NewsOct04

Plan on celebrating all of these things, and many more, on Saturday night, October 23, in our Club Room. Mark this date on your calendar. During October, a flyer will be distributed with all of the fabulous party details.

On Friday, September 17, the developer's representative and a waterproofing consultant visited the building to inspect any reported damage and to investigate the cause of water intrusion that was observed in some apartments.

During the inspection, the consultant noticed that on numerous balconies, individuals had attached fixtures that pierced the stucco fascia (screws, planters, unauthorized electrical outlets, etc.). They observed many instances of balcony tiling that had displaced the original waterproofing caulk along the bottom of the sliding glass doors. Owners had replaced the waterproof caulk incorrectly with grout, which does not prevent water intrusion.

The inspection and analysis is still underway. Plans include doing a more intensive investigation of the building exterior using scaffolding and selective storm condition water testing. The Association will continue to update owners, as more information becomes available.

Management is investigating all types of shelter coverings (fabric and solid) to find the best solution that will not require replacement after every serious windstorm. With the strong demand for roofing and canvas services caused by recent hurricanes, it is difficult to obtain realistic fair quotes at this time. Some vendors have significantly raised their prices for goods and services, with an expectation that hurricane victims will be willing to pay any price or are compensated by their insurance.

The Renaissance insurance deductible does not cover the expected replacement cost. Therefore the owners, through their assessments, will have to bear the cost. It is the Board's intention to minimize this expense without compromising the integrity of the parking shelter coverings.

Residents with parking spots on the third floor may move their vehicles back to those spaces. When installation will begin on the awnings, those residents will be notified to move vehicles.

With the increase in the number of hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico this year, some owners may be wondering if they should investigate storm or hurricane shutters, or protective window films.

Renaissance windows and sliding doors have been tested and rated for winds in excess of one hundred miles per hour, so the likelihood of a window blowout is low. Balcony railings provide protection from large flying objects, and the higher-floor apartments have less chance for a windborne object to break a window. It is reassuring to note that no Renaissance owner has ever chosen to install a hurricane or storm shutter system.

Nevertheless, some residents may be interested in their options. The Florida Condominium Statute gives associations the responsibility to develop and enforce storm shutter standards. There is an approved design and installation standard that must be followed for anyone considering shutters or window film. To summarize the standard:

1. Storm or hurricane shutters are not permitted on the outside of any window that cannot be directly reached from an adjacent balcony.

3. Installation hardware may not penetrate the building façade or break any exterior stucco or decorative surface, since that could compromise watertight integrity of the building exterior.

Window film is professionally installed on the inside of windows and is designed to hold broken glass together if a wind-blown object hits. At the Renaissance, approved window films must be absolutely clear and may not be colored, tinted, have a reflective coating or alter the window appearance when viewed from the outside. The Building Manager has the names of vendors who have installed approved window film at the Renaissance.

The design and installation standards for the approved shutters, and window films are documented in The Renaissance I Hurricane Shutter Specification, available from the Building Manager or on the resident unofficial web site www.RenCondo.com. This document is a must-read for any owner who is considering any form of window storm protection.

Storm preparedness experts no longer recommend taping window glass when a hurricane approaches. In addition, tape is affected by solar UV radiation and the tape adhesive will quickly bond to the glass and become difficult to remove.

Because of the extremely wet weather this Summer, the garage and ramp repair warranty work has been delayed. Residents will be notified when the work is scheduled to begin so that vehicles can be moved out of the affected work areas for the duration of the project.

Sliding balcony doors in the Renaissance I condominium have a three-inch high metal panel extending across the bottom of the door opening. This "water dam" is designed to prevent wind-blown rain from being driven under the door and onto floors and carpets.

The water dam will retain built-up water until it safely drains away, but during severe storms, wind pressure may blow into the dam and cause the trapped water to froth or bubble, and a small amount may splash out onto the floor.

During a hurricane it is wise to place towels directly against the dam panel to keep splashes away from floors and carpeting. While not likely, if the dam gets dangerously high, sponge it out so water does not overflow onto the floor.

