probably send "stand-ins" who would be lower-level people who had little or no involvement or interest in the issues. There would be a chance of confusion, confrontation, misunderstanding and a fog of mixed messages that could do more harm than good.

The Board felt that there were no guarantees that each Renaissance attendee would necessarily agree with the preservation of the limits established in the Amendment to the Easement and that the level of risk was too high to take a chance that everything would work properly and invited officials would leave with one, clear message from the Renaissance owners.

Approximately 20-25 Renaissance owners attended the Cultural District Master Plan Hearing on November 19, 2003. There was limited discussion to the charette and the preliminary designs of the cultural district during the meeting. Anything referring to the view corridor was not accepted since it is under litigation.

We are still negotiating with Comcast Cable. It is the intention of the Board to have a cable agreement in place by January 2, 2004. They have offered the Renaissance a bulk rate plan that would include all channels from 2 through 71. All owners will be advised as soon as an agreement is reached. Owners who lease their apartment to renters and require the renter to pay their own water and cable bill should reassess their lease and billing procedures in order to capture the water and cable fees that the owner will now be paying as part of his or her quarterly maintenance assessment.

The Board of Directors has agreed to eliminate the use of a sub-metering water company effective January 1, 2004. The most recent bills sent to unit owners are for the period September 11 through October 11, 2003. Unit owners will be responsible for their individual water bills for the following periods:

Menorah lighting, Friday, December 19 at 5:00 p.m. Sheila Radman, chair of the Social Committee has asked that you contact her at 957-3043 if you plan to attend this ceremony.

The Holiday Fund Committee will be notifying you shortly regarding the Employees Holiday Fund. This is your once a year opportunity to recognize our employees for their efforts this past year.

The December movie is "Santa Clause 2". Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best one ever. But Scott's got problems. His son Charlie has landed on this year's "naughty" list, and if Scott doesn't marry by Christmas Eve - one very, very short month away - he'll stop being Santa forever.

One of our residents, Jonas Jurasas had the privilege of recently directing a production of "The Price" at the Banyan Theater Company. A Lithuanian immigrant, Jonas trained at the Moscow International Theatre Academy, and subsequently became a prominent director in Russia and Lithuania.

While a student in Moscow, Jonas played Biff in a production of "Death of a Salesman". After writing a letter of protest against Brezhnev-era censorship, Jonas said he was forbidden to work in the theater again. He was allowed to immigrate to the United States in 1974. In 1980, Jonas directed Derek Jacobi in a Broadway production of "The Suicide". He has worked with many regional theaters.

Attracted by Sarasota's cultural life, Jonas made the city his base two years ago. We are proud that Jonas and his wife Maria chose The Renaissance as their home.



