Let it first be said that we are thankful to be spared from any major damage here in Aquarina from the past storm, and we are also thankful to the in-house Residents who have assisted in the cleanup. Now for some revisited comments that we should not forget.
Adding insult to injury, the resigned ACSA President and his cohort, who oversees the Lakeside Pool renovation, and who also is selling his Aquarina property, have both requested to remain in their positions in order to “complete their work” with the Lakeside Pool. Remember, it’s now been nearly two years of having the Lakeside Pool unnecessarily closed for this extended period of time. This is no less than a “hit and run”, which appears as a haughty request to return to finish their bullying deed on the Pool Neighborhoods. These Neighborhoods have been misled with the status of the Pool, for nearly two years, and have now been forced into huge Pool expenses and an assessment, without any ACSA invited input. The ACSA’s “taking” of the Pool from the Pool Neighborhoods was done in this bullied fashion with misinformation as justification for the taking. It was an autocratic power play of crafted deceit, with the uncovered truth of the situation being ignored by the ACSA. However, the ignoring became justified for the ACSA as it now appears that the majority ACSA Board was the source of this crafted deceit.
Now these two “Lame Duck” individuals want to finish their orchestrated scheme, certainly directed and sourced by the Deep State Cabal, to secure the Lakeside Pool takeover, with this indulgent and unnecessary expense. Remember, too, the ACSA President’s slip of the lip, when at an ACSA Meeting, he revealed no Reserve Fund was established for the Lakeside Pool, since it was intended to be demolished, as the ACSA’s shills and henchmen endorsed, when disclosing their unsupported, unlicensed, and laymen mis-informed findings to the shocked Pool Neighborhoods. The scam was set, and the Pool Neighborhoods lost their repairable Pool. Repairable, as determined by a long tenured and well respected licensed Building Contractor, which most likely would have been $150,000 less than the cost with which the Pool Neighborhoods are now strapped to pay.
Further, last October of 2023, this licensed Florida building contractor, with decades of Brevard County experience, explained that the pool remediation process could be done within a month. A professional tarping of the Bath House roof would be completed until a scheduled roofer would do the roof replacement. The tarping done by the unlicensed laymen soon became undone, and the roof remained in an exposed condition. The ACSA refused to have Pool Area remediation done as explained by the licensed Building Contractor, saying that this course of action was not supported, with no explanation as to why. Hmm.
In an email poll of all the Pool Neighborhoods, a majority of all the neighborhood units voted 100% YES to have the licensed Building Contractor do the work to open the Pool Area. This vote was ignored and not commented upon. These Pool residents, per our By-Laws, are responsible to maintain the Pool Area, pay all the costs of the Pool Area, and have exclusive use of the Pool Area, all which have occurred for over 30 successful years without incident. This past history has now been ignored by the ACSA, and the ‘Taking” of the Pool Area has now been fulfilled.
It would be expected, that as a result of the elapsed time with no pool to use, an urgency to commence the renovation would be pushed by the ACSA Board. Remember the ACSA President’s promise that “all hands are on deck” with the pool renovation. With a signed pool renovation contract signed in August, and a paid deposit by the Pool Residents, building permits, as recently checked, are still not in place to commence the pool work. Remember, too, that the renovation contract provides two years to complete the pool work. This is a sense of urgency to restore the “Taken” Pool amenity?
The Pool Residents continue to be abused from the misled information for the “Taking” of the pool, and now the “slow walk” with the renovation process. Further, $100,000 has been set aside by the ACSA for pickle ball courts. Who planted this expense to be foisted on the Aquarina Residents? Keep in mind there are public pickle ball courts five minutes down the road at the County Park. Consider that the Bocci court would be eliminated for these pickle ball courts. What about those Bocci players? Consider the Beach Club elevator still has not been repaired; it’s been that way for over a decade. Consider the promised Aquarina Community Pool, another Resident amenity that was “taken” away.
Hopefully, the current ACSA Board will be aware of these past and ongoing self-serving actions, and provide a corrective course of actions for all the Aquarina Residents, especially the Pool Residents, all of whom have been ignored, and all of whom have been damaged and injured, by the “Taking” of the Pool, and now its slow walked renovation.
It is unusual for an ACSA Director to resign in mid-term, especially so for an ACSA elected President. I cannot recall this occurring in my years here since 1995. Certainly, a health or family matter could arise, and if that is the case, then we all wish the best for what may be this unexpected event.
However, there have been questionable and provable untoward actions performed by the majority ACSA Directors toward the Residents that easily could be attributed to a resignation maybe caused by conflict and regret for aligning with the Aquarina self-serving cabal. Much of what has been mishandled with resulting harm to the Residents has been continually detailed in the Blog, e.g. the ACSA president has signed off on major and huge expenses for the Aquarina Community, i.e., the Brassie Grille expansion and the Lakeside Pool renovation. True, some positive, but long overdue projects have been completed, e.g. painting of the Beach Clubhouse, repaving the entrance roadway, and the almost permit loss of building the handicap beach crossover. These projects should have been done five years ago, but were waylaid for golf betterments, and other cabal discretionary costs.
It was obvious during ACSA called Meetings, that the past ACSA President and the non-Resident and paid First Service Residential employee, both advocates and spoke persons for the cabal, ruled the Meetings. Was the now resigned President becoming uncomfortable with the provided direction and demands? Regardless, what has now occurred is unfortunate for all, though the shutting down of the Residents input and a vote on the huge debt foisted on them with the Lakeside Pool and renovated Brassie Grille is autocratic and non-democratic. What we now have is a director/President who either walked away, had to leave with personal reasons, or maybe was suggested to leave by the cabal, no one knows, though the cabal’s mission was completed, i.e. draining more cash from the Residents.
More to come. Further, the Lakeside Pool fiasco worsens for the Pool Neighborhoods’ Residents.
The majority ACSA Board’s Scams, i.e. the Renovated Brassie Grille, and the Now Soon to Be Renovated Lakeside Pool, have plagued the community for several years now. Have the Residents been lulled into an Autocracy existence rather than a participatory community where all the Residents can have a dialogue and say in the direction of their neighborhoods, rather than be dictated to on what will occur and what will be spent?
We all know how the majority ACSA Board decided, on its own, without Resident vote, to spend well over $1M on, which had been a workable sports bar, as it had been intended to be. This amount of expenditure and debt had been foisted on the back of the Residents without discussion, like the Pool Matter, the majority ACSA dictates to the Residents what it will be doing and spending, with no community discussion with debate or reason. More on The Brassie Grille later and below.