Why wait for Spring to clean? In mid September, the hallway carpeting and lobby furniture were professionally dry-cleaned. The lobby chairs are sparkling like new and the hallways look and smell wonderful.

Some hallway areas required cleaning more than once due to spills from dragging trash bags through the hall to the trash room door. To alleviate this problem, please double wrap all trash in sealed plastic bags to avoid drips from the trash bags onto the hallway carpets. If any spills occur, contact the Building Management as soon as possible to have the area cleaned before the spill settles into the carpet.

Owners who are having work done in an apartment should remind the contractor that the hallways are not to be used as staging areas for their work.

Do not leave trash, boxes or other items on the trash room floors. Empty boxes should be brought to the first floor recycling area (via the service elevator) for breakdown and disposal. Sarasota does not recycle boxes, Styrofoam, or cardboard.

When you see the red light illuminated on the trash chute door, someone on another floor is using the chute so your chute door will be temporarily locked. Wait a few moments, the light will go out, and the door will unlock. The chute doors will also lock when the trash company is here to empty the large trash container on the first floor. In that case, the doors may be locked for about 15 minutes.

The semi-annual window washing will take place the week of Monday, November 8 through Friday, November 12, barring inclement weather. The Association has contracted the services of a different window washing company because of dissatisfaction with the previous company.

If you have debris on your windows remaining from earlier window washings, please pick up a colored "marker" sheet from the Office and attach it to the inside of that window prior to 8 am Monday, November 8 to help the window washer locate the problem window. The window cleaning crew will begin work around 8:00 am each day, so remember to draw your blinds for privacy.

The Maintenance Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 6 at 4:00 pm, in the Conference Room. If you have questions or comments, please contact the chairperson, Jeanne Sheldon at 951.6027.

Our U.S. postal letter carrier asked us to remind residents that the letter carrier can only leave mail that you have not picked up from your Renaissance post box for a maximum of ten days. If that mail has not been removed from the box, the carrier must return it to the main post office for a long-term hold. The Association staff legally cannot remove mail from the post boxes for any resident.

Mail that is being held at the main post office may be held for a 30-day maximum. Even for last-minute trips, use the on-line procedures at http://www.usps.com/receive/holdorredelivermail/

You have two options to get your accumulated mail. You can pick up your held mail at your local post office or your letter carrier can deliver your mail on the date you specify.

You must present a photo I.D. at the post office if you choose to pick up your mail. After you pick up your accumulated mail, regular mail delivery will resume the next postal business day. If you choose to have your letter carrier deliver your held mail, only the mail that will fit in your mail receptacle will be delivered. Your letter carrier will leave a Delivery Notice and return the overflow mail to your local Post Office for you to pick up.

Three cheers for a tidier mailbox - the junk mail weekly flyer problem can be resolved. Our letter carrier will leave about 20 copies of those flyers on our mailroom counter area. If all of those copies have been taken by the following day, the carrier will leave more copies on the counter. If none have been taken, the carrier will leave fewer copies on the counter in future weeks. In any event, copies will be left on the counter for no more than three (3) days.

This method will mean that any resident who wants to pick up a flyer will be able to do so conveniently. It will save the resident's locked mailboxes from being clogged with the flyers and will allay concerns about regular mail being caught up and perhaps unintentionally thrown away in the pages of any unwanted flyers.

The October movie will be "Taking Lives", starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. In keeping with the spooky spirit of Halloween, this month's movie is a thriller, which was rated "two thumbs up" by Ebert & Roeper. The plot revolves around the ultimate crime - identity theft. An elusive serial killer has assumed the identities of his victims for over twenty years. Finally there is a breakthrough and FBI profiler Scott (Jolie) is assigned to the case. It is Agent Scott's job to know what makes a killer tick to anticipate moves to close off countermoves. However, somehow this killer knows even more about Scott.

"You'll be guessing all the way until the end, and you'll still be wrong," wrote Greg Russell of WDWB-TV in Detroit. It is that unpredictability which makes "Taking Lives" so perfect for thriller fans.