			THE RENAISSANCE NEWS December 2003 2003 ELECTION The Board of Directors election was held on November 6th at the Unit Church. The following owners were elected to the Board: Charles Bubeck - President Robert Nerthling - Vice President Bruce Van Duyne - Treasurer Regina Wagner - Secretary Manny Lauria - Director Gary Majer - Director Brian Geery - Director Congratulations to all! Now the work begins. COMMITTEES - Committee membership is a great way to get to know your neighbors and voice your ideas for continual improvement of the Renaissance. The committee meetings are always interesting and often fun! Committee participation generally takes less than a few hours per month. Please consider joining a resident committee! All committees can use your help, but the Pet Policy, Security and Rules & Regulations committees are particularly interested in new members! Contact the committee chairperson listed below directly or call the Property Manager at 957-3957 for their contact information. Your help will be sincerely appreciated. Architectural - Chair: Don Kern Finance - Chair: Manny Lauria Fitness Center - Chair: Rich DiBello Maintenance - Chair: Dave Arnsby Pet Policy - Chair: Brian Geery Rules & Regulations - Chair: Regina Wagner Security - Chair: Gary Majer Social - Chair: Sheila Radman Newsletter - We need volunteers! Ad-Hoc Committees Cable TV - Chair: Hans Stocker Emergency Planning - Chair Bruce VanDuyne View Corridor/Symphony/Culltural District Chair: Robert Nerthling Board Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is Wednesday, December 3, 2003. VIEW CORRIDOR AND THE DECLARATORY JUDGMENT At the Owner's meeting on November 6, 2003, it was clear that a majority of the owners were unhappy with attempts by City government to nullify the Amendment to the view Corridor Easement that set limits to the height and placement of buildings associated with the future construction of a Florida West Coast Symphony facility. Some owners suggested voluntarily contributions to a legal action fund, others wanted the Association to take action to make the City government aware of the displeasure of a majority of Renaissance owners; and others wanted to file suit in order to join the Declaratory Judgment lawsuit, if only to preserve our right to appeal the decision. On November 10, 2003 the newly elected Board of Directors met in emergency session to address the issues and to formulate a strategy regarding the Declaratory Judgment matter in which the City sued the developer of the Renaissance and the Florida West Coast Symphony. The Board unanimously decided: · To prepare letters to the Mayor and each Commissioner, outlining the Association's position and asking each Commissioner to honor the height and location limits codified in the Amendment to the View Corridor Easement, regardless of the outcome of the Declaratory Judgment. · To deliver a public statement at the Cultural District Master Plan Hearing on November 19, 2003. · To prepare a petition letter for signature by Renaissance residents that will be delivered to each Commissioner at the November 19, 2003 public hearing. The Board acknowledged that some Renaissance residents are of the opinion that the symphony should be given whatever it needs in order to build a first class facility on City land across from the Renaissance, and the Board acknowledged that those residents would be free to speak on behalf of their views at the public hearing without interference. The Board felt that they had an overriding responsibility to defend the rights of those owners who purchased their units with the expressed understanding that their view would be protected for 99 years from any structure taller than 68 feet being built on City land in the Cultural District. The Board did not approve a proposal to invite the Mayor, Commissioners, government officials, Symphony Board members, officials and orchestra performers to discuss the issues in a friendly and social way. The Board felt that most officials would not be able to attend because of time constraints and would probably send "stand-ins" who would be lower-level people who had little or no involvement or interest in the issues. There would be a chance of confusion, confrontation, misunderstanding and a fog of mixed messages that could do more harm than good. The Board felt that there were no guarantees that each Renaissance attendee would necessarily agree with the preservation of the limits established in the Amendment to the Easement and that the level of risk was too high to take a chance that everything would work properly and invited officials would leave with one, clear message from the Renaissance owners. Approximately 20-25 Renaissance owners attended the Cultural District Master Plan Hearing on November 19, 2003. There was limited discussion to the charette and the preliminary designs of the cultural district during the meeting. Anything referring to the view corridor was not accepted since it is under litigation. CABLE We are still negotiating with Comcast Cable. It is the intention of the Board to have a cable agreement in place by January 2, 2004. They have offered the Renaissance a bulk rate plan that would include all channels from 2 through 71. All owners will be advised as soon as an agreement is reached. Owners who lease their apartment to renters and require the renter to pay their own water and cable bill should reassess their lease and billing procedures in order to capture the water and cable fees that the owner will now be paying as part of his or her quarterly maintenance assessment. WATER BILLS The Board of Directors has agreed to eliminate the use of a sub-metering water company effective January 1, 2004. The most recent bills sent to unit owners are for the period September 11 through October 11, 2003. Unit owners will be responsible for their individual water bills for the following periods: October 11, through November 11, 2003 November 11 through December 11,2003 December 11 through January 11, 2004 You will no longer receive a bill from National Exemption Service after January 11, 2004. SOCIAL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES Come to the Christmas tree trimming party on Saturday, December 6 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Menorah lighting, Friday, December 19 at 5:00 p.m. Sheila Radman, chair of the Social Committee has asked that you contact her at 957-3043 if you plan to attend this ceremony. New Years Day Brunch, January 1 from 10:00 - 12:00 Noon EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY FUND The Holiday Fund Committee will be notifying you shortly regarding the Employees Holiday Fund. This is your once a year opportunity to recognize our employees for their efforts this past year. MOVIE NIGHT The December movie is "Santa Clause 2". Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best one ever. But Scott's got problems. His son Charlie has landed on this year's "naughty" list, and if Scott doesn't marry by Christmas Eve - one very, very short month away - he'll stop being Santa forever. The movie will be showing in the media room on Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. Popcorn and sodas will be provided. A FAMOUS DIRECTOR IN OUR MIDST One of our residents, Jonas Jurasas had the privilege of recently directing a production of "The Price" at the Banyan Theater Company. A Lithuanian immigrant, Jonas trained at the Moscow International Theatre Academy, and subsequently became a prominent director in Russia and Lithuania. While a student in Moscow, Jonas played Biff in a production of "Death of a Salesman". After writing a letter of protest against Brezhnev-era censorship, Jonas said he was forbidden to work in the theater again. He was allowed to immigrate to the United States in 1974. In 1980, Jonas directed Derek Jacobi in a Broadway production of "The Suicide". He has worked with many regional theaters. Attracted by Sarasota's cultural life, Jonas made the city his base two years ago. We are proud that Jonas and his wife Maria chose The Renaissance as their home.