First, let’s look at the Pool Matter. The following words from the ACSA President, during a LSP Committee Meeting, say it all on how the Pool Residents were to be handled.
“A Reserve Study was never intended for the Lakeside Pool because it was going to be replaced.” That was a slip and shocker.
“You’ll really like the renovated Pool Area; it’s going to be very nice.”
Do you hear these types of statements from a group working together on a project, or do you hear these words from a group that tells you what will be done without discussion?
As a review, almost two years ago, the following sequence of events occurred that changed the Lakeside Pool for all its Pool Residents.
The ACSA majority fabricated a misrepresented story and presentation through its selected and enlisted Pool Resident shills and henchmen, at an ad hoc Pool Neighborhood Meeting. The intention of this meeting was to establish the past and original LSP Committee was negligent in the care and maintenance of the Pool Area, which it had overseen with success for over 30 years.
The accused original LSP Committee regrouped to address these overblown and misrepresented conditions of the Pool Area Bathhouse. A building inspection was ordered for the Bathhouse by this Blog writer, which the majority ACSA cancelled, and scheduled its own engineering report of the Bathhouse. This report revealed items that needed repair, and some speculation on some other items that proved to be non-issues. This Blog writer asked a building contractor to review the engineering report, and to visit the bathhouse to propose a remediation, which the building contractor said was viable. A return visit to the Pool Area to gather measurements to craft a proposal was denied by the ACSA President. The majority ACSA Board had their own plan for the Pool Area, and would not hear of any other approach for the remediation.
What followed was that this Blog writer, on the original LSP Committee, and who was responsible for ordering the building inspection and who enlisted the building contractor, was summarily removed from the LSP Committee for interfering with the ACSA. This action was obviously intended to “kneecap” the Committee, which resulted in some other members resigning.
As a result of this bogus accusation of negligence and interference, the ACSA majority further strengthened its push to take over the Pool Area, by using Aquarina By-Laws to justify taking over maintenance from the Pool Neighborhoods for them being negligent and not performing their maintenance of their amenity, i.e. the Pool Area. The ACSA removed the LSP Committee from its 30 plus year oversight of the Pool Area, and appointed its own selected group of agreeable Pool Residents, including the shills and henchmen, with whom it felt could appear to be a representative supportive group from the Pool Neighborhoods. Those other Pool Residents, who saw through this whole scheme of made-up untruths, and who placed themselves to be chosen for this new LSP Committee, including this Blog writer, were readily dismissed as candidates to be chosen by the ACSA majority. Those candidates that presented themselves as ACSA advocates, and the shills and henchmen, were readily endorsed and placed on the new committee.
The shills and henchmen took control of the new LSP Committee, and decided that the whole Pool Area should be demolished. Remember, the ACSA President stating that the Pool Area would not have a reserve study because it was going to be replaced. The shills and henchmen were non-professional and unlicensed laymen, and were not licensed pool and building contractors, but they were effective shills and henchmen to drive the Pool Area takeover by the majority ACSA.
LSP Committee Meetings followed where the Committee was TOLD what would happen at the Pool Area. Bids were requested for the ACSA determined remediation of the Pool Area. Bids were not shared with the Pool Residents. Interestingly, expected bids did not occur. I was called to find out about the building contractor that I enlisted in the beginning of this process. He told me me that he could not work out a bid with the ACSA Board. Not surprising, since he was the contractor that could have done a repair and restore, at a fraction of the now $300,000 cost, which the majority ACSA Board wants to pursue, e.g the Bathhouse will be about half the size of the current one that will be demolished. The demolishing tripled in cost from a year ago, and if you take $150,000 of the $300,000 cost for the Bathhouse, it comes out to about $500 per square foot, more than a square foot cost for a single family house in Aquarina. It’s a bathroom!
We were told that a builder was chosen among two bids, and the difference between the two bids was $10K. You are told this when the chosen bid is $10K more than the competing bid. Surprise – the chosen bid was a contractor, who is a long-time friend of an ACSA Director. Wonderful, so an ACSA Director provides a “favor” to a friend at the Pool Residents’ cost and expense.
More disturbing is that the shills and henchmen enlisted by the majority ACSA Board to sabotage the original LSP Committee, now have their units for sale and are leaving Aquarina, except one of them, who, as a leaving Resident, is spear heading the Pool Area remediation debacle. Does a “hit and run” attack sound familiar here.
Again, a quick recap.
An ACSA decision is made to take control of the Pool Area from the Pool Residents.
Shills and henchmen are selected from the Pool Residents to discredit the long standing LSP Committee (30 years of successful oversight).
An overstated, misrepresented, and alarmist presentation to the Pool Residents on the condition of the Bathhouse was conveyed at a Pool Resident Meeting.
The ACSA ‘kneecapped” the LSP Committee with demands and removal of its members, and accused the Committee of negligence with maintaining the Pool Area, thereby creating a false situation to cause a takeover from the Pool Residents of maintaining the Pool Area.
The disbanded LSP Committee had simultaneously ordered a Bathhouse professional and licensed inspection, and had a licensed building contractor read the engineering report on the Bathhouse, and tour the Bathhouse to determine a remediation. The ACSA cancelled the inspection and would not allow the building contractor to return to the Bathhouse to gather data to craft a bid for its remediation.
What the building contractor was able to determined was that the Bathhouse could be remediated within two weeks for safe use, and the roof be professionally tarped until the scheduled roof replacement occurred. The Pool itself was functioning for use. The cost for the remediation was a small fraction what the majority ACSA has now decided to spend on the Pool Matter.
The previous and unfounded concerns with a sinking pool, mis-sloped pavers, and the off level pool gutter, were Pool characteristics for decades without incident. In addition, Pool applications for resurfacing the Pool shell, and lifting all the pavers to investigate the bottom of the Pool, are all indulgences that are not needed, as confirmed by Pool contractors.
The reality is that the Pool’s minor Matters and the Bathhouse repair and restore could have occurred last fall within a two week period. Instead the majority ACSA Board decided against the cost effective fix, and kept the Pool Area closed for now 18 months. During this time the shills and henchmen of the new ACSA LSP Committee did minimum maintenance, and the Pool Area never looked as bad as it has during these past 18 months. Fortunately, some of the newly ACSA appointed LSP Members have made efforts to restore the Pool Area.
Further, the Pool Residents voted to discuss and consider the repair and restore for the Pool Area matters that the building contractor said could be completed within two weeks, back last October. A majority of the Pool units responded (70%) to an email vote; and all voted “yes” for this alternative path for the Pool Area. The majority ACSA Board ignored this voted request, and blithely said “we don’t support this approach” with no explanation. This cost effective and efficient approach was apparently not the majority ACSA Board’s agenda, regardless of what the majority of the Pool Residents wanted, who are the ones paying and maintaining. AUTOCRACY IS AT WORK, NOT DEMOCRACY.
Probably the final blow to the Pool Residents has been the choosing of a contractor to address the majority ACSA Board’s decisions on the Pool Matter. It apparently occurred that contractor bids became surprisingly difficult to solicit, and finally two bids were offered. We were told there was a $10K difference between the two bids. When that is said you can count on the higher by $10K bid to be chosen. Oh yes, it appears that the contractor selected has been a long-time friend of one of the Board Directors. About $30K for the Bathhouse demolition, which tripled in cost over one year, and $300K for the Bathhouse and Pool total renovation, all not required or needed. At $150,000, one half of the $300K, comes out to under $500 per square foot for a bathroom. A new Aquarina single family home can be built for that cost, and the new Bathhouse will be nearly half the size of the current one.
The Brassie Grille scam has similarities to the Pool Matter, e.g. when loan money became difficult to secure from banks for construction costs and added overruns. The majority ACSA Board decided to secure funds by seeking loans from the Residents. Surely the Residents behind the Brassie Grille expansion could be convinced to finance overruns if the Residents would payback these loans at an attractive interest rate. Imagine, the cabal secures their expanded restaurant by lending to the Residents for the Residents to pay for the cabal restaurant, and the cabal enjoys a payback with their loan AND INTEREST. Have the Residents seen a lease with the current restaurant Tenant at the renovated and past Brassie Grille? I’m sure the Residents did not come to Aquarina to be in the restaurant business and the construction business.
An Autocracy demands from its constituents, and the constituents obey, as exemplified by increasing maintenance fees and costs for indulgences, to be paid without discussion, as it is here in Aquarina. However, there are communities where discussions occur and votes are taken, a democracy. An HOA is meant to serve its Residents and maintain the community as it exists, to be secure and functional. It is not meant to be a self-serving body to promote its selfish agenda by spending the Residents’ funds with recklessness and abandon.
BTW – Florida provides an avenue to address a rogue majority Board of Directors. See the forms above.
Could It Be Time to Re-Evaluate FirstService Residential? AND The Past ACSA’s Roller Coaster Performance.
May the past majority of the ACSA Board be now subjected to a shift of opinion and policy as a result of the recent Board of Directors’ election outcome? Also, may the direction provided by FirstService Residential come under scrutiny from its past and continued actions, which have not been in the best interest of a particular block of Residents, i.e. the Pool Residents? Let’s look at each of these matters.
First, let’s review the past majority of the ACSA Board’s actions, which has been a roller coaster of exhausting rides of ups and downs. From the downs of the community infrastructure’s past neglect, (e.g. putting off road repairs and entrance up keeping), and extravagant misspent funds on selfish betterments, e.g. the Brassie Grille renovation, to the ups of the finally built handicap ramp beach crossover, (which was nearly too late, where expired permits could have occurred), and to finally having the roads addressed. However, these resulting both dramatic ups and downs should have not occurred. What should have occurred was a leveled performance of fiscal responsibility and priority decision making for ALL the Residents, and not decisions favoring the cabal group of Residents.
The most crushing cost to most of the Residents, other than to the recipient cabal group of Residents, was the selfish, non-needed, and extravagant spending of the Brassie Grille expansion, to which All the Residents are now inextricably tethered with enormous debt. This decision of massive financial consequences was taken without consideration of a community voice or vote. Did the Residents come to Aquarina to be in the restaurant business, with all of its inherent risks? This was the past majority of the Board’s most colossal blunder, which was decided upon in spite of ongoing harsh economic times, e.g. rampant inflation, and rising costs for the community, e.g. rising insurance premiums.
One take on this majority of the ACSA Board’s spending spree is that it’s purely political. Keep in mind that being a Resident of Aquarina does not require to be a member of either the golf club nor the tennis club. These recreation offerings are for discretionary membership. It’s obvious that the golf and tennis members drive the socialization and the required facilities for these social gatherings, which can be expected; however, should not these expenses and costs for social activities and the facilities be borne by the participants, who enjoy them, and not the non-member Residents, who do not participate. If membership in the golf and tennis clubs are not a requirement for residency, then why should the Residents, who are not required to be members in these clubs, pay for club members’ indulgences? In addition, these paid for indulgences do not even support themselves, but are subsidized by the non-member Residents.
The Brassie Grille was a sufficient facility for the whole community, but not for the cabal of limited members of the clubs. Maybe it could have been tuned up a bit, but an excess of an apparent $1.3M renovation was off the charts for a facility that was questionably managed and continued to be subsidized. The best approach after this debacle is to have it leased to a professional restaurant company, which may be happening now; time will tell. Actually, the golf course should have a management company considered, i.e. the same path that current renovated restaurant has taken. The ACSA Board does not need to be in the restaurant and golf business, where these two entertainment entities are overseen by the folks that use them, which could be considered a self-serving arrangement, and at a selfish subsidized cost to those that don’t participate in these clubs. Why would members of a golf course encourage public play to increase revenue to carry the golf course costs, when the Residents provide subsidies to carry these cost shortfalls? Hmm. An independent management company needs to be considered at the members’ cost. Private member golf courses do exist, where all Residents pay, Aquarina is not one of those communities, yet our majority Board expects all Residents to pay for the club member participants, and those members’ amenities. This is the cabals’ unspoken fact to their Aquarina heaven.
Second, FirstService Residential (FSR) needs to be reviewed. The Lakeside Pool Residents have been without a repairable pool for 18 months, as a result of a an FSR non-Resident paid employee acting as a bullying controller, for the majority of the ACSA Board, with all Lakeside Pool matters. This non-Resident paid employee has promulgated misleading information, withheld information, provided unsupported information, and shown an attitude of do as I say, with no allowed opportunity for a dialogue of explanation.
This Blog has consistently disclosed the unacceptable actions of the majority of the ACSA Board as voiced by this FSR non-Resident paid employee. As a result of the FSR non-Resident paid employee’s directed actions, injury and harm have arisen, and have been placed on the three Pool Neighborhood Residents. They include the following.
The Pool closing has caused Pool maintenance to be limited to be nearly eliminated, causing the Pool to be a community eyesore to Residents, guests, and potential Buyers. A year has passed, since the abandonment has been mildly addressed, but still more work is needed. Ironically, the majority of the ACSA Board stated it had to take control of the Pool, since the Pool was not previously provided proper care by the three Pool Resident Neighborhoods. This determination was based on prejudicial and exaggerated opinions from non-professional and unlicensed laymen. All deteriorated at the Pool Area following the ACSA Board take over.
Non-professional and unlicensed laymen were also enlisted by the ACSA Board to secure a damaged roof, which failed, causing further roof damage threatening the interior of the building.
Residents who bought into the Pool Neighborhoods for expected Pool enjoyment and physical therapy have now had these paid for expectations taken.
The controlled and prolonged demise of the Pool has caused economic harm and injury to the Pool Residents’ units. Prospective Buyers and Renters have moved away from purchasing or renting these units because of the controlled uncertainty that has been manipulated by the past majority of the ACSA Board over these past 18 months.
A one month time of repair and restore of the Pool was offered by a licensed building contractor shortly after the Pool was closed. The Pool Residents, i.e. 70% of the units and nearly 100 of the units’ Residents, via an email vote, all agreed by 100% of the votes to repair and restore the Pool, per the licensed builder. The majority of the ACSA Board ignored this Pool Resident decision without a Board response, with the RSR non-Resident paid employ telling the Residents that the repair and restore resolution to the Pool was not supported. No explanation was offered why it was not supported.
Non-professional and unlicensed laymen also determined that the Pool was sinking and needed to be demolished. An engineering soil test apparently determined that the sinking did not exist. The Pool Residents’ paid soil report was never shared with the Pool Residents.
The ACSA Board, through the FSR non-Resident paid employee, stated that the Pool shell had to be dug out and exposed to determine if Pool pipes were leaking, which would require all the pavers to be removed. Also, what was stated was that the Pool needs to be resurfaced. Documentation from licensed pool contractors showed that neither of these two actions are needed.
More stall tactics and misinformation could be disclosed, but it is quite apparent that the past majority of the ACSA Board and its FSR non-Resident paid employee, over these past 18 months, have stalled and slow-walked the restitution of the Lakeside Pool. It also is apparent that FirstService Residential is complicit with the majority of the ACSA Board in this unacceptable, reckless, and irresponsible behavior upon its Pool Residents, whom they took an oath to serve.
RESOLUTION AND ACTION
The facts are documented as to all the injurious actions to the Pool Residents, and all the reckless and selfish actions foisted upon the Community Residents, all done by the past majority of the ACSA Board. The Residents spoke loud and clear with the recent Board of Directors’ election, where Directors of the majority Board were removed and replaced with, hopefully, new Directors that recognize the past contrived blunders of the past majority of the Board, and, hopefully, these new Directors will provide reasonable and fair policies for All the Residents, e.g. maybe having a professional restaurant company being responsible for restaurant costs, with no AGI political interference, will be the norm and policy. Hopefully, too, a fair business lease is in place for all to succeed, both for the Tenant, restaurant, and for the Landlord, ACSA.
However, though part of the past majority of the Board problem may be resolved with newly elected Directors, FirstService Residential (FSR) and its non-Resident paid employee still exist in their current positions. It would seem that FSR would be complicit with its employee of these past unfair actions, for which Aquarina and its Residents ironically pay them. Based on the injurious behavior and actions, as previously detailed, which have been forced on the Pool Residents, both the non-Resident paid employee and FSR need to be reviewed on their performance, especially, if a renewal of their contract is near. What the Pool Residents have suffered over these past 18 months was preventable (as documentation shows), and more seriously, the harmful actions were done without repent nor by accident nor by mistake.
The now new Board, not the past majority of the Board, has an obligation to support the Pool Residents and help them recover asap from the disrespect and harm that was bestowed on them over these past 18 months of grief.
Two items that should be addressed at this time are 1) this week’s election for the ACSA Board of Directors, and 2) the assembled disclosure communication to the Residents of the ACSA’s financial status. Let’s take a brief look at each item. Further discussion will follow with future posts.
ALSO COMING SOON – IS FIRST SERVICE RESIDENTIAL ARE BEST CHOICE?
COMING SOON – WILL THE NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS BE FOCUSED ON ALL THE RESIDENTS?
THIS WEEK’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ ELECTION
The Residents need a change from the current Board of Directors; this Board majority is self-serving and has not served All the Residents equitably. This Blog endorses the following. Director Candidates.
Christopher Edwards
Arthur La Flemme
Robert MacIntosh
ACSA FINANCIAL REPORTING
The ACSA’s financial reporting disclosure communication to the Residents can be made more understandable with the addition of simpler documents, which would offer a snapshot of where the ACSA financially stands. The data disclosed appears detailed; however, it’s like pieces of a puzzle that need to be placed together, i.e. to show a finished puzzle
Two examples of showing an understandable financial situation are a Balance Sheet, and a Profit and Loss Statement, e.g. for the Brassie Grille, Golf Course, and Tennis Club. See examples of these forms below.
These two financial forms are simple and to the point for a quick overview of a financial entity. Certainly, there is much data that these two forms represent; however, the dumping of all the data that has been provided to the Residents for the Residents to decipher is not a fulfilling act of transparency. Showing readable forms WITH the enormous piles of numbers practices true transparency of where the ACSA stands financially.
ALSO COMING SOON – THE CURRENT ACSA BOARD NEEDS A CHANGE. ELECTIONS ARE THE ANSWER.
COMING SOON – COULD THE ACSA FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES BE MORE TRANSPARENT?
Can we really call The LSP Committee, a working committee, with dialogue and a back and forth interaction, which would be expected from a “Committee”?
It appears that the Lakeside Pool (LSP) Committee number three, where volunteers were required to submit a resume and then be chosen, has turned into a shell committee, where Pool Area decisions are made and then disclosed afterwards to the committee. No meeting has been called since the first orientation meeting though a meeting is allegedly scheduled (which did occur), and yet Pool Area events move forward, as disclosed at the last monthly ACSA Meeting by the now apparent sole source of Pool Area information, an ACSA Non-Resident employee. It would seem that this committee, in its now third transformation, would participate in decisions regarding the Pool Matter. After all, the Pool Residents have exclusive use of the Pool Area, are expected to maintain and repair the Pool Area, and pay 100% of the resulting costs. It certainly could be expected that these Residents should have a say in decisions to restore the Pool Area, therefore, the expected reason for an LSP Committee, including the 30-year track record of maintaining and repairing of the Pool Area. However, the past 30 years of caretaker diligence and the current LSP Committee are being ignored, as the ACSA railroads its Pool Area agenda through the Pool Residents, where the costs are not considered, because the cost decision makers do not pay. The Pool Residents pay.
We have a non-Resident, who is an ACSA employee, and to whom we pay this employee’s salary telling us what will be occurring at the Pool Area. The salary BTW, it appears, is beyond a clerical pay grade. Check the ACSA budget for the Administrative Office’s expenses. Ironically, we pay this employee to short change us with the LSP Committee, where discussions and dialogue are expected, yet eliminated, and its resulting purpose is to listen and abide to what ACSA will be doing with the Pool Area through this employee spokesperson. It’s unfortunate for the LSP Committee Members, where the expected ongoing meetings to discuss the Pool Area does not exist, at least with public announcement. These meetings are to be posted and disclosed for the Pool Residents. I have not seen or heard of one. One Pool Member, when I asked about the next meeting, replied the Members were waiting to hear, and another one stated that a meeting may be coming up. Who is running the LSP Committee? There are Chairpersons and Members.
This employee, has shown, in all Pool Matter instances, that the employee is in control of all Pool Matters; however, we don’t know how the Pool decisions are justified other than coming from the employee. No discussions ensue. Decisions are disclosed as events that will occur without an explanation as to the decision. A dictatorial behavior could easily be concluded from the optics of the employee’s actions. Let’s review what has evolved with this employee and the Pool Matter.
The employee submits a Timeline of events, at each monthly ACSA Meeting, that shall occur in the Pool Area restoration. Who decided on these events to occur? The past and current LSP Committees had no participation in these called for events. BTW – The Pool Residents pay for the cost of these events. We’re still waiting for a paid Soil Test from months ago; it’s still being held by this employee. Why? Maybe because it doesn’t concur that the Pool is sinking; we only hear the news that supports the agenda to lay waste to the Pool Area, i.e. demolition of the Bathhouse and shelved up Pool pavers.
A statement from a County Health person, who was told that the Bathhouse had been condemned, squelched a Pool Member request to open the Pool Area, after some repairs could be completed, per a Florida licensed Building Contractor. Did the ACSA employee disclose this condemnation to the Pool Residents? – NO. Further after investigation, no County condemnation had ever occurred or existed. However, the belief of condemnation was left to remain, which supported the employee’s reply statement, when asked if an opening could be something to address, which was that the temporary opening of the Pool Area is “Not supported”, with no employee explanation.
The employee stated an ACSA Meeting that the Pool had a County Code Violation and the violation was being addressed. The violation was never disclosed except for a Chapter from the Code Book. That Chapter has 15 possible pool requirements, which one needs to be addressed?
The employee stated that the architects were finalizing the Bathhouse building. Were we ever shown a rendering of a proposed Bathhouse and told of its amenities? – NO. However, there are drawings of the proposed bathhouse on the Aquarina website. Why not disclose that to the Residents or the Pool Neighborhood Presidents? Pool Area information is vague and is not forthcoming unless it is searched and found.
The ACSA contrived, and so far, has succeeded, with, astonishingly, the assistance of a few Pool Residents, to take control of the Pool Area away from the three Pool Neighborhoods. A shell LSP Committee of ACSA selected Members was formed as an audience to hear from the ACSA employee what will be done with the Pool Area, and for the Members to then relay back to the Pool Residents what was told to them at the meeting. Members are expected to assist the ACSA with its Pool Area agenda. The Pool Residents have their exclusive use (maybe, hopefully) with the ACSA directing the Pool Residents with the responsibility to maintain and pay what the ACSA decides for them, i.e. the type of Bathhouse, and any cost the ACSA elects to create in the renovation of the Pool Area, whether it’s a necessary repair or not, e.g. the Pool gutter being replaced and the pavers being shoveled and re-sloped. No explanation is provided on whom decided that these actions need to occur. There is documented information on the Pool gutter and pavers, which could avoid these repairs, but it has been ignored.
Yes, the ACSA has come to dictate and direct to the Pool Residents what they’ll accept and for which they’ll pay. It’s obvious, that after the Pool Residents set the predicate of maintenance and repair of the Pool Area over these past 30 years, the ACSA decided it wanted complete control of the Pool Residents limited common area (the Pool Area), and schemed for an excuse to take it away. The excuse was that the Bathhouse was neglected and near collapse. A theatrical and fear mongering presentation was made to the Pool Residents of the Bathhouse’s near demise by non-professional and unlicensed laymen. The first LSP Committee had been working on a business plan for this committee as requested by the ACSA, though this committee was shortly disassembled by the ACSA at the completion of the business plan. An ACSA ordered engineering report on the Bathhouse noted, at the worse, that the outdoor supported overhang needed to be shored up with probably replaced support beams. This first LSP Committee after the alarmist presentation on the Bathhouse ordered a building inspection from licensed building inspector to inspect the Bathhouse; however, the ACSA cancelled the LSP Committee inspection order, and requested their own inspection, i.e. the engineering report. This report suggested Pool gutter and paver issues and speculated to the causes of the issues. Where did the decision for gutter replacement and shoveled up and regraded pavers come from, a licensed pool or building contractor? We don’t know. Further did a licensed building contractor provide approximate cost estimates for both demolishing or repairing and restoring the Bathhouse?
Since the Pool Residents will be responsible for maintaining and repairing, and paying all the costs of the Pool Area, it would be expected that they would be part of the decision process, and be informed of licensed building and pool contractors’ suggestions and recommendations for the Pool Area renovation, especially the costs expected with these matters. The ACSA, and its employee and non-Resident spokesperson, need to have a dialogue with the Pool Residents, and not dictate what will occur with Pool Area.
Bottom Line – The ACSA decided it wanted to take control of the Pool Area, which the ACSA ignored for maintenance, repair, and costs for 30 years. The Pool Area had been tended by the three Pool Neighborhoods, and its presentation and use was consistently maintained to its maintained condition today, as it was from its conception in the late 80’s.
However, some drama and politics evolved, which the ACSA apparently saw as an opportunity to ignite a rebellion within the Pool Neighborhoods with assistance from a few Pool Residents. Unlicensed and non-professional findings with the pool Area were embellished to appear with more negativity than positivity to right any correctable problems. 30 years of successful and dedicated care of the Pool Area with no incidents or accidents were ignored, and the ACSA set the stage for its Pool Area take over. It selected its new Lakeside Pool Committee Members, with its second attempt, to assist it with its plan to upstage the Pool Area with its own design, AND have the Pool Residents pay for the costs of the design. After all, the Pool Residents who have exclusive of the Pool Area, maintain the Pool Area, repair the Pool Area, and pay all the costs for the Pool Area, have NO voice at all on the direction that Pool Area will take per the ACSA.
With the ACSA control of the Pool Area, the Pool Area could have been repaired for use within two weeks, but the repair was ignored for months, and was ACSA stated to be “Not Supported”. As a result, and because of this ACSA non-action, the Pool Area was abandoned and closed for over a year now. It never appeared in the neglective state that it is now. 140 Pool Residents request a discussion for a Pool Area repair, the Residents that will bear all the responsibilities and costs. The ACSA ignored this request.
The Pool Area was taken, the Pool Residents are suffering with a paid and taken amenity for which they still pay. It could be said these failures occurred.
There was no sit-down discussion with the ACSA and the three Pool Neighborhood representatives to determine what were the Pool Area issues and how they could be resolved.
The ACSA took control and of the existing Pool Committee, and after two unsuccessful ACSA attempts to assemble a new committee, the ACSA decided to assemble its own Pool Committee. It selected the members it wanted from the three Pool Neighborhoods, ignoring any Pool Neighborhood endorsed Residents for the committee. The ACSA was determined to have control.
A previous ordered inspection of the Bathhouse by the existing Pool Committee was cancelled, and the ACSA ordered their own engineering report, for which the Pool Residents paid. The report disclosed areas of the bathhouse that needed repair with two choices, i.e. make the repairs for the existing bathhouse, or if it was decided to bring the bathhouse up to code (which was a choice and not a requirement), then replacement would be more cost effective. Further, it was speculated that the Pool may be settling, and a Soil Test was ACSA ordered, for which the Pool Residents paid. That report results were never disclosed.
No discussion with the Pool Committee on how to address these inspection matters ever occurred.
An ACSA spokesperson, came up with how these matters would be addressed with no explanation. Who made the decisions for the addressing of these matters, Licensed Pool and Building Contractors? Do we have these decisions to review? NO. We have an ACSA non-Resident employee, telling the Pool Residents what will transpire with the Pool Area with no substantiation or explanation.
Costs for the ACSA directed Pool Area renovation have estimates up to $7,000 per unit based on what has been heard in the Aquarina Community, with completion by year end. Repair and restore could be up to one half of this cost, and a fraction of the time for completion. These estimates need to be disclosed and discussed, and not just directed at the Pool Residents for what has been decided for them.
The Pool Residents have been usurped, ignored, bullied, and neglected, which have caused personal suffering and economic injury. We know who is the responsible party. The majority of the folks that were surprisingly voted to be where they are sitting, with the fiduciary responsibility to represent their Residents, have arguably failed in this responsibility. However, in their minds, they have succeeded in capturing what they wanted, complete control of the Pool Area of which they ignored for 30 years.
MORE TO COME SOON ON ADDRESSING THE SOURCE OF THE LSP COMMITTEE APPARENT DIALOGUE SHUTDOWN.
PHOTOS UPDATED
Perimeter collateral damage will likely occur.
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Repair and restore are far less likely to cause any perimeter damage.
Let’s review what has led up to the current road of replacing the Lakeside Pool (LSP) Bathhouse. We had a presentation of propaganda and an alarmist outcry that the Bathhouse was near collapse and the Pool was sinking, which we were told would certainly require, what was a surprising, unprofessional, and layman decision, to demolish the Pool Area. This negative mantra emerged from the second of the now three LSP Committees. The second LSP Committee was ACSA created from selected individuals, who were not committed advocates of our standing Pool Area. As a result of this second LSP Committee’s Pool Area oversight, there was limited transparency and communication, and a closed down Pool Area, for now more than a year.
The demolition decision, as stated, came from unlicensed and non-professional individuals. However, what we do have are two engineering reports from licensed professionals that determined that the Pool was not sinking and that the Bathhouse could be repairable. To further explain the bathhouse matter, it was suggested that repairs were feasible, but to bring the Bathhouse up to current County Codes would, in addition to the repairs, may not be cost effective to do when compared to replacing the Bathhouse.
However, a licensed building contractor provided an opinion, after reading the bathhouse engineering report and seeing the Bathhouse, that the Bathhouse could be repaired for safe use, including some paver repairs, within a two-week period, which would have the Pool Area in a position to be opened. The question becomes, does it make sense to demolish a building that could be remedied for use within two weeks? Further, a cost analysis between repair and restore, and demolition, was never apparently considered since the Pool Residents never saw an analysis or were told of one. The ACSA jumped into a replacement Bathhouse mode without a discussion with the Pool Residents, who will be paying for this rushed and careless decision.
It also should be considered that the vision of Aquarina began with its construction in the mid 1980’s. This Bathhouse along with Aquarina’s first three neighborhoods, i.e. Tidewater, Egret Trace, and Blue Heron, emerged as top scale architectural and constructed buildings, with the best and most modern materials, to set a tone for what Aquarina would represent, a timeless designed community for those who wanted the best. To this day these neighborhoods and its Bathhouse still stand out as, not outdated, but classic and contemporary as ever. The Bathhouse was designed and built to blend and stand within the pastoral and peaceful setting among the oak trees and pond in this Pool Area. Replacing the Bathhouse with a boxed concrete block building with a metal roof will appear institutional, and be a blot on the setting we now have to enjoy. I have never seen a 1980’s building demolished unless it was uninhabitable because of significant existing destruction, or it had to be moved. The basic structure of the Bathhouse is intact. The needed repairs are a new roof and reworked support beams for the paver overhang area. Toilets and sinks could be replaced. This type of repair and restoration would not trigger County Codes for other upgrade replacements and additions, since the building will be in a repair state and remain intact.
Any demolition will have consequences other than the removal of the bathhouse. A demolition event is not self-contained, especially for a building that is nestled and affixed into a pastoral and pool setting. There is perimeter collateral damage to consider for additional repair and replacement items from the demolition equipment and the removal process for the debris.
A repair and restore process for the Bathhouse eliminates this destructive consequence. Does it make any sense that a 1985 building that could be repaired for County approved use within a two-week period be demolished? Further, $8,000 of refurbished Pool furniture has been stored in the bathhouse to secure it during the past hurricane season by the second Pool Committee that wanted to demolish the whole Pool Area. The irony of it all. None of this Committee’s actions makes any sense. Yet it appears that the now third Pool Committee may be following this unreasonable and expensive path. BTW – we’re still waiting for a report from this Committee on the announcement of their second meeting. All Pool matters are being “slow walked”, while the Pool Residents wait. Where’s the Soil Report for which we paid?
To say again , this Bathhouse was constructed at the time of the original construction of the three neighborhoods that are still striving In Aquarina, i.e. Tidewater, Egret Trace, and Blue Heron. The bathhouse was built with the same focus that the German developer used on these three neighborhoods’ classic and timeless design, upgraded materials, and precision construction to set a tone for Aquarina Community.
Let’s look at these points of action with the Bathhouse.
All licensed and professional evaluations, i.e. an engineering report, a soil study, and a building contractor evaluation did not recommend demolishing of any of the Pool Area. It was suggested that if the bathhouse was to be upgraded to current County Codes, that a replacement may be more cost effective; however, a repair and restore of the current Bathhouse was considered a feasible choice, especially when the cost should be lower for repair and restore rather than replacement.
Any announcement that the Pool Area needed to be demolished was from unlicensed and non-professional laymen, where a propagandized and theatrical display of contrived information and misinformation was displayed to a shocked and puzzled audience of Pool Residents.
A cost-effective approach should be the path for a Pool Area repair and restoration, which would be to replace the roof and replace the support beams for the paver overhang, and change out the toilets and sinks of the Bathhouse, and address the few settled pavers that surround the Pool. BTW – the Pool gutter has been mentioned for repair. It needs explaining, since the assumption was that the slight unlevel nature was from Pool settling, which apparently is not the case.
Demolishing the Bathhouse, hauling the debris away, and going through a replacement building, which is at least a six-month process, as we’re witnessing now with the “slow walked” Pool matter, is absolutely not cost-effective nor time-effective for the Pool to be opened sooner.
No general costs estimates have been disclosed to the Pool Residents for a repair and restore approach as apposed to a replacement. However, work has been ordered for a Bathhouse replacement with no explanation for and no sharing of these costs. Isn’t great when you can spend someone else’s money without discussion or recourse? The ACSA did it with The Brassie Grille, and it’s doing it with the Pool Area.
Misinformation was provided that the Bathhouse was condemned, which discouraged a LSP Committee suggestion to temporarily open the Pool Area while the ongoing Bathhouse replacement process passes. A two-week remediation period before a re-opening resulted in being squashed before it could be reviewed and considered because of this misinformation.
It appears that a First Service Residential employee, whom we pay, and a non-Resident, is directing the Pool matter. The released information from the employee on what is occurring with the Pool Area remediation is limited, contrived, and in some cases withheld. Why? The ACSA should be working hand in hand with the Pool Residents with complete transparency and co-operation. Unfortunately, this is not happening, while the Pool Area sits abandoned. The ACSA has provided no data or information with its unreasonable actions with the Pool Area, other than questionable and limited information from what can be considered shill behavior from its spokespersons.
The current path of an extended period for replacement of the Bathhouse makes no sense, and it cannot be defended with reasonable facts. The reasonable facts call for a repair and restoring of the Bathhouse and the tuning up of some pavers, which all could be done in a few weeks. The Pool Residents are being held hostage with their Pool by an ACSA Board, which is obviously more interested in flexing its power and control, instead of its fiduciary responsibility to its Residents.
The current and third LSP Committee would be more effective for the Pool Residents if it was more proactive by asking questions and wanting explanations during these occasional held meetings, one meeting so far. One person, not being a committee member, should not be directing these meetings. The meetings should be dialogue of discussions among all the members, after all, two Chair positions were voted into place to lead the committee. Further, any decisions with the Pool matters, especially cost decisions, should be presented to the Pool Residents at an open meeting, since they’re using and paying the for the Pool Area.
BREAKING UPDATE
There has been one announced LSP Committee Meeting, an orientation meeting. However, just released to the Pool Residents was an announcement of decisions for Pool work to be done, e.g. Pool paver, gutter, and back-fill work, and a request for building contractors’ proposals. When was an LSP Committee Meeting announced to present these work decisions to the Pool Residents for explanation and discussion?
What appears is a pretend Pool Committee for optics, while behind the scenes decisions are made for the Pool Residents, who have not been giving a right to participate. The Pool Committee is made up of ACSA chosen volunteers, who are expected to be the voice of the three Pool Communities, at least 140 Residents. However, these volunteers appear to be listeners to the First Residential spokesperson, who orchestrates the meetings, just one to date, and directs what will be done with the Pool, what appears to be with no discussion among our volunteer representatives, other than them being ACSA conduits rather than filters for what the ACSA has planned for the Pool.
Please, LSP Committee Member Volunteers, stand up for your fellow 140 Pool Residents, ask questions for explanations from the ACSA on its decisions. There are cost effective alternatives to discuss. These Pool Residents overwhelmingly asked for a dialogue on a parallel path for a Pool opening. Now we should also have a dialogue on repair and restore of the Bathhouse, rather than a destructive demolition.
The 140 Pool Residents have spoken, we need our volunteer representatives to speak up for them, not just be lectured to on what will occur with the Pool Area.
The Brassie Grille was intended to be a comfort food eatery. After a round of golf or a set of tennis, you could swing up to the Grille for a cold one and a burger. Other choices were on the menu, which all worked for the folks. It was the type of eatery you find at any other golf facility. Aquarina Golf, Inc. (AGI) managed it, and its effort was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. If it ever broke even as a business, then it was a success, but breaking even was never certain. However, aha, the AGI had the Residents’ fees to always support its expenses, i.e. subsidized them. What was needed was an experienced Chef/Manger to run it and pay rent, which never really materialized because of continued AGI meddling its way to control The Brassie Grille. The Aquarina political cabal required subservientness to its selfish needs resulting in management and employee relations always being a constant struggle.
Matters continued to spin out of control, when cabal demands were made to have fine dining, which then led to the current expansion, i.e. a bigger and better kitchen, more accommodating furnishings, and more space to accommodate all those dinner parties, and other social/dining events. The cabal moved forward with now $1M plus contracts for the expansion, and more moneys are needed. No problem there, the cabal offered an Aquarina investment opportunity whereby folks can invest in mortgages carrying a healthy interest rate. These five figure investments were instant cash for the cabal spenders, and the Residents, through their maintenance fees, would pay the mortgages back. It’s interesting, the Board can decide to allocate funds for Reserves (to maintain our infrastructure and community maintenance) or “Betterments”, which are to create costs for choices like The Brassie Grille expansion. It would seem with the age and needs of Aquarina that allocation of funds to “Betterments” is a selfish and irresponsible indulgence.
Keep in mind now that these majority of cabal Board of Directors had voted to spend a $1M plus dollars of the Residents’ fees without the Residents having a voice of choice for this expenditure. Did we come to Aquarina to be in the restaurant business? We are not on a desert island with no restaurants conveniently available. There are at least six very good restaurants within 10-20 minutes from Aquarina. Trust me, there is no way the revised Brassie Grille will compete with them. Most of them have been here for decades. Further, the $1M plus restaurant was created with our dollars, and a hopeful, restaurateur, was to lease it and run it. Well, that collapsed, and now the cabal is trolling for a tenant. One may have been found, but its history may need scrutiny. Meanwhile the Residents have a huge debt with payback from a maybe profitable restaurant business. This is the community priority? Hmm.
As we all know, we are in strenuous financial times, countrywide inflation is rampant, Florida insurance premiums are out of control, and our nation’s debt continues to recklessly rise. What does the majority of the ACSA Board do? It decides to place a $1M plus debt on its Residents on a completely discretionary decision to expand an existing and functioning restaurant. When you can indiscriminately spend the Residents’ money without recourse, why not – right? The ACSA Board Directors took an oath to serve the Residents and pledge a fiduciary responsibility to oversee the Residents’ funds. Has this occurred with their actions?
I would hope and think that among these Board Members there exists a small voice of reason; however, it appears that these voices have been squashed and intimidated with a politically cabal majority, who have their own selfish and reckless behavior to create and oversee. An election of Directors appears on the horizon; may there be an opportunity for change in Aquarina’s future direction or will complacency continue?
THE LAKESIDE POOL
Yet another “My way or the highway” without discussion, is the Lakeside Pool fiasco. A premeditated brouhaha occurred at a Pool Neighborhood meeting on Pool Area matters, where the ACSA later conveniently appeared to calm the apparently uncontrolled situation. Keep in mind, the three Pool Neighborhoods had overseen the Lakeside Pool for over 30 years without incident, since the Developer at the time bequeathed exclusive use of the Pool Area to the three Pool Neighborhoods.
An ad hoc Pool Committee was assembled with previous and new Members to provide structure to a Pool Area maintenance process that had been successful for these past 30 years. This Pool Committee was diligent and prepared, and documented an administrative structure for Pool Area maintenance, which previously was a Laissez-faire yet efficient process. Politics ensued, where the ACSA infiltrated the Pool Committee and removed some of its Members, when it was determined that this Committee intended to continue with the pool maintenance process as it had been handled for the past 30 years.
The ACSA (it had quietly been on the deed for the Pool Area) would not hear of this approach, since after 30 years of silence on pool matters, it now decided to take control, in every way, with how matters will be handled. The Pool Area was quickly closed because of structural repairs that needed to be addressed at the Bathhouse, and non-professional, unlicensed, and alarmist opinions that the pool itself may be sinking into the ground. BTW – the original Pool Committee was in the process of overseeing the structural matters, but was stopped by the ACSA. The addressing of these matters by the ACSA has been slow walked over the months with minimal communication and no remediation action taken to open the Pool Area. It was determined during this time that the pool was not sinking away, and a decision was to replace the Bathhouse. It was also determined by a licensed building contractor enlisted by the Pool Residents that any Pool Area repairs, e.g. the Bathhouse, could be resolved in two weeks, and the Pool Area could be opened for the interim to the Pool Residents, while the administrative process to replace the bathhouse was underway, at least a six month period. This remediation was turned down by the ACSA without explanation, other than stating this remediation was not ACSA supported. Ninety Pool Residents, who would pay for this fix, agreed to this remediation approach with a100% vote to proceed with the repair and opening, were stifled.
The Pool Area continues to remain closed. It has been a year of closure, where its landscape maintenance had been ignored, and Bathhouse’s roof tarp was waving in the wind, until protests to its neglected condition were finally acknowledged for correction by the ACSA. In 30 years, the Pool Area never experience the neglect that has been currently put upon it.
The decision to replace the bathhouse, based on the county process, and the slow walk of the ACSA over Pool Area matters, will most likely result in at least another six months or more of Pool Area closure. This closure, of the Pool Residents’ paid for amenity, the pool, was taken, and the result has injured these Resident units’ with sales, with rentals, and with their personal use. Many used the pool for physical therapy, and with the Pool Area taken away, certainly now is even more of a direct burden and injury for some of these Residents.
Selected and possibly prejudicial treatment are quite obvious, where the Board’s “all hands are on deck” motto was followed to subsidize the loss of The Brassie Grille with dinner nights and Club House food service, while the Pool Residents are left with a taken Pool Area and no near end in sight for its opening. The Pool Residents did have a path to open the Pool Area as previously explained, but the ACSA Board voted not to support it, which says you’ll get your Pool Area back at our pace and with our conditions.
With ACSA Board Director positions coming up for a vote this spring, may some of these injured Pool Residents participate in offering Board Director Candidates to offset a Board majority that has its own agenda rather than an Aquarina agenda for all its Residents, or will the complacency on which the Board feeds prevail?
Fortunately, with yet another ACSA Board re-assembled Lakeside Pool Committee, there appears to be some appointed members that have the will to monitor and to speed up the administrative process for permitting to occur sooner than later for the bathhouse replacement. Hopefully, these pool advocate members will be heard and not ignored.