As a reminder to our returning seasonal residents, last March the Board decided to strictly enforce the policy that owners must designate, in writing, the name of the housekeeper or service organization that is authorized to sign out any apartment key.

The only keys that may be held in the locked box are those designated for housekeeping or service organizations. Please do not attempt to leave keys for any other use with any staff member at the Reception Desk. They may not keep or hold keys for renters, guests, or relatives. Keys may not be held for anyone other than housekeeping or service organizations, even if those keys are turned into the desk in sealed envelopes.

Owners who have keys held in the locked key box at the front desk are required to sign a Key Release Authorization that releases the Association of all responsibility for misuse or loss of apartment keys.

Authorized keys will be stored in a locked key container accessible only to the Concierge or Security Officer, who will sign out those keys only to the service and housekeeping personnel specifically authorized by the owner. No one else may sign out a key under any circumstances.

Another important date reminder - if you have not registered to vote, October 4 is the final date to register for the November 2, 2004 statewide general election.



	Renaissance Times October 2004 OKTOBERFEST - SAVE THE DATE There are so many reasons for an October party for Renaissance residents: v Oktoberfest the perfect time to eat bratwurst and show off your stein. v Halloween is right around the corner. v Autumn signals the return of many of our seasonal residents. v Only one more month of the 2004 hurricane season remains! Plan on celebrating all of these things, and many more, on Saturday night, October 23, in our Club Room. Mark this date on your calendar. During October, a flyer will be distributed with all of the fabulous party details. STORM DAMAGE FOLLOW UP On Friday, September 17, the developer's representative and a waterproofing consultant visited the building to inspect any reported damage and to investigate the cause of water intrusion that was observed in some apartments. During the inspection, the consultant noticed that on numerous balconies, individuals had attached fixtures that pierced the stucco fascia (screws, planters, unauthorized electrical outlets, etc.). They observed many instances of balcony tiling that had displaced the original waterproofing caulk along the bottom of the sliding glass doors. Owners had replaced the waterproof caulk incorrectly with grout, which does not prevent water intrusion. The inspection and analysis is still underway. Plans include doing a more intensive investigation of the building exterior using scaffolding and selective storm condition water testing. The Association will continue to update owners, as more information becomes available. PARKING DECK CANVAS AWNINGS Management is investigating all types of shelter coverings (fabric and solid) to find the best solution that will not require replacement after every serious windstorm. With the strong demand for roofing and canvas services caused by recent hurricanes, it is difficult to obtain realistic fair quotes at this time. Some vendors have significantly raised their prices for goods and services, with an expectation that hurricane victims will be willing to pay any price or are compensated by their insurance. The Renaissance insurance deductible does not cover the expected replacement cost. Therefore the owners, through their assessments, will have to bear the cost. It is the Board's intention to minimize this expense without compromising the integrity of the parking shelter coverings. Residents with parking spots on the third floor may move their vehicles back to those spaces. When installation will begin on the awnings, those residents will be notified to move vehicles. STORM SHUTTERS AND WINDOW FILMS With the increase in the number of hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico this year, some owners may be wondering if they should investigate storm or hurricane shutters, or protective window films. Renaissance windows and sliding doors have been tested and rated for winds in excess of one hundred miles per hour, so the likelihood of a window blowout is low. Balcony railings provide protection from large flying objects, and the higher-floor apartments have less chance for a windborne object to break a window. It is reassuring to note that no Renaissance owner has ever chosen to install a hurricane or storm shutter system. Nevertheless, some residents may be interested in their options. The Florida Condominium Statute gives associations the responsibility to develop and enforce storm shutter standards. There is an approved design and installation standard that must be followed for anyone considering shutters or window film. To summarize the standard: 1. Storm or hurricane shutters are not permitted on the outside of any window that cannot be directly reached from an adjacent balcony. 2. Shutters installed on windows must meet strict design and installation standards. 3. Installation hardware may not penetrate the building façade or break any exterior stucco or decorative surface, since that could compromise watertight integrity of the building exterior. Window film is professionally installed on the inside of windows and is designed to hold broken glass together if a wind-blown object hits. At the Renaissance, approved window films must be absolutely clear and may not be colored, tinted, have a reflective coating or alter the window appearance when viewed from the outside. The Building Manager has the names of vendors who have installed approved window film at the Renaissance. The design and installation standards for the approved shutters, and window films are documented in The Renaissance I Hurricane Shutter Specification, available from the Building Manager or on the resident unofficial web site www.RenCondo.com. This document is a must-read for any owner who is considering any form of window storm protection. Storm preparedness experts no longer recommend taping window glass when a hurricane approaches. In addition, tape is affected by solar UV radiation and the tape adhesive will quickly bond to the glass and become difficult to remove. WORK IN PROGRESS Because of the extremely wet weather this Summer, the garage and ramp repair warranty work has been delayed. Residents will be notified when the work is scheduled to begin so that vehicles can be moved out of the affected work areas for the duration of the project. To become a member of the Rules and Regulations Committee call the chairperson, Gina Wagner, at 321.9451. SLIDING DOOR WATER DAM Sliding balcony doors in the Renaissance I condominium have a three-inch high metal panel extending across the bottom of the door opening. This "water dam" is designed to prevent wind-blown rain from being driven under the door and onto floors and carpets. The water dam will retain built-up water until it safely drains away, but during severe storms, wind pressure may blow into the dam and cause the trapped water to froth or bubble, and a small amount may splash out onto the floor. During a hurricane it is wise to place towels directly against the dam panel to keep splashes away from floors and carpeting. While not likely, if the dam gets dangerously high, sponge it out so water does not overflow onto the floor. FALL CLEANING REPORT Why wait for Spring to clean? In mid September, the hallway carpeting and lobby furniture were professionally dry-cleaned. The lobby chairs are sparkling like new and the hallways look and smell wonderful. Some hallway areas required cleaning more than once due to spills from dragging trash bags through the hall to the trash room door. To alleviate this problem, please double wrap all trash in sealed plastic bags to avoid drips from the trash bags onto the hallway carpets. If any spills occur, contact the Building Management as soon as possible to have the area cleaned before the spill settles into the carpet. Owners who are having work done in an apartment should remind the contractor that the hallways are not to be used as staging areas for their work. Do not leave trash, boxes or other items on the trash room floors. Empty boxes should be brought to the first floor recycling area (via the service elevator) for breakdown and disposal. Sarasota does not recycle boxes, Styrofoam, or cardboard. When you see the red light illuminated on the trash chute door, someone on another floor is using the chute so your chute door will be temporarily locked. Wait a few moments, the light will go out, and the door will unlock. The chute doors will also lock when the trash company is here to empty the large trash container on the first floor. In that case, the doors may be locked for about 15 minutes. Contact Numbers Manager's office 941.957.3957 (phone) Manager's fax 941.957.1256 (fax) Manager's new email address RenCondo@comcast.net Manager's Assistant 941.957.1125 Website http://RenCondo.homestead.com Website password ll2 (lower case L's plus a 2) Resident's fax 941.954.9964 (fax) Reception Desk 941.957.1956 Reception email RenConcierge@comcast.net Building Security 941.957.1956 Emergency 911 WINDOW WASHING The semi-annual window washing will take place the week of Monday, November 8 through Friday, November 12, barring inclement weather. The Association has contracted the services of a different window washing company because of dissatisfaction with the previous company. If you have debris on your windows remaining from earlier window washings, please pick up a colored "marker" sheet from the Office and attach it to the inside of that window prior to 8 am Monday, November 8 to help the window washer locate the problem window. The window cleaning crew will begin work around 8:00 am each day, so remember to draw your blinds for privacy. MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE The Maintenance Committee will meet on Wednesday, October 6 at 4:00 pm, in the Conference Room. If you have questions or comments, please contact the chairperson, Jeanne Sheldon at 951.6027. U.S. POST OFFICE HOLD SERVICE Our U.S. postal letter carrier asked us to remind residents that the letter carrier can only leave mail that you have not picked up from your Renaissance post box for a maximum of ten days. If that mail has not been removed from the box, the carrier must return it to the main post office for a long-term hold. The Association staff legally cannot remove mail from the post boxes for any resident. Mail that is being held at the main post office may be held for a 30-day maximum. Even for last-minute trips, use the on-line procedures at http://www.usps.com/receive/holdorredelivermail/ welcome.htm to arrange for mail to be held. § This online service will electronically notify your local post office to hold your mail. § For same day service, online requests must be submitted by 2:00 am CST Monday - Saturday. § Mail can be held from 3 to 30 days. § The post office will resume normal delivery of your mail on the date you specify. You have two options to get your accumulated mail. You can pick up your held mail at your local post office or your letter carrier can deliver your mail on the date you specify. You must present a photo I.D. at the post office if you choose to pick up your mail. After you pick up your accumulated mail, regular mail delivery will resume the next postal business day. If you choose to have your letter carrier deliver your held mail, only the mail that will fit in your mail receptacle will be delivered. Your letter carrier will leave a Delivery Notice and return the overflow mail to your local Post Office for you to pick up. WEEKLY SALES FLYERS Three cheers for a tidier mailbox - the junk mail weekly flyer problem can be resolved. Our letter carrier will leave about 20 copies of those flyers on our mailroom counter area. If all of those copies have been taken by the following day, the carrier will leave more copies on the counter. If none have been taken, the carrier will leave fewer copies on the counter in future weeks. In any event, copies will be left on the counter for no more than three (3) days. This method will mean that any resident who wants to pick up a flyer will be able to do so conveniently. It will save the resident's locked mailboxes from being clogged with the flyers and will allay concerns about regular mail being caught up and perhaps unintentionally thrown away in the pages of any unwanted flyers. OCTOBER MOVIE NIGHT The October movie will be "Taking Lives", starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. In keeping with the spooky spirit of Halloween, this month's movie is a thriller, which was rated "two thumbs up" by Ebert & Roeper. The plot revolves around the ultimate crime - identity theft. An elusive serial killer has assumed the identities of his victims for over twenty years. Finally there is a breakthrough and FBI profiler Scott (Jolie) is assigned to the case. It is Agent Scott's job to know what makes a killer tick to anticipate moves to close off countermoves. However, somehow this killer knows even more about Scott. "You'll be guessing all the way until the end, and you'll still be wrong," wrote Greg Russell of WDWB-TV in Detroit. It is that unpredictability which makes "Taking Lives" so perfect for thriller fans. The movie will be shown in the Media Room on Thursday, October 7; at 7:30 pm. Popcorn and sodas will be provided. Contact the Social Committee co-chairs, Jeanne Sheldon at 951.6027 or Gina Wagner at 321.9451, to become a Social Committee member. KEY RELEASE POLICY As a reminder to our returning seasonal residents, last March the Board decided to strictly enforce the policy that owners must designate, in writing, the name of the housekeeper or service organization that is authorized to sign out any apartment key. The only keys that may be held in the locked box are those designated for housekeeping or service organizations. Please do not attempt to leave keys for any other use with any staff member at the Reception Desk. They may not keep or hold keys for renters, guests, or relatives. Keys may not be held for anyone other than housekeeping or service organizations, even if those keys are turned into the desk in sealed envelopes. Owners who have keys held in the locked key box at the front desk are required to sign a Key Release Authorization that releases the Association of all responsibility for misuse or loss of apartment keys. Authorized keys will be stored in a locked key container accessible only to the Concierge or Security Officer, who will sign out those keys only to the service and housekeeping personnel specifically authorized by the owner. No one else may sign out a key under any circumstances. ELECTION REMINDER Another important date reminder - if you have not registered to vote, October 4 is the final date to register for the November 2, 2004 statewide general election. Our voting location is the City of Sarasota Municipal Auditorium at 801 North Tamiami Trail. The Renaissance I Suggestion Box is located on the counter in the Business Center